This week on Breaking Waves, DJ and Jac explore the stories behind everyday life, from the fruit we eat and where it comes from to some fascinating moments from history.

The first half of the episode takes a closer look at fruit, exploring how apples, bananas, grapes and other familiar foods traveled around the world and became part of everyday diets. Hugh and DJ discuss the origins of cultivated fruit, including the history of apples in Central Asia and bananas in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, before turning to Australia’s own fruit-growing regions and the country’s diverse climates.

The second half becomes a this week in history special, travelling through some quirky and memorable events from the past. Hugh and Jac begin with the publication of The Hobbit, before moving through American political history and Richard Nixon’s famous Checkers speech, including the story of the family dog that helped make the 1952 speech so memorable.

The episode then turns to the history of the Ford Model T, exploring how the famous car helped transform transport and put America on the road to mass motoring.