Fashion | Sport & Street
1 July 2005
An impressive write-up in hip Italian trend forecasting magazine, Sport&Street, describes Air NZ Fashion Week as “a must-see fixture on the international fashion calendar.” Highlights include Zambesi (“Elisabeth Findlay, the epitome of an individualist…
Rugby | BBC News | Planet Rugby | Reuters
1 July 2005
The All Blacks demolished the British and Irish Lions in three straight Tests, in one of the most highly anticipated rugby tours of recent years. The hype both at home and in the UK was spectacular,…
War & Peace | 1000 Peace Women
30 June 2005
Four New Zealand women are among a historic collective nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Each of the 1,000 women, nominated from across the world, have worked for justice and peace in their respective…
Science/Tech | New Scientist
30 June 2005
The powerful, curling waves that draw surfers to beaches will soon be breaking inland, thanks to a novel shape-shifting rubber reef that can be fitted to the floor of a swimming pool. The Versareef,…
Film & TV | Vogue
30 June 2005
Actor Martin Csokas is hailed as “the new Russell Crowe” in the July issue of Australian Vogue. Csokas’ recent projects include The Bourne Supremacy with Matt Damon, Asylum with Natasha Richardson and Sir Ian…
Politics and Economics | Xinhua News
29 June 2005
According to new figures released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), NZ has the second highest employment growth rate in the developed world. The report shows that NZ’s labour force grew 3.4% last year,…
Visual Arts | rense.com
29 June 2005
An Aucklander story featured on international Alt News website, Rense. ‘Mystery creature roams Auckland park,’ turned out to be a tongue-in-cheek promotion of the Auckland Museum’s new dinosaur models in the surrounding Domain.
Sport General | FIBA
29 June 2005
Tall Blacks star, Sean Marks, has announced his retirement from NZ basketball, after helping the San Antonio Spurs to victory in the NBA final. “I’ve given it a lot of thought and it was a tough decision…
Politics and Economics | Korean Herald (The)
28 June 2005
NZ led the anti-whaling nations at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Ulsan. Headed by Conservation Minister Chris Carter, the delegation included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and DoC, as well as Whaling Commissioner Sir…
Politics and Economics | Stanford.edu
28 June 2005
NZ born lecturer of economics at Stanford University, John McMillan, believes that the obsession NZ politicians have with raising the country’s per capita income to equal that of Australia is a waste of time. “Any cross-country comparison…
Film & TV | Wood & Vale
27 June 2005
Another fantastic review for award-winning NZ film, In My Father’s Den. “They say that NZ wears its people lightly: the land is so strong, so exciting, so varied and so remote that its people…
Z-Files | Finfacts Business News
27 June 2005
As Registrar General for England and Wales, New Zealander Len Cook is heading the massive task of digitising the countries’ birth, death, and marriage certificates. “The aim throughout our plans to reform civil registration has been to…
Motorsports | crash.net
26 June 2005
Kiwi motor cross stars Ben Townley and Josh Coppins finished first and second respectively at the French Grand Prix in St Jean d’Angely. The win marked the third Grand Prix title of Townley’s rookie season. “At…
Science/Tech | The Malaysian Star
19 June 2005
Malaysian Star feature looks at NZ’s thriving film, multimedia and technology schools; specifically Auckland’s South Seas Film and Television School, Media Design School, and University of Technology (AUT), and Palmerston North’s University College of Learning (UCol). “Thanks to…
Golf | BBC News
19 June 2005
Michael Campbell held off a late charge by Tiger Woods to win the 105th US Open at Pinehurst, his first major championship. He become the first Kiwi to win a major title since Bob Charles…
Business | Age (The) | Sydney Morning Herald (The)
18 June 2005
Ralph Norris is leaving the helm at Air NZ to return to banking as managing director and CEO of Australia’s Commonwealth Bank. Norris is credited with turning Air NZ’s fortunes around. “Air NZ’s financial position has never…
Film & TV | Baltimore Sun
18 June 2005
NZ entomologist, writer, broadcaster and educator, Ruud Kleinpaste, is a hit in the US as the host of Animal Planet’s Buggin’ With Ruud. “In Buggin’ With Ruud, the energetic, fearless Kleinpaste subjects himself…
Writers | New York Times (The)
18 June 2005
Catherine Chidgey’s second novel, The Strength of the Sun, is rapturously received in the New York Times. “It’s difficult to articulate exactly what gives this novel its unassuming power … In combination, the disparate…
Politics and Economics | Guardian (The)
18 June 2005
Political activist, peace campaigner and renowned author, Sonja Davies, has died aged 81, leaving an inspiring legacy in her wake. According to her Guardian obituary, Davies – known to many as ‘Mrs Peace’ – ranks…
New Zealand | Cairo Magazine
16 June 2005
Cairo magazine writer admires NZ’s greatest natural resource – the landscape itself – in a hiking tour of NZ. “Once we finally got it was easy to imagine what it had once…
Music | Observer (The)
15 June 2005
Wellington groovers Fat Freddy’s Drop recently mounted a highly successful European tour. The Observer‘s glowing review of their new album, Based on a True Story, proves the broad appeal of their distinctly Kiwi sound….
Dance | Sydney Morning Herald (The)
12 June 2005
The Royal NZ Ballet impresses critics with its first foray into Sydney. The Herald reviewer is particularly taken with the show’s titular piece, A Million Kisses to My Skin. “I suspect that the…
Education | New Zealand Herald
8 June 2005
Two groups of Far North students excelled at the Community Problem Solving Championships in Lexington, Kentucky. Kaitaia Primary School won the junior (9-11) section of the competition with their solution to the regular low-level flooding of their…
Politics and Economics | International Herald Tribune
8 June 2005
New Zealand: Leading a Small Nation Across a Tightrope, offers an in-depth analysis of the abilities and international standing of PM Helen Clark, and outlines the numerous difficulties inherent in “governing a country of free-thinking Kiwis.” The…
Rugby | Fox News
6 June 2005
NZ claimed its sixth successive IRB Sevens World Series victory, ahead of the final leg of the competition in France. By the end of the London Sevens tournament in June, NZ had enough overall points to…
New Zealand | Planet Out
6 June 2005
“Scenic, comfortable and tolerant, NZ has always been an attractive destination for gay and lesbian travellers. In recent times things have been getting even better, with gay venues and activities popping up like drag queens in a…
New Zealand | San Francisco Chronicle
5 June 2005
San Francisco Chronicle travel writer recommends Wellington’s Rawhiti B&B. “On a recent trip to New Zealand, I discovered a wonderful bed and breakfast very close to the centre of Wellington. Rawhiti, a former family home, has fabulous…
Politics and Economics | Xinhua News
3 June 2005
PM Helen Clark has signed negotiations for a free trade agreement spanning four continents. The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement brings together NZ, Brunei, Singapore and Chile, and will come into effect in January 2006.
Wine | just-drinks.com
1 June 2005
June marked a significant viticultural milestone for NZ, with the opening of its 500th winery. The honour goes to St Lukes Estate Wines Ltd in Blenheim. “In 1995 there were 204 wineries in NZ,” said John…
New Zealand | IOL.com
1 June 2005
A South African couple take a tour NZ by campervan, pronouncing it “Eden on Earth.” Highlights include the Moeraki Boulders at Omaru, Lanarch Castle, Franz Josef Glacier, Tongariro National Park, Sandspit and the Waipoua Forest.
New Zealand | Guardian (The)
1 June 2005
“Ah, NZ. Land of outdoor beauty, fresh air, long walks over rugged terrain – but, come on, do you really want to fly halfway around the world for something you could find in Cornwall?” The Guardian…
Fashion | Viva Magazine | Vogue
1 June 2005
Viva magazine features New Zealand fashion designer Frances Howie, named one of the eight designers to-look-out for by British Vogue. Howie is designing in Paris for one of France’s oldest couture labels,…
Design | Harper's Bazaar
1 June 2005
Australian Harpers Bazaar visits the infamous cinematograper Michael Seresin’s “little slice of secluded wilderness” in its regular ‘Personal Space’ section. Located in Waterfall Bay, Marlborough Sounds, Seresin’s some-time abode is anything but little, comprising…
Film & TV | Pop Culture Junkies
31 May 2005
Russell Crowe won widespread acclaim for his role in Ron Howard’s Cinderella Man. Seattle Post-Intelligencer: “At the centre of all richness is another irresistible star turn by Crowe. As his Oscar-winning performance in…
Wine | Guardian (The)
29 May 2005
A new development in the South Island’s Hurunui region hopes to provide a focus for the area’s flourishing wine industry. The Waipara Wine Village will eventually comprise a hotel, villas, wine bar, ale house and a food…
Politics and Economics | Washington Post
27 May 2005
Free Liberal weblog comments on a Washington Times article detailing NZ’s anti-nuclear stance, military capabilities, and reliance on its more powerful neighbor. “An interesting story about how NZ’s rather modest defense budget and decision to stay out…
Science/Tech | Guardian (The)
26 May 2005
NZ scientists at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research have developed a high-tech yet cost-effective new crime -fighting technique. The revolutionary system uses DNA analysis of the bacteria in soil to match a database of samples…
Business | New York Metro | The New Post | Times (The)
26 May 2005
Wayne Gould – retired NZ judge turned “international puzzle star” – is responsible for the latest craze in newspaper teasers, Su Doku. Gould discovered the number-based logic test in a Japanese bookstore in 1997. After six years…
New Zealand | Age (The)
25 May 2005
The Age showcases five of the best NZ cruises on offer; Milford Sound, Hole in the Rock (Bay of Islands), Lake Wakitipu, Inter-Islander crossing, and the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise.
Wine | Los Angeles Times
25 May 2005
LA Times feature charts the rise of NZ Sauvignon Blanc, courtesy of forward-thinking brothers Bill and Ross Spence who first planted the grape – against conventional wisdom – in the early 1970s. Their vineyard, Matua Valley, is…
Science/Tech | physorg.com
23 May 2005
Two amateur Kiwi astronomers helped discover a planet 15,000 light years from Earth using simple backyard telescopes. Grant Christie and Jennie McCormick are part of a worldwide star-gazing collective called MicroFUN, led by Andrew Gould of Ohio…
Film & TV | PR Web
23 May 2005
A stylish black and white music video by LA-based nzer Anna Wilding (and relative of Wimbledon chamption Anthony Wilding) reached final competition of the first ever Los Angeles Femme Festival held in…
General | The JoongAng Daily
23 May 2005
The Patea Maori Club was guest of honour at the official opening of the NZ Centre for Culture and Education in Yeoksam-dong, South Korea. The centre is a non-profit organization founded by two Korean-NewZealanders,…
Taste | Financial Times
21 May 2005
The Financial Times devotes a sizeable spread to the “veritable culinary cornucopia” that is NZ. “‘Used to be that a big night out would be to Barry’s Bistro for Steak Diane and a big…
Obituaries | Guardian (The)
21 May 2005
Former All Black captain, agricultural economist, and leading NZRU administrator – Bob Stuart, OBE – died in May aged 84. Although Stuart’s best playing years were taken up by military service during WW2, he successfully lead NZ…
Business | Economist (The) | Guardian (The) | Independent (The)
21 May 2005
The Economist reports on ructions to repair the dire finances and arcane structure at Oxford University. Proposals by new vice chancellor John Hood to centralize decision-making and change the way in which dons’ work…
War & Peace | Asia-Pacific Network (The)
19 May 2005
Owen Wilkes, the New Zealand peace activist and global peace researcher, has died in Hamilton aged 65. In a tribute written from Beijing by Peter Hayes, he said “Owen Wilkes was a profoundly wedded…
Rugby | easier.com
19 May 2005
Wellington is to host next year’s World Golden Oldies Rugby Festival, the first time the event has been held in NZ since it was launched there 28 years ago. The festival is expected to attract approximately 5,000,…
Film & TV | Variety Magazine
19 May 2005
Russell Crowe stirs the first Oscar-talk of the season: “An exquisite ode to a working-class hero, “Cinderella Man” takes the almost impossibly perfect elements of the saga of underdog boxer James J. Braddock…
Design | New York Times (The)
19 May 2005
Jeremy Cole’s “handsome” porcelain hanging lamps were name-checked in a Times review of the 17th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Cole is listed alongside a new wave of designers heralding a tangible shift from “cutting edge” to…
Science/Tech | Innovations Report
17 May 2005
Belgian researcher Lieven Claessens has discovered another reason to preserve our native kauri forests. According to Claessens’ Dutch-funded study, which was undertaken in the Waitakere ranges, the giant trees help stabilise areas susceptible to landslides and erosion….
Politics and Economics | Guardian (The) | World Economic Forum
17 May 2005
NZ ranks sixth overall in a new study measuring the gap between genders by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum. The top five positions went to Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. The WEF appraisal of 58 countries…
Sport General | Fox News
16 May 2005
NZ triathlete Samantha Warriner enjoyed her first major victory, taking out the women’s title at the ITU World Cup in Japan. Warriner finished the event in 2 hours 39 seconds, ahead of Japanese competitors Kiyomi Niwata…
Film & TV | Quad-cities Times
15 May 2005
Hercules, a Hallmark Productions (US) telemovie starring Leelee Sobieski, Sean Astin, and Timothy Dalton, used the NZ countryside as a stand-in for ancient Greece. “The story requires a bigger-than-life place,” says Dalton. “It needs…
New Zealand | azcentral.com
15 May 2005
A couple of years on and overseas visitors are still taking the Lord of the Rings tour of NZ. Says one US writer, “I knew that the movies were shot here, but I thought that much…
Film & TV | Empire Magazine | New Zealand Herald
14 May 2005
According to Empire magazine, Glenn Standring’s Perfect Creature is NZ’s largest ever international film sale. Set in an alternate 1960s/70s NZ, the highly original vampire tale stars British actors Dougray Scott and…