News of New Zealanders via Global Media

Former Te Papa Chief Rick Ellis Crosses the Ditch

Former Te Papa Chief Rick Ellis Crosses the Ditch

Chartered Accountants ANZ has appointed former Te Papa boss Rick Ellis its new chief executive as the organisation seeks a “transformational leader” to remain relevant to its 117,000-strong membership. Ellis, who will take up the…

How Michael Ashton Made Adele’s Eyeliner Famous

How Michael Ashton Made Adele’s Eyeliner Famous

When Tauranga-born make-up artist Michael Ashton was introduced to a woman called Adele through a mutual friend, he had no idea that it was the catalyst for a long, fruitful relationship that would see…

Vine Old Time On Waiheke Island

Vine Old Time On Waiheke Island

“(Waiheke Island) has its own microclimate – it’s drier and warmer than Auckland, 20km away – which is why it’s so good at growing grapes and attracting thousands of day-trippers,” Katrina Lolley writes for…

New Zealand Wants the World to Love Feijoas

New Zealand Wants the World to Love Feijoas

At this time of year, New Zealanders in the diaspora will do just about anything to get their hands on ‘green gold’. Now exporters have their eye on a wider market. Guardian Australia journalist…

New Zealand-Inspired Milwaukee Café to Open

New Zealand-Inspired Milwaukee Café to Open

Rachel Hawken was born and raised in the Milwaukee area. But, she’s a Kiwi at heart. She’s bringing her love for New Zealand’s mobile café culture to Milwaukee in June when she launches her…

Alan Walmsley Digs Up Historical Narratives

Alan Walmsley Digs Up Historical Narratives

At a recent conference in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, archaeologists – including New Zealander Alan Walmsley – working in over 14 Islamic countries around the world participated in a first of its kind…

Maia Ramsden Sets Bar for Fiji’s Student Athletics

Maia Ramsden Sets Bar for Fiji’s Student Athletics

Long distance runner New Zealand-born Maia Ramsden, 15, who is a student at Fiji’s International School Suva, broke the record in the 800m and 1500m during the Coca-Cola Games in April, and is currently…

Robyn Loau Reunites With Her Girlfriends

Robyn Loau Reunites With Her Girlfriends

Nineties Australian girl band Girlfriend, whose frontwoman was New Zealander Robyn Loau (pictured centre top), are reforming to mark the 25th anniversary of their No 1 hit Take it From Me. The band, which was…

Georgia Fowler Touches Down for Fashion Week

Georgia Fowler Touches Down for Fashion Week

New Zealand-born New York-based model Georgia Fowler, who is in Australia for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, has been announced as the ambassador for Etihad, and has travelled to Sydney to celebrate the airline’s 10th…

Artist Lisa Reihana Arrives in Venice in Style

Artist Lisa Reihana Arrives in Venice in Style

The New Zealand pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale has opened with Auckland-born artist Lisa Reihana and Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy arriving in Venice’s largest gondola to the historic naval warehouse the pavilion will…

Kingi Snelgar on Spending Time at Standing Rock

Kingi Snelgar on Spending Time at Standing Rock

Lawyer Kingi Snelgar, 29, who has worked as a crown prosecutor in New Zealand and overseas as a human rights observer, joined the Standing Rock movement in South Dakota in late-2016. Snelgar, who completed…

Richard McChesney Walks 44 Hours Nonstop

Richard McChesney Walks 44 Hours Nonstop

Originally from New Zealand, IT consultant Richard McChesney, 48, who now lives in Kingston-Upon-Thames in the UK, has completed a 257km nonstop walk of the M25 in under 44 hours to raise funds for…

KJ Apa Speaks About His Coveted Archie Role

KJ Apa Speaks About His Coveted Archie Role

New Zealand-born actor KJ Apa, 19, star of television series Riverdale, talks with Los Angeles Confidential about his comic book romance, that fiery red hair, and what it’s like having ‘90s icon parents. When a…

Face Mask That Fights Pollution

Face Mask That Fights Pollution

“It’s a ubiquitous sight in cities like Beijing: pedestrians walking under a thick blanket of smog with their faces obscured by flimsy cloth face masks. These masks aren’t an ideal solution to dealing with the pollution,…

Some of Our Top Inspirational Under 30s

Some of Our Top Inspirational Under 30s

Entrepreneur Sam Ovens, 27, rugby player Beauden Barrett, 25, and singer Lorde, 20, are among eight young New Zealanders included on the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. Also making the list are choreographer…

New Zealand’s Ambitious Plan to Save Birds

New Zealand’s Ambitious Plan to Save Birds

New Zealand has set itself an environmental goal so ambitious it’s been compared to putting a man on the moon: ridding the entire nation of every last rat, possum and stoat, The Telegraph reports. The…

The Perfect Home For Jessica McCormack’s Luxury Jewels

The Perfect Home For Jessica McCormack’s Luxury Jewels

Just off the beaten path in perhaps the poshest section of London neighbourhood Mayfair is the “home” of jewelry designer Jessica McCormack, writes Anthony DeMarco for Forbes. “The 19th century…

Architect Briar Hickling Takes on Shanghai

Architect Briar Hickling Takes on Shanghai

When New Zealander Briar Hickling (pictured right) moved to Shanghai in 2009, she never expected she’d still be living there to this day, Leanne Amodeo reports for Architecture Now. As luck would have it, the…

Why New Zealand is an Amazing Paddling Destination

Why New Zealand is an Amazing Paddling Destination

One of the best ways to see the country is from the water, and standing up, according to photographer and paddler New Zealand-based Scotsman Johny Cook writing for SUP magazine. “All of my …

Author Julie Parsons Makes Punchy Return

Author Julie Parsons Makes Punchy Return

New Zealand-born but long-time resident in Ireland, Julie Parsons boasts a CV more varied than the average author. As well as producing five previous crime novels, she’s worked as a radio and TV producer…

Postcard Home to Belfast

Postcard Home to Belfast

New emigrant to New Zealand, Leanne Ross’ first visitor from Belfast, her father, since she arrived in Dunedin last year was “a cause for joy and reflection.” “I’m not just grateful for seeing him physically,…

Hotelier Chris Parkin’s Artistic Legacy

Hotelier Chris Parkin’s Artistic Legacy

Michael Tuffery’s Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned Beef 2000) “nattily doubles as a barbecue and is part of a large collection of contemporary art amassed over a quarter of a century by business identity Chris…

Seven Foods You Must Try in New Zealand

Seven Foods You Must Try in New Zealand

Travel specialist Alexandra Stewart moved to Singapore in 2015. One year later, the former creative director and deputy chair of Skope Industries (a successful manufacturing company founded by Stewart’s father) went on to launch…

Isaac Hindin-Miller Likes Alphabet City

Isaac Hindin-Miller Likes Alphabet City

New York resident, New Zealand-born DJ and influencer Isaac Hindin-Miller, of the Isaac Likes blog, has been a fixture in the fashion world for nearly a decade, working for top menswear brands and writing…

Weissenborn Player Thomas Oliver Off on Tour

Weissenborn Player Thomas Oliver Off on Tour

Wellington-based musician Thomas Oliver, 31, talks to Australian independent online music publication, The AU Review about the inspirations behind his new self-produced album Floating in the Darkness and his upcoming local tour followed by…

Gina Inverarity’s Children’s Book Uplifts

Gina Inverarity’s Children’s Book Uplifts

Wellington children’s author, Gina Inverarity’s new book The Brown Dog is reviewed by Stephen Romei for The Australian. The Brown Dog is illustrated by Australian Greg Holfeld. “‘The brown dog turned up one rainy Saturday afternoon,’…

Soprano Natasha Wilson Sings With Acrobats

Soprano Natasha Wilson Sings With Acrobats

Acclaimed Australian Brandenburg Orchestra has teamed up with Auckland soprano Natasha Wilson and circus company Circa to present Spanish Baroque at the City Recital Hall in Sydney. Wilson, 23, was invited by Brandenburg artistic director…

Cliff Curtis Signs On For Lead Role in Avatar Sequel

Cliff Curtis Signs On For Lead Role in Avatar Sequel

Cliff Curtis will join James Cameron’s upcoming Avatar sequels in a lead role. “The New Zealand-born actor will play Tonowari, who is the leader of the Metkayina, the reef people clan,” writes Anthony D’Alessandro…

Journalist Jamil Anderlini Emancipated in Hong Kong

Journalist Jamil Anderlini Emancipated in Hong Kong

Asia editor at the Financial Times, New Zealander Jamil Anderlini spent the past 11 years on the Chinese mainland in Beijing. In a feature for the paper, Anderlini talks about his move to Hong…

Population Specialist Clint Laurent Looks at China

Population Specialist Clint Laurent Looks at China

In an article about China’s growing middle class, Global Demographics founder New Zealander Clint Laurent told The Australian that “China was the last place to come through” a worldwide population explosion to land safely…

Fazerdaze Releases Confident Dreamy Debut

Fazerdaze Releases Confident Dreamy Debut

Morningside, the “accomplished” debut album of Auckland’s Fazerdaze, aka Amelia Murray, “is like having the door to a house opened for you, casually strolling in and taking your own time to find a comfortable…

Mayoral Candidate Chlöe Swarbrick Talks to VICE

Mayoral Candidate Chlöe Swarbrick Talks to VICE

Auckland’s youngest mayoral candidate, independent Chlöe Swarbrick, 22, came third in a field of 19, but even this was an achievement, according to VICE who interviewed the politician for a feature as part of…

Trap Shooter Natalie Rooney Ranked No 1 in World

Trap Shooter Natalie Rooney Ranked No 1 in World

Timaru trap shooter Natalie Rooney, 28, has been ranked world No 1 by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), the first New Zealander, man or woman, to hold the top spot in any of…

Heavyweight Joshua Parker Gets the Job Done

Heavyweight Joshua Parker Gets the Job Done

South Auckland professional boxer Joshua Parker, 25, has retained the WBO world heavyweight title after a wide points victory over former sparring partner, Romanian Răzvan Cojanu at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau. “Parker’s team…

Andrew Nicholson Wins Badminton Horse Trials

Andrew Nicholson Wins Badminton Horse Trials

“New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson has won the Badminton Horse Trials at the 36th attempt, two years after suffering a serious neck injury,” as reported in an article on BBC. “It is…

Life Coach Despina Nicola Dared to Begin

Life Coach Despina Nicola Dared to Begin

New Zealand-born life coach and author Despina Nicola says we are the product of our choices – which is pretty hard-hitting stuff for anyone who’s overwhelmed and looking for someone to blame. But then…

Miles Humphreys Designs Private-Island Resort

Miles Humphreys Designs Private-Island Resort

Designed by New Zealand-born architect Miles Humphreys – who counts Bali’s temple-like Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve among his many hospitality projects – Indonesia’s new private-Cempedak Island accommodations are constructed entirely of sustainable bamboo, recycled…

New Zealand’s Pies – “Handheld Kiwi National Treasure”

New Zealand’s Pies – “Handheld Kiwi National Treasure”

“As an expat returning home to New Zealand for the first time in more than a year, I need to eat a pie,” writes Lynda Brendish in an article for

Len Lye’s Film A Colour Box is Jazz Visualised

Len Lye’s Film A Colour Box is Jazz Visualised

Christchurch-born artist Len Lye’s “revolutionary” 1935 film A Colour Box is an example of visually-depicted jazz and is discussed in a book by British scholar Nicolas Pillai called, Jazz as Visual Language: Film, Television and…

Kane Strang’s New Album Out in June

Kane Strang’s New Album Out in June

After sharing a string of ace singles over the last few months, New Zealander Kane Strang has announced that his new album, Two Hearts and No Brain will be out…

Designer to Princesses Launches New Bridal Line

Designer to Princesses Launches New Bridal Line

New Zealand-born London-based Emilia Wickstead, Kate Middleton’s favourite designer, is launching a new line of wedding dresses. Wickstead previously only worked with bespoke bridal clients. Who can forget Lady Charlotte Wellesley’s fantastical entrance in a…

Sam Neill Speaks about Tiny Rowland TV Role

Sam Neill Speaks about Tiny Rowland TV Role

New Zealand actor Sam Neill stars in Channel Nine’s television miniseries about Australian businessman Alan Bond’s life and said he was sure people would enjoy watching the “rollercoaster” ride. “You’re familiar with the story of…

Filmmaker Florian Habicht Gets Spooked

Filmmaker Florian Habicht Gets Spooked

For his latest documentary, Spookers, which just made its world premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, New Zealander Florian Habicht, 42, set his sights on something that has become an unlikely…

Kiwi Researcher Lifts the Lid on US Medical-Care Prices

Kiwi Researcher Lifts the Lid on US Medical-Care Prices

“The US has the highest medical-care prices in the world. Now, Kiwi researcher Miriam Laugesen has lifted the lid on why this is,” in her book Fixing Medical Prices: How Physicians Are Paid, writes…

Fis Teams with Maori Sound Artist Rob Thorne

Fis Teams with Maori Sound Artist Rob Thorne

“Berlin-based producer Fis (aka Olly Peryman) shifts focus back to his home of New Zealand for Clear Stones, a collaborative album with veteran Maori sound artist Rob Thorne due on Subtext,” Miles…

Wellington Takes Top Spot In Quality-Of-Life Ranking

Wellington Takes Top Spot In Quality-Of-Life Ranking

“Forget London, New York or Tokyo, for a better quality of life you should go to Wellington, Edinburgh or Vienna,” writes Conor Sullivan in an article for The Financial Times….

Matt Twigge Opening His Heart and His Home

Matt Twigge Opening His Heart and His Home

New Zealander Matt Twigge, 52, a mechanic, and Scottish wife Joyce, 48, moved between their two home countries for some years before settling in Queensland to raise their two children. When those grown-up children…

Why Lorde Is a Great Dancer

Why Lorde Is a Great Dancer

Lorde’s unpolished dancing has drawn a mixture of criticism and backhanded praise from the public and press throughout her career. Perhaps it’s more accurate – and less patronising – to view the way she…

Bruce McLaren’s Daughter Maintaining the Vision

Bruce McLaren’s Daughter Maintaining the Vision

Amanda McLaren is the only child of New Zealand-born Bruce McLaren, founder of one of the most successful teams in Formula One history. She was just four years old when…

Rugged Landscapes Beguile Malaysian Photographer

Rugged Landscapes Beguile Malaysian Photographer

A photographic exhibition of New Zealand’s “majestic” landscapes is on show in Kuala Lumpur. The “Aspiring New Zealand” collection was taken by award-winning photographer Malaysian Jeffry Lim during a family holiday in the country…

Selena Gomez Enlists Georgia Fowler for New Clip

Selena Gomez Enlists Georgia Fowler for New Clip

Auckland-born Georgia Fowler, 24, who debuted in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last December, has officially added actor to her modelling resume, starring in Selena Gomez and Kygo’s It Ain’t Me video clip, reports Vogue…

Xero’s Rod Drury Promotes the Global Ecosystem

Xero’s Rod Drury Promotes the Global Ecosystem

“As the world becomes more tribal, global platforms, which enable the flow of global commerce, will help build communities, foster understanding and deliver economic prosperity,” Xero founder and chief executive officer, New Zealander

Stand Up Paddler Annabel Anderson Wins Again

Stand Up Paddler Annabel Anderson Wins Again

New Zealand world champion female stand up paddler Annabel Anderson defended her title recently at the 21.2km West Marine Carolina Cup elite graveyard race held at Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. Anderson led from start-to-finish…

Resident’s Dark Matter Brightens Milan Design Week

Resident’s Dark Matter Brightens Milan Design Week

Auckland lighting and furniture design firm Resident has been exhibiting off-site at Milan Design Week since the company was established by Simon James and Scott Bridgens in 2011. This year,

White House Open to Chris Liddell’s Ideas

White House Open to Chris Liddell’s Ideas

Nearly 300 executives have visited the White House this year, according to a New York Times tabulation, an open-door policy that is a sharp break with the Obama administration and puts corporate chieftains on…

Air NZ Takes Top Spot on Australian Reputation Index

Air NZ Takes Top Spot on Australian Reputation Index

Rugby’s Bledisloe Cup. Cricket’s Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. Now New Zealand has taken the title of Australia’s most reputable company, James Thomson reports for Australian Financial Review. Air New Zealand has grabbed number one spot on…