Royals Makes Top Best Female Songs of the Century
An NPR Music list of the 200 Greatest Songs by 21st Century Women has put Lorde’s debut smash hit, the 2013 “Royals”, in the top 10. According to NPR, the songs are by artists whose…
Blog Archives
Pitchfork Fave Created by Parris and Ciara
The Parris Goebel-choreographed “Level Up”, a track sung by American singer-songwriter Ciara, who joins New Zealand’s ReQuest Dance Crew on the dance floor, is one of American online music magazine Pitchfork’s favourite videos for July. “It’s hard…
Scott Brannigan’s Wood-Fired Bread a Rising Star
Plenty of restaurants around Australia are creating unique sourdough breads these days. It’s a welcome development. But in a delightful example of chicken and egg, New Zealander Scott Brannigan’s Bread in Common is a restaurant…
Antipodean Women Deliver Summer of Laughter to UK
This summer, an influx of female antipodean standup comedians, variety acts and sitcom stars are reshaping the way Britain views New Zealand and Australia. Observer arts and media correspondent Vanessa Thorpe reports. Tempting though it…
Wellington a Constantly Innovative Food Scene
“In addition to being home to a wealth of parks, the national museum Te Papa and movie prop studio Weta Cave, not to mention charming harbour fronts and beaches, is a true food…
Why Top Investor Immigrants Choose New Zealand
“People do not usually think of New Zealand as an investment destination,” Andy Semotiuk, a US and Canadian immigration lawyer, writes in an article for Forbes. “However, the country is rated number one for…
Simon Denny Weighs in on Blockchain and Art
From verification tools for provenance and authenticity to new approaches to art collecting and even new art forms, blockchain’s impact on the art world is already undeniable. During this year’s Art Basel Conversations, journalist…
Blues Man John Mitchell Favourite for England Role
New Zealander John Mitchell, Blue Bulls executive of rugby, has emerged as the latest candidate to become England’s new defence coach, The Telegraph reports. Last week, England head coach Eddie Jones confirmed that he wants…
Wagnerian Superstar Simon O’Neill in Edinburgh
The best of Bernstein, Brahms, Hungarian classical and Wagner’s Ring Cycle are among the classical highlights of this year’s Edinburgh International Festival, and Ashburton-born opera singer Simon O’Neill, 47, is one of the must-sees,…
Paid Leave a Rare Moment of Empowerment
A woman who lived through an abusive relationship writes anonymously for The Guardian, and says New Zealand’s latest domestic violence legislation is a relief from shame and fear. “The years of control, manipulation, blame, gaslighting,…
Portia Woodman Makes Top 10 Most Influential
Black Ferns winger Portia Woodman, 27, has made the top 10 on a list of rugby union’s most influential people, ahead of any of her male All Blacks counterparts and two spots below All…
Jacinda Ardern Returns to Work with Neve in Tow
Juggling the needs of a baby and running a country became a reality for New Zealand’s prime minister as she returned to work after becoming the first western leader to have a child in…
Seven Dishes You Have to Eat in New Zealand
Nostalgic dishes are an essential part of experiencing the wild and wonderful South Pacific dreamland, that is New Zealand and various interpretations on the classics can be found in both formal and casual establishments…
Who is Dark Tourist Host David Farrier?
If you can’t get enough of quirky documentaries on Netflix then you might want to check out Dark Tourist, hosted by New Zealander David Farrier, suggests Caroline Westbrook writing for the UK’s Metro newspaper. This…
Auckland and Stand Up Paddling a Perfect Match
Auckland has been named one of the world’s top eight paddling hubs by readers of the UK’s SUP magazine. “Take one look at New Zealand’s largest city on a map and it’s no surprise that…
Rugby Leads NZ Sporting Family to France
New Zealander Johnny Claxton, head strength and conditioning coach for Grenoble Rugby, 40, and his family moved to France in June 2017. Claxton’s wife, former Black Sticks player and double Olympian, Jaimee Claxton talks to…
Parkland Students Find New Zeal in New Zealand
Student Tyah-Amoy Roberts, 17, one of 28 students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, said after spending a week in New Zealand that she’s strongly considering moving to the country for…
Jessica McCormack Takes Diamonds to New Height
“We started out with the idea of a diamond tennis bracelet, but then I said no, we can do something better than that,” says New Zealand jewellery designer Jessica McCormack of the private commission…
New Zealand is Paradise Says Actor James Nesbitt
Northern Irish actor James Nesbitt, who played the dwarf Bofur in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, recalls partying with Berliners, the best dish he’s ever had, and how he discovered paradise in New Zealand. “…
Meet Travel Blogger Tara Povey
New Zealand-born Tara Povey, a former pharmacist, runs her blog, whereistara.com from her home in Dublin. She talks to Denise O’Donague from the Irish Examiner about her career shift, and her award-winning Instagram account. Povey,…
With The Adults Jon Toogood Forms Musical Union
“A set of eight songs inspired by the sounds he heard at his wedding in Sudan four years ago, Haja is unlike anything Jon Toogood, 46, has released to date,” according to The Australian’s…
Breaker Uppering a Bit Morally Ambiguous
Australian city guide Broadsheet chats to the makers of The Breaker Upperers, a new comedy making it big at the prestigious South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas. The film was created by…
Piemaker Jamie Scott Hits the Canadian Market
Jamie Scott was working as a printer in Edmonton, Canada, when his hunger for a classic Kiwi pie spurred him to start his own business, South Island Pie Co. Sue…
Top Seedz Founder Rebecca Brady Wins US Grant
Food-focused operations, including New Zealand-born Rebecca Brady’s Top Seedz cracker company, made up nearly half of the grant recipients awarded by Ignite Buffalo judges in July. Ignite Buffalo is a mentorship,…
Photojournalist Wade Goddard’s New Croatian Mission
New Zealand-born photojournalist Wade Goddard, who in 2003 set up the War Photo Limited gallery in Dubrovnik, Croatia, has had a hand in opening the country’s first crowdfunded museum in Zagreb. Paid for by members…
Fire in Cardboard City Extremely Realistic
“The clever and freewheeling nine-minute animated short Fire in Cardboard City, directed by Phil Brough, which had its US debut at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, is a mini disaster movie that…
All Aboard James Hargreaves’ Hong Kong Port Tour
There’s no question the shipping industry has played a vital role in shaping Hong Kong. But despite having one of the busiest ports in the world, most of us know little about its inner…
Adelaide’s Clement + Herron a New Standout
New Zealand-born Sam Ferguson and Nadia Carrington have just opened Clement + Herron in Adelaide, and it is one of Broadsheet’s “best openings of 2018 so far”. “On a strip better known for its snack…
New Law Grants Abused Women Paid Leave
Around the world, 1 in 3 women have been physically or sexually abused by their partner, according to the World Health Organization. Forty per cent of all women murdered each year are killed by…
Geopolitics and New Zealand’s Antarctic Presence
New Zealand is increasingly mobilising resources to secure a share of Antarctica. Current-affairs magazine for the Asia-Pacific, The Diplomat investigates. “When New Zealand’s Defence Minister Ron Mark presented the new 2018 Strategic Defence Policy Statement…
Young Surfer Ariana Shewry off to California
In October, Oakura surfer Ariana Shewry will fly to Huntington Beach in California to represent New Zealand at the world junior champs. The 15-year-old recently took visual journalists Andy Jackson and Simon O’Connor on…
Google and Disney Join Rush to Te Reo
Te Reo is undergoing a revival – lessons are packed, songs are top of the pops, and even the prime minister wants to be part of it. Māori language teachers from Auckland to Dunedin…
New Zealand’s Unique New Accommodation
“New Zealand has several new unique stays available for guests looking for something in nature and a bit out of the ordinary,” the Canada Free Press reports, recommending Clifton Glamping…
Melanie Lynskey Stars in Stephen King Thriller
“Castle Rock is a giant basket of Easter eggs for King people, but for the rest of us it’s a decent show layered with supernatural secrets waiting to be decoded,” according to John…
Get a Taste of Authentic Māori Cuisine
“There is much on the food platter in New Zealand, thanks to its historical influences. The meals are a fabulous amalgamation of New American cuisine, Southeast Asian, East Asian, and South Asian culinary traditions,”…
Composer Gemma Peacocke Premieres Work in US
New Zealand-born, New Jersey-based composer Gemma Peacocke will premiere a piece called “Skirl” at this week’s Mizzou International Composers Festival in Missouri. The word “means both the shrill sound of a bagpipe and the keening…
New Allen Curnow Collection Masterly in Breadth
Allen Curnow, who died in 2001 at the age of 90, was one of the greatest New Zealand writers: poet, verse dramatist, critic, groundbreaking and controversial anthologist. Principally through the agency of late literary…
On an Art Tour of the North Island
New Zealand’s art scene is vibrant, moving, astute, and gnaws at your consciousness, with a strong connection to history and place. And it’s everywhere, from Auckland’s dozens of small commercial spaces to major galleries in…
Picton’s Seumus’s Up for Irish Bar Award
As part of the Irish Pub Of The Year awards, there are a few categories that recognise the good work put in by Irish pubs that don’t actually exist within Ireland, including a pub…
Inside Melanie Brown’s Pop Brixton Wine Cellar
The New Zealand Cellar wine bar and wine shop is no cellar. It is very much above ground in Pop Brixton, a colourful site almost under the local railway line in south London. New…
Parris Goebel and ReQuest Stars of Ciara’s Latest
New Zealand choreographer Parris Goebel and ReQuest Dance Crew have collaborated with Atlanta-bred pop star Ciara for the music video of her latest single, the “empowering anthem”, ‘Level Up’. “The visual features the singer showing…
Allbirds’ Co-Founder Tim Brown Speaks Simplicity
New Zealander and former pro soccer player Tim Brown hung up his cleats in 2010 after going to the World Cup. His next move surprised everyone: He set out to make simple shoes that…
Japan-First for Lawyer Catherine O’Connell
After 15 years in Japan, New Zealander Catherine O’Connell decided to found and launch her New Law business model in Japan. It was a challenging prospect for any foreign lawyer, let alone a woman…
Perpetual Guardian’s Four-Day Week a Hit
Auckland company Perpetual Guardian has declared their landmark trial of a four-day working week an “unmitigated success”, with 78 per cent of employees feeling they were able to successfully manage their work-life balance, an increase…
Even Bigger Steven Adams Wows in San Diego
For four days during the annual Comic-Con, the San Diego Convention Center is a treasure trove of everything pop culture fans love: comics, super heroes, super villains, video games, movies, TV shows, books and…
Teacher Jimmy Orange Mentors Kids Through Rugby
Fountain Gate Secondary College in Melbourne, Australia never thought it would be putting up rugby posts, at least not until New Zealand-born teacher Jimmy Orange came along. Orange went through a school system where rugby…
Graduate Aïcha Wijland Wins London Design Award
University of Otago advertising graduate Aïcha Wijland says rebellious student culture was behind her edgy, award-winning redesign of classic cartoon character Beryl the Peril – the female equivalent of Dennis the Menace. Wijland has…
PM Makes Fortune’s 40 Under 40 List
The influential Fortune magazine 40 Under 40 list includes Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at No 12. Co-founder and CEO of Instagram, Kevin Systrom took top place in this year’s ranking. “It’s only appropriate that Ardern,…
Wax Chattels Pursue Post-Punk with Manic Fervour
“There are few record labels out there that have come to define an entire country’s quality independent music output. Flying Nun Records did that for New Zealand,” Adam McKinney writes for Washington-based entertainment newspaper…
Ruth Park’s the Harp in the South Now A Stage Play
“My first publishing negotiation for Ruth Park was conducted in 1971, in Angus and Robertson’s rabbit warren of offices in Lower George Street. Ruth was already a distinguished writer,” Park’s longtime literary agent Tim…
Marlon Williams on His Writing Process
The most popular and persistent myth attached to the songwriting process is that artists are driven by an absolute, desperate need to do it. As cliché has it, there’s never much choice involved in…
Author Eleanor Catton on the Books That Changed Her
New Zealand Booker Prize-winning novelist Eleanor Catton recently spoke with The Guardian on the crackpot astrological study she’d like to write, and the book she finds “dishonest, pious and vengeful”, for the newspaper’s regular…
MediCann Joins Forces With Dispensing Company
Shares in Australian company Jayex Healthcare Limited have more than doubled after the medical software and devices company announced a deal with private New Zealand medical cannabis startup, MediCann. The deal gives MediCann the exclusive…
Post-Brexit Architect Crawford Falconer Optimistic
In his first interview since taking up the role of British chief trade negotiation adviser, New Zealander Crawford Falconer talks to John Arlidge from The Sunday Times, about why he emerged from the “comfort…
Leslie Bowman Part of West End Antidote to Trump
Through the story of 18th-century Founding Father of America, Alexander Hamilton, and the American Wars of Independence, blockbuster stage musical Hamilton is fiercely relevant today, and especially last week, when President Donald Trump brought…
How Lorde Defied Misogyny and Expectations
It is a just over a year ago since the release of Lorde’s second album, Melodrama. Ordinarily, a retrospective would be premature, but Melodrama already merits one, according to Brian O’Flynn writing for The…
