Find Your Fortune in Hills of Gold
“When the star-crossed prospectors featured in West Coast, they took their lives in their hands,” Telegraph travel correspondent Lloyd Hook writes. “For…
Blog Archives
Marian Fountain’s Sculpture Honours NZ Tunnellers
Hundreds of New Zealand soldiers who dug a network of tunnels beneath Arras in the run-up to the Allies’ spring 1917 offensive in Northern France are to be honoured with the unveiling of a…
Black is Goth Briana Sullivan’s Happy Colour
Auckland University graduate Briana Sullivan, 22, aka Gothic Metal Fairy, is the first New Zealander to be announced 2017 spokesmodel for DarkestGoth, a US-based, online magazine. Originally from New Plymouth, Sullivan says she loves black…
Robin Hammond Trans Image on Cover of Nat Geo
New Zealand-born photojournalist Robin Hammond’s image of transgender girl Avery Jackson, 9, has made the cover of the January 2017 special issue of National Geographic magazine on the shifting landscape of gender. Avery, from Kansas…
Shortland Street’s KJ Apa Hits US TV Screens
Archie’s certainly not a kid anymore. Or at least not the same kid we knew from the old Archie comics, according to USA Today. He’s a hot, ripped 16-year-old, and a New Zealander –…
Eight NZ restaurants Named on La Liste’s Top 1000
Eight of New Zealand’s finest restaurants have been named among the world’s best, included on La Liste’s 1000 outstanding restaurants for 2017, double the amount from the year before, Stuff reports. La Liste…
Why US Poet James Galvin Is like New Zealand
American poet James Galvin’s “Why I Am Like New Zealand” featured in the New York Times recently. Why I Am Like New Zealand My feet stick out from beneath the sheet, Pointing to where death thrives. I am…
Hot House-Hunting in Auckland
Auckland is “going through a building boom,” Ross Hawkins, a salesman with New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty told the New York Times, noting that at the moment you can count 40 or so construction…
Queenstown Public House a San Diego Find
New Zealand-inspired American cuisine is served up at San Diego’s Queenstown Public House. Reviewer Ed Bedford, writing for the San Diego Reader went along for a taste test. “ romantic…
Welcome to New Zealand’s Gateway to Space
New Zealand has become the unlikely frontier in a drive to open a private rocket-launch site, servicing a soaring market for tiny satellites, many the size of a shoebox, Rob Taylor reports for the…
Brendan Cole Talks Strictly Ahead of Liverpool Show
Christchurch-born dancer Brendan Cole, 40, is currently putting together his new tour, All Night Long, which he will take to Liverpool in February. Local newspaper Liverpool Echo talks with Cole about the tour, and…
Dah Lee Dishes up Gourmet Pizza in Phnom Penh
From a kitchen on Phnom Penh’s Sothearos Boulevard stocked with homemade tomato sauce, cheeses and an array of “gourmet” ingredients, veteran restaurateur Chinese-born New Zealander Dah Lee is trying to heighten the Cambodian capital’s…
Gymnast Charlotte Sullivan Impresses in Iowa
Christchurch gymnast Charlotte Sullivan, 18, who represented New Zealand at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has certainly landed on her feet during an eye-catching competitive debut for the University of Iowa, Stuff reports. A…
Maungawhau and Memories of an Elephant
“At 196m high, the cone of this long-dormant volcano is the highest natural point in the Auckland region,” travel site Atlas Obscura reports. “But that’s not only claim to fame – the stone observation…
On the Hunt for Illegal Gold Miners
Prospecting for gold in the South Island is growing in popularity by the year, but amateurs looking for a quick fortune can damage the environment, according to Guardian correspondent Eleanor Ainge Roy. When travelling up…
Immunotherapy Researcher’s Aim for T-Cells
In Seattle, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Christchurch-born Dr Rachel Perret, a postdoctoral research fellow, spends her days – and sometimes her nights – working toward an “off-the-shelf” version of T-cell therapy. The…
New Zealand the Place to Be in 2017
From the Himalayas to the Highlands and south to New Zealand, a panel of travel industry leaders have picked the hottest destinations for the coming year in a feature for the Financial Times. While some…
Lost British Birdsong Discovered in NZ Birds
By comparing recordings of yellowhammer accents in New Zealand and the UK, scientists have discovered how the birds’ song might have sounded in Britain 150 years ago. The study, published in Ecography, examined…
Chef Dane Allchorne Opens Second Kent Inn
Three years ago New Zealander Dane Allchorne and his wife Sarah made their first foray into owning and running a pub and restaurant in Kent, turning a disused 16th century inn into
Arizona Snowmaking Help from Shaz Dagan
New Zealanders Shaz Dagan and her partner Easy Fergus have been heading up the snowmaking and grooming crew at Arizona’s Sunrise Park Resort this winter. Dagan started her career plans like many people – planning…
How the Outback Shaped Michael Chamberlain’s Life
Christchurch-born Michael Chamberlain, who waged a decades-long battle to prove his baby daughter was killed by a dingo in Australia’s most notorious case of injustice has died in New South Wales. He was 72. Lindy…
Camelle Kent Named CEO of Boston’s WellPet
Massachusetts natural pet food company WellPet has named New Zealander Camelle Kent its new chief executive officer. Kent, a graduate of the University of Auckland, said she was honoured to be chosen for the role…
Cox London Carving a Life Force
“In an industrial site in north London, behind an anonymous brick façade, lies an awe-inspiring emporium, with bronze foundry and workshop attached. This is the headquarters of Cox London, a husband-and-wife-led team of designer-makers…
Michael Seresin’s House at Waterfall Bay
Top New Zealand-born cinematographer has worked with Alan Parker, Mickey Rourke, and Ryan Gosling, but his holiday house at Waterfall Bay in the Marlborough Sounds is far from the hustle of Hollywood, writes Michella…
Vogue Features Derek Henderson’s Crystalline Series
New Zealand-born fine art photographer Derek Henderson has teamed up with local jewellery makers Melanie Kamsler and Tamila Purvis of Maniamania, creating a series of prints with a focus on the brand’s “mainstay material”,…
Tekapo Range a Backcountry Skiing Paradise
New Zealand-born private arts advisor, curator and photographer Helen Klisser During has found the perfect backcountry skiing paradise – in the Two Thumb Mountain Range near Lake Tekapo. Together with four friends (including former New…
New Zealand Debates Tramping Track Fee
“New Zealand’s chief conservation officer, Lou Sanson, caused a stir in October by suggesting that it might be time to start charging tourists for using the country’s wilderness tracks,” The Economist reports. “New Zealanders are…
As Seen in China by Tom Hutchins
Before New Zealander Tom Hutchins died at the age of 86 in 2007, he and fellow photographer American John Turner completed, after two decades of work, a master list of Hutchins’ choice of his…
2017 Will Be the Year of Our Lorde
With Coachella and Governors Ball 2017 festival announcements, it has become clear that New Zealand alt-pop singer Lorde’s comeback is about to happen, according to Billboard. “Most popular artists announce they are returning from an…
Tim Finn Brings Musical Ladies In Black Home
A musical written by New Zealander Tim Finn is heading to Sydney for the very first time as part of the Sydney Festival, which takes over the city from 7-29 January. Finn wrote…
Ariel Pearse Crowned Miss Tourism International
Aucklander Ariel Pearse has beaten 59 other contestants to win the Miss Tourism International 2016/17 crown, presented at the New Year’s Eve final in Putrajaya, Malaysia. According to local publication, The Star, the 24-year-old blew…
Coach Gail Parata at Forefront of Scotland Netball
The Glasgow Sirens, coached by New Zealander Gail Parata, are set to change the game of netball in Scotland, bringing together a lineup of global athletes to represent the country in the UK’s Vitality…
Hockstetter’s Frogs Jump for Joy in New Sanctuary
New Zealand has declared the natural habitat of the very rare Hochstetter’s frog to be a conservation sanctuary, giving the tiny creature a chance to recover its numbers in a 400ha area of land…
NZ Takes the Fight to Pint-Size Predators
A leader in eradication campaigns, New Zealand is launching its most ambitious effort to wipe out the 30 million possums killing our native birds. The Wall Street Journal reports on the progress of the…
Connan Mockasin’s Faking Jazz Together in Spotlight
A Connan Mockasin song features on an Independent list of most-listened-to tracks the UK newspaper’s staff played the most last year on Spotify. “Oddly, my most-listened to track of 2016 wasn’t from this year at all, but…
Munro Belts NZ to T20 Series Win vs Bangladesh
Left-handed batsman Colin Munro, 29, “produced a masterclass of controlled aggression to smash 101 off 54 balls as New Zealand coasted to a 47-run win in the second Twenty20 against Bangladesh” at Bay Oval…
Greeting Card Designer Bev Williams’ Final Prank
New Zealand-born Bev Williams, creator of the bestselling “Spring Chicken” range of greeting cards, has died in Sussex, aged 77. The Daily Mail reported the designer really “did go out with a bang” when…
Ferret Smell Could Help Protect Native Birds
Landcare Researchers say that the stench of ferrets could be a useful tool to protect the country’s birds, as the smell helps to attract non-native predators. An experiment at a farm in northern Hawke’s Bay…
Kaitaia Begins the Fight of Its Life
Kaitaia has seen four homicides and six suicides in a single year. Now the locals are trying to save their community. The Guardian’s Eleanor Ainge Roy reports on how the remote community of 5000…
Tim Norton Builds 90 Seconds as Global Nomad
If there’s anyone who embodies how the so-called “sharing economy” is changing the way people live and build a business, it’s the founder and CEO of 90 Seconds, New Zealander Tim Norton. Norton…
Neil McGregor Appointed Sembcorp Top Roles
Energy expert New Zealand-born Neil McGregor will take over the position of group president and chief executive at Singapore’s state-linked conglomerate Sembcorp Industries in April 2017. McGregor, 61, is currently heading the energy and resources…
Antimicrobials from NZ Labs Help Make an India
Eco-friendly antimicrobial agents developed by a team of researchers at the University of Auckland could contribute in some of the key identified sectors in the nation-building “Make an India” initiative, according to an Indian-origin…
Grant Rawlinson Sets off on Epic Singapore-NZ Trip
New Zealander Grant Rawlinson, 42, has embarked on a 12,000km rowing and cycling journey from Singapore to New Zealand. On 3 January, Rawlinson, a Singapore permanent resident, set off on the trip to span almost…
Travelling Not so Light with Anouska Hempel
New Zealand-born London socialite and former Bond Girl Anouska Hempel is also renowned for her sumptuous architectural interiors and eye for detail, according to the Telegraph. Having opened London’s first boutique hotel, Blakes in 1978,…
Conrad Colman Solo Around the World in 80 Days
It’s known as the Everest of the Seas, one of the toughest events in any sport. As the only non-stop, round the world solo sailing race, the Vendée Globe is a monumental…
No Obstacle Too Big for Scott Thornton
New Zealander Scott Thornton was one of 1500 athletes to compete in the World’s Toughest Mudder race in Las Vegas this year, an extreme obstacle course which featured an 11m cliff jump, a back-to-back…
Squash Player Paul Coll Wins Career Best
Greymouth squash player Paul Coll, 24, has earned the biggest title of his career after defeating Egypt’s Tarek Momen to win the 2016 Channel VAS Championship. World No 33 Coll had started the match in…
David Shearer to Lead UN Mission in S Sudan
New Zealand lawmaker David Shearer, 59, who has led UN aid efforts worldwide has been named UN mission chief in South Sudan, one of the world’s toughest peacekeeping jobs. Shearer, who will end a seven-year…
NZ-Tehran Trade May Reach $1bn Turnover
New Zealand has made its first trade mission to Tehran in 12 years after sanctions were lifted following the historic nuclear deal signed in 2015. During the meeting in Tehran, Trade Minister Todd McClay…
Thinking Outside the Accom Box
New Zealander Shane Blind has created a novel micro-house out of a 6m shipping container that has a couple of pop-outs at its centre, allowing him to get around the problem of narrowness, Kimberley…
It’s Cal Wilson’s Line
When it comes to improvised comedy, Cal Wilson, 46, is no rookie, Vanessa Williams writes for the West Australian. Having built a solid stand-up career over the past 19 years, the Christchurch-born, Melbourne-based comedian…
Michala Banas Gets Her Bogan On
Acclaimed actor Wellington-born Michala Banas, 38, had never been to a speedway before being cast as foul-mouthed and tough as nails Amber in the hit ABC comedy Upper Middle Bogan. “That world was totally new…
Producer Kamandi Releases New Track The Mould
New Zealand-raised producer Kamandi, aka Tyrone Frost, “has been changing the game across the globe”, according to EDM-culture blog Magnetic Magazine, who caught up with the artist to talk about his influences and his…
Singer Kimbra Teams up with Wrangler
New Zealand Grammy award-winning recording artist Kimbra is already taking the music world by storm, but she’s also dabbling in the fashion world teaming up with Wrangler. Marie Claire UK caught up with her…
Crowded House Play to Adoring Fans in Sydney
“The decision as to when to call time on a band must be a truly wretched one,” Alexandra Spring writes for the Guardian. “, Crowded House returned to the place where they called…
Model Georgia Fowler at Home in Manhattan
Walking in the Victoria’s Secret runway show has been a dream of New Zealand-born model Georgia Fowler’s since the beginning of her career, when, at 12 years old, an agency in Auckland signed her…
