Stan Walker’s New Album Marks Becoming of Age
New Zealand soul singer Stan Walker, 24, is about to release his new album Truth & Soul, a collection of songs from icons like Stevie Wonder and Otis Redding. The Australian Idol winner says,…
Blog Archives
Kody Nielson Is Another Exciting NZ Music Offering
New Zealand’s “most exciting offerings” of late, according to the Guardian, “have been the warped psychedelia of Connan Mockasin and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Completing this trio of peculiarity is Silicon – also known as…
Rising Star of the Art World Simon Denny Exhibits at MoMA
New Zealand–born, Berlin-based Simon Denny, who is represented by one of New York’s most reputable galleries, Petzel, has opened his first American show “The Innovator’s Dilemma” at MoMA PS1. In…
Sam and James O’Connor Row for Winning Oxford Team
New Zealand brothers Sam and James O’Connor have helped Oxford University beat Cambridge in the annual University Boat Races held on the River Thames in London. Sam, 27, (pictured left) who has competed in and…
Leon Grice and Milou Dogged Diplomats in LA
New Zealand’s consul-general to Los Angeles Leon Grice and his Bichon Frisé Milou feature in Monocle’s “Ambassadogs” series. “The eight-year-old, named after Tintin’s companion, has accompanied the Grice’s through Leon’s stints as executive of a…
Lydia Ko Budding Superstar of Women’s Golf
As a phenomenon so far New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko, 17, is on par with the young Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, according to the Wall Street Journal. Are we on the brink of…
Rebecca Taylor Forgoes the Runway for Digital-Marketing
After 15 years of runway shows at New York fashion week, New Zealand-born Rebecca Taylor cancelled her autumn 2015 show. She used her roughly US$500,000 annual show budget to deploy a marketing strategy she…
Hannah O’Neill Dances in Paris Opera’s Swan Lake
A New Zealander is one of the Paris Opera Ballet’s “emerging young dancers” who has brought “style and elegance” to Nureyev’s production of Swan Lake. This was the “sprightly” Hannah O’Neill’s first time dancing…
Astrophysicist David Stevenson Elected Cornell Professor-At-Large
New Zealand-born planetary scientist David Stevenson is one of five newly elected professors-at-large in the humanities, social and physical sciences who will visit Cornell University in Ithaca, New York over the next six years. The…
New Zealand’s “Rock Star Economy” Takes Centre Stage
Australians are going to have to get used to New Zealanders going on about how much better their economy is, according to the Guardian. Paul Bloxham, the HSBC economist who first called New Zealand a…
Queenstown One of the New York Times’ Top Trips
Queenstown features in an extensive interactive New York Times travel article, which covers 52 destinations to visit in 2015 recommended by its readers. Rattandeep Singh writes: “Queenstown is one of the most amazing places I’ve…
Chef Jamie Hodges Sources Absolutely Locally in Ontario
New Zealander Jamie Hodges and his partner Amber Thom operate Epicurious Catering in Kingston, Ontario, and will soon open Juniper Café serving food sourced completely locally. Originally from Wellington, Hodges graduated from City…
Reg Mombassa Shows at Mambo Exhibition in Sydney
Auckland-born artist and musician Reg Mombassa’s works dominate the “Mambo: 30 Years of Shelf-Indulgence” exhibition on at the newly opened aMBUSH Gallery in Sydney. His art is now a part of the Australian…
Director Andrew Niccol Shines a Light on Drone Warfare
Nobody wanted to back a film on the subject of drone warfare, according to New Zealand-born director Andrew Niccol, whose drama Good Kill, about that very subject, is on now in UK cinemas. “We had…
Anna Paquin Developing Miniseries with Husband and Jack Black
True Blood star New Zealander Anna Paquin, 32, is set to return to HBO as Madame X in a new miniseries she is developing with husband Stephen Moyer and Jack Black. TheWrap reports…
Daniel Vettori Announces Retirement from International Cricket
Former Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori has confirmed his retirement from an 18-year international cricket career, declaring that the World Cup final against Australia in Melbourne was his last game for New Zealand. “It was…
Kimbra to Headline Palm Springs Music Festival
Grammy-winning artist New Zealander Kimbra will headline the US music festival, Tachevah: A Palm Springs Block Party, on 15 April outside of the Spa Resort Casino. The Desert Sun reports: “Kimbra, now living…
Dubai-Based Designer Judith Hobby’s Opens Her Home
New Zealander Judith Hobby, who has lived in the Middle East for 22 years and in Dubai for almost 17, is the founder of the Judith Hobby Clothing fashion line. Her modernist…
As Lydia Ko Turns 18 She Hopes to Celebrate with a Major
Few golfers have had better runs than the one that has swept New Zealander Lydia Ko, 17, to the top of the world rankings. She has entered the women’s first major, the ANA Inspiration…
Lucy Lawless Brings a Defiant Edge to Salem
Television channel WGN America has upped the ante by recruiting New Zealander Lucy Lawless, “one of television’s most cult-inspiring actresses”, to join the cast of witchy tale Salem. The season premiere introduces a character played…
Hotelier Simon Baeyertz Engineering Stays for the Intrepid
No building in Vieques, Puerto Rico is “more striking” than new 22-room eco-hotel El Blok, according to the New York Times. Co-owner, Simon Baeyertz, “a dashing New Zealander and longtime record industry executive, explained…
Villa Maria One of the World’s Most Admired Brands
Villa Maria has been named one of the top four most-admired brands in the world by influential trade journal Drinks International magazine. Drinks International ranked Villa Maria behind only Torres and Vega Sicilia…
Karen Walker Recalls Favourite Australian Fashion Week Shows
In the lead-up to Australian Fashion Week, New Zealand designer Karen Walker shares her early memories of the event, and the perks of a silent runway. Walker, first delivered the prints, patterns and pop colours…
Young NZer of the Year Guy Ryan an Inspiring Story
Wellingtonian Guy Ryan, 29, who was recently named the 2015 Young New Zealander of the Year for his work helping young people realise their entrepreneurial goals and navigate numerous obstacles, is providing inspiration for…
Drive NZ’s Off Road in a Virtual Chevy Colorado
“Chevrolet has developed an immersive virtual reality experience for its Chevy Colorado truck that lets showroom customers experience a drive through the mountains of New Zealand via not just an Oculus Rift headset, but…
Golden Boy of Psych-Pop Connan Mockasin Talks to i-D
Following a residency at Marfa Myths – a festival in Texas curated by record label Mexican Summer and Ballroom Marfa, which Mockasin spent recording with British singer Dev Hynes – he found himself in…
Frenetic Action at Crankworx Rotorua Downhill Race
Photographic highlights from the Crankworx Rotorua Downhill race feature on American cycling magazine Bike’s website. The race “was filled with frenetic action” Brice Minnigh reported. “An international field of racers pinning it down the challenging…
How Great Is It to Live in Wanaka?
In Wanaka, New Zealand, all the locals have a favourite topic of conversation: how great it is to live in Wanaka, New Zealand, the Warrnambool Standard’s Ben Groundwater discovers. “Spending time with Wanaka residents is…
New Zealand Breaks Renewable Energy Record
The share of renewable energy on the grid in New Zealand is the highest it has been in close to 20 years, Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges said. The share of electricity generated from…
In iZombie Rose McIver Devours Her Brainiest Role yet
New Zealander Rose McIver, 26, looks awfully alive for someone playing undead, New York Times correspondent Kathryn Shattuck writes. “In iZombie, her new series, she’s a vision of iron deficiency – ghostly pallor,…
Michael Parekowhai’s Strange Resonance with Australia
New Zealander Michael Parekowhai’s exhibition, The Promised Land, has opened at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and is expected to be a “local blockbuster” to rival the other imported one, David…
Interactive Map Shows Wellington Bathed in Sunshine
Wellington gets more than 2000 hours of sunshine each year and though it is no Los Angeles, which receives more than 3000 hours, according to the Atlantic that’s a substantial amount of sun. This…
Ken Rea’s Students Include Daniel Craig and Ewan McGregor
For 30 years, Rotorua-born Ken Rea has been a tutor in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, one of the oldest and most sought-after acting schools in the world. Rea’s students…
Feel the Heat in New Zealand’s Healing Heartland
“Just follow your nose and it will get you faster than any GPS can to Hell’s Gate, the most active geothermal park in Rotorua, which earned its memorable moniker from George Bernard…
Ben Young’s Glass Sculptures Making Waves
Ben Young, a Sydney-based New Zealander, is a self-taught artist who has been making three-dimensional glass sculpture built up of flat coloured panes for over ten years. He is one of a number of…
Research Looks at Preventing Genetically Inherited Cancers
Deadly stomach and breast cancers that are genetically inherited could be treated or even prevented with existing drugs identified by Otago University cancer researchers. The researchers said their research showed that the key genetic mutation…
Now You Shall Know Jennifer Compton’s New Collection
Wellington-born poet and playwright Jennifer Compton’s new collection Now You Shall Know “has an early late-career energy about it – and a focus on what is really important,” the Sydney Morning Herald’s Geoff Page…
Settlements May Be Imperfect but Important Example Says UN
Last year’s $170 million Ngai Tuhoe settlement is one of dozens the New Zealand government has signed with Maori tribes in a comprehensive, multi-billion-dollar process described in a United Nations report as imperfect but…
Comic James Nokise Digs into NZ Gang Culture
Wellington-born playwright James Nokise – a former gang member – is making his US debut with So-So Gangsta, a blend of theatrical lecture and stand-up comedy, as part of the New Zealand…
Rugby Ref Steve Walsh Hangs up His Whistle
“In the end, the man who controlled the game controlled himself, allowing Steve Walsh to head into retirement as one of the most highly regarded referees in international rugby,” Wayne Smith reports…
For Brian Sutton-Smith Play Nothing Less than Existential Necessity
Wellington-born developmental psychologist Brian Sutton-Smith, who wrote or edited more than 50 books and was among the first academics to treat the study of play as a rigorous discipline, has died in Vermont, in…
Brent Pope’s Shirt Range for Stylish Rugby Types
Though New Zealand-born rugby analyst and RTÉ broadcaster Brent Pope, 53, only launched his range of shirts in October 2014, it is now stocked all over Ireland. Pope wanted shirts in premium quality fabrics that…
Drew Harré’s Fish La Boissonnerie in Parisian Top Wine Bar List
Former West Aucklander Drew Harré has a hand in one of Paris’ top five wine bars. The Wall Street Journal’s wine columnist Will Lyons recommends Fish La Boissonnerie as “Best for a Late Supper”. “
Les Mis Star Hayden Tee a Menacing Javert
New Zealand-born Hayden Tee has “won rave reviews for his commanding, menacing performance” as villain Inspector Javert in the Australian production of Les Misérables on at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. In early 2013 Tee…
Simone Kessell Fit to Be Queen in Biblical Epic
Actor Simone Kessell is off to Capetown in April to play the first Queen of Egypt in biblical television epic Of Kings and Prophets. Of Kings and Prophets is the pilot for the US ABC…
Brocken Spectre Phenomenon at Girdlestone Peak
A “spooky” Brocken spectre phenomenon, featuring as part of the Guardian’s “Photo Highlights of the Day,” is seen at Girdlestone Peak on Tarn Ridge in the Tararua mountain range. “As dawn breaks, …
Trilogy Gets the Kate Effect with Royal Using Skincare
Sisters Catherine de Groot and Sarah Gibbs may have started small, establishing their business from their father’s Upper Hutt shed in 2002, but they are now experiencing big success after their beauty product brand…
Hobbit Fans in Singapore Gather at Changi’s Middle-earth
Singapore Hobbit fans are being treated to a life-sized piece of Middle-earth in the departure hall of Changi Airport Terminal Three. As well as a hobbit hole, visitors can see a statue of Gandalf…
Rare Glimpse of Cloudless New Zealand from Space
A rare image of New Zealand without a ceiling of cloud has been captured from the International Space Station as it orbits 418km above the South Pacific Ocean. According to NASA, New Zealand is seldom…
Melanie Lynskey Reflects on Realism in Latest Roles
From Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures to HBO’s new television show Togetherness, actor Melanie Lynskey reflects on what 20 years – and Charlie Sheen – have taught her about showbusiness. Jackson’s film introduced not only future…
Contiki Australia’s Katrina Barry Heads Evolving Tour Company
New Zealand-born Katrina Barry, managing director of Contiki Australia, says the tour group has changed greatly since New Zealander John Anderson founded the company in 1962. “Twenty years ago it was just boozing around…
Rugged Aoraki Region a Pinnacle of Adventure
Even with the mist covering the tallest of them, the Southern Alps rising up around the Hooker Valley have a humbling stature, Abu Dhabi’s English-language publication the National reports in a travel feature about…
Costume Designer Tracy Lord Awakens Singapore Corps De Ballet
New Zealand-born Tracy Grant Lord has created the costumes for Singapore Dance Theatre’s (SDT’s) 2015 season of Sleeping Beauty. Lord’s designs are a reminder of just how costumes also make a ballet. “Highlights will be…
Broods’ Georgia Nott Can’t Deny Her Pop Roots
When New Zealander Georgia Nott was young, her parents took her to wedding and church concerts where they performed with her aunt and uncle as an ABBA tribute band. “I couldn’t walk at the…
Bruce Neal’s Anzac Tattoo an Internet Hit
Lower Hutt army veteran Bruce Neal’s Anzac tattoo – a 19cm design of World War I soldiers marching into the distance in a shape of a fern with the words “Lest We Forget” written…
Take a German Folk Music Tour with Hayden Chisholm
Hayden Chisolm’s documentary, Sound of Heimat, which follows the New Zealand-born musician as he traverses Germany exploring the country’s folk music, screened in Rwanda at a recent film, photography and dance festival organised by…
