Billboard Names Lorde Hottest Star under 21
Billboard has put New Zealander Lorde, 17, at the top of its 2014 edition of 21 Under 21, the magazine’s annual ranking of music’s most powerful minors, “and perhaps the most impressive crop of…
Blog Archives
All Blacks Win Third Successive Rugby Championship
The All Blacks have wrapped up their third successive Rugby Championship crown with a comprehensive 34-13 win over Argentina at Estadio Ciudad de La Plata. First half tries to Ben Smith and Israel Dagg gave…
New Zealand Businesses Opening HQs in Texas
New Zealand software maker Project Manager Online Ltd., founded by Jason Westland (pictured), has opened a headquarters in the United States in Austin, Texas with plans to employ at least 80 workers within two…
Kiri Te Kanawa Warns Britain Killing Talent
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, one of the world’s greatest opera stars, has made an impassioned plea for Britain to stop blocking the flow of young singers into opera houses so that the top quality…
Matt Lambert Explains NZ Cuisine to New Yorkers
Matt Lambert, executive chef at The Musket Room in New York, explains New Zealand cuisine and the restaurant’s sophisticated take on it to Forbes’ contributor Jenny Nguyen-Barron. Lambert also shares his point of…
Lucy Lawless Plays a Teacher in New Outback Thriller
Lucy Lawless stars in ABC political thriller The Code as Alex Wisham, a teacher in a remote indigenous school who protects an Aboriginal boy blamed for the death of a teenage girl. She gets…
Peter Gutteridge – One of NZ Music’s Spiky Heroes
In a scene of unsung heroes, one of the least sung will be making no more music, changing no more lives from his place on the periphery. Peter Gutteridge – described as “a true…
New Zealand Best Place to Travel on Your Own
New Zealand is the world’s safest, friendliest, and best place to travel on your own, according to Travel + Leisure magazine. The publication “crunched the numbers from the Global Peace Index, which ranks 162 nations…
New Plymouth Teen Eden Bristowe Opens Vivienne Westwood Show
New Plymouth teenager Eden Bristowe has opened Vivienne Westwood’s Red Label show at London Fashion Week wearing a “Yes” badge, in support of Scottish independence from the United Kingdom. The 16-year-old was the first model…
Rare Giant Squid a Spectacular Scientific Opportunity
The colossal squid hauled from the depths of Antarctica’s Ross Sea by a New Zealand fishing crew last year has local scientists very excited, as it is one of very few ever examined. The 350kg…
Prime Minister John Key Wins Third Term
Prime Minister John Key will lead New Zealand for a third consecutive term after the National Party won 48 per cent of the vote in this year’s election. Official results show Key’s party will likely…
Cliff Curtis Gives Career-Making Performance as Genesis Potini
New Zealand actor Cliff Curtis, 46, who gives a career-making performance in fellow New Zealand director James Napier Robertson’s The Dark Horse (now playing the Toronto International Film Festival) is serious about his craft….
Tour of Britain Rider Tom Scully Shares His Food Diary
To meet the relentless energy demands of this year’s eight stage Tour of Britain professional cycle race, New Zealander Tom Scully is one of approximately 114 riders who must fuel up each morning, topping…
That Little Emilia Wickstead Point of Difference
Over the past half decade, New Zealand-born Emilia Wickstead has emerged as London’s go-to designer for occasion dressing. Her ability to find inspiration in 1950s and 1960s couture salons and the candy-coloured society ladies…
Air NZ Boeing 747-400 Takes Final Flight
Air New Zealand’s last Boeing 747-400 affectionately referred to by pilots as “Daddy’s yacht” has completed its final flight in teal livery, as the airline ushers in a new generation of long-haul aircraft. The 16-year-old…
Strictly Star Erin Boag Says Motherhood Her New Priority
For 17 years, Auckland-born ballroom dancer Erin Boag, 39, and British partner Anton Du Beke, 48, have been tripping the light fantastic together, in a journey that has seen them rise through the amateur…
Makeup Artist Aaron De Mey Minimalist at London Fashion Week
New Zealand-born, New York-based makeup artist Aaron De Mey was backstage at Irish designer J.W. Anderson’s show for London Fashion Week crafting pure looks and “matte fragility”. “We’re really trying to amplify a no-makeup state…
Denim Designer Simon Miller Reshaping Californian Brand
Wellington-born designer Simon Miller, men’s creative director at premium denim brand Citizens of Humanity in Los Angeles, talks to Monocle about his new role and plans for the label’s future. “I’ve been living my life…
Possums Adding Value to Elver’s Backpacks
“When Kiwi footwear and accessories start-up Elver launched last year the brand faced a dilemma: manufacturers can’t produce small batches without extraordinary costs. The firm decided to capitalize on the availability of…
Holly Spring’s Daughter Her Muse for Award-Winning Photos
Photography was the furthest thing from Holly Spring’s mind when daughter Violet was struck down with a debilitating bowel condition that almost cost her life. Born with just one hand, her right, the new born…
Hairdressing a Terrific Career for Beijing-Based Bill Watson
Former Wellingtonian Bill Watson, international education and artistic director for Toni & Guy China, is loving life in Beijing. “It’s where things are happening,” he tells New Zealand Herald journalist Janetta Mackay. Watson says working…
Belfast Students Aim to Emulate Burt Munro Record
A team of Queen’s University undergraduate engineers will attempt to emulate the 1967 land speed record New Zealander Burt Munro set on his modified Indian Scout motorcycle at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The…
Webb’s Auction House Offers up Art Bargains
“Auckland-based auction house Webb’s leads the way in meeting the growing interest in New Zealand artists,” according to Monocle. “Established in 1976, it now also provides auction services in Wellington and, in 2013, clinched the…
Singer Jackie Bristow Itching to Finish Fourth Album
New Zealand folk singer Jackie Bristow hasn’t released a new album in four years. But she has a really good excuse: Bristow has been touring non-stop, and consistently appearing on some lofty play bills,…
Secluded Waikato Getaway Carved out of the Hills
“Long before Peter Jackson re-created Middle-earth in the fertile hills of New Zealand’s Waikato region, Graham Hannah and his young daughter Jessie had a dream,” Rob McFarland writes for the Sydney Morning Herald. “They would…
Scientists Closing to Breeding Eco-friendly Sheep
Scientists at New Zealand’s AgResearch and the US Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute have moved a step closer to developing a breed of sheep that belches less methane as part of a quest…
Nonviolent Peaceforce Worker Maria Duncan Flies into S Sudan
Christchurch woman Maria Duncan, 27, who works for Brussels-based organization Nonviolent Peaceforce, has flown into war-torn Bentiu, South Sudan to help protect some 25,000 refugees in a UN camp. Almost all its occupants are displaced…
Good Kill Andrew Niccol’s Sobering 21st Century Riposte to Top Gun
In Good Kill, which has its world premiere this month at the Venice Film Festival, New Zealand writer-director Andrew Niccol explores the implications of waging war while staying home, a development that – for…
Surgeon Is Fundamentally a Storyteller
Auckland-based author and surgeon Dr Sharad Paul talks to the Bangalore Mirror about his latest novel The Kite Flyers, and about how a doctor came to be writing literary fiction. “I think I am fundamentally…
Trailblazer Brad Thorn Happy to Be a Leicester Tiger
Former All Black forward Brad Thorne, 39, has pitched up at Leicester at the tail-end of a colourful career that’s taken him from Dunedin to Leinster via Japan. But, he tells the Independent’s Chris…
Graeme Hart’s Luxurious Ulysses Sets Sail
New Zealand billionaire Graeme Hart has been revealed as the owner of the $77 million 107m super yacht “Ulysses”, just launched from a slip in Ulsteinvik, Norway. The former tow-truck driver and panel beater turned…
Steve Williams Inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame
After a career that has lasted nearly four decades, New Zealander Steve Williams, 50, has been inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame by the Western Golf Association. Williams received a bronze caddie statue as…
Lonely Planet’s Top Eight Must-See NZ Port Destinations
In an extract from Lonely Planet New Zealand, Charles Rawlings-Way describes the country’s top eight must-see port destinations. “Paris may be the city of love, but Auckland is the city of many lovers, according to…
Neil Newton setting Pittsburgh locals straight
Pittsburgh locals ask Neil Newton about two things when they learn he is from New Zealand: The Lord of the Rings and HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, two things that he has nothing to…
Sirocco the Kakapo a Great Conservationist Spokesbird
Sirocco the kakapo is a great spokesbird to travel New Zealand and share the conservation message, according to James Russell from the University of Auckland, who recently met the hand-raised bird. “The kakapo is an…
Expert Hacker Debugging the World’s Software
One of Google’s “secret team of bug-hunting hackers” is New Zealander Ben Hawkes. Part of the group known as Project Zero, a group of top Google security researchers with the sole mission of tracking…
Chandler Betting Big on Energy in Africa and Asia
New Zealand-born billionaire Richard Chandler, 55, is counting on gas and oil in far-flung locales from Papua New Guinea to Kenya and Ethiopia, banking on demand from Asia’s growing middle class. Chandler is amassing a…
New Zealander Stephen Cartmell Performing in Minneapolis
New Zealand actor Stephen Cartmell, once the face of Wattie’s Baked Beans, steps up onto the boards in Minneapolis at the city’s Jungle Theatre, performing in satire The Mystery of Irma Vep. Cartmell…
Nervous Cumbrian Brewer Matt Clarke Sends Pale Ale Home
Head brewer at Cumbria’s Hawkshead Brewery in England, Whanganui-born Matt Clarke, sent a New Zealand Pale Ale (NZPA) to Wellington for the 21st birthday celebration of renowned bar The Malthouse, as part…
Gareth Reeves Elopes as Lysander in Canberra Production
New Zealand-born actor Gareth Reeves, 36, stars as Lysander in the new Bell Shakespeare production of Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Dream on until 13 September in Canberra. Reeves and Lucy Honigman, who plays…
Bill Nancarrow a Mainstay on Napa Valley Vintner Scene
Originally from the Hawke’s Bay, Bill Nancarrow, 45, has made sauvignon blanc fit for President Obama and escorted Ryan Seacrest and U2’s The Edge on private winetasting tours. The New Zealand Herald’s Leena Tailor…
Zombie Survival Game DayZ Tops 2.5 Million Players
Game designer Dean Hall, 33, has announced that his zombie survival game “DayZ” has reached more than 2.5 million players since its launch in December last year. Prague-based developer Bohemia Interactive recently delayed update 0.49,…
St. John Regular Sam Neill Bemoans the French Wine List
Actor Sam Neill has been frequenting London’s St. John restaurant for nearly 20 years, and while he’s obsessed with the place his greatest passion is reserved for New Zealand vineyards. “Neill is an oenophile and…
Sir Harold Gillies the Man Who Mended Broken Soldiers
In October, the handiwork of New Zealand-born otolaryngologist Sir Harold Gillies, widely considered the father of plastic surgery, can be seen at the Hunterian Museum in the Royal College of Surgeons of England, in…
Bruce Anstey Cruises to Isle of Man Formula 1 Win
New Zealander Bruce Anstey dominated the Classic TT Formula 1 race in the Isle of Man with a victory margin of over one minute, setting a record lap speed of 123.894 for two-stroke machines…
Nadia Lim Hits the Road to Discover NZ’s Best Local Produce
Nadia Lim – 2011 New Zealand MasterChef winner – has premiered her new eight-part series New Zealand with Nadia Lim on the Asian Food Channel. Lim’s quest to discover the best local produce took…
James McDonald’s Bright Star Shows No Sign of Dimming
Being so good so young won’t count against James McDonald, 23, according to Craig “Clocker” Tompson, a guiding light behind the meteoric Australian rise of the talented New Zealander. Some jockeys are exceptional early but…
California Victory Brings Scott Dixon’s Career Wins to 35
With IndyCar champion Scott Dixon’s latest Grand Prix win in Sonoma, California, the 34-year-old New Zealander has earned his 35th career victory and is now tied with American legend Bobby Unser for fifth place…
Black Ranger Power Given to Local Actor James Davies
New Zealand actor James Davies will co-star as Black Ranger (pictured, far left) in Power Rangers Dino Charge, with the television show confirmed to return to the country for filming of the latest series. Davies…
Lorde Trumps the Big Guns to Take MTV Best Rock Video
Lorde has become the first female artist to win in the category Best Rock Video at the MTV Video Music Awards, beating Arctic Monkeys, Linkin Park, The Black Keys and Imagine Dragons. The 17-year-old scooped…
2015 Venice Biennale Welcomes NZ Artist Simon Denny
Sculptor and installation artist Simon Denny, 32, has been selected to represent New Zealand at the 2015 Venice Biennale, which runs from 9 May to 22 November. “Simon Denny is one of the…
Maggie Bolger’s Hip London Kids Club a Soho House for Parents
Maggie Bolger and Rose van Cutsem are, on the face of it, unlikely friends and business partners. Bolger is a matter-of-fact New Zealander who lives in London, while van Cutsem — née Astor —…
Comedian Cal Wilson’s Use of Language Masterful
At 43, New Zealander Cal Wilson woke up and found herself wearing a photocopy of her mum’s face. Wilson re-enacted that confrontation and many others pondering the roads not taken on stage at the…
Berlin’s Galerie Pavlova Offers up Our Talent to Europe
Originally from Auckland, Michael Dooney has relocated to Berlin where he has opened Galerie Pavlova, a space dedicated to promoting photographers, like Conor Clarke (pictured) who are established in the Trans-Tasman region and developing…
Rubberband Boy Has People Laughing Their Heads off in Toronto
One of the newcomers at this year’s Scotiabank BuskerFest in Toronto was New Zealand performer Shay Horay, a.k.a. The Famous Rubberband Boy. Named the freakiest boy in show business, the self-proclaimed “Olympic-grade athlete in…
Playwright Arthur Meek’s Upside Down Perspective on Colonialism
Can western theatre ever tackle the subject of colonialism without replicating its inequalities, Financial Times’ reporter Matt Trueman asks. New Zealand playwright Arthur Meek, feels that it would be presumptuous to write a story…
