Lawless Set to Razzle Dazzle in Chicago
Television star Lucy Lawless, 45, will join True Blood’s Stephen Moyer and Les Misérables’ Samantha Barks for a special three-night performance of the Broadway smash Chicago, which will run from 26 July to 28…
Blog Archives
Toasted Opens in South London
New Zealand-born chef Michael Hazlewood, together with manager Alex Thorp, has opened Toasted in London’s East Dulwich, where “wine at the heart of a meal in an especially alluring manner”, according…
That’s Showbiz for Wootton Who Takes Up Tabloid Role
Former News of the World showbiz editor Lower Hutt-born journalist Dan Wootton, 30, is joining British tabloid, Sun on Sunday, where he will write a double-page showbiz column as part of moves…
Swiss Army Should Check out This Hybrid Design
Victoria University industrial design student Joe Levy, 20, has “managed to cram in functionality” with his SpoolStool, which serves as everything from a chair, to a foot rest, to a table, to a place…
Historical Mill Still Grinding for a Modern World
New Zealander Michael Shaw is a miller operating one of Scotland’s last surviving fully operational commercial watermills. Golspie Mill in Sutherland grinds peasemeal, rye, bread and plain flour. The original mill was opened…
Hopes for Victory at the Helm of a 72-footer
“Dean Barker has been the helmsman for Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup,” Christopher Clarey begins in a New York Times article a few days out from the first round-robin race of the…
The World Loses a Great Philosopher
New Zealand-born political theorist Kenneth Minogue, a leading figure in Britain’s conservative intellectual life, has died aged 82. Minogue was Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics from 1984 to 1995,…
Tiptoe Through the Caves Amidst Light Fantastic
Waitomo’s wondrous underground labyrinth of caves has been forming over the last 30 million years. “In one of these caverns is a very special animal – one that has evolved to thrive in wind-free…
Deciphering Clues from Ancient Bones in Cambodia
For the past seven years, New Zealand archaeologist Dr Nancy Beavan has been unravelling the mystery of a graveyard in Cambodia dating back to the Angkor era. At Phnom Pel, more than 100 burial…
Forging a Mining Career from Humble Beginnings
New Zealand-born mining magnate Chris Ellison, 56, feels he has a lot to offer New Zealand migrants who come to Western Australia (WA) in search of opportunity. Ellison, who arrived in Australia almost 40…
Double the Win in Sevens Tournament Finals
New Zealand has completed a “remarkable sweep of rugby’s major global titles” this week with the men beating England 33-0 at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow to win the 2013 Rugby World Cup…
Gatland Rang His Chances and Triumphed
Hamilton-born Warren Gatland “turned a Lions travesty into a triumph” with the team’s 41-16 win over Australia in the third and deciding match, the Lion’s first Test series victory in 16 years. “Only a…
Talented Conductor Directs New Jersey Summer Concerts
Wellington-born Gemma New, assistant conductor for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO), is directing three free-admission summer concerts at Mercer County Park, New Jersey. New has been conducting since the age of 15….
Vivid Encounters with Insects in Glass Wings
“It takes just four lines for ‘Alumnae Notes’ to transport us first to the schoolgirl in 40s New Zealand and then to her literary exile in London: ‘Beautiful Ataneta Swainson is dead….
Wistful New York Gallery Debut for Upritchard
New Zealand artist Francis Upritchard’s full-scale New York gallery debut has opened at Anton Kern. Art Daily reports: “London-based who represented her country at the 2009 Venice Biennale – stages eight…
Night to Remember at Melbourne Jazz Club
New Zealand-born pianist and composer, Steve Barry, named Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year at last month’s Bell Awards, performed as a trio with Tom Botting on bass and Tim Firth on drums…
Parker Hulme Story Unfolds in Tabloid-like Detail
Former Hong Kong lawyer New Zealander Peter Graham’s “compelling read”, Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century, is awarded five out of five stars by reviewer Glen Young for northern Michigan publication, Petoskey…
At Home on the Banks of the Mekong
The home of New Zealand doctor Andrew Thomson, who works for the United Nations in Cambodia, features in The New York Times’ section “Great Homes and Destinations” this week. “It was more of a…
Sequencing Genes to See What Makes a Thoroughbred
A piece of champion thoroughbred Phar Lap’s tooth is being sent to the University of Sydney’s veterinary science faculty from Wellington so scientists can analyse his DNA and compare it with other champions like…
Charming Waiters and Creative Cooking Impresses
Auckland café Ortolana’s “Perfect Brunch” features in The Monocle Food & Entertaining Guide 2013, included as a supplement in the current issue of the magazine. “Ortolana is small and airy – just 80 square…
All Bronzed Up for Bondi Beach Vogue Shoot
Seventeen-year-old Miss Vogue cover model Holly Rose speaks about how she went from an “ordinary girl from New Zealand” to one of the most in-demand models in the southern hemisphere within a year. “I…
Focus on What You Do Best Says Facebook Exec
As the mobile industry evolves, mobile operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) should focus on what they do best, according to New Zealander Vaughan Smith, vice president of corporate development at Facebook, who was…
Tiny Troop of Toddlers Performs the Cutest Haka Ever
Six Ngati Toa children with an average age of two, from Porirua’s Bronwyn’s Place Daycare, have performed what news outlets are calling “the cutest Haka ever”. “It is one of the most awesome sights…
Why Hollywood is Staying in New Zealand
“From James Cameron’s organic farm to Emmy contender Top of the Lake, the idyllic island nation continues to thrive 12 years after Frodo and Co. put it on the movie location map,” The Hollywood…
Mayor Gives Residents a Sense of What Auckland Could Be
Auckland sits at No 10 on Monocle magazine’s annual “Top 25 liveable cities” list, with Copenhagen at No 1, followed by Melbourne at No 2. “Auckland’s mayor Len Brown talks of making his city…
Uninterrupted Writing Time Awarded for Belgian Story
Hastings author Anna Mackenzie, 50, is the first New Zealander to be awarded the writer’s residency in Belgium by Passa Porta, International House of Literature, which is offered to writers worldwide. Mackenzie…
Dancer Bound for Fame in San Francisco
Eighteen-year-old Aucklander Joel Walsham has become the first New Zealander to be awarded a scholarship to prestigious United States dance university, LINES Ballet in San Francisco. Early this year Walsham flew to the United…
Back in the Cells as Fletch in Prison Drama Wentworth
Auckland-born actor, Logie Award-winning Aaron Jeffery, who graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1993, stars in the popular Australian television prison drama Wentworth, which will return to screens for…
Minding the Gap at All London’s 270 Stations
Auckland-born businessman Tim McCready has been to all 270 London Underground stations after spending seven days spread over five months travelling the entire 250 miles of the Tube network. “When I arrived…
Despite Chaotic Intentions Ambience Prevails
New Zealand-born photographer Simon Davidson’s “beguiling” portraits of drag racing shot on the Utah salt flats and at Lake Gairdner in South Australia feature in The Guardian this week. “Through clouds of pungent smoke and…
Royal Favourite Sings Lullabies for Newborn
At 26, New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra has been a favourite of the Royal Family for over a decade, so when Welsh composer Paul Mealor, who was commissioned to write some new…
Early Adopters of Technology Perfect to Test On
When Google chose New Zealand to unveil secret plans for balloon-driven wi-fi network, dubbed Project Loon, it cemented the country’s reputation as a test bed for global tech companies looking to trial their latest…
Wigmore Gets Candid About Stars and Songwriting
Platinum-selling singer-songwriter Aucklander Gin Wigmore, 27, who is currently on tour in the United States, says she is usually “quite cool and collected” around other stars, but was a little less so…
Crossing the Whitewash with Another Win over French
“New Zealand completed a 3-0 series clean sweep of France with a hard-fought but deserved victory at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth ,” the Irish Examiner reported. “Ben Smith’s first-half try helped give…
Building on the Holistic Work of Esteemed Surgeon
British scientists are looking to the work of New Zealander Sir Archibald McIndoe, hoping to find ways to help burns victims regenerate new nerves and skin so that they are only left with minimal…
Speculative Theorist Challenged Course of History
Christchurch-born Michael Baigent, co-author of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, one of the most controversial books of the 1980s, has died in Brighton, England, aged 65. Baigent grew up in Nelson and…
Convoluted Defence History with US Vestige of the Past
The difficult period of New Zealand-US defence relations “is now seen as a relic” according to American Thawley Scholar Jack Georgieff, with “the best in bilateral defense relations” yet to come. “Chuck Hagel raised…
Canadian-based Gallery Executive’s Vision for Remai
New Zealander Gregory Burke, executive director and CEO of the new Remai Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, Canada, discusses his first week on the job, his past, his challenges and his vision…
World-first Drug Legislation in the Pipeline
Under proposed laws, New Zealand will permit the limited sale of some designer drugs for recreational purpose; the legislation is the first in the world to regulate new recreational drugs based on scientific evidence…
Marrying Flavour Combinations Are Hansen’s Talent
One chef who is especially enamoured with the “rehabilitation” of liquorice and its “earthy, powerful flavour” is New Zealander Anna Hansen, chef proprietor of the Modern Pantry in London’s Clerkenwell. Like…
Moon’s Got High-Concept Britpop Down
Wellington-born Willy Moon, 24, who recently played New York’s Gramercy Theatre made the New York Magazine’s Jody Rosen “suspicious at first.” “When a press release hails a weedy young London-based New…
Canada Should Consider NZ’s Sex Work Rights
Catherine Healy, a member of the New Zealand Prostitutes’ Collective, and Sandra Ka Hon Chu of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, discuss “New Zealand’s model of sex work respects rights and the “Swedish model,”…
Schmidt’s in the Hot Seat with Irish Appointment
With the words, “you have to start from scratch”, New Zealander Joe Schmidt attempts to dampen down expectations around his new job as he eases his way into the hottest seat in Irish rugby….
Internet Giant Launches Balloon Connection over Canterbury
Google has launched a balloon over Christchurch emitting an internet connection, which could connect to remote parts of the world to the web. “Project Loon” came to fruition in the South Island, where the…
Lots of Impish Relations and More Aluna Than Aretha
Takapuna singer-songwriter Lorde, 16, “is about to make a big splash beyond blog-land,” according to The Guardian’s daily column “New Band”. “Think Lily meets Lana, only cuter and more cutting,” reviewer…
New Paint Job for National Carrier’s Aircraft
Air New Zealand has unveiled a new livery for its aircraft, which will feature an iconic silver fern, to adorn its entire fleet by the end of 2014. The new look will phase out…
Transport Man Made Tough Decisions from the Top
Nelson-born Frank Baldwin, who died in March aged 81, was “known for a career marked by innovation and a certain amount of controversy,” Mark Juddery writes in an obituary for The Sydney Morning Herald….
French Left Scoreless with All Black Aerial Bombardment
New skipper Kieran Read has led the All Blacks to victory over France winning the Dave Gallaher Cup and celebrating their 500th Test with a resounding 30-0 full-time score. An astute kicking…
Wanaka Area Boasts Otherworldly Scenery
“‘If you’re walking up to Lake Crucible, then it’s a good grunt,” explains the lady checking us in for the Siberia Experience; one of the most spectacular ways of seeing the Southern…
Artist Will Light Up Sydney at 2013 NYE’s Party
Former guitarist for band Mental as Anything, New Zealand visual artist Reg Mombassa, 61, has been named the City of Sydney’s NYE13’s creative ambassador. This year’s theme will be “shine”. Kylie Minogue had Sydney…
Famed Potter Found Answers in Social Artform
New Zealand-based potter Mirek Smíšek, who won fame with his ceramic artifacts for the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, has died in Wellington, aged 88. Smíšek and his wife made some 700 vases,…
From Bermuda Merton Painted Far from Roots
Christchurch-born artist Owen Merton was an accomplished Post-Impressionist painter who did some of his best work in Bermuda; a selection of these paintings feature in an article about Merton on the Bernnews website. “Primarily…
Signing Away Her Life and Giddy with Survival
“It was beginning to feel as if New Zealand’s national emblem wasn’t the silver fern, but the disclaimer form,” Guardian correspondent Rebecca Nicholson writes on a recent backpacking adventure throughout the country….
Use the Whole Chicken Recommends MasterChef Galetti
New Zealand chef Monica Galetti moved across the world for the chance to work with world-renowned Michel Roux Jnr at London’s Le Gavroche. Galetti has now been there for 10 years and…
Sookie Grows Up and Accepts Her Fate in New Season
New Zealand actress Anna Paquin, 30, features on the June cover of Manhattan magazine. Paquin tells the publication about the new season of cult show True Blood, in which she stars as…
Classifying Brilliant Antipodean Pinot Noirs
New Zealand’s pinot noirs seduce The Wall Street Journal’s Will Lyons with “some Antipodean brilliance”. “Unlike other fine wine regions such as France’s Bordeaux and Burgundy, where the best and most expensive wines have…
