Shaping New Zealand’s landscape
Notable landscape architect Thomas Woltz has an innovative and ecologically minded approach to shaping the world around us. The US-based Woltz is currently working on projects in New Zealand, which he spoke about in…
Blog Archives
New Zealand Designer among world’s best
New Zealand-born designer Veere Grenney is included on the 2014 Architectural Digest’s AD100 list as one of the world’s top architects and designers. With his interiors shaped by three fundamental qualities – harmony, clarity and…
New Zealand’s Ongoing Brain Drain
New Zealand is no stranger to the ‘brain drain’ phenomenon, having experienced substantial losses of highly skilled talent for decades. The country is now at the point where the Organization for Economic Cooperation and…
Two weeks off the grid
Newly-former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg and his companion Diana Taylor will spend two weeks holidaying in New Zealand and Hawaii at the commencement of 2014, after 12 years helming the western…
New Zealand’s cows come home in its own commodities boom
The Chinese consumer market’s demand for quality milk products is fuelling New Zealand’s economic growth. Senior Australian economics correspondent Michael Pascoe outlines 2014 economic prospects for New Zealand, based significantly around a “one commodity…
Kiwi woman’s record breaking 500km run
A New Zealand woman has broken the world record for the farthest distance run with no sleep. The record breaking run saw Kim Allan, 47, run 500km across a period of more than 86…
Lorde is “The Upstart” in NYT’s 2013 Disrupters
Auckland’s Lorde is one of the New York Times’ cultural Disruptors of 2013 – people who broke the rules in a year of artistic upheavals. She features alongside pop provocateur Miley Cyrus and rising…
Fonterra takes Anchor brand to China
Four months on from August’s botulism scare, New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra has launched their Anchor brand into the Chinese market. The brand, which is endorsed by Chinese actress Hu Ke, is being touted a…
Jack Lovelock’s Historic 1500m Win at 1936 Olympics
As the first New Zealand athlete to win an Olympic gold, Jack Lovelock was an enigmatic achiever whose running style was said to be ‘artistic’ in grace. Watch this…
Jack Lovelock Wins Gold at 1936 Berlin Olympics
As the first New Zealand athlete to win an Olympic gold, Jack Lovelock was an enigmatic achiever whose running style was said to be ‘artistic’ in grace. Watch this…
Sirocco Kakapo Creates a Buzz in Japan
New Zealand’s own celebrity parrot, Sirocco Kakapo, has charmed Japanese audiences and gained thousands of new fans after being mentioned on a popular Japanese television show with an audience of over 10 million. A presenter…
Emirates Team New Zealand Win Four of First Five Races
Emirates Team New Zealand is dominating in the America’s Cup finals, trouncing defending champion Oracle in four of the first five races. Oracle was so defeated after race five on Wednesday (NZT) that the…
All Blacks Defeat Pumas in Rain-soaked Hamilton
The All Blacks overcame difficult conditions to defeat the Argentina Pumas 28-13 in a rain-soaked Rugby Championship clash at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday, extending their winning streak in the multi-nation competition. The team…
Pacific Nations on Track to Meet Renewable Energy Target
According to a report presented by New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully, Pacific Island nations are on track to achieve their goal of increasing their reliance on renewable energy resources within the next…
New Zealander Rescued After Being Trapped by Crocodile
A New Zealand kayaker spent two weeks stranded on a small island off the coast of Western Australia after a menacing crocodile refused to let him leave. Each time the man tried to kayak away…
Rare Crossing for New Zealand Motorcyclists
Five New Zealand motorcyclists have successfully crossed the world’s most militarised border as part of a ride for peace across the Korean Peninsula. The rare crossing saw the New Zealanders pass through the demilitarised zone…
Visitors Get Up Close to Lions at Orana Park
Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park is making headlines for its unique lion experience that takes visitors inside the lion enclosure for a close encounter with the big cats as they are fed. The difference? The…
Kakapo in Global Ugly Animal Contest
New Zealand’s native kakapo has been thrust into the international spotlight, named as one of just 12 endangered animals to be included on the Ugly Animal Preservation Society’s list of ugliest animals…
Pre-schoolers Star in Karen Walker Eyewear Campaign
Iconic New Zealand fashion designer Karen Walker has launched a new campaign for her Spring ’13 eyewear collection featuring four pre-schoolers – Alice-Rose, Claudia, Elise and Tyler – as the models. The images follow…
Sky Tower Named One of Regions Top Towers
Auckland’s Sky Tower has been named as one of the Asia Pacific’s top ten iconic observation towers by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website. Coming in at number five on the list of famous…
TEDxAuckland: Brian Sweeney
Watch NZEDGE producer Brian Sweeney’s inspirational talk at TEDxAuckland 2013. In the 18 minute talk Brian discusses nation branding, Punk Eek and New Zealand’s role in the world.
Lydia Ko Wins Canadian Women’s Open
16-year-old Lydia Ko has made history at the CN Canadian Women’s Open, defending her Canadian Open title with a dominating win in Alberta and becoming the first amateur in history to win two LPGA…
All Blacks Retain Bledisloe Cup
The All Blacks have retained the Bledisloe Cup after 27-16 trouncing of the Wallabies in their Rugby Championship clash in Wellington on Saturday night. New Zealand winger Ben Smith followed up on last weekend’s hat-trick…
New Zealand’s Friendly Airport
Airports are often the least enjoyable part of travelling – while travellers want to enjoy every last moment of their holiday, there’s only so much an airport can offer. However according to Jaunted, Auckland…
Lots of Ingenuity, Not So Many Cows
Forbes correspondent Rebecca Fannin visited New Zealand in search of old fashion Kiwi ingenuity in the form of start-ups and small businesses hoping to take their ideas international. Despite having a young start-up scene and…
Icebreaker President Reflects on Path to Portland
President and co-founder of Icebreaker, the Wellington-based merino wool clothing brand, Jeremy Moon recently spoke at the inaugural meeting of Athletic and Outdoor Young Professionals about the company’s roundabout route to their US home…
Who is This ‘Lorde’ Everyone’s Talking About?
Lorde continues to make waves internationally ahead of the launch of her debut album, with US online magazine Vulture writing giving their readers a crash course in who the 16-year-old singer is and why…
Sneaky Egg Swap Boosts Kokako Population
The Department of Conservation (DOC) are working hard to save the endangered North Island kokako, using sleight of hand to trick nesting mothers into incubating the eggs of kokako from other areas to help…
‘King of Timelapse’ Captures New Zealand Landscapes and Starscapes
New Zealand photographer Joseph Michael, aka the King of timelapse photography, featured on the cover Photography Monthly and spoke to them about the three months he spent capturing New Zealand starscapes and landscapes for…
Valerie Adams Wins Fourth Straight Word Championship Title
New Zealand Olympic champion Valerie Adams won the women’s shot put title at the world championships at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, making her the first women in history to take home four consecutive titles. …
Why You Should Retire in New Zealand
The benefits of retiring in New Zealand are extolled by Catey Hill of MarketWatch, as she explains why the country is a great place to retire for active baby boomers. The “dramatic natural landscape…
Fonterra “Imbroglio” Gets High Level Chinese Censure
China Daily, the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in China, says New Zealand needs to start building trust in the long-term that “comes from regulatory systems that work.” This follows the identification…
TEDxAuckland 2013
Brian Sweeney’s TEDxAuckland talk, ‘Punk Eek’ Seventeen years ago I experienced a revelation on the road to Karakare. I was driving with this man, who told me a story about…
New Zealander to Hike Length of Korean Peninsula
Former New Zealand police officer Roger Shepherd is preparing to achieve an ambitious goal – being the first person to hike the entire length of Baekdudaegan, the mountain range that forms the geological spine…
Sunday Business, RadioLIVE
Brian Sweeney speaks to RadioLIVE’s Sunday Business host Andrew Patterson about New Zealand’s branding and story. (17 minutes)
New Zealand Pledges to Continue Fight for Ross Sea
A New Zealand-led proposal for a marine protected area in the Ross Sea has been stymied due to the inability of the 26-member Comission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to…
Australian IT Workers Eye Up New Zealand
Australian information technology works are increasingly searching for work in New Zealand when looking for the next step in the careers. According to a survey by recruitment company Absolute IT, there has been a…
Telstra-CEO Explains his Trans-Tasman Upbringing
Born in Australia and raised in New Zealand, Telstra CEO David Thodey is a product of both countries – a real Trans-Tasman hybrid. Speaking at the Trans-Tasman Business Circle luncheon in Sydney, Thodey explained…
Tourism New Zealand Wins German Award for ‘100% Middle-earth’
Tourism New Zealand’s 100% Middle-earth campaign has been named the best tourism and travel campaign in the German market at the Mairdumount Tourism and Travel Media Awards in Hamburg. 100% Middle-earth beat eleven other…
All Eyes on Air New Zealand at Paris Air Show
Air New Zealand was the centre of attention at the Paris Air Show with their new black livery on display and world first ‘sharklets’ on display. The airlines new Airbus A320 was officially presented…
Race to Save Maui’s Dolphin
With only 55 adults remaining, experts fear Maui’s dolphin will disappear entirely within the next 17 years unless urgent action is taken. An expert panel was appointed by the New Zealand government last year…
New Zealander Directs “Engrossing” Documentary
New Zealand documentary film maker Sally Rowe is continuing to make an impression with her documentary A Matter of Taste: Serving up Paul Liebrandt. The film is an “engrossing full-length documentary” that…
Standing Ovations in Holland for Douglas Wright’s rapt
Pre-eminent New Zealand choreographer and award-winning writer Douglas Wright’s work rapt was performed in The Hague at the prestigious Lucent Danstheater in April to standing ovations from sold-out houses. The invitation from one of…
Radiating Statuesque Dignity
New Zealand soprano Madeleine Pierard stars in Haydn’s L’Isola Disabitata, the inaugural performance of the Hobart Baroque Festival in Tasmania. “As the long-suffering Constanza, Pierard radiates statuesque dignity, even garbed in…
Bolthole for Bargain Hunters
Kauri Cliffs Lodge in the Bay of Islands is home to billionaire American hedge fund manager, Julian Robertson, the founder of Tiger Asset Management. But according to investment strategist Tim Staermose, “you…
Devotedly by Her Side
A New Zealander, known only as Kate, who cared for the late Lady Margaret Thatcher, would read to the former British prime minister and keep her mind going in her final days, according to…
Marlborough’s Top Dog
“Never a country to flood markets with bargain swill, New Zealand today boasts the world’s highest average selling price for exported table wine,” Globe and Mail life columnist Beppi Crosariol writes. “I think that…
NZ Parliament Passes Same-sex Marriage Bill, Breaks into Song
New Zealand has become the 13th country to legalise same-sex marriage, completing a social revolution that began with the decriminalisation of homosexuality 27 years ago. After two hours of debate and heart-warming speeches from…
Painting a Parallel World
Nigel Brown is New Zealand’s most “brilliant” and “prolific” living painter, according to Forbes contributor Michael Tobias. “Indeed, as an astute observer, thinker and painter focusing to large degree on Nature…
All-American from Taranaki
Originally from Waitara, Terai Sadler, 20, who plays basketball for Crowder College in Missouri, “can claim something no other Lady ‘Rider has – and perhaps very few around the nation – she’s the school’s…
Sharing Plates in Melbourne
New Zealand chefs continue to make their mark in Melbourne with recent arrivals including Daniel Wilson and Dante Ruaine at Huxtable and Alric Hansen with Small Victories. Christian McCabe…
Speed Stargazing over Tongariro
Amateur Taupo videographer Bevan Percival has captured “breathtaking” time-lapse film showing the star-packed night skies and landscapes of the volcanic Central Plateau over a six-month period. PetaPixel writes: “Shot using a…
Wireless Contract for Chinese
At least one small nation in the South Pacific isn’t too worried about China’s Huawei Technologies Co. posing a national security risk, writes Fox Business. New Zealand’s biggest telephone company, Telecom Corp. of New…
McIndoe Sculpture Unveiled
The design for a memorial honouring pioneering plastic surgeon, Dunedin-born Sir Archibald McIndoe, the hundreds of Second World War air crew whom he rescued from despair, and the town of East Grinstead crucial in…
Michigan Ace
Christchurch-born Barrett Franks, 21, is playing the “best tennis of his collegiate career” for the University of Michigan. Franks’ talent was widely known in New Zealand. Such talent earned him a spot on the…
Palate Changer
East London restaurant St John, where New Zealand chef Margot Henderson (pictured) once worked with husband, owner Fergus, is British sculptor Rachel Whiteread’s favourite eatery. “St John has been a part of my life…
