Waiting for Nature to Move in
Absolute silence on the meltwater lake at the base of the Tasman Glacier surprises West Australia Today’s Elissa Blake, who notes the lack of birds and trees, on “the rough, rocky shores of the…
Blog Archives
We, Family
New Zealand-born director Barnaby Southcombe, 40, has cast his mother, English actress Charlotte Rampling, 66, in the title role of his latest film, I, Anna. The adapted screenplay was written by Southcombe based on…
Directing the Big Guns
Wellington-born director Andrew Dominik, 45, who has lived in Australia most of his life, said it took 45 minutes via text message to hammer out a deal with Brad Pitt to produce their latest…
Metal Work Wins Steel Oscar
Inventors of the world’s first container tilter, New Zealand company A-Ward, have won this year’s Swedish Steel Prize for the MiSlide, a flexible system for compressing and packing metallic scrap in containers….
Film Moving Economy
“For better or worse, Key’s government has taken extreme measures that have linked its fortunes to some of Hollywood’s biggest pictures, making this country of 4.4 million people, slightly more than the city…
Unexpected Tourism Drawcard
The international publicity from recent eruptions at Tongariro’s Te Maari crater may actually be helpful, according to local tourism operators. Te Maari crater erupted for about five minutes last week, emitting a plume of…
Filmmakers Galore
When it comes to supporting fledgling filmmakers, part of New Zealand’s challenge is the sheer number of them. Inspired by Peter Jackson’s success, young people are swarming film schools here. Weta Digital itself is…
Irish Coaching Role for Smith
New Zealander Darren Smith has been named the new Ireland women’s hockey national coach. Napier-born Smith, 39, takes up the role following six years as assistant coach to the New Zealand men’s team who…
Tolkien Enamoured
This month, Telegraph readers named New Zealand as their favourite country in the world. Royd Tolkien, great-grandson of the writer, is equally besotted. “When I was eight I fell in love for the first…
Change At the Top
Former AIA head New Zealander Mark Wilson, 46, has been appointed chief executive of Britain’s second-largest insurer, Aviva. Wilson ran AIA – the Asian arm of US insurer AIG – between 2006 and 2010….
Natives Thrive in California
New Zealand native plants and trees are thriving in San Francisco with both the San Francisco and University of California botanical gardens boasting impressive specimens of rimu, kauri and others. “One has even become…
When in Rome
The All Blacks continued their European Tour, taking on Italy in Rome on Saturday. Despite winning by a comfortable 42 points to 10 the Italians made the All Blacks work hard for the win,…
Real and Unreal Worlds
“As the Wellington premiere of The Hobbit approaches, New Zealand’s picturesque landscapes are set to take centre stage once again,” Charles Anderson begins in a story for the International Herald Tribune. “Ten years ago,…
World Leaders in Arbitration
New Zealand has the perfect conditions to become a seat for international commercial arbitration, world-leading lawyer in the field, American Lucy Reed says. Reed, who leads the arbitration group Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in New…
All Blacks Kick the Scottish
The All Blacks have enjoyed a great start to their European Tour, beating Scotland 51-22 at Murrayfield on Sunday. Despite a competitive Scottish side, the experienced All Blacks team played in a different league,…
Running on Sunshine
Tokelau has become the first country to have all its electricity needs met through renewable energy sources. The pacific nation — which is administered by the New Zealand government – was running an archaic…
Air New Zealand: Behind the Scenes of An Unexpected Briefing
Take a look behind the scenes of Air New Zealand’s Hobbit-y safety video, An Unexpected Briefing.
New Zealand’s Yellowstone
“When I read about Rotorua’s Lady Knox Geyser that erupts at 10:15 every morning, I knew this was something I wouldn’t see in Yellowstone,” Pat Bellinghausen writes for the Missoulian. “While Lady Knox erupts…
Magic Manifested
Hedge fund billionaire Julian Robertson Jr. first visited New Zealand in 1978 on a year-long sabbatical from his asset manager’s job at Kidder, Peabody. The year in New Zealand turned out to be fruitful….
Non-farmers Get Look In
“The only truly global New Zealand company, with annual revenue of almost $20 billion, Fonterra operates in 100 countries and has 10,500 farmer-owners,” The Economist writes. “Rabobank of the Netherlands ranks it the world’s…
Diamond Blacks Qualify
“Starved of funding, given little public attention, and overshadowed by a more popular close cousin, baseball has had it rough in New Zealand, the sport’s chief executive Ryan Flynn concedes. But all that could…
What Stead Reads
Author C.K. Stead, 80, talks to the Financial Times about which books changed his life and what he’s currently reading. “The cat is on the bedside table, the books are on the floor,” Stead…
Impressive Role Reversal
On 10 November New Zealander Glen Jackson will jog out at Twickenham to referee England’s opening autumn Test versus Fiji. It will be Jackson’s first tier one international and represents one of sport’s more…
Rider Requests
Ladyhawke wants sandwich ingredients on her rider, thanks, and some socks. Speaking to the Irish Times’ Tony Clayton-Lea, ahead of a recent Dublin show, Ladyhawke said that on her “fantasy rider”, she’d have a…
Art Grows on Trees
A survey exhibition of New Zealand artist Billy Apple’s work is planned for 2013 at the Auckland Art Gallery to celebrate the brand’s 50th year. The artist formerly known as Barrie Bates talked to…
Top Travel Spots
Wellington Airport and the pensioners at Auckland Airport feature in this year’s ‘Monocle Travel Top 50’ list. Wellington International Airport sits at No 14 as the ‘Best New Air Terminal’. “Gehry-esque in ambition and…
Adventure for Real
“You could go to New Zealand just for the golf and not be disappointed – in fact, it might turn out to be the most memorable golf trip you’ll ever experience,” Stephen Szurlej writes…
Greener Pastures
Retailers in Britain should sell New Zealand-produced lamb if they want to help protect the environment, experts claim in a report called ‘Climate Change and Food Systems’. The suggestion, likely to outrage British farmers,…
Air New Zealand: An Unexpected Briefing
Air New Zealand welcomes visitors to Middle Earth with a Hobbit themed safety video, An Unexpected Briefing.
Landscapes a Drawcard
Foreign buyers are mostly drawn to the Auckland area, or to the lake and mountain views near Queenstown on the South Island, according to The New York Times. Bill Sandston, a real estate lawyer…
Doctor Turned Astronaut
New Zealand actor Martin Henderson, 38, has been cast as the lead in a new NBC soap thriller from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer, The Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives. “Henderson will play Kyle…
Imagine the Growth
Growing ties between New Zealand and China are giving new optimism to everyone from coffee chains and jade producers to organic farmers, universities, tour operators and real estate brokers. The increasing number of Chinese…
Exquisite Cutlery
New Zealand artist Francis Upritchard has collaborated with London art collector Valeria Napoleone on a cookbook of Northern Italian recipes, with Upritchard contributing a piece entitled, ‘Balata dining’, (2010) featuring in the ‘meat’ section….
Universal Appeal
New Zealand children’s film Kiwi Flyer has won the Audience Award at the Schlingel – 18th International Film Festival for Children and Young Audience held in in Chemnitz, Germany. Tony Simpson, director…
Unexpected Welcome
Over the next few months at Wellington Airport, a giant 13m Gollum diving for 4m fish, will welcome visitors to ‘the middle of Middle Earth’. Designed by Weta Workshop, and built by Japanese artist…
Wildcat Spark Plug
Hawkes Bay basketball player Everard Bartlett, 26, is fast establishing a reputation as Perth’s spark plug, emerging as yet another scoring weapon for the Wildcats as it looks to build on an impressive 3-0…
Catch Yourself a River Prawn
“Hurl yourself out of a plane, swim in a lake that’s bigger than Singapore and catch Malaysian prawns,” Joleen Lunjew writes for The Malaysia Star. “Welcome to the Great Lake Taupo.” “What’s so great…
Treasures Travel to Beijing
Te Papa is sending an exhibition of pounamu to China, where it expects a flurry of interest among museumgoers who haven’t seen how other cultures work with the precious stone. ‘Kura Pounamu: Treasured Stone…
Jackson’s Empire Five
“There’s a new Jackson Five in town,” Empire magazine says. “The December issue of Empire five gorgeous 3D lenticular covers to celebrate The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” “Your choices are; Galadriel (Cate Blanchett),…
Best of Both Hemispheres
Wellington-born composer Lyell Cresswell has lived in Edinburgh since the early 1980s writing regularly for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO). “His latest piece for them, a triple concerto premiered here with the Swiss Piano…
Talent Embedded in Genes
Up-and-coming actress Alice Englert, 17, the daughter of New Zealand film director Jane Campion (“similar talents seem to be embedded in her genes”), stars in Ginger & Rosa, “an evocative and beautifully shot portrait…
Back to His Roots Playing Cop
Sam Neill plays Belfast police chief C.I. Campbell in new BBC gangster drama, Peaky Blinders, which is currently shooting in Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool. While Neill is one of the more well-known New Zealand…
Discovering Sounds of Home
New Plymouth-born saxophonist and composer Hayden Chisholm, 37, toured Germany to learn about its rich folk music tradition – and why the Germans have a problem with it. His back-to-the-roots journey was captured in…
Entrepreneurs in the Making
“Many third world countries have incubators, often to try and utilize and preserve local skills” like weaving, dying and sewing, says Tracy Kennedy, (right) manager of the Dunedin Fashion Incubator, started in 2001. Like…
Trailer: The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey
The trailer for Peter Jackson’s 2012 film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Bevin’s Got Great Legs
New Zealand cyclists Patrick Bevin and Logan Hutchins have taken first and second places respectively in the inaugural Thompson Bucks County Classic professional bicycle race in Pennsylvania. Finishing 1-2 with Hutchins was a special…
Art of Rugby
Examining the All Blacks 21-11 win against his national team, the Springboks, Brumbies coach Jake White writes in The Citizen’s sports column: “The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands,…
Deservedly Great Painter
New Zealand artist Don Binney, best known for his striking emblematic paintings of birds, has died in Auckland aged 72. Binney worked in oil, acrylic, charcoal, ink and carbon pencil. Many public collections feature…
Charming Sport Over Ice
“Here at Naseby, a seriously small town in Central Otago region, I meet Sean Becker, a former Olympic curling representative and current member of the New Zealand men’s team, his father, Peter Becker, and…
Finding the Middle of Nowhere
For those looking for an off-the-beaten-path excursion in New Zealand, Emily Dayton of the San Diego Reader recommends visiting Lake Tekapo. “The small town is a cluster of homes and motels at the south…
Win After Dark
A blackout at Wellington’s Stadium “was an apt metaphor” for the All Blacks versus Argentina game, “with few highlights to speak about as both sides battled driving rain and swirling gale-force winds”, the Buenos…
Cry Over This
Crowded House song Together Alone is what British music blogger Paul Sinclair wants played at his funeral. Sinclair chose the track as part of the Guardian series ‘Six Songs of Me’. “The…
Instead of Adrenalin
New Zealand’s less extreme tourism activities provide the Gadling’s Meg Nesterov with plenty to do for a trip throughout the country in which she finds out “why Auckland is worth more than a stopover,…
Fruitcake Finish Wins US Gold
Two rare whiskies from the New Zealand Whisky Collection have won gold medals at the Mid West Whisky Olympics in Michigan, outperforming some of the world’s most revered from Scotland, Ireland and Canada. The…
How Good an Actress She Is
New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey is the “highlight” of Hello I Must Be Going writes Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan, who says she “shines as the film’s focus.” “If you…
Miss Nasty a Total Professional
Wellington-raised chef Monica Galleti, 36, who is a judge on BBC2 cooking show MasterChef: The Professionals, will also appear alongside British chefs Marcus Wareing and Fred Sireix at the London Rumble in the Jungle…
