Manuka Honey Ingredient in Djokovic Success
In a new book, Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic reveals the diet that transformed his health and that he credits for his recent success, part of which includes a daily dose of New Zealand…
Blog Archives
Peter Jackson a ‘Game Changer’ who ‘transformed’ Filmmaking
Kiwi director, Peter Jackson is a “game changer who transformed the practice of filmmaking”, according to contributors to the Harvard Business Review’s popular blog. Authors Vijay Govindarajan and Srikanth Srinivas say that Jackson and…
Young Kiwi Artist’s Focus is Art, Not Boys
In an interview, Auckland singer-songwriter Lorde, 16, said that unlike many female teenage artists, boys aren’t all she is interested in when it comes to writing songs. “I feel like that isn’t maybe the…
AJ Hackett’s Ambitious Project in Russia Nears Completion
New Zealand adrenaline pioneer AJ Hackett is months from completing what might be his most ambitious project to date – AJ Hackett Sochi, a Russian adventure park that will include the world’s highest swing…
Wellington CBD Closes Following Magnitude 6.5 Quake
Much of Wellington’s CBD was closed on Monday as engineers assessed building for structural damage following a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on Sunday evening. While the New Zealand Parliament building and Beehive did sustain…
Top of the Lake Receives Eight Emmy Nods
New Zealand director Jane Campion mini-series Top of the Lake has received eight Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Miniseries of Movie, Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries and Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries. The New Zealand-shot…
Robbie Deans Steps Down as Coach of Wallabies
New Zealander Robbie Deans has stepped down as couch of the Wallabies, following the 41-16 series-deciding loss to the British and Irish Lions. The former All Black broke new ground when he was appointed…
Benji’s Decision on His Future Key to Tiger’s Success
Kiwi Benji Marshall’s influence within the Wests Tigers is clearly evident with coach, Mike Potter, saying that the team will “bend over backwards trying to keep him here at the club”. Marshall burst onto…
Young Aucklander Breaks US Charts
Auckland born singer Ella Yelich O’Connor has broken into the American Billboard Chart despite doing next to no State-side promotion. The sixteen-year-old who goes by the name Lorde became a national sensation in late…
Bringing a Taste of NZ to the America’s Cup
New Zealand restaurateur Tony Stewart has opened a pop-up restaurant in San Francisco in time for the America’s Cup races in September. Showcasing New Zealand produce and design, the Waiheke Island Yacht Club…
Angry Lego on the Rise
A researcher in New Zealand has found that Lego figurines are becoming increasingly angrier. In a study of 3,655 figures produced between 1975 and 2010, Dr Christoph Bartneck, a robot expert at the University…
Steven Adams Thrilled With NBA Draft
Steven Adams, 19, has become the first New Zealander to be picked in the first round of an NBA draft. Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Adams is only the second ever Kiwi selected…
NZ Hip-Operation Crew Set to take World Stage
New Zealand hip-hop crew ‘Hip-Operation’ are set to perform at the World Hip Hop Dance Championship in Las Vegas this August. What sets them apart from the competition? About 50 years. The Waiheke Island…
NZ Bird Recognise People, Show Different Personalities
A study has revealed that a native New Zealand bird is able to recognise different humans. Researchers at Victoria University found that the North Island Robin, or toutouwai, reacts differently to humans by timing…
Fisher & Paykel Patriotic Through and Through
A New Zealand woman has uncovered a unique feature of Fisher & Paykel washing machine – they sing the national anthem. Auckland woman uploaded a video to YouTube of her washing machine sounding the…
‘First-Ever Photos’ of World’s Clearest Lake
Blue Lake in Nelson Lakes National Park is the clearest fresh water lake in the world, with visibility ranging between 70 -80 metres. Entering the lake is strictly prohibited and is located in a…
Hobbit Stars React to Fans Reactions
A video of Hobbit fans reacting to the release of a first glimpse into the next Hobbit instalment has received the same treatment, with Peter Jackson release a video with three of the film’s…
Top New Zealand Radio Presenter Recognised Internationally
Radio New Zealand presenter Kim Hill has been awarded a Gold Medal for Best Talk Show Host by the Grand Jury at the 2013 New York Festival Radio Awards. This is Hill’s second major…
NSA Intelligence Not Sure Against Citizens PM Tells Parliament
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said in Parliament that the country does not use foreign intelligence agencies to circumvent local laws or illegally spy on citizens, but declined to say whether the controversial…
New Zealand Tourism Up Thanks to Middle-Earth
New Zealand has seen a boast to its international tourism as a result of the first Hobbit film released in December 2012, says government agency Tourism New Zealand. Figures released by the agency this…
#158: All Along The Watchtower
THE GLOBAL LIFE OF NEW ZEALANDERS From Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM | 23 May 2013 |…
Pat Lam Relishes Leading Connaught Rugby
Pat Lam is looking forward to coaching Connaught, one of four Irish teams in rugby’s Heineken Cup, writes Gerry Thornley, in The Irish Times. In Galway for only eight days, Lam told Thornley he…
The Daily Mail’s ‘Awe Inspiring Journey’ to Hobbiton and Beyond
‘Thanks to the Lord of the Rings, and now The Hobbit, New Zealand one big photo opportunity for Tolkien fans’, says Helen Nicholson in The Daily Mail. Nicholson did a Hobbit Tour of…
Right-Wing Danish MP Labeled ‘Ignorant’ About Maori Culture
Marie Krarup, a right wing Danish MP, offended New Zealand Maori by describing their traditional welcome as ‘uncivilised and grotesque’, says Richard Shears in The Daily Mail. The Danish MP, in New Zealand with…
New Zealand Winemaker Leads in California Chardonnay Revival
‘California chardonnay is back- yet again’ says Lettie Teague, of The Wall Street Journal. ‘Lighter, brighter varieties untouched by oak,’ are leading the revival according to Teague. New Zealand’s Fintan du Fresne, winemaker for…
New Zealand Moviegoer Strikes a Blow for Film Fans Everywhere
Ever seen a movie trailer, then gone to the film and noticed something major was missing? Well, J Congdon, eagle eyed New Zealand film-goer, certainly did. But, unlike most, he did something about his…
#157: Songs & Speeches Of Gay Marriage
THE GLOBAL LIFE OF NEW ZEALANDERS From Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM | 18 April…
#156 No Opportunity Wasted
THE GLOBAL LIFE OF NEW ZEALANDERS From Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM |…
James Keir Baxter
“Bone in the river bed, Old bone like a honeycomb, Brown bone, man bone, Where do you come from?” (From Brown Bone) Poet, prophet, postman, social activist, alcoholic derelict, dogmatic catholic, randy libertine, spiritually brash showman,…
#155 Brain Gain
THE GLOBAL LIFE OF NEW ZEALANDERS From Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM | 28 February…
#154 New Zealander’s Have The Most Freedom
THE GLOBAL LIFE OF NEW ZEALANDERS From Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM | 31 January 2013 |…
Remarkable Global Firsts
New Zealand has much more to shout about than just global rugby dominance and hirsute heroes of the big screen, according to Kate Rowan of the Irish Independent. “Taking a look at New Zealand’s…
Looking Back As If Beggars
Wellington band The Garbage & the Flowers originally released Eyes Rind as if Beggars in 1997, but these songs were recorded earlier in the decade, Wire reviewer Frances Morgan writes….
Return To Middle Earth
“In New Zealand, there is a peculiar clarity to the sunlight,” Lonely Plant traveller Alex Von Tunzelmann writes for the BBC. “Highlights blaze; shadows are cast very, very dark. The effect makes the grass…
Where No Man Has Gone Before
New Zealand world record-breaking freediver William Trubridge, 32, is one of the few people on the planet who can dive deeper than WWII submarines without coming up for air. Trubridge talked to Bob Simon…
Tourism At Speed
New Zealand’s newest cross-country Te Araroa Trail is the perfect challenge for British ultrarunner Jez Bragg, 31, who plans to run the track – from Cape Reinga to Bluff – in 50…
On The Run And Insanely Hot
Taking a page from Strike Back, the new series Banshee also stars an insanely hot foreigner who sounds more American than she does, according to New York Post television critic Linda Stasi, who writes…
Freedom At The Edge
New Zealanders enjoy a higher level of human freedom than anyone else, according to a report written by The Canadian Fraser Institute, which evaluated 123 countries to see how each country measures up in…
Oil Man Bows Out
After 36 years of “distinguished” service, New Zealander Leo Lonergan will retire from his position as chief procurement officer at Chevron in London. Executive vice president Jim Blackwell said: “During his tenure as chief…
Fun-Loving MP Lit Our Screens
As New Zealanders gathered around their black and white sets to experience the miracle of television for the first time the face many of them will have seen staring back at them was that…
Head Coach Role For Soccer Star
Former All Whites captain and Tottenham Hotspur player Ryan Nelsen, 35, has been signed with Toronto FC as head coach. Christchurch-born Nelsen is no stranger to Major League Soccer (MLS), having captained American team…
Tips From The Top
New Zealand’s top performing farms operate on seven principles according to Irish dairy consultant Dr Mary Kinston. Firstly: “Top farmers benchmark against other farm businesses. Eighty-five per cent of farm managers would have a…
On The Road
New Zealand’s five best alternative road trips are included in a Lonely Planet feature this month. From a Caitlins penguin drive to Auckland’s newest winemaking area east of Warkworth, author Brett Atkinson recommends experiencing…
Fresh HBO Role For Starr
New Zealand actor Antony Starr, 37, who played twins Van and Jethro West in Outrageous Fortune, has a role in the new HBO/Cinemax action-drama series Banshee, produced by Alan Ball of True…
Trading Black Gold
New Zealand is famous worldwide for its dairy exports, Sylvia Pfeifer writes for the Financial Times. “Its dairy industry generated $13.9bn in revenues in the year to March 2012. But now the government is…
Our Dark Side
Jane Campion’s seven-part miniseries Top of the Lake, which was shot in and around Queenstown, premieres on the Sundance Channel in the United States on 18 March. “It’s the most comprehensive documentation of modern…
Sauvignon Impossible To Overlook
“In New Zealand’s case, the elephant in the room is Marlborough sauvignon blanc,” Bill Zacharkiw writes for The Montreal Gazette. “While most emerging regions struggle to communicate who they are, few have been as…
Solo Protest Paddle Completed
New Zealand-born surfer and activist Dave Rastovich has completed his 350km solo protest paddle mission from Taranaki to Piha, to raise awareness for the nearly extinct Maui’s dolphin and the hazards that seabed mining…
Trail Running Trend Speeds Up
“It is the perfect new year challenge – a week’s journey on foot and at speed through New Zealand’s fairytale valleys,” The Financial Times’ Jonathan Thompson writes. “It is, to put it mildly, a…
New Look Cathedral Unveiled
Christchurch’s new cathedral, which will be made of cardboard and will house 700 people, is due for completion in April next year. The city’s magnificent Gothic revival cathedral hewn from local basalt was irreparably…
Memorial To A Friend
A sculpture in memorial to pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe will be created by Martin Jennings, whose war hero father was one of McIndoe’s grateful guinea pigs. Jenning’s own father was one…
Wave To End The War
During the Second World War, New Zealand and the United States conducted secret tests of a “tsunami bomb” designed to destroy coastal cities by using underwater blasts to trigger massive tidal waves. The tests…
Extraordinary Talent Sorely Missed
Oscar-winning sound editor New Zealander Mike Hopkins, 53, who worked on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and other blockbusters, has died in a rafting accident on the Waiohine River in the Tararua Range….
Rethinking Team Rankings
Economist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New Zealander Niven Winchester, who studies sports rankings as a hobby, argues that The National Football League (NFL) should rank teams more the way rugby does. Winchester calculates…
Dishing Up Comfort Food
Peter Gordon’s 2012-published Peter Gordon Everyday is one of Catherine Phipp’s ‘Best Food Books of the Year’. “Flashes of trademark fusion sit with more personal dishes from New Zealand childhood,” Phipps…
