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…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
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…
Laurence Larson Blends Language Wooing Millions of Chinese Fans
Auckland University student Laurence Larson, 20, is generating a big following on social media where his music videos sung in the unusual blend of Mandarin and English have been viewed millions of times. With dreams…
Schmidt Wins New Zealand’s First Olympic Medal in Trampoline
Dylan Schmidt became the first New Zealand athlete to win an Olympic medal in trampoline when he bounced to gold at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games on Friday. “It’s pretty cool,” the 17-year-old said….
Richard Burton Couldn’t Beat George Silk on a Photo Call
In 1993, New Zealand-born LIFE photojournalist George Silk was asked by American photographer John Loengard if in his long career, Silk had been “willing to pose pictures.” Silk’s reply is worth setting down here in…
Australia’s Top Restaurant Run by New Zealander Ben Shewry
Melbourne’s Attica, run by New Zealander Ben Shewry, has been named Australia’s top restaurant at this year’s annual Gourmet Traveller awards. Attica is one of Melbourne’s premium fine dining restaurants, offering carefully crafted meals with…
Stunning All Blacks Smash Wallabies to Retain Bledisloe Cup
New Zealand retain the Bledisloe Cup with an astonishingly good performance, smashing Australia 51-20 in Auckland, scoring six tries and stating categorically that the last game’s mediocre showing in a 12-12 draw was merely…
Young Kiwi Entrepreneurs Win FedEx Competition
Two teams from New Zealand won both first and second place at the FedEx Express/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge Asia Pacific, in which students in the region competed with business plans for a beauty…
Hobbit Trilogy Beating the Odds to Hit Screens
“In one of the most epic feats in recent cinema history, New Zealander director Peter Jackson brought to life Tolkien’s fantastical universe with The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Almost a decade later, the…
Guardian Declares Kimbra’s Latest a Masterclass in Sheer Pop Joy
“The Golden Echo is less of a sophomoric follow-up and more of a bona fide pop classic from singer Kimbra …”, in fact declares the Guardian, it’s “a straight-up masterclass in sheer…
War-Gamer Robert Dunlop Recreates WWI Battle in Miniature
Inspired by the war stories of his grandfather, war-gaming enthusiast Robert Dunlop, a New Zealander living in Britain, has collected thousands of miniature soldiers to recreate the Battle of the Marne in France 100…
Lingerie Designer Manuka Clarke Reinvigorating US Company
When New Zealand-born designer Manuka Clarke purchased Californian lingerie company Farr West in January, she wanted to reinvigorate the company’s classic designs while keeping all production in the United States at the highest quality…
New Zealand: the Other Half of the Anzac Legend
As the centenary of the Gallipoli landings approaches Australians need to consider the other half of the ANZAC acronym, University of Sydney history professor Mark McKenna writes for the Conversation. The rise of Anzac…
Lee Tamahori Teams up with Adrien Brody on Emperor
Director Lee Tamahori is in the Czech Republic filming Emperor, a movie based on 16th century Roman ruler Charles V and starring A-lister Adrien Brody. The 64-year-old director of cult 90s film Once Were Warriors…
Penny Ashton’s Promise and Promiscuity Winking Assortment of Fun
“The fun of Promise and Promiscuity, a pleasant and playful solo musical by New Zealander Penny Ashton, is that the marriage of the two happens so charmingly, without undue exertion in literary deconstruction, reconstruction,…
Heidi Klum Wears Kiwi Design to Emmys
Kiwi fashion designer Sean Kelly, who is currently participating in the latest season of Project Runway, had his dress worn by Heidi Klum at this week’s Emmys. The New Zealand designer and Massey…
Vista – New Zealand’s International Software Firm – Rising
New Zealand’s next big software company Vista Group climbed as much as 3 per cent on its first day of trading, after raising $92.6 million in its IPO last month. The New Zealand-based…
Gym President Sarah Robb O’Hagan Recommends Mindfulness
Sarah Robb O’Hagan, president of America’s Equinox fitness chain, believes in the links between exercise and confidence, and beauty and strength. Not surprisingly, the New Zealander is also a tri-athlete. But O’Hagan wasn’t always…
Families Turning to Rachael Hale McKenna to Photograph Pets
Families are increasingly turning to professional dog photographers like New Zealander Rachael Hale McKenna, to capture their memorable pet portraits. Professional pet photographers in the increasingly competitive business quiz owners about their dogs’ personalities, find…
Tributes for Trailblazing Producer Caterina De Nave
The film and television industry has lost “a major figure in the New Zealand television landscape” in Caterina De Nave, who passed away on the weekend, following a long battle with illness, aged 67. De…
Allpress Espresso Takes Its Beans to Tokyo
New Zealand coffee roasting company Allpress Espresso is expanding their international chain opening an operation in the Tokyo suburb of Kiba. Allpress has also secured 17 wholesale supply accounts in Japan. Japan is…
Auckland Ties with Melbourne for World’s Friendliest City
It’s great to be a tourist down under, with travellers naming New Zealand and Australia among the best vacation destinations – the cities of Auckland and Melbourne are the friendliest in the world. Kiwis and…
All Blacks Fend off Wallabies for Stalemate in Sydney
In a gritty encounter played out in a Sydney rainstorm, Australia held New Zealand to a 12-12 draw in their Rugby Championship opener to prevent the All Blacks from claiming a world record 18th…
Jonathan Conway Takes Snow Study High into Canadian Rockies
New Zealand scientist Jonathan Conway, who holds a PhD in glaciology and climatology from the University of Otago, is in the Canadian Rockies on a two-year posting at the University of Saskatchewan’s Centre for…
Kiri Performs Emily Dickinson-Inspired Works at Ravinia
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa “is as busy as ever” recently performing works based on American poet Emily Dickinson’s poems at the Ravinia Festival in Illinois. The Ravinia Festival, which has had a long association with…
Trygve Wakenshaw Has Audience Purring in Edinburgh
New Zealander Trygve Wakenshaw, of Squidboy cult fame, takes a skilful tour of an imaginary shape-shifting world at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. “It’s hard to get Doctor Brown out of your mind when watching…
Milky Way Glows Over New Zealand in Stunning Photo
Space.com has featured a stunning image of the stars; proving New Zealand is one of the best places in the world to view the night sky. The image, by astrophotographer Amit Kamble, was taken on…
Mulling over Pinot Noir Memories at Te Whare Ra
Memories are made of New Zealand pinot noir, and one recent memory in particular, according to Tim White of the Australian Financial Review, is the 2012 pinot from Marlborough vineyard Te Whare Ra. “When I…
Jeweller to the Stars Jessica McCormack Picks Her Favourite Haunts
Jessica McCormack is a New Zealand-born jeweller based in London. Among the fans of her hand-crafted, fine-diamond pieces are Carine Roitfeld and Rihanna. McCormack picks her favourite stores and eateries for the…
Fassbender to Film in New Zealand
Michael Fassbender is to shoot his new film, The Light Between Oceans, in New Zealand. Despite being set off the Australian coast, Derek Cianfrance’s big-screen adaptation of ML Stedman’s 2012 novel is to be filmed…
Artist Fiona Connor Rethinks Exhibition Spaces at Monash
New Zealand-born, Los Angeles-based artist Fiona Connor’s major new “collection” show at Melbourne’s Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) articulates, not all collecting institutions are alike. Connor’s description of the museum as “a…
On the Adventure Trail in the Footsteps of William and Kate
On a South Island tour of New Zealand in the footsteps of royal couple William and Kate, the Daily Mail’s Katie Nicholl begins in the “quintessentially English city” Christchurch before making her way further…
Kiwi Completes 40km Scottish Loch Swim
David Dawson has become the first New Zealander to swim solo the length of Loch Lomond in Scotland, the largest inland stretch of water in Great Britain. The ex-pat did the swim as…
Bluegrass Singer Marlon Williams Touring Australia
Christchurch-born bluegrass singer-songwriter Marlon Williams, 24, made a good impression when he played Mullum Music Festival in New South Wales last year, claiming the title as one of the most talked about acts on…
Second Colossal Squid for NZ Museum
Seven years after a New Zealand museum captured the world’s attention with the first colossal squid, a second of the mammoth sea creatures has been added to Te Papa’s collection. Wellington scientists are excited by…
Tuvalu Climate Change Refugees Granted World-First Residency
A Tuvalu family has been granted residency in New Zealand after claiming to be climate change refugees, saying they would be affected by climate change if they were forced to return home. The family, believed…
Tiffany Singh Dedicates Kathmandu Installation to Mother Earth
New Zealand installation artist Tiffany Singh exhibited at the Siddhartha Art Gallery in Kathmandu this month, where she explored the role of seemingly insignificant things that are a part of Nepal’s rich tradition, which…
Michael Volkerling, Cultural Visionary (1948-2014)
One of the principal architects of New Zealand’s cultural and creative sectors, Dr Michael Volkerling, died suddenly on 13 June, 2014 in Sydney, aged 66. At the time of his death he was Principal…
Supermoon Appears in New Zealand Skies
New Zealand was the first country in the world to see the dramatic supermoon. On Sunday, the full moon reached the point in its orbit that is closest to the Earth, known as perigee. The Guardian…
Swimmer Lauren Boyle Sets New World Record
New Zealand swimmer and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Lauren Boyle has set a new world record in Wellington. Less than a month after taking silver in Glasgow, Boyle broke the 1500m freestyle world record at…
Kate De Goldi Wastes Not a Marvellous Word
Acclaimed Christchurch-born author Kate De Goldi’s children’s book, The ACB with Honora Lee is a “marvellous, whimsical tale”. “ surprisingly, takes place mostly in a nursing home. Perry is the daughter…
Kimbra’s Princely Potential Lands Her Major Label Resources
Kimbra only intended to stay in Los Angeles for a month, but after she saw an online listing for an urban farm in Silverlake – “20 chickens, eight sheep, three sheepdogs, an outdoor kitchen…
Black Grace Makes Edinburgh Fringe Debut
Black Grace dance company makes its Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut with a series of performances spanning nearly 20 years. Founder and choreographer Neil Ieremia will steer the troupe through a mixed bill of short…
James McDonald Earns Sydney Jockeys’ Premiership Title
Twenty-two year old James McDonald has secured the Sydney jockeys’ premiership title at Warwick Farm Racecourse, with his 71st win on outsider New Zealand-bred Bascule. McDonald started even prior to the race with Nash Rawiller…
Designer Annah Stretton to Show at London Fashion Week Event
New Zealander Annah Stretton is one of five international designers selected to showcase their collections at this year’s London Fashion Week opening event – Splendours of the Commonwealth 2014. At the September event,…
20 Facts About New Zealand
The Huffington Post has written a list of facts about New Zealand for tourists, featuring many things kiwis are proud to claim, from Baldwin Street to bungee jumping. Most of the facts on the list…
Lords of Lightning Electrify Newcastle Skies
New Zealand electrician Carlos Van Camp will brighten the skies over the River Tyne in Newcastle with man-made lightning strikes as part of the Great North Run event. The Great North Run Million Opening Ceremony…
Growing up in NZ Public, Broods Now Hitting the Big Time
Broods only started writing music together last year, but the Nelson brother-sister duo, Caleb and Georgia Nott, aged 21 and 19, are being tipped as New Zealand’s next big musical exports. They speak to…
Mature Kiwis Stun Paraguay in U-20 Women’s World Cup
New Zealand have made a dream start to their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Paraguay at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium in Canada. The junior Football Ferns have never progressed beyond…
Lorde Adds to Already High-Profile Catalogue with Hunger Games Deal
Lorde will pen a new lead single for the latest installment of the popular film franchise, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, also overseeing the selections for the soundtrack album, where her single…
Ben Lewis a Finalist in Prestigious UK Interior Design Awards
Ben Lewis, of family-owned furniture and design company Trenzseater (pictured right with father, Mark), was a finalist in the prestigious London-based Andrew Martin Interior Designer of the Year Award. Previous winners include British…
Retirement Village Residents Film Perfect Pharrell Williams Parody
The residents of Diana Isaac Retirement Village in Christchurch have proven that despite any aching joints and stiff hips their dancing shoes are as good as new by creating their own version of Pharrell…
New Zealand Launches Biggest Ever Cultural Charge to Edinburgh Festival
The New Zealand contingent at Edinburgh 2014 includes around 240 actors, dancers, musicians, Maori performing artists, producers and writers. One of these acts is The Factory – described as “the Pacific Les Mis” – exploring…
Scott Dixon Wins 5th Mid-Ohio IndyCar in 8 years
New Zealand racer Scott Dixon went from last in qualifying to capture his fifth win at Mid-Ohio in the last eight years. Dixon coasted in on low fuel Sunday to finally end his team’s victory…
