Scene stealer
Star feature on veteran US stuntwoman Jeannie Epper makes mention of her NZ protégé, Zoë Bell. Bell’s career to date includes doubling for Lucy Lawless in Xena, Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, and Halle…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
International acclaim for national story
NZ/British co-production In My Father’s Den won the prestigious Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique (FIPRESCI) award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by NZer Brad McGann and based on…
Punk lives
Guardian names Selfish Cunt (made up of singer Martin Tomlinson and Kiwi guitarist Patrick Constable) one of the top 40 bands in Britain today, alongside Franz Ferdinand, Blur, The Darkness, and Radiohead. “Dividing the…
Campaigning at the Source
In innovative anti-drunk driving campaign in NZ has made headlines around the world. Produced by the NZ Land Transport Safety Authority, the large, heat-activated ads are located in urinals in 260 pubs around the country. “What you’ll…
Is This Mike On?
Thai artist Seepphum Srisopa won the Bizarre Bra section of the annual World of Wearable Arts competition in Nelson. His winning creation – a bra with multiple microphones attached and pointing at the wearer…
Big Chief Fletcher
Christchurch man Ian Fletcher holds a key position in British government as Director of the International Trade Development Group for the British High Commission. Fletcher oversees the promotion of British business around the world; a massive job…
Need for Speed
NZ claimed two world titles at the mountain bike world championships in Le Gets, France, with Vanessa Quin (26) winning the open women’s downhill race and Scarlett Hagen (17) the junior women’s. Hagen’s time was second…
Passing of a Pioneer
NZ’s first women’s Test cricket captain, Ruth Martin, died in Christchurch aged 90. Martin (then Ruth Symons) led NZ in their inaugural Test match, against England 1934-5. The Ruth Martin Cup is presented annually…
Mr. President
Dr George Barton QC of Wellington was elected President of the United Bible Societies (UBS) at its World Assembly in Newport, Wales. Barton led the NZ Bible Society from 1966 to 1998, and was vice-president of…
Global edge-sposure
Premier NZ vodka label, 42 Below, has made further inroads to the global market, acquiring a key distributor in Australia with Carlton and United Beverages (CUB) and purchasing the US direct sales company Collinsville…
Multilingual, multicultural and multitalented
Haaretz interviews prolific folk and multicultural musician, Jill Rogoff. Born to a Polish Jewish father and NZ mother, Rogoff was born and grew up in Wellington before leaving for Jerusalem in 1979. She sings in…
“Star for the Future”
20-year-old Ben Townley won his first motocross world title (and NZ’s second) with a double victory in the MX2 class at the Grand Prix of Ireland. “On the last lap of the first race, my mechanic, Craig…
One-stop provocation shop
Denis Dutton’s Arts & Letters Daily website received a generous write-up in the Voice of America. A&L Daily is a collection of links to interesting (and often incendiary) articles available online, sourced…
One Step at a Time
Jonah Lomu is making a strong recovery from his July kidney transplant and has already named next year’s rugby sevens world cup as his comeback date. “That’s great news because sevens can provide him with the perfect…
Top 40 Hit
Cairnbrae ‘The Stones’ Sauvignon Blanc 2003 made Decanter‘s list of top 40 wines under $10, following a rigorous blind tasting of more than 2,000 offerings. Observer critic Tim Atkin describes the silver medal winner as “lemon,…
Paradise Uncovered
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson’s ode to NZ, Slipping Into Paradise, reviewed in Japan’s Daily Yomiuri. “Part memoir, part philosophical reflection, part travel book, Slipping into Paradise details why Masson picked NZ from the many countries he had visited as…
Comedy with a Conscience
The Ball, an Australian spoof of The Piano by Anny Slater, has been nominated by the UN for a Media Peace Prize. According to Canada’s St Johns Film Festival, “The Ball is a hilarious…
Taking Care of Business
NZ ranked first overall in the World Bank’s ‘Doing Business’ report for 2004, ahead of the US, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia. The annual survey decides which countries are best for doing business in based on…
Inline Edge
NZ athletes excelled at the world inline speed skating championships in Italy, racking up six bronze medals, a silver, and a gold. Shane Dobbin won gold in the 5000m men’s points road race, with brother Kalon…
New Findings, New Hope
Doctors at NZ’s Liggins Institute have made a crucial breakthrough in the study of breast cancer. Researchers have discovered a growth hormone in breast cancer cells which determines how quickly the cancer spreads. “We have found a…
One Computer to Rule Them All
The supercomputer used to create Oscar-winning special effects for the LotR trilogy is now for hire. Weta Digital and Gen-I (a Telecom subsidiary) have established the NZ Supercomputing Center in Wellington, where commercial and scientific research can…
On the road again
Fresh from working with ex-Led Zeppelin John Paul Jones on their second album, Outta Sight/Outta Mind, the Datsuns are hooking up with another set of rock legends: The Pixies. The Cambridge-bred quartet will open…
Wyatt Makes it Four
Jonathan Wyatt won his fourth mountain running world title at Sauze d’Oulx in northern Italy only a week after competing at the Athens Games. His previous victories were in France (1998), Germany (200), and Austria (2002)….
Next Stop Nobel?
Professor Paul Callaghan of Wellington has won the prestigious Ampere Prize. The biannual award – one of the most esteemed in the international science community – recognises outstanding work in the field of magnetic resonance. It is…
Grand Slam Thank You Ma’am
Rising Kiwi tennis star Marina Erakovic has added two major titles to her belt, winning both the Canadian and US Open’s junior girls’ doubles event with Dutch partner Michaella Krajicek. Earlier this year the pair made…
Top Spot
Martinborough Hotel features on the Observer‘s list of top retreats for wine lovers. “If you’re looking for a nice drop of Kiwi class, character and convenience, this is just the job … The bistro serves excellent…
Jolly green giant
It’s official: Shrek 2 is the third highest-grossing film of all time, behind Titanic and the first Star Wars. Directed by Kiwi Andrew Adamson, Shrek 2 was the surprise hit of the US…
Four in Twenty Ain’t Bad
Four NZ estates made the top 20 international accommodation list in Andrew Harper’s annual Hideaway Report; Blanket Bay (Queenstown), Huka Lodge (Taupo), Wharekauhau (Wairarapa), and Kauri Cliffs (Bay of Islands). ” is proof that the quality of…
Riding High
Sydney Morning Herald profiles 20-year-old Kiwi, Michael Walker; “the best jockey to emerge from across the Tasman since Jim Cassidy and Shane Dye.” Since his 1999 debut, Walker has ridden more than 100 winners in each of…
Chisholm to Packer
New Zealand-born media supremo Sam Chisholm has resigned as a Director of Telstra to join Kerry Packer’s media group PBL. Chisholm, 64, retains his chairmanship of Foxtel. He was head of Nine in Australia…
Wellywood in the Spotlight
The world’s eyes are on Wellington once again as production steps up on Peter Jackson’s King Kong remake. Jackson promises to make a “wonderful, mysterious adventure film” worthy of the iconic 1933 original, which…
Suntan Man
Al Baldwin, 74, has sprayed his last beachgoer. Over the past 30 years, New Zealand-born Baldwin had become a fixture in Surfers’ Paradise beach, spraying an estimated three million beachgoers with suntan lotion. His business was a…
Dissecting the Edge
Outside Online writer, Stephanie Pearson, takes a month-long tour of NZ, in a bid to discover “why everyone wants a piece of the Kiwi magic.” After interviewing a slew of overachievers, including Icebreaker’s Jeremy Moon, Peter Jackson,…
Hot Stuff
Alice Goulter, Wellington fashion grad and newly appointed womenswear designer for Mossimo Australia, makes Cleo‘s monthly hot list. “Expect to see a difference when her designs hit stores in October.”
Addicted to Jackson
Empire offers hope to fans experiencing panic attacks at “the thought of a year without a Peter Jackson film.” Shooting on the next Jackson-helmed epic – King Kong – begins in August of this…
Kong
The three principal stars of Peter Jackson’s King Kong are raving about the film and its Wellington location before shooting has even begun. Adrien Brody: “The facilities here are incredible … I…
A weighty story
A feature-length biopic of NZ sporting icon Precious McKenzie is in the works, with London-based Precious UK Ltd and South Africa’s Unital Films International already on board. The screenplay, written by…
Still the Place to Be
NZ is the world’s third most desirable holiday destination, according to Condé Nast Traveller‘s annual Readers’ Awards. Australia, Thailand, Singapore, and Italy complete the top five.
God of the air axe
NZ’s Tarquin ‘The Tarkness’ Keys was named joint winner of the world air guitar championship at the ninth annual Oulu Music Video Festival. Miri “Sonyk-Rok” Park of Finland was initially crowned the victor before…
Sport Swap
NZ U-19 rugby coach, Willy Heretaka, is in talks with Kolkata school leaders about establishing an annual student sporting exchange between NZ and India. “These schools have good sporting facilities,” said Heretaka in the Times. “It will…
Great Southern Land
Atlanta Journal writer takes in the sights down south, comparing the stunning vistas to precious works of art. “There’s a time for visiting hushed museums filled with masterpieces … But getting to know a new destination…
Writer in residence
Wellington-based British author Neil Cross, has made the 2004 Man Booker Prize long-list with his fourth novel, “Always the Sun”. The story tells of a father’s attempts to prevent his son from being…
Top 6 for Black Sticks
The NZ women’s hockey team’s strong showing at the Athens Olympics earned them the final place in November’s six-team Champions Trophy in Argentina. The Black Sticks went to Athens ranked ninth in the world and finished in…
A Change Forecast
Metra, the commercial sector of NZ’s government-owned meteorological service, is helping the BBC propel its TV weather reports into the 21st century. Thanks to cutting edge technology used in video games and the LotR trilogy, viewers will…
Shifting mythology
A study of Peter Jackson’s LotR trilogy by the University of Wales has been extended due to an unexpectedly large public response. More than 25,000 people from all over the world have completed the…
Big Award for Bigger Undertaking
Hamilton-based design and printing company Admark won a World Silver Medal at 2004 New York Festivals Design & Print Advertising Awards, in the Fleet Graphics: Entertainment Promotion category. The award-winning entry was the immense Lord of the…
Exploring Our Edge
A couple from St Louis give a colourful account of their whirlwind 14-day tour of NZ. “Throughout ‘Kiwiland’ we bumped into geographical quirks, idiosyncratic traditions and a countryside full of surprises: miniature blue penguins; peanut butter on…
No vanity project
Observer reviews Other Ways of Speaking, the latest offering from Russell Crowe’s band Twenty Odd Foot of Grunts, and is pleasantly surprised. “hat should be an easy target and, on the face of it,…
Travelers Flock to the Edge
NZ’s booming tourism industry shows no signs of slowing down, with a 20% increase in overseas visitors arriving in July than for the same period last year. According to the Tourism Research Council, tourism will grow by…
Staying Power
Aotearoa has a starring role in wine writer Thom Elkjer’s overview of sauvignon blanc – past and present – for the SF Chronicle. NZ has been a major player in the grape’s popularity since ” out…
Gamble Pays Off
Business Review Weekly dubs Matthew Slatter “Australia’s most admired new chief executive,” thanks to his remarkable transformation of Tabcorp from “a Victorian-centric pokies and wagering minnow to what will soon be the world’s fourth-largest gambling company.” The NZer…
Lucire Gets Respect
SF Examiner lists Lucire alongside Women’s Wear Daily and Lucky as one of the “respected fashion rags” sending representatives to cover this year’s inaugural San Francisco Fashion Week. Based in NZ, the online magazine…
A Long Innings Remembered
Obituaries for Auckland-born British Conservative MP, Sir Trevor Skeet, appeared in both the Independent and Guardian. Independent: “Academia in Britain has been vastly enriched by the infusion of talent from NZ, of whom Ernest Rutherford is…
Underground exposure
A music video by Auckland band The Mint Chicks featured on the inaugural CD sampler by Australian Vice. A free street magazine, Vice originated in the US and has a cult following all over…
King of the Jungle
20-year-old Turanga Merito has assumed the lead role of Simba in the Sydney production of The Lion King, after fellow Kiwi Vincent Harder bowed out for family reasons. The Disney blockbuster draws a minimum…
Making History with Music
NZ composer John Psathas provided much of the music for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Athens Games, including the climactic moment when the Olympic flame was lit. Born in NZ to Greek…
