Otago is “Lord of the Reds”
“The Pinot Noir grail is to be found in Central Otago,” writes British wine expert Janice Robinson in the latest World Atlas of Wine. The availability of Pinot Noir and other New Zealand wines in Tokyo…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Docherty Takes on the World … and Wins
Bevan Docherty won gold at the 2004 Triathlon World Championship in Funchal, Madeira. Fellow Kiwis Hamish Carter and Shane Reed came in at 6th and 7th place, respectively, with Samantha Warriner finishing 13th in the women’s event. Debbie…
Black Sticks Blitz
The NZ women’s hockey team emerged victorious from its 4-Test series against India in May. The Kiwis took an unbeatable lead by drawing the third Test after winning the first two.
Overnight Express to the Edge
NZ was named Favourite Long-haul Destination in the Guardian and Observer’s annual People’s Choice Awards, for the third time in the past four years. NZ topped the poll with 96.8% of the vote, beating Peru, Australia, and…
Café Crawl
An Age tour of Wellington’s thriving café scene includes stops at Fidel’s, Pravda, Red Square, Espressoholic, and Lido. According to interviewee and Fidel’s owner, Roger Young, “There are some of the best cafés in the world here. It’s because the…
Flexible, Shock-proof, and Room for Growth
The NZ economy received a big tick in the annual IMF report. According to the Washington-based lender, a combination of sensible policies and reforms over the last 20 years had “contributed to NZ’s robust economic growth, made…
Grant Works His Magic
Malcolm Grant – former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University, now Provost of University College London – profiled in the Guardian. UCL’s retiring professor of English, John Sutherland, noted his ‘impeccable academic pedigree’ (Grant is a lawyer and…
Classics with an edge
NZer Geoff Sewell is the brains (and tenor) behind the hottest act to hit international classical and mainstream charts since Hayley Westenra – Amici Forever: The Opera Band. The quintet – hailing from…
Fashion’s High Fliers
Air NZ has launched a much-needed overhaul of its flight attendants’ uniforms (last updated in 1991), with Elisabeth and Neville Findlay of Zambesi at the helm. The airline was recently announced as the new…
Tama takes Manhattan
Triumph of Time, the debut album by New York-based musician Tama Waipara, has been well received both locally and internationally. His US label – ObliqSound – is promoting the album as “a diverse…
Edge Adventurer
BBC notes the NZ connection in Shackleton’s legendary voyage, prior to the opening of Te Papa’s Antarctic Heroes – The Race to the South Pole exhibition. Kiwi Frank Worsley successfully navigated Shackleton’s boat -…
Kiwi Stonehenge
June 5 saw the opening of NZ’s very own Stonehenge, erected in the Wairarapa by the Phoenix Astronomical Society. More than simply a replica of its northern predecessor, the Kiwi henge is a celestial calendar of the…
Jonah, His Story
Rugby icon Jonah Lomu is back in the news thanks to the release of his highly-anticipated autobiography, Jonah My Story. The Age praises the “simple yet emotionally taut language” Lomu uses to portray his rise from troubled and…
Cyber-Cinderella story
According to the Washington Post, Auckland band Steriogram represents the future of talent scouting. The band was signed after American freelance scout Joe Berman typed ‘New Zealand indie rock bands’ into his computer search…
Little Sis at #3
New Zealand-born Daniel Bedingfield’s younger sister Natasha enters the UK charts at #3 with her single “Single”. The album is quite “streety”, it is quite RnB-ish, with a bit of reggae and a couple…
Chelsea Flower Gold Show.
The 100% Pure New Zealand Ora – garden of wellbeing, won one of four gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show in London. The garden was designed by Kim Jarrett, Trish Waugh and Lionel Grant, and…
Increased Coverage This Season
“Dusseldorf, Reykjavik, Melbourne, Madrid and Hong Kong may as yet be household names only in the households taking part, but Mercedes-Benz Sydney Fashion Week, Air New Zealand Fashion Week and Sao Paulo Fashion Week…
Hero’s Exit for Cairns
Chris Cairns retired from international Test cricket with a bang on the Black Caps tour of England. In the second Test he beat Viv Richards’ previous record of 84 Test sixes, knocking four sixes and 10 fours…
Far and Away
A team of NZ and Japanese astronomers at Mount John Observatory have discovered Earth’s most distant planetary neighbour. The planet – which is about the size of Jupiter – was located 17,000 light years away, in the…
Go Fish
Fish la Boissonerie – co-owned by Kiwi Drew Harre and American Juan Sanchez – features in an LA Times guide to dining well (without breaking the bank) in Paris. “Here’s a place to go,…
Edge of Eden
A NZ themed garden is to feature at the most prestigious horticultural event of the year – the RHS Chelsea Garden Show, May 25-8. The 100% Pure NZ Ora Garden of well-being is inspired by Maori mythology…
Lest We Forget
Russell Crowe provided the narration for a “ground-breaking” documentary series on Anzac soldiers, recently aired on NZ television and screening in Australia later this year. The series celebrates the bond between NZ and Australian soldiers, from WW1 to…
RNZB Romances Britain
The Royal NZ Ballet production of Romeo and Juliet – helmed by star British choreographer Christopher Hampson – has received glowing reviews in the UK press. Guardian: “The NZ dancers are terrifically…
Something to Crowe about
Russell Crowe’s Maximus (Gladiator) is the greatest movie hero of all time, according to a poll by a British video rental company. Crowe beat Christopher Reeve in Superman, Mel Gibson in Braveheart, and Sigourney Weaver in Aliens…
Kiri Vows to Remain a Friend in a High Place
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has announced that she will continue singing despite turning 60 this year – the age at which she has previously said she would retire. Her chief reason is to keep…
Tales from the city’s edge
Canterbury School of Fine Arts graduates Kent Bell, Sara Givins, Damon MacLeod, Rachel Brown, and Reece Sanders have mounted a joint exhibition at Melbourne’s Conical Gallery, running April 23 – May 8. Entitled City…
Queenstown: Thrill Mecca
The will to thrill Kiwi-style shows no signs of subsiding, with bungy related features by the BBC and Observer, and one covering the full adventure spectrum – from tandem parapenting to fly-by-wire – in the Straits Times….
“For Many NZ is the New Utopia”
20 April 2004 – The flood of US immigrants seeking a better life in NZ continues – with good reason, according to a lengthy San Francisco Gate article. “It’s like California, it’s like San…
Crumpton Chicago-bound
Shireen Crumpton won the 42.2km Canberra Marathon in impressive style, crossing the line a full 16 minutes before second place-getter Helen Verity-Tolhurst of Queensland. Crumpton’s victory earns her a starting place at the prestigious Chicago Marathon in October….
Up Close and Personal
Kaikoura features in the Guardian‘s top ten whale-watching tours around the world. “Head to for an excellent chance of seeing 66-foot sperm whales … humpbacks whales, killer whales (orca), and the small Hectors dolphin, a…
Star on the rise
14-year-old Wellington performer Letitia Forbes has a starring role in the latest production by Cirque de Soleil – Quidam. An accomplished singer and actress, Forbes plays the central character of Zoe. The show is…
The Wright Stuff
John Wright led India to a historic Test series win against traditional rivals Pakistan – the side’s first on Pakistani soil. The former NZ player is the first non-Indian to coach the national cricket team. …
Multi-tasker
“Double internationals – people who represent their country at more than one sport – are rare. Someone who represents his country on the sports field and also stands on it to sing the national anthem is…
Baby Blacks Sweep the Field
NZ won its fourth title in six years at the IRB Under-19 World Championship in Durban, with a convincing 34-11 victory over France. NZ made four tries to France’s one, with fullback Miah Nikora supplying 14 points…
Taking Maori Stories to the World
13 April 2004 – Whale Rider star Rawiri Paratene visited Hawaii in mid-April to discuss cultural themes in the film and NZ as a tourist destination. “Whale Rider has been a boom for Maori filmmakers,” said…
Flax Attack
After a brief 1960s hey-day, NZ flax (phormium) has returned as “the drama queen of trendy garden designs” in LA. According to TV horticulturist Maureen Gilmer, “Phormiums are the most exciting new plants to enter the American…
King of the Consoles
Peter Jackson has joined yet another elite Hollywood club: director’s who earn as much if not more from helping create video games as they do from making movies. Riding on the success…
Jews Brothers go global
The Naxos World Label’s Rhythm for Kids album received a glowing review in the Star: ” a mix…
“the Most Influential American Criminologist of His Time”
Pioneering criminologist and novelist, Norval Morris, has died in Chicago aged 80. Born in Auckland, Morris studied in Australia, France, and England before embarking on his 30-year academic career at the University of Chicago…
Jolly good fellow
New York-based dancer/choreographer Jeremy Nelson was named a Guggenheim Fellow for 2004 in April. The prestigious award is granted annually to scientists, scholars, and artists at the peak of their achievements. Nelson was born…
Around the World in 58 Days
NZers Mike Beasley and Fraser Brown were part of the 12-strong crew in billionaire adventurer Steve Fossett’s record breaking round-the-world sailing victory. Fossett and co. circumnavigated the globe in 58 days, 9 hours, 32 minutes, and 45…
A Sporting Life
NZ-born BBC sports producer and director, Malcolm Kemp, has died aged 57 of cancer. Kemp’s illustrious career saw him executive produce seven Grand Nationals, the 1994 football World Cup and 1996 European Cup, and…
More than just a pretty face
The NZ High Commission in India hosted a festival promoting cultural exchange between the two nations in Delhi, April 5-28. Entitled Aotearoa: The Land of the Long White Cloud, the event included a film…
The World According to Bob
Bob MacLaren – writer, comedian, and host of the Discovery Channel’s wacky travel show, Bob’s World – interviewed in the Star. “The idea was to take ourselves not just to the level of your…
Edge-Mobile
Kiwi furniture designers David Trubridge, Purple South, and Simon James exhibited at Milan’s 2004 Salone del Mobile in April. The event is the largest and most respected of its kind, drawing over 260,000 visitors…
Export success
Lamb exporting to the UK is set to rise even further following a favourable report by the British government on NZ’s methods of slaughtering stock. According to the report, the standard technique in NZ…
Location, Location, Location
1 April 2004 – i-D magazine’s Location issue gives pride of place to NZ’s up-and-coming “kings of creation.” Featured are Huffer designer Steven Dunstan, author Chad Taylor, artists Richard Maloy and Yvonne Todd, musicians…
Jane and the Weta
Weta Workshop is collaborating with Toronto-based animation house Nelvana to produce a CGI television series of Martin Baynton’s popular Jane and the Dragon books. The 26-episode series is Weta’s first foray into children’s programming….
Concord Dawn shifts base
Leading drum’n’bass act, Concord Dawn, have moved their studio from Christchurch to Vienna in a bid to win over the European dance scene. According to the Age, Matt Harvey and Evan Short are “one…
King of the Castle
The Return of the King has ruled them all at this year’s awards season, having won Oscar glory with 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. The final film in the Lord…
Down Under Distillery on Top
The international success of NZ’s 42BELOW vodka has dealt big brand owners “a hard lesson in what not to do when wooing a global consumer tribe of super groovers with money to burn.” 42BELOW has joined Grey…
Giant Kauri Tragically Felled
NZ mourns the loss of its preeminent cultural historian, Michael King. The author of 34 books – including the groundbreaking autobiographical work Being Pakeha and acclaimed biographies of Dame Whina Cooper, Hone Tuwhare, and…
Working 9 ’til… 9
UK-based digital media company – Mere Mortals – wants to establish a NZ office in two years time, enabling a 24-hour working day for its trans-hemisphere employees. Managing director, David Jeffries, cites NZ’s LotR-enhanced…
History Made by “Best Side Ever”
31 March 2004 – The NZ Black Caps have leaped from 8th place to 3rd in world one-day cricket rankings thanks to their first ever series win over South Africa. “It feels great,” said captain Stephen Fleming…
World Gender Role
Amanda Ellis – formerly head of women’s banking for Westpac Australia – now has a global role leading the World Bank’s work on gender in Private Sector Development. Ms Ellis also serves on the OECD’s international…
Hidden treasures
Time Asia recommends Marlborough’s Old St Mary’s Convent, Wanganui’s Bridge to Nowhere lodge, and The Station in Paekakariki to readers wishing to stay off the beaten track. “There’s plenty of the…
