Superyacht designer Ron Holland Pens Memoir
“Given that his single-masted creation M5 is too tall to pass beneath Ron Holland had trouble holding a ‘personal memoir’ to 400 pages…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Exploring New Zealand’s Deserted Dusky Track
For backpackers who like a challenge as big as the reward, New Zealand’s Dusky Track in Fiordland National Park tests the limits. American author Michael Lanza reports from the bog for Backpacker magazine. “Swirling wind…
Extinct Giant Burrowing Bat Fossil Found in NZ
The fossils of a massive bat have been discovered near the historic mining town of St Bathans in Central Otago. The 16- to 19-million-year-old bat’s body mass was just 40g, but its teeth and…
Our Big Cities Add Extra Dimension to NZ Holidays
“In a land of volcanoes, glaciers, fjords and world-leading sauvignon blanc, it’s perhaps understandable that New Zealand’s cities fly under the radar. But the big three – Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch – all have…
Craft Beer Makes Inflation Gauge as Tastes Change
New Zealand has added craft beer to the basket of goods it monitors to measure inflation, reflecting changing tastes and consumer spending in the country, Bloomberg reports. “New Zealand used to be called a country…
Wanaka Should Be on Your Next Travel Wish List
Starring Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon, A Wrinkle in Time, directed by Ava DuVernay, “happened to set up shop in Wanaka, a small town that is coincidentally a travel hot spot and must-visit for…
Sea Kayaking with the Promise of Glow-Worms
“Slipping away from the earth into the glassy, late afternoon waters of Lake Rotoiti is an action laden with familiarity. Once my two-person kayak, steered by Hilary Munro of Waimarino…
Otago Band Albion Place Head Across the Tasman
Dunedin-based indie-rockers Albion Place had a big 2017, with the group’s debut album Mascuzzi Jacuzzi released in December, and their Australian summer tour about to begin. The release of Easier in May and If This…
What André Spicer Reveals about Self-Help
New Zealander André Spicer and Swede Carl Cederström, business-school professors in a field called “organisation studies,” recently set out to chart their progress, count their steps, log their sleep rhythms, tweak their diets, record…
Harley Neville’s Wild Shave Gets Him on Ellen Show
Two years ago, Aucklander Harley Neville shaved off half the hair on his body and photographed the result for his followers on social media. The picture sat on the internet, gestating, clicks multiplying like…
Struggling Kiwis Get A Little Help From Friends
“The Farm Cape Kidnappers, a luxury resort in the North Island, sits inside one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the country, the privately-owned Cape Sanctuary. There, efforts are underway to save the native…
Luchador Johnny Idol a Pin-Up Star in Mexico
New Zealand professional wrestling buff Niwa McIlroy, aka Johnny Idol, 24, took a leap of faith and flew to Mexico to make it in the high-flying sporting phenomenon that is lucha libre. Now as Johnny…
Praise for Anthony McCarten’s Darkest Hour
Written by New Zealand-born filmmaker, Academy Award-nominated Anthony McCarten – best known for the screenplay he wrote for The Theory of Everything – Winston Churchill biopic Darkest Hour “is an expertly crafted history lesson…
Chef Analiese Gregory’s New Life in Tasmania
Auckland-born Analiese Gregory is one of Australia’s most-talked-about young chefs. She heads the kitchen at Hobart restaurant Franklin. Sydney chef Peter Gilmore, who mentored her as his 2IC for four and a half years…
Experts Develop Roadside Gym for Endangered Kea
Conservationists want to stop New Zealand’s kea – dubbed the world’s smartest parrot – from wandering onto roads and begging humans for food, so they have designed a special gym for the country’s playful…
Enjoy the North Island with These Great Activities
From whitewater rafting on the Kaituna River to visiting the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds to a geothermal jaunt around Hell’s Gate, “here are wonderful ways to spend quality outdoor time in this extraordinary country”,…
Mural of Whero O Te Rangi Bailey Explained
Canadian artist Kevin Ledo is known for his impressive murals of portraits, and this time it’s a portrait of Whero O Te Rangi Bailey, a Maori elder from Parihaka in Taranaki, originally photographed by…
UAE-Based Professor Nick Ashill Back on His Feet
Five months ago, the dream of United Arab Emirates American University of Sharjah (AUS) dean New Zealander Nick Ashill was to run 5400km across America. The 52-year-old was hoping to spread the word of pulmonary…
Rotorua a New York Times 2018 Must-Visit Place
“Come for the mud baths, stay for the beauty,” the New York Times says of Rotorua in its annual ‘52 Places to Go in 2018’ list. Rotorua is included in the annual list alongside New…
Top 2018 Comedy Acts Include Two NZ Favourites
Flight of the Conchords and Rose Matafeo are two “uproarious” comedy acts Guardian readers are recommended to buy tickets for this year, included alongside the world’s biggest standup Chris Rock and fellow American Maria…
Largest Underwater Eruption Discovered off NZ
Researchers have found that the world’s largest deep ocean volcanic eruption happened 1000km north east of New Zealand. Named as Havre, the deep ocean volcanic eruption was first discovered in 2002. A solidified volcanic rock…
Outsider Fair Preview of Susan Te Kahurangi King
“As the Outsider Art Fair (OAF) – which opens 18 January, and runs through 21 January – rolls into town, the specialised sector it celebrates has plenty to crow about,…
Julian Oliver Mines ZCash in Harvest Project
Julian Oliver is a New Zealander who uses wind power to mine ZCash – a bitcoin cousin – to fund climate research as part of a project called, Harvest. As the poster child for…
Hollywood Directors Like Niki Caro a Force
Never in the history of Hollywood has more than one female filmmaker been at the helm of a feature with a budget of USD$100 million or more – until now. On the heels of…
Beulah Koale’s Role Breakout Performance of ‘17
New Zealand actor Beulah Koale’s role in the 2017 film Thank You For Your Service has been deemed a “breakout” performance of the year by industry publication Variety. “As more people discover this quiet gem…
Christy Prior Wins Snowboard Slope in Aspen
New Zealander Christy Prior (pictured centre) has won the women’s snowboard slopestyle competition at the US Grand Prix in Snowmass, Aspen, boosting her chances at making it to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang,…
Anthony McCarten on the Challenge of Churchill
Darkest Hour depicts Winston Churchill in the crucial weeks that defined him as a wartime leader. Screen Daily’s Jeremy Kay talks to writer-producer, New Plymouth-born Anthony McCarten and Working Title’s Eric Fellner about taking…
There Are English Trees in Neil Finn’s Garden
A recent Guardian reader-curated playlist about trees includes songs from the Beach Boys, Esperanza Spalding, the Shamen and Crowded House. “Since time immemorial trees have provided people with shelter, food, lumber and even medicine. They…
Adorable Penguin Melts Hearts in Bluff
Footage of a Fiordland crested penguin in Bluff waddling up to his awaiting human friend Rodney Clark has delighted the internet and amused many New Zealand locals. The video shows Bluff local Clark standing on the…
Bike Trip in NZ Helps US Woman Realise Her Dream
American woman Maggie Schlarb took her two-year-old son on a five-month biking journey in New Zealand and learned valuable lessons to start a company. She tells Entrepreneur magazine how the trip changed her life. “I…
Jumanji Star Rhys Darby’s Profile on Rise in US
In the Jumanji sequel, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, there’s also a cadre of non-playable characters the untested heroes must contend with, one of which is played by New…
Driving from the Tip to the Tail of New Zealand
“Witnessing the sun rise over the ocean – and knowing you’re one of the first people in the world to see its rays that day – gave me an otherworldly sensation,” Minneapolis Star Tribune…
Misfiled Piece of Brontë Brother’s Work Found in NZ
The first Brontë manuscript identified in New Zealand has been restored to its place in literary history thanks to university researchers. The fragment of Branwell Brontë’s work was misfiled as a letter in the…
Emilia Wickstead’s Pre-Fall ‘18 Collection Reviewed
“One thing to say about Emilia Wickstead: She’s one of those London designers who’s become a modern ‘social success’ with her fit-and-flare midis, long sleeves, and talent for colour which chimes the…
Meet the Feebles Had No Taste at All
New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson has gained the reputation of being a genuine class act, thanks to films like Heavenly Creatures, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and his remake of King Kong. But…
Paving Hamilton’s Streets with Beer Bottle Sand
Hamilton has launched a pilot programme that’s repaving roadways with old beer bottles. No, you can’t see a bunch of Budweiser labels when you come to a stop. Instead, the bottles are crushed into…
Jonathan Dower Gets a Kick Out of His Game
New Zealander Jonathan Dower, who is a game artist for Helsinki-based Supercell, didn’t just design how people play the real-time multiplayer game Clash Royale – he helped come up with how it looks, too,…
Nopesisters Abreast of Cancer With T-Message
Inspirational Wellington designer siblings Johanna and Brittany Cosgrove, are sharing profits from their clothing range Nopesisters to help survivors of breast cancer and sexual assault. The trailblazers behind normalising the scars of breast cancer treatment…
The Global Search for Skilled Workers
“New Zealand is undergoing the biggest infrastructure build in the nation’s history,” writes Jeff Kerns in MachineDesign. “As such, a group of private companies and government organizations has launched a…
Anna Wilding Recalls Time in The White House Press Corps
“Marine One had just landed on the South Lawn and Anna Wilding was standing 20 feet away among the press with her camera in hand, ready to capture the 44th president head back into…
Secrets of Real-Life Game of Thrones Revealed
A team of British scientists are set to make the trip to New Zealand this month, all in the hopes of unlocking the secrets hidden in the 600-year-old Canterbury Roll, the only genealogical scroll…
Amazing Race Host Phil Keoghan Amasses 30 Seasons
With the cold of the Northern Hemisphere winter settling in and outdoor activities coming to a standstill, there’s nothing better to get your heart pumping than reality TV favourite The Amazing Race, hosted by…
Kimbra is Pop Music Royalty
Humility and elegance only begin to describe the essence of what makes New Zealander Kimbra such an unstoppable pop music force, according to EDM blog Magnetic Magazine. Kimbra, 27, is pop music royalty. With queen-like…
Competition Winner Liana Roberts-Letiu Validated
As the overall winner of the 2017 Samoa Observer Tusitala short story competition, Samoan New Zealander, Liana Roberts-Letiu, 21, is as intriguing as the title of her short story entry “An Elegant Tantrum”, Elizabeth…
Laughing Kea a Science Story of the Year
Leading scientists pick the dozen most significant discoveries and developments of 2017 – from a steep decline in flying insects to a laughter-like play vocalisation – a warble call – has been discovered in…
NZ Named Asia-Pacific Top Golf Destination
New Zealand had been named top golf destination in the Asia Pacific region by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) for the second time. Held for the first time in 2000, the annual…
What Will Lorde Come up With Next?
Lorde’s Melodrama has made it into the top five of the Guardian’s 50 Best Albums of 2017, an LP the UK publication considers, “a work of insight, strength and gloriously self-aware wit.” “On the face…
Mt Taranaki given Same Legal Rights as a Person
The sacred mountain in the North Island is the third geographic feature in the country to be granted a “legal personality” entitled the same legal rights as a person, Eleanor Ainge Roy reports for…
Robin Hammond Image Best Nat Geo Picture
Documentary photographer New Zealand-born Robin Hammond’s image of Avery Jackson, a transgender child from Kansas City in the United States, has been selected as one of the National Geographic’s 57 best images of 2017. The…
Kyle Glogoski Signs with Philadelphia Phillies
Auckland-born pitcher Kyle Glogoski, 18, has signed a contract to play with the Philadelphia Phillies in America’s Major League Baseball (MLB). Glogoski, who currently pitches for the Sydney Blue Sox in the Australian Baseball League,…
Anniversary of Ed Hillary’s South Pole First
It was the first few days of 1958 and the two teams of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition were converging on the South Pole. Although it was not meant to be a race, New Zealand…
Jim Anderton a Towering Figure in Politics
One of New Zealand’s senior political figures, former deputy prime minister Auckland-born Jim Anderton, has died in Christchurch, aged 79. The idealistic former president of New Zealand’s progressive Labour Party became disillusioned with the organisation’s…
Organisational Expert Beck Wadworth Shares Tips
Twenty-eight-year-old New Zealander Beck Wadworth founded her own stationery company and blog, An Organised Life, in 2013 – after a fruitless search to find a functional-yet-sleek diary left her with nothing. She shares how…
New Zealand Done Right
New Zealand, an island nation “covered in lush green rolling hills dotted with sheep and tropical flora and fauna” is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. “It’s home to incredible peaks,…
Journey Through Scent with Abel’s Frances Shoemack
When Huffington Post contributor E. Nina Rothe was introduced to Amsterdam-based brand Abel at this year’s Pitti Fragranze, a fragrance fair held in Florence every September, she fell in love. Not just with their…
New Zealand’s Best-Kept Secret
“It’s no secret that New Zealand is homes to some of the world’s most stunning landscapes,” writes Laura Hampson in an article for the Evening Standard. “But for those who…
