Lord of the Leaf
New Zealand native John Lord has built a wholly legal cannabis empire in Colorado over the past five years with annual sales that exceed $80 million. “We’re more than a dispensary, we’re leading a movement,”…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Adventurer Captures NZ’s Untouched Beauty
Professional photographer, Belgian-born Johan Lolos, 28, travelled through New Zealand for one year exploring and photographing its beauty. His images have attracted more than 100,000 followers on Instagram. “After my year travelling in…
Ben Franks up for London Irish Challenge
Ben Franks, 31, knew what he was getting himself in for when he joined London Irish. The double World Cup winning prop from Christchurch received far more lucrative offers from French clubs, but he…
New Zealand’s Lavender Farms Inspiration for Novel
Research for her first novel Jakob’s Colours took British writer Lindsay Hawdon and her two young sons to the Land of the Long White Cloud and its fragrant lavender fields, reports the Independent. Hawdon writes…
Lesley Vanderwalt’s Mad Max Work up for BAFTA
If the hair and makeup from the post-apocalyptic science-fiction film Mad Max: Fury Road looks out of this world, it very well might be, according to the Los Angeles Times. That’s because hair and…
Choreographer Parris Goebel Born to Dance
If you were one of more than 500 million recent YouTube views for Justin Bieber’s song “Sorry” and were dazzled by the dancing, know that the moves originated from the mind of New Zealand-born…
Pat Deavoll in Training for Tirich Mir Ascent
New Zealand mountaineer Pat Deavoll, 56, is planning ahead to 2017 when she will climb Tirich Mir (7708m), the highest peak in the world outside of the Himalayan/Karakoram chain. Ahead of that, she will…
Manu Bennett and Jed Brophy Take up Noalath
In a Shannara Chronicles “Behind the Scenes” MTV video, New Zealanders Manu Bennett, who plays the druid Allanon, and Jed Brophy, demon king Dagda Mor, reveal their thoughts about the made-up language entitled Noalath…
Australian Travel Show Dedicates Episode to Capital
Wellington’s “amazing culture, incredible creativity, and beautiful food” was recently showcased to one million Australians on Explore TV, which aired in January on Channel Nine across Australia. During an episode dedicated to Wellington,…
Measuring the Anzacs for Online Database
Researchers at Waikato University are calling on the public to help create an online database of all the New Zealanders who served during World War One for a project called Measuring the Anzacs. Volunteers are…
Everyone’s Listening to Nadia Reid’s Debut
Singer Nadia Reid’s highly rated debut,Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs is included in the Guardian’s annual roundup of “The Albums We Missed” column. Reviewer Michael Hann says: “It took 24-year-old New Zealander Reid seven…
Barnie Duncan’s …him a Living Thriving Piece of Art
“New Zealander Barnie Duncan has created an unusual yet intriguing piece of art that is somewhat unpleasant in a refreshing way, and yet able to draw in the audience with subtlety … in a…
James Bertram’s Mao Zedong Letter Sold at Sotheby’s
A letter from Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong sent to British Labour leader Clement Atlee and typed by New Zealand-born journalist James Munro Bertram, has sold at Sotheby’s for £605,000, more than…
Scott Kelly Creates Flags for Star Wars Galaxy
New Zealand-born Scott Kelly, an advertising art director based in London, has spent “way, way too long” designing flags for 103 planets in the Star Wars universe. Kelly has created flags for planets featured not…
Marlon Williams Debut a Rolling Stone Favourite
Marlon Williams’ solo debut was one of the albums that defined the year, according to Rolling Stone Australia, which includes the self-titled debut in their 50 Best Albums of the Year list. Rolling Stone writes: “The…
Lyttelton Is Banking on Time
When the port town on Lyttelton was devastated by the 2011 earthquake, a time bank – the first of its kind in New Zealand – helped the community harness the resources to rebuild. Time banking…
Helen Clark Says Living Standards of 2 Billion Better
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), led by New Zealander Helen Clark, says that 2 billion people have lifted themselves out of low human development in the last 25 years. The Human Development…
Pataka Taonga Returned to New Plymouth
Five intricately carved storehouse carvings have been returned to New Zealand after 150 years buried in a swamp and 40 years exile in Europe. They are the Motunui epa and once were almost sold off…
Andrew Nicholson Breaks round the World Record
New Zealander Andrew Nicholson, a former Olympic speed skater, has cycled around the world in 123 days breaking the world record set by Englishman Alan Bate by two days. Nicholson, 45, a part-time gym instructor…
Maggie & Rose Kids’ Club Opens in Hong Kong
Exclusive private children’s club Maggie & Rose, founded in Kensington, London by New Zealander Maggie Bolger (pictured left) and Briton Rose Astor in 2007, has opened its doors in Hong Kong. The aim of the…
Dan Carter BBC Overseas Sports Personality of 2015
New Zealander Dan Carter has beaten tennis champion Serena Williams and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt to take the title of BBC Overseas Sports personality of the Year. The Paris Racing 92 fly-half was crowned World…
Robin Hammond Portraits Some of TIME’s Best
Two of New Zealand-born photographer Robin Hammond’s images from his Where Love is Illegal series have been included in a list of TIME magazine’s best portraits of the year. The photographs, one of which made TIME’s…
Lorde’s Second Chapter Is about to Begin
Lorde, in Marques’ Almeida, poses together with American singer and actress Zendaya, 19, in Vogue magazine’s January 2016 issue for a “Be Yourself” spread which includes athletes, artists, writers, dancers and models. “As fashion, following…
The 10 Most Instagrammed Places In New Zealand In 2015
“New Zealand is basically just a country made entirely of absolute beauty. From the beaches to the glacial mountains, there’s nothing New Zealand can’t do,” writes Matt Whitehead in a Buzzfeed article…
Koekohe Beach and Slope Point Listed as Strange But Most Sublime Places
Koekohe Beach and Slope Point on New Zealand’s South Island have been included in Conde Nast Traveller’s list ‘The Strangest Places on Earth (Are Also The Most Sublime)’. Koekohe Beach with its famous…
Air New Zealand Introduces World First Biometric Bag Drop
“Air New Zealand is speeding up the check-in process for customers departing from Auckland International Airport with new self-service bag drops featuring world-first biometric technology,” as reported in The Financial. “We can now…
Lydia Ko’s Impact On The Game of Golf
Lydia Ko’s impact on the game of golf extends well beyond her years, according to an article in ESPN. The South Korean-born, New Zealand-bred 18-year-old golfer, is one of the most precocious sports…
Kiwi Band ‘No Tag’ Reissue Classic 1982 Album ‘Oi, Oi, Oi’
Thirty years after its initial release, No Tag’s album ‘Oi, Oi, Oi’ – three tracks of burly and meaty street punk, has been re-issued by New York City label Radio Raheem. “Guitarist Andrew Boak, singer…
Face of Climate Change – Helen Clark
Helen Clark, Head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and former Prime Minister of New Zealand was featured in an article on the Deutsche Welle as one of the faces…
Ed Sheeran Pays Touching Tribute to Jonah Lomu
“Ed Sheeran has paid a touching tribute to All Blacks great Jonah Lomu by taking to the stage at his concert wearing the late rugby legend’s number 11 jersey”, writes Jenny Awford for
New Zealand One of the Best Countries to Retire
New Zealand has been named the tenth best country to retire in the 2015 Global Retirement Index. According to the report retirees in New Zealand can enjoy relatively high levels of material wellbeing…
Cape Kidnappers and Hawkes Bay – A Scenic Wonderland for Foodies and Golfers
Hawke’s Bay is one of the hidden gems of New Zealand, according to Warren Smith in an article for The Daily Telegraph. Only a couple of days spent in the region with its…
Jemaine Clement the Protagonist
New Zealand actor Jemaine Clement’s performance in the “not quite rom-com” People Places Things “is understated, often characterised by the type of deadpan wit familiar to fans of his breakout HBO series Flight of…
Top 10 Adventure Things You Can Only Do in New Zealand
David Whitley has collected the Top 10 Adventure Activities you can only do in New Zealand. Flying into a volcano: White Island is located 48km offshore from Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty and is…
Where to Find the Best Meat Pies in NZ
“The mystical New Zealand of contemporary cinema is replete with hobbits and talking trees. But the real New Zealand is rich with leaf-lard crusts containing the unctuous delights of braised mutton, minced beef, and…
Bruce Russell’s Plum Sauce a Breakfast Charmer
Back in March 1992 in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, The Dead C vocalist Bruce Russell and his wife Kate McRae entertained Siltbreeze record label owner Tony Lax over breakfast where they enchanted him with a…
Louis Schulz One of Turner Prize-Winning Assemble
A collective of 18 young architects called Assemble – one of whom is New Zealander Louis Schulz – has become the first group of “non-artists”, and the youngest, to win the annual £25,000 British…
Charlie Smith Trades in Wedding for Dream Sail
Former ITV weather presenter and model New Zealander Charlie Smith, 27, and her fiancé, who goes by the name, Captain, 34, made the choice to sell their house and put their wedding plans on…
Where Chef Margot Henderson and Family Dine
New Zealander Margot Henderson, chef of London’s beloved Rochelle Canteen lets Lucky Peach magazine in on the south London spot, Canton Arms where she and her family unwind. “ serves the sort…
On the Waiheke Wine Trail
When you land in New Zealand, the wine is closer than you think according to Lori Rackl, a freelance journalist writing for the Los Angeles Times. Rackl begins her vineyard tour on Waiheke Island…
Mark King Photographs the Pristine Pre-Railway
New Zealand-born photographer Mark King, 41, has used state-of-the-art lasers to show how a controversial planned high-speed railway in the UK will cut through the countryside. King’s photos show two laser beams replicating the track…
Marvel Gives Lydia Ko Comic Book Treatment
Lydia Ko, 18, might as well be a super hero, according to Korea Times correspondent Brian Han. That’s why Marvel teamed up with ESPN to give the New Zealand golf champion the comic book…
Richie McCaw Set for Adventure Race
Recently-retired All Blacks captain Richie McCaw will test his outdoor skills in the GODZone – a 550km adventure race in early April 2016 – alongside NZ Rugby Players Association chief executive Rob Nicol. “We know…
Brain-Eating Rose McIver Owns TV Role
New Zealander Rose McIver, star of iZombie, one of the Los Angeles Times’ best new television shows of 2015, is “incognito as a coroner’s assistant, find the space between Veronica Mars and Buffy the…
Karen Walker Hits The Slopes
A surprise return to snowboarding has prompted New Zealand designer Karen Walker to reconsider the beauty of old-school ski suits. Last winter, Walker’s seven-year-old daughter convinced her to strap into a snowboard for the first…
New Zealand Joins Geothermal Alliance
New Zealand has joined the Global Geothermal Alliance at the U.N. climate conference in Paris. “As the world transitions towards a lower carbon future, the increased demand for renewable energy, coupled with the ongoing interest…
Weta Partners With Te Papa for Larger-Than-Life Exhibit
“From the battlefield to the hospital ship, attendees get a unique look at the battle of Gallipoli with the Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War exhibit” – a collaboration between the museum and Weta Workshop to…
Peter Jackson-Backed Movie Museum Wins Approval
“Hobbits, Orcs, Ents and maybe even some Na’vi are getting their own museum in New Zealand’s capital city,” writes Nancy Tartaglione in an article for Deadline. The project – a combined movie museum…
5 Treasures of New Zealand’s South Island
Tourists often claim to have travelled the South Island after having spent a few days in the adventure capital Queenstown, according to Perzen Patel, who has travelled New Zealand extensively. She has collected her…
New Zealand Voices Strong Protest over Japan’s Antarctic Whaling
New Zealand has led an “international protest on Monday against Japan’s plans to resume its research hunt for whales in the Southern Ocean, while Australia said it is considering further legal action”, as reported…
NZ Launches Healthier Lives Challenge
The New Zealand government recently launched the Healthier Lives National Science Challenge – a program that “will seek better prevention, diagnosis and treatment methods for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, with a burden…
Legions of Fans Greet Author Lang Leav in KL
Best-selling poet and author Lang Leav’s cult following of devoted fans from all over the world, began with her poetry being shared by millions on Tumblr and eventually culminated with the publication…
Mark Inglis Looks Back at the Top of the World
In Hyderabad, India to give a talk to the students of Woxsen School of Business, the first double amputee to climb Mt Everest, New Zealander Mark Inglis said the best decision he ever made…
Long-legged Arachnids Go to Battle
Entomologists from the University of Auckland have found that harvestmen, Pantopsalis cheliferoides, which live in the wet forests of the North Island, are the first animals found to have different types of weapon in…
Christchurch an Absolute Delight
Disembarking in Christchurch after a TranzAlpine rail journey through “knockout” landscapes, Economic Times reporter Charukesi Ramaduri says that though there are signs of the devastating earthquake of 2011 everywhere, it is equally clear Christchurch…
Jess Johnson’s Wurm Haus an Otherworldly Experience
New Zealand-born artist Jess Johnson’s new exhibition, on at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), is arresting – a series of geometrical, pastel-toned psychedelic prints that bring to mind fantastical worlds and video games….
