It’s All About Murray
NZ comedian Rhys Darby earned a special mention in The Guardian‘s entertainment guide awards for 2007. Darby was named Best Supporting Character for his role as beleaguered band manager Murray Hewitt in Flight of…
Tag Archives: Guardian (The)
Second Chance for Henry
Graham Henry has been reappointed as the All Blacks’ head coach, despite widespread criticism of his 2007 Rugby World Cup campaign. Henry, who has vowed to learn from his World Cup mistakes, has signed a two-year…
Edge Treatment for Classic Americana
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, the new film by director Andrew Dominik, earned four stars out of five in The Guardian. “This is a real success for New Zealand-born,…
Dave Versus Goliath
The opening of a new hotel in Christchurch coincided with the launch of a film detailing the unusual story behind its development. Hotel SO is the result of property developer Dave Henderson’s 13-year clash with the…
Two Atkins for NZ Wine
Influential Observer wine columnist Tim Atkin has published his Best Of list for 2007. Atkin named NZ his wine producing country of the year, with the 2006 Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir (Central Otago) and 2007 The…
NZ in Three Speeds
A Guardian travel article offers a three-pronged approach to seeing NZ. The first writer covers the entire span of 90 Mile Beach by Blokart, a NZ-designed sailing dinghy on wheels. “So much power without an engine…
Nearing perfection
The Guardian‘s guide to the world’s greatest music acts beginning with C features Flying Nun luminaries The Chills. The band’s 1994 best-of, Heavenly Pop Hits, is recommended to first-time listeners. The Guardian: “Set…
Hot Pick for Virgin Media
Wellington-born Neil Berkett is widely expected to be made chief executive of Virgin Media. Berkett joined Virgin Media as chief operating officer in 2005 and has been acting chief executive of the company since the abrupt departure…
Free to Speak
NZ has been ranked 15th in a survey of press freedom around the world by Reporters Without Borders. The annual survey of 169 countries measures factors such as freedom of speech, freedom of information…
Close But No Booker
Wellington author Lloyd Jones has missed out on the Man Booker prize, despite his novel Mister Pip being the bookies’ favourite to win. The award went to Irish author Anne Enright for The Gathering….
King Talks Technology
The Guardian interviewed Black Sheep director Jonathan King about his favourite gadgets on the eve of his film’s UK release. King’s favourite piece of technology is his Apple iBook G4 laptop – “I use…
Tributes Flow for China Expert
Leading Sinologist Professor Elisabeth “Lisa” Croll has died from cancer aged 63. Born in Reefton, on the South Island’s West Coast, Croll gained a BA and MA at Canterbury University before completing a second…
NZ Sets Pace on Climate Change
A recent Guardian op-ed hailed NZ as “the new climate change pioneer”, after the unveiling of an ambitious new environmental plan by the NZ government. The plan’s stated targets include generating 90% of the country’s electricity from…
The Funniest Thing on TV
Guardian reviewer Tim Jonze has dubbed Flight of the Conchords “the funniest thing on TV” as the cult HBO series goes to air on the BBC. Conchords stars NZ comics Jemaine Clement and Bret…
Guilt-free Fur
NZ possum fur features in a Guardian article on “weird and wonderful” examples of eco-friendly products. Imported from Australia in 1837, possums have been wreaking havoc on NZ’s native flora and fauna ever since. “We support killing…
Carter in Adidas Viral
All Black Daniel Carter stars in a new viral advertisement for Adidas. The ad was shot at Carter’s parents’ house, and shows Daniel and his father talking about his childhood spent kicking goals in the back…
Wine of the Times
Guardian wine writer Victoria Moore reports on the overwhelming success of NZ wine in the UK. NZ wine boasts the highest average retail price in the UK (second-place Australia lags by £1.77) and almost 10% of…
Been There, Done That
A selection of readers’ NZ travel tips appeared in the Guardian‘s travel pages this month. The information was gathered from the newspaper’s “I’ve been there” website, which features six pages of travellers’ suggestions for Aotearoa. The tips…
Conchords Take Flight in UK
Flight of the Conchords, the HBO series starring NZ comedians Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, is ranked eighth on the Guardian‘s 50 must-see shows. Described as “a downbeat winner”, Conchords debuts on BBC4 this…
Rowing Champs Bode Well for Beijing
NZ athletes continue to dominate world rowing, with another impressive medal haul at this year’s world championships in Munich, Germany. Single sculler Mahe Drysdale, lightweight sculler Duncan Grant and the men’s four of…
Lock-up Lodge
A Napier prison-turned-backpackers features in a Guardian travel story on jail-themed hotels. Decommissioned in 1993, the Napier Prison was reopened in 2002 to offer tours and budget accommodation. Guardian: “You can have it the easy way -…
Check one-two
Auckland five-piece The Checks featured as the Guardian’s New Band of the Day for August 22. Music critic Paul Lester: “These five New Zealanders may be teenagers, but they sound as old as the…
Home-grown Horror at Frightfest
Two NZ films made the line-up for this year’s Frightfest, the UK’s leading fantasy and horror film festival. “Ovine horror comedy” Black Sheep and “the unclassifiable – and absolutely hilarious” The Devil Dared…
The Real Deal
The Guardian gave its readers a heads-up on NZ stuntwoman Zoe Bell, in its regular ‘First Sight’ column. The 28-year-old has forged an impressive career doubling actors such as Lucy Lawless, Uma Thurman and…
Te Kopi a Top Spot
The Department of Conservation’s Te Kopi bach at Palliser Bay has been named one of the five best state-run lodges and cabins in the world by the Guardian. “Light-filled and well equipped, the cottage and two…
Humane and Humorous
Wellington-born character actor Gordon Gostelow has died aged 82. Raised in Sydney, Gostelow immigrated to the UK in 1950 to pursue acting professionally. The classic BBC serial became a staple of his career, and…
Devastating simplicity
Mister Pip, the Commonwealth Prize-winning novel by Wellingtonian Lloyd Jones, is praised both for its lyricism and its deft handling of post-colonial issues in the Guardian. “The simplicity with which he describes the atrocities…
A Rebel Remembered
British political figure Anne Gilman, “a rebel from New Zealand”, has died aged 76. Gilman was born in NZ and attended Canterbury University, where she founded the student magazine, Canta. Gilman’s daughter, Catherine, describes…
Sellaband Springboard for NZ Rapper
Christchurch rapper Maitreya has found international fame through sellaband.com, a new social networking site for entrepreneurial music lovers. Sellaband allows users to buy “shares” in acts they think have the potential for major chart…
Professional Outsider Remembered
World renowned mathematician and nuclear fusion sceptic Leslie Woods has died aged 84. Born in Reparoa, a tiny settlement between Rotorua and Taupo, Woods was the first student of Seddon Memorial Technical College to…
Stonyridge a Must-see
Waiheke Island’s Stonyridge vineyard featured in the Guardian’s top ten must-visit wineries, alongside Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux and the Frank Gehry-designed Marques de Riscal in Rioja, Spain. Guardian: “Stonyridge is a cult winery with a global…
Skim Straight from the Cow
Scientists in NZ have found cows that produce skim milk naturally, a discovery that could potentially revolutionise the dairy industry. If researchers can identify the genes responsible for skim milk production, they could breed cows that produce…
Fletcher Nets Formica
NZ manufacturing company Fletcher Building has bought the iconic Formica Corporation for US $700 million. Fletcher Building already owned the rights to Formica products in Australia and NZ – chief executive Jonathan Ling said the latest…
Short and Sweet
Auckland writer Charlotte Grimshaw has been nominated for the world’s richest prize for collected short stories, the £35,000 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Grimshaw joins 32 authors on the Irish event’s longlist,…
Keats Inspires New Campion Film
The doomed love affair between English poet John Keats and his neighbour, Fanny Brawne, is to be the subject of a literary biopic written and directed by Oscar-winning NZ filmmaker, Jane Campion. Keats and…
Fresh Perspective on Antarctica
A NZ doctoral student and her Dutch counterpart have initiated a radical new program to involve the humanities and social sciences in Antarctic research. Canterbury University’s Daniela Haase and Machiel Lamers of the University of Maastricht launched…
Schoolgirls Spill the Juice
A science experiment by two Auckland schoolgirls has resulted in a major lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the world’s second-largest food and pharmaceutical company. In 2004, Pakuranga College students Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo (then 14) tested several…
Falklands History Discovered in NZ
An important piece of Falklands War history has been discovered by New Zealander Neil Shaw on the eve of the conflict’s 25th anniversary. A former member of the British Antarctic Survey, Shaw discovered the message…
Substance Over Style
The Guardian’s Simon Mills is the latest travel writer to fall for Great Barrier Island’s rustic charms. Home to just 800 people, the island has no mains electricity or centralised plumbing system and once famously refused…
Tribute to Peter Munz
Historian, author and Victoria University of Wellington emeritus professor Peter Munz has died aged 85. Born in Chemnitz, Germany, Munz was part of the wave of mostly Jewish intellectuals who fled fascist…
Legend of The Bear Lives On
NZ car racing great Denny Hulme was the subject of a retrospective article on the sport in the Guardian. Known as The Bear for his rugged looks and gruff manner, Hulme dominated Formula One…
Making Poetry Out of Darkness
A profile of novelist, poet and critic CK Stead focuses on both his historical prominence in the NZ literary scene and his remarkable late-life burst of creativity. Last year, Stead (74) published his eleventh…
Another Red Destined for Greatness
Observer wine critic Tim Atkins calls Hawke’s Bay Syrah “one of the most exciting wine styles I’ve tasted in the past five years.” The red varietal makes up just 3% of the region’s vineyards, which are…
NZ Scientists Solve Pigeon Puzzle
Scientists at Auckland University have solved the enduring mystery of homing pigeons. “We are now confident that pigeons … use the intensity of the Earth’s magnetic field to determine position during homing,” said Dr Todd Dennis, who…
Miracle Escape
A NZ skydiver has survived a 3600m fall after his parachute became entangled. Michael Holmes, 25, filmed his fall with a helmet camera as he spiralled out of control over Lake Taupo. The video…
Everest Round Two
NZ innovation could conquer Everest for a second time thanks to the invention of an unmanned helicopter capable of rescuing stricken climbers from its summit. Auckland-based company TGR Helicorp has spent six years developing the Alpine Wasp,…
A New Sheriff in Town
Russell Crowe has signed for US$20 million to play the Sheriff of Nottingham in a “revisionist” version of the Robin Hood story. Titled Nottingham, the Hollywood film will follow “the premise that Robin Hood…
NZ Escapes “Affluenza” Virus
NZ gets off relatively lightly in UK psychologist Oliver James’s treatise on rampant materialism, Affluenza: How to be Successful and Stay Sane. James defines affluenza as an unhealthy obsession with wealth which has led…
Musical milestones
The Guardian gives a whirlwind overview of NZ music history, from kapa haka to deep house. Milestones of note include the formation of Split Enz in 1971, Flying Nun in 1981, and hip hop…
Guilt-free Luxury
Taranaki’s Eco Inn comes highly recommended in the Guardian. The lodge is constructed from untreated macrocarpa wood and recycled materials, and is entirely powered by solar panels, wind turbines and a water wheel….
More Scottish than Scotland
Otago University has launched a global search to fill its inaugural chair in Scottish studies. The newly created position is one of a small number of its kind in the world and is intended to position…
Master of noir
The newfound appreciation of NZ-born artist James Boswell continues, with a second feature in the Guardian. The article focuses on Boswell’s post-WW2 illustrations for film posters, commissioned by Ealing studio’s head of marketing…
The Flynn Effect
James Flynn – Emeritus Professor of Political Studies at Otago University, intelligence researcher and “unassuming moral philosopher” – is profiled in the Guardian. Born in Washington DC, Flynn has lived and worked in NZ…
Scene Stealer
The Guardian introduces its readers to up-and-coming NZ actress Emily Barclay, star of In My Father’s Den and Suburban Mayhem. Born in Plymouth, Devon, Barclay escaped the period drama/soapie route of her English acting…
Images from the Outskirts of War
James Boswell: Unofficial War Artist: Drawings of Army Life in Iraq and UK 1939-1943 by William Feaver offers a fascinating insight into the “unpretentious, unheroic, unsmarmy” work of the NZ-born artist and political activist….
Defender of Oceans
A Guardian article on the uncertain future of wild fish stocks features long-time Rainbow Warrior photographer and marine biologist Dr Roger Grace. Grace as been documenting Greenpeace actions for over 30 years and is…
