Solomon Islands position 
New Zealander Peter Marshall has been sworn in as the Acting Police Commissioner for the Solomon Islands. Marshall has over 35 years experience across all areas of policing and since 2007 has held the role of Deputy Commissioner of Operations with the Solomon Islands. Marshall was integral in leading the police response to the tsunami and more recently during Operation Parliament. Speaking after the swearing in ceremony, Marshall was enthusiastic about his latest role. "I am very grateful to be the new Acting Commissioner. I will be leading the Police and progressing matters in a timely manner," he said. Marshall has the rank of Assistant Commissioner in the NZ Police and is on secondment to the Royal Solomon Islands Police as part of a bilateral arrangement between the two countries. 
(5 June 2008)

By the people for the people  
Auckland trio, Tim Tregonning, Dan Phillips and Danis Roberts are crowd pleasers; their project, OurBrew is currently recruiting beer drinkers to unite and develop a collective drop by signing up online, voting and then launching the world's first crowd produced beer. Participants choose the style of beer, the name, logo, packaging and details for tasting and launch parties. Fascinated by the idea of crowd sourcing and funding, the boys at OurBrew asked themselves, "How could we bring crowd sourcing to New Zealand? It has to involve something Kiwis are passionate about, something that is a constant in our lives." The answer? Beer. 
(28 May 2008)

Europe follows lead 
New Zealand is the first English-speaking country in the world to have banned smacking and Europe wants to follow suit. The New Zealand police were reassured when they won the right to apply the smacking law in 2007 with discretion, and there have been no silly prosecutions. The Council of Europe, a 47-country body, will launch a campaign in Croatia in mid-June to abolish corporal punishment. The campaign involves a flurry of debates, puppet shows, television spots, pamphlets in many languages and stirring calls to "raise your hand against smacking". 
(29 May 2008)

Unlikely gathering 
On a subsea mountain peak 400km south of New Zealand, a robot submarine has filmed tens of millions of waving five-armed creatures called brittlestars, in a never-seen-before seamount discovery. Scientists from New Zealand and Australia discovered "Brittlestar City" on a peak in the Macquarie Range, where the starfish-like creatures colonized against daunting odds on an underwater summit higher than the world's tallest building. NIWA ecologist Dr Ashley Rowden said the aggregation of brittlestars was amazing. "The implications of the find for our understanding of the relative uniqueness of seamount assemblages are potentially far-reaching," Rowden said. 
(18 May 2008)

Peaceful isles 
New Zealand comes in at number four on the second annual Global Peace Index released by Britain's Economist Intelligence Unit. A survey on the harmoniousness of the world's nations, the Index evaluates 140 nations with respect to 24 criteria, including numbers of deaths from organized conflict, levels of violent crime and proportions of GDP used for military expenditures. The report said New Zealand lacked internal conflict and had generally good relations with neighbouring countries. "It is clear that small, stable and democratic countries are the most peaceful," the report said, noting that island nations also "generally fare well". New Zealand ranked behind number one Iceland, Denmark and Norway. 
(21 May 2008)

Geometric on the Bay 
The 1931 Napier earthquake devastated the Hawkes Bay region, but two years later Napier was rebuilt and an Art Deco masterpiece. The Sydney Morning Herald's Rebecca Lancashire pays a visit and "wanders the city looking up at whimsical pastel-painted facades: sunbursts, zigzags, Mayan and Egyptian-inspired designs." In the "excellent local museum", she reads clippings from old newspapers, and in the Weekly News a witness recalls: "It all seems like a blurred cinematograph film of wrecked buildings, crying children, smoke, piles of bricks, bandaged heads, hurrying motor-cars, despair and isolation." This a far cry from the modern Napier, which is recommended for the architecture, wineries and artisan produce. 
(10 May 2008)

Oliver the Oxonian 
Former Highlander Anton Oliver, 32, will play the last rugby matches of his career at Oxford University while he studies for an MSc in Biodiversity, Environment and Management. Oliver, winner of 55 New Zealand caps at hooker who was last seen in action for the All Blacks during the World Cup, says he feels very privileged to be accepted by the University. "I see my time at Oxford as a clear demarcation in my life, leaving behind a life as a professional sportsperson for one of academic rigour and thought," he says. "The chance to play in the Varsity match - which is clearly a unique event in rugby union - is also very exciting and I see it as a natural way for me to finish my playing career." Oliver played a record 127 games for the Highlander franchise. 
(12 May 2008)

Berkett settles in 
Neil Berkett is eight weeks into his role as chief executive at Virgin Media and already has battle scars. Actually, he explains in an interview with Sunday Times reporter Andrew Davidson, he just banged his head at home, and you wouldn't want to argue. Berkett, 52, is a scrapper who makes a virtue of pragmatism, like many rugby-loving New Zealanders. Medium height, with an economy of movement that underpins his occasional terseness, he has jumped enough sectors and continents to take whatever's coming. "My appointment coincides with a huge coming together of opportunities," says Berkett, keen to accentuate the positive. "We are the single organisation with the most powerful digital network in the UK." And right now, he says, he is where he wants to be - scarred, but involved. 
(4 May 2008)

Oram fit for Lords 
Palmerston North Black Caps all-rounder Jacob Oram, 29, has recovered from stress-related injury and is braced for the first Test against England at Lords on May 15. Oram's economy rate of 2.4 is the best among leading New Zealand bowlers of the past 20 years and superior to that of Sir Richard Hadlee. At 6ft 6in, Oram might be considered a stretch version of the limousine of fast bowlers. Oram says this Test series could be perceived as either daunting or an adventure. "It could be damned rocky but a year or two from now we might feel the benefits. New Zealand cricket tends to go up and down. We have some rough periods then hit a golden patch. Cricket remains very popular in our country and our domestic cricket is a lot more professional than it was," he says. 
(4 May 2008)

Outfoxing furniture 
The small town of Pokeno in Franklin district, Auckland is behind ex-Thompson Twin Alannah Currie's latest artistic foray, a display of surreal furniture on show at London's Ragged School. Under the moniker Miss Pokeno, the exhibition combines upholstery and taxidermy - that's armchairs and entwined foxes. Seeking the good life in New Zealand after years of making synth-pop in the UK, Currie explains her comeback as an "armchair activist": "I'm making chairs to confront ideas of what comfort is." 
(26 April 2008)

Hawaiian hunt 
New Zealand hunting specialist Prohunt has been hired by The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii to help stem the destruction of the island's native forest by marauding wild pigs and goats. Prohunt is conducting research and demonstration projects on Conservancy preserves and other private lands on Maui, Kauai and Molokai. TNC decided to work with Prohunt because according to spokesperson Evelyn Wight, "we do not know of a local company that has all of the tools needed to run a project of this magnitude." Prohunt was established in 1994 and have also been involved in pest eradication on Great Barrier Island, Lord Howe Island, in the Galapagos and on Cocos Island in Costa Rica. 
(April 2008)

Surfing rhapsody 
Raglan may be home to "one of the world's best left-hand surf breaks", but the town is also garnering international interest for its relaxed isolation and its arts scene. "Bohemian" Raglan writes the Lonely Planet, is "Perched on the rugged western edge of the North Island, on the road to nowhere." The article recommends Solscape, "Raglan's most spectacular accommodation", a gig at Aqua Velvet or in the town's renovated Victorian pub, the Harbour View Hotel and a visit to "funky" gallery, Jet Collective. "Raglan may be at the end of the road to nowhere, but I'm in no hurry to move on," concludes the author. 
(20 April 2008)

Peter Jackson step aside
Christchurch video production company Gorilla Pictures is making a zombie film "better than most indie stuff cranked out on the cheap" in the US, according to horror film aficionados Dread Central. Director Logan McMillan's film Last of the Living has just been picked up by LA-based Quantum Releasing for worldwide distribution later this year. Central says: "For a low budgeter, it sure as hell looks like a damn professional film." Last of the Living is about three boys making their way through a post-zombie apocalypse world, asked to become heroes by a girl who might know of a cure for the infection. Gorilla Pictures also produce music videos, promos and short films. 
(April 2008)

Beijing pact signed 
New Zealand is the world's first developed country to sign a free-trade deal with China. "It's a bit like getting the first date with the best-looking girl on the block," says Stuart Ferguson, chairman of the New Zealand-China Trade Association: in this case, ahead of suitors Australia, Norway and India. Dairy and timber exporters are expected to profit most, but manufacturers like white-goods maker Fisher & Paykel and fashion house Icebreaker also stand to gain from easier access to China's low-cost factories as well as to its fast-growing middle class. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao described the occasion as "a day of historical significance". 
(3 April 2008)

Moore to head charity 
Former prime minister and World Trade Organisation Director-General Mike Moore has been hired by Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman. Moore will chair the Altimo Foundation, one of Fridman's charitable organisations associated with the telecom arm of the Alfa Group. The foundation will focus on fighting poverty in developing countries. Credited with restoring confidence in the multilateral trading system following the setback of the 3rd WTO Ministerial Conference held in Seattle in 1999, Moore is also author of a number of books including World without Walls, a reflection on his time at the WTO. Moore is widely regarded as one of the most powerful voices in the debate about the future of globalisation. 
(30 March 2008)

Off-stage antics
Wellington-born musician and "New York Rock God" Dean Wareham formed the band Luna in 1992 and later, together with his second wife Britta Phillips, Dean & Britta. Black Postcards is Wareham's just-released chronicle of his career, and it's 'A Rock & Roll Romance'. Aside from the hint of a New Zealand accent in his voice, he looks like a pretty typical 40-something New Yorker writes the Observer. An emissary of New York to the world of indie rock for almost 20 years, Wareham said of his book: "I wanted to pull back the curtain, show the boredom, the pettiness, and the arguments." "It's the hardest thing I've ever done," he admitted. The latest issue of Men's Vogue features an excerpt from Black Postcards. 
(13 March 2008)

Twain's tramping track 
Motatapu Track, which cuts across a Central Otago high country property owned by Canadian country singer Shania Twain, has officially opened. The 28km track is part of Te Araroa/The Long Pathway - a walkway planned from Cape Reinga to Bluff. In 2004, Twain and her husband Robert Lange won approval to buy the 33-year lease to 24,700 hectares of rugged and scenic farmland on condition they created a tramping track, with huts and other facilities, crossing their land as part of a nationwide trail. 
(14 March 2008)

Alaskan war chant 
Taranaki basketball player Jeremiah Trueman, 19, has introduced New Zealand's haka to his Alaskan team, the UAA Seawolves, and the crowds love it. Trueman, a junior transfer to the Seawolves, said he was trying to tell them something about himself. "It kind of blew them away a little bit. I was pretty excited to do it," he said. The haka is now an integral part of the Seawolves' pregame ritual and reflects the team's international flavour. Trueman formerly played for the Nelson Giants and the Tall Blacks. 
(15 March 2008)

Peak inspiration 
In preparation for a race to the South Pole, adventurer Ben Fogle hits the South Island for some thrill-seeking training. "The country that staged the world's first commercial bungee jump has invented a whole world of extreme sports," Fogle writes. Inspired from helicopters, kayaks and whale-watching boats, his real challenge lies in the ascent of the 2,340m Double Cone, part of the Remarkables range. "At the final pinnacle, the cloud lifted and New Zealand revealed itself. Our peak was no Everest, but I felt exhilarated as I surveyed the view stretching before me. Maybe, just maybe, a little bit of its magic will have rubbed off on me and help me in my attempt to reach the South Pole later this year." 
(14 March 2008)

Tunnel museum opens 
During the Great War beneath the unassuming French town of Arras and the German enemy, the New Zealand Tunnelling Company built two interconnected tunnels, almost 20km long and able to hide 25,000 troops. The tunnellers named this dark, damp kingdom - rediscovered in 1990 - after home towns. From one huge quarry called Auckland, soldiers could march through to Wellington, Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch and Dunedin. Canteens, chapels, power stations, a light railway and even a fully functioning hospital were all established below ground. A £3 million visitor centre and a lift have just been opened to the public. Head of Arras's archaeology department Alain Jacques said: "I could not understand why there was all this English writing on the pillars and signs to places such as Wellington," he said, still thrilled at the recollection of his discovery. "And then I worked out that these must be the tunnels of the Great War." 
(15 March 2008)

Promises reviewed 
Dunedin indie band Die! Die! Die! is currently touring Los Angeles and Austin, Texas to promote their latest album Promises, Promises released in the US in February. Die! Die! Die! may sound less like the Sex Pistols and more like Dookie-era Green Day according to the Santa-Fe Reporter, but at least they're not like the pseudo-punk bands that have "been tarnishing the radio for the last decade and a half." Popmatters says Promises "thrives on its own individual sense of confidence and youth, and the primitive sense of escapism that only loud, crashing rock music can bring." According to Popmatters you'll want to be amongst the fanbase. 
(5 March 2008)

Leap for frogkind 
Thirteen tiny, and extremely rare, Maud Island froglets have been spotted at Wellington's Karori Wildlife Sanctuary hitching a ride on the back of a fully grown male. Researcher Kerri Lukis said the frogs have never before been seen breeding, even on their home islands of Maud and Motuara in the Malborough Sounds. "It's wonderful timing for the 2008 International Year of the Frog," Lukis said. Maud Island frogs are one of four native New Zealand frogs, and unlike other frogs, they do not croak, live in water or have webbed feet. They also hatch from an egg as opposed to going through the tadpole stage. 
(3 March 2008)

Bursting into canzone 
New Zealand bass-baritone Paul Whelan stepped out of the audience and onto the stage to sing the part of Raimundo at a London Coliseum performance of Lucia di Lammermoor. Whelan, who is due to play the part in March, sang from the side of the stage while Clive Bayley stayed on to mime having lost his voice. Whelan made it to the stage before the second scene but did not have time to change into 19th Century costume. A spokesman for the English National Opera said: "It was an electric evening all round. There was such an enthusiastic response from the audience, and then when Paul stepped forward to take his bow, the house erupted." 
(19 February 2008)

Rhodes vies for Bianca 
New Zealand baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes performs in Rossini's Bianca e Fallierio at Washington D.C's Lisner Auditorium in April. Rhodes stars as Capellio, Fallierio's rival for the affections of Bianca. Rhodes won New Zealand's Lexus Song Quest in 1989 and studied at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His discography includes Faure's Requiem and Le naissance de Vénus, Handel's Messiah as well as the solo discs, Mozart Arias, The Voice and Vagabond. 
(13 February 2008)

New exec at Opera House
Sydney's most famous landmark is now presided over by New Zealander Richard Evans, who last month became chief executive at the Opera House. Among the challenges Evans will face, is raising some NZ$790 million for the ongoing renovation of the Sydney Opera House complex. Evans told The Dominion Post: "There is no question that it must be one of the more difficult jobs there is, but unless it was, I wouldn't want to do it." Chairman of the Sydney Opera House Trust Kim Williams said Evans has the right attributes for the role. "Richard has a strong entrepreneurial outlook with a good sense of humour ... qualities which are essential to managing an enterprise like the Sydney Opera House," Williams said. Evans was previously chief executive of the Australian Ballet.
(16 February 2008)

NZ studies awarded 
Dr Ian Conrich, director of New Zealand Studies at the University of London, is the 2008 New Zealander of the Year in the UK. Conrich received the accolade at an awards ceremony in London on Waitangi Day in recognition of his achievements establishing the Centre for New Zealand Studies last year. "Over the last decade New Zealand Studies has made significant strides in becoming a recognisable and serious discipline," he recently said. A highly respected New Zealand academic, Conrich has a particular interest in film, cultural studies and early forms of tourism. He has written extensively about New Zealand and is editor of the forthcoming book, Contemporary New Zealand Cinema. 
(9 February 2008)

NZ makes a dash 
Seachange is primed to be the first ever New Zealand-trained horse to race at Royal Ascot. She will contest the Group Two Windsor Forest Stakes over a mile in June, if she wins the $6.5 million Group One Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba in late March. Seachange won New Zealand's $250,000 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham this year, recording a cracking 1min 6.66sec, just outside the national record. "She usually takes four or five starts to find her best, so she'll be ready for Dubai and all going well, England," said trainer Ralph Manning. 
(4 February 2008)

Past meets present 
Financial Times writer Richard Evans finds Christchurch to be much more than a sleepy replica of an English village. "There is nothing backward about Christchurch, just a happy mix of today and yesterday with the past preserved by a strict eye for conservation," he writes. Evans recommends Canterbury Wine Tours, Hanmer Springs, Orana Wildlife Park, the Charlotte Jane Hotel and restaurants The Viaduct and Hay's to his London readers.
(26 January 2008)

Black Beauty tops rankings 
Team NZ has won its first A1 Grand Prix race on home soil in Taupo, and is now the overall series leader. Black Beauty driver Jonny Reid won the Sprint Race and finished fourth in the Feature, boosting NZ ahead of Switzerland and France on the points table. Reid, 27, described his Sprint win as the highlight of his career. "It's huge, absolutely huge. It's the greatest moment in my motorsport career," he said. The next leg in the A1GP series takes place at Eastern Creek, Australia, in two weeks. 
(20 January 2008)

Budding swim star 
Te Haumi Maxwell, 13, has been hailed as the "best male swimming prospect since Ian Thorpe" in the Australian press. Maxwell was born in NZ but raised in Australia, and is due to become an Australian citizen later this month. Maxwell won five gold medals and a bronze at the New South Wales state age championships in Sydney last week, with times that make him the fastest swimmer in the world for his age. "Thorpe is my idol but I want to swim like (US superstar) Michael Phelps," he said in the Melbourne Age. 
(20 January 2008)

Farewell to a literary legend
Hone Tuwhare, one of NZ's most distinguished and best-loved writers, has died in Dunedin aged 86. Tuwhare was the first Maori poet to be published in English (No Ordinary Sun, 1964) and one of the leading figures in the Maori cultural renaissance of the 1970s. Born in Kaikohe of Ngapuhi descent, Tuwhare spoke only Maori until the age of nine. He began writing in 1939, combining ancient Maori myth with contemporary political issues in a uniquely accessible style. Maori Party MP Hone Harawira said Hone Tuwhare was a writer who could "say what people really felt in their bones…You just have to look at his poetry to see his love of people and his deep sadness at the impacts of man on the world." Tuwhare won two Montana NZ Book Awards for poetry in 1998 and 2002, and was given honorary doctorates by the universities of Auckland and Otago. He was made NZ's second Te Mata Poet Laureate in 1999. 
(17 January 2008)

The world mourns our humble colossus 
Sir Edmund Hillary - adventurer, philanthropist and global icon - has died aged 88. The lanky beekeeper from Tuakau found international fame in 1953 as the first person to scale Mt Everest, together with his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay. "In the annals of great heroic exploits, the conquest of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund and Mr. Norgay ranks with the first trek to the South Pole by Roald Amundsen in 1911 and the first solo nonstop trans-Atlantic flight by Charles A. Lindbergh in 1927," reads his New York Times obituary. Fame did not sit easily with Sir Ed. He preferred to be known for his philanthropic work rather than his high-profile adventures, and saw his greatest achievement as the founding of the Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan Trust. Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala praised Hillary's lifelong devotion to Nepal in an official message of condolence: "The Government and people of Nepal shall always cherish the fond memories of his selfless devotion to the cause of development of the Everest region, his human qualities and courageous spirit as well as his contribution to make Nepal known to the world." NZ PM Helen Clark has announced a state funeral to honour the man she calls "the best-known New Zealander ever to have lived". "Sir Ed described himself as an average New Zealander with modest abilities," she said in her official statement. "In reality, he was a colossus. He was a heroic figure who not only knocked off Everest but lived a life of determination, humility and generosity ... All New Zealanders will deeply mourn his passing." Click here to read Sir Edmund Hillary's NZ Edge Heroes biography, the most popular in our ongoing series. 
(11 January 2008)

Gourmands flock to Matakana
The New York Times heads to Matakana Village, a thriving boutique wine town an hour north of Auckland City. Matakana Village is a gourmand's delight, boasting an award-winning artisanal bakery, scores of boutique wineries, cafes and restaurants, and a popular weekend organic market. "[The market] is no dusty-radishes Birkenstock scene," assures NYT writer Debra Klein. "With uniform chalkboards, resort-style umbrellas and slickly packaged products, it's more like Dean & DeLuca in a country setting." Matakana Village is located in Auckland's Rodney District, the fastest growing region in the north island. 
(13 January 2008)

Master craftsman 
Leading children's book illustrator Graham Percy has died aged 69. Percy was born and grew up in Auckland, where he attended the Elam School of Art. After graduating, he won a scholarship to study graphics at the Royal College of Art in London. Percy went on to be a prolific and much admired illustrator, who was best known for the delightful images he created for children's books. Independent: "His craftsmanship - the later work was mostly done with coloured pencils - was perfect ... People, vehicles, chairs, houses and tables all give the feeling that they have been taken from a toy box and skilfully arranged." Percy's work can be seen in the Sam Pig stories for Faber and Faber, The Wind in the Willows for Pavilion Books, and the full-length animated film Hugo the Hippo. 
(10 January 2008)

Pacific perspective on disarmament
Christchurch anti-nuclear campaigner Kate Dewes is the first New Zealander to be appointed to the UN's Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters. "It is exciting," she said in a Christchurch Press interview. "It is a real honour and a huge responsibility. Issues from the Pacific often aren't raised in a forum like that." Dewes, 55, is the co-ordinator of the Peace Foundation Disarmament and Security Centre in Christchurch and a key player in the World Court Project, an international citizens' network fighting for nuclear disarmament. She will attend her first UN session in New York next month. 
(10 January 2008)

Portrait of a lady 
New Zealander Daisy Wilkie has been immortalised in oil for Australia's leading portrait prize. Australian artist Malcolm Smith chose Wilkie as his Archibald Prize subject after meeting her at one of the art classes he hosts in Cronulla, Sydney. Wilkie, 75, was born in NZ and is a descendant of Te Rauparaha. "I've always been terribly proud of my heritage; there is something spiritual that ties me to New Zealand," she says. The AU $35,000 Archibald Prize is Australia's most prestigious award for portraiture. This year's Archibald winner will be announced in March. 
(8 January 2008)

Gov-Gen reflects on changing nation 
NZ Governor-General Anand Satyanand gave an exclusive online interview to Indian TV station NDTV. In it, he discussed NZ's increasingly multicultural makeup, as well as his own Indian ancestry. "New Zealand, like all countries, continues to have disparities in race and other areas but my appointment is symbolic of this country's commitment to ending those disparities," he says. "Since the first New Zealand-born Governor-General was appointed in 1967, two Governors-General have been women (Dame Catherine Tizard and Dame Silvia Cartwright) and one has been Maori (Sir Paul Reeves) and their appointments in turn reflect other changes within New Zealand." Anand Satyanand succeeded Dame Silvia Cartwright as Governor-General in 2006.
(8 January 2008)

Beauty and the beast
Black Beauty driver Jonny Reid took on a Boeing 777 at Auckland International Airport this month, in a dramatic promotional stunt for January's A1 Grand Prix event in Taupo. The race car and the Air New Zealand jet won a race each on the tarmac, with Reid's car reaching speeds of nearly 300 km p/h. Race teams from 21 nations competed for the A1GP Taupo on January 20, with Reid's victories placing New Zealand at the top of the race table. 
(8 January 2008)

Tapping into Kazakhstani market 
A tiny Martinborough vineyard has become the first NZ winery to establish a presence in Central Asia. Alexander Vineyard, a family-run business headed by Michael Finucane, has added Kazakhstan to its growing list of export destinations, which includes Japan, Russia, Canada and the United States. Alexander Vineyard produces just 1000 cases of wine a year, most of which is sent overseas. It is testing the market in Kazakhstan with six cases of premium pinot noir. 
(7 January 2008)

Worthy splurges and brilliant bargains 
Two NZ luxury lodges feature in Tatler's annual hotel guide for 2008. Otahuna Lodge, Christchurch, and Matakauri Lodge, Queenstown, were named two of the world's 101 Best Hotels by the British society magazine. At the other end of the spectrum, three NZ establishments feature in The Guardian's top 50 hotels under £50 this month. "Flashpacker" hostel Base Auckland, Pukekohe bed and breakfast No.40 Carlton Gardens, and the ultra-modern Hotel SO in Christchurch all made the cut, alongside the best budget hotels from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Americas. 
(5 January 2008)

Hall takes out Huntsman
Paralympian ski racer Adam Hall has become the first New Zealander to win the United States' prestigious Huntsman Cup. The 20-year-old from Outram won seven gold medals in a row to claim the Cup, which is the culmination of the NorAm (North American) disabled alpine ski racing series. The 21st annual Huntsman Cup was hosted by the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah. 
(8 January 2008)

Taranaki's silver surfer
Taranaki teenager Paige Hareb has stunned the international surfing world by reaching the final of the Billabong World Pro Junior in Sydney. Hareb, 17, finished in second place behind Australian favourite Sally Fitzgibbons, after knocking the South American, South African and US junior champions out of the competition. Hareb only gained entry to the prestigious event via a sponsor's wildcard. "I think I sneaked up on a few people but I have been working hard behind the scenes," she said in a post-event interview. "It's great to see my name up there, and the words 'New Zealand' after it."
(7 January 2008)

Arrondissement-on-the-Edge

Aquaflow ahead of the curve 
A Blenheim-based company could hold the key to the world's energy crisis, according to a recent Guardian article. Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation has patented a cleansing process known as bio-remediation that extracts biofuel from wild algae. "Wild algae is one of the ubiquitous units of nature," says Aquaflow partner Nick Gerritsen. "If you leave a bucket of water outside, the water will turn green as it is settled by wild algae. We realised very early that we needed to create a model that took advantage of wild algae feedstocks." Aquaflow describes its process as cheap, practical and accessible, and its end product as suitable for both domestic use and transport. The rest of the world is already catching on: Shell has announced a joint algae harvesting venture with HR Biopetroleum, the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative is seeking an algae-based biojet fuel, and an "algae summit" held in San Francisco last month drew more than 300 delegates. 
(9 January 2008)

Provocative prize-winner 
The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins by Auckland filmmaker Pietra Brettkelly has won an award at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Brettkelly's documentary tells the story of contemporary artist Vanessa Beecroft's attempt to adopt Sudanese twins. Irena Dol won the World Cinema Documentary Editing Award for her work on the film, which has been widely praised by US critics. Variety: "Director Pietra Brettkelly's enigmatic rendering of the situation echoes incendiary questions raised in Beecroft's art and defies the commercial demands of documentary cinema ... [The] provocative result is not a straightforward artist's profile, political commentary or domestic drama, but a poetic fusion of the three." 
(21 January 2008)

Christchurch goes carbon neutral 
Christchurch International Airport has become the second airport in the world to be certified carbon neutral, after Sweden's LFV. According to chief executive Rene Bakx, the airport achieved carbon neutral status by reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced by airport operations and offsetting any remaining through the purchase of carbon credits. "We don't want to be ruled out of consideration as a destination because it is seen as unsustainable to be here at all," said PM Helen Clark. "New Zealand as a country, and tourism as an industry, must go the extra mile to prove sustainability credentials." 
(24 January 2008)

Dazzling debut 
Liam Finn's solo debut, I'll Be Lightning, has received widespread praise in the US, where it was released this week. Paste magazine calls it "a dazzling solo debut" while The Wall Street Journal praises the "spare, melodic sound" that Finn has achieved by recording on an old-fashioned analogue tape. Finn, 24, is the eldest son of NZ music pioneer Neil Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House) and the front-man for Melbourne-based band Betchadupa. He begins a year-long US tour next month. 
(19 January 2008)

---

Campion on Frame 

Golden bowling 
NZ has topped the medal table at this year's World Bowls Championship. The Black Jacks won four gold and two bronze medals at the event, which was held at Burnside Bowling Club in Christchurch from January 12-27. Gold medals were won by Peter Belliss and Rowan Brassey (men's pairs), Phil Skoglund, Morgan Moffat and Ian Dickison (men's triples), Jo Edwards and Val Smith (women's pairs), and Gary Lawson, Russell Meyer, Richard Girvan and Andrew Todd (men's fours). "Six medals, four of them gold - how big an achievement is that?" asked Jo Edwards in the NZ Herald. The combined effort by the NZ men saw them win the overall men's team prize, the Leonard Trophy, for the first time. 
(27 January 2008)

Cross-continental charity ride
Canterbury University alum Rob Thomson, 26, is attempting to break a Guinness World Record by skateboarding 8,000 km across Europe and North America. Thomson's longboard odyssey follows a 12,000 km bicycle journey from Japan to Switzerland that saw him scale 4,600 m high passes and suffer through -23 degrees Celsius temperatures. As well as being a record attempt, Thomson's journey is raising awareness for Lowe Syndrome, a rare genetic condition found only in boys. Visitors to his website can donate funds to the Lowe Syndrome Association, USA. 
(19 January 2008)

Worldwide appeal 
NZ documentary Sand Dancer has clocked up more than 30 international film festival screenings since its 2006 release. Directed and produced by Valerie Reid, the 10-minute short showcases the work of Christchurch-based sand artist Peter Donnelly. Sand Dancer has been accepted for competition at festivals in Thailand, Taiwan, France, NZ, Australia, Tahiti and the US. It has won awards at the Golden Horse International Short Film Competition in Taipei, the Foursite Film Festival in Utah and the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Reid is currently working on a longer version of her documentary. 
(January 2008)

Design joins the dots 
NZ industrial designer Brad Knewstubb has received one of his industry's highest accolades. Knewstubb won a red dot concept award for his Hydra prototype, a collapsible micro wind turbine designed for alpine and polar adventurers. Based in Germany, the red dot design awards receive more than 7,000 submissions from 60 countries per year. The winners are displayed at the red dot design museum in Essen, Germany. Knewstubb, 26, designed the Hydra in the honours year of his Bachelor of Industrial Design at Wellington's Victoria University last year. 
(23 January 2008)

On top of the world 
New Zealand has been voted Top Country for the second year running in a UK-based travel magazine readers' poll. Almost 30,000 travellers voted in the annual Wanderlust poll, with New Zealand receiving a 96.8 percent satisfaction rating. Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton said that visitors come to New Zealand for a unique and authentic experience. "The fact that this award is based on visitor satisfaction is something our tourism industry can be very proud of," said Hickton. 
(1 February 2008)