Thawing an icy tipple
Canterbury Museum is slowly thawing out a crate of Scotch whisky which was found in Antarctica earlier this year beneath the floor of a hut built by British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The New Zealand-led team discovered the crate along with four others containing whisky and brandy under Shackelton’s hut which he had left during his 1908 Antarctic expedition. Four of the crates were left in the ice, but one labelled Mackinlay’s whisky was brought to the Museum, where officials said yesterday it was being thawed in a controlled environment. Executive director of the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust Nigel Watson said the whisky might still be liquid. “When the guys were lifting it, they reported the sound of sloshing and there was a smell of whisky in the freezer, so it is all boding pretty well,” Watson said. Drinks group Whyte & Mackay, the Scottish distillery that now owns the Mackinlay’s brand, launched the bid to recover the whisky for samples to test and potentially use to relaunch the defunct Scotch.
(22 July 2010)

Centenary clash
The New Zealand Maori side has beaten Ireland in Rotorua 31-28, the match part of a series to commemorate the centenary of the formation of the first official Maori rugby team in New Zealand. The victory is the latest against international sides for the Maori, who have also beaten England, Argentina, Scotland, Fiji, and the British and Irish Lions since the game went professional. “It’s awesome, the boys really dug in for 80 minutes and showed their character towards the end there,” Maori captain Liam Messam said. “It’s 100 years and I think we celebrated it the right way.” “We gave ourselves a real mountain to climb,” Irish captain Geordan Murphy said. New Zealand Maori next play England in Napier on June 23.
(18 June 2010)

German for float
“With its eagerness for wacky rides and a steady stream of adventure-seeking human guinea pigs, New Zealand was the obvious location” for the 200m monorail Swheeb track, writes the Financial Times’ Tarquin Cooper. “The prototype Shweeb opened in 2008 in the Agroventures adrenaline park in Rotorua, alongside jet-boat rides and a vertical wind tunnel that mimics skydiving. Melbourne-born inventor Geoff Barnett, 40, says he has had enthusiastic responses from universities and businesses in 38 countries, but his next plan is to build a slower, straight-line track in the UK to show off the idea’s potential as a mode of city transport. Talks are taking place with sponsors but details of timing and location have yet to be announced. Ultimately, he dreams of building a network across London. ‘Just imagine Shweebing through the medieval streets on your way to work!’” 
(19 June 2010)

Tracing her roots 
Each year, New Zealand Genealogical Society head Aucklander Jan Gow, 70, travels to Salt Lake City to browse ribbons of microfilm and endless volumes of maps, cemetery and property records tucked inside the Utah city's Family History Library." Gow, who first visited in 1981 and has returned more than 25 times, says: "A woman once asked me to give her four words to explain why she should come to Salt Lake City and not just research it all from home online. I could think of one: Immediacy. When we're here we can immediately pull out a film, or pull out a book, look at a computer, because it's all here. There's nowhere else, just nowhere else." Gow has traced her family to the 14th century and claims both Charles Darwin and William the Conqueror as distant relatives. She leads a tour to Utah annually for stays of up to three weeks before heading on to the United Kingdom. 
(11 June 2010)

Death bowler signed up
Middlemore-born fast bowler Ian Butler, 28, has signed with Gloucestershire as their second overseas player for the Friends Provident T20. Butler, who previously played for the county in 2003, has played in eight Test Matches and 26 One-Day International for New Zealand. He played his first International T20 match in February 2009 and has now played 14 T20 matches for New Zealand, including the recent ICC World T20, where he took three wickets in their victory against Pakistan. Gloucestershire director of cricket and former New Zealand coach and offspin bowler, John Bracewell, said: "Ian is a specialist death bowler and pinch hitter. He brings with him recent experience in the Champions League with Otago and at the World T20 with New Zealand and will be huge asset to the squad." 
(3 June 2010)

Kaikoura ethnohydrology 
Writing from Blenheim, Arizona State University student Marie Manning, a global health major, describes her time spent on a Kaikoura wild dolphin encounter and the research she is undertaking in New Zealand for an ethnohydrology project, which aims to find out more about how individuals feel about the water systems in their native countries. "Kaikoura is beautiful," Manning declares. "It's a little town on the coast, and I have rarely seen such amazing scenery. The beaches — though not at all like the white sand of the Caribbean — are stunning, with smooth grey stones and wild, blue-green swells. Out on the boat, we saw two sperm whales, a few playful seals and a surplus of huge, hungry albatross." Manning will interview three New Zealanders for the project. 
(7 June 2010)

Great win for Whites 
The All Whites, the world's 78th-ranked team, have beaten the world's 15th-ranked team, Serbia 1—0 in a World Cup warm-up match in Klagenfurt, Austria. New Zealand football coach Ricki Herbert has said that his team's victory over Serbia could be considered their greatest ever win. "For us it's a fantastic result, it's the best we've ever had in the history of the game, to beat a team at that level," The New Zealand Herald quoted Herbert as saying. The win would provide a huge moral boost ahead of the team's first appearance at a World Cup in 28 years, even with a 3—1 loss to Slovenia the following week. 
(30 May 2010)

Sizing up Pacific atolls 
Professor Paul Kench of Auckland University's environment school and coastal process expert Dr Arthur Webb of the Fiji-based South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission have found that despite rising sea levels some Pacific Island coral atolls have actually increased in size over the past 60 years. The reason: Coral islands respond to changes in weather patterns and climate, with coral debris eroded from encircling reefs pushed up onto the islands' coasts by winds and waves. Kench and Webb used historical aerial photographs and high-resolution satellite images to study changes in the land area of the islands. While four of the 27 islands studied had gotten smaller, the other 23 had either stayed the same or grown bigger, according to the research published in the scientific journal Global and Planetary Change. Kench said it had been assumed that islands would "sit there and drown" as sea levels rise. But as the sea rises, the islands respond. "They're not all growing, they're changing. They've always changed ... but the consistency [with which] some of them have grown is a little surprising," Kench said. 
(3 June 2010)

Share of the pie 
The business activities of this placid South Pacific nation of four million, just west of the international date line, barely register elsewhere: America is logging off for the day, Europe is heading to bed and the neighbouring markets of Asia are stirring in theirs," writes Monocle's Tim Hume. "Yet New Zealand's government now believes that its time zone could become an economic lifeline. The hope is that, combined with a raft of assets that include the country's transparency, political stability, strong property rights, ease of doing business and, in the longer term, its quality of life, New Zealand's time zone could prove an attractive proposition to the financial giants that sell managed funds — those huge collective investment schemes — into Asia." Auckland-based "steely former diplomat" Craig Stobo, is "the man behind the proposal. 'We've got all the essentials here but we have never sold it as a package to anyone,'" Stobo says. Stobo "first presented the proposal at a 'jobs summit' held in the wake of the financial crisis. The government was impressed, an appointed him head of the international funds services development group tasked with finding a way to make it happen. New Zealand is well aware of its limits in size and capability. The objective is not slaying giants like Ireland, nor supplanting Australia as the region's hub for fund management. A small slice of a very large pie will suffice." 
(June 2010)

Wacky winter stunts 
Queenstown's Winter Festival hits the southern town for the 35th year this June with an estimated 60,000 revellers expected to attend the week-long festivities. While there are big-ticket items — free concerts (Dragon headline the Mardi Gras event this year), a masquerade ball, a comedy gala (last year Flight of the Conchords' Rhys Darby performed) — there are also smaller elements that allow locals and tourists and opportunity to participate, rather than just spectate. The ski resorts also get in on the festival action, hosting night skiing, retro-skiing (where skiers are encouraged to go old-school in both clothing and equipment) and the rather crazy 'Mountain bikes on snow' event, which is as ludicrous as it sounds. 
(25 May 2010)

Peacekeepers halved 
The New Zealand Defence Force is reducing the number of its military deployment in East Timor to six-monthly rotations of 74 personnel. Because of the improved security environment in East Timor, defence minister Dr Wayne Mapp says the next rotation of New Zealand troops to East Timor will be just over half the size of earlier rotations of around 140. Mapp says New Zealand's support in East Timor will focus on providing security and development assistance. Commanding Officer, Major David Halsall, says they will be patrolling, guarding some of the bases, meeting the locals and "building the hearts and minds campaign." New Zealand Defence Force personnel have been deployed in Timor since 1999. 
(19 May 2010)

Clement's new dimension Wellington actor Jemaine Clement, 36, is in the final stages of talks to play the part of the villain Boris in Men in Black 3 alongside Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Clement's character in the film — which will be shot by Barry Sonnenfeld in 3-D — is described as being charming yet creepy. Clement has starred in a number of films in recent years including Gentlemen Broncos, alongside Sam Rockwell and Jennifer Coolidge and he will soon be hitting cinemas in Steve Carell and Paul Rudd's comedy Dinner for Schmucks in the role of Kieran Vollard. Men in Black 3 is due for release in 2012. 
(19 May 2010)

Chicago showcase 
Monteith's Brewing Company, Aotearoa Seafoods and The Lamb Company are among some of the eight New Zealand companies taking part in the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago on May 22—25. The exhibitors will showcase signature New Zealand food products like grass-fed lamb, venison, and seafood, alongside innovative new entries to the US beverage market such as VnC Cocktails' all-natural, ready-to-pour drinks. New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) North America Food and Beverages Sector Manager Kelly Duffy says the US accounts for more than half of New Zealand's food and beverage exports, at a value of US$1.8 billion annually. "American consumers and restaurants respond well to our environmental track record, the flavour of meat from our grass-fed, free-range cattle and sheep, and our award-winning, sustainably-produced beverages," Duffy says. 
(19 May 2010)

Papery puns 
Rangitikei artist Andrew Reilly has turned bull dung into paper, "perfect," reflects Guardian blogger Roy Greenslade "for publishing bullshit". After harvesting the dung, Reilly soaks it in water for a fortnight, explaining that there is fibre inside from grass that bulls don't process. He then sieves the waste from the fibre, cooks it in a caustic solution, puts it out to dry and hey presto — paper. Reilly discovered an affinity for paper-making during studies towards his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Whanganui UCOL. In his research, he found different cultures were making paper from many fibrous materials — including kangaroo poo, wombat faeces and elephant manure. Reilly hopes the bull paper will be a hit with tourists or backpackers, who may be looking for a quirky gift. It's also proven popular with those looking for an original, handmade effect. "I have had people who have bought it not because it's bullshit, because they think it's beautiful," Reilly says. 
(10 May 2010)

Most beautiful of all 
Fiordland's Routeburn and Greenstone Tracks, combined at 70km and both within the World Heritage-listed area of Te Wahipounamu in south-west New Zealand, make for "what might be the most beautiful walk in the world's most beautiful country" describes Tim Dick for The Sydney Morning Herald. "The Greenstone Track follows the river of the same name and day one is a four-hour undulating walk through dense bush, punctuated by river crossings and waterfalls. We pass only three people going the other way and a woman having a nude dip in the river … Day four takes us beyond the treeline and into the heat. The trade-off for losing shade is views out to the Tasman Sea and, as we pass the 1277-metre-high point of Harris Saddle, down to Lake Harris. The last day is all down: a 520m drop through forest alongside the Routeburn to the final swing bridge heralding the end of the walk." 
(14 May 2010)

Feast your eyes on this 
"Rest, relaxation and rugby. What more could you want?" asks the Telegraph in an article written in the build up to the Rugby World Cup 2011. When it comes to breathtaking beauty it is hard to match the stunning landscape of New Zealand. The land of Lord of the Rings is home to Alpine mountains, lush rainforests and pristine lakes — and rugby. Next year thousands of fans will descend as it hosts the World Cup. What lies in store is a fantastic feast of fixtures across the country, many on the doorstep of some of New Zealand's finest attractions, which include the spectacular Otago Peninsula and Akaroa Harbour. The article also includes links to the New Zealand website and the country's official Rugby World Cup 2011 site. 
(14 May 2010)

New rules for teen 
Fifteen-year-old Waikato-born Kurt Heatherly "has the opportunity to be the first AFL player recruited directly from New Zealand", writes Jake Niall for The Age. If Heatherly wears the brown and gold at AFL level, as the Melbourne Hawthorn Hawks hope, he will have a special place in the game's history alongside Melbourne's Irish pioneers, Jim Stynes and Sean Wight. The Hawks found him playing for New Zealand in a junior basketball tournament in Tasmania. He was 14, had never seen or played Australian football and knew nothing about this strange game played across the Tasman. Their interest was based entirely on his physical gifts and prowess at other sports. Heatherly told The Age would be "a great honour", to play for the team adding, "Hopefully I'm not the last one if I do get that far".
(7 May 2010)

Tree house wins Webby
Warkworth's onion-shaped treehouse restaurant, constructed 30ft up in a redwood tree, has won an award in the telecommunications section of the 2010 Webby Awards. The Yellow Tree House campaign — a collaboration between advertising agencies AIM Proximity and Colenso BBDO — for Yellow (formerly Yellow Pages), challenged amateur entrepreneurs to build the restaurant using only the resources found in the Yellow directory listing. The winner was "an accordion player" named Tracey. The treehouse was completed in 66 days and employed more than 60 businesses. Some 2000 people dined at the tree-top restaurant during the month it was open. It also received worldwide media attention and mentions on more than 10,000 websites. "We're absolutely thrilled," said Yellow's Marketing Director Kellie Nathan. "It's completed a full year of awards for the Tree House campaign." 
(6 May 2010)

Antipodean advice 
"The rugby-mad people of Krasnoyarsk in Siberia" have sought the help of the Canterbury Rugby Union's International High Performance Unit (IHPU) "to help them overthrow the status quo and end three years of domination on the rugby field by Russia's air force team", writes Greg Stutchbury for Reuters UK. Krasny Yar rugby club head coach Yuri Nikolaev the Russian Rugby Union vice president and a former Soviet and Russian international flyhalf, brought a 38-man squad and five coaches to New Zealand to attend a three-week training camp. "The best place to learn and to get a good rugby education is in New Zealand and to get good professional coaches and some experience playing against New Zealand teams," Nikolaev said. 
(7 May 2010)

Gorizia beckons 
Otago Polytechnic's School of Design graduates Sophie Brooke Hardy and Roxanna Zamani will travel to Gorizia, in northeast Italy, at the end of June to take part in the Mittelmoda Fashion Award. Their selection places them in an elite group of just 29 finalists, selected from over 700 applicants internationally by a jury of leading industry professionals including: Elio Fiorucci, Fashion Designer; Beata Aurell, H&M; Francesca dell'Antoglietta, Levi Strauss; and Italia Srl and Francesca Chicaro, Benetton Group Spa. Principal Lecturer at the Polytechnic Margo Barton says the pair were also standouts at this year's iD Dunedin fashion week events. "Their individual design handwriting and the strong design stories behind both of their collections will set them in good stead for thriving careers," Barton says. Prize winning collections will be exhibited during Milan Fashion Week, September 22—29. 
(1 May 2010)

Passage to the edge 
From the Other End of the World: Memories of post war immigrants to New Zealand from Great Britain is an "enlightening read" bringing "to life an often forgotten period of history", says the Telegraph's Leah Hyslop. "Between 1947 and 1975, over 100,000 British people moved to New Zealand under an assisted migration scheme. Nicknamed '£10 poms' in reference to the price of their passage, these migrants underwent enormous difficulties in resettling abroad, but their stories have rarely been told. In R.K. Dean's collection of narratives From the Other End of the World, eighteen of these 'testers and typists, sheep shearers and clerks, printers, nurses ... and seventy other kinds of worker besides,' are finally given a voice." 
(26 April 2010)

Happening anew 
Former supermodel Rachel Hunter, the voice of shampoo manufacturer Pantene's famous early '90s catchphrase, "It won't happen overnight, but it will happen", will promote the product again, this time with her daughter, 17-year-old Renee Stewart. It's the first modelling appearance by her daughter, who has largely kept away from the media spotlight and is studying to be a dancer. "She is so stunning and gorgeous and it's like, 'Oh, my God! You could do this so easily!' but she really has a passion for being creative," Hunter said. Hunter is also about to star as Shawna Rollins, an ex-model involved with a group of eccentrics, in US TV drama Gravity.
(25 April 2010)

Davenport's coup 
New Zealand-born chef Phillip Davenport, group executive chef at Bali's popular Ku De Ta restaurant and bar, discusses his "must-buy ingredient of the moment", his "best recent dining experience" and his "most embarrassing pantry item". "Vegemite is a strange item to Indonesians, so that would have to be my embarrassing thing," Davenport explains. "It is great seeing their faces when they taste it. It's like giving lime to a one-year-old." He recommends The Tippling Club in Singapore and using ginger palm sugar. "It's one of the best sugars I have tasted. I've been using it in the Ku De Ta kitchen and it really does make a big difference." Davenport has worked in Sydney, London and the Caribbean. The Miele Guide recently declared Ku De Ta as one of the five best restaurants in Indonesia. 
(24 April 2010)

Shared heritage  
"Canada and New Zealand may lie at opposite ends of the earth, but we are bound together by a common history," Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared during John Key's visit to the capital Ottawa, who was on his way home via Turkey having previously been at American President Barack Obama's two day Nuclear Security Summit. "We are both peaceful and prosperous commonwealth nations that have drawn, and continue to draw, generations of newcomers to freedom and opportunity. The Prime Minister of New Zealand has always been a steadfast friend to Canada and we're honoured therefore to host the first Prime Ministerial visit by a New Zealand Prime Minister in 11 years." When Key visited Ottawa, trade and investment were high on his list of priorities to discuss with his like-minded counterpart, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said the Ottawa Citizen's Jennifer Campbell. Asked about the Trans-Pacific Partnership — a trade agreement that began in 2006 with New Zealand, Brunei, Chile and Singapore, but is now negotiating with other countries, including the United States — New Zealand High Commissioner Andrew Needs said it's an important one for New Zealand and it did come up in discussions between the two leaders. "We see it as something that's important for New Zealand to move to a whole new level of trade and economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region." New Zealand will also contribute $685,000 to a Canadian-led project which aims to help prevent the illicit trafficking of nuclear and radiological materials. Key spent 40 minutes with American Vice President Joe Biden who said New Zealand's relationship with the United States was at the highest point it has been in years. Prime Minister John Key's next meeting was with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara ahead of ANZAC day commemorations. 
(21 April 2010)

Inspired simplicity 
Remuera boutique interior design studio Monochrome Inc is profiled in Malaysia's online version of The Star. "Would you consider an interior design colour scheme that's predominantly black and white? It probably would be tedious, wouldn't it? And, worse, possibly funereal. However, Monochrome Inc, a studio specialising in monochromatic tones, is making waves with their more austere designs. 'I call my designs the art of inspired simplicity,' says owner and designer Andrew Loader, 44. 'My philosophy is deriving maximum impact from the most minimalist yet effective applications.' Loader spent two decades in the world of luxury hotels and creative design before returning to his native New Zealand in 2009 to open his studio." 
(17 April 2010)

Lebanon for Baldwin 
Former Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin has announced he has taken up the position as coach of Lebanon's national team. Baldwin, 51, will gather his first squad together at the start of June in preparation for the Basketball World Championships and faces his former team in the group stage of the Championships. "It will be an emotional experience to play against New Zealand," Baldwin told The Daily Star. "I am a citizen there and it was my home for over 20 years," he said. "I will have to process the whole scenario in my head in the weeks leading up to the game," said Baldwin. The 2010 World Championships will be his third in a row after leading New Zealand in 2002 and 2006, achieving a semi-finals place against the odds eight years ago, as well as coaching the Tall Blacks in the 2004 Athens Olympics, where Baldwin pulled off another shock result by beating World Champions Serbia and Montenegro. He left his position as New Zealand head coach in 2006 and has since worked around Europe and Turkey. 
(16 April 2010)

Niccol the man 
Kapiti Coast-born director Andrew Niccol, 45, of Gattaca and Truman Show fame, has written a new sci-fi screenplay, called I'm Mortal, reportedly in negotiations for purchase. The premise of his latest being: Got too much time on your hands? How about spreading the wealth around? In the Niccol's vision of the future, aging has been thwarted and time is the new currency. The main character is a man who comes into a fortune of time, but nevertheless, finds it is too late to save his dying mother. Niccol's name has also been linked to The City That Sailed, a family film at Fox about a New York street magician separated from his young daughter, who is living in London. After the young girl discovers magic candles that can make wishes come true, she causes the island of Manhattan to separate from the continent and float toward England. Will Smith has been mentioned as a potential lead. The Truman Show was nominated for a Best Screenplay award at the Oscars in 1999. 
(14 April 2010)

Rock wrens return 
New Zealand's rare alpine bird the rock wren has been successfully breeding on Secretary Island in Fiordland with the discovery of twelve unbanded birds on New Zealand's third tallest island. "This is the first time rock wren have ever been successfully relocated to a location free of introduced predators," said Te Anau DOC ranger Megan Willans. "We put leg bands on the twenty-five birds transferred to the island over the past two years, so finding this many unbanded birds means they have settled and are breeding, We plan to transfer a further 15 birds this year to ensure a robust start-up population." Rock Wren are one of the most ancient bird species in the world, possibly stemming from a species present 82—85 million years ago when New Zealand and Australia separated from the ancient Gondwana landmass. 
(13 April 2010)

Power of passion 
Auckland born singer Gin Wigmore, 23, has been described by PBS Melbourne music manager Peter Merrett as a "waif-sized girl" with "indefinable power and passion combined". Wigmore says if she were to compare her voice to anything in the world, it would be a gravel road. "It makes me think of the album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams," Wigmore says. She is already getting a lot of buzz in the States and was listed in the New York Post in January of 2009 under the category of 'Six Who'll Sizzle'. In Style magazine had a write up on her in December of 2008, which was followed by several more articles including Vogue in October 2009 where her voice was described as husky and sultry, a mix of Joanna Newsom and Billie Holiday. Many more followed, including Marie Claire, which covered her in their March issue this year and compared her voice to the likes of Duffy and Macy Gray. Her pipes have been described by many, but simple adjectives do her no justice whatsoever. 
(13 April 2010)

Pure tax 
In a CNN article titled, 'Why the US can learn from New Zealand when it comes to taxes," Dody Tsiantar writes that American tax experts and economists are pointing to New Zealand as an example of a country best enforcing a uniform good-and-services tax to "nearly everything". "In New Zealand, it works in a very pure form," says Eric Toder, an economist at the Tax Policy Center and a former consultant to the New Zealand Treasury. Toder analysed the economic impacts of several different VAT tax models for the centre. "The population likes it. People think it's fair because it doesn't exempt some folks and not others." Critics fear that an American VAT may invite the creation of an arbitrary morass of tax exemptions and could hurt those with low incomes the most. However, in New Zealand, it contributes about 25 per cent to the government's bottom line, and the Tax Policy Center in December projected that a 5 per cent VAT tax in the US would generate over $3 trillion in revenue by 2019. That's not enough to cover America's huge debt obligations, of course, but it's a start. The big questions will be whether or not politicians here can keep it as pure as New Zealand wool. (13 April 2010)

Creepy plot wins Emmy 
The makers of Wellington-made interactive drama Reservoir Hill, KHF Media, have won New Zealand's first ever Emmy in the Digital Program: Children & Young People category. Reservoir Hill — which was shot in Porirua and produced and directed by David Stubbs and Thomas Robins — follows 16-year-old Beth Connolly as she is forced to solve a mystery when she moves to the creepy new suburb of Reservoir Hill. "We're thrilled; we had some pretty stiff competition, from some top international broadcasters like the BBC. We probably didn't think we had a chance," Stubbs said from Cannes. The concept for Reservoir Hill was created over "a few flat whites" at Cuba St's Midnight Espresso cafe, he said. Reservoir Hill allowed viewers to contact Beth through texts and messages on social networking website Bebo. These messages drove the plot, and the texts sometimes appeared on Beth's phone. Wellington musician Rhian Sheehan wrote the score. 
(13 April 2010)

Sacred route reversed 
Four double-hulled canoes recently left Auckland to sail 4,000km to French Polynesia where they will be joined by a Tahitian crew for a 1200km voyage to the Cook Islands, sailing the reverse of the route New Zealand's first settlers are believed to have taken. French Polynesia is thought by many to have been the departure point for the last great Polynesian migrations to New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island around 700 to 1000 years ago. "It will be the first time since the great migration that a fleet of canoes has sailed from (the French Polynesian island) Raiatea to Rarotonga on that sacred route down to New Zealand," said the project leader and acting president of the Cook Islands Voyaging Society Te Aturangi Nepia-Clamp. The canoes, 22m long with twin 13m masts, were built over the last year and combine the traditional and the hi-tech, with the fibreglass hulls lashed together using wooden beams and rope. The trip to Tahiti is expected to take three weeks with the return journey —  via the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji —  likely to last around two months 
(11 April 2010)

Ahead of the best 
Taupo-born Olympic triathlete Bevan Docherty, 33, has won the opening race of the ITU Dextro Energy World Champs Series in Sydney. Docherty, a two-time Olympic medallist, pulled away from the chase pack halfway through the run leg to overtake race leaders, France's Tony Moulai and American Matt Chrabot, finishing comfortably in a time of 1:51.27. "This is awesome; it is great to start the season like this, especially in Sydney," Docherty said. "I remember back in 2000 I was watching Simon [Whitfield] crossing the line in the Olympics and I thought how cool would that be to be there one day ... This is just such a buzz, such a great feeling, amongst the best in my career." New Zealand's leading female triathlete and world No 3 Andrea Hewitt claimed second in the women's race. The second race of the world championship series will be held in Seoul on May 8. 
(11 April 2010)

Sussex signing 
Dunedin cricketer Brendon McCullum, 28, has signed with Sussex for this season's Twenty20 competition. The big-hitting wicketkeeper-batsman replaces Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan. "Brendon was always on our shortlist for 2010 and once New Zealand's tour to Zimbabwe was postponed we made our move," said Sussex's professional cricket manager Mark Robinson. "His power at the top of the order can give us the start we need to help us defend our 2009 title success." McCullum's exciting — and innovative — shot making was highlighted in the recent Twenty20 international against Australia in Christchurch, when he made an unbeaten 116 off only 56 balls and was scooping sixes and boundaries behind the wicket off the pace bowler Shaun Tait. 
(9 April 2010)

Game with purpose 
Dunedin-based social game studio Runaway are keeping up with the latest Indie-gaming renaissance producing their first game Flutter, where you play the role of a butterfly in the Amazon rainforest. You can fly through one of the most bio-diverse regions of the planet, pollinate flowers and avoid natural predators. Director of Runaway Tim Nixon has been focusing for five years on what he calls "meaningful play." These are games that are not only entertaining, but also inspiring and informative. The first game will have a cool visual style and tropical sounds that will make you feel like you're immersed in the rainforest. "We've put a lot of time into crafting a world and style that will not only appeal to mass audiences, but give a sense of purpose and meaning to their play through the games attachment to an incredible real world environment that is under a very real threat," Nixon said. The beta is expected to go live in May and the company will introduce new species, plants, decorations, challenges and a story over time. 
(8 April 2010)

Voice like hot treacle 
New Zealand-raised jazz sensation Leila Adu is returning home to perform a series of nationwide concerts throughout May, her first in five years. Of Ghanian descent, Adu is touring to support her most recent album, Dark Joan, which was produced with analog fervour by the great Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Joanna Newsom). She will be supported in her unique blend of jazz, blues, pop and experimental by some of the great names of the New Zealand music scene including Jeff Henderson, David Long, Nick Gaffaney and Chris O'Conner. When asked about why this current tour is so important Adu said: "I get to play with some of my favorite musicians. I was born on British soil but New Zealand is my home." Adu completed post-graduate studies in 2003 at Victoria University, majoring in composition and specialising in Electro-acoustic Music, Ethnomusicology and Orchestration.
(3 April 2010)

Prickly conundrum 
"There is a move by [New Zealand's Department of Conservation] to persuade people to stop seeing hedgehogs as cute and harmless," writes freelance writer and ecologist Hugh Warwick, a one-time vocal opponent of the cull of hedgehogs on the Outer Hebrides. "Why am I, a devoted fan who helped end the cull of Hebridean hedgehogs, finding it hard to argue against the killing of hedgehogs in New Zealand?" Warwick ponders. "The problem with hedgehogs in New Zealand is simply that they like to eat some of the more endangered species. CCTV cameras revealed disturbing levels of anti-social behaviour on their part, eating eggs of banded dotterels, black stilts and black-fronted terns. A solution to New Zealand's hedgehog problem may be coming from an unexpected quarter. A recent study has shown that hedgehog numbers are falling at a similar rate to the UK, despite apparently very different sets of pressures. Perhaps New Zealand's hedgehogs will fade away, or at least become reduced to a residual population that does little harm, allowing wildlife managers to just control the most sensitive areas. Reaching a compromise between extermination of the charismatic alien and the protection of the endangered natives must surely be a welcome target." 
(30 March 2010)

Breathe with blackcurrants
Researchers from New Zealand's Plant & Food Research (PFR) have found a compound in blackcurrants that may ease breathing in some types of asthma. The compound, a known antioxidant called epigallocatechin, was found in lab experiments to enhance the natural defence mechanisms in lung tissue by both suppressing inflammation-causing reactions and minimising inflammation. Fruit consumption has been shown to reduce symptoms in allergy-induced asthma yet this research is the first to give insights into the mechanism by which this may occur. "To find natural compounds that potentially reduce lung inflammation and complement the body's own immune response is an exciting breakthrough," says Roger Hurst of PFR, who led the study. The findings were published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. 
(29 March 2010)

From top to bottom 
Paeroa ultra-marathon runner Andrew Hedgeman, 22, has run the length of New Zealand in 28 days, averaging 80km a day, to become the first ever to complete the distance in under 30 days. He was greeted on arrival at Stirling Point by Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt with a plate of oysters. Hedgeman admits he will have the utmost respect for the next person who takes on the challenge. "I'll take my hat off to the person that does this next," Hedgeman said. So what is the best thing about completing running's toughest feat in New Zealand? "Knowing I don't have to get up and run again tomorrow," he said. Along the way Hedgeman stopped at several schools to talk about his efforts and try to inspire children to reach for their goals. He is now looking at writing a book about his feat. 
(22 March 2010)

Children allowed 
At the "sophisticated" Poronui Lodge near Lake Taupo The Sydney Morning Herald's Max Anderson is relieved to find there is also room for his six-year-old boys. "It's a little-known fact that most of New Zealand's famous luxury lodges don't welcome children under 13. But I'm pleased to report there are ways you can get your little ones into a champion wilderness retreat without having their heads mounted above the hearth. Poronui is set in 6500ha of forested valleys with 45km of private watercourse. World-renowned for its fishing, it has a finely tailored main lodge hung with reels, rods and stuffed trout and caters to a maximum of just 14 guests. If you offer some personal guarantees of their good behaviour, this number can include your rugrats. The lodge is well-suited to young guests. For a start it has a dog — a thing that, to your children's eyes, has the same appeal as a good bottle of Hawkes Bay pinot might have to you." 
(27 March 2010)

Technophobe now twit 
Auckland mother and self-confessed technophobe Lisa Etheridge, 39, is now an unwitting international Twitter celebrity. Etheridge — @lisatickledpink — was asked to sign up to Twitter for a Unitec design course, and her first tweet, "I hate technology," resulted in 25,000 followers, the top 2 per cent of all Twitter users. Etheridge's fame began when Kevin Ross, founder of social news website Digg, decided to pick a random Twitter account to follow, encouraging others to follow suit. Etheridge was unaware she was being talked about in front of an online audience of thousands. "I got home and went through my normal routine of looking through my emails from all over the place, and I didn't know what was going on," she said. Etheridge was getting an email alert every time someone started following her on Twitter. Technology broadcaster Leo Laporte of netcast network TWiT.tv also encouraged his 100,000 fans to follow Etheridge online and has given her the gift of tablet computer iPad. She will be the first New Zealand owner of the new technology. Watch the exclusive Kiwi Fm interview with Etheridge and Laporte on YouTube. (24 March 2010)

Best northern beaches 
The North Island's top beaches are named by The Sydney Morning Herald's Bruce Elder, who writes that those suggested are so good that no trip to New Zealand would be complete without visiting them. Elder includes: Karekare Beach, west of Auckland, famous as the location for the film The Piano and a "dark, dangerous and passionate" beach "not to be missed"; Waiheke Island's Onetangi Beach, which has a 2km-long white sand beach lined with small chic villages and good cafés; the "particularly impressive" Opunake Beach which is recognised by surfers as one of the North Island's top surfing destinations; and Whangamata Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula — "a rare mix of rainforest and pristine white sands". (21 March 2010)

Medal for devotion 
Auckland nurse Joyce Hood, 67, has been awarded the highest international honour in her profession, the Florence Nightingale Medal, awarded by the International Committee of the Red Cross for Hood's 11 years of service working in Afghanistan, East Timor and Iraq. The award is given to people who distinguish themselves in times of peace or war by showing exceptional courage and devotion to the wounded, sick or disabled as well as to victims of conflict or disaster. "I love my work and always get back more than I give," Hood said. "The people are just amazing. I go to some very poor places, but they are so stoic and generous. Even if they do not have anything, they offer you tea and biscuits or something." The mission that haunts her was in Afghanistan, during which kerosene lamps adulterated with A1 jet fuel exploded in houses. "Quite a lot died and there was very severe burning. I often think of children killed and maimed unnecessarily." Landmines caused similar injuries, she said. Hood returns to Auckland every six to 12 months, where she works at a Manukau emergency and medical clinic for a few months before heading off on her next mission. She has previously received the New Zealand Operational Service Medal and the New Zealand General Service Medal for her work in Afghanistan. 
(18 March 2010)

Part of the corps 
Actors Temuera Morrison and Taika Waititi both star in the Martin Campbell-directed 3D film Green Lantern which began production in New Orleans in mid-March. Morrison is playing Abin Sur — a member of the interplanetary police force known as the Green Lantern Corps — who is instrumental in Hal Jordan becoming the superhero, while Waititi plays the best friend of Jordan, the test pilot who comes to wear the super-powered ring of the Corps. The movie is set for a June 17, 2011 release. Morrison, repped by Abrams Artists, recently wrapped the New Zealand-made thriller Tracker with Ray Winstone. 
(14 March 2010)

Gender balanced 
New Zealand women are the most promiscuous in the world, according to a global survey on market research website onepoll.com which found that women in this country had an average of 20.4 sexual partners in a lifetime. Sexologist Dr Michelle Mars puts the result down to the failings of New Zealand men. "New Zealand men aren't very good at picking up women unless they're really drunk. So what tends to happen is that women are just as likely to ask men to have sex as men are to ask women," The New Zealand Herald quoted Mars as saying. "While a lot of people would read that statistic quite negatively, I think it's quite a positive. It's more of a gender balance in people getting the kind of sex they want," she added. 
(14 March 2010)

Funding the flagship 
"The turf in Auckland's Eden Park stadium is freshly laid and verdant green, but three floors up, the corporate hospitality suite remains unfinished," writes the Financial Times' David Fickling. "Martin Snedden, chief executive of New Zealand's 2011 Rugby World Cup organising body, steps up to address about 200 members gathered in business suits, fluorescent jackets and hard hats. 'I think we missed a huge opportunity when we brought you all up here,' he grins. 'We should have said the only way back down is to buy your way out with some corporate sponsorship.' The laughter is good-natured but subdued. A funding crisis is a rite of passage for any international sporting tournament. As the flagship venue for next year's event, Eden Park is no exception. New Zealand, like many other countries, is only slowly emerging from a deep recession, and beneath the pride over hosting the event, there is a note of unease in the room. It is typical of New Zealand, and its profound reverence for its national sport, that borrowing [money] would seem to matter less if the All Blacks triumph next year." 
(10 March 2010)

Like it or loathe it 
Wellington Airport-owned land on the hills of Miramar Peninsula could soon sport a Hollywood-style sign with the word 'Wellywood' erected in 3.5m high letters, that is, if it isn't in violation of Hollywood's trademark. Director Peter Jackson told The Dominion Post that the sign was "tongue-in-cheek humour at its very best." But he added, referring to The Lord of the Rings and Avatar, "Beneath the leg-pulling is genuine pride. Within a mile of the sign is the birth place of Middle Earth and Pandora." Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president Leron Gubler yesterday said his lawyer had confirmed the proposal would violate the Hollywood sign trademark. He said he thought communities were better off creating something that symbolised their own community. "Recreating the Hollywood sign might be cute for a little while, but if you're going to leave it up there, you're better to do something that's unique." Taika Waititi, whose film Boy is due for release soon, said the idea was fine as a short-term installation for the film festival or other such event. "But the prospect that this thing could be sitting there for 30 years is probably what makes people vomit a little in the back of their throats." 
(9 March 2010)

Media management 
An image of Wellington-born rifleman James McKee, 29, who serves in the British Army, made national and international headlines after he saved the lives of two of his comrades in Afghanistan by throwing the grenade back off the roof where the men were coming under fire from three different directions. The image, which shows McKee with fragmentation injuries to his face, first appeared on March 8 on the UK Forces Media Ops blog site Helmand Blog. New Zealand's TVNZ dubbed McKee a "war hero" comparing him to Willie Apiata. Rifleman McKie joined the British Army because he wanted to fight in Afghanistan. He previously served in the New Zealand Army. He said: "I love soldiering. I love being here in Afghanistan. Obviously bad things happen and I can't go back and change it, but what I can do is try and stop things happening around me." 
(9 March 2010)

Hartley locks ears 
New Zealand-born English hooker Dylan Hartley, 23, talks to The Independent on Sunday ahead of the team's biennial trip to Edinburgh to play Scotland, which England meets once more before a "supremely crucial" World Cup pool match in New Zealand in September 2011. "Both teams will be desperate to win," Hartley said. "I've played at Murrayfield once before, a club game against Borders, in front of about 50 people. I don't know much about the history. It's just another big game." A misfiring line-out would be a signpost to Scotland taking the high road. And Hartley knows that the scrum will be tough too. That's where he will lock cauliflower ears with [Northampton club-mate Euan] Murray. "He's the ultimate professional and one of the best in the world at what he does," said Hartley. "He's a role model for me, the way he trains and lives his life, and he's always on at me to get better." Hartley was born in Rotorua. He received his first cap for England on 8 November, 2008 against the Pacific Islanders. 
(7 March 2010)

Qatar seeks NZ company 
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) recently held an advisory board meeting under its Beachheads programme in Qatar. Through this two-year programme New Zealand companies are provided with faster access to better international networks. It connects interested companies to a network of advisors who can provide detailed insights into doing business in a specific international market as in Qatar. "The focus of companies in New Zealand has shifted from Western countries to the region. With Qatar becoming a major hub of industrial activities and development, a number of companies are keen on knowing about the market here," NZTE counsel general and trade commissioner Wayne Mikkelsen told The Peninsula. 
(6 March 2010)

Bus ride controversy 
Vicar of St Matthew-in-the-City in Auckland Archdeacon Glynn Cardy supports a recent New Zealand Atheist Bus Campaign questioning the existence of God. The advertisement, which the NZ Bus company initially accepted but then backed off, read: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." "Free speech should be the norm, censorship the exception," Cardy told The New Zealand Herald. "I don't see it as a negative thing at all. I think it brings God into public debate. Many in the Christian community welcome a debate about issues of the existence of God and, also, I don't think there's anything to be afraid of in that debate." Campaign spokesman Simon Fisher said NZ Bus had double standards, given that religious ads were regularly allowed on buses. "It needs to be out there in public. We need to get people in the street to stop and look and think about what they believe, and why they believe these things." Fisher said the group was considering an appeal to the Human Rights Review Tribunal. 
(2 March 2010)

Win for NZ in Napier 
New Zealand outran Australia by two wickets to win the opening Chappell-Hadlee one-day international at Napier's Maclean Park. Scott Styris and Shane Bond were the unlikely heroes for New Zealand; chasing 275 for eight, the pair got the Black Caps across the line after Ross Taylor's 70 had built on the good start by Brendon McCullum (45) and Peter Ingram (40). Styris, 34, who finished on 49 not out from just 34 balls, smacked a six off Doug Bollinger in the final over to lift the Black Caps to 281 for eight to seal the victory with four balls remaining. "To get out there and have a chance to win it I was obviously ecstatic," Styris told Radio Sport. "The boys have worked so hard and it was good to get them a win. I was a little bit rusty to start with. I haven't had an innings for a couple of weeks so it took me a little bit to get going but the wicket out here was top drawer and great for batting." Styris represents the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League. 
(3 March 2010)

Seriously moving 
Choreographer Neil Ieremia's contemporary dance group Black Grace's Gathering Clouds performance in February at Princeton's McCarter Theatre is reviewed in the New Jersey State Ledger. Reviewer Robert Johnson writes: "Black Grace takes its dancing seriously. If nothing else, this troupe skewers the claims of the New Zealand economist who once disparaged that country's Pacific Island immigrants as underachievers. Gathering Clouds specifically targets those racial slurs, but the whole performance evinced remarkable commitment and an energy that rebounded without ever flagging until desires had been satisfied." Black Grace continues its North American tour with several dates in Massachusetts and final performances at the Vancouver International Dance Festival on March 19. 
(25 February 2010)

Referendum in sight 
New Zealand is due to hold an election referendum in 2011 to enable the population to decide between using AV or the current 'first-past-the-post' system. Ken Ritchie, the chief executive of Britain's Electoral Reform Society, praised New Zealand's government for allowing voters a range of options. "People will be asked firstly if they want change, and secondly what sort of change. That would allow a real debate on the merits of different electoral systems and would let the voter take the decision on the type of politics they want," Ritchie said. New Zealand's referendum is the first of its kind since 1993, when New Zealanders voted to replace the Westminster system of FFP with the Additional Member System, or, as it is known in New Zealand, Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMP). Politics lecturer at the University of Otago Dr Bryce Edwards, who has worked as a government policy analyst in New Zealand and the UK, commented that: "Disillusion with MMP has existed ever since it was brought in, and there has been widespread expectation of a referendum for some time. "It's too far away now to know exactly what will happen, but we have been promised that if a different system is not voted for, there will be a review of the current MMP system, and changes made." Regardless of whether votes choose to discard or retain an improved version of MMP, a new system will not be introduced until 2014, when a general election is scheduled. 
(24 February 2010)

Debut in Dayton 
Pianist Justin Bird, 25, New Zealand's young musician of the year in 2002, recently played a solo concert at Shiloh Church in Dayton, Ohio as part of the city's final Soirees Musicales Piano Series. "This will be Justin's first time in Dayton," Series founder Don Hageman said. "Whenever I hear somebody that I think is wonderful I try to schedule them for the series." As a teenager Bird made appearances with the Auckland Philharmonic at the "Symphony Under the Stars" and "Starlight Symphony" concerts before more than 250,000 people. 
(16 February 2010)

Graceful turns with clouds
Contemporary dance company Black Grace is touring the US making their debut at Princeton University's McCarter Theatre in late February, performing their signature work "Minoi" and their latest work "Gathering Clouds". One of New Zealand's national treasures, Black Grace has toured extensively throughout New Zealand and internationally to perform with critical acclaim. The company made its US debut in August 2004 at the prestigious Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in the Berkshires of Massachusetts where, by the end of their weeklong engagement, they were "playing to vociferously enthusiastic, [to] sold-out houses" (The New York Times). For over 15 years this all-male dance troupe has fused Pacific traditional cultures with contemporary dance onstage, performing to music ranging from Samoan indigenous music to Bach and hip-hop. Named after an expression that translates to "daring and brave," Black Grace continues to unfold founder and director Neil Ieremia's dynamic, bold vision, blending athleticism with innovation onstage. 
(15 February 2010)

Attention to change 
Former prime minister Helen Clark, now head of the United Nation's Development Agency, was recently at Sydney's Lowy Institute calling for climate change to be put at the centre of international development strategies. In her speech, Clark set out a four-point strategy for moving the development agenda forward. She called for a renewed focus on meeting goals for the future and for climate change to be placed at the centre of development thinking and strategies. There should be particular attention to vulnerable groups. "For a number of Pacific Island nations and communities, climate change is not just an abstract issue, not just an environmental or an economic issue," Clark said. "It is about their very survival." Clark was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand, for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008 and led the Labour Party from 1993 until it lost the 2008 general election.
(12 February 2010)

Whiskey windfall 
From the ice outside Shackleton's Antarctic hut a team from the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust have found three cases of Chas Mackinlay & Co's whisky and two containing brandy made by the Hunter Valley Distillery Limited, Allandale abandoned during the explorer's 1907 abortive expedition to the South Pole. Team leader Al Fastier said restoration workers found the crates under the hut's floorboards in 2006, but they were too deeply embedded in ice to be dislodged. The New Zealanders agreed to drill the ice to try to retrieve some bottles, although the rest must stay under conservation guidelines agreed to by 12 Antarctic Treaty nations. Anything related to Shackleton's attempt to reach the Pole is as steeped in emotive significance as the ice which surrounded the cases was in whisky. To find the actual whisky favoured by this ultimate man's man is one thing, to taste the essence of death-defying, pipe-smoking, god-among-men masculinity will be quite another. Extracting the whisky may not be as simple as it sounds as inevitably ice has got into the cases and broken at least some of the bottles, and if the corks have come into contact with the alcohol they will have degenerated. Hopes are high however as liquid can be heard sloshing about inside the boxes and the steady, if chilly, temperature should have helped to preserve the spirit. 
(5 February 2010)

Multi-tasking birds 
Two female royal albatrosses at Taiaroa Head Royal Albatross Centre on the Otago Peninsula have successfully incubated a chick, after the father — one of scores to recently leave the Centre — disappeared. "It's quite unusual in the albatross population here at Taiaroa Head to have two females mating together," Lyndon Perriman, the colony's head ranger, told Television New Zealand. "Even more unusual than that is that the egg is actually fertile this season." While homosexuality is well documented in the animal kingdom, including among seabirds, Taiaroa Head — the only mainland albatross breeding colony in the world — has recorded only two previous instances of females setting up a nest together in the past 70 years. There are about 140 royal albatrosses on the colony with wingspans of nearly 10 feet. This season 17 chicks have hatched from 17 fertile eggs, a rare 100 per cent success rate. 
(3 February 2010)

Getting stuck in 
Rotorua-raised Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley, 23, hopes to play for England in the Six Nations and, according to the Telegraph's Paul Ackford, "Hartley is a find for England because he plays with a rage that all good international teams need". "Dog, devil, attitude — call it what you will — is beyond coaching, and the men who have it are precious. As with all proper forwards, Hartley wears pain as a badge of pride. 'I love where I play. I'm heavy and I'm not as fast or as skilful as the backs, so hooker suits me. What front-rowers are good at is putting their heads where other people won't and pushing and enjoying the contact side of things, getting their ears squeezed.' England need to stir themselves for this Six Nations and Hartley could just be the man wielding the spoon." 
(30 January 2010)

Brown trout capital 
Mataura River, just outside of Gore, is "the world capital of brown trout" and a "world-class fly-fishing destination". The Mataura extends for an impressive 140 miles of trout water in the heart of sheep and dairy country. Most tourists fishing these waters will catch at least one three-pound trout a day, according to American angler Tom McLoughlin, who fishes the Mataura in the New Zealand summers, and fishermen will frequently catch 17- to 19-inch fish. Some streams contain trout that average five to seven pounds, said Ron Granneman, a retired guide from the Bighorn River in Montana. The trout hide in deep holes, long riffles, and upstream or downstream of willows at the river's edge. New Zealand began importing brown trout from Germany, France and England in the 1860s, and they thrived. So did rainbow trout, brought in later from the Russian River in California. But brown trout dominate on South Island, and browns are the greater challenge. Many fly fishermen consider them the most difficult to catch of all trout. 
(31 January 2010)

Great appointment 
Former New Zealand Test batsman Mark Greatbatch, 46, has been appointed Black Caps coach joining Mark O'Donnell and Shane Jurgensen on the team's coaching panel. Greatbatch, who is already on the national selection panel, has been working closely with captain, Daniel Vettori, since the departure of the previous coach, Andy Moles, last October. Greatbatch, who also had a spell as director of cricket at Warwickshire between 2005 and 2007, will be responsible for the development of the team's batting but Vettori will continue to have a huge say in the selection of the team, tactics and strategy. Greatbatch said he was looking forward to working even more closely with the Black Caps squad, and was excited by the potential of the current team. "There is a real desire for success within this current Black Caps unit and there are some very talented individuals. I believe that I can make a very positive contribution to the team and to the batting unit in particular." Greatbatch scored more than 2,000 runs in his 41 Tests for New Zealand. 
(30 January 2010)

Super scenery 
Lochnagar in Otago provided the backdrop for a David Jones fashion shoot featuring Australian super model Miranda Kerr, 26. Kerr made sub-zero sexy, starring in David Jones' latest winter catalogue dressed in a silver creation by Willow. Behind the scenes, Kerr was transported by helicopter to picturesque scenery to shoot 150 items of clothes and 30 pairs of shoes. "We got to see the most beautiful sights while we were there — from mountains to glaciers to stunning lakes," Kerr said. "But it was a little cold. We were shooting in the mountains and it was actually minus 20 degrees with a wind-chill factor."
(23 January 2010)

Campbell's big gun 
Hastings-born director Martin Campbell, 66, best known for the 2006 Bond film Casino Royale, has told the Los Angeles Times that "there was nobody else" but Mel Gibson for the role of Boston cop Thomas Craven in Campbell's latest thriller Edge of Darkness. He said the script called for an actor old enough to have a 24-year-old daughter (gunned down in the film) who also possessed a ferocity. The list of big stars that fit the bill was exactly one name long. There was nobody else," the New Zealand-born filmmaker said. "I liken Mel to the old Hollywood stars like Robert Mitchum, Lee Marvin, William Holden, people like that, and we've got none of them now, do we? Everyone now is so lightweight. Even George Clooney, who is a terrific actor, he's too polished. Mel has this masculine kind of emotional weight that others don't. Possibly Russell Crowe, but he's too young for this role. Eastwood is gone [from acting] and Harrison Ford, he's got the grit, but he doesn't have the menace or the power." 
(24 January 2010)

Further accolades for Brown
Ladyhawke is up for another music gong this month having been nominated for a BRIT best International Female Solo Artist award. Masterton-born Pip Brown, 30, will compete with big name stars Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Shakira and Norah Jones at the award ceremony on February 16 at Earl's Court in London. Ladyhawke picked up two awards in the breakthrough single and album categories at the recent 2009 Australian Music Awards (Arias). 
(18 January 2010)

Shadows and light 
New Zealand choreographer Lemi Ponifasio's "disturbing, visually beautiful" Tempest: without a body, recently performed as part of the Sydney Festival, is reviewed by The Australian's Deborah Jones who describes Tempest as a production with a "spacious quality that gives room for reflections of many kinds, depending on one's worldview". "Tempest, performed by Ponifasio's New Zealand-based company MAU, is certainly making its mark. The title evokes Shakespeare's great play and therefore ideas of dispossession and magic. Another thread is the experience of detention and the loss of freedom after September 11; above all is the yearning for the deep sense of belonging that comes from knowing exactly who you are and where you have come from. Ponifasio creates this multiplicity of meanings in a setting of immense austerity. Ponifasio is uncompromising in his stretching of time, repetition of images and a mood of deep desolation, but surrendering to the work yielded great riches." 
(12 January 2010)

McIver learns from best 
New Zealand actress Rose McIver, 22, plays the younger sister to Saoirse Ronan in Peter Jackson's thriller The Lovely Bones. Teen Hollywood talks to McIver about working with stars Ronan, 15, and Susan Sarandon. "Susan is fantastic," McIver said. "I think she pushed me to see how far it could go. She's such a professional and has a lot of experience I feel like I learned a lot from working with her." Asked what most impressed her about working on the film, McIver said: "Just working with such high calibre people; leaders in their fields; crew and cast. I loved how they really get down to work and they are actors' actors but still a very down-to-earth bunch of people." McIver plays the lusted-after Maybelle in the movie Predicament, an adaption of the book written by late Hawera author Ronald Hugh Morrieson. 
(11 January 2010)

Challenge in the trees 
Thirty minutes out of Auckland in Woodhill Forests Tree Adventures has set up an adventure park allowing students and executives the chance to excape classrooms and offices and clamber up branches, balance on tightropes and zoom down flying foxes. Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Queena Lee-Chua "had the time of [her life], skipping over ropes, hanging onto swaying steps, maneuvering through obstacles, way above the trees." "Tree Adventures is not just physical — the challenges are mental as well. My son had to think about how to go over tall pinions (meant for longer legs) while still maintaining his balance. My husband had to think how not to rely too much on his shoulders, so as not to inflame an old injury, as he held on to much-needed pulleys and harnesses. No wonder Tree Adventures is a popular retreat for students and executives. Not only is it a decent team-building activity, it also promotes mental and physical learning." Tree Adventures offers nine different courses ranging from three to 14 metres above the ground. 
(10 January 2010)

Ruthless makes US list 
New Zealand romance writer Natalie Anderson's novel Ruthless Boss, Royal Mistress recently featured in USA Today's top 150 books sold over the New Year. Her book about a "billionaire businessman who teaches a spoiled heiress a lesson," has just been released in America by her publisher, Harlequin Presents. Ruthless Boss placed 108th of bestsellers. She says one of the biggest influences on her literary career was, perhaps unusually, her grandmother. "My grandmother lived with us when I was growing up and she was a voracious reader of everything and she used to read a lot of Mills and Boons and I would read them, too." Anderson — Christchurch mother of four children under five, including twins — has written a number of other books, including Hot Boss, Boardroom Mistress. She is one of the few authors to have a multi-book contract with the world's most famous romance publishers, Mills and Boon. Anderson has an arts degree from the University of Canterbury and a masters in library and information studies from Victoria University.
(11 January 2010)

Spartacus debuts in US 
Former warrior princess Lucy Lawless stars as Lucretia in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, "a sword-and-sandals epic that Starz, the US premium cable network, rolls out January 22". Spartacus is a flashy, big-budget attempt to forge a brand, complete with a big-name costar (Lawless) and the heavily stylised, comic-book-like use of green-screen technology familiar from movies like 300 and Sin City. "We tried to do the western, operatic version of violence and bloodshed," said executive producer Rob Tapert, Lawless' husband. Spartacus took advantage of tax breaks in New Zealand — where Tapert and Lawless now spend much of the year — and was shot entirely on soundstages, with effects and settings filled in later by computer. 
(10 January 2010)

Courting kiwis 
Prince William, 27, has officially opened the new $80.7 million Supreme Court building on Lambton Quay in Wellington, now the country's highest court of appeal. Architects Warren and Mahoney modelled the courtroom on a kauri cone and designed it in accordance with sustainable design policies. On the second day of Prince William's first official visit overseas, he finally met a local who didn't want to meet him on the 800ha Kapiti Island reserve. In his case it was a drowsy Little Spotted Kiwi, rooted out of its undergrowth habitat and nocturnal routine the previous evening and kept in a box to be introduced to the prince on his visit to the astonishingly beautiful Kapiti Island reserve. The prince's kiwi, about the size of a small chicken, is the smallest of the six sub-species of the bird and it deployed its defences against the unwelcome intrusion of visitors by unleashing a small shower of feathers, a move designed to distract attention. It is a tactic royals could perhaps consider deploying for themselves. As it was, the prince, gingerly holding the kiwi upside down, merely turned to the accompanying flock of press photographers and beamed knowingly: "At last — me with a kiwi bird." 
(18 January 2010)

Missouri dairy kings 
New Zealander Kevin Van der Poel, 46, remembers the skepticism and suspicion when he moved to Missouri more than four years ago to raise dairy cattle. When Van der Poel started construction on rock walkways for moving cattle between pastures, rumour spread that he was building housing for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Some locals thought his cows seemed too thin and speculated that they had to go too far to forage or weren't adequately protected from the elements. He was a foreigner who had purchased a prized farm and had a different way of doing things. Some folks told him he would fail — though you would be hard-pressed to get many of them to say so now. Instead, Van der Poel is among those credited with boosting the state's reeling dairy industry. Now, on just over 2000ha, Van der Poel has 3800 dairy cows and an additional 2000 still too young to milk. The operation pumps about US$6 million a year into the local community and employs 28 people, about a third the number required to run a confinement dairy with a similar-sized herd.In the last few years, he and a handful of New Zealanders have invested US$100 million in Missouri's dairy industry, which annually generates more than US$900 million in economic impact. The New Zealanders operate four dairies and own almost 10 per cent of the state's herd. And with milk prices so low, their less expensive methods — which mostly involve a different way of feeding cows — are luring converts. "Their impact has been so significant in our state that it's hard to get your arms around it," said executive director of the Missouri Dairy Association David Drennan. 
(11 January 2010)

Together in song 
New Zealand's national anthem could soon be played alongside the Australian during Anzac Day ceremonies at Queensland schools. Premier Anna Bligh, who is chairwoman of the Anzac Day Commemoration Committee (ADCC), is to send a letter to principals asking them to play 'God Defend New Zealand' along with 'Advance Australia Fair'. "This would be a fitting tribute and suitable recognition of the members of the New Zealand armed forces who have served alongside the men and women of our Australian armed forces during wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations," Bligh says in the letter. More than 150,000 New Zealanders live in Queensland, about 40 per cent of all New Zealanders in Australia. 'God Defend New Zealand' was first performed at the Queen's Theatre, Princes Street, Dunedin, on Christmas Day, 1876.
(11 January 2010)

No pain no gain 
Dunedin ironman Olympian Greg Henderson, 32, won stage two of the Jayco Bay Classic Criterium in Geelong. And when Henderson admits to hurting, you know he's had a tough day. "The legs are absolutely screaming at me," a jubilant Henderson said after the win. "The pace was a cracker from the opening lap. The speed of the attacks and counter-attacks was just unbelievable. The field raced at full gas throughout. After two days here, I now know why the Jayco crits produce the quickest closed-circuit racing anywhere in the world." Henderson showed just why the new Rupert Murdoch-backed Team Sky paid big money for his services with a dazzling display of sprinting around a tight and technical Eastern Park circuit on the foreshores of Corio Bay. In 2009 he won the Clasica de Almerma in Spain and the second stage of Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia. 
(4 January 2010)

Ideal weather for tea 
Katherine Mansfield's 1922 short story The Garden Party provides summery inspiration for Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel writer Kristyna Wentz-Graff who includes recipes for making club sandwiches, date scones and pavlova as part of a monthly book-themed menu. "While the opening line of [Virginia Woolf's] Mrs Dalloway is very good ('Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself'), it doesn't quite top the opening for The Garden Party: 'And after all the weather was ideal.'" There is so much that is fine and economical in Mansfield's stories that it would seem superfluous if they were stretched into novels. What Woolf did in a couple of hundred pages, Mansfield was able to achieve in just a couple of dozen." The story includes reference to Mansfield's Heroes page on nzedge.com calling it, "A fascinating analysis, from a New Zealand perspective, about Mansfield's influence as a writer and New Zealanders' somewhat ambivalent feelings toward her". 
(9 January 2010)

Auckland airport expands
Auckland International Airports has acquired Westpac's 24.55 per cent stake in North Queensland Airports (NQA) for AU$132.8 million as part of a strategy to grow beyond its New Zealand business. It sees Cairns as a good fit because of its focus on Asian tourism, with Mackay's exposure to the North Queensland resources sector an added bonus. NQA operates the nation's seventh-busiest airport at Cairns, with 3.7 million passengers in 2008—09, as well as the smaller Mackay airport. Both Auckland, which attracted 13 million passengers in 2008—09, and Cairns are end-point destinations keen to attract more flights. Auckland airport chairman Tony Frankman said yesterday the deal opened up new opportunities to use Cairns as a stepping stone between New Zealand and Asia. "While our primary focus remains direct Asian connections with Auckland, an important stepping stone is to strengthen our connection with other strategically located airports," Frankman said. 
(12 January 2010)

Record warm 
New Zealand has had its warmest decade since records began 150 years ago. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) climate scientist James Renwick said there are plenty of causes. "Natural variations, such as El Nino and volcanic eruptions, play quite a role," Renwick said. "That's what made the 1990s cool in a lot of places, especially New Zealand." Tauranga was the country's warmest city last month, while Christchurch was the driest and Dunedin the coolest. 
(6 January 2010)

Gong for West trailer
The New Zealand Book Council’s two-minute stop-motion animated trailer for Whakatane-born Maurice Gee’s 1993 novel Going West has won the Best Big Budget/Big Book House Trailer in the inaugural Moby Awards held by US publisher Melville House in New York on May 20. The “wonderfully animated trailer”, created for the Council by Colenso BBDO, was launched on YouTube in November last year. Auckland-based actor Craig Walsh-Wrightson is the film’s narrator. Melville House publisher and blogger for their accompanying literary site MobyLives, Dennis Johnson founded the awards. Johnson claims he ordered the book almost immediately upon seeing the “surprisingly artful and creative” trailer. It was viewed online more than 725,000 times, inspired more than 3400 tweets on Twitter or blog posts worldwide, and reached number 8 in the Viral Video Chart compiled by Unruly Media. Gee’s most recent publication is The Limping Man (Penguin, 2010), the third in the Salt trilogy.
(19 June 2010)

Too good in Taranaki
The All Blacks have thrashed Ireland 66-28 in New Plymouth. Outscored by nine tries to four, it was a bad night for the Irish who have failed to beat the New Zealanders in 23 Test matches. Reduced to 14 men when No8 Jamie Heaslip was sent off with just over 15 minutes gone, the visitors never stood a chance against a fired-up All Blacks outfit and matters just got worse when Ronan O’Gara was sin-binned for cynical play midway through the first period. By half-time the hosts were 38-7 up after tries by Conrad Smith, Kieran Read, Ben Franks and two for Jimmy Cowan, and it was young lock Whitelock who had the final say in the second half, dotting down for New Zealand’s ninth and final try. New Zealand next face Wales at Carisbrook in Dunedin.
(14 June 2010)

Point taken
The All Whites have earned their first-ever point at a World Cup scoring a last-minute equalising point against Slovakia in Rustenburg, South Africa. Defender Winston Reid, who had been beaten in the air by Vittek for the opening goal, ghosted in behind the Slovakian defense to glance a header from Shane Smeltz’s cross into the net off the base of the post. The 1-1 draw left all four teams in Group F on one point after Paraguay held defending champions Italy to the same score on Monday night. CNN described the New Zealand side as “stubborn”, and though the team “mixed battling defense with some shaky moments at the back”, New Zealand hit back in the third minute of time added on to secure the nation’s first-ever point from their fourth World Cup finals game. 
(15 June 2010)

Round versus oval
“All Whites manager, Ricki Herbert, believes football has overtaken rugby in the popularity stakes in New Zealand, as it briefly did 28 years ago when the team’s Spanish sojourn coincided with a disenchantment with the oval ball game,” writes the Guardian’s Paul Rees. “The year before a contentious tour by South Africa was bedevilled by anti-apartheid protests, one of which forced the cancellation of a game in Hamilton, rugby’s dominance is again under threat even though the All Blacks are ranked No1 in the world while the All Whites are 78th. ‘The reaction to our qualifying for the World Cup finals has been staggering,’ Herbert says, ‘even more so than in 1982. Since we qualified for South Africa soccer is not third- or fourth‑ranked in popularity in New Zealand. It is probably No1 at the moment. What the players have done for the nation is to bring football back to where it should be.’”
(12 June 2010)

Boy it's popular 
The hit film Boy, directed by Taika Waititi, is reviewed by Hao Ying for the Chinese publication Global Times who writes that the "laughs are frequent and uncontrived". The film, which has now earned $8.4 million at the box office since its release in March, rocketing it to No. 3 spot of the all-time top New Zealand films in real terms, is compared to Woody Allen's best work. Ying continues: "Boy uses humour to touch on subjects that would otherwise be too painful to bear, such as the abandonment of children by their caretakers, and the ways patterns of abuse are passed from generation to generation." Waititi is currently in Hollywood, playing the sidekick Thomas Kalmaku in the upcoming Green Lantern movie. Boy, alongside other local films — Second-Hand Wedding, Home by Christmas and I am not Harry Jenson — is screening as part of the 2010 New Zealand Film Festival in China until June 13.
(13 June 2010)

Thrills and spills 
Justin Marshall has ended his rugby career playing for Saracens in the Guinness Premiership final against the Leicester Tigers. The 36-year-old, capped 88 times by his country, describes his last match, unable to hide his disappointment after the Men in Black's title dreams were scuppered in the most dramatic fashion. The fierce competitor said: "I was very happy with my decision to retire leading up to the game but walking down the tunnel in Twickenham, all I could think about was needing to do one more year and win the final. It was the not the way I wanted the result to go, not on a personal note but for the club. You can't help but be disappointed because we were in a position to win the game." Looking back on an array of personal milestones, Marshall said: "I have had plenty of highs and lows but being in the World Cup and facing the British Lions was special. My first Test for the All Blacks was a thrill I can't describe and if I hadn't have earned another cap it wouldn't have mattered after that." Matuara-born Marshall will continue to work for Saracens as a consultant and will develop his media career for Sky in New Zealand. 
(4 June 2010)

Anything but the bungy
Lyttelton-based Joe Bennett, author of Hello Dubai: Skiing, Sand and Shopping in the World's Weirdest City, tells the Telegraph why Queenstown is his kind of town. "It's the main visitor town of New Zealand's South Island, encapsulating why many people visit the country," Bennett explains. "Set amid stunning mountains beside a startling lake, it looks like a brochure made of flesh." What's the first thing he does when he arrives? I go to see the fish. There's a jetty at the wharf with an underwater viewing room. Drop a dollar in the slot and pellets are fed into the lake. Instantly eels writhe up to the glass, huge trout scythe through the water and little native ducks dive for the pellets, their plumage turned silver by the trapped air." Bennett prefers to stay at the Novotel or Hikurangi Lodge. He prefers not to bungy-jump: "I was scared, then I jumped, then I bounced, then I dangled, then I was retrieved, then I was given a certificate telling me I'd just experienced an awesome adrenalin rush. I hadn't." 
(7 June 2010)

Realm of the karearea 
The documentary Karearea: The Pine Falcon, an audience favourite at the 2009 Tallahassee Film Festival, is screening as part of the Tallahassee Film Society's annual "bird movie" Saturday at the All Saints Cinema this month. The documentary was a labour of love made by American Sandy Crichton who traveled to Otago to live among the birds and the loggers who share the same lonely landscape near the bottom of the world. It's also where an ongoing war of the wills is being waged between the lumberjacks and the fearless falcons. The scrappy New Zealand falcons — which are the only birds of prey endemic to New Zealand — build nests by making a scrape on the ground or beneath the roots of large trees. This is not such a good place to be when loggers move in. "[They are] an exciting, challenging bird," New Zealand nature photographer George Chance, 88, says with plenty of understatement in the documentary. "They really knock you around." The karearea features on the reverse of the New Zealand $20 note and has twice been used on New Zealand stamps. It was also featured on a collectable $5 coin in 2006. 
(4 June 2010)

Keisha stars in Vampire 
Keisha Castle-Hughes, 20, is following in the bloody footsteps of fellow New Zealander Anna Paquin, starring in the film Vampire, the first English-language film of Japanese cult director Shunji Iwai. According to Empire, the film stars Kevin Zegers (Transamerica, Dawn of the Dead), as a vampire high-school teacher with a penchant for feasting on emo girls. "We're guessing that Castle-Hughes is a student rather than a fellow teacher, but she'll be joined onscreen by Kristin Kreuk (Street Fighter), Rachael Leigh Cook (Nancy Drew) and Adelaide Clemens (Wolverine)." Shooting has just begun on Vampire in Vancouver. Earlier this year, Castle-Hughes guest-starred as the 'Creator' in the American weekly series, Legend of the Seeker. 
(24 May 2010)

Mucking in 
The Olivenhain garden of New Zealanders Maury and Heather Callaghan in Southern Californian is an "expanse of lawn and beds of perennials" with a tall, fragrant banana shrub and burgundy-leaved smoke tree "creat[ing] a luscious and unexpected, colour combination" in the spring. Profiled in the San Diego Union Tribune, the Callaghans are delighted with their San Diego garden, and rightfully so. "It is a surprise every year," Maury says, "No matter where you look, it continues to change." The garden isn't all that has changed; the owners have become knowledgeable and active participants in the process. "I've changed more as a gardener than anyone I know," Heather, who is a Master Gardener, says. 
(6 June 2010)

Predicting sadness 
New Zealander Professor Michael King, psychiatrist and Head of the Research Department of Mental Health Sciences at University College London (UCL), says reducing the prevalence of depression in the world is a major public health challenge of the 21st Century. In 2008, together with British researchers, King developed the PredictD, a tool that assesses emotional state and predicts the risk of falling into depression. The PredictD is posted on the Internet and in 10 minutes foresees any potential risk of depression. The goal is for doctors and hospitals to use this easy and inexpensive method for identifying people at risk of depression, and for whom preventative methods would be helpful. "If people know their level of risk they may be able to change and act as far as possible to avoid it," King says. Trials are currently being introduced in India and China. 
(4 June 2010)

Saving the hobbits 
Sir Peter Jackson will take up the role of director for the film adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit if it meant he was able to protect Warner Bros' investment, he has said in an interview with the The Dominion Post. Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro said he was withdrawing as director of The Hobbit, citing the continuing delays of its start of production. The film is planned to be released in two parts in 2012 and 2013 by MGM, which put itself up for sale last year and is still seeking buyers. Jackson said his directing The Hobbit was not an impossibility. "If that's what I have to do to protect Warner Brothers' investment, then obviously that's one angle which I'll explore," he said, adding: "The other studios may not let me out of the contracts." The Hobbit films, which are being made in New Zealand, are said to have a budget of $150 million. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce told The Dominion Post the project is worth "many millions of dollars" to the city. Jackson continues to work on The Adventures of Tintin trilogy, Dambusters and science-fiction film Mortal Engines. 
(1 June 2010)

Top of the box office 
Director Taika Waititi's second feature Boy has become the top grossing local film ever at the New Zealand box office, passing the $7.05 million-mark and overtaking 2005's The World's Fastest Indian, according to distributors Transmission Films. The heartfelt coming-of-age comedy set on the rural east coast of New Zealand, Boy tells the tale of Boy, Rocky and their inept wannabe gangster father Alamein. It is inspired by Waititi's Oscar-nominated short, Two Cars, One Night and his own childhood in Waihau Bay. Boy opened in New Zealand on March 25 and sat in the number one position for five weeks. It was also the fastest number one earner of all time, taking just eight weeks to hit that mark. Waititi, 34, hails from the Raukokore area of the East Coast. Boy The film screen at both the Sydney and Melbourne International Film Festivals, before its commercial release in Australia later in the year. 
(24 May 2010)

Shechita forbidden 
New Zealand has banned kosher slaughter after a new animal welfare code mandated that all animals for commercial consumption be stunned prior to slaughter to ensure they are treated "humanely and in accordance with good practice and scientific knowledge." The regulation has shocked the Jewish community. "This decision by the New Zealand government, one which has a Jewish prime minister, is outrageous," said Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, acting president of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia. The New Zealand government estimates that 15—20 beef cattle, 40—50 lambs and 1200—1400 chickens are annually slaughtered to meet the needs of the Jewish communities in Wellington and Auckland, which number about 5000. Among other countries that have banned shechita are Iceland, Norway and Sweden. 
(30 May 2010)

Intimidation tactics 
Ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the All Whites are included in a Vanity Fair article about the 32 participating teams. The author apologises for "an earlier version of [his] post incorrectly stated that the All Whites actually do begin each game with the Haka. But we've been corrected by our many ... um ... fans in New Zealand." And in this post: "If only the team could start each match with the Haka — à la the rugby team — as a little pre-game intimidation ritual! But it'll need more than that to emerge from its group, in which Italy is the clear favorite, and Paraguay and Slovakia won't be pushovers. This is New Zealand's first trip to the World Cup in 28 years." The All Whites open their tournament against Slovakia at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on June 15 and then take on world champions Italy on June 20 before Paraguay on June 24. The team will be captained by centre-back Ryan Nelsen. 
(18 May 2010)

National carrier wins 
Air New Zealand has won the Australia-Pacific's best airline and the region's staff service excellence award and was voted fifth in the world in the annual Skytrax awards. Eighteen million people voted in this year's awards. The top award was taken out by Korea's Asiana Airlines followed by Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific. Air New Zealand was also named Best Airline by readers of the UK's top consumer magazine at the 2010 Which? Awards. 
(21 May 2010)

Shticking it to them 
"The pretence of amateurism was always underpinned by [The Flight of the Conchords'] consummate musicianship, and the range of styles they ape is breathtaking, from rap to my favourite new song, a madrigal called 'To Woo a Lady', which had me crying with laughter," writes Observer reviewer Stephanie Merritt after the Conchords' show at the Manchester Apollo. "Over the years the Conchords' shtick in their live shows has barely changed, wisely, since the formula is so near perfect: the low-key dialogue, the seamless ad-libbing and, of course, the songs themselves, highly skilled parodies that offer poignant little stories, celebrate failure or veer away into the surreal." 
(16 May 2010)

Day tripping 
Oft considered more English than England, Christchurch, New Zealand's oldest city offers a preferable moderate climate, fresh contemporary Antipodean cuisine and a host of outdoor activities in and about the city limits. The Sydney Morning Herald's Tricia Welsh spends 24 hours in Christchurch and writes about her day, suggesting travellers begin "at the very Italian Caffé Roma overlooking the Avon", before taking a leisurely 30-minute punt. Then, "to get an idea of an extraordinary remote icy continent", Welsh takes a free shuttle to the International Antarctic Centre. Later, for "a cleansing ale", Welsh suggests trying the "local brews at The Twisted Hop, a micro-brewery that makes a range of beers such as English-style Golding Bitter and a dark malty Twisted Ankle". And for dinner, book a table at The Bicycle Thief overlooking Latimer Square or "delicious authentic and contemporary Thai food at Keo Thai in Merivale". 
(17 May 2010)

Meeting of mooers
Auckland-based Bob Carpenter, 57, creator of Filipino social networking site MooPlace, says the name of the site came about because of the high ratio of cows to people in New Zealand. MooPlace members are called "mooers", and their activities, "mooing". MooPlace has a video chat, a shout box, video messages, high quality videos, photos, and music sharing. The site provides large storage for members to create their own digital album of photos, music video, and art works. Members are encouraged to create their own art and music galleries in the website, share links of favorite online articles or post their own articles, and write in blogs. A section called MooTube allows members to upload videos, music, movies and documentaries. Members can also create online polls and ask other members to vote. MooPlace was launched in December 2009. Carpenter and his wife, Edith, who is from Manila, also own travel agency Planet Earth Travel. 
(17 May 2010)

Guided by forefathers 
Tangi Vautier and her husband, Ian, run charter cruises on Lake Tarawera, the largest of a series of lakes that sit within a caldera near Rotorua. Lake Tarawera is luminous, its banks rimmed with dancing toi toi plants, silver-crested manuka trees and umbrella-like punga ferns. They are phoenixes risen from Mt Tarawera's ash, forests that only began growing again in 1904. Maori burial grounds surround the lake, and pre-eruption rock art tells the story of Tangi's people. 'I'm very privileged to have this opportunity," she says. "For me it's like coming home. I believe my ancestors guided me here." After decades spent living abroad and elsewhere in New Zealand, Tangi and Ian share the rich stories and crystalline beauty of this area with their modern-day guests from a 50-foot catamaran that evokes luxury travel and leisurely pursuits far more than the unwieldy expeditions peddled by Tangi's forefathers. 
(15 May 2010)

But no cigar 
Since 1983, and the signing of the closer economic relations agreement, New Zealand and Australia's relationship has been one focused on freedom of labour movement and removal of tariffs. But leading Australian company director Kevin McCann says that harmonisation between the two countries has been slow since the signing of the agreement. McCann doubted that Australia and New Zealand would ever be united under a federation or economic union such as the European Union, or adopt common currency or regulations. He did acknowledge the recent double taxation treaty, which should provide for mutual assistance in collecting taxes and ensure that Australians have access to lower withholding taxes on dividends, interest and royalties if New Zealand reduces these taxes with another country to levels below those in the current treaty. But McCann said the treaty did not apply to non-financial organisations and withholding tax still applied to corporates. Mutual recognition of imputation credits would reduce the cost of capital for the New Zealand economy but would have implications for the Australian budget, he said. 
(14 May 2010)

Out of the scrummage 
Former All Black scrum-half, Justin Marshall, 36, will retire from rugby after a final appearance in the Saracens' Guinness Premiership play-off at Northampton. Mataura-born Marshall won 81 caps for the All Blacks, scoring 24 Test tries, and was a mainstay of the Canterbury Crusaders side when it dominated Super Rugby, making more than 100 appearances. He is the third most capped New Zealand international in history, and the most capped All Black scrum-half. He featured in the 1999 and 2003 World Cups. After heading to Europe in 2005, Marshall played for Leeds, the Ospreys and Montpellier before joining Saracens 18 months ago. "I have given a lot to the game over the past 17 seasons, but rugby has given me much, much more," Marshall said. He will remain involved in rugby, starting a new television career with Sky Sports New Zealand in June as well as continuing to work with Saracens.
(12 May 2010)

Collaborative honour 
Director Peter Jackson has been knighted by Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand at an investiture ceremony in Wellington. Jackson's knighthood was for services to the arts in New Zealand. "The truth is, making movies is not a solo effort — it involves hundreds of people, thousands of people — so I feel as though I'm accepting it on behalf of the industry," Jackson said. Jackson has risen from a maker of small-budget schlock-horror films to the heights of Hollywood. His crowning achievement remains the three-movie adaptation of Lord of the Rings, which transformed the rugged landscape of New Zealand into the Middle Earth of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic — spurring a real-life tourism industry along the way. The final movie in the trilogy won 11 Academy Awards. Jackson has gone on to remake King Kong, and his latest film is The Lovely Bones. 
(28 April 2010)

After great debate 
Fifteen mummified Maori warrior heads will be returned to New Zealand after the French parliament unanimously agreed to the restitution of the tattooed heads taken by European settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is the first time that French legislation has allowed an entire division of museum artefacts to be returned. Catherine Morin-Desailly, the MP who proposed the bill, said it showed France's commitment to human rights. "There are some things which are above art and which should remain sacred," Morin-Desailly told Associated Press. Maori believed the preservation of the heads kept their spirits alive. But they became exotic collector items in Europe in the 19th Century, with museum officials saying some men may have been killed for their tattoos. The heads will be sent to Te Papa and then returned to tribal groups to be buried. 
(5 May 2010)

All in good time 
New Zealand switched to proportional representation in 1993 and since then no single political party has been able to command a majority, so are there are lessons to learn from New Zealand if this year's UK election fails to produce a clear-cut result? New Zealanders have come to regard elections as a two-phase affair: first, the voting; and second, the period of government formation that follows afterwards which often takes weeks. Senior British civil servants appear to think so. In Wellington for a recent gathering of public servants from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Britain and New Zealand, the British Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell paid very close attention to a document called the Cabinet Manual. It lays down the procedures and conventions which come into effect in the event of no single party gaining a majority. The New Zealand civil service does not like to use the terminology hung parliament because it implies paralysis. It believes that it has come up with a workable model which ensures smooth transitions. After the 1996 election, the first under the new system, the period of uncertainty dragged on for more than a month, as the kingmaker, Winston Peters of the New Zealand First party, continued parallel negotiations with the two major parties, the National Party and Labour. Since then, the periods of governmental transition have been smoother and less troubled. 
(7 May 2010)

NY sell outs 
Flying Nun band Dimmer, fronted by former Straitjacket Fits frontman Shayne Carter, recently played to sold-out shows in New York. "While still including the indie guitar heroics of Straitjacket Fits, Dimmer are a groovier affair. At times almost funky. After one album on Sony and two back on Flying Nun, Dimmer's guitar-heavy fourth album, Degrees of Existence, was self-released last year," writes Bill Pearis for US music blog site Brooklyn Vegan. Dimmer played with "indie rock icons" The Clean at Le Poisson Rougue "as part of the enormous Chris Knox benefit", and at New York's Bell House. Dimmer are vocalist Shayne Carter, guitarist James Duncan, drummer Gary Sullivan and bassist Vaughn Williams. The band formed in 1994.
(6 May 2010)

Paddock poses 
New Zealand's Next Top Model judge Colin Mathura-Jeffree joined Tyra Bank's right hand queen Miss Jay in a "go-see challenge" of an episode shot in New Zealand. One of the challenges included in the episode saw the contestants pose in a paddock with a sheep called 'Prince'. In the elimination, New Zealand Top Model host and agent Sara Tetro joined the panel, with Krista winning. The episode prior had the US "panel acting out a skit complete with footage of sheep in some back office somewhere, and then these clouds with the letter 'Z' in them falling from the ceiling." A second cycle of New Zealand's Next Top Model has been confirmed and will screen in the second half of 2010. 
(29 April 2010)

Philanthropist awarded 
Owner of Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnapper's golf courses Julian Robertson Jnr., 77, named New Zealand first honorary knight in January this year, has been awarded the recipient of the Hedge Fund Industry's Lifetime Achievement Award. Founder and chairman of Tiger Management Corp., Robertson will be honoured with other industry award winners at a gala dinner and ceremony June 21 at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City. Golf Magazine ranked both Robertson's courses among the top 100 in the world. He also owns two New Zealand wineries: Te Awa Farm and Dry River. Robertson was given the title of honorary knight companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his "services to business and philanthropy." 
(25 April 2010)

Fame becomes them 
Tickets for The Flight of the Conchords' two May shows at Dublin's Olympia Theatre sold out in a record 12 seconds. "It's all just weird," Bret McKenzie says. But then he finds a lot of things "weird" about the Conchords' success. "It's just not something you ever expect — playing to 5000 people and having people say weird things about you." Not Cut Out For Fame And Celebrity may well be their motto. Clearly there's a relief in the Conchords camp that the TV series has come to an end and they can pursue other interests (which may include film treatments). It has also been reported the duo will make a guest appearance on The Simpsons later this year. Clement and McKenzie were understood to have rehearsed lines with Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, over the phone from Wellington before recording in the United States. Before finishing up with a big show at Los Angeles's famed Hollywood Bowl venue there's a show at The Greek Theatre in Berkley, California. They say on their website that they added in this Berkley gig because "the last time we played in Berkeley, we forgot some of the chords and insulted the audience". 
(30 April 2010)

Walters finalists named 
The finalists for this year's $50,000 Walters Prize are: Dan Arps, Fiona Connor, Saskia Leek and Alex Monteith. Named in honour of the late New Zealand artist Gordon Walters, the prize was established in 2002 by founding benefactors and principal donors Erika and Robin Congreve and Dame Jenny Gibbs, working together with the Auckland Art Gallery to make contemporary art a more widely recognised and debated feature of our cultural life. Auckland Art Gallery director Chris Saines said: "This year marks a decade since we inaugurated the biennial Walters Prize. The Prize continues to go from strength to strength, as the high quality of this year's finalists proves once again. It is encouraging to see too that, taken together, they are the youngest in the Prize's history" 
(26 April 2010)

Dairy giant expands 
New Zealand's Fonterra Cooperative Group, the world's biggest dairy exporter, expects a double digit jump in Middle East and Africa sales over the next year as the region's thirst for milk products grows and populations swell, said its chief executive officer Andrew Ferrier. Fonterra's core business involves the production of milk, milk powder and other milk-based ingredients. It acts as a key supplier to global food giants like Nestle and Kraft but also owns and operates a number of high profile consumer brands like Anchor butter, cheese and milk, Tip Top ice cream and dietary supplement Anlene. To meet the growing dairy requirements of the Middle East, Fonterra recently paid 120 million Saudi riyals (US$32 million) to buy the remaining 51 per cent it didn't already own in Saudi NZ Milk Products Co. from Saudi Dairy and Foodstuff Company, or Sadafco. Full ownership of the manufacturing plant, said Ferrier, gives Fonterra "the ability to grow the facility as our business grows." "It makes an enormous amount of sense to us to have that footprint. We can make a number of different products from there," he added. Ferrier said the Middle East, Africa region currently accounts for about 10 per cent of the conglomerate's total global revenues. In the six months to January 31, Fonterra's sales worldwide amounted to $7.7 billion. 
(25 April 2010)

Latvian leanings 
Nelson-based landscape photographer Craig Potton is holding an exhibition of his works at the Foreign Art Museum in Riga Castle, Latvia. The Riga exhibition takes a journey through New Zealand, beginning on the windswept beaches of Stewart Island. A committed conservationist, Potton admits that often he cannot divorce this from his art. However he adds, "I am primarily taking photos based purely on the structure, form and colour of what I'm photographing and I believe art that is too preachy is not art." Craig Potton is regarded as one of New Zealand's leading landscape photographers, having had his work exhibited throughout the world including the Rowe Gallery in North Carolina. Potton's fine attention to detail has also seen him work as a location/still photographer on big budget films including the Narnia and Lord of the Rings series. The exhibition runs through May. 
(22 April 2010)

Killer pinot 
"A decade ago, New Zealand growers targeted the bottom 50 per cent of the global pinot noir market, stating it simply wasn't worth drinking (we agree)," writes The Vancouver Sun's Anthony Gismondi. "Upon that tenet, they set about the task of replacing said dreary segment with something eminently more drinkable from New Zealand vineyards. Clearly they are winning the battle. Gismondi recommends The Mount Riley Pinot Noir 2008, The Villa Maria Pinot Noir Private Bin 2007 and the "killer" Spy Valley Pinot Noir 2008, amongst others. "We acknowledge Burgundy, France, is the home of pinot noir, and few if any places can match its best, but the current ratio of 123 red Burgundies versus 23 New Zealand pinot noir listings in BC government stores strikes me as a bit out of whack considering the price of New Zealand pinot noir is about 30 to 50 per cent less than what you would pay for the equivalent quality French wine." 
(23 April 2010)

Crafty crows impress 
Researchers at the University of Auckland have discovered that crows are able to use three tools in succession to reach food. For their study, the scientists headed to the South Pacific island of New Caledonia, the home of Corvus moneduloides. They are the only birds known to craft and use tools in the wild. The New Caledonian crows whittle branches into hooks and tear leaves into barbed probes to extract food from hard-to-reach nooks amazed scientists. It was previously thought that ability to fashion tools was unique to primates. Experiments have shown that the birds can craft new tools out of unfamiliar materials, as well as use a number of tools in succession. "The crows needed the short tool on the piece of string to get the long tool, and then use the long tool to get the food," Russell Gray, from the University of Auckland, said. 
(22 April 2010)

Phoenix live on 
Wellington Phoenix will remain in the A-League until the end of the 2015-16 season. Doubt over the team's future emerged in November last year when AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam said he did not support the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) club remaining in the Australian competition beyond 2011. But the Phoenix's case had been strongly supported by the FFA and chairman Frank Lowy, as well as by New Zealand Football and the Oceania confederation. "This is great news," said Phoenix chief executive Tony Pignata. "We've cleared this hurdle in terms of extending the club's participation in the A-League and we're going to be around for many years to come." New Zealand's only fully professional football club reached new heights in its third season, reaching the A-League's preliminary final before losing to eventual champions Sydney FC in March. 
(20 April 2010)

Heated win 
Whangarei-based Olympian Sam Warriner has won the Ironman 70.3 in New Orleans, "thanks to [an] impressive half-marathon performance in the heat". Despite coming off of the bike in fifth position, Warriner handled the early afternoon heat the best of all the women, running into first. She claimed with a half-marathon time of 1:21:35 and an overall time of 4:16:44. It was her first win since suffering a broken wrist in the Takapuna sprint triathlon in February. "I've got some really exciting races coming up against some exciting competition," Warriner said. "There are also a lot of races out there that excite me; St Croix, Wildflower, Rev 3 to name just a few — I'm loving being based in the States and being so central to all these iconic events." In the men's race, compatriot Terenzo Bozzone came in second at 3:47:17. 
(18 April 2010)

Pavlova in a glass 
New Zealand's capital city was the grand final host and inspiration for the 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup winning beverage, Wellington Fizz. American Sean Hoard, 23, wowed the judges with a playful kiwifruit vodka fizz he created by listening to his customers. Hoard came up with the Wellington Fizz, a vodka-based beverage inspired by the pavlova that includes kiwifruit, passionfruit and a thick meringue whipped from club soda and an egg white. Twenty-four bartenders from seven countries competed in a series of challenges in Queenstown and Wellington. Team USA were crowned the best bartenders in the world, with their wordy cocktail titled 'I have too much thyme on my hands right now at this point in my life'. Team New Zealand, made up of Josh Crawford, Calem Chadwick and James Goggin, came third with '42 Cuba St'. The team displayed a never before seen technique of 'flazing' — using dry ice to aerate the drink instead of flames. Their cocktail contained 42BELOW Manuka Honey, chocolate, decanter bitters, a spray of gunpowder and over-proof rums. Founder and editor of Class magazine Simon Difford said the New Zealand drink was classy, and his favourite tasting drink of the night. 
(11 April 2010)

Rite of passage 
"Having a towering, tattooed man press his nose against mine has to be one of the more unusual — and enjoyable — greetings I have experienced," describes Victoria Mitchell for Scottish newspaper The Press and Journal. "When arriving in a new country, you might be welcomed with a firm handshake or a polite bow, maybe even a kiss on each cheek. The hongi, a traditional Maori welcome, made an interesting start to an unforgettable trip to the country also known as Land of the Long White Cloud. This exchange meant I was no longer considered a visitor, but rather as one of the people of the land." 
(10 April 2010)

Final season strength 
Warriors prop Steve Price, 36, has announced he will retire at the end of the season. His battle-weary legs may have forced his hand, but it is a simple message inscribed on his wrist which will act as the inspiration for Price's 17th and final season in the NRL. While he remains at a loss as to just when he will return to the field, Australian-born Price said the mantra 'Finish Strong' which adorns a wristband he wears every day would help motivate him during his final campaign. "It's something that you think about a lot, but if it's there present on your wrist you'll do it," Price said. Price moved to the Warriors in 2005, where he was immediately appointed captain. 
(6 April 2010)

Chronicle of pace 
Sir Richard Hadlee's Changing Pace — A Memoir is reviewed by The Hindu's W V Raman who writes, "The modesty and dignity with which Sir Richard, 58, fulfilled his responsibilities as a selector and brand ambassador is chronicled well." "If there is something completely different about Changing Pace," Raman continues, "it is that Hadlee has chosen to lift the veil, revealing more of his persona." Hadlee, who was a right-arm pace bowler, played his last Test against England in 1990. In 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. 
(6 April 2010)

Taite for Milne 
Lawrence Arabia has been crowned the first winner of New Zealand's equivalent to the annual UK Mercury Prize, the Taite Music Prize. UK-based Lawrence Arabia — whose real name is James Milne — picked up a $10, 000 cash prize and accepted his award via a video message from the UK. Named after the late Dylan Taite, respected New Zealand music writer, the contest is modeled on similar international awards, which honour artistic merit and creative excellence. The Taite Prize is the second major award for Milne in the last six months. Last year, he won the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) New Zealand Silver Scroll best song award for 'Apple Pie Bed', taken from his latest album Chant Darling. The artist is currently on a US tour, booked by Paradigm Agency, supporting UK folk-pop outfit Fanfarlo. 
(1 April 2010)

Organic as mechanic 
Auckland artist Lisa Black mixes taxidermy with machinery — some sites calling her method "steampunk" — modifying a fawn, a turtle, a duckling and a baby crocodile, transforming the once dead into the "cyborg-seeming". According to Globo, the artist has always been passionate about taxidermy, seeking to create forms that seem alive. In recent years, however, she began substituting the animal's parts with machinery, like that which can be found in old watches. Black titles each modified creature with the word 'fixed', as if to imply that they were somehow broken in their original state. Perhaps, in our technologically hypercharged day and age, it is somehow easier to regard animals as having cold, mechanical innards rather than organic ones — almost as if that would alleviate mankind of some moral responsibility in our present relationship with them. Examples of Black's work are showcased on online portfolio platform Behance. 
(4 April 2010)

Kiwi born offshore 
A brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) has hatched at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Bird House in Washington. This is only the fourth time in the zoo's 121-year history that a kiwi has successfully hatched. The first was in 1975, which was also the first to occur outside of New Zealand. The sex of the chick is unknown and cannot be determined by sight until it is two years old. "For this reason, Bird House staff enlisted the help of National Zoo geneticists. Using DNA samples swabbed from the inside of the egg and from the bird's beak, the geneticists hope to determine its sex in the coming weeks," said the zoo. Other US zoos to exhibit kiwis are San Diego and Columbus Zoos.
(31 March 2010)

Roughing it no more 
"New Zealand's hostels are ridiculously pleasant," writes Ben Groundwater for The Sydney Morning Herald. "The sort of gems you might find in one or two locations in other countries are everywhere across the ditch. The hot favourite, streaking out ahead of the pack, and exemplary of all that's good about New Zealand establishments, is the Wellington City YHA. Away from the chains, New Zealand also boasts more than its share of quirky little one-offs. Some hostels might make you feel like you're being forced to stay in a prison, but in Napier, you can actually do just that. Rather than merely take a tour of the city's old jail, you kip in a cell overnight if it tickles your fancy … As beautiful as the country's great outdoors is, its residents have done some pretty great things with the indoors, as well." 
(29 March 2010)

Mangum for Knox 
As part of a benefit for musician Chris Knox, who suffered a stroke last June, indie's "reclusive demigod" Neutral Milk Hotel frontman Jeff Mangum will perform a very rare acoustic set at New York's Le Poisson Rouge on May 6. Mangum's publicist was quick to dash the Internet's collective hopes, saying that the singer "is doing the show specifically to help raise money for his close friend and it's not the start of a comeback." Mangum performed the Tall Dwarfs gem "Sign the Dotted Line," for the Chris Knox benefit album, Stroke. All the money raised after direct club expenses will go to the Knox Family. The lineup for the night includes the Clean (as well as solo Robert Scott and David Kilgour sets), Yo La Tengo, Portastatic, Kyp Malone, Claudia Gonson of the Magnetic Fields, and comedian John Mulaney, among others. The gig will be "partially recorded" for later broadcasts on New Zealand community radio stations. 
(26 March 2010)

Team NZ win trophy 
Emirates Team New Zealand has beaten Italy's Mascalzone Latino Audi on Waitemata Harbour in Auckland by 56 seconds to secure a 2—0 win in the best-of-three final of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Faultless crew work on the last downwind leg helped the New Zealand team stretch their lead further by the finish. "It was a bloody hard race," New Zealand skipper Dean Barker said. "It's always satisfying when you feel you've saved your best till the last day, and today we did that." Team New Zealand lost only two of 13 races at the regatta, to Aleph of France in the first round-robin and to Azzurra of Italy in the best-of-three semi-final. The Louis Vuitton regatta provides racing for America's Cup teams locked out of the latest Cup regatta between the American syndicate Oracle and Switzerland's Alinghi. The next Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta will be sailed off La Maddalena, Sardinia, from May 22 to June 6. 
(21 March 2010)

Oceanic psychedelic goodness 
The Ruby Suns' album Fight Softly is reviewed by Will Dean of the Guardian who gives the indie group four stars for their latest effort. Dean concludes: "Like a best-of 2009 mixtape, The Ruby Suns combine delicate electronica with African sounds and tender vocals. Having mixed it with the Very Best and El Guincho too, you can see why they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most interesting acts of the last few years with a global musical outlook. With sounds plucked from here, there and everywhere, it's an ambitious collection, but singer Ryan McPhun's gentle voice lends this second [sic] album by the New Zealanders a beautiful tone." The Ruby Suns formed in 2004 when Californian McPhun moved to Auckland and started playing in several bands such as The Brunettes and The Tokey Tones. 
(18 March 2010)

Texan challenges 
James Milne, who goes by the performance name of Lawrence Arabia, is one of a number of New Zealand acts playing at the SXSW in Texas this month. He talks to the Austinist about his Austin connections and New Zealand beer (they're big fans of Macs and Monteiths). "Wait till you try Emerson's Pilsner," Milne says. "I think it's just because we've got superior beer drinking abilities to Americans. You may consider that a challenge if you like." The Austinist asks: "There's a strong sense Chant Darling that much of your record collection hails from the '70's. Anyone you'd care to name check as a strong musical influence?" "If you're talking '70's, particularly Neil Young and David Bowie, both through the same period, sort of 1971 to 1978. Kind of screwed up years for both artists personally, but yet insanely creative." Chant Darling was released in 2009 on Honorary Bedouin Records. 
(15 March 2010)

Rehearsal makes list 
Cantabrian author Eleanor Catton's debut novel The Rehearsal, has been longlisted for this year's Orange Prize for Fiction, to be announced on June 9. Catton, 24, began writing The Rehearsal, about teenage life, when she was barely out of her teens herself. She has now been pitted against literary heavyweights such as Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel — longlisted for Wolf Hall — and Small Island author Andrea Levy, for her fifth novel The Long Song. Catton was born in Canada but moved to New Zealand at the age of six and studied creative writing at Victoria University in Wellington. The Rehearsal, published three years after she submitted it at the age of 20 as part of her MA in Creative Writing, is about the aftermath of a sex scandal at a girls' school. In a review of Catton's novel, The Guardian said: "The prose is so arresting, the storytelling so seductive, that wherever the book falls open it's near-impossible to put down." She is currently in the United States studying creative writing at the University of Iowa. 
(17 March 2010)

Guava crumble please Gisborne-born, London-based chef Peter Gordon writes in The Independent on Sunday that he has "a sense of a growing tide of culinary xenophobia" and that the British "love affair with home-grown ingredients is killing innovation in [UK] restaurants." "In all honesty, what constitutes a foreign ingredient these days? We've been baking cakes and desserts with exotic spices for centuries, but for some reason we seem to have an aversion to introducing foreign cooking techniques and flavours in our savoury food. Also latterly, every time I hear the words 'seasonal regional cuisine' I cringe a little. It seems that you can't open a Sunday supplement without seeing yet more recipes for turnips and mutton, chicken and chestnut pie, soused mackerel, blackberry crumble and custard. It's as though the powers that be, the editors, have lost the ability to celebrate the wonderful world that we live in, the rich tapestry of Britain's inhabitants from all around the world. We have taken the potato to our hearts, but I think we can gain even more as our British cuisine evolves by opening our pantries, even occasionally, to even more foreign foods. Pot-roast pigeon with Chinese liquorice root and star anise, or Bramley apple and guava crumble with lemongrass custard anyone...?" Gordon's Fusion: A Culinary Journey is out now in the UK. In 2001 Gordon set up The Providores and Tapa Room Restaurant on Marylebone High Street with his partner Michael McGrath. They are also co-owners of Waitaki Braids vineyard in North Otago. 
(11 March 2010)

Courtesy code a model 
In an article entitled, 'New Zealanders' code would help health debate', Ron Eachus for the Oregon-based publication Statesman Journal ponders why this country, with its "way of treating people with respect … and common courtesy, untainted by attempts to take advantage of someone, fear of lawsuits or making that extra buck," could teach the US something about itself, and the state of it health care reforms. Offering examples of New Zealand "kindness", Eachus wonders if in the US he'd be treated to the same. "'No worries mate' means not turning differences into diatribes, not letting the little things get in the way and not turning your back on others in need. If only we could apply the same principles to health care reform. But that's politics and that's another side of life on another side of the planet." 
(9 March 2010)

Strange dealings 
The "ghosts" of a man and a woman exorcised from a Christchurch woman's home have been sold in phials of holy water on Trade Me for $2830. The auction attracted more than 200,000 page views on the website. The top bidder, electronic cigarette company Safer Smoke NZ, said it was looking for ideas on what to do with the ghosts. Avie Woodbury told bidders she had experienced "bizarre activity" in her home. "I would get things like the jug boiling itself, touching on the back of my neck, voices from other rooms, and items going missing then turning up in weird places," she said. But after a member of a local spiritualist church performed an exorcism in July last year, the house had returned to normal, said Woodbury. She said all profits from the sale would be donated to an animal charity, after she had paid the exorcist's fees. 
(9 March 2010)

Solid selection 
Porirua-born sculptor Michael Parekowhai has been selected to represent New Zealand at the 2011 Venice Biennale. Parekowhai, 42, received the Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Award in 2001 and works as an associate professor at Auckland University's Elam School of Fine Arts. His sculptures are often made from found objects — previous works have involved a Volkswagen van and a grand piano — which he alters to comic effect. The National Business Review has declared Parekowhai's choice as "the most appropriate [decision] that has been made in recent years." Parekowhai is of Nga Ariki, Ngati Whakarongo and European descent. Last year, New Zealand's exhibition, which drew 114,000 visitors, featured the work of Judy Millar and Francis Upritchard. 
(1 March 2010)

Oscar for Kim Sinclair 
Auckland production designer Kim Sinclair won the Academy Award for Art Direction on Avatar with American colleagues Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg. "Each virtual set had trees and plants that were moveable, like real props. When director James Cameron finally signed off on the digital version, Sinclair and his team at Peter Jackson's Weta integrated real props into the virtual backgrounds. Some film sets, Sinclair said, can cost $7,000 per second of footage, but a few sets can be a staggering $50,000 per second." An architecture graduate from the University of Auckland, Sinclair film work includes The Last Samurai, The Legend of Zorro, Cast Away, and Willow; his New Zealand film credits include Under the Mountain, Black Sheep and Quiet Earth.
(9 March 2010)

Adrift on lush Rakiura 
"It's from the air that Stewart Island reveals itself," describes The Independent's Ben Ross on a trip to Rakiura, or 'Glowing Skies'. "All but one-sixth of the land is protected by national park statues, with lush hills and valleys forming a point at Mount Anglem in the north. So densely packed is the crush of vegetation that for the most part it feels as if man has scarcely intruded here. It's like visiting Conan Doyle's Lost World, except that instead of being attacked by pterodactyls, hikers who choose to follow the three-day 29km Rakiura Track along the coast are likely to see birdlife that is either rare or extinct on mainland New Zealand: a kiwi, perhaps, or yellow-eyed penguins, or the predatory, flightless weka. Beside a broad scoop of beach at Lee Bay stood a rather literal sculpture constructed to mark the inauguration of the national park in 2002. Huge links in a chain disappeared into the sea, to signify Stewart Island's role as an anchor for the rest of New Zealand. Being cast adrift rather than chained to the mainland is part of what makes Stewart Island so appealing." 
(6 March 2010)

Taste for trout 
New Zealand's trophy trout fishing is popular with anglers from all over the world who travel to the North Island for lake fishing and to the South Island for sight fishing, and for often above-average sized trout. "Trout in the 2kg range are common and they will gladly take well-presented dry flies or nymphs," explains New Straits Times reporter and amateur angler Seet Cher Hung. "If you are lucky, you might hook a few bigger ones, those that are up to 5kg. Fly-in trips are unique to New Zealand because of the wide expanse of terrain not accessible by land vehicles or even on foot. These trips are usually done using helicopters, allowing you to access rarely fished areas which can sometimes turn out to be the ultimate trout fishing adventure." The trout fishing season in New Zealand begins on October 1 and ends on April 30. 
(6 March 2010)

Relaxed and recumbent 
Creator of Rotorua's human-powered monorail, the Schweeb, Geoffrey Barnett, "combined a laid-back, recumbent bicycle with monorail technology" and came up with the idea while living in Tokyo. Barnett worked on the design for six years, and in 2007, opened a 200m track in Rotorua. "You jump on, you sit on the recumbent seat — it's very comfortable, it's like sitting at home on your sofa," Barnett explained. "It's got seven gears to play with and it's a lot faster than any other bicycle." Riders can get up to speeds of 60kph. The Schweeb is also environmentally friendly, he added. "To me as a cyclist, it's just obvious, you should be able to ride over the top of the traffic, so I came up with the idea of a weather-proof capsule that is completely safe," said Barnett. Schweeb is derived from the German word schweben which means "to float" or "suspend." 
(4 March 2010)

With a hiss and a roar 
Nelson hovercraft inventor Rudy Heeman is auctioning his unconventional vehicle on TradeMe for a reserve price of $20,000. Heeman's machine is a hovercraft in the conventional sense, but with the addition of detachable wings, the vehicle cruises at 56mph when flying, has a range of more than 140 miles, and reaches a height of about 10 feet. The sale has already received more than 100,000 hits and has shot well past the reserve price. Heeman, who has been building hovercrafts as a hobby in his back yard for more than 13 years, said this is his first flying model. He says on his website: "It has been called all sorts of things, including aircraft, aeroplane, hovercraft and flying boat. It is in fact a WIG [a wing in ground effect] in the form of a hovercraft. This machine is fast and furious; it roars like a lion and is not for the faint-hearted. It is adrenalin-pumping and exciting. Having a go on it is like a bungee jump, however, the thrill lasts as long as the ride." He said he was selling the craft because he needs the funds to get started on more "secret projects". 
(3 March 2010)

UFOs on edge
The Chief of Defence Force Lt. Gen. Jerry Mataparae has reportedly briefed two NZDF officers to begin the task of assessing classified details of UFO and extraterrestrial-related files. Reports quote a letter from Lt. Gen. Mataparae to UFOCUS NZ indicating that files may be transferred to Archives New Zealand subject to extensive embargo periods in terms of access by the general public. 
(16 February 2010)

Not twee in Sydney 
New Zealand popsters The Brunettes —  that's Heather Mansfield and Jonathan Bree —  dress up in vintage at iconic Sydney store Grandma Takes A Trip for Australia's Yen magazine. When a band is described as twee-pop, Yen's Mel Bampton can't help but think, 'Oh you poor buggers, you've wandered into the territory of so cute, people want to hurt you.' The Brunettes, with their high-waisted frocks and album titles such as Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks and their newie Paper Dolls, only serves to reinforce the question —  how will you sweet, sweet things survive in a world so harsh? But when Heather and Jonathan turn up at Grandma's with a reassuringly addictive desire for caffeine, a fair share of sass and standing very tall, it would appear likely that they'll survive just fine. Also featuring in this edition of Yen is New Zealand model Zippora Seven, 18, windswept in a seaside shoot, "Bay, bay, baby". Seven is represented by Sydney-based agency Priscillas.
(March 2010)

Kerretta play SXSW 
Auckland three-piece Kerretta make their US debut in March with a show at this year's SXSW, the festival also marking the release of their debut album, Vilayer. Drawing from influences that seem to range from Wu Tang-esque drum patterns to Bailterspace-style bass hooks, Kerretta released their debut 7inch Death In The Future in 2007, and have since shared stages with the likes of Explosions In The Sky, The Breeders, Mono and And You Will Know Us by the Trail Of Dead. 2010 has seen Vilayer nominated for the Taite Music Prize (New Zealand's equivalent to the UK's Mercury Music Prize). Kerretta will be in North America touring throughout March and April. 
(26 February 2010)

Thinking outside the ball 
"As I tumbled down the mountainside in a gigantic beach ball filled with water, feeling somewhat like I was in a washing machine, it occurred to me that there had to be a better way to experience New Zealand," writes the Houston Chronicle's Kathy Matheson. "Actually, that didn't occur to me until after the Zorb stopped rolling and my screams had subsided into laughter. But I have since concluded that while New Zealand may be best known for adventure tourism — including sky diving, bungee jumping and Zorbing — perhaps the most enriching part of my trip was the cultural tourism that taught me about the Maori. At Te Puia, a Maori heritage centre in Rotorua, Matheson sampled hangi cuisine and "happy hip-swaying dances by Maori women in grass skirts", and also took the tram to the Pohutu geyser, one of Rotorua's many natural wonders, which include geothermal pools and bubbling mud. 
(25 February 2010)

Queenstown's quiet side 
The Sydney Morning Herald's Sarah Maguire visits "adrenalin-central", but goes against-the-grain with a laid-back luxurious holiday. "Being a full-time working mother puts adrenalin into the system daily, so I don't need that on a holiday." Instead, Maguire finds "possibly the quietest spot in town: inside a Jetson-esque flotation pod, in a solution 10 times more buoyant than the Dead Sea, my 'entire nervous system in a state of rest', according to the brochure." Although a popular destination for thrill-seekers the world over, Maguire "love[s] Queenstown for other reasons: it's part of a region, Central Otago, that bristles with wineries, good shopping, excellent eating, a recent proliferation of spas and a heritage full of 19th-century-style adventurers." 
(21 February 2010)

Science for a change 
Kumeu neuroscientist and author of The Winner's Bible Dr Kerry Spackman shares his day, and his work, as part of the Guardian's Nine to Five series, beginning with a run, which for Spackman is "like pushing the reset button on the computer." "What I do isn't self-help; I take exception to a lot of self-help books that aren't based on science and can be a bit trite. Telling a highly performing individual to 'think positive' isn't going to make a difference — they know that already — but what I do gets behind the science of why or how performance has changed. When I'm working with athletes, I need to know everything about them so that's what we concentrate on in the first session — the All Blacks call it the 'Deep Dive'; they say, 'We're going to do the Deep Dive with Kerry.' Sometimes I'll have world-famous people come to me, and I think there's nothing possibly new to uncover about them, but there always is. I'll find what it is that really has an influence on them." 
(20 February 2010)

Other face of the UN 
Chief of the Joint Operations and Tasking Center for the United Nations in Haiti New Zealander retired Lieutenant Colonel Shayne Gilbert has been in Port-au-Prince since January 17 co-coordinating US and international aid and resources to help Haitians in need. He spoke to John Hockenberry, host of US morning radio programme The Takeway, about his role in the Haitian capital and being "the other face of the United Nations". Hockenberry said New York-based Gilbert is the individual "that actually gets things done, that mobilizes the kind of 'action end' of the United Nations … different from those sober, sometimes boring speeches of the Security Council." Gilbert said he has worked at both ends of the spectrum and is familiar with the two sides to the UN. "Of course, in this situation [in Haiti] where we're dealing with a number of member states and the host country itself, we all serve the same purpose and that makes it a lot easier [to coordinate]," he said. 
(11 February 2010)

Toward the moon 
Wellington mountain-running and marathon champion Melissa Moon, 40, won the women's section of New York City's annual Empire State Building Run-Up, passing 300 runners and ascending 1576 steps to the finish line in 13 minutes, 13 seconds. "I've had a taste of stair racing," said Moon. "I've done Taipei 101, which was [then] the world's tallest. I've done the Sydney Sky Tower. Having now run this race, all I can say is wow! It will go to the top of my resume s the most prestigious thing that I've done." Moon, who trained in Wellington's Majestic Centre, is believed to be the first New Zealander to win the 33-year-old race. 
(2 February 2010)

Short film revolution 
"Could 2010 be the year that New Zealand short filmmakers take over the world?" asks Indie Wire's Kim Adelman. "The year began promisingly as Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland's The Six Dollar Fifty Man took the jury prize in international short filmmaking at January's Sundance Film Festival. And now at Berlin, Katie Wolfe's Redemption and Leo Woodhead's Zero world premiere in the Berlinale Shorts and the Generation 14plus category, respectively. Wellingtonians Albiston and Sutherland directed the brash yet assured 15-minute short The Six Dollar Fifty Man. The short world premiered at Cannes last year, where it walked away with a special distinction honor. It also racked up awards at Sundance and FlickerFest, in addition to playing Clermont-Ferrand and the Generation Kplus competition category this year at Berlin." Other New Zealand directors at Berlin mentioned are Tearepa Kahi, who wrote and directed Taua — War Party; Roseanne Liang, who wrote and directed the 12-minute Take 3; Michelle Savill, who wrote/directed/produced the 14-minute Betty Banned Sweets; Jane Shearer, director of the 11-minute, no-dialogue, supernatural thriller, Nature's Way; and Jason Stutter, creator of some stomach-clenching anticipation in the 2-minute comedy Careful with that Axe. 
(19 February 2010)

Lending a hand 
Former New Zealand All Black Wellington-born Filo Tiatia, 38, now a back-row forward and coach with the Ospreys rugby region in Wales, is backing a campaign to save Swansea's Tennis Centre from closure. He said his children were regular users of the courts near the Liberty Stadium where he plays and coaches. Swansea council, which must find #17m, said the centre received a #120,000 annual subsidy and cost more to run per visit than any of its leisure centres. Tiatia also said it would make it harder to get the message across about the importance of exercise. "It's a shame that we are hearing that they are trying to close this facility," he said. "Like most of the parents I'm quite concerned about them closing it." Before signing for the Ospreys, Tiatia played in Japan for four years with Toyota Verblitz. 
(16 February 2010)

Delightfully relaxing 
On board Russell's new 46m-long catamaran Ipipiri, which offers overnight cruises around the Bay of Islands, The Sydney Morning Herald's Rob McFarland learns about the town's colourful past. "If you'd visited the town of Russell in the early 1800s, you'd have found a lawless outpost famous for its drunkenness, gambling and prostitution. Sadly, I couldn't find any evidence of this but I did stumble across a fascinating museum and several excellent cafes," McFarland writes. "After being welcomed on board by the boat's smartly dressed crew, we tuck into a selection of warm, homemade blueberry muffins while ship's master Robbie briefs us on safety. And then we're off, cruising up the Veronica Channel past yachts, powerboats, dinghies and tall ships and admiring the decadent holiday homes on the tree-lined foreshore. We anchor for the night in Parekura Bay and while the boat gently rocks on its mooring, everyone congregates at the bar for a pre-dinner drink." 
(14 February 2010)

Unique fine dining 
Pipis, paua, tuatua, feijoas, kumara, cervena, puha and horipito are just some of the unfamiliar items found on the menu in New Zealand restaurants, Winsor Dobbins of The Sydney Morning Herald discovers. All these flavours have influenced some of Australia's leading chefs, including Iain Hewitson, Justin North and Philip Johnson, all of whom started their careers in the Land of the Long White Cloud. New Zealand chefs tend to use what is fresh, local and seasonal — and are blessed with a climate that aids their endeavours to provide fine dining with a difference. Geoff Scott, the chef at iconic Auckland restaurant Vinnies, changes his menu seasonally and features local specialities like Te Matuku Bay oysters from Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf; mutton bird and diamond clams with field mushrooms and fresh kawakawa (wild bush basil) leaf crhme; and Cascade River whitebait with yuzu dressing, pickled fresh gherkin, parsley and capers. 
(8 February 2010)

To scrap or not to scrap 
The New Zealand Herald has called for the country's 108-year-old-flag to be scrapped. Under the banner headline "It's time for a change", The New Zealand Herald, the country's largest circulating daily newspaper, devoted almost its entire front page to the issue. In an editorial published on the eve of Waitangi Day, the Herald said the flag "harks back to a time when maps of the world had huge slabs of British Empire red on them. But it says little else. Worst of all, it is nondescript. The flags of more than 20 countries and territories carry the Union Jack in their left corner." The Herald called for a panel to be set up to commission alternative designs and for public submissions to be considered by a select committee of parliament. Ideally, the paper said, a new design would be adopted in time for the Rugby World Cup, which New Zealand is hosting in 2011. 
(4 February 2010)

Cattle by numbers 
New Zealanders are now outnumbered by 5.8 million dairy cattle according to Statistics New Zealand's latest agricultural production survey. New Zealand has a human population of 4.3 million. The number of sheep in the country has provided fodder for endless jokes. In the HBO television series Flight of the Conchords, a New Zealand tourism poster can be seen in their manager's office bearing the slogan: "New Zealand, ewe should come". In 1982, the national sheep flock peaked at 70 million. The number has since more than halved. "In 2009, New Zealand had fewer than eight sheep per person," explained agriculture statistics manager Gary Dunnet. 
(9 February 2010)

McAlpine Stylish By Design 
The international career of Waiuku-born, Elam-educated film designer Andrew McAlpine continues to unfurl in ever-larger circles. McAlpine's most recently-designed film, An Education (produced by Wellington-born Finola Dwyer) is nominated for Best Picture at the 2010 Academy Awards. The film, starring Carey Mulligan as a young woman swept up by an unsuitable suitor, recreates early 1960s London ("61 was more like the 1950s" says McAlpine). And a commercial he designed for British television has been named ITV's "Best Commercial of the Decade." Go On Lad for Hovis bread follows the journey of a young boy taking a condensed trip through over a century of British history. McAlpine won a BAFTA for The Piano and has designed numerous feature films including Clockers, Sid and Nancy, The Beach and the Best 2009 New Zealand Film Dean Spanley. A recent event at the British Film Institute brought McAlpine and Oscar-winning film designer Eugenio Caballero together to discuss the role of the production designer and the close relationship designers have with both producers and directors to develop the visual concept for films.
(February 2010)

Designer royalty 
Prestigious industry magazine Architectural Digest has named New Zealander Sandra Nunnerley in its annual AD 100 directory which represents a "selection of the top architects and interior designers whose work has featured in Architectural Digest over the past several years". For Nunnerley — who W magazine has called "the most fashionable designer in New York" — the design process is "collaborative, exploratory and appropriate to the specific needs of the client." Through her work, which she describes as "timeless, classic, tailored and modern," she seeks to give her clients interiors that will endure. "Fashion may influence design," she observes, "but you can't change rooms every season." Noting that clients sometimes fear that hiring a designer will lead to out-of-control budgets and inflexible design dictates, she says, "I listen to my clients and give them interiors they never dreamed of." She is now working on a residence for expatriate New Zealanders in New Zealand, a town house project (designed by Robert A. M. Stern), two estates in Connecticut and a "classic" Park Avenue apartment, but there is one design development that so far has eluded her: "I can't wait for an interior where there are no electrical outlets or cords. They are the bane of the interior designer's life!" 
(February 2010)

Part of the whole 
New Zealand-born choreographer and video artist Olive Bieringa — who with American Otto Ramstad form the San Francisco-based BodyCartography Project — recently performed the premiere of their latest work '1/2 Life' at the Southern Theatre in Minneapolis. The show explored global citizenship and connections among Pacific Ocean neighbours: nuclear superpower United States, nuclear-free New Zealand and atomic survivor Japan, represented by collaborators from each country (Ramstad, Bieringa and guest performer Takemi Kitamura). "Our stage is like a meta-site for these three countries and cultures, and we're imagining ourselves in this larger world," the Project said. Bieringa left New Zealand at 18, eventually settling in San Francisco, where she launched the BodyCartography Project in 1997, directing its first large-scale site-specific event a year later. Upcoming highlights for the Project this year include two new evening length works and a commission with the Lyon Opera Ballet. 
(23 January 2010)

Stepping off the deck 
For the past 20 years, Sir Peter Blake's widow Pippa Blake has lived on the Chichester harbour sea front in a 1940s bungalow where just recently "a forward-thinking architect tore down walls, built a balcony and clad it in concrete". Having spent a lot of time in New Zealand she was inspired by the islands' "batches" [sic], holiday homes that are "often no more than a shed with corrugated iron for a roof". Although some passers-by now dub her house "The Nissen hut", after the prefab steel structure used for weapons storage in the Second World War, Blake is delighted by the transformation. "It's like a load has lifted off me," she says. "I have a lot more pleasure being in the house." The decking was another nod towards New Zealand: "It's a very antipodean thing to have," she says. "You step out of the house and there's the sea." 
(16 January 2010)

Thousand words 
"New Zealand? At war? Who knew?" This from The New York Times after a controversial image of SAS soldier Victoria Cross winner Corporal Willie Apiata was published by The New Zealand Herald. "The attack on the Central Bank in downtown Kabul this week revealed many things about Afghanistan," Times reporter Dexter Filkins continues. "But one of the more surprising things it brought to light was that New Zealand is at war. As word spread, the New Zealand government publicly acknowledged that the commando team, from the Special Air Service, had been deployed here. 'A small element of the New Zealand SAS members were among forces that took up positions close to the incident,' President [sic] John Key said." The New Zealand Defence Force said the publication of the photograph had broken a "robust gentlemen's" agreement not to identify SAS soldiers because of the increased risk it created. Editors at the Herald and Dominion Post said they published the photo for its news value and did not believe the media had put SAS soldiers at risk. The photograph of Cpl Apiata was taken by French freelance photographer Philip Poupin. ONE News political editor Guyon Espiner blogged: "There's an old saying that where the papers are full of good news, the jails are full of good men. The same applies to countries where the media reports what the military and the government want them to … Was a photograph of Victoria Cross winner Willie Apiata walking down a public street in Kabul, decked out in full battle gear, newsworthy? Of course it was. Should the photograph have displayed in the media? Absolutely … The news media should continue to find out what it can about New Zealand's involvement in the war, even if what it comes up with is outside the comfort zone of the military or their political masters." (20 January 2010)

Strength in numbers
Privately-owned New Zealand winery Villa Maria has formed a six-year export partnership with United States premium wine company St Michelle Wine Estates based in Washington State. Villa Maris's founder and managing director George Fistonich said the partnership was important given the challenges of branding and exporting in the huge United States market. "We are delighted to partner with St Michelle Wine Estates to enable further market growth in the super and ultra premium categories and to cement our position as the leading New Zealand wine brand sold in the US," Fistonich said. The partnership included the management of domestic sales, PR and marketing of Villa Maria brands throughout the US, and could include viticulture and winemaking exchanges. New Zealand wine was the second fastest-growing wine import category in the United States, where St Michelle was one of the fastest growing premium wine companies. Villa Maria produces its wines at two facilities in Marlborough and Auckland. 
(22 January 2010)

Geared-up for top show
The story of Hulme Supercars, the company behind the Hulme Can-Am, will feature on cult UK motoring show Top Gear, with the show expected to screen in August or September. Hulme managing director Jock Freemantle said scoring Top Gear was a coup for the fledgling company, but more importantly, it gave access to ongoing support and expertise. “This is not a typical Top Gear show,” Freemantle said. “They’re coming over to talk about the history and the story of the Hulme — to film it and test it and advise us on what’s required to make it the ultimate supercar.” He said having Top Gear on board would subject it to testing by drivers who had experienced the world’s best supercars. “They’re sending over a driver who’s a Porsche and Audi supercar test driver, plus he’s driven and tested Lamborghinis and all those supercars, so he’s going to be a major input into the story.” Hulme is in the midst of a share offer to raise at least $2 million for the next stage of production. So far several wealthy investors and enthusiasts have bought in, among them Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ralph Norris. The offer closes on June 30. 
(19 June 2010) 

Current choreography
New Zealand-based theatre-artist and choreographer Lemi Ponifasio and his troupe MAU have taken Tempest: Without a Body to this year’s Venice contemporary dance festival. Guardian reviewer Judith Mackrell called the performance “an intensely crafted piece of stage ritual that feels as though it’s about a lot of things — the destruction of the natural world, the clash of old and new civilisations. Although it was originally choreographed in 2007, some of its images carry uncomfortable echoes of the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico: among the dancers on stage, one wears a bedraggled pair of wings, moving brokenly like an injured sea bird, while another is naked apart from a thin slick of oil coating his skin.” Samoan-born Ponifasio is a High Chief of Samoa and holds the title Sala. MAU was founded in 1995. 
(9 June 2010)

Wwow what a wwoof
From their wwoofing holiday in Northland, Californian couple Jacob and Kendall Madden describe their time spent working on five organic farms in the region in a guide about what it means to be a “wwoofer”. “The acronym stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, but some still refer to it as Willing Workers On Organic Farms. People of varying experience levels and all ages (although, usually a minimum age of 16) have been taking advantage of this excellent program since it started in the UK in 1971. Work-wise, there is weeding, weeding, and more weeding. It is not the only thing you will have to do and most hosts are reasonable but there is a lot of weeding to do on an organic farm. But there were lots of other more interesting jobs. We disassembled a camper van and turned it into a goat shelter, set possum traps, planted vegetables, fed goats and chickens and milked cows.” 
(15 June 2010)

Monster trophies
One of the world’s largest deer, the red stag, was imported into New Zealand from Scotland more than a century ago and has since flourished. Now they are popular game for North American hunters. Freeland hunters Stan Wilczek and Pete Petrushka describe their New Zealand shoot in a story for the Standard Speaker. From a lodge on a mammoth ranch in the Whanganui River Valley, the pair departed early each morning looking for the huge antlers of a dominant stag. Their prize was a “monster” weighing 650 pounds with a rack of 438 inches. Wilczek and Petrushka donated the stags’ meat in New Zealand. The hides and antlers of both stags were treated in New Zealand and, after clearing customs, will arrive at a Pennsylvania taxidermist from whom Petrushka and Wilczek ordered full shoulder mounts of their trophies.
(13 June 2010)

Reel treasure found 
Unbeknownst to The New Zealand Film Archives, 75 early American films have been in its possession, including the sole copy known to exist of a silent film directed by cinema icon John Ford, who later went on to make Grapes of Wrath and The Quiet Man. The film, called Upstream, is described as a backstage romance between an aspiring actor and a girl from a knife-throwing act. The collection also includes works produced between 1910 and 1920 starring important female actors such as Clara Bow and Mabel Normand. The batch is being seen as a time capsule of American film from the 1910s and 1920s. Only about a fifth of all US films produced between 1900 and 1940 have survived, the rest having been lost through decay or neglect. It is thought that New Zealand had such a rich trove of early films largely because of the distribution system at the time. Copies would be sent out across America and beyond, and after their run had finished they would either be sent back to the distributors or simply be destroyed. New Zealand was so distant that cinemas hung on to the copies and in some cases stored them, from where some made their way into the national film archive. 
(6 June 2010)

Hollywood bowled 
"In an age of bloated, self-importance and out-of-control celebrity worship, [the Flight of the Conchord's] songs of parody and general mirth served as a lively and engaging antidote," writes Martin Miller for the Los Angeles Times in a review of the duo's biggest gig yet, at the Hollywood Bowl. "From the outset, it was clear the indie-friendly, near-sellout audience members were enthusiastically in on all the jokes. In fact, most of them dressed like friends of Bret and Jemaine who in the series live in a low-rent New York City neighborhood as they struggle to succeed in the music business. It was wonderful to see the Conchords at the Bowl, but if Bret and Jemaine really want to make the world a better place, they should return to television." 
(31 May 2010)

Peace reigns supreme 
New Zealand has been named the most peaceful nation for the second year running in the fourth annual Global Peace Index (GPI). Compiled by global think tank Institute for Economics and Peace, the report looks at the relationship between economic development, business and peace and examines key areas of conflict, safety, security and military factors in 149 countries. New Zealand took out the top spot because of its political stability, safety and harmonious relations with neighbouring countries like Australia, which came in at number 19 in the poll. New Zealand was followed by Iceland and Japan in the poll, while Austria and Norway rounded out the top five. 
(8 June 2010)

Spinnakered win 
Emirates Team New Zealand has won its second consecutive Louis Vuitton Trophy in La Maddalenna, Sardinia, in Italy, beating the Russian syndicate Synergy 3—2. The day began with the Russians holding a 1—0 overnight lead against ETNZ and bursting with confidence. Asked, before taking to the water, how many races they expected to sail, several crew members of the Russian boat replied emphatically, "two". In the last race, despite the Russian syndicate getting a replacement gennaker up within two minutes, it was all over as Emirates Team New Zealand crossed the line to win its second consecutive Louis Vuitton Trophy. "We had to work pretty damn hard to get it but we got there in the end," said Davies. On the turning point of the finals, he joked: "the last run, when their spinnaker blew out". 
(7 June 2010)

Industry icon dies 
Bay of Plenty-born director Merata Mita has died in Auckland. Broadcaster Joanna Paul told The New Zealand Herald that Mita was an icon and her death, a massive loss. Paul said she met her friend 30 years ago on her first day of work on a TVNZ drama about Maori protesters. "Even at the time she was this iconic, charismatic figure," Paul said. "She was working on her film about Takaparawha [Bastion Pt] and trying to hide her footage from the cop raids that happened at her post-production suite all the time. You couldn't help but be attracted to her." Rhonda Kite, who has been working with the film-maker and author Patricia Grace on a screen adaptation of Grace's novel Cousins for the past seven years, said Mita was a formidable woman. "She didn't suffer fools. She had that sense of who she was and what she stood for that needed no explanation as far as she was concerned." Director Hinewehi Mohi said that edge was lined with a wicked sense of humour and the "giggle of a teenager". Mita received a New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Years Honours list earlier this year. she was one of the first Maori to direct a feature film, Mauri in 1988 and more recently, helped to produce Boy, Taika Waititi's hit film. Thought to be in her 60s, Mita is survived by six children, as well as her grandchildren.
(31 May 2010)

Commission speculation 
Former Labour Prime Minister and maritime law expert Sir Geoffrey Palmer, 68, is UN chief Ban Ki-moon's preferred choice to head a planned international enquiry into Israel's raid on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, according to an anonymous Israeli Foreign Ministry official. The panel would also include Israeli, Turkish and US representatives. Eight Turks and a Turkish American were killed in the May 31 raid. New Zealander Nicole Enchmarch was among the passengers and crew from the flotilla who were captured and detained in Israel before their deportation. Palmer has made no comment yet as to his potential appointment until a concrete decision is made by the UN. Nelson-born Palmer is also New Zealand's commissioner to the International Whaling Commission and served as the 33rd Prime Minister of New Zealand from August 1989 until September 1990. 
(6 June 2010)

Splitting cells 
"New Zealand has found a cheap and quick way to build its prisons by converting used shipping containers into cells to deal with a record high number of inmates," writes Philippa McDonald for the ABC News. Though the 12m-long container cells have courted controversy, with prisoner advocate Peter Williams QC from the Howard League for Penal Reform saying the innovation is "not designed for human beings", corrections minister Judith Collins argues the container cells have averted a beds crisis in the country's jails. "They are actually prison cells at the end of the day; they are not a holiday camp … but they are very humane," Collins says. The containers have been converted into three cells, each accommodating two men. Container cells, expected to cost up to $63,000 per bed in an existing prison, were half the cost of permanent cell blocks. Resource consent requirements mean they could be in use by 2011 at the earliest. New Zealand is anticipating it will have around another 2000 prisoners to accommodate over the next 10 years. 
(6 June 2010)

Unique appeal 
The Topp Twins continue their tour of the United States with a performance at Portland's Mission Theatre, where producer of the Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls Arani Cuthbert will also be in attendance. The documentary earlier screened as part of the QDoc, Portland's queer-documentary film festival. The Oregonian's Grant Butler named the film one of the highlights of the festival writing: "It's easy to see why they've had such crossover success, with appealing performances that are unlike anything that's come before." Untouchable Girls was an audience favourite earlier this year during the Portland International Film Festival. 
(2 June 2010)

Good investment 
Crowded House, "the biggest thing from New Zealand until the Lord Of The Rings films shows no sign of flagging", according to the UK's News of the World reviewer Dave Freak after the band's Royal Theatre, Castlebar show in Ireland. "Mixing great tracks from new album Intriguer with old hits like 'Distant Sun', songs are interspersed with quirky jams. These range from bleeping electronics and country yelps to amusing snatches of Blondie and Abba. These New Zealanders may have aged, but their energy is undiminished, and their songs remain pop gems. Property prices may have dropped, but this house is worth investing in." Four stars. 
(30 May 2010)

Loveable Dame dies 
Dunedin-born actress Dame Pat Evison, who was best known for her Australian roles as Jessie Windom in Prisoner and Violet Carnegie in The Flying Doctors, has died aged 85. She also played Mrs Telford in the landmark New Zealand 1970s drama series Pukemanu, a role that the show's creator, Julian Dickon, said made her recognised as that character all over the country. She also featured in the popular Close to Home series. She was among the first New Zealand theatre students to receive an overseas scholarship, moving to Britain in the 1940s to study as a director at the London's Old Vic Theatre Centre. She later became an assistant director with the Young Vic Theatre Company. Dame Pat acted in a number of early productions at Wellington's Downstage Theatre. Her performance in the Samuel Beckett play Happy Days was described by director Bruce Mason as the "finest event in New Zealand theatre". She was awarded an OBE in 1980 for her services to the theatre and was made a dame in 1993. 
(30 May 2010)

Edgy stroll 
The best way to begin your New Zealand adventure is, according to the Telegraph's Tarquin Cooper, with a walk around the top of Auckland's 328m Sky Tower. The Sky Tower is the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere and is an iconic feature of the city skyline. The Sky Walk offers a fantastic 360 degree view from the top. But this is no ordinary viewing platform. The walk is along a metal gangway just a metre wide that runs around the outside of the structure. Oh, and there's one other defining feature — or lack of one. There's no handrail to stop you going over the edge! 
(28 May 2010)

Racing rivals 
New Zealand-born IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, 29, discusses his respect for former teammate Australian Ryan Briscoe in an article written by Indy Star reporter Phillip B. Wilson. They had been friends since their days together with Ganassi Racing in 2005. They became rivals after Briscoe caught on with Team Penske, but being on the Izod IndyCar Series' elite teams didn't diminish their friendship. "We obviously came from similar parts but had taken very different roads to get to where we met," Dixon said. Dixon said any such rivalry would be more intensified if they were racing back home. "When you're travelling and you're with a group of foreigners anyway, it's not too bad. But if we were back in New Zealand, the competition would be fierce." Dixon has 22 series victories, including the most recent race, at Kansas, where Briscoe was on the pole. Dixon is second in series points, 26 behind Team Penske's Will Power. Briscoe is 32 points behind Dixon in seventh.
(30 May 2010)

Making a stand 
The trial of anti-whaler Pete Bethune, 45, of the Sea Shepherd marine conservation group, who was arrested after clambering aboard a Japanese whaling ship in February, has begun in Tokyo. The trial opens as the International Whaling Commission prepares to meet in Morocco to discuss a controversial proposal that would allow Japan, Norway and Iceland to hunt a limited number of whales commercially in return for reducing their catch over the next decade. Bethune was arrested after jumping on to the Shonan Maru 2 to protest against the sinking the previous month of the Ady Gil, Sea Shepherd's powerboat. The boat, which Bethune skippered, was sliced in two during a collision with the Japanese vessel and later sank. Sea Shepherd had been using the Ady Gil to pursue and harass the whaling fleet during its annual "research" whaling expedition to the Antarctic. The group regards Bethune as a political prisoner. Dan Harris, a Sea Shepherd lawyer who has visited Bethune in detention said the activist was "unbelievably well. He's in really good spirits, very healthy and excited about having the opportunity to explain himself to the world." 
(27 May 2010)

Super swift and for sale 
Jock Freemantle's super car company Hulme is now taking orders for 20 of its CanAm cars, which are priced around $640,000 and can reach speeds of 320kmh. Each car will be numbered and delivered with a 1/8-scale replica. Designed as a tribute to longtime McLaren driver Denny Hulme — who managed to win the Can-Am championship in both 1968 and 1970 — the CanAm was heavily inspired by Hulme's old M8A racer. Powered by a 600hp seven-litre Chevrolet V8 — like the McLarens that Hulme raced with great success in the CanAm sports car series - the car can accelerate from zero to 100kmh in under 3.5 seconds. The Hulme project had received a great deal of interest from media and enthusiasts around the world, Freemantle said. "A Chinese magazine flew down here earlier this year and did a 10-page article about it," he said. "There is a guy in Dubai who wants to buy one." The idea behind the project is to build a dramatically styled car that can be driven on the road yet feel like piloting a racing car. It has the support of Hulme's widow, Greeta. 
(27 May 2010)

Soccer satire 
In this tongue-in-cheek article for sports site Bleacher Report, Eoin Redahan examines New Zealand's "dearth of WAGs", instead listing examples in a slideshow of the country's "beautiful celebrity countrywomen", as the All Whites prepare for their first match against Slovakia in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. What are the All Whites missing out on? Well, according to Redahan, the Auckland-born Lovely Bones star Rose McIver, 22, who next appears in the film Predicament, based on the novel by Ronald Hugh Morrieson; Oscar-winner Anna Paquin, 27, who did so "while everyone else was busy playing football and shirking piano practice"; Lucy Lawless, 42, "the star of Xena: Warrior Princess who tanned dreams of leather-clad fantasy into impressionable teenage minds during the mid-'90s"; and Nicky Watson, 37, "the New Zealand calendar lady, slash celebrity socialite, known for her fractious relationships with rich, high-profile gentlemen, and for grasping your breath for the duration of this slide." 
(20 May 2010)

Business aesthetics 
The New Zealand Pavilion at Expo Shanghai 2010 is profiled in an article by Joe Drury for China Briefing, in which he describes New Zealand's contribution as "yet another avenue to make inroads into the Chinese market". One of the main objectives of New Zealand's decision to take part in the expo was to develop and strengthen trade links between New Zealand businesses and China's dynamic economy. Bilateral trade for 2010 is estimated at US$2.4 billion. "It's a great opportunity to showcase ourselves in a country that is increasingly critical to our economic wellbeing," Commissioner General Phillip Gibson said. The New Zealand government has spent US$30 million on expressing the theme "Cities of Nature: Living between Land and Sky." The 2000 square foot pavilion is full of references to Maori culture, a nod to the indigenous peoples' influence on New Zealand identity. Expo Shanghai 2010 runs through October 31. 
(21 May 2010)

Masons make waves 
New Zealand-born surfing sisters Sarah and Airini Mason have finishing first and second respectively at the Billabong Pro Junior in Raglan in May. The Cabarita-based siblings who have grown up surfing the point breaks of the southern Gold Coast, had an exciting showdown in the final. Younger sister Sarah trumped the more experienced Airini, taking the title 16 points to 11.25. The result means 15-year-old Sarah moves into the ASP Australasian Pro Junior Series ratings lead, with 20-year-old Airini sitting in second with three events left. "Surfing against my sister in the final was hard, but whoever won, it was a good result for the both of us and it feels great right now," Sarah said. She has been on a roll the past month, firstly by winning the TSB Bank Pro Junior in Taranaki followed by her huge ASP World Tour event victory, defeating current world champion Stephanie Gilmore. 
(18 May 2010)

Harmony and fury 
The BBC's Sydney correspondent Nick Bryant "reflects on New Zealand's mix of controlled fury, subtle charm and social harmony, and asks why the rest of the world can't be more like it" in an article for the BBC's Radio Four. Bryant writes that New Zealand offers "fabulous food and wine, some of the most flavoursome coffee that you will find anywhere in the southern hemisphere — if not the world — and the sharp freshness of the air, all of which make it one of the great lifestyle superpowers of the world." For "its televised coverage of Test cricket, where the commentators convene during the tea interval at a picnic table on the boundary and with quaint fastidiousness, enjoy a pot of tea, in other ways, though, New Zealand can be edgy and forward-thinking. It's just about to launch the world's most comprehensive emissions trading scheme to curb greenhouse gases, and some of its most senior civil servants are so with it, they look like they should be running organic supermarkets rather than the country." Bryant concludes with his "usual parting thought: Why can't the rest of the world be more like New Zealand?" 
(15 May 2010)

Expanding the big top
Takapuna-based award-winning animation company Cirkus has hired New York veteran Delia Zeliger as their full-time creative director in the company's Big Apple office. Zeliger's appointment will compliment Cirkus' New York-based creative director Scott Wilkinson. Reporting to "RingMaster" Marko Klijn and Cirkus' New York-based Creative Director — Scott "Strongman" Wilkinson — Daria, the "Snake Charmer", will bring her years of experience working for and representing some of the most innovative and exciting companies working today to help Cirkus gain a firm foothold in the United States. Cirkus provides concept storytelling, character animation, environment, VFX, live action and graphic design from studios in New Zealand and New York. 
(12 May 2010)

From the outside in 
New Zealand actor Sam Neill wasn't "particularly looking for a television role" when offered the part of memorabilia shop owner Merritt Grieves in ABC's Happy Town, "but this was a character that I thought, this was fine. I like this." Neill describes Merritt Grieves: "He's an outsider clearly. And sometimes it takes an outsider to see things with clarity. And this is a town which is labyrinthine, and there are secrets covering secrets. It's a town that ostensibly seems idyllic, the sort of town that we all would like to live in. But, of course, every town has its past and every place has things they'd sooner forget. Merritt is a man that's been involved in dark things. I don't see him as a villain, but he's certainly a man that there is a lot more to be learned about." 
(5 May 2010)

Headlining in Ohio 
Former Auckland four-piece rock band Like A Storm — who's song 'Enemy' features weekly on ESPN's College Football — was discovered in 2005 by Methods of Mayhem guitarist Kai Marcus at the band's first international gig in downtown Vancouver bar Buffalo Club. New Zealanders, brothers Matt, Kent and Chris Brooks, and Canadian Thomas Karanasos, head south to play music festival Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio on May 22. Matt is excited at the prospect of playing with Slash, the Deftones and Limp Bizkit. "And to have come from New Zealand and now be doing our first headlining tour of the US, that's a major milestone for us," Matt says. In the past 6 months, the band has also toured the United States with rock giants Creed, Staind, Hoobastank, Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Skillet, Shinedown, and Burn Halo, as well as The Veer Union and Framing Hanley. 
(13 May 2010)

No apologies for drive 
"During May's final round of The Players Championship, caddie Steve Williams was committed solely on pushing, if not inciting, [Tiger] Woods to play better," writes Don Coble for the Florida-based Jacksonville.com. In the past 10 years, nobody's been better than Woods, and Williams has been on the bag for all of it. And in the past five years, nobody's been better on the dirt tracks of New Zealand than Williams. "I'm a caddie and I'm a racer," Williams said. "I do both equally." Williams has been called a bully on the PGA Tour. In racing that's a considered a compliment. Whether that label is fair isn't important, he said, although he makes no apologies for being so driven to win. Get in his way and he will move you. Get in his face and he will knock you down. That's the way race car drivers do business. Even on the golf course. 
(9 May 2010)

NZ gothic on show 
The Queensland Art Gallery's Gallery of Modern Art is showcasing its substantial collection of contemporary New Zealand art — the largest outside of this country — with an exhibition called Unnerved: The New Zealand Project, the second in a series of country-specific exhibition projects focusing on its contemporary collections. According to the Queensland Art Gallery's website, "Unnerved explores a particularly rich dark vein that recurs in New Zealand contemporary art and cinema. Psychological or physical unease pervades many works in the exhibition, with humour, parody and poetic subtlety among the strategies used by artists across generations and genres." The exhibition features the work of over 30 artists including Michael Parekowhai, Lisa Reihana, Yvonne Todd, Michael Stevenson and Anne Noble — covering everything from film and photography to installations and works on paper. Most pieces are from the collection, underlining the QAG's commitment to Pacific art, but most eye-catching are two borrowed works: Parekowhai's enormous blow-up bunnies — one upright, the other couchant — shown together for the first time. Unnerved: The New Zealand Project is at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, until July 4, and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, from November 27. Image: Yvonne Todd LIMPET (from 'Vagrants' reception centre' series) 2005. Collection: Queensland Art Gallery 
(7 May 2010)

Flat white factions 
Contentious as the origin of the pavlova, the flat white "is the most recognisable coffee contribution to come from Australia, a country known for its obsessive and highly skilled baristas" according to The New York Times. Wikipedia has it otherwise, stating that the drink originates from New Zealand and was created in the early eighties by Derek Townsend, the co-owner of DKD café in Auckland. Times blogger Oliver Strand continues: "The drink migrated to London in the 1990s as baristas from Australia and New Zealand (where the drink is also found) jump-started that city's small but explosive coffee scene, and soon the flat white became a signifier of artisan cool: if it was on the menu, the joint was good." Then in December, 2009, the giant English coffee chain Costa and Starbucks UK both announced that they were rolling out the flat white. It was a bombshell. By January, 2010, a flat white in London was as edgy as a soy latte. Still, it was a savvy marketplace move. Costa's parent company, the hotel and restaurant group Whitbread, credited the flat white with a 9.5 per cent quarterly increase in same-store sales that helped stabilise the financial outlook of the entire corporation, one of the largest in the country. The flat white had become big business." 
(6 May 2010)

Vowel interpretation 
The Auckland Regional Migrant Services Charitable Trust has set up classes to help foreigners understand the New Zealand accent and translate the daunting flattened vowels which turn "fish and chips" into "fush en chups". Nazli Effendi, who created the course, said several aspects of New Zealand communication flummoxed newcomers. "One of the things that migrants identify as being difficult is the speed at which New Zealanders speak," Effendi said. As well as decoding a heavy New Zealand accent, the course focuses on phrases that could be confusing to anyone coming to the country, not just non-English speakers. A distinct New Zealand variant of the English language has been in existence since the last 19th century, when English novelist Frank Arthur Swinnerton described it as a "carefully modulated murmur." 
(5 May 2010)

Smart move 
Auckland-based technology firm NextWindow has been bought out by privately-owned Calgary company Smart Technologies. NextWindow, which employs 125 staff people in offices in New Zealand, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and the United States, makes touch screens for personal computers manufactured by companies including Hewlett-Packard and Dell. "We are combining two companies with complementary expertise and a remarkably similar culture focused on innovation and excellence," NextWindow's chief executive Al Monro said. The technology that brought Smart and NextWindow together involves "optical touch," the use of cameras in computer screens or other electronic windows to allow manipulation of data through movement, without actually touching the screen. Monro, who will become part of Smart Technologies' executive team, said NextWindow increased revenues by nearly 50 per cent in the year just closed. 
(27 April 2010)

Police found culpable 
The death of New Zealand anti-fascist protestor Blair Peach in a London demonstration against the National Front in April 1979 "marked one of the most controversial events in modern policing history", writes the Guardian's Paul Lewis. Peach was almost certainly killed by police at the demonstration, according to a secret report recently released. The 130-page report was produced by Commander John Cass, who ran the Met's internal complaints bureau and led the investigation into Peach's death. A campaigner against the far right, Peach, a 33-year-old teacher, died from a blow in Southall, west London. Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan police commissioner, said the report made "uncomfortable reading" but unequivocally accepted the finding that a Met officer was likely to be responsible for the death and expressed his "regret". The Met has resisted publishing any material relating to the death of Peach for almost 30 years. Deborah Coles, co-director of Inquest, an organisation that was set up in 1981 partly in response to Peach's death and provides advice on contentious deaths, called on the Met commissioner to concede that the force was responsible for Peach's death. "The whole police investigation into what happened on 23 April 1979 was clearly designed as an exercise in managing the fallout from the events of that iconic day in Southall, to exonerate police violence in the face of legitimate public protest," she said. 
(27 April 2010)

Island paradise 
Waiheke Island's Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant is recommended by the Wall Street Journal in an article about worldwide wine tours. Waiheke Island features alongside the Barossa Valley, Australia; Western Cape, South Africa and Grover Vineyards, Bangalore, India. "Less than an hour by ferry from Auckland, sits a small island in the Hauraki Gulf that is a wine lover's paradise," writes Graham Reid. "More than two dozen vineyards, some of them award-winning, call the island home, thanks to a microclimate that's perfect for growing grapes — more hours of sunshine and consistently higher temperatures than the North Island. This two-day trip is a tour of five of the island's best wineries, all of which are clustered in the western end of the island." 
(30 April 2010)

Controversial precision 
"New Zealand is joining the global race to meet a surging demand for energy and minerals, with a plan to open up highly protected conservation areas to mining," writes Paul Cleary for The Australian. The country has also commissioned extensive geological surveys, which have identified a massive resources bounty that the new conservative government is rushing to develop. The government has called for submissions on a plan to allow mining on 7000ha of the most environmentally sensitive land in the country. The decision follows a geological study that revealed potential for gold, silver, coal and rare earth elements in these areas. Better known for its tourism, sheep and dairy, New Zealand is emerging as a significant oil producer, potentially making it the Norway of the Pacific. New Zealand's mineral resources excluding coal and petroleum have been estimated at about $194bn. Energy and Resources Minister Brownlee said coal resources could be worth just as much, with substantial known reserves in the South Island. He said the 7000ha area was a tiny part of the 4.6m hectares in Schedule 4, and that the "precision" mining that he envisaged would not tarnish the country's brand image, "100% Pure". 
(27 April 2010)

Call him breathless 
New Zealand freediver William Trubridge, 29, has set the world record for the longest dive without using fins by plunging 116m into world's deepest underwater sinkhole, in the Bahamas. Trubridge battled nitrogen narcosis as he held his breath for four minutes and nine seconds to break the record for the deepest free immersion dive at Dean's Blue Hole. Wearing a specially designed silicon-coated wetsuit, Trubridge used a form of breaststroke to propel himself down to without the aid of oxygen. "It was hard to get the tag from the bottom as I struggled with some narcosis," Trubridge said afterwards. "But it's great to have the free immersion record again." It was Trubridge's 10th world record, and puts him in first place for the competition to find the world's best all-round freediver. Trubridge trains in Italy in the summer and Dean's Blue Hole in the winter. 
(26 April 2010)

MTV's guide to NZ 
New Zealand musicians Liam Finn, Scribe and The Mint Chicks feature in three four-minute Tourism New Zealand documentaries created with MTV describing their favourite dim sum restaurants, music studios and corner pubs. Called 'MTV's Guide to NZ', the documentaries include unscripted dialogue and uncontrived itineraries. Director Miki Magasiva films Scribe scuba diving for paua, stops of with The Mint Chicks at Ferg Burgers in Queenstown, and films Liam Finn swearing by the homemade pies at The Fridge in Kingsland. In an interview with 3 News, Magasiva says: "This was really exciting and different to other commercials I've shot before because there was so much freedom and latitude for the musicians to take us wherever they wanted." Regional manager for Australia at Tourism New Zealand Barry Eddington told The New Zealand Herald that the musicians are so well-known in Australia that, "showing their secrets, their hidden treasures, their home — that's quite powerful". The documentaries are being rolled out on MTV's website and on MTV Australia. 
(12 April 2010)

Sprites by Leibovitz 
Director Peter Jackson and Lovely Bones star Saoirse Ronan were photographed at New York's Time Warner Center by Annie Leibovitz for the March issue of Vanity Fair, in a photographic shoot for the magazine called, 'Frame, Set and Match'. Jackson and Ronan, "The Sprites" feature alongside: "The Romantics", Pedro Almodóvar and Penélope Cruz; "The Visionary", James Cameron and his fusion 3-D camera, and "The Hellions", Quentin Tarentino and Christoph Waltz. Ronan is justly celebrated for her successful handling of the difficult lead role in The Lovely Bones. Jackson was lucky to have her, just as he was fortunate when he was able to rely on Kate Winslet as the foundation for his 1994 breakthrough hit Heavenly Creatures. Leibovitz focused on the bond between actor and director (or director and machine) which sparked 11 compelling films in 2009, including The Lovely Bones, Avatar and Inglorious Basterds. 
(March 2010)

Happy birthday 
"New Zealand has marked the Queen's 84th birthday by rejecting an attempt to abolish the monarchy," writes Paul Chapman for The Telegraph. A bill that would have set up a referendum on the country becoming a republic was thrown out by parliament on its first reading, by 68 votes to 53. Keith Locke, the Green MP who tabled the bill with Labour's support, said it could have led to an elected president having similar powers to the Governor-General, the Queen's representative. "The question many New Zealanders ask is: Why should we have a head of state on the other side of the world who is not a citizen of our country?" Chairman of Monarchy New Zealand Professor Noel Cox hailed parliament's stand, saying: "New Zealanders should strongly support their democratic monarchy, and are rightly proud of it. "He condemned the bill as "an expensive and time-consuming waste of taxpayers' money". An opinion poll, conducted by the Republican Movement just before the vote, showed 45 per cent of respondents favoured Prince Charles becoming the next king of New Zealand, with 43 per cent supporting a republic. Women supported the monarchy more strongly than men. 
(22 April 2010)

Ash brings business 
New Zealand orchid and salmon suppliers were working overtime after the volcanic eruption beneath Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier caused ash-related delays across the planet. "The phone started ringing hot from the East Coast of North America," said Greg Keymer, managing director of Eastern and Global, a cut-flower exporter in New Zealand. "We are getting strong inquiries for Cymbidium Orchids as the Dutch shippers out of Holland can't supply the North American start of the May wedding market," Keymer said. "I'm getting calls from Toronto, Chicago, New York and Quebec," Keymer said. "We normally don't start exports until late May when the Dutch start to ease off production. Wish we had more to send right now." When the CEO of fish farm New Zealand King Salmon Grant Rosewarne walked into his New Zealand office on Monday morning and saw an order for salmon from a distributor in Dubai, he thought it was a typo. "They typically order five cartons," Rosewarne said. "On Monday they ordered 500 cartons." Airborne ash may have restricted salmon supplies from Norway and other northern European nations, but for Rosewarne and his 420 employees, the distant Iceland volcano has brought an unprecedented boom in business, as customers around the globe try to keep salmon on restaurant menus and store shelves. 
(20 April 2010)

Boarding school magic 
New Zealand comic and fiction writer Karen Healey's debut novel Guardian of the Dead has been released. Guardian of the Dead is a young adult fantasy novel set around a boarding school in Christchurch, where the protagonist, Ellie, is finishing her final year. An experienced martial artist, Ellie agrees to help choreograph the fights in a local university theatre production, and finds herself pulled into the world of magic and myth that lurks at the fringes of everyday life. Australian-based Healey says though the book draws heavily on Maori myth; for her American readers she has included a glossary and extra-text summaries where necessary. "On the whole, I think teenagers are smarter and pay more attention that a lot of people like to give them credit for," Healey says. Healey is currently revising her second young adult fantasy novel, Summerton, which is out in 2011. It is set in a fictional small town on the West Coast, where three teenagers try to find the real cause of their older brothers' apparent suicides. 
(19 April 2010)

Texan triumph 
Cambridge 21-year-old Joelle King has beaten Australian favourite Rachael Grinham at the Texas Open squash tournament. King, the reigning Australian Open champion, defeated top seed Grinham 11—8 6—11 11—8 11—9 in Houston to complete a remarkable week for the unseeded champion. As well as defeating former world No.1 Grinham, King knocked out higher ranked players Donna Urquhart and Dominique Lloyd-Walter on her way to the final. It was King's second straight win over the Queenslander, following her first round triumph in last year's New Zealand Open. 
(12 April 2010)

Affectionately known as 
Using digital technology, a woman's skull, found on the Wairau Bar archeological in 1939 and now thought to be 600 years old, has been recreated. Facial anthropologist Susan Hayes from the University of Western Australia (UWA) determined the facial structure from Computed Tomography (CT) scans of the skull. Hayes was able to calculate the likely appearance of the eyes, nose, mouth and overall face shape before building up the soft tissues, starting with the main muscles that define the overall shape of the face. "The level of accuracy is within the parameters of what she would have looked like — except for what we cannot determine from the skull such as hair or the lines on the face or character," said Hayes. Affectionately known as "Aunty" by local Marlborough iwi Rangitane, the computer image shows a woman, thought to have been in her early 30s when she died, who may have held a place in the tribal elite. Rangitane iwi spokesman Richard Bradley said the photo-image added a new dimension to the lives of the original Wairau Bar inhabitants. "Instead of seeing a collection of bones and skulls, we start to see what the person looked like," he said. "Up till now, all we've seen are figures in a museum that don't really bear much resemblance to how we see ourselves today." 
(5 April 2010)

Preserving Te Reo online
Language activist and Waikato University computer science lecturer Te Taka Keegan is preserving the Maori language using Google Translator Toolkit to upload Maori translations of English texts to Google. Others can then use those translations in their work, increasing the quantity and quality of Maori translations that are available and creating incentives for children of Maori descent to learn the language. "With this tool, we can actually uplift our language," Keegan said. "For us, it is about saving our language from extinction. We are trying to help our culture survive." Google's machine translation system feeds on data, including the data that Keegan and others feed into the toolkit. If enough people use the service, Google will eventually have enough data to add Maori to the list of languages that Google can translate automatically. Keegan recently spent six months at Google headquarters, California researching the online translating toolkit and its potential for use with minority languages. 
(9 March 2010)

Herbert versus Goliath 
All Whites coach Ricki Herbert — who made 61 appearances for New Zealand including as defender for New Zealand's 1982 World Cup squad in Spain — says that he doesn't need to beat his chest and get his name out into the media ahead of the World Cup in South Africa. Most believe Herbert operates under the same circumstances and with the same resources as coaches of other qualified nations. New Zealand is a developed and moderately wealthy country and it has been assumed Herbert will prepare his team for the World Cup in ideal circumstances. But Herbert still faces significant problems of scale. New Zealand is a country of only 4 million people and football remains a minor sport, popular among children but less so among adults, in a country almost consumed by rugby. Herbert juggles his time as national coach with his fulltime role as coach of the Wellington Phoenix, the country's only fulltime professional team. Few of his peers face such a demanding division of roles. However, he remains fully committed to the national cause, regardless of his or his squad's profile in New Zealand. "I've never lost faith in this team ever since I took over four years ago. It's a massive responsibility to get us back onto the world stage and a lot of people have done a lot of hard work to make this happen," he said. 
(3 April 2010)

Division debate 
"There has always been sense in New Zealand and Australia being one country," writes the Anthony Mason Professor of Law at the University of NSW George Williams in an opinion piece called, 'A nation girt by sea — and divided by it'. "The chance for them to join together arose at federation in 1901, but the opportunity was missed when the new nation included only the Australian colonies," Williams continues. "Debate on a New Zealand—Australia merger has been sparked by an opinion poll commissioned by New Zealand television showing some support for the move. Not surprisingly, more Australians than New Zealanders are in favour, with 24 per cent of the New Zealanders and 37 per cent of the Australians polled believing the two nations should join forces. As the recent poll suggests, the greater obstacles lie on the other side of the Tasman. There have always been good arguments to join. Many are economic. We could be stronger together. Though as the recent poll suggests, the greater obstacles lie on the other side of the Tasman. It is one thing for Australians to accept New Zealand as a seventh state, it is another again for New Zealanders to see their nation swallowed up by its larger neighbour." 
(30 March 2010)

Kauri acoustics 
Bay of Islands-based luthier Christian Druery makes guitars from ancient swamp kauri and last year created two instruments commissioned for the Musical Instrument Museum in Arizona. "Essentially, I was asked to design and build two guitars that best represented me, my craft and my country New Zealand," Druery says. "It's pretty much the dream brief." One of the challenges of making guitars in New Zealand is sourcing the appropriate materials, he says. "Quarter-sawn Spruce, Ebony and Rosewood weren't readily available in New Zealand and I knew nothing about these timbers. After a couple of years I abandoned the idea of using exotic timbers altogether. It made sense to start using timbers native to New Zealand for many reasons. I had a wealth of knowledge and experience using Kauri and Rimu from making furniture that I could apply to guitar building. I'm very proud to say that all of the timber I use is now 100 per cent from New Zealand, and all but the Ancient Kauri is recycled from other sources." 
(31 March 2010)

Space man saluted 
New Zealand space scientist Sir Ian Axford, who worked on American and European space probes, such as the Voyager and Giotto designing robot craft and calculating orbits, has died at his home in Napier, aged 77. He was the director of Germany's Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research for 16 years from 1974, overseeing the successful Giotto space mission to Halley's Comet in 1986. Axford conducted ground-breaking research in planetary science, comets and solar physics over 50 years and made significant contributions to the fields of plasma and space physics. "His achievements were not only as a researcher, but also as a leader of science organisations," said Garth Carnaby, president of New Zealand's science academy, the Royal Society. "Sir Ian was one of New Zealand's most remarkable scientists and had a distinguished international career". In 1995, Axford was awarded the prestigious Rutherford Medal, "for his excellent contribution to fundamental research which has led to a deeper understanding of the nature of planetary magnetospheres, comets, interplanetary space, the behaviour of interstellar gas and the origin of cosmic rays." Born in Dannevirke, January 2, 1933, Sir Ian was educated at Napier Boys' High, and attended university at Canterbury, Manchester and Cambridge, where he took his PhD in 1960. In recent years Sir Ian took an interest in global warming, arguing that wider use of nuclear energy would be better for the planet than countries such as China, Australia and the USA burning "all the fossil fuel they can lay their hands on, which would double or triple the amount of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere". 
(17 March 2010)

Heart-stopping gold 
Wanaka-based Adam Hall, 22, paralympian gold medallist alpine skier, never had any special treatment says his father dairy farmer Lindsay Hall upon Adam's win in Vancouver at the 2010 Winter Games. "He never got treated any different," Hall senior says. When there are things to be done [around the farm] he'll do them." Born with spina bifida, Hall endured several operations as an infant to correct "all the screwed up nerves" in his back. While many spina bifida sufferers wind up in wheelchairs, Hall can walk, although it's a herky-jerky, knees together, feet wide kind of walk. "I ski a lot better, obviously, than I walk," he says. Hall won the men's standing slalom in heart-stopping fashion, four years after failing to even finish at Turin. With a lead of 2.13 seconds after the first run, Hall was in good position to earn his first Paralympic medal. But two-thirds of the way into a solid second run, he tumbled onto his side just after making a gate. Using his outrigger-equipped poles and a strong upper body, he pushed himself to his feet. "I didn't have time to panic," he says. He later stood up and saluted the crowd with his outrigger raised. (15 March 2010)

Cross country by bike 
Cycling New Zealand, a Lonely Planet guidebook written by Scott Kennedy, is reviewed in the Ottawa Citizen. Kennedy divides New Zealand into eight bicycling zones, from Auckland on the North Island to Otago on the South Island, with each ride graded for difficulty. He describes the country's best mountain, rural (watch out for the sheep and kiwi crossing signs) and city biking, and dispenses advice on cycling on deserted roads. It covers the best areas for cycle touring, selected because they are scenic, pass through interesting towns by historic sights, and are easy to reach by public transport. For those who prefer to ride the entire length of New Zealand ("a worthy goal, and one that is easily achievable — if only on paper," says Kennedy), numerous routes are available. 
(13 March 2010)

Moa eggshells tell all 
Scientists in New Zealand and Australia have extracted the DNA from the fossil eggshells of 3000-year-old moa. It is the first time that scientists have succeeded in extracting ancient DNA from the fossilised eggshells of a bird. Genetic material from New Zealand ducks, the Madagascan elephant bird, the heaviest bird that ever lived, was also recovered, along with DNA from Australian owls. By sequencing the genomes of ancient birds, scientists hope to build up a better picture of their physiology and how they dispersed and split into different species. It may even be possible to surmise their diets from genes encoding the enzymes for digesting particular types of food. Co-author Otago University archaeologist Chris Jacomb said: "The interesting thing from the bird eggs is they seem to preserve the eggshell DNA and biomolecules better than bone because of the crystalline structure of the eggshell itself." Moa eggshell fragments were collected from Redcliffs in Christchurch, Pounawea in the Catlins and Hawke's Bay. The findings of the study were published in the Royal Society's Proceedings B journal of biological sciences. 
(10 March 2010)

Developing football 
Wellington property developer Terry Serepisos, "who decided three years ago to save professional football in New Zealand, is the talk of his home town" writes The Sydney Morning Herald's Michael Cockerill. "Wellington Phoenix are bigger than the Hurricanes right now and that's saying something. Serepisos is the man who made it happen and it's cost him more than $10 million. For that he is lauded, promoted — he's New Zealand's Donald Trump, having just finished hosting the local version of The Apprentice — and respected." Though the Phoenix were beaten by Sydney FC 4-2 in the A-League semi-final, "right now, [Wellington] is a Phoenix town," Cockerill continues. "At the bottom end, local registrations are up 20 per cent and there's no longer enough parks to cater for the demand. At the top end, two successive home finals, two bumper crowds and two epic confrontations decided after extra time have whetted the appetite even more."
(10 March 2010)

Tributes flow for Moth
New Zealand camerawomen Margaret Moth, renowned for her fearlessness and international career, died of cancer aged 59 on 21 March in the US. Starting her career in Dunedin, she was one New Zealand’s first women camera operators, and went on to make her name working for CNN in war-zones around the world. In 1992, she shot to international attention after being shot in the face while reporting in Sarajevo, a near fatal injury. Only six months later she rejoined her colleagues in Bosnia — just one example of her tenaciousness and dedication. Recently profiled in Fearless: The Margaret Moth Story, a CNN documentary, Moth is remembered by colleagues for her sense of humour, love for cigars and heavy eyeliner, and determination to live life to the fullest.
(21 March 2010)

Hooligan comes clean 
Otara MC Karlos Diamond, aka Mr Sicc, who performs at SXSW 2010 in Austin, Texas on March 19, talked to US music site Spinner about his musical influences — including Marvin Gaye, Prince and Eazy E — the origin of his performance name and the hip-hop scene in New Zealand. "For an island country of only 4.5 million I think we have a healthy hip-hop scene," Diamond explains. "You Americans probably don't realise it, but we love your hip-hop here. We have an overflow of artists. Some do the commercial style, others love the street stuff, and the back pack scene here is really strong too. We have a lot of hip-hop radio stations, stores, concerts and gigs all the time." Other New Zealand artists performing at the festival, which showcases nearly 2000 musical acts from around the globe at over 80 stages, include Gin Wigmore, Bang Bang Eche, Young Sid and Bachelorette. 
(3 March 2010)

Birthday at Broward 
In late February, Soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa performed works by Handel, Debussy, Vivaldi and others at Fort Lauderdale's Broward Center for the Performing Arts, her first performance in the state of Miami in 16 years. Te Kanawa, who celebrated her 66th birthday on March 5, attributes her vocal health and professional staying power to the firm hand with which she has guided her own career. "An artist has a world to create," she says. "One person has to take charge. I was fairly strong and brave." Her rapid rise, she says, was undergirded by the five years she spent in Covent Garden's young artist programme. "I was paid only 50 pounds a week but it was worth it. I was well taken care of and prepared for the opportunities that would come my way." If there is one role that captures her mystique it is Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier. She will again portray the aging aristocrat in love with a younger man in April at the Cologne Opera for what may be her operatic swan song. "It is a role I can do at my age," she says. 
(5 March 2010)

Cast for glass 
"Internationally respected doyenne" of glass casting Aucklander Ann Robinson is profiled in the Spring 2010 issue of German/English magazine Neues Glas. With no one to consult and no recipes to follow, Robinson was as naove as her Egyptian predecessors, but blessed with New Zealand ingenuity, while she blew glass in the 1980s with Gary Nash and John Croucher in their joint venture, Sunbeam Glass works, she experimented with casting in her home laundry. Initially Robinson's castings were made with the end-of-melt glass that came out of the Sunbeam Glass furnace. The pieces from this period are described by Robinson as having "a hand-made feeling and quality of time" that she still values. She takes inspiration from the New Zealand landscape, forest and coastal waters, with hues that mimic the natural environment. In 2002, Robinson was honoured by the Designers Institute of New Zealand winning the John Britten Award for her contribution to design. Photographs included in the article were from her November 2009 exhibition 'Celebrating the Recession' at Milford Galleries in Dunedin. 
(March 2010)

Sculptured meaning 
At Timaru's Phar Lap Raceway, a bronze statue of the famed Big Red and his regular jockey, Jim Pike takes pride of place. Today, the South Island city is making full use of the Phar Lap connection. Timaru's fine-dining venue, Ginger & Garlic, serves up a tribute Big Red rib eye; Petite cocktail bar serves up a Red Terror and memorabilia is for sale at the tourist information centre. The port city is most definitely in it for the long haul — the Joanne Sullivan-Gessler-designed statue is only the first stage of a three-stage project that will eventually include a Phar Lap museum and cafe built at the racetrack. Phar Lap was born in Timaru on October 4, 1926. He died suddenly in California, due to arsenic poisoning in 1932.
 (28 February 2010)

Outsider made happy 
New Zealand-raised Louise Chunn, Psychologies magazine's new editor, "is an outsider who made it" according to the Guardian's Stephen Brook. After stints at, among others, Elle, the Guardian, Vogue, InStyle and Good Housekeeping Chunn, 53, has pitched up in the editor's chair at Psychologies, the "thinking women's glossy" about "positive living". Chunn grew up in New Zealand, attending Baradene College and then later Auckland University where Helen Clark, later prime minister, was one of her tutors. At Vogue some years later, Chunn, by then a single mother with two small children, worked in a features commissioning role. But one thing at Conde Nast made her teeth itch. "I guess it is the New Zealander in me, I didn't like the class elements of it. I didn't like it that if you wanted to do something on young people, they were the honourable so and so." 
(22 February 2010)

Phoenix survive playoff 
With Phoenix goal keeper Liam Reddy fending off an attack by Perth in a penalty shootout in front of a record crowd of 25,000 at the Cake Tin, the Wellington team prevailed 4-2 to advance to the second round of Australia's A-League football playoffs. Reddy saved spot kicks from Naum Sekulovski and Scott Bulloch in the shootout. Paul Ifill, Andrew Durante, Tim Brown and Adrian Caceres were cool under pressure, slotting home their kicks against the Glory's impressive keeper Tando Velaphi. The Sydney Morning Herald's Michael Cockerill analyses the team: "We will survive. It should be the anthem of Wellington Phoenix, the success story of the season. It used to be said the Phoenix needed the A-League more than the A-League needed the Phoenix. No longer. In just three weeks, Wellington have made themselves indispensable." The Phoenix next face the Newcastle Jets in Wellington on March 7. 
(21 February 2010)

Mile win for Willis 
Lower Hutt-born middle distance runner Nick Willis, 27, currently based in Michigan, has won the mile run at the 15th Boston Indoor Games. Willis crossed the finish line in a world leading time of 3:55.26, with American Leer just two strides back in 3:55.66. "I had no idea how I'd do; this was totally surprising to me," said Willis, the silver medalist in the 1500m run at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. "I felt great with two laps to go, but when I crossed the line I was exhausted. I was really glad when Leer took the lead (on lap seven.) I knew I could come back on him, and it gave me a slingshot to work off," he said. Over the weekend Willis placed 5th at the Aviva indoor grand prix athletics meeting in Birmingham — but in the process broke John Walker's 31-year-old 1500m New Zealand indoor record by almost two seconds in three minutes 35.80 seconds
(7 February 2010)

For the in-crowd in NY 
"It's rare to see people walk out of a fashion show, but that is indeed what happened at Rebecca Taylor — but only because the Salon tent in Bryant Park [at New York Fashion Week] was so overcrowded that even those standing couldn't see a thing," describes The Village Voice's Araceli Cruz. "We're pretty sure the reason so many came out in droves to witness Taylor's Fall 2010 Collection was the stunning line she presented last season that was filled with flowery short skirts and a ton of playful color. New Zealand-born Taylor did not disappoint. She beautifully blended autumn tones with animal prints, bold stripes, and subtle touches of blue flowers atop black dresses and skirts. The designer obviously got the attention of young Hollywood, as several starlets, including Sophia Bush, Michelle Trachtenberg and Kristen Bell, adorned the front row. Taylor attended St Catherine's College in Wellington. One of her first jobs was making clothes for Peter Jackson's Meet the Feebles' puppet characters. 
(15 February 2010)

Way of life applauded 
Hawkes Bay couple Tom and Barbara Burstyn's documentary This Way of Life about a Maori family living a subsistence lifestyle has screened at the Berlin Film Festival to full houses and a Jury award. This Way of Life tells the story of Peter and Colleen Karena who moved from Omahu two years ago when their home was destroyed by fire. The couple, both in their early 30s, moved their homeless family and horses to a small homestead near the Tukituki River on the Havelock North-Waimarama Road. Shot over four years against a background of the Ruahine Range and Waimarama beach, the film is about a family of six children and 50 horses living on the thin edge between freedom and economic disaster. During the four years of filming, the family's home burnt down, horses were stolen and they lost a baby. The Berlin Festival programme describes the independent film as a story of family life in New Zealand. "Except that this is no ordinary family," the festival publicity blurb reads. "It's almost as if the word 'risk' does not exist for them: barefoot, bareback and without reins or riding hat is for instance the way the family's daughter (Aurora) gallops across the New Zealand prairie. "Some people may think that the Karenas live a life of poverty. But this isn't true. This Way of Life is a film about freedom." The Burstyns are now working on a new collaboration at their Cloud South Films shingle, Yolanda's Last Portrait. A theatrical docu feature, Portrait focuses on an aging artist in her crumbling mansion in St John's Wood in London. This Way of Life opens nationwide on March 11. 
(13 February 2010)

Memories of plasma 
The Lovely Bones director Peter Jackson "should forswear sugar next time and reintroduce himself to plasma, brain matter, puke, shit and intestines; all the elements that gave his earlier, sicker, funnier films their kick", writes John Patterson of the Guardian, who includes Jackson's films Bad Taste and Brain Dead as examples of "vomit-eating aliens" and "rabid grannies". "He could use a return to those economies of scale today: as with all great directors, they prompted greater inventiveness and creativity from him in his early works. Jackson has now spent a decade making gargantuan movies but, sadly, The Lovely Bones does not mark his return to modesty and control." Patterson once wondered "how the near-decade he spent on The Lord of the Rings cycle would change Jackson's work, whether it would impart megalomania or wisdom to his work. After all, their creation did also involve Jackson almost singlehandedly reinventing the national film industry of New Zealand, which is the kind of thing that might go to a guy's head." 
(13 February 2010)

Seizing the spirit 
Crowded House are proving popular in the UK as a second concert at Birmingham's Symphony Hall was added "due to phenomenal demand after tickets for the first night went on sale," the Express & Star reports. The band, which draws its members from New Zealand and Australia, will appear at Symphony Hall on May 24 and 25. Crowded House, led by singer Neil Finn and featuring bassist Nick Seymour, Mark Hart on keyboards and guitar, and Matt Sherrod on drums, is returning to the stage with a tour that includes appearances at festivals and theatres all over the world. The band is set to release a sixth studio album later this year, their first since Time On Earth in 2006. Finn told the Sunday Star Times: "Our reason for getting back together and becoming a contemporary band was not nostalgia. It was trying to seize the spirit of what we had and push it forward a little more." Crowded House will play a one-off New Zealand gig at the Auckland Town Hall on April 8. 
(3 February 2010)

On the anchor stone 
"There's a flock of noisy kakas on my front lawn, quarrelling over some croissants left over from breakfast," describes The Independent's Kathy Marks, holidaying on Stewart Island, "a place so remote that few people have even heard of it, let alone visited." "A few hours ago, I saw baby carpet sharks bobbing offshore, and a blue penguin gliding through the emerald waters. Tonight, who knows, I might spot a kiwi. Maori call it Rakiura and, according to their creation myth, it was the anchor stone that held the canoe belonging to the ancestral god Maui secure while he hauled a great fish — the North Island — out of the ocean. Modern-day fishermen return to Rakiura in boats laden with blue cod, crayfish and internationally renowned Bluff oysters, harvested in Foveaux Strait." 
(6 February 2010)

Lauded for a lifetime 
Soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa will be presented with a lifetime achievement award at the 11th annual Classical Brits to be held at the Royal Albert Hall on May 13. Dame Kiri joins a list of past recipients which includes Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, and will perform live on the night. Mark Wilkinson from the Classical Brit Awards committee said, "It is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest sopranos of our times who has befriended British audiences and helped to nurture new singing talent for so many years". Dame Kiri said she was "honoured and delighted" to be given the award. Earlier this year, she launched a nationwide search for an opera star of the future. The winner of the BBC Radio 2 Kiri Prize will get the chance to perform with her at Radio 2's Proms In The Park in September. 
(9 February 2010)

Gusty but gourmet 
"With more than 300 bars, restaurants and cafes in the city alone, Wellington is certainly not short of options," recommends Winsor Dobbin for The Sydney Morning Herald. Dobbin explores the best dining and drinking the capital city has to offer. "Logan Brown is the domain of Steve Logan and Al Brown, both popular TV chefs. The old art deco bank building is right on Cuba Street and diners can choose from a bistro menu or a la carte dining on dishes like seared hare loin with garlic custard, mulled wine, duck parfait and fig molasses, or maybe Hawke's Bay lamb rack with olive-braised Merino shoulder, falafel and ratatouille. The Yacht Club showcases the talents of uberchef Bosley, a local boy made good. While the Matterhorn, tucked away down an unpromising corridor, also serves top-notch food, has great cocktails and an admirable wine list. There's an outdoor courtyard that's popular in the summer months." 
(1 February 2010)

One and only 
Pauly Fuemana, the man behind the 1995 hit single 'How Bizarre', has died, aged 40. Frontman of the band OMC (Otara Millionaires Club), Fuemana's debut album How Bizarre and its breezy title track topped the charts in New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, Austria, Ireland, and Australia. 'How Bizarre' topped the United States airplay charts and was No2 on the Billboard Top 100. It peaked at No.5 in Britain. Fuemana grew up in Otara, Manukau City. "Otara was a gang haven, very poor," the singer once said. "They call it the chopping center, because it was one of those places where if you couldn't survive, then you're going to get hurt." Fuemena himself spent time in a youth prison. After his release, he joined a rap-loving musical group, the ironically named Otara Millionaires Club. The group fell apart, but Fuemena kept the name for himself and released How Bizarre under the moniker of OMC. Kirk Harding, of hip-hop label MTC, said Fuemana would never be forgotten. "Pauly put South Auckland on the global stage." "Rest in peace, the one and only Pauly Fuemana," wrote rapper P-Money on his Twitter page. 
(31 January 2010)

Bouncing success 
Christchurch engineer Dr Keith Alexander's Springfree Trampoline has won the "Children's Product of the Year" in the largest United States consumer product survey, the Product of the Year Awards. Voted top children's product by 100,000 American families, Alexander's trampoline sells through Walmart and global sales of 150,000 trampolines were forecast for this year. The springless innovation has been commercially available since 2003, but only went into the US in 2007 and sales and marketing manager Josh Hill said it had taken some time to gain traction. Hill said the US was a safety-conscious market and insurance companies specifically excluded trampolines from policies but were making amendments to allow the Springfree model. "For a product like a trampoline, which is seen as being dangerous, to be seen as a top contender is a big thing." Alexander, deputy head of mechanical engineering at Canterbury University, devised the Springfree trampoline, which he said was his second or third attempt. "The initial prototype, an inflatable thing which you blow up with a vacuum cleaner, wasn't bouncy at all." 
(4 February 2010)

Perfect with Pimms 
Worchester Street in Christchurch is the feature promenade in The Age's 'Street Smart' travel section. Christchurch is a walking city and Worcester Street one of its loveliest promenades. Stretching from Canterbury Museum and the Botanic Gardens through Cathedral Square and the Cultural Precinct, it takes in neo-gothic-style architecture and historic university grounds as well as gallery and shop frontages. Christchurch is a very English city in a Pimms-and-picnics-by-the-river kind of way.
(31 January 2010)

Methane mapping 
New Zealand's AgResearch scientists have mapped the DNA sequence of one of the microbes responsible for producing methane in the stomachs of cattle and sheep in order to reduce methane emissions. Research team leader Graeme Attwood said this gives detailed information essential to try to understand how methane operates and how to reduce its activity. Attwood's team and other AgResearch scientists were using the genetic information to target the methane producing microbes in two ways; developing a vaccine to use against them and finding a way of inhibiting the enzymes that the microbes need to survive. 
(31 January 2010)

Lounging on air 
Air New Zealand is to introduce 22 "Skycouches" — formed out of three economy seats abreast that fold out to create a lie-flat space — in the first 11 rows in the economy cabin of the carrier's new Boeing 777-300 planes. The carrier is calling the "beds" the first major improvement in economy class travel comfort in 20 years. "For those who choose, the days of sitting in economy and yearning to lie down and sleep are gone," chief executive officer Rob Fyfe said. "The dream is now a reality, one that you can even share with a travelling companion — just keep your clothes on, thanks." The first routes to offer travellers the Skycouch will be between Auckland and Los Angeles from December 2010 and Auckland and London from April 2011. 
(27 January 2010)

Peter Andre's flat white 
"No one knows exactly where the flat white came from," ponders Guardian columnist Zoe Williams. "Some people say New Zealand, while others believe it's an Australian invention." "Has anybody ever seriously had that conversation? Isn't it like arguing about whether vandalism was — invented in Glasgow or Dundee?" Williams was at the launch of the flat white at London cafi Costa's where English singer Peter Andre was on hand to introduce the Antipodean beverage to the press. "Costa's aim was to 'deliver the next big thing for coffee-lovers, and offer a premium product that's not available at other coffee-shop chains', though unfortunately it is thwarted in this by the fact that Starbucks started doing them in December. New Zealanders explained the appeal [of the flat white]: lattes are slightly too milky, see, and cappuccinos are too frothy and too chocolatey. The flat white has all the innovation of an Italian coffee (the fact that it actually tastes of coffee), with all the doughty practicality of the Anglo-Saxon beverage (you just add some milk; not a pint)." 
(28 January 2010)

Beijing top spot 
Southland sprinter Edward Dawkins, 20, took the men's individual gold at the Beijing stop of the UCI track cycling World Cup. Dawkins claimed the sprint title with two straight wins against Frenchman Michael D'almeida in the best-of-three final thanks to his strong dash ability. The New Zealand squad won three medals on the final night with the women's pursuit team awarded a silver medal against Australia while Tom Scully and Myron Simpson took bronze in the final of the 40km Madison. The squad returns to New Zealand to prepare for the national track championships in Invercargill next month, which double as the Commonwealth Games Trials.
(25 January 2010)

Bent to every whim 
"The beauty of train journeys is that you can appreciate the dominance of New Zealand's landscape over its inhabitants," writes The Independent's Dan Poole post-Tranz Scenic trip down through both islands. "Over half of the population of four million live in four of the towns and cities I'd passed through: Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch. This majestic country is forthright in its unwillingness to be tamed. As the train rumbled along tracks that bend to the landscape's every whim, it was hard to resist the temptation to break out in quiet applause." 
(23 January 2010)

Christie gets loud 
Whangarei-raised New Zealand international midfielder Jeremy Christie, 27, has signed a two-year deal with Florida team the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the second tier North American Soccer League. Christie has won 20 caps for New Zealand, and played in five of the country's qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup. "Jeremy Christie has the experience and skill to be a true leader on the field and in our locker room. He has played well at the highest level for his country since the age of 16," Rowdies team owner and president Andrew Nestor said. "Jeremy is the kind of player whose skill and professionalism will exemplify our club." "I'm excited to be a part of the Rowdies in their inaugural season," Christie said. "I look forward to moving to Florida and working with the remarkable Rowdies coaching staff and organization." Christie debuted for the All Whites against Australia in 2005. 
(22 January 2010)

Togaless 
Actress Lucy Lawless "is attracting a lot of attention for her latest character — not that the New Zealand actress isn't used to recognition," writes Metro Canada's Steve Gow. As Xena: Warrior Princess, Lawless gained a surfeit of spirited sci-fi fans that adored the cult TV show for six years before following it as one of the sexy Cylons on Battlestar Galactica. Now Lawless isn't just stirring the fantasies of fanboys worldwide — she's fulfilling them as Lucretia in her provocative new gladiator series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Lawless is just one of many characters that spend plenty of on-screen time shedding their togas. "It's really kind of a spooky thing," laughed Lawless of the series' lack of dress. "The good news is that we have very sympathetic producers who work very hard to make us all look fantastic even in high-definition. I mean, nobody really looks good on HDTV past the age of nine." 
(22 January 2010)

Fast friends 
Rose McIver arrives at New York's Griffith Observatory "fashionably on time" to meet fellow Lovely Bones actress Saoirse Ronan for a tour and an interview with The New York Times. That evening McIver, 22, would fly to New Zealand. She hoped it would be easier than entering the United States. "My fingerprints didn't read on the machine because I'd used some really intense bleach at home," she said. "At least I got the blood out of my carpet." The pair, who play sisters in the film, have developed a fast friendship. Moving into the Cafi at the End of the Universe for fruit salad and chips, the two talked about their childhoods. "When I was younger, I used to collect rocks," Ronan said. "What a nerdy thing to do." "I used to try to sell rocks," McIver said. "I was a poor 7-year-old." 
(15 January 2010)

Formidable kicks
Two surfing legends are taking on New Zealand’s most rugged waves off the coast of Fiordland for an episode of the Discovery Channel series Storm Surfers. The Storm Surfers’ — Australians Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones — mission is to use the science of storm forecasting to track and hunt the storm front that will produce the biggest swells in the world. But they won’t go unless it’s 20ft plus. Christchurch-born big wave surfer Doug Young will join the pair as they deal with the harshest conditions of their careers and come face to face with an Antarctic storm. Storm Surfers: New Zealand is also a web event where audiences can follow Tom and Ross’ adventures chasing waves around New Zealand through micro documentaries on www.stormsurfers.tv. The world premiere airs July 14. 
(17 June 2010)

Revell’s field day
Te Aroha dairy farmer Richard Revell who has developed a fizzy cola-flavoured milk drink in a can, has met with multinational ire, with Coca Cola banning him from selling the beverage at the annual National Fielday in Hamilton. Organisers of the Fielday have told Revell his product violates its contract with the international drinks corporation. “They told me it was because they have an exclusive supplier deal with Coca-Cola,” Revell said. “We were trying to promote a locally-made milk product in a marquee dedicated to New Zealand innovation. Where’s the commercial contradiction?” Revell began developing his “MO2” drink six years ago using a self-built carbonation machine on his farm after he noticed that milk consumption was dropping. “I wondered how I could make milk interesting and sell more of it,” he said. 
(14 June 2010)

Maintaining meaning
Each year, Whakatane ta moko artist Rangi Kipa has some 20 clients fly into the country from the UK or Europe eager to make a statement with a unique Maori tattoo. Kipa says the culture Maori live in has changed and ta moko has to reflect that. “I don’t have a problem with the commercial side, as long as we (Maori) are doing it. I do have an issue with other people overseas doing it,” Kipa says. [The clients] just come because they have seen my work on the web and they want to get something. A lot of times they are looking to an opportunity to make a statement to themselves and mark themselves with something with meaning − not like if you just walk into a tattoo store.” Auckland-based moko artist Inia Taylor, who worked on the film Once Were Warriors, says there is no reason ta moko should be exclusive to Maori as culture becomes more global. “I’m quite happy for moko to be popular culture because I think that’s where it needs to be,” Taylor says. “The first woman I tattooed by hand (using traditional tools) was an 80-year-old who wanted to be as ‘old school’ as possible,” he says. “The whole thing was in memory of her grandmother who wore a moko and she wanted to get as close to that experience as possible.”
(14 June 2010)

Illumination in Iowa 
Cantabrian author Eleanor Catton talks to American site Eye Weekly about her celebrated debut novel The Rehearsal and how her novel has so far been received. Canadian-born Catton, 25, says the initial reviews in New Zealand were very reserved. "I think this had to do with the fact of my age —  when the New Zealand edition was first published I asked my publisher whether my date of birth could be removed from the back flap of the book and he emailed back very politely to say 'not on your life'," Catton says. "The main criticism of the book itself was that its approach was 'all head and no heart.' When the book was published in the UK the following year, the reviews were much more positive. It was interesting to see those responses as different attitudes to intellectualism between the two countries." Catton, who is studying at the Iowa Writer's Workshop is now working on her second novel, currently titled The Luminaries and a quartet of fantasy novels set in the English Civil War.
(25 May 2010)

Developing film ties 
New Zealand and China have further strengthened their relations with a film agreement to host more Chinese-produced films in New Zealand. The agreement, made between the two nations in Shanghai and led by a delegation from Auckland, is a potential step toward a widely-expected film co-productions treaty between the two countries. The agreement was struck during a week-long trip by the delegation in China and comes alongside a New Zealand Film Festival in China led by mayor of Waitakere City Bob Harvey and Film Auckland board member Pete Rive. "This is an extremely heartening move that will ensure greater communications, co-operation and co-productions between the Chinese and New Zealand film industries," Film Auckland executive manager Michael Brook said. The New Zealand Film Festival will travel this month to Beijing, Ningbo and Shanghai, where it will coincide with the Shanghai International Film Festival, which runs June 12—20. 
(7 June 2010)

Working class knight
Wellington-born Peter Leitch, known to his fans as the "Mad Butcher", has received a knighthood in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours. Leitch, a butcher, former gravedigger and avid rugby league fan, says his knighthood is a striking blow for the working class. He is being honoured for his extensive charity work, which started when he supplied meat packs to his local rugby league club 40 years ago, and for "services to business and philanthropy". With 37 butchery chains now under his belt he says the knighthood was not for him. "It's really not just me getting it, it's the people of New Zealand, the people who have supported me over the years," he said, saying people often gave him their last dollar or two to help a charity he was with. 
(7 June 2010)

Effortless shot 
Teenage sharp shooter New Zealander Tiffany Piper, who is ranked third in the world for all female shooters, recently competed in the American National Rifle Association National Action Pistol Championship in Hallsville, MO. Piper is only 16 years old and has already competed in competitions such as Nationals and World Championships for New Zealand. But even those don't make her as anxious as the NRA Bianchi Cup. "This is the only shoot I get nervous around," Piper says. "It's the atmosphere. There's just something about this place that I can't pinpoint, but it freaks me out." In preparation for this competition, Piper and her teammates from New Zealand arrived two weeks in advance to practice. This time is important for her and the team because New Zealand's law for pistol shooting is restricted. "We can only shoot Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays," she says. 
(29 May 2010)

Steep creek cracker 
New Zealand kayaker Sam Sutton, 21, has won the men's division of the inaugural steep creek event at the 2010 Teva Mountain Games in Red Cliff, Denver, while fellow New Zealander Nikki Kelly placed third in the women's division. Dropping some 480 feet per mile, the twisted gorge that is Homestake Creek got the upper hand on Sutton during his first training run two days ago, pinning his boat underwater and ripping off his helmet beneath a sizable waterfall known as "Leap of Faith." "I actually got pinned underwater and thought I was drowning for a second, but managed to pull my deck (skirt) and was swimming like a fish. So I'm pretty stoked to turn it around," Sutton said. He is the second consecutive New Zealander to win the men's division of the steep creek race, taking down last year's champion, Mike Dawson, along with the rest of the 35 competitors. Sutton placed second at the Adidas Sickline Extreme Kayak World Championship in 2008. 
(4 June 2010)

Football mayhem 
"New Zealand is in the grip of World Cup fever and while the likes of Rory Fallon and Chris Killen might barely raise a glance as players in Plymouth or Middlesbrough, they cannot walk the streets of Auckland without being mobbed," writes Joe Bernstein for the UK's Daily Mail. "It is a bemusing yet thrilling experience for a collection of journeymen footballers whose only recognisable international is Blackburn defender Ryan Nelsen." For Fallon, 28, June's Cup is a dream come true. "My career has been a battle for more than 10 years," Fallon says. "I've done all right but never reached my true potential. I'm a target man but still feel I should have scored more goals. I want to show what I can do in the World Cup. We've been staggered by the interest in New Zealand. I'd always been able to walk down the streets unnoticed. Suddenly, people are doing a double-take, recognising me and wishing me luck." The All Whites lost 2—1 to Australia in a FIFA World Cup warm-up match in Melbourne, but beat Serbia 1—0 in the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt thanks to a 23rd-minute strike by Shane Smeltz. 
(22 May 2010)

To sign or not to sign
Twenty-four-year-old Aucklander Sonny Bill Williams is facing a sporting dilemma: does he play for the All Blacks at next year's Rugby World Cup or sign a $6 million three-year deal with French side Toulon? The New Zealand Rugby Union cannot match that sort of money but is pulling out all stops to accommodate Williams, including offering him the choice of which provincial and Super rugby teams he wants to play for and the flexibility of returning to Europe or the NRL after the World Cup. "I have said before that playing for the All Blacks is the dream of every young boy growing up in New Zealand so it is something I have to weigh up," Williams says. "I am just thankful that they are interested. Then again, I love Toulon so we'll see." Williams started his career as a rugby league player with the Canterbury Bulldogs in the Australasian NRL. He has also represented New Zealand in rugby league. 
(29 May 2010)

Positive pitfalls 
According to a New Zealand 30-year study people from positive family backgrounds are more likely to suffer depression, anxiety, alcohol dependence and drug dependence, tending to suffer more seriously and need more treatment. Researchers tracked 981 people from the time they were three years old until they were 32, and collected data on their psychiatric conditions as well as those of their family members. The study, published in the latest issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry showed participants with a positive family history had more recurrences of these conditions and they reported more disruptions caused to their lives, families, friends and work. However, family history did not appear to be linked to early onset of any of the four conditions. "Among those with depression, anxiety disorder, alcohol dependence and drug dependence, a family history screen may help determine whose illness will recur, whose illness will cause the greatest impairment and who will be the most likely to use treatment resources," the study says. 
(30 May 2010)

Millar's better life 
New Zealand artist Judy Millar, 53, who lives in Auckland and Berlin, is exhibiting at the Hamish Morrison Galerie in the German capital, her first solo show — entitled 'A Better Life' — since her major installation in La Maddalena at the 2009 Venice Biennale. Large lengths of canvas printed with Millar's painterly marks flow through the confines of the gallery like collapsed billboard advertisements, lying piled up and curling over themselves. Millar explains: "Yesterday while travelling through the city by cab I saw an image that corresponds closely to the piece I've made for the show. A shampoo advertisement of a many-storied high head had hair falling in curls down a building's facade and around the building's corner. The curls gained volume and contour from the building's form while at the same time deconstructing the building's outline." Millar is currently completing a three-month residency at the ISCP programme in New York. 'A Better Life' runs through June 5.
(May 2010)

On the job hero 
Mark "Marko" Cunningham, 39, moved to Thailand 10 years ago to teach English, soon after beginning work as a volunteer paramedic. Cunningham tells CNN's Julie Clothier about his role as a "body snatcher". "I first started volunteering with the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, at first donating food and clothing to poor villages and disaster victims. The foundation is one of several private groups that help Bangkok's rudimentary ambulance services by either ferrying injured people to hospital or taking the dead for autopsy. We're called the 'body snatchers' by locals. After a year or so I began working in the rescue vehicles collecting the dead from all over Bangkok and Thailand. I've being doing it ever since. I want to start the Bangkok Free Ambulance like we have back in New Zealand, by the end of the year. I continually study and update my knowledge. Working as a medic is not a job but a way of life."
(27 May 2010)

Nothing but exuberant 
Linda and Jules Topp's award-winning documentary The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls screened as part of the Inside Out LGBT film festival at the Royal Ontario Museum in May. The film is part documentary and part concert, with footage of the women in performance over their 25-plus-year career from busking on the street to sold-out shows. Their music is country-folk influenced, with tight harmonies and great joy in the mix and their style is best described as exuberant. "What else is there?" Lynda responds to a question about the delight that shows on their faces as they play and sing. The film also shows how the 52-year-old sisters have been agents of political change in New Zealand, campaigning against nuclear power and for Maori land rights, gay and lesbian rights and demanding the 1981 tour of New Zealand by the South African football club the Springboks, be halted. "It's so subversive when you think about it," says singer Billy Bragg in the film of the twins' cross-cultural appeal. "Of all the forms, to choose county and western (music) is the most redneck, the most gender-specific of all popular culture. To use that as a way of pushing forward gay rights, it's so subversive." 
(22 May 2010)

Migratory musings 
Fleur Adcock's Dragon Talk, her first poetry volume since 1997's Looking Back — which explored "part of the poet's wider enquiry into geographical and cultural displacement" — is reviewed by British poet Julian Stannard for the Guardian. "Born in New Zealand in 1934, Fleur and her sister came to England in 1939. Growing up in Britain during the war inculcated a sense of Englishness, and the family's return to New Zealand in 1947 was resisted by the fledgling poet. Adcock's unwillingness is shown in this collection in 'Signature', in which she drags her feet through the heavy snow of that mythological winter: 'I was thirteen, and sensible only / intermittently' and 'I didn't want to leave.' She returned to London definitively in 1963. 'My First Twenty Years', which sits at the heart of Dragon Talk, rehearses the early journeys and transitions — pre-literate years in New Zealand, the move to England on the eve of war ('September 1939'), the post-war return to a New Zealand of cream sponges, where, notwithstanding the aunts' best efforts to fatten her up, the teenager holds on, as a matter of principle, to English austerity ('Unrationed'): 'Cream, butter, cheese: / New Zealand's dairy industry set to — / and failed. Fat legs were not my destiny.'" 
(15 May 2010)

Great Barrier secrets 
Escaping the New Zealand mainland, The Sydney Morning Herald's Rob McFarland takes a four-hour boat trip to Great Barrier Island and "a ruggedly beautiful wilderness". "The Barrier, as it's referred to by the locals, has two main centres — Tryphena and Claris — and in each you'll find a smattering of accommodation, cafes, restaurants and stores. What you won't find are banks, office buildings, shopping malls and mobile phone coverage. Of course, for the island's 750 permanent residents, this is its appeal. To get an idea of what life must have been like for the early pioneers, it's worth dropping into the small but charming Milk, Honey and Grain Museum, which is 'Open if the janitor is in residence'." 
(16 May 2010)

Recall the puppeteer 
Now retired from Test cricket, The Hindu reflects on Christchurch-born bowler Shane Bond's career describing him as "a once in a generation" who "not since Richard Hadlee" has a New Zealand bowler "tormented the opposition batsmen". The stage was the 2003 ODI World Cup in South Africa. A mouth-watering Trans-Tasman showdown was in store at Port Elizabeth as New Zealand took on Australia, the form team of the tournament, and favourites in the tie. The set script, however, appeared lost on one of New Zealand's few genuine match-winners: Shane Bond. Bowling with panache and possessing a mean bouncer, Bond, sent down a hostile spell of spine-tingling fast-bowling. Returning with what were then his best ODI figures (six for 23), the former policeman paralysed the Australian line up beyond measure. Although the Australians beat New Zealand comfortably, it was sheer joy watching the ebullient Bond make the batsmen hop and dance to his tune like puppets on a string. 
(17 May 2010)

Big folkin' success 
The Flight of the Conchords' Birmingham show is reviewed by the Guardian's Brian Logo who writes that though the event was "low-key by arena standards" and the pair's New Zealand "deadpan better suited to smaller auditoriums", their showmanship was "hilarious whatever the venue". "Likewise their imperishable banter," Logo continues. "'If you're wondering,' Jemaine Clement tells us, 'this is one of the talking parts of the show. It's just normal talking, except it's more professional.' If the joke is that you're a failed band, two losers with only one fan, what do you do when you become one of the hippest acts in international comedy? That's the paradox facing The Conchords, 'New Zealand's fourth most popular folk parody act', as they used to call themselves before their hit sitcom and now tour of Britain's enormo-domes. As they bump, grind and thoroughly enjoy themselves among their adoring Birgmingham crowd ('Ladies from the easties and from the westies / Trying to molest these beautiful testes'), no one will mistake them for failures." The Conchords next perform at London's Wembley Arena on May 25, before a show at Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Arts in Las Vegas on May 29 and at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on May 30. 
(11 May 2010)

Focus on farming 
Agriculture could be the key ingredient to help Northern Ireland become the New Zealand of the northern hemisphere claimed Northern Ireland's Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster at this year's three-day Balmoral Show. Foster outlined a series of predictions of how global food production is expected to struggle to keep pace with population growth in the years to come. "More food will have to be produced in the next 50 years than the last 10,000 years combined," she said. "Like New Zealand, I would like to see Northern Ireland boxing well above its weight," she said. "It will be necessary to internationally benchmark these [performance improvement] proposals against other countries, such as New Zealand whose economic involvement strongly focuses on food, tourism and the knowledge economy." 
(14 May 2010)

Intimate intrigue 
Crowded House frontman Neil Finn is profiled by The Scotsman's Aidan Smith ahead of the band's Scottish tour and the release of their fifth studio album, Intriguer. "It's ten in the morning and Neil Finn of Crowded House is telling me how he met his wife Sharon when she joins him in his recording studio in downtown Auckland. 'And now she's taking off her dress!' he shouts. 'This sort of thing happens routinely here but it never fails to impress me.' Even though your correspondent is not present you may still be thinking: 'Too much information.' But you're forgetting Finn's way with song lyrics. A world authority on minor-chord pop melancholy, he's never been afraid of intimacy, however startling and squelchy. It's 25 years since he formed the band and, despite a decade-long break, that amounts to a massive emotional investment for Finn, who will celebrate his 52nd birthday on the tour." Crowded House play Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium on May 19, Edinburgh's Usher Hall on May 21 and Aberdeen's Music Hall May 22. Intriguer is out on June 14.
(11 May 2010)