The great indoors 
Waikato University's "maverick oceanographer" Professor Kerry Black is one step closer to making surfing an indoor spectator sport with the launch of Versareef in Orlando, Florida. While several pools around the world already feature modest artificial wave systems, Versareef will be the first to produce swells worthy of the world's best surf beaches. "Our innovation has the potential to turn surfing into a stadium sport where spectators can watch top surfers compete on an international circuit," says Black, who is currently fine-tuning the technology at Florida's Ron Jon Surf Park. His groundbreaking project is the result of five years researching wave conditions in the Pacific region. 
(24 December 2006)

Something good comes from possums 
Scientists at NZ's AgResearch and Otago Medical School may have found the cure for a common prostate problem and it is largely thanks to NZ's no.1 environmental pest: the brush-tailed possum. According to a study published in AgResearch's In Touch magazine, the prostate gland in possums is anatomically identical to that found in humans. The possum's prostate gland grows and shrinks in accordance with breeding seasons. By studying the brush-tailed possum the scientists hope to find the trigger which causes the prostate to shrink and then replicate it in a drug for humans, thus removing the need for invasive surgery. The research is currently in its third year. 
(26 December 2006)

Let them wear possum 
The Independent reports on NZ's thriving (and environmentally kosher) possum fur trade. "Elsewhere, designers who work with fur earn the wrath of animal rights activists. But in New Zealand, they are considered national heroes." Imported from Australia in 1837, the brush-tailed possum population has now reached approximately 70 million. Attempts to eradicate the pest range from the aggressive (DoC-sanctioned 1080 drops) to the whimsical (possum fur bikinis). "I wouldn't work with anything endangered, it would be against my conscience," says Teresa Angliss of fashion brand Possum New Zealand. "But this is a national pest, so it's really appealing. I'm exploiting a commercial demand to help contain an environmental disaster." 
(29 December 2006)

Linda Niccol notches British Screenplay Prize
Wellington writer Linda Niccol has won the prestigious British Short Screenplay Prize ahead of 2000+ other screenwriters. Her script for The Handkerchief was judged best script by a panel that included Kenneth Branagh, Alan Parker and Nik Powell. As part of the prize, The Handkerchief will be made into a 15-minute film in 07, with a budget of up to US$300K. Linda Niccol’s 2005 collection of stories The Geometry of Desire was described by NZ Listener as “fearless…rueful, razory humour… dialogue that’s edgy, injurious, points-scoring…Niccol takes risks with style, allusion and structure.” Film runs deep on Rosetta Rd as brother and director Andrew is the writer of Lord of War, Nicole, Gattaca and the seminal Truman Show.
(15 December 2006)

Future vision 
Needing to know the life cycle of your business in 2030? Wondering about the strengths and weaknesses about merging two global IT systems? Interested in the long-term climate for pensions? Former Auckland systems manager and management trainer Faye Cossar runs her business astrology practice Juxtaposition in the Netherlands consulting for conglomerates such as KLM-Air France, supermarket chain Ahold and worldwide insurer Generali on company life cycles, and organisational development and culture which makes an ideal topic for a lecture. The Ahold study showed that their Albert Heijn supermarkets in the Netherlands are now in the 8th phase of a 72-year, 12-phase cycle. According to this model there would also be a parallel with the previous phase 8, from 1935-1941. Understanding the systems archtypes presented lessons from the past. Advice for phase 9 starting in May 2007 could be given based on the last phase 9, 1941- 1947 and the positive themes of this phase - Involvement in Politics, Expansion, Overseas issues. 'Big is best'. Faye Cossar was one of the first MA graduates in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology in 2004, from Bath Spa University College, the first university in the world to offer such a programme.

Cream of the crop 
Essenze New Zealand's Manhattan store featured in the December issue of Elle Decor. Essenze showcases the work of David Trubridge, Alison Henry, David Haig and more, with a focus on eco-friendly and native materials. The business itself is based in Parnell, Auckland. Its self-professed mission? "The global marketing, distribution and sales of the products that represent the cream of New Zealand design." 
(December 2006)

Australianz? 
An Australian bi-partisan government committee has recommended that NZ and Australia become one country. The report by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs focussed chiefly on the harmonisation of the countries' legal systems, but also advocated a common currency and potential across-the-board "merger" of the two nations. "While Australia and New Zealand are of course two sovereign nations, it seems to the committee that the strong ties between the two countries - the economic, cultural, migration, defence, governmental and people-to-people linkages - suggest that an even closer relationship, including the possibility of union, is both desirable and realistic," it states. 
(4 December 2006)

Kiwi shakes up Bond
Hastings-born director Martin Campbell has created the best James Bond film since the days of Sean Connery, according to ecstatic critics from over the world. Variety: "Casino Royale sees Bond himself recharged with fresh toughness and arrogance, along with balancing hints of sadism and humanity, just as the fabled series is reinvigorated by going back to the basics." BBC: "Casino Royale is a 1,000 watt volt to the heart of a flagging franchise, bringing Bond kicking - and frequently screaming - back to life." Starring new Bond Daniel Craig, Casino Royale is designed to reboot rather than preclude the rest of the series. "The point about this story is that he's much more human," says Campbell in an interview with Movie Web. "The idea was that when you go back to basics with Bond, he's a much younger Bond and a different Bond." Based in the UK, Campbell's films include The Mask of Zorro, Vertical Limit and previous Bond instalment, Goldeneye. 
(17 November 2006)

Cool new attraction 
NZ is making another quality addition to its roll call of tourist attractions with the development of a state-of-the-art glacier museum on the South Island's west coast. The NZ$6.5 million Hukawai Franz Josef Glacier Centre will feature a 200 sqm 10m high ice-climbing wall and a walk-through glacier exhibit designed and built by Wellington company 3-D Creative. The climbing wall will be the just fifth of its kind in the world and the first in the southern hemisphere. "Most income will come from the walk-through exhibit, but the real interest is in the ice-climbing wall," said Hukawai general manager Steve Henery in Stuff. "We'll be tapping into a novice ice-climbing market, and a big part of the experience will be instruction by trained guides before any climb." 
(27 November 2006)

Knife-edge marketing 
A Miami Herald feature puts the spotlight on the man behind 42 Below's aggressive US marketing campaign: James Dale. Despite having no professional training, 35-year-old Dale has successfully carved a niche in the ultra-competitive world American liquor advertising. He describes his frequently controversial approach as "spider-monkey marketing - nimble, cheeky moves - as opposed to guerrilla (gorilla) marketing." Some of his riskier gimmicks include a "win a Russian bride" contest and the New York "Snow Patrol," where vodka shots and snow shovelling services are offered to frozen nightclub bouncers. "You do walk a very careful line [between controversy and public backlash]," says Adrants.com editor Steve Hall, "But 42 Below vodka has just straddled that line perfectly." 
(3 November 2006)

US fired up by haka 
The haka appears to be all the rage with American football teams at the moment. In Louisiana, the Ville Platte Bulldogs will perform a "Kajun Ka Mate" before their annual match against rivals Sacred Heart of Ville Platte. "I was in New Zealand this year and got to see the All Blacks play," said match co-founder Tim Fontenot. "They're like the New York Yankees of rugby. They perform the haka, which is something you only do for opponents you respect ... The Ville Platte team said they'd like to do it, and for the last seven or eight weeks I've been teaching it to them." The Trinity football team from Texas has also been introduced to the haka, thanks to a recent injection of Tongan players. The craze is now so widespread that Business Innovation Insider has suggested corporations adopt a haka "to get workers fired up for a day of creativity and innovation." 
(20 November 2006)

Capping off a great year
Following their seven-try, record-breaking victory last week against the French in Lyon, the All Blacks continued their run of success in Paris against the host nation at the Stade de France. Despite the French side showing greater resolve in front of a home crowd of 80 000, the All Blacks claimed a hard fought 23-11 victory. Meanwhile, the rugby world's fascination with Ritchie McCaw continued as the All Black captain was named International Rugby Players' Association's Player of the Year. "It's special to be acknowledged by your peers, and I'm really grateful for that. The All Blacks have had a good season and my teammates are part of this award too," McCaw said, recognition of the fact that four of the five category finalists came from the All Black side. Adding to what has already been a highly successful year for Graham Henry's squad, Jason Eaton was named international newcomer of the year and the All Blacks were awarded team of the year. McCaw and Daniel Carter are also shortlisted for the soon-to-be-announced, International Rugby Board's Player of the Year award. The Tri-Nations champions conclude their European tour against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
(24 November 2006)

The Imblackables 
In the French rugby stronghold of Lyon, the All Blacks demolished the home side and second-ranked team in the world 47-3. Dubbed "The Imblackables" by Le Midi Olympique, as a defensive unit the All Blacks were flawless. Their physicality in the tackle and at the breakdown, turning brutal defence into seventy metre, seven point offence. France's veteran captain Fabien Pelous summed up the French frustration: "They were on top of us physically so we couldn't go forward. We would put together three phases of play and go backwards in each one so we couldn't do much." For the All Blacks, the game again suggested that Henry, Smith and Hansen have got it right, and that the much debated "rotation policy" is beginning to demonstrate its worth. Only a year out from the World Cup, the All Blacks now have the luxury of 32 blooded and match-fit veterans to call upon, and a spirit of competition within the team that is resulting in stand out performances, whatever the combination. Forward coach Steve Hansen said: "You hear a lot about rotation; it's just an All Black team that's a bloody good one."
(12 November 2006)

Going the distance 
NZ distance runner Kim Smith came second in the Continental Fifth Avenue Mile, held in New York on 30 September. The 24-year-old was a four-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion while at Providence College in Rhode Island, New York, where she still lives. After health problems kept her from competing in this year's Commonwealth Games, she has high hopes for the 2007 athletics World Champs and 2008 Olympics. 
(2 October 2006)

Sweet success 
Wellington-born designer Rebecca Taylor won over crowds and critics at this year's New York Fashion Week (NYFW), with a collection described as a "standout" by industry bible Women's Wear Daily. A graduate of Wellington Polytechnic (now Massey University), Taylor has been showing her feminine designs at NYFW since 1999. Her celebrity fans include Jessica Simpson, Cameron Diaz and Ashley Judd. Taylor also showed at Russian Fashion Week for the first time this year. According to Fashion Wire Daily, "Taylor's brand of party dresses, big-flowered prints, crocheted white cotton cocktails and snug jackets and boleros has won a strong following among local gals."
(24 October 2006)

Lord Cooke of Thorndon: A legal great 
Robin Brunskill Cooke, NZ's most renowned jurist, has died aged 80. Educated at Wellington's Victoria University and Caius College at Cambridge, Robin Cooke made his reputation early on with a high profile libel case launched by then Commerce Minister against the publication Truth. He was involved in numerous landmark NZ cases, including the 1985 injunction preventing the All Blacks from touring South Africa. He made numerous judgments in favour of Maori and the Treaty of Waitangi, earning him the title of "activist judge" (a term he disputed, preferring the term "liberal"). Upon his retirement in 1996 as a Lord of Appeal and a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, Cooke was created a peer, making him the first NZ judge in history to sit in the British House of Lords. He took the title of Lord Cooke of Thorndon. The Times: "He exhibited considerable presence on the bench and did not suffer fools gladly ... He would deliver judgments extempore, with his eyes shut, as clear, rational, perfectly formed prose tumbled from his mouth." 
(22 September 2006)

NZ has the edge online
NewZealand.com, Tourism NZ's award-winning website, earned further raves in a feature article by Brand Channel. "A ninth annual Webby Award winner, the homepage of NewZealand.com is a vibrant blend of heritage and enterprise, with both tourism and trade promoted in a decisive but considerate manner," writes reviewer Ian Cocoran. "Bedecked in images of raw, natural beauty and with multi-lingual functionality, the portal is easily navigable and appealing in its simplicity. Far from being superficial however, the real allure of the website lies within its sub-culture, perhaps not too dissimilar to the country it represents." 
(9 January 2006)

Not just a pretty face 
The Guardian urges travellers to make time for NZ's urban centres, as well as its world-famous mountains, fjords and forests: "There are some excellent attractions, delicious restaurants, cool harbourside bars and an interesting architectural history if you know where to look." Auckland highlights include the ferry ride to Devonport, the gothic splendour of Parnell's Old St Mary's church and the Saturday markets at Otara. Visitors to Wellington can't go past Te Papa Tongarewa, gourmet cuisine at Smith the Grocer, Shed 5 and Logan Brown, and the 19th century wooden architecture peppering the CBD. Those heading to Christchurch should catch the Crusaders play at Jade Stadium, go punting on the Avon and take in the exhibitions at the new Te Puna o Waiwhetu art gallery. 
(20 September 2006)

World descends on Rotorua
Rotorua's Mt Ngongotaha played host to the UCI World Mountain Bike Championships from August 23-27, the first time the event has been held in the southern hemisphere in ten years. The Rotorua cycling community had campaigned for five years and suffered three unsuccessful bids before finally convincing Union Cycliste Internationale they were up to the challenge. Dirt Rag magazine was suitably impressed with NZ efforts: "NZers are not afraid to construct structures to help their tramping or cycling tracks traverse wet or sensitive areas or simply to add interesting features. My jaw dropped in awe when I saw the 80 meter boardwalk section built especially for the lower portion of the downhill course. The boardwalk twisted and turned like a ribbon unrolled down the mountain." 
(14 August 2006)

Medal worthy drops 
NZ producers picked up a swathe of trophies at the 2006 Decanter World Wine Awards this month. The medal haul included 86 bronze, 36 silver and one gold medal, for the 2005 Sacred Hill Sauvignon Blanc. Special awards went to the Bridge PA Vineyard Louis Syrah 2004 (Regional NZ Rhone over £10), Cairnbrae Wild South Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (International Sauvignon Blanc under £10), Grove Mill Riesling 2004 (International Riesling under £10), Morton Estate Coriglio 2002 (International Chardonnay over £10) and Wild Rock 'Cupid's Arrow' Pinot Noir 2005 (Regional Pinot Noir under £10). The highly respected London based awards are run by Decanter wine magazine.
(5 September 2006)

Loving the lovemarks 
An Australian is looking to NZ for inspiration in re-branding itself at home and abroad; hoping to shed its "where the bloody hell are you" ocker image by emphasising its sporting culture, vibrant food and wine industry, and Aboriginal heritage. Columnist Elspeth Probyn writes in The Australian, "I've been playing with the idea of what Saatchi & Saatchi's chief executive, Kevin Roberts, calls lovemarking. He developed the idea when he was in NZ as a strategy to turn that distant little place into the centre of the world. Roberts wants expat Kiwis to be a central element in his worldwide lovemarking of NZ." Roberts, co-founder of NZ Edge, launched the Lovemarks concept five years ago and has since published two books on the subject. 
(13 September 2006)

First-class brain up to the challenge
The Guardian interviews Julie Maxton, the first female registrar of Oxford University since the role was created 550 years ago. Maxton previously worked with the Oxford vice-chancellor, fellow New Zealander John Hood, at Auckland University and has joined his team at a time of academic vs. administration infighting and major institutional restructuring. Guardian: "At times her modesty is almost comic. She laughs off any suggestion she is 'running' Oxford and asked how many people work for her she replies 'roughly 12.' My jaw drops. But, of course, she means the people who report directly to her, head of estates and so on. In fact, the buck for more than 4,000 staff, from administrators to librarians, technical people to cleaners, stops at the registrar's neat desk. But it would be unwise to underestimate Maxton, well regarded in NZ as a person and as a first-class legal brain." 
(12 September 2006)

Queen mourned, King crowned
The Maori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu died on Tuesday 15 August aged 75 after a 40-year reign. Dame Te Atairangikaahu was the sixth monarch of the North Island tribes who formed the King movement in the 19th century in response to the encroaching powers of British settlers. At her tangi, Prime Minister Helen Clark hailed Dame Te Ata as a pioneer in obtaining a land settlement for her people under the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document. An estimated 100,000 mourners came to Ngaruawahia to pay their final respects to the Queen. Rain fell on Turangawaewae as the Queen was laid to rest alongside her ancestors on Taupiri Mountain. As tradition dictates, the Queen's successor, her son Tuheitia Paki, was crowned at Turangawaewae shortly before her burial. Messgaes of condolence came from Queen Elizabeth and other notable royal dignitaries and Heads of State. Obituaries ran in The New York Times, The LA Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Scotsman, The Chicago Sun Times, and The Boston Globe among others. 
(21 August 2006)

Double dose of glacial magic 
A Sydney Morning Herald travel writer takes in equal parts local history and jaw-dropping natural scenery at the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers. "Tramping, walking and hiking have long been popular pastimes in this wildly picturesque region and the glaciers retain a magnetic attraction. The region still has a sense of a pioneer frontier and the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers bring thousands of visitors each year, all wanting to get close to a moving river of ice." 
(20 August 2006)

Game over 
A group of NZ bars has developed a novel method of curbing excess drinking. Unruly patrons can be yellow or red carded depending on their degree of intoxication - yellow cards preventing drinkers from being served for a set period of time, red cards resulting in their eviction from the premises. NZ's Alcohol Advisory Council is watching the results of the new system with interest. "If this system works, then we applaud it," says AAC chief executive Mike MacAvoy. 
(2 August 2006)

Once the Muss, always the Muss
Temuera Morrison talks to Japan's CrissCross News about the NZ film industry, his plans for the future, and his now legendary portrayal of Jake Heke in Once Were Warriors. "I was in Sweden signing autographs for Star Wars at a convention and just about everyone brought in a poster of Once Were Warriors for me to sign," he says. "It was a groundbreaking film." Morrison's latest film is Vincent Ward's River Queen. 
(17 July 2006)

Million dollar baby 
An entrepreneurial NZ website is selling words for SUS1 each in a bid to create a one-of-a-kind multi-authored novel. The brains behind anovelmillion.com is Australian born Aditya Kesarcodi-Watson. "Anybody is capable of buying words for the website, and they will be credited as an author," he explains. "People choose their words and email them to me, and I upload them to my website." Users can either contribute to the million word novel or a shorter million character story. 
(6 July 2006)

Indigenous art in the spotlight 
The Musée du Quai Branly, French President Jacques Chirac's long-awaited €235.2 million shrine to indigenous art, was officially inaugurated on June 21 in Paris. The Quai Branly boasts a collection of 300,000 works from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, including a 19th-century Maori woman's cloak, the prows of a war canoe and a carving from a marae entrance. Contemporary photographic works by Michael Parekowhai and Fiona Pardington are exhibited in the museum's garden. French opinion is hotly divided over the Quai Branly - while some hail it as a symbol of the universality of art, others see it as an archaic reminder of European colonialism. Chirac has made it his project since 1996. "There is no hierarchy among the arts, just as there is no hierarchy among peoples," he proclaimed at the inauguration. 
(21 June 2006)

Global roaming 
Auckland-based company RoamAD has secured another major international contract, providing a high-speed wireless network to the Italian university city of Bologna. The free wi-fi network is the first to be deployed in the historic centre of a major Italian city. RoamAD has already established metro-wide wi-fi networks in Auckland and Perth, and plans to connect Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in the near future. 
(8 June 2006)

Poi reaches new audience 
The traditional Maori poi has surfaced in Penticton, British Columbia. 22-year-old Penticton native, Donalee Davidson, teaches poi classes in her home city and tours the world performing her own interpretation of the art. "You really have to enjoy it," she says. "It takes a lot of practise."
(9 June 2006)

Next generation public transport
NZ bus design company, Designline, has developed a prototype electric commuter bus powered by renewable fuel. American firm Alchemy Enterprises Ltd is producing the magnesium-based fuel, which it created with the help of NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs and Cal Tech in Pasadena, California. Designline has already established a strong international reputation for producing hybrid vehicles, with customers throughout NZ, Australia, Asia and Europe. 
(8 June 2006)

Career high for Cunningham 
NZ's up-and-coming Indy racing star, Wade Cunningham, pulled out a thrilling win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Freedom 100 event. The 21-year-old led all 40 laps, setting an average speed record of 295.48km/h - 18.50km faster than the current Pro Series mark. The Freedom 100 is the biggest Indy Pro Series event of the year and takes place at America's premiere race track before a 100,000+ strong crowd. "Hopefully we can use this as a springboard, and next year I would really like to come back and be competing for the big one, the '500," says Cunningham. "That's the whole goal of the series. So I've got my fingers crossed, and we'll be pushing hard for the rest of the year, as well." Fellow Kiwi Scott Dixon finished 6th in the event. 
(26 May 2006)

Career pinnacle for Inglis 
NZ mountaineer Mark Inglis has made history by being the first double amputee to reach the summit of Mt Everest. Inglis lost both legs to frostbite in 1982 while trapped in blizzard conditions on Mt Cook. Inglis' achievement has been clouded by the fact that he and 40 other climbers passed dying Briton David Sharp on their way to the summit. "He was in a very poor condition, near death," says Inglis. "We talked about [what to do for him] quite a lot at the time and it was a very hard decision ... no one else helped him apart from our expedition. Our Sherpas gave him oxygen." While some climbers have supported Inglis' decision others have expressed horror. The debate has brought the issue of commercialisation and overcrowding on Everest back into the spotlight. 11 people have died on the mountain so far this year. Inglis' expedition is expected to raise several hundred thousand dollars for a Cambodian centre that provides rehabilitation for landmine amputees, polio victims and other disabled people. 
(28 May 2006)

The deal's not just big, it's Massive 
New York based company, Massive Inc, of which Wellingtonian Claudia Batten is a part owner, has been sold to Microsoft for up to $US 400 million. Founded four years ago, Massive Inc pioneered a form of software which downloads advertising into online video games, providing advertisers with a direct link to the "Lost Boys" market of 18-34 year old males. Massive's software downloads dynamic advertising into background features of gaming action - such as billboards and vending machines - whenever the user is online. Massive clients include Coca Cola, Hollywood movie studios and multinational car companies. Educated at Samuel Marsden and Victoria University, Batten hopes to return to Wellington in the near future. "New York is a tough city," she says in a NZ Herald interview. "Sometimes I feel like a caveman who's knocked the beast on the head and dragged it home. And that's just getting groceries." 
(21 May 2006)

Spotlight on '85 
The Rainbow Warrior incident is back in the news, with convicted French agents Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart seeking to legally bar TVNZ from screening previously unseen footage of their Auckland District Court appearance. Prieur and Mafart were found guilty of bombing Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour in 1985, killing Portuguese photographer Fernando Pereira in the process. They received a 10-year prison sentence, but were transferred to a French military base in French Polynesia in July 1986, and repatriated to France shortly after.
(15 May 2006)

Zespri strikes gold 
The Zespri phenomenon has been featured in online marketing magazine Reveries. NZ lost its domination of international kiwifruit sales as far back as 1989, when countries such as Italy, Spain, Chile, South Africa and France starting producing the fruit en masse. Instead of admitting defeat, NZ Kiwi farmers teamed up with Hort Research to develop - and, crucially, patent - a new variety named Zespri Gold. Zespri Gold reported sales of $150 million in 2005, 50% more than in 2003. The company predicts sales of $650 million by 2009. Reveries: "Best part is, unlike the original kiwi, the new variety was patented, meaning that anyone who wants to grow it has to pay a licensing fee. Irony is, among Zespri's best customers are the very countries that used to be stealing their market share. How cool is that?" 
(23 May 2006)

Living the good life… quietly 
NZ's richest woman, Kathmandu founder Jan Cameron, has sold selling a 51% share of her business to two Australian venture capital firms. An avid mountaineer, Cameron began making her own sleeping bags in 1973 after recognising a gap in the Australian market for quality outdoor goods. She opened the first Kathmandu store in Melbourne's Hardware Lane in 1987 - 19 years later there are 46 outlets in Australia, NZ and Britain. Equally renowned for being "intensely, almost obsessively reclusive" as she is for her business nous, Australian-born Cameron made Christchurch her home and centre of operations in the 1980s after falling in love with the Southern Alps. 
(30 April 2006)

Captain farewelled 
Past and present All Blacks have paid tribute to former captain Bob Duff, who has died aged 80. Duff played 11 tests for the AB's between 1951 and 1956 and led the team to its first ever test victory against South Africa in 1956. He was also a national selector from 1971 to 1973 and assistant manager of the 1972-73 side that toured North America, the British Isles and Europe. "Bob made a significant contribution to NZ rugby both on and off the field," said NZRU Chairman Jock Hobbs. "He will be remembered both for his time in the All Blacks jersey, in particular captaining NZ in the decisive matches of the 1956 Springboks test series, and for his contribution as an All Blacks selector, assistant manager and coach." 
(12 May 2006)

Case closed but debate rages on
Flight Lieutenant Malcolm Kendall-Smith, an RAF doctor with dual British and NZ citizenship, has been sentenced by court martial to 8 months jail and dismissed from the service after refusing to return to Iraq on his third tour of duty. Kendall-Smith claimed "what was being done in Iraq was morally wrong," and pointed to the Nazi war crimes trials at Nuremberg as an example of soldiers attempting to excuse their atrocities by claiming they were ordered to carry them out. The trial has raised serious issues for the military and public alike, as Diplomatic Editor Trevor Royle discusses at length in Ireland's Sunday Herald. 
(16 April 2006)

Tiger takes the plunge 
NZ enjoyed a high profile visitor in April, with living legend Tiger Woods in town for the wedding of long-time caddie and Kiwi native, Steve Williams. Much to the apprehension of international golf fans, Woods indulged in some of Queenstown's most hair-raising adventure tourism, and even took part in a charity stock car race organised by Williams to raise funds for disadvantaged youth.
(25 April 2006)

Fine art 
New Zealander Derek Henderson was one of 27 photographers invited to create an image for the upcoming Back to Back exhibition, organised by Australian Wool Innovation. Each contributor was given a merino wool tank top by Australian designer Josh Goot as a starting point for their piece. The results have been digitally printed on wool and will be displayed at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art from April 26-27, in conjunction with Mercedes Australian Fashion Week, before touring Milan and Shanghai. 
(26 April 2006)

Too much too soon? 
The release of United 93 - the first Hollywood film about 9/11 - has sparked controversy in the US, as well as further afield in NZ. Directed by Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday, The Bourne Supremacy), United 93 follows in real time the one flight which failed to reach its intended target, instead crashing in a Pennsylvania field and killing all on board. Subsequent cockpit voice recordings reveal an attempt to overpower the terrorists by a group of passengers. One of these passengers was Alan Beaven, a NZ environmental lawyer played in the film by British actor Simon Poland. "For me personally, I'm not sure I'd go [to the film.] I think it would be a little too close to home," says brother Ralph Beaven in Stuff. "I don't want to go down that track again. It would be very emotionally charged, especially seeing someone else represent your brother." United 93 opens in the US April 28. 
(16 April 2006)

Another string to his bow 
NZ's best-selling author, Gordon Dryden, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Advancing Technology in Arizona. Dryden was the keynote speaker at the state's eLearning Conference held in April, presenting a paper entitled eLearning in the Digital Age. A globally renowned author, journalist and broadcaster, Dryden's book The Learning Revolution is the world's biggest selling non-fiction publication. He has just released an updated version - The New Learning Revolution - in the UK. 
(13 April 2006)

Foothold in Asia 
NZ's Cadmus Technology and partner ST Electronics have netted a $13.94 million contract to supply Eftpos terminals to Singapore's largest taxi company. Cadmus is to install its new General Packet Radio Service taxi telematics and payment systems, including data dispatch systems and payment terminals, in all Comfort Transportation vehicles. "The contract is a milestone for the company's growth in the highly competitive Singapore industry," says Cadmus managing director Ian Bailey. 
(9 April 2006)

The best is yet to come 
NZ's best ever performance at the recent World Short-course Championships in Shanghai is being heralded by some as "the precursor to a golden age of swimming for this country." As well winning two medals - silver for Moss Burmester in the 200m butterfly and bronze for Hannah McLean in the 200m backstroke - the team set an incredible 22 new NZ records. Coming on the back of 6 Commonwealth Games medals, expectations are running high for NZ swimmers at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. 
(9 April 2006)

Expat angst 
Hamilton artist John Hurrell writes about NZ artists living internationally in the February issue of Art Monthly Australia. He discusses last year's exhibition 'The expatriates: Frances Hodgkins and Barrie Bates' in the context of the NZ government's current $850,000 campaign to lure Kiwis home from abroad. "[2005] is a good time to look at the lives of two of NZ's most recognised expatriate artistic talents - the time they spent on the other side of the world in England and the mental vacillations they went through concerning 'home' and identity." The ambitious exhibition, which showed at Victoria University's Adam Art Gallery Auckland University's Gus Fisher Gallery, drew parallels between the unlikely duo of modernist Frances Hodgkins (1869-1947) and conceptual artist Billy Bates (aka Billy Apple, 1935-). 
(February 2006)

New world order 
A British travel site predicts big things for the NZ ski industry, as more and more international tourists head south for their holidays in the snow. The article focuses on Treble Cone, which has had a £565,000 face-lift in preparation for the upcoming ski season. "The world order of premier ski resorts is set to change over the coming years because of declining snowfall, with places in Europe such as Switzerland and Austria losing out to the likes of Israel and New Zealand." 
(28 March 2006)

Edge divas 
Maori language musician Hinewehi Mohi features in Adventure Divas, a best selling book by US writer/editor turned intrepid documentarian Holly Morris. A few years back Morris traded in her desk job in order to scour the world for "women of action," taking along a PBS film crew for the ride. The resulting series, Adventure Divas, profiled women from Cuba to New Delhi to Aotearoa. Morris interviewed an array of edgy divas including author Keri Hulme, PM Helen Clark, filmmakers Gaylene Preston and Sima Urale, and Mohi, who is described on the book's dust-jacket as "reinvigorating her native culture for a new generation." Adventure Divas was selected as an 'Editor's Choice' book for 2005 by the New York Times, who praised it as "A delightful triangulation of adventure travel, telecommuting and self-reinvention… [Morris] can be hilarious." 
(2005)

No.1 fan turned majority shareholder 
Russell Crowe has teamed up with businessman Peter Holmes à Court to buy a 75% share of the South Sydney "Rabbitohs" rugby league club. A lifelong supporter of the Rabbitohs, Crowe has contributed large sums of money to the community-owned club in the past. His $3 million bid to win the majority share was successful after more than the required 70% of shareholders voted in its favour. "He wanted us to win a premiership last year, he wants us to win a premiership this year, and the year after ... Russell just can't stand losing anything," says Holmes à Court, who will act as executive chairman. 
(22 March 2006)

Pacific gateway Ia Orana! 
Air Tahiti Nui is now offering stopovers in Auckland and Tahiti for any direct flights between New York or LA and Sydney. Billed as the first-ever non-stop service between New York and the South Pacific, the package kicked off in summer 2005. 
(February 2006)

Designs on Hyde 
Palmerston North sculptor Paul Dibble is the winner of an NZ government sponsored competition to design a $3 million war memorial in London's Hyde Park. Dibble's design - developed in association with Athfield Architects of Wellington - consists of 16 bronze plinths engraved with text and images, which form the shape of a crucifix when viewed from above. "The design is a fitting memorial to the more than 250,000 NZers who served in the wars of the last century," said PM Helen Clark in the NZ Herald. "It evokes and reflects the courage, determination and loyalty of New Zealanders who served in and supported the war effort, as well as the accompanying grief, loss and suffering which NZ experienced." The sculpture is due to be completed by the end of the year. 
(21 December 2005)

Die! Die! Die! in Arizona
Auckland art punk trio Die! Die! Die! forms part of an impressive Australasian contingent heading to this year's South By Southwest music festival in Arizona. Tipped as one of NZ's most promising new bands, Die! Die! Die! hopes to land label and agency deals for both the US and Europe at the prestigious industry showcase event. "We've been talking to about 10 labels," says singer/guitarist Andrew Wilson. "So far, they haven't given us exactly what we want." Die! Die! Die! will tour Japan and Europe later this year. 
(10 March 2006)

Out in the open 
An interview with mystery author Anne Perry in the Times inevitably brings up her former life in NZ as Juliet Hulme, one half of the murderous teenage duo portrayed in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures. A hugely prolific and successful writer, particularly in the US, Perry's identity was made known in the early 1990s. In order to protect her elderly mother from the ensuing media circus, Perry has deliberately maintained a low profile in her adopted Scotland. Only after her mother's death in 2004 has Perry opened up in the UK, embarking on numerous press tours of the region. "I would not have an old lady of 90 having people on the doorstep, telephoning her, pointing long lenses into the bedroom," she says. "If she was still alive we would not be having this conversation. I would like to establish a proper literary reputation in this country, but not at that price." 
(12 March 2006)

Hansen homeward bound?
MTV Europe’s head, New Zealander Brent Hansen has retired after nearly two decades with the company. Hansen joined MTV in 1987 as a news producer and soared through the ranks to become the President of Creative and Editor in Chief of MTV Networks International. “Brent’s strong, creative instincts have … helped us achieve a unique editorial voice and music credibility that will continue to lend integrity to our brands for years to come,” says MTV Networks International president Bill Roedy. Always maintaining he would retire from the top job at 50, and after 18 years in London, Hansen is looking forward to making “time for my relationship with New Zealand.” 
(17 February 2006)

Blast from the past
Ornithologists the world over have been fascinated by recent confirmed sightings of the NZ Storm Petrel, which was thought to have been extinct for more than a century. In November 2005 a NZ fisherman took the first ever photograph of a Storm Petrel in the hand, after the bird landed on his boat in the Hauraki Gulf. Storm Petrels are thought to be using Little Barrier Island or the nearby Mokohinau Islands as their breeding ground.
(17 February 2006)

No.2 No.1 
Toa Fraser's debut feature No.2 won the World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic at the 25th Sundance Film Festival in February. "[From] a humble backyard in Mt. Roskill in the Pacific, on behalf of the hundreds of people that worked on and invested in the movie, we want to thank the audiences of the Sundance Film Festival, for coming and celebrating life with us," said Fraser in his acceptance speech. "God bless Mt. Roskill." Two World Cinema Audience awards are bestowed at Sundance each year, one for dramatic film the other for documentary. 
(10 February 2006)

JK on growing the game 
The Observer talks to All Black legend John Kirwan about his globetrotting ways and aspirations to coach in the  UK. “Kirwan was a travelling rugby player long before it became the fashion it is today…Unsurprisingly for a man with such a thirst for different cultures, Kirwan becomes impassioned when discussing the importance of the game growing.” Formerly head coach for  Italy, Kirwan now lives in Venice and works as a consultant for Japanese club side NEC Green Rockets.
(5 February 2006)

Keith gets the Grammy
Whangarei-born country music sensation, Keith Urban, has won his first Grammy Award. Urban was named best male country vocal performer ahead of Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Delbert McClinton and Brad Paisley. This follows his best entertainer and male vocalist trophies at last year's Country Music Awards. Urban's Grammy win was nearly overshadowed by his date to the awards - actress Nicole Kidman, the first public appearance by the couple.
(17 February 2006)

Edge connection for leading scientist 
Pioneering archaeologist Lady Aileen Fox has died aged 98. Born and educated in England, Lady Fox held a visiting lectureship at Auckland University from 1972 to 1983. She conducted excavations at Tiromoana Pa (where she noted similarities with the hill forts of southern Britain, her area of expertise), carried out field survey work with students and became closely involved with the archaeological committee of the Historic Places Trust. She was also a key figure in the establishment of the New Zealand Journal of Archaeology. 
(20 January 2006)

Gourmet Burger Kitchen
London's Gourmet Burger Kitchen - the brainchild of three Kiwi entrepreneurs - is credited with starting the trend for "fast food for the organic generation" in a lengthy Guardian piece. Now boasting 8 restaurants, the GBK chain was founded in 2001 by Greg Driscoll, Brandon Allen and Adam Wills. "Food made with good quality, fresh ingredients is part of any New Zealander's upbringing," says Driscoll. "It's that casual but quality food experience you get in NZ we wanted to bring to London." GBK has inspired a slew of imitators, but the original remains "the biggest, best known and most successful." Driscoll, Allen and Wills recently sold their business to Clapham House for ?25 million, but will stay on as company directors (see previous Newzedge story). 
(2 January 2006)

Black Caps start as they mean to go on 
The Black Caps made a fine start to their 2006 season, cruising to victory in the five-match ODI home series against Sri Lanka. NZ won the deciding third match at Jade Stadium by five wickets. Nathan Astle - who was initially left out of the NZ squad - was the top run scorer, with an impressive 90 not out.
(4 January 2006)

Revved up for '06 
2005 was an incredibly successful year for NZ motorsport, as TMC reports in its annual review. Two of the top three places in the world MX1 motocross championship were filled by New Zealanders, with Josh Coppins and Ben Townley finishing second and third respectively. Aucklander Wade Cunningham looks set to repeat fellow Kiwi Scott Dixon's Indy Racing League success after winning the Menards Infiniti Pro title. 15-year-old Brendon Hartley netted the biggest deal ever by a NZ driver in Europe (NZ$700,000) with his selection to the Red Bull junior racing team - widely acknowledged as a transitionary step to Formula One. Last but not least, Auckland businessman Colin Giltrap (pictured) founded a NZ team franchise to compete in the A1 World Cup of motorsport series, a new event involving 30 countries developed by Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum al Maktoum, a member of the United Arab Emirates ruling family. "I've always dreamed about getting involved with an overseas series," said Giltrap in NZ's Weekend Herald. "[This is] the World Cup of motorsport. A nation-against-nation contest created to test their best young drivers." 
(2 January 2006)

Hunt fights for our rights
Waikato University graduate Paul Hunt has built a high profile international career as a human rights lawyer and independent expert. Hunt was elected to serve on the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 1998. In 2001 he was enlisted by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, to co-author the Guidelines on Human Rights Approaches to Poverty Reduction. In 2002 he was appointed UN Special Raconteur on the right to health, a role he remains in today. He has lived and worked in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South Pacific, has written prolifically on economic, social and cultural rights, and is an active member of the global Make Poverty History campaign. "Making poverty history is not just a question of morality, charity or self-interest," he says on the Realizing Rights website. "Developed countries have a human rights responsibility, binding in international law, to assist Africa and others burdened by poverty … Making poverty history - and ensuring a fair deal for Africa - is the greatest human rights campaign of our time." 
(January 2006)

Conference finds common language
Hamilton hosted the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education in late November, an event which drew more than 3,000 attendees from all over the world. The delegation from North America's Kodiak Island is keen to emulate the "unusual success" of Maori in maintaining their culture and language. Kodiak Islander April Laktonen Counceller spoke of her NZ experience - which included visiting te reo immersion schools from primary to university level and meeting the Maori Queen, Te Atairangikaahu - in the Indian Country, America's leading indigenous paper. "It felt really good to be around so many people trying to improve their community," she said. "It didn't matter if they were from an island in the South Pacific or an island in the North Pacific, like Kodiak." 
(3 January 2006)

Year of Tibet 
2006 is officially the Year of Tibet in NZ and Australia. The Dalai Lama launched the year-long festivities at the Woodford Festival in Queensland on January 1. "On behalf of Tibetans, both in and outside Tibet, I wish to express my appreciation to you all for your continuing interest and support in our non-violent efforts for freedom and justice," he said before the 100,000+ strong crowd. The Dalai Lama will tour Australia and NZ in 2007. 
(25 January 2006)

Crowe to fly the coop 
With Australia Day been and gone the Aussies wonder when NZ born Russell Crowe will officially become one of their own. According to Sydney's Daily Telegraph, "the country's most celebrated Kiwi" was confirmed for a live-to-air citizenship ceremony on Australia Day (January 26) but had to pull out because the formalities could not be organised in time. 
(27 January 2006)

End of one era, beginning of another 
All Black captain Tana Umaga has officially retired from the game aged 34, with a stellar career behind him. "Already he has been admitted by his countrymen into the exclusive band of great NZ captains, along with Colin Meads, Sean Fitzpatrick…and the first All Blacks skipper, Dave Gallaher," says the Observer. "The contrasting emotions that the [O'Driscoll spear tackle] episode inspired in the rugby world placed him out on an edge where few find themselves and from where fewer still return in triumph." In addition to 74 Tests and 37 tries, Umaga was the first ever NZ player to be awarded the prestigious Pierre de Coubertin trophy for fair play. Family friend Ken Laban and former All Black and race relations conciliator Chris Laidlaw credit Umaga as changing the face of New Zealand rugby in a profile on the Captain on stuff.co.nz. "People see a Samoan player and they typecast him as rough and ready to rumble - they don't see them in the captaincy or a leadership role," says Laban. "People don't see a lot of our people in the boardroom. They see them on the factory floor, they see them carrying the ball up and making the tackle but they rarely see them leading the team out and speaking on behalf of the country. That's the legacy I reckon Graham Henry and Tana are going to leave behind." 
(15 January 2006)

Hard earned success 
US Farm Week includes a feature on New Zealand's thriving agricultural industry. Fiona Hutchison of the New Zealand Embassy in Washington details how the industry has recovered from the axing of agricultural subsidies in the 1980s. As she points out, New Zealand is one of the few developed countries in the world where agriculture's contribution to the national gross domestic product has increased over the last few decades. She cites the growth in agri-tourism and increased trading with Asia as key examples of farmers recognising business opportunities and taking them. "These are some of the things that happen when you allow the producers to make their own choices, to respond to the market signals. I think that's something every country should look to embrace." 
(27 January 2006)

Roast with the most 
Edge establishment Batch Espresso is cutting it in Melbourne's razor-like café scene, with more stellar reviews in the city's leading newspapers. Herald Sun: "[Owner Jason Chan] works the coffee machine and the room, making beautiful coffee and good conversation. He's the consummate host … The menu is choice. In fact, it's choice bro, eh? Chan is proudly Kiwi and the menu features NZ wines, smoked salmon and fruit juices." The Age: "Last year [the Age] Cheap Eats again recognised a Carlisle Street cafe with its best barista prize, describing Jason Chan's Batch Espresso as 'a coffee-themed retreat.' Café lifestyle magazine Crema wrote: 'Move over Wall, Batch is in town.'" 
(7 February 2006)

NHNZ takes NY
Dunedin based production company, NHNZ received two awards at the prestigious New York Festivals, held at the end of January. NHNZ won gold and silver medals in the Nature and Wildlife section of the Television Programming and Promotion Awards with Equator: Power of an Ocean and Buggin' with Ruud respectively. Death Valley was also a finalist in the same section. "What links these three productions is a dedication to painstaking research, a shared vision from pre to post production and crews who are prepared to put in weeks in the field often in extreme conditions," says NHNZ managing director Michael Stedman. "Our teams always attempt to find that difficult balance between information and entertainment, and I believe these films have found that balance." Owned by Fox Studios, NHNZ produces factual programming for such international broadcasters as the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery Health, National Geographic Channel, France 5, NHK in Japan and NDR in Germany. 
(27 January 2006)

Model of multi-tasking 
RH is the host of new US reality TV show Style Me. In an interview with Media Village, she describes the show as "offering real honest and interesting insight into the world of stylists." RH has numerous other ventures, including designing men's and women's jewellery for Demeter's Goddess Collection and writing a book - "not about who my lovers were, but my personal experiences, from my children to my love of Africa." 
(26 January 2006)

Aoraki off limits? 
Mt Cook (Aoraki) has provided yet another example of the effects of global warming, with local guides warning that visitors may no longer be able to climb its famed heights. "We had a very lean winter with very little snow and the glaciers are not in good shape," says Alpine Recreation director Gottlieb Braun-Elwert. "Climate warming is a fact. I've watched the glaciers for 30 years and there are some dramatic changes happening in NZ and overseas." The 3754m peak - NZ's highest - has become increasingly dangerous for climbers in recent years, due to thinning snow cover and unstable glaciers. 
(2 January 2006)

World to come to Waikato? 
NZ has officially placed its bid to host the 2010 world rowing championships at Lake Karapiro in Waikato. "It's our turn," says RNZ chief executive Craig Ross. "NZ rowing has never been in a stronger position." The other hosting bids have come from Slovenia and Australia. 
(26 January 2006)

Cruise control 
Epoch Times writers take an “enchanting” tour of NZ by cruise ship, with a 9-day itinerary encompassing  Auckland, Tauranga, Rotorua, Napier,  Dunedin, Akaroa,  Christchurch,  Wellington, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and White Island. Highlights include a panoramic view of Devonport from Mt Victoria and earning a Certificate of Udderance after milking cows at Rotorua’s Agrodome.
(18 February 2006)

To err is human, to forgive divine
NZ-raised canon emeritus of Coventry Cathedral and Quaker chaplain to the University of Sussex, Paul Oestreicher, writes about guilt and forgiveness in the Guardian, using both WW2 and the modern day 'War on Terror' as his points of reference. "The demonisation of 'the other' is both the cause and motor of war: in turn, war legitimises barbarity on a grand scale…Now in the global war on terror no holds are barred. The murderer and the torturer are back on the official payroll - both theirs and ours." 
(28 January 2006)

Top ten showing
New Zealand was listed in the top ten in Forbes’ recent ranking of the world’s most foreign investment friendly economies. NZ scored 88.5/100 taking tenth place in the list of 135 countries. The Top places went to Denmark,  Finland and Iceland. According to the National Business Review, NZ scored highly in the wages and prices (99), ease of regulation (98) and absence of corruption (99) categories but was disadvantaged by an abysmal score in corporate tax rates (31).
(6 February 2006)

Images from the outskirts of war
James Boswell: Unofficial War Artist: Drawings of Army Life in Iraq and UK 1939-1943 by William Feaver offers a fascinating insight into the "unpretentious, unheroic, unsmarmy" work of the NZ-born artist and political activist. Born in 1906, Boswell migrated to London in 1925 to attend the Royal College of Art (which suspended him twice for "stroppiness.") In 1933 he joined the Communist Party and became a founder member of the Artists' International Association (AIA), a politically-minded group for young artists of which he later became Chairman. Boswell used his artistic talents for left-wing political ends - illustrating the Left Review, making banners for Artists Against Fascism and Aid for Spain - and it was these political colours which eventually disqualified him from being an official war artist in WW2. Feaver's book focuses on Boswell's work during his service in the Royal Army Medical Corps. "Boswell's war proved uneventful compared to that of firemen and slave labourers but that, in retrospect, makes his drawings no less telling. He drew London in blackout and blitz, New Zealanders astray in Piccadilly, prams parked outside tube stations while families sheltered underground ... Boswell's Iraq is a land of dead ends. A railhead connects with a fuel dump; wire surrounds every patch worth thieving from. Smoke rises aimlessly from black stoves lined up behind the cook huts where dogs sniff through shoals of emptied tins." 
(16 December 2006)

Mammal mystery uncovered 
NZ palaeontologist Trevor Worthy claims to have evidence that NZ once had an indigenous land mammal, challenging years of accepted scientific theory. Worthy and his team of researchers found two parts of a jaw and a femur of a mouse-like creature in Otago's St Bathans fossil bed during digs between 2002-4. The creature is estimated to have lived in NZ 16-19 million years ago. "Scientists have long held the view that NZ has this weird and wonderful avian biota that lived on the ground because there were no mammals to impede or compete with birds," says Worthy. "It appears that this little mouse-like animal was part of the fauna on the ancient Gondwana supercontinent and it got stuck on NZ when the latter separated more than 80 million years ago." Worthy's study has been published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 
(28 December 2006)

Drilling for knowledge 
Victoria University's Tim Naish is one of a hundred scientists from 40 different countries working on a map of climate change. The Antarctic Geological Drilling Program (ANDRILL) is digging deep below the Ross Ice Shelf to determine how massive ice sheets responded to past temperature changes. According to those involved, the creation of a map to show how the Earth may react to higher temperatures is vital. "We may not understand the future, but we can understand the past," says project leader David Harwood of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. (28 December 2006)

Home soil advantage 
NZ has been named the new host of the 2007 world netball championships, after Fiji lost the rights following its recent military coup. The event has been moved from July to November to allow NZ time to prepare. "After due deliberation, International Federation of Netball Associations concluded that transferring the event to another country within the same region, in the same year, was preferable to postponing the event to 2008 and have therefore decided to accept Netball New Zealand's offer," said IFNA president Molly Rhone. NZ's Silver Ferns are hot favourites to win the championships, which will be held in either Auckland or Christchurch. 
(22 December 2006)

Power Director 
John Buchanan is named at the top of The Times Power 100 list of leading British business men and women. He sits on the boards of four FTSE 100 companies: Vodafone, of which he is deputy chairman; pharmaco AstraZeneca, Australian resources giant BHP Billiton and medical devices company Smith & Nephew. He spent his professional career at BP, and was CFO when BP undertook two corporation-changing deals - the $50 billion merger Amoco in 1998 and the $30 billion purchase of Arco. "When questioned on the subject of leadership, is quick to illustrate his view with reference to the national rugby union side. "Look at the All Blacks," he said. "When you see them playing it won't be obvious which one is the captain. If the going gets really tough, it becomes apparent." The analogy can be taken a step farther. For although the All Blacks might appear strangely understated in the context of their frequent achievements, the power they show is often brutal. And so, when Mr Buchanan says that "adult conversations don't always lead to friendly conclusions", you know that this is one team player who is not to be messed with." John Buchanan was educated at Papatoetoe West, Otara Intermediate and Auckland Grammar School. At The University of Auckland he graduated BSc, MSc (Hons) and PhD in chemistry. At Oxford University he was a postdoctoral research fellow.
(18 December 2006)

On the rise 
Leading US residential design magazine Dwell visits Wellington’s 282 Wakefield Street apartments developed by Luit and Jan Bieringa. “Approaching downtown Wellington from the airport, you curve around the city’s glittering bay and land in Courtenay Precinct, a stylish neighbourhood chockablock with boutiques, bars and sidewalk cafés.” The roof top dwellings and workspace, designed by Architecture Workshop are a contemporary addition to the original Edwardian building, surrounded by the vibrant urbanity of Courtenay Place, a “burgeoning neighbourhood…rife with new investment and promise. Teenagers swarm a skateboard park on the revitalized waterfront, cranes hover over a luxury high-rise under construction on an adjacent lot. Locals stroll down a harborfront boardwalk, pasta grassy lawn speckled with picnickers. It’s a thrilling bird’s eye view – and even more so for those tenacious residents who have witnessed its evolution.”
(December/January 2007)

An outsider's inner world 
British author Hermione Lee hails the latest reprint of Katherine Mansfield's Journal as an important literary event, yet cautions readers about the heavy editing hand of Mansfield's husband (and Journal publisher) John Middleton Murray. First published in 1927 - four years after Mansfield's death at age 34 - the Journal has been reissued in it original format by Persephone Books. In her review, Lee refutes Murray's "sentimentalised and saintly" portrayal of the NZ author, pointing out examples of her frequently caustic wit and abhorrence of "sentimental toshery" with glee. "[For] all Murry's tidying up, her startling, vivid, intimate voice still comes pouring off these pages ... She is always driving herself along, with the utmost rigour. These are formidably self-lacerating, self-critical diaries. She knows, when she admits to it, that she is writing against the clock." 
(2 December 2006)

Arthur's talents run deep 
NZ rugby, basketball and equestrian star turned opera singer Jud Arthur spoke to the Herald Sun about his upcoming role in Handel's Messiah for Opera Australia. The Dunedin-bred baritone played rugby for Otago and an Italian club side, was NZ's under-21 show-jumping champ and played professional basketball before a knee injury at 27 turned him on to singing. "There is nothing like running down that tunnel and out on to the f