Value for money 
NZ private schools are moving ahead of their British counterparts on the global league table for English-speaking education, according to new international research. NZ tops the table for maths and science in the Pisa education survey, published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. British private schools beat NZ in reading alone, while US private schools performed less well than NZ and Britain in all areas. NZ's high quality private education is also significantly cheaper than that available in the UK or US, especially for international students. "New Zealand independent schools represent the best value on the planet," says Lynda Reid, principal of St Cuthbert's College in Auckland. 
(27 December 2007)

Dilemma for cat fanciers
NZ-based psychoanalyst Jeffrey Masson has weighed in on the cats versus birds debate in a New York Times magazine feature. The issue of cats killing native birds in the US came to national attention after bird lover Jim Stevenson was caught and charged with shooting feral cats in his area. Masson, author of The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats, is a member of Alley Cat Allies, a US organisation that fights for the rights of wild cats. He found himself caught between two conflicting issues - the rights of individual animals (cats) versus the health of the overall ecosystem (birds) - when he and his family moved to NZ. "Our five cats started to hunt, as cats will," he says. "Our neighbour, a bird enthusiast, was furious. 'Your cats are decimating these birds,' she told me, and I had to agree. But I didn't know quite what to do about it. True, the cats should not be here. But the cats were only doing what came naturally to cats." 
(2 December 2007)

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Award winning airmanship 

Dave versus Goliath 
The opening of a new hotel in Christchurch coincided with the launch of a film detailing the unusual story behind its development. Hotel SO is the result of property developer Dave Henderson's 13-year clash with the NZ Inland Revenue Department (IRD). We're Here to Help captures the battle on film: from Henderson's complaint about comments made to his girlfriend while seeking a rebate, to IRD's subsequent audit of his business and resulting million dollar claim, and the ensuing 4-year court battle which ended in Henderson's favour. Rather than resting on his laurels, Henderson bought the building that housed the IRD, evicted its tenants and set up the hip, ultra-modern Hotel SO. He now plans to open similar hotels in Auckland, London and New York. 
(27 November 2007)

Third time at the top 
NZ has been voted the world's best holiday destination by readers of Britain's Daily Telegraph. Around 30,000 readers took part in the annual survey, which is the largest independent analysis of British travellers. Second and third place went to the Maldives and Australia. "The fact that our customers are the voters means the award is an authentic assessment of the quality of our tourism on offer," said Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor in the NZ Herald. "The United Kingdom, our second largest market for visitor arrivals - contributing 300,000 visitors over the past year - is a valued market for New Zealand and one where we have to work hard to stay ahead of the competition." NZ has been voted the best holiday destination by Telegraph readers twice before: in 2004 and 2005. 
(1 December 2007)

Eight out of nine for Sevens side 
NZ has won the 2007 Dubai Sevens tournament, defeating Fiji 31-21 in the final. The NZ side made the most of two consecutive sin-binnings of Fijian players, but were threatened by a late comeback by the Fijians in the second half. "You can never write anyone off in sevens," said NZ captain DJ Forbes. "But we knuckled down and stuck to our guns. They were very hard to contain but we showed a lot of character and dug deep." The Dubai win is NZ's eighth world title in nine seasons. 
(2 December 2007)

Mighty totara of NZ rugby mourned 
All Black and NZ Maori legend Pat Walsh has died of cancer aged 71. Renowned for his versatility, Walsh played 13 Tests in four positions between 1955 and 1963. He served as an All Blacks selector from 1969 to 1971 after a knee injury ended his playing career, and went on to work as a hotel publican and philanthropist. NZ Herald obituarist Don Cameron describes Walsh as "one of the legendary characters of New Zealand rugby - and certainly among the mightiest totaras of the Maori game...He had speed, skill and superb balance anywhere in the backline and spiced these assets with the mischief (and sometimes the mystery) that only Maori seemed to possess in those days of uninhibited rugby." 
(24 November 2007)

Music that moves you 
The acclaimed NZ String Quartet is currently touring the United States' East Coast. Formed 20 years ago, the Wellington-based group consists of cellist Rolf Gjelsten, first violinist Helene Pohl, violinist Douglas Beilman and violist Gillian Ansell. Pohl and Beilman were born in the US and Gjelsten in Canada; co-founder Ansell is the only NZ-born member. Gjelsten explains why he joined the group in 1994, and became a citizen three years later, in an interview with the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. "The music of this medium is so profound they wanted to find musicians who would dedicate themselves to this music," he said. "A bonus is that it happened to be New Zealand - one of the most beautiful countries in the world that most people would move to without a job." 
(8 November 2007)

Finding beauty in the everyday 
Six NZ ceramic artists, including the collaborative couple Philip Jarvis and Madeleine Child, are exhibiting together at the annual Craft Victoria festival in Melbourne. Titled Best in Show, the exhibition is a playful tribute to agricultural shows and everyday domestic objects. Child's featured clay works include giant Cheezels and popcorn, while her partner, Philip Jarvis, has used the medium to create toothpaste tubes, Monopoly game pieces and sandcastles. Child and Jarvis are based in remote Aramoana, where they share a studio and numerous art projects. "Sometimes you think you don't know what's going on elsewhere [in the art world] but it's also about having the time and freedom to work without outside influences," said Child in The Age. Best in Show runs until December 1. 
(25 October 2007)

Love, wine and angels in Auckland 
Whale Rider director Niki Caro's new project has made its first pre-sales. The Vintner's Luck, Caro's much-anticipated adaptation of the novel by Elizabeth Knox, has sold to Icon in the UK, Dendy in NZ and Australia, and Ascot Elite in Switzerland. "This was such a beautiful script - both moving and profound - and the material could not be in better hands," said Icon's president of acquisitions, Mark Gooder. Dendy general manager Andrew Mackie described the screenplay by Caro and Joan Scheckel as "simply one of the best scripts we have ever read". The Vintner's Luck stars Jérémie Renier (The Child), Gaspard Ulliel (Young Hannibal), Vera Farmiga (The Departed) and Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider). Pre-production begins in Auckland at the end of the year. 
(26 October 2007)

The next great American host 
NZ television personality Dominic Bowden is taking his hosting skills to the US, where he will front new FOX reality series The Next Great American Band. In NZ, Bowden has hosted Deal or No Deal, New Zealand Idol and numerous awards shows. The Next Great American Band follows a similar format to Idol and features Ian "Dicko" Dickson (Australian Idol) and musicians John Rzeznik and Sheila E as judges. The Hollywood Reporter has given the show the thumbs up, claiming it far surpasses Idol. Bowden also passes muster as host, with HR describing him as "fresher and more at ease than his American Idol counterpart, Ryan Seacrest". 
(26 October 2007)

Next big things 
NZ's white aromatic wines rival its world-famous sauvignon blanc, according to Telegraph writer Jonathan Ray. Ray vowed not to drink any sauvignon on his week-long tour of NZ wineries, despite being a "sucker" for the country's most exported variety. Instead he sampled riesling, gewürztraminer, pinot gris, chenin blanc and viognier, all of which are beginning to gain recognition both locally and abroad. "I think that Sauvignon's success has blinded many people to the potential of these other varieties," says David Knappstein, winemaker at Forrest Estate in Marlborough. "Fresh, keen, zesty wines can be produced here, even from Chardonnay, and these qualities are ideal for the aromatic varieties. The market is definitely developing, with Pinot Gris really taking off." 
(27 October 2007)

Tokelau keeps NZ ties
Tokelau has voted to remain a NZ colony in its second referendum on the issue in 15 months. The vote for self-governance, which required a two-thirds majority, fell short by 16 ballots. "There'll be another day," said Tokelau's leader, Kuresa Nasau, in the NZ Herald. The tiny cluster of coral atolls is populated by just 1447 people, and has been under colonial government for 130 years. Despite its official status as a colony, it has effectively governed itself along traditional lines the entire time. However, those in favour of self-governance believe that cutting ties with NZ would open the country up to international aid. "With our current status as a colony, we have no political arrangement to meet China, the US and others," said Nasau. "We do not have any authority to make treaties with others." Over 6000 Tokelauans live in NZ. 
(25 October 2007)

Master carver shares message 
Maori master carver James Rickard held a workshop at the Victor Oteyza Community Art Space in Baguio City, the Philippines, this month. He spoke about the need for indigenous artists to protect their works from globalisation, encouraging the Asin carvers in attendance to "meet it [globalisation] at your own terms, your own price, and at your own time". Rickard has been a Maori master carver for 34 years and currently teaches at the Te Puia Wananga Whakairo woodcarving school. His tour of the Philippines has so far encompassed Paete, Laguna and Asin. "Some of us have gone to North America," he says, "but I want to come to Asia where our ancestry begins." 
(10 October 2007)

Queen of the South Pacific
Taumaranui-born soprano Rhonda Bryers has passed away aged 55 at her home in Hawaii. Bryers was one of NZ's best known singers in the late 1980s, when she won the country's Entertainer of the Year award four years in a row. "She was an incredible talent," said Aucklander John McGough, who toured with Bryers 25 years ago. "Classically trained, she sung mainly popular music, including a lot of her own songs." Bryers was one of a group of NZ entertainers, including Sir Howard Morrison and John Rowles, who developed a strong following in Hawaii. She made her Honolulu debut at the Monarch Room of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in 1989, and became known thereafter as the "Queen of the South Pacific". 
(4 October 2007)

Game on 
Wellington-based Sidhe Interactive is the creative brains behind Jackass: The Game, released in the US by Red Mile Entertainment and MTV Games on September 26. The company hopes it will sell over a million copies, which is the benchmark for success in the highly competitive gaming industry. NZ's largest games developer, Sidhe Interactive recently won a multimillion-dollar deal to create a game based on the upcoming US film Speed Racer for Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2. "It is a perfect combination to be coming off Jackass and rolling on to that," says Sidhe spokesman Jos Ruffell. "We have gone from playing in the Australasian market to competing at the absolute top level in the US market." 
(1 October 2007)

Car-boot camaraderie 
With its own spring carnival brought down by horse flu, the Sydney Morning Herald sent writer Rachel Oakes-Ash across the Tasman to check out NZ's racing season. Oakes-Ash headed south for the Christchurch Casino Cup and Show Week, where she attended the traditional car-boot picnic party held on the final day of racing. "Auckland may have its birdcage, champagne lawn and fabulous fillies in frocks," she writes, "but Riccarton Park is more country picnic race, complete with open-armed hospitality, where everything's a laugh and pretension is checked in at the door." 
(30 September 2007)

NZ migrants top Australian stats 
NZ has surpassed Britain as the source of the largest number of permanent migrants to Australia for the first time. According to Australian immigration statistics, NZ arrivals have jumped by 5000 in the past 12 months, from 19,033 in 2005-06 to 23,906 in 2006-07. Formerly the leading source country for permanent migrants, Britain was responsible for 23,223 arrivals for 2006-07. NZ and British migrants combined accounted for 33.6 per cent of all permanent Australian arrivals for 2006-07. 
(25 September 2007)

A sweet alternative 
An LA Times health feature discusses the healing properties of NZ Manuka honey, which is becoming increasingly accepted in international medical circles. Manuka honey has been cleared for use as a wound dressing and antimicrobial in both Canada and the USA, and clinical trials testing its effectiveness are currently underway in Germany, Scotland and South Africa. "In the last few years, a lot of good science has been done in the area," says Shona Blair, a microbiologist at the University of Sydney, who studies the antibacterial properties of honey. Manuka honey has been shown to be particularly effective in treating wounds that will not heal, such as those suffered by diabetics and cancer patients. 
(10 September 2007)

Real life mermaid
Aucklander Nadya Vessey has commissioned a custom-made mermaid tail from Wellington's Weta Workshop. A keen swimmer, Vessey was born with a condition that prevented her legs from developing properly. She had her first leg amputated when she was seven, and the second when she was sixteen. The mermaid tail will be used for swimming only and will be moulded over a pair of wetsuit shorts to make it easy to put on and remove. "[Weta] told me not to worry, that they would even put scales on it," says Vessey. "So I really have no idea what to expect - but it's going to be fun." 
(17 September 2007)

In the pink 
Air New Zealand will launch its first "Pink Flight" from San Francisco to Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in February next year. Modelled on a similar trip from Auckland to Sydney this year, the flight will feature drag queens, pink cocktails, gay-friendly films and a cabaret performed by the flight crew. "They could probably do very well with it," said Michael Wilke, executive director of New York-based advertising advocacy group, the Commercial Closet Association. "It really sounds like someone put together the idea of what a gay cruise is and just applied that to the air. And even gay cruises don't feature employees in particular outfits or gay-themed movies." The Pink Flight is scheduled to depart San Francisco International Airport on 26 February 2008. 
(14 September 2007)

Conchords take flight in UK 
Flight of the Conchords, the HBO series starring NZ comedians Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, is ranked eighth on the Guardian's 50 must-see shows. Described as "a downbeat winner", Conchords debuts on BBC4 this month. The series has been a sleeper hit in the US, where it launched earlier this year. 
(8 September 2007)

Titirangi Tate 
Architect Chris Tate's Titirangi dream house featured in the Telegraph's property pages this month. Tate's home sits 13 feet above a gully at its highest point, anchored by 16 poles in the earth. The effect is like a glass box floating in the treetops; its clean lines a stark contrast to the wilds outside. "I wanted it to be modernist, simple, to make the environment paramount and the building secondary," said Tate, who has been a practising architect for only a year. "Working with such a beautiful landscape, you really don't want to stuff it up."
(2 September 2007)

NZ academic unlocks 17th century secrets
Research by a NZ academic launched a 40-year code-breaking endeavour that has resulted in the publication of an important 17th century English diary. Robin Gwynn, formerly an associate professor of history at Massey University, came across Roger Morrice's Entring Book as a doctoral student in London in the 1960s. At that stage, the vast diary was relatively unknown and had never been edited. It was written by a political insider and journalist between 1677 and 1691. "It was a decade of fear, a most unpleasant time. I'm glad I didn't live through it," said Gwynn of the period, which included the death of Charles II and the 1688 revolution. Gwynn's code-cracking (much of the diary was written in obscure shorthand) and painstaking translation, with the help of professors at Cambridge and Brown universities, led to its six-book publication in July this year. 
(4 August 2007)

Fifth win for Warriner 
NZ athletes made another strong showing in the eleventh leg of the 2007 BG Triathlon World Cup Series. The event in Tiszaujvaros, Hungary, saw three podium finishes for NZ competitors. Samantha Warriner became the first NZ woman in the event's 11-year history to win at Tiszaujvaros, jumping to No.2 in the world rankings as a result. "This is my fifth [series] win and every win is better because you have to work so much harder to get it," she said. Debbie Tanner, ranked world No.3, won bronze in the women's event and Kris Gemmell took silver in the men's. Four races remain in the 2007 series. 
(12 August 2007)

No ordinary life 
A new book about London literary marriages features NZ author Katherine Mansfield and her second husband, John Middleton Murry. Uncommon Arrangements: Seven Portraits of Married Life in London Literary Circles (1910-1939) by US author Katie Roiphe examines the relationships of such noted figures as H.G Wells, Clive and Vanessa Bell, and Lady Ottoline Morrell. Of Mansfield and Murry's tempestuous union, Roiphe writes, "fantasy is what they were both most proficient at - ordinary life they found harder".
(15 July 2007)

Te Kopi a top spot 
The Department of Conservation's Te Kopi bach at Palliser Bay has been named one of the five best state-run lodges and cabins in the world by the Guardian. "Light-filled and well equipped, the cottage and two cabins sleep 10 just behind the briny with good fishing and hiking near the Putangirua rock pinnacles." Sossus Dune Lodge (Namibia), Grövelsjön Mountain Lodge (Sweden), Green Point Cottage (Sydney) and Didima Camp (South Africa) rounded out the list. 
(4 August 2007)

Top tucker 
US economics professor and blogger extraordinaire Tyler Cowen rates fish and chips as being "to New Zealand what barbecue is to Texas-tops in the world" on his popular website marginalrevolution.com. Cowen regularly compiles lists of his favourite things about the cities, states and countries he visits, a selection of which was recently published in New York magazine. According to him, NZ is also a "first-rate locale" for Malaysian, Cambodian and Burmese cuisine. 
(23 July 2007)

Humane and humorous
Wellington-born character actor Gordon Gostelow has died aged 82. Raised in Sydney, Gostelow immigrated to the UK in 1950 to pursue acting professionally. The classic BBC serial became a staple of his career, and he appeared alongside such acting greats as Ian McKellen, Judi Dench and Sean Connery in numerous Shakespeare and Dickens adaptations. According to his Guardian obituary, Gostelow's "gift for humane, humorous character sketches was singularly suitable" to these early BBC productions. One of his last appearances was in the popular television series Midsomer Murders in 1999. 
(20 July 2007)

Devastating simplicity 
Mister Pip, the Commonwealth Prize-winning novel by Wellingtonian Lloyd Jones, is praised both for its lyricism and its deft handling of post-colonial issues in the Guardian. "The simplicity with which he describes the atrocities that take place [in Bougainville] is devastating," writes reviewer Olivia Laing. "But it is the great faith that Jones has in literature, to effect change no less than to offer solace, that gives this extraordinary book its charge." Mister Pip is the first book by Lloyd Jones to be released in the UK. 
(7 July 2007)

Woods & Williams still a team
Steve Williams, Tiger Woods' NZ-born caddie, has denied reports he is intending to end the pair's lucrative eight-year partnership. "I have no idea where this [rumour] has come from," Williams told NZ's Sunday Star-Times. "Perhaps Tiger may not play as much now that he's a father but that doesn't make any difference to my job." Williams has previously said that he would like to pursue a full-time motor racing career when he stops working with Woods, but insists that the time has not yet arrived: "That's something that I'd like to do but caddying for the world No. 1 player is a bit more profitable and meaningful." 
(15 July 2007)

Fine art hits the track 
Auckland artist Mark Olsen was commissioned by British race team CreationSport to customise one of two cars it has entered in the 2007 Le Mans Enduro series. Known as "The Children of Le Mans", the car is painted with seven childlike portraits representing the seven nations that host the Le Mans series: France, England, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Brazil. Olsen was hired after a chance meeting with CreationSport owner Mike Jankowski in a London restaurant decorated with his artwork. "Mike and I talked about the teams' values and philosophy and, from my perspective, it came down to having kids on the car," he said. "Vitality, energy, imagination, total acceptance of others - and fun." Olsen is the winner of this year's Telecom NZ Art Awards. 
(16 June 2007)

Civil Service 
Christchurch-born Ian Fletcher has been appointed head of the UK Intellectual Property Office. The Canterbury University graduate joined the UK Civil Service in 1989, after working for the NZ diplomatic service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In his 18 years in Britain, Fletcher has worked for the Monopolies & Mergers Commission, was seconded to the European Commission to negotiate Free Trade Agreements with the World Trade Organisation, headed the Customs Service and Department of Trade and Industry in Kosovo and served as principal private secretary to the head of the Home Civil Service, Sir Andrew Turnbull. Most recently, Fletcher was the International Managing Director for UK Trade and Investment. "The British government is very open and Britain has relatively little xenophobia and that's very important. It is open to non-UK people and to new ideas," he said in a June Unlimited interview. "I think there will be a NZ-born permanent secretary of the civil service within my time." 
(20 March 2007)

Jeweller finds Wonderland in NZ
British jeweller Alice Hughes has created a range of bespoke pieces inspired by NZ plants and sea life. She established Alice in Wonderland Jewellery in 2004 after undertaking an apprenticeship in NZ, where she worked with NZ jewellers Ray Mitchell and Peter Elsbury. Mitchell found international fame after designing the "One Ring" for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. "When I arrived in New Zealand I was overwhelmed by the nature," says Hughes. "I found it really energising and the whole idea of combining the natural elements with jewellery really came together in my mind." Hughes now runs jewellery house parties in her home town of Liverpool, selling her pieces directly to customers: "I always turn up with a couple of bottles of New Zealand wine which is always a help, too." 
(20 June 2007)

Sellaband springboard for NZ rapper 
Christchurch rapper Maitreya has found international fame through sellaband.com, a new social networking site for entrepreneurial music lovers. Sellaband allows users to buy "shares" in acts they think have the potential for major chart success. When the amount invested in an act reaches the US $50,000 mark, Sellaband helps the musician record and globally release a studio album, the sales of which benefit the "believers" (fan investors). Maitreya, now based in New York, was sixth artist to break through the $50,000 barrier and is currently recording his debut album - One Love and Light. 
(9 June 2007)

Backstage essential 
NZ-born osteopath to the stars Garry Trainer has released a new book, Back Chat, with health writer Tania Alexander. Back Chat examines 40 individual case studies of back pain, identifying common causes and offering advice on how best to avoid them. Regarded as a pioneer in his field, Trainer has worked in the UK for the past 25 years and runs a successful clinic in London's Primrose Hill. His clients, past and present, include Brad Pitt, Paul and Linda McCartney, George Michael, Emma Thompson and Paul Simon. Despite his star clientele, Trainer remains grounded by his patients' common physiology. "It doesn't matter if you're black, white or green, how rich you are or how poor you are. We have all got the same muscles and nerves and the same discs. Anyone that moves is prone to back pain", he said in a recent interview with NZ's Sunday Star Times. Trainer's next high-profile job is working on the film version of ABBA musical Mama Mia, starring Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep. 
(10 June 2007)

Stonyridge a must-see 
Waiheke Island's Stonyridge vineyard featured in the Guardian's top ten must-visit wineries, alongside Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux and the Frank Gehry-designed Marques de Riscal in Rioja, Spain. Guardian: "Stonyridge is a cult winery with a global reputation. Situated on Waiheke Island, a short ferry ride from Auckland, this small vineyard is one of the most beautiful in the country. The casual, wood-and-stone restaurant/cafe is ideal for chilling out on a hot afternoon." 
(4 June 2007)

NZ ranks swell at creative hotspot
Geoff Coyle is the latest New Zealander to join advertising powerhouse 180 in Amsterdam, bringing the combined total to eight. "Of the 23 nationalities employed here, NZ is by far the most over-represented group," said Coyle's compatriot Kruno Ivancic in Fastline. "And, as usual, we are making our presence felt in the land of milk, cheese and tulips." Creative team Stacey Lee and Rosita Rawnsley and account manager Sam Dempsey (all ex-Saatchi Auckland), creative director Andy Fackrell, digital artist and designer Emile Wilmar and account executive Lauren Andrews make up the NZ contingent. 180 has produced award-winning campaigns for Sony, MTV and Adidas, including the sports giant's recent Impossible is Nothing series featuring Jonah Lomu (pictured). 
(May 2007)

Xero on the money 
A NZ online accounting software company has won the inaugural International Technium Challenge, a business planning competition sponsored by International Business Wales. Wellington-based Xero beat 19 entries from five other countries, winning the opportunity to open an office in one of Wales' Technium business innovation centres along with a business support package worth NZ $120,000. "The Technium Challenge programme will ... give Xero a fantastic platform from which to enter the European market," said company co-founder Rod Drury. Xero is an online accounting system designed for small to medium-sized businesses launched in 2003. Its features include daily bank account updates, a 'dashboard' providing a snapshot of your business at a glance and real-time advice from financial advisors. 
(25 May 2007)

Piece of cake LA 
Times food writer Amy Scattergood introduces Americans to the humble pavlova: "a dessert with an unexpected, rustic elegance." As well as providing a step-by-step recipe, Scattergood details the historical and cultural background of the iconic Australasian pudding. "Now the national dessert of both [New Zealand and Australia], the Pavlova has come down to us as a kind of edible symbol, not only of balletic art, but of colonial ingenuity. Unlike its ornate meringue cousin the vacherin, a beautiful if rather fussy dessert, the Pavlova is composed of a free-form meringue upon which whipped cream and fresh fruit are piled with lovely abandon. That's it."
(23 May 2007)

Tourism NZ gets Googled 
Tourism NZ has teamed up with Google to develop its own official 'layer' on Google Earth, in a world first for a tourism authority. Google Earth is a searchable tool for geographic information that combines satellite imagery with 3D terrain and buildings. The 100% Pure New Zealand layer uses graphic illustrations to draw attention to visitor centres, points of interest and scenic highlights, all of which link to newzealand.com for further information. "The newzealand.com website will be linked from Google Earth's New Zealand locations, so that people around the world will be able to access information about our country as never before," said NZ tourism minister Damien O'Connor. Google Earth layers have previously been created for National Geographic, the United Nations Environmental Program and the Discovery Network.
(May 2007)

NZ preacher battles US atheists
Christchurch-born evangelist Ray Comfort fronted a controversial debate over the existence of God on US TV this month. Comfort (pictured left) and his preaching partner, child actor Kirk Cameron, squared off against two members of the atheist Rational Response Squad for the heated 90-minute argument, which aired on ABC's Nightline. According to the debate's moderator, Nightline journalist Martin Bashir, the "no-holds barred debate ... was well worth watching", and generated a massive response from viewers. Comfort, 57, was born Jewish and his no theological training. He has written more than 40 books on religion and co-hosts an evangelical TV show - The Way of the Master - with Cameron. 
(2 May 2007)

Healthy competition 
A NZ healthy fast food chain has opened its first European outlet in Glasgow, Scotland. Owner Conrad van der Klundert believes that Reload, a South Island-based juice, salad and sandwich bar, can take on established chains such as Subway as well as existing juice bars in the UK and Ireland. He eventually hopes to employ between 200 and 300 staff in more than 100 stores, with each making £350,000 annually. "We are trying to change the eating style in as many places as possible, from fast food to healthy food," says van der Klundert, who already operates Reload stores in Australia, Singapore and China, as well as across NZ. The UK and Ireland franchise has been bought by Scottish businessman Keith Stark. 
(22 April 2007)

NZ a modern treasure hunter's dream 
NZ features in a "21st century treasure map" for entrepreneurial Americans, published by Inc. magazine. The interactive online map is a guide for American business owners looking for international opportunities. The NZ economy is described as one of the world's least regulated and most entrepreneurial, with one of the highest rates of business ownership per capita. Inc. ranks it alongside Hong Kong, Sweden and Irealand as one of the best places in the world to set up shop. 
(April 2007)

The way of Music
The Way of Music by Robin Maconie (pictured), a New Zealand born composer and musicologist who studied with Olivier Messiaen and Karlheinz Stockhausen, is a listener's guide to the hidden meanings of western classical music, language and drawing on universal listening experiences and skills. It is a study guide in hearing and communication processes (using the example of a barking dog eg “In a bark, a dog exists”), acoustics and performance, a history of western music and culture through a survey of 100+ examples of recorded music, and class, gender, and cultural perspectives found in adult responses to the slow movement of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. Published by Maryland’s Scarecrow Press, The Way of Music is another instalment in Robin Maconie’s programme to provide New Zealand with a core classic music textbook collection.

(May 2007)

Fight night 
Two New Zealanders have been nominated for the 2007 Taurus World Stunt Awards. Ben Cooke (pictured) and Kirk Maxwell are both up for Best Fight, for their work in Casino Royale and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest respectively. Cooke, who was Daniel Craig's stunt double in Casino Royale, has also been nominated for Best High Work, thanks to his incredible crane-jumping scene in the latest Bond instalment (watch it here). The awards take place in Los Angeles on May 20, and will be televised in 90 countries. 
(17 April 2007)

New era for NZ Golf Open 
Jeweller Michael Hill's private golf club has been unveiled as the NZ Open venue for the next three years. Designed by landscape architect John Darby, the Hills Golf Club covers 202 hectares of land in Arrowtown, just out of Queenstown. "In my opinion it's in the top five [courses] in New Zealand," said golfing legend Sir Bob Charles who, along with Phil Tataurangi, Greg Turner and Michael Campbell, is one of the few to have played the course so far. NZ Golf has handed over the financial risk or reward of this year's event to Australian promoter Tuohy Associates NZ. The tournament will be held from 29 November to 2 December, with NZ No.1 Michael Campbell on board as its official ambassador. 
(1 May 2007)

NZ triathletes dominate at Ishigaki
NZ athletes dominated at Japan's Ishigaki Island World Cup series triathlon, despite their lack of a gold medal finish. Bevan Docherty, Kris Gemmell, Shane Reed and Andrew Hewitt finished second, third, fourth and sixth in the men's race, while Debbie Tanner and Samantha Warriner finished third and fourth in the women's. The men's and women's races were won by Courtney Atkinson of Australia and Vanessa Fernandes of Portugal. In the overall 2007 World Cup standings, Docherty and Gemmell are currently in second and third place behind series leader Atkinson. Tanner is third in the women's rankings. 
(16 April 2007)

Cheap solar power a step closer
Massey University researchers have developed a novel means of harnessing solar energy, at a fraction of the price. Scientists at the university's Nanomaterials Research Centre have produced a range of coloured synthetic dyes for use in dye-sensitised solar cells. The synthetic dyes are based on light-harvesting compounds found in nature, such as chlorophyll and haemoglobin, and are made from titanium dioxide - a plentiful, renewable and non-toxic mineral found in NZ black sand. The dye-sensitised cells cost a tenth of the price of currently available silicon-based solar cells, and are more efficient to run and produce. "The refining of pure silicon, although a very abundant mineral, is energy-hungry and very expensive. And whereas silicon cells need direct sunlight to operate efficiently, these cells will work efficiently in low diffuse light conditions," says study leader Dr Wayne Campbell. "The next step is to take these dyes and incorporate them into roofing materials or wall panels." The solar cells are the result of more than ten years research funded by NZ's Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.
(6 April 2007)

Te Mata in dream opener 
Hawkes Bay's Te Mata Estate will open next month's London International Wine and Spirits Fair (LIWSF) with a tasting celebrating 25 years of its flagship Cabernet/Merlot, Coleraine. Te Mata CEO John Buck and winemaker Peter Cowley will present the Coleraine vertical tasting to the UK-based Circle of Wine Writers. "They don't come any bigger than this," says Buck. "It is the wine equivalent of a New Zealand designer being first on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week ... [To] be singled out amongst the worlds finest, in the most important of styles, is wonderful recognition of the quality of wine from Te Mata Estate, Hawkes Bay, and New Zealand. It's also a very nice way to start Coleraine's 25th birthday celebrations." LIWSF 2007 takes place at London's Victoria Docks, May 22-24. 
(6 April 2007)

NZ connection in artUS 
ArtUS magazine featured reviews of two exhibitions by NZ artists in its February edition: Michael Parekowhai at Sydney's Roslyn Oxley Gallery and Simon Reece's High Tide exhibition at the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania. Formerly known as Art & Text, ArtUS changed its name when founding editor Paul Foss moved from his native Australia to Los Angeles in the late 1990s. As Wellington-based art blog Over the Net notes, "When he was editor of Art & Text, Paul Foss always gave New Zealand art good space." It looks like he means to carry on as he started. 
(5 February 2007)

Incredible journey revealed
Massey University ecologists are conducting a groundbreaking study of the bar-tailed godwit's northern migration. While the 11,000 km southern migration of the godwit from Alaska to NZ is thought to be the longest non-stop flight by any bird, not much is known about its northern route. "We are entering a critical decade for these birds, so the research is timely and crucial," said research leader Dr Phil Battley. He points out that mapping the northern migration is particularly important because the birds touch down in Asia and are potential carriers of the H5N1 bird-flu virus to the Alaskan region. Massey researchers will monitor the godwits' journey by satellite-tagging individual birds, in a joint project with the United States Geological Survey and PRBO Conservation Science in the US. 
(31 March 2007)

Smither reveals wild side over tea and cake 
NZ poet laureate Elizabeth Smither was a guest speaker at the recent Kuala Lumpur International Literary Festival. A journalist interviewing her for the Malaysian Star was amazed at her calm and easygoing persona, which seemed to be at odds with her intense artistic output. "I have a surface that looks conforming," she agreed, "but French novelist Gustave Flaubert had it right about 'keeping your surface bourgeois, and being wild underneath. I think the wildness should go in the writing, that's the best place for it." Based in New Plymouth, 65-year-old Smither has published 15 collections of poetry, five novels and four collections of short stories. Says New York critic Nicholas Birns, "Smither writes concise, intelligent poems that sometimes exhort, sometimes muse, sometimes simply watch." 
(1 April 2007)

Economics world loses star thinker 
John McMillan, the man who "could make Economics jump right off the page," has died from cancer complications aged 56. Born in Christchurch, McMillan taught economics at America's Stanford Graduate School of Business since 1999. "John in many ways epitomized the Stanford Business School," said School dean Robert L. Joss. "He was a brilliant scholar; he made important contributions to microeconomic theory, but his special talent was in applying theory to real-world issues and problems. And he was a superb expositor." McMillan's numerous career honours include being elected a Fellow of the Econometric Society and a Distinguished Fellow of the NZ Economics Association, winning the Canadian Economics Association's Harry Johnson Prize and editing the prestigious Journal of Economic Literature from 1998 to 2004. A keen mountain climber, traveller and rugby player, McMillan wrote on an equally diverse range of issues: from Jamaica's reggae recording industry to the price of bribery in Peru. His book editor, Drake McFeely, remembers "a New Zealand footballer who drove a slightly dinged-up little blue Miata and who was at least as comfortable talking about the Grateful Dead as he was discussing market or auction design." 
(15 March 2007)

Another red destined for greatness 
Observer wine critic Tim Atkins calls Hawke's Bay Syrah "one of the most exciting wine styles I've tasted in the past five years." The red varietal makes up just 3% of the region's vineyards, which are dominated by Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot. "There may only be 1,500 acres of Syrah in New Zealand, compared with nearly 10,000 of Pinot Noir, but in my view the two varieties have equal potential for greatness," writes Atkins. His pick of the Hawke's Bay Syrah available in Britain is the 2005 Te Mata Bullnose: "a cellar-worthy red ... you'll never regret buying." The 2004 Te Awa, 2004 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels and 2005 Villa Maria Cellar Selection also come highly recommended. 
(25 February 2007)

The future of fabric
Auckland-based Zephyr Technology Ltd has developed "smart fabric" for the US army which is capable of monitoring wearers' vital signs. The patented fabric works through flexible sensors which detect and measure displacement, distance, pressure and bio-data. Wireless connectivity and graphical diagnostic tools deliver status updates in real time, or record information for later analysis. The technology is designed to save lives by assessing how well soldiers cope in combat situations. Zephyr's Business Development Officer Steven Small says the fabric could also be useful for athletes, as it can measure how their bodies react to training. 
(20 March 2007)

Victory in Hong Kong 
NZ horse trainer Paul O'Sullivan has leapt to second place on the trainer's premiership table thanks to a stunning feature win in Hong Kong. Together with Australian jockey Brett Prebble and NZ-bred horse Vital King, O'Sullivan won the NZ$2.91 million Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin. "We had a lead-up that was free of interruptions and it was helped by a brilliant ride from Brett," said O'Sullivan. Next on the agenda for the successful team is the QEII Cup on April 29. 
(18 March 2007)

New era in online advertising 
NZ internet entrepreneurs Firstlight are emerging as world leaders in online advertising with their Editorial Related Advertising (E|R|A) programme. With offices in Bangalore (content support), New York (sales) and Wellington (research and development), Firstlight have developed what is now considered the leading contextual advertising solution on the internet. Publishing heavyweight Forbes.com has been one of the early adopters of the technology. New Zealander Brett Bailey, co-founder and director of Firstlight, describes ERA as a “unique, smart and cutting edge solution that gives publishers the ability to provide contextual advertising to their existing advertiser base, using extremely accurate non keyword technology.” The advantages of Editorial Related Advertising ensure quality targeted linking to editorial content and is intended to compliment rather than compete with other keyword related advertising products.
(5 March 2007)

Substance over style 
The Guardian's Simon Mills is the latest travel writer to fall for Great Barrier Island's rustic charms. Home to just 800 people, the island has no mains electricity or centralised plumbing system and once famously refused a property application by Paul McCartney for fear he'd draw too much publicity. Guardian: "[What] Great Barrier Island lacks in plush amenities, Michelin-starred restaurants, LaStone massage spas and rowdy nightlife, it makes up for with topological spectacle; rock bluffs, windy canyons, sand dunes and white beaches that go on like Utah salt flats (Harataonga Bay is the most idyllic, Robinson Crusoe beach this reporter has ever seen)." Great Barrier Island is the setting for the latest series of BBC reality show Castaway. 
(17 March 2007)

Funny man finds his feet 
In just over a decade, Hawera-born comedian Alan Brough has established himself as one of Australia's most popular talents. Since moving to Melbourne in 1995, Brough has appeared in films The Nugget and Bad Eggs, co-hosted the Tough Love radio show on Triple M, and written, directed and acted in numerous theatre and stand-up performances. He is currently a team captain on the hugely successful ABC music trivia show Spicks and Specks. "You'll never get any dirt on Alan," said an ABC audience usher in the Sydney Morning Herald, "Everybody loves him." Brough describes his move across the Tasman as self-imposed exile. "One of the reasons I moved to Australia was because of [his NZ television debut] Melody Rules. It truly was one of the reasons. It was such a horrendous experience and I was so embarrassed by it I had to go overseas." Brough will appear in the one-man show Top Town in next month's Melbourne International Comedy Festival. 
(26 February 2007)

ANZACs honoured in Acton 
The second annual ANZAC Sports Challenge will be held at Twyford Park in Acton, London, on April 21. The event celebrates NZ and Australia's shared ANZAC heritage by staging friendly matches across a range of sports codes, including rugby, touch, Aussie rules, netball and soccer. Non-sporting attractions include food, beverages and merchandise from home, as well as an array of musical and cultural performances from both NZ and Australia. 
(March 2007)

Tributes flow for reading expert
Educators the world over have mourned the loss of Dame Marie Clay, an internationally renowned reading expert who has died in Auckland aged 81. Clay was a leading figure in the International Reading Association (IRA), serving as its president from 1992-3. "Marie Clay was a remarkable educator," said current IRA president Timothy Shanahan in an official statement. "She was by far the most important champion of the idea that reading problems could be identified and addressed with young children. Previous to her landmark efforts, it was common educational practice to ignore early learning delays in the hopes that these children might outgrow the problems, with the result that many struggling readers fell further behind ... Her passing is a great loss to the education community and to the world." Clay is best known in NZ for the acclaimed Reading Recovery Programme she established in 1983, which continues to be used in primary schools all over the country. "Not only was Dame Marie a highly skilled thinker, but she was always accessible to the teaching profession to spread her ideas and engage in dialogue about literacy," says Irene Cooper, president of the NZ Educational Institute. "She will be sadly missed, but her work remains as her memorial." 
(13 April 2007)

Falklands history discovered in NZ
An important piece of Falklands War history has been discovered by New Zealander Neil Shaw on the eve of the conflict's 25th anniversary. A former member of the British Antarctic Survey, Shaw discovered the message from Falklands governor Rex Hunt warning Argentina to cease their invasion while sorting through his old belongings. Shaw had himself transcribed the radioed message from Hunt and handed it to the Argentinean captain. "We had finished an Antarctic expedition and saw it as a bit of a holiday trip around the whaling stations on South Georgia. The base commander had told us to be aware of 'unwanted visitors,'" said Shaw in the Guardian. "We arrived at Leith harbour and saw some smoke rising above the hill. We went over the hill and saw a ship in the docks, and realised there was more to this: it was a political situation." The note will be displayed next month at the National Army Museum in Chelsea, London, in an exhibition dedicated to the conflict.
(18 March 2007)

McCarten joins local colour
Auckland-born Donald McCarten is a featured artist in the upcoming ColorField.remix event in Washington D.C. The four-month event celebrates the American capital's influential 1950s/1960s Color Field visual art movement, of which McCarten was a pivotal member. "This is an exciting opportunity to examine and celebrate Washington DC's artistic history, its international context and the impact of Color Field painting," said Judy A. Greenberg, director of The Kreeger Museum. "The number of organizations participating in this celebration is evidence of how profoundly the Color Field movement permeated the consciousness of Washington's cultural life in its time, and how it continues to sustain and inspire artists today." Donald McCarten, who died in 2003, studied at Auckland's Elam School of Art and the Central School of Art in London. He spent time painting in Australia, England, Europe and South Africa before immigrating to the US in 1958. His boldly coloured works, frequently on abstract-shaped canvasses, were exhibited alongside those by Color Field contemporaries Jacob Kainen, Howard Mehring, William de Looper, Paul Reed and Gene Davis. ColorField.remix runs from April 1-July 28. 
(March 2007)

Playboy Bunny turned property mogul 
New Zealander Sandra Costa is co-owner and designer of new LA super-club Tatou. The 35,000 sq ft space features state-of-the-art sound and lighting, 45 plasma screens, a 40 ft stage, private VIP rooms and a rooftop restaurant, Wokcano. Wokcano's head chef is Michael Rey, winner of Gordon Ramsey's hit reality TV show Hell's Kitchen. "There's no place like this in LA," says Costa, "It's pretty amazing." A former Playboy Bunny, Costa runs three companies specialising in interior design, construction and entertainment management: The Dezino Group, The Chairstore and MME World Wide. She is also the author of numerous popular self-help books, including Mystical Goddess.
(22 February 2007)

Text polling a hit in US 
Auckland mobile marketing company Txstation has established a strong presence in the US, providing real-time audience polling for the National Basketball Association, Fox News and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Txtstation's technology allows broadcasters and event organisers to ask viewers questions during games and broadcasts using on-screen graphics. Answers are sent in via SMS to a shortcode or through a website and are then displayed in real-time on TV, online or in stadiums. "That's very appealing, not just for broadcasters and sporting leagues, but for advertisers and sponsors of sports," said chief executive Greg Hayes in Wellington's Dominion Post. "We've got a real niche in the marketplace." Txstation is now seeking capital from NZ investors to expand its operations in the US. 
(12 February 2007)

World firsts for NZ ref 
North Canterbury's Nicky Inwood made history this month as the first woman to officiate in a Six Nations women's rugby match and the first to referee at England's Twickenham Stadium. The 37-year-old controlled the match between England and Italy, the curtain-raiser to the men's Six Nations clash between the same countries. "It is an absolute honour and delight to represent NZ as an international referee, and to be involved in a women's Six Nations game is simply the best," she said in the NZ Herald. A former player for Canterbury and Wanganui, Inwood represented the Black Ferns from 1989 to 1991. She has been a referee since 1999 and has officiated in two women's rugby World Cups. 
(10 February 2007)

Cash versus creativity Auckland-raised author Fay Weldon mourns the death of literary creativity in a passionate column for The Times. "Time was when popularity was the mark of artistic failure," she complains, "These days it's the other way round. 'Bestseller' betokens artistic success ... A 'good' book is, by inference, an easy book. A 'good' book is one that sells." Weldon blames the dominance of marketing over editorial departments, the rise of the sequel and prequel, and the rumoured control large bookselling chains have over publishing houses for what she terms the "tyranny of the bestsellers." A version of the same article also appeared in the Royal Society of Literature Review. 
(10 February 2007)

Sacred remains returned 
A Scottish museum has returned its collection of tattooed Maori heads to NZ after housing them for more than 180 years. The nine toi moko were acquired by the University of Aberdeen's Marischal Museum in the 1820s, at a time when European trade in Maori artefacts was beginning to reach its peak. The heads were returned to Wellington's Te Papa Tongarewa on January 29 and will be held in the museum's wahi tapu (consecrated sacred space) until research can confirm their origin. "Te Papa is very grateful to Marischal College staff and the Court of the University for their agreement to repatriate these ancestral remains," said Te Papa's Te Taru White. "Their support will enable these ancestors to make the long journey home to NZ and to their people. This is a time for both sad reflection on the turbulent journeys these ancestors experienced and, at the same time, a cause for joy as they're returned to their homeland."
(29 January 2007)

Don't dream it's over 
A new album and world tour by Crowded House, has made headlines across the globe. According to chief songwriter Neil Finn, he and bass player Nick Seymour have been considering regrouping since the tragic death of drummer Paul Hester in 2004. "It just feels like something good and true," says Finn, "We sought each other out in the shadow of Paul's passing. That helped us reconnect and gave me a reminder of what bands are and what they bring." The new album is titled Time on Earth and will be launched - along with the world tour - at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in California this April. Finn and Seymour will be joined by keyboardist Mark Hart and are currently auditioning for a new drummer in Melbourne. "It feels right to us that the band should re-emerge at this time and together with Mark Hart we look forward to reconnecting with the audience that we established and for whom we still hold a deep respect," says Finn. 
(26 January 2007)

NZ's home of motorsport 
Taupo's inaugural A1 Grand Prix meet for the World Cup of Motorsport was a huge success, with 80,000 spectators packing the stands. Adding to the experience, Team NZ placed third overall in what was the first podium finish by a host team in the event's history. "That was a tough race for us all and I'm happy with third place," said NZ driver Jonny Reid. "This is our second best overall placing at an A1GP event so we can take those points and look forward to Eastern Creek (Sydney)." Auckland businessman and motorsport enthusiast Colin Giltrap came up with the idea of holding an A1GP event in Taupo and has pulled it off despite numerous naysayers. "A couple of years ago Aussie V8 boss Tony Cochrane sneered at Taupo's ability to host a big event," notes NZ Herald columnist Bob Pearce, "As he contemplates the three men and a camel who watched his Bahrain Supercar venture, he might have to eat his words." 
(21 January 2007)

Home town tribute 
A memorial to legendary All Black captain Dave Gallaher is being planned in his home town of Ramelton, Ireland. The Dave Gallaher Society is proposing the transformation of a bottle recycling waste ground into a walled garden with murals, a fountain and a central bronze statue of Gallaher in classic rugby pose. The society also wants to hold a "twinning" ceremony with Gallaher's adopted home of Katikati, which is well known in NZ for its extensive public artwork. Dave Gallaher was born in Ramelton and emigrated to NZ with his family in 1878. He played 33 matches with the "Originals," so named because they were the first NZ rugby team to use the All Black name. The Originals won 32 of their 33 games. 
(26 January 2007)

Kilgour flies solo 
David Kilgour of seminal Flying Nun band the Clean has launched a new solo album entitled The Far Now. "The songs sprung into my lap and pretty much decided how they wanted to sound, and I followed their direction," says Kilgour, who recorded half of the LP with his new band the Heavy Eights and the other alone in his home studio. Kilgour's North American distributor, Merge Records, has released a companion digital-only album called The Before Now: A David Kilgour Retrospective, which is available for download now.
(17 January 2007)

CG Cameron 
Titanic director James Cameron has enlisted the help of Weta Digital for his upcoming US$200 million sci-fi epic, Avatar. Cameron also plans to shoot sections of the film at Peter Jackson's Wellington studios with the help of local industry workers. The director is known for pushing the boundaries of technology with his use of special effects in film and his latest feature looks to be no exception. Avatar is set 150 years in the future and centres around a battle between human and alien armies on a distant planet. "This film is a true hybrid - a full live-action shoot, with CG characters in CG and live environments," says Cameron. "Ideally, at the end of the day, the audience has no idea which they're looking at ... With the new tools, we can create a humanoid character that is anything we imagine it to be - beautiful, elegant, graceful, powerful, evocative of us, but still with an emotional connection." Avatar is slated for release in 2009. 
(12 January 2007)

For those about to rock, we salute you 
Buskers Max Tetley (11) and Alex Philpott (10) opened the show for US rock-comedy duo Tenacious D, after impressing singer Jack Black with their performance in Christchurch's Cathedral Square. Black (School of Rock, King Kong) has been touring Australasia in support of his upcoming film Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny. "I felt like fainting," said Tetley after being approached by Black's agents, "It was the best feeling in the world." Tetley and Philpott, winners of last year's St Albans School talent quest, list their musical influences as AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Led Zeppelin. Black played a teacher who turns his class into a rock band in the hit 2003 comedy School of Rock.
(12 January 2007)

Doctor vodka 
42 Below ambassador and "vodka professor" Jacob Briars discusses dirty drink names, Golden Globe shout outs and the social psychology of bars in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald. Formerly a bartender at Wellington's Matterhorn, Briars now travels the world conducting a cocktail master class called Vodka U. "I developed this concept with 42 Below," he explains. "We conduct a tasting of as many as 25 different vodkas and explain how they are made and what makes them unique. We also cover what vodkas suit which cocktails and even taste a few cocktails, too." Briars' skills behind the bar were famously mentioned in a Golden Globes acceptance speech by Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood. 
(10 January 2007)

Wellington: city on the rise
Wellington has been named one of 10 world cities "on the rise" by the editors of Lonely Planet. The capital is described as "one of the world's cold-yet-cultural cities ... more beautiful than Seattle or Melbourne" in Lonely Planet's Bluelist: the Best in Travel 2007. Rounding out the list are Chonqing (China), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Tallinn (Estonia), Luang Prabang (Laos), Riga (Latvia), Vilnius (Lithuania), Belfast (Northern Ireland), Belgrade (Serbia) and Perth (Australia). NZ is also voted the world's no.2 favourite destination (behind Australia) in a poll of 33,000 travellers from 170 different countries, the results of which are also published in the Bluelist. 
(9 January 2007)

Japan nets All Black great 
Former All Black John Kirwan has signed a two-year contract to coach Japan's national rugby team. Kirwan will lead the side in its World Cup efforts this year, with plans to hone 60 elite players down to a World Cup squad during the Pacific Nations Cup in June. "We are determined to do our best to win all the matches in the World Cup," he says. Kirwan played in Japan's top league for the final three seasons of his career and recently wrapped up a coaching spell with Italy's national side. 
(9 January 2007)

Baroness with a big agenda
Rotorua-born Labour peer Denise Kingsmill is being hailed as the new media-savvy face of Britain's House of Lords. Kingsmill, who grew up in industrial south Wales, was made a Baroness in last year's honours list. She hopes to use her new role to simultaneously improve links between business and politics and increase the number of women participating in both. "Women come out of school and university with a better education and yet we are not enabling them to make their full contribution to the economy," she says in the Guardian. "It is ludicrous that we have so few women in the FTSE. I'm a logical person and the logic seems mind-numbingly obvious." A Cambridge graduate and qualified lawyer, Kingsmill previously had her own legal practice and went on to deputy chair the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. In 2001 she headed a government task force inquiry into women's employment and pay in the UK. She is currently a non-executive director of British Airways and senior adviser to the Royal Bank of Scotland, as well as a trustee of the Cambridge University Business School and pro-chancellor of Brunel University. 
(5 January 2007)

San Diegans fall for NZ designs
Christine Nottingham and Andrea Peach have opened a gallery-cum-store in San Diego to showcase designs by established and emerging artists from their native NZ. Moana Design on Solana Beach features works by glass artists Peter Viesnik, Garry Nash and Hoglund Art Glass, ceramists Gill Gane, Peter Faulkner and Peter Stewart, wood turner Ian Blackwell and jewellers Neal Hanna and Graeme Wylie. "I always thought some of the bright colors of New Zealand fine art went really well in San Diego and the climate," says Nottingham, who cites Peter Stewart as the top selling designer on their books. 
(4 January 2007)

Beauty with depth 
Bic Runga's third album - Birds - has been named one of the records of the year in Australian Vogue. "This year, one of the most beautiful women in modern music made the most sadly beautiful music of her career. Birds is a stunning set of dimly lit, deeply-felt torch-pop ballads, a late-night red wine essential that was created with a little help from mentor (and fellow New Zealander) Neil Finn." 
(January 2007)

Silver lining for OpenCloud
Wellington telecommunications support firm OpenCloud has raised US$10.25 million in funding from Advent Venture Partners (London), No 8 Ventures (NZ) and Motorola Ventures (US). The funding will be used to expand the company's international interests, which include a new headquarters in Cambridge, Scotland, and increased sales, marketing, delivery and product development in Europe, America and the Asia Pacific. "We are building up the [Cambridge] infrastructure," says company director and chief executive Stephen Newton. "By the end of the next two to three months we will be 10 to 12 people at the Cambridge site." OpenCloud, which specialises in the supply of next generation application servers to the telecoms industry, played a pioneering role in the development of the cutting-edge JAIN SLEE platform. 
(10 January 2007)

Safe haven 
US travel expert Laura McKenzie includes NZ in her list of the world's five safest travel destinations. NZ is ranked second only to Monaco in a list which includes Malta, Switzerland and Singapore. "[NZ] is an adventurer's paradise," says McKenzie. "While you can risk your life on the bungee jumps and speed boats, you don't have to concern yourself with personal safety on its hiking trails or city streets. Even if you do suffer from an extreme sport incident, rest assured that you'll receive excellent medical assistance throughout New Zealand." 
(9 January 2007)

Life of a legend 
A film based on the life of NZ motorsport legend Bruce McLaren is rumoured to be in the works. According to Grand Prix website, the production has been linked to "some of those involved with the Lord of the Rings trilogy." McLaren was one of the first New Zealanders to enjoy racing success in Europe, winning his first Grand Prix at 22. He launched his own formula one racing team - Team McLaren - in 1964, which has continued to dominate the sport long after its founder's death in 1970. 
(8 January 2007)

Sailing event a "Kiwi blackwash"
This year's 420 World Championships have been described as a "Kiwi blackwash" after NZ sailors took out all podium positions in both the Open and Women's events. Carl Evans and Peter Burling, Simon Cooke and Scott Illingworth, and Rowan Swanson and Bruce Kennedy came first, second and third respectively in the Open competition, while Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie, Shelley Hesson and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher, and Sarah Bilkey and Rosie Sargisson won gold, silver and bronze in the Women's. Top sailors from 17 different countries competed in the event, which was held in NZ for the first time at Auckland's Takapuna Boating Club. 
(8 January 2007)

Local? Outrageous! 
NZ TV series Outrageous Fortune has caused a storm across the Tasman, but not for its adult content. Australian screenwriters are threatening protests and possible strikes over a decision by Channel Nine to include the program in its mandatory local drama quota. Outrageous Fortune currently accounts for about 30 of the 250 points of local drama needed by Channel Nine to maintain its broadcasting licence. Despite a 1997 Australian High Court ruling states that NZ programs can count as local, a "tacit agreement" has always existed between television stations and the national industry that the rule would not be abused. "Something has changed," says Screen Producers Association of Australia executive director, Geoff Brown. "This is a fight for us: if one network gets away with it, what are the others going to do? We will be in the streets in February and March." Outrageous Fortune is subsidised by the NZ government, which provides $NZ400,000 in funding per episode. 
(8 January 2007)

Final tourist frontier 
Christchurch internet entrepreneur Mark Rocket was the first New Zealander to sign up for one of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space flights. The self-described space nut (he changed his surname from Stevens by deed poll) put down the required US$200,000 to buy one of the initial 100 seats more than a year ago, and expects to take off in early 2009. "It's one of my lifetime goals to get into space," he said in the NZ Herald, "I've always been interested in space travel and I had been following the development of the new generation of spacecraft very closely." House of Travel has just been announced as NZ's only accredited "space agent" for the tourist flights. "Kiwis are great travellers and they're always looking for new experiences," says the chain's retail director Brent Thomas. Approximately a fifth of the 10,000 people who have registered an interest in Virgin's space flights are from Australasia. 
(17 January 2007)

Testing times 
Durex has decided to test its new latex-free condom in NZ after its global survey showed that New Zealanders have sex more often and are more adventurous in the bedroom than their international contemporaries. "The overwhelming response to date from Kiwis has certainly proven this," says Durex spokeswoman Victoria Potter. More than 3000 New Zealanders have applied to test the condoms so far. 100 will randomly selected as test subjects at the end of January. 
(17 January 2007)

Haka faux pas #46 
The haka continues to be flavour of the month in international marketing circles. This time, an English women's rugby team has caused controversy by including an image of a topless haka in their fundraising calendar. Canterbury Women's Rugby Club spokeswoman Rebecca Willis has apologised for any offence caused: "It was based on the haka but it wasn't necessarily the NZ haka ... We didn't know we would be treading on toes and we didn't think it would get as far as NZ." Maori Party MP Pita Sharples has played down the incident in the international press: "Some Maoris were upset by it, not terribly upset, but they thought it was in bad taste. When the club comes to NZ, I would expect them to respect the haka. But over there, as a fundraising effort, I wish them well."
(9 January 2007)

The Flynn Effect 
James Flynn - Emeritus Professor of Political Studies at Otago University, intelligence researcher and "unassuming moral philosopher" - is profiled in the Guardian. Born in Washington DC, Flynn has lived and worked in NZ since 1963. After spending most of his career studying free will and determinism in terms of political and moral philosophy, Flynn "gate-crashed" the IQ test debate in the 1980s and has emerged as one of the world's leading psychology theorists as a result. He is best known for his discovery of the Flynn effect: the continued year-by-year rise of IQ scores in the developed world. "There had been several studies showing that IQ levels were rising, but on each occasion the researchers wrote off their findings as anomalous one-offs," says Flynn. "All I really did was to piece together the existing studies and rea