Archive >> June 2007

Soprano scales new heights

Gisborne-born soprano Marie-Adele McArthur graced Opera America’s home page for the month of June, with images and video of her acclaimed performance as Lina in Verdi’s Stiffelio. The Sarasota…

Kiwi Joker Cracks UK

Hawera-born comic Ben Hurley, 27, has secured a seven-part sitcom with the BBC’s Radio 4. The series will co-star Hurley’s mentor and veteran comedian Andy Parsons, whose writing…

#86: Country Road, Take Me Home

Edge Message #86 from Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM

Aotearoa whanau whanui ki te Aonui Global Community of New Zealanders

25 JUNE: NEW NZEDGE HERO – SYDNEY SMITH – FORENSIC PIONEER Roxburgh-born…

Fourth World Cup for Docherty

NZ Olympic silver medallist Bevan Docherty has won his fourth International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Cup at Edmonton, Canada. Docherty’s win is the culmination of seven straight top-eight finishes and boosts him…

Sydney Smith

“A New Zealander, he came to the famous Chair of Edinburgh, took ‘time off’ to organize a medico-legal system and Institute in Egypt then returned to Edinburgh to add…

Robert J Dickie

RJ Dickie invented, patented and marketed the world’s first stamp vending machine. His machines were in use for 50 years, 18,000 were used in Britain, with countless thousands around…

Cadbury: Crunchie Train

Take a look at the iconic New Zealand ad for the beloved Crunchie Bar.

During Breaks New Ground

A groundbreaking study by NZ neuroscientist Matt During has been applauded in leading British medical journal, The Lancet. During has pioneered a controversial gene therapy for Parkinson’s Disease that involved inserting…

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…

Lions Share

NZ agencies won 18 awards at this year’s Cannes Lions, the world’s most prestigious advertising awards. Auckland agency TBWA\Whybin won the Grand Prix award in both the Media and Promo categories for…

New Zealand National Anthem in Maori

Take a listen to this beautiful rendition of the New Zealand national anthem on Maori.

Taking Issue with Food Miles

A UK Times eco-columnist’s suggestion to reduce food miles by drinking French rather than NZ wine has stimulated a response by NZ winemakers and politicians. She argued that transporting wines from…

Benjamin McHugh: God Defend New Zealand

Brendan McHugh sings God Defend New Zealand before an All Blacks test match.

Will Martin: God Defend New Zealand

Will Martin sings God Defend New Zealand at Auckland’s Eden Park.

Eslinger in All Things Interactive

Tom Eslinger, worldwide interactive creative director for Saatchi & Saatchi, was president of the Cyber jury at this year’s Cannes International Advertising Festival. He spoke about the importance of ideas and…

Mind Over Matter

NZ neuroscientist Dr Kerry Spackman is working with Team McLaren to uncover the workings of a racing driver’s mind. “In most sports now, the modern athlete is pushing his…

Tour of Beauty

Times journalist Paul Grogan undertook a two-day kayaking tour of Abel Tasman National Park with local company Wilson’s Experiences. “Gaining in confidence, we rock-hop along the coast, ducking in and out…

Be a Tidy Kiwi

The iconic Bulford Kiwi in Wiltshire, England, has received a makeover courtesy of local military, scouts and civilian volunteers. The 128m high chalk figure was carved into Wiltshire’s…

Red Cross Honours NZ Nurse

Aucklander Marianne Whittington has been awarded the Red Cross’s highest nursing honour, the Florence Nightingale Medal. Whittington has undertaken 11 international aid missions for the organisation in the last 17…

Weisz on board for Lovely Bones

Oscar-winning English actress Rachel Weisz has signed on for Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones. Weisz will play the mother of the film’s dead narrator, in a role that…

First NZ Star of Silver Screen

NZ’s first movie star has died in a Rotorua hospital aged 101. Witarina Harris, of Ngati Whakaue descent, was chosen by Universal Pictures to star as Princess…

Wet Win in Vancouver

Whangarei triathlete Samantha Warriner has won the US $100,000 BG Triathlon World Cup in Vancouver, clawing back from 20th place to beat American Sarah Haskins and Australian Erin Densham in wet…

New York falls for Sand Dancer

Sand Dancer, Valerie Reid’s documentary about Christchurch sand artist Peter Donnelly, received an honourable mention at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival in March. The award is the latest in…

Burger Boom

A restaurant chain founded by three New Zealanders has become one of the most successful businesses in the booming UK “posh burger” market. Gourmet Burger Kitchen was established…

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…

Glass half full

NZ glass artist Luke Jacomb has spent the past six years touring and building his reputation in the US. The second-generation glass artist (his father is the renowned…

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…

Balibo Deaths Back in Spotlight

The 1975 deaths of two Australian, two British and a New Zealand journalist in Balibo, East Timor, are back in the political spotlight after a Sydney inquest found conclusive…

LV Victory Sees America’s Cup Rematch

Emirates Team NZ has demolished Luna Rossa 5-0 to win the Louis Vuitton Cup. Team NZ will now meet Swiss defender Alinghi in the America’s Cup best-of-nine series, beginning June 2003. In…

Professional Outsider Remembered

World renowned mathematician and nuclear fusion sceptic Leslie Woods has died aged 84. Born in Reparoa, a tiny settlement between Rotorua and Taupo, Woods was the first student of…

Brand Passion Paramount

Sean Fitzpatrick and the All Blacks are held up as inspiring examples for business leaders by American finance blogger, Jim Citrin: “No other sports franchise in the world has achieved a…

Incredible Journey

After decades of international debate, Auckland University researchers have found the first concrete evidence that Polynesian explorers reached South America before Europeans. The research team, led by archaeologist Elizabeth…

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…

Flight of the Conchords: Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros

New Zealand’s favourite singing comedians, the Flight of the Conchords, perform ‘Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros’.

Top shelf Wellington author

Lloyd Jones has won the Commonwealth Writers Prize overall best book award for his novel Mister Pip. The NZ $27,400 cheque was presented to Jones at the Calabash Literary…

Haka Following Edinburgh 7s Win

Watch this performance of the Haka following New Zealand’s 2007 Edinburgh 7s win.

Loft vision

NZ-born architect David Howell’s vision for a disused Manhattan loft space earned a full-page feature in the New York Times. Located near Gramercy Park, the 35-by-20-foot rectangular space with…

Looking through a kaleidoscope

E hika! The Sky has fallen. I realise that I end up writing a lot about tangi. Its appropriate to take a little time out in this, Te Wiki…

Top of His Game

New Zealander Bob Hayward has found success in the highly competitive US film industry. Based in Los Angeles, Hayward is the Chief Operating Officer and founding partner of Summit…

Cinema Success Story

Auckland-based Vista Entertainment Solutionshas become one of the world’s leading cinema software providers since its launch in 1995. Vista’s systems, which run entire movie theatres from selling tickets to calculating studio…

#85: Daily Headlines

Edge Message #85 from Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM

Aotearoa whanau whanui ki te Aonui Global Community of New Zealanders

Greetings. We are now publishing on most days www.nzedge.com. See the most…