Archive >> July 2009

Futuristic Foot Power

New Zealand-invented pedal powered monorail shweeb opened in 2007 at Rotorua’s Agroventures Adventure Park as a “direct response to the transportation needs of today and the future.” Each capsule…

Perfect for picking

Andrew McKenzie’s mid-orchard home is featured in this month’s Dwell magazine as the perfect example of a marriage between economy, sustainability and design. The house earned Architects Cecile Bonnifait…

To a job well done

The life and work of distinguished New Zealand architect, Marshall Cook— whose career spans over 40 years and across six countries — is paid homage in Issue 03 of…

Bombs away in 3D

Peter Jackson has told the Telegraph he thinks “a World War Two bombing raid in 3D would be neat”. While it may be pushing the boundaries of good taste,…

Pam Does Auckland

Air New Zealand Fashion week, which runs from September 21–26 at Auckland’s Viadiuct Harbour Marine Village, could see Pamela Anderson and Richie Rich’s eco-friendly swimwear line Muse participating in…

Saving Fish Stocks

Research from an international team of scientists, including Pamela Mace of the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries who helped write the study, shows that a handful of major fisheries…

Singing his praises

Ashburton-born opera singer Simon O’Neill, 37, has been named in a list of the world’s top 10 tenors by an influential London radio station. Rankings in the July issue…

Stopped Making Sense

Former Christchurch model Jenna Sauers, 23, has revealed that she was the face behind feminist website Jezebel’s correspondent “Tatiana”, who acted as a mole during the 2008 New York…

Sauvignon Surplus

The New Zealand wine industry is primed to suffer from a surfeit of Sauvignon Blanc in the coming years, as wine production expands exponentially and prices drop. Sauvignon Blanc,…

Sun out soon

Crowded House frontman Neil Finn has collaborated with the Smiths’ Johnny Marr, Radiohead’s Phil Selway and Ed O’Brien and new additions Wilco to produce a double-disc collection called The…

Adamson meets Mister Pip

New Zealander Andrew Adamson will direct his own adaptation of Wellington-based Lloyd Jones’ award-winning novel Mister Pip. Producer Robin Scholes, who was behind Once Were Warriors and The Tattooist,…

Marmite: What Makes Kiwis, Kiwis

Marmite – it’s what makes Kiwis, Kiwis.

Finding Originality

Director Peter Jackson talks to Los Angeles Times reporter Geoff Boucher about producing sci-fi film District 9, hobbits and the proliferation of remakes, sequels and adaptations in Hollywood. District…

Sidhe’s smashing game

Wellington-based game production studio Sidhe Interactive has launched its self-published title Shatter onto the Playstation Network, a game which combines classic brick-breaking with the latest effects and a fully…

Shaking Us All a Little Closer

The recent Fiordland earthquake (strongest earthquake in 78 years) has left New Zealand and Australia a little closer – 12 inches to be exact. The magnitude 7.8 quake on…

New Zealander in NY

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark, now in the role of administrator for the United Nation’s Development Programme (UNDP), talks candidly to TV1’s Breakfast show host Paul Henry in New…

Walker Looks to London

Kawerau BMX rider Sarah Walker, 21, took first place at the World BMX championships in the cruiser class (large wheel diameter) and the elite women’s title indoors at the…

Roots of laughter

New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby, 35, is returning to the UK and standup comedy performing a number of London gigs at the Bloomsbury Theatre and a stint at the…

Sustainability Ninja Exits

UK Green party member, adviser and Treasury antagonist Jonathan Porritt, 59, has left his post as chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) after nine years “trying to crash the…

Keeping it to Himself

Recent émigré to New Zealand, British media-specialist David Jeffries, 43, says he misses nothing about England in his new hometown of Auckland where he runs the award-winning company Mere…

Behind the Foliage

Dr Kevin Burns and a team of researchers from Victoria University of Wellington have discovered that New Zealand trees have evolved a camouflage defense mechanism to protect themselves from…

Win on a Mistral

Emirates Team New Zealand has won the Sardinia Trophy of the Audi MedCup series off Sardinia making it two in a row after their win in Marseilles. The bush…

Out of Town Delights

Waiheke Island, Martinborough and North Canterbury’s Waipara Valley, each a short drive from a main centre, are all worth exploring for “epicurious travellers” from across the Tasman. Residents of…

Fronting up at Comic-Con

Wellington director Peter Jackson spoke last week at the 40th annual Comic-Con in San Diego — the largest comic book and popular arts convention late last week — much…

NZ Wines On Top

New Zealand’s reputation as one of the world’s leading producers of high-end wine was reaffirmed at this year’s International Wine Challenge in London where it won international trophies for…

Sustainability ninja exits

UK Green party member, adviser and Treasury antagonist Jonathan Porritt, 59, has left his post as chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) after nine years “trying to…

Bledisloe Cup Memories

All Black Evan “Ted” Jessep, who was born in 1904 and died in 1983, debuted for New Zealand in 1931 at Eden Park against the Wallabies as the second…

Small Screen Shenanigans

Actress Lucy Lawless, 41, who stars as gladiator camp owner Lucretia in the American network Starz’s epic series Spartacus, told the crowd at Los Angeles convention Comic-Con that it…

Closing Time

The All Blacks head to South Africa for the Tri-Nations Tournament as the best closers in rugby. In the last five meetings between the All Blacks and the Springboks,…

Pretty as a pair

The newest and most adorable additions to the Auckland Zoo arrived last month with the birth of two baby Asian Otters. Asian otters are closely related to ferrets and…

#113: Seddon Bennington, 1948 – 2009

Edge Message #113 from Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM

Pictured above: Zane Lowe, Lt….

Holiday on the Right

Driving a camper van in New Zealand is “disconcerting… through a right-hand-drive country” but the “best part of driving the was the door it opened for conversation with…

Miniature Lawn Mowers

Winemaker Peter Yealands hopes to avoid having to use his tractor to mow the grass around his 10,000 hectare vineyard, so he’s looking to the miniature sheep babydoll to…

Trailer: The Frighteners

The…

Trailer: Braindead

The trailer for…

Lifetime of History

Dunedin historian Hew Mcleod, world-renowned for his work researching Sikh history, has died aged 77. McLeod first travelled to Punjab in 1958 as a Christian missionary. Soon after settling…

For the Big Spenders

A St Mary’s Bay, Auckland home, on the books at Boulgaris/Maguire Properties, is advertised in The New York Times’ international real estate section, which also provides an overview of…

Best in show

Rural New Zealand is explored by Canadian freelance journalist Judy Schultz who stumbles upon a Pukekohe A&P show, explores the historic community of Waiuku and samples local wares at…

Flying Doctors

New Zealand hospitals and medical clinics are attracting American doctors hoping to find “adventure, fulfillment” and a change. Kathryn T. Starkey, MD, a gynecologist in a two-physician practice in…

Roberts Honoured

nzedge.com co-founder and Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Worldwide, Kevin Roberts, received an honorary degree of Doctorate of Laws at a colorful ceremony at Lancaster University on 16 July. The honorary…

New beginnings in Alaska

Former director of natural environment at Te Papa Carol Diebel will begin a new role overseeing the University of Alaska Museum of the North in October. In addition to…

On show in Melbourne

New Zealand jeweller and artist Warwick Freeman is exhibiting his new work, ‘Spring Collection’, at Gallery Funaki in Melbourne until 1 August. Freeman has been making jewellery for over…

Aiming for Two

Auckland Indy Car champion Scott Dixon, 28, “is the driver to catch” ahead of the Rexall Edmonton Indy on July 24 -26, and with three wins under his belt…

Papped in Venice

“Anna Paquin arrives at Gjelina’s, her favourite LA restaurant, on a pale pink pushbike, asks for her usual lemonade, smiles and starts to chatter,” writes the Daily Mail’s Lorien…

Limelight Shy

Wellington author Eleanor Catton, 23, who is based in Iowa studying at the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop, says in an interview with the Irish Times that she is enjoying…

Battle Commences

The All Blacks have won their first match in the 2009 Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations series against Australia 22–16 at Auckland’s Eden Park. With skipper Richie McCaw back to…

Flirtatious Fins

Kaikoura’s Dolphin Encounter marketing manager Jo Thompson says the acrobatic and sociable dusky dolphin is the “big tart of the dolphin world” and “unique for travelling in pods of…

Extolling winged virtues

A New Zealand manufactured turbine-powered bush plane, the P750 XSTOL is being promoted in Alaska by a Californian dealer who says the aircraft rivals the traditional Cessna turbine aircraft…

Mobile Bach Adventure

A Christchurch Classic Camper Volkswagen Vanagon is rented by Los Angeles Times’ reporter Mary Engel and her  husband who says the rented vehicle makes for an “experience still more…

Top Lodge Spots

The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs has been voted No. 1 Lodge/Resort in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific in the 2009 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards readers’…

Charismatic Leader

Chief executive of New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa, Dr Seddon Bennington, 61, died on July 15 tramping in the Tararua Ranges, a sight Dr Bennington admired from his…

Rise of the Grape

Brancott Winery’s Ivan Yukich – who planted his first vines in the Waitakere Ranges in 1934 – was a visionary who fought through poor economic times, prohibition and New…

#112: New Zealanders in Global Headlines

Edge Message #112 from Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM

Pictured above: The Datsuns, Dick…

This is really a dog

Gisborne dog owner Cheryl McKnight believes her 6-month-old Maltese puppy Scooter, which stands at just 8cm tall, is a Guinness World Record potential for the smallest dog by height….

Radio with Pictures

New Zealand-born DJ, radio host and television personality, Zane Lowe, 35, is piloting an initiative by BBC’s Radio 1 to make radio a visual medium, with Lowe’s antics being filmed by…

If Trees Could Talk

Much movie magic is created “in and around Wellington, the San Francisco-like capital city situated at the southwest tip of North Island” writes Boston Globe correspondent Ethan Gilsdorf. “In…