Lights, camera, action!

Wellington film director Peter Jackson is gearing up for an extended run at the box office, ending a four-year hiatus from the big screen. Working with a stable of…

On the fringe

Rhys Darby heads to Edinburgh for his sixth Fringe Festival and a new stand-up show which includes some “very different little unique New Zealand characters” including the “man’s man”…

Deco Pride

Napier’s annual Art Deco weekend celebrates the most complete Art Deco city on earth, writes Times Online travel writer Dan Cruickshank, where even street furniture and signage consistent with…

This Charming Man

Cambridge-raised Michael King, chair of Fashion Cares, the AIDS Committee of Toronto fundraiser that sits at the intersection of fashion, culture and the city’s queer community, is described by…

Clark enjoys anonymity

Head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) former Prime Minister Helen Clark, 59, has told the Dominion Post that “New Zealand is just not quite big enough…

Ready for Battle

New Zealand’s national softball team, The Black Sox, feature in the ‘Freeze Frame’ segment of ShortList magazine, performing the haka prior to their game against Denmark at last month’s…

Tectonic Action

GNS Science geophysicist Dr Grant Caldwell and colleagues have reported that water deep beneath earthquake zones in New Zealand triggers tremors. Caldwell and his colleagues were able to determine…

Promise at Piha

The world’s top young surfers will take to the waves at Piha from January 20–28 next year competing in the 2010 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship. The event…

Pekapeka Predecessors

New Zealand’s endangered lesser short-tailed bat descended from 20-million-year-old Australian relatives, new research has found. Scientists had long thought that the bat evolved its walking preference independently. Since the…

No thanks to Sir

Actor Sam Neill has turned down a knighthood saying the title was “just far too grand”. His views were echoed by other well-known New Zealanders, including Maori activist and…

Tour of the tropics

Wellingtonian Jan Nye, 59, who is currently based in Dili working as an international development adviser for the East Timorese Ministry of Education, was one of nearly 300 cyclists…

Karaoke star is born

New Zealand Herald travel writer Jim Eagles describes a Korean karaoke as “dangerously addictive”. Eagles recently visited Jeju City on a business trip. When his work was done, his…

He’s Lippy

Wellington actor Jemaine Clement is included in Bust magazine’s ‘Fall Preview’ film section showing off “his sugar lumps on the big screen” in Gentlemen Broncos. In the film, directed…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…