All-American from Taranaki
Originally from Waitara, Terai Sadler, 20, who plays basketball for Crowder College in Missouri, “can claim something no other Lady ‘Rider has – and perhaps very few around the nation – she’s the school’s…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Bastion of the Boat Building Industry
New Zealand is “a bastion of hard-nosed sailing and boating knowledge,” according to The New York Times. “Being so far away from all places except for Australia, they’ve had to make amends generationally, and…
Sharing Plates in Melbourne
New Zealand chefs continue to make their mark in Melbourne with recent arrivals including Daniel Wilson and Dante Ruaine at Huxtable and Alric Hansen with Small Victories. Christian McCabe…
Speed Stargazing over Tongariro
Amateur Taupo videographer Bevan Percival has captured “breathtaking” time-lapse film showing the star-packed night skies and landscapes of the volcanic Central Plateau over a six-month period. PetaPixel writes: “Shot using a…
Wireless Contract for Chinese
At least one small nation in the South Pacific isn’t too worried about China’s Huawei Technologies Co. posing a national security risk, writes Fox Business. New Zealand’s biggest telephone company, Telecom Corp. of New…
McIndoe Sculpture Unveiled
The design for a memorial honouring pioneering plastic surgeon, Dunedin-born Sir Archibald McIndoe, the hundreds of Second World War air crew whom he rescued from despair, and the town of East Grinstead crucial in…
Michigan Ace
Christchurch-born Barrett Franks, 21, is playing the “best tennis of his collegiate career” for the University of Michigan. Franks’ talent was widely known in New Zealand. Such talent earned him a spot on the…
Palate Changer
East London restaurant St John, where New Zealand chef Margot Henderson (pictured) once worked with husband, owner Fergus, is British sculptor Rachel Whiteread’s favourite eatery. “St John has been a part of my life…
All Aboard on a Tech Trip
Setting out on a New Zealand adventure to test technology, travel and entertainment on the road, air and rail, Forbes contributor Andy Robertson aims to avoid insulating he and his family “from the thrill…
Man from the Deep
Thirty-two-year-old New Zealander William Trubridge, holder of 15 freediving world records, knows intimately the literal depths of the planet’s waters, Matthew Link writes for The South China Morning Post. “With no…
King-Wall Named Principal Dancer
Ty King-Wall, 26, from Katikati has been named the latest – and youngest – 12th principal artist of the Australian Ballet. The company’s artistic director David McAllister said he was certain King-Wall would make a great…
Change of Character
“Each city seems to have its own character and voice; each community has a completely different attitude to life,” Huffington Post freelancer Karen Edwards writes in a blog describing her recent trip….
Exports Soar to China
New Zealand’s food and beverage sector is experiencing a boom with demand from Asia, particularly China, New Zealand’s second largest export destination country, buying $2.9 billion worth of products. The Investor’s Guide to the…
Parisian Architectural Exhilaration
New Zealand-born architect Brendan MacFarlane, one half of Paris-based firm Jakob + MacFarlane, has had his hand in redesigning the French capital’s docks. The New York Times includes the Docks of Paris…
Hard to Fathom
“Stand humbled” at the exhibition ‘Whales: Giants of the Deep’, a show which originated at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and is now on at the American Museum…
US Talkshow Appearances
“Our next guest has been compared to everyone from Amy Winehouse to Pink. Here to perform from her new CD, Gravel and Wine. All the way from New Zealand, please welcome Gin Wigmore …”…
Alongside Her Idol
Top-ranked amateur golf player in the world, New Zealander Lydia Ko, 15, partnered with American professional Michelle Wie at Mission Hills Country Club in California, where the first major of the women’s…
Integrating Sound in E-books
New Zealand-based company Booktrack is redefining reading in its traditional sense by synchronizing sound to e-book reading in much the same way that movies synchronize sound to images, chair of New…
New Territory
New Zealand could adopt Maori names for its two main land masses after the New Zealand Geographic Board found that “North Island” and “South Island” were not official names under legislation, despite their common…
Chinese infant formula maker to open in NZ
Chinese infant formula giant Yashili International Holdings will invest $NZ230 million in a New Zealand milk processing plant, according to the People’s Daily. The plant will be built just south of Auckland. Zhang Lidian,…
NZ protects Asian tourists from exploitation
New Zealand will ‘not tolerate’ Asian tourists being ripped off, Associate Tourism Minister Chris Tremain is reported saying by the New Straits Times. His comment follows the fining of two New Zealand firms by…
NZ and Taiwan ‘on track’ for trade agreement
New Zealand’s top trade official in Taiwan, Stephen Payton, told the Taipei Times that the two countries are ‘ on track’ to ink a trade pact that will leave people ‘impressed’. Taiwan and New…
Timothy McFarland: ‘Unrivalled Teacher’ and Expert on Medieval German Literature
Hamilton-born Timothy McFarland taught medieval German literature ‘with passion to generations of students,’ at University College London. ‘If the impact of a great university teacher is on the horizons they open up and the…
Harking back to Harlow
New Zealand-born bridal designer Johanna Johnson owns a storeroom in SoHo, New York, where she has built a following for her glamorous old Hollywood styles, part bohemian flapper, part Jean Harlow. Johnson’s designs will…
Up the charts
“After penning tracks for acts including Christina Aguilera and Adam Lambert, New Zealand pop singer/songwriter Ginny Blackmore draws her first Billboard chart ink as an artist, with her debut single “Bones” entering Adult Pop…
Tomb of biscuits
Wellington artist Kingsley Baird is building a tomb of Anzac biscuits depicting World War I soldiers to be exhibited in Europe. Baird, an associate professor at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts, said the…
Hope the shoe fits
New Zealand designer Kathryn Wilson, with the help of Sarah Hutchings of Auckland’s Orsini Fine Jewellery, has created the most expensive shoe in the world. The fairy tale classic court-heeled shoe features more than…
Fonterra to launch infant milk formula in China
New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra will enter China’s ‘lucative branded infant formula market’ in mid-2013, according to the Straits Times. Fonterra also plans to build its own China milk processing plant in 2014-2016. …
Rangi Ruru schoolgirls win praise Polyfest performance
Forty-nine Rangi Ruru students, from mixed ethnicities, performed ientirely n the Samoan language at the recent 2013 Auckland Polyfest. Their performamce was ‘awesome’, ‘creative’ and ‘spellbinding,’ according to the Samoa Observer. ‘The vociferous applause…
10,000 NZ light bulbs help the Cook islands become energy efficient
The Cook Islands wants to generate 100% of its energy supply from renewable sources by 2020. Encouraging the more efficient use of existing energy resources is a vital part of this transition. Recently, Te…
Shot at Movieland
The New Zealand company behind Queenstown’s Shotover and Hukafalls jet boat tours is collaborating with Italy’s theme park Movieland in Verona to create a one-of-a-kind ride with a theme based on the…
Win on Strings at Windsor
A violinist from New Zealand, Benjamin Baker, 23, has won the Windsor Festival International Strings Competition (WFISC), held in the Waterloo Chamber of Windsor Castle, beating off finalists Marisol Lee from…
Adam Christopher – ‘the new future of science fiction’
New Zealand science fiction writer Adam Christopher is part of the ‘new future of science fiction,’ and an author who is breathing ‘fresh strength and vitality into science fiction and fantasy,’ according to…
Samoan wins first ever NZ Pacific Scholarship Award
Outstanding Samoan student Epifania Afano’s winning of the first ever New Zealand Pacific Scholarship Academic Achievement Award was recognised by the Samoa Observer. Epifania is a received her award at Victoria University, Wellington. Epifania…
Cycling Through Spectacular
It’s a stunning experience to pedal 310 kilometres of the Alps 2 Ocean trail from New Zealand’s highest peak to the Pacific Ocean, writes Andrew Bain for The Sydney Morning Herald. “Alps 2 Ocean…
Sneak Peek at Smaug
New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson has given his fans a sneak online preview of the next Hobbit installment, The Desolation of Smaug. Enthusiastic and barefoot, Jackson gave a little masterclass in Middle-earth filmmaking and…
Flat tack for Oxford
The 10th ever New Zealander competed in the historical Easter Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race, rowing for the Oxford side. Sam O’Connor, 25, never thought it possible for a kid from Christchurch to contest…
All in One
“As much 50s rockabilly as dubstep devotee, there is no middle ground with the unique Mr Moon,” Gregor Hollerin writes for The Extra. New Zealand-born Moon’s debut album – Here’s Willy Moon…
It’s the Joy that Always Wins Out
New Zealand mountaineer George Lowe, the last survivor of the 1953 British expedition that conquered Everest, has died in Ripley, England aged 89. Hastings-born Lowe played a crucial part in the party’s success, displaying…
Making a Splash
Sixteen-year-old Takapuna Grammar student Ella Yelich-O’Connor, who goes by the stage name Lorde, is included in the “March 2013 playlist: Sweat” on news site RYOT. “Cerebral, self-evaluative and weaving in and…
Scrimp No More
New Zealand’s favourite breakfast spread, Marmite has returned to supermarket shelves for the first time in over a year, after shortages caused by the Christchurch earthquake. “You’ve rationed, you’ve scraped, you’ve survived marmageddon – and…
Otara’s Pasifika cultures and Te Aro’s vibe impress
Intrepid Age travel writer Louise Hawson and her daughter, Coco, have just finished a year-long journey around 52 of the world’s suburbs. Auckland’s Otara and Avondale, and Wellington’s Te Aro were on the list,…
Strength to Strength
“Early signs suggest will bend toward something even more mysterious, beautiful, unsettling and satisfying than the mysterious, beautiful, unsettling, satisfying thing it is from the start,”…
Little Bit Ahead of Everyone
Lynda Topp, one half of New Zealand’s beloved comedic country music duo, The Topp Twins, has made history as the first-ever lesbian to appear on the cover of New Zealand’s weekly Woman’s Day magazine….
On the Path to Self-sufficiency
Lead singer of Echo Park-based band NO Bradley Hanan Carter was just one of 2500 bands performing in Austin at this year’s SXSW festival hoping to snare the attention of approximately…
On the Way to His NBA Dream
Seven-foot-tall Rotorua-born Steven Adams plays basketball for the University of Pittsburgh. “A 19-year-old with size-19 shoes, inhabiting a new world, enjoying a pit stop on the way to his NBA dream.” A “compelling” story…
Biblical Proportions
In his column for the UK Sunday Times, Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson writes: “If you were God and you were all-powerful, you wouldn’t select Bethlehem as a suitable birthplace for your only child…
Everything is Not What it Seems
“It is typical of and visualise a pregnant 12-year-old girl walking into it up to her neck, the central image of what…
Top Chef in Washington
This year’s Embassy Chef Challenge held in Washington D.C. went to the Embassy of New Zealand’s chef Nathan Bates, who won all of three award categories in this two-part contest, making the trifecta win…
Leader of the Pack at Google
New Zealander Craig Nevill-Manning, Google’s engineering director in Manhattan, was the impetus behind the company’s decision to hire a cadre of engineers in New York, and he led an exodus to Chelsea from what…
King of the Hill Returns
New Zealand racing legend Rod Millen “conqueror of Pikes Peak – the world’s ultimate hillclimb event, is one of those rare men who competes in cars that he conceived and built.” Millen, “a firm…
We Love Visitors
New Zealand, along with Iceland, has been judged the world’s friendliest nation for tourists, according to the “Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report” released by the World Economic Forum, which ranked 140…
Focus on Liveability
Auckland inspires strong feelings in the editor-in-chief of Monocle magazine, Tyler Brûlé. “Dear Auckland,” Brûlé writes, “I realise it’s less than 96 hours since we parted company but I can’t stop thinking about the…
Stirring Up the US Market
“Challenging older, slower companies is all in a day’s work to many technology start-ups – and nowhere more so than in New Zealand,” says dual Canadian/New Zealand citizen Andrew Ferrier, currently the chair of New…
Absolutely the Real Deal
Christchurch-born teenager Scott McLaughlin, 19, continues to impress with slick showing in Albert Park V8 Supercars Challenge warm-up. McLaughlin, a Garry Rogers Motorsport driver, was impressive in the opening practice sessions of the Challenge…
New Zealand suffers ‘most widespread’ drought in 30 years
New Zealand is suffering its most widespread drought in 30 years. Climate scientists are warning that New Zealand may need to change its approach to farming as a result, according to the Washington Post….
