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Archive >> January 2015
Near-Death Experience Inspiration for Mark Major’s Game
Seven years after New Zealander Mark Major, 28, fell down a 9m-deep hole in Beijing and broke his back, he has turned his near-death experience into a tongue-in-cheek mobile…
Riding a Whole New World of BMX Clay Trails at PMP
For a trails rider, an appealing aspect of New Zealand is the PMP trails, located not far from the bustling metropolis of Auckland. This sculpted greatness is…
Spiderways Plots with Helium Balloon Record-Breakers
New Zealand company Spidertracks, which specialises in airline tracking equipment, recently partnered with the pilots of helium-filled balloon expedition Two Eagles, enabling the American and Russian pair to set…
Te Papa’s Autochrome Collection Illuminates the Everyday
Lissa Mitchell, curator of historical documentary photography at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, explores the work of three photographers creating autochromes in early 20th-century New Zealand….
Banshee Season 3 – Antony Starr Interview
New Zealand actor Antony Starr, who made a name for himself on Kiwi comedy series Outrageous Fortune, is now making big waves overseas with…
Peter the Great’s Hobbit Premieres in China
Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson was joined by Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor (pictured far left) in Beijing for the Chinese premiere of the final Hobbit installment on 19 January.
This was…
Arbitration Stars Audley Sheppard and Wendy Miles Made QCs
New Zealand arbitrators, Clifford Chance construction disputes partner Audley Sheppard (pictured) and Boies Schiller & Flexner partner Wendy Miles, feature among the five leading solicitors on the latest Queen’s…
ManaLion – Dancing In The Rain
ManaLion is a group consisting of brothers Duan, Slam and Mondo who have created a slick sound consisting of influences from Soul to Roots, Funk…
Graeme Simsion and Wife Anne Buist Literary Double Act
Auckland-born author Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist are Australia’s hottest literary couple, according to the Age, spurring on each other to keep the words – and surprises – coming.
Buist…
Pat Lamb Stays on at His Transformed Connacht Club
New Zealand-born head coach Pat Lam, 46, has transformed Galway’s Connacht club from a development side for provincial rugby players to one genuinely competing with the best teams in…
Living a Kiwi Life – Ep.25 – White Island
In this episode the couple took a trip to White Island in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. It’s a volcanic island like no other,…
Art of Learning Author Lance King Motivating Kids in Bermuda
Author of educational programme the Art of Learning, New Zealander Lance King, has been invited to address students and their parents in Bermuda at the country’s oldest school, Warwick…
Tesla Co-Founder Ian Wright Has More Electric Ideas
A decade ago, New Zealander Ian Wright and a few tech-minded buddies got together bent on creating a fast and cool electric car. They called the company
Dylan Andrews – A Fighters Rhythm
UFC Middleweight cage fighter Dylan Andrews talks about his motivation to fight: to provide for the family. He also talks about his time on the…
New Zealand Baches Get a Luxury Makeover
A bach on the beach has long been the embodiment of the New Zealand dream, with the traditional version often a modest structure haphazardly pieced together with corrugated iron…
Meet John Bougen the World’s Best-Travelled Man
Thirteen years after he began exploring the globe, New Zealander John Bougen expects to be named the world’s best-travelled man by the end of the year. And he knows…
‘The Dead Lands’ with director Toa Fraser
Director Toa Fraser talks his about his pre-colonial Māori action-adventure The Dead Lands, and his working relationship with star Lawrence Makoare, and the traditional fighting…
Snowmaker Mark Eldring Skips Summers for Colorado Slopes
Snowmaker and groomer Mark Eldring, 32, originally from Mount Maunganui, has experienced one summer in the last nine years opting for winters instead shaping slopes around the world.
Eldring is…
Julian Robertson’s Legacy from Hedge Funds to NZ
Billionaire Julian Robertson is renowned on Wall Street for being a pioneer in the hedge-fund industry in the 1980s and, more recently, for being a philanthropist who is giving…
Amos Chapple Couldn’t Resist Shooting in the Coldest Place on Earth
New Zealand photographer Amos Chapple says he shoots travel photos aimed at the news sections of papers and which need a headline to hang a story on. It got…
Tabby Besley to Be Honoured by the Queen for LGBTI Advocacy
At just 22, Tabby Besley is set to be honoured by the Queen for her work for the LGBTI community, the only New Zealander to be awarded the inaugural…
Jane Campion’s Sweetie a Beautifully Strange Debut
Writer-director Jane Campion’s “mysterious visual style was showcased” in her 1989 film debut Sweetie, a “left field story about the love-hate relationship between two sisters,” the Guardian’s Luke Buckmaster…
Animation Tutor Oana Croitoru Wins International 3D Print Comp
Aucklander Oana Croitoru, aka “Oana Jones”, has won first prize in the MakerBot Ghostly Vinyl Challenge for her hand-cranked record player featuring a 3D printed 15 cm-cube turntable.
Croitoru is…
Michael Wayne Plant Named One of Six Imaging Ambassadors
Sony UK has announced that New Zealand-born Michael Wayne Plant has been named one of six photographers to join its Imaging Ambassadors programme, which is run on…
Sons of Zion – Superman ft. Tomorrow People
With their fusion of reggae, heavy rock, dub and funk, the Sons of Zion are a six piece crew based in Auckland. Their live…
Oscar Nominations for Screenwriter Anthony McCarten
Among the five Oscar nominations announced for the Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory Of Everything came a nod for New Plymouth-born producer and screenwriter Anthony McCarten. McCarten has been…
Living a Kiwi Life – Ep.24 – Tarawera Trail Hot Water Beach
This time the couple took on the Tarawera Trail which is a beautiful 4-5 hour trail around Hot Water Beach just outside of Rotorua….
Poet Lang Leav Offering up More Romance
Best-selling poet and artist Lang Leav has just released her second collection of poems, Lullabies. The New Zealander cemented her name in publishing history with a Best Poetry win…
Meet the New Zealand Opera Trio That Outsold Lorde
Lorde may be the greatest New Zealand musical export of 2013, but back home, she’s got competition. The members of the improbably popular operatic trio Sol3 Mio, buck all…
Anna Paquin on the End of True Blood – Late Night with Seth Meyers
New Zealand actress Anna Paquin sat down with Seth Myers to discuss the conclusion of her critically acclaimed television series True Blood. Paquin starred…
Oamaru Embracing the Steampunk Vibe
Technology blog Boing Boing visits “amazing steampunk town” Oamaru, which though “probably best known for its large colony of blue penguins”, is also the steampunk capital of New Zealand.
“Oamaru…
Peter Jackson Embarking on WWI Museum Project
Peter Jackson is leaving the battle for Middle Earth behind to dive into some real-world war history curating a collection of artifacts at a new museum in Wellington. The…
New Zealand – 100 Olympic Medals
Relive some of the greatest moments of New Zealand Olympic history from Jack Lovelock to Peter Snell to Valerie Adams in this chronicle of…
Malaghan Institute Observes Extraordinary Cell Transfer
New Zealand and Australian scientists have observed DNA moving between animal cells in a breakthrough discovery that may lead to a better understanding of a range of human diseases…
Lake Tekapo Night Skies Premium Spot for Stargazing
The clarity of the night sky in Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve has made Lake Tekapo the world’s second-best spot for stargazing after San Pedro de Atacama in Chile…
Kauri Cliffs a Place to Holiday like a Billionaire
Boutique golf resort the Farm at Cape Kidnappers in the Hawkes Bay wine region is one place in the world where it is possible to holiday like a billionaire,…
Tiny Ruins – Bird in the Thyme
Tiny Ruins, is the new project from Auckland singer-songwriter Hollie Fullbrook, a musician and songwriter based in Auckland. Describing her style as ‘indie folk’, Tiny…
Dutch Film Industry Appoints Marten Rabarts
New Zealand-born Marten Rabarts, currently head of development and training at the National Film Development Corporation in India, has been appointed head of EYE International (formerly Holland…
Trygve Wakenshaw’s Solo Show Kraken Perfectly Executed
New Zealand comic Trygve Wakenshaw’s solo show Kraken, a follow up to his Edinburgh and London 2013 smash hit, Squidboy, is on at the Soho Theatre as part of…
Swimming Star Sophie Pascoe Aims for More Medals in Rio
Christchurch Paralympic swimmer, and gold medallist Sophie Pascoe may only be 22, but she is already a veteran on the sport’s elite stage and aims to retain the titles…
Air New Zealand One of World’s Safest Airlines
Of 449 airlines monitored by the aviation website AirlineRatings.com, Air New Zealand makes the Top 10 safest for 2015 based on aviation governing body audits and airline incident records,…
Melanie Lysnkey’s Togetherness Performance a Stand-Out
It’s hard to pinpoint what is brilliant about new comedy series Togetherness, but a good place to start is its casting of Melanie Lynskey, according to Salon television critic…
New Zealand WWI Contingent Enlivened Village
During World War I, New Zealand soldiers, many from the Maori Battalion, including a self-declared Niuean prince, arrived in the small East London village of Hornchurch and formed a…
Sheep Numbers Fall to Their Lowest for 75 Years
New Zealand has long been the butt of sheep jokes but latest figures show the nation’s woolly flock has slumped to its lowest number since World War II, with…
A Phenomenal Peter Stichbury Show in NYC
“Anatomy of a Phenomenon,” a one-of-a-kind exhibition from Auckland-born artist Peter Stichbury—2008 winner of New Zealand’s prestigious Wallace Art Award—recently enjoyed a successful month-long run…
iZombie – First Look Trailer
New Zealand actress Rose McIver is taking Hollywood by storm with prominent roles in series such as Once Upon A Time, and now she’s…
Batting Star Kane Williamson Tipped as Best of All Time
Yorkshire batsman New Zealander Kane Williamson – “a bona fide ‘star’ as opposed to one of the self-generated variety – is not your average character or your average cricketer.
Tauranga-born…
Eleanor Bishop Creating Challenging Theatre in Pittsburgh
During her first trip to the United States, self-described “feminist artist who creates documentary theatre”, New Zealander Eleanor Bishop, 28, was so moved by a 2012 rape case involving…
Brendan Cole Promises a Night to Remember
Professional dancer Christchurch-born Brendan Cole, 38, star of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, begins a 48-date tour of the UK and Ireland with his dance spectacular A Night To…
Brendon McCullum’s Whirlwind Double Century
Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum hit a whirlwind double century and shared a record-breaking 297-run stand with century-maker Kane Williamson when the Black Caps…
South Island Fly Fishing a Bucket List Must
A combination of big fish, spectacular scenery and clear streams has made New Zealand, particularly the South Island, a “bucket bucket-list destination for diehard trout anglers”, according to American…
Shihad – Think You’re So Free – Official Music Video
New Zealand alternative rock band Shihad recently released their ninth studio album, FVEY, which went straight to number one on the New Zealand charts…
Soundtrack Tool Booktrack Now Has 1 Million Members
Booktrack, a tool designed for self-published writers and publishers to add soundtracks to their eBooks, now has more than a million users.
The company, which launched 11 months ago,…
Flat White Now Available at Starbucks Throughout the US
When produced properly the Flat White – now on offer at Starbucks throughout the United States – is made with art and science and dolloped with culture, according to…
Peter Walker’s Coming of Age Novel Absorbing and Ethereal
New Zealand author Peter Walker’s latest novel Some Here Among Us is “an absorbing, ethereal meditation into how the passage of time opens us up”, Peter Carty writes in…
The Loft – Official Trailer
New Zealand actor Karl Urban is headlining intense new thriller The Loft. Urban stars as the leader of a group of men who each…
