Register for Monthly Updates about Kiwis Rocking the World
Archive >> May 2015
Gary Brain’s Change of Fortune Made Him World-Class Conductor
Internationally renowned conductor and percussionist, Palmerston North-born Gary Brain has died in Paris. He was 72.
In 1989 Brain was the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s highly regarded principal percussionist and…
Esquires Coffee Franchises Popping up All over China
Ellen Zhang, managing director of New Zealand coffee shop franchise Esquires in Beijing, has signed a new agreement with the Chinese retail conglomerate Bu Bu Gao – known as…
New Plymouth’s FIFA U-20 Football Madness
Just before the kick-off of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, New Plymouth hosted a range of football related events.
At the annual New Plymouth Womad Festival, football…
Forbes Rich List Includes Billionaires Richard Chandler, Graeme Hart
In the Forbes Rich List of 2015, New Zealand’s representation includes two billionaires – Graeme Hart and Singapore-based investor Richard Chandler. The 55-year-old Waikato-raised philanthropist was ranked at No…
Rugby in Luxembourg Owes Big Debt to Marty Davis
Rugby in Luxembourg owes a great deal to departing development officer and national coach New Zealander Marty Davis who moved to the country 12 years ago.
What Davis initially expected…
New Zealand Railway Magazine (1956)
Archives New Zealand presents a video about the 1956 New Zealand Railway Magazine. The film shows many stages of railway construction and operation.
Helen Clark Ranked 23rd Most Powerful Woman
Helen Clark has been ranked #23 in Forbes annual audit – The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.
“As the most powerful woman in the United Nations (and…
Have Faith in Lorde She Knows What’s She’s Doing
Lorde’s “gender and her age – coupled with her self-assuredness – are both reasons” the 18-year-old singer “attracts perhaps more than her fair share of scrutiny, including from ‘truthers’…
Benny Tipene performs ‘Lanterns’ on The X Factor NZ
Listen to Benny Tipene as he performs ‘Lanterns’ at The X Factor NZ Live Shows.The X Factor NZ is New Zealand’s version of the…
John Henwood’s NY Fitness Studio Not Run of the Mill
New Zealander John Henwood, a former Olympic runner and prominent name in the New York running community, has created the SoulCycle of running with TheRUN, a boutique treadmill studio…
Game Designer Pippin Barr Loots the Museum
New Zealand–born, Malta-based video game designer and writer Pippin Barr has created an ongoing series of lo-fi, quirky, web-based games, which comment on the art world’s intriguing, often absurd…
Winemaker Ray Walsh Appreciating Oregon Flavours
Winemaker Ray Walsh of Capitello Wines is bringing out the best of terroir in Oregon and his native New Zealand, the Register-Guard’s Vanessa Salvia reports.
New Zealand has…
Architect Greg Shand Mixes History and Modernity in Singapore
New Zealand-born Greg Shand’s design for the newly opened Indian Heritage Centre has finally given Singapore’s ethnic Indian community a worthy home in which to showcase its cultural riches.
The…
Destination Trail
Destination Trail is a series that follows riders as they travel the globe, hunting for its greatest trails. In this episode, Hannah Barnes heads…
Jarred Christmas Hits the Comic Spot
The “generously bearded” comedian, New Zealander Jarred Christmas’ stand-up show at London’s Soho Theatre spread “joy in microseconds”, according to Chortle reviewer Steve Bennett.
“He banters, teasingly but non-aggressively, with…
Dean Barker to Lead Japan’s America’s Cup Team
New Zealander Dean Barker has been appointed as skipper and CEO of Japan’s challenge for the 2017 America’s Cup.
“This is an incredible opportunity to build a new team from…
Kiwi Kids Review The New Zealand Flag
Jono and Ben find out what Kiwi kids think about the revision of the New Zealand flag and what they think it should look…
Nielson Family Reunion Perfect Subtext for New UMO Album
“Visionary” New Zealander Ruban Nielson, frontman of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, has tightened up his songwriting, “with the added bonus of synths” on the band’s latest album Multi-Love.
“Nielson’s favourite new…
FIFA U-20 Final Squads Announced
The final squads have been announced for the FIFA U-20 in New Zealand, which will kick off on May 30, 2015.
504 players have been selected in total by the…
New Zealand Singer Wins Major International Scholarship
New Zealand Bass-Baritone James Ioelu has won the Victoria League Scholarship in Singing sponsored by the Victoria League in Auckland in association with the Kiri Te Kanawa…
Miley Cyrus & Ariana Grande Perform Kiwi Classic in Aid of the Happy Hippie Foundation
Dressed in animal onesies, Miley Cyrus & Ariana Grande perform Crowded House’s No. 1 hit Don’t Dream It’s Over in aid of the Happy…
Strongest New Home Figures for Almost a Decade
The latest official figures show that the house building rate in New Zealand has increased to the strongest in the last nine years with around 25,000 new building consents…
Fear The Walking Dead Teaser Released
AMC has released a pair of sneak peek videos to celebrate the start of production on Walking Dead spinoff Fear The Walking Dead. A behind-the-scenes look at…
Maori Water Rights up for Debate
“Unlike many countries,” The Economist reports, “New Zealand is blessed with abundant fresh water. Its temperate climate, regular rainfall over much of the country, and thousands of…
New Zealand Tourism Continues Growing
New Zealand tourism forecasts released at the annual tourism industry conference TRENZ in Rotorua predict continuous growth for New Zealand tourism.
Numbers of visitors are expected to increase from 2.9…
Queenstown Airport Approach Voted the Most Stunning
The airport approach into Queenstown, New Zealand has been voted the most stunning out of 147 global nominations in the 2015 Airport Poll by private charter flight…
Australia’s Top Chef Ben Shewry Saved by a Fisherman
New Zealand-born Ben Shewry’s Melbourne restaurant Attica is admired all over the world over – but success did not make him happy, and he nearly walked away from the…
Waitomo (1950)
Take a look at the 1950 video about Waitomo presented by the New Zealand National Film Unit. A unique film of the world’s most…
Thomston Challenging Pop Conventions
Aucklander Thomas Stoneman, aka Thomston, who recently made his British debut at the Great Escape festival in Brighton, “is most certainly a talent to watch out for,” according to…
Mad Max Stunt Star Dayna Grant Tweets Action Shots
New Zealand stuntwoman Dayna Grant, 39, who doubled for Charlize Theron’s cunning warrior Furiosa in George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road, posted some behind-the-scenes snapshots on her Twitter page….
Sean MacPherson’s Marlton One of NY’s Hippest Hotels
In 2013, New Zealand-born hotelier Sean MacPherson “decided to turn his attentions to a Greenwich Village flophouse that used to host the likes of Jack Kerouac back in the…
Stand-up Paddle Boarder Encounters Orca
Luke Reilly was stand-up paddle boarding about 200m offshore when a young Orca popped up next to him.
Slow West Set in Dauntingly Beautiful Landscape
John Maclean’s “compelling” directorial debut Slow West set in Colorado in 1870 was shot in New Zealand and stars Michael Fassbender. South African-born New Zealander Caren Pistorius plays crofter’s…
Michaela Anchan’s Woolf Works for Women
When New Zealander Michaela Anchan, 34, decided to launch a career as a freelance writer in Singapore, she discovered few offices in the city-state that were suitable and that…
Jeweller Jessica McCormack Adopts Consignment Policies
In recent years the jewellery industry has experienced a surge of growth, with an explosion of new designers, as well as outlets offering their creations. Some designers have chosen…
Tenor Geoffrey Knight sings the New Zealand National Anthem
Listen to Geoffrey Knight’s powerful voice as he sings the New Zealand National Anthem for 34,500 people at Suncorp Stadium Brisbane before the NRL…
Lorde Immortalised in Wax at Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds in Hollywood has unveiled a wax figure of 18-year-old New Zealand singer Lorde.
Human Lorde was quite excited when the wax museum’s Hollywood location revealed her figure. She…
Emirates Returns as Team New Zealand’s Top Sponsor
America’s Cup syndicate Emirates Team New Zealand have received some good news, with the airline announcing it will return as the team’s major sponsor, which could help it reach…
Hurricanes Taking Super Rugby by Storm
The Hurricanes have scored some breathtaking, length-of-the field tries this year, but what they have also done is find a way to win matches when opponents have not allowed…
Air NZ All Blacks Lolly Taste Test Prank
Watch as Keven Mealamu, Aaron Smith and Ben Smith taste test some lolly flavours for Air New Zealand that have quite unusual flavours.
Aucklander Lila Kuka Reclaims Old School Hip
In a bid to be hip, flask manufacturers are turning to their feminine side creating items with pink, glitter and jewels. New Zealander Lila Kuka is a big fan.
Kuka…
Fifteen Quirky Contenders for a New NZ Flag
New Zealand is appealing to the public to design and vote on a new flag. The Guardian features 15 examples that are are “as weird and wonderful as you’d…
Jack Body Leaves Us with His Asia-Inspired Music
Te Aroha-born composer and music academic Jack Body, whose work was influenced by the music of Asia, has died in Wellington at the age of 70.
Body studied at Auckland…
Stan Walker Live at Radio New Zealand
Listen to Stan Walker as he performs ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours’ and ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ in session with Lavina Williams, Moses…
New Zealand – One of the World’s Most Peaceful, Least Corrupt Countries
New Zealand has repeatedly been ranked as one of the Top 4 most peaceful countries in the world by the Global Peace Index as well as the…
New Zealand International Film Festival Reveals First Titles
The first five titles of the New Zealand International Film Festival Line-up have been released, which include “a whole raft” of “films emerging from Sundance”.
Umrika, written and…
Michael Fassbender Channels Clint Eastwood in Slow West
Michael Fassbender channels his favourite cowboy Clint Eastwood in his performance in the newly released action western thriller Slow West, which was filmed in New Zealand’s South Island.
While filming…
Open Water Swim Accolade for Adventurer Charlotte Brynn
New Zealander Charlotte Brynn has been included on the 2015 list of the world’s 50 most adventurous open water women by the World Open Water Swim Association.
Brynn,…
Production Begins on Fear the Walking Dead
Take an early look behind the scenes of Fear the Walking Dead, which stars New Zealander Cliff Curtis in the lead role and which…
Jacob Tomuri – More Than Tom Hardy’s Mad Max Stunt Double
“Mad Max Fury Road spends two hours denying audiences the chance to catch their breath. Much of that is thanks to the work of star Tom Hardy and his stunt…
Ethan Hawke Stars in New Zealand Directed Movie Good Kill
New Zealand director and screenwriter Andrew Niccol’s new film Good Kill explores the post-traumatic stress experienced by drone operating military pilots.
The movie, which is set in 2010, stars Ethan…
Mad Max: Fury Road – Tom Hardy and Jacob Tomuri Interview
Mad Max: Fury Road star Tom Hardy and his stunt double Jacob Tomuri talk about the pressure of the stunt work that director George…
New Zealand Listed As One Of The Hardest Countries to Invade
New Zealand, alongside Switzerland and Russia, has been listed as one of the hardest countries in the world to invade.
The humorous article in The Independent cited New…
Luxury Holiday in New Zealand the Perfect Gift
The best present you could give your mother would be a “trip of a lifetime” to New Zealand, Los Angeles Times correspondent Amanda Jones recommends in an article featuring…
Slow West Trailer
‘Slow West’ is about a 16 year old boy journey across the 19th Century frontier America in search of the woman he loves. ‘Slow…
David Clarkson’s Encoded Opens New Canberra Festival
New Zealander David Clarkson, artistic director of Australian company Stalker Theatre, opened the inaugural SEGUE festival in Canberra with a work called, Encoded.
Clarkson says the piece – which combines…
