August 2016 Archives

Fear the Walking Dead’s Michelle Ang Diversifies

Fear the Walking Dead’s Michelle Ang Diversifies

Christchurch-born actress Michelle Ang, 32, made her debut on the web series Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462, earning an Emmy nomination for the role. This year, she’s trying her hand as a producer…

Guergana Guermanoff on International Diplomacy

Guergana Guermanoff on International Diplomacy

Watch this clip and listen to Guergana Guermanoff, New Zealand Consul-General to Shanghai speak about what she brings to international diplomacy as a New Zealander.

Conductor Gemma New Makes Music Holistic

Conductor Gemma New Makes Music Holistic

The newest classical music rising star, New Zealander Gemma New’s reputation continues to ascend internationally. New takes up the resident conductor role at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) on 6 September. New’s duties include…

McLaren Back at Scene of Triumphs

McLaren Back at Scene of Triumphs

If Formula One belongs anywhere, it is in Spa-Francorchamps and if one team belong there then they are McLaren, who approached the past weekend with optimism, if not so much for that race as…

Scotland Inspires Who’s Afraid? Author Maria Lewis

Scotland Inspires Who’s Afraid? Author Maria Lewis

When New Zealand-born TV host Maria Lewis was penning her debut urban fantasy novel, Who’s Afraid? from her desk in Sydney, she surprised many by setting the story 11,000 miles away in Dundee, Scotland’s Daily…

David Farrier Uncovers Surprise Turns in Tickled

David Farrier Uncovers Surprise Turns in Tickled

Squarely of the “truth is stranger than fiction” category, New Zealand journalist David Farrier’s debut documentary Tickled has touches about it of thriller, mystery, and true-crime genres – even, at times, horror, the Guardian’s…

Broods – Heartlines

Broods – Heartlines

Kiwi duo Broods (Georgia and Caleb Nott) partnered with Microsoft for their video for Heartlines to be able to visualize Georgia’s emotions and heart rate.  Watch the clip here.

Grandma Uber Getting Brisbane Women Home Safe

Grandma Uber Getting Brisbane Women Home Safe

New Zealand-born taxi driver Kathy Raydings, 57, aka Grandma Uber, has made it her life’s mission to get young women home safe after a night out on the town in Brisbane. Working in the solar…

What to Do in New Zealand

What to Do in New Zealand

21-year-old Taylor Gleason has travelled to 65 countries, “documenting it all — in classic millennial fashion — on an Instagram account that has amassed an impressive 65,800 followers,” writes Brittany Kriegstein in…

Top Beach Hotels on NZ’s South Island

Top Beach Hotels on NZ’s South Island

New Zealand’s South Island is known for its “dramatic scenery, captivating wildlife and splendid isolation.” “Beach resorts and retreats on New Zealand’s South Island make the most of dramatic views, as well as offering…

Akarao – A Romantic Destination

Akarao – A Romantic Destination

New Zealand’s Akaroa has been featured as one of eight romantic off the beaten track holiday destinations in an article in Malay Mail Online. The list has been collated by Booking.com. Akaroa…

Anna Paquin to Star in Margaret Atwood Adaptation

Anna Paquin to Star in Margaret Atwood Adaptation

True Blood and Roots star New Zealander Anna Paquin has been tapped to topline an adaptation of Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s novel Alias Grace, the Hollywood Reporter reports. Published in 1996, Alias Grace follows Grace…

All Blacks vs. Australia Haka

All Blacks vs. Australia Haka

Watch the All Blacks as they perform their breath-taking Haka before their match vs. Australia. The All Blacks won the game 42 – 8. The clip was shared by ubear.

Actor Rhys Darby Taking NZ Comedy to the World

Actor Rhys Darby Taking NZ Comedy to the World

New Zealander Rhys Darby is an actor slash writer slash stand-up slash globetrotting monster hunter. And if he’s not the only one, he’s certainly the busiest, according to Seth Simons writing for Paste Magazine. In…

‘Pete’s Dragon’ Stars Love New Zealand Locations

‘Pete’s Dragon’ Stars Love New Zealand Locations

Chances are that by the time you leave the theatre after watching “Pete’s Dragon” you have not only fallen in love with Elliott the dragon, but also New Zealand, where the movie was filmed,…

Future Soul Singer Wallace Looks Ahead

Future Soul Singer Wallace Looks Ahead

When it comes to jazz and soul in Australia, few are on the same level as future soul singer Wellington-born Wallace Gollan, aka Wallace onstage. With her smooth and dusty tone reminiscent of the…

Indulge Your Wanderlust in New Zealand

Indulge Your Wanderlust in New Zealand

In New Zealand “you can take in the beauty of mountain vistas, ancient forests, volcanic landscapes and stunning coastline all within a day, and still have the chance to spot wildlife in its natural…

Teeth and Tongue is So It Right Now

Teeth and Tongue is So It Right Now

Teeth & Tongue, the “cheeky moniker” of New Zealand-born Jess Cornelius, is one of 10 new artists “you need to know”, according to Rolling Stone, who recommend the musician to fans of Blondie, Kate…

Mountains to Sea Cycle Trail, Ruapehu

Mountains to Sea Cycle Trail, Ruapehu

The mountains to sea cycle trail is a 210 km trail from the Ruapehu region to the coast of Whanganui. Watch this clip by 100% Pure NZ to see…

#229: Medals at Rio, All Blacks, Nikki Hamblin, Jamie Turner, Tom Hutchins, Rose Matafeo + the Bradas and more ++

#229: Medals at Rio, All Blacks, Nikki Hamblin, Jamie Turner, Tom Hutchins, Rose Matafeo + the Bradas and more ++

Stratford-Upon-Avon CEO Role for Justin Williams

Stratford-Upon-Avon CEO Role for Justin Williams

Justin Williams, a New Zealander who has worked across the spectrum of commercial, not-for-profit and charity sectors both in Britain and his native country, has just taken up a new role as chief executive…

Backcountry Skiing in New Zealand

Backcountry Skiing in New Zealand

Did you know that “there’s more high alpine terrain in New Zealand than France, Italy and Switzerland combined?” “With its natural beauty, abundant peaks and adventurous culture, New Zealand, in particular, should rank high…

Tom Hutchins’ Remarkable Images Provide Rare Glimpse of 1956 China

Tom Hutchins’ Remarkable Images Provide Rare Glimpse of 1956 China

“In 1956, New Zealand photographer Tom Hutchins traveled to the People’s Republic of China on a freelance assignment, earning a rare opportunity to document what was then one of the world’s most isolated countries,”…

“Rose Matafeo Is Finally Dead” – Review

“Rose Matafeo Is Finally Dead” – Review

“We have all, at some stage, thought about our own funeral. But it is probably not something to dwell on. Unless, of course, you’re Rose Matafeo, in which case you construct a step-by-step guide…

Making Athletic Investment with Coach Jamie Turner

Making Athletic Investment with Coach Jamie Turner

American Gwen Jorgensen’s decision to seek out New Zealander Jamie Turner as a coach was rewarded with the first US Olympic triathlon gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Jorgensen spends five months of…

Astounding Act of Sportsmanship in Rio

Astounding Act of Sportsmanship in Rio

New Zealander Nikki Hamblin, 28, and American Abbey D’Agostino, 24, set a high bar at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, not for winning gold medals but for their touching acts of compassion,…

All Blacks Crush Wallabies in All Departments

All Blacks Crush Wallabies in All Departments

“It is always a pleasure to watch sporting greatness in action, so this was rugby ecstasy,” Sunday Telegraph rugby correspondent Steve James enthuses after the All Blacks thrashed the Wallabies 42-8 in the first…

All Blacks vs. Australia Highlights

All Blacks vs. Australia Highlights

Watch the highlights of Saturday’s match in which the All Blacks beat Australia 42 – 8. The New Zealand All Blacks’ tries were scored by Ryan Crotty, Beauden Barrett, Jerome Kaino,…

Medal Per Capital Table Puts NZ up Top in Rio

Medal Per Capital Table Puts NZ up Top in Rio

New Zealand computer scientist Craig Nevill-Manning’s Medal Per Capita table put this year’s New Zealand Olympic team near the top, placing fourth with 18 medals and a population of 4,595,700. That’s one medal for…

NZ Is the Hottest New Spot for Vacation Homes

NZ Is the Hottest New Spot for Vacation Homes

“Auckland has replaced Toronto as the most popular luxury market for wealthy individuals who are looking to buy a second home, according to a report from Christie’s International Real Estate,” writes Christopher Tkaczyk in…

Rebecca Taylor Launches La Vie for Everyday

Rebecca Taylor Launches La Vie for Everyday

New York-based fashion designer, New Zealander Rebecca Taylor has launched a lower-end offshoot of her eponymous range. Each piece of La Vie, as its name suggests, was designed to be seamlessly adapted into your…

Extreme Sailor Ed Smyth Stops off in Cardiff

Extreme Sailor Ed Smyth Stops off in Cardiff

New Zealander Ed Smyth (pictured centre) and Australian James Wierzbowski from the Extreme Sailing Series team Oman Air were in Cardiff recently on a leg of the regatta where they took time to talk…

How to Tell a New Zealander from an Australian

How to Tell a New Zealander from an Australian

“To New Zealanders and Australians, the differences between the two countries’ cultures, accents, and national characters are glaringly obvious,” according to Ella Morton, a correspondent for online travel guide Atlas Obscura.” “To the rest of…

Air NZ Invites James Corden to Host Cockpit Karaoke

Air NZ Invites James Corden to Host Cockpit Karaoke

Air New Zealand has invited Carpool Karaoke host James Corden for a round of cockpit karaoke with “a genuinely funny pitch,” as reported in Travel+Leisure. “Hey James Corden, we’ve got a pitch for…

Air NZ Invites James Corden to Cockpit Karaoke

Air NZ Invites James Corden to Cockpit Karaoke

Air New Zealand has invited Carpool Karaoke host James Corden for a round of cockpit karaoke with a pitch the airline posted on their social media. Air New Zealand…

Three NZ Cities Included in World’s Friendliest Cities Ranking

Three NZ Cities Included in World’s Friendliest Cities Ranking

Three New Zealand cities have been ranked in the Top 20 of Condé Nast Traveller’s annual World’s Friendliest Cities ranking. Queenstown has been ranked the fourth, Auckland the 15th friendliest and Wellington 17th friendliest…

Charlie McCormick Restores English Country Garden

Charlie McCormick Restores English Country Garden

Why is it that the non-English – like New Zealand-born florist Charlie McCormick (pictured right) – do classic English so much better than we do? the Telegraph’s Sarah Raven asks. On Raven’s arrival at his…

NZ Musicians To Pay Homage To Bob Marley

NZ Musicians To Pay Homage To Bob Marley

Reggae music has always found favour in the music market of New Zealand, and 35 years after the death of reggae star Bob Marley the country continues to pay homage to the man and…

NZ Hip-Hop Dance Crew Wins Gold

NZ Hip-Hop Dance Crew Wins Gold

New Zealand hip hop dance crew the Bradas have won Gold in the adult section at the Hip Hop International’s World Hip Hop Dance Championship– “a week-long competition that crowns U.S. and world dance…

Jon Beardmore Documents Odyssey Across Central Asia

Jon Beardmore Documents Odyssey Across Central Asia

New Zealand-born Jon Beardmore doesn’t like cricket – he loves it. So much so the London-based adventurer drove solo halfway across the planet, almost 50,000km, for a few overs in Afghanistan, an odyssey that…

At Home with Attica Owner and Chef Ben Shewry

At Home with Attica Owner and Chef Ben Shewry

The owner of internationally renowned Melbourne restaurant Attica, New Zealand-born chef Ben Shewry, 39, who commutes for more than three hours a day from his coastal home, says the long drive to work is…

#228: NZ’s Anti-Nuke Anniversary, Gin Wigmore, Thomas Monckton, Rochelle Bright, NZ Walks, Snow Adventures + William Trubridge and more ++

#228: NZ’s Anti-Nuke Anniversary, Gin Wigmore, Thomas Monckton, Rochelle Bright, NZ Walks, Snow Adventures + William Trubridge and more ++

NZ Transplant’s Book Being Adapted by Transparent TV Auteur

NZ Transplant’s Book Being Adapted by Transparent TV Auteur

One of the most compelling, influential, and controversial cult novels of the last 20 years, New Zealand transplant Chris Kraus’s I Love Dick, is coming soon to Amazon Prime in a TV adaptation spearheaded…

NZ’s Anti-Nuke Win Approaches 30th Anniversary

NZ’s Anti-Nuke Win Approaches 30th Anniversary

When the Royal New Zealand Navy celebrates its 75th birthday in November, US warships will be there. It will be the first time any American military ship has entered a New Zealand port since…

Obama Picks Gin Wigmore for Summer Playlist

Obama Picks Gin Wigmore for Summer Playlist

New Zealand musician Gin Wigmore’s “Man Like That” has made President Barack Obama’s “hand-selected” summer playlist, alongside classics from Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis and Prince, and more recent artists Common, Jay Z and Wale. The…

Thomas Monckton’s Energetic Edinburgh Double Bill

Thomas Monckton’s Energetic Edinburgh Double Bill

Thomas Monckton demonstrated what an outstanding physical clown he is via his previous solo show, The Pianist. Only Bones, his newest work on as part of the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, is more distilled…

Rochelle Bright Brings Daffodils to Edinburgh

Rochelle Bright Brings Daffodils to Edinburgh

New Zealand-born playwright Rochelle Bright is swiftly earning a name for herself through the success of her breakout stageshow Daffodils, which has just opened at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the prestigious…

Parris Goebel Gets the Planet on the Dance Floor

Parris Goebel Gets the Planet on the Dance Floor

World-famous choreographer Parris Goebel, 24, is making her own music now, because she can. ELLE magazine goes behind-the-scenes on the Auckland set of her new music video, “Friday.” You’ve definitely seen her in…

Hunt for the Wilderpeople Transcends Boundaries

Hunt for the Wilderpeople Transcends Boundaries

New Zealand “recently found its top native filmmaker in the unlikely form of 40-year-old comedian and actor Taika Waititi,” writes Ken Korman in a Hunt for the Wilderpeople review for The Gambit. “Hunt…

New Zealand Connects To Ultra-Fast Broadband

New Zealand Connects To Ultra-Fast Broadband

“More than one million households, businesses, schools, and hospitals in New Zealand are now connected to the government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) services,” reports Eden Estopace for EnterpriseInnovation.net. “This means 2.4 million New Zealanders…

Tape Face Finally Speaks Out

Tape Face Finally Speaks Out

America’s Got Talent star Sam Wills, aka Tape Face, “has finally spoken out about his act’s remarkable success on the show,” as reported in The Daily Star. Wills’ “audition was watched by more…

New Zealand’s Best Walks

New Zealand’s Best Walks

Two New Zealand walks – the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and  the Rees-Dart Track -have been featured in a Lonely Planet article on Australia’s and New Zealand’s best free walks. New Zealand’s Tongariro Alpine…

The 6 Best Snow Adventures In New Zealand

The 6 Best Snow Adventures In New Zealand

“The land of the long white cloud is home to breath-taking topography that ranges from indigenous beech forests to scorching beaches to wine country,” writes Elyse Romano for D’MARGE. In winter New…

Adventures in Pianoland a Sister Act

Adventures in Pianoland a Sister Act

Greymouth-born sisters, composer and songwriter Jan Preston (pictured), 65, and writer and director Gaylene Preston, 69, have combined talents to collaborate on their first stage show, Adventures in Pianoland, which is on at The…

Human Dolphin William Trubridge

Human Dolphin William Trubridge

William Trubridge “is easily the greatest freediver to ever live, a multiple time world champion and holder of two of the three most significant world records in the sport,” writes Don Rowe for

Tape Face on America’s Got Talent

Tape Face on America’s Got Talent

Watch Sam Wills’ latest performance on America’s Got Talent. The New Zealand mime performs as The Boy With Tape On His Face.