January 2017 Archives

Book a Seat at Peter Gunn’s Melbourne Hot Spot

Book a Seat at Peter Gunn’s Melbourne Hot Spot

Melbourne “is quietly stepping up its game as Sydney’s cool little sister,” Vogue Australia journalist Lane Nieset writes. “Sold-out degustation-style supper clubs are now becoming more permanent as Attica alum Peter Gunn moves…

Rugby Boss Vern Cotter Says Scotland on the Up

Rugby Boss Vern Cotter Says Scotland on the Up

It is three years since 54-year-old New Zealander Vern Cotter arrived from French side Clermont Auvergne to take the reigns at Murrayfield. He recalls when his side was the one no one wanted to…

Trio of Films to Screen at Berlin Film Festival

Trio of Films to Screen at Berlin Film Festival

Three New Zealand films will screen at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. Poi E: The Story of Our Song and new-comer, The Inland Road, directed by Jackie van Beek, will both feature in the Generation…

Coromandel NZ’s Favourite Holiday Spot

Coromandel NZ’s Favourite Holiday Spot

With such a stunning country and so many spots to choose from, what is the favoured destination for locals to head to in the upper North Island, the Epoch Times asks. “You won’t find…

At a Loss for Words on Roys Peak

At a Loss for Words on Roys Peak

“In the dead of summer, in the stunning landscape of Wanaka, I finally managed to summit Roys Peak and was met with one of the most astonishing views of my life,” traveller Hannah Cornish…

KJ Apa Interview

KJ Apa Interview

New Zealander KJ Apa, known by many as Kane Jenkins in Shortland Street, is starring in American teen drama series based on the characters by Archie Comics. Watch this clip to…

Marlborough NZ’s Best Wine Destination

Marlborough NZ’s Best Wine Destination

The world’s Sauvignon Blanc capital, Marlborough, has much more to offer than its signature wine, according to Wine Enthusiast Magazine managing editor Joe Czerwinski. “New Zealand’s Marlborough wine region is the country’s vinous powerhouse, responsible…

Central Otago Perfect for Gastronomy Getaway

Central Otago Perfect for Gastronomy Getaway

Travellers flock to the Central Otago region for two reasons, according to Australian wine writer Andrea Frost. They go for the “great outdoors and the even greater wine.” In a feature for US magazine…

Winemaker Andréa McBride’s Perfect Pairing

Winemaker Andréa McBride’s Perfect Pairing

The wedding of New Zealand-born winemaker Andréa McBride and American Fabian John, held at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, features in the San Francisco Chronicle style section. “McBride was not looking for a husband…

Abel Tasman Covers Heaven on Earth

Abel Tasman Covers Heaven on Earth

Hot showers, meals, beds – and your luggage – await at stops along the scenic 60km Abel Tasman Coast Track, Lisa Jackson writes for a Toronto Star travel piece. “Seated at the northern tip of…

London’s Regal Fashion Designer Emilia Wickstead

London’s Regal Fashion Designer Emilia Wickstead

London-based fashion designer New Zealander Emilia Wickstead, 32, talks to Luxury London about motherhood, the royal wardrobe and styling the Duchess of Cambridge. Wickstead found huge success with her whimsical yet regal dresses – her…

Posters Inspired by Taika Waititi’s Hit Film

Posters Inspired by Taika Waititi’s Hit Film

For Little White Lies’ latest creative brief, the film magazine asked its readers to design a wanted poster inspired by Taika Waititi’s “charming” 2016 comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople. “We were blown away by the standard…

Christchurch Launches Driverless Shuttle Trial

Christchurch Launches Driverless Shuttle Trial

Christchurch Airport has trialled its new autonomous electric vehicle – the first in New Zealand. The shuttle can carry up to 10 seated and five standing passengers.

Baker Dean Brettschneider’s Hands-On Approach

Baker Dean Brettschneider’s Hands-On Approach

Dean Brettschneider, the New Zealand-born self-styled “Global Baker” who recently opened Baker & Cook and Plank Sourdough Pizza in Manila, shared a few tips with the Manila Bulletin which may convince people that…

Pick Your Teacher: Democratic Schooling in the UK

Pick Your Teacher: Democratic Schooling in the UK

The London Nautical School, “a modern, non-selective inner London state school for boys”, is transforming education with students choosing their curriculum and teachers, as reported on Aljazeera. The programme is led by…

Helen Clark To Step Down As UNDP Chief In April

Helen Clark To Step Down As UNDP Chief In April

“Helen Clark, the highest ranking woman at the United Nations, is stepping down as director of the UN Development Programme in April”, as reported on Channel News Asia. “It has been an honour…

Britain’s Banking Watchdog Sam Woods Looks Ahead

Britain’s Banking Watchdog Sam Woods Looks Ahead

New Zealand-born Sam Woods, chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), is one of the new generation of City regulators who cut their teeth in the financial crisis. At just 43, with the…

Lydia Ko Wants Golfing Pay Parity

Lydia Ko Wants Golfing Pay Parity

The world’s top woman golfer New Zealander Lydia Ko, 19, wants her stunning achievements as a teenager to narrow the sport’s huge gap in prize money between men and women, according to the Daily…

Doubtful Sound in 360 – 100% Pure New Zealand

Doubtful Sound in 360 – 100% Pure New Zealand

Watch this clip by 100% New Zealand and explore Doubtful Sound’s spectacular views.

Scotland’s Labour for Independence Youngest Member

Scotland’s Labour for Independence Youngest Member

The youngest member of the newly relaunched Labour for Independence group New Zealand-born Ben McKinlay, 17, from Earlston in the Scottish Borders, has voiced his full backing for an independent Scotland regardless of the…

EDGE #247: NZ the Safe Haven for Super-Rich Preparing for Doomsday, Cool Capital, Long-Lasting Significance Of LOTR Trilogy + more ++

EDGE #247: NZ the Safe Haven for Super-Rich Preparing for Doomsday, Cool Capital, Long-Lasting Significance Of LOTR Trilogy + more ++

News of Global New…

Discovering Auckland’s Charms and Idioms

Discovering Auckland’s Charms and Idioms

New Zealanders are “extraordinarily hospitable”; “the natural beauty of New Zealand is second to none; and while Auckland has some worthwhile sights, it’s important to get out of town,” according to Lucas Peterson reporting…

Push for More Electric Cars on NZ Roads

Push for More Electric Cars on NZ Roads

Energy and Resources Minister Judith Collins said the Government would set aside $2.5m to help stimulate the electric-vehicle market in the country. “The funding will provide up to 50 per cent funding for projects that…

New Zealand the Safe Haven for Super-Rich Preparing for Doomsday

New Zealand the Safe Haven for Super-Rich Preparing for Doomsday

“Some of the wealthiest people in America—in Silicon Valley, New York, and beyond—are getting ready for the crackup of civilization,” writes Evan Osnos in an article in The New Yorker. While some…

Six Not to Miss in New Zealand’s “Cool” Capital

Six Not to Miss in New Zealand’s “Cool” Capital

“Wellington long ago shed its staid, bureaucratic image,” Katherine Rodeghier writes for Chicago’s Daily Herald. “For many laid-back Wellingtonians, the dress code now leans more toward sandals and hiking shorts; backpacks, not briefcases. Nearly…

Thrilling Start to 2017 in Queenstown

Thrilling Start to 2017 in Queenstown

Queenstown and its reputation as the adventure capital of the world, is a centre for every kind of extreme sport imaginable – but it is best-known for bungee jumping. New Zealand is included in…

Zippora Seven’s Croatian Dream Comes True

Zippora Seven’s Croatian Dream Comes True

Model and It-girl Auckland-born Zippora Seven, 25, talks to Harper’s Bazaar about her recent four-day trip to one of Europe’s hidden gems, Dubrovnik in Croatia. Travelling with boyfriend, filmmaker Terence Connors and some friends, Seven…

Financiers Make Debrett’s Most Influential List

Financiers Make Debrett’s Most Influential List

Two New Zealanders have made the 2016 Debrett’s 500 list of most influential people in Britain. CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Ross McEwan (pictured), 59, and Mark Wilson, 50, chief…

Mitch James – Move On

Mitch James – Move On

Watch Mitch James’ music video for his debut single Move On. Mitch James is originally from Auckland, but now lives in Dunedin.

Volunteer Sue Thompson’s Cambodian Recipe of Hope

Volunteer Sue Thompson’s Cambodian Recipe of Hope

New Zealander Sue Thompson arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia in July for four days, but stayed on in the city, opening the Kitchen of Hope which provides 100 vegetarian meals to needy children and…

Ulysses One of the Year’s Largest Yachts

Ulysses One of the Year’s Largest Yachts

The Graeme Hart-commissioned 107m megayacht Ulysses was one of the six largest yachts delivered in 2016, according to Business Insider. Built by Norwegian commercial shipyard Kleven as their first yacht, Ulysses has been referred to…

Long-Lasting Significance Of LOTR Trilogy

Long-Lasting Significance Of LOTR Trilogy

On the 15th anniversary of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, actors Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen reflect on the trilogy’s indelible impression. The film series was…

What to Do in New Zealand’s South Island

What to Do in New Zealand’s South Island

“If New Zealand is on your bucket list, then 2017 may be the year your travel dreams come true,” according to Travelzoo senior editor Gabe Saglie. “The South Island, in particular, is teeming with…

Airbnb Confirms Queenstown on New Trips Platform

Airbnb Confirms Queenstown on New Trips Platform

Adventure capital Queenstown will be the New Zealand guinea pig for a new wave of tourism – Airbnb Experiences. The global travel company announced the launch of Experiences – allowing people to book “immersive” tours…

Jemaine Clement’s David Bowie-Ode Best in Moana

Jemaine Clement’s David Bowie-Ode Best in Moana

“He may appear in just one scene, but Tamatoa, the glam rock crustacean voiced by Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement, is quite possibly Moana’s most appealing character,” according to Slate’s Marissa Martinelli. “Now you…

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Widens Its Scope

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Widens Its Scope

“Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is like no other wine on Earth,” according to Los Angeles Times wine critic Patrick Comiskey. “It’s one of the most recognisable, aromatically peremptory wines in the world. So imagine you’re…

Find Your Fortune in Hills of Gold

Find Your Fortune in Hills of Gold

“When the star-crossed prospectors featured in West Coast, they took their lives in their hands,” Telegraph travel correspondent Lloyd Hook writes. “For…

Marian Fountain’s Sculpture Honours NZ Tunnellers

Marian Fountain’s Sculpture Honours NZ Tunnellers

Hundreds of New Zealand soldiers who dug a network of tunnels beneath Arras in the run-up to the Allies’ spring 1917 offensive in Northern France are to be honoured with the unveiling of a…

Black is Goth Briana Sullivan’s Happy Colour

Black is Goth Briana Sullivan’s Happy Colour

Auckland University graduate Briana Sullivan, 22, aka Gothic Metal Fairy, is the first New Zealander to be announced 2017 spokesmodel for DarkestGoth, a US-based, online magazine. Originally from New Plymouth, Sullivan says she loves black…

Robin Hammond Trans Image on Cover of Nat Geo

Robin Hammond Trans Image on Cover of Nat Geo

New Zealand-born photojournalist Robin Hammond’s image of transgender girl Avery Jackson, 9, has made the cover of the January 2017 special issue of National Geographic magazine on the shifting landscape of gender. Avery, from Kansas…

Wellington Sevens Onesie 100

Wellington Sevens Onesie 100

Watch this clip posted by the All Blacks and see the NZ Sevens​ team joining the Wellington Free Ambulance​ on the waterfront for a 100-metre onesie run.

Shortland Street’s KJ Apa Hits US TV Screens

Shortland Street’s KJ Apa Hits US TV Screens

Archie’s certainly not a kid anymore. Or at least not the same kid we knew from the old Archie comics, according to USA Today. He’s a hot, ripped 16-year-old, and a New Zealander –…

Eight NZ restaurants Named on La Liste’s Top 1000

Eight NZ restaurants Named on La Liste’s Top 1000

Eight of New Zealand’s finest restaurants have been named among the world’s best, included on La Liste’s 1000 outstanding restaurants for 2017, double the amount from the year before, Stuff reports. La Liste…

Why US Poet James Galvin Is like New Zealand

Why US Poet James Galvin Is like New Zealand

American poet James Galvin’s “Why I Am Like New Zealand” featured in the New York Times recently. Why I Am Like New Zealand My feet stick out from beneath the sheet, Pointing to where death thrives. I am…

Hot House-Hunting in Auckland

Hot House-Hunting in Auckland

Auckland is “going through a building boom,” Ross Hawkins, a salesman with New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty told the New York Times, noting that at the moment you can count 40 or so construction…

Queenstown Public House a San Diego Find

Queenstown Public House a San Diego Find

New Zealand-inspired American cuisine is served up at San Diego’s Queenstown Public House. Reviewer Ed Bedford, writing for the San Diego Reader went along for a taste test. “ romantic…

Welcome to New Zealand’s Gateway to Space

Welcome to New Zealand’s Gateway to Space

New Zealand has become the unlikely frontier in a drive to open a private rocket-launch site, servicing a soaring market for tiny satellites, many the size of a shoebox, Rob Taylor reports for the…

Brendan Cole Talks Strictly Ahead of Liverpool Show

Brendan Cole Talks Strictly Ahead of Liverpool Show

Christchurch-born dancer Brendan Cole, 40, is currently putting together his new tour, All Night Long, which he will take to Liverpool in February. Local newspaper Liverpool Echo talks with Cole about the tour, and…

Dah Lee Dishes up Gourmet Pizza in Phnom Penh

Dah Lee Dishes up Gourmet Pizza in Phnom Penh

From a kitchen on Phnom Penh’s Sothearos Boulevard stocked with homemade tomato sauce, cheeses and an array of “gourmet” ingredients, veteran restaurateur Chinese-born New Zealander Dah Lee is trying to heighten the Cambodian capital’s…

New Year’s Fireworks in Auckland – 2017

New Year’s Fireworks in Auckland – 2017

Did you miss the Auckland New Year’s fireworks? Watch this clip to see how New Zealand’s biggest city celebrated the New Year.

Gymnast Charlotte Sullivan Impresses in Iowa

Gymnast Charlotte Sullivan Impresses in Iowa

Christchurch gymnast Charlotte Sullivan, 18, who represented New Zealand at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has certainly landed on her feet during an eye-catching competitive debut for the University of Iowa, Stuff reports. A…

EDGE #246: Chris Liddell appointed to White House, George Ash driving Au music industry, multicultural melting pot by the sea + Flickr’s best pictures of 2016 ++ more

EDGE #246: Chris Liddell appointed to White House, George Ash driving Au music industry, multicultural melting pot by the sea + Flickr’s best pictures of 2016 ++ more

News of Global New…

Chris Liddell appointed to the White House

Chris Liddell appointed to the White House

In an unparalleled achievement for a New Zealander, Chris Liddell has been appointed to one of the most senior roles in the White House, Assistant to the President. He will commence in his new…

Maungawhau and Memories of an Elephant

Maungawhau and Memories of an Elephant

“At 196m high, the cone of this long-dormant volcano is the highest natural point in the Auckland region,” travel site Atlas Obscura reports. “But that’s not  only claim to fame – the stone observation…

On the Hunt for Illegal Gold Miners

On the Hunt for Illegal Gold Miners

Prospecting for gold in the South Island is growing in popularity by the year, but amateurs looking for a quick fortune can damage the environment, according to Guardian correspondent Eleanor Ainge Roy. When travelling up…

Immunotherapy Researcher’s Aim for T-Cells

Immunotherapy Researcher’s Aim for T-Cells

In Seattle, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Christchurch-born Dr Rachel Perret, a postdoctoral research fellow, spends her days – and sometimes her nights – working toward an “off-the-shelf” version of T-cell therapy. The…