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Archive >> March 2018

Soul Singer Jordan Rakei Caters Directly to Fans

Soul Singer Jordan Rakei Caters Directly to Fans

Jordan Rakei’s first SXSW appearance was also his first time setting foot in the state of Texas, one of the few areas of the world he had yet to…

How Flight of the Conchords Took Off

How Flight of the Conchords Took Off

Few comedians ever play London’s O2 Arena and fewer still manage three nights in a row. Those who do tend to have some things in common: a relatable observational…

Poet Ashleigh Young to Open Bathurst Festival

Poet Ashleigh Young to Open Bathurst Festival

Wellington author, poet and literary editor Ashleigh Young will open the Bathurst Writers’ and Readers’ Festival on May 4.

The festival consists of three days of live streamed sessions direct…

Doughnut Maker Adam Wills a Trailblazer in UK

Doughnut Maker Adam Wills a Trailblazer in UK

Artisanal doughnut and coffee chain Crosstown Doughnuts, co-founded by New Zealander Adam Wills, is at the forefront of the decadent craze in London.

Now with seven locations throughout England’s capital…

Allbirds Wants Your Next Sneaker to Come From Eucalyptus Trees

Allbirds Wants Your Next Sneaker to Come From Eucalyptus Trees

“Allbirds, the Silicon Valley startup behind a wildly popular wool sneaker, is pivoting from sheep to trees,” writes Kyle Stock in an article for The Financial Post. The…

Joe Schmidt Turns Ireland into Formidable Machine

Joe Schmidt Turns Ireland into Formidable Machine

During this year’s Ireland Grand Slam tournament, Joe Schmidt has been the master of almost everything he has surveyed. At times during his five-year tenure as Ireland head coach,…

Kimbra on Her New Album and Living in NY

Kimbra on Her New Album and Living in NY

New Zealand singer Kimbra shares what made her move to New York and how living there has impacted her song writing. Her new album…

Corpses and Clues in Ngaio Marsh’s Posthumous Novel

Corpses and Clues in Ngaio Marsh’s Posthumous Novel

“Roderick Alleyn, the ineffably posh Scotland Yard detective created by Dame Ngaio Marsh, returns for a posthumous outing with the help of Stella Duffy, herself a distinguished…

EDGE #307: Helen Clark Film Reveals Shadowy World at UN, Sam Neill Stars in His First Western, Emilia Wickstead Launches Activewear Range +  C.K. Stead’s Latest Novel ++

EDGE #307: Helen Clark Film Reveals Shadowy World at UN, Sam Neill Stars in His First Western, Emilia Wickstead Launches Activewear Range + C.K. Stead’s Latest Novel ++

Actor Sam Neill Stars in His First Western

Actor Sam Neill Stars in His First Western

Sam Neill’s acting career has broken the 80-film barrier. In his most recent film, Sweet Country, the New Zealander plays a missionary making a new life for himself on…

Helen Clark Film Reveals a Shadowy World at the UN

Helen Clark Film Reveals a Shadowy World at the UN

Filmmaker Gaylene Preston’s documentary My Year With Helen playing in Australia this month provides a happy and timely reminder that before there was Jacinda Ardern, there was Helen Clark.

The…

Batsman Kane Williamson on Track to Be World’s Best

Batsman Kane Williamson on Track to Be World’s Best

Mr Williamson sits on his sofa at home in Tauranga trying to watch the television, circa 1993. He lobs a ball, which the child prodigy Kane carefully hits around…

On the Rodeo Trail in New Zealand

On the Rodeo Trail in New Zealand

Animal activists are calling for rodeos to be banned in New Zealand, but cowboys say bull riding is their calling. Eleanor Ainge Roy and Paul Roy report on the…

Rugby Union Star Dylan Mika Hugely Talented

Rugby Union Star Dylan Mika Hugely Talented

Former Samoa and All Blacks flanker Dylan Mika has died in Auckland of a heart attack at the age of 45.

Mika played two tests for Samoa and seven for…

Alien Weaponry’s Furious Debut Tū Out in June

Alien Weaponry’s Furious Debut Tū Out in June

Three teenagers from the tiny Northland town of Waipu have managed to capture imaginations with their unique thrash metal sound and commanding live performances.

Now, Alien…

Luxe Fisher & Paykel Appliances Appeal in LA

Luxe Fisher & Paykel Appliances Appeal in LA

“If you have a ‘Kitchen Porn’ board on Pinterest, and your idea of a perfect Saturday afternoon is drooling over showpiece ranges and luxe dishwashing drawers, then welcome to…

Beautiful Wellington Not Short on Great Food

Beautiful Wellington Not Short on Great Food

“Home is where the heart is, and Wellington has my heart – with its harbour, skies and hills, it’s just so beautiful,” London-based chef Margot Henderson tells the Financial…

Ivana Kostovich Wanders the World in Two

Ivana Kostovich Wanders the World in Two

New Zealander Ivana Kostovich, 31, and Scottish fiancée Jamie Craig, 31, hope their adventures around the globe will inspire others to do the same. They’ve launched a blog called…

Grant Phelps’ Chilean Hotel a Sustainable Paradise

Grant Phelps’ Chilean Hotel a Sustainable Paradise

New Zealand-born winemaker Grant Phelps has just opened WineBox, a wine-focused hotel in the city of Valparaíso, Chile constructed out of 25 decommissioned shipping containers.

Set on a former micro…

Emilia Wickstead Launches Activewear Range

Emilia Wickstead Launches Activewear Range

New Zealander Emilia Wickstead – she of knock-‘em-dead evening dresses and, most recently, bridalwear fame – has branched out into activewear in a collaboration with Britain’s premier health and…

Chasing Great a Universally-Appealing Sports Doco

Chasing Great a Universally-Appealing Sports Doco

Justin Pemberton and Michelle Walshe’s documentary Chasing Great, about world-champion All Blacks captain, Richie McCaw, “proves surprisingly accessible to non-fans, and a well-articulated look at some of the…

20 Years Te Papa

20 Years Te Papa

Wellington’s Te Papa is celebrating its 20th birthday. The museum put together a video to celebrate their achievements over the years. Watch it here.

C.K. Stead’s Latest Novel Masterfully Structured

C.K. Stead’s Latest Novel Masterfully Structured

“The Necessary Angel’s literary preoccupations are familiar territory for Stead, a distinguished novelist, poet and critic who was for many years professor of English at the University of…

Kester Black’s Anna Ross a Cosmetics Game Changer

Kester Black’s Anna Ross a Cosmetics Game Changer

No formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde resin, xylene, parabens, fragrances, phthalates, sulfates, palm oil, petrochemicals or animal-derived or tested ingredients; must be made here and a goal to be…

True Blood Lead Anna Paquin Stars as PR Maven

True Blood Lead Anna Paquin Stars as PR Maven

New Zealand-raised Anna Paquin is returning to television. The True Blood and Alias Grace star is set to appear in the upcoming dramedy Flack. The limited series, which is…

Francis Upritchard Finds New Ways to Break the Norm

Francis Upritchard Finds New Ways to Break the Norm

New Zealand-born artist Francis Upritchard is all about creating art that leaves behind societal norms, according to Jesse Oleson writing for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

“Art is supposed to be…

Comedian Deb Filler Does It Her Way in Yiddish

Comedian Deb Filler Does It Her Way in Yiddish

New Zealand comedian Deb Filler recreates 50 years of chart-toppers and pop icons in her solo show I Did it My Way in Yiddish (in English). Toronto-based Filler performed…

Chefs Margot and Fergus Henderson Chat to the Times

Chefs Margot and Fergus Henderson Chat to the Times

Margot Henderson, 53, and her husband, Fergus, 54, recently spoke with the Sunday Times on their whirlwind courtship and coping with his Parkinson’s.

Margot said that she first heard of…

Allbirds’ New Summertime Shoe Line

Allbirds’ New Summertime Shoe Line

New Zealand company Allbirds is launching Tree, a new line of shoes with material sourced from eucalyptus. Co-founders Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger spoke…

Post Makes Its Way to the Farm up the Long Drive

Post Makes Its Way to the Farm up the Long Drive

A parcel sent to a couple in New Zealand addressed only with “a farm, situated up a long driveway with cows, opposite a pub or thereabouts” has reached its…

EDGE #306: NZ One Of Ten Happiest Countries, Chris Liddell Named White House Deputy Chief Of Staff, Pioneering Umpire Kathy Cross to Retire + Hidden Gems in NZ ++

EDGE #306: NZ One Of Ten Happiest Countries, Chris Liddell Named White House Deputy Chief Of Staff, Pioneering Umpire Kathy Cross to Retire + Hidden Gems in NZ ++

 

Michael James Wong Helps Men Find New Masculinity

Michael James Wong Helps Men Find New Masculinity

Boys of Yoga founder New Zealander Michael James Wong, 32, is interviewed by Sunday Times correspondent Stuart Heritage for an article about the growing popularity of lifestyle sites for…

Taika Waititi to Play Version of Imaginary Hitler

Taika Waititi to Play Version of Imaginary Hitler

Whenever Fox Searchlight Pictures ends up releasing New Zealander Taika Waititi’s satire Jojo Rabbit, it will give viewers the chance to see a version of Adolf Hitler they most…

Chris Liddell Named White House Deputy Chief Of Staff For Policy Coordination

Chris Liddell Named White House Deputy Chief Of Staff For Policy Coordination

“Christopher Liddell has been named the deputy chief of staff for policy coordination, the White House announced Monday morning,” writes Jenna Johnson in an article for

Joyful Acquaintances Made over Message in a Bottle

Joyful Acquaintances Made over Message in a Bottle

Whangarei teenager Julien Joy, 15, could not believe his eyes when he received a letter in the post from a German woman reminding him of a distant memory. Luisa,…

Kimbra Finds New Version of Self in Primal Heart

Kimbra Finds New Version of Self in Primal Heart

New York-based New Zealand-born “self-actualised star and feminist pop warrior” Kimbra, 27, is back with a new album and another version of herself, according to Interview magazine’s Erica Russell.

The…

Paralympic Skier Adam Hall Earns Triple Honour

Paralympic Skier Adam Hall Earns Triple Honour

New Zealand alpine skier Adam Hall (pictured right), 30, who won a gold and a bronze medal in the men’s slalom and super-combined, respectively, at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic…

Rocket Lab – From Idea to Orbit

Rocket Lab – From Idea to Orbit

Watch New Zealand Story Group’s video to find out more about Rocket Lab, a New Zealand aerospace company which aims to launch about 50 times per year.

Pioneering Umpire Kathy Cross to Retire

Pioneering Umpire Kathy Cross to Retire

New Zealand’s Kathy Cross, 60, who was the first woman to be named on the International Cricket Council (ICC) Umpire’s Panel, will retire from international umpiring after the Twenty20…

Hidden Gems in New Zealand

Hidden Gems in New Zealand

“Who doesn’t know about the picturesque beauty in New Zealand,” writes Ruchika Kher in an article for Times Now. Kher believes that the real fun…

Remote Corner of NZ “Straight Out of Your Favorite Fantasy Film”

Remote Corner of NZ “Straight Out of Your Favorite Fantasy Film”

“You may not know it, but the scenery of New Zealand’s South Island has become famous, thanks to films like the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Wolverine,” writes…

Best of Flight of the Conchords – Favourite Moments

Best of Flight of the Conchords – Favourite Moments

“Is it the accents? Is it the hirsuteness? Is it the manner in which they stumble around an awkward social situation while singing a lovely / silly ditty? Just…

NZ Government Joins UN Clean Seas Campaign

NZ Government Joins UN Clean Seas Campaign

“New Zealand has become the latest country to sign up to the five-year long United Nations Environment #CleanSeas campaign to rid our oceans of plastic,” reports Australian sailing publication…

New Zealand One of Ten Happiest Countries

New Zealand One of Ten Happiest Countries

New Zealand has been ranked the eighth happiest country in the 2018 World Happiness Report released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations.

Meet Kitty Hawk’s Flying Taxi Cora

Meet Kitty Hawk’s Flying Taxi Cora

Watch this clip to find out more about Cora – a prototype air taxi developed by Kitty Hawk, which has been tested in New Zealand recently.

Lorde’s Portland Performance “As Intimate as Her Dinner Table”

Lorde’s Portland Performance “As Intimate as Her Dinner Table”

New Zealand pop poet Lorde, born Ella Yelich-O’Connor, manages to make even the largest venues feel intimate, writes Sararosa Davies in a review of the singer’s Portland concert in…

Sam Gaze Wins First Race as Elite Athlete

Sam Gaze Wins First Race as Elite Athlete

“New Zealand’s Sam Gaze realised a dream when he won the opening leg of the UCI Mercedes-Benz MTB World Cup in Stellenbosch at the weekend, beating the world champion…

Flying Taxis Secretly Tested In New Zealand

Flying Taxis Secretly Tested In New Zealand

Silicon Valley-based flying car start-up “Kitty Hawk, backed by Google founder Larry Page, has been secretly testing an electric autonomous aircraft for several months in…

Jacinda Ardern’s Favourite Kiwi Hangouts

Jacinda Ardern’s Favourite Kiwi Hangouts

“At just 37 years of age, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is the world’s youngest female Head of Government.” Vacations & Travel Magazine spoke to Ardern about…

Kimbra – Version of Me

Kimbra – Version of Me

Listen to ‘Version of Me’ – the latest single of Kimbra’s new album Primal Heart, which Interview Magazine described as…

EDGE #305: Jacinda Ardern’s Social Laboratory for the World, Keala Settle’s Oscars Performance, New Zealand’s Paradise for Wine Lovers + 36 Hours in Auckland ++

EDGE #305: Jacinda Ardern’s Social Laboratory for the World, Keala Settle’s Oscars Performance, New Zealand’s Paradise for Wine Lovers + 36 Hours in Auckland ++

36 Hours in Auckland

36 Hours in Auckland

“The construction cranes that pierce the Auckland skyline are a visual indication of the growth New Zealand’s largest city is experiencing,” writes Elaine Glusac in an article in

Broods’ Georgia Nott Talks The Venus Project

Broods’ Georgia Nott Talks The Venus Project

In response to a lack of female representation on stage and in the studio, Georgia Nott – who most people will know as part of the New Zealand music…

Exploring New Zealand’s Paradise for Wine Lovers

Exploring New Zealand’s Paradise for Wine Lovers

“The Marlborough Sounds is a system of ancient river valleys that have filled up with seawater from the Pacific Ocean,” writes Victoria Moore in an article for

Sparrow Restaurant Spearheading Culinary Renaissance in Lewisham

Sparrow Restaurant Spearheading Culinary Renaissance in Lewisham

Fine dining establishment Sparrow “is gaining a name for itself for spearheading a culinary renaissance in Lewisham with its focus on high-quality small platters and British produce,” writes Calum…

Auckland Airport Testing AI Avatar Service

Auckland Airport Testing AI Avatar Service

“New Zealand’s Auckland Airport is testing the use of an onscreen avatar to answer biosecurity questions from travellers in a bid to reduce the workload of airport officials,” writes…