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 visit. Born in New Zealand,…
March 2018 Archives
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 style, limited creative ambition and…
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 from the Sydney Writers’ Festival…
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 city,
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 sneaker brand is releasing two…
Smith and Sheth’s Ambitious Wine Plans
The Australian’s wine columnist James Halliday was introduced to self-made billionare, American Brian Sheth by New Zealand-born and bred Steve Smith MW (pictured right), who in 1996 had become the world’s first Master of…
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, the New Zealander has been…
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 “Primal Heart” will be released…
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 crime writer,” Andrew Taylor writes…
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 ++
News of New Zealand…
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 the Australian frontier in the…
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 extraordinary post-parliamentary career of former…
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 the living room. Around the world…
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 controversial sport in a photo…
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 the All Blacks who he…
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 Weaponry is ready to release…
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 your new favourite place to…
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 Times in a piece about…
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 Wander…
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 landfill in Cerro Mariposa (or…
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 fitness facility, Bodyism. “It’s important for…
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 mental processes behind sports success,”…
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
“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 Auckland,” Financial Times correspondent Zoë…
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 fair trade certified (or a…
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 co-produced by Paquin and her…
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 fun,” London-based Upritchard says. “Work…
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 the show at this year’s…
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 her future husband through a…
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 about their new line with”CBS…
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 rightful owners, via the Cust…
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 ++
News of New Zealand…
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 men. Wong describes himself as a…
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 likely never have before. IndieWire…
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 The Washington Post. “Liddell, a…
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, who was walking along a…
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 glossy, neon sheen of Primal…
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 Winter Games, has also been…
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
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 International series between 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 of travelling lies in finding…
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 Carrie Miller in an article…
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 what is it that makes…
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 My…
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. CNN reports. Finland took…
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”
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 The…
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 Nino Schurter in a breathtaking…
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 New Zealand, the company revealed…
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 her favourite spots in Auckland…
Kimbra – Version of Me
Listen to ‘Version of Me’ – the latest single of Kimbra’s new album Primal Heart, which Interview Magazine described as “‘90s-inspired ballad”. The New Zealand…
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 ++
News of New Zealand…
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 The New York Times. Auckland…
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 duo Broods – has released…
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 The Telegraph. “As…
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 Fraser in an article for…
