Yoson An Cast in Mulan Live-Action Movie
“New Zealander Yosan An has joined Disney’s live-action movie Mulan as the main love interest Chen Hongui opposite Liu Yifei (also known as Crystal Liu) who is playing Hua Mulan,” reports Kylie Hemmert for…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Early Māori Village Found in Gisborne Tells Story
While much early Māori history is documented through songs and stories – from tales of Kupe, who Māori consider to be the first adventurer to navigate to New Zealand to the deep roots of the…
Will New Zealand’s Mount Taranaki ‘Living Person’ Status Bring Respect?
“Recognition is something Māori communities have been campaigning for over 150 years. In 2013, they achieved a landmark ruling when the Te Urewera national park on the North Island was granted ‘all the rights,…
UMO Frontman Ruban Nielson on Musical Eclecticism
In search of a new direction after three critically acclaimed psychedelic indie rock records, 38-year-old New Zealander Ruban Nielson, frontman of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, took to the road to write and record album No…
Rock Up’s Aaran Eade’s UK Climbing Walls a Hit
After growing 87 per cent year-on-year, sales of £2.5 million are expected for the British indoor climbing centre Rock Up in 2018, four years after climber, New Zealander Aaran Eade teamed up with private…
Breaking up Is Easy for Sami and van Beek
Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek’s film The Breaker Upperers has opened strongly in New Zealand after warm-hearted reviews at the South by Southwest festival in Texas. This week, their comedy opens the Sydney…
Regulator Grant Barnes Minding a Precious Resource
Grant Barnes is a New Zealander who says he has a bit of mongrel in him, and says he would not hesitate in taking on any New South Wales irrigator who is found to…
New Zealand Rallies to Save its Iconic Bird
There are 68,000 kiwi left in New Zealand, and they are declining at the rate of 2 per cent per year. A century ago, there were millions. Outside the predator-free zones, kiwi chicks and…
Mothers-to-be on Birth of a New Kind of PM
In a Guardian article, New Zealand women with babies due this month discuss what it means to have a pregnant prime minister, and how they will balance parenthood, work and a severe lack of sleep. In…
Helen Clark Speaks in Japan on Gender Equality
Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark stressed in a recent interview with Japan’s national daily newspaper The Mainichi that women need to continue to fight for gender equality, adding that zero tolerance policies…
It: Chapter Two Casts Jay Ryan as Adult Ben
Auckland-born actor Jay Ryan, 36, has been cast as the adult version of Ben Hanscom in New Line’s It: Chapter Two, sources confirmed to Variety. Ryan joins Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader, who…
Artist Matthew Couper Fuses Vegas and NZ
In Matthew Couper’s exhibition, From Dust to Water, the New Zealand-born Las Vegas-based artist uses the language of symbols – skeletons and cacti, blenders and playing cards – to combine pictorial elements in witty…
Rugby Player James Lowe on Food for Performance
He’s played for the Māori All Blacks and he’s currently signed to European champions Leinster, so if there is anyone who can talk about fuelling their body for optimal performance it is 25-year-old professional…
Scientists to Lead DNA Hunt for Loch Ness Monster
An examination of Loch Ness using DNA sampling techniques will try to establish exactly what lives in the UK’s largest freshwater body – it may also discover whether there is any scientific basis to…
Peter Hillary’s Love of Mountaineering
When Rebecca Gibian first emailed Peter Hillary about an interview, he replied saying that he was currently at 16,000 feet in the Himalayans, but would get back to her when he returned to New…
Photographer Derek Henderson Is in Demand
Photographer Derek Henderson rates his career shooting fashion, travel and art photography as mediocre, but a quick look at his credentials and it’s plain to see he’s being coy. Laura Baker interviews the New…
Giants Co-Captain Ngawai Eyles Settles In
New Zealand-born Canberra Giants recruit Ngawai Eyles is thriving in her role as a co-captain, declaring she “loves life in the capital” after moving to the city to support her ACT Brumbies partner, flyhalf…
Keisha Castle-Hughes Takes to the Boxing Ring
She shot to fame as the fierce warrior Obara Sand on Game Of Thrones. But New Zealander Keisha-Castle Hughes, 28, will now flex her acting muscles in a different kind of drama, when she…
Keith Dawson of Port Macquarie Turns 105
An effervescent Keith Dawson celebrated his 105th birthday on 24 May as he does each year: with family, friends and a tremendous smile. He will proudly tell you he is a New Zealander who…
NZ Plans To Invest In More Recycling Plants As It Deals With China Waste Ban
“New Zealand is planning to invest more in recycling plants and set up government-led taskforce to work out how to grapple with the fallout from China’s ban on waste imports, its associate environment minister…
Air NZ and Qantas Sign Codeshare Agreement Isolating Virgin Australia
“Qantas and Air New Zealand will join forces in a codeshare partnership intended to isolate Virgin Australia, a former AirNZ ally but now common enemy to both airlines,” writes David Flynn in an article…
Barnet Mayor Reuben Thompstone Sworn in
New Zealand-born Councillor Reuben Thompstone, a 42-year-old who represents the Golders Green ward, has become the 54th, and youngest-ever, mayor of Barnet, North London. Thompstone has a background in education and has served on the…
Rambert Chief Mark Baldwin’s Final Commission
New Zealander Mark Baldwin, the “venerable” artistic director of Rambert, the UK’s leading contemporary dance company, is stepping down from the role to devote more time to choreographic work. Baldwin’s final commission “as the…
A New NYC Neighbourhood
Commissioned by the New Zealand Consulate in the USA, designer Lydia Starkey illustrated a map of all the great NZ establishments in New York. The map, titled ‘Little New Zealand – A New NYC…
Jane Campion Rewatches Her Own Classic
One of the world’s most unconventional filmmakers, New Zealander Jane Campion talks with The Guardian about the end of the patriarchy, doing away with decorum, and how losing her baby son changed her forever. Twenty-five…
Folk Singer Mel Parsons Touring US
Award-winning singer-songwriter New Zealander Mel Parsons, 36, recently performed as part of the Concerts in the Woods series in Coyle, Washington. “We are very lucky to have Mel Parsons make a stop in Coyle on…
Georgia Pratt on Non-Stretch Denim for Every Body
“I think I’ve had quite a hard time at different phases in my life,” New Zealand model Georgia Pratt tells Vogue, looking back at her long history with denim. “When I was in middle school,…
Heli-Biking in New Zealand is Epic
“A thick layer of fog makes the scene that much more intense as the helicopter touches down. One by one, each mountain biker jogs away from the helicopter. One by one, the bikes are…
TV Host Clarke Gayford on Fatherhood
Less than a month away from the birth – which will make Jacinda Ardern the first serving head of government since Benazir Bhutto to have a baby – television host Clarke Gayford, 40, who…
Julian Dennison Isn’t in a Hurry to Grow Up
The 15-year-old New Zealand actor Julian Dennison talks to GQ magazine about his starring role in Deadpool 2 – even though he’s not old enough to see it. Dennison is not your average teenager, if…
Dick Quax – “One of His Country’s Greatest Runners”
New Zealand athlete and Auckland councillor Dick Quax, who was “regarded as one of his country’s greatest runners, died on Monday at the age of 70 after a long battle with cancer. The
Koru’s Rachel Carrell Reinvigorates UK Childcare
London nannying service Koru Kids has been created by New Zealander Rachel Carrell with the aim of tackling the UK’s “fragmented and backward” childcare market which results in complex arrangements cobbled together by frazzled…
Wellington Most Liveable City Second Year Running
The city shocked many when it was ranked the most liveable city in the world last year, but it won’t surprise Wellingtonians to learn it has kept that number one spot in 2018, mayor…
Pop Singer Robinson Has Nothing to Regret
New Zealand singer-songwriter Robinson, 21, has been likened to other local trailblazers who are known for leading fans along a pathway set out by their own standards while exploring and showcasing their art, Fiona…
Win for Kayaking Duo in Germany
World Champions New Zealanders Lisa Carrington, 28, and Caitlin Ryan, 26, have won a convincing gold medal in the K2 500m at World Cup 2 in Duisburg, Germany, Radio New Zealand reports. The pair, who…
David Metcalf Puts On Bali Indigenous Celebration
Wellington-born professional photographer David Metcalf, who is based in Bali, and Emmanuela Dewi Shinta, founder of Ranu Welum (Living Water), are the founders of the inaugural Indigenous Celebration, which was held recently over three…
Thomasin McKenzie Steals the Film in Leave No Trace
Debra Granik’s third feature, Leave No Trace, which stretches the theme of life on the margins to breaking point, is already being talked of as one of the year’s best releases, according to The…
Dubai Safari’s Timothy Husband Recovers Exotic Pets
It has been a busy first six months for Dubai Safari under the stewardship of its technical director, New Zealander Timothy Husband, Nick Webster reports for The National. Too big for owners to manage…
Karl Lagerfeld and Muse Stella Maxwell Team Up
Supermodel and Victoria Secret’s Angel Stella Maxwell, 28, who was discovered at Otago University, has been enlisted by Karl Lagerfeld to be the face of his new make-up range. Lagerfeld, Chanel’s creative director, launched his…
Heartthrob KJ Apa Answers Some Tricky Questions
KJ Apa, the New Zealand import turned Riverdale star, captured hearts (and Instagram followers) when the show premiered in 2017. Riverdale was just renewed for its third season, so it looks like…
Look Forward to Summer Dressing by Emilia Wickstead
The easy elegance of Emilia Wickstead’s resort collection fulfils all Vogue Australia’s holiday desires. The magazine declares the New Zealand-born designer will have you wishing it was summer. In the world of Emilia Wickstead, the…
Great Barrier Island Has Star Quality
The off-grid Great Barrier Island, 90km off the coast of Auckland, is a Dark Sky Sanctuary ideal for star gazing – and the views by day are heavenly too. The Observer’s Chris Hall looks…
Marlon Williams Offers Something for Everyone
Christchurch-born singer-songwriter Marlon Williams is currently touring New Zealand promoting his second studio album Make Way for Love. His recent performance in Melbourne is reviewed by Eve Fisher for The Canberra Times. “The sold-out crowd…
Look Ahead to Summer with FT’s Shannon Gibson
You know the woman. She always looks good. Comfortable and yet elegant, she floats around the office with the nonchalance of someone who knows they’ve nailed their look. Most impressively, she’s got summer style…
Lorde’s Former Manager Scott Maclachlan to Warners
Scott Maclachlan, the artist manager who guided the rise of Lorde from a teenage talent to a global star, has been appointed senior VP of A&R at Warner Music Australasia. Maclachlan, who relocated from the…
Ngā Parirau o te Kārearea a Spectacular EP
New Zealand-born experimental producer Fis and sound artist Rob Thorne’s collaborative EP Ngā Parirau o te Kārearea, a follow up to last year’s acclaimed Clear Stones, is included in Fact magazine’s 25 best albums…
Genetically Distinct Blue Whales Discovered in NZ
A new population of at least 700 blue whales has been found living between the North and South Islands. The gigantic marine mammals are genetically distinct from whales found in the neighbouring Pacific and…
Mikayla Werahiko Glad She Chose Maryland Softball
Infielder Mikayla Werahiko, 22, was apprehensive when New Zealand national team coach Kevin Gettins first suggested she go to the United States for softball, but she was willing to take a risk, so she…
James Blake Onboard Reporter in Volvo Ocean Race
“Long before Peter Blake was killed by a Brazilian pirate in the Amazon in 2001, he talked at the dinner table with his young son James about the privileges that came with successfully sailing…
Genre-Defying Kimbra Traverses New Territory
There’s something that connects the music of Skrillex and Paul Simon – some place where these opposite ends of the musical spectrum meet. New Zealander Kimbra, 28, is sure of that. As for what…
Teammates Turn Into Rivals at the Volvo Ocean Race
“Fast friends and sailing stars, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have won Olympic gold and the America’s Cup together in the last two years, but their career paths are diverging for the moment in…
Next Level Māori Cuisine with Monique Fiso
As part of the month-long Los Angeles Times Food Bowl series, chefs New Zealander Monique Fiso and American Timothy Hollingsworth will collaborate on a dinner featuring a seasonal menu using local ingredients and focused on…
Designer Blair Archibald Nails Fashion Week
In a “brilliant debut show” at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, New Zealand-born designer Blair Archibald “announces himself as a serious talent,” Nicholas Carolan writes for Grazia. “Anticipation around Archibald’s Resort 2019 presentation has been quietly…
New Rebecca Taylor Store Opens in California
With $600 in her wallet, New Zealand native Rebecca Taylor moved to New York with dreams of starting a fashion line. She cut and sewed at a Brooklyn kitchen table that she built herself….
Leave No Trace with Thomasin McKenzie Cannes Hit
“Debra Granik is the exceptional film-maker who directed Winter’s Bone in 2010, launching the career of Jennifer Lawrence, and now she returns with this deeply intelligent, complex, finely tuned and observed movie, [starring New…
Anthony McCarten Freddy Mercury Biopic Trailer Out
“The first footage of Bohemian Rhapsody will rock you,” according to Esquire magazine. Penned by New Zealand-born Anthony McCarten, the upcoming Queen biopic, starring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury follows the formation of the…
