News of New Zealanders via Global Media

Big New Zealand Presence at Berlinale and SXSW

Big New Zealand Presence at Berlinale and SXSW

Ten New Zealand features and shorts including a record number by female directors will screen in official selection at the Berlin International Film Festival in February while two will feature at the SXSW Festival…

Hopes World Will Follow Our Wellness-Based Policies

Hopes World Will Follow Our Wellness-Based Policies

In an article featured in the Financial Times, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern urges the world’s governments to focus on “living standards and human, social and natural capital when we set targets and track progress”. “There’s…

Best Luxury Lodges in the North Island

Best Luxury Lodges in the North Island

The North Island’s “enchanting” luxury lodges are reviewed in a travel piece by Forbes contributor, Amber Gibson, who visits Huka Lodge (pictured), Wharekauhau Country Estate and The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs. “First conceived as a…

Ten Wonders to See in the South Island

Ten Wonders to See in the South Island

From fiords to world-class vineyards, and forested mountains to Alpine lakes, London Evening Standard journalist Kate Springer discovers the South Island’s hotspots. “We have just embarked on a week-long road trip through the South Island,…

No Worries for Swiss Family in New Zealand

No Worries for Swiss Family in New Zealand

Even though she’d never been here before, Eva Hefti took the chance and moved with her family to New Zealand. Her husband had found a job in Northland which, due to the shorter working…

Chef Jess Murphy on Ireland’s Food Renaissance

Chef Jess Murphy on Ireland’s Food Renaissance

Ireland’s national cuisine is being redefined – thanks to a growing number of very ambitious chefs, including New Zealander Jess Murphy, 39, who runs Kai in Galway’s West End. “It’s a really exciting time to…

Kiwi Shake and Bake Opens in Idaho

Kiwi Shake and Bake Opens in Idaho

“Intrigued Boiseans are feasting” at a newly opened bakery and café in Idaho in the United States, which is serving up traditional New Zealand meat pies, mousetraps, cakes and soup, milkshakes, coffee, beer and…

Say Hello to Hong Kong’s Only Locally Distilled Gin

Say Hello to Hong Kong’s Only Locally Distilled Gin

Gin is having a bit of a moment in Hong Kong, and everywhere for that matter. “However, there’s not been a gin actually made and distilled in Hong Kong, until now. Largely, that is…

Liam Malone Running Down a New Track

Liam Malone Running Down a New Track

Double-amputee and Paralympic gold medalist, Nelson-born Liam Malone, 25, talks to Britain’s GQ magazine about anxiety, depression and how a life-changing car accident helped him get to Rio. When Malone’s mother died of cancer, it…

Thomasin McKenzie Reflects on Breakout Year

Thomasin McKenzie Reflects on Breakout Year

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 18-year-old Wellingtonian Thomasin McKenzie reflects on her breakout year (after Debra Granik’s latest film Leave No Trace premiered at Sundance, she shot four other films), frequent comparisons…

What Is the Sea Telling Us about Whale Strandings?

What Is the Sea Telling Us about Whale Strandings?

Whale whisperer Hori Parata was just seven years old when he attended his first mass stranding, a beaching of porpoises in Northland, their cries screeching through the air on the deserted stretch of sand. Seven…

Pits and Puts with Surfer Kehu Butler

Pits and Puts with Surfer Kehu Butler

“Kehu Butler may hail from New Zealand, the land of lefts, but you’d never guess that by the regularfoot’s powerful forehand in his new edit,” Ben Waldron writes for SURFER magazine, which features the…

Acclaimed DJ Opiuo Returns to Colorado

Acclaimed DJ Opiuo Returns to Colorado

New Zealand-born DJ and producer Oscar Davey-Wraight, who performs as Opiuo, solidified his place in the annals of Colorado music history last April with a groundbreaking and by-all-accounts epic one-night performance with a 20-piece…

Chile’s WineBox Hotel a Hit with Tourists

Chile’s WineBox Hotel a Hit with Tourists

An environmentally friendly container hotel owned by New Zealand-born winemaker Grant Phelps has become a popular tourist spot for visitors to the port of Valparaíso, Chile. WineBox, a wine themed hotel,…

More Career Firsts for Conductor Gemma New

More Career Firsts for Conductor Gemma New

New Zealand-born conductor Gemma New is building a resume with lots of little “first-ever” asterisks. Like her months-old appointment as principal guest conductor of the Dallas Symphony beginning in the 2019-20 season. Recently, New…

Hopes Webcam Can save Endangered Albatross

Hopes Webcam Can save Endangered Albatross

Millions of amateur naturalists around the world have been tuning in to the secret lives of albatrosses as Department of Conversation (DOC) rangers on the Otago Peninsula employ YouTube in a bid to save…

Albert Alferink’s Waikato Cheese Wooing the World

Albert Alferink’s Waikato Cheese Wooing the World

Since 1981, a pioneering Dutch immigrant has been developing a distinctive New Zealand style of cheese, and now the world is starting to sit up and take notice. But for Albert Alferink, he’s just…

Endangered Penguins Kitted Out in Onesies

Endangered Penguins Kitted Out in Onesies

Ahead of Penguin Awareness Day on 20 January, a story has been doing the rounds about The Wildlife Hospital in Dunedin. They are using baby onesies to aid in the recuperation of endangered yellow-eyed…

CoAqua Snapped Up by Gywneth Paltrow’s Goop Store

CoAqua Snapped Up by Gywneth Paltrow’s Goop Store

New Zealand coconut water brand, CoAqua has caught the eye of actor Gwyneth Paltrow and her team at Goop, her international “lifestyle” store. The store, which offers “cutting-edge wellness advice from doctors, vetted travel recommendations,…

Looking Forward to Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit

Looking Forward to Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit

“Matthew McConaughey as a stoner poet, Hitler as an imaginary friend and Cats the movie – the third in our five-part look at 2019’s key titles takes us into strange territory,” Guardian film writes. “[Jojo…

Children Walk From One End of NZ to the Other

Children Walk From One End of NZ to the Other

Jonathan Rapsey, six, and Elizabeth, nine, are on track to become the youngest to walk the 3000km Te Araroa trail, which runs the length of New Zealand, having completed the entire North Island a…

Spend Some Layover Time in Auckland

Spend Some Layover Time in Auckland

“Auckland is the international gateway to the green pasture paradise that is New Zealand. But before you head on to Queenstown to hit the slopes, bungee jump off cliffs, and dive into all the…

Ed Mumm’s Earthmoving Fun to Franchise

Ed Mumm’s Earthmoving Fun to Franchise

New Zealand-born Ed Mumm is the founder of Dig This LLC, a hands-on excavating experience in Las Vegas unlike any other where people from 8 to 108 can operate heavy machinery just as if…

Gisborne on 2019 Global Travel Hotlist

Gisborne on 2019 Global Travel Hotlist

“A total solar eclipse, two World Cups, several new flights and walking trails, and big birthday celebrations from Havana to ,” The Guardian lists their top 40 destinations worth checking out this…

Bill Manhire’s Antarctic Poems Spare and Tender

Bill Manhire’s Antarctic Poems Spare and Tender

Ernest Shackleton’s account of his mission and New Zealander Bill Manhire’s Field Notes are among Canadian author Jean McNeil’s favourites about the Antarctic continent. “Antarctica is the fifth largest continent, but it is home to almost…

Art Basel Winner Zac Langdon-Pole Talks to Forbes

Art Basel Winner Zac Langdon-Pole Talks to Forbes

The latest BMW Art Journey is informed by the ancient art of mapping stars. The winner, New Zealand-born artist Zac Langdon-Pole, will take on an adventurous journey, following the path humans and birds have…

Why Dan Carter Is Still the Main Man in World Rugby

Why Dan Carter Is Still the Main Man in World Rugby

Dan Carter led Japanese team, the Kobe Kobelco Steelers to victory in the Top League final recently, and with that victory the former New Zealand fly-half wins over the hearts of yet another nation….

Annette-Campbell White Speaks in Cape Town

Annette-Campbell White Speaks in Cape Town

The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) 2018 graduation season wrapped up in mid December with a clear call to graduates from alumnus, philanthropist and trailblazing venture capitalist on male-dominated Wall Street, New Zealand-born Annette-Campbell…

IKEA to Open in New Zealand

IKEA to Open in New Zealand

IKEA Group, the world’s biggest furniture retailer, is expanding into New Zealand – even as it faces stiff competition worldwide from online outlets and traditional department stores that are branching out into home furnishing. IKEA…

England Crazy Not to Hire Warren Gatland

England Crazy Not to Hire Warren Gatland

“At the end of Rugby World Cup 2019, we can expect a fascinating merry-go-round of experienced Test coaches,” according to the Telegraph’s Charlie Morgan. “Should England underperform, Eddie Jones’ two-year contract extension will be…

Distance Runner Bill Baillie Finishes the Race

Distance Runner Bill Baillie Finishes the Race

Nelson-born athlete William “Bill” Baillie, who once held world records in the now obscure 20,000m and one-hour running events, has died in Auckland. He was 84. At the time Baillie broke the records they had…

Young Cyclist Ella Harris Earns Pro Contract

Young Cyclist Ella Harris Earns Pro Contract

Dunedin cyclist Ella Harris is the third woman, and the youngest victor, to win the Canyon-Sram Zwift Academy Programme becoming the latest rider to earn a professional contract through the virtual cycling app. Harris has…

Unusual Coalition Survives in a Febrile World

Unusual Coalition Survives in a Febrile World

In a piece for online policy forum, East Asia Forum, Professor of Strategic Studies at Victoria University, Robert Ayson reviews New Zealand’s “unlikely coalition”. “As 2018 began New Zealand did not have an answer to…

Wonky Donkey Makes UK Christmas Bestseller List

Wonky Donkey Makes UK Christmas Bestseller List

The tale of a three-legged donkey has become a surprise Christmas bestseller thanks to a viral video of a grandmother reading it to her grandson. The Wonky Donkey, written by New Zealander Craig Smith,…

Leave No Trace’s Thomasin McKenzie a Breakout Star

Leave No Trace’s Thomasin McKenzie a Breakout Star

Wellington-born teenager Thomasin McKenzie is named one of the year’s “standout stars” by The Atlantic for her role as ‘Tom’ in director Debra Granik’s celebrated 2018 film, Leave No Trace. “Granik has a way of…

New Zealand Tech Companies Making It Big in US

New Zealand Tech Companies Making It Big in US

As Peter Jackson has shown, it’s perfectly possible to do things on a global scale from New Zealand. But the big money, support and collaboration with other scientists overseas can be a powerful lure,…

Musician Aurian White Earns Global Honour

Musician Aurian White Earns Global Honour

At just 12 years old Sistema Whangārei student Aurian White will be sharing the Northland city with the world. White, a Tikipunga High School student, is one of 10 students selected from Sistema programmes around…

Luxury Lover’s Guide to Queenstown

Luxury Lover’s Guide to Queenstown

“Set beside a glittering lake, surrounded by snow-tipped mountain ranges, Queenstown is a traveller’s paradise on the rise,” writes Mahalia Chang in her Queenstown guide for luxury lovers published on

Where to Spot Wildlife in New Zealand

Where to Spot Wildlife in New Zealand

“Located at the bottom of the planet, New Zealand has a diverse range of landscapes in a country with a population that is tiny by world standards” and “it’s no surprise that New Zealand…

Father and Doctor Matt Widdowson on Parenting

Father and Doctor Matt Widdowson on Parenting

The overwhelming concern of most new parents after they get home from the maternity hospital is will they be able to keep their tiny infant alive, The Irish Times reports. It’s no wonder that…

Inside the Ring With Wrestler Toni Storm

Inside the Ring With Wrestler Toni Storm

Toni Rossall, aka Toni Storm, has swiftly emerged as one of the most exciting members of the WWE roster; the 23-year-old New Zealander is a key member of the NXT UK roster. Storm won…

Peter Jackson Calls up Protégé Christian Rivers

Peter Jackson Calls up Protégé Christian Rivers

In 2015, Peter Jackson was feeling burned out – and you could hardly blame him. The New Zealand director had just finished work on the Hobbit films, wrapping up production on his supersized fantasy…

New Zealand “Brimming With Unique Accommodation Options”

New Zealand “Brimming With Unique Accommodation Options”

“From eco-friendly glass pods to gravity-defying treehouses, New Zealand is brimming with unique accommodation options for clients to bed down in, writes Abra Dunsby in an article for travel trade newspaper

Blockchain Tech Opportunites Abound for Aotearoa

Blockchain Tech Opportunites Abound for Aotearoa

A new report commissioned by New Zealand’s innovation agency, Callaghan Innovation, suggests the country is fertile ground for blockchain tech. The crown entity has published an opportunity report on blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT)…

Rising Star Thomasin McKenzie Wanted to be a Vet

Rising Star Thomasin McKenzie Wanted to be a Vet

When she was a young girl in New Zealand, Thomasin McKenzie wasn’t sure what she wanted to be when she grew up. But she knew what she didn’t want to be. McKenzie sits down…

Australia’s Best Dining Is at Ben Shewry’s Attica

Australia’s Best Dining Is at Ben Shewry’s Attica

“On a recent visit to Melbourne, I was excited to say the least, to be able to secure a much sought after reservation at the award-winning restaurant Attica [owned by New Zealand chef Ben…

The Ultimate Beach ‘Shack’

The Ultimate Beach ‘Shack’

“An unassuming ‘shed’ by the water in New Zealand is secretly hiding a modern home with two bedrooms designed for a family-of-five,” writes Billie Schwab Dunn in an article for

Health & Beauty Elements in Queenstown’s Kawarau Village “Exude Unspoken Magic

Health & Beauty Elements in Queenstown’s Kawarau Village “Exude Unspoken Magic

“Situated on New Zealand’s South Island is Kawarau Village and where you’ll find Doubletree Hotel and Hilton Queenstown Resort & Spa. The properties are hugged by the serenity of Lake Wakatipu and set against…

NZ Lodge Makes Condé Nast Traveler 2019 Gold List

NZ Lodge Makes Condé Nast Traveler 2019 Gold List

The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, Matauri Bay, New Zealand has been featured in the Australia & South Pacific Category on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2019 Gold List,…

Peter Jackson Wants to Restore His Gory Early Films

Peter Jackson Wants to Restore His Gory Early Films

“It’s funny how few of the average theater-goers for Peter Jackson epics, whether it’s The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit or the upcoming Mortal Engines, realize just how debauched the director’s early career…