Japan Nets All Black Great
Former All Black John Kirwan has signed a two-year contract to coach Japan’s national rugby team. Kirwan will lead the side in its World Cup efforts this year, with plans to hone 6 elite players down…
Blog Archives
Haka Faux Pas #46
The haka continues to be flavour of the month in international marketing circles. This time, an English women’s rugby team has caused controversy by including an image of a topless haka in their fundraising calendar. Canterbury Women’s…
Pre-historic Chic
Shoppers at London’s Selfridges can now purchase the ultimate ecological antique: a piece of furniture carved from 30,000 year-old NZ kauri wood. The NZ government has allowed a limited quantity of the timber to be harvested…
Wellington: City on the Rise
Wellington has been named one of 10 world cities “on the rise” by the editors of Lonely Planet. The capital is described as “one of the world’s cold-yet-cultural cities … more beautiful than Seattle or Melbourne” in…
Safe Haven
US travel expert Laura McKenzie includes NZ in her list of the world’s five safest travel destinations. NZ is ranked second only to Monaco in a list which includes Malta, Switzerland and Singapore….
Life of a Legend
A film based on the life of NZ motorsport legend Bruce McLaren is rumoured to be in the works. According to Grand Prix website, the production has been linked to “some of those…
Sailing Event a “Kiwi Blackwash”
This year’s 420 World Championships have been described as a “Kiwi blackwash” after NZ sailors took out all podium positions in both the Open and Women’s events. Carl Evans and Peter Burling, Simon…
Local? Outrageous!
NZ TV series Outrageous Fortune has caused a storm across the Tasman, but not for its adult content. Australian screenwriters are threatening protests and possible strikes over a decision by Channel Nine to include…
Black Beauty Takes the Bridge
NZ A1 Grand Prix driver Jonny Reid has set a new record for the fastest crossing of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Reid crossed the bridge seven times, reaching speeds of over 160km/h. Police traffic controllers had…
Master of noir
The newfound appreciation of NZ-born artist James Boswell continues, with a second feature in the Guardian. The article focuses on Boswell’s post-WW2 illustrations for film posters, commissioned by Ealing studio’s head of marketing…
San Diegans fall for NZ designs
Christine Nottingham and Andrea Peach have opened a gallery-cum-store in San Diego to showcase designs by established and emerging artists from their native NZ. Moana Design on Solana Beach features works by glass…
Dance film tackles domestic drama
Shona McCullagh’s short film Break was a highlight of the Dance on Camera Festival at New York’s Walter Reade Theatre, according to the New York Times. Set in rural NZ, ‘Break’ illustrates, with surprising subtlety, the breakdown…
The Flynn Effect
James Flynn – Emeritus Professor of Political Studies at Otago University, intelligence researcher and “unassuming moral philosopher” – is profiled in the Guardian. Born in Washington DC, Flynn has lived and worked in NZ…
Not your average leading man
Not one to be pigeon-holed, Martin Henderson is busy building a reputation in Hollywood for his impressively diverse range of acting roles. For every Britney Spears music video (Toxic) or action flick (Torque)…
WrightSpeed
NZ sheep farmer turned e-car entrepreneur Ian Wright features in an AFRMagazine story on the rise of the electric car. Wright’s prototype vehicle — the Wrightspeed X1
Wellington’s Conservation Crusader
Pioneering research by Victoria University conservation biologist Wayne Linklater could save the endangered black rhino from extinction. Like many threatened species, the captive black rhino population suffers from a potentially disastrous gender imbalance. Linklater attributes the extreme male-biased…
Let Them Wear Possum
The Independent reports on NZ’s thriving (and environmentally kosher) possum fur trade. “Elsewhere, designers who work with fur earn the wrath of animal rights activists. But in New Zealand, they are considered national heroes.” Imported from Australia…
Four of the Best
Four NZ luxury establishments made the coveted Condé Nast Traveller Gold List for 2007. Huka Lodge (Taupo) and Blanket Bay (Otago) featured in the Best for Rooms and Best for Food categories respectively, while Kauri Cliffs…
Mammal Mystery Uncovered
NZ palaeontologist Trevor Worthy claims to have evidence that NZ once had an indigenous land mammal, challenging years of accepted scientific theory. Worthy and his team of researchers found two parts of a jaw and a…
Renaissance master
The Honolulu Star Bulletin has recognised NZ-born restaurateur Dave Stewart as one of ten people who “changed Hawaii” for the better in 2006. Stewart has been a leading figure in the renaissance of Honolulu’s…
No Such Thing as Waste
A NZ company has stunned international researchers by successfully developing a fuel which blends petrol with organic waste. The Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation’s breakthrough bio-diesel is made up of 95% petrol and 5% liquid squeezed from algae grown…
Photonz Edges Out Global Competitors
A tiny Henderson-based company is reportedly leading the global race to extract a brain acid from algae which may offer a cure for depression. Photonz is growing micro-organisms which produce eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), one of…
Life After Savvy
A Massachusetts newspaper feature on NZ wine covers the country’s world famous sauvignon blanc, increasingly renowned pinot noir and the cool climate whites now waiting for their turn in the spotlight. The author talks to winemakers…
Something Good Comes from Possums
Scientists at NZ’s AgResearch and Otago Medical School may have found the cure for a common prostate problem and it is largely thanks to NZ’s no.1 environmental pest: the brush-tailed possum. According to a study published…
The Great Indoors
Waikato University’s “maverick oceanographer” Professor Kerry Black is one step closer to making surfing an indoor spectator sport with the launch of Versareef in Orlando, Florida. While several pools around the world already feature modest artificial wave…
A Life Behind the Lens
Filmmaker, writer and photographer John Patrick Feeney has died in Wellington aged 84. Born in Ngaruawahia and educated at Victoria University, Feeney served as a lieutenant in the Royal NZ Naval Reserve during World…
Home Soil Advantage
NZ has been named the new host of the 2007 world netball championships, after Fiji lost the rights following its recent military coup. The event has been moved from July to November to allow NZ time…
Joseph Sinel
At a unique junction where the means of industrial production met a burgeoning consumer culture, New Zealander Joseph (Jo) Sinel recognized the need for new paradigm definition. He made use of a new…
#83: Island To Island
Edge Message #83 from Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM Aotearoa whanau whanui ki te Aonui Global Community of New Zealanders We welcome new friends to nzedge.com from Boston, Brisbane, Cambridge, Chicago, Colombo, Columbus, Durban, Glasgow, Hong Kong,…
Scene Stealer
The Guardian introduces its readers to up-and-coming NZ actress Emily Barclay, star of In My Father’s Den and Suburban Mayhem. Born in Plymouth, Devon, Barclay escaped the period drama/soapie route of her English acting…
Action Packed Queenstown
A self-confessed lazy New Yorker experiences adventure tourism NZ-style in Queenstown. The Skyline luge run is the highlight of a three-day trip which includes and air and sea tour of Milford Sound, skydiving and…
Images from the Outskirts of War
James Boswell: Unofficial War Artist: Drawings of Army Life in Iraq and UK 1939-1943 by William Feaver offers a fascinating insight into the “unpretentious, unheroic, unsmarmy” work of the NZ-born artist and political activist….
Linda Niccol notches British Screenplay Prize
Wellington writer Linda Niccol has won the prestigious British Short Screenplay Prize ahead of 200+ other screenwriters. Her script for The Handkerchief was judged best script by a panel that included Kenneth Branagh,…
Defender of Oceans
A Guardian article on the uncertain future of wild fish stocks features long-time Rainbow Warrior photographer and marine biologist Dr Roger Grace. Grace as been documenting Greenpeace actions for over 30 years and is…
Darkly brilliant
Award-winning NZ author Carl Shuker has released his second novel to immediate acclaim. Set in NZ, The Lazy Boys is a harrowing account of a group of friends spiralling out of control during their…
Black Beauty Takes Two
The Indonesian round of the A1Grand Prix saw a historic double victory for NZ, with “BlackBeauty” driver Jonny Reid winning the 47-lap feature race as well as the sprint race earlier in the…
Demon talent
NZ’s Emily Barclay was named Best Lead Actress for her role in Suburban Mayhem at the Australian Film Industry (AFI) awards, December 7. The 22-year-old beat heavyweights Laura Linney (Jindabyne), Abbie Cornish Candy) and Teresa…
Another Title for Kitchen
NZ’s Shelley Kitchen has won her twelfth Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) title, beating Tegwen Malik of Wales 3-1 in the World Tour’s Oslo Open in Norway. Adding to the pleasure, it was Kitchen’s 27th…
Crowded House: Weather With You
Crowded House performs Weather With You live at the 1993 PinkPop Festival.
Future Vision
Needing to know the life cycle of your business in 2030? Wondering about the strengths and weaknesses about merging two global IT systems? Interested in the long-term climate for pensions? Former Auckland systems manager and management trainer…
Cream of the Crop
Essenze New Zealand‘s Manhattan store featured in the December issue of Elle Decor. Essenze showcases the work of David Trubridge, Alison Henry, David Haig and more, with a focus on eco-friendly and native materials. The business…
Made From New Zealand
An advertisement for madefromnewzealand.com featuring a soundtrack by New Zealand band, Evermore.
Keisha treads softly in big role
In a bright spot among reviews, The New York Times applauds director Catherine Hardwicke’s sensitive re-telling of a central Christian narrative with The Nativity Story, released in time for Christmas on December 1. Some…
All Blacks Depart Europe Undefeated
The All Blacks completed their European end-of-year tour with a comprehensive victory at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, overcoming the Welsh 45-10. The result, means that the All Blacks finish the 2006 season with 13…
Maori Mary’s Nativity
Keisha Castle-Hughes’ new film The Nativity Story opened to praise from the Vatican at its world premiere, when the film was greeted with applause by an audience of more than 7,000 at the…
Cool New Attraction
NZ is making another quality addition to its roll call of tourist attractions with the development of a state-of-the-art glacier museum on the South Island’s west coast. The NZ$6.5 million Hukawai Franz Josef Glacier…
Kudos for Kahurangi
The Kahurangi Maori Dancers made a big impression on natives of Penticton, British Columbia, this month. The dance group, which comprises graduates of NZ’s Takitimu Performing Arts School, regularly tours North America, as well…
Capping Off a Great Year
Following their seven-try, record-breaking victory last week against the French in Lyon, the All Blacks continued their run of success in Paris against the host nation at the Stade de France. Despite the French side showing…
Starlet with an edge
Rising NZ star Emily Barclay has been named Best Actress at Australia’s Inside Film Awards for her role as an amoral teenage single mother in the black comedy Suburban Mayhem. In what are referred…
Kiwi shakes up Bond
Hastings-born director Martin Campbell has created the best James Bond film since the days of Sean Connery, according to ecstatic critics from over the world. Variety: “Casino Royale sees Bond himself recharged with…
No opportunity wasted
Emmy Award winning, adventure TV producer and presenter, Phil Keoghan returns to New Zealand to host new local series N.O.W. – No Opportunity Wasted. Based on the hugely successful Discovery Channel series and…
