Wine | Telegraph (The)
24 September 2007
Telegraph wine writer Adrian Woodford spent six days in NZ on an intensive wine-tasting tour that encompassed Marlborough, Hawkes Bay and Gisborne. He pronounces NZ the “finest country in the world for a wine tourist” and agrees…
Business | Mercury News
24 September 2007
This year’s most hyped video game, Halo 3, was engineered by a former child prodigy from Kakanui. Chris Butcher, 29, works for Seattle-based gaming company Bungie, which produces the Halo series for Microsoft Xbox. In…
Fashion | Age (The)
21 September 2007
Wellington writer Carolyn Enting provided an overview of Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2007 for the Melbourne Age. Highlights of the week included impressive debuts by Alex Kim and Alexandra Owen, a media stampede…
Film & TV | Guardian (The)
21 September 2007
Guardian reviewer Tim Jonze has dubbed Flight of the Conchords “the funniest thing on TV” as the cult HBO series goes to air on the BBC. Conchords stars NZ comics Jemaine Clement and Bret…
Obituaries | Telegraph (The)
21 September 2007
Leading NZ philanthropist Sir Roy McKenzie has died aged 84. McKenzie spent most of his life managing the JR McKenzie Trust, which was founded by his father from the profits of the…
Wine | Mercury News | The Palm Beach Daily News
20 September 2007
Features in two US newspapers discuss the past, present and future of NZ wines. The Palm Beach Daily News outlines the development of the NZ industry, from the first grapes planted by the Rev. Samuel Marsden…
Opera | Globe and Mail (The) | Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation
20 September 2007
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has launched her farewell tour of North America in Vancouver. Canada’s Globe and Mail ran a feature on Te Kanawa, covering world famous soprano’s career from her fêted debut at…
Nature | sciencealert.com
20 September 2007
NZ will introduce a carbon trading scheme next year in a bid to cap greenhouse gas emissions at the lowest possible cost to the economy. Under the plan, every industry will be allocated an agreed level…
Nature | Guardian (The)
20 September 2007
NZ possum fur features in a Guardian article on “weird and wonderful” examples of eco-friendly products. Imported from Australia in 1837, possums have been wreaking havoc on NZ’s native flora and fauna ever since. “We support killing…
New Zealand | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | USA Today | Vancouver Sun (The)
19 September 2007
Three travel articles on NZ appeared in North American newspapers this month, each offering a different way to experience Aotearoa. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Naomi Koppel chose to tramp around the South Island, taking in “one breathtaking vista…
Sport General | 2007 IWAS
18 September 2007
NZ athletes have won seven gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the 2007 IWAS World Wheelchair and Amputee Games in Taipei, Taiwan. Christchurch swimmer Sophie Pascoe topped the medal haul, winning four gold medals…
Rugby | Guardian (The) | YouTube
18 September 2007
All Black Daniel Carter stars in a new viral advertisement for Adidas. The ad was shot at Carter’s parents’ house, and shows Daniel and his father talking about his childhood spent kicking goals in the back…
Fashion | Herald Sun
17 September 2007
This year’s Air New Zealand Fashion Week launched in unique style, with a catwalk show aboard one of its primary sponsor’s commercial aircraft. More than 120 passengers watched a sneak preview of the 2008…
General | Sydney Morning Herald (The)
17 September 2007
Aucklander Nadya Vessey has commissioned a custom-made mermaid tail from Wellington’s Weta Workshop. A keen swimmer, Vessey was born with a condition that prevented her legs from developing properly. She had her first leg…
Business | New Zealand Herald | The Register
17 September 2007
Marketing entrepreneur Andy Lark is the latest New Zealander to land a top job at a leading US technology firm. Lark has been appointed global vice-president of marketing and communications at Dell, one of the world’s…
Taste | NZEdge
16 September 2007
NZ rugby fans in France have been able to enjoy a taste of home at Le Maori Cafe in Lyons. Owned by Aucklander Tai Pepere, who played rugby league for French club Catalans…
Wine | Guardian (The)
15 September 2007
Guardian wine writer Victoria Moore reports on the overwhelming success of NZ wine in the UK. NZ wine boasts the highest average retail price in the UK (second-place Australia lags by £1.77) and almost 10% of…
General | Mercury News
14 September 2007
Air New Zealand will launch its first “Pink Flight” from San Francisco to Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in February next year. Modelled on a similar trip from Auckland to Sydney this…
Visual Arts | Time Magazine
14 September 2007
A new book by Wellington documentary photographer Bruce Connew featured in Time magazine’s Pacific edition. Stopover tells the story of Fiji’s Indian sugar-cane workers – the country’s “unseen underclass” – in stunning black and…
Wine | Time Magazine
13 September 2007
NZ actor Sam Neill talks Pinot Noir in a Time magazine profile. The star of Jurassic Park and The Piano established his Two Paddocks vineyard, which solely produces Pinot Noir, in Central Otago in 1993. “Pinot Noir…
Te Ao Maori | Vogue
13 September 2007
A French fashion designer’s use of moko in advertisements for his latest collection has caused a stir in NZ. Jean Paul Gaultier’s campaign shots, featuring male and female models with Maori facial tattooing, have…
Business | International Herald Tribune | New Zealand Herald
12 September 2007
New Zealand Herald writer Fiona Hawtin reports on the unique nature of the NZ fashion scene for the International Herald Tribune. “Of the 45 labels showing at the seventh New Zealand Fashion Week ……
War & Peace | Nobelprize.org
12 September 2007
A NZ youth development course is in the running for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The Spirit of New Zealand, a ship that takes teenagers on 10-day development workshops, is one of 21 ships…
Sport General | eatsleepsport.com
12 September 2007
NZ soccer goalkeeper Jacob Gleeson flies to England next month to trial for two major Premier League clubs. The 17-year-old Wellingtonian so impressed scouts at the U-17 World Cup in South Korea last month that he secured…
Nature | Teharan Times (The)
12 September 2007
The NZ bar-tailed godwit is officially the migratory champion of the avian world. The bird has been tracked from its summertime home in NZ to its breeding ground in Alaska, and back again, by…
Business | Business & Finance
12 September 2007
Hong Kong sees NZ as a role model for renewable energy and environmental technology, according to its government’s website. “New Zealand is renowned for its high environmental standards and its use of new technologies to protect the…
Business | The Korean Times
10 September 2007
A leading Korean trade group is using NZ as a benchmark for competitive national branding. Research by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) has shown the long-term effectiveness of NZ’s “100% Pure New Zealand” and “New Thinking…
Science/Tech | Los Angeles Times
10 September 2007
An LA Times health feature discusses the healing properties of NZ Manuka honey, which is becoming increasingly accepted in international medical circles. Manuka honey has been cleared for use as a wound dressing and…
Film & TV | Los Angeles Times
9 September 2007
NZ-born director Andrew Dominik has followed up his award-winning film Chopper with a psychological Western epic starring Brad Pitt. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford debuted at this month’s…
New Zealand | Guardian (The)
8 September 2007
A selection of readers’ NZ travel tips appeared in the Guardian‘s travel pages this month. The information was gathered from the newspaper’s “I’ve been there” website, which features six pages of travellers’ suggestions for Aotearoa. The tips…
Film & TV | Guardian (The)
7 September 2007
Flight of the Conchords, the HBO series starring NZ comedians Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, is ranked eighth on the Guardian‘s 50 must-see shows. Described as “a downbeat winner”, Conchords debuts on BBC4 this…
Te Ao Maori | The Times Argus
7 September 2007
An American dance professor gained a fascinating insight into NZ culture during an exchange organised by the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Tarin Chaplin wrote about her time in Auckland and Wellington in a…
Visual Arts | Saatchi Showdown
7 September 2007
Nelson-born artist Charles Olsen was runner up in the inaugural Saatchi Showdown, an online user-voted art competition run by London’s Saatchi Gallery. Olsen received £750, and priceless media exposure, for…
Film & TV | New York Times (The)
6 September 2007
Russell Crowe has impressed critics with his latest role in 3:10 to Yuma. After a string of less successful films, Crowe is back to what he does best: playing “the charming baddie”. A remake…
Film & TV | Wall Street Journal (The)
5 September 2007
Wall Street Journal film critic Joe Morgenstern paid Peter Jackson a visit at his Miramar studios on a recent trip to NZ. The pair discussed their favourite movies, the future of special effects and…
Business | New York Times (The)
4 September 2007
NZ is reaping the benefits of a global milk boom, according to the New York Times. Milk is in high demand and short supply due to a combination of global factors, including climate change, trade policies…
Motorsports | Full Noise
4 September 2007
Auckland teen Katherine Prumm has won her second consecutive women’s motocross world title at the series final in the Netherlands. The 19-year-old rider dominated the final day of the competition, beating Kawasaki team-mates Livia…
Watersports | Guardian (The)
3 September 2007
NZ athletes continue to dominate world rowing, with another impressive medal haul at this year’s world championships in Munich, Germany. Single sculler Mahe Drysdale, lightweight sculler Duncan Grant and the men’s four of…
Theatre | New York Times (The)
2 September 2007
Sir Ian McKellen returned to NZ in August for the first time since 2003, to perform both Shakespeare’s King Lear and Chekhov’s The Seagull with the Royal Shakespeare Company. McKellen, who reached a…
Architecture | Telegraph (The)
2 September 2007
Architect Chris Tate’s Titirangi dream house featured in the Telegraph‘s property pages this month. Tate’s home sits 13 feet above a gully at its highest point, anchored by 16 poles in the earth. The…
Design | Independent (The)
1 September 2007
Next month sees the NZ launch of the Antipode Planter, an award winning upside-down planter by the Matakana-based Morris Design Office. Designed by Patrick Morris, the Antipode Planter won the UK New Designers Award in 2006 and…
Taste | Scoop
1 September 2007
Aotearoa wine and cuisine has gained a significant foothold in China with the opening of the first restaurant and bar dedicated to premium NZ produce. Located in Guangzhou, China’s third largest city, Back Street…
Wine | Decanter
1 September 2007
Two NZ wines received top honours in Decanter magazine’s (US) annual World Wine Awards. Central Otago’s Bald Hills Pinot Noir 2005 won the International Pinot Noir Over £10 Trophy and Nelson’s Seifried Riesling Sweet Agnes 2006 the…
Adrenalin | Telegraph (The)
1 September 2007
A Telegraph feature on NZ adventure tourism gives a comprehensive overview of the range of activities on offer. Tourist operators specialising in adventure sports have moved beyond Queenstown’s borders and can now be found all over the…
Visual Arts | Spasifik
1 September 2007
The Auckland-based Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust is hosting its first international exhibition, at The Art Studio in Rarotonga. Titled Longitude, the show features works by 21 artists with Pacific heritage, including photographer Greg…
Business | International Herald Tribune
30 August 2007
NZ has lost two of its leading business figures with the deaths of Sir James Fletcher and Nick Nobilo (pictured) on August 29. Fletcher, 92, became Managing Director of construction dynasty Fletcher…
Music | Los Angeles Times
30 August 2007
Crowded House were praised for their “emotion-drenched performance” at The Greek Theatre in an LA Times review. LA Times: “he group’s exquisitely crafted songs are infinitely rich with melodic and harmonic invention but lyrically…
General | ABC News
28 August 2007
Two NZ sports greats were made members of the New Zealand Order of Merit at this year’s investiture ceremony. All Black legend Jonah Lomu and sheep shearing champion David Fagan (pictured) both received…
Sport General | New York Times (The)
27 August 2007
Shot put star Valerie Vili has won gold at the IAAF Athletics World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Vili threw a personal best of 20.54 meters, beating defending champion Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus by six centimetres. “It’s pretty…
Science/Tech | Observer (The)
26 August 2007
Transport Communications, a new book by two NZ professors, predicts an end to congestion, terrorist threats and increasing fuel prices through the widespread adoption of nanotechnologies and satellite communications over the next 50 years. Authors Chris Kissling…
Politics and Economics | Age (The)
24 August 2007
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has named New Zealander David Shearer as his deputy special representative for Iraq. Shearer will also serve as Iraq’s UN resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator. “David’s a pretty special guy. He’s hugely regarded…
New Zealand | Guardian (The)
23 August 2007
A Napier prison-turned-backpackers features in a Guardian travel story on jail-themed hotels. Decommissioned in 1993, the Napier Prison was reopened in 2002 to offer tours and budget accommodation. Guardian: “You can have it the easy way -…
Film & TV | The West
22 August 2007
Two short films by lecturers and a student at Auckland University have been accepted for competition at the Venice Film Festival. Coffee and Allah, written and produced by senior film lecturers Shuchi Kothari and…
Music | Guardian (The) | NME | Rolling Stone
22 August 2007
Auckland five-piece The Checks featured as the Guardian’s New Band of the Day for August 22. Music critic Paul Lester: “These five New Zealanders may be teenagers, but they sound as old as the…
Te Ao Maori | International Herald Tribune
21 August 2007
King Tuheitia, the seventh Maori monarch, has marked the official start of his leadership after a year of mourning for his mother and predecessor, Queen Dame Te Atairangikahu. Thousands of Maori and dignitaries travelled…
Music
21 August 2007
A San Diego entertainment guide has hailed NZ as “the new Seattle” for its flourishing alternative music scene. The article name-checks HBO show Flight of the Conchords, starring Wellington folk-comedy duo Brett McKenzie and…