NZEDGE News — New Zealand through the eyes of the world's media

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Sheryl Sandberg Deems Ardern a Political Prodigy

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg gives her opinion on New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has been named in Time magazine’s list of 100 ‘Most Influential People’, alongside other leaders including London mayor Sadiq…

Autoportrait Wins Deutsche Börse Photography Prize

The 2018 Deutsche Börse photography prize has been awarded to the New Zealander Luke Willis Thompson, 30, for Autoportrait, a film installation about the partner of Philando Castile, who was shot dead by police…

Michael Long Wins PGA with Dream Course Round

New Zealander Michael Long, 49, has recorded a dream victory at the recent TX Civil & Logistics Western Australia PGA Championship after equalling the course record at Kalgoorlie Golf Course. Starting the final day five…

Eco-Friendly Startup Aims to Reduce Plastic Dumped Into Ocean

“80 billion plastic bottles from shampoo and conditioner alone enter our oceans every year,” writes Mara Leighton in an article for Business Insider. Ethique – a…

Photographer Launches Project to Prevent Bullying Against Redheads

New Zealand photographer Bianca Duimel “is hoping to change the conversation around red hair with a powerful art project.” Sarah Young reports for The Independent. “I was looking for children for…

Moeraki Boulders Make for Ever-Changing Photo Op

An image of Otago’s Moeraki Boulders has featured in the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s online version. “Folklore is storied with mystical explanations, but it is believed the coast has been eroded…

Kim Chambers Swims Like No Other

Kim Chambers, a former ballerina who grew up on a sheep farm in the King Country has done what no other woman has yet achieved: swum the world’s most difficult ocean swim, from the…

New All Blacks Documentary “Looks Absolutely Breathtaking”

“All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks is a new six-episode series and it promises to be a belter,” writes Paul Moore in an article for Joe.ie. Narrated by the “incredibly…

Brazil Readies for Connan Mockasin

New Zealand singer-songwriter Connan Mockasin will head to Brazil in November after the release of two new albums in October. “There were some invitations to go, some almost came to fruition,…

Athlete’s Guide to New Zealand

Adventurer and now New Zealand-based athlete Luke Yates, “newly enamoured with the country”, explains why the Land of the Long White Cloud is perfectly suited for endurance adventures in an article for IRONMAN. “Mythical stories…

Dairy Farmer Richard Watson Gets Help From Ida

Cow No. 14433 doesn’t stand out from the herd at Seven Oaks Dairy in Wisconsin. But New Zealand-born dairy owner Richard Watson knows everything about the brown Jersey heifer without…

Scientist Richard Dawkins Considers Move to NZ

The British scientist Richard Dawkins has told current affairs programme The Project he would like to move to New Zealand as a refuge from the “madness” of a post-Trump, post-Brexit northern hemisphere. “I thought about…

Unique Sneak Preview for Effects Man Matt Aitken

New Zealand-born VFX supervisor Matt Aitken talks about Marvel’s “unusual” move that helped make the biggest superhero blockbuster ever, Avengers: Infinity War. Aitken’s credits included an Academy Award nomination for visual effects for 2009’s District…