End of The NZ Flag Referendum? Think Again
Last week the results of the New Zealand flag referendum were released: The Kiwis voted against changing the flag and in favour of keeping their current flag. Is that the end of it? Peter Fitz…
Tag Archives: Sydney Morning Herald (The)
Game of Thrones Star Joins Top of the Lake
Gwendoline Christie, who plays popular Game of Thrones character Brienne of Tarth, will join Mad Men star Elisabeth Moss in a new season of the much-praised Jane Campion TV show Top of the Lake,…
Cheryl Boyd’s Stringybark Garden a Magical Surprise
New Zealand-born garden designer and horticulturist Cheryl Boyd’s Stringybark Cottage garden is one of eight private Australian gardens featured in Phaidon’s account of worldwide gardens, The Gardener’s Garden. Sydney Morning Herald garden columnist Robin Powell…
Sarah Bentley Curates Trans-Tasman Dialogue
Curator and art writer New Zealander Serena Bentley creates a dialogue between two Melbourne painters – Kate Smith and Meagan Wyke – and three Aucklanders – Schaeffer Lemalu, Patrick Lundberg, Campbell Patterson – in…
New Zealand Black Caps Stun India in Cup Opener
“New Zealand have spun their way to a 47-run win over India, toppling the World Twenty20 hosts with a superb Mitchell Santner-led performance in the field in Nagpur,” as reported in an article on…
Ladyhawke Is Back with Wild New Album
Pip Brown, better known as Ladyhawke, ARIA-winning maker of synth-pop hits such as Paris is Burning and My Delirium, is back with a new album. Wild Things was created in Los Angeles and is…
Timelio’s Charlotte Petris Helping Small Grow
Large superannuation funds are preparing to enter the invoice financing market via the award-winning fintech start-up Timelio, which has created a peer-to-peer platform to provide capital to small companies seeking to expand. Timelio was…
Francis Upritchard’s Forlorn Figures Test Empathy
New Zealand born Francis Upritchard’s exhibition Jealous Saboteurs is on at Monash University’s Museum of Art (MUMA) in Melbourne. Robert Nelson reviews the show for the Sydney Morning Herald. “Upritchard has modified a group of…
Michael Long Wins Vic Open with Magic Shot
Cromwell-born former PGA Tour professional Michael Long said he could not have hit the incredible chip shot that won him this year’s Vic Open if he had another 99 tries. Long admitted he thought he…
Ben Sanders’ Crime Novel Takes on the Big Guns
Ben Sanders’ American Blood is a “world-class thriller,” according to Karen Hardy writing for the Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s perhaps a little too soon to put Sanders in the same league as Lee Child,”…
Thomas Monckton’s The Pianist a Brilliant Hour
New Zealander Thomas Monckton is one of a new generation of mimes, a “luminary”, beginning to “carry the torch in a tradition that brought us Charlie Chaplin and Mr Bean,” according to the Sydney…
Jess Johnson’s Wurm Haus an Otherworldly Experience
New Zealand-born artist Jess Johnson’s new exhibition, on at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), is arresting – a series of geometrical, pastel-toned psychedelic prints that bring to mind fantastical worlds and video games….
NZ Dancers and Choreographer Open AMAs With Jennifer Lopez
“Jennifer Lopez has blown away music fans and fellow performers with a show-stopping dance medley at the American Music Awards – and a Kiwi is getting the credit,” as reported in an article on the…
Air New Zealand Unveils New Auckland International Lounge
Air New Zealand has unveiled a new international lounge in Auckland, which can seat more than 375 customers comfortably and is significantly larger than the old lounge. The new modern Auckland lounge was designed by…
How Jonah Lomu Led to the Success of World Cup
“On 18 June 1995, Rupert Murdoch was sitting in his Los Angeles office watching the World Cup semi-final between England and New Zealand,” Sydney Morning Herald rugby columnist Spiro Zavos writes. “England winger Tony…
New Zealand Explains Haka to Turkey in Gesture of Goodwill at Chunuk Bair
“A haka has been performed at a Gallipoli commemoration service for the first time in years after Turkish concerns about “offensive” gestures were resolved”, writes Lloyd Jones for The Sydney Morning Herald. Before the New Zealand…
Girls Producer Backs Jemaine Clement’s New Show
One of the stars of nineties cult comedy show Flight of the Conchords, Jemaine Clement says he’s excited his new HBO series will be backed by the producer behind Girls, Judd Apatow. Clement is working…
Kerry Fox Tutors Directors on Actors in Melbourne
New Zealand actor Kerry Fox, who stars in Australian film Downriver, which premieres at this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), also gave a masterclass at the event with the film’s writer/director Grant Scicluna about the…
Prince Charles Made Honorary Head of NZ Defence
Prince Charles has been appointed Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Field Marshal of the Army and Marshal of the Air Force. “These appointments recognise the consistent and strong support Prince…
Cutthroat role for Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Sweeney
Operatic baritone New Zealander Teddy Tahu Rhodes has the lead role as the infamous barber in Victorian Opera’s take on Sweeney Todd, Stephen Sondheim’s bloodiest musical. Rhodes, playing Sweeney for the first time, hasn’t watched…
Rare White Whale Migaloo Tours New Zealand
A rare white humpback, usually spotted up the eastern Australian coastline, has been seen swimming with a normally dark-coloured humpback in New Zealand’s Cook Strait. “White humpbacks are extremely rare. Only four have been reported…
Marlon Williams’ Voice Skips Decades and Genres
Marlon Williams’ recent gig at Sydney’s Basement was “terrific”, according to music writer Bernard Zuel. “Williams is tall and good looking and charming and winning. That will get you far. He can write a…
Keisha Castle-Hughes Thinks Big for Warrior Role
Not much more than a year ago, New Zealand actress Keisha Castle-Hughes, 25, was a Game Of Thrones fan scouring Hollywood Boulevard for a long blonde wig to wear to an informal dress-up event…
Danielle Cormack an Ambitious Currency Trader in New Play
Award-winning actor New Zealand-born Danielle Cormack, who came to prominence in Australia with her performances in Underbelly and Wentworth, is currently playing an ambitious currency trader in Boys Will Be Boys at
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck – Future Rugby League Star
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has the potential to become “one of New Zealand’s greatest ever players” proclaims David Long in the Sydney Morning Herald. The New Zealander, who grew up in South Auckland said he never wanted…
Sam Neill Remembers Fallen Family in Why Anzac
In one pivotal scene from Sam Neill’s thoughtful and moving examination of the Anzac legend, the ABC documentary Why Anzac, he approaches his grandfather’s grave in Lijssenthoek Cemetery, Belgium for the first time. “This is…
Attica Chef and Forager Ben Shewry’s Plates Didactic
New Zealander Ben Shewry’s role at Melbourne’s Attica is lauded in the Sydney Morning Herald, with the restaurant named one of reviewer Terry Durack’s top 12 in Australia. “No, you haven’t made a mistake, that…
Ken Rea’s Students Include Daniel Craig and Ewan McGregor
For 30 years, Rotorua-born Ken Rea has been a tutor in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, one of the oldest and most sought-after acting schools in the world. Rea’s students…
Now You Shall Know Jennifer Compton’s New Collection
Wellington-born poet and playwright Jennifer Compton’s new collection Now You Shall Know “has an early late-career energy about it – and a focus on what is really important,” the Sydney Morning Herald’s Geoff Page…
Contiki Australia’s Katrina Barry Heads Evolving Tour Company
New Zealand-born Katrina Barry, managing director of Contiki Australia, says the tour group has changed greatly since New Zealander John Anderson founded the company in 1962. “Twenty years ago it was just boozing around…
New Zealand Breakers Win NBL Title Over Cairns
In a terrific Game 2 of the NBL grand final series, the Breakers claimed their fourth championship in five years with an 83-81 victory over Cairns Taipan. It’s the Breakers’ ninth straight playoff victory and…
Glenn Martin’s Jetpack Dream Achieves IPO Liftoff
In 1981, a young aviation-obsessed university student, New Zealander Glenn Martin, began working on his dream to invent the world’s first commercial jetpack, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. In late February the company he…
Crowded House the ARIAs’ First Superstars
At the inaugural Australian Record Industry Association awards (ARIAs) in 1987, New Zealand judge (and now Australianised) Jenny Morris was joined by a countryman whose second band was named best new talent and went…
Roland Taylor’s Sydney Storm Grabs World’s Attention
Sydney’s spectacular early-season storms may just crack open a photographic career for Wanaka-born Roland Taylor, with his recent images attracting hundreds of thousands of online views. Taylor, 24, combined a perfect vantage point…
George Johnson’s Captivating Canvasses Exhibited
Nelson-born George Johnson is a giant of Australian “geometric abstraction” and his work, along with that of local heavyweights Jon Plapp and Trevor Vickers, was recently exhibited at Melbourne’s Nancy Sever Gallery. In a review…
Maori Martial Arts Rule the Big Screen in The Dead Lands
Matthew Metcalfe’s feature film The Dead Lands, shot entirely in Te Reo Maori and the first to showcase the ancient Maori martial art mau rakau, is due for official worldwide release early next year. The…
Estère – the New Face of Soul Music
An example of soul music’s possible future is 22-year-old New Zealander Estère, who recently played at the annual Australian World Music Expo (AWME) in Melbourne. The Wellington-based bedroom artist – she literally writes and records…
All Blacks Win Third Successive Rugby Championship
The All Blacks have wrapped up their third successive Rugby Championship crown with a comprehensive 34-13 win over Argentina at Estadio Ciudad de La Plata. First half tries to Ben Smith and Israel Dagg gave…
Lucy Lawless Plays a Teacher in New Outback Thriller
Lucy Lawless stars in ABC political thriller The Code as Alex Wisham, a teacher in a remote indigenous school who protects an Aboriginal boy blamed for the death of a teenage girl. She gets…
Air NZ Boeing 747-400 Takes Final Flight
Air New Zealand’s last Boeing 747-400 affectionately referred to by pilots as “Daddy’s yacht” has completed its final flight in teal livery, as the airline ushers in a new generation of long-haul aircraft. The 16-year-old…
Secluded Waikato Getaway Carved out of the Hills
“Long before Peter Jackson re-created Middle-earth in the fertile hills of New Zealand’s Waikato region, Graham Hannah and his young daughter Jessie had a dream,” Rob McFarland writes for the Sydney Morning Herald. “They would…
Scientists Closing to Breeding Eco-friendly Sheep
Scientists at New Zealand’s AgResearch and the US Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute have moved a step closer to developing a breed of sheep that belches less methane as part of a quest…
James McDonald’s Bright Star Shows No Sign of Dimming
Being so good so young won’t count against James McDonald, 23, according to Craig “Clocker” Tompson, a guiding light behind the meteoric Australian rise of the talented New Zealander. Some jockeys are exceptional early but…
Kimbra’s Princely Potential Lands Her Major Label Resources
Kimbra only intended to stay in Los Angeles for a month, but after she saw an online listing for an urban farm in Silverlake – “20 chickens, eight sheep, three sheepdogs, an outdoor kitchen…
James McDonald Earns Sydney Jockeys’ Premiership Title
Twenty-two year old James McDonald has secured the Sydney jockeys’ premiership title at Warwick Farm Racecourse, with his 71st win on outsider New Zealand-bred Bascule. McDonald started even prior to the race with Nash Rawiller…
Challenge Yourself to a Wellness Adventure at Queenstown’s Aro Ha
At Queenstown’s new wellness retreat Aro Ha, five and seven-day retreat programs offer guests “an unexpectedly rewarding journey of denial and depravation.” “I am on an amazing journey that goes beyond the picture-postcard…
Tongariro National Park Running to Its Own Geological Beat
“The Tongariro Crossing is regularly called the best day walk in New Zealand, but with big claims come big crowds. At the height of summer, up to 1000 people file across the 19km-long trail…
Velodrome Medal Haul at Glasgow Commonwealth Games
New Zealand has started its 2014 Commonwealth Games campaign with a bang winning three gold medals at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow. Aucklander Sam Webster (pictured, centre), 23, sprinted his way to New…
Air NZ liberating customers, becomes top profit performer
Within the airline industry, Air New Zealand has plenty of admirers, and is now the most profitable in Australasia with expectations of a full-year pre-tax profit of at least $300 million in August, which…
Kiwi Punter Makes Global News with Germany – Brazil Prediction
A New Zealander who bet $2 on the exact score between FIFA World Cup Semi-finalists Brazil and Germany has made global headlines. The semi-final, which ended 7-1 to Germany and has been called “Brazil’s worst…
Richard Branson Hosts New Zealand Scientist on Private Island
A New Zealand scientist has spent a week with Richard Branson on his private Caribbean island playing chess, eating sushi and discussing technology and sustainability. Auckland University lecturer Dr Michelle Dickinson was one of eight…
Melbourne Singer Organises Her Artistic Impulses
“If you believe in the nurturing influence of parents upon their children, then Jess Cornelius is a worthy example,” says the Sydney Morning Herald’s Craig Mathieson. “The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter, who performs with Teeth…
IT Expert Joins Growing Group of Female Tech Leaders
Dell Australia and New Zealand has appointed Angela Fox as the managing director, making her part of the growing list of female leaders of big technology companies in Australia, including Twitter’s Karen Stocks, Google’s Maile…
Fyfe a Great Fit for Icebreaker
Rob Fyfe, the man who engineered the turnaround of Air New Zealand after the airline’s Government bailout, is the ideal candidate to take over the reins at Kiwi global outdoor clothing retailer, Icebreaker, says…
Kimbra on Why Women in Music Are Seen as Sex Symbols
From Grammy winner to production whizz, Kimbra is breaking new ground. Kimbra Lee Johnson turned 24 in March this year, and while she didn’t have a party she still had a good time, spending the…
Cutting Edge Authors This Way Up at London Festival
New Zealand and Australian artists will be showcased in This Way Up, “a festival of seriously good literature, film, music and performance from two countries at the (cutting) edge of the world”, in London…
