Alice Webb-Liddall 
How do productive people use their phones to their advantage? In the first part of a new series, The Spinoff asks Vodafone NZ’s head of platforms Sharina Nisha how she makes her phone work for her, and the apps she considers crucial. Sharina Nisha is the head of platforms at Vodafone NZ, a short title … Read more
Bananas are unequivocally the best fruit in the world, and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind, writes Alice Webb-Liddall. I was about 15 when I realised that halftime banana cake wasn’t a tradition outside of my family. On the day of an All Blacks game a banana cake would always be whipped … Read more
New to sailing? As the Prada Cup resumes, here’s how to talk like a pro. When I was 10, my mum made my brother and me join the local sailing club. It was a favourite pastime of families in Kerikeri, and my brother was actually quite good. I lasted only a few weeks before being … Read more
Summer reissue: Crowd entertainment at sports games is a hard task, but please let’s stick to T-shirt cannons and on-field japes instead of watching strangers smooch, eh? First published July 13, 2020. Funny kiss cam footage is a key element of any viral fail video compilation. A “she’s my sister” sign pulled out of a … Read more
Summer reissue: In an effort to bring The Spinoff’s favourite format – the ranking – to its knees, Alice Webb-Liddall ranks the most boring thing she can think of: borers. First published October 29, 2020. If something is to be named after me when I have passed away after a lifetime of goodwill and national … Read more
Summer reissue: Esther Ng is the most successful New Zealand designer you’ve never heard of. Her label, Prix, has been seen on celebrities like Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner, she has over 150,000 Instagram followers and she’s currently working from her bedroom. First published September 20 2020. Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay … Read more
Summer reissue: Buying secondhand clothing is one of the best ways to refresh a wardrobe without spending wads of money or contributing to the wasteful fast fashion industry. But there’s a fine art to finding pieces that are worth your time. First published August 2, 2020 I’ve never been hunting but I imagine, in a … Read more
They’re under parliament buildings, in opera houses, even floating through space. And now The Spinoff is about to bury one for 2020. While stashing stuff for future humans to unearth has been a tradition for thousands of years, when did ‘time capsules’ become a thing? At the beginning of high school, it is these days … Read more
Google has released its list of top trending searches New Zealanders made in 2020, and surprisingly, they’re not all about Covid. In this hellscape year, New Zealanders have turned to many vices to help us through. From Tiger King to TikTok, there’s never been a better time to waste time online. While the world’s population … Read more
Medicinal cannabis stocks took a dive in the aftermath of the cannabis referendum. Here’s why it happened. In the aftermath of the cannabis referendum on October 17, stocks for the two NZX-listed medicinal cannabis companies both sold down. While the referendum concerned the recreational, not medicinal use of cannabis, medicinal cannabis companies say there may … Read more
Helping to get more rangatahi Māori interested in animation and design industries, the first class from the Māoriland MATCH programme are set to graduate today. The Māoriland film festival is run every year out of Ōtaki, a small town on the Kāpiti Coast. The five-day event hosts a number of Indigenous storytellers every year, with … Read more
Raiha Cook grew up attending kura Māori, but when she decided to study at the University of Otago she found the move from te ao Māori to European-style learning difficult. Now she’s researching that transition to help make it easier for students to feel safe at mainstream universities. Set in the spray of Raukawa Moana, … Read more
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern has long championed high-end locally-made fashion, she wore local brand Maaike at her election night party. Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson has recently started taking a different route with her wardrobe – choosing instead a secondhand suit for her election night appearance. In the past few years, Instagram has become one … Read more
A suburban Auckland property home to hundreds of rabbits is causing a stir with neighbours, who have called in the Auckland Council to take control of the situation. Dylan Lewis is surrounded by rabbits, all different sizes and colours. The 51-year-old shares his large Mount Eden home with hundreds of the fluffy creatures, and neighbours … Read more
Theatre has been used as a medium to communicate society’s toughest issues for hundreds of years. Every Brilliant Thing is a show by Silo Theatre company encouraging thoughtful discussion of depression and suicide in a year where people’s mental health has been put under heavy pressure. As we shuffle into the opening performance of Every … Read more
A potential Covid-19 vaccine is showing promising signs during overseas trials, and 1.5 million doses could arrive in New Zealand as early as the start of next year. A potential vaccination for Covid-19 that’s been tested on 44,000 people is being hailed a success as early trials show it working in 90% of patients. University … Read more
New Zealand is one of the only developed countries still battling rheumatic fever. Now Cure Kids is giving its largest ever amount of funding to six studies into the childhood illness. Former Auckland Blues player Matt Johnson apologised for the loud tick coming from his chest as he stood up to tell his story of … Read more
A new website has consolidated data about and involving Māori, making it easier for iwi groups, trusts and Māori communities to access the statistics that impact their lives. A collaboration years in the making, the new Figure NZ and Callaghan Innovation website Pātaka Raraunga aims to make Māori data access easier for everyone. Consolidating thousands … Read more
After receiving a damning screen-time report, Alice Webb-Liddall gave up on social media for two weeks and discovered more than just a few more hours in her day. I was home sick from work two weeks ago when I encountered a shameful problem I didn’t realise I had. Swiping right on my home screen, I … Read more
Chloé Julian’s been supporting boobs for years under big names like Stella McCartney and Agent Provocateur. Now, home in New Zealand, she’s launched Videris, a lingerie line that focuses on comfort over everything. After 15 years working in the lingerie industry, Hamilton-raised Chloé Julian knows the ins and outs of bras and knickers more than … Read more
In an effort to bring The Spinoff’s favourite format – the ranking – to its knees, Alice Webb-Liddall ranks the most boring thing she can think of: borers. If something is to be named after me when I have passed away after a lifetime of goodwill and national recognition, I would want a high-density housing … Read more
After a lockdown spent creating stop motion in their laundry, Sports Team is now nominated for an Aotearoa Music Artisan award. The duo talk to The Spinoff about making music videos. The first music video Annabel Kean and Callum Devlin made was accidental. It happened on a date, wandering around Auckland city, Kean wearing a … Read more
Hosting an election night party but still stressing over what to serve? Don’t worry, we’ve got you. Election night parties are mostly shambolic. Between the people who want to sit in front of the TV and watch numbers roll across the screen for hours and those who just came to delete some beverages, sometimes the … Read more
A new study shows systemic gaps in the health system are making it much harder for Māori with eating disorders to access the specialist support they need. Alice Webb-Liddall reports. Social barriers, a lack of culturally appropriate services and stigma mean Māori are much less likely to have access to specialist treatment for eating disorders, … Read more
Walk from Karangahape Road to the waterfront and Queen Street will give you a view into the soul of Auckland. Alice Webb-Liddall explored the street’s history and how it has shaped the city. What connects all significant streets is their ability to bring people together. On Queen Street, heritage buildings like the Town Hall, grand … Read more
Voting is under way in the New Zealand general election. Explore the main parties’ pledges at Policy.nz, but here’s a whistlestop tour of what’s on offer in the world of education. Read more two-minute policy wraps here Education accounts for the third-biggest portion of government spending, so it’s crucial parties have clear directives for this … Read more
The 2020 Arts Foundation laureates have been selected, awarding seven outstanding artists who represent the diversity of New Zealand and the arts in Aotearoa right now. The past nine months have not been easy for artists all around the world. In New Zealand, lockdowns and financial disruption caused by Covid-19 have put a lot of … Read more
Two years ago, Haider Khan started his te reo Māori journey. Since then, he says, a new world has opened up for him, and he’s uncovered connections that he’d never noticed before. Haider Khan was inspired to take up te reo Māori at precisely the wrong time. After hearing a coworker at Spark delivering a … Read more
Esther Ng is the most successful New Zealand designer you’ve never heard of. Her label, Prix, has been seen on celebrities like Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner, she has over 150,000 Instagram followers and she’s currently working from her bedroom. On any regular weekday you’d likely find Esther Ng playing games on her PC. Streaming … Read more