Yesterday we asked for your stories, good and bad, about the experience of renting a home in New Zealand, and the response was huge. This is first installment, with more to come throughout Rent Week. I lived in a very cute little row of houses, tucked behind the car yards on Great North Road, Grey … Read more
To kick off Rent Week, The Spinoff writers and friends share some of the worst renting conditions they’ve had to live with. Please feel free to share your own on our Facebook page, or send to info@thespinoff.co.nz to be added to this anthology of atrocious landlords and homes across in New Zealand. Don Rowe: Just … Read more
It is primal. It is the true modern ouroboros. It is Snake, the twisty-turny frenzied reflection of ourselves. In Snake (as in life) the obstacle to overcome is ourselves. Here a bevy of Spinoff writers each play a single round (enforced), compare scores and eventually crown a winner. Mr Duncan Greive My first phone was … Read more
The Spinoff watched and listened to the first episode of The AM Show, Three’s new offering to the multi-platform breakfast news buffet. Here’s what we reckon. It’s bright. Maybe too bright. With the telly roaring to life at the fragile time of 5.58am to a visual feast of bright red dresses, searing hot pinks and scorching … Read more
So farewell then, TV3. New Zealand’s third channel is now the 100% numeral-free Three, complete with a new visual identity that attempts the rare feat of being both “vibrant, playful and inspiring” and wholly mathematics themed. Madeleine Chapman, José Barbosa and Calum Henderson weigh in on the changes. Exclusive: The TV3 Pinterest board Following a convoluted … Read more
The Spinoff tries to remember what happened at yesterday’s Laneway festival. A thumbs up I absolutely love a long, drawn out festival. The more days I can spend in a dusty, stagnant field the better. I like them because there’s no urgency. It’s for this reason that the thought of trying to spread myself across … Read more
Will The Project usurp Hosking? Will Shortland Street bring back Lionel? Will Dominic Bowden take his place in The Bachelor circle of life? We look bravely to the year ahead and pluck out the most promising bits of local television programming. Survivor New Zealand It feels like 1000 years have passed since Lana Coc-Kroft had a deadly … Read more
To launch our new science section this year we asked a dozen scientists and entrepreneurs how positive we can be that we’re progressing towards Sir Paul Callaghan’s dream of a transformed New Zealand through the use of science and technology. Originally published November 16, 2016 The Spinoff is thrilled to be launching today a new … Read more
Who are the most powerful figures in the new generation of New Zealand literature? The most innovative, the most awarded, the most industrious? A panel of young experts exchanged their views over Snapchat and things like that until they agreed on the top 10. Originally posted October 31, 2016 1 Hera Lindsay Bird But not … Read more
As 2016 levers itself off the cliff, our writers put quill to parchment and look back over the past twelve months. The good, bad, rubbish, awesome and the henchest: we rank and rate it all. Best AAA Game Don Rowe: EA UFC 2 My key factor for deciding ‘best’ comes down to what did I … Read more
The directors of videos for Lorde, Shihad, Ladi 6, Lawrence Arabia and more choose their favourite music vids of 2016. Joel Kefali Joel Kefali is the director of music videos for Lorde, Katy Perry and Leisure. When I look back at the music videos of 2016, I found it difficult to make an objective top … Read more
The latest installment of Final Fantasy has been released from its cage into the arms of millions of fans. Resident Fantas-ites(?) Eugenia Woo and Matthew Codd settled around the old Skype and discussed what worked, what didn’t and why the little things matter. Matthew: So. Final Fantasy XV. Eugenia: Final Fantasy XV. It’s been a … Read more
John Key resigns as prime minister: what does it all mean? A range of commentators from all points on the political spectrum weigh in. Jennifer Lees-Marshment: A chance to refresh the National brand John Key’s resignation will carry strategic benefits for National – even if it wasn’t designed to. It means the party can find … Read more
Xmas is around the corner! By all means choose something from the latest Unity Books best-seller chart at their stores in Auckland and Wellington. AUCKLAND STORE 1 Swing Time (Hamish Hamilton, $37) by Zadie Smith “A keen, controlled novel about dance and blackness steps onto a stage of cultural land mines…Moving, funny, and grave, this novel … Read more
With TV3’s sketch show Funny Girls wrapped up for another year, we got the writing team to pick their favourite sketches from season two. Laura Daniel During a brainstorm session, I sat down with Joseph Moore and we talked about how we really wanted to make a full-length, romantic ode about getting the booty call … Read more
Leonard Cohen has died. Sean Donnelly, Samuel Flynn Scott and Bill Manhire reflect on his music and life. I stepped into an avalanche It covered up my soul In trying to write something about ‘Avalanche’, I’m listening to it and, again, I’m just floored by it. As a songwriter, I want to ask him which … Read more
Announcing the longlist of the 2017 Ockham national book awards. Right then. Last night we set the switch for 5:01am, to get in first and fastest with the 2017 Ockham national book awards longlist, embargoed till 5:00am. There are some stunning inclusions, mystifying omissions, and a leading publisher has already attacked the judges of one … Read more
To launch our new science section we asked a range of scientists and entrepreneurs how positive we can be that we’re progressing towards Sir Paul Callaghan’s dream of a transformed New Zealand through the use of science and technology. The Spinoff is thrilled to be launching today a new science section, supported by our friends … Read more
Elle Hunt leaks her Facebook chat with Joseph Moore and Ciaran O’Regan about the Chainsmokers, the world’s favourite pop bros, and ‘Closer’, their globe-smashing hit. ELLE: Even if you don’t know the Chainsmokers by name, or their previous work (mostly: a song called ‘Selfie’, about selfies), you will have heard ‘Closer’. I dislike it with … Read more
The weekly best-seller chart at Unity stores in Auckland and Wellington, for the week just ended: November 11 WELLINGTON STORE 1 Sellout: A Novel (Oneworld, $28) by Paul Beattie A review copy of the Man Booker award-winning dark satire on American life was despatched to Charlotte Graham on Monday, and she emailed on Wednesday morning to … Read more
Free-to-air New Zealand television coverage of the US election night came down a choice between watching President-elect Donald Trump’s acceptance speech on TV3 or competitive cooking show Masterchef on TVNZ 1. These three people watched the former. Alex Casey I spent a lot of yesterday searching for a person in the televised election coverage who … Read more
We asked a range of clever and interesting people: What just happened? And what now? Jacinda Ardern What happened? The horror. And I feel like explaining it almost excuses it. I understand the idea of ‘sending a message’ and people telling institutions that they feel like they’ve been let down or ignored. But I do … Read more
All day we’re publishing responses from interesting and informed New Zealanders to two questions: What just happened? And what now? In this installment, comedians and podcast hosts Tim Batt and Guy Montgomery. Tim Batt I’m somehow both drunk and hungover. Exhausted and in a state of utter disbelief. What just happened? We witnessed a very … Read more
The weekly best-seller chart at Unity stores in Auckland and Wellington, for the week just ended: November 4 AUCKLAND STORE 1 City House, Country House (Godwit, 485) by John Walsh and Patrick Reynolds City houses, country houses. 2 Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (Harvill Secker, $40) by Yuval Noah Secker “The old trope … Read more
Who are the most powerful figures in the new generation of New Zealand literature? The most innovative, the most awarded, the most industrious? A panel of young experts exchanged their views over Snapchat and things like that until they agreed on the top 10. 1 Hera Lindsay Bird But not just for the 46,000+ views … Read more
Everybody loves a good ghost story. And the only thing better than a ghost story is a Celebrity Ghost Story. We asked some of New Zealand / the world’s hottest celebrities (who we had contact information for) for their spooky tales. Wallace Chapman Once when I was 18, we were sitting around listening to heavy … Read more
The weekly best-seller chart at Unity stores in Wellington and Auckland, for the week just ended: October 28 WELLINGTON STORE 1 Murdoch: The Political Cartoons of Sharon Murdoch (Potton & Burton, $40) by Sharon Murdoch The smash-hit cartoon book by the 2016 Canon Media Awards cartoonist of the year who was born in Invercargill, worked … Read more
It’s Labour Weekend this weekend to commemorate the 8-hour work day by not going to work for any hours. It makes sense. To celebrate, Madeleine Chapman and Calum Henderson combined brains to find the best and worst places to work on Lightbox. THE BEST 1) Pawnee Parks Department (Parks & Recreation) With Leslie Knope being … Read more
The weekly best-seller chart at Unity stores in Auckland and Wellington, for the week just ended: October 21 AUCKLAND STORE 1 Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (Harvill Secker, $40) by Yuval Noah Harari “The epic, widely celebrated Sapiens gets the sequel it demanded – a breathless, compulsive inquiry into humanity’s apocalyptic, tech-driven future”: … Read more