Sacha Judd was never into costume parties, but when Mythbusters‘ Adam Savage invited her to Comic-Con she gave it a shot. She writes about learning to build a costume from scratch. In March this year, the students at North Bergen High School in New Jersey staged a two-night production of Alien: The Play. With a … Read more
I lived in the Canterbury halls where the student was found dead after his absence went unnoticed for many weeks. When I moved elsewhere for months, Sonoda never noticed I was gone, writes Max Towle for RNZ When I read about how the body of student Mason Pendrous lay undiscovered for weeks at the Canterbury … Read more
Another acting challenge bites the drag dust with this take on Downton Abbey. Sam Brooks recaps the second episode of Drag Race. There is one truth abut Drag Race that we’ve all decided to accept without question: There will be acting challenges on this show and they will be terrible. These will happen every season, and the quality will … Read more
Resident capybara reporter Emily Writes checks in on Wellington Zoo’s beautiful new addition. As exclusively reported right here back in April, the capybaras at Wellington Zoo have been going at it like Carmen and Jimmy on Married at First Sight. And now, as can happen following all-day orgies, a baby has arrived. Oh joy of … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. The holy trinity is finally reunited on the holiest of days, Duncan’s birthday, to discuss the highs and lows of the week in reality. Married at First Sight NZ came crawling to an end with the final … Read more
Her incredible international campaign to challenge world leaders on the climate emergency has made Greta Thunberg the favourite to win the Nobel Peace Prize tonight. Adam Currie questions why the public are so keen to hear the Swedish teen’s message over the indigenous youth who raised their voices long before Greta. One year before Greta’s … Read more
Stephen Colbert has made good on his promise to visit New Zealand, and the prime minister has made good on her promise to drive him around. When Jacinda Ardern appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in New York late last month, she challenged the host on his failure to visit New Zealand. The comedian … Read more
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 A Sharp Left Turn by Mike Chunn (Allen & Unwin, $45) “Oh bugger it! I might as well just … Read more
Following its controversial first season, Insatiable has returned with new episodes on Netflix. Cat Pause writes about why she won’t be watching the fat-shaming show – and what she’s been watching instead. The second season of Insatiable is now available on Netflix, and I, for one, will not be watching. I have better things to … Read more
A new poem by Dunedin poet Emma Neale. Mourning headlines Taupo bicycle crash victim died doing what he loved—living Otepoti climbing fall victim died doing what she loved—living British kayak tourist drowning victims died doing what they loved—living African neurologist hiking holiday-maker died doing what she loved—living Syrian child playing chase in the street … Read more
A small Canadian town has the weirdest answer to its pest problem – a museum of stuffed and costumed animal dioramas that has become a cult tourist attraction. Possums, stoats and rats are giving our native birds grief, and the New Zealand government has outlined an ambitious plan to get rid of them. All of … Read more
Some TVNZ OnDemand viewers have reported feeling alarmed at a series of ads that address them by their names. So how does it work? Jihee Junn finds out. Recently in a Spinoff Facebook group, a rather lively discussion was sparked by a post about an ad shown on streaming platform TVNZ OnDemand. “Does the Skinny … Read more
Architectural designer and housing advocate Jade Kake is leading a number of projects (and conversations) on the rejuvenation of Māori housing and land. Here she looks at the current housing climate and what needs to change before Māori can have agency over their housing aspirations. We’re at a really interesting point in time politically. The … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Former Air NZ boss confirms he’ll go for National’s Botany nomination, apology tour to Nicky Hager continues, and beneficiaries turn to sharks to pay MSD debt. So it’s official now: Former Air New Zealand boss Christopher Luxon has confirmed he will go for the National … Read more
Are there really not enough women in New Zealand’s commercial history worth recognising? Business editor Maria Slade discovers it all depends on where you look. There are 171 people in the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. Just 15 of them are women. It’s an eyebrow-raising statistic, given educational non-profit Young Enterprise established the Hall … Read more
Sorry about not covering everything that happened these local elections. To make it up to you, we’ve compiled all the stories we missed into an ultimate election-ending list. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism, click here. When people think … Read more
If we want to retain the universality of the benefit for an ageing population, one suggested solution is a new tax, writes interim retirement commissioner Peter Cordtz Who gets what, and who pays? That’s one of the key questions we’re asking as part of this year’s Review of Retirement Income Policies. As the interim retirement … Read more
The organisers of the Rugby World Cup have made the unprecedented decision to cancel two of the final pool games, citing safety concerns as a super typhoon threatens Japan. What’s this? Rugby CANCELLED? In my day we walked six miles barefoot in the snow to play rugby. The goal posts were made from old … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Kiri Nathan, the co-founder of a Māori-inspired fashion brand that’s been gifted to some of the world’s biggest … Read more
Nancy Drew is back, but not as we know her. A new series about the teen detective hits our screens today, and turns out to be a spooky mix of Riverdale, Sabrina and Veronica Mars all rolled into one. Who is the heck is Nancy Drew? It’s Nancy Drew! You know Nancy Drew, even if you think … Read more
There’s a lot of confusion around the symptoms and effects of dementia. Now, neuroscientists are partnering with playwrights to give a voice to the research. In labs and clinics across New Zealand, researchers are working towards an ambitious goal: to understand the biological mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as stroke and … Read more
For our sex positivity episode of On the Rag, comedian Kura Forrester schools us on how to have a safe one night stand. Ever wanted to know how to have a one night stand without the awkwardness? Want to know the essentials to keep in your hoe bag at all times? How about saying goodbye … Read more
An initiative launched on Wednesday will translate 100 popular fiction books into te reo Māori, and it’s kicking off with the first of the most popular book series of all time. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone currently exists in 80 languages. The only book more widely translated is the Bible, but JK Rowling’s bestselling … Read more
Sam Brooks reports on his time at the first weekend of the inaugural Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival, which coincided with the launch of Tuia 250. Friday – The Festival Opening There are three things you expect at an arts festival opening. You expect free wine, you expect speeches, and you expect some kind of performance. … Read more
Even bigger than the Rugby World Cup, Spark’s acquisition of six years of local cricket signals the end of a sporting era – and that the telco giant is deadly serious about sports, writes Duncan Greive. Subterfuge is a time-honoured sporting technique, present in all codes from one degree to another. The dummy and side-step … Read more
New Zealand’s beloved singer-songwriter has been imprisoned for failing to finish school, prompting uproar across the internet. But we should have known it would come to this, writes senior crime correspondent Ernest Penman. The internet has gone into overdrive this week following revelations, first reported by The Spinoff, that New Zealand prime minister Simon Bridges … Read more
Tina Nixon, Masterton mayoral candidate and chainsaw model, is leading one of the tightest campaigns rural NZ has seen. Josie Adams headed to the Wairarapa to learn about Nixon, chainsawing, and voting in rural NZ. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting … Read more
The design of our cities can help shape our mental health. Lucy McLean puts out a call to vote for the politicians who’ll build a city where people feel more connected to community. The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Changes coming at NZTA over road safety failures, half a billion to be paid out to health workers, and Blue Belt proposal revived in Wellington. An independent report into the NZTA has concluded that it failed in its duty to keep people safe on New … Read more