Head students are an integral part of the secondary school system in New Zealand, yet they are expected to cope with a seemingly never-ending to do list on top of their studies. So is the mahi worth the treats? Former head girl Ruby Clavey reports. As Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben once put it, “with great power … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Auckland moved back to level one, a somber day marked in Christchurch, and new but incomplete child poverty figures out today. Auckland is back to level one again today, after a very brief lockdown relative to the others. As our live updates reports, it follows a solitary new … Read more
New Zealand news is replete with heartfelt articles foregrounding the agony of residents standing bravely in opposition to new housing developments (such as, most recently, this in Christchurch and this in Auckland). But what if the stories were told from another point of view? Hayden Donnell gives it a go. Residents set to move into new … Read more
Plus, how we feel about housing affordability and the state of the NZ economy compared to the world, in results from a new Stickybeak poll for The Spinoff. This week marks a year since New Zealand’s first confirmed case of Covid-19, and the support for the measures imposed at the border to throttle the inward … Read more
Early trials of every approved Covid-19 vaccine involved giving them to animals. Ethicist Ben Bramble explains why vegans have a legitimate right to be upset about this – but why they should get the vaccine regardless. Some of my vegan friends are reluctant to get the Covid-19 vaccine. These vaccines do not contain animal products, … Read more
Why did some old buildings collapse in 2011 and others didn’t? Structural engineer Dmytro Dizhur has spent the last decade figuring that out, and planning how to stop it happening in future. It’s 12.50pm on February 22, 2011. In just one minute, the lives of Christchurch locals are going to change drastically. At the next … Read more
His street art is everywhere in Auckland, from the America’s Cup Village and Silo Park to community centres and bus stops. But the man behind the spray can is also an inspiring ultramarathoner who’s helping others in their weight loss battles. Street artist, ornithologist and ultra-distance athlete aren’t terms that normally go together. But Charles … Read more
Not many cities have endured what Christchurch has over the past decade. But as Steven Moe writes, the tragic legacy has inspired a new, impact-minded business community to emerge from the rubble. It’s quite difficult to put in words just how difficult the earthquakes were for the people of Ōtautahi Christchurch. Alongside the tragic loss … Read more
At the age of 39, having spent almost half his life as a professional rugby player, Dan Carter has retired. Dan Carter: My Story by Dan Carter and The Spinoff managing editor Duncan Greive, and published by Upstart Press, was published just days after his man-of-the-match-winning performance in the 2015 World Cup final. Here, the man … Read more
Get a team together and prepare to spend the weekend of March 5-7 extremely under the pump – registrations for this year’s Vista Foundation 48Hours film competition are open now. The Vista Foundation 48Hours filmmaking competition is built around a simple mantra, “restriction breeds creativity”. The main thing being restricted in this case just happens … Read more
Under almost any photo of a plus-size woman online you’re guaranteed to see a stream of abusive, cruel and plain stupid comments. Amanda Thompson asked some fat women what they’d say back. All my life I have been told it is not nice to look the way I do. I’ve been instructed to be ashamed … Read more
A much ballyhooed report has found that New Zealand is ideally placed to create beef patties that are sustainable across the entire supply chain. Sounds good, but it’s the product of some extremely selective calculations, argues Mathias Corwin. Earlier this month came the news that the Ministry for Primary Industries had teamed up with the … Read more
The legislative changes are designed to improve renters’ rights, but will they make a difference to the people who have borne the brunt of the housing crisis? A Māori public health provider has welcomed new tenancy laws that came into effect this month, but is concerned the new rights haven’t been communicated to the most … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Jabs galore as vaccine rollout gets underway, ten years since Christchurch earthquake marked, and health ministry accused of trying to gag Mental Health Foundation. The first jabs in a long campaign of Covid-19 vaccinations have been given this weekend. It perhaps marks something of an end … Read more
As the city today marks the anniversary of the Canterbury earthquake, and in a few weeks that of the Christchurch terror attacks, Susan Wardell looks at how and why we choose to remember, and the complexities of collective public grief. “Christchurch has suffered more than any community should have to endure,” the prime minister said … Read more
Is there anything better than a not-too-sweet, slightly sour jam atop lavishly buttered toast? The answer is no, no there is not. February for me is the month of foraging. The rambling blackberries that line our country roads are now dotted with purple black fruit that sparkle like jewels in the late summer sun. Filled … Read more
All the news and gossip from the free summer festival brought to you by Verb Wellington and The Spinoff, happening this weekend at Wellington’s Botanic Gardens. 2.00pm: Strange happenings during a discussion of NZ sci-fi Toby Morris writes: Elizabeth Knox, Kim Hill and Witi Ihimaera took the stage to discuss the anthology Monsters in the … Read more
Trial of the Outback: The Lindy Chamberlain Story is a potent reminder that fighting for the truth is worth it, writes Sam Brooks. “The dingo ate my baby!” If there’s one line synonymous with Lindy Chamberlain’s story, it’s that. There’s a cruel irony that it’s not even what she said after the tragic death of … Read more
John Summers recalls the delight of seeing agapanthus when he first moved to Wellington, and how they’ve come to represent the perfect imperfection of his home city. Lately, the book I find myself returning to again and again is one featuring Hairy Maclary and his friends. This isn’t by choice, at least not mine, but … Read more
With both the Rainbow Pride Parade and the Pride March imminent, Sam Brooks looks back on the schism that led to the end of the Auckland Pride Parade. What’s the difference between the Rainbow Pride Parade and the Pride March? Glance at photos from the two events side by side and you might think you’re … Read more
Today the NZ vaccination programme begins in earnest, with the first doses provided to border workers. Why is that so important? Siouxsie and Toby spell it out, cheesily. With the arrival of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine into New Zealand and the start of the roll-out to our border and isolation/quarantine workers and their families, we now … Read more
Tara Ward transcends the cat v dog debate with a list that also includes a goat, a duckling, and a butcher who likes to share his meat. New Zealand bloody loves Hairy Maclary. We’ve made films about his life, erected statues in his honour, and turned Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy into the bestselling book … Read more
The national vaccination roll-out begins today. Might the reluctant have a change of mind? Here’s what new Stickybeak polling for The Spinoff tells us. Vaccination is under way in New Zealand, with the first doses going to the small group that will be conducting the vaccinations yesterday and the showpiece launch of the roll-out taking … Read more
We Are Who We Are, the new limited series from Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino, treats this zoomer love story like it’s paradise, writes Sam Brooks. There’s a moment towards the start of the first episode of We Are Who We Are that left me genuinely breathless. The preceding hour of the … Read more
While the level two announcement brought a sigh of relief for many across Auckland, South Aucklanders are still concerned about what the latest Covid outbreak may mean for the region. Another South Auckland outbreak of Covid has community support workers concerned about the impact it’s having on the mental health of its young people. Maria … Read more
Watch all the episodes released so far from Scratched, The Spinoff’s video series celebrating New Zealand sporting heroes who never got their due – but whose legacies deserve to be in lights. Tuariki Delamere’s somersault long jump In the 1970s, a young New Zealand athlete introduced the world to a radical new long jump technique. … Read more
Watch the trailer below, featuring Meda McKenzie, Tuariki Delamere, Lee Ralph and more. Watch episode one: Meda McKenzie vs the Cook Strait Watch episode two: Tuariki Delamere’s somersault long jump One morning in 1978, 15-year-old Meda McKenzie got into the water off the coast of Wellington and started swimming. Just over 12 hours later, she … Read more
The Australian legislation is crumby, but the response from Zuckerberg, in contrast to the Google approach, presents all sort of hazards, including to New Zealand, writes Hal Crawford. The widely anticipated yet almost unthinkable happened yesterday when Facebook banned all news links on its social network in Australia. At the same time, Google has been … 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 Access All Areas: The Diversity Manifesto for TV and Beyond by Lenny Henry (Faber & Faber, $27) “Draws on decades … Read more