A new poem sequence by Wellington poet Jackson Nieuwland. They told me to be myself, so I entered the hive. Bees the size of my head descended upon me. They covered every inch of my body like a chrysalis. I continued walking forward, through a blur of buzz and fuzz. At the center of … Read more
Biochemist Stuart Thompson tracks the banana from its origins on the island of Mauritius to its current endangered status. Panama disease, an infection that ravages banana plants, has been sweeping across Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. The impact has been devastating. In the Philippines alone, losses have totalled US$400m. And the disease threatens … Read more
Drowning in feijoas, or can’t get enough of them? Either way, this is a delicious way to deal with a glut. We have 30 feijoa trees. Nine fewer than we had this time last year, and yet still far more than we know what to do with! At the peak of the season we collect … Read more
The sixth and final season of The Americans drops on Lightbox today. Alex Braae reflects on the unique, tense brilliance of the series. The worst part about being deeply invested in the characters at the centre of The Americans is your fear for them. Not a fear that they’ll be killed off – that would almost be … Read more
ISIS and a junior defence minister in the Sri Lankan government have asserted the terrorist attacks on churches and hotels were a response to the attack on mosques in Christchurch on 15 March. The claims need to be treated with scepticism, writes security analyst Paul Buchanan in this post originally published at RNZ Having been defeated … Read more
Mobility dog owner Hannah Gibson explains why it’s important assistance dogs like hers stay focused on the job. Over three months ago, I met Darcy (affectionately called Mr Darcy by Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust, the organisation which trained him and every one thereafter). He is my mobility dog and he loves his job. I have waited … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week Duncan is cavorting around Melbourne so Jane and Alex meet at the dining room table to talk about another hot week on this dance floor we call life. Need all the celebrity goss from the … Read more
An increasing range of vino is now available in cans, so The Spinoff team took it upon themselves to review and rank each one. Have you ever tried to carry a bottle of wine in your handbag? It’s niggly as. Once, while living in London, I was heading to a party with a bottle of … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Simon Bridges puts up bill with major tax system changes, social media crackdown call unpacked, and lower crowd numbers at main Auckland ANZAC services. This happened earlier in the week, but is worth unpacking because it would be quite a big change to the tax system. Newshub reports … Read more
In the weeks after the Christchurch we’ve seen those who continue to seek profit from hate. But we’ve also seen an awakening of sorts, and that is where the hope is, writes Anjum Rahman We barely had time to take a breath from the tragedy in our own country, when another happened in Sri Lanka. In … Read more
A month ago the ABC published an open letter to Jacinda Ardern from Summer Joyan, a 13-year-old Australian Muslim. Ardern replied personally. Here, Summer Joyan writes on the impact of the Christchurch attack, and the NZ prime minister’s response, in her country. I recently wrote an open letter to Jacinda Ardern. I wrote to her … Read more
Last night, Billie Eilish kicked off her world tour at Spark Arena. Tamsyn Merchant reviews the show (alongside her nine year old daughter, Ruby). When I was 9 years old, I was given a double cassette tape – Mellon Colie And The Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins. It was a revelation. I can remember … Read more
Verse by Wellington writer Bill Manhire. My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. From Some Things to Place in a Coffin, by Bill Manhire (Victoria University Press, $30), available at Unity Books. Feature image courtesy of Auckland War … Read more
Elle Hunt composes a love letter to New Zealand’s online auction site, with which foreign counterparts cannot compare They looked at the mattress, she and her boyfriend. My two flatmates and I looked at them looking, and with mounting disbelief. We seemed to have reached an impasse. “Is it soft?” she said, uncertainly. The two … Read more
As New Zealand remembers those lives lost in 20-century wars, New Zealand actor Michael Hurst reflects upon wars dating back millennia, and the role of storytelling in remembrance and resistance. Tomorrow, I begin a five day-intensive rehearsal process for An Iliad by Lisa Petersen and Denis O’Hare. I performed it a year ago in Dunedin and … Read more
Jacinda Ardern will head to Paris next month to co-host a forum devoted to an accord on ‘eliminating terrorist and violent extremist content online’. What could such a pledge look like, and what could it usefully achieve, asks Jordan Carter of InternetNZ. Jacinda Ardern this morning announced that New Zealand and France are working together … Read more
Attendees at the country’s largest and longest-running pop culture convention have complained about the presence of merchandise featuring sexualized underage anime characters. Life-size body pillows featuring underage characters, mystery merchandise bags containing panty shots of underage characters, and “Hentai clothing” were among the stock for sale at the recent Armageddon Expo in Wellington. Armageddon founder … Read more
Marketing might have you believe Masterchef is a show about cooking. Vanessa Crofskey is here to inform you what it’s really about: dads. There’s something addictive about Masterchef. At one point in high school I watched it everyday. Two minute noodles and cold cups of tea would be slurped down in indigestible succession as my family gathered … Read more
It pays to shop around, and ridesharing services are no different. Some are cheaper, others are more convenient, so which is which? We take you through four options worth trying in Auckland. Uber: The Incumbent It’s the company synonymous with 21st-century ridesharing. A company so big, so ubiquitous, that ‘Uber’ isn’t just a name any … Read more
Alex Casey takes a look back at the period ads of the late 90s and early 2000s, with the help of advertising guru Jill Brinsdon. These days I can time my targeted ads for menstrual products like clockwork. Period trackers, bleedable underwear and menstrual cups all flood in on Facebook and Instagram several days before … Read more
Revelations that the Ministry of Health has been forced into a u-turn on cuts to disability services might have attracted attention, but as Chris Ford points out, the sector has long been under attack. Over Easter, the reality of the now-cancelled cuts to disability support services (DSS) was laid bare in an article by Kirsty … Read more
Throughout 2018, James Milne (aka Lawrence Arabia) released a song a month to fans who’d supported him via a Kickstarter campaign. He took time out from his tour supporting the resulting album, Singles Club, to speak with Gareth Shute about the ups and downs of producing songs to a monthly schedule. Two years ago, James … Read more
The long, restorative process of baking fruitcake – and eating the results – has helped Amanda Thompson through the worst of times. A long time ago, so long it feels like this story belongs to a different person, I lost my first and cherished child. On a cold, blustery night around about this time of … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Tensions loom over tomorrow’s ANZAC Day services, government coming up short on police recruitment, and attachment orders against beneficiaries blow out. ANZAC Day will dawn tomorrow amid tensions over how the day should be celebrated, what it means, and who is included. It is taking place in … Read more
A year ago Chamanthie Sinhalage was in Sri Lanka, where she had travelled from New Zealand for her wedding. Today, she is coming to terms with a horrific terrorist attack in her birth country, just a few weeks after the atrocity in Christchurch. Last month, as the scale of the Christchurch mosque shootings started to … Read more
Hannah McGowan once believed that vaccination was to blame for her chronic health issues, and refused to vaccinate her two young sons. Then she started to listen to the health professionals who know best. In 1999 I was 19 and utterly convinced that vaccines had given me Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s is a living nightmare, the … Read more
MARINA’s new album drops in its entirety on April 26 – but where has she been, and where are the Diamonds? Sam Brooks chronicles the journey of popstar MARINA from Diamonds to caps lock. Real talk: MARINA is one of the best popstars we’ve got. She’s performed for a few years under the name ‘Marina … Read more
Traditional local council structures are shutting out indigenous voices. Māori wards were supposed to be the answer – so why are so few being created? Local government elections occur every three years, and are a chance to decide who we want to represent us in our local councils. But year after year, proposals to establish … Read more
In the first part of a new series in partnership with Women’s Health Action, Anna Beard looks at the effects of poor body image on our health and how to push back against those pressures. Body image is a critical health issue, particularly for women and girls. Recent research has linked poor body image and body … Read more