Maybe it’s basic. Maybe it’s not to the tastes of foodies about town. But eggs benedict is delicious, writes Hayden Donnell, as he pushes back on the benedict pushback. I remember my first eggs benedict. It was at Clarry’s in Devonport; an establishment more similar to a retirement village dining room than a traditional cafe. … Read more
The Newtown Festival, one of the capital’s biggest festivals, celebrated its 22nd birthday over the weekend. Ben Lynch was there. Since its inception back in 1997 as a celebration of council tree planting and street improvements in the centre of Wellington’s most bohemian suburb, Newtown Festival has evolved to signify a great many things. The … Read more
Urban designer Ben van Bruggen spoke to Jeremy Hansen about why we should stop listening to the vocal minority attempting to block change, and be inspired about Auckland’s development. WH Auden once said “we would rather be ruined than changed”. It’s a quote urban designer Ben van Bruggen refers to when I ask him about … Read more
New Zealander Maha Albadrawi went to an all-night Taika movie marathon in London, and managed to stay awake for nearly all of it. It’s an unusually warm Saturday night and I’m standing outside the Prince Charles Cinema in London’s West End. I’ve been living in London for five months and have genuinely loved it, but … Read more
Taylor shouldn’t be left to rot in a Syrian jail, argues Marc Daalder – not because we’re bleeding hearts, but because it’s our obligation to charge him here. In mid-2014, Mark Taylor left his home, wife, and children behind in Indonesia and boarded a plane to Turkey. Now, he is languishing in a Kurdish military … Read more
New Zealander Gregory Burke is due to start as Auckland Art Gallery director next month. The new director of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is under investigation for alleged workplace harassment in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission is investigating a complaint filed by a co-worker against Gregory Burke, according to a report by … Read more
In the final instalment of our Money Talks series, freelancers and sprightly young women Tess Nichol and Alice Webb-Liddall talk about the necessity of making a will, despite both being under 30. Most of us couldn’t say when or how we’ll kick the bucket, but just about the only thing we know for sure in … Read more
The return of television’s most authentic mum, a Dance Moms spinoff, and some fantastic mister beasts – all these and more are New to Lightbox this month. Better Things (weekly from March 1) “Better Things is, indeed, a love letter to families. Through vignettes of Sam’s everyday life, the show captures the joys and frustrations of single-handedly raising three … Read more
The ‘perfect’ office temperature? It’s a myth, write Fan Zhang of Griffith University, Peter Hancock of the University of Central Florida and Richard de Dear of the University of Sydney It might be blisteringly hot outside, but if you work in an office building, the chances are it’s always reassuringly cool (or cold, depending on your preference) once you walk inside. In Australia … Read more
You don’t need a cocktail shaker, 14 different obscure liqueurs or even any particular skill to create a killer mixed drink in your own kitchen. Have a few friends round, whip up a few cocktails – what a lovely idea. How grown-up. How positively classy. Until you realise all you have in the cupboard is … Read more
In a stunning new run of Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, Samoan women are allowed to be whole, writes Madeleine Chapman. I had two mums growing up. There was Pani (pronounced “Bunny”), my mum, who spoke Samoan on the phone to her sisters for hours, howling with laughter, yet seemed angry all the time. She could silence … Read more
Is it a bird, is it a plane? Online sleuth Elle Hunt fires up the search engines. What is “the Kiwi way of life”? The question has been troubling me ever since Simon Bridges defined it as definitely not a capital gains tax. OK then. Is that it? Bridges later elaborated that it was “planning reform … Read more
A capital gains tax is urgently needed not so much for the revenue it will raise, but because the tax system is currently fundamentally unfair, writes policy director and economist for the Council of Trade Unions Bill Rosenberg. Our tax system is unfair. It’s not equipped for many of the needs which we, as New … Read more
Cultured meat could solve some of the world’s biggest problems. So why is it such a hard sell? Matti Wilks is a postdoctoral research associate in psychology at Yale University. The world is in the grips of a food-tech revolution. One of the most compelling new developments is cultured meat, also known as clean, cell-based … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: MPs weigh in on upcoming student climate strikes, backpackers speak out about NZ work conditions, and sex crime reports still not resulting in charges. Some of New Zealand’s MPs have little good to say about the upcoming school strikes around climate change. Demonstrations will be taking place … Read more
Today is Ash Wednesday, when the annual 40 Days for Life anti-abortion campaign kicks off. This year, explains ALRANZ president Terry Bellamak, the pro-choice counter-protest has a new focus: breaking the silence. A large majority of New Zealanders trust women and pregnant people to decide for themselves whether to receive abortion care. Only the people … Read more
Last week, a study was released listing the top 20 jobs New Zealanders should be studying for the future. This week, we asked those working in four of those jobs to explain how and why they chose their careers and what advice they’d give to students today. Chef Brody Jenkins (Little Easy/Jo Bros Burgers) What do … Read more
The clock has struck 5:00am – meaning the embargo on the 2019 Ockham New Zealand national book awards has been lifted, and the dear old Spinoff Review of Books is first in with the full list of who has made it. Okay so here is the shortlist, as immediately follows; drum roll please; do join us … Read more
The Enemy Within, which drops weekly on Lightbox from today, combines the funnest parts of a spy thriller with the complexity of a character study, thanks to a compelling lead performance. Sam Brooks reviews. The title ‘The Enemy Within’ is one of those multi-entendre’d ones that you can tell someone was very satisfied to come up with. … Read more
Milk and Honey is a nationwide music festival happening on International Women’s Day this Friday. Anny Ma talked to its organisers, Lani Purkis and Teresa Patterson, about why it’s so necessary. Milk and Honey is a music festival touring four cities and six venues, but all of the shows will happen simultaneously on one night: … Read more
The poet Hera Lindsay Bird interviews the brilliant American writer Mark Leidner, and does her best to explain why he’s her favourite writer of all time. Some time last year I wrote to Steve B and asked if he was interested in publishing an interview I was planning to do with Mark Leidner. He wrote … Read more
If any more evidence was needed for the unavoidable impacts of climate change, the Tasman District fires were it, says Dr Judy Lawrence of Victoria University of Wellington. This summer’s Tasman fires have been a wake-up call about our preparedness for more of the same as the climate changes in New Zealand. Last summer it … Read more
Just like the principals, students striking over climate change are seeking control and order. But what our children are hoping to control is the environment they inherit, writes science educator Richard Easther The news in New Zealand is that the kids are revolting, along with kids in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom and dozens … Read more
The recent controversy over the arming of Christchurch police prompted Amanda Thompson to remember the time she was confronted by the United States’ unapologetic gun culture. I’ve never understood guns; I’ve never even understood the need to hold a gun. I don’t want any more of them around than the bare necessity. I’m as keen … Read more
The actor Luke Perry, whose performance as Dylan McKay in the TV show Beverly Hills 90210 was an early ’90s cultural phenomenon, has died aged 52. Emily Writes pays tribute. Luke Perry, aka Dylan McKay, was my first love. There was no separating Luke from Dylan. He was Dylan. Wearing a white shirt and leather … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Govt offers no help for captured Kiwi jihadist, aid programmes under review after allegations, and calls to make dental care available to all. A New Zealand jihadist captured in the Middle East will not get any assistance from the government to get home. Mark Taylor, who went … Read more
Size is relative, and a recent report on iwi investment shows that despite growth, the Māori economy has a long way to go. It often amazes me that when we speak of the Māori economy we do not talk about what comprises the Māori economy, how it is supporting the Māori population, and how to … Read more
Two decades on since ‘100% Pure’ New Zealand is slipping behind in environmental innovation. We need to act now to preserve our hard-won global image, writes James Araci. This year will be the 20th anniversary of New Zealand’s ‘100% Pure’ tourism campaign. Whatever you think of that slogan, there’s no doubt it has created billions of … Read more
The flood of fun memes, hot takes and utterly inane dog speak springing from the social media accounts of public organisations and corporates needs to stop, writes Anna Connell Call me old, call me jaded, call me someone who enjoys the pain of shooting herself in the foot, but I don’t think every company or organisation … Read more