All week this week we name and review the five very best books of 2018. Today: Holly Walker reviews the fifth best book, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, a novel about the desperate joys of sleep. New York. Late 2000. Our narrator is 27. She is thin, pretty, tall, blond. White. She works at … Read more
Its latest mission may be inadvertently exposing New Zealand to the militarisation of space, writes Ollie Neas. Rocket Lab made history on Sunday as its first ever mission for NASA made orbit from the Mahia Peninsula. The mission was the first dedicated launch of miniature satellites, or CubeSats, for NASA by a commercial launch provider. … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Poland climate talks conclude with agreement on rules, ACT accuses conservative campaigners of misleading claims, and a new doco series on life in Queenstown. Climate talks in Poland have concluded with the moderately successful achievement of modest goals. The BBC reports that member nations of the Paris Climate Accords … Read more
The PM has attracted attention because she talks – and does – politics differently. Yet there has been little debate domestically about what exactly New Zealand should prioritise on the international stage, write Nina Hall and Max Harris of the New Zealand Alternative Jacinda Ardern stands out on the international stage. In an era of poisonous xenophobia … Read more
We punched above our weight at the just-completed talks. But we must walk the talk at home, writes environmental lawyer Natalie Jones After a fortnight of meetings and a one-day extension, a deal was finalised yesterday at the UN climate talks in Katowice, Poland. The accord was hailed as delivering a set of strong, robust rules … Read more
Michael Hann has spent years mining for Christmas-song diamonds, proving that not all festive music is irredeemably horrible. Here he pulls on his big white beard and presents the definitive playlist There was a time, not so long ago – while the previous president of the US lived in the White House – when CDs … Read more
Duncan Greive concludes his survey of the state of New Zealand’s media in 2018 with a look at some of the smaller and emerging players – including Spark, Bauer Media and Māori Television. Spark’s emergence as a genuine media contender is the highlight of a fascinating year amongst the mini majors – a loose group … Read more
Are mental health issues the same as mental disorders? And how can better understanding mental disorders help us treat people with them? Every second article on my newsfeed at the moment seems to be about the mental health crisis and how the New Zealand health system is struggling to manage it (see articles X, Y, … Read more
Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. This week the country was shaken by the news of English backpacker Grace Millane, who was murdered on the eve of her 22nd birthday. We spent a lot of time here at The Spinoff considering how to cover the horrific story. What was useful? … Read more
Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Alex Casey on the only social media influencer worth following. As we drag our heels towards the end of December, it’s the perfect time … Read more
A whistle-stop tour of southern Sri Lanka is a culinary overload of colour and fragrance – but ordering a beer can be, er, weird. Burdened by the weight of my own trinket haul, I arrived in Colombo desperate for a cup of Ceylon tea. Crushed in the direction of the bus door, I was spat … Read more
Want to feel smart but also read something snackable? Check out the Science Media Centre’s top 10 NZ science stories for the year. From finding the alleged Golden State Killer to ‘gene-edited babies’ – it’s time to take a look at the issues that shook the science world over the past 12 months. In New … Read more
It has been the best-performing media brand of the past five years. Yet Labour’s bold plans to grow it have caused RNZ nothing but trouble so far, and major clouds loom on the horizon, writes Duncan Greive. While reporting this series I spoke to over a dozen executives, senior editors and reporters across the New … Read more
Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Simon Day on why cricket is the best sport in the world (and rugby sucks). Today is officially the first day of summer. December … Read more
In the wake of the death of Grace Millane, violence against women has prompted the usual round of complaints that not all men are violent. Shut it down, says Sophie Bateman for Newshub. In this unpredictable, ever-changing world, a few things remain absolutely dependable. The sun will rise every morning. Babies will be born. Aucklanders … Read more
Summer is here, and with it the holidaying and party season. When you’re away from home and socialising more than usual the risk of having a contraception or protection fail can go up. Family Planning’s National Nurse Advisor Rose Stewart shares her tips for staying safe between the sheets this summer. Nobody wants to worry … Read more
Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to Georgia Meek, founder of The Babysitters Club, an online agency connecting families with babysitters. ONE: How did The Babysitters Club start and what was the inspiration behind it? The idea for The … Read more
When Lianne Dalziel first ran for Christchurch mayor, she said it would be one time only. Then she said she hadn’t finished the job, and would serve a second term. And now she’s announced she wants a third. But has she achieved enough to warrant it, asks James Dann. This week, Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel … Read more
The best-selling books this Christmas at the Unity stores in High St, Auckland and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND UNITY 1 Becoming by Michelle Obama (Penguin Random House, $55) The smash-hit memoir of Xmas. 2 Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi (Ebury Press, $65) Cookbook, nominated among the best 20 non-fiction books of 2018 at The Spinoff. 3 Patterson: Houses of … Read more
Nau mai, haere mai ki Kaupapa On The Couch, a webseries from The Spinoff about Māori issues and stuff, hosted by Leonie Hayden. Kaupapa On The Couch is back for season 2, and we’re kicking off with HĀKARI: everything you need to know to party like your ancestors, from hāngi techniques to understanding tikanga Māori … Read more
If people don’t recognise your power, no worries, you can always just appeal to a higher authority. Alex Braae recaps S05E13 of Vikings. One of the things that often gets forgotten when looking at media depictions of historical events is the all-encompassing role that religion once played in political and social life. Spiritual power had a … Read more
Over some festive fizz and a spot of good-natured mother-daughter ribbing, Sophie and Emerald Gilmour share two delicious glazes plus some ingenious tips for getting the best out of your Freedom Farms ham this Christmas. Whether you want a classic glazed ham or something a bit jazzy, Freedom Farms, Dietary Requirements co-host Sophie Gilmour … Read more
Whatever you do, don’t leave people to their own devices. (But do ask them to bring ice.) People are always asking what they can bring to a party and your answer to that question should always be: ice. You can never have enough of it, and as the host you shouldn’t be expected to race … Read more
The owner of both Newstalk ZB and the Herald retains a singular influence in the New Zealand media. But anonymous rival executives have doubts about its ability to pull off a paywall in 2019 – a move which shapes as the boldest in our media, writes Duncan Greive. If there is a single common theme … Read more
In the third instalment of our Money Talks series, Alice Webb-Liddall and Henry Oliver face up to how they’re using their hard-earned cash. Spending money is often considered a bad thing when it’s not completely justified. Going out for dinner or buying a new pair of pants can bring on a sense of guilt once … Read more
Instead of acting like parents suffering from empty nest syndrome, it’s time we realised that new businesses need to grow up, and sometimes that means heading off on their OE, says Vic Crone. It’s hard to imagine now, but 20 years ago, buying secondhand goods was a bit of a pain. Classified ads in newspapers rarely … Read more
Ten years after that blue whale first woke up on a New Zealand beach, Beached Az is coming back to our screens. Below, an exclusive Beached Aziversary trailer plus details of what to expect from the new 10-episode series. The team behind the 2008 Youtube behemoth Beached Az (Anthony Macfarlane, Jarod Green and Nick Boshier) today release … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Government pushes in two different directions with drug reforms, nitrogen runoff tool has serious flaws, and finance minister outlines ‘wellbeing’ budget. The government has launched a range of drug reforms, which somehow manage to pull in two completely different directions. In general terms, the differences in law … Read more
Howls of indignation over state housing evictions based on spurious meth testing have masked the reality of New Zealand’s two-speed P standard. Veronica Crichton admitted that she and her friends had been smoking meth in their Gate Pa, Tauranga home. She even got her landlord to help her evict one P-affected flatmate. She and another … Read more