Against considerable odds, Glen Herud’s mission to create an ethical dairy company continues. With the help of supporters he has pivoted and is resurrecting Happy Cow Milk, and in this excerpt from his latest newsletter he describes how he’s solving the problem of bringing processing to the farm. Today’s newsletter has ended up as a … Read more
Seriously, look at it. Bring on summer. Feels like just yesterday it was Christmas and now summer’s back. Wow summer vibes, right? Wrong. It’s going to rain for 10 days. Metservice has reported thunderstorms today, rain tomorrow, rain on Friday, and rain until the end of time. Niwa, the prettier version of Metservice, has controversially … Read more
New research has revealed the real reason why cat tongues are so damn rough. Have you ever been licked by a cat? If so you’ll know the feline tongue feels more like sandpaper than satin. A cat’s tongue is covered in hundreds of sharp, scoop-shaped spines made of keratin that spring into action during grooming. … Read more
Retired greyhounds being supported to become the wonderful pets they are inside by men who are inside New Zealand prisons. I dislike both the greyhound racing industry and the industrial prison complex but there’s no denying that even if this is a PR stunt it’s a lovely one. In early 2018 Greyhound Racing New Zealand … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Cleanup looms after Southern flooding, National party maintains volume of written questions barrage, and Fletcher shares take a hammering. What the flood is going on in Dunedin? The city and surrounding region is facing a cleanup today, reports the ODT, after heavy rain caused flooding in parts of … Read more
Opposition to a new online homecare service could be a sign of things to come, as the ageing population pits workers’ employment rights against the right of older people to choose who cares for them. Wellington homecare worker Jane* once had an elderly man yell at her and order her to leave the house. Another … Read more
Is there a single answer that addresses all the freshwater and environmental problems? Yup: it’s fewer cows, writes ecologist Mike Joy in this extract from his new book Mountains to Sea: Solving New Zealand’s Freshwater Crisis The problems faced by New Zealand’s environment, particularly freshwaters and soils are wicked, complex and intertwined. After struggling with … Read more
‘Nine long years’ is a jazz standard in political debate. Using opinions and mathematics Toby Manhire has settled on the moment from which it is no longer acceptable to use this rhetorical device. No correspondence will be entered into. The rule is simple: everything good is down to the current government, and everything that isn’t … Read more
This week GKBO showed us what baking heaven really looks like: a cock on a pie. Welcome, ye olde roosters, to Pies and Tarts Week. Tara Ward power-ranks. Oh GKBO, you spoil us. I thought nothing could reach the giddy heights of last week’s biscuit extravaganza, when we scaled the Eiffel Tower and bathed in the … Read more
Author Bruce Ansley follows in the footsteps of Te Puoho, who set off on an epic, 1500-kilometre march with his war party in 1836, intent on destroying an entire people – Ngāi Tahu. I once read a piece by archaeologist Atholl Anderson (Ngāi Tahu), who was then just a budding academic. It was like discovering … Read more
Part cellar door, part bottle shop and soon-to-be urban winery, Dorset Street Cellar Door has a big future ahead of it. Just off Victoria Street in Christchurch’s faded golden mile is an unassuming building with a sawtooth roof. Even with a fresh lick of paint, you can still make out the lettering of the former … Read more
Over 24 hours, The Spinoff received more than 100 stories from New Zealand women who have been made to feel unsafe in a taxi or Uber. This article contains description of sexual assault and harassment, please take care. Yesterday, a feeble troll of a petition on Change.org announced that the new women-only ride-sharing app DriveHer … Read more
Today the government announced a $13.75 million funding boost for research to combat the spread of kauri dieback and myrtle rust. Could microfluidics be the solutions we are looking for? Here in New Zealand, our native trees are currently under threat from two pathogens – an oomycete (water mould) called Phytophthora agathidicida, which causes Kauri … Read more
It’s a story as old as time: a great book makes for a perfectly fine television series. Sam Brooks reviews My Brilliant Friend. You know how when you see a photo of the Mona Lisa it doesn’t look that impressive? When you’re actually there in front of it – despite its suprisingly small size, despite the … Read more
Whānau Ora is under review, with the findings being released this month. Dr Chris Tooley speculates on what the future holds. Whānau Ora was set up by the Māori Party in 2010. It is an intensive intervention programme aimed at and defined by whānau, delivered upon kaupapa Māori frameworks. Kaiārahi (navigators) work with whānau to … Read more
A tale of a Wellington City Councillor, a plaque celebrating a famously compassionate Wellingtonian, and 32 people living in cars in the councillor’s ward. “Apparently there are now 32 people living in cars in the unrestricted parking area directly below X Road*” the flyer from Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young said. Shockingly, what followed next … Read more
Alex Casey talks to national treasure Suzy Cato about her new kids album, life after Dancing With the Stars and remaining zen about the pending future hellscape. It’s been half an hour and I can’t get Suzy Cato to say a bad word about anyone or anything. Not The Wiggles (“full support to The Wiggles, … Read more
A coalition of 150 scientists have written an open letter calling for faster and more comprehensive action on climate change. But what could that actually look like in practice? The IPCC report couldn’t have put it more plainly. Human civilisation will be unable to avert the worst effects of climate change unless we act swiftly … Read more
Some people simply love to compete. Madeleine Chapman writes in defence of competitiveness. “Oh my god you’re so competitive.” Said by my friend in primary school after a particularly intense game of lunchtime rugby. Said by multiple girls at different college athletics days after I actually tried hard to throw the javelin properly. Said by … Read more
OG fangirl Tayi Tibble reviews Tommy Genesis’ new self-titled album. I’m the OG Tommy Genesis fangirl. It’s just a fact. Sometimes it just be like that. I’ve loved her since she was on her dark-wave Atlanta trap kick with Father and Awful Records. I loved her when she was pulling big school-girl x military general … Read more
Trees with red trunks and apples that are red right the way through and flower all year round. Should we back or block the genetically changed plants New Zealand scientists are growing? Charlie Dreaver reports for RNZ. At a Plant and Food Research greenhouse in Auckland, one of the sections is filled with $300 apple trees, … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Minister announces major new ECE plan, climate scientist sign open letter calling for more real climate action, and water rationing considered in Hawke’s Bay. A major new plan to overhaul early childhood education has been unveiled by the government. Radio NZ has a rundown of the key details … Read more
For a long time, it seemed that strikes were a thing of the past – and then, under an ostensibly more worker-friendly government, they came roaring back. So why now? Trade unionist Alastair Reith provides a view from the left. This year has seen the welcome, long overdue return of strike action to New Zealand. … Read more
The operator is pushing for major investment across the Hauraki Gulf to overhaul the ferry network. David Slack wants to know why his ferry home to Devonport is so often out of service. Can they find a common dream? I have a dream that we will one day live in a city where you can … Read more
Rocket Lab is a celebrated New Zealand success story, with a stated mission to open access to space and improve life on Earth. Yet many of its key contracts are with the US military and their suppliers. Ollie Neas reports on the dark side of a local business hero. Last Friday Rocket Lab announced that … Read more
Claire finds the foundation for her very own American Dream, while Brianna encounters second wave feminism – same difference, right? Tara Ward recaps episode three of season four of Outlander. There’s an old Scottish proverb that says “he who finds the strawberries, must smoulder at the horizon until his donkey flees and his wife loses her … Read more
In the eighth episode of Project Runway New Zealand, the designers had to remake a secondhand bridesmaid’s dress for their models. Henry Oliver ranks the results. Let’s talk about Caitlin. Let’s talk about cheating. Let’s talk about sharing and ideas and helping. Caitlin and Benjamin have been tight since the get-go. Benjamin is the best designer … Read more
When musician Anthonie Tonnon started to research the history of Dunedin’s railway system for his new music video, it grew into a consuming, Aotearoa-wide investigation – and the inspiration for the tour that kicks off this week. If you live in a large city with a passenger rail network, a railway underpass will not be … Read more
Following in the strong, deep footsteps of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy comes another remaster of a 90s classic. Sam Brooks reviews Spyro: The Reignited Trilogy. The plumber. The bandicoot. The lady with the triangle shaped boobs. The electric yellow rat. All of these gaming mascots have survived into the present day whether through sequel, reboot or … Read more