Michael Field reviews a new study of Niue’s role in World War I, when Sir Māui Pōmare despatched 150 Niueans to fight in a mysterious war. Millions of dollars have been spent in adoration of New Zealand’s mythology which says sending 18,000 men to die in the Great War made us a really great nation. Gallipoli, … Read more
Alex Casey chats to Dynamo, one of the world’s greatest living magicians, ahead of his arena spectacular in Auckland. Dynamo is sitting way too close to a giant steak knife for my liking. If he was any other magician – and yes, there have been others – I would be worried that he might end … Read more
Could it really cost less than a cup of coffee to power your home for an entire year? Mark Hanna investigates the New Zealand Herald’s extraordinary claim. Yesterday afternoon, the New Zealand Herald broke a huge story about something that, if true, could revolutionise our way of life and possibly even solve climate change. It … Read more
Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes popped over to Parliament with her fellow short-haired feminist contingent to see what a silent bootie protest looks like. There it was, rows and rows of death booties. A strange cult of people who are all about forced impregnation have been in a frenzy knitting booties and the results of … Read more
It’s free, four hours long and promises ‘A World of Adventure and Discovery’. But does the Gloriavale concert present a true reflection of the fundamentalist group? Anke Richter heads along. Fog hovers over Lake Haupiri while the sun sets behind dense West Coast bush. A yellow sign at the turnoff from the empty road says … Read more
Biddy Fraser-Davies of Cwmglyn Farmhouse Cheese passed away on 13 July, aged 76. Her friend, cheesemonger Calum Hodgson, pays tribute. I would call cheesemaker Biddy Fraser-Davies on my commutes home from Auckland CBD to Whangaparāoa. I’d been making these calls to Biddy every other day now for the last three years, discussing everything from Eketahuna’s … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. This week on The Real Pod, we are feasting upon the crucial final days of Survivor NZ alongside an assortment of snacks from The Food Show. Duncan and Jane recap the happenings on The Block … Read more
Yes, anti-abortionists should have the right to protest. No, they shouldn’t be allowed to bully, intimidate or harass people accessing abortion services, writes Amy Pearl. Update, October 2018: A parliamentary petition is seeking to establish a no-protest buffer zone surrounding Wellington Hospital to protect people seeking abortions from harassment. The petition closes on October 26. … Read more
Yesterday, it was announced that Shortland Street’s famous hourlong winter Mondays will transform into a six night monster. And, surprisingly, some fans were not happy. The incredible news that Shortland Street will screen on Sundays from September hit me harder than Chris Warner’s bathtub crashing through his kitchen ceiling. Shortland Street, six nights a week? Be still, … Read more
Can the meek obedience expected of children in some religious traditions make them more vulnerable to abusive relationships as adults? One domestic abuse survivor tells her story. Content warning: This post describes a violent and manipulative relationship. If you are in an abusive relationship, help is available. The 0800 Family Violence Information Line (0800 456 … Read more
The difference between the New Zealand First vote and the Green vote at the election? Less than one percentage point. The leverage value for New Zealand First in those 25,000 extra votes? Priceless, writes Guyon Espiner for RNZ As the one year milestone since the election nears, the New Zealand First leader is nearing the … Read more
Our crack team of film critics return with their latest reports from the Film Festival binge-watch. NZIFF: Birds of Passage, First Reformed, Disobedience, 3 Faces The Image Book “This film is quite weird. Sometimes it’s without subtitles, sometimes it’s without sound. That happens.” It’s rare that NZIFF ushers warn an audience before a film, but … Read more
Joseph Parker’s future in boxing demands a career-high performance this weekend, writes Don Rowe. At an undefeated 50-0, as the only fighter with career earnings of more than $1 billion, Floyd Mayweather may well be the self-proclaimed ‘best ever’ – but nobody on earth is mistaking him as the baddest. That honorific belongs to guys … Read more
The Spinoff presents the video premiere of The Miltones’ new video ‘Disappear’ shot in Auckland’s iconic Civic theatre. The Miltones’ Milly Tabak says: Stepping into the historic Civic building is one thing, but being on stage with remarkable and talented people is truly overwhelming. Being a young female at the beginning of my career I experienced some ‘imposter syndrome’ – … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Māori King’s office raided by the SFO, disgraced TV man Matt Lauer hits back over walking access, and major case of Catholic church child abuse revealed. The Serious Fraud Office has raided the offices of the Māori King. An initial complaint of financial mismanagement at the Ururangi … Read more
Spinoff revelations about sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses underline the need for a community-wide response to child sexual abuse, writes the children’s commissioner, Judge Andrew Becroft New Zealanders as a whole have only recently come to understand the full extent and cost of child sex abuse. There are many reasons for this. One is … Read more
Henry Oliver talks to Jon Toogood, best known as the frontman of evergreen rockers Shihad, about the new record of his collaborative project The Adults. Last time I talked with Jon Toogood – Shihad frontman, wild rock’n’roll singer, wirey mass of relentless energy – he had recently got married and was preparing for the album tour … Read more
Meat on aeroplanes has unexpectedly emerged as a critical political fault line. Madeleine Chapman speaks to Mark Patterson, the farmer politician with the chops. Like a locally slaughtered snag in a slice of Tip Top white bread, Mark Patterson has made himself at home in parliament. By picking an issue and sticking with it, Patterson … Read more
Jihee Junn heads along to the newly opened Tesla showroom on Auckland’s Karangahape Road. It’s a hard life being a billionaire. Just ask tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who’s been vilified over the past few days for his (unprompted) involvement in the recent Thai cave rescue mission. First, they rejected his offer to use his custom-built … Read more
If you participate in a certain dark corner of the internet, you’ll know that a lot of people are talking about video game breasts – and the fight to keep them unrealistic. Sam Brooks investigates. Last week in an interview with Gamespot, Yohei Shimbura, the director of Dead or Alive 6 said about the latest entry in … Read more
What Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern actually say and do is more important than an ideological argument about freedom of expression, argues Graham Cameron. There are three aspects of the Free Speech Coalition – currently taking legal action against Auckland Council – that stand out. One, they didn’t Google before they made up their name, … Read more
Spinoff writer Madeleine Chapman co-wrote basketball star Steven Adams’ autobiography, in shops next week. She tells how she wrote the book alongside an athlete she’s known since they were both teenagers. Warning: contains a lot of food. I knew of Steven Adams before I met him. A common situation now but not so much in … Read more
Today it’s babies and playgrounds, but parliament’s early days were more like a drunken party. This story was originally published on RNZ On the night of 14 June 1984, a drunken Prime Minister Robert Muldoon staggered down a Beehive corridor and announced a snap election to a moustachioed, beige-suit-wearing press pack. “It doesn’t give you … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Budget Responsibility Rules get another nudge, Auckland politicos eye up 2019, and The Warehouse cuts more than 100 jobs. Here’s a turn up for the books – now two government support party leaders have indicated that the so-called budget responsibility rules could be loosened before the … Read more
Reported comments by Waikato District Health Board interim chief executive Derek Wright and perpetual disappointment and retired ball man Mark Richardson have seen parents being told they need to tell their depressed children to harden up. Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes wonders why old men are so committed to pushing children to their limits. Update: The … Read more
Remember being off sick from school and having nothing to watch once breakfast television ended? Angella Dravid does. From Tony Robbins to Suzanne Paul, she pays tribute to the stars of NZ’s most iconic infomercials. The Spinoff TV, Fridays at 10.45pm on THREE
An extract from a music memoir by Lisa Nimmo, one half of Wellington pop-rock duo Pearl, who were a successful live act in the 2000s. A month after the album release, Chris, Shelley and I headed off to Whanganui and Palmerston North for our first out-of-town gigs as recording artists. We were excited about getting to … Read more
One of the most important shows in the country is also its worst. Spinoff staff writer and occasional musician in a band called Great North, Hayden Donnell writes about playing onboard the Interislander. Despite often being dumped in the same category at record stores, there’s not a huge amount that unifies New Zealand musicians. Our styles … Read more
