We take great pride in Sir Peter Jackson’s reputation as a filmmaker, but The Great War Exhibition is soaking up millions of public dollars that might have funded so much more, and not just in Wellington, writes military historian Dr Stephen Clarke. Ten years ago I drove the founding director of the new Canadian War … Read more
Recalls typically result in fewer than half of affected products being returned, leaving plenty of dud toasters and dodgy kettles still in circulation. Consumer NZ’s Jessica Wilson proposes a couple ways we can change that. Already this year, close to 80 household products have been recalled because of the safety risk they present to consumers. … Read more
With the debut of Disney’s Moana in the Hawaiian language, Simon Perris looks at at pan-Pacific representations of Maui, and the atua wahine Disney conveniently ignored. I’m guessing Hawaiian Disney superfans are pretty excited about the ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi version of Moana, hot on the heels of last year’s reo Māori version. Moana and the demigod … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Probe into appointment of top cop who made Louise Nicholas comments, tolls considered for Transmission Gully, and nurses may be at odds with their union. There’s going to be an inquiry into how Wally Haumaha came to be appointed Deputy Police Commissioner, after an outcry over … Read more
David Farrier loves a good awards ceremony, especially one for which he’s nominated. But what are the New Zealand LGBTI Awards? On April 30, I was nominated for an LGBTI award. I learned this via a tweet from The New Zealand LGBTI Awards’ Twitter account, which described the awards as “Rewarding those who make a … Read more
Vincent Lum has taken many different guises within the Auckland music scene over the past decade: drumming in a punk trio, playing bass in a metal covers band, fronting his own blues-rock group, Whipping Cats. Now he’s released a new album, Weird Days, under the name Vincent HL. Gareth Shute talks to him about his … Read more
New Zealand Geographic editor Rebekah White examines the public spaces that connect us. Our towns and cities are lacking something important, and I was reminded of this during a recent visit to Hong Kong. There, senior citizens fill the social niche that teenagers do in Auckland. They loiter in the local square with their mates, … Read more
A quest for pasta perfection takes one carb enthusiast from Mt Eden, Auckland, to Bologna, Italy. This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine. During my three-week honeymoon in Europe, I gained 7kg. Despite spending only two days there, I believe Bologna is where the majority of the weight was assumed. I am obsessed with pasta … Read more
Hayden Donnell read about Google’s tax strategy, and went on a journey to try and replicate it for himself. “Can I formally notify you that I’m not paying tax in 2018?” “No.” Reporter Hayden Donnell’s voyage into the world of multinational tax strategy began with a stern rebuke from the IRD, and it’s not a … Read more
Parking passes for the University of Canterbury campus are set to cost $475 next year. Student Kelly Phillips says it’s revenue gathering, pure and simple. When the woman gave me the total, I asked her to repeat herself. This was 2016, when an annual parking pass for students at the University of Canterbury cost $304. … Read more
Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Lara Croft, Mario – these characters defined gaming in culture for so long. So what happened to them? An orange bandicoot, a purple dragon, a long ponytailed archaelogist, an electric rat, a male green lizard that could lay eggs, a terrifying yellow circle. These were the representatives of gaming for so long; … Read more
New Zealanders have been rightly horrified by Trump’s camps separating children from their parents. Are we similarly outraged by the illegal detention by the Australian government of babies and mothers? Thalia Kehoe Rowden spoke to some mums living in Nauru, waiting for years to be welcomed to a new country. Content note: this article contains … Read more
We’re jolly excited to announce the launch of The Spinoff’s newest section, dedicated to all things food and drink. Its editor, Alice Neville, explains what it’s all about. Do you like eating? Do you like drinking? If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, chances are you’ll like The Spinoff’s new section. … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. It is now the second half of the year. In today’s edition: Families package comes into effect, but meanwhile, so does the regional fuel tax. Plus, the NZ Defence Force is waging war against political graffiti. From Sunday, the government’s Families Package took effect. Passed in the mini-Budget at the … Read more
The season is over but there’s one more power ranking left to do. Who won the season – really? And who truly, truly lost the season? And who the hell is in between? Sam Brooks power ranks Dancing with the Stars one last time. 12. Robert Rakete Poor Robert Rakete. Coming into this competition, you’d think … Read more
The politics of fear has seen successive NZ governments incarcerate people at increasing rates. In the latest Side Eye, Toby Morris explores the crisis of a mindless criminal justice system
It’s the final dance off, fully voted on by the public – and here are your final power rankings. Dancing with the Stars, it is over. ABSOLUTELY NOT: Dai Henwood – Contemporary Interpretative It’s not a super successful parody dance if that dance is better performed than one of your contestants performed just the previous … Read more
We’re into the 11th week of Survivor NZ, and this game is only getting crazier. Luke Harries recaps all the action, including a new immunity idol, a chocolate feast, and non-blindside strategies. Things got tense at last week’s tribal council, and after putting up a good fight, we said goodbye to Renee. The drama didn’t stop … Read more
Chris Parker and Eli Matthewson’s hit podcast The Male Gayz is now a thing you can look at with your eyeballs, thanks to TVNZ on Demand. Chris Parker and Eli Matthewson are two of the country’s most prolific and well-known young comedians. They’re both writers for Jono and Ben and Funny Girls, as well as occasional performers on both … Read more
Forensic psychiatrist Rees Tapsell tells the story of “Tama”, who killed his aunt in a psychotic episode, and was referred to a kaupapa Māori rehabilitation unit. As a Māori forensic psychiatrist, I have been responsible for the treatment and rehabilitation of Māori who suffer mental illness and have committed violent offences while mentally unwell. In … Read more
Jamie Curry uploaded a video titled “my sexuality” last Sunday, and in doing so let viewers in on a deeply personal side of herself. Sharing one’s personal life online isn’t a new phenomenon, but for YouTube content creators it’s also a part of their job. Audiences expect to be let in to the creator’s world, … Read more
Kaitāia’s Te Ahu centre is a lot of things to a lot of people – a taonga, a service, a symbol of progress, a happy distraction. Te Ahu looms large in the relatively small Kaitāia township, but it does so with its arms flung open wide, welcomning you inside. The 2300-square metre complex is a … Read more
Paul Manning built one of NZ’s biggest ad agencies by transforming the image of businesses like the $2 Shop. Now he wants to do the same with cannabis. Don Rowe reports. In a secret location somewhere south of Auckland’s CBD, New Zealand’s largest indoor cannabis operation is rising like a monolith from the earth. A concrete … Read more
Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Alex Braae: Fact check: Has there been more striking in 9 months of Labour than 9 years of National?” The stats are bullshit, because if you were to compare the two figures, you’d completely wipe the tally just with aviation security workers. They very, … Read more
Welcome back to Waterdeep Mountain High, a Dungeons & Dragons podcast set in a below average school in the mystical land of Faerun. After the horrors they faced in the tunnels beneath Mt Waterdeep, our heroes emerge to find their beloved schools has changed in some very significant and disturbing ways… Starring Nic Sampson, Alice … Read more
At 16 years old, Jackson Owens was handpicked for a pop trio by former Backstreet Boys producer Timothy Coons due to the strength of his musical cover versions on YouTube. Since then he’s left his hometown of Turangi behind to hunt for a break in the US. Gareth Shute catches up with Owens to discuss his … Read more
The Bingham Cup, known as the ‘gay rugby World Cup’, took place in Amsterdam earlier this month. Aucklander Jack Cottrell was there as a referee – until a devastating injury reminded him that rugby can be as cruel as it is beautiful. On an unseasonably hot afternoon in Amsterdam, the Southern Barbarians are practicing for … Read more
I’m a builder, and I love bitching about red tape and building inspectors. But lately my views have changed. I was primed to write a rant about building inspectors. Finally, I thought, I have my chance to stick it to the man, my chance to get back at all those persnickety little men who for … Read more
Ka puta Matariki ka rare whānui, ko te tohu tēnā o te tau e! Matariki reappears, Vega starts its flight. The new year begins! Matariki is a period of reflection and renewal. An opportunity to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future. As we move into the new year, it … Read more