We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Alex Casey goes to The Jim Henson Retrospectacle: Live in Concert and cries a bit. ‘Tis a wild sensation indeed to get whole-body starstruck by a bit of felt and some faux fur. But as the house lights went … Read more
Setting a budget and sticking to it is really hard and The Spinoff Parents regularly gets asked to pull together budget tips that real parents use. Here are the best crowd-sourced tips from parents in New Zealand. We’ve tried to split this series into parts – because we were sent so many tips. This week we’ve compiled … Read more
The week’s best selling books at the Unity stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND UNITY 1 A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey (Macmillan, $38) From the office of the President, tweet 1: “James Comey is a proven LEAKER & LIAR. Virtually everyone in Washington thought he should be fired for the … Read more
Welcome to the Cheat Sheet, a clickable, shareable, bite-sized FAQ on the news of the moment. Today, what on earth is going on with Air New Zealand’s new Boeings? We all know long-haul travel is a particular kind of hell (with or without kids) because we’re Kiwis and everywhere is really bloody far away. Legroom … Read more
After blowing up The Mint Chicks in spectacular fashion, the Nielson brothers are back together, with Kody recently joining Ruban’s acclaimed act Unknown Mortal Orchestra. “Brothers can have a volatile relationship,” he tells Hussein Moses, “but at the end of the day we’re still brothers.” The first time Kody Nielson heard a mysterious new band … Read more
The list of state agencies using these private investigators to spy on lawful protesters continues to grow, and it is an assault on democracy, writes Frances Mountier. I was distressed to learn last month that a government owned company, Southern Response, had been using private investigators Thompson & Clark to spy on victims of the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: A huge sack of cash for Auckland’s transport, a damning new child poverty report, and jailhouse snitches in the spotlight. The government and council will put $28 billion dollars towards a major plan to fix Auckland’s transport woes. Here’s a handy key facts story from Stuff, because there … Read more
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Alex Casey reviews the return of The Handmaid’s Tale, available exclusively on Lightbox with new episodes every Thursday. Sweaty palm on heaving heart, there is simply no other television show that elicits such a violent, physical reaction in me like The Handmaid’s Tale. You should know the story by now, because it’s one that may … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. In the pilot of a new monthly special, host Simon Pound speaks with Maria Slade, from the communications team at Callaghan Innovation, and Duncan Greive, managing editor at The Spinoff about business stories making the news that month. The … Read more
“There is nothing more miserable, pointless, expensive and anxiety-provoking than going through life worrying that some food you ate will give you cancer,” writes George Henderson, in his review of a new study which considers the food we eat, and what it’s doing to our bodies. Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarrelling … Read more
This morning the government and Auckland Council announced a record $30b investment in solving Auckland’s transport crisis. Don Rowe reports. Atop a broken escalator the two Phils stood shoulder to shoulder, sharing a vision of a better Auckland, a cleaner Auckland; a Greater Auckland, if you will. The Government and Auckland Council together will embark … Read more
In response to recent comments defending the cruelty of benefit sanctions for mothers, Dr Rebekah Graham brings us the case of Anna, a young mother whose benefit sanction made an already difficult situation worse. After the birth of her baby, Anna went to Work and Income for assistance with food provision. However, once there, the … Read more
In the new film Isle of Dogs, David Farrier says director Wes Anderson has produced his most artistic, political and detailed film yet. My introduction to Wes Anderson came back in 2001, when I rented The Royal Tenenbaums from Video Ezy in Tauranga. I was blown away by this utterly bizarre, beautiful thing I … Read more
A new study shows that menstrual cups and cotton tampons may not be as safe as people are being led to believe. Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles explains. Diva, Fleur, JuJu, Kiko, Lunette, Me Luna, Mooncup, My Cup, Sckoon, Tāti, Wā, Yuuki. All cutesy names for the same thing: the menstrual cup – a “cup” people insert … Read more
Master weaver Veranoa Hetet, a descendent of some of Aotearoa’s greatest weavers and carvers, sheds some light on common misconceptions around kākahu. I te taha o taku matua, nō ngā hapū o Ngāti Kinohaku, Ngāti Rora (Ngāti Maniapoto) me Ngāti Turangitukua (Ngāti Tuwharetoa) ahau. Ko Rangi Hetet tōku matua. I te taha o tōku whaea, … Read more
Two restaurants with the exact same name operate beside each other in Mt Albert. But which is the real Mt Albert BBQ Noodle House? Madeleine Chapman eats and investigates. Occupying the heart of the Mt Albert food district are two rival restaurants right next door to each other. Both make cheap, generously portioned, delicious Chinese … Read more
There are a handful of dead bodies in the Auckland Hilton and Don Rowe has seen them all. The controversial Body Worlds Vital exhibition is a powerful meditation on mortality and death, he writes. “We do not see things as they are,” goes the old Talmudic phrase, “We see them as we are.” How then … Read more
When Bethenny Frankel first bought Amazon shares, the company was nothing. But her gut said it was going to be big, so she bought in. That’s just one of her many, many business successes. On a recent visit to Auckland, Rebecca Stevenson tapped the Real Housewives of New York star for her top financial tips. … 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 co-founder of Reobot, Jason Lovell, whose IBM Watson-powered chatbot allows you to practise conversational Māori via Facebook Messenger. ONE: How did Reobot start and what was the inspiration behind it? I want to … Read more
They formed in 1965, had their biggest hit in 1990 and in 2018 they’re coming to New Zealand with Def Leppard! Get ready with a quick guide to the last half-decade of German hard rock veterans Scorpions. Scorpions? Sorry mate, never heard of them. You have almost definitely heard at least one of their songs. … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Shane Jones wants more power over public servants, NZ banks insist they’re not dodgy, and a former Counties DHB member hits back. Shane Jones wants ministers to have more control over the public sector, including being able to appoint enforcers in top roles, reports Stuff. The regional development minister … Read more
Two very different ANZAC commemorations took place around mid-morning at the Auckland Domain. Alex Braae went to both of them. I arrived in time for the wreath laying. There were still hundreds, if not thousands of people surrounding the cenotaph, a huge contingent on the hill in front of the looming War Memorial Museum. As … Read more
While NZ and Australian visitor numbers may be dropping, Erdoğan’s hailed ‘pious generation’ are attending commemorations in increasing numbers. Islamic influence on remembrance rites at Gallipoli has been growing for more than a decade, but its political significance has increased dramatically since the July 2016 attempted coup, write Brad West and Ayhan Aktar With ongoing political instability … Read more
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble. Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. Like last night, on the … Read more
As revealed on The Real Pod this week, cats Brian and Christine Rice-Green are having a second chance at living with New Zealand TV royalty. In a shock twist straight out of any M. Night Shyamalan thriller, The Spinoff has learned that the feline friends of Matilda Rice and Art Green are not who they … Read more
To mark Anzac Day, we asked #ArmyWife Greer Berry to share with us the ups and downs of being married to a person in the New Zealand Defence Force. Google “army wives” and images of delicious looking women with fresh hair and plump breasts will appear, one perfectly manicured hand saluting their husband with the … Read more
Bridie Chetwin-Kelly talks to Sarah Thompson of the Melbourne-based band Camp Cope, who have called out festivals for male-dominated line-ups and led a campaign against sexual misconduct at concerts. Trying to calm my inner fangirl and act cool, I jumped on a call with Sarah Thompson, also known as ‘Thomo’ the drummer of the Melbourne-based … Read more
A petition has been set up calling for Debbie Hockley to be removed from the Sky cricket commentary team – and the creator and every single commenter so far is male. RNZ’s Zoe George reports. The president of New Zealand Cricket, Debbie Hockley, has been threatened with physical violence and referred to in sexist terms … Read more