Australian 60 Minutes presenter Charles Wooley this week revealed himself to be in love, or “smitten”, with Jacinda Ardern. Madeleine Chapman watched and wept. Charles Wooley just wanted to ask Jacinda Ardern out for a date. It’s not that complicated. Except it is, because he did so via a 13 minute creep fest of an interview for 60 … Read more
This weekend saw thousands converge on Wellington’s watefront for Kupe, a tribute to Polynesian explorers Kupe and Kuramarotini’s discovery of Aotearoa and first landing of the waka Matahorua in the harbour. Meriana Johnsen reviews the show. Weaving the past and the present, contemporary expression and ancient artforms, the welcoming of the waka hourua into Wellington harbour … Read more
Rent Week 2018: Two tales from a small Tauranga community illustrate the challenges solo mums still face in the renting market. It was reported in January that Tauranga now outranks Auckland as New Zealand’s most unaffordable city and in the city’s pressured rental market, landlords these days have their pick of tenants and of rental … Read more
Rent Week 2018: A new Wellington-based service is looking to match rooms with roommates with as little pain as possible. Don Rowe talks to co-founder Brayden Gosse about Flat Candy, the so-called ‘Tinder of flatting’. Finding a flatmate is almost universally a total pain in the arse. From listing the ads, through filtering the applicants, … Read more
In the past three years the Pacific Island nations have experienced the three most intense tropical cyclones on record. It’s our duty as tangata whenua and whanaunga to take a stand on climate change, for their sake, argues Graham Cameron. As our Pacific Islands cousins face the unprecendented impacts of climate change, they are looking … Read more
Read more from the Spinoff’s Rent Week 2018 here. This content was made possible by the NZ Human Rights Commission. The Commission is calling on all Kiwis to stand up to racism by giving it no encouragement. No respect. No place. No power. For more information on how to get involved, visit www.givenothing.co.nz
For thousands of New Zealanders in the past year, food delivery has become synonymous with UberEats as customers love it for its simplicity and convenience. But what about the restaurants? What’s it like to be on the other side of the table? Jihee Junn talks to Auckland restaurant owners to reflect on a year of … Read more
A new game from Mountains Studio aims to tell an authentic, full-bodied love story – and it’s all on your phone. Sam Brooks reviews Florence. Video games don’t have a great track record of showing people falling in love, historically. When you think of how video games represent love, you think of Mario rescuing Peach … Read more
As part of the ongoing We are Beneficiaries project highlighting the realities of life on a benefit, artist Sam Orchard tells the stories of women who have refused to name their baby’s father – and been punished for their decision. One of the most harmful of WINZ’S many sanctions against beneficiaries is section 70A, which … Read more
Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Daniel Couch: Why aspiring National leader Mark Mitchell’s war-for-profit past matters “In several countries, such as the United States of America, it is commonplace for former soldiers to serve in the highest positions of elected office. In most of these instances that armed service has … Read more
Ten Brits run around the countryside being chased down by investigators (and also a camera crew) in order to win £100,000. Don Rowe watches the show and finds the hunting bizarre and, quite frankly, lacking in actual hunting. Self-improvement is often a matter of asking yourself better questions: where do I want to be in … Read more
New Zealanders sometimes like to claim that they are a classless society but anyone studying New Zealand English would know this isn’t true, writes NZ language expert Elizabeth Gordon In the early 1900s people were commenting on the newly developing New Zealand accent. They called it a “colonial twang” and they hated it. They said … Read more
Reilly Hodson reviews comedian Paul Williams’ funny-but-not-too-funny debut album, Surf Music. I can’t remember how I first found out about Paul Williams. He doesn’t know me, but I’ve been following his work for at least a year. My fascination with him started with his excellent, Billy T Award-nominated, Comedy Festival show. As a theatre guy … Read more
With the announcement that Labour is moving towards abortion law reform, New Zealand is gearing up to talk about a topic that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. So how can we acknowledge and move past the discomfort towards a law that works? In case you didn’t realise, abortion is still in the Crimes Act. … Read more
An outcry over the treatment of disabled patrons at Hamilton’s Seddon Park during a recent Blackcaps match could have been avoided with just a bit of prior communication, says sports writer and disabled person Michael Pulman. During last Saturday’s Twenty20 International at Seddon Park, disabled patrons were turned away from their designated seating in order … Read more
The Silicon Valley billionaire and Trump backer Thiel is not the first white man to want to abandon his home in the northern hemisphere for a South Pacific paradise, writes Scott Hamilton Peter Thiel seems to like New Zealand. In 2011 the billionaire IT investor asked for and very quickly received New Zealand citizenship; later … Read more
Revelations of alleged sexual harassment by a former partner at Russell McVeagh underscore the unique privilege of the legal profession. “Abusers don’t need to tear through the law because their very relationship with the law protects them,” writes Danyl Mclauchlan. A lawyer at a party told me. I couldn’t remember where he worked so I yelled … Read more
We have a beautiful summer upon us and though school and kindy are back in session, our kids’ appetite for leisure-time stimulation remains undimmed. Here’s your crowd-sourced-from-real-parents guide to Auckland with little ones. Check out the Auckland Maritime Museum, one of Auckland’s most under-rated attractions for kids. Says one mum “it’s no cost for locals, … Read more
New verse by Kaipara writer Sam Hunt. My eldest brother the Atheist died Waitangi Day. No word from him no sign in vision or dream. He’s gone and gone for good like he said he would. My other brother, Jonathan, may he finds what he lives for a Catholic hereafter … Read more
This week’s best-selling books at Unity Books in Wellington and Auckland. WELLINGTON UNITY 1 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B Peterson (Allen Lane, $40) Danyl Mclauchlan explains Peterson’s theory of everything, in a review at the Spinoff Review of Books: “Life is an endless series of ruthless dominance contests in which the strong triumph and obtain … Read more
With over 2.8m members, KiwiSaver is the most successful financial product in New Zealand since the chequing account. Simplicity managing director Sam Stubbs looks at its potential for New Zealand. Since 2007, KiwiSavers have amassed $45 billion. That’s a lot of money, with a lot of potential payoffs for New Zealand. Already, we are starting to … Read more
As the world’s population continues to rise, energy and food needs are both projected to grow beyond the capacity of existing technologies. Harvard chemist Dan Nocera anticipates that only a major shift will get us through, and he thinks NZ could play a pivotal role, writes Vernoika Meduna Take sunshine and water and power the … Read more
Gemma Gracewood talks to her sort-of-sister Elisabeth Easther, the host of new TV One series Islands of the Gulf, in which Easther revisits her mother’s trailblazing documentary series. Elisabeth Easther’s brother is married to my sister, so we’ve been “sisters-out-law” since we were riotous teens. I’ve watched Elisabeth go from playing Victoria the dinosaur in … Read more
Finally, the most electrifying sports entertainment programme on earth has come back to Aotearoa. This Saturday marks the first episode of WWE Raw to screen free-to-air in New Zealand in over a decade. WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) has a new tag team partner in Māori Television, bringing a devastating combination of English and te reo … Read more
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Nico Porteous, both 16, won bronze medals at the Winter Olympics this week. Their efforts add to an ever-growing list of impressive achievements by New Zealand teenagers. When the world ends and New Zealand must present its best self for God’s judgment, it will be as a teenager. I spent a couple of … Read more
A2 Milk Co briefly burst through a landmark this week, reaching a market capitalisation of $10 billion on news of its deal with Fonterra. Here are ten numbers which encapsulate the milk brand’s inexorable rise. $14.62 A2’s shares rocketed up to over $14 this week (but fell back a little to settle just under $13) … Read more
Behind closed doors, and in public facing judgement and contempt, mothers and fathers are doing their best to support their children through anxiety and other mental health issues. Here is one mother’s story. It is 9.30pm and I sit listening for the thumps, the bangs, the shrieks that will eventually build into crescendo of hysterical … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Vodafone Xone. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week Simon talks to Jenene Crossan about her kick-ass career in tech. … Read more
It was the surprise hit of March 2017, and now Rent Week is back, baby. And we want your stories. Many of us live in homes that we could never afford. And yet they’re not even nice to live in. What a conundrum. But the Rent Life doesn’t have to be a greasy carousel, carrying … Read more