After being sentenced for indecent assault, the actor issued a statement that seemed noticeably short on self-awareness and genuine contrition, writes Madeleine Holden. Last week, once-prominent New Zealand actor Rene Naufahu was sentenced to a year of home detention for six charges of indecent assault against young women who attended his acting classes. The court … Read more
You may have come across ASMR videos on YouTube and been baffled at people speaking softly while they pretend to cut your hair or do your makeup. But for some New Zealanders these videos are not just a way to relax, but an aid to their mental health. Baz Macdonald investigates. A beautiful young man … Read more
Uther Dean reminisces about how kids’ games were used to trick him into enjoying his education – and how those games still hold up today. Do you remember the days of the old school yard? We used to laugh a lot. Well, people used to laugh a lot. I don’t know about you but I … Read more
At the end of last year, it was reported that many schools are having to cut teacher aide hours due to tightened budgets. Below, two accounts from Pukerua Bay School, north of Wellington: one from a principal on the importance of teacher aides in the classroom, another from a teacher aide on the impact of … Read more
Having observed the failure of many governments to effect real change at climate conferences, former Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons shares what she has learned about community engagement to help the environment. Do we lobby the government to reduce climate emissions, or change our own light bulbs? Well, both of course – but actually, neither will … Read more
Is Melodrama the best album of the year? We’ll know definitively later today (*irony warning*), but in the meantime, Elle Hunt predicts the winners of the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. These Grammys, the sixtieth ever, are the third for which two friends and I have got our picks in. The Grammys’ administration starts four to … Read more
Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Annabelle Lee: Why Jacinda Ardern’s decision to spend five days at Waitangi is a really big deal “Every Waitangi it’s the same. The lack of gratitude shown by Māori at being among the poorest, sickest, most unemployed and incarcerated people in Aotearoa is an ongoing … Read more
A new app seeks to simplify the complexities around sex, consent and what is or isn’t allowed during intercourse. Law professor Simon Connell looks at the implications of LegalFling. It seems that there’s an app for everything these days. Cue Dutch company LegalThings, whose app called LegalFling purports to solve the tricky problem of sex … Read more
From Auckland to Methven, two Aussie lads chased the essence of New Zealand rugby. Scotty Stevenson recounts their journey. Jay Staunton and Ricky Blanch have been mates since they were 13-year-old freshies at Brisbane Grammar School. They’re footy-mad boys from the heart of Brisbane, stalwarts of the Wests Bulldogs, where they make up two thirds … Read more
Just living and breathing seems to cost money now. But don’t worry, we got you. We asked around the office and compiled the Spinoff’s tips for living a premium economy lifestyle on a discount economy income. DO Shop at Reduced To Clear. Make sure to ask them what day their cans arrive and get there … Read more
Calum Henderson is on a valiant quest to find New Zealand’s greatest TV theme. His search for answers begins with a look at the origins of the rollicking Country Calendar theme. Country Calendar is the greatest New Zealand television show. Even if you’ve never watched it, you know it’s true. It is the people’s show, … Read more
Deconstructerteam’s new point-and-click adventure game is a progressive riff on an old genre. Sam Brooks goes into what’s special about The Red Strings Club and why more games need to be like it. The Red Strings Club starts by cribbing one of the most famous film noir openings ever: Joe Gillis’ corpse floating in a pool on … Read more
On Thursday Auckland Transport released a draft budget that caused an immediate uproar – and then transport minister Phil Twyford said it was all a mistake. Auckland councillor Richard Hills explains why the draft budget was so bad, and what he intends to do about it. I was sitting in the office yesterday minding my … Read more
Our regular round-up of new songs and singles, featuring Lawrence Arabia, UMO, Yo La Tengo, Dry Dive, Justin Timberlake, Bromelain/Manzanza and more… Lawrence Arabia – ‘Solitary Guys’ Welcome to the singles club Imagine if somebody ten years ago had said that in 2018 it’d be normal for whole seasons of TV shows to come out all … Read more
Welcome to the Cheat Sheet, a clickable, shareable, bite-sized FAQ on the news of the moment. Today, the geodesic sphere deposited into space from the east coast of the North Island. What’s going on? The Humanity Star is the spinny, shimmering sphere that was zapped the other day into orbit from the Mahia Peninsula, New … Read more
An announcement: We will no longer be responding to all the tired old opinions on Māori language and culture trotted out by people with no lived experience of being Māori in Aotearoa. Instead, we will rank them here. You know what’s tiring? Like, so deep-in-your-bones exhausting your very marrow puts on trackpants and goes back … Read more
Brought to you by Inflatable World, Breeder’s Digest is your monthly coffee group in a podcast. Hosted by mum of three Jane Yee and virgin mum Nicola Winslade, Breeder’s Digest is a casual chat with your mates about all the rubbish bits of parenting and all the really good bits as well. Have your say using … Read more
Plunket’s chief executive Amanda Malu says celebrating and supporting whānau and their parenting choices is how the village of New Zealand can help raise every child. Plunket people, like many across the country, were genuinely thrilled by the announcement from the prime minister and her partner Clarke Gayford on Friday last week. Yet the news … Read more
New verse by Wellington writer Nick Ascroft. This Beaver’s Thirst They flip you up your mom and pop and land you on your little feet. Some things they say can make you stop, but then you think, gee whiz that’s neat. And they were flipped up by their nans and caught with gentle hands … Read more
The best-selling books at Unity Books in Auckland and Wellington. AUCKLAND UNITY 1 Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff (Little Brown, $38) 2 Mythos: A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece by Stephen Fry (Michael Joseph, $37) 3 The Power by Naomi Alderman (Penguin, $26) 4 Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by … Read more
This week I was sent screenshots of hateful, antisemitic Facebook posts. Part of honouring our incredibly brave Holocaust survivors is calling out bigotry wherever we see it, says Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy Last year the Human Rights Commission launched New Zealand’s first anti-racism campaign. It called on everyday Kiwis to recognise the seeds of … Read more
Welcome to the Cheat Sheet, a clickable, shareable, bite-sized FAQ on the news of the moment. Today, Don Rowe explains why shutting down Hamilton’s most notorious bar isn’t automatically a good idea. What’s going on? The most notorious bar in Hamilton – and thus the country – has had its liquor license canned by police. … Read more
Mark E Smith, the singer and poet who led The Fall for over 40 years, has died. Emily Edrosa, solo musician and member of Street Chant, remembers playing and drinking with The Fall in 2010. The first time I ever saw Mark E Smith he was sitting in front of me on a plane snorting … Read more
Annabelle Lee, Toby Manhire and Ben Thomas return for the first Gone By Lunchtime of 2018, guest starring a real life baby who reveals all about her encounters with a pregnant Jacinda Ardern. Your friendly GBLT content providers return to swelter in an obscenely overheated “studio” to splutter out a word or two on the … Read more
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
Yesterday Auckland Transport released a draft budget with massive cuts to previously stated public transport priorities including cycling and light rail. Then last night transport minister Phil Twyford said it was all a cock-up. So what happened? Matt Lowrie of Greater Auckland reviews. You’re a public agency tasked with coming up with a 10-year transport … Read more
As Housing NZ prepares to develop the corner near Russell Brown’s house in Point Chevalier, he muses on the redevelopment, gentrification and spiralling growth in real estate values of the Auckland suburb he calls home. Last week, I wandered around the corner to watch the news crews assemble outside Jacinda Ardern’s Point Chevalier home in … Read more
Every week we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to Tony Small, founder of plant-based packaging company Innocent Packaging. ONE: How did Innocent Packaging start and what was the inspiration behind it? Originally I had a reusable coffee cup company. But after doing that for … Read more
Poet Hera Lindsay Bird talks to Megan Dunn, author of a brilliantly funny new memoir about working at a failed bookstore while experiencing a failed marriage and making a failed attempt to write a novel. I first met Megan Dunn the year after I had graduated from a writing programme and had to emerge back into reality … Read more