The price of kumara has soared in the past two years, so maybe it’s better to buy spuds? Data scientist Aaron Schiff was tired of trying to figure out how to get the best deals, so he built an app. This post was first published on November 3, 2017. At the supermarket (toddler in tow) … Read more
‘Vote with your wallet’ they say, which is why Conscious Consumers wants to make sure you cast your vote in the right place by linking your values to the businesses that match them. Jihee Junn talks to co-founder and CEO Ben Gleisner about turning ethical consumerism into a mainstream reality. Christmas time turns us all … Read more
There are protest signs all over Grey Lynn, but who do they really represent? Jolisa Gracewood and Max Robitzsch present the case for better bike riding and good planning in Auckland’s inner west. Decades from now, we’ll look back on 2017 and say: that’s when it changed. That’s when Auckland reclaimed its urban mojo, stared … Read more
Rhythm and Vines’ co-founder Hamish Pinkham talks about the highs and lows of the first 15 years of his hugely popular New Year’s Eve festival. In the past 15 years, Rhythm and Vines has gone from a small New Year’s Eve party intended for 400 people, but attended by 1800, in 2003 to a sprawling … Read more
Novelist Danyl Mclauchlan describes his experiences and processes his thoughts after working on the Greens campaign in election 2017. First published 30 September, 2017 I had a bit to do with the Green Party campaign this election, which was a hell of a thing to experience close-up. (And my views here are mine not those … Read more
Because you are more than a mother. Because you’re doing enough. Because you just don’t feel like it – you’re allowed to say no to your kids, says Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes. This post was first published on May 26, 2017. I was sent an article and told it would change my life. This … Read more
When future historians look back at life in New Zealand in the early part of this century, there’s one pop cultural artifact that in three-and-a-half minutes summed up the aspirations of a changing nation: Gold Medal Famous’ masterpiece ‘We Bought A House’. This post was first published on September 7, 2017. We’ve been waiting for … Read more
At this time of year the inbox of our editor Emily Writes fills up with messages from despairing mothers who are struggling through the holiday period. They feel alone and overwhelmed and exhausted. This is her Christmas message for them. To all of the mothers who are understandably overwhelmed by the immense and relentless pressure … Read more
The top 10 best-sellers of the year at Unity Books in High St, Auckland. 1 Hit and Run: The New Zealand SAS in Afghanistan & the Meaning of Honour by Nicky Hager & Jon Stephenson (Potton & Burton, $35) God, really? The bulk of the sales must have been in the opening week, or fortnight, … Read more
Opinion: Yesterday Justine Sachs and Nadia Abu-Shanab penned an open letter urging Lorde to cancel her concert scheduled for next June in Tel Aviv. Here Dane Giraud, a member of the NZ Jewish community, offers a counterview. Dear Lorde, I’m not often asked to be the mouthpiece for political movements. Funny that. Not really. Who’d want … Read more
The top 10 best-sellers of the year at Unity Books in Willis St, Wellington. 1 Can You Tolerate This? by Ashleigh Young (Victoria University Press, $30) Number one: huzzah! In the old days of New Zealand literary awards, any kind of book – fiction, verse, memoir, whatever – was eligible to win the grand prize and pocket … Read more
Sam Brooks picks out what you should watch this Christmas when things get too stressful and you just need to curl up on the couch. Christmas is a stressful day for everyone. Whether you’re giving the gifts, receiving them, making the food or eating it, there’s a lot to do. And sometimes you need a … Read more
In 2014, New Zealand was one of the first countries to legalise peer-to-peer lending. Jihee Junn takes a look at what effect it’s had on the country’s borrowers, lenders and financial institutions three years on. You might not remember much of it, but a lot of stuff happened back in 2014: John Key romped home … Read more
Sony is making a grab for everyone who isn’t already on the PlayStation train with PlayLink, a series of party games that are played by linking smartphones with the PS4. The Spinoff team had a good blat with two of the games currently available, That’s You! and Knowledge Is Power. If you plonk yourself in … Read more
Lily Emerson, a classification advisor at the Office of Film & Literature Classification, has some advice about screen time. And before you run screaming – it’s not what you think. It’s unavoidable. Screen time arguments – between the adults, or with the kids. Yep, just one more thing to look forward to this holiday season! … Read more
PICK ONE: 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
Want to be an entrepreneur/innovator/generally smarter person in 2018? We assembled some of the brightest minds in New Zealand’s business landscape today to ask them for their favourite page-turners to savour over the summer break. Kendall Flutey, Banqer Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus “Not a business book, but this adult storybook really speaks to … Read more
If you thought your Christmas mall visits were bad, how about donning a fake beard and a velvet suit? Alex Casey talks to two professional mall Santas about becoming The Big Man. When I was about three years old, Santa Claus himself visited my daycare Christmas Party. He was as jolly as expected, with a … Read more
December 22, the longest day, is here and Tamanuiterā, the sun, must start his long journey back to winter. When the star Rehua (Antares) rises above the horizon before dawn, we know that the days have become full and long. Together with the blooming pōhutukawa and the nesting kererū, our tūpuna recognised these signs as … Read more
This year we had the most extraordinary election. Simon Wilson looks at where to now for the new government and the new opposition. Earlier this year Spinoff writer Simon Wilson scored an unusual double in the Canon Media Awards: he won the politics and business category awards for both long-form feature writing and opinion writing. … Read more
All week this Christmas week we count down the best six books of 2017. Number one: Driving to Treblinka by Diana Wichtel. ‘It is a story that will make all who read it a better human being,’ says reviewer Dr David Galler. We come into this world imbued with the spirits of our ancestors. It … Read more
Anna Gowan heard some advice on the radio and she decided to run with it. It turned into quite a day. One afternoon, I heard an interview on RNZ with a parenting expert. At first I was overcome by a wave of fatigue. Not another parenting expert, I thought … and then I heard the … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. 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 Michael Moka talks Māori entrepreneurship and bringing the whānau (values) to … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, José Barbosa and photographer Joel Thomas plunge into suburbia to bear witness to the majesty of west Auckland’s Christmas displays. It’s the time of year when Auckland’s bail the family up into their Swifts or Pathfinders and go to … Read more
It has been a landmark week for two prominent Māori lawyers – cause for much celebration among the Māori legal profession this Christmas. Last Friday Moana Jackson was awarded an honorary doctorate in law from Victoria University of Wellington, and yesterday long-serving high court justice, and former chief judge of the Māori Land Court, Justice … Read more
Can you ever really be wholly virtuous with your shopping choices? New research from AUT looks at how we balance our good and evil sides when we consume. Are you green to be seen, or do you really care about the environment? Emily Writes talks to AUT’s Sommer Kapitan about consumers’ conflicting motivations. She was … Read more
Fazerdaze, the current incarnation of 24-year-old Amelia Murray, released her debut album Morningside back in May. Since we wrote about the build-up to that record, Murray has had a whirlwind year, finally catching her breath back in New Zealand for Christmas. “I do it for selfish reasons,” laughs Amelia. I’ve asked her why she insists on … Read more
With help from our TV sponsors at Lightbox, Tara Ward rounds up some of the most delicious Christmas TV specials for you to feast upon. There’s 100 reasons why Christmas is so bloody awesome, and 99 of them relate to watching TV specials about Christmas. Indeed, there is no better time than Christmas to watch … Read more
Opinion: Lorde has announced a concert in Tel Aviv for June. Jewish New Zealander Justine Sachs and Palestinian New Zealander Nadia Abu-Shanab make the case for her to reconsider. Read a counterview from a member of the New Zealand Jewish community here Dear Lorde, We’re writing to you about your planned performance in Israel. We’re … Read more