In the fourth episode of our Real Housewives of Auckland podcast, a very red-faced Jane, Duncan and Alex lock themselves in a haunted elevator to discuss New Zealand’s greatest reality show. Crashing in like Lea behind the wheel of a VW Golf, the #realpod team return for week four to chew over everything Real Housewives. It … Read more
In a hectic schedule, comedian James Nokise finds time to tell Waikato journalist Annette Taylor about touring, the country’s faux class system and the sound of his aunty’s laugh. James Nokise has been called New Zealand’s favourite Samoan/Welsh stand-up comic. Over the years he’s been to the Edinburgh and Adelaide Festivals, lectured at universities and … Read more
She’s bright, she’s bold, she’s running for mayor. And yes, she’s 22. Katie Parker talks to Chloe Swarbrick about age, experience, and why she wants to be the big kahuna. Chloe Swarbrick, in person, is professional, earnest and engaging. She talks quickly and persuasively, holds your gaze confidently with her clear pale green eyes and … Read more
This is Auckland, where new money meets old. Alex Casey is going to try and laugh at The Real Housewives of Auckland through her weekly power rankings – because if we can’t laugh then all we have is the void. Click here for previous instalments. Holy shit. Between this episode and The Waitangi Dildo, 2016 is shaping up to … Read more
Yesterday we dived into the murky world of Bashford Antiques and the clamp-mad Michael Daniel Albert Organ. Today David Farrier and Hayden Donnell reveal the origin story of the mysterious Mr Organ. It was meant to be a story about some weird Facebook messages. Bashford Antiques had featured in a Story story after clamping every person who’d suffered a stray thought about parking outside … Read more
Last week’s best letters, comments and complaints. The Spinoff has turned off comments. If you want to have your say on a story, please head to our Facebook or Twitter – or send a letter to the editor to info@thespinoff.co.nz. Letters may be edited for length. @TheSpinoffTV when you turn off public commenting coz the … Read more
What will Annabelle Lee do when she sees the Labour leader nude on a rug? How will elitist lickspittle Ben Thomas insult Winston Peters? How much fake cocaine will Toby Manhire snort? All these questions answered in a new Gone By Lunchtime. The Spinoff’s unrivalled monthly politics podcast returns with a deep audio dive into … Read more
David Farrier recently spoke to Rhys Darby about appearing on his favourite show The X-Files. He follows up by chatting to perhaps an even bigger fan, and fellow X-Files guest star, Kumail Nanjiani. Kumail Nanjiani hosts one of my favourite podcasts, The X-Files Files. I think I love it because it’s done with so much passion and love. For … Read more
Dan Kelly reviews Far and Away: Reporting on the Brink of Change, a collection of reportage by superstar US foreign correspondent Andrew Solomon. The task undertaken by Andrew Solomon in Far And Away, a collection of travel writing and reportage spanning 25 years and some 23 countries, is more than the urge to document and bear … Read more
Three Figure.NZ charts offer a snapshot of the people who work in New Zealand restaurants and bars – and where. New Zealand’s growing hospitality sector has been in headlines recently both in relation to immigration policy and the rapidly changing face of the industry itself. But who is cooking and pouring and serving, and where?
A new poll suggests appetite for a divorce from the monarchy is on the rise. But before we move to a referendum, there are a few things to get in place first, write Lewis Holden. Two months ago the result of Britain’s EU referendum was fresh and I wrote that despite Britain’s apparent move away … Read more
Alex and Joseph are joined by DNCE on the couch to look at the latest in pop music and grill Joe Jonas like a piece of bacon. This week Alex and Joseph get their cake and eat it by the ocean too, with pop band DNCE. Led by Joe Jonas with help from Jack Lawless, Cole … Read more
The Ranfurly Shield contest between the Waikato and Manawatu men’s teams may have been a dud, but the warm-up match was a game for the ages, says Scotty Stevenson. Michelle Montague lay on the halfway line at Waikato Stadium, in the rain, in agony. Her braided hair rested on the wet grass, her leg rested in the hands … Read more
The owners of Bashford Antiques are in the news for aggressively clamping cars outside their Ponsonby store. But this story is much, much stranger than a simple parking dispute. David Farrier reports. Click here for part two of this weird saga. The only tweet I’ve ever been “forced” to delete was about Bashford Antiques. It happened about three years ago, when I was … Read more
Trains! Expressways! Parking! The Greens’ transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter and Transport Blog super-genius Matt Lowrie join us in the pod. Plus: we get David Farrier on the phone to apologise for last week’s debacle Unless they stay in their new-build medium density housing and never venture out, the rapidly growing Auckland population is going … Read more
They’re remaking everything nowadays and past beloved games are no exception. Joseph Harper looks at a old Zelda favourite that’s been given a wipe around the chin. The next great installment in Nintendo’s Zelda franchise looks very good but also seems to constantly be 700 years away. Nintendo’s next console, the ‘NX’ will come eventually, … Read more
It’s more Dilapidated Valley than Silicon Valley, but at the bottom of a hill beneath TV3 in Eden Terrace lies a brand new, hi-tech facility bringing together dudes, nerds and the hopes of a city and government’s innovation plan. Tim Murphy was at the opening of Grid/Akl – Uptown. If you want cut-through in your … Read more
Sunday Star-Times sleuth Kelly Dennett writes about the true crime book she’s very nearly completed as winner of the 2016 The Surrey Hotel Steve Braunias Memorial Writers Residency in Association with the Spinoff Award. Her prize was $500, pizza vouchers, a free roast meal – and a week’s accommodation at the luxurious and intellectually stimulating Surrey Hotel. In … Read more
Tara Ward brings you her rankings for Shortland Street last week, including Rachel’s Kitchen Nightmare, ghost boobs and Chris Warner via Skype. 1) Harry is the change you want to see in the world Harry had a cracker of a week. He saved Rachel from a watery grave and, if that wasn’t exciting enough, was named captain … Read more
New Zealand First’s eternally puckish leader delivered a typically pugilistic key-note speech at the party’s annual gathering in Dunedin yesterday. But which sledges sledged the sledgiest? The New Zealand First leader took to the stage in Dunedin yesterday afternoon following a rousing, bagpiped Flower of Scotland. “We remember where we came from”, rasped the pin-striped, … Read more
Gregory O’Brien is one of dozens of artists, architects and others hoping to get between the Āniwaniwa Visitor Centre and the DOC demolition crew, which is set to begin work on Monday morning (SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES) A bevy of architects are on the road to Te Urewera this evening, hoping to stop the Department … Read more
Compiling the best reading of the week from your friendly local website. Disclaimer: This week The Spinoff celebrated ‘Hosking Week’, in appreciation of the great Mike Hosking. As much as we would love it, not all weeks will be this Hosk-heavy. Liam Fernandez: Hosking Week: A comprehensive look at Toni Street trying to speak on Seven … Read more
In the lead-up to Show Me Shorts 2016, we pick one local film from their illustrious back catalogue, courtesy of our TV sponsors at Lightbox. Dump, from the 2012 Shorts catalogue, dares to look at what happens when kids are forced to spend the day with Dad. Eleven year old Utah is dropped at the dump by his … Read more
Looking for the next New Zealand breakout star? Don’t bother switching on your television, says writer and director Chaz Harris. Over a decade ago, I was working at Miramax Films in London. One of my colleagues, an acquisitions executive, was preparing to leave for the Berlin Film Festival. I asked him if he went to … Read more
In the stunning close to Hosking Week, Pete Douglas goes on a desperate, seemingly fruitless, but ultimately cathartic search for The Hosk’s true feelings about pop icon Taylor Swift. Click here for the rest of our Hosking Week coverage. Anyone who has ever listened to or watched Mike Hosking in action will know that Mike loves … Read more
Were you a baby once? If so, you’re perfectly equipped to tackle the second quiz from Figure.NZ for the Spinoff, all about babies and parenting in New Zealand. [qzzr quiz=’258055′ width=’100%’ height=’auto’ redirect=’true’ offset=’0′]
The best-seller chart at Unity Books for the week just ended: September 2 WELLINGTON STORE 1 The Sympathizer (Corsair, $28) by Viet Thanh Nguyen This powerful novel, which won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, has been in the top 10 for months, and now climbs to number one in both of Unity’s stores. Word … Read more
The response to this morning’s shake reinforces the urgency of authorising GeoNet to issue tsunami warnings, writes Philip Duncan. (Includes updated response to Civil Defence rejection of criticisms, below) This morning it took almost an hour before the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management acknowledged the severe magnitude 7.1 earthquake off East Cape that … Read more
New verse by Jungian therapist and writer Michael Harlow. The late news This little boy with his new number-one haircut, his heart full of surprise, clutching his end-of-the-year report card to his chest, crossing High Street for the last time—without looking both ways His black and white dog, her snappy tail on fast forward … Read more