What’s the difference between a human and a tree? A tree will never leave you. Take our quiz to find your dream native. Valentines come and go, but a tree lasts forever – or at least several decades. If you’re tired of barking up the wrong tree when it comes to romance, it might be … Read more
At times, the knowledge that a return to NZ won’t be likely for an unknowable amount of time can bring an achy sort of feeling, writes Emma Gilkison. In Berlin, we are in the middle of a long, dreary Covid winter. We’ve been back in lockdown since mid December, after the “lockdown-lite” of November. The … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Reaction to big changes required by first emissions report, stories swirl about managed isolation places, and UK in bid to join NZ-inclusive trade bloc. The Climate Change Commission has released a major report setting out the changes that will need to be made for New … Read more
What’s the best way to get adults reading? Get them reading when they’re children – and there’s no better place to start than the Unity Children’s Bestseller Chart. AUCKLAND 1 The Noisy Board Book by Soledad Bravi (Gecko, $25, 0-3) Very good option for a baby shower gift. Pleasingly cuboid. Does not make actual noise. … Read more
Lawyer and commentator Kingi Snelgar has some programming recommendations for a stellar Waitangi Day line-up. Dear Magic FM E ngā kaiwhakarite o Magic Talk, tēnā koutou, I heard in horror the recording earlier this week on your station as your temporary host John Banks allowed and contributed to racist comments by a talkback caller called … Read more
CLICK HERE to see interactive data visualisations and watch all five episodes of 100 Year Forecast on our special interactive website. Aotearoa is getting warmer. How do we know this, and what will happen over the next 100 years? Watch episode one here: 100 Year Forecast explores what Aotearoa might look like in the next … Read more
Ardern says the government is ready to ‘accelerate’ to meet the ambitious demands of the emissions budget laid down by the Climate Change Commission. Every home and business in the country will need to see a substantial shift in behaviour under far-reaching guidance just released by the Climate Change Commission. The “emissions budget”, the first … Read more
In the latest of her series of food comics, Liliana Mañetto Quick pens a love letter to the barbecue ‘not ribs’ at the capital’s vegan cafe Sweet Release.
She’s tied to the kitchen, by choice. Indigo Paul ponders how she ended up filling her days with domestic labour – and why she’s cool with it. The term came up after chatting to a friend about what I’d been keeping myself busy with. “Oh, I’ve just been at home, working on the garden and … Read more
He’s been popping up all over central and south Auckland, and his moves have found him local TikTok fame. So who is this mysterious dancer? Jihee Junn caught up with him for a chat. The first time I saw him dancing was from a TikTok I’d stumbled on late last month. Crossing the road at … Read more
From 2000 to 2007, the party drug BZP was legal to buy and available from your local dairy. What happened? ‘This is what movies say drugs are like,” says Jim*, remembering how he felt when he took six party pills in one night. He was a musician, student, and regular drug taker – he’d munted … Read more
Filimone Vuna’s heartwarming story is a good reminder that older people may not fully understand NZ Covid Tracer app technology, writes Vaimoana Tapaleao for the NZ Herald. Sola Vuna did not think anything of it when his father called his daughter Praize over to help fix his cellphone which had started to run out of … Read more
Born into one of New Zealand rugby’s royal families, Brooke Stanley Pao is a daughter of privilege. Now she’s the face of the fight against poverty in Auckland. Every Tuesday and Thursday just before 10am, a small queue forms on an Onehunga street corner, waiting for the glass doors to slide open on hope. These … Read more
Inez is a funny, kind, smart 11-year-old kid. But life for her has been very difficult in a way that will resonate with a lot of families. First published December 8, 2020. Inez is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff. Inez wakes up at 6:30am every day, but some … Read more
A humble New Zealand mollusc is suddenly in the global spotlight, and now it’s up to New Zealanders to help it claim victory. Biologist Priscila Salloum explains why the snakeskin chiton deserves your vote. Snakeskin chiton, a common mollusc on the New Zealand coast, has beaten off more than a hundred competitors from all corners … Read more
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Aroha: Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet by Hinemoa Elder (Penguin Random House, $30) A surprise … Read more
Visitors travel from far and wide to Northland’s Waipoua Forest, home of Tāne Mahuta, one of the largest trees in the world. But with the forest under threat from the spread of kauri dieback, are they putting Tāne Mahuta and his brothers and sisters at risk? First published December 1, 2020. Into Darkness is part … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for January 29, keeping you up to date with the latest local and international news. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz Our members make The Spinoff happen! Every dollar contributed directly funds our editorial team – click here to learn more about how you can support us from as little as … Read more
A new poem from Wellington poet Dani Yourukova. All my plants are dead and I’m pretty sure it’s your fault I think it’s extremely inconsiderate of you – showing up and being exactly the sort of person that I would become immediately obsessed with. The planet is dying and so is my half price orchid … Read more
Is it plausible that the new cases contracted in the Pullman hotel in Auckland were transmitted via pipes? Here’s what the science tells us. As the investigation to determine how three people became infected with Covid-19 during their stay in New Zealand’s managed isolation and quarantine system gets away, it is worth considering a few … Read more
An open letter to prime minister Jacinda Ardern, minister of foreign affairs Nanaia Mahuta and trade minister Damien O’Connor on supporting a People’s Vaccine Dear Prime Minister Ardern and Ministers Mahuta and O’Connor, The world has watched Aotearoa New Zealand’s remarkable response to Covid-19. Our leaders struck a different path from many other countries, one … Read more
Journalist Bernard Hickey joins host Duncan Greive for a wide-ranging chat about the challenges faced by New Zealand media and why he’s launched a new subscription-only daily email. First published November 6, 2020. Working at the intersection of politics and economics, Bernard Hickey is one of the most interesting and unique journalists in New Zealand … Read more
In the wake of the latest round of flagrant racism, some believe it’s time the format was completely written off. Alex Braae argues that talkback has so much more to give than audiences are currently getting. If you think talkback radio in New Zealand is only ever an unremitting stream of bigotry and outrage, you’ve … Read more
As dozens of unions, advocacy groups and NGOs sign an open letter to the NZ government, Phoebe Carr and Edward Miller make the case for replicating the values of our domestic Covid response on a global scale. The world watched stunned as New Zealand eliminated Covid-19 from our islands. We did it by listening to … Read more
Women and non-binary people in the music industry have spoken out about how cis-gendered men can make their jobs safer. Content warning: sexual assault, harassment and discrimination. *Some names have been changed. Yesterday an open letter penned by musician Anna Coddington (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) was made public amid the fallout of Alison Mau’s exposé for … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Nervous wait for Northland and Auckland, trade minister annoys Aussies with China comments, and long-awaited clean car standards finally on the way. At the moment it looks like the top of the country might have got away with a very lucky escape, in the latest … Read more
The chair of the Climate Change Commission says he should have understood the challenge of the climate crisis sooner. On Sunday, the country’s first emissions budget will be released and everyone will understand, Justin Giovannetti writes. New Zealand is an international outcast. Its exports are boycotted around the world. Its leaders shunned. That’s a future … Read more
The recent hysteria over Smeg knives is far from the first time New Zealanders have lost their minds over a supermarket promo. Alex Casey reminisces. This week, New World’s Smeg knife stamp-collecting scheme came to a close to rapturous applause. And when I say applause, I of course mean a horde of furious, feral New … 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. This week he’s joined by Hongi Luo, brand director at TikTok. In terms of cultural reach and impact, the biggest tech app in … Read more