EVolocity is using innovation, creativity and the incoming electric vehicle revolution to encourage kids into STEM education. Madeleine Chapman talks to its founders about the how and why of their mission. If the kids make an electric vehicle that can travel faster than 50km per hour, there may have to be an intervention. That’s too … Read more
The idea of paying someone by signing a piece of paper may seem foreign to younger people, but less tech-savvy New Zealanders are having to adapt to a world without cheques. When Kiwibank announced in May last year that it was going to do away with cheques from the end of this month, some of … Read more
Why do they never swim? How much do they drink? And more of your burning questions about Love Island UK, answered at last by Tara Ward. According to Love Island UK, the journey to true love is paved with blue skies, beautiful people and a thousand pairs of budgie smugglers. Nothing makes sense about sending … Read more
The birds of Polynesian legend are part of birth, death, and everything in between. Now, a PhD thesis from the University of Otago undertakes the first ever in-depth exploration into the manu of mythology. From the flittering pīwakawaka that woke Hine-nui-te-pō and caused the death of Maui, to the Tahitian doves bringing figs to earth, … Read more
The first phase of New Zealand’s ultrafast broadband rollout came to a close at the end of 2019. Alex Braae takes a look back at the decade-long project that was UFB1. The thing about having an extremely fast internet connection is that it doesn’t take long to completely take it for granted. A perfect example … Read more
Findings of the Māori-led inquiry into Oranga Tamariki highlight the trauma and heavy-handed state approach behind New Zealand’s appalling child care and protection statistics. Teuila Fuatai looks at the key findings and reaction to it. Dame Naida Glavish: ‘The treatment of Māori women has been inhumane’ Dame Naida Glavish led the governance group which oversaw … Read more
Finally, New Zealand is getting country-of-origin food labelling. But the recently released draft regulations are a missed opportunity to provide consumers with clarity around where their food comes from and how it’s produced, writes Hilary Pearson of Freedom Farms. It seems a bit laborious to rehash the already storied history of the Consumers’ Right to … Read more
Experts believe that New Zealand workers need more technology, not less, if we’re going to become a more productive country. It’s official: the robots are not coming for our jobs. Conventional wisdom has it that the unprecedented technological change the world has seen in the last few decades is resulting in wholesale replacement of people … Read more
Emily Writes visits Flick Electric Co’s HQ to learn why they think having dogs in the office hasn’t just made their workplace happier, it’s made them more productive too. Nobody is quite sure how Flick HQ in Wellington became a dog office. Apparently, someone brought their pup in. Then another person did. Then another. Georgina … Read more
Now that the new year is well and truly underway, how can you make the most of your time and feel good about it? Sam Brooks has you covered. Write a to-do list with at least one easy thing on it Nothing feels better than ticking off a list, and nothing motivates you to … Read more
This content was created in paid partnership with the Child Poverty Action Group. Learn more about our partnerships here.
Its arrival has been said to herald the next generation of innovation, but in a world where we’re already conditioned to expect near-instantaneous speed from our mobile internet, what kind of change can we actually expect to see from 5G? It’s easy to forget that much of what we take for granted – browsing Facebook, … Read more
For more than two decades, the Graeme Dingle Foundation has helped tens of thousands of young people find joy and direction in life, and it might be our best shot at making New Zealand the best place for children to live. In 1995, Graeme Dingle and Jo-anne Wilkinson kayaked and tramped from Auckland to Nelson. … Read more
Two years after the release of Mac Miller’s Swimming, his family has released its companion piece, Circles. We explain what it is, how it came together, and why you need to listen to it. What is Circles? Miller’s sixth studio album, and his first album release since his death in 2018. It was recorded soon … Read more
A new programme replacing woodwork at two Hamilton intermediate schools is helping young Māori connect through the art of whakairo. Outside the wharenui bearing his carvings, Matua Rei Mihaere drives his closed fist through the air. Thirteen pairs of eyes look up at him as he asks, “If you see this at home or anywhere, … Read more
Want to watch Friends but not sure how much time you’ll have to commit? Never fear, Sam Brooks has you covered with how long it’ll take to watch some of the most bingeable shows (and what you’ll need to do to prepare for your binge). Want to know a fun fact? If your full-time job … Read more
From early beginnings as a boutique wealth management firm to being a major player in KiwiSaver, the journey of Kiwi Wealth has seen some things change and others stay the same. Alex Braae charts their history. A very simple sign once hung at Kiwi Wealth, the wealth management firm that emerged out of Gareth Morgan … Read more
Auckland’s property market is increasingly hard to crack for first-home buyers, but co-ownership could be the answer. Executive director of YouOwn, Nigel Spratt explained how it works to Alice Webb-Liddall. Despite the constant headlines about yet another 19-year-old who’s bought a house, the property market seems geared against anyone under 40 purchasing property. Coming to … Read more
The exhibition T20 Black Clash, between Team Rugby and Team Cricket, will take place this Friday. Here Alex Braae sets out why the game is such a joy to watch. There was a moment near the start of last year’s T20 Black Clash which summed up why it connects so well. Stephen Fleming, one of … Read more
Tara Ward pays tribute to the one true constant in New Zealand television: The Shortland Street Christmas cliffhanger. If you’re going to watch one episode of Shortland Street, make it the annual cliffhanger. Each year our beloved New Zealand soap makes sure we step into summer with a big bang, bigger than Waverley’s hair in … Read more
In the sixth episode of Actually Interesting, The Spinoff’s monthly podcast exploring the effect Artificial Intelligence has on our lives, Russell Brown looks at the draft algorithm charter, the government’s commitment to transparent and accountable use of AI. Subscribe to Actually Interesting via iTunes or listen on the player below. To download this episode right click and save. In the … Read more
The gentle godfather of nature returns in Seven Worlds: One Planet on TVNZ 1 tonight, and you best have your tissues at the ready. “Never has it been a more precious time to reveal the life on our seven continents,” Sir David Attenborough says at the beginning of his new documentary series Seven Worlds: One … Read more
Summer reissue: Toby Manhire spends a day chasing kingys – and PM-adjacent yarns – with Fish of the Day host Clarke Gayford. This story was first published on 19 April, 2019 and originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine Mid-week, mid-morning under a muddy grey January sky. We’re skimming into the Hauraki Gulf on a stupidly expensive boat, stacks … Read more
Summer reissue: Dragon tears, meteorites, or just plain shit – ambergris is an olfactory miracle of the deep. Sought after for thousands of years, and worth upwards of $10,000/kg today, ambergris washes up on beaches across New Zealand all year long. Don Rowe goes looking for it. This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine. … Read more
Lauire Winkless speaks to the New Zealand scientists working to clean up the final frontier and how to make steel in a zero-carbon future. In today’s urbanised world, steel is everywhere. It’s used in everything from critical infrastructure like roads and railways, through to earthquake-resilient buildings, wind turbines and electric vehicles. But making steel comes … Read more
Catherine McGregor revisits some classic cafes and discovers some newcomers on a nostalgic weekend of culture and bread in Wellington. When I moved back to New Zealand from London in 2008, it took a while to feel at home. I had moved into a converted boatshed overlooking Pauatahanui inlet, a half hour north of Wellington, … Read more
Simon Day and Alex Braae, co-hosts of The Offspin podcast, look back at the 10-year evolution of the Black Caps. The last 10 years have been a bizarre time for Black Caps supporters, because the team has been consistently good. The true joy of being a millennial New Zealand cricket fan is built on the team’s … Read more
As sure as a floor strewn with wrapping paper and a mild hangover, the days following Christmas will bring leftover ham. Simon Day shares some tasty ideas for how to deal with it. My favourite part of Christmas comes after December 25 itself. I embrace the days and weeks, even months, of leftover ham. I … Read more
ANZ was our most problematic bank, mines were the greatest threat to our environment, and our unions stepped up their mascots. Josie Adams remembers all the major protests of the decade. In 2010 I turned 18 and became a voting member of the public. I was very excited about this; about the same time I … Read more