Summer reissue: A tape recording in a brown paper bag recently landed in Emily Writes’ letterbox. After thoroughly disinfecting it she was shocked to discover what it contained. First published April 10, 2020. Today was a normal day, day 8,271 of the lockdown, and I saw there was a parcel in the letterbox. Knowing a … Read more
Summer reissue: Two years ago, Toby Morris met Tasia for the Side Eye comic ‘Empty Shelves’. As New Zealand emerged from the strict Covid-19 lockdown of alert level four, he caught up with her again, and found that while some things had changed, others had not. First published June 8, 2020. Independent journalism depends on … Read more
You’ve heard about them, but how does period underwear hold up? Carolyn Wadey-Barron tests some locally made pairs to find out. This story was first published by Ensemble magazine. It’s shark week. I’m painting a red feature wall. My monthly subscription just got renewed. See you later Aunt Flo, euphemisms for periods have been updated … Read more
Cases of Covid-19 are being found daily in the country’s border facilities, but that won’t stop them from throwing together a Christmas like none before it, complete with face masks and social distancing. Following Jacinda Ardern’s decision to give Santa and his reindeer a pass to avoid a stint at a border facility, and presumably … Read more
When Justin Latif received The Spinoff book for Christmas, he never guessed that six months later he’d be working here. He looks back at his time so far as The Spinoff’s South Auckland editor. Buying Christmas gifts for one’s partner is always tricky. But last year my wife thought she really cracked it when she … Read more
With Britain’s shambolic government locking down London at the last minute, the prospect of Christmas – which had been something to hold on to at the end of a dreary, isolating and distressing year – went up in smoke. “The air feels different,” said my boyfriend as we went for a walk on Sunday, one … Read more
Sam Brooks muses on being without family for the festive season, and creating new traditions from the ashes of the old. When you think of the word orphan, two images come to mind. One of them is an ash-faced boy who wants more gruel, and the other is of a redhead girl with implausibly clean … Read more
‘A kick in the face for Christmas’ – that’s how Catherine Delahunty, chair of Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki, describes the news that her group must pay almost $80,000 in costs after losing its bid to stop a toxic waste dump near Waihi. It’s the week before Christmas and I am trying to buy grandchildren presents … Read more
As New Zealand returned to normality following community outbreaks of Covid-19, commuters in much of the country went back to taking the bus and train. Auckland was different. Remember June and July? Those halcyon days following the first lockdown, when it seemed like we’d beaten Covid and alert level one would last forever. New Zealanders … Read more
The Spinoff was in mortal peril in late March, before its members came to the rescue. Managing editor Duncan Greive takes a look at what those members made possible in this most memorable year. Illustration and design by Ezra Whittaker and Lauren Maree Stewart. I’m writing – exhausted and, if I’m entirely honest, with a … Read more
Elise Sterback is leaving The Basement theatre after seven years as its executive director. Battling post-Covid instability, she’s led the Auckland institution to a new artist-first strategy, renewed long-term funding and game-changing sector vision. It’s been a rough year for the arts, but the Basement Theatre, in its classic number-eight-wire fashion, has clambered through and … Read more
Pour yourself some eggnog and join the hosts of The Spinoff’s podcast network for our annual Superpod. Once a year delegates from Gone By Lunchtime, Dietary Requirements, The Real Pod, Papercuts, The Fold and On The Rag gather around some microphones to discuss the key events, issues, heroes and villains of the previous 12 months. … Read more
The weakness of the Royal Commission report is that it treats Islamist extremist terrorism and extreme right white nationalist terrorism as different categories, when in fact they are part of the same problem, argues former Green MP Keith Locke. Much of the commentary on the Royal Commission report into the Christchurch terrorist attacks falls short … Read more
The contents list is nearing completion, and the location options are coming together nicely. Last week we announced our plan to literally encapsulate the year 2020, and literally to bury it: a time capsule. A bit futuristic, a bit nostalgic, and a convenient alternative to reviewing the year by staring helplessly into the endless void. … Read more
The speed at which Sydney’s new Covid-19 outbreak has spread should be a lesson in the dangers of complacency, says Siouxsie Wiles. With news of a new strain of the Covid-19 virus spreading in the UK, it looks like Australia’s Christmas plans are also up in the air with a new cluster of cases in … Read more
Imprisoned New Zealanders are facing an escalation in life-threatening self-harm attempts as the Department of Corrections grapples with a mental health epidemic, according to documents obtained through the Official Information Act. Peter McKenzie reports. This story discusses depression, self-harm, suicide and traumatic events. Prison isn’t pleasant. It is a place of restraints and restrictions where … Read more
Auckland councillor Cathy Casey sizes up what life is like for the city’s dogs and their owners – and finds there’s plenty of room for improvement. In the world’s great cities, dogs are well integrated into everyday public life. Amsterdam has some of the world’s most liberal dog policies and everywhere a Parisian goes, a … Read more
Last year Al Jazeera news anchor Kamahl Santamaria wrote one of our most read stories, reflecting on a tumultuous 2019 for Aotearoa, as observed from the other side of the world. Here he shares his thoughts on how the world saw his homeland throughout another huge year. I wrote a piece like this at the … Read more
Illustrator and creative Evie Kemp on a powerful – and unexpectedly moving – summer swimwear campaign. This story was first published on Ensemble magazine. I didn’t expect an Instagram post of a woman in a bikini to bring me close to tears. Not least one without a long-winded caption about body acceptance, but just a … Read more
It’s called ‘dopamine dressing’, and it promises to make you feel happier with just the change of an outfit. The notoriously colour-allergic Emily Writes took the plunge. Many years ago a New Zealand designer told me clothing is like Christmas wrapping: the gift is you. There have have been billions of words talking about fashion, … Read more
For many whānau, Christmas can be a difficult time of the year, accentuating the absence of those who have passed away. Nadine Anne Hura reflects on love, loss and regret on this first Christmas without her brother. Jimmy Barnes says that life’s too short for burning bridges, but what I want to know is whether … Read more
In recent years social media has helped give a voice to survivors of abuse, often denied them by the justice system. But group mentalities are fickle, and the best intentions can sometimes perpetuate more harm. Jogai Bhatt looks back at a fraught year of social media justice. Warning: includes images of swastikas and other far … Read more
The year 2020 is about to burn itself out and we can all put it behind us. Despite its terribleness, José Barbosa argues 2020 will be remembered as the ultimate fork in the road. In the last 12 months we’ve all been witness to some remarkable things. I needn’t go over them all here, but … Read more
Welcome to The Spinoff’s final live updates for 2020. It’s December 18. You can reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 3.25pm: Grace Millane’s killer keeps name suppression, for now The identity of the man convicted for the murder of British backpacker Grace Millane will continue to remain a secret, after a last minute appeal request to the … Read more
All this week we’re looking back on some of the best videos published on The Spinoff in 2020. Today, On the Rag dismantles the dreaded imposter syndrome. For some it appears as a constant whisper, for others it’s a screeching megaphone in the face at the most inopportune of moments. Many of you will be … Read more
New Zealand has agreed to buy four Covid-19 vaccines, in volumes that are more than enough for everyone in New Zealand and for some of our Pacific neighbours too. Siouxsie Wiles on what yesterday’s announcement means, and what comes next. First a quick recap. There are lots of different ways to design a vaccine, which … Read more
As part of the Spinoff Aotearoa Time Capsule of 2020 project, Sam Brooks fills up a USB with everything our descendants will need to understand the crapshoot that is life in 2020. Earlier this week, as I was in the midst of reviewing the biggest game of the year, Spinoff editor Toby Manhire assigned me … Read more
Despite the numerous setbacks and unexpected hurdles this tumultuous year brought with it, four pupils at South Auckland’s Māngere College say they’ve developed a resilience they didn’t realise they had. They sat down with Justin Latif. “A year of blessings.” That’s how Liona Vailea, 17, describes 2020. The Māngere College student isn’t deluded or ensconced … Read more
Five years ago a group of local cousins began a campaign to stop a proposed Fletcher Building housing development and restore the whenua into iwi ownership. Yesterday a deal was signed paving the way for its return. Justin Latif speaks to the woman who started it all about how they defied the odds and the … Read more