After almost 20 years with a drinking problem, newly sober Baal Caulfield* is realising a few home truths about life without alcohol. Recently I wrote about the horrific realities you face when you start skidding down the slippery slope from heavy drinker to ‘functional alcoholic’ to just plain alcoholic. It’s the nasty slide into messiness … Read more
The absurd ruling that Mariya Taylor must pay almost $30,000 to her abuser, a notorious child rapist, is just the latest outrage revealing a stacked legal system beyond mere reform, writes Madeleine Holden This week has dealt another blow to anyone clinging to the idea that New Zealand’s legal system can provide just outcomes to … Read more
The common belief that overseas visitors drive more dangerously than locals is not borne out by crash data, reports Ben Strang for Radio NZ. New Zealand drivers are crashing at higher rates than drivers visiting this country, Ministry of Transport data shows. While exact information about the number of foreign drivers on New Zealand roads … Read more
The Hague Convention on child abduction was drafted to deal with fathers abducting their children across borders after losing custody, but it’s applied mainly to mothers fleeing domestic violence, writes Gina Masterton. Fiona (not her real name) came to Australia from New Zealand as a 19-year-old backpacker. Here, she met a man, got married and had … Read more
There’s a big revitalisation of the racing industry on its way, with Racing Minister Winston Peters promising a raft of new measures to get people gambling more. But why, asks Joseph Plunket, should we blindly support an industry that preys on addicts? The government’s shakeup of the racing industry is on course for this year, … Read more
In the last few years, Twizel’s setting in one of the most scenic parts of the South Island has proven an irresistible draw for tourists. And that’s bad news for locals, writes Twizel resident Sarah Arnold. There’s no feeling in the world better than when you first enter Mackenzie Country. When there is a gap … Read more
How is Austin Powers still relevant in 2019? And why hire the Queen for your birthday party? Alex Casey talks to the movers and shakers of New Zealand’s celebrity impersonator scene. It ain’t easy being shagadelic. Orewa local Gary Brown, the only legally authorised Austin Powers impersonator in the world, knows that cold hard truth … Read more
Should you have to take yourself apart and give yourself away, just to find out who you are? Western society has long been obsessed with hoarding, with clutter. Marie Kondo, with her combination of minimalist style and impeccable manners, is currently taking the world by storm, but she is just another in a long line … Read more
Alex Casey breaks down some of the most popular nicknames for vulvas in New Zealand. For the longest time, I thought naming your genitals was something only reserved for horny, sad men in early 2000s sex comedies. Mr Ed. Flesh Rocket. Spike. The Octagon. Through my teenage years, it seemed to be all about the … Read more
When cricketer Scott Kuggeleijn took to the pitch for the Black Caps last Friday there was no mention of his two trials for raping a woman in 2016, for which he was ultimately found not guilty. Asks Jessie Dennis, is silence really the best NZ Cricket can do? Content warning: details of sexual violence. On … Read more
A proposed 10km/h speed limit on footpaths won’t just be slowing e-scooters down, writes Madeleine Chapman. Sometimes we idiots need to be saved from ourselves. We get given a nice thing and we ruin it. The nice thing (not even that nice, if I’m honest) was Lime scooters. The ruining was everyone crashing them immediately. … Read more
The person who fired an airgun outside Devonport New World yesterday, injuring a woman, is yet to be found. A woman was injured in an airgun incident outside an Auckland supermarket yesterday. Police and an ambulance were called to the New World carpark at Devonport on the North Shore at about 5.15pm after airgun pellets … Read more
As we slide into 2019 it’s time to start thinking about the pun-based activities and festivities you’ll be giving up, giving into, marking and celebrating this year. Emily Writes is here to help. Let’s start with the year itself. We all know that 2018 was in fact 20GayTeen but did you know 2019 is 20Bi-Teen? … Read more
A group of tourists have been travelling the country (Auckland) leaving litter and unpaid restaurant bills in their wake. Government-appointed negotiator Madeleine Chapman tries to reason with them. Kia ora Sir, My name is Madeleine Chapman and I’m here to negotiate on behalf of the New Zealand government and its citizens. You can tell me … Read more
The decluttering phenomenon has revealed some dark truths about people’s need to fill the void with things. Do you ever have moments when you suddenly see something that’s been sitting in front of you your whole life in a completely different way? That unsettling, swooshy mixed up feeling of thinking, “hang on a dang second. What?” … Read more
The strike is about protecting an established deal on working conditions that keeps both patients and doctors safe, writes resident medical officer Dr Sofie Rose. It’s 10pm on a Sunday night. I’ve been called to see an elderly patient with a kidney stone (NB: all patients described here are loosely based on my experiences as … Read more
In the latest Frame documentary for the Spinoff, produced by Wrestler and funded by NZ on Air, we meet the people who have made drag such a big part of Wellington’s popular culture. Wellington is one of the most accepting parts of the country to do drag, according to 21-year-old Monique Walford. “I feel like … Read more
Animals shouldn’t be dying in the name of ‘entertainment’, writes Green Party animal welfare spokesperson Gareth Hughes. It’s time to ban rodeo in New Zealand. Imagine being chased out of a cage by a rider on a horse, lassoed around the neck and jerked violently off your feet, then wrestled to the ground and tied … Read more
Hannah Gibson has been living with chronic illness for most of her life. So why does she still struggle to get medical professionals to take her condition seriously? Before I found my current GP, I always had the urge to censor myself went I went to the doctor. To make my story palatable, less daunting. … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, the glitzy premiere of Aladdin at Auckland’s Civic Theatre. Sam Brooks, culture editor The musical Aladdin fixes the main problem with the film Aladdin: not enough Genie. What’s even better is that it does it right from the top. … Read more
You might be excited about IKEA’s possible (though far from guaranteed) arrival on this country’s shores – but just wait until your first self-assembly chest of drawers, writes Elle Hunt in the latest instalment of her series on life as a NZ expat. Congratulations, New Zealand, on your impending Ikea. I wish you all the … Read more
Your house might be tidy but now you’re surrounded by garbage bags full of all of your KonMarie’d shit. What do you do? Emily Writes looks for answers. My house was as messy as my life is – which is to say very messy. But then I discovered Marie Kondo. I am now a convert, … Read more
Can a person be both a lifelong hoarder and a Marie Kondo fan? Alex Casey tries, and cries. You can’t know what sparks joy until you’ve known what sparks abject misery. For me, it was when I saw that my partner no longer wanted his enormous orange puffer jacket. Akin to the suit that Maggie … Read more
The easiest way to declutter? Not buying useless crap in the first place, writes Hannah McGowan. The popularity of TV shows like Tidying Up with Marie Kondo makes me gloriously happy. Reducing clutter is in, “sparking joy” and “thanking” items for the service they provided before you biff them is becoming everyday lingo. There is … Read more
A lost exotic pet lizard called Hades was found in an Auckland suburb, but instead of returning it to its owner, it was flown to an MPI vet in Wellington. What happened? Don Rowe investigates. It started with an anonymous tip: “Request all government communications regarding the theft and transportation of a bearded dragon – … Read more
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 under the title … Read more
The groping of a topless woman at a music festival last year highlights just how retrograde our attitudes to public nudity remain. But, writes Kristin Hall, there is a better way – just look at any European beach. This post was originally published 8 January 2018. It was a lazy day on a white hot … Read more
Susan St John of the Child Poverty Action Group assesses the government’s impact on the lives of the most deprived children after its first full year. For children’s advocates the end of 2018 saw much cause for gratitude and celebration. Grant Robertson affirmed that Budget 2019 will have a wellbeing focus. For the first time … Read more
For a brief moment, New Zealand was home to Big Foot, a mythically potent RTD served in a giant bottle and apparently aimed squarely at teens. Don Rowe talks to the brain behind it. This post was originally published 5 January 2018. Gather round children, I’m going to speak to you of the days before … Read more