We are drowning out the natural world with synthetic sounds, and it’s getting worse, writes Michelle Langstone. It used to be quiet once. Remember that? Remember the hush that settled over the cities like the silence that comes down in a snowstorm? It’s less than a year since Aotearoa first locked down, and the unexpected … Read more
Summer reissue: Turns out that a lot of people are very mad at a lot of our iconic tourist attractions. First published on January 9, 2020. This summer will go down in history as the first time that I stood in the shadow of the mighty L&P bottle in Paeroa. The rumours are true – … Read more
Anecdotally, it’s difficult to access MDMA in New Zealand at the moment. Statistically, that’s probably because a lot of you are buying it. It’s almost New Year’s, which means it’s almost festival season. Despite Covid-19 creating the absolute year from hell, thousands of holidaymakers will soon be converging on muddy fields from the far north … Read more
Learning to read is taught at school, but learning to sit properly isn’t. Here’s how to keep an oily spine. If you’re reading this, you probably know how to read. But do you know how to sit? Summer is coming, which means one of our family members is about to gift us a book and … Read more
Emily Writes lists the essential items you need for your family holiday. Packing to go on summer holiday is an art and a scientific problem. It involves using both sides of the brain. An emotional and intellectual operation that can make or break your summer. If you’re going on a summer holiday don’t let the … Read more
Wellington has come in for a bashing recently, but complaints about house prices, weather and infrastructure only tell part of the story. Lucy Revill shares a few of the things she’s most excited about for summer in the capital. At some point in my mid 20s, I decided to stop staring mournfully into my long … Read more
With crisp notes of family, the beach and Christmas, a bottle of bubbles is much more than just a drink, it’s a moment. The Spinoff staff share their favourite memories and recommendations for Champagne and sparkling wine. Simon Day: Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV My wife’s birthday is right in the middle of December and … Read more
Tis the season for ice blocks – and if you have a stash of these in the freezer, you won’t even need to venture out to the dairy. While here in Taranaki it feels as though the rain might never stop, the temperature at least is warm and conducive to enjoying one of these coconut … Read more
Simon Day celebrates the arrival of summer by ranking the five flavours of New Zealand’s most beloved frozen treat. The Fruju is the perfect accompaniment to the New Zealand summer. While I fully endorse the role of the scooped ice cream in the Kiwi culinary cultural canon, when the asphalt starts to shimmer and the … Read more
This year, a whole lot of the traditional summer of cricket will be very different. What’s changing, and what’s staying the same? Alex Braae explains. It’s that time of year again, when we all mercifully forget the All Blacks and spend long, hazy days watching grown adults gently strolling around a park. A time of … Read more
It’s Whiringa-ā-rangi/November, and Matiti Muramura, the third summer phase. Pōhutukawa blossom and kina are juicy and fat! Fish movement increases and tākeke (baby piper fish) come ashore again. The tākeke arrive in this Muramura phase, on the turning tide during Rakaunui. Based on observations last year, the timing would be around Rakaunui in December rather … Read more
We’ve started this month with the fullness of the Rakaunui moon beaming and guiding us into Whiringa-ā-nuku (October) and Matiti Hana (the second summer phase). The native puawānanga (clematis) bear bright white flowers and kōrero of tākeke (Piper fish) and ngā korowhiti o Tangaroa (leaping mullet) emerge from our tūpuna stories. Maramataka is rooted in … Read more
Yes, the capital’s having a shithouse summer, but there are plenty of reasons to look on the bright side, says Emily Writes. The world-famous Routeburn Track will be closed for the “foreseeable future” and Milford Track is staying shut for at least a few more weeks after terrible storms hit the south. Mataura, Gore, Wyndham … Read more
They’re ‘clean’, they’re ‘natural’, they’ll get you lit but not make you fat – or at least that’s the aim. Premixed spirit-based drinks have shed their low-brow reputation and are taking over a summer barbecue near you. But are they any good? The Spinoff finds out. For many years, RTDs had a terrible reputation: brightly … Read more
The blue moki are running and the tuna are returning to the sea. We’re entering the fifth phase of summer. Ngā mihi o te wā e te whānau! We are in the ninth lunar month of Pēpuere and at the end of the summer phase Matiti Kaiwai, moving to Matiti Raurehu. Kaiwai, the fourth phase, … Read more
Scarlett Cayford stumbles, ravenous, into a glorious new world. I go through phases with my reading, like any bibliophile. Sometimes my life can barely keep pace with my reading, and I find myself wedging pages of books into my calendar wherever I can: in waiting rooms and on bus seats and in the first five … Read more
Pool toys are cool for the summer, but don’t do so well in landfill. Alex Casey meets a woman trying to prolong the life of New Zealand’s novelty inflatables. If Instagram is any indication of real life, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the human race is currently being ruled by giant inflatable swans, blow-up … Read more
My name is Eddie and I’m seven and my mum said I have to write about my school holidays and I just want to play Minecraft. I love swimming so these are the best places for swimming by me Eddie. Eddie: Kilbirnie pool is new now but the only thing that’s new are the water … 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 Normal People by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $23) WTAF Auckland 2 The Truants by Kate Weinberg (Bloomsbury, $33) Agatha Christie + … Read more
Fishermen and swimmers around the Hauraki Gulf are reporting droves of baby sharks in the waters. What does it mean, and where are their parents? Baby hammerheads were the most recognisable, but plenty of species were among the hundreds of chondrichthyan children hanging out at the marine crèche that popped up at Great Barrier Island … Read more
Whether you’re a hungover mess, on a road trip with fractious children or just a bit hot and thirsty, ice blocks are the answer. But not all are created equal, finds Amanda Thompson. I live in a town that lies on the way to and from a lot of summer festivals. We get used to … Read more
From the deep south to the top of the north, The Spinoffers spread our culinary wings to sample regional delights galore over the summer break. Here’s what we can’t stop thinking about. FAR NORTH: PIE TIME ‘Twas a morning of a good ol’ wake and bake in the fa far north where my squad and … Read more
Turns out that a lot of people are very mad at a lot of our iconic tourist attractions. This summer will go down in history as the first time that I stood in the shadow of the mighty L&P bottle in Paeroa. The rumours are true – I have never seen a botty so big. … Read more
We’ve got a burning issue in New Zealand. Kiwis are being short-changed when it comes to preventing skin cancer – by supermarkets and the government, argues Julian Light. We’ve all learnt the hard way when we don’t use sunscreen. Burnt, blistering skin can be embarrassing and painful. But it’s also downright dangerous. Around 80,000 Kiwis … Read more
A new poem by Whanganui poet Airini Beautrais. Swingball We’ll rent a holiday home at the beach with all of our children, seven to twenty-seven and everyone will feel enthusiastic. We’ll take towels and sunblock, food and other necessities: board games, insect repellent, beer, a pop-up tent, a swingball set. My children … Read more
Summer has begun and the forecast is: it’s hot and breezy and wet and dry. We explain what’s going on, and what you can expect over the coming months. A cloudless sky rains down on dry soil, and children play in the hot puddles. Every night you put the laundry in the oven, grab a … Read more
From golden beaches to lush kauri bush, a visit to Te Tai Tokerau offers a true showcase of New Zealand’s natural splendour. We’ve put together a list of all you need to know before you explore the Far North this summer. If you’ve got friends or relatives visiting Aotearoa, top of their list should be … Read more
Whiringa-ā-rangi (November) brings blossoming native flowers and delicious kaimoana. Learn more about the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, here. We are well into the second phase of summer Matiti Hana (see list below for phases). This phase ends around December 8, merging into the next, which is Muramura. A key tohu (sign) is the movements of … Read more
Sunshine capital? Check. Rich artisan tradition? Check. Incredible sausages? That’s a big check. We’ve put together a list of all you need to know before you explore the truly gorgeous Nelson region this summer. If you’ve got friends or relatives visiting Aotearoa, top of their list should be sorting out their NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic … Read more