Note: links in archived stories may have expired due to the removal of the stories from, or changes to, the websites from which they were derived.

Edge of the world (cup) musing
The Rugby World Cup saw columnists muse on NZ's evolving relationship with its (big) brotherly neighbour. SMH: "For those who've not noticed, New Zealand - a small nation off the east coast of Tasmania - has matured significantly in recent years [...] A significant proportion of an increasingly sophisticated and prosperous New Zealand population now enjoys a rich cosmopolitan lifestyle that rarely involves turning up at the local sheep dog trials with a bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine.." The Times: "Actually, New Zealand is nowhere near Australia; it’s nowhere near anywhere. It is an independent ocean state. New Zealanders pride themselves on that. And they don’t do what big nations tell them these days. They will tell anybody to get stuffed if they threaten to bring nukes within sniffing distance of the Pacific. The Australians aren’t altogether happy with that: neither with the policy nor with the independence. And, oddly enough, New Zealanders don’t see themselves as an unglamorous, down-market, provincial version of Australia, any more than they see themselves as a nation that takes a lead from the Big Brother across the water." 
(12 November 2003)
       

Brothers in farms
"So if the grass is always greener in NZ, let's colonise it." SMH reader's opinion column 'heckler' proposes the immediate annexation of NZ as a quick and cheap solution to drought-proofing Australia (currently experiencing the worst drought in a century). "With NZ's climate and fertile soils we could move all our Farmers across the Tasman to Farmland [...]". Another plus would be the combined sports-power: "World Cup rugby trophies as far as the eye can see…" The author dismisses any suggestion of political or social resistance to Australian imperialism, claiming that "despite numerous jokes to the contrary the inhabitants of Farmland are fairly sharp and [are sure] to get the idea pretty quickly." Edge perspective: Billabong vs Lake Tekapo? hmmm.
(6 November 2002)
       

U sux
Hi-tech bullying via txt msg has lead to the banning of cell-phones in two New Zealand schools.
(11 April 2001)
           

Get out of the water...
Register to search
8000 people, 21 of them in serious trouble, were rescued or ordered out of the water on a single day after unusual currents hit the Bay of Plenty.
(8 January 2001)
         

Wave of light
National Children's Memorial Day is dedicated to families mourning a child. The event is marked by twenty-four hours of candle light, starting in New Zealand.
(20 November 2000)
           

Rewi Alley inspired Kiwi educator spreads the word in gritty Lanzhou
New Zealander John Wilson Hall and his Hong Kong wife who for the last five years have made their home in one of China's poorest and most polluted cities, have set up a successful English-language training centre, inspired by the life and work of Rewi Alley.
(27 April 2000) 
               

Global positioning sleuths 
Rotorua has always been famous for its geothermal activity, now another 'geo-' is making its mark around the city, less the sulphur. It's the sport of geocaching, a kind of outdoor treasure-hunt practised worldwide. Edmonton's Metro travel reporter Julia Dimon writes that geocaching "is a hobby similar to orienteering and is done by entering a set of coordinates into a Global Positioning System (GPS), then following directions to the carefully hidden cache. A cache is usually a canteen (left by fellow geocachers) filled with plastic trinkets and a log book." New Zealand has some 4000 active geocaches. With Kevin Carroll, "an avid cacher and member of the Kiwicaching association", Dimon comes to grips with the sport. Armed with a geocacher name, by registering at www.geocache.com, she sets off to test her "sleuthing skills ... like a child's game of 'hot' and 'cold'." 
(23 April 2008)

Dialect mystery solved 
New Zealanders speak an English dialect made up of quarter Scottish, one quarter Irish and 50 percent cockney, northern and west country English according to Scottish linguists. In a five-year study, mathematicians from New Zealand teamed with linguists from the UK and the US to determine why a unique dialect developed so quickly and uniformly across New Zealand. "Scots had quite a bit of influence. They are said to have had a particular role as teachers in New Zealand, so this would have had some effect on the children," Edinburgh physicist Dr Richard Blythe told The Herald. It was previously thought New Zealand English was a derivative of Australian English. 
(8 February 2008)

Equal opportunity on the Edge 

Flag debate resurfaces 
The debate over NZ's national flag is in the spotlight again, after PM Helen Clark publicly proposed removing the Union Jack from its design. "I think people could debate the flag the way Canada did when it transitioned to the maple leaf without it calling into question the basic constitutional status," she said. "Canada, of course, still recognises the Queen as its head of state as well." While the PM likes the idea of a stylised Southern Cross on a blue background, most New Zealanders in favour of changing the flag would prefer the silver fern on a black background. Helen Clark's comments created a stir in NZ: the NZ Herald opposed her idea in an editorial, and the subject has continued to be debated in online forums. 
(1 October 2007)

Order of Merit for Lomu, Fagan
Two NZ sports greats were made members of the New Zealand Order of Merit at this year's investiture ceremony. All Black legend Jonah Lomu and sheep shearing champion David Fagan (pictured) both received the honour, along with writer Patricia Grace, prison welfare worker Kim Workman, actress Ginette McDonald and veteran Hawkes Bay Detective Sergeant Brian Schaab. "It was a proud moment for myself and my family," said Lomu, who will write a daily blog covering this year's Rugby World Cup. "It's not just for me, it recognises rural New Zealand. It's great," said Fagan, a 15-time Golden Shears winner. Sir Kenneth Keith, NZ's representative on the International Court of Justice, was made a member of the Order of New Zealand - the country's highest honour. 
(28 August 2007)

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Be a tidy Kiwi 
The iconic Bulford Kiwi in Wiltshire, England, has received a makeover courtesy of local military, scouts and civilian volunteers. The 128m high chalk figure was carved into Wiltshire's Beacon Hill at the end of World War I, to commemorate the site's use by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force from 1914 to 1918. The clean-up team scraped the kiwi's grey gravel surface to expose the white chalk below. Due to its massive size, contractors will now complete the job. The Bulford Kiwi is one of several famous chalk figures in Wiltshire, including the Westbury white horse, which is believed to be an ancient memorial to King Alfred's victory over the Danes at the battle of Ethandune in 878 AD. 
(16 June 2007)

 

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Imitation, inspiration or appropriation? 
2006 has seen a rash of advertising and design taking inspiration - with varying degrees of offensiveness - from Maori art and culture. An Italian ad for the Fiat Idea showing a group of black garbed women performing a mock haka has gone to air despite warnings of cultural insensitivity from NZ diplomats. According to Brad Tattersfield of NZ's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, "we advised the advertising company that the use of Ka Mate in this way was culturally insensitive and inappropriate. MFAT advised the advertisers to either use a Maori group or a haka composed for women. However, the advertising company indicated they were proceeding despite this advice." In the US, an American developer's proposal to build a Maori-themed apartment complex in Texas has divided Maori opinion. While activist Ken Mair calls the plan "cultural theft and possibly theft of intellectual property" author Alan Duff thinks Maori have bigger problems to worry about: "Greece is not up in arms because Las Vegas did Ancient Greece themes in their casinos. Why are we so precious about things that don't count?" Finally, cult US fashion brand Paul Frank has released a T-shirt print titled 'Warrior Julius,' depicting its distinctive monkey mascot with a full facial moko. 
(4 July 2006)

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Celluloid fantasy becomes a reality
The number of Indian tourists travelling to NZ is on a definite increase according to an Express India article. 17,286 Indians visited Aotearoa in the year ending November 2005 - 11.5% more than the previous year. Tourism NZ's country manager for India, Kiran Nambiar, cites the booming Indian economy, more competitive airfares and NZ's world-wide reputation as a film locale paradise as just some of the reasons behind the increase. 
(January 2006)

Bra fence here to stay 
A US immigrant has been thwarted in his attempt to rid the Cardrona Valley of its "world famous in NZ" bra fence. Andre Prassinos, who resides for part of each year in Cardrona, petitioned the local council to remove the bras, calling them an eyesore and traffic hazard. His neighbours, however, voted unanimously in favour of keeping the unusual tourist attraction, which was established by four New Year's Eve revellers in 2001. 
(13 February 2006)

Online authority 
New Zealand raised, former TVNZ reporter Robert Freeman has been appointed Head of Multimedia at Press Association, UK. "I am heading up this team at a critical time when the publishing industry is looking to us to provide leadership in how to successfully migrate their audiences online," he says. Prior to his Press Association posting, Freeman was Deputy Head of Multimedia at the BBC. 
(21 March 2006)

Career pinnacle for Inglis 
NZ mountaineer Mark Inglis has made history by being the first double amputee to reach the summit of Mt Everest. Inglis lost both legs to frostbite in 1982 while trapped in blizzard conditions on Mt Cook. Inglis' achievement has been clouded by the fact that he and 40 other climbers passed dying Briton David Sharp on their way to the summit. "He was in a very poor condition, near death," says Inglis. "We talked about [what to do for him] quite a lot at the time and it was a very hard decision ... no one else helped him apart from our expedition. Our Sherpas gave him oxygen." While some climbers have supported Inglis' decision others have expressed horror. The debate has brought the issue of commercialisation and overcrowding on Everest back into the spotlight. 11 people have died on the mountain so far this year. Inglis' expedition is expected to raise several hundred thousand dollars for a Cambodian centre that provides rehabilitation for landmine amputees, polio victims and other disabled people. 
(28 May 2006)

Double honour 
Former Wellington Evening Post photographer Melanie Burford is the first NZer to be awarded a Pulitzer Prize. Burford was part of the Dallas Morning News team that won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography, for its portfolio chronicling the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Burford also picked up two awards at the prestigious Pictures of the Year International Competition, coming first in both the Newspaper Reporting/Issue Reporting Picture Story and Newspaper Division/Feature Picture Story sections. 
(May 2006)

All the right numbers 
Hawera-born Wayne Gould, the New Zealander behind the international Sudoku craze, features in Time magazine's Time 100 for 2006. The list of "men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming our lives," includes Hillary Rodham Clinton, Elie Wiesel, The MySpace Men, Pope Benedict XVI and Oprah Winfrey. Gould features in the Artists & Entertainers section alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ang Lee and George Clooney. "While Gould didn't invent sudoku … [he] had the genius to recognize its elemental, addictive appeal. He also had a brilliant if counterintuitive marketing model: give the puzzle away. More than 400 newspapers worldwide run his Pappocom sudoku puzzles free in return for promoting Gould's computer program and books. The results must be lucrative, as sales of the books alone have passed 4 million." 
(8 May 2006)

Sir Kenneth reaches zenith 
NZ Supreme Court judge, Sir Kenneth Keith, has been elected to the UN's World Court, the highest judicial authority in the world. The court, officially known as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is based in The Hague, Netherlands, and consists of 15 judges. The position is a nine-year term, with the possibility of re-election. It is the first time a New Zealander has been elected to the ICJ since its inception in 1946. "I warmly congratulate Sir Kenneth," says PM Helen Clark in an official statement. "He will be a great asset to the Court, and his election reinforces NZ's strong commitment to that body." 
(28 November 2005)

Who is the typical Kiwi? 
An international study on cultural stereotypes, led by the US National Institutes of Health, has concluded that there is no relation between supposed cultural characteristics and the actual traits identified in real people. "People should trust less in their own beliefs about national character," says study co-leader Antonio Terracciano. "These can be dangerous and the basis for discrimination." According to study conductors at Victoria and Otago Universities, participants described the "typical Kiwi" as fun-loving, risk-taking, intellectually curious, open-minded, friendly, affectionate, happy and calm. NZ was one of the few nations of the 49 surveyed to give a fairly accurate assessment of their national character.
(6 October 2005)

In memoriam 
18 NZ veterans attended the unveiling of a memorial commemorating NZ soldiers who served in the 1950-53 Korean War at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan. PM Helen Clark was also present. "I came to Korea for the 50th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, and visited this cemetery," she said. "I was concerned that no NZ memorial had been built here to honour the memory of those who died and all who fought … I am both pleased and moved to see the project come to fruition with this unveiling today." Designed and sculpted in NZ by artists Fred Graham and John Edgar, and Warren and Mahoney Architects, the granite memorial is modelled after the moko of a Maori woman, with 45 cuts representing the 45 NZ lives lost in the war. 
(20 November 2005)

Helping hand for neighbouring namesake
A Kiwi couple have instigated a sister school relationship between Fiji’s Saint Thomas Aquinas Primary School and the Aquinas College where they teach in NZ. According to the Fiji Times, Brendan and Jane Schollum were moved by the run-down state of the Fijian school during a holiday in the country last year. They returned with 16 students and 10 parents/teachers, bearing books, computers and stationary. A year later the Schollums are back in Fiji renovating the school. “We have sort of adopted this primary school and we intend to return now and then, helping to build a great relationship with the students and reshaping the school as well,” said Jane Schollum.
(30 September 2005)
  

New Zealand women make Nobel Peace list 
Four New Zealand women are among a historic collective nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Each of the 1000 women, nominated from across the world, have worked for justice and peace in their respective homelands. Each woman celebrated the importance of collectives and community rather than just individual effort. Former MP Marilyn Waring was nominated for her work in governance and human rights. Patsy Henderson was recognised for her work on violence in the family and community, Pauline Tangiora for efforts with indigenous rights and cultural understanding, and Marion Hancock in peace education. Nominations were made by members of the public and peace and women's networks. (30 June 2005)

Location long-drop
A new archaeology site has been opened in Wellington, on the site of the proposed city bypass. A group of 30 of NZ’s leading archaeologists, led by Rick McGovern Wilson, are examining the remains of the Tonks’ family’s toilets, as well as those of their servants. “[The toilets] are a really good source of material,” says McGovern-Wilson. “You’d be surprised what people used to throw down their dunnies.”
(20 January 2005)
   

"For many NZ is the new utopia"
The flood of US immigrants seeking a better life in NZ continues - with good reason, according to a lengthy San Francisco Gate article. "It's like California, it's like San Francisco, it's like the Old West. But better. For those of us raised with a typical cartography centered on the Northern Hemisphere, NZ has always represented the edge of the earth. But since Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings has turned the NZ capital of Wellington into a burgeoning Wollywood and 9/11 has made escaping to "Middle-earth" look increasingly attractive, NZ has experienced a rush of immigration and foreign real estate investment." Currently, 40% of foreign investments in NZ have US involvement. The figure seems set to rise, thanks to an active recruiting campaign of skilled Americans by the Helen Clark's Labour government.
(20 April 2004) 

World of respect
"Every country, if they're lucky, has someone quintessential to that country and how it sees itself. Ed is ours" (Michael King). Sir Edmund Hillary has been honoured at home and abroad as the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hillary and Tenzing's scaling of Mt Everest. At the festivities in Nepal he was made an honorary citizen. In Delhi he unveiled a road in his name, and Thursay 29 May was declared 'Summit Day' in NZ. His remarkable life as both adventurer and humanitarian has been extensively profiled in all the top broadsheets from the New York Times to The Scotsman, and he is the recipient of the inaugural Life magazine award recognising "those individuals who have helped shape the watershed events of our time."
(29 May 2003)

"They know they have an edge"
November's French Vogue goes south seas gothic in fashionable NZ, with the edge providing both spectacular and downtown Aotearoa-style backdrops for a Mario Sorrenti photo shoot, from the volcanic plateau to the local 4-Square. The accompanying essay by Simone Ellis finds, "A culture defined by its people [...] increasingly worldly, NZ urbanites are far less fragile about their identity these days. They are highly educated, they have travelled, they know they have an 'edge'." Edgy interviewees include designer Nicholas Blanchett, photographer Greg Semu, and Pavement co-founder Glenn Hunt. The edition also covers the techno-royal glamour of the America's Cup. Mario Sorrenti and the Vogue crew's visit was produced by Ellis.   
(November 2002)
         

"Asia is us"
NZ's Asia2000 head Chris Butler on a recent 5-city tour of Asia, Butler spoke of NZ's 40 year evolution towards a post-colonial identity: "Now, instead of relying on the 'Lion of England,' NZ is partnering increasingly more with the 'Tigers of Asia.' " Auckland, where one in nine residents is of Asian descent, was made the primary example of NZ's Asian status. Street signs are often translated into Korean, Japanese and Chinese, and the annual Lantern Festival brings over 100,000 spectators and the participation of more than 300 schools. As Butler says, "Asia is not only our future - it is our present."
(6 September 2002)
     

Black and white or rainbow nation?
Kathy Marks visits Waitangi and gives an outside perspective on the state of the nation 162 years after the treaty: "New Zealand is truly a bicultural nation, and the sense of two races living side by side is reflected in the structures and institutions [...] telephone calls are often answered with "Kia Ora" instead of "Hello"." Contrasting Aotearoa's relationship with its indigenous people with Australia's, she finds the edge a place of reconciliation, integration, and diversity.
(01 June 2002)