The Best Of

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Two months ago, MPs voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins' honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give an hour of their time. 

Efeso Collins deserved better than what parliament offered yesterday

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What to say when pesky journalists ask gotcha questions like 'can you name a single book you’ve ever read?' and 'did you read it, or did you just see the movie?'

A handy primer for arts spokespeople who know nothing about New Zealand art

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We remember one of Aotearoa's towering literary figures.

Vale Vincent O’Sullivan, 1937-2024

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National may scrap the system critics call a marketing ploy. Is it delivering what it says on the box?

Is the health star system past its use-by date?

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Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own. 

Inside the home of New Zealand’s greatest crime writer

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Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. 

An ode to the muesli bar, a national treasure

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Wondering where to host your next BYO in the capital? Whether it's a small gathering or a massive party, we've got some recommendations. 

A guide to Wellington’s best BYO restaurants

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What does a forever relationship look like when you don't believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it?

Dreaming of my not-wedding day

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An early and strong contender for book of the year. 

Page-turning rural gothic: Ash by Louise Wallace, reviewed

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'I just remember seeing them live for the first time and thinking to myself: This is it. This is the reason. This is what life is all about.'

‘It was my Eras tour’: Meet the world’s biggest TrueBliss fans

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Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change.

Labour has forgotten it was in government

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Rising membership has been cited as rationale for a crackdown, but this is what we actually know about gang numbers.

Have gang numbers really ‘skyrocketed’ in recent years?

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Why Restore Passenger Rail has set its sights on stopping cruise ships

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Buses will replace trains on weekends in Wellington for the next 10-15 years. But there are a few things to look forward to while we wait. 

A list of transport projects Wellington could actually deliver in the next 10-15 years

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Trust me, I know: I’ve been living in a damp, violent hotel in central Auckland for six months and counting.

There’s no need to make emergency housing harder. It’s hard enough already

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An essential guide to all the holes you can drive through in this country.

All 29 road tunnels in New Zealand ranked from worst to best

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Of course I wind down my window at the lights to profess my love to the strangers in the black De Tomaso Pantera. And of course they accommodate me with amused grins.

Confessions of an unlikely petrolhead

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I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here's exactly how it played out.

What it’s like to be made redundant by the Ministry of Education

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They pressured me to have children, and I had two. Now they won't lift a finger. 

Help Me Hera: My parents won’t help out with my kids

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Mild headache? School. Severe headache? Home. Don't know how to read your kid's mind? That's your problem.

How to tell if your child is well enough to go to school or is in fact sick

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After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter's favourite way to unwind is... kicking goals. Why can't he get enough of it?

Dan Carter won’t stop kicking

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'It's so good and so bad at the same time... I never watch it in front of anyone.'

‘Everybody rolls their eyes’: Dame Susan Devoy’s guilty TV pleasure

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The best places in Ōtepoti to pick up everything from medical romance novels to rare first edition hardbacks.

Dunedin’s secondhand bookshops, ranked and reviewed

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If you love a Scandi-noir drama, you’ll enjoy High Country.

Review: High Country is the ideal crime drama for a cold winter night

New crime drama High Country is the ideal show for a cold winter night

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Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don't ask him to adopt you. 

Tips and tricks for when your therapist looks like your dad

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I didn’t know books could open you back up; that reading could be a chemical event. I knew nothing.

The Sunday Essay: The books that electrify and consume you

Cows In Farm Against Sky

A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10.

The Friday Poem: ‘Mātou’ by Tessa Keenan

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Wellington street art, the story of a spy, the joys of foraging and more.

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 3

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'Some of the comments that came out of my mouth left me gobsmacked.'

‘There was life in the old girl yet’: Dame Susan Devoy on taking reality TV by storm

Did you know New Zealand is one of the worst countries in the world at providing parental leave to partners? Why do we expect one parent to do it all alone? The Side Eye investigates.

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The Side Eye is a monthly non-fiction comic by Toby Morris, supported by NZ On Air. 

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New Zealand is among the worst in the world at offering parental leave for partners. Why do we expect one parent to do it all alone?

The Spinoff

The Best OfMarch 16, 2023

The Side Eye: Case of the missing dads

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