Don Rowe

Staff Writer

Don Rowe (Ngāi Tahu) is a staff writer at The Spinoff. He was the 2015 Canon Media Awards student journalist of the year and the 2017 junior long form feature writer of the year. Email him on don@thespinoff.co.nz

Business
Jul 16, 2019

Property managers are dropping landlords as insulation standards kick in

Landlords are finding themselves without management after property managers began dropping clients who won't insulate, reports Don Rowe.

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Science
Jul 15, 2019

How to juice your brain for joy after watching the Black Caps lose

The Black Caps' World Cup loss at Lord's this morning has much of the country feeling pretty shit. From massage to mindfulness, here are five ways to feel just a tiny bit better.

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Society
Jul 11, 2019

New 'bath salt' detected at University of Otago re-orientation week

A new 'bath salt' mimicking MDMA has been detected circulating at the University of Otago re-orientation week. 

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Society
Jul 11, 2019

How the National Telehealth Service counselled after Christchurch

Immediately following the Christchurch Mosque Shootings the National Telehealth Service expanded by 120 staff to counsel more than 800 New Zealanders by phone. Don Rowe visits to learn how they did it. 

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Society
Jul 9, 2019

‘Inappropriate’ police social media posts criticised by Children’s Commissioner

Police social media posts showing children being arrested have drawn the ire of the Children's Commissioner and a Green Party MP.

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Business
Jul 9, 2019

The Facebook chatbot here to solve your renting woes

Don Rowe speaks to the founder of a new chatbot connecting tenants with the rental information they need. 

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Ātea
Jul 5, 2019

How sports commentary can normalise te reo Māori

When the Māori All Blacks play Fiji this month, MP Peeni Henare will be in the commentary booth calling the match in te reo. Don Rowe reports on an initiative to normalise te reo through the medium of sport.

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Books
Jul 3, 2019

The day the books stopped working

This month Microsoft’s ebook store closes for good, and with it goes any book purchased through a Microsoft account. Don Rowe reports.

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Politics
Jun 26, 2019

1000 words: David White and *those* Colin Craig photos

1000 Words is a Spinoff series talking to the photographers behind our most iconic political images. This time, Don Rowe speaks to David White, the photographer who shot Colin Craig lying in the grass. 

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Society
Jun 25, 2019

‘They’re not rampaging down Queen St. Yet.’ Auckland’s lead rat hunter speaks

It was the story that circled the globe – giant rats, writhing across Titirangi. But rats were here long before it was fashionable – as were the rat hunters. Don Rowe talks to Auckland Council's head of biosecurity. 

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Society
Jun 23, 2019

TAB on-track for huge world cup earnings

The TAB is pulling in millions at the halfway point of the Cricket World Cup. So how much are they paying out? Don Rowe reports.

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Society
Jun 14, 2019

A biblical plague of rats is terrorising Titirangi

Responding to reports that packs of cat-sized rats have taken over Titirangi, Don Rowe travelled to West Auckland to find out the truth.

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Business
Jun 13, 2019

Two weeks from the rental deadline, the insulation industry is at total capacity

Landlords face a $4000 fine if their properties are uninsulated on July 1 – but insulation companies say there's no way to get it all done in time. Don Rowe reports.

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Gaming
Jun 9, 2019

Like ads on the moon, catching Pokémon while you sleep is gross and wrong

Following the multi-billion dollar success of Pokémon Go, Nintendo is intent on turning a profit from the most mysterious human experience of all: sleep. 

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Society
May 30, 2019

Happy birthday Auckland Harbour Bridge! Here are your finest moments

The Auckland Harbour Bridge turns 60 today. Don Rowe revisits some of its finest moments to celebrate.

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Society
May 29, 2019

There are eleven more bodies on Everest

There's a waiting line at the top of the world and that about sums up life in 2019, writes Don Rowe.

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Business
May 27, 2019

New Zealand’s first weed IPO launches today. Should you buy in?

Ten million dollars worth of stock in a medicinal cannabis company opens today as Cannasouth aims to be the first company of its kind on the NZX. But should you buy in? Don Rowe talks to Simplicity managing director Sam Stubbs. 

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Gaming
May 24, 2019

This is your brain on Pokémon: Researchers confirm Pikachu changes the way you think

Mum was right: heavy exposure to pocket monsters fundamentally rewires your brain. But researchers from Stanford say it’s an exciting opportunity to study how we learn to see.

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Society
May 22, 2019

SkyCity ignores government, signs deal to open online casino

SkyCity has entered the online gambling fray, announcing a deal to open an online casino later this year. 

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Politics
May 16, 2019

The paradoxes of drug testing

As the referendum approaches and the road toll rises, the government is under pressure to solve the paradox of drug testing, writes Don Rowe.

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Politics
May 9, 2019

Our MPs’ pecuniary interests in 10 numbers

The annual list of which MP owns what, and who's greasing their palms is out. We break it down in 10 easy numbers.

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Science
May 9, 2019

Does the Canterbury Panther exist? Six experts weigh in

Recent sightings of a large and potentially dangerous cat demand a social and political response, so we gathered a panel of experts to do just that. 

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Auckland Zoo
May 6, 2019

Tuatara survived for millions of years. Now climate change could wipe them out

Don Rowe meets the animals on the frontlines of New Zealand's climate change challenge – and the zookeepers fighting to keep them thriving.

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Society
May 3, 2019

Indonesia is moving its capital, so should we – to Hamilton

The oceans are rising and the ground's getting shaky – time to move the capital to Hamilton. 

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Ātea
May 1, 2019

Stink as: another video game appropriating Māori taonga

Another day, another flagrant rip-off of Māori taonga and intellectual property, this time in a middling video game. Don Rowe reports. 

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Society
Apr 30, 2019

Buttplug Bandits and the dildo clown thieves: a bizarre true crime story

A wave of theft has hit Peaches and Cream, with rampant clowns and suspected drug addicts pilfering expensive sex toys over the weekend. 

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