Wellington

Paul Henry. (Photo: Lyric Waiwiri-Smith)

One Candidate, One Pint: Paul Henry on never giving a shit what anyone thinks

The Act candidate on 'bloody stupid' liquor laws, and whether he'll 'tone down' his trademark honesty in parliament.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 8th September, 2026

Politics reporter

The big moment. (Photo: Caleb Smith, for the Capital Kiwi Project. Image design: The Spinoff)

‘It was 10 years of work, all in one moment’: Wellington’s kiwi are now truly ‘free range’

The Capital Kiwi project has just marked a major milestone: the final monitoring transmitters have been removed from the 250 kiwi released in the hills around Wellington in recent years.

By Shanti Mathias | 7th September, 2026

Contributing writer

Craig Renney. (Photo: Lyric Waiwiri-Smith)

Can Craig Renney tame the ‘big Green elephant’ and turn Wellington Bays red?

'My job here is to win this seat, and create a base so that Wellington is back to being a Labour town.'

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 7th September, 2026

Politics reporter

Johnathan Pitts, Nigel Elder (councillor, not candidate), Tamatha Paul, Ayesha Verrall, Jessica Hammond and Taylor Arneil. (Photo: Lyric Waiwiri-Smith)

Wellington North candidates face off on student issues in first debate

The incumbent said she'd been 'scrapping her ass off' daily for her newly named electorate, but what could others offer?

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 3rd September, 2026

Politics reporter

The fake Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop perform a tap dance number. (Photo: Rebecca McMillan)

Review: Election Meltdown is the joy we need in the end times

Featuring Simeon Brown as a gerbil, John Tamihere as a vampire and a tap-dancing duet by Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 20th August, 2026

Politics reporter

No journalists were harmed in the making of this story.

I lived: A true story of surviving the cycle lanes of Molesworth Street

This week, Christopher Luxon drew attention to a little-known parliamentary peril: crossing the road. We dared to give it a go.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 20th August, 2026

Politics reporter

Qiulae Wong (Photo: Lyric Waiwiri-Smith/The Spinoff)

One Candidate, One Pint: Qiulae Wong on learning the political art of restraint

'There's been so many occasions where Iain Lees-Galloway has told me no.'

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 14th August, 2026

Politics reporter

Dr Claire Achmad leaves her post as children’s commissioner on Friday.

Children’s commissioner on her early exit: ‘I have a lot more left to give’

Claire Achmad has laid down a wero for her successor: 'Continue to hold decision-makers, including the government, to account.'

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 28th July, 2026

Politics reporter

Pint is more a colloquial than a measurement in NZ’s bars.

Why doesn’t New Zealand have a standard size for a pint of beer?

In the UK and Canada, it's 568ml. In Australia, about the same. In New Zealand? Well, it's more of a vibe than a measurement.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 18th July, 2026

Politics reporter

Ngatiapa Street (Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone)

'So depressing': The Wellington street full of ghost houses

'You could turn down there and feel like you're in some kind of dystopian, post-apocalypse movie.'

By Ellen O'Dwyer of RNZ | 16th July, 2026

Andrew Little, Dean Silvester and Ray Chung.

Police denied making a complaint about Ray Chung. So, what’s this text?

The Spinoff tried to get details about concerns police raised with Wellington’s mayor. Three months later we’ve finally found out what happened.

By Joel MacManus | 3rd July, 2026

Don Brash and Matthew Hooton.

‘Relentless attack’ or ‘fuel on the fire’? Brash v Hooton in the court of appeal

Lawyers for Don Brash say he was defamed by Matthew Hooton’s suggestion he was dishonest.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 30th June, 2026

Politics reporter

The interior of XO Book CO, a romance bookstore that just opened on Willis St in Wellington. (Photo: Bayleigh Gibson)

A reading renaissance: Wellington welcomes two new indie bookshops

Willis St will soon be home to not one, not two, but three indie bookstores.

By Claire Mabey | 29th June, 2026

Chris Hipkins speaking to Labour supporters in Wellington (Photo: Lyric Waiwiri-Smith)

Labour’s hype train has finally arrived in Wellington

If there’s anything a Labour Party event can do well, it’s emulating the vibe of a church youth conference.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 29th June, 2026

Politics reporter

Simon Sherlock, beloved local artist.

The inside story of Simon the sign guy, Wellington’s favourite street artist

From a traumatic cliff fall to a stint in a Thai prison, Simon Sherlock has been to some dark places. Now he just wants to spread the love.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 27th June, 2026

Politics reporter

Freya Daly Sadgrove, author of the poetry collection Head Girl, in her beloved Wellington.

Freya Daly Sadgrove on turning poetry into TV show Head Girl

What's it like to see one of the darkest periods of your life come alive on the screen?

By Claire Mabey

& Freya Daly Sadgrove | 27th June, 2026

Former Wellington mayor Tory Whanau at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cambridge Terrace improvements. Image: The Spinoff

Why Wellington can’t build

The Golden Mile, the housing crisis, and the problem with progressive cities.

By Joel MacManus | 24th June, 2026

RIP. Image: The Spinoff.

The Golden Mile project deserves to die. But it must rise again

Wellington's decade-long failure to upgrade a street is a damning indictment on the council and the city itself. What Andrew Little does next could define his mayoralty.

By Joel MacManus | 15th June, 2026

Review: Te Ara Tupua is the road Wellington always deserved

Review: Te Ara Tupua is the road Wellington always deserved

Smell the sea salt, feel the looming hills: it’s your typical ride to Wellington, but in 3D.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 13th June, 2026

Politics reporter

Bolton Street Cemetery (Photo: Ben Fagan)

The past haunts Wellington’s Mount Victoria tunnel, but it also stalks the urban motorway

We toot in the tunnel, but what of the ghosts of Bolton Street Cemetery?

By Ben Fagan | 8th June, 2026

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