Privatisation lost: How the Wellington Airport saga split the leftIn the first instalment of a three-part series, Oliver Neas investigates the dramatic showdown between councillors and activists over Wellington Airport.By Oliver Neas | 27th November, 2024Contributing writer
Gone By Lunchtime: Christopher Luxon’s big first birthday boil-upOne hīkoi, two haka, and the first year of the three-party coalition. By The Spinoff | 27th November, 2024Staff writers
Growing skills, building community: Inside South Auckland’s teaching gardensFrom Middlemore to Papatoetoe, seven teaching gardens are empowering communities to produce their own food. Here’s how.By Gabi Lardies | 27th November, 2024Staff writer
Cover Story‘I need to make you suffer’: My near decade of violent harassment by a man I barely know Zeni Gibson has been stalked and gruesomely harassed for nearly nine years by a man in Wellington she rejected when she was 17. This is her story.By Zeni Gibson | 25th November, 2024Guest writer
From tiny books to ‘brick lit’: Odessa Owens on the scale of her reading habitsThe senior tutor at Aotearoa's leading publishing course on her favourite books, both big and very small.By The Spinoff Review of Books | 27th November, 2024⚖️
The brief but wonderful history of the Z Manu World ChampsThe annual competition is a showcase of skill, culture, and most importantly, big splashes.By Liam Rātana | 26th November, 2024Ātea editor
The great Spinoff summer 2024 tech gift guideFrom hard-working headphones to top-of-the-line tablets, these are a few of our favourite gadgets. By The Spinoff | 25th November, 2024Staff writers
Tagging on with your debit card: Motu Move is (almost) hereEverything you need to know about the nationwide public transport system coming soon.By Shanti Mathias | 27th November, 2024Staff writer
The remarkable story of Willowbank, Christchurch’s first zoo'There would be a monkey in the laundry, a camel in the front yard ... When you look back at it now, it was pretty incredible.'By Alex Casey | 27th November, 2024Senior writer
Why (and how) I’m not going to be a Christmas grinch this yearWhat if the holiday didn't have to be a hellhole of unwanted expectation and obligation?By Gabi Lardies | 27th November, 2024Staff writer
The hidden problem when ‘news’ isn’t popularAn expiration date on longform video journalism means news shared to TVNZ+ is destined for a short shelf life.By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 27th November, 2024
The indomitable Nikki KayeThe former minister and Auckland Central dynamo has died aged 44.By Toby Manhire | 26th November, 2024
Diana Wichtel: ‘Virginia Woolf might have made a decent TV reviewer’An excerpt from Diana Wichtel's tremendous new memoir, Unreel.By The Spinoff Review of Books | 26th November, 2024
Bad news for grinches – the Christmas tree in Auckland city is wonderfulA rave review of the big tree with pretty lights.By Madeleine Chapman | 26th November, 2024
The cost of being: An ebike-riding, vinyl-loving dad who ‘only spends what I have’'Wife pays the mortgage and food, I pay all other bills.'By The Cost of Being | 26th November, 2024
The coalition’s priorities, and the challenges it faces, in year twoReflections and predictions for the sixth National government.By Stewart Sowman-Lund | 26th November, 2024
OpinionAll Blacks haka controversy: A bold statement or brand risk?It was his last time leading an All Blacks haka and TJ Perenara was sure it sent a message.By Liam Rātana | 26th November, 2024
New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this weekIncluding HBO's latest crime drama, Martin Scorsese's new Beatles documentary and a season with the Chiefs.By Thomas Giblin | 25th November, 2024
Cover Story‘I need to make you suffer’: My near decade of violent harassment by a man I barely know Zeni Gibson has been stalked and gruesomely harassed for nearly nine years by a man in Wellington she rejected when she was 17. This is her story.By Zeni Gibson | 25th November, 2024Guest writer
Can poets drive? A sociocultural investigationIs there any statistical proof behind the stereotype that poets can't drive? A non-driving poet attempts to find out. By Hera Lindsay Bird | 23rd November, 2024Contributing writer
All 33 malls in Auckland ranked from worst to bestFrom the low lows of abandoned empires to the high highs of a mall done just right.By Group Think | 22nd November, 2024A bunch of people
OpinionIt’s not too late to halt the death spiral of New Zealand’s public health systemIt’s a shambles of our own making, but it’s still one we can turn around.By David Galler | 21st November, 2024Guest writer
A beginner’s guide to yum chaHow and what to order, from tea to egg tart.By Jean Teng | 20th November, 2024Guest writer
How has Luxon’s position on the Treaty Principles Bill changed over time?The PM has never supported Seymour's bill in principle, or beyond first reading in practice, but his language has certainly changed. By Toby Manhire | 20th November, 2024Editor-at-large
OpinionWho gets to have an opinion on the hīkoi and who must remain ‘impartial’?Newsrooms of old were apparently more impartial. But that’s only because everyone shared the same biases.By Madeleine Chapman | 19th November, 2024Editor
Banks are grappling with a scam ‘crisis’ while Facebook profits from itThe CEOs of Westpac and Kiwibank are contemplating quitting Facebook over its inaction on scams.By Duncan Greive | 18th November, 2024Founder
The Nobel Prize in Not Beating Up Your KidsOn the most extraordinary human achievements you’ll never, ever notice, and possibly shouldn’t celebrate. By Madeleine Holden | 16th November, 2024Senior editor
Tagging on with your debit card: Motu Move is (almost) hereEverything you need to know about the nationwide public transport system coming soon.By Shanti Mathias | 27th November, 2024Staff writer
The remarkable story of Willowbank, Christchurch’s first zoo'There would be a monkey in the laundry, a camel in the front yard ... When you look back at it now, it was pretty incredible.'By Alex Casey | 27th November, 2024
Why (and how) I’m not going to be a Christmas grinch this yearWhat if the holiday didn't have to be a hellhole of unwanted expectation and obligation?By Gabi Lardies | 27th November, 2024
The cost of being: An ebike-riding, vinyl-loving dad who ‘only spends what I have’'Wife pays the mortgage and food, I pay all other bills.'By The Cost of Being | 26th November, 2024
Here’s what was – and wasn’t – achieved at the Cop29 climate talksAt the outset, expectations were low – but even with considerable headwinds, progress was made.By Jacqueline Peel | 25th November, 2024
Zeni’s experience is extreme, but it isn’t rareHundreds of thousands of New Zealand women are impacted by stalking and harassment, and they’re being failed by the official response. By Madeleine Holden | 25th November, 2024Senior editor
Cover Story‘I need to make you suffer’: My near decade of violent harassment by a man I barely know Zeni Gibson has been stalked and gruesomely harassed for nearly nine years by a man in Wellington she rejected when she was 17. This is her story.By Zeni Gibson | 25th November, 2024Guest writer
Windbag: If I were mayor for a day…Wellington editor Joel MacManus pitches his big idea to save the capital: more statues on the waterfront. By Joel MacManus | 25th November, 2024Wellington editor
The cost of being: A clothes-mad 20-something who walks everywhere'Five words to describe my financial personality? Bills paid, time to shop.'By The Cost of Being | 22nd November, 2024Guest writer
Gone By Lunchtime: Christopher Luxon’s big first birthday boil-upOne hīkoi, two haka, and the first year of the three-party coalition. By The Spinoff | 27th November, 2024Staff writers
Privatisation lost: How the Wellington Airport saga split the leftIn the first instalment of a three-part series, Oliver Neas investigates the dramatic showdown between councillors and activists over Wellington Airport.By Oliver Neas | 27th November, 2024
The indomitable Nikki KayeThe former minister and Auckland Central dynamo has died aged 44.By Toby Manhire | 26th November, 2024
OpinionThis week three parties stood together – can they withstand the storm to come?Can a united front hold through to election time?By Toby Manhire | 22nd November, 2024
OpinionIt’s not too late to halt the death spiral of New Zealand’s public health systemIt’s a shambles of our own making, but it’s still one we can turn around.By David Galler | 21st November, 2024
The gang patch ban is now in force. What’s going to happen?The 'free ride' for gangs has ended, says the government. But it might not be that simple.By Alice Neville | 21st November, 2024Deputy editor
OpinionNew law gives up to 3,480 Samoan elders back their right to NZ citizenshipThe bill's author reflects on what it means for the Samoan community.By Teanau Tuiono | 20th November, 2024Guest writer
Was the hīkoi New Zealand’s largest-ever protest?Media estimates of the crowd size ranged from 17,000 to 100,000+, but one thing we can say for sure – it was bloody massive.By Joel MacManus | 20th November, 2024Wellington editor
How has Luxon’s position on the Treaty Principles Bill changed over time?The PM has never supported Seymour's bill in principle, or beyond first reading in practice, but his language has certainly changed. By Toby Manhire | 20th November, 2024Editor-at-large
New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this weekIncluding HBO's latest crime drama, Martin Scorsese's new Beatles documentary and a season with the Chiefs.By Thomas Giblin | 25th November, 2024Guest writer
Review: Thomasin McKenzie out-sasses Bill Nighy in Netflix’s JoyIf you're a fan of cosy British biopics and Bill Nighy swearing in a lab coat, this is the film for you.By Alex Casey | 25th November, 2024
‘You bring your whole life to watching TV’: Critic Diana Wichtel on a life in review'Whenever you're writing about TV, there's always a bit of memoir in it.'By My Life in TV | 23rd November, 2024
‘By golly it slaps’: Arthur Ahbez’s perfect weekend playlist'I don't know what the chant in the second half of this song means, but by golly it slaps hard and feels good!'By Weekend playlist | 23rd November, 2024
Review: The Day of the Jackal is a riveting and ridiculous rideA cat and mouse thriller that's worth putting your phone down for. By Alex Casey | 22nd November, 2024
‘Deserves a Bafta’: After the Party premieres in the UK to five-star reviews 'The best TV performance of the year is by an actor most British viewers won’t recognise, in a production that most won’t see.'By Alex Casey | 21st November, 2024Senior writer
Review: The magic of Wicked and the curse of corporate greedThe new movie musical is undoubtedly a fun watch, but proof that bigger isn’t always better.By Stewart Sowman-Lund | 21st November, 2024The Bulletin editor
Has Netflix forgotten about New Zealand? '[They're] calling their Australian office 'Netflix ANZ' – but the New Zealand part of the equation is completely ignored'.By Alex Casey | 20th November, 2024Senior writer
Review: Camping is the hyper horny, extremely silly play we need right nowThe original play's biggest fan finds out if it still delivers under the weight of stardom, a bigger stage and a real set.By Duncan Greive | 19th November, 2024Founder
Home EducationThe Baker whānauWhen a whale washed up on Tokomaru Bay, Israel and Petrina Baker decided it was important to take time out of school so that their tamariki could learn how to harvest the taonga. Truancy officers were not too pleased, so the whānau’s home education began through Te Kura. 12 Nov 202416:58
Home EducationOn the road with the RasmussensThe Rasmussens have travelled the country in a house bus for over a decade. Bridie is the ‘road-schooling’ mum to seven kids, all at different stages. On the bus near the beach, the kids design an ancient civilisation together. 5 Nov 202414:04
Home EducationAlesha & KenseyKensey was slipping behind at school due to illness, so Alesha and Damien decided to do something different – something they’d only seen on Country Calendar. Now Kensey writes books about unicorns and gathers toheroa with her whanau. 29 Oct 202415:09
Home EducationThe Fairul Izad familyIrma does not know the answer to “Does space have a bottom?” but says it’s valuable for her boys to be taught by someone who loves them. Now, her son’s love for ballet doesn’t have to feel like a secret. 22 Oct 202415:40
Home EducationRachel & FelixRachel never thought she’d be homeschooling, but Felix was having trouble fitting in at school. Now, he’s making friends at Forest School, and growing his confidence at improv theatre classes which he bounds out of happily. 15 Oct 202415:10
Home EducationJen & the Dahlia kidsThree years ago, Jen gave her kids $100 to start a business as a learning project, which has led to a thriving dahlia farm. Gracie, Milly and Lexie learn maths at the till, science while testing flower food and art when marketing their flowers. 8 Oct 202415:23
Home EducationHome Education – TrailerFrom a dahlia farm to a house bus, six families find their own ways of educating their children. Episode one of our docu-series premieres on The Spinoff Tuesday 8 October. 1 Oct 20240:44
Takeout KidsKylaKyla and her sister, Kylee, trade makeup tips in front of the mirror, using their mum’s cosmetics. In the nail salon where her mum works, Kyla shares her pepeha with customers after a long day of chatting about crushes in the playground. 17 Sep 202412:13
Takeout KidsPhitchaPhitcha bonds over shrimp noodles with her schoolmates, and watermelon and ice cream with her parents. A heart-to-heart with her dad heals the scars of separation. 10 Sep 202411:01
Takeout KidsLaurenEvenings at the Auckland night markets frying doughnuts turn into long, yawning school days for Lauren. Her family and school are encouraging her to think about the future – stay with the family business, or follow her own dreams. 3 Sep 202411:48
Bad news for grinches – the Christmas tree in Auckland city is wonderfulA rave review of the big tree with pretty lights.By Madeleine Chapman | 26th November, 2024Editor
All 33 malls in Auckland ranked from worst to bestFrom the low lows of abandoned empires to the high highs of a mall done just right.By Group Think | 22nd November, 2024
Public pressure mounts for Kiwisaver funds to invest ethically A new campaign is targeting ASB due to its Kiwisaver funds having investments into Motorola, a company that supplies Israel's military. By Gabi Lardies | 18th November, 2024
Banks are grappling with a scam ‘crisis’ while Facebook profits from itThe CEOs of Westpac and Kiwibank are contemplating quitting Facebook over its inaction on scams.By Duncan Greive | 18th November, 2024
All 14 malls in Christchurch ranked from worst to bestApologies to Hornby, your malls are bad.By Joseph Harper | 15th November, 2024
You’re gonna miss the post office when it’s goneDespite its dwindling locations and reduced service, NZ Post remains a pillar in every community.By Hera Lindsay Bird | 14th November, 2024Contributing writer
The NZ Super Fund has Israeli investments worth $35m. Could it divest?Sanctions would likely require a law change, but there's another path the government could consider if it chooses to take a tougher line.By Myra Williamson | 11th November, 2024Guest writer
Nobody panic, but we’re in the midst of a global chocolate crisisPrice hikes, disappearing products and sourcing struggles – could this be the new normal for the chocolate industry?By Gabi Lardies | 5th November, 2024Staff writer
How the Gen Z broccoli haircut became big business for a teen barberThree teenage barbers in Mt Albert have capitalised on a viral haircut to build businesses on Instagram. Duncan Greive gets a cut and a lesson.By Duncan Greive | 2nd November, 2024Founder
OpinionAll Blacks haka controversy: A bold statement or brand risk?It was his last time leading an All Blacks haka and TJ Perenara was sure it sent a message.By Liam Rātana | 26th November, 2024Ātea editor
Was the hīkoi New Zealand’s largest-ever protest?Media estimates of the crowd size ranged from 17,000 to 100,000+, but one thing we can say for sure – it was bloody massive.By Joel MacManus | 20th November, 2024
The best signs from the final day of the Toitū Te Tiriti hīkoiFrom 'cede deez nutz' to 'be more demure Seymour', Pōneke protesters raised the bar as they descended on parliament.By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 19th November, 2024
Live updates: Hīkoi concludes as attention shifts to inside parliamentSpeeches have ended outside parliament as question time gets under way in the debating chamber.By Liam Rātana | 19th November, 2024
Ka tuku te rākau: Handing over the baton of protest to a new generationA new generation is leading the hīkoi for tino rangatiratanga and Māori self-determination.By Liam Rātana | 18th November, 2024
Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi fits: Savage style for seasoned steezersWhen the Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi hit Auckland, Aotearoa's most multicultural and (arguably) fashionable city rose to the occasion.By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 16th November, 2024Staff writer
House suspended as haka interrupts first reading of the Treaty Principles BillSpectators in the public gallery joined in.By Liam Rātana | 14th November, 2024Ātea editor
Opinion‘Whaka round, find out’: When the hīkoi came to AucklandThe overwhelming feeling (other than exhaustion) was that we had protected our tīpuna and mokopuna.By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 14th November, 2024Staff writer
As te reo Māori grows, so does the search for trilingual interpretersDeaf Māori are often isolated from their culture and community due to a critical shortage of trilingual interpreters fluent in te reo Māori, English, and New Zealand Sign Language.By Liam Rātana | 13th November, 2024Ātea editor
A beginner’s guide to yum chaHow and what to order, from tea to egg tart.By Jean Teng | 20th November, 2024Guest writer
Where does kai come from? Learning in the māraSince taking part in growing kai from seed to harvest, my appreciation for every vegetable I eat has deepened.By Lucinda Bennett | 15th November, 2024
Who are the New Zealanders who can’t afford nourishing food?After household bills are paid, one in five in the working-age population doesn't have enough income for decent kai.By Shanti Mathias | 13th November, 2024
Nobody panic, but we’re in the midst of a global chocolate crisisPrice hikes, disappearing products and sourcing struggles – could this be the new normal for the chocolate industry?By Gabi Lardies | 5th November, 2024
Why do we make it so hard to dine outside?Outdoor dining seems like something a country with a very nice outdoors should be good at.By Anna Rawhiti-Connell | 1st November, 2024
I hate the sexy Grimace busIt's not just a bad ad, it's a symbol of everything rotten in our lives.By Madeleine Chapman | 29th October, 2024Editor
David Seymour’s new school lunches, reviewedSamples of the new cost-cutting kai were served up at parliament today. So how was it?By Joel MacManus | 22nd October, 2024Wellington editor
The seven types of deer in New Zealand, ranked by a deer hunterFactors include: taste and difficulty of hunting.By Mike Fagan | 17th October, 2024Guest writer
Five reflections on a part-reverent, part-riotous Metro Restaurant of the Year'Running a restaurant – sometimes it feels like you’re running a charity for rich people.'By Duncan Greive | 15th October, 2024Founder
Banks are grappling with a scam ‘crisis’ while Facebook profits from itThe CEOs of Westpac and Kiwibank are contemplating quitting Facebook over its inaction on scams.By Duncan Greive | 18th November, 2024Founder
Millennial Snot will not give way to a new age of sincerity and clarityThe way online millennials speak is cringeworthy and bad, but the New Right won’t usher in better prose.By Madeleine Holden | 22nd October, 2024
Liam Payne and the mourning of a (modern) childhood'My first memory of One Direction is holding an iPad incredibly close to my face to soak in every pixel of the five boys through the screen.'By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 19th October, 2024
Happy Niue language week: The Samoans are fighting againThe Spinoff's fake Samoan editor explains the latest poly drama.By Madeleine Chapman | 16th October, 2024
The Spinoff guide to life: How to send a text without being annoyingAnd what to do if you are very, very late to reply.By The Spinoff guide to life | 16th October, 2024
I hate CAPTCHAs, the unnecessary ritual of having to prove you’re a human beingCorrectly identifying traffic lights doesn't make you human – but feeling irritated by it just might.By Shanti Mathias | 14th October, 2024Staff writer
Why young women like me are rotting in our bedroomsIt's become an internet trope, but the art of girl rotting dates back at least to the 19th century. By Maya Field | 12th October, 2024Guest writer
Hear me out: Stop saying ‘problematic’Just say what the problem is. By Madeleine Holden | 30th September, 2024Senior editor
With the deepest respect, Julianne Moore, one does not simply say ‘Goodbye’ to Meta AIBad news for everyone hoping to stop Meta in its AI tracks. By Anna Rawhiti-Connell | 26th September, 2024Senior writer
From tiny books to ‘brick lit’: Odessa Owens on the scale of her reading habitsThe senior tutor at Aotearoa's leading publishing course on her favourite books, both big and very small.By The Spinoff Review of Books | 27th November, 2024⚖️
Diana Wichtel: ‘Virginia Woolf might have made a decent TV reviewer’An excerpt from Diana Wichtel's tremendous new memoir, Unreel.By The Spinoff Review of Books | 26th November, 2024
Can poets drive? A sociocultural investigationIs there any statistical proof behind the stereotype that poets can't drive? A non-driving poet attempts to find out. By Hera Lindsay Bird | 23rd November, 2024
How to read a poem: selections from Slender Volumes by Richard von SturmerA close read of three seven-lines poems by Zen teacher Richard von Sturmer.By Claire Mabey | 23rd November, 2024
The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 22Dolly-mania, new Murakami, and a brilliant local debut. By The Spinoff Review of Books | 22nd November, 2024⚖️
‘Everything is becoming a culture war’: Jon Ronson on conspiracies and cyclewaysAn interview with the acclaimed journalist ahead of his appearance in Aotearoa.By Stewart Sowman-Lund | 21st November, 2024The Bulletin editor
‘I’ll try any synonym under the sun’: Jacqueline Bublitz’s crimes against languageThe acclaimed crime novelist on the words that make her shudder, having seven books on the go at once and more. By The Spinoff Review of Books | 20th November, 2024⚖️
The case of the cursed bread: An excerpt from Una Cruickshank’s The Chthonic CycleWhat caused a whole French village to hallucinate?By The Spinoff Review of Books | 16th November, 2024⚖️
The hidden problem when ‘news’ isn’t popularAn expiration date on longform video journalism means news shared to TVNZ+ is destined for a short shelf life.By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 27th November, 2024Staff writer
OpinionThe Weekend: What would you march for?Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was.By Madeleine Chapman | 23rd November, 2024Editor
OpinionThe Weekend: In defence of Auckland’s ‘incredibly’ expensive Christmas treeAnna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on the week that was.By Anna Rawhiti-Connell | 16th November, 2024Senior writer
We have the ratings for Stuff’s ThreeNews. What story do they tell?Four months since Stuff’s brave leap into the unknown, here's how ThreeNews is performing.By Duncan Greive | 13th November, 2024Founder
OpinionThe Weekend: I don’t know how to travelMadeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was.By Madeleine Chapman | 9th November, 2024Editor
OpinionThe Weekend: When the tide turnsMadeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was.By Madeleine Chapman | 2nd November, 2024Editor
OpinionThe Weekend: What does your taste say about you?Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was.By Madeleine Chapman | 26th October, 2024Editor
Revealed: The Anika Moa and Kiri Allan interview RNZ didn’t want you to hearQuestions were raised after RNZ pulled one of its own podcasts weeks before its release. Now, The Spinoff can reveal what was actually said.By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 23rd October, 2024Staff writer
Is there room for conservatives in culture? NZ On Air is about to find outThe appointment of Philip Crump to NZ on Air’s board has sent a ripple of fear through the media – here's why he has them spooked.By Duncan Greive | 23rd October, 2024Founder
OpinionAll Blacks haka controversy: A bold statement or brand risk?It was his last time leading an All Blacks haka and TJ Perenara was sure it sent a message.By Liam Rātana | 26th November, 2024Ātea editor
Watch live: New Zealand vs Australia in the Trans-Tasman Scrabble ChallengeThe Bledisloe Cup of Scrabble is streaming live on YouTube all weekend. Here’s how to watch and everything else you need to know. By Calum Henderson | 15th November, 2024Production editor
In pictures: MMT fans turn Penrose red ahead of Tonga’s thrilling winOn Saturday afternoon, Mate Ma'a Tonga (MMT) fans were on their way to watch a historic rugby league game.By Jin Fellet | 4th November, 2024Senior producer
With the World Cup won, there’s something else the White Ferns really wantAnd before the ‘oldies’ are gone.By Toby Manhire | 24th October, 2024Editor-at-large
Oh no… I think I’ve fallen for Auckland FCAn occasion so impressive it made me do something I thought I never would.By Toby Manhire | 21st October, 2024Editor-at-large
The winningest weekend for New Zealand sportHave we ever been winninger?By Toby Manhire | 21st October, 2024Editor-at-large
OpinionMike Hosking is one of the Warriors' biggest fans, and it doesn't make a lick of senseHis 'common sense' world view holds little time for losers and dreamers... with one major exception.By Pete Douglas | 4th October, 2024Guest writer
How I became the 193rd best pinballer in New ZealandA shallow dive into the deeply competitive world of pinball in Aotearoa.By Matt Casey | 28th September, 2024Contributing writer
Have the All Blacks lost their aura? Finally, a definitive answerIt's a question that's been in the headlines for years. The problem is we’ve been looking to rugby writers for answers only psychics can offer.By Hayden Donnell | 24th September, 2024Contributing writer