September 16 marks the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence from Australia. It’s also the publication date of In the Best Interests – as much a story of colonialism and the power inequities that stem from it, as it is about the sexual abuse of students by their Australian expat teachers (and a New Zealander). Authors John and Elisa Mendzela were teachers in the 1980s and uncovered the organised sexual exploitation of PNG students while the country was an Australian colony. Ali Mau spoke with John and Elisa from their home in Wellington, where they’ve both enjoyed long careers as management consultants.
One! Two! Three! Four! We Don’t Want Your Racist Tour! At three years old, I marched with my mother down Lambton Quay, terrified of nuclear war, lost among a sea of adult legs. Today, bombarded by images of violence online, I feel powerless—but protest remains the only real tool of…
You might have seen him on stage as Che Guevara. Or Gunter, a buck-toothed Swede who yells crap one-liners. Perhaps on TV as a stripper or a guy in the Moro ads. But chances are you most likely remember Taika Waititi from the Academy Awards when he upset the artsy…
Eroticism and romance in Remuera 4th September 2025 A new bookstore offering “steamy fantasies” and catering to all “spice levels” has opened in… Remuera? By Greg BruceYou can feel the charge in the air as you wander down the main street. The whole village is crackling with intrigue and –…
A serial killer, a reality TV dating show … It's a ridiculous idea but in Fiona Sussman’s hands, it’s enthralling, writes Steve Braunias, and one of the best novels of 2025.
The start of his second year at the University of Otago was not an auspicious one for a young Grant Robertson. His mother had called with shocking news that his father had been arrested for theft from the law firm where he worked. In chapter three of his memoir, Anything…
Darby Hudson: the Melbourne poet dissenter captivating the world 28th August 2025 Darby Hudson’s “little word boxes,” as he calls them, have gathered a devoted following on social media - among them Hollywood actors Juliette Lewis and Demi Moore, Breaking Bad writer and co-producer Moira Walley-Beckett, and True Detective creator…
Culture Compass
Consuming culture is as much about seeing and connecting with others and their experiences as it is about feeding our insatiable appetite for stimulation. It’s an intimate act that allows us to see inside the hearts and minds of artists. Doing that – consuming arts and culture – is a…
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Consuming culture is as much about seeing and connecting with others and their experiences as it is about feeding our insatiable appetite for stimulation. It’s an intimate act that allows us to see inside the hearts and minds of artists. Doing that – consuming arts and culture – is a…
The Culture Compass 24th July 2025If 2025 is teaching us anything, it’s that while chaos and turmoil run rampant, art in all its forms will remain. But still, like air, I’ll rise. Over the coming weeks, there are some spectacular examples of art and culture rising, including three unique festivals…
The Culture Compass 26th June 2025We may be on the precipice of the July school holidays, but this week's Culture Compass will not be defined by them. Iconoclastic as always, here lies a selection of thought-provoking, cerebral, creative and entertaining arts and cultural events taking place across the motu. Most…
As New Zealand’s largest metropolis braces for unprecedented growth, the race is on to transform the city and its infrastructure into a liveable, sustainable urban paradise. By Sasha Borissenko.
See Auckland like never before with Auckland Sea Kayaks’ City Lights Night Tour! Newly launched, this is New Zealand’s first inner-city kayaking experience.
Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders with Innovative Master of Environment and Agriculture.
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