‘Too much, Magic Bus’

At least when The Who sang their song about it, they could reasonably expect the bus to show up unlike in Auckland.

Why I fear for Aotearoa

We are not a very happy country but we are still a complacent one.

I hate to say it

First, the good F news. Justice Minister Kiri Allan is going to take a hard look at New Zealand's name suppression laws.

A tweet too far

The story of how the world’s richest man came to acquire Twitter played out like a reality TV show. On March 25, Elon Musk tweeted a poll question:

Centre of the racial divide

In his seminal novel A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute’s portrayal of Australia as a honeyed continent of opportunity helped fuel the post-war influx of ten-pound Poms” taking up the federal government’s offer of assisted migration.

Losing my religion

Religion isn’t becoming extinct, Kiwis are just being more honest in how they define their beliefs, writes MIKE CRUDGE.

Scary berries

The recent hepatitis A outbreak is a dire reminder of the perils of eating uncooked frozen berries.

Legionnaires' is on the march

It's peak season for a potentially fatal respiratory disease linked to garden products. But there are ways to minimise the risks.

Travels on a shaky continent

The war in Ukraine has cast a pall over Europe. But it was still worth travelling there, Aucklander SARAH BECK found on a recent visit.

About face

Medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris talks to NAOMI ARNOLD about her biography of a pioneering Kiwi plastic surgeon during WWI, and the context it gave her own diagnosis of cancer.

Back in an English country garden

After some lean times and a foray into politics, British celebrity cook and greenie Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is revisiting the good life.

Overa barrel

Winemakers are forsaking traditional oak casks in pursuit of more restrained flavours.

Teflon coating

The role of scandals in politics is a lot more complicated than you might think.

Breathing easier

New research into children's asthma medication could lead to significant benefits for them- and the health system.

Pause the remote

Covid may have accelerated the trend to shift learning online, but not everyone is convinced it’s the right move.

Fingers in the dyke

Well-meaning attempts to stem our greenhouse-gas emissions risk fuelling more widespread flare-ups.

Women at war

No one will come to her aid if men with guns come knocking, but Sandu is outspoken in supporting the West.

For whom the bell tolls

The heavy-handed way in which the Beehive is trying to foist these things upon us rankles many.

Define relevance

This was the kind of language that could excite and move us, thrill us with its beauty, make us laugh.

Be afraid

The smart money has US democracy making it through the 2022 election. But all bets are off for 2024.

Going batty

More than a century after they were last spotted, long-tailed bats may have returned to Christchurch.

Warrior queens of the Middle Ages

Medieval women were far from historical bit players and a captivating new history puts them in their proper place.

Home & away

Three Australian authors explore themes of love, loss, escape and rebuilding.

Words, brains, birds & trains

New non-fiction for kids stirs wonder for language, the human body, nature and the ways we get around.

Past misdeeds, present terrors

The return of an iconic detective leads the latest crime offerings.

French stew

A ruminative tale of female friendship, mythmaking and folk wisdom.

Collateral damage

The decades-long struggle to reverse the UK’s enforced exile of an island nation.

Standing out from the herd

Film-maker COSTA BOTES on how his latest project, about a Waikato cow-whisperer, began and how it fits into an uncompromising career spent capturing the stories of idiosyncratic, persistent and passionate people.

Widow in the frame

Unpredictable murder-mystery grips from the start.

Women on top

A drama with forceful female performances impresses with its scraps.