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It has been an enduring local mystery for over three decades: where in the world is Little Ted’s head? Hayden Donnell set out to find the truth. In August 2009, Otago Daily Times reporter Ellie Rowley received a strange phone call. The man at the end of the line was clearly amused, and perhaps a little […]

Close to invisible since the election, the NZ First leader addressed loyal party members yesterday with a catalogue of old classics. On the evening of October 17, 2020, as it became clear the miracle had refused to happen, Winston Peters spoke to New Zealand First supporters then slipped out of the Duke of Marlborough hotel in […]

Aziz, Maria, Paul, and Najmo are former refugees who’ve spent the past year involved in New Zealand’s Covid-19 response. Elodie Berthe of New Zealand Red Cross introduces us to these Kiwi legends.Aziz Al Sa’afinMost mornings, viewers of Three’s AM Show wake up to journalist Aziz Al Sa’afin talking about anything from breaking news to what’s […]

Gossip Week: Alex Casey chats to Associate Professor Jennifer Frost, who has spent decades studying the function of gossip from Hedda Hopper to Donald Trump. All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.The sex scandals and secret pregnancies […]

Gossip Week: Hospitality is driven by gossip, but, says this anonymous Auckland bar owner, there are strict rules.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.Gossip is the currency of hospitality, isn’t it? Because you’ve got to connect […]

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in state care has prompted many to reflect on they way things were. Former child psychologist Lynn Jenner writes on the time a former colleague was convicted of abusing a client.Original illustrations by Wwowly. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New ZealandContent warning: […]

After eight episodes, we’ve finally got Drag Race Down Under’s first drag superstar, and she’s a doozy.We’re here, we’re queer, and we’re honestly quite tired. Even though this season has only been eight episodes, it has felt both so full of drama and like we’re being dragged across the finish line. I won’t go so […]

The New Zealand cricket team’s incredible ascent to the World Test Championship final has been built on the shoulders of the squad led by Brendon McCullum. The Spinoff’s cricket podcast, The Offspin, was glum following a first-day washout, but sun came out in the studio at the chance to speak to the Black Caps legend […]

Gossip Week: Sam Brooks meets legendary New Zealand gossip writer David Hartnell MNZM to talk celebrity friends, men in makeup, and the importance of reinvention. All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.“The two worst things you can do […]

Musician, romantic, civic activist – Anthonie Tonnon talks to Michelle Langstone about growing up in small town New Zealand, his uncommon inspirations and new album Leave Love Out of This.Portraits by Edith AmituanaiI meet Anthonie Tonnon at Motat, which is admittedly not the most original of places to meet a train enthusiast. He’s recently performed his […]

Gossip Week: Gossip fosters important social bonds, and some experts believe humans developed language so we could gossip about one another. Danyl Mclauchlan explores the role gossip plays in our lives.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content […]

A draft plan that increases by 50% the amount of inner Wellington shielded from new dense housing is set to face a tough week in council, writes Justin Giovannetti.There’s a contradiction at the heart of Wellington’s proposed plan to house tens of thousands of new arrivals over the coming decades, according to many of the […]