When David Weiner’s seven-year-old son started reading football books, the author was delighted to share his lifelong passion for the game with the next generation. Until he realised that the only books on offer were about international stars. Great, he thought, but where are the books about our incredibly talented Australian players?
After a bit of digging around, Weiner realised there wasn’t much for kids and teenagers to learn about the development of Australian football. So, after finishing up a 17-year stint in various jobs in the football industry, he pulled out an exercise book and started jotting things down.
“I had a lot of useless facts in my head, and I thought I better do something with them,” he laughed, when chatting to The AJN. But, he said, there’s also a romantic reason that he sought to write The Goals That Changed Australia, and that’s his son.
“The reason it’s a kid’s book is absolutely inspired by my seven-year-old who has learnt to read, essentially through kids’ football books. But they were all overseas – Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar. And it got to the point where I was like, where are our stars and our connection to the game?”
Weiner explained that while you can dream of the heights of Messi, kids in Australia are going to follow an Australian path, and they need to see this reflected in their literature.
For Weiner, his career was bookended by two incredible goals that truly did change the landscape of Australian football – the 2005 John Aloisi penalty against Uruguay which saw the Socceroos qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1974 and Cortnee Vine’s perfect penalty to take the Matildas into the quarter-finals for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Two iconic moments in Australian football history.
As Weiner writes in the book, “mark down the date: August 12, 2023. It’s down in the calendar like November 16, 2005.”
Throughout The Goals That Changed Australia, Weiner weaves the backstories of the players with the ultimate aim that kids see themselves in these sporting heroes. Sure, Aloisi scored that unbelievable goal, but did you also know that he simply practised that kick in his backyard as a kid?
“The story is written deliberately aspirational. The moral of the story is that kids can do it too, these are stories they can relate to. You’ve got girls from the bush who have made it, boys who were part of junior teams and ended up playing in the Premier League, kids that had injuries,” Weiner explained.
This concept is sprinkled throughout the book, culminating in the last chapter which is aimed at the children reading it.
Weiner writes, “These heroes are not from PlayStation games or YouTube. You can follow and be them, because they were once where you are now. Many even play professionally here in our own backyard; so close, you can almost touch them.”
Just like kids will remember where they were when Vine scored, adults remember exactly where they were in 2005 for Aloisi’s goal.
Plus, he said, he has combined the two national teams. As he explained at the book’s launch, you don’t support the Socceroos or the Matildas, you support Australia. And that means getting behind both the male team and the female team. “You support the game,” he said, pointing out that it was the success of the Matildas in 2023 that served as the inspiration to write the book.
At each age, the reader will take something different from the stories.
“There are some kids who are going to consume the results, others are going to want the facts and some people will love the trivia that they can share with their friends,” Weiner pointed out.
Weiner acknowledged though that trying to make a goal that was scored more than 20 years ago interesting for kids was a tricky process.
“It dawned on me that the equivalent was me being told about something that happened in the ’70s,” he laughed. “Why would I read that? While it’s a non-fiction book, I’ve written it as a narrative. The colour makes it a bit more accessible for kids.”
Indeed, even adults will love to reminisce. Just like kids will remember where they were when Vine scored, adults remember exactly where they were in 2005 for Aloisi’s goal.
Throughout the book, there are also lessons that readers can take on board.
“They were all overseas – Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar. And it got to the point where I was like, where are our stars and our connection to the game?”
“There are a lot of breakout vignettes on all the key characters throughout the years who had to overcome adversity or do whatever they needed to do to get where they are,” Weiner told The AJN. “Part of the book is that everything has a bit of a life lesson. What do you do when you lose? What do you do when you’re subbed off? There’s something meaningful here to take away beyond the goals.”
And, as Weiner points out, these are lessons that extend beyond the sporting arena.
“I firmly believe that you can learn a lot about life through sport,” he said. “There are moral lessons, practical lessons, geography – where the teams travel – the evolution of how females have been treated in a professional environment. There’s all sorts of different things in the book, and everyone can take it a different way.”
David Weiner in conversation with Niav Owens at the launch for The Goals that Changed Australia
Weiner said it was a lot of fun going back through his memories, stories and videos to reflect. He did a lot of research, dug up his old articles. Although, he pointed out that a lot of the information was still very fresh in his mind – whether that’s a good or bad thing, he’s not sure.
Ultimately, he hopes the book shows readers that while football has a long way to go in Australia, it has come so far. Weiner said it was especially important to explore the history of women’s football in Australia. Particularly when looking at the fact that while the Socceroos were qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, being flown in a chartered plane and having all their expenses paid for, the Matildas were wearing old Socceroos kits and doing publicity stunts to raise money for their tours.
“I think it better appreciates the heroes we have today, and hopefully gives justice to the heroes of yesteryear, who didn’t always have the platform that the players have today.”
The Goals That Changed Australia is published by Fairplay Publishing, $24.99 rrp.
Year Ender 2024: In a world where kindness can be a rare find, it’s heartening to come across people who go the extra mile for others. Who doesn’t love feeling seen and appreciated? As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to revisit the moments that warmed our hearts. The internet has been abuzz with stories of food and kindness that have captured our attention. From a boy reviving his late father’s food stall to a man sharing a meal with an elderly stranger, these tales have left a mark on us. Here are seven inspiring foodie stories that will take you on a nostalgic journey.
Here Are 7 Food Stories That Made The Internet Smile In 2024:
1.19-Year-Old Boy Restarting Late Father’s Food Outlet
A tale of a young boy who won hearts as he took the initiative of restarting his late father’s roadside food outlet. In the video, shared by the Instagram page @okaysubho, the teenager, Sagar, can be seen preparing rice, assembling platters with sabzi, and serving them to customers. He is also seen washing dishes afterwards. The boy set an example for pursuing our passions despite the obstacles. To read more about it, click here.
2. Swiggy’s Pizza Gesture For X User On Valentine’s Day
In the run-up to Valentine’s Day, we find ourselves surrounded by ads and promotions from brands. An X user expressed her frustration, tagging Swiggy and writing, “I don’t even have a Valentine @Swiggy, why do you keep sending these to me?” Swiggy responded to her post, saying, “We’ll be your Valentine if you want.” Susmita replied, “Pyaar hai toh bhejo cheese burst pizza [If you love me, send cheese burst pizza]”. The brand played along and asked her to send them her details. Click here to read more.
3. Man Sharing Food With An Elderly Cleaner At Event
A viral video showed an elderly man cleaning disposables at an event. After seeing the old man, a young man approached him and invited him to share a meal. They were seen sharing a plate of what appeared to be malai soya chaap with pudina chutney and sliced onions. Not only that, but they also savoured delicious pizza. The internet was touched by this heartfelt gesture. You can read more about it here.
4. Kid Making Sandwich For Elderly Man
Another video that touched our hearts was of a toddler making an egg sandwich for an elderly man. After making it, the toddler generously takes the sandwich to the elderly man, and both are seen relishing the dish together. “Way too young to be doing this, but it looks like he has to,” read the caption of the video. The video grabbed the attention of the internet and garnered over five million views. To read more about it, click here.
5. Man Pays Tribute To Father ‘Retiring’ From Kirana Shop
A Facebook user shared a heartwarming story about his father and how he worked hard for the family business. When his father decided to step down from the business, he shared a heartfelt post about how the kirana shop helped him get an education. He also revealed that he had worked at the kirana shop himself and wished that his father would live a relaxed and healthy life ahead. Internet users were touched and left their best wishes for the man’s father. Click here to read more.
6. Woman Recalling How Delivery Guy’s Gesture Made Her Diwali
A woman from Bengaluru took to X to recall how a sweet gesture by a delivery guy made her Diwali. She revealed that when she shifted to Bengaluru, she found herself alone and had a sad and lonely Diwali. The only person who wished her Diwali was the delivery guy who had come to deliver her food. She shared the post, saying, “Let’s remember to show kindness to those who brighten our days, even in small ways.” Read more about it here.
7. Man Sharing Meal With Monkey At A Temple
A viral Instagram video showed a man sitting on the floor, eating what appeared to be a meal served at a temple. The calm setting quickly turned unusual when a monkey appeared right in front of him. Instead of running away or trying to shoo the animal away, the man remained calm as the monkey sat beside him and began helping itself to some of his food. Viewers were surprised and touched by the man’s willingness to share his meal. Click here to read more.
When a volcanic eruption buried the ancient city of Pompeii, the last desperate moments of its citizens were preserved in stone for centuries.
Observers see stories in the plaster casts later made of their bodies, like a mother holding a child and two women embracing as they die.
But new DNA evidence suggests things were not as they seem — and these prevailing interpretations come from looking at the ancient world through modern eyes.
“We were able to disprove or challenge some of the previous narratives built upon how these individuals were kind of found in relation to each other,” said Alissa Mittnik of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. “It opens up different interpretations for who these people might have been.”
Mittnik and her colleagues discovered that the person thought to be a mother was actually a man unrelated to the child. And at least one of the two people locked in an embrace — long assumed to be sisters or a mother and daughter — was a man. Their research was published Thursday in the journal Current Biology.
The team, which also includes scientists from Harvard University and the University of Florence in Italy, relied on genetic material preserved for nearly two millennia. After Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the Roman city in 79 A.D., bodies buried in mud and ash eventually decomposed, leaving spaces where they used to be. Casts were created from the voids in the late 1800s.
Researchers focused on 14 casts undergoing restoration, extracting DNA from the fragmented skeletal remains that mixed with them. They hoped to determine the sex, ancestry and genetic relationships between the victims.
There were several surprises in “the house of the golden bracelet,” the dwelling where the assumed mother and child were found. The adult wore an intricate piece of jewelry, for which the house was named, reinforcing the impression that the victim was a woman. Nearby were the bodies of another adult and child thought to be the rest of their nuclear family.
DNA evidence showed the four were male and not related to one another, clearly showing “the story that was long spun around these individuals” was wrong, Mittnik said.
Researchers also confirmed Pompeii citizens came from diverse backgrounds but mainly descended from eastern Mediterranean immigrants – underscoring a broad pattern of movement and cultural exchange in the Roman Empire. Pompeii is located about 150 miles (241 kilometers) from Rome.
The study builds upon research from 2022 when scientists sequenced the genome of a Pompeii victim for the first time and confirmed the possibility of retrieving ancient DNA from the human remains that still exist.
“They have a better overview of what’s happening in Pompeii because they analyzed different samples,” said Gabriele Scorrano of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, a co-author of that research who was not involved in the current study. “We actually had one genome, one sample, one shot.”
Though much remains to be learned, Scorrano said, such genetic brushstrokes are slowly painting a truer picture of how people lived in the distant past.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Tim Minchin changed my life: An unfunny interview with a comedic genius
Who is the real comedic genius? Greg Bruce makes friends with a very famous performer and turns the celebrity interview on its head. Tim Minchin as you’ve definitely never read him before.
Wellington’s fashion darlings Kowtow on finding their dream team, going plastic-free and their blueprint for the future
“Their goal is eye-wateringly ambitious: to infiltrate a million people’s wardrobes with just one item, replacing something plastic with Kowtow’s Fairtrade organic cotton.” If you’ve ever been guilty of thinking fashion is frivolous, you haven’t read Julia Gesler’s deep dive into the Wellington label that’s changing the world, one zip-free, nut-buttoned garment at a time.
Black Ferns Chelsea and Alana Bremner on New Zealand rugby’s biggest moment
Eden Park and the opening game of the women’s Rugby World Cup: “For those at the ground, or even those watching on television, it was clear that something big was happening,” writes Greg Bruce in this interview with Black Ferns siblings Chelsea and Alana Bremner. “The feeling around the ground was love, pure and simple … To feel that love from the grandstand was deeply moving. To have felt it as part of the team must have been something else again. To have been able to share that feeling with your sister? Only two people in the country have any idea what that was like.”
What is bouldering? Inside NZ’s cool, cultish climbing sport with actor Celine Dam
As Celine Dam casually hoists herself upwards, writer Madeleine Crutchley imagines gravity defeatedly shrugging its shoulders. In March, Viva launched a new series “How I Move” exploring sports in a league of their own and hobbies that do more than keep us moving – beginning with bouldering.
Celine Dam, Auckland-based actor and boulderer, who was interviewed for Viva’s How I Move series.
William Fitzgerald’s circular design is ‘shoddy’. The Mindful Fashion award-winner on why that’s a good thing
“In Ōnehunga, there is a factory where fashion goes to die.” So begins Madeleine Crutchley’s profile on design student (and former Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer) William Keane Jung-Ying Fitzgerald, winner of the Viva editorial prize at last year’s Mindful Fashion Circular Design Awards. His textile of choice? Removal company blankets, made from cotton and wool – also known as wool shod or “shoddy”.
The Beauty Chef’s Carla Oates wants you to unlearn everything you know about wellness
Not every chef is serving burrata and raw fish. Viva’s beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti meets Carla Oates, the refreshingly frank founder of The Beauty Chef. Sample quote: “There’s a lot of pressure for people to tick all the boxes. You have to eat this way. You have to do yoga, Pilates, infrared saunas, the list goes on. Wellness means different things to different people, and it would be good if it was a little bit more individualised. For me, I love doing crosswords. People ask me: ‘How does that have anything to do with wellness?’ Because it takes me away from my work and any daily stresses. It’s my kind of meditation.”
How to end power struggles at the family dinner table, according to a parenting coach
Weight gain, weight loss and body confidence. It’s the trickiest of topics to navigate with adults, let alone children. But what if there was an expert with 10 top tips for raising competent eaters? Joanna Wane meets an Arrowtown parenting coach and takes a look at how our obsession with “healthy food” can cause more problems than it solves.
Bubbah: Tina From Turners and Taskmaster tattoos are just the beginning
Greg Bruce sets out to interview an icon of car sales, a chilled-out comedian and a walking Taskmaster television show billboard – and discovers a true crime podcast. Or does he?
Comedian and actor Sieni Leo’o Olo, known as Bubbah, and Tina from Turners. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
My Style: Toni Street’s journey through fashion, from Canterbury jerseys to frothy frocks
She grew up wearing home-sewn tracksuits. Today, her favourite piece of clothing is the bright pink dress she wore to MC the New Zealander of the Year awards. Viva’s Dan Ahwa takes a look in Toni Street’s wardrobe and asks what she’s learned about herself through fashion. (Hint: Not everyone can wear mustard).
Architects on the New Zealand houses that changed their lives
Is there a house that changed you? That got under your skin and into your heart? Viva’s Johanna Thornton asked eight local architects and received responses that went well beyond the front door of some of the country’s most thoughtful and beautifully designed homes. “How a house can capture the sun, circulate the air, frame the view and encourage people to gather; these seemingly simple propositions require skill to execute, and the houses in this story, and the architects who chose them, do all those things and so much more,” writes Thornton.
After James Wallace’s sex convictions: What next for Pah Homestead and $50m art collection?
Anita Tótha is the recently appointed director of The Arts House Trust, the new owners of a 10,000-piece art collection started by convicted sex offender James Wallace. In her first interview, she talked to Kim Knight about moving forward from a tainted past.
Will the real Karen Walker please stand up? What’s next for the leading fashion doyenne
The Karen Walker empire started with a floral shirt and an illustration of the world-famous fashion designer as a kind of alternate Colonel Sanders. Jessica Beresford takes afternoon tea with Walker and delivers a considered and highly visual look at the evolution of her business — from attention-grabbing campaigns and New York Fashion Week shows to today.
Skincare founder Katey Mandy takes on the NZ Government
“Skin cancer doesn’t discriminate, and neither should access to protection,” skincare founder Katey Mandy told Viva beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti in this interview that heralded the launch of a nationwide petition to bring New Zealand into line with Australian practice – and potentially save lives in the process.
3000 oysters and 4800 eggs: Behind the scenes at an epic Auckland hotel buffet
In which Kim Knight spend 24-hours at a luxury hotel buffet and discovers the secret to feeding 700 diners a day (may or may not contain gluten; definitely contains eggs).
NZ surgeon Ineke Meredith’s memoir On Call reveals her bold and bizarre operations
“Elbow-deep in her abdomen.” “She performs her first amputation, with a consultant explaining the procedure to her over the phone.” “A man in his 30s is admitted after swallowing 35 fish hooks.” It’s hard to pick the best sentence from Joanna Wane’s profile on Samoan-born and Paris-based surgeon Ineke Meredith but perhaps save this one for after breakfast.
Fashion designer Kate Sylvester announces the closure of her business after 31 years
When Kate Sylvester announced she was shutting shop after more than three decades, it was Viva’s Dan Ahwa she shared the news with first. The pair talk about the hard work, famous frocks – and why it’s someone else’s time to shine.
Actor Sophie Hambleton returns as Dame Jacinda Ardern in new Covid play
“Ardern is cancer.” The ferocity of the Dame Jacinda Ardern backlash is explored in this interview with actor Sophie Hambleton, who channelled the Prime Minister in a verbatim stage script two years into the Covid-19 pandemic – and again, in this year’s follow-up. “This time, it’s going to get ugly,” writes Joanna Wane.
Tom Hardy on his love letter to London, his dog Blue and the cologne he’s always asked about
An interview with an actor about a movie about a perfume inspired by his father and a love of London. Viva beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti covers plenty of territory in this Q&A with Tom Hardy (Inception, Peaky Blinders, etcetera), a companion piece to an earlier interview with fragrance queen Jo Malone. Could you list your own personal palette of memories evoked by smell? Hardy’s includes a dusty pillow, a dry barn in the sunshine – and the forearms of his mother and father.
Matt Heath on self-help, self-awareness and self-abuse
Recently, Matt Heath asked Prime Minister Christopher Luxon if he sleeps in the nude. He also asked him if he had pre-ordered a copy of his book – a 13-step self-help guide to loving the life you’ve got. Greg Bruce was there, recording a day in the life of the man who went on to advise the PM that “if you feel like you’re stressed, go and make some people some coffee … ”
US writer Ann Patchett’s long-awaited Auckland Writers Festival debut
This year’s Auckland Writers Festival was one for the record books. An 85,000-plus attendance, across 167 events, showcasing 240 participants – including author, Ann Patchett. Joanna Wane zoomed her for a conversation on luminosity and love, noting: “At the core of Ann Patchett’s novel Tom Lake is the difference between the wild, heady love you experience in your 20s and the deeply satisfying love you can have, if you’re lucky, in your 50s.”
Can New Zealanders walk in six-inch stilettos? Christian Louboutin, the most famous shoe designer in the world, thinks so
In a never-ending parade of activations, openings and parties, how does a designer stay true to themselves? Christian Louboutin shares the surprising insight he learned from his woodworking father with Viva’s Dan Ahwa. (Plus shoes. Really great shoes).
Dai Henwood’s cancer battle: New book The Life of Dai on living (and loving) with a stage-four diagnosis
“I was so scared of cancer,” Dai Henwood tells the crowd. “Then I had to do this crash course … cancer has been an amazing teacher. I feel I am a better man, better husband, father, comedian and member of society because I’ve had to deal with cancer.” The comedian, television personality and ice bath owner talks candidly to Kim Knight about the worst possible news.
NZ musician Hollie Smith on infertility, her new tour and art exhibition
Last year, Hollie Smith made an estimated $180 in global music streaming sales. And if that’s not shocking enough, wait until you see her newest project. Kim Knight sat down with the musician who bared all (literally) ahead of a new music tour and an unexpected art exhibition.
Singer and painter Hollie Smith with her artwork, which she exhibited in June at a Grey Lynn gallery. Photo / Jason Oxenham
NZ actor Jodie Rimmer talks ageing and new solo play Nicola Cheeseman is Back
Is it time women started acting their age? Joanna Wane put the question to actor Jodie Rimmer (aged 50) as she prepared for a new solo stage show that skewers the idea that women tumbling towards menopause are obsolete.
Juliette Hogan has dressed politicians, Grammy winners and everyday New Zealand women. What next?
For two decades, Juliette Hogan has been one of our more consistent fashion designers, shaping the way New Zealand women dress. But how much do we know about her? The designer, mother and industry leader talked to Dan Ahwa about navigating the business of fashion, dressing everyone from Taylor Swift to Jacinda Ardern, and the type of future she envisages for our local fashion industry.
“Juliette has what many fashion designers don’t — business savvy,” Dan wrote. “She’s built a brand that plays to her strengths of adapting quickly to the market, while delivering clothes New Zealand women rely upon for every facet of their lives.”
Thinking of getting a vasectomy in NZ? Kiwi men share what it’s really like
When the head of the Alternative Commentary Collective, Mike Lane, decided to have a vasectomy, he knew it could make for a landmark moment in both broadcasting and vasectomies. After discussing it with fellow ACC commentator Jeremy Wells, he scheduled it to take place during that summer’s one-day international between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park.
The broadcast, which made global news, was billed as the first live sporting commentary to be delivered during a vasectomy, but for Lane it was far more important than that.
Sonia Gray and her daughter, Inez, with the family’s corgi, Baxter. Photo / Michael Craig
‘I love it now’: Sonia Gray on why ADHD is the best part of her
Sonia Gray has battled anxiety and depression, and was diagnosed with ADHD after a psychologist working with her daughter Inez suggested she and her husband, Simon, get tested. Her mother told her it explained Gray’s entire childhood.
“My big thing was that I couldn’t trust my brain, so I had to be hypervigilant and would get into absolute panics if things weren’t exactly right,” says Gray, Lotto presenter and host of the podcast No Such Thing as Normal. She knew from an early age that there was something different about her.
Medication has helped calm the chaos in her mind – “not completely, but just enough so it’s not 15 voices all speaking at the time and at the same volume”.
All seasons of Beverly Hills 90210 are available to watch on Prime Video. But should you devote your long weekend to a rewatch?
Beverly Hills 90210: Is the TV show that defined the 90s worth a rewatch?
The clothes! The cars! The side burns! The most famous zipcode in modern television is back, with all episodes available to stream on Prime Video, and we have thoughts. Beverly Hills 90210 screened from 1990 to 2000 and made household names out of actors Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Luke Perry (RIP). Writer Sarah Pollok wasn’t even born when the show started. Kim Knight was in her first journalism job. Dan Ahwa just wanted to live in Casa Walsh. In this story, the Gen X, Y and Z trio went back to where it all began to ask: Does 90210 stand the test of time?
Is it really possible to reverse your biological age?
Can science unlock the secret to eternal youth? Joanna Wane took on a 12-month challenge to dial back her biological age and in this story, she revealed the final results.
“The answer is… it’s complicated,” Wane wrote. “That’ll teach me to be smug after the results of my initial DNAage test looked pretty damned good. So did a follow-up six months later.
“The final 12-month report, on my ‘significant birthday’, produced far more mixed results… maybe turning 60 really does take it out of you.”
In this entirely subjective story, Bruce ranks 15 of Tāmaki Makaurau’s malls, from best to worst. Useful reading if you’re heading out for Labour Weekend sale shopping this weekend.
Webb’s to refund art photography auction purchases after ‘misunderstanding’
It’s one of the most sought-after pool views in the country – but are all Slim Aarons prints created equal? And why is Webb’s auction house offering refunds for reproductions of the society photographer’s work? Kim Knight reported on this curious art story – and her investigation brought about real change.
Just broken up? Here’s how to handle the rough first days
No matter your age, life stage or general level of robustness – the early days of a breakup can knock you off your axis. Outside perspective can be invaluable. Enter Wellington-based journalist and mother of three Sarah Catherall who has literally written the book on breakups. Her manual How To Break Up Well: Surviving and Thriving After Separation details lessons learnt the hard way following the dissolution of her own marriage in 2009. She talked to Tyson Beckett and shared big-sister-style tips on how to practically and philosophically navigate your own breakup, from day one.
Richard Osman’s new book We Solve Murders is out now. Photo / Connor O’Leary
Jonah Lomu’s Thursday Murder Club cameo – author Richard Osman explains
There is a theory that New Zealanders subconsciously seek out the letter “Z”. When it appears on the printed page our eyes, apparently, leap to the familiar. Are we there yet? Can the world see us now? In the fourth book of the wildly popular Thursday Murder Club series, we are definitely there.
Page 342: “There was a rugby union player, Jonah Lomu, a New Zealand Tongan, who rewrote the rules of the game, because of his size and speed. No one had seen anything like him before. This hulk, this oversized tank, who moved with such grace and pace.”
How did a Jonah Lomu cameo end up in a book about four senior citizens who solve murders? Kim Knight asked television funnyman turned Thursday Murder Club novelist Richard Osman to explain.
The rise of male sex toys: How technology is removing the stigma and increasing the pleasure
This story begins with a warning: “contains sexual content and is suitable for adults only”. Where it goes from there, is surprising, sometimes shocking and very funny.
Greg Bruce takes a deep dive into the world of male sex toys to find out what’s available and how technology – especially AI – is helping men to work out what they want. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Emerging designers on their favourite moments of Te Wiki Āhua O Aotearoa
Youth-focused community fashion week called Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa took over the moody studio of Raynham Park on Auckland’s Karangahape Rd in September. The event brought together young creatives from across the country.
Each evening of the five-day schedule saw the space booming with DJ sets and a crowd spilling on to the streets, for a fashion-focused celebration in a year where New Zealand Fashion Week had announced a postponement. The attendees ranged from local industry to established academics and fashionably focused peers.
After taking a weekend of rest, creatives from behind the scenes of Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa shared with Madeleine Crutchley their favourite moments and reflected on what the week-long celebration meant for them.
In his darkest hour, Shihad’s Jon Toogood doubted he’d get through. Here’s what saved him
As he prepared for the launch of his first solo album, Jon Toogood took Greg Bruce through the bad times. And there were many.
The death of his mother, while he was stuck in Melbourne during Covid lockdowns. Being stuck in New Zealand the following year, away from his wife and children, again, due to Covid lockdowns. His brother-in-law being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Debilitating symptoms caused by, you guessed it, Covid.
How did he get through? And how did making his album act as medication?
Richard O’Brien talked to Joanna Wane ahead of touring his new musical The Kingdom of Bling.
An audience with the queen: Rocky Horror’s Richard O’Brien on the monster behind his new show
It’s been 50 years since The Rocky Horror Show became a global phenomenon. Now, creator Richard O’Brien is heading back out on the road and he says the world has a lot more to worry about than some sex-crazed, cross-dressing aliens.
O’Brien told Joanna Wane about the inspiration behind his new show – Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch and the state of the world, which distresses him intensely. “If all you’re going for is greed and a celebration of wealth and isn’t it great that I’ve got so far and f*** you, it’s not good enough,” he says. “You’d think character would count for something. But that’s where we are at the present. It’s a very scary time.”
Can I fix my menopausal face without needles? A $2250 skincare experiment
In this revealing, funny and in-depth story, Kim Knight writes about how, aged 54, she realised that her low maintenance skincare routine was suddenly no longer enough.
“Marilyn Monroe is said to have glowed in photographs because of the way the camera flash caught her facial fuzz,” Knight wrote. “As a woman on her way to developing a full menopausal beard, even candlelight is dangerous. Like, literally, a fire risk.
Waterview’s Te Whitinga bridge follows a curved line linking Mt Roskill/Puketāpapa with Mt Albert/Ōwairaka. Photo / Supplied
18 great Auckland walks because the city isn’t just bars, restaurants and shopping
Auckland is a treasure trove of walks. With its 53 volcanic cones, beaches, parks and sprawling suburbia there are endless pockets of the city to explore. While classic walks like Tamaki Drive to Mission Bay will always be a joy on a sunny day, this roundup highlights some of the lesser-appreciated corners of Auckland, some of which have been slowly regenerated to create more urbane environments, with shared paths for walkers and cyclists, native planting and signposting.
Some walks take you through swathes of towering trees and urban waterfalls, mere metres from dense housing, others weave under motorways and on to overpasses and emerge into a city park. It’s this sense of contrast that makes an exciting walk, whether you’re in it for fitness or pleasure.
From Charles Leclerc to Liam Lawson, why Formula One drivers are the new fashion influencers
While the concept of sport and fashion has been well documented, the glamour factor is hard to ignore in the world of Formula One, writes Dan Ahwa, in this deep dive into the new breed of F1 stars who are accelerating their earning potential outside of racing.
“The circuits alone take place in some of the most moneyed towns on the planet – including the glitz of Miami and Las Vegas to the sport’s blue ribbon showcase of the Circuit de Monaco,” Dan wrote. “Despite the impracticality of the course, the tiny principality on the French Riviera offers the perfect backdrop for luxury: superyachts, good-looking people watching and some of the world’s best F1 cars in all their glory.”
Tim Minchin changed my life: An unfunny interview with a comedic genius
Who is the real comedic genius? Greg Bruce makes friends with a very famous performer and turns the celebrity interview on its head. Tim Minchin as you’ve definitely never read him before.
Wellington’s fashion darlings Kowtow on finding their dream team, going plastic-free and their blueprint for the future
“Their goal is eye-wateringly ambitious: to infiltrate a million people’s wardrobes with just one item, replacing something plastic with Kowtow’s Fairtrade organic cotton.” If you’ve ever been guilty of thinking fashion is frivolous, you haven’t read Julia Gesler’s deep dive into the Wellington label that’s changing the world, one zip-free, nut-buttoned garment at a time.
Black Ferns Chelsea and Alana Bremner on New Zealand rugby’s biggest moment
Eden Park and the opening game of the women’s Rugby World Cup: “For those at the ground, or even those watching on television, it was clear that something big was happening,” writes Greg Bruce in this interview with Black Ferns siblings Chelsea and Alana Bremner. “The feeling around the ground was love, pure and simple … To feel that love from the grandstand was deeply moving. To have felt it as part of the team must have been something else again. To have been able to share that feeling with your sister? Only two people in the country have any idea what that was like.”
What is bouldering? Inside NZ’s cool, cultish climbing sport with actor Celine Dam
As Celine Dam casually hoists herself upwards, writer Madeleine Crutchley imagines gravity defeatedly shrugging its shoulders. In March, Viva launched a new series “How I Move” exploring sports in a league of their own and hobbies that do more than keep us moving – beginning with bouldering.
Celine Dam, Auckland-based actor and boulderer, who was interviewed for Viva’s How I Move series.
William Fitzgerald’s circular design is ‘shoddy’. The Mindful Fashion award-winner on why that’s a good thing
“In Ōnehunga, there is a factory where fashion goes to die.” So begins Madeleine Crutchley’s profile on design student (and former Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer) William Keane Jung-Ying Fitzgerald, winner of the Viva editorial prize at last year’s Mindful Fashion Circular Design Awards. His textile of choice? Removal company blankets, made from cotton and wool – also known as wool shod or “shoddy”.
The Beauty Chef’s Carla Oates wants you to unlearn everything you know about wellness
Not every chef is serving burrata and raw fish. Viva’s beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti meets Carla Oates, the refreshingly frank founder of The Beauty Chef. Sample quote: “There’s a lot of pressure for people to tick all the boxes. You have to eat this way. You have to do yoga, Pilates, infrared saunas, the list goes on. Wellness means different things to different people, and it would be good if it was a little bit more individualised. For me, I love doing crosswords. People ask me: ‘How does that have anything to do with wellness?’ Because it takes me away from my work and any daily stresses. It’s my kind of meditation.”
How to end power struggles at the family dinner table, according to a parenting coach
Weight gain, weight loss and body confidence. It’s the trickiest of topics to navigate with adults, let alone children. But what if there was an expert with 10 top tips for raising competent eaters? Joanna Wane meets an Arrowtown parenting coach and takes a look at how our obsession with “healthy food” can cause more problems than it solves.
Bubbah: Tina From Turners and Taskmaster tattoos are just the beginning
Greg Bruce sets out to interview an icon of car sales, a chilled-out comedian and a walking Taskmaster television show billboard – and discovers a true crime podcast. Or does he?
Comedian and actor Sieni Leo’o Olo, known as Bubbah, and Tina from Turners. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
My Style: Toni Street’s journey through fashion, from Canterbury jerseys to frothy frocks
She grew up wearing home-sewn tracksuits. Today, her favourite piece of clothing is the bright pink dress she wore to MC the New Zealander of the Year awards. Viva’s Dan Ahwa takes a look in Toni Street’s wardrobe and asks what she’s learned about herself through fashion. (Hint: Not everyone can wear mustard).
Architects on the New Zealand houses that changed their lives
Is there a house that changed you? That got under your skin and into your heart? Viva’s Johanna Thornton asked eight local architects and received responses that went well beyond the front door of some of the country’s most thoughtful and beautifully designed homes. “How a house can capture the sun, circulate the air, frame the view and encourage people to gather; these seemingly simple propositions require skill to execute, and the houses in this story, and the architects who chose them, do all those things and so much more,” writes Thornton.
After James Wallace’s sex convictions: What next for Pah Homestead and $50m art collection?
Anita Tótha is the recently appointed director of The Arts House Trust, the new owners of a 10,000-piece art collection started by convicted sex offender James Wallace. In her first interview, she talked to Kim Knight about moving forward from a tainted past.
Will the real Karen Walker please stand up? What’s next for the leading fashion doyenne
The Karen Walker empire started with a floral shirt and an illustration of the world-famous fashion designer as a kind of alternate Colonel Sanders. Jessica Beresford takes afternoon tea with Walker and delivers a considered and highly visual look at the evolution of her business — from attention-grabbing campaigns and New York Fashion Week shows to today.
Skincare founder Katey Mandy takes on the NZ Government
“Skin cancer doesn’t discriminate, and neither should access to protection,” skincare founder Katey Mandy told Viva beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti in this interview that heralded the launch of a nationwide petition to bring New Zealand into line with Australian practice – and potentially save lives in the process.
3000 oysters and 4800 eggs: Behind the scenes at an epic Auckland hotel buffet
In which Kim Knight spend 24-hours at a luxury hotel buffet and discovers the secret to feeding 700 diners a day (may or may not contain gluten; definitely contains eggs).
NZ surgeon Ineke Meredith’s memoir On Call reveals her bold and bizarre operations
“Elbow-deep in her abdomen.” “She performs her first amputation, with a consultant explaining the procedure to her over the phone.” “A man in his 30s is admitted after swallowing 35 fish hooks.” It’s hard to pick the best sentence from Joanna Wane’s profile on Samoan-born and Paris-based surgeon Ineke Meredith but perhaps save this one for after breakfast.
Fashion designer Kate Sylvester announces the closure of her business after 31 years
When Kate Sylvester announced she was shutting shop after more than three decades, it was Viva’s Dan Ahwa she shared the news with first. The pair talk about the hard work, famous frocks – and why it’s someone else’s time to shine.
Actor Sophie Hambleton returns as Dame Jacinda Ardern in new Covid play
“Ardern is cancer.” The ferocity of the Dame Jacinda Ardern backlash is explored in this interview with actor Sophie Hambleton, who channelled the Prime Minister in a verbatim stage script two years into the Covid-19 pandemic – and again, in this year’s follow-up. “This time, it’s going to get ugly,” writes Joanna Wane.
Tom Hardy on his love letter to London, his dog Blue and the cologne he’s always asked about
An interview with an actor about a movie about a perfume inspired by his father and a love of London. Viva beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti covers plenty of territory in this Q&A with Tom Hardy (Inception, Peaky Blinders, etcetera), a companion piece to an earlier interview with fragrance queen Jo Malone. Could you list your own personal palette of memories evoked by smell? Hardy’s includes a dusty pillow, a dry barn in the sunshine – and the forearms of his mother and father.
Matt Heath on self-help, self-awareness and self-abuse
Recently, Matt Heath asked Prime Minister Christopher Luxon if he sleeps in the nude. He also asked him if he had pre-ordered a copy of his book – a 13-step self-help guide to loving the life you’ve got. Greg Bruce was there, recording a day in the life of the man who went on to advise the PM that “if you feel like you’re stressed, go and make some people some coffee … ”
US writer Ann Patchett’s long-awaited Auckland Writers Festival debut
This year’s Auckland Writers Festival was one for the record books. An 85,000-plus attendance, across 167 events, showcasing 240 participants – including author, Ann Patchett. Joanna Wane zoomed her for a conversation on luminosity and love, noting: “At the core of Ann Patchett’s novel Tom Lake is the difference between the wild, heady love you experience in your 20s and the deeply satisfying love you can have, if you’re lucky, in your 50s.”
Can New Zealanders walk in six-inch stilettos? Christian Louboutin, the most famous shoe designer in the world, thinks so
In a never-ending parade of activations, openings and parties, how does a designer stay true to themselves? Christian Louboutin shares the surprising insight he learned from his woodworking father with Viva’s Dan Ahwa. (Plus shoes. Really great shoes).
Dai Henwood’s cancer battle: New book The Life of Dai on living (and loving) with a stage-four diagnosis
“I was so scared of cancer,” Dai Henwood tells the crowd. “Then I had to do this crash course … cancer has been an amazing teacher. I feel I am a better man, better husband, father, comedian and member of society because I’ve had to deal with cancer.” The comedian, television personality and ice bath owner talks candidly to Kim Knight about the worst possible news.
NZ musician Hollie Smith on infertility, her new tour and art exhibition
Last year, Hollie Smith made an estimated $180 in global music streaming sales. And if that’s not shocking enough, wait until you see her newest project. Kim Knight sat down with the musician who bared all (literally) ahead of a new music tour and an unexpected art exhibition.
Singer and painter Hollie Smith with her artwork, which she exhibited in June at a Grey Lynn gallery. Photo / Jason Oxenham
NZ actor Jodie Rimmer talks ageing and new solo play Nicola Cheeseman is Back
Is it time women started acting their age? Joanna Wane put the question to actor Jodie Rimmer (aged 50) as she prepared for a new solo stage show that skewers the idea that women tumbling towards menopause are obsolete.
Juliette Hogan has dressed politicians, Grammy winners and everyday New Zealand women. What next?
For two decades, Juliette Hogan has been one of our more consistent fashion designers, shaping the way New Zealand women dress. But how much do we know about her? The designer, mother and industry leader talked to Dan Ahwa about navigating the business of fashion, dressing everyone from Taylor Swift to Jacinda Ardern, and the type of future she envisages for our local fashion industry.
“Juliette has what many fashion designers don’t — business savvy,” Dan wrote. “She’s built a brand that plays to her strengths of adapting quickly to the market, while delivering clothes New Zealand women rely upon for every facet of their lives.”
Thinking of getting a vasectomy in NZ? Kiwi men share what it’s really like
When the head of the Alternative Commentary Collective, Mike Lane, decided to have a vasectomy, he knew it could make for a landmark moment in both broadcasting and vasectomies. After discussing it with fellow ACC commentator Jeremy Wells, he scheduled it to take place during that summer’s one-day international between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park.
The broadcast, which made global news, was billed as the first live sporting commentary to be delivered during a vasectomy, but for Lane it was far more important than that.
Sonia Gray and her daughter, Inez, with the family’s corgi, Baxter. Photo / Michael Craig
‘I love it now’: Sonia Gray on why ADHD is the best part of her
Sonia Gray has battled anxiety and depression, and was diagnosed with ADHD after a psychologist working with her daughter Inez suggested she and her husband, Simon, get tested. Her mother told her it explained Gray’s entire childhood.
“My big thing was that I couldn’t trust my brain, so I had to be hypervigilant and would get into absolute panics if things weren’t exactly right,” says Gray, Lotto presenter and host of the podcast No Such Thing as Normal. She knew from an early age that there was something different about her.
Medication has helped calm the chaos in her mind – “not completely, but just enough so it’s not 15 voices all speaking at the time and at the same volume”.
All seasons of Beverly Hills 90210 are available to watch on Prime Video. But should you devote your long weekend to a rewatch?
Beverly Hills 90210: Is the TV show that defined the 90s worth a rewatch?
The clothes! The cars! The side burns! The most famous zipcode in modern television is back, with all episodes available to stream on Prime Video, and we have thoughts. Beverly Hills 90210 screened from 1990 to 2000 and made household names out of actors Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Luke Perry (RIP). Writer Sarah Pollok wasn’t even born when the show started. Kim Knight was in her first journalism job. Dan Ahwa just wanted to live in Casa Walsh. In this story, the Gen X, Y and Z trio went back to where it all began to ask: Does 90210 stand the test of time?
Is it really possible to reverse your biological age?
Can science unlock the secret to eternal youth? Joanna Wane took on a 12-month challenge to dial back her biological age and in this story, she revealed the final results.
“The answer is… it’s complicated,” Wane wrote. “That’ll teach me to be smug after the results of my initial DNAage test looked pretty damned good. So did a follow-up six months later.
“The final 12-month report, on my ‘significant birthday’, produced far more mixed results… maybe turning 60 really does take it out of you.”
In this entirely subjective story, Bruce ranks 15 of Tāmaki Makaurau’s malls, from best to worst. Useful reading if you’re heading out for Labour Weekend sale shopping this weekend.
Webb’s to refund art photography auction purchases after ‘misunderstanding’
It’s one of the most sought-after pool views in the country – but are all Slim Aarons prints created equal? And why is Webb’s auction house offering refunds for reproductions of the society photographer’s work? Kim Knight reported on this curious art story – and her investigation brought about real change.
Just broken up? Here’s how to handle the rough first days
No matter your age, life stage or general level of robustness – the early days of a breakup can knock you off your axis. Outside perspective can be invaluable. Enter Wellington-based journalist and mother of three Sarah Catherall who has literally written the book on breakups. Her manual How To Break Up Well: Surviving and Thriving After Separation details lessons learnt the hard way following the dissolution of her own marriage in 2009. She talked to Tyson Beckett and shared big-sister-style tips on how to practically and philosophically navigate your own breakup, from day one.
Richard Osman’s new book We Solve Murders is out now. Photo / Connor O’Leary
Jonah Lomu’s Thursday Murder Club cameo – author Richard Osman explains
There is a theory that New Zealanders subconsciously seek out the letter “Z”. When it appears on the printed page our eyes, apparently, leap to the familiar. Are we there yet? Can the world see us now? In the fourth book of the wildly popular Thursday Murder Club series, we are definitely there.
Page 342: “There was a rugby union player, Jonah Lomu, a New Zealand Tongan, who rewrote the rules of the game, because of his size and speed. No one had seen anything like him before. This hulk, this oversized tank, who moved with such grace and pace.”
How did a Jonah Lomu cameo end up in a book about four senior citizens who solve murders? Kim Knight asked television funnyman turned Thursday Murder Club novelist Richard Osman to explain.
The rise of male sex toys: How technology is removing the stigma and increasing the pleasure
This story begins with a warning: “contains sexual content and is suitable for adults only”. Where it goes from there, is surprising, sometimes shocking and very funny.
Greg Bruce takes a deep dive into the world of male sex toys to find out what’s available and how technology – especially AI – is helping men to work out what they want. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Emerging designers on their favourite moments of Te Wiki Āhua O Aotearoa
Youth-focused community fashion week called Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa took over the moody studio of Raynham Park on Auckland’s Karangahape Rd in September. The event brought together young creatives from across the country.
Each evening of the five-day schedule saw the space booming with DJ sets and a crowd spilling on to the streets, for a fashion-focused celebration in a year where New Zealand Fashion Week had announced a postponement. The attendees ranged from local industry to established academics and fashionably focused peers.
After taking a weekend of rest, creatives from behind the scenes of Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa shared with Madeleine Crutchley their favourite moments and reflected on what the week-long celebration meant for them.
In his darkest hour, Shihad’s Jon Toogood doubted he’d get through. Here’s what saved him
As he prepared for the launch of his first solo album, Jon Toogood took Greg Bruce through the bad times. And there were many.
The death of his mother, while he was stuck in Melbourne during Covid lockdowns. Being stuck in New Zealand the following year, away from his wife and children, again, due to Covid lockdowns. His brother-in-law being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Debilitating symptoms caused by, you guessed it, Covid.
How did he get through? And how did making his album act as medication?
Richard O’Brien talked to Joanna Wane ahead of touring his new musical The Kingdom of Bling.
An audience with the queen: Rocky Horror’s Richard O’Brien on the monster behind his new show
It’s been 50 years since The Rocky Horror Show became a global phenomenon. Now, creator Richard O’Brien is heading back out on the road and he says the world has a lot more to worry about than some sex-crazed, cross-dressing aliens.
O’Brien told Joanna Wane about the inspiration behind his new show – Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch and the state of the world, which distresses him intensely. “If all you’re going for is greed and a celebration of wealth and isn’t it great that I’ve got so far and f*** you, it’s not good enough,” he says. “You’d think character would count for something. But that’s where we are at the present. It’s a very scary time.”
Can I fix my menopausal face without needles? A $2250 skincare experiment
In this revealing, funny and in-depth story, Kim Knight writes about how, aged 54, she realised that her low maintenance skincare routine was suddenly no longer enough.
“Marilyn Monroe is said to have glowed in photographs because of the way the camera flash caught her facial fuzz,” Knight wrote. “As a woman on her way to developing a full menopausal beard, even candlelight is dangerous. Like, literally, a fire risk.
Waterview’s Te Whitinga bridge follows a curved line linking Mt Roskill/Puketāpapa with Mt Albert/Ōwairaka. Photo / Supplied
18 great Auckland walks because the city isn’t just bars, restaurants and shopping
Auckland is a treasure trove of walks. With its 53 volcanic cones, beaches, parks and sprawling suburbia there are endless pockets of the city to explore. While classic walks like Tamaki Drive to Mission Bay will always be a joy on a sunny day, this roundup highlights some of the lesser-appreciated corners of Auckland, some of which have been slowly regenerated to create more urbane environments, with shared paths for walkers and cyclists, native planting and signposting.
Some walks take you through swathes of towering trees and urban waterfalls, mere metres from dense housing, others weave under motorways and on to overpasses and emerge into a city park. It’s this sense of contrast that makes an exciting walk, whether you’re in it for fitness or pleasure.
From Charles Leclerc to Liam Lawson, why Formula One drivers are the new fashion influencers
While the concept of sport and fashion has been well documented, the glamour factor is hard to ignore in the world of Formula One, writes Dan Ahwa, in this deep dive into the new breed of F1 stars who are accelerating their earning potential outside of racing.
“The circuits alone take place in some of the most moneyed towns on the planet – including the glitz of Miami and Las Vegas to the sport’s blue ribbon showcase of the Circuit de Monaco,” Dan wrote. “Despite the impracticality of the course, the tiny principality on the French Riviera offers the perfect backdrop for luxury: superyachts, good-looking people watching and some of the world’s best F1 cars in all their glory.”
Tim Minchin changed my life: An unfunny interview with a comedic genius
Who is the real comedic genius? Greg Bruce makes friends with a very famous performer and turns the celebrity interview on its head. Tim Minchin as you’ve definitely never read him before.
Wellington’s fashion darlings Kowtow on finding their dream team, going plastic-free and their blueprint for the future
“Their goal is eye-wateringly ambitious: to infiltrate a million people’s wardrobes with just one item, replacing something plastic with Kowtow’s Fairtrade organic cotton.” If you’ve ever been guilty of thinking fashion is frivolous, you haven’t read Julia Gesler’s deep dive into the Wellington label that’s changing the world, one zip-free, nut-buttoned garment at a time.
Black Ferns Chelsea and Alana Bremner on New Zealand rugby’s biggest moment
Eden Park and the opening game of the women’s Rugby World Cup: “For those at the ground, or even those watching on television, it was clear that something big was happening,” writes Greg Bruce in this interview with Black Ferns siblings Chelsea and Alana Bremner. “The feeling around the ground was love, pure and simple … To feel that love from the grandstand was deeply moving. To have felt it as part of the team must have been something else again. To have been able to share that feeling with your sister? Only two people in the country have any idea what that was like.”
What is bouldering? Inside NZ’s cool, cultish climbing sport with actor Celine Dam
As Celine Dam casually hoists herself upwards, writer Madeleine Crutchley imagines gravity defeatedly shrugging its shoulders. In March, Viva launched a new series “How I Move” exploring sports in a league of their own and hobbies that do more than keep us moving – beginning with bouldering.
Celine Dam, Auckland-based actor and boulderer, who was interviewed for Viva’s How I Move series.
William Fitzgerald’s circular design is ‘shoddy’. The Mindful Fashion award-winner on why that’s a good thing
“In Ōnehunga, there is a factory where fashion goes to die.” So begins Madeleine Crutchley’s profile on design student (and former Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer) William Keane Jung-Ying Fitzgerald, winner of the Viva editorial prize at last year’s Mindful Fashion Circular Design Awards. His textile of choice? Removal company blankets, made from cotton and wool – also known as wool shod or “shoddy”.
The Beauty Chef’s Carla Oates wants you to unlearn everything you know about wellness
Not every chef is serving burrata and raw fish. Viva’s beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti meets Carla Oates, the refreshingly frank founder of The Beauty Chef. Sample quote: “There’s a lot of pressure for people to tick all the boxes. You have to eat this way. You have to do yoga, Pilates, infrared saunas, the list goes on. Wellness means different things to different people, and it would be good if it was a little bit more individualised. For me, I love doing crosswords. People ask me: ‘How does that have anything to do with wellness?’ Because it takes me away from my work and any daily stresses. It’s my kind of meditation.”
How to end power struggles at the family dinner table, according to a parenting coach
Weight gain, weight loss and body confidence. It’s the trickiest of topics to navigate with adults, let alone children. But what if there was an expert with 10 top tips for raising competent eaters? Joanna Wane meets an Arrowtown parenting coach and takes a look at how our obsession with “healthy food” can cause more problems than it solves.
Bubbah: Tina From Turners and Taskmaster tattoos are just the beginning
Greg Bruce sets out to interview an icon of car sales, a chilled-out comedian and a walking Taskmaster television show billboard – and discovers a true crime podcast. Or does he?
Comedian and actor Sieni Leo’o Olo, known as Bubbah, and Tina from Turners. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
My Style: Toni Street’s journey through fashion, from Canterbury jerseys to frothy frocks
She grew up wearing home-sewn tracksuits. Today, her favourite piece of clothing is the bright pink dress she wore to MC the New Zealander of the Year awards. Viva’s Dan Ahwa takes a look in Toni Street’s wardrobe and asks what she’s learned about herself through fashion. (Hint: Not everyone can wear mustard).
Architects on the New Zealand houses that changed their lives
Is there a house that changed you? That got under your skin and into your heart? Viva’s Johanna Thornton asked eight local architects and received responses that went well beyond the front door of some of the country’s most thoughtful and beautifully designed homes. “How a house can capture the sun, circulate the air, frame the view and encourage people to gather; these seemingly simple propositions require skill to execute, and the houses in this story, and the architects who chose them, do all those things and so much more,” writes Thornton.
After James Wallace’s sex convictions: What next for Pah Homestead and $50m art collection?
Anita Tótha is the recently appointed director of The Arts House Trust, the new owners of a 10,000-piece art collection started by convicted sex offender James Wallace. In her first interview, she talked to Kim Knight about moving forward from a tainted past.
Will the real Karen Walker please stand up? What’s next for the leading fashion doyenne
The Karen Walker empire started with a floral shirt and an illustration of the world-famous fashion designer as a kind of alternate Colonel Sanders. Jessica Beresford takes afternoon tea with Walker and delivers a considered and highly visual look at the evolution of her business — from attention-grabbing campaigns and New York Fashion Week shows to today.
Skincare founder Katey Mandy takes on the NZ Government
“Skin cancer doesn’t discriminate, and neither should access to protection,” skincare founder Katey Mandy told Viva beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti in this interview that heralded the launch of a nationwide petition to bring New Zealand into line with Australian practice – and potentially save lives in the process.
3000 oysters and 4800 eggs: Behind the scenes at an epic Auckland hotel buffet
In which Kim Knight spend 24-hours at a luxury hotel buffet and discovers the secret to feeding 700 diners a day (may or may not contain gluten; definitely contains eggs).
NZ surgeon Ineke Meredith’s memoir On Call reveals her bold and bizarre operations
“Elbow-deep in her abdomen.” “She performs her first amputation, with a consultant explaining the procedure to her over the phone.” “A man in his 30s is admitted after swallowing 35 fish hooks.” It’s hard to pick the best sentence from Joanna Wane’s profile on Samoan-born and Paris-based surgeon Ineke Meredith but perhaps save this one for after breakfast.
Fashion designer Kate Sylvester announces the closure of her business after 31 years
When Kate Sylvester announced she was shutting shop after more than three decades, it was Viva’s Dan Ahwa she shared the news with first. The pair talk about the hard work, famous frocks – and why it’s someone else’s time to shine.
Actor Sophie Hambleton returns as Dame Jacinda Ardern in new Covid play
“Ardern is cancer.” The ferocity of the Dame Jacinda Ardern backlash is explored in this interview with actor Sophie Hambleton, who channelled the Prime Minister in a verbatim stage script two years into the Covid-19 pandemic – and again, in this year’s follow-up. “This time, it’s going to get ugly,” writes Joanna Wane.
Tom Hardy on his love letter to London, his dog Blue and the cologne he’s always asked about
An interview with an actor about a movie about a perfume inspired by his father and a love of London. Viva beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti covers plenty of territory in this Q&A with Tom Hardy (Inception, Peaky Blinders, etcetera), a companion piece to an earlier interview with fragrance queen Jo Malone. Could you list your own personal palette of memories evoked by smell? Hardy’s includes a dusty pillow, a dry barn in the sunshine – and the forearms of his mother and father.
Matt Heath on self-help, self-awareness and self-abuse
Recently, Matt Heath asked Prime Minister Christopher Luxon if he sleeps in the nude. He also asked him if he had pre-ordered a copy of his book – a 13-step self-help guide to loving the life you’ve got. Greg Bruce was there, recording a day in the life of the man who went on to advise the PM that “if you feel like you’re stressed, go and make some people some coffee … ”
US writer Ann Patchett’s long-awaited Auckland Writers Festival debut
This year’s Auckland Writers Festival was one for the record books. An 85,000-plus attendance, across 167 events, showcasing 240 participants – including author, Ann Patchett. Joanna Wane zoomed her for a conversation on luminosity and love, noting: “At the core of Ann Patchett’s novel Tom Lake is the difference between the wild, heady love you experience in your 20s and the deeply satisfying love you can have, if you’re lucky, in your 50s.”
Can New Zealanders walk in six-inch stilettos? Christian Louboutin, the most famous shoe designer in the world, thinks so
In a never-ending parade of activations, openings and parties, how does a designer stay true to themselves? Christian Louboutin shares the surprising insight he learned from his woodworking father with Viva’s Dan Ahwa. (Plus shoes. Really great shoes).
Dai Henwood’s cancer battle: New book The Life of Dai on living (and loving) with a stage-four diagnosis
“I was so scared of cancer,” Dai Henwood tells the crowd. “Then I had to do this crash course … cancer has been an amazing teacher. I feel I am a better man, better husband, father, comedian and member of society because I’ve had to deal with cancer.” The comedian, television personality and ice bath owner talks candidly to Kim Knight about the worst possible news.
NZ musician Hollie Smith on infertility, her new tour and art exhibition
Last year, Hollie Smith made an estimated $180 in global music streaming sales. And if that’s not shocking enough, wait until you see her newest project. Kim Knight sat down with the musician who bared all (literally) ahead of a new music tour and an unexpected art exhibition.
Singer and painter Hollie Smith with her artwork, which she exhibited in June at a Grey Lynn gallery. Photo / Jason Oxenham
NZ actor Jodie Rimmer talks ageing and new solo play Nicola Cheeseman is Back
Is it time women started acting their age? Joanna Wane put the question to actor Jodie Rimmer (aged 50) as she prepared for a new solo stage show that skewers the idea that women tumbling towards menopause are obsolete.
Juliette Hogan has dressed politicians, Grammy winners and everyday New Zealand women. What next?
For two decades, Juliette Hogan has been one of our more consistent fashion designers, shaping the way New Zealand women dress. But how much do we know about her? The designer, mother and industry leader talked to Dan Ahwa about navigating the business of fashion, dressing everyone from Taylor Swift to Jacinda Ardern, and the type of future she envisages for our local fashion industry.
“Juliette has what many fashion designers don’t — business savvy,” Dan wrote. “She’s built a brand that plays to her strengths of adapting quickly to the market, while delivering clothes New Zealand women rely upon for every facet of their lives.”
Thinking of getting a vasectomy in NZ? Kiwi men share what it’s really like
When the head of the Alternative Commentary Collective, Mike Lane, decided to have a vasectomy, he knew it could make for a landmark moment in both broadcasting and vasectomies. After discussing it with fellow ACC commentator Jeremy Wells, he scheduled it to take place during that summer’s one-day international between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park.
The broadcast, which made global news, was billed as the first live sporting commentary to be delivered during a vasectomy, but for Lane it was far more important than that.
Sonia Gray and her daughter, Inez, with the family’s corgi, Baxter. Photo / Michael Craig
‘I love it now’: Sonia Gray on why ADHD is the best part of her
Sonia Gray has battled anxiety and depression, and was diagnosed with ADHD after a psychologist working with her daughter Inez suggested she and her husband, Simon, get tested. Her mother told her it explained Gray’s entire childhood.
“My big thing was that I couldn’t trust my brain, so I had to be hypervigilant and would get into absolute panics if things weren’t exactly right,” says Gray, Lotto presenter and host of the podcast No Such Thing as Normal. She knew from an early age that there was something different about her.
Medication has helped calm the chaos in her mind – “not completely, but just enough so it’s not 15 voices all speaking at the time and at the same volume”.
All seasons of Beverly Hills 90210 are available to watch on Prime Video. But should you devote your long weekend to a rewatch?
Beverly Hills 90210: Is the TV show that defined the 90s worth a rewatch?
The clothes! The cars! The side burns! The most famous zipcode in modern television is back, with all episodes available to stream on Prime Video, and we have thoughts. Beverly Hills 90210 screened from 1990 to 2000 and made household names out of actors Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Luke Perry (RIP). Writer Sarah Pollok wasn’t even born when the show started. Kim Knight was in her first journalism job. Dan Ahwa just wanted to live in Casa Walsh. In this story, the Gen X, Y and Z trio went back to where it all began to ask: Does 90210 stand the test of time?
Is it really possible to reverse your biological age?
Can science unlock the secret to eternal youth? Joanna Wane took on a 12-month challenge to dial back her biological age and in this story, she revealed the final results.
“The answer is… it’s complicated,” Wane wrote. “That’ll teach me to be smug after the results of my initial DNAage test looked pretty damned good. So did a follow-up six months later.
“The final 12-month report, on my ‘significant birthday’, produced far more mixed results… maybe turning 60 really does take it out of you.”
In this entirely subjective story, Bruce ranks 15 of Tāmaki Makaurau’s malls, from best to worst. Useful reading if you’re heading out for Labour Weekend sale shopping this weekend.
Webb’s to refund art photography auction purchases after ‘misunderstanding’
It’s one of the most sought-after pool views in the country – but are all Slim Aarons prints created equal? And why is Webb’s auction house offering refunds for reproductions of the society photographer’s work? Kim Knight reported on this curious art story – and her investigation brought about real change.
Just broken up? Here’s how to handle the rough first days
No matter your age, life stage or general level of robustness – the early days of a breakup can knock you off your axis. Outside perspective can be invaluable. Enter Wellington-based journalist and mother of three Sarah Catherall who has literally written the book on breakups. Her manual How To Break Up Well: Surviving and Thriving After Separation details lessons learnt the hard way following the dissolution of her own marriage in 2009. She talked to Tyson Beckett and shared big-sister-style tips on how to practically and philosophically navigate your own breakup, from day one.
Richard Osman’s new book We Solve Murders is out now. Photo / Connor O’Leary
Jonah Lomu’s Thursday Murder Club cameo – author Richard Osman explains
There is a theory that New Zealanders subconsciously seek out the letter “Z”. When it appears on the printed page our eyes, apparently, leap to the familiar. Are we there yet? Can the world see us now? In the fourth book of the wildly popular Thursday Murder Club series, we are definitely there.
Page 342: “There was a rugby union player, Jonah Lomu, a New Zealand Tongan, who rewrote the rules of the game, because of his size and speed. No one had seen anything like him before. This hulk, this oversized tank, who moved with such grace and pace.”
How did a Jonah Lomu cameo end up in a book about four senior citizens who solve murders? Kim Knight asked television funnyman turned Thursday Murder Club novelist Richard Osman to explain.
The rise of male sex toys: How technology is removing the stigma and increasing the pleasure
This story begins with a warning: “contains sexual content and is suitable for adults only”. Where it goes from there, is surprising, sometimes shocking and very funny.
Greg Bruce takes a deep dive into the world of male sex toys to find out what’s available and how technology – especially AI – is helping men to work out what they want. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Emerging designers on their favourite moments of Te Wiki Āhua O Aotearoa
Youth-focused community fashion week called Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa took over the moody studio of Raynham Park on Auckland’s Karangahape Rd in September. The event brought together young creatives from across the country.
Each evening of the five-day schedule saw the space booming with DJ sets and a crowd spilling on to the streets, for a fashion-focused celebration in a year where New Zealand Fashion Week had announced a postponement. The attendees ranged from local industry to established academics and fashionably focused peers.
After taking a weekend of rest, creatives from behind the scenes of Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa shared with Madeleine Crutchley their favourite moments and reflected on what the week-long celebration meant for them.
In his darkest hour, Shihad’s Jon Toogood doubted he’d get through. Here’s what saved him
As he prepared for the launch of his first solo album, Jon Toogood took Greg Bruce through the bad times. And there were many.
The death of his mother, while he was stuck in Melbourne during Covid lockdowns. Being stuck in New Zealand the following year, away from his wife and children, again, due to Covid lockdowns. His brother-in-law being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Debilitating symptoms caused by, you guessed it, Covid.
How did he get through? And how did making his album act as medication?
Richard O’Brien talked to Joanna Wane ahead of touring his new musical The Kingdom of Bling.
An audience with the queen: Rocky Horror’s Richard O’Brien on the monster behind his new show
It’s been 50 years since The Rocky Horror Show became a global phenomenon. Now, creator Richard O’Brien is heading back out on the road and he says the world has a lot more to worry about than some sex-crazed, cross-dressing aliens.
O’Brien told Joanna Wane about the inspiration behind his new show – Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch and the state of the world, which distresses him intensely. “If all you’re going for is greed and a celebration of wealth and isn’t it great that I’ve got so far and f*** you, it’s not good enough,” he says. “You’d think character would count for something. But that’s where we are at the present. It’s a very scary time.”
Can I fix my menopausal face without needles? A $2250 skincare experiment
In this revealing, funny and in-depth story, Kim Knight writes about how, aged 54, she realised that her low maintenance skincare routine was suddenly no longer enough.
“Marilyn Monroe is said to have glowed in photographs because of the way the camera flash caught her facial fuzz,” Knight wrote. “As a woman on her way to developing a full menopausal beard, even candlelight is dangerous. Like, literally, a fire risk.
Waterview’s Te Whitinga bridge follows a curved line linking Mt Roskill/Puketāpapa with Mt Albert/Ōwairaka. Photo / Supplied
18 great Auckland walks because the city isn’t just bars, restaurants and shopping
Auckland is a treasure trove of walks. With its 53 volcanic cones, beaches, parks and sprawling suburbia there are endless pockets of the city to explore. While classic walks like Tamaki Drive to Mission Bay will always be a joy on a sunny day, this roundup highlights some of the lesser-appreciated corners of Auckland, some of which have been slowly regenerated to create more urbane environments, with shared paths for walkers and cyclists, native planting and signposting.
Some walks take you through swathes of towering trees and urban waterfalls, mere metres from dense housing, others weave under motorways and on to overpasses and emerge into a city park. It’s this sense of contrast that makes an exciting walk, whether you’re in it for fitness or pleasure.
From Charles Leclerc to Liam Lawson, why Formula One drivers are the new fashion influencers
While the concept of sport and fashion has been well documented, the glamour factor is hard to ignore in the world of Formula One, writes Dan Ahwa, in this deep dive into the new breed of F1 stars who are accelerating their earning potential outside of racing.
“The circuits alone take place in some of the most moneyed towns on the planet – including the glitz of Miami and Las Vegas to the sport’s blue ribbon showcase of the Circuit de Monaco,” Dan wrote. “Despite the impracticality of the course, the tiny principality on the French Riviera offers the perfect backdrop for luxury: superyachts, good-looking people watching and some of the world’s best F1 cars in all their glory.”
Tim Minchin changed my life: An unfunny interview with a comedic genius
Who is the real comedic genius? Greg Bruce makes friends with a very famous performer and turns the celebrity interview on its head. Tim Minchin as you’ve definitely never read him before.
Wellington’s fashion darlings Kowtow on finding their dream team, going plastic-free and their blueprint for the future
“Their goal is eye-wateringly ambitious: to infiltrate a million people’s wardrobes with just one item, replacing something plastic with Kowtow’s Fairtrade organic cotton.” If you’ve ever been guilty of thinking fashion is frivolous, you haven’t read Julia Gesler’s deep dive into the Wellington label that’s changing the world, one zip-free, nut-buttoned garment at a time.
Black Ferns Chelsea and Alana Bremner on New Zealand rugby’s biggest moment
Eden Park and the opening game of the women’s Rugby World Cup: “For those at the ground, or even those watching on television, it was clear that something big was happening,” writes Greg Bruce in this interview with Black Ferns siblings Chelsea and Alana Bremner. “The feeling around the ground was love, pure and simple … To feel that love from the grandstand was deeply moving. To have felt it as part of the team must have been something else again. To have been able to share that feeling with your sister? Only two people in the country have any idea what that was like.”
What is bouldering? Inside NZ’s cool, cultish climbing sport with actor Celine Dam
As Celine Dam casually hoists herself upwards, writer Madeleine Crutchley imagines gravity defeatedly shrugging its shoulders. In March, Viva launched a new series “How I Move” exploring sports in a league of their own and hobbies that do more than keep us moving – beginning with bouldering.
Celine Dam, Auckland-based actor and boulderer, who was interviewed for Viva’s How I Move series.
William Fitzgerald’s circular design is ‘shoddy’. The Mindful Fashion award-winner on why that’s a good thing
“In Ōnehunga, there is a factory where fashion goes to die.” So begins Madeleine Crutchley’s profile on design student (and former Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer) William Keane Jung-Ying Fitzgerald, winner of the Viva editorial prize at last year’s Mindful Fashion Circular Design Awards. His textile of choice? Removal company blankets, made from cotton and wool – also known as wool shod or “shoddy”.
The Beauty Chef’s Carla Oates wants you to unlearn everything you know about wellness
Not every chef is serving burrata and raw fish. Viva’s beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti meets Carla Oates, the refreshingly frank founder of The Beauty Chef. Sample quote: “There’s a lot of pressure for people to tick all the boxes. You have to eat this way. You have to do yoga, Pilates, infrared saunas, the list goes on. Wellness means different things to different people, and it would be good if it was a little bit more individualised. For me, I love doing crosswords. People ask me: ‘How does that have anything to do with wellness?’ Because it takes me away from my work and any daily stresses. It’s my kind of meditation.”
How to end power struggles at the family dinner table, according to a parenting coach
Weight gain, weight loss and body confidence. It’s the trickiest of topics to navigate with adults, let alone children. But what if there was an expert with 10 top tips for raising competent eaters? Joanna Wane meets an Arrowtown parenting coach and takes a look at how our obsession with “healthy food” can cause more problems than it solves.
Bubbah: Tina From Turners and Taskmaster tattoos are just the beginning
Greg Bruce sets out to interview an icon of car sales, a chilled-out comedian and a walking Taskmaster television show billboard – and discovers a true crime podcast. Or does he?
Comedian and actor Sieni Leo’o Olo, known as Bubbah, and Tina from Turners. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
My Style: Toni Street’s journey through fashion, from Canterbury jerseys to frothy frocks
She grew up wearing home-sewn tracksuits. Today, her favourite piece of clothing is the bright pink dress she wore to MC the New Zealander of the Year awards. Viva’s Dan Ahwa takes a look in Toni Street’s wardrobe and asks what she’s learned about herself through fashion. (Hint: Not everyone can wear mustard).
Architects on the New Zealand houses that changed their lives
Is there a house that changed you? That got under your skin and into your heart? Viva’s Johanna Thornton asked eight local architects and received responses that went well beyond the front door of some of the country’s most thoughtful and beautifully designed homes. “How a house can capture the sun, circulate the air, frame the view and encourage people to gather; these seemingly simple propositions require skill to execute, and the houses in this story, and the architects who chose them, do all those things and so much more,” writes Thornton.
After James Wallace’s sex convictions: What next for Pah Homestead and $50m art collection?
Anita Tótha is the recently appointed director of The Arts House Trust, the new owners of a 10,000-piece art collection started by convicted sex offender James Wallace. In her first interview, she talked to Kim Knight about moving forward from a tainted past.
Will the real Karen Walker please stand up? What’s next for the leading fashion doyenne
The Karen Walker empire started with a floral shirt and an illustration of the world-famous fashion designer as a kind of alternate Colonel Sanders. Jessica Beresford takes afternoon tea with Walker and delivers a considered and highly visual look at the evolution of her business — from attention-grabbing campaigns and New York Fashion Week shows to today.
Skincare founder Katey Mandy takes on the NZ Government
“Skin cancer doesn’t discriminate, and neither should access to protection,” skincare founder Katey Mandy told Viva beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti in this interview that heralded the launch of a nationwide petition to bring New Zealand into line with Australian practice – and potentially save lives in the process.
3000 oysters and 4800 eggs: Behind the scenes at an epic Auckland hotel buffet
In which Kim Knight spend 24-hours at a luxury hotel buffet and discovers the secret to feeding 700 diners a day (may or may not contain gluten; definitely contains eggs).
NZ surgeon Ineke Meredith’s memoir On Call reveals her bold and bizarre operations
“Elbow-deep in her abdomen.” “She performs her first amputation, with a consultant explaining the procedure to her over the phone.” “A man in his 30s is admitted after swallowing 35 fish hooks.” It’s hard to pick the best sentence from Joanna Wane’s profile on Samoan-born and Paris-based surgeon Ineke Meredith but perhaps save this one for after breakfast.
Fashion designer Kate Sylvester announces the closure of her business after 31 years
When Kate Sylvester announced she was shutting shop after more than three decades, it was Viva’s Dan Ahwa she shared the news with first. The pair talk about the hard work, famous frocks – and why it’s someone else’s time to shine.
Actor Sophie Hambleton returns as Dame Jacinda Ardern in new Covid play
“Ardern is cancer.” The ferocity of the Dame Jacinda Ardern backlash is explored in this interview with actor Sophie Hambleton, who channelled the Prime Minister in a verbatim stage script two years into the Covid-19 pandemic – and again, in this year’s follow-up. “This time, it’s going to get ugly,” writes Joanna Wane.
Tom Hardy on his love letter to London, his dog Blue and the cologne he’s always asked about
An interview with an actor about a movie about a perfume inspired by his father and a love of London. Viva beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti covers plenty of territory in this Q&A with Tom Hardy (Inception, Peaky Blinders, etcetera), a companion piece to an earlier interview with fragrance queen Jo Malone. Could you list your own personal palette of memories evoked by smell? Hardy’s includes a dusty pillow, a dry barn in the sunshine – and the forearms of his mother and father.
Matt Heath on self-help, self-awareness and self-abuse
Recently, Matt Heath asked Prime Minister Christopher Luxon if he sleeps in the nude. He also asked him if he had pre-ordered a copy of his book – a 13-step self-help guide to loving the life you’ve got. Greg Bruce was there, recording a day in the life of the man who went on to advise the PM that “if you feel like you’re stressed, go and make some people some coffee … ”
US writer Ann Patchett’s long-awaited Auckland Writers Festival debut
This year’s Auckland Writers Festival was one for the record books. An 85,000-plus attendance, across 167 events, showcasing 240 participants – including author, Ann Patchett. Joanna Wane zoomed her for a conversation on luminosity and love, noting: “At the core of Ann Patchett’s novel Tom Lake is the difference between the wild, heady love you experience in your 20s and the deeply satisfying love you can have, if you’re lucky, in your 50s.”
Can New Zealanders walk in six-inch stilettos? Christian Louboutin, the most famous shoe designer in the world, thinks so
In a never-ending parade of activations, openings and parties, how does a designer stay true to themselves? Christian Louboutin shares the surprising insight he learned from his woodworking father with Viva’s Dan Ahwa. (Plus shoes. Really great shoes).
Dai Henwood’s cancer battle: New book The Life of Dai on living (and loving) with a stage-four diagnosis
“I was so scared of cancer,” Dai Henwood tells the crowd. “Then I had to do this crash course … cancer has been an amazing teacher. I feel I am a better man, better husband, father, comedian and member of society because I’ve had to deal with cancer.” The comedian, television personality and ice bath owner talks candidly to Kim Knight about the worst possible news.
NZ musician Hollie Smith on infertility, her new tour and art exhibition
Last year, Hollie Smith made an estimated $180 in global music streaming sales. And if that’s not shocking enough, wait until you see her newest project. Kim Knight sat down with the musician who bared all (literally) ahead of a new music tour and an unexpected art exhibition.
Singer and painter Hollie Smith with her artwork, which she exhibited in June at a Grey Lynn gallery. Photo / Jason Oxenham
NZ actor Jodie Rimmer talks ageing and new solo play Nicola Cheeseman is Back
Is it time women started acting their age? Joanna Wane put the question to actor Jodie Rimmer (aged 50) as she prepared for a new solo stage show that skewers the idea that women tumbling towards menopause are obsolete.
Juliette Hogan has dressed politicians, Grammy winners and everyday New Zealand women. What next?
For two decades, Juliette Hogan has been one of our more consistent fashion designers, shaping the way New Zealand women dress. But how much do we know about her? The designer, mother and industry leader talked to Dan Ahwa about navigating the business of fashion, dressing everyone from Taylor Swift to Jacinda Ardern, and the type of future she envisages for our local fashion industry.
“Juliette has what many fashion designers don’t — business savvy,” Dan wrote. “She’s built a brand that plays to her strengths of adapting quickly to the market, while delivering clothes New Zealand women rely upon for every facet of their lives.”
Thinking of getting a vasectomy in NZ? Kiwi men share what it’s really like
When the head of the Alternative Commentary Collective, Mike Lane, decided to have a vasectomy, he knew it could make for a landmark moment in both broadcasting and vasectomies. After discussing it with fellow ACC commentator Jeremy Wells, he scheduled it to take place during that summer’s one-day international between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park.
The broadcast, which made global news, was billed as the first live sporting commentary to be delivered during a vasectomy, but for Lane it was far more important than that.
Sonia Gray and her daughter, Inez, with the family’s corgi, Baxter. Photo / Michael Craig
‘I love it now’: Sonia Gray on why ADHD is the best part of her
Sonia Gray has battled anxiety and depression, and was diagnosed with ADHD after a psychologist working with her daughter Inez suggested she and her husband, Simon, get tested. Her mother told her it explained Gray’s entire childhood.
“My big thing was that I couldn’t trust my brain, so I had to be hypervigilant and would get into absolute panics if things weren’t exactly right,” says Gray, Lotto presenter and host of the podcast No Such Thing as Normal. She knew from an early age that there was something different about her.
Medication has helped calm the chaos in her mind – “not completely, but just enough so it’s not 15 voices all speaking at the time and at the same volume”.
All seasons of Beverly Hills 90210 are available to watch on Prime Video. But should you devote your long weekend to a rewatch?
Beverly Hills 90210: Is the TV show that defined the 90s worth a rewatch?
The clothes! The cars! The side burns! The most famous zipcode in modern television is back, with all episodes available to stream on Prime Video, and we have thoughts. Beverly Hills 90210 screened from 1990 to 2000 and made household names out of actors Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Luke Perry (RIP). Writer Sarah Pollok wasn’t even born when the show started. Kim Knight was in her first journalism job. Dan Ahwa just wanted to live in Casa Walsh. In this story, the Gen X, Y and Z trio went back to where it all began to ask: Does 90210 stand the test of time?
Is it really possible to reverse your biological age?
Can science unlock the secret to eternal youth? Joanna Wane took on a 12-month challenge to dial back her biological age and in this story, she revealed the final results.
“The answer is… it’s complicated,” Wane wrote. “That’ll teach me to be smug after the results of my initial DNAage test looked pretty damned good. So did a follow-up six months later.
“The final 12-month report, on my ‘significant birthday’, produced far more mixed results… maybe turning 60 really does take it out of you.”
In this entirely subjective story, Bruce ranks 15 of Tāmaki Makaurau’s malls, from best to worst. Useful reading if you’re heading out for Labour Weekend sale shopping this weekend.
Webb’s to refund art photography auction purchases after ‘misunderstanding’
It’s one of the most sought-after pool views in the country – but are all Slim Aarons prints created equal? And why is Webb’s auction house offering refunds for reproductions of the society photographer’s work? Kim Knight reported on this curious art story – and her investigation brought about real change.
Just broken up? Here’s how to handle the rough first days
No matter your age, life stage or general level of robustness – the early days of a breakup can knock you off your axis. Outside perspective can be invaluable. Enter Wellington-based journalist and mother of three Sarah Catherall who has literally written the book on breakups. Her manual How To Break Up Well: Surviving and Thriving After Separation details lessons learnt the hard way following the dissolution of her own marriage in 2009. She talked to Tyson Beckett and shared big-sister-style tips on how to practically and philosophically navigate your own breakup, from day one.
Richard Osman’s new book We Solve Murders is out now. Photo / Connor O’Leary
Jonah Lomu’s Thursday Murder Club cameo – author Richard Osman explains
There is a theory that New Zealanders subconsciously seek out the letter “Z”. When it appears on the printed page our eyes, apparently, leap to the familiar. Are we there yet? Can the world see us now? In the fourth book of the wildly popular Thursday Murder Club series, we are definitely there.
Page 342: “There was a rugby union player, Jonah Lomu, a New Zealand Tongan, who rewrote the rules of the game, because of his size and speed. No one had seen anything like him before. This hulk, this oversized tank, who moved with such grace and pace.”
How did a Jonah Lomu cameo end up in a book about four senior citizens who solve murders? Kim Knight asked television funnyman turned Thursday Murder Club novelist Richard Osman to explain.
The rise of male sex toys: How technology is removing the stigma and increasing the pleasure
This story begins with a warning: “contains sexual content and is suitable for adults only”. Where it goes from there, is surprising, sometimes shocking and very funny.
Greg Bruce takes a deep dive into the world of male sex toys to find out what’s available and how technology – especially AI – is helping men to work out what they want. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Emerging designers on their favourite moments of Te Wiki Āhua O Aotearoa
Youth-focused community fashion week called Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa took over the moody studio of Raynham Park on Auckland’s Karangahape Rd in September. The event brought together young creatives from across the country.
Each evening of the five-day schedule saw the space booming with DJ sets and a crowd spilling on to the streets, for a fashion-focused celebration in a year where New Zealand Fashion Week had announced a postponement. The attendees ranged from local industry to established academics and fashionably focused peers.
After taking a weekend of rest, creatives from behind the scenes of Te Wiki Āhua o Aotearoa shared with Madeleine Crutchley their favourite moments and reflected on what the week-long celebration meant for them.
In his darkest hour, Shihad’s Jon Toogood doubted he’d get through. Here’s what saved him
As he prepared for the launch of his first solo album, Jon Toogood took Greg Bruce through the bad times. And there were many.
The death of his mother, while he was stuck in Melbourne during Covid lockdowns. Being stuck in New Zealand the following year, away from his wife and children, again, due to Covid lockdowns. His brother-in-law being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Debilitating symptoms caused by, you guessed it, Covid.
How did he get through? And how did making his album act as medication?
Richard O’Brien talked to Joanna Wane ahead of touring his new musical The Kingdom of Bling.
An audience with the queen: Rocky Horror’s Richard O’Brien on the monster behind his new show
It’s been 50 years since The Rocky Horror Show became a global phenomenon. Now, creator Richard O’Brien is heading back out on the road and he says the world has a lot more to worry about than some sex-crazed, cross-dressing aliens.
O’Brien told Joanna Wane about the inspiration behind his new show – Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch and the state of the world, which distresses him intensely. “If all you’re going for is greed and a celebration of wealth and isn’t it great that I’ve got so far and f*** you, it’s not good enough,” he says. “You’d think character would count for something. But that’s where we are at the present. It’s a very scary time.”
Can I fix my menopausal face without needles? A $2250 skincare experiment
In this revealing, funny and in-depth story, Kim Knight writes about how, aged 54, she realised that her low maintenance skincare routine was suddenly no longer enough.
“Marilyn Monroe is said to have glowed in photographs because of the way the camera flash caught her facial fuzz,” Knight wrote. “As a woman on her way to developing a full menopausal beard, even candlelight is dangerous. Like, literally, a fire risk.
Waterview’s Te Whitinga bridge follows a curved line linking Mt Roskill/Puketāpapa with Mt Albert/Ōwairaka. Photo / Supplied
18 great Auckland walks because the city isn’t just bars, restaurants and shopping
Auckland is a treasure trove of walks. With its 53 volcanic cones, beaches, parks and sprawling suburbia there are endless pockets of the city to explore. While classic walks like Tamaki Drive to Mission Bay will always be a joy on a sunny day, this roundup highlights some of the lesser-appreciated corners of Auckland, some of which have been slowly regenerated to create more urbane environments, with shared paths for walkers and cyclists, native planting and signposting.
Some walks take you through swathes of towering trees and urban waterfalls, mere metres from dense housing, others weave under motorways and on to overpasses and emerge into a city park. It’s this sense of contrast that makes an exciting walk, whether you’re in it for fitness or pleasure.
From Charles Leclerc to Liam Lawson, why Formula One drivers are the new fashion influencers
While the concept of sport and fashion has been well documented, the glamour factor is hard to ignore in the world of Formula One, writes Dan Ahwa, in this deep dive into the new breed of F1 stars who are accelerating their earning potential outside of racing.
“The circuits alone take place in some of the most moneyed towns on the planet – including the glitz of Miami and Las Vegas to the sport’s blue ribbon showcase of the Circuit de Monaco,” Dan wrote. “Despite the impracticality of the course, the tiny principality on the French Riviera offers the perfect backdrop for luxury: superyachts, good-looking people watching and some of the world’s best F1 cars in all their glory.”
