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15/09/2026

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Move Over Brad Pitt — New Zealand's Four-Legged Movie Star Is Stealing The Show! 🐕🎬New Zealand has produced another inte...
14/09/2026

Move Over Brad Pitt — New Zealand's Four-Legged Movie Star Is Stealing The Show! 🐕🎬

New Zealand has produced another international star — and he has four legs, pointed ears and the most loyal eyes in Hollywood.
Meet Uber, the New Zealand mountain-rescue German Shepherd who plays Odin alongside Brad Pitt in the upcoming survival thriller Heart of the Beast.
Pitt himself called Uber “number one on the call sheet” and “the most important piece to this story.” After a plane crash, Special Forces officer James Belmont (Pitt) and his retired combat dog Odin are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness — a wilderness that was actually filmed right here in the South Island, with Otago and Fiordland as the backdrop.
He reminds me so much of my neighbour’s German Shepherd — and of the brave, intelligent dogs we see working alongside NZ Police. That unmistakable combination of courage, intelligence and loyalty.
Heart of the Beast hits NZ cinemas 24 September. I went in for Brad Pitt, I’ll leave talking about the dog.
Does Uber remind you of a German Shepherd you’ve owned or known? Tell me his name below 👇

Image: Ai illustration

🌊 Two oceans, one lighthouse, and a sacred departure point.Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua isn't New Zealand's northernm...
14/09/2026

🌊 Two oceans, one lighthouse, and a sacred departure point.
Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua isn't New Zealand's northernmost point, but it is its spiritual end.
Here you watch it happen: the Tasman Sea, turquoise and restless, collides with the Pacific Ocean, deep blue and calm. The two currents carve a living seam of white foam that swirls like marbling.
On the headland stands the icon - white, 10m tall, 165m above the sea. First lit in May 1941, it was the last manned lighthouse built in Aotearoa. The keeper was withdrawn in 1987 and it is now a solar-powered 50-watt beacon visible for 19 nautical miles.
For Māori, this is Te Rerenga Wairua - the leaping place of spirits. Wairua travel the length of the land and leap from the ancient 800-year-old pōhutukawa at the tip to return to Hawaiki. Please stay on the path, do not eat or drink in this tapu place, and do not touch the tree.
It's 100km north of Kaitaia, about 90 minutes on SH1 which has been fully sealed since 2010, then a 15-minute walk to the point. Hold onto your hat. The wind has stories to tell.
Have you stood where two seas meet?

Image: Ai illustration

KIA KAHA TE REO MĀORI — LET’S STAND UNITED FOR OUR LANGUAGE! 🇳🇿Kia ora koutou! This Māori Language Week, let’s come toge...
14/09/2026

KIA KAHA TE REO MĀORI — LET’S STAND UNITED FOR OUR LANGUAGE! 🇳🇿

Kia ora koutou! This Māori Language Week, let’s come together as one and celebrate te reo Māori—the beautiful indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand.

You don’t need to speak fluently to take part. Start with a friendly “kia ora,” greet the morning with “mōrena,” or finish the day by saying “ka kite anō.” Every word spoken helps keep te reo Māori visible, valued and growing for future generations.

Te reo Māori belongs at the heart of our national identity. It connects us with the history, culture and people of this whenua—and celebrating it should unite us, wherever we come from.

He waka eke noa—we are all in this together.

Let’s proudly stand united behind te reo Māori, encourage one another to learn and make these words part of everyday life.

What is your favourite Māori word or greeting?

Kia kaha te reo Māori!

Perfect picture spot at the Halswell quarry! Spring blossoms are in full bloom!
14/09/2026

Perfect picture spot at the Halswell quarry! Spring blossoms are in full bloom!

HISTORY IN NICE: Hayden Wilde is IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion! 🇳🇿🥇What a moment for New Zealand sport. Hayden Wilde has w...
14/09/2026

HISTORY IN NICE: Hayden Wilde is IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion! 🇳🇿🥇

What a moment for New Zealand sport. Hayden Wilde has won the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France.

The Whakatane star completed the gruelling 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run in 3:50:51, holding off Norway's Kristian Blummenfelt by just 18 seconds after an epic battle on the run. He becomes only the second Kiwi to ever win this title, joining Terenzo Bozzone (2008).

This win caps an incredible comeback. In May 2025 Wilde was hospitalised in Japan after a cycling crash with broken ribs, a broken shoulder blade and lung injuries that kept him from flying for weeks.

His resume now speaks for itself: Olympic silver in Paris, Olympic bronze in Tokyo, 2025 T100 World Champion, and now 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion.

In my opinion, that versatility across short-course Olympic racing and middle-distance world titles puts him in the conversation with Hamish Carter, who won Olympic gold in Athens 2004. Carter set the standard, Wilde is now redefining it.

Different eras, both champions. Who do you have in your top spot and why?

Source: IRONMAN.com, NZ Herald, RNZ - 13 Sept 2026 Nice Results

Illustration: AI-generated celebration poster - not a real photo

🧝‍♂️ Peter Jackson didn't build this. He just found it.Kaitoke Regional Park, 50 minutes north of Wellington, is where L...
14/09/2026

🧝‍♂️ Peter Jackson didn't build this. He just found it.

Kaitoke Regional Park, 50 minutes north of Wellington, is where Lord of the Rings filmed Rivendell. The crew chose it for the ancient beech, rimu and northern rātā forest and the clear Hutt River running over stones, a landscape that already felt Elvish.

The 2,860-hectare park is managed by Greater Wellington Regional Council and protects mature native bush with easy walking tracks. At Pākuratahi Forks you can walk the short Rivendell loop to the replica Elvish arch, then continue onto the Swingbridge Track, a family-friendly 2km loop that takes about an hour.

Day access is free and open year-round, with picnic areas and river swimming near the campground. It is quiet on weekdays and busy after rain when the river is high.
Save this for your next Wellington day trip.

Image: AI illustration inspired by Kaitoke Regional Park — not a real photo. Based on reference images of the actual Rivendell arch and river loop.

Surely the Kākāpō Deserves to Be Bird of the Year! 💚How could anyone resist the kākāpō—Aotearoa’s wonderfully chunky, fl...
14/09/2026

Surely the Kākāpō Deserves to Be Bird of the Year! 💚

How could anyone resist the kākāpō—Aotearoa’s wonderfully chunky, fluffy and flightless giant parrot?

After being pushed frighteningly close to extinction, this remarkable taonga has made an extraordinary comeback thanks to the tireless work of conservationists, iwi, scientists and volunteers across New Zealand.

This year’s record-breaking breeding season gives us even more reason to celebrate. Every new chick represents fresh hope for a species that once seemed destined to disappear forever.

Kākāpō are nocturnal, curious and full of personality. They cannot fly, but they are excellent climbers—and their round faces and moss-green feathers make them some of the cutest creatures found anywhere on Earth!

There are many deserving contenders, but surely the kākāpō has earned the title of Bird of the Year. What do you think—will the kākāpō receive your vote, or are you supporting another native bird?

14/09/2026

Chasing Light Across Aotearoa: A Soul-Stirring Visual Odyssey Through Sapphire Lakes, Snow-Capped Peaks, Cherry Blossom Paths, Seal Colonies, Dolphin Dances & Fern-Crowned Waterfalls from Tekapo to Milford Sounds

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