Small Business: Shamarra Alpacas founders on building agritourism success in Akaroa

What inspired you to start the business? It goes back 22 years ago when we first arrived in New Zealand in 2003 from the Caribbean, where we had lived for 20 years. We bought a lifestyle block north of Auckland, and we had some cattle which were...

Webjet unveils bold brand transformation to become Australasia’s go-to travel companion

Share Tweet Share Email Webjet is officially going somewhere new. The travel brand has unveiled a complete transformation, including a new creative platform and campaign titled Go Somewhere, developed with creative, media and measurement agency...

England and New Zealand find ‘special’ camaraderie amid hard graft

England’s white-ball team have played 24 times this year, most recently a little more than three weeks ago. New Zealand’s have played 28 games, the latest was this month. These are groups who spend a lot of time together, but before the start of...

Tight local election results confirm new mayors across New Zealand

Had the results stayed as they were, Grant, who has been living as a trans woman since 1971, would have become the first transgender mayor since Georgina Beyer as well as the country’s oldest mayor. Kaipara’s mayoralty race was just as close, with...

New Zealand’s Mousse Masters – Grand Final

It’s time for the Grand Final of Weave Cacao’s Mousse Masters – a one-of-a-kind competition designed to showcase the magic of Weave Cacao’s couverture chocolate drops, and celebrate the artistry of New Zealand’s chefs and bakers. Weave Cacao is...

Tami Neilson Points The Way To Her Beloved New Zealand

Willie Nelson joined Tami Neilson at the Luck Reunion show in Spicewood, Texas in 2022. Tami Neilson Twenty years ago, Canadian singer-songwriter Tami Neilson decided to board a life-changing flight from Toronto to Auckland, New Zealand. The trip...

Aloha to Auckland: Hawaiian Airlines’ seasonal service returns

One of New Zealand’s “Great Walks” is Mount Cook, located in Aoraki. The location features alpine streams, a glacier and lake. Hawaiian Airlines is offering three-times-a-week, scheduled flights between Honolulu and New Zealand beginning Nov. 16....

US inflation lower than expected, rate cuts coming

Summary of key points: - Lower housing costs cancelling out tariff costs in US inflation measure Will the Kiwi dollar close the gap on USD movements? Will the NZ economy trade its way out of the doldrums? As expected, there were no surprises with...

South Africa and New Zealand to collide in ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ as details for new tour confirmed

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

Lucky Auckland woman wins $500,000

A woman in Auckland is celebrating after winning $500,000 on Lotto. File photo supplied An Auckland woman got the surprise of her life after a phone call from Lotto NZ led her to find a forgotten bonus ticket in her handbag – a piece of paper...

Quality trumps context as England, New Zealand prepare for early-season showdown

Christchurch. The city of scooters. Contrary to popular belief, not everything runs smoothly in New Zealand. The Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre, for instance. A $500 million major sports complex was scheduled for completion in 2015, but...

New Zealand opens e-Gate services for Taiwanese

New Zealand yesterday became the eighth country to open its e-Gate service to Taiwanese biometric passport holders, two ministries said. The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in separate statements said that they had...

How to get around in Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city

Straddling a narrow isthmus between two harbors, Auckland is the biggest and most cosmopolitan city in Aotearoa (New Zealand’s Māori language name). A jigsaw of public transportation services, including city buses, ferries and local train lines,...

No Ashes talk in England camp, says Harry Brook before New Zealand series

Harry Brook says there has been no Ashes talk in the England camp as the tourists prepare for “a hell of a long winter”, with the white-ball captain’s determination to “stay in the moment” so strong that he has not even noticed the ramping-up of...

I want to visit Switzerland and New Zealand some day: Kanwar Dhillon

Popular television actor Kanwar Dhillon, who is currently seen in Star Plus’ popular show Udne Ki Aasha, produced by Rahul Tewary and Rolling Tales Production, recently opened up about his love for travel and the destinations on his bucket list....

WiT Queenstown 2026 to unite global travel technology leaders

Queenstown will host WiT’s first New Zealand event, featuring leaders from major global travel tech brands and tourism organisations. The Asia Pacific travel technology ecosystem will turn its attention to Queenstown on 21 July 2026, when WiT (Web...

Hawaiian Airlines launches seasonal A330 service to Auckland from Nov 2025

Hawaiian Airlines is set to resume its seasonal service to New Zealand, with three-weekly flights between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Auckland Airport (AKL) starting November 16, 2025. The seasonal route will...

Harry Brook parks Ashes chat as England begin ‘hell of a long winter’ in New Zealand

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

Harry Brook insists the Ashes is on backburner as focus turns to New Zealand

Harry Brook insisted Ashes fever has not spread into his England white-ball camp as the Yorkshireman prepares to start a “hell of a long winter” this weekend. Excitement levels are already peaking in England and Australia despite the opening Test...

Holiday wines

This article is taken from the October 2025 issue of The Critic. To get the full magazine why not subscribe? Get five issues for just £25. I hope all Critic readers are feeling suitably refreshed after a summer at their villas in Umbria or...