Contributors
-
A history of bats
When mammals fly. A BAT CAN’T SEE IN THE DARK, BUT A BAT CAN FIND ITS WAY. TO BATS, EVEN THE BLACKEST NIGHT IS THREE-DIMENSIONAL. THEY CAN CATCH TINY INSECTS WHILE FLYING AT 60 KILOMETRES PER HOUR USING NOTHING BUT SOUND. WE THINK THINGS ARE AS WE SEE THEM, BUT BATS KNOW OTHERWISE. THE WORLD…
-
Review: NZMSC Outdoor safety videos, Season two
The NZ Mountain Safety Council Following the success of their 2018 Tramping Video Series, the NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC) has made seven new clips detailing the dos, don’ts and be-carefuls of some of the country’s most popular tracks. With a total of 19 short films now on offer, it’s like the Marvel Cinematic Universe,…
-
The art of the rod
Carl McNeil’s fibreglass rods are pretty fly. WHEN A MASTER FLY CASTING INSTRUCTOR, WHO BY HIS OWN ADMISSION MAKES THE BEST FLY RODS IN THE WORLD, ASKS FOR THE NAME OF THE ARTICLE YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT HIM, AND YOU SAY, ‘THE ART OF THE ROD’, YOU DON’T EXPECT HIM TO REPLY WITH, “THAT SOUNDS…
-
Music Review: Lacuna by Reb Fountain
Seeing Reb Fountain perform live is a bewitching experience, not just because she is an absurdly-talented songwriter and musician, but also because she has a way of dancing that makes you want to question everything you ever thought to be true and give yourself over to Reb’s groove. That director Lola Fountain-Best chose to focus…
-
Review: The Story of New Zealand Freeskiing
To push a stick in the sand and write the story of a sport that is about as niche as you can get (maybe aside from a short history of underwater hockey) is a bold leap of faith. But I’m glad Sam Masters took it. In The Story of New Zealand Freeskiing, he has captured…
-
Book Review: Creative Conservation – A celebration of artists who are wild about nature
By Chrissy Wickes and Sonia Frimmel (New Holland Publishers, 2021) Creative Conservation showcases 35 established and aspiring artists who work with and celebrate the landscapes, flora and fauna of Aotearoa. There’s art created out in the field , art made from natural materials found out in the field, and in situ pieces that sit out…
-
Food Review: Royal India, Geraldine
Yes, you read correctly, Geraldine. And for those keeping score, this will be the third mention of Geraldine’s culinary scene in 1964 (Al’s Hot Pepper Sauce, The Running Duck Cafe). For those traveling between the Queenstown Lakes District and the East Coast, Geraldine (population 2,800) is the spot for a snack, a meal or a…
-
In the Theatre of the Gogs
Where art meets adventure. IN THE THEATRE OF THE GOGS IS AN ODE TO OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY. THE FILM BRINGS TOGETHER AN ADVENTURE FILM-MAKER, RICHARD SIDEY, AND A LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER, CHRISTOPHER DAVID THOMPSON, TO DOCUMENT WHAT IT TAKES TO CAPTURE IMAGES OF THE REMOTE AND WILD PLACES OF AOTEAROA. The making of this documentary, filmed in…
-
There’s a poem in that
Three poets, three bikes, and one noisy bird. Liz Breslin revisits Rail:lines, a pedal-powered poetry tour of the Otago Central Rail Trail. MOST PEOPLE DON’T LIKE MOST POEMS BECAUSE MOST POEMS DON’T LIKE MOST PEOPLE. THOUGH THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION OF SOMETHING POET ADRIAN MITCHELL ONCE SAID, APPROXIMATELY 50 YEARS AGO AND 19,000 KILOMETRES AWAY,…