16 Items Tagged

New Zealand

Wellington, New Zealand

Massey Memorial

The mausoleum of New Zealand's controversial prime minister.

There are at least 20 Māori names for the New Zealand fantail, a beloved native bird often seen as a messenger between worlds.

Does the New Zealand Fantail Connect the Human and Spirit Realms?

The bird is sometimes considered an omen of death, but in Māori tradition, that's just one part of its story.

Roxanne Hoorn October 20, 2023

Message received.

Found: A Message in a Bottle That Went Clear Around the World and Back

But without a return address.

Matthew Taub March 4, 2020

Was the "Saurian monster" a rogue ichthyosaur with an appetite for mutton?

Remembering the 'Saurian Monster' That Terrorized 1880s New Zealand

How hysteria bred a mystery.

Natasha Frost May 23, 2018

The sudden disappearance of a country of 4.7 million people.

Why Is New Zealand So Often Left Off World Maps?

An island nation's call for help.

Natasha Frost May 2, 2018

The "Six O'Clock Swill" at a bar in Victoria, Australia.

The ‘Six O’Clock Swill’ Was an Hour of Drunken Anarchy

How Australia and New Zealand’s restrictive alcohol laws fostered a culture of binge drinking.

Natasha Frost April 4, 2018

An image of the moa, by Heinrich Harder, shows them erroneously being hunted with bows and arrows.

What Fossilized Poop Tells Us About an Extinct Giant Bird From New Zealand

Resurrecting the moa's diet.

Natasha Frost February 13, 2018

The kea is one of New Zealand's most popular, and infamous, birds.

The Curbside Gyms That Keep Rare New Zealand Parrots Out of Trouble

What is it with teenage males and traffic cones?

Natasha Frost January 11, 2018

Illustration of an extinct New Zealand burrowing bat by Gavin Mouldey.

Found: A Giant Extinct Burrowing Bat

It used to scurry about on all fours on New Zealand's forest floor.

Vittoria Traverso January 10, 2018

Alan Tennyson holds more than 20 fossilized kakapo beaks. Just 154 of the birds are alive today.

The Pit of Death That Holds the History of New Zealand's Flightless Birds

A natural trap that became a grave for thousands of avians.

Natasha Frost November 17, 2017

New Zealand birdwatchers survey the coast of North Korea.

The New Zealand Birdwatchers Who Fly to North Korea in the Spring

The quest for a bird that continues to defy international sanctions.

Natasha Frost November 7, 2017

Police search the Deans' garden in Winton.

Was Minnie Dean Really the Wickedest Woman in New Zealand History?

Revisiting the case of the only woman ever executed on its shores.

Natasha Frost November 1, 2017

This man has painted a moko, the traditional Māori facial tattoo, onto his face. It's just one example of a Māori custom fading from use.

New Zealand Is Pushing to Save Its Vulnerable Indigenous Language

Each year, the country holds a week-long event to encourage people to speak te reo Māori.

Natasha Frost September 14, 2017

A mud bubble in a Rotorua mud pool.

The Controversy Over Five Tons of Imported Party Mud

Locals in New Zealand say it's like importing sand to the desert.

Natasha Frost July 27, 2017

A Hiker Was Found in a New Zealand Hut After Going Missing for a Month

It's winter Down Under.

Erik Shilling August 25, 2016

How to Tell an Australian From a New Zealander

Bloody hell, mate, don't get it wrong.

Ella Morton August 9, 2016