CityBeat - Te Waha Nui Online

by Michel Mathew

Sunshine beaches, gleaming black SUVs, wild parties, the Hollywood brat pack and a sneak peek into their hedonistic lifestyles - that’s what TV series The Starter Wife is all about.

Based on author Gigi Levangie Grazer’s New York Times best-selling book, The Starter Wife premiered with a bang on TV3 just as winter was creeping in on Down Under. Read more

by Charlotte Coyle

When I first heard I was heading to New Plymouth to work at the Taranaki Daily News for a journalism field trip, I have to admit, I wasn’t too thrilled.

To be be embarrassingly honest, I have never actually been to ‘the Naki’ before, so for me the name only conjured up images of a small outlandish farming region recently torn up by tornados. Read more

by Dylan Quinnell

When you walk into a cinema late and you are the only one in the auditorium, you have to wonder what kind of movie you are in for.

Admittedly, a few audience members did arrive for the screening of Robin Williams’ new flick Licensed to Wed, but the fact that they could be counted on one hand wasn’t a good sign. Read more

by Eloise Gibson

It’s not every day you get an invitation to the future.

This made the launch of new political party 1Auckland.com hard to resist.

The new party’s bid for Auckland City Council began on Sunday of last week in a basement room on Hobson Street.

Branded “a party for the future of Auckland”, 1Auckland.com is notable for the involvement of mayoral candidate and adult entertainment entrepreneur Steve Crow. Read more

by Vaughan Lovell

At present I stand accused. Accused of being party to the oppression, manipulation, disrespect and outright objectification of women.

How did these rather serious - and, I must add, rather hurtful and offensive - accusations come to pass, you may wonder?

I hired a stripper to appear at my brother’s 21st birthday. Read more

by Amy Paterson

A vegetarian pie wins the supreme award of Bakels best pie in New Zealand instead of the traditional meat pie – so what?

Café and bakery owner Neville Jackson has beaten more than 3000 other entries with his vegetarian pie – the first time a vegetarian pie has won.

In a country where 60 million pies were consumed last year, we certainly love our pies. Read more

by Carmen Stella

Avid snowboarders and skiers in the South Island are facing a dry run on several ski fields this year.

Small ski fields in the South Island, such as Canterbury’s Mt Hutt and Porters Ski Area, are off to a slow start because there has simply not been enough snow to open all the of ski areas.

Expectations were high that this year’s snowfall would equal last year’s record-breaking ski season, but so far, disappointed skiers and snowboarders have faced the prospect of a snow-less playground. Read more

by Angela Norton

It looks like the traditional Kiwi mince or steak pie with a blob of Watties on top isn’t up to competition standard these days.

A (shock horror) vegetarian pie has taken out the top award at the 11th annual Bakels New Zealand Supreme Pie Awards, earning its Havelock North creator a whopping $7500 in prize money. Read more

by Jane Sissons

“Cn u rd ths witot ne prblm?” Of course you can, because communicating in full and coherent sentences is now a thing of the past.

Due to the introduction of new communication technologies such as email, and mobile text messaging, the English language is in a state of rapid transformation. Read more

by Amy Williams

It’s time to get something off my chest: my name is Amy, and I’m a JAFA. For life.

I’m Auckland born and bred. I spent my childhood swimming at Mission Bay, going to family events in the Domain, shopping in Newmarket or St Lukes and getting excited when we drove over the harbour bridge.

I was educated here - not just at school and university, but in the really useful stuff: how to get home without getting stuck in rush hour traffic; where to find the best burgers, op shops or hairdressers; which bars have All Blacks in them after Eden Park games… Read more