The top job
Bruce Munro takes Aaron Hawkins for a ride to find out what makes the mayor-elect tick and get a feel for what it will be like living in Dunedin under his youthful leadership.
Life & Style
Racism leads to poor health
Racism leads to poor health
Do people trust the health system? Whose fault might that be?
Many paths to reading
Many paths to reading
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the importance of youngsters getting an early start with their reading. They're more likely to become lifetime readers and not struggle with their reading later,...
A tale of a head
A tale of a head
Money has historically been understood to mean coins and banknotes used as a medium of exchange for goods and services. In our present world this definition still applies, although electronic ...
Hart showed 'the power of protest'
Hart showed 'the power of protest'
Established 50 years ago to end New Zealand sporting contact with apartheid South Africa, the Halt All Racist Tours movement (Hart) became one of the country’s more influential protest groups. Hart...
I'm in the dark over mushrooms
I'm in the dark over mushrooms
Turns out there is much room for improvement in my appreciation of one of Poland's proud culinary/cultural traditions. Mushrooms. (Much room. See what I did there!?), writes columnist Liz Breslin....
Entirely made up
Entirely made up
John Hunter was New Zealand’s most feted female impersonator in the late 1940s and early ’50s, writes Chris Brickell in this extract from Queer Objects.
Booker's Dozen: The long and short of it
Booker's Dozen: The long and short of it
There were hits and misses among this years ‘‘Booker’s Dozen’’, not to mention a book with a 1000-page sentence. ODT fiction fanatics Rob Kidd, Jessie Neilson and Cushla McKinney scrutinise this year’s Booker Prize finalists.
What are you missing?
What are you missing?
Identify what brings you joy and go with it, writes life coach Jan Aitken.
Are precogs pros or cons?
Are precogs pros or cons?
Precognition is the claimed paranormal ability to predict the future — and is widely considered to be pseudoscience. Why, then, is the US psychic industry worth $2 billion a year, asks Amelia Tait.
Little elves' mums, rebel!
Little elves' mums, rebel!
"Mum, 'Miss Jackson' says you have to make me an elf costume for the Christmas show," writes parenting columnist Ian Munro.
A parade of naked-eye planets
A parade of naked-eye planets
As the sun rises on November 12, skywatchers across NZ will view a tiny black dot transiting the face of our nearest star.That's Mercury.
Fathoming the last of the deniers
Fathoming the last of the deniers
Climate change denial doesn’t necessarily mean people don’t understand the science. It might just not suit them, writes David Hall.
A brief flirt with success
A brief flirt with success
In this extract from her new book about colonial-era businesswomen, Women Mean Business, Catherine Bishop recalls the lives of two women who found fleeting success in Dunedin: Charlotte Dawson and...
Don't be offended
Don't be offended
As the Government looks to tighten hate speech laws and students call for universities to silence racists, Prof Jim Flynn tells Bruce Munro why intent is more important than offence.
Wonderful full-moon encounter
Wonderful full-moon encounter
Anyone lucky enough to be located on the ocean side of Otago Peninsula on Monday will get marvellous views of our closest celestial neighbour, the moon, rising over the ocean.
Sanctuary plays host to mistletoe
Sanctuary plays host to mistletoe
Orokonui Ecosanctuary is home to many nationally threatened species, and now Zoe Lunniss is undertaking the task of establishing a highly endangered and rare mistletoe to help save it from the brink of extinction.
Beyond the pail: suds and slops
Beyond the pail: suds and slops
We take our modern bathroom amenities for granted these days, but you can see how innovative the facilities at Olveston were for the times.
It's not personal
It's not personal
It is often said that people with sertain personalities are predisposed to addiction. But then, a lot of things are said, writes Stephen Bright.
Celebrating with words
Celebrating with words
As part of the University of Otago's 150th celebrations it has run a new creative writing competition, "Writer'', with four sections; student poetry, student prose, staff poetry and staff prose.
