The Spinoff Weekly: You might be harbouring an illegal house plant
July 5 – July 12
From 1992 to 2021, here’s how much you needed to earn to afford a NZ house
How much would you have had to earn in order to afford a home in the past? The question gets at some of the generational divide that seems to dominate New Zealand’s housing conversation, writes Emma Vitz.
You might be harbouring an illegal house plant
Got a Chinese money plant on your windowsill? Turns out, you’re technically breaking the law.
Direct from the Middle Ages comes a new contender for worst NZ sports column ever
A rambling, shambolic manifesto on why women are ruining rugby, Sam Casey’s piece for Rugby News is an insult to wāhine players, to the sport in general, and to everyone’s intelligence, writes Scotty Stevenson.
The $1 trillion housing wealth crime of the century
Bernard Hickey reveals the scale and method of an intergenerational wealth transfer worth $1 trillion over 30 years. He shows how it could be atoned for and reversed, if only to ensure the culprits can enjoy watching their grandchildren grow up healthy, warm and in person.
One man’s agonising, thwarted attempt to spend 24 hours in a Denny’s
This week, Sam Brooks attempted something he’d been pitching The Spinoff for months: he’d spend 24 hours in a Denny’s and write about what happened. Unfortunately, Denny’s had other ideas.
The Sunday Essay: Spies like us
Twenty-five years after Nicky Hager’s groundbreaking book Secret Power, the true purpose of our foreign intelligence agencies remains as nebulous as ever, writes Danyl Mclauchlan.
The hospitality industry needs much more than a reset
A group of eateries says there aren’t enough workers to fill barista, kitchen, server and management roles, and is asking the government to step in. But it’s hardly surprising people aren’t enticed by the industry, writes Charlotte Muru-Lanning.
We caught ’em all: Pokémon Go in New Zealand, five years on
Five years ago today saw the launch of Pokémon Go, just before it seemingly took over the world. Sam Brooks looks at how the game has developed since its 2016 debut, and talks to New Zealanders who are still playing it.
Every single episode of Mr Bean, ranked
Only 14 episodes of this silent comedy classic were ever made. Which one is the best?
Ko wai koe? The connections with wai that can keep us safer in the water
Partner content
Despite Māori over-representation in the death statistics, drowning prevention strategies have largely neglected Māori perspectives on water safety. A University of Otago researcher wants to change that.
