One historic election: Women on a roll

Almost 130 years ago, on November 28, 1893, women joined men at the polling stations for the first time.

Campaigning tactics had, as a result, been a little different. Politicians courted female constituents with letters on scented notepaper with forget-me-nots. One candidate made the blunder of scheduling a ladies’ meeting on washing day. In Christchurch, a protester hoisted a petticoat on a prominent flagpole.

Kate Sheppard, who had led the suffrage campaign to victory, noted with disgust the “bland and oily manner” of politicians who had opposed her now trying to pass themselves off as supporters of women.

Here’s an inside look at that historic campaign. Keep reading...

How our weather is getting weirder

“Aotearoa is warming; it’s us. We are sure. It’s bad. But we can do something about it.” That’s Nick Cradock-Henry’s summary of the government’s latest climate report published earlier this week.

Weather in New Zealand is getting weirder, and the report attempts to describe how. We have longer growing seasons, fewer frost days, more droughts and less extreme wind. Despite the summer’s deluges, average rainfall is decreasing in the north of the country, while the south is becoming wetter. Eight of our 10 warmest years on record were in the last decade. Our hottest days are about 0.5 degrees hotter than they were 20 years ago.

The report also looks to the future. Our money-making crops—apples, kiwifruit, grapes—are probably going to grow just fine in a warmer climate, but that’s about the extent of the positive news for plants: a warmer climate will probably wipe out half our native alpine plants, and our native forests aren’t adapted for wildfires or drought.

But, as Cradock-Henry points out, we can do something about it. Here’s our series of stories looking at how to solve some of the biggest challenges facing New Zealand. Keep reading...

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One great yarn: At the mercy of the ice

If you missed this story, published earlier this year, now’s the time to dive in. It has no politicians at all.

Antarctica, the summer of 1972. Four young scientists set off on a day trip, but become cut off and stranded on the ice. Suddenly, they’re fighting for survival, jumping between ice floes that shatter and sink beneath them, risking their lives with every leap.

Ellen Rykers reconstructs the story from diaries and eyewitness interviews. Keep reading...

Experience is everything

1. Southern comfort, 26th October – 2nd November, 2023 (last berths selling now): Experience the rawness, beauty and abundant wildlife of Stewart Island/Rakiura – ‘the land of glowing skies’ – and Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara on an eight-day expedition with New Zealand Geographic co-founder and ex-editor Kennedy Warne sharing his knowledge of the area. 
2. Galapagos of the Southern Ocean, 30 December 2023 – 10th January 2024: Heritage Expeditions organised New Zealand’s first commercial expedition to the Subantarctic Islands in 1989. Over 100 expeditions later, ‘Galapagos of the Southern Ocean’ has become one of its signature voyages and readers can join a special ten-day voyage with zoologist, conservation biologist and wildlife photographer Prof. Murray Potter as the onboard expert.
3. To Distant Shores, 1st March – 8th March, 2024: This voyage combines three amazing destinations – Stewart Island, Fiordland and The Snares – into one eight-day itinerary, with ex-director general of DoC and renowned conservationist Lou Sanson as the onboard expert.