In the new Summer 2026 issue of Metro: A People’s Guide to the City, presenting local recommendations and slices of Auckland life, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, from more than 75 contributing voices ...

Rie Morris speaks with urgency at all times. Her work is essential, and she knows it. Her students are never far away — the nearby walls cannot contain their rhythmic footsteps and waiata. You can ...

It’s always fascinating coming across politicians with unbridled tenacity and determination to succeed — attributes that can be both a blessing and a curse. Simeon Brown is one of those politicians.

Charisma is a gift of the gods. Few have it and it’s impossible to learn or to cultivate. Some think they have it, but it’s like aftershave — it quickly wears thin and evaporates. If, like Tim ...

When the left swept to victory in 2020, the online right engaged in two kinds of copium. The most widespread sought to impose limits on the government’s mandate, arguing that huge swathes of rural ...

The station designs for the City Rail Link have just won an international architecture award. They’re an example of a major shift under way in Auckland — in which Maori design principles, ...

I have a confession to make: I was once in love with Lenin. I grew up in a house with my grandfather, who was an avowed communist. He’d been in the 1932 Queen St riots, seen blood on the streets, ...

A small seaside town is dead. Was it the victim of greedy developers, warring tycoons, or a road that no longer runs through it? Can it ever be brought back to life? If Waiwera residents needed any ...

Words from Samoan and Tongan have morphed into terms you’ll hear used by young New Zealanders. This article was first published in the October 2015 issue of Metro. Illustration for Metro by Tane ...

A rush-hour driver eyes the gaps in the oncoming traffic at the northern end of Great North Rd. His car jerks forward as a sliver of space appears. A primary-school student is wheeling her bike along ...

In the Autumn 2024 issue of Metro we celebrate the best of Tāmaki Makaurau — 100 great things about life in Auckland, including our favourite florist, furniture store, cocktail, basketball court, tree ...

A deceptively simple dessert, Hugo’s semifreddo is smooth and silky; dreamy and indulgent, with lashings of quality olive oil that make you want to bathe in the stuff. The sprinkling of sea salt lifts ...