Shanti Mathias

Queenstown resident Ben Hildred just spent 100 days doing more uphill cycling than almost anyone else could imagine. He talks to Shanti Mathias about its psychological impact. Summer read – originally published April 29 2025. Ben Hildred swings his leg ov... See more

The minister for digitising government has given us all an early Christmas present. Shanti Mathias tears off the wrapping paper. New Zealand is deep into the silly season; people aren’t replying to emails (productivity crisis alert!) and there are a lot o... See more

Right now, most people carry around a selection of rectangular pieces of plastic everywhere they go. But a push to digitise payments and driver licences could see a big shift in behaviour. Every day, Peter Griffin walks out of his house with no wallet, ju... See more

From the end of March 2026, New Zealand will no longer have a 3G network. What does that mean for all the people who have yet to upgrade their devices? Once, 3G was a brave new world – the first time many people had experienced having the internet on a ce... See more

Nothing ruins a nice summery dip like poo in the pool. So how common is it, what’s the clean-up protocol, and is it on the rise? Public swimming pools are so great – spaces where anyone can come for a low cost. Ah, translucent blue water, the sound of spl... See more