Joanna Wane
Senior Feature Writer Lifestyle Premium
Joanna Wane is a Senior Feature Writer for Lifestyle Premium for the New Zealand Herald.
Based in the Auckland newsroom, Joanna Wane has spent the past four decades as a specialist feature writer, working on newspapers and magazines in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. She has also co-directed two television documentaries. Before joining NZME in 2020, she was deputy editor at North & South magazine, where she was named feature writer of the year (long-form) in 2017 and a finalist for feature writer of the year (short-form) in 2019. With a particular focus on social issues and the arts and culture sector, she has won multiple travel writing awards, including travel writer of the year in 2017, and best journalist in both the lifestyle and current affairs categories at the Magazine Publishers Association's Media Awards.
Check out Joanna’s latest content
"I don't want to go to a restaurant and have pea foam. I just want the pea."
It's all about kai and community at Falls Retreat, a paddock-to-plate paradise.
Garage stories: Comedian Courtney Dawson’s baby sister steps into the limelight
The youngest in a family of performers is about to make her debut with Black Grace.
Sir Roger Hall at 86: Can the man with the Midas touch still spin box-office gold?
A love letter to Auckland, End of Summer Time brings Dickie Hart back to the stage.
Ockham Book Awards: All the winners from local literature's biggest night
Wellington author takes fiction's richest prize for a second time.
The flight of the butterflies: Photographer Deborah Kelland's emotional journey through loss
'It’s like being in a snowstorm.'
The man who made a nation cry: One Day’s David Nicholls heads to NZ
'To sit by myself in a pub a long way from home and read a book, that’s a kind of bliss.'
'It's utterly insane': Kiwi comic Sam Wills on life in Las Vegas as Tape Face turns 20
'Those oven gloves are my Stairway to Heaven. I’ll never get rid of the damned things.'
Gallipoli veteran’s lost medals returned to great-grandson for Anzac Day
Four generations of the Blanks family will be represented at Auckland's dawn parade.
RNZ Ballet's The Firebird makes a triumphant return
Principal dancer Ana Gallardo Lobaina says The Firebird is relevant in a 'scary' world.
From Ali Mau to Air NZ: 22 of the best lifestyle and entertainment stories of the year so far
While you enjoy a long weekend break, catch up on some of the best stories of 2025 so far.
Meet the women suspected of murder in Agatha Christie's most famous whodunnit
Behind the scenes at one of the fastest-selling theatre shows in Auckland's history.
Succession star Harriet Walter on playing ‘abominable mothers’ and where Shakespeare went wrong
'I feel rather a traitor because my own mother was so wonderful.'
Loving the alien: Life becomes art for transgender siblings in otherworldly new show
'You already stand out for being queer.'
Wellington performer Jo Randerson on the exhilarating chaos of life with ADHD
The ‘neuro-spicy’ multimedia artist gets personal in a new solo how.
Unmasking a monster: Ali Mau reveals childhood sex abuse in candid new memoir
‘The shame doesn’t sit with us.’
‘The story chose me’: Lucy Lawless' directorial debut uncovers the dark, untold story of a fearless Kiwi legend
The Xena star and first-time director takes on real-life warrior princess Margaret Moth.
Joanna Wane: You’re in for a treat at the best dog cafe in town
OPINION: How Petone has gone to the dogs.
How a Kiwi startup is changing the game for students with ADHD
Kumo Study founder Alex Kerr aims to break 'shame spiral' behind academic failure rates.
The rise of eco-terrorism: How far would you go to save the planet?
A new Kiwi novel asks if taking direct action is more ethical than doing nothing at all.
‘Time to move on’: Kiwi writer’s moving play tackles silence around Sri Lanka’s past
An old mixtape rewinds history as a family is torn apart by civil war.
‘My life as a CODA’: What it’s like growing up as the family’s only hearing person
Jodee Mundy's new solo show Personal bridges the world of sound and the world of silence.
‘Divorce diva’ Lady Deborah Chambers KC on why you should (or shouldn’t) go through with it
Inside tips from an expert as 'divorce season' gets into full swing.
Confronting Alzheimer's: Michael Hurst and Jennifer Ward-Lealand's bittersweet love story
How the couple's new play cuts close to home.
Discover an off-grid bolthole among the vines in North Canterbury wine country
A triptych in macrocarpa, Russell's Cabins are a designer twist on the iconic DoC hut.
She was 26, he was 73: Hollywood legend Gene Kelly’s widow on their unlikely love story
Patricia Kelly is heading to the Auckland Arts Festival with her intimate stage show.
New film on Splore showcases Auckland photographer’s extraordinary vision
After partially losing her vision, Serena Stevenson's new work is a triumph.
‘Is this your hammer?’ - how I triggered an airport security alert
Joanna Wane on why your hair straighteners could be next.
‘A piece of nothing’: A high-country family’s ambitious farm succession plan
Susan and Willie MacDonald weren't the chosen ones – but their children might be.
No worries, be happy: Living on island time in Rarotonga
'In the Cook Islands, there's nothing to do but relax and smile.'
Groundbreaking brain implant in Kiwi child creates another world first
New trial by medtech start-up gives hope to people living with a time bomb in their head.
The 3-minute orgasm: A Kiwi scientist on reversing libido loss at menopause
Dr Iona Weir talks about putting her own product to the test.
Actor Laura Hill on playing an 'abomination of nature' and the cost for freedom
The former Shorty star on motherhood, marriage, and women who forge their own path.
Personal pain for public gain: The accidental advocates who become champions for change
'There is power in sharing our stories.'
Jodie Rimmer: Why it's time for women in their 50s to start acting their age
'I’ve had lots of coffees with friends where we're grumbling about our faces falling off.'
The good, the bad and the ugly: Power-ranking Sam Neill’s best (and worst) films
OPINION: Has your favourite made our Top 20 guide?
An audience with the queen: Rocky Horror’s Richard O’Brien on the monster behind his new show
'I might get weepy from time to time, darling. Forgive me.'
Back from the brink: A rare encounter with kōkako chicks in Auckland's Hūnua Ranges
'It feels precious – that’s what it feels like.'
Theatre legend Tim Bray on cancer, chemo and the man who's holding him together
'Within myself, I still completely feel me.'
MRI scans show ‘huge’ differences between male and female brains
A world-first study using imaging technology may explain the gender gap in mental health.
Tim Bray Theatre Company's final curtain call as founder battles rare cancer
A champion of children's theatre announces closure after 33 years.
Joanna Wane: Every time you don’t wash your dishes, god kills a kitten
OPINION: In the office kitchen wars, nothing is off the table.
Through life and death: How Outward Bound forged an unbreakable bond of friendship
Two decades on, the surviving members of McKenzie Watch gather for their annual reunion.
The woman behind steamy TV show 'Rivals' – and how I talked my way into her house
OPINION: A memorable encounter with the queen of bonkbusters, Jilly Cooper.
Actor Laura Hill on playing an 'abomination of nature' and the cost for freedom
The former Shorty star on motherhood, marriage, and women who forge their own path.
41 of the best lifestyle and entertainment interviews of the year so far
While you enjoy a long weekend break, catch up on some of the best stories of 2024 so far.
The 3-minute orgasm: A Kiwi scientist on reversing libido loss at menopause
Dr Iona Weir talks about putting her own product to the test.
Planning a child-free trip to Rarotonga? We've found just the right place
If resorts aren’t your vibe, these beachfront villas are a private paradise.
How much does it cost to hire a hitman? About the same as having an IVF baby
A new book looks at the dollar value placed on human life - and who gets to decide.
Opinion: Is it okay to be happy when the world is falling apart?
OPINION: When will I be happy? That's a trick question.
From whales to cocktails: Top tips for cycling Rarotonga’s coastal loop road
The trick is to spend more time off the bike than on it.
How Alone Australia's Gina Chick became the barefoot goddess of post-menopausal women
Her compelling new memoir on surviving life, love and unbearable loss.
An audience with the queen: Rocky Horror’s Richard O’Brien on the monster behind his new show
'I might get weepy from time to time, darling. Forgive me.'
The WOW factor: The Auckland property developer whose extraordinary creations are out of this world
Erna Van Der Wat's finalist entry in this year's show was inspired by a niece with autism.
'There's more to life than dreaming about becoming an All Black'
The young Black Grace stars redefining masculinity through dance.
Manurewa dad from bank worker to CrossFit coach to opera star
Joel Amosa is the boot camp bass-baritone who does it all for his kids.
'Fallen short': TVNZ criticised for handling of James Mustapic's comedy show
BSA rules edits of James Must-a-pic His Mum a Man insufficient after dad's complaint.
A dog's life: The new DNA technology that could significantly extend your pet's longevity
We can slow biological ageing in humans – can we do it for dogs?
Director Julie Zhu on finding the beauty in every moment
Fly-on-the-wall doco series Takeout Kids goes back behind the counter for season two.
The truth about lying - and why we're all guilty as sin
In a world of alternative facts and fake truth, is it ever okay to lie?
Is it really possible to reverse your biological age?
Joanna Wane reveals the final results of her 12-month challenge to turn back the clock.
Inside SPQR: The volatile origin story of Ponsonby Rd's most famous restaurant
The three founding partners on the making of a hospo legend.
'Highly offensive': TVNZ removes material about James Mustapic’s father from TV series
The show follows James’ attempts to get his mum back on the dating scene.
‘I’m a leftie liberal, but my uber-woke kids are driving me crazy’
Why even the most liberal parents are struggling with Generation Woke.
The rise of prosthetic eyes – and the surgeon who has pretty much seen it all
Kathleeya Stang-Veldhouse is changing NZ lives - and outlooks - with prosthetics.
Joanna Wane: Why patients under the care of female doctors are less likely to die
OPINION: More 'empathetic' or just better at their job?
Vale SPQR: Kerre Woodham, Noelle McCarthy, Jesse Mulligan remember infamous eatery
A Ponsonby Rd landmark since 1992, it's seen a who's-who of diners through its doors.
‘This is real life’: A Kiwi nurse shares her story from inside Afghanistan
At 37, Catherine Flanigan has worked in some of the most troubled parts of the world.
'I love it now': Sonia Gray on why ADHD is the best part of her
After a lifetime of struggle, she and daughter Inez are celebrating their wins
Auckland teacher forced to fly to Sydney every week to access lifesaving cancer treatment
How Kiwis are missing out on 'wonder drugs' coming down the pipeline.
Two tank shells, five girls in a bedroom - only one survived
Why a bereaved Palestinian doctor is coming to NZ to share his message of hope.
Delphinium Days: Derek Jarman exhibition opens at Gus Fisher Gallery
The enduring legacy of an artist, activist and canonised 'saint'.
Can hypnotherapy break the cycle of emotional eating?
How the virtual gastric band can curb irrational cravings and weight gain.
Jodie Rimmer: Why it's time for women in their 50s to start acting their age
'I’ve had lots of coffees with friends where we're grumbling about our faces falling off.'
Opinion: Donating a kidney could save a life - but would it shorten mine?
OPINION: Joanna Wane looks at why sometimes it’s easier to give than receive.
Exclusive: US bestseller Ann Patchett on life, love and the curse of beauty
'I married the first guy who asked me out to dinner.'
Being Jacinda: Actor Sophie Hambleton on playing the loved - and hated - former PM
'Imagine hearing people outside your place of work baying for your blood.'
The demise of Tuesday Night Community Kai, where homeless people found belonging
'The system is broken. It’s very, very, very broken.'
'Hurtful and unfair': Father of comedian James Mustapic lashes out over TVNZ show
'How did I abandon him when he was 3 years old?'
Why are Kiwis still so obsessed with Jane Austen?
From Regency radical to pop-culture icon, still trending 200 years after her death.
Why (almost) everything you’ve been told about back pain is wrong
Christchurch expert Antony Bush on his new mythbusting book.