In case you missed something, here's our most read stories of the month.
1 - HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS AT RISK OF DEPORTATION
Almost all of the fraud relates to fake bank loan documents Photo: 123rf
Hundreds of international students studying at New Zealand private educational institutions could be deported because of suspected visa fraud. Mava Moayyed has the full story.
Orphanage visits are on the rise. But are well-meaning volunteers doing more harm than good? Photo: 123rf
Did you know that your OE visit to an orphanage could be traumatising children, breaking up families and fuelling human trafficking? Story by Tess McClure.
3 - WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A HERMIT IN NEW ZEALAND
Pete lives in the hills above the kaikoura coast. He survives self sufficiently off the land and his garden. Photo: Tess McClure
Behind the harsh rocks of the Kaikoura coast and the bush that coats the hills lives Pete: one of New Zealand’s last true hermits. He tells us how he made a home here 30 years ago and stayed ever since.
4 - THE PENCILSWORD: HUSSAM AND THE DEATH WAY
Photo: Image: Toby Morris
A story of how a 16-year-old boy fled his home in Syria. By Toby Morris.
5 - THE PENCILSWORD: B IS FOR BRAVE
Photo: Image: Toby Morris
Meet B - she's 16, she's got cancer, and nowhere to call home. By Toby Morris
6 - BEAUTIFUL RUINS
Edmonds Tins, Karaka. Photo: Photograph: Harley Plowman
A new photography exhibition presents the North Island at its most derelict – and beautiful. Harley Plowman, one of the show's three photographers, explains the thrill that comes hand-in-hand with documenting decay. By Rebecca Kamm.
Photo: Ilan Wittenberg
Auckland photographer Ilan Wittenberg roamed the streets for months looking for men to photograph topless. The resulting collection of work, Bare Truth, speaks equally to courage and fragility. By Rebecca Kamm.
8 - WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE 17 AND HOMELESS
Photo: Image: 123RF
"Lately I've been cracking it: two days ago I got $200 in one day. This man gave me a $100 note, then this woman gave me another $100 note. Just outside Hallensteins, up the road – that’s the only spot I hustle at. The lowest I’ve ever cracked is probably about $10 dollars. Lately I’ve been having my shit stolen off me. I had my hat stolen, my money, my bong."
9 - WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE ADULT ADHD
Photo: 123RF
"I've always felt different, like I didn't fit in or like something about me stood out. Being diagnosed with ADHD has actually been one of the best things for me; I've spent my whole life fighting all the different symptoms and now I've got strategies to help deal with them."
10 - 'THE PROBLEMS WE FACE ARE TIED TO STIGMA'
Photo: 123RF
Sex work isn't just about women’s bodies. To mark International Sex Worker Rights Day, Sarah, a 23-year-old Wellington-based sex worker, explains why.
