Ten Famous Kiwis – a travel blog

by Julie Tetel Andresen | December 22, 2017 |

Title image: kiwi birds pecking at slices of kiwi fruit

Before I relate my adventures in New Zealand I’ll point out 10 famous New Zealanders you might know – or, at least, should know. In a country of 4.7 million people, these 10 stand out:

Notable Women

1. Kate Sheppard (1847-1934) was the most prominent member of New Zealand’s suffragette movement and the most famous suffragette. She was born in Liverpool England and immigrated to NZ in 1868. She is honored on New Zealand’s $10 note:

2. Jacinda Ardern, age 37, is New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister, elected on October 27, 2017

She is a member of the Labour Party.

3. Lorde, born Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, has multiple Grammy nominations and two wins for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance in 2014 for Royals

Watch the video of Royals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFasFq4GJYM

4. Elle MacPherson, a supermodel in the 1980s

5. Rachel Hunter, another supermodel of the 1980sShe now has the series Tour of Beauty where she goes around the world investigating local beauty secrets. I saw a couple of episodes on the New Zealand air flight from Brisbane to Auckland. I found it fun and interesting.

6. Lucy Lawless. Who can forget Xena: Warrior Princess?

Who would want to forget Xena?

Notable Men

7. Flight of the Conchords, comedy duo Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement

Jemaine Clement wrote and starred in the mockumentary horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows.

8. Graeme Hart, New Zealand’s richest man

He got his start as a truck driver and now he’s worth $10.2 billion US.

9. Keith Urban, country music star, has many awards, the most recent being the 2017 CMT Video of the Year, Male Video of the Year, Social Superstar of the Year as well as the 2017 American Music Awards for Favorite Country Male Artist, Favorite Country Album and Favorite County Song