Image: Year in Search 2023 illustration by local artist Sarah Maybe Little
As 2023 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the moments, milestones and mysteries that captured Kiwi’s attention this year.
We tried to make sense of historic events, both on our shores and further afield. We grappled with cyclones and flooding, elected a new Government and hosted the world’s women’s soccer teams. We mourned the loss of the universally funny Matthew Perry, asked questions about the resignation of Jacinda Ardern and marvelled at the spectacle of Posie Parker. And we continue to try to make sense of the war in Israel and Gaza.
Yet among all of this there were moments of levity. Barbie hit our screens, we found a new daily challenge in Connections and yorkshire puddings graced our dinner plates.
Google’s Year in Search also allows us to reflect on the year through the lens of the questions we asked. Why is there an egg shortage? How do you say Happy Matariki? How exactly do you cook frankfurters?
Let’s take a look at some key themes from our searches in Aotearoa this year:
Sports Above All Else
We’ve proven time and again that we’re a nation of sports-mad people and this year is no exception. We were so spoiled with sports games, events and tournaments that it's a wonder we got anything else done. We hosted the FIFA Women’s World Cup, made it all the way to the finals of the men’s Rugby World Cup and created a cultural movement around “Up the Wahs!”. The list of sporting heroes reflects the breadth of our sporting prowess, with golf, UFC, motorsports, cricket, soccer, rugby and league all represented in our top trending Kiwis.
How’s the weather?
As we wait patiently for the summer we deserve to begin, it is clear that the weather has occupied more than just the thoughts of many Kiwis this year. With unprecedented becoming the most common way to describe weather events, we bore the brunt of flooding, atmospheric rivers and cyclones unlike anything we’ve seen before. Tools like Geonet, Windy and Rain Radar helped us to understand these weather patterns, while Skyscanner assisted in planning our escape. The DIY-minded looked to make the most of the sunshine with solar panels, while star gazers wondered how to find matariki.
Civic Duty
We close out this year with a new Government and a new Monarch. The latter had us whipping up Coronation quiche and chicken. We started this year wondering why Jacinda Ardern decided to resign, and we put our mettle to the census and elections of both the human and avian kind. Congratulations again to the Pūtekeke! With politicians from across the political spectrum in our trending searches, as well as questions on how to register and vote, we clearly took our civic duties seriously this year.
Culinary Creativity and Home Comforts
Our top trending culinary delights show we like to branch out creatively, but are also creatures of comfort. Yorkshire pudding took the top savoury spot, while teriyaki sauce, crayfish and frankfurters all featured on menus around the country. Dishes like fry bread, steak and lamb chops show we’re still keen to get the basics right. Our sweet tooth cravings had us baking cookies, afghans and, perhaps curiously, orange cake.
Check out the full trending Search data for New Zealand in 2023:
News
Cyclone Gabrielle
Matthew Perry
Election Results
Census 2023
Auckland Airport
Auckland Flooding
Jacinda Ardern
War in Israel and Gaza
Auckland Shooting
Submarine Missing
Sporting Events
Rugby World Cup
FIFA World Cup
NRL Ladder
Cricket World Cup
Warriors vs Broncos
All Blacks vs Ireland
ASB Classic
Ashes
All Blacks vs France
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury
Sports Teams
Warriors
All Blacks
Black Caps
Inter Miami
Lakers
Football Ferns
Wrexham
Chiefs
Breakers
Manchester City
Loss
Matthew Perry
Sinead O'Conner
Jock Zonfrillo
Ken Block
Tina Turner
Nicola Bulley
Yanfei Bao
Cal Wilson
Angus Cloud
Lance Reddick
Global Figures
Posie Parker
Andrew Tate
Taylor Swift
David Beckham
Harry Styles
Prince Harry
Margot Robbie
Jeremy Renner
Elton John
Ed Sheeran
Notable New Zealanders
Ryan Fox
Israel Adesanya
Liam Lawson
Lydia Ko
Dai Henwood
Shaun Johnson
Rachin Ravindra
Simon Barnett
Sam Whitelock
Michael Boxall
New Zealand Politicians
Jacinda Ardern
Chris Hipkins
Kiri Allen
Christopher Luxon
Winston Peters
David Seymour
Carmel Sepuloni
Wayne Browne
Chloe Swarbrick
Marama Davidson
Movies
Oppenheimer
Barbie
Avatar
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Guardians of the Galaxy
John Wick 4
The Menu
Sound of Freedom
Puss in Boots
Glass Onion
Series
The Last of Us
Ginny & Georgia
The Night Agent
Daisy Jones & The Six
Wednesday
Queen Charlotte
Succession
Beef
White Lotus
The Idol
Definitions
Culvert
Cis White Male
Wan
Woman
Proclaim
Staid
Credo
Snafu
Contempt
Misogyny
Sweet Recipes
Cookie
Scone
Afghan
Icing
Mug Cake
Red Velvet Cake
Pancakes
Muffin
Orange Cake
Pikelets
Savoury Recipes
Yorkshire Pudding
Focaccia
Coronation Quiche
Coronation Chicken
Teriyaki Sauce
Fry Bread
Pulled Pork
Bagel
Big Mac Sauce
Chicken Nibbles
How To
How to vote
How to lock facebook profile
How to watch rugby world cup
How to deactivate facebook
How to solve a rubik's cube
How to get rid of my ai on snapchat
How to say happy Matariki
How to register to vote
How to watch women's world cup
How to find Matariki
What is...?
What is Threads?
What is happening in Israel?
What is Hamas?
What is a blue moon?
What is ALS?
What is the willow project?
What is Oppenheimer about?
What is ChatGPT?
What is a culvert?
What is Matariki day?
Why
Why is Israel and Gaza fighting?
Why is Book Depository closing?
Why were chainsaws invented?
Why is there an egg shortage?
Why did hamas invade Israel?
Why was the interislander ferry Kaitaki in the news last week?
Why did Jacinda Ardern retire?
Why is China upset with Japan?
Why were some roads closed and the public asked to avoid an area in central Auckland last week?
Why is it called a blue moon?
D.I.Y
Headboard
Chicken Coop
Lash Extensions
Easy Halloween Costumes
Chocolate Gift Box Ideas
Mother's Day Gifts
Solar Panels
Dog Wash
Fly Screen
Advent Calendar
How to Cook
How to cook pasta
How to cook steak
How to cook lamb chops
How to cook brown rice
How to cook tofu
How to cook choko
How to cook rhubarb
How to cook salmon
How to cook crayfish
How to cook frankfurters
