Posted on 2-Dec-2009 08:58
| Filed under: News
: Computing
Google has released the most searched-for terms New Zealanders typed into www.google.co.nz during 2009 – and the results give a fascinating insight into Kiwi culture.
David Bain was the most searched for New Zealander, narrowly edging out David Tua. Rugby league star Sonny Fai, tragically swept out to sea in January, was the third most searched Kiwi, with Rachel Whitwell, the Auckland teacher who posed nude for Penthouse, in fourth place.
Holiday traffic is obviously top of mind, not just at Christmas but all year round, as ‘toll road’ – presumably referring to the new SH1 toll road north of Auckland – tops the 2009 fastest rising web search list, and ‘Melbourne Cup 2009’ in second place proves Kiwis still love a flutter.
The top news search of the last 12 months – ‘swine flu’ – reflects the country’s concern over the feared epidemic, while the speedy rise to stardom of Scottish spinster Susan Boyle and the closely followed retrial of David Bain also caught the attention of the nation, in second and third place respectively.
Sci-fi sets the trend in films with Star Trek, 2012, Avatar, District 9 and the anticipated Halo movie taking up five spots in the most searched movies. But it’s the Twilight phenomenon that dominates – New Moon and Twilight are the 1st and 2nd most searched movies, and Twilight-related terms also appear in four other categories – Fastest Rising, What Is, Who Is and Popular Celebrities.
When it comes to head-to-head comparisons, Outrageous Fortune loses out to long-standing favourite Shortland Street in the battle of local TV. Michael Laws beats Rodney Hide in the most searched controversial politician stakes, also fending off a late-season surge by Hone Harawira. And despite a significant peak in popularity following their World Cup qualifying match in November, the All Whites concede defeat to the All Blacks as we close out 2009.
Social networking site Facebook was the most searched for term overall, a new entrant into the annual Most Popular Top 10. It narrowly edges out YouTube in 2nd place (#3 in 2008), Trade Me in 3rd place (#4 in 2008) and Bebo (#2 in 2008). Last year’s most commonly searched term ‘games’ doesn’t make this year’s Top 10.
Fastest rising web searches
1. toll road
2. melbourne cup 2009
3. bnz.co.nz login
4. jetstar nz
5. twitter
6. new moon
7. sonny fai
8. bruno
9. tv3 on demand
10. sella.co.nz
Fastest rising news searches
1. swine flu
2. susan boyle
3. bain
4. new moon
5. tsunami
6. robert pattinson
7. michael jackson
8. rihanna
9. facebook
10. chris brown
Most searched for New Zealanders
1. david bain
2. david tua
3. sonny fai
4. rachel whitwell
5. gin wigmore
6. erin simpson
7. john key
8. gareth morgan
9. trelise cooper
10. dan carter
Most popular
1. facebook
2. youtube
3. trademe
4. bebo
5. hotmail
6. google
7. gmail
8. yahoo
9. air new zealand
10. miniclip
Hot tickets
1. all blacks tickets
2. warriors tickets
3. pearl jam tickets
4. acdc tickets
5. basshunter tickets
6. fleetwood mac tickets
7. mamma mia tickets
8. chiefs tickets
9. super 14 tickets
10. all whites tickets
Dead
1. michael jackson dead
2. jeff goldblum dead *
3. patrick swayze dead
4. charlaine harris dead *
5. dj am dead
6. kanye west dead *
7. miley cyrus dead *
8. farrah fawcett dead
9. harrison ford dead *
10. emma watson dead *
*still very much alive
Popular celebs
1. michael jackson
2. susan boyle
3. lady gaga
4. miley cyrus
5. robert pattinson
6. megan fox
7. taylor swift
8. adam lambert
9. britney spears
10. stephenie meyer
Movies
1. new moon
2. twilight
3. 2012
4. hannah montana
5. star trek
6. eclipse
7. avatar
8. transformers 2
9. halo movie
10. district 9
Music tickets
1. pearl jam tickets
2. acdc tickets
3. basshunter tickets
4. fleetwood mac tickets
5. killers tickets
6. andre rieu tickets
7. nickelback tickets
8. mgmt tickets
9. kings of leon tickets
10. pixies tickets
Albums
1. eminem new album
2. muse new album
3. taylor swift album
4. lady gaga album
5. u2 new album
6. shapeshifter new album
7. rammstein new album
8. midnight youth album
9. kora album
10. white album
Festivals
1. comedy festival
2. auckland festival
3. queenstown winter festival
4. nz film festival
5. lantern festival
6. buskers festival
7. christchurch arts festival
8. marlborough wine festival
9. wild food festival
10. grey lynn festival
Who is
1. who is mysterion
2. who is adz124
3. who is jesus
4. who is the stig
5. who is taylor lautner
6. who is martin luther king
7. who is lady gaga
8. who is leonardo da vinci
9. who is minister of education
10. who is p money
What is?
1. what is love
2. what is twitter
3. what is global warming
4. what is matariki
5. what is swine flu
6. what is culture
7. what is obesity
8. what is gluten
9. what is twilight
10. what is sustainability
