Google reveals New Zealand’s top searches for 2013: Royal baby, Lorde, and Harlem Shake make the list

From the America’s Cup to the royal baby, Internet memes to life’s burning questions, Google’s annual Zeitgeist is a barometer for what captivated Kiwis during 2013.

This year, the nation followed news about Team New Zealand’s every tack during their close race in the Americas Cup, while the tragic and sudden deaths of stars Paul Walker and Cory Monteith saw people flock to Google to find out what happened. A notable mention is breakout Kiwi star Lorde, who found international fame this year, but clearly also enjoys a huge following at home.  

Kiwis showed a strong interest in health and wellness in 2013, searching for what is gluten, what is diabetes, and what is depression. Arts and crafts had another strong year, with how to draw, how to crochet, and how to knit all heavily searched.

Tragedies like the Boston bombing and Typhoon Haiyan captured New Zealand’s attention, as did global news like the new pope and kate middleton baby. Closer to home it was Wellington earthquake and Auckland earthquake capturing our attention.

Teenage music sensation Lorde ruled them all this year, at the top of the trending New Zealanders list, while Steven Adams and Dean Barker also enjoyed big years on the world stage.

Finally, you can explore more trends from more than 80 countries around the world directly from our Zeitgeist homepage. This year, we've also made an interactive 3D global map showcasing the top search trends of 2013 by day in cities around the world.

New Zealand Lists for 2013

Top trending searches

1. americas cup
2. paul walker
3. royal baby
4. cory monteith
5. lorde
6. wheedle
7. earthquakes today
8. iphone 5s
9. harlem shake
10. x factor nz

Trending how to...

1. how to draw
2. how to kiss
3. how to screenshot
4. how to crochet
5. how to make
6. how to meditate
7. how to knit
8. how to twerk
9. how to pronounce
10. how to sing

Trending what is...

1. what is twerking
2. what is love
3. what is culture
4. what is snapchat
5. what is illuminati
6. what is gluten
7. what is matariki
8. what is 4g
9. what is diabetes
10. what is depression

Top trending people

1. paul walker
2. cory monteith
3. lorde
4. kim kardashian baby
5. nelson mandela
6. paul holmes
7. amanda bynes
8. nigella lawson
9. jesse ryder
10. ruby frost

Top overseas destinations

1. australia
2. fiji
3. vanuatu
4. sydney
5. bali
6. mexico
7. brisbane
8. vietnam
9. new caledonia
10. london

Trending where is ...

1. where is gallipoli
2. where is bali
3. where is dubai
4. where is boston
5. where is waitangi
6. where is timbuktu
7. where is seddon
8. where is hobbiton
9. where is syria
10. where is prague

Trending New Zealanders

1. lorde
2. ruby frost
3. bevan chuang
4. jesse ryder
5. len brown
6. dean barker
7. steven adams
8. daniel bedingfield
9. jackie thomas
10. mark hunt

Trending internet lingo

1. bitstrips
2. snapchat
3. giraffe
4. vine
5. doge
6. bitcoin
7. grumpy cat
8. keek
9. catbug
10. minecrastinate

Trending TV shows

1. x factor nz
2. the block nz
3. under the dome
4. my kitchen rules
5. house rules
6. american idol 2013
7. the block australia
8. the americans
9. glee season 5
10. the valleys

Top recipe searches

1. pancake recipe
2. chocolate cake recipe
3. cupcake recipe
4. carrot cake recipe
5. chicken breast recipe
6. pizza dough recipe
7. pork belly recipe
8. salmon recipe
9. playdough recipe
10. pasta recipe

Most searched ‘2013’

1. calendar 2013
2. easter 2013
3. school holidays 2013
4. movies 2013
5. bathurst 2013
6. public holidays 2013
7. melbourne cup 2013
8. super rugby 2013
9. wow 2013
10. hurricanes 2013

Who is ...

1. who is banksy
2. who is lorde
3. who is god
4. who is jesus
5. who is dynamo
6. who is birdy
7. who is lucifer
8. who is hitler
9. who is archimedes
10. who is macklemore

Trending news events

1. americas cup
2. boston bombing
3. wellington earthquake
4. new pope
5. kate middleton baby
6. rolf harris
7. north korea news
8. auckland earthquake
9. typhoon haiyan
10. oklahoma tornado

Most searched cheats

1. scrabble cheat
2. gta 5 cheat
3. anagram solver cheat
4. lexulous cheat
5. word cheat
6. fantasy football cheat
7. draw something cheat
8. letterpress cheat
9. gta 4 cheat
10. sumdog cheat

Trending song lyrics

1. blurred lines lyrics
2. wrecking ball lyrics
3. thrift shop lyrics
4. skinny love lyrics
5. impossible lyrics
6. roar lyrics
7. same love lyrics
8. royals lyrics
9. mirrors lyrics
10. counting stars lyrics