The Diary: Lorde's boyfriend chased paparazzo

Lorde was photographed looking 'mad as hell'.

Lorde, her boyfriend and the fleeing paparazzo.

Lorde accused local paparazzo Simon Runting of "stalking" her on Sunday and "refusing [her] privacy". She tried to turn the tables on him by plastering his picture on Twitter many times to her 1.5 million followers.

Her boyfriend, James Lowe, chased Runting down Karangahape Rd on Sunday, filming the photographer on his smartphone. But Lorde made no mention of that as she tweeted about her "extreme fear" and being "scared of him".

Moments earlier, Lorde flipped the bird at Runting, who took a picture. The photograph has been sold to an international photo agency this week.

If a picture says a thousand words, this one of the 17-year-old (and The Diary has seen it) says "mad as hell".

She told Britain's Sunday Times this week most New Zealanders are supportive of her, but she has sometimes been a victim of tall-poppy syndrome.

"In small countries, they don't want anyone to look too confident. If you're confident, you're called self-possessed or arrogant. But you have to be confident to get somewhere."

Lorde is back home in New Zealand on rest leave. Her Australian tour, originally scheduled to commence a fortnight ago, was postponed on health grounds.

Lorde was exhausted. At one point she ended up in hospital with a kidney infection and spent a day on a drip. Her parents and managers stepped in and ordered a break.

She has a month off in August and will return to the studio to start work on her next album.

But for now, she told The Times, she has been writing pop songs for other people, but won't say who.

She also wouldn't discuss her boyfriend James.

She feels more comfortable doing interviews these days, realising her fame has plenty of power

"I'm a teenager, and I'm a girl, and if I can be completely myself I can maybe show other teenage girls they can do whatever they want and it might work as well. I think there's more power in that than being an enigma."

Lorde told The Times she's become fonder of New Zealand since she left it, but growing up in Auckland she couldn't wait to get away.

"When you're interested in pop culture as I am, it can feel pretty far removed; I was consuming a lot of music and films and felt like I was kind of outside the circle. And there are only about five radio stations in NZ."

And one paparazzi photographer.