Jacquie Leducq's Blog
Mid-Winter Gatherings
Sipping red wine in woollen jumpers with friends, is one the heart felt joys of winter. After months of laying low at home, the craving for connection and an excuse to pull on some fancy clothes, calls for a classy themed candlelit dinner party. Dust off the decanter, gather the foliage, light the fire and heat up the oven for a night of laughter and tales. Be prepared for this gathering to lift and carry your spirits through the remaining dark winter days.
Roasted Parsnip, Pear and Pecan Salad with Pomegranate and Balsamic Dressing
A celebration of winter produce, this vibrant salad pairs sweet roasted pears and caramelised parsnips with crunchy pecans, creamy goat’s cheese and peppery greens. Finished with a jewel-bright pomegranate and balsamic dressing, it’s an effortless side dish that brings colour, freshness and seasonal flavour to any cold-weather table.
Pot Roast of Pork, Red Wine, Prunes
Slow-cooked in red wine and warming winter spices, this tender pork scotch fillet is the kind of comforting dish that fills the house with irresistible aromas long before it reaches the table. Studded with sweet prunes, raisins and savoury ham, it's a richly flavoured centrepiece perfect for gathering family and friends around on a chilly evening.
Sheep Milk Gouda, Garlic and Herb Wreath
Golden, fragrant and woven with ribbons of creamy sheep milk Gouda, this show-stopping bread wreath is the ultimate centrepiece for cosy winter gatherings. Infused with garlic, rosemary and a hint of maple sweetness, it's the kind of warm-from-the-oven bake that invites everyone to tear off a piece and linger a little longer around the table.
Autumn Equinox
As the days grow shorter and the air carries the scent of crisp leaves and ripe fruit, nature invites you to slow down, turn inward, and celebrate those who have been on your journey over the year. On Saturday 21 March 2026 the Autumn Equinox marks a sacred pause in the turning of the wheel of the year and what better way to anchor it into meaning than a divine and powerful seasonal gathering.
Harissa Roast Pumpkin with Garlic Yoghurt and Crispy Spiced Chickpeas
Warm roasted pumpkin meets smoky harissa, sweet honey and crunchy spiced chickpeas for a dish that tastes like Autumn on a plate. Finished with a swirl of garlicky yoghurt, it’s vibrant, comforting, and just the thing for effortless seasonal entertaining.
Chipotle Chilli Chicken & Vegetable Bake
Sticky chipotle-glazed chicken with sweet roasted kumara and capsicum is the kind of cosy, flavour-packed dish Autumn calls for. It’s an easy tray-bake that delivers smoky heat, caramelised goodness, and pure comfort in every bite.
Beautiful Tablescapes for Every Occasion
Take the stress out of styling with Donna Collins and Colette Williams from Fancy Neighbour. A beautifully set table does more than hold plates and glasses. It sets the mood, sparks conversation, and makes every guest feel special. Tablescaping is the art of creating a cohesive, styled table using layers, textures, colour, and thoughtful details, transforming an ordinary dinner into a memorable event.
Make it Louder
What began as a husband’s quest to satisfy his wife’s love for heat has evolved into Louder, a homegrown chilli oil brand. Guided by their Indian heritage and a flair for Sichuan aromatics, Wellington couple Gee and Jay Parbhu are proving that the best business ideas often start at the family dinner table.
Functional, Flawless, Forever
A thoughtfully curated outdoor living area is vital in New Zealand and requires a delicate balance between practicality, function and style. Jayne Cross-Hunter explains.
Savouring Connection
Are you like us and keep putting off that long weekend away with friends – for no good reason? Let’s make today the day, with our top destinations for long weekenders with friends. It’s time to reconnect and make memories.
Step This Way
There has never been a better time to swap the screen for scenery, good friends and lasting memories, with the rise in privately owned walking tracks offering the perfect excuse to explore, unwind and simply be. We take a look at some of our favourites, where walkers can traverse stunning coastlines and explore rugged farmland while enjoying unique comforts, astronomical wonders and heartfelt hospitality.
NZ Rustic - Te Au Homestead
Visually rich and thoughtfully edited, New Zealand Rustic showcases a collection of homes designed to harmonise with the landscape, evoking a sense of place and belonging. Presented through a distinctly New Zealand perspective, the book highlights sustainable building practices, featuring locally sourced materials as well as recycled, upcycled, and repurposed resources.
Cool, Crisp & Complex
As frosts give way to warmed soils, Jo Cribb inspires us to reach for zingy fresh wines that mirror spring’s freshness and sense of renewal.
Our Readers Book & Podcast Reviews
We would love to share your book & podcast reviews. Get in touch at hello@countrywidemedia.co.nz
A Landscape a Million Years in the Making
Step into a world of dramatic rock formations, ancient fossils, and a thriving ecosystem, promising an experience that is both wild and wonderfully magical.
History, Nature and Comfort
Exploring Aotearoa by foot is not for every traveller, and encountering a destination that effortlessly blends luxury with looped trails, from a single accommodation site, is one that has captured attention.
Nature’s Embrace
Tucked up a quiet, no-exit gravel road lies a hidden valley of wilderness and wonder.
Sharing a Way of Life
For Sarah and George Murray, opening a private walking track was about sharing the unique beauty and tranquillity of their property with others, while building something meaningful for their family and wider community.
The Scene is Set
From sweeping rugged coastlines to the valleys and majestic heights of the high country, Kawakawa Station has it all.
Connection, Community, and Coastal Beauty
At the northern tip of New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula lies Port Jackson’s Pahi Coastal Walk, a private coastal trek that invites you to experience spectacular views, rich history, and heartfelt hospitality.
A Pioneering Family Legacy
Celebrating 30 years, the Tora Coastal Walk stands as a testament to rural innovation and family perseverance. Not to mention an unsurpassed experience.
Celebrating Spring
A celebration of Marlborough in full spring bloom, Garden Marlborough is New Zealand’s premier garden event, taking place from 6–9 November 2025.
Empowering Women Through Adventure
Coming together to laugh, train, push boundaries and learn new skills might sound like a challenge, but the journey to the start line is often the most cherished aspect for those taking part in this female-only adventure race.
Salad in a Jar
This vibrant salad in a jar is a flavour-packed, plant-based lunch upgrade, with crispy marinated tofu, crunchy veg, herbs, noodles and a zesty tamari-lime dressing layered to-go. Just shake and enjoy!
Smoky Chorizo & Black Olive Tart
This smoky chorizo & black olive tart is rustic perfection. Buttery wholemeal pastry packed with melty cheese, crispy chorizo, and herby goodness. Topped with zingy rocket and baked golden, it’s your next crowd-pleasing weekend bake.
Roasted Red Pepper, Avo & Pickled Onion Egg Wrap
Smoky, spicy, and seriously satisfying. These roasted red pepper, avo & pickled onion egg wraps are a low-carb, high-flavour lunch win. Made with a fluffy egg base, hot sauce mayo, and tangy lime onions, they’re perfect for prepping ahead or impressing friends.
Muesli Bars
Crunchy, chewy, and just the right amount of sweet, these nutty oat bars are the ultimate homemade snack. Packed with seeds, honey, and a drizzle of dark chocolate, and ready in under 30 minutes!
The Perfect Fit
Suzuki is redefining compact SUV driving with the Fronx. Featuring more tech than you can imagine and an advanced safety suite, this efficient self-charging Smart Hybrid is next-level inside and out.
Without Breaking a Sweat
Sometimes the most advanced outdoor gear isn’t high tech at all, it’s the stuff nature made. Fiona Bretherton explores a changing shift in outdoor apparel that is not only fit for purpose, but looks good too.
Lumina Lamb Salad
Elevate your salad game with this vibrant Lumina lamb dish. Juicy backstrap, ribbons of carrot, creamy hummus, and a zesty dressing all on one show-stopping platter. Fresh, flavour-packed, and ready in under an hour.
The High Country is Calling
With uninterrupted vistas over the Canterbury Plains, across braided riverbeds and skywards to the peaks of the Southern Alps, RockRidge is untamed beauty just waiting to be explored.
The Season of Fresh Starts
As the days lengthen and we welcome the warmth of spring, it’s the perfect time to get our creative wheels whirring with the season of fresh starts! Pip Goldsbury offers some inspiration.
Hot Meets Cold
Plunging between icy baths and steamy soaks might sound extreme, but contrast therapy is making waves in wellness circles. Backed by science, this traditional therapy promises faster recovery from fitness, reduced inflammation, and a serious endorphin rush. Steph Taylor explains.
Raise a Glass
To celebrate the milestone that is their 35th vintage, we sit down with second-generation winemaker Sara Stocker of Allan Scott Family Winemakers to toast three and a half decades of family, innovation, hard work and laughter.
My Corner of NZ
A proud Manawatū local and participant in the Manawatū Gardens Festival, Angela Wilson, alongside her husband Scott, owns the award-winning Cross Hills Gardens. She shares an insight into her slice of paradise and how to maximise your time in this magical part of Aotearoa.
The Soft Focus of Creativity
Melanie McKenzie challenges traditional visual perception, inviting viewers to see the world through a softer, more ethereal lens. While her hard wire stool might be a juxtaposition to that, even her best seat is an example of the different ways in which softness can be experienced.
Creative by Nature
From sewing Barbie doll clothes as an eight-year-old, to producing award-winning World of WearableArt entries as an adult, creativity is in Leanne Day’s genes. Her far north home is the embodiment of her love for craft, colour and clever design.
Sea Views All-Round
A chance to build a contemporary house on a ‘cliffhanger’ site with extraordinary views also proved to be an exciting and enjoyable building experience for Bruce and Annette Cave of Whanganui.
The Power of Tradition
From the snow-capped mountains of his professional snowboarding days to the bustling production lines of his nutrition company, Rob Mitchell’s journey is a testament to a deep belief in the power of traditional foods.
A Movement in Motion
Some of Alley Miller’s best moments in life have been behind bars. Today she is behind the bars of a seriously high-performance machine and sometimes in the company of hundreds of other women riders.
A Moment in Time
Blenheim siblings Wendy and Ross Palmer have restored a cottage garden into a woodland wonderland, with a goal to delight and immerse visitors within the beauty of nature. Eliza’s Garden Cottage will be showcased at the Garden Marlborough Festival for the first time this spring.
Wild Soul, Refined Luxury
Some people choose to go on holiday, while others take journeys that change something within them. Visiting Africa falls firmly in the latter. African travel specialists Warrick Davey and Chené Wales-Baillie of Kutwelo believe Africa connects you to something elemental, something we don’t often experience in this modern world. It’s wild, but also grounding, inviting you to slow down, listen, and feel part of something bigger than yourself.
The Magic of Fermentation
For nearly 30 years, Kaz Staples has championed wholesome, authentic food, driven by a belief in its transformative power. Her journey is not just a tale of business acumen, but resilience, reinvention, and a profound dedication to nurturing both people and products.
