Our Life

Rātā Sidwell’s life in Pīkowai Valley has truly fulfilled her Little House on the Prairie aspirations.

With summer just around the corner, we turned to Registered Nurse and Holistic Health Practitioner Sarah Vickers for some advice on allergies and how to keep them at bay.

A Registered Nurse and Midwife for over 35 years, Frances Green notes a tendency for women to take unnecessary steps in the name of ‘cleanliness’. As she explains, educating yourself on your anatomy and its processes is a better bet.

Summer is coming and that is excuse enough for us to spend hours in the sun on the deck with a good book. Here is what our team of reviewers – Lucinda Diack, Belinda O’Keefe and Luisa Osborne – have been poring through this month.

Discover something new with our top picks of what to wrap your ears around this month. Reviews from our wider CountryWide Media team.

The sun is out so it is time to shed the layers and have a little more fun! While neutral looks are as popular as ever, colour is back in cosmetics and giving skin a refresh never goes out of style. Tracy O’Connor shares her must-haves to effortlessly welcome summer in style.

Two Christchurch businesses that played a huge part in Christchurch’s post-earthquake regeneration have teamed up to revitalise part of the city’s red zone.

This issue we turned to our favourite booksellers for their picks on what to read this month – Sara Shand from Emmas at Oxford and Millie Blackwell from Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop. And they didn’t disappoint! We can’t wait to get reading.

Describing her clothing brand, Jessica Flora, as a love letter to Mother Earth, Jess Beachen is on a mission to make clothes that the fair lady herself would be proud to wear. We talk about sustainable fashion and what it means to her. 

There are a number of other dietary and lifestyle recommendations that can improve the way we sleep.

Shaz Andrew, Naturopath and Holistic Nutritionist from Hana shares seven ways of supporting a healthy lymphatic system.

We asked our wider editorial team for their must-listens of the moment – enjoy adding them to your listening library!

Let’s stop using the word ‘normal’ to talk about women’s bodies. As a registered nurse and midwife, Frances Green has had a front-row seat to absolutely everything the female body can do. After 35 years of experience, she explains why there’s no such thing as ‘normal’.

A rare hypercar lives out its retirement, seldom driven but much admired.

Understanding disposition could revolutionise ageing, offering tailored strategies for optimal longevity.

Keeping the Wairarapa in the dark is a six-year mission for a resident and his band of like-minded enthusiasts.

Hemi Sundgren's quest to reclaim identity and te reo Māori has put him in the roles of historian, artist and tribal leader.

Going into retirement: Why a ‘zest for life’ is crucial

Answer this unusual question: What would you cross on an I-beam for?

A snapshot in time: Earliest known photographs of Aotearoa/New Zealand exhibited in new book

Piha’s community effort to resurrect their land

The Piha community rallies to plant native bush on slips caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.

The company marching into battle against cleaning product giants

Auckland start-up Cleanery is cleaning up the supermarket aisles, one sachet at a time.

An Otago woman’s quest to find the perfect locally made woollen coat turned into a sustainable fashion brand starring the wool from her own sheep

Recommended Reading: Books by Aotearoa/New Zealand authors

Our resident bibliophile shares her thoughts on novels penned within our own shores

The remote beauty of the Seaward Kaikōura Range allows for the avid climber to trek through historical footsteps.

A full-time school principal and part-time pickleball player hopes his sport will become New Zealand’s next big thing.

DIY: Miniature Garden

Time to downsize! Create your own tiny landscape out of moss, flowers, twigs and foliage.

Candlelight and flowers — what could be prettier?

A car purchased for fun and frolics has turned its owner into an accidental investor.

That peaceful easy feeling: A new era for Volkswagen vans

Up, up and away at a moment’s notice and in ultimate comfort is the happy option for today’s Volkswagen campervan owners

It doesn't take a lot of time, cost or effort to elevate the beauty of your home, says interiors expert Tracy Hawker.

As little penguins make the risky journey to and from their burrows, a couple from Kaiteriteri act as their guardians.

The Buick that crossed the Pacific

Purchased from a seller in Michigan, a dismantled vintage car makes an international journey.

Recommended reading: Award-winning books worth their accolades

Our resident bibliophile dips into award-winning books from across the decades.

New light is being shed on the type of pain that has no obvious cause, prompting hope for thousands.