Our Life

We are loving the top picks from your reading and listening libraries! Keep them coming.

For eight years, Mel Parsons rationalised the red flags and put it on herself to try harder in the abusive relationship she found herself in. One of New Zealand’s most celebrated songwriters now shares her story of how you can always rebuild, even if it’s grain by grain, brick by brick.

Why shifting your focus from aesthetic goals to strength training can help you reclaim your energy, protect your long-term health and thrive through hormonal transitions and beyond.

Tying the Best of Life Together

A breast cancer diagnosis hooked the “full-on Auckland city girl”, on fly fishing. Unknowingly, Louise Stuart found her peace on a hushed street within earshot of the Tongariro River.

Worlds Away from the Everyday

In the rugged upper reaches of North Canterbury, where the hills meet the coast, a new chapter is being written on a fourth-generation family farm.

Pick Your Lane

As electric and hybrid vehicles become the new standard on New Zealand roads, a trusted global name is pulling up alongside local workshops to take the unknown out of maintenance.

An Ethereal Bond

Sophie Bayly’s photography embodies the quiet strength of winter with our equine friends.

We are loving the top picks from your reading and listening libraries! Keep them coming.

Driven by Curiosity

As Antipodes launches a haircare range ten years in the making, founder, Elizabeth Barbalich, reflects on the curiosity that has shaped her global skincare brand – and why understanding how things work still drives everything she creates.

Age Like a Girl

What if everything you’ve been told about getting older is wrong?
Not slightly off or outdated, but fundamentally, completely wrong.
Dr. Mindy Pelz, a two-time New York Times bestselling author, functional health expert and host of the The Resetter Podcast, says it’s time to trust your body.

Words Dr. Mindy Pelz

We are loving the top picks from your reading and listening libraries! Keep them coming.

Toby and Sabina Stuart are quietly encouraging diners to come back to the table by creating a space for real conversation, rest and connection.

From cellular renewal to psychological clarity, the ritual of the sauna is being redefined. Jody Direen explores how immersive design and thermal therapy are reclaiming the art of recovery.

Our Readers Book & Podcast Reviews – Summer 2025/6

We are loving the top picks from your reading and listening libraries.

From Disconnection to Divine

A whirlwind of passion, enthusiasm and deep-seated compassion, Amy Shaw is a powerhouse of a business leader, creative director and healer – beautifully balancing logic with spiritual connection.

A Life in Homes

While awards and recognition have followed Simone Henbrey from one career to the next; for this humble designer and purveyor of homes, the true reward is the trust of her clients and the friendships that grow along the way.

Designing Happiness

In the ever-evolving world of home décor, New Zealand company Patersonrose has carved out a distinctive place for itself in family bed linen, with a philosophy of fun, colourful, fresh style. We catch up with owner Lisa Rose as she celebrates 20 years of business.

Brewed, Not Woven

In search of Better Fibres, Fiona Bretherton, Sustainability Manager at Untouched World, is proud to be the first brand in Aotearoa to bring Brewed Protein fibre to consumers. Proof that innovation doesn’t have to cost the earth or compromise style.

Magic in the Mundane

Nature’s greatest splendours and the grandest of objects are not all that attract this artist’s eye. It is likely to be a ray of light catching a water glass and refracting onto the kitchen bench that sparks her excitement.

At the Edge of the World

Nestled above the sandy sweep of St Clair beach in Dunedin, Derek and Rachael Morrison, have built a life as vivid and windswept as the waves they love.

We would love to share your book & podcast reviews. Get in touch at hello@countrywidemedia.co.nz

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. 

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.

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.

The Enduring Spirit of Dame Robin White

Grace: A Prayer for Peace is a journey into the creative heart of visual artist Dame Robin White, one of New Zealand’s most significant living artists.

Exploring Identity Through Dance

Two of Aotearoa’s most revered dance companies come together to ask one of the most fundamental questions of our time: what does it mean to belong?

We are loving the top picks from your reading and listening libraries.

As daylight shortens and winter settles in, many of us feel a quiet pull inward. While colder days often invite cosiness and comfort, they can also signal a perfect moment for gentle resets that profoundly boost our health.

We are loving the top picks from your reading and listening libraries.

With a mission to amplify the connection between leadership, women, food and global sustainable goals, Lindy Nelson is leading the way to partnership and purpose, both at home in Eketāhuna, and in the agriculture sector.

It has been 40 years since Marty McFly stepped inside Doc Brown’s time-travelling DeLorean, but the pop culture allure of the ‘Back to the 1980s’ DMC-12 remains as strong as ever. 

Finding a moment of peace and tranquillity can be easier said than done in a busy world – yet Amy Burke is on a mission to share her love of natural minerals and essential oils to allow us all to do just that.

Twenty years ago, founder and former editor Kate Coughlan and her small band launched this great magazine. In celebration of its 20th year of publication, we asked Kate to cast her mind back to its earliest days.

Registered Nurse and Midwife Frances Green explains why the language of gynaecology and maternal health is changing for the better.