Our Life

Get It Straight

Podiatrist Louise Aubrey helps us understand what the foot-body connection is, and how it affects our balance and alignment.

A Little Gallery with a Big Heart

There is a touch of pride in the voice of Cheryl Morrall as I talk to her about the 10-year celebrations of Down by the Liffey Gallery, and so there should be. For 10 years this beautiful gallery space has been run by the community, for the community. A mammoth feat for a volunteer organisation.

The Gift of Hearing

Bellbird Hearing was established by local clinicians striving to provide world-class hearing healthcare to their local communities. Experience, expertise, independence and unbiased advice lie at the heart of their service, as Timaru audiologist Juliet Marsden explains.

Create a magical trail of stepping stones using ready-mix concrete and decorated with bold, beautiful leaves from the backyard.

Converting a barn into a home can create a distinctive living space, but it involves a unique set of building challenges.

A psychology student’s budding business, providing solace when she most needed it, is rooted in the belief that homegrown flowers can heal the mind, body and soul.

A tennis coach and an IT professional have transformed their not-much-good-for-anything land into a tiny house escape.

The pantry contains a smörgåsbord of ingredients perfect as natural dyes.

Father and daughter, John and Susan Badcock, are just two members of the thoroughly paint-spattered Badcock family tree.

Ben Foster has come to realize his car project is a form of therapy for himself and his mates after the psychological and mental anguish of the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake and the last year of the pandemic.

A family committed to a self-sufficient way of life have quickly turned an untamed block into a productive homestead.

Embracing Féte

Hosting a garden fête isn’t at the top of the bucket list for most, but for Min and Deanna Mackenzie, what started as an inspired idea 12 years ago has grown into a much-loved regular event on the community calendar.

Renovate, Refresh and Relax

Sometimes one or two simple changes are all you need to give your bathroom a refresh, and the best part is you can do it yourself! The team at Mitre 10 MEGA explain.

Working For You

Resene Colour Consultant Rebecca Long guides us through some tips and tricks when it comes to crafting the perfect home office space.

Staying Positive in the Face of Change

Yes, recent government announcements on housing mean there are policy changes to navigate, but it’s not all doom and gloom, says Nathan Miglani, Mortgage Adviser with Loan Market Paramount.

Regular Screening

News of Labour MP Kiri Allan’s cervical cancer diagnosis has highlighted the need for women to have regular cervical smears and report any unusual bleeding or discomfort to their doctor. Oxford Women’s Health gynaecologist Richard Dover explains the importance of regular screening, attending follow-up appointments, and upcoming changes to cervical screening.

From History to Histories

Everyone has a view about what should be taught in history, how it should be taught and why it’s important.

Kay Paku feels life has delivered her a series of career options — each a lucky chance rather than a deliberate choice.

Waste from your block is actually quite the opposite to its name — here's how to make the most of its value.

These veggies are excellent for small gardens.

Make the most of this medicinal plant by making a salve, throat gargle or even natural perfume.

Get the basics right, and you can have perfect firewood in as little as six weeks.

The best diet for long life and good health is an age old conundrum. Modern insights say it has a lot to do with eating the right drugs.

For more than 25 years, the locals of a small rural Southland community have co-operated to provide themselves with mostly locally-grown, organic food.

Norwegian rounds are a space-saving wood stacking technique that will keep your wood dry

With cold and flu season around the corner, it’s time to turn to Mother Nature for the tools of self-defence. These herbs can be grown then made into potions that soothe and strengthen.

Working to improve her mental strength and gaining much-needed confidence has been a game-changer for Black Ferns Sevens star Michaela Blyde.

Give skin a boost with naturally soothing ingredients that might already be in your garden or kitchen.

Finding herself unemployed in the middle of a recession, Kathleen Green began restoring vintage wool blankets to their former glory.

In the first of a new column, a medical doctor explains how the immune system changes after middle age and causes ageing’s big diseases.

Italian flair comes to Ōhakune in the form of a racy little italian number.

If you can turn a houseplant into a withered has-been overnight, then this guide that matches indoor greenery to the conditions (and homeowner’s personality) is a life saver.

A love of foraging in the hills of Central Otago is at the heart of a natural health business that's transforming wild herbs into wellness.

A vision to reclaim their ancestral language prompted these Dunedin cousins to create a bilingual resource for future generations.