Our Life

DIY: Make natural dyes with plants, fruits and pantry items
The pantry contains a smörgåsbord of ingredients perfect as natural dyes.

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

The ups and downs of sculptor Ben Foster's car restoration
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.

Going off-grid and mortgage-free in King Country
A family committed to a self-sufficient way of life have quickly turned an untamed block into a productive homestead.

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.

This woman proves it's never too late to change careers
Kay Paku feels life has delivered her a series of career options — each a lucky chance rather than a deliberate choice.

The best way to be zero waste on a block
Waste from your block is actually quite the opposite to its name — here's how to make the most of its value.

3 ways to use kawakawa
Make the most of this medicinal plant by making a salve, throat gargle or even natural perfume.

10 tips to drying firewood in just 6 weeks
Get the basics right, and you can have perfect firewood in as little as six weeks.

Why food is the best medicine
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.

9 tips for starting a local food co-op
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.

How to build a Norwegian Round Stack
Norwegian rounds are a space-saving wood stacking technique that will keep your wood dry

6 healing tonics to make with herbs from the garden
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.

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

DIY: 6 skincare products to make at home
Give skin a boost with naturally soothing ingredients that might already be in your garden or kitchen.

How Kathleen Green is paying homage to the classic Kiwi blanket
Finding herself unemployed in the middle of a recession, Kathleen Green began restoring vintage wool blankets to their former glory.

The immune system and ageing's big diseases
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.

How this woman scored a 1969 Lancia Fulvia
Italian flair comes to Ōhakune in the form of a racy little italian number.

Houseplant happiness: A beginner’s guide
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.

Meet the foragers turning wild herbs into wellness
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.

Meet the inspiring mums behind bilingual book series Reo Pepi
A vision to reclaim their ancestral language prompted these Dunedin cousins to create a bilingual resource for future generations.

Honouring Our Sleep
Almost a third of adult New Zealanders experience difficulties sleeping. But we are not alone with our wakeful nights. Throughout the world, the prevalence of sleep problems is high and growing – the World Sleep Society refers to sleeplessness as a global epidemic. But help is on hand.









