Our Life

Life's too short to be fussy over a lawn, it's time to let nature take its course.

Originally designed in late-1950s communist Czechoslovakia, the Czeta was rebranded to NZeta when it reached Aotearoa. One, now meticulously restored, helped this bike-lover through a mid-life crisis.

The newest 'room' of your house could be right outside your door. Here's what to think about when you're creating the ultimate outdoor space.

Sometimes termed “the fire within”, inflammation is often insidious, causing damage where it can’t be seen. One doctor is on a mission to help people understand that the lifestyle choices they make now will almost certainly affect their health later.

There's never a better time to add affordable improvements to the garden.

A ballad of birdsong, rushing water and rustling kauri caused this photographer to swap the crowded streets of inner-city Auckland for the gravel roads of Donnellys Crossing.

A nostalgic summer activity reaches new heights in the hands of a Bay of Plenty performance artist.

Boutique owner Karan Gregory has an eye for business based on experience earned, not learned.

A sewing teacher with a superhero-like enthusiasm for saving the planet packs a heap of personality into her tiny house.

Summer holidays for a Hamilton family mean a beach on the wild Waikato west coast with a small dog called Rosie and a retro caravan called Roxanne.

A good sign is the very first part of your sales strategy. An effective one will catch people's eye as they get within 10m or so of your stand.

Marie Pourcel wakes each morning to goats bleating outside her tiny home in Burkes Pass. It feels like a million miles from the apartment and office job she left behind in France’s fourth-largest city.

If you want extra beds for summer guests, a simple sleepout may be the ideal solution.

Specialty oils are expensive to buy. Most people assume they’re difficult to make, but it’s possible to do it yourself.

Succulents are a beautiful business plan if you enjoy some simple DIY and a little creativity.

A walker recovering from illness took the chance to clean up his local area. Both are now in good health.

A secondary school art teacher scolded his students for being “plum puddings” and told them to get on with their art. One of them took this admonition to heart, his words inspiring her since.

An old pallet becomes a place of rest.

An oh-so-glorious collection of timeless baches and holiday getaways to celebrate the best of summer in New Zealand.

Nothing says love or friendship like a sweet little treat made at home.

A cold may be common but finding a cure for it has thwarted scientists for centuries. It’s not for lack of trying, however. “Cures” abound (including that one involving vitamin C)…

They live off-grid in a log cabin, drive an electric car, and measure their progress in toilets. Meet a pair of earth nerds living their great adventure.

This Whāngārei-based maternity activewear brand reached 14 on the Deloitte Fast 50 list within five years of shipping its first bras.

A conductor and a violinist find a soothing new tempo inside a Central Otago triangle.

A practical climbing frame for plants can double as art for the garden.

Kellie Hollingsworth wasn’t interested in cars, let alone restoring them. But then a shabby old Toyota stole her heart.

A New Plymouth mum pours her heart into a global movement, bettering the planet one toy at a time.

After one frustrating cheese board fail, Nadene Hall breaks down seven festive appetisers that are practically foolproof.

Gardeners know growing plants is great for your health, and now science is showing us some of the reasons why.

NZ Lifestyle Block editor Nadene Hall has a confession: she is a bad ride-on mower owner.

Marlborough-based artist Nicolas Dillon’s coffee-table book of drawings and paintings of New Zealand birds represents his lifetime love affair with the natural world.

Book reviewer Hayley McLarin’s round-up includes a plant-based cookbook, a story of a man and his rescue cat, and an economist’s take on global loneliness.

Turn your old tools into a decorative garden gate.

Lisa Scott has always been afraid of heights or, to be more precise, falling. Now she’s attempting to overcome that fear.