Our People

Wellington commercial product and food producer Nikki Astwood takes us behind the scenes of her bold and intricately crafted still lifes. 

Tucked away in one of the eastern bays of the Banks Peninsula, Cornelia Holten and her family are quietly building a local herb farm treasure with a global reach.

As Anthony (‘Tony’) Gibson and his family celebrated 60 years of his father’s company in September 2024, he reflected on the role a humble pickup truck played in its history. 

Caring for cast iron

Kate and Levi Slavin have taken a ‘dying art form’ and given it a new lease of life with their cast-iron cookware collection.

The fifth annual Sculpture Festival at Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre features work by some of the country’s best artists; we talk to curator Koji Miyazaki about what to expect.

Finding that balance between rural living and corporate career has been a challenge many of us have encountered and navigated. For Sophie Hurley, it has culminated in a fashion brand that has grown beyond her wildest dreams.

Rob and Mary Ann Burrows were looking for their dream hill block when they sold their 275-hectare flat family farm Beechwood in Culverden nine years ago. While on the hunt, the couple thought the small holding of eight hectares on Marshmans Road in Ashley would do them for the time being. They now describe it as their forever home.

A lifelong passion for V8s led to Julian Cameron fulfilling his dream pastime of building his treasured Ford 1966 MKII GT40.

When Dunedin artist Simon Richardson starts talking about his best seat – a sleek chrome wire affair – it seems like he’s misunderstood the brief.

Helping people successfully grow vegetables at home is a welcome new career for an experienced entrepreneur and event manager.

Farmers, product designers and entrepreneurs Ben and Ness Dickie were a natural choice for our cover story this issue with their beautiful home and property in Waverley, Whanganui creating an enviable lifestyle. Here Ness shares an insight into her journey and love of colour.

Standing in front of a piece of art by Fiona Kerr Gedson is a captivating experience. Where at first glance they appear to be blocks of colour, a closer inspection reveals the texture and layers of the individual feathers that have been used to create them.

A house made of rammed earth, described by its owners as an “above- ground rabbit burrow”, suits one of the country’s most extreme climates and allows its inhabitants to connect to the elements should they choose.

Six generations of a Canterbury family have brought fresh ideas to the distinctive rolling hills of their Banks Peninsula farm.

Michelle Wilson’s diverse upbringing, from urban Ōtara to rural Kaiaua, offers a unique lens on community, culture and leadership.

A pair of serial entrepreneurs are right at home in the province where they were born.

A patch of remote farmland in Abel Tasman helped two sisters take their first steps towards healing. Now, they’ve created a retreat for others to do the same

When Selina Tusitala Marsh wants to still her mind, she escapes into the arms of an ancient pōhutukawa.

Eating with the eyes: How Resene colour influences NZ Life & Leisure’s food editor Emma Boyd

As the old adage goes, “The eyes eat first.”

A garden designed in 1936 is showing its age — quite beautifully — in the hands of yet another generation of the same clan.

Former Women’s Weekly editor publishes her first novel aged 85

With careers to date including a stint in a Melbourne nightclub and tripping the lights fantastic as an actress, why not a new late-life career?

A 1920s fire station has undergone a modern makeover in the hands of a Whanganui couple.

An important historic home with 4.5 hectares of woodland grounds comes into the hands of new owners.

This oasis on the edge of the Kawarau Gorge has evolved over the decades into a retirement haven for the owners — although that doesn’t mean they’re slowing down.

An entrepreneurial couple get the best of both worlds with back-to-back summers.

A beautifully restored northern Wairarapa house, a seven-year labour of love for this much-travelled New Zealand couple, is now arms wide open to guests.

Queenstown's attractions led a new arrival towards the region to ultra running. It has become a voyage of self-discovery.

After escaping inner-city stress for life on the farm, a Waitomo family is offering an oasis for those who wish to do the same.

An Auckland woman finds a creative outlet that brings her joy and delights her community.

From advertising creative to gin distiller, Andi Ross exemplifies the liberating potential of a midlife career change.

The Coromandel artist using colour to brighten up her gallery

After a challenging year for Coromandel, the Mercury Bay Art Escape is back to celebrate its natural and artistic wonders. Meet one of the exhibitors.

Claire Mabey’s favourite chair was saved from a life of destitution at the tip. It now serves as her faithful reading assistant.

There’s never a dull moment in this striking family home built by an energetic Hamilton family — and that’s just the way they like it.

This jeweller and doctor duo from Poland might be the best ambassadors for tiny living.