Our People

Congratulations to Tenor Oliver Sewell

Ōtautahi Christchurch tenor Oliver Sewell has been awarded the prestigious $50,000 Dame Malvina Major Award , at what he says is a ‘critical junction’ in his singing career .

When this athlete decided to ramp up her exercise regime, she never envisaged the impact a new sport would have on her physical and mental wellbeing.

A spirited Waitomo clan have filled their lives with art and adventure, exploring every nook and cranny of their region and sharing some of its best bits with visitors.

Akaroa Salmon wins NZ Life & Leisure's Spirit of NZ Award for its three decades of high-quality food production and careful stewardship of fish stock.

These two houseplant devotees find calmness and joy from decorating their spaces with flora.

Forester by training, teacher by career, Francesco van Eerd found his true calling distilling, blending and selling perfumes with fragrant Victorian flair.

Tiny-home living isn’t just for the green-minded. According to a Christchurch dad, it’s the perfect playground for a father and son.

Self-taught builder James Brown focused on his tribal leadership role while strengthening his community to withstand the challenges of treaty negotiations.

A once-familiar face and voice across the nation, Linda Clark is now more likely to appear in court than on the television news, having swapped the world of journalism for the law.

A new mum’s dissatisfaction with disposable nappies leads to the birth of a business.

After 40-plus years of developing a large property, Michael Edwardes is beginning to recognize that he is more than okay at this gardening business.

A television and film producer moves south to be with his partner and practises semi-retirement by starting an e-bike festival.

The Law of Evolution

Twenty-one years ago, Mark Tavendale had a vision to do things differently in the law sector – an ethos that called for fresh, innovative and personalised problem solving, and prioritising the wellbeing of their team.

Toasting Success with Brew Moon

Serving up their first beer (the ever-popular Brew Moon Amberley Pale Ale) in October 2002, Belinda Gould and son Oscar McCauley reflect on 20 years of brewing. A success well worth raising a glass to!

A Field of Services – Canterbury Feed Assessment and Laboratory

Operating across the wider Canterbury region, Canterbury Feed Assessment and Laboratory has been delivering results to local farmers since 1998. We meet new owners Rory and Michelle Boleyn.

Pole vaulting requires energy, endurance, timing, technique, strength and control. According to Olympian Eliza McCartney, it’s also fun.

It took Lynda Perry 40 years to realize her dream of joining the police, but it’s been worth the wait.

Five generations of the Blundell family have made their home at Riverhaven in Clevedon, south-east of Auckland, first as farmers, then orchardists, and now artists.

A stroll a day keeps the weeds at bay along this walkway, created by two retirees in the Bay of Islands.

Rachel McNae is playing a lead role in encouraging women to tie flies, step into their waders and go fishing.

She is an artist, he has grand ideas; a couple so enamoured with bringing beauty to the world has transformed a Waiheke hillside into an earth-brick masterpiece.

The creative endeavours — goldwork, jewelry and flax-derived lace — of three Antipodean artisans shine brightly at Uzbekistan’s new folk-art festival.

A craftsman working in stone, iron and wood channels his Celtic forebears and takes his time to make everything look just so.

Two men, two dogs and 50-odd phones vie for space in a 19th-century Naseby mud-brick home.

Ngāti Ranginui chair Donna Ngaronoa Gardiner focuses her leadership on common iwi goals within Tauranga Moana so future generations can grow and strengthen their connections.

Beautifully Useful – Honest Wolf

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.

The Joy of Independence – More Mobility

For the last 15 years, the team at More Mobility have been providing mobility and living solutions to Canterbury and beyond, but the dedication to their community goes far beyond selling mobility aids.

A Literary Legacy – Keri Hulme WORD Christchurch

Award-winning novelist and Kāi Tahu writer, the late Keri Hulme, spoke of how whakapapa defined her. The Bone People, her first novel, won her international acclaim after receiving the Booker Prize in 1985. Weaving together Māori mythology and European tradition with themes of love and violence, it remains one of this country’s most powerfully unique novels. Her literary legacy will be honoured at WORD Christchurch 2022 .

Flying is in Their Blood – Air Safaris

Offering both fixed wing and helicopter flights over the most spectacular scenery in New Zealand, the Raywards’ passion for flying has propelled a successful family business, with three generations bringing Air Safaris to great heights.

The Wild Man From Borneo – David Fox

David Fox’s career has spanned over half a century covering the wilds of Borneo as well as major residential projects in Canterbury.

Becoming Tangata Tiriti

Dr Chris Jansen opens up about his journey as a Pakeha New Zealander when it comes to understanding his identity as Tangata Tiriti .

An Argentinian couple built a chocolate business in the Southern Lakes out of a deep longing for the tastes of their childhood.

Farming life is changing rapidly. But for this Rangitīkei family, the land still has an incredible tug.

A pampered plane lets its devoted humans share its fancy hangar on a high-country station in mid-Canterbury.