Our People
Karen Vercoe on how sports and tribal leadership intersect
The skills Karen Vercoe learnt representing New Zealand in rugby and touch rugby are invaluable in her tribal leadership roles.
The zero-waste legend helping Matakana turn trash into treasure
This Matakana local has gone from being classed as a hippie to an environment hero.
Op-shop queen Anna Easton is back home in Ōamaru
Ōamaru is welcoming this troupe of creative nomadic hipsters with arms wide open.
How Lynda Hallinan stumbled into gardening at 18
In her new book, The Joy of Gardening, Lynda Hallinan recalls how it nearly didn’t happen to her — the joy of gardening, that is.
Painting calmness through life's ups and downs
An artist draws strength and comfort from the beauty in art and nature.
Ramshackle baches have been perched on this rocky bank for generations
Geologists have a saying — rocks remember. If Nelson’s Boulder Bank could talk, it would lay bare the goings-on that take place in the ramshackle baches on its stony shores.
Inside the stormy business of seaweed harvesting
When wild winds rage across the top of the Hauraki Gulf, it’s time for these farmers to harvest a special crop.
Former pro golfer finds new shots after 40+ years in the game
Phil Tataurangi first picked up a golf club when he was a child. Forty-something years later, 20 of those spent as a tour pro, the sport continues to enthral him.
Getting hooked on a colourful, retro craft
Beth Willis is reviving a colourful 1970s craft — one crocheted daisy earring at a time.
How this top female orienteer goes the distance
Grit and determination are part of an elite athlete’s makeup. They were also qualities this orienteer needed to help steer her through the scariest moment of her life.
A vision to reinstate hemp in Aotearoa
These three young men are cultivating a future in which more New Zealanders embrace the plant-based protein in hemp.
From salon floors to the frontline of firefighting
Rachael Utumapu QSM left school at 15 for hairdressing. Since then, her life has been dedicated to the community.
How this Wānaka-based couple is embracing circular design
Meet a couple spinning golden-hued chair legs from flax and glass-perfect transparent seats from plant-based resin for chairs designed to last generations.
An encounter with a 1930 Rolls-Royce 20/25 turned out to be fate
Over the years, John Bristed has owned many cars, but his siren call was the fearless little lady on a Rolls-Royce bonnet.
This man's letterpress collection is anything but hard-pressed
A passion for print and printing presses is filling an Auckland man’s life as well as his three sheds and double garage.
Inside this Clevedon family's growing veggie-box business
A family vegetable business on a South Auckland block has created an award-winning way of selling their produce.
Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou CEO George Reedy on goals, challenges, and how non-Māori can help
George Reedy, chief executive of Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou, aims to ensure the road to wellbeing, wisdom, and wealth for his whānaunga is clearly marked for the next 100 years or more.
Catching crayfish and pāua to order in South Wairarapa
This couple hit the water, rain or shine, in a new venture bringing fresh kaimoana to plates while respecting the ocean’s resources.
Sniff, sip and swirl: Meet the South Island's first master of wine
This Blenheim lawyer-turned-master of wine has always been lured by the grape, from hand-labeling bottles as a child to organizing wine tastings in her first student flat.
A Wellington mum transforms her front lawn into a productive veggie garden
Sarah Hopkinson’s personal and professional passions come together in a sandy section she’s transformed into a productive garden.
Why Lynda Hallinan can't give up on fussy ferns
Lynda indulges her fever for ferns with a tabletop collection of covetable species.
The South Canterbury dynasty behind a potato empire
One man’s penchant for potatoes has led to a thriving multigenerational family-run paddock-to-packet potato-chip business.
How this artist landed on sculpted and wearable art
First chemistry, then food, followed by painting and now sculpted and wearable art — for several decades, this artistic soul has been fully occupied creating what inspires her.
Recloaking Gisborne with eco-sourced trees
A group of (mostly) women are regenerating Gisborne’s flora — one eco-sourced seed at a time.
Hinerangi Raumati-Tu’ua on the value of elders, cultural values and Māori in leadership roles
Successful organizations rely on clear cultural values, vision, authenticity, and creative thinking, says this professional director.
How a bush hut inspired this couple's new lease on life
A backcountry hut along the Forgotten World Highway is a befitting backdrop for this city-eschewing couple.
This spiced-up classic is heating up the drinks scene
Fresh apples and creativity are at the core of this reinvention of a spicy classic.
A Queenstown couple's outdoor approach to teaching pre-schoolers
A Queenstown couple take on the task of nurturing Aotearoa’s most valuable and important resource.
Watch Willy Coenradi manoeuvre an 1880 Columbian printing press
Step back in time and watch a 19th-century printing press in action.
Bringing back the macramé movement in a big way
The art of decorative knotting is making a comeback, says Jade Parkinson.
A bonsai collector learns resilience from meticulously pruned trees
A bonsai collector shares the lesson of caring for artfully pruned trees.
A passion for destroying moth plant has spread far and wide
A crusade against the noxious vine has grown from one to a thousand-strong team.
A globe-trotting couple make Waiheke their forever home
Two global citizens who dropped anchor in Waiheke Island continue to grab opportunities as soon as they come along in a home that melds identity and imagination.
A Nelson couple's mascarpone wins over taste buds
An Italian couple recreates favourite cheeses from home.