New Zealand Newspapers

Big pay day for farmers

A“once in a lifetime” payout has landed in the bank accounts of Rotorua and Taupō dairy farmers following Fonterra’s $4.2 billion sale of its dairy brands. A farming leader predicts the payout will boost the local economy, with farmers buying more...

URBAN SLOTHS

How these slow creatures cope with life in the fast lane ...

Long wait for water connection

Property developers in Te Awamutu, Kihikihi and Pirongia will be unable to obtain new water connection consents for at least three years. It follows the closure of Te Tahi water treatment plant after suffering extensive damage in February’s weather...

Design: It ‘must fit budget’

Invercargill mayor Tom Campbell is hunting for reassurances that priorities and monitoring will control the budget for Te Unua Museum of Southland’s multimedia exhibition space. Councillors have been promised timely updates on actual and anticipated...

‘Shock and sadness’ after cafe burns down

A popular Canterbury cafe on State Highway 1 will be closed for the foreseeable future after a “devastating fire” ripped through it overnight. An investigation into the fire at Nosh Cafe, which sits at the SH1 turn-off to Waimate, began yesterday...

Weather

Cannon booms at service

At Marsden Valley Cemetery, a full-size Royal Artillery six-pounder cannon boomed across the valley to close the 10am Anzac service, startling the crowd before drawing laughter. The single blast thudded through the chest, as much felt as heard, while...

Council examines $11m flight school loss

Areview of Whanganui’s flight school is expected to take six to eight weeks and will rely “on people’s cooperation”. The New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy (NZICPA), owned by Whanganui District Council, will close mid-year with a...

Capital becomes Wahllington

Warriors captain James Fisher-Harris has been there and done it all in the NRL. For him, the intensity and noise at a packed Hnry Stadium in Wellington on Saturday night rivalled all those big occasions. “It felt like a finals game, how loud it was....

Call for action in CBD

Safety and car parking in Whangā rei’s CBD are key concerns for local businesses, which are calling for urgent improvements. A Mayoral Inner City Taskforce was set up amid central business district (CBD) shops closing and the businesses not being...

Interest in solar heats up

Canterbury has become New Zealand’s busiest region for new residential rooftop solar installations, with new connections nearly double those in Auckland and Wellington. Electricity Authority data suggests Canterbury’s solar market was already gaining...

‘GET DOWN’

It was meant to be a glitzy night with President Donald Trump addressing journalists at a Washington ballroom. But the glamour was shattered by gunshots that left guests diving to the floor and the US leader bundled out by security personnel. Trump...

Retailers: Clear The Square

A group of central Palmerston North property owners, landlords and businesses want to get buses off the streets around The Square. They say buses moving around Main St and along The Square to Church St are causing congestion and conflicts with...

THE RIGHT STUFFAYRBURN CLASSIC 2026

All the ingredients were there this year, for a very different kind of motoring festival experience for New Zealanders. In March 2025, the inaugural Ayrburn Classic showed its potential, confirming what many suspected: it was a successful concept for a...

The Hewitson Profile

How to describe Dr Peter Sergel, the man who turned a rubbish tip into the wonderland that is the Hamilton Gardens? I wrote a list: landscaper, builder of dreams, philosopher, academic, artist, magician, visionary, gardener. What did he think of that...

Star news

Jusstt for kicks!

‘MY DREAM TV RETURN’

From the editor

When I was 11, a couple of years after my grandfather had died, my grandmother moved from Dargaville to Napier, where we lived. There was a lot of excitement getting her new house ready for her: choosing wallpaper, scouring secondhand shops for bargain...

Why Hollywood is welcoming the return of the blockbuster

Earlier in the week Villeneuve headlined the Warner Bros presentation with Dune: Part Three (NZ release, December 17), starring Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya and Florence Pugh. He unveiled the first seven minutes of the film, showing an actionpacked...

L L A E D O R S & S E N S

A.“Inheritances are the way most Kiwis pay off their mortgage,” Auckland mortgage adviser Mike Whittaker tells me. When inheritances, or other lump sum windfalls arrive in people’s lives, they tend to apply them first to whatever remains owing on the...

FALLEN, NOT FORGOTTEN

National MP Chris Bishop says he is embarrassed after not showing up to an Anzac Day dawn service in his local electorate yesterday morning where he was expected to lay a wreath. Bishop, the MP for Hutt South, said his name was read out to lay a...

HOW WE TRAVEL

Because it is important for our journalists to have first-hand experience, it can be necessary to accept assistance from travel operators. However, we never promise positive coverage in return.

KARORI

Ten2er Closing 30 April 2026 at 1pm Open Home Sun2ay, April 26, Brilliantly located on sought-after Marsden Avenue, this well-presented character home offers an incredible opportunity. There’s loads of room here for you and your family! Four spacious...

Twist on tradition

Making a batch of Anzac biscuits may be on the cards this weekend, so today I’ve shared my daughter’s chocolate version of the classic biscuit for something a little different (or you might prefer to stick to the traditional version). Alongside that,...

VOLUNTEERING IN ‘QUIET CRISIS’

Chris Tremain (inset) is asking local families to ‘step up’ and claims sport volunteer numbers have taken a dramatic dip. However, others say it’s not a new challenge for the region.

AN EMOTIONAL ANZAC JOURNEY

Flight NZ101 will travel its normal route from Auckland to Sydney today but it will also take on a special meaning from the normal jump across the ditch. The Air New Zealand flight will be commemorating fallen soldiers in a collaboration with the...

‘A significant day’

The major rebuild of the former Nesbitt’s Dip on State Highway 2 between Gisborne and Te Karaka will be officially opened tomorrow. The flood-resilience project has seen the renamed Hakanui Straight raised by 3m along an 850m-long flood-prone section...

Smart gym setups for small spaces

MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU Creating an exercise space in a compact home is all about intentional choices. Claim a corner of the living room or master bedroom, clear a section of the garage, or rethink the spare bedroom; it is entirely possible to create an...

Farmer kayaks to isolated herd

Wairarapa farmers have been left with an extensive cleanup operation after the recent wet weather. A red heavy rain warning was issued for Wairarapa from Monday through to Wednesday. The event produced rising rivers, surface flooding and landslides,...

MERIVALE

Auction: Thursday April 30, 2026 from 10am (unless sold prior) Open home: April 26, 1.30pm-2pm From the moment you arrive, you’ll feel it, this is a home that has been deeply loved and thoughtfully enjoyed. Designed with family living in mind, it...

PLUS

Somehow, we’re already at the end of April. Summer feels like a distant blur, and where we might usually be planning a midwinter escape, global uncertainty has many of us staying closer to home. So, if a getaway is on the cards, consider making it one...

Betty bought a bit of butter

But the butter Betty bought was bitter. So Betty bought a better butter, and it was better than the butter Betty bought before.

PET CORNER

Debbie Green from Karori sent in this image of her cat, Boo. “She loves sliding down the stairs on her back, slowly and carefully, and when she’s not doing that, she naps in the strangest positions. Easily startled, she’s full of charm once she feels...

Burn Smart: Tips for clean, cosy fires

CHOOSE GOOD FIREWOOD The type and size of firewood you use significantly impacts your fire’s efficiency and environmental footprint. Consider: Best types Softwoods: Plantation pine: Ideal for kindling, burns cleanly, dries in 1-2 years, light and...

Quiz

1 Commercially, it’s now Hnry Stadium, but most fans probably know this NZ venue by what name? 2 Mt Yasur is an active volcano — and tourist attraction — on which of Vanuatu’s islands? 3 What is the nickname of the US Army Special Forces? 4 The...

The road to treatment just got shorter for top of the South patients

Ademandingcancer diagnosis often marks the beginning of a long and journey. For people living in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough, that journey has historically included significant travel, with many patients required to go to Christchurch for specialist...

Second chances popular fashion show choice

Second chance fashion is growing in popularity and Kate Wild from Turnaround in Feilding is putting on her fifth fashion extravaganza to shine a light on the fabulous and affordable fashion she deals with and to raise money for the Feilding Fire...

‘Potentially it’s a lifesaver’

Abowel cancer screening project run through Gisborne-based Matai Medical Research Institute is a potential “lifesaver”, the East Coast-connected woman who will be driving it says. Dr Jordon Lima, who originates from Whāngārā and is of Ngāti Porou, Te...

Steel plant jobs boost

The growth of the Waikato region is being credited as the main driver behind a new $100 million steel manufacturing plant at Hampton Downs. The plant, on a 53ha site at 61 Hampton Downs Rd, Te Kauwhata, will process about 20,000 tonnes of recycled...

ROSLYN

Buyer Enquiry Over $699,000 This is smart buying. Set in a quiet culde-sac, this low-maintenance home is the ideal proposition for couples and families, or those seeking a sensible lock-up-andleave option. It offers excellent accommodation, with a...

Kerikeri eyed for aviation engineering school

Northland could soon train its own aviation engineers as a study is looking into whether Kerikeri is the right place for a high-value industry school. Air New Zealand is exploring in collaboration with Te Ru¯nanga o Nga¯ti Re¯hia, Northland iwi and...

EDITOR’S LETTER

With TV Guide Production Editor James Croot Australia can keep Russell Crowe and Keith Urban, but they should never, ever be allowed to lay claim to our Rebecca Gibney. Sure the actor’s most famous roles (Packed to the Rafters, Halifax F.P.) have come...

Harvesting power from above

As many Marlburians do, Rick Osborne looked skyward and saw the light. That inspiration sparked a bright horizon for local consumers of electricity. “Through the clouds came what was a pretty obvious realisation,” he recalled. “We’ve got all the sun...

Gallaher: from the field to the front

At Katikati’s 150th anniversary, Jude Dobson ONZM spoke of the All Blacks at War – a moving tale that gave insight into the horrors of war and the sacrifices made. Whilst she was in town, she had another purpose. That was to start shooting for her next...

Riversdale legend Mike is ‘Good as Gold’

Mike Taylor lives by the philosophy that a community works best when everybody does their bit. It’s a philosophy that sums up why his retirement days are as busy as when he was working full-time as a farmer on the family farm 8km north of...

Garden revived and a legacy lives on

A garden that surrounds the memorial to a trainee chef who died 22 years ago has become a flourishing new kitchen garden for current students at Wintec. The revitalised kitchen garden is the work of Wintec’s horticultural students, who have been busy...

ON THE COVER

Romance reigns at this charming cottage in North Canterbury – see page 84. Photograph by Sarah Rowlands

MUSTANG MISHAP

While we always check and double-check material before we burst into print, things don’t always go to plan and the odd mistake and/ or omission is virtually inevitable. In the report on the 2026 Ellerslie Intermarque Concours d’Elegance in our last...

NICOLA CHAN CELEBRATES A DECADE OF DINING AT PARIS BUTTER, AUCKLAND

Ten years in, Paris Butter remains one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed dining destinations. With three hats in the Cuisine Good Food Guide, the Herne Bay restaurant is known for refined dining, polished hospitality and a standard of excellence that has...

THE ULTIMATE FAMILY BASE - UNBEATABLE FOR SPACE

This spacious, sun-drenched, private sanctuary at 63A Clifford Street offers the rare combination of massive internal space and a generous, flat section right in the heart of Johnsonville. Spanning a substantial 200m2;, this 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom...

LOOK HERE

home profile MEET & GREET Isabela Capeto (fashion stylist and graphic designer). THE PROPERTY Light-filled 270sqm apartment in a 1940s building with a view of the Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro.

Are you future proof?

An interesting trend we have seen over the last five or so years is that a fairly large number of automotive repair businesses just cease to exist at some point. We see this when we get magazines returned or cancelled. Whilst there are many reasons for...

A POSITIVE START TO THE YEAR

It has been a busy start to the year. Our recent member meet-ups around the country were a great success, providing a valuable opportunity to share the Board’s revised strategy and hear directly from members about the opportunities and challenges...

2014 Mercedez-benz amg sls gt3

6.2 Litre V8, 6-speed sequential racing gearbox, 7,063km, a full-blooded factory race machine, built with exactly one purpose: to go very fast for a very long time. Legendary 6.2-litre naturally aspirated AMG V8, wide stance, towering rear wing,...

Avoiding Diabetes

Gary hasn’t been in to see me for a few years. He is now in his sixties, recently retired and his wife Pam booked him in for a health check. His blood pressure is too high, and his waist measurement is 126cm, well above the ideal for a male of 94cm or...

Conversation starter: sunken lounges return

Do the thing! rot

When leaves rot they slowly turn into compost, with the help of all the worms, bugs and tiny creatures that live in the soil. Compost is food and medicine for the soil, keeping our gardens healthy. Leaves that have fallen from trees make brilliant...

BLOSSOMS GALORE

For those who live in or near Wellington, there’s no need to go to the Land of the Rising Sun to enjoy the froth of cherry blossom. Just a few kilometres north of the city, the Aston Norwood Gardens provide the visitor with an immersive experience in...

84 CAPSULE WARDROBE IDEAS

PLUS SIX TRAILBLAZERS ON THEIR ROAD TO SUCCESS

INSIDE:

D-DAY'S SECRET PIPELINES HAINES HUNTER SE725 UPGRADE ANTIQUE & CLASSIC BOAT SHOW SCHIONNING CAT SKYBORNE FAREWELLED CRUISING ADVENTURE IN NORTHEAST PNG AND BOUGANVILLE AUCKLAND BOAT SHOW 25 YEARS THE CATCH: BERLEY BASICS REFLECTIONS: THE GREG FENWICK...

Annabel Langbein reveals how stepping back has led to an exciting new life.

Annabel Langbein has written enough books in her time to appreciate the importance of a good new chapter. What she didn’t expect was quite how invigorating it would feel to begin one herself. Yet as she and husband Ted Hewetson immerse themselves in a...

NOSTALGIA

TO SERVE: MAKES 10 CRÊPES COOK'S NOTE: BATTER ²⁄¶ cup (100 grams) plain flour 1 teaspoon caster sugar pinch table salt 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 300ml milk 1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled butter or neutral oil, e.g. canola, for cooking TO...

Fill me in

The cover story for this issue has been brewing for a while. It started as so many articles do: several separate conversations follow the same arc and it’s apparent an idea’s time has come. In no particular order, I was hearing: so much marketing...

Building dreams: Pick the right design pro

Planning to build or renovate? Selecting the right design professional early in the piece is crucial; a well-chosen designer can make all the difference in turning your dream into reality. The three main options are architects, architectural designers,...

You have a voice

After about an hour underground, we started heading back through the cave system. It was properly dark now. The kind of dark where your head torch becomes your entire world. The walls of the cave glowed in the narrow beam of light, wet rock reflecting...

MAKE A DUST EXTRACTOR

Grow apples, pears, medlars and quinces.

When it comes to pip fruit, it pays to do some research to figure out which variety is best suited to your garden. Even a modest-sized section can make room for a small specimen or an espaliered pip fruit tree, and double-grafted trees can give you...

AUTUMN COLOUR

Trees, shrubs and flowers for seasonal drama

Mosgiel

At Elm Grove, the next generation of Kirklands are blending heritage and innovation on the 173-year-old, Taieri, low-cost dairy farm with an A2 colostrum-based skincare range designed for sensitive skin

Wildly Intentional

IN THE EARLY morning light, before the nor’wester has a chance to pick up and the heat settles into the valleys of Central Otago, Sarah Rutherford and Jen Clark are already in their gardens. Yet these are not gardens like you and I have in our...

IMPROVING PASTURE PRODUCTIVITY

A deep dive into utilising pasture well

A historic lifestyle opportunity

This is not only a stunning piece of history, but what a place to live! In the heart of Maraekakaho perched just above the historic woolshed is the Gardeners Cottage from Maraekakaho Station. A lovely two bedroom cottage plus two bedrooms detached from...

4WD and SUV buyer’s guide

The new vehicle market in New Zealand is a 4WD buyer’s paradise. Utes and SUVs are as popular here as anywhere in the world, and our new car sales have been dominated by SUVs and 4WD utes for ages. It’s widely known that Ford’s Ranger is top dog in...

The smart home seller’s guide:

Selling your home now means navigating A Buyers’ market. With more properties listed than there Are Active Buyers, the power shifts. Buyers can Be more selective, And homes may take longer to sell. In this climate, your choice of real estate company...

Fonterra brands gone

Farmer shareholders have said yes to selling off iconic brands to French dairy giant.

Winter a strategic time to buy, sell

When the temperature drops and the days shorten, many buyers and sellers assume the property market hibernates, so they wait for spring to look or list. But for the savvy, winter offers unique opportunities for both buyers and sellers in the real...

Winter a strategic time to buy, sell

When the temperature drops and the days shorten, many buyers and sellers assume the property market hibernates, so they wait for spring to look or list. But for the savvy, winter offers unique opportunities for both buyers and sellers in the real...