Woman NZ

Like thousands of New Zealanders right now, I’ve been doing time in “iso”. My son caught Omicron and between us and the outdoor shed where he slept, we managed 10 days of avoiding each other’s airstream. More than ever I’m grateful for writers and fi

It’s clear: Jane Campion is the most lauded and influential female director, not just “living”, but in the history of film. But while we’ll cheer her on at this year’s Oscars – where her latest film The Power of the Dog is nominated in 12 categories

Some 200 pages into Noelle McCarthy’s spectacular maelstrom of a memoir, Grand – Becoming my mother’s daughter, unexpected peace breaks out. It’s 2017 and we’re in Cork, Ireland, at a party celebrating the birth of Noelle’s daughter, Eve. Noelle and

It’s not flash or fancy; just a basic white weatherboard house on a corner site in a residential suburb in West Auckland. But to its occupant, mum-of-five Potoz, the house is a haven. Potoz – who prefers to be known by the nickname she was given on t

I can hear her up in the magpie tree, her cry lower, more baby-like: a chatter, a wee warble, the odd excited squawk when she joins in with the magpie orchestra, all their beaks pointed at the sky, throats wobbling. It’s lovely to listen to; hard to

Remember April last year? We didn’t know about Delta, let alone Omicron, and could plan trans-Tasman travel. It was possible to think life was back to normal. That was when Helen Robinson – wearing a lei of cream flowers, pounamu and a korowai cloak

POLITICAL REPORTER, MĀORI TELEVISION It was a big week for Māori Television’s political reporter Rukuwai Tipene-Allen when she received her moko kauae five years ago. She had just started her new job as a broadcast journalist at the indigenous channe

One of my favourite books growing up was The Book of Heroic Failures. It’s a collection of anecdotes about people who did things badly and wrong, and how things then went badly and wrong for them. It was the handbook of the Not Terribly Good Club of

Last December, while the rest of the world was eating, drinking and celebrating the birth of baby Jesus, if you’d been in North Korea you wouldn’t have been able to join in. Because from December 17-28, the hermit kingdom imposed a strict ban on shop

Hundreds of protesters are sprawled across the Beehive lawn, a sea of tents and upside-down flags. It’s day 11 of the anti-mandate protest and participants are still very much in the fight part of the fight/flight response. Across the barricades, MPs

Before everything changed, I used to be a person who travelled. Three years ago, I couldn’t have imagined a world where we all stayed put, without keeping up to date with airline sales, making plans to see friends overseas or trying to dodge a crowd

There’s an accepted etiquette to visiting a museum: walk, don’t run; stay behind the barriers, don’t touch the artefacts, speak in hushed tones, and if you want to express awe, do it reverently rather than with wild abandon. So, dancer Chrissy Kokiri

Never ask a woman who wears Ugg boots in January what she thinks about hot showers – unless you have 10 minutes you’ll never need back. Because Ugg Boot Woman (me) would tell you how much she loathes the cold, how her home is heated to Bikram yoga le

There’s been a collective shift in make-up trends since the pandemic hit. Lockdowns aside, most of us learned not to bother with lipstick or gloss due to face masks covering our mouths. Lipstick sales even took a hit, with a reported industry drop in

Bevan’s tip: Soak several cups of currants ahead of time so you always have a supply on hand. They keep for months in the fridge and the longer they soak in the vinegar, the juicier and plumper they get. Also, the natural sugars in the currants make

Yum! Whittaker’s has released a creamy new white chocolate which has vibes of the creamiest caramel. Blondie is aptly named - we’re sure it will be a number one smash hit. Who wouldn’t want this gorgeous creation at their next picnic celebration? Hea

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OCKHAM NZ BOOK AWARDS FINALIST Novelist Whiti Hereaka loves telling stories. In fact, she becomes so passionate when talking about her work that she starts using what she describes as “jazz hands” to express her opinions. “I think it’s wonderful that

Poetry is on the rise post-pandemic. Anna Jackson’s new book Travels & Actions: How Poetry Works, released this month, might just be the book you need to get with the programme. It contains a playful exploration of ideas and poetry and includes a mix

• Karen Walker Paints testpots in: Resene Quarter Sorrell Brown Resene Weathered Yellow Resene Quarter Crisp Green Resene Quarter Powder Blue• Testpot of Resene Dapper• Resene testpot brushes and Resene art brush• Cage lampshade and suspension kit• C

In cinemas from March 24 Nightraiders is a woman-led New Zealand/Canadian co-production which brings a unique collaboration of Māori and Native American storytelling to the fore, cleverly tackling the historic abuse of indigenous people in a futurist

Aries Ingress March 21, 2022, 3.34am NZT The sun crosses the vernal equinox into the cardinal fire sign of Aries – this marks the traditional seasonal festival of spring, and the point when day and night are equal in length. Those born under the sign

My friend Claire is much cooler than me. We were born in the late ’70s but she effortlessly slips into Gen-Z during our conversations, leaving me Googling words like “stan” and “DINKS” so I can catch up. I’m verbally stuck in the ’90s and still say t

Use the clues to fill in the spaces in the numbered hexagons. Each answer runs clockwise but can start anywhere in the shape. Where hexagons touch, they have the same letter. We’ve given you a word to start with. The letters in the white hexagon reve

As with many an Aotearoa gem, if you fail to take a crucial turn as you swoop into Ōamaru, an hour and a half north of Dunedin, you’ll miss the staggering genius of this stunning east coast Otago town. So stop. Do a U-turn. Head straight back down Th

Architect Julie Stout has been awarded the prestigious Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZIA Gold Medal – the highest honour bestowed on an individual by the profession in New Zealand. The award acknowledges consistent achievement over time at the highest level. J