Falling into Place
Eleven or so years ago I began hearing murmurs about a great spot in the Karangahake Gorge, Falls Retreat. These murmurs began to grow and so too did my frustration of not being able to get there to check it out firsthand. So I did the most sensible thing I could think of and booked […]
Red Kitchen, still the hottest place in Te Awamutu
Words Denise Irvine, Images Ashlee DeCaires Ryan and Alex Burke may have felt the weight of hospitality history when they bought Red Kitchen Café & Store in Te Awamutu in June. It is a local institution, on the sunny side of Mahoe Street, spacious and friendly, the place where you’re guaranteed good coffee and food […]
Simply Divine
Words Denise Irvine, Images Ashlee DeCaires Barb Cook loves to cook; she does slow braises, soups and roasted meats in winter, and loads up the barbecue grill with great ingredients in summer. When Cambridge’s well-known Simply Divine Kitchen store came on the market three-and-a-half years ago, Barb was tempted by the opportunity to work with […]
Top Ten in Thames
Words Vicki Ravlich-Horan, Images Ashlee DeCaires Many of us travel through Thames as we head away on holiday. We spent a little longer in town talking to locals and discover a few gems. Crown Lynn and Moore Whether you are a collector or just want a trip down memory lane, this store is a […]
Sicilia – Amuninni
Words Vicki Ravlich-Horan Images Brydie Thompson (and Vicki Ravlich-Horan?) Amuninni (aa-moo-nin-nee) is the Sicilian way of saying ‘let’s go’, much like the often used Italian word ‘andiamo’. It’s midafternoon on another cloudless day in Sicily and I’m taking a moment. It is day seven on our first Taste of Sicily tour and after another busy […]
Read Bros, 150 Years in the Making
Words Vicki Ravlich-Horan, Images Ashlee DeCaires Not many businesses can lay claim to foundations that are over 150 years old. Read Bros, in the heart of Thames can – literally and figuratively. Current owners, John and Nicola Read are the fifth generation of Reads to own and run the iconic hardware store. Everywhere you […]
Changing Lives in Cambodia
Liz French went to Cambodia earlier this year to visit schools supported by the Tauranga based Cambodia Charitable Trust (CCT) and to meet sponsored children. It left an indelible impression. When I met my sponsored child, she shed tears of gratitude for the difference I was making in her life. It was profound to realise […]
The Midas Touch
Words Denise Irvine, Images Ashlee DeCaires The tools of Paul Briggs’s trade are neatly assembled in his workroom. There are pliers, files, and fine saw blades as well as machinery for drilling and grinding, microscopes for fine details, and computers for producing 3D images of the bespoke pieces he designs. Paul is a manufacturing jeweller […]
LegaSea
By David Wrigley For as long as people have inhabited these islands, we have been a nation of fishers. Ever since Te Ika-a-Māui was pulled from the ocean, we have fished for fun, for sport, for profit, and for kai. This close relationship with the ocean and all that swims in it hasn’t always been […]
Better Together
Words Denise Irvine The unique Te Kāroro Nature Precinct unites taonga at Rotokauri. It doesn’t get much better than this Nourish assignment, and for a moment it’s all about food: ring-tailed lemurs at Hamilton Zoo are gently and delicately nibbling almonds and peanuts from my outstretched hands, jostling for position and treats. Their leading lady, […]