Getting settled into a new city can be exciting, but also stressful, overwhelming and lonely. Scoping out local shops, duplicating keys, finding out when rubbish collection  day is – these all add to the busy period around relocating. It...... Read More

Turban Day is coming to Tauranga waterfront on Saturday, July 21, providing the opportunity to witness people donning a turban and to try one on yourself. Tauranga Turban Day, organised by Puran Singh, will be an annual event in the city, educating...... Read More

There they were, Karena and Kasey Bird, who, as most of us know, entered and  won the Masterchef New Zealand competition in 2014.   It was a Saturday morning in June and I was standing in the warm sun at the Lizard Market at the Omokoroa...... Read More

Commonwealth swimming record holder Moss Burmester is one of ten New Zealand sporting heroes leading the way helping local sports clubs save money and reduce their environmental impact. During September, the LiteClub project Moss supports will be providing...... Read More

I met Neda Nozari at the Lizard Market at the Omokoroa Settler’s Hall in June. She was smiling at me from next to a triangular tower of kiwiana and embroidered cushions. Stacked next to her table, they feature designs created with tuis, beaches,...... Read More

It’s time to think about you, to do something that will make you feel more confident and put an added bounce to your step. Although it’s a privilege to age, some of the less desirable effects of facial ageing prevent us from looking as...... Read More

I didn’t know throwing frisbees  was a serious sport. I even used to joke that I might become a frisbeetarian - someone who adheres to the belief that when you die, your spirit floats up and gets stuck  on the roof. Somehow, though,...... Read More

A passion for children’s literature is all that’s required to attend the upcoming annual Bookrapt (Bay of Plenty Children’s Literature Association) seminar in July. Bookrapt - a group of writers, artists, schoolteachers, librarians,...... Read More

Driving from Tauranga towards Whakatane, I was on the lookout for a marae at Otamarakau. The inaugural Te Ata BOP Film forum was being held there. I’d been told it was after the Pukehina turn-off and before the Pikowai straights. Google Maps...... Read More

Country meetings are enjoyable places  for first time encounters. I met the delightful Maureen Binns one night at a Paengaroa Community Association meeting. She and husband Colin cultivate truffles -  a rare delicacy that I’d previously...... Read More