New Zealand Newspapers

Budget 26’s uphill battles

The big question hanging over Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ Budget, to be revealed at 2pm today, isn’t so much what’s in it, but how it fits together. The Government’s fiscal strategy is boxed in by two goals: returning to surplus and maintaining...

From 1938 to now

Today’s Budget comes with decades of political theatre and expectation attached – but all indications are that Nicola Willis is unlikely to match some of the eradefining efforts of finance ministers past. Henry Cooke looks back at the Budgets that...

Schools at breaking point

Educators hope to see greater resource put into the sector when the Government unveils the Budget today, to help in areas such as stability and learning support. Ahead of the Budget, education think tank Aotearoa Educators Collective has released the...

LINTON

Tender closing Thursday May 21, 2026 This 5.06ha property has three beautifully renovated dwellings on one title. Whether accommodating extended family, creating a substantial home-and-income stream, or securing a multi-dwelling investment, this...

Making waves to raise funds for water safety

Lewis Elliott is all about keeping people safe in the water. The Swim Education Team Leader at Te Pou Toetoe Linwood Pool is taking part in next month’s Big Swim to raise money for Coastguard – a nationwide volunteer organisation committed to...

Councils: No, yes, no, maybe

Taranaki’s four elected councils have signalled their collective willingness to get on board with the Government’s local body reforms. However, they appear divided on how they would approach it. Each council – New Plymouth, Stratford, South Taranaki...

Language-led push to cut food waste

Peri Guan can’t wait to help Chinese people find out more about reducing food waste and saving money – in their own language. Guan is one of the Waste-Ed with Kate trainers who are delivering workshops to Chinese, Samoan and Indian communities as part...

The Games, the Queen and that tiny lunch

Sally and Mene Mene have returned to QEII Park, reliving their Commonwealth Games memories as they explored a new $1.2 million sports-themed playground that now occupies the site. On page 3, they talk to reporter Geoff Sloan about the iconic 1974 event...

Wrecked rickshaw spoils birthday

Jess Reid received an unwanted birthday present on Saturday night when her family’s treasured rickshaw was vandalised while parked on the esplanade. Reid was celebrating her 41st birthday with husband Hamish and six close friends around a bonfire at...

Language-led push to cut food waste

Peri Guan can’t wait to help Chinese people find out more about reducing food waste and saving money – in their own language. Guan is one of the WasteEd with Kate trainers who are delivering workshops to Chinese, Samoan and Indian communities as part...

Making waves to raise funds for water safety

Lewis Elliott is all about keeping people safe in the water. The Swim Education Team Leader at Te Pou Toetoe Linwood Pool is taking part in next month's Big Swim to raise money for Coastguard – a nationwide volunteer organisation committed to...

Rates debate – how much will you pay?

The council has found enough savings to reduce its average rates rise to “4.5%-ish”. It comes after the majority of submitters on the draft Annual Plan wanted a rates rise of 4.9% or lower after the council initially proposed a 5.4%...

Timeless style cruising in

Alexandra’s main street came alive as 36 Mustangs rolled through town at the weekend for this year’s Southern Muster. The annual event, held alternately by the Canterbury Mustang Owners Club and the Invercargillbased Southern Mustang Club, brings...

Rates to breach 20% despite cuts

Clutha looks set to breach a selfimposed cap of 20% for rates increases. The Clutha District Council’s draft annual plan included a proposed average rates increase of 20.58%. Following decisionmaking meetings last week, the council announced a...

Feedback sought on new Flaxmere racecourse plan

The Hastings District Council has started a formal fiveweek public consultation and consenting process on proposals to establish a new racecourse in Hastings by late 2029. It started with public notification of applications on Saturday. The public...

Popular market fights frequency reduction

Organisers of a longrunning market series are opposing council plans to reduce their summer bookings for Mount Maunganui’s Coronation Park. The Little Big Markets have the backing of a local business owner who says the events attract people to the...

Front-row centre

Marlborough Civic Theatre Trust Chair Kevin Moseley shows his appreciation for the performing arts centre whose 10th year coincides with the organisation’s 50th anniversary. Whitehaven Theatre hosts a special show on Friday (29 May) to mark both...

$100m game changer

Several buildings between Pukuatua and Hinemoa Sts will be knocked down later this year as Rotorua makes way for its new courthouse development. The Government yesterday announced $100 million towards the Rotorua Law Courts on Pukuatua St. The...

A gift from the sea

Gisborne artist Torri Stewart has won the People’s Choice Award for a creation made of moulded bull kelp at the 2026 Small Sculpture Prize in Waiheke, Auckland. The Small Sculpture Prize is a national award for an original freestanding or wall...

Far North records 496 dog-related ACC claims

The Far North ranks among the worst districts in the country for dog-related ACC claims, recording nearly 500 ACC claims last year. The Far North District Council (FNDC) is currently conducting a statutory review of the Animal Management Bylaw 2018 and...

CELEBRATING

Read about Wairarapa’s innovative and successful business women. Be inspired and empowered

Hospital’s capacity crunch

Wairarapa Hospital is one of the most heavily utilised smaller hospitals in the country with “very little room” to deal with seasonal peaks in demand, a new report says. The report by the New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association and APEX, the...

Talks begin on potline restart

Rio Tinto is preparing to open another potline at the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter at Tiwai Point after six years of it being idle. The company and Contact Energy have signed a non-binding letter of intent for a power purchase agreement to support...

Woman who took $823k jailed

A woman working for a charitable organisation who stole the best part of a million dollars from it can now be named – although the organisation itself must remain shrouded in secrecy. Melanie Sarah Raumiria Kingi, 46, was jailed for five years and...

Debating team wins national final

THREE Dunedin secondary school students were so focused on winning the national debating tournament in Parliament, Christopher Luxon himself could not have shaken their focus. Columba College students Emily Roy, 17, and Beth Elder, 16, and Trinity...

Nelson-Tasman tourism lifts

Tourism in Nelson-Tasman is on the up, with expenditure and guest nights on the rise, but uncertainty looms over the summer if higher fuel costs hit demand for longhaul flights and airline schedules. The March 2026 Quarterly Economic Monitor from...

Bite of the (fiscal) pie

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and her associate ministers – Shane Jones, David Seymour and Chris Bishop – made a tasty pit stop at Puku Pies yesterday after making the annual pilgrimage to see the Budget being printed at Blue Star. Willis will deliver...

Council urged to back library project

The former manager of Whanganui’s Davis Library has urged the council to commit to an extension project, but another deferral appears likely. During submission hearings on Whanganui District Council’s 2026-27 Annual Plan, Pete Gray said libraries were...

Flower power

Marlborough Youth Trust has unveiled its special Garden of Voices mural. Manager Maxine Sweeney says the eye-catching artwork represents recent Youth Week and this year’s kaupapa, “Our Voices Matter! We Deserve to Be Heard | Taringa whakarongo! Ki te...

Food, fear and search for relief: Kyra’s campaign for treatment

Imagine having a cafe catch-up with friends and being afraid to try any new foods in case you find yourself unable to swallow. Or feeling like food has become lodged in your throat and chest, turning even ordinary meals into uncertainty and...

Tommy’s Market Update

According to leading agents Alexia Stoddart and Chris Robinson of Tommy’s Real Estate, the market remains steady, but buyers are taking a more measured approach as conditions continue to normalise. April’s significant weather events, including record...

Anchored in greatness

Upcoming Waikato musicians have recorded three iconic Kiwi tracks alongside the legend who wrote them. Hamilton-based rangatahi band Albert Street, featuring Hamilton East student Miss Ally, stepped into Stebbing Recording Studio to record their...

Baker in trans-Tasman sausage roll showdown

It’s a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll but a Timaru baker is going even further, crossing the Tasman to represent New Zealand in a competition celebrating the tasty delight. U-Bake owner Simon Bruce has been selected to compete in a...

INSIDE:

SHIPS’ FIGUREHEADS – A SAFE PAIR OF EYES WHICH CATAMARAN IS BEST FOR YOU? CONTRACTING A BOAT YARD RUAMAHANGA DIVERSION THE CATCH: BLOW THE WIND FUTURE OF CARIBBEAN BOATS STAYING PUT FOR CYCLONE SEASON FUEL CRISIS EFFECTS THE AUCKLAND WOODEN BOAT...

VETS ON WHEELS!

The mobile docs helping species in Victoria…

Dream ESCAPE

A great utility salad to pop on the table as an easy side dish that goes particularly well with fried foods. ¼ head cabbage, finely shredded (3 packed cups) 1 cup edamame beans, blanched 1 cup finely shredded carrots 8 yellow or red cherry...

A Toast to Tenacity

The revival of Earnscleugh Castle, where Ryan Sanders and Marco Creemers demonstrate their ambition and resilience in Central Otago

Basket case

Our two supermarket giants have long been accused of blocking competition and contributing to high food prices. But what’s really stopping new entrants?

MasterChef Poh

REGRETS, RIVALRY & REVENGE!

NIX ADAMS, 39, social media superstar What’s your secret to making it to the final four? Being someone who people feel comfortable with – being real, whether it’s good or bad. I wanted to always remain true to my integrity and core moral values....

THEIR UNEXPECTED JOY IN CHAOS

Make, Bake & forage

DIY firepit upcycled mini composter homegrown herbal teas watercress salsa verde tasty turmeric recipes

MADE TO MATTER

When the mid-afternoon harbour light hits a full-height wall of aged brass cabinetry, it breaks back across the kitchen. Raimana Jones of Atelier Jones placed the brass on the wall opposite the room’s northwestfacing window for exactly that reason....

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.

MOUNTAIN HIGH

THESE PAGES Steve and Jackie Worrall wanted furnishings which were neither delicate nor too heavy, or too contemporary for their Queenstown holiday home, and found a perfect fit in Coco Republic pieces, in particular a showstopping Aspen leather sofa...

HOMEBUILT

Quiz

1. Air NZ announced new non-stop routes from Christchurch to which three destinations? 2. Colossal Biosciences announced the development of an artificial egg in its quest to resurrect which extinct bird? 3. Which Aussie pop star revealed a 2021...

KHU KHU’S BAO-DOWN BURGER

A few years before Covid, Michael Khuwattanasenee was 20 days into trying veganism when a bowl of noodles on Dominion Rd undid it all. Though he’d asked for a vegan meal, he could taste the oyster sauce in his food. He didn’t blame the establishment –...

Clean living: Protect precious assets

Your new home is pristine, and you want to keep it that way, but each surface needs specific care to look its best. The wrong products can damage expensive finishes, turning a tidy-up into a costly mistake. Read how to clean and protect key surfaces...

PARADISE LOST

Hā hei locals are divided over the return of James Skelton to the holiday hotspot where he abused a 9-year-old girl who ‘trusted him like a grandfather’. Some say leave him alone; others want him gone. The girl he abused, and her family, remain too...

NORTHLAND

Tender closing 27 May 2026 at 1pm Open Home Sunday, 1pm-1.30pm Exemplifying award-winning Upoko Architects’ vision, the home has been sympathetically renovated to honour its original character, pairing contemporary finishes with timeless features in...

How a year of secret filming exposed animal abuse

New Zealand was winding down for summer. Across the country, shearing gangs were finishing their last runs of the season, farmers were heading to the beach, and executives at the New Zealand Merino Company were looking forward to the break. Then, on...

Taming the echo in modern homes

Hard surfaces reflect sound waves, allowing noise to bounce continuously around a room. This increases reverberation, which among other things, blurs the edges of words, reducing speech clarity and making everyday conversation difficult. And it’s also...

‘I go full noise'

Gisborne police constable Alexa Coleman hits the sack when most people are just getting over breakfast. She wakes six hours later when most are digesting lunch. Her 8am-to-2pm sleep regimen is temporary. She is “flipping” her body clock in preparation...

SAINT ALBANS

8 Croziers Road Auction: Thursday June 11, 2026 from 10am (unless sold prior) Open home: May 23, 11am-11.30m May 24, 12.30pm-1pm Agents: Charlie Horncastle 027 354 1323 Brendan Hart 027 510 6525 Harcourts Gold Licensed Agent REAA 2008 This...

PLUS

What a year for football fans with New Zealand teams making the grand finals for both women’s and men’s teams in the A-League. Wellington Phoenix came so close last weekend. Football fans will be on the edge of their seats tonight when Auckland FC take...

Toast with Marmite

Savoury and umami, without upsetting their stomach.

PET CORNER

Rosa Hunter sent in this image of “Little Pud, who is actually not so little. She has a large personality and absolutely loves to eat. She is very photogenic and loves to pose for a photo”.

Quiz

1 What city is home to sporting rivals Inter and AC? 2 Since 2022, what New Zealand TV show has been hosted by Tom Webster? 3 What country’s parliament is called the Senedd? 4 In the night sky, what is often identified with the help of Alpha and...

Clubs, groups and events in your area

To list your event, send details by noon on Tuesday to [email protected]. Please include the venue, address, event name, date, time and cost.

Halcombe has the best drinking water in New Zealand

Manawatū District has taken out top honours at the IXOM National Water Taste Test competition, being crowned New Zealand’s best tasting tap water. The annual competition sees water samples from around the country judged through blind tasting, with...

EDITOR’S LETTER

With TV Guide Journalist Melenie Parkes With fuel prices soaring, taking a holiday at home from the sofa is becoming a more appealing option. Sure, it’s not the same as being there, but you can travel surprisingly far from the comfort of your couch....

‘You can taste New Zealand in the cup’

Beneath Hamilton’s winter fog, rows of tea plants roll across the Waikato landscape. Nearly 30 years after its first tea cuttings arrived in New Zealand, Zealong has grown into one of the country’s best-known tea brands, exporting tea around the world...

New tolls and Katikati Bypass to be considered

New tolls will be explored for New Zealand’s most-tolled region under a new agreement between Western Bay of Plenty councils and the Government. The long-discussed Katikati Bypass is also on the agenda, earmarked for funding from asset sales. The...

WHIP UP YOUR OWN TAKEAWAY FAVES

New Zealand Walk: Plenty of variety on Branch Walk way

The 6km Branch Road Walkway in the Pohangina Valley, 16km from Ashhurst, has charm and history and is considered to be a relatively easy walk. It follows the route of an abandoned road linking Pohangina Village with Ridge Road. When Branch Road was...

TOP & FLOP CROPS

When the American food activist and author Michael Pollan famously railed against eating “anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognise,” he was referring to highly processed foods, rather than exotic ingredients. But sometimes I can’t help but...

FROM THE EDITOR

Caleb Clarke has looked sharp as a tack for the Blues this season. He went okay for them in 2025 but could not cross the tryline and didn’t quite look in peak form. There was all sorts happening in the background, as he discusses in our feature...

MAKE YOUR OWN APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Versatile, easy to make yet effortlessly delicious, comforting and nutritious, pasta is a star in everything from high-end restaurants to family gatherings. Put some culinary magic on your table and captivate your tastebuds with this ultimate selection...

A RECIPE FOR HEIFER MATING SUCCESS

Glenaray Station successfully mate yearling heifers, increasing their reproductive potential

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...

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...

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...

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...

84 CAPSULE WARDROBE IDEAS

PLUS SIX TRAILBLAZERS ON THEIR ROAD TO SUCCESS

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...

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...

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

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...