New Zealand Newspapers

Sales up but profits flat as hospitality struggles

Hospitality sales may show small signs of growth, but Northland businesses are struggling with rising expenses to stay afloat. The Restaurant Association of New Zealand’s recent data shows hospitality sales rose 6.5% year-on-year to $4.26 billion in...

KAITI’S BIG IMPACT

Gisborne’s Kaiti School has won the Excellence in Student Engagement and Attendance category at the inaugural New Zealand Education Excellence Awards. Principal Billie-Jean Potaka-Ayton said she was proud of the achievement and inspired by all of the...

An environmental tragedy

Thousands of dead sea animals have washed up along the Wairarapa coast near Cape Palliser, with a marine biology expert attributing the deaths to the weekend’s severe storm. Locals are reporting “tens of thousands” of deceased octopuses, starfish,...

City leads in price growth

New data from Cotality shows Hamilton’s median property price edged upwards in June to $732,114 and remained stable over the second quarter of the year. Hamilton posted the strongest monthly increase at 0.5%, followed by Christchurch and Dunedin at...

Council moving on

A Gore district councillor says she “feels like a massive weight has been lifted off her shoulders” after a code of conduct complaint made against her was addressed and her fellow councillors said it was time to move on. However, the councillor who...

Spanning the generations

THERE might be 90 years between Joan Hardey and Persephone Wells but they have one thing in common — a love of art. The pair love drawing and painting, although they are at very different stages of their journey. Hardey, at 100, no longer paints and...

EDITOR’S LETTER

It’s been another half-year of change for Kiwi viewers. TVNZ has introduced pay-per-view sports, HBO has split off from Sky and Hayu has added films and scripted series to its reality show specialty service. Content wise, so far, 2026 has treated...

Delay to completion of SH1 upgrade

Following weather delays, work to upgrade a key State Highway 1 intersection in Timaru is now expected to finish by September. Work to upgrade the intersection at SH1/ Evans St and Grants Rd, at the entrance to The Showgrounds retail centre, started...

On the food map

Bookings are pouring in for the three Wellington restaurants awarded Michelin stars, with diners rushing to secure tables after Tuesday night’s star-studded Michelin Guide award ceremony in Auckland. Ortega Fish Shack, Logan Brown, and Jano Bistro...

‘An absolute gamechanger’ for safety

Road users will need to slow to 30km/h outside some Whanganui schools during drop-off and pick-up times as variable speed limits roll out across the district. The changes are part of the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024, aimed at...

From Scotland to the Coast

‘I feel very angry’ Families count cost of pool firm failure

Several Northland families claim they’ve lost tens of thousands of dollars – in at least one case, more than $100,000 – after paying for pool and landscaping work that never eventuated. The Northern Advocate has spoken to multiple customers who claim...

Cracks in the coalition

If there’s one word calculated to insult an elderly politician, it is “confused”. Which is why you’d think it might be used sparingly against Winston Peters. Not only has Finance Minister Nicola Willis previously used it to describe Peters, but Prime...

In it for the long haul

Since starting as a one-truck operation 50 years ago, Palmerston North company PTS Logistics has grown to one of the biggest transport businesses in the country. PTS Logistics, which ships cars, tractors and other goods around New Zealand, is...

CLOVERLEA

Price By Negotiation Comfortable, colourful, newly carpeted, sunny, and an office or utility room; all this, and sunny, family-sized living with great indoor-outdoor extension to the private deck. A covered, carpeted rear entrance area adds space for...

Live the life others only holiday in!

There’s retirement… and then there’s a lifestyle worth waking up for. At Qestral’s Lifestyle Villages every day feels like a five-star escape. Enjoy beautifully crafted homes, award-winning facilities and a vibrant community where every detail is...

The wahine setting an equal standard

Elaine Aorangi lives in New Plymouth in a beautifully restored, sun-bathed, colonialera home with her husband and daughter. She has a favourite window seat where she can sit and read and relax. At work, the health, safety, and wellbeing manager for...

Your Local Manufacturing Jeweller

91 Weld St, Redwoodtown | [email protected] | 577 9340 | (Fb)/gmwjewellery | gmwjewellery.co.nz

Taking your memories into the future

The Star, January 23, 2025 Tina Fautrier has been re-living a lifetime of memories while sorting through photo negatives and saving them digitally. She is one of more than 200 people in the last year to use a digitising service available at...

Taking your memories into the future

Tina Fautrier has been re-living a lifetime of memories while sorting through photo negatives and saving them digitally. She is one of more than 200 people in the last year to use a digitising service available at Christchurch Libraries, utilising...

Taking your memories into the future

Tina Fautrier has been re-living a lifetime of memories while sorting through photo negatives and saving them digitally. She is one of more than 200 people in the last year to use a digitising service available at Christchurch Libraries, utilising...

Taking your memories into the future

Tina Fautrier has been re-living a lifetime of memories while sorting through photo negatives and saving them digitally. She is one of more than 200 people in the last year to use a digitising service available at Christchurch Libraries, utilising...

Council to ‘move on’ after apology

Gore District Council yesterday agreed to accept an apology from councillor Donna Bruce over a homophobic comment she made at a workshop in April ‘‘and move on’’. Cr Bruce, speaking to council, called the code of conduct process that resulted from her...

Retailer fears losses from parking shake-up

ARotorua shop owner fears new city centre parking rules coming into effect today could hurt his business. Rotorua Lakes Council’s overhaul includes having two paid parking zones in the CBD and areas only available to people who buy permits for all-day...

Journeys to Savour

As the mid-winter chill firmly takes hold there is an instinctive human desire to retreat indoors and seek solace in the familiar. Yet ironically, it is often in the depths of winter that my wanderlust burns brightest. I find myself looking at...

Room for Rivers plan urged

Aradical shift in flood management is needed by giving rivers the space to naturally meander and overflow, environmental advocates say. Forest & Bird’s Room for Rivers initiative advocates for nature-based solutions rather than relying on traditional,...

$143m boost for rural sector

The Government has announced a $143 million partnership with primary industries to boost productivity and innovation across the rural sector by making land use more flexible. Speaking to rural and primary industry leaders at Fieldays last month, Prime...

From loss to leadership

Manaia Emery left school at 15 and had to face challenges that would test the resolve of any adult. She lost her family home in a fire and later had to cope with the death of her beloved koro (grandfather). Now, at 25, she is harnessing that...

Sophie’s journey to success:

Sophie Phipps wasn’t dealt the easiest hand in life but she’s playing it like a pro. By the age of 32, Phipps had been diagnosed with permanent hearing loss, type 1 diabetes and ADHD, undergone gastric bypass surgery, and become a single...

Another chapter in a life of service

For the calendar year to date to 28th June, the total number of calls now sits at 193. We responded to 31 calls since the last report on 25th May. This consists of 14 fires: four vegetation, four structure, two vehicle and two smoke/fire...

ROSE TRAINING REINVENTED

This British gardener’s radical rethinking of winter pruning turns roses into sculptural art

Cultural attaché

Having launched some of our best-known artists, Massive Theatre Company founder Sam Scott shares her inspirations.

SPORTING DUO’S PERFECT WEDDING

SPORTING DUO’S PERFECT WEDDING Champions say ‘I do’

SHORTY STARS’ LITTLE MIRACLE

Purple reign

Purple has always been one of my favourite colours and, luckily for me, there are a surprising number of purple leaves, flowers and berries in our native flora. The names of these plants are often in use in te reo Māori as words for the colour too, for...

Quiz

1. The social media star cat, famous around Wellington, who died after being hit by a car on Tuesday, was called A) Trim Latte; B) Azuki Bean; C) India Pale Ale; or D) Manuka Honey ? 2. What’s the name of NZ comedian Guy Montgomery’s TV show that’s up...

GOOD BOY SAMMIES’ BEEF SANDWICH

From the moment he opened Good Boy Sammies as a “hole-in-the-wall in Newtown” in 2018, Al Green has been focused on two things: affordability and generosity (with a side of good social media banter). Green started out as a musician and wandered into...

SPLIT THE BILL?

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.

Rates rise trimmed to 17%

Waitaki’s rates hike has been pared back to 17% as protest action takes place across the district. Waitaki district councillors this week revoked a previously agreed 22% rates rise following a move by Mayor Mel Tavendale amid mounting pressure. A...

Help houseplants thrive in winter

Winter can be a nervous time for plant lovers. One minute your house is toasty warm thanks to the fire or heat pump, but when the fire dies down, or the heat pump is switched off, the temperature inevitably drops. Add a south-facing room that barely...

8.5% ‘unavoidable’

Gisborne district councillors have confirmed an average rates increase of 8.49% in the 2026 annual plan following vigorous discussion at a meeting this week. The council’s 2024-2027 Three Year Plan acknowledged rising business costs such as interest,...

Settled serenity

Zani Polson 4 /

I’m not feeling up to it, sorry

Honest and leaves absolutely no room for negotiation.

A guide to home ventilation

Damp windows, a musty smell, and worse, black mould on the bedroom wall. Sound familiar? Many homes battle moisture in winter, and if yours is one of them, ventilation is a big part of the fix. What does a ventilation system do, and do you really need...

T

his week, we’re all about great food and sharing as Matariki approaches. Culinary stars Peter Gordon, Anne Thorp and Nancye Pirini share the personal recipes that anchor their winter celebrations. From nostalgia-packed boil ups and mussel chowder to...

I think I’m coming down with something

Keep it vague and contagious-sounding – no-one will ask for follow-ups.

ROAD TRIP HEAVEN

After three years, the iconic US route is open

Quarry plan prompts backlash

We apologise to CBD Eatery co-owner Mike Godsall after last week’s front page created an unintended association between his photograph and an unrelated court story. Godsall was pictured for a story about the cafe’s new oversized coffee challenge and...

KARORI

Buyer Enquiry Over $1,200,000 Open Home Sunday, 2pm-2.30pm Character features are showcased throughout 46 Duthie Street, including ornate ceilings and beautiful window detailing, while thoughtful upgrades ensure modern ease. The home is equipped with...

BARD TO THE BONE

Sir Dave Dobbyn on health battles and why the stage keeps calling + ‘We have direct access’: Watchdog says it is ‘actively overseeing’ Chambers inquiry

End of an era as Peter Young Apparel closes its doors

Peter Young has been the menswear go-to in Geraldine for two generations. For the last 28 years, he’s played that role from his Talbot Street store, Peter Young Apparel. About to take a bow, he’s exiting not only the business, but also a specialty...

Small town, big stage: Feilding hosts its biggest rugby day in years

There was a special buzz around the Feilding Yellows Rugby Football Club on Monday as New Zealand Rugby welcomed invited media, including Feilding First, to witness the naming of the first All Blacks squad under new head coach Dave Rennie. With the...

PLANNING AHEAD

Powell’s quest for cider’s perfect apple

To most people, apples are just fruit. To Cider Apples New Zealand co-founder John Powell, of Tamahere, they are possibilities. At one point, a comparison is made between Powell’s fascination with apples and J. Robert Oppenheimer’s obsession with the...

Shaping the future

Big calls have paid off for the Carr family in its 50year rise from weekend hay carting to a major national agritech company. The threegeneration Canterbury business, Carrfields, has responded to many opportunities and challenges — including...

Sparks flying over pathway lighting plan

Residents have launched a bid to block proposed lighting from being installed along the Moncks Bay balustrade of the Coastal Pathway. Moncks Bay resident Andrew Elliott has started a petition, which has already received more than 500 signatures. He...

Volunteers keep community safe

During National Volunteer Week, Fire and Emergency New Zealand celebrated the outstanding efforts of more than 11,800 volunteer firefighters in 590 brigades throughout New Zealand. The Star chief reporter Brenda Harwood took the opportunity to speak to...

Cromwell College wins Rockfest 2026 - with band Offshore

Two bands from Cromwell College, Offshore and Solitary Confinement, competed in the Rockquest regional contest in Queenstown last week, and both performed extremely well. Congratulations to Offshore, as they were awarded first place. The win, a first...

Local government survey

The Clutha District Council is asking residents to participate in its Local Government Amalgamation Survey. Mayor Jock Martin said he wanted people to engage ‘‘every step of the way”, after central government’s recently announced requirement to...

Same services offered

No extra maternity services will be offered at the yet to be constructed Clyde Birthing Unit, the Ministry of Health has confirmed. Responding to a request under the Official Information Act (OIA) from the CO News, the Ministry of Health said the...

‘Real option’ to avoid forced amalgamation

Mayor Lydia Gliddon believes Selwyn could make a case to go it alone. Councils across the country have 33 working days to submit ideas for how they would respond to the Government’s proposed reform process, or risk having an unwanted amalgamation...

Mount Victoria - 10 Shannon Street

A MOUNT VICTORIA MASTERPIECE Positioned in one of Wellington's most prestigious and tightly held suburbs, 10 Shannon Street presents a truly exceptional opportunity. Immaculately presented and showcasing breathtaking harbour views; this remarkable...

Whānau Hauora Day returns to Katikati

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tamawhariua is proud to bring back Whānau Hauora Day for its second year, a celebration of community wellbeing, connection, and collective care. The free event takes place at the Katikati Memorial Hall, Wednesday 8th July, from...

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

BEEF, CHEESE & CHIVE PIE, LAMB & CUMIN RAGÙ, PASTA AL LIMONE, HAM HOCK RAMEN, SMOKED SALMON CHOWDER, CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP, LEEK & POTATO BHAJIS, STICKY TOFFEE & DATE PUDDING, FRENCH ONION RIGATONI, RETRO RICE PUDDING

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH!

A timeline of the living legend, to celebrate his 100th birthday!

LAYER UP AND SETTLE IN

LOTS OF THRILLS, USUALLY SERIOUS

Few cars have managed to become as deeply woven into automotive culture and popular imagination as the Lotus Esprit. At its launch, it was futuristic without trying too hard, exotic without the ego of Italy’s supercar aristocracy, and was unmistakably...

1973 DATSUN 240Z

This is about much more than the restoration of an iconic classic sports car, the 240Z. It’s about the culmination of a dream over many years and the friendships made. It’s about the people who helped and the professionals whose approach ensured that...

A GARDEN-LOVER’S GUIDE TO WINTER, FROM RECIPES TO WELLBEING

1 PRUNE & PLANT ROSES & FRUIT TREES Pruning roses maintains the plant’s shape, stops it from looking straggly and prevents heavy branches from breaking, and will get rid of dead, damaged and diseased growth. It also opens the plant up to airflow,...

Sporting magic moments:

New Zealand’s Commonwealth Games glory

Rural health booster

Dr Jack Clerke has a passion for rural medicine. Born in Blenheim, raised near Linkwater, educated at Queen Charlotte College and now back in Marlborough to complete his training, he deeply understands the challenges – and opportunities – for health...

Win! GREAT PRIZES AND GIVEAWAYS THIS ISSUE

EDITOR DESIGNER ADVERTISING PRINTER PUBLISHER STOCK PHOTOS: COVER PHOTO: Sue Linn Lee Kretschmar Debbie Pascoe, phone 0274858562 Inkwise New Zealand Plant Producers Inc email [email protected] Adobe Stock Adobe Stock

THE YEAR OF ART FREE JEN SIEVERS ART PRINT

WHAT'S INSIDE?

NZ’s first B-Corp certified landscaper Hard and soft sustainable solutions Carbon-smart tree planting

Put it on a T-shirt

We’re so chuffed to bring you stories from agency founders up and down the motu in this issue. In March, we put a call out, asking to hear why people had started up their own agencies. Straight away, the responses started coming in. We asked them all...

RANFURLY SHIELD RETURNS

Ilooked out the window this morning and, lo and behold, the sky had not caved in and rugby was not dead in the water. You could be forgiven for thinking otherwise after the past few weeks where every second pundit seems to be predicting the demise of...

Why the community will outlive the algorithms

The outdoor industry spent years chasing scale. Bigger audiences, greater reach, and more impressions became the benchmarks for success. Social media promised direct access to millions of people and brands poured huge amounts of time and money into...

THE COST OF KIWI CULTURE

Walk into any snow shop and the walls are full. Jackets, skis, boots, helmets, goggles, packs, base layers, socks, gadgets, apps, passes and promises. There is no shortage of product. There has probably never been more. The problem is not the gear....

TRULY INTERGRATED

A farm system built on adaptation and integration

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...

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

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....

HOMEBUILT

A RECIPE FOR HEIFER MATING SUCCESS

Glenaray Station successfully mate yearling heifers, increasing their reproductive potential

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...

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

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...

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...