Transforming a Timaru home
Six years ago, Timaru locals Stephanie and Peter McConnell set out to transform the worst house on the street. Since then, the Cain Street home has become something of a Timaru ‘Sagrada Família’ – a project they keep adding to. Architectural designer Stephanie and electrician Peter were well-equipped to renovate what would become […]
Summit to sea: Run Akaroa
What if your running resolution or step count challenge was disguised as a charming weekend getaway amongst Akaroa’s seaside spell? No tourists. No traffic. Just you and the Summit Road, with the shimmering Akaroa Harbour on one side and the vast South Pacific on the other. The inaugural Run Akaroa on Sunday 17 […]
Storm brewing: Coffee Worx
If the price of your daily flat white has you wincing, you’re not alone, but your local roasters are doing their best to keep things affordable. Coffee prices are climbing across New Zealand, and it might be tempting to blame coffee roasters for the rising cost of your favourite coffee. But Coffee Worx […]
Chinese fire water: Taizi
In China, a colourless liquor called baijiu outsells whiskey, vodka, rum, gin, and tequila combined, and now it’s being made here in Christchurch. It’s the most popular alcoholic drink you’ve probably never heard of. Known as Chinese fire water, baijiu is a colourless liquor usually distilled in China from fermented sorghum and wheat. […]
When there’s a Will, there’s a way: Will Jordan
You could argue that the 400-year-old proverb was made for Will Jordan. Each try he scores for the Crusaders plants a seed for change. Each dive over the try line is a $1000 donation to Youth Hub Christchurch, a local ‘safe haven’ for rangatahi in need. The rugby star tells Metropol editor Nina […]
Top honour for UC botanist
First an orchid species, now a whole new genus – University of Canterbury botanist Professor Pieter Pelser is honoured again as a daisy genus is named after him. Professor Pieter Pelser received the rare honour – one of the highest in taxonomy – in acknowledgement of his decades-long contribution to studying the family […]
Bed, bath & bucks
New data shows that an extra bedroom and bathroom can add $500,000 to the price of your home. In the ever-competitive New Zealand housing market, size still matters, and the numbers prove it. Fresh data from realestate.co.nz shows that extra bedrooms and bathrooms can dramatically increase a home’s asking price, with some upgrades […]
Will power & try-umphs: Editor Nina Tucker
“Creativity isn’t something we import, it’s something that is born here.” I heard this quote during the All in for Arts 2026 event held at The Piano in early March. It resonated with me because it reflects everything we are in Ōtautahi. Our sense of creativity and community is the backbone of what […]
Meet the cushion queen: Becky Lee
March marks a meaningful milestone for Christchurch’s cushion couturier Becky Lee. “It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since I first began my cushion business,” says founder of The Cushion Couturier Becky Lee. “This March is particularly meaningful, it’s been one year since moving solely from an online presence into my beautiful […]
Sounds right: Bellbird Hearing
As World Hearing Month shines a spotlight on ear health, one locally-owned clinic is encouraging Cantabrians to rethink their approach to hearing care. In the heart of Canterbury, Bellbird Hearing is helping locals rediscover the sounds that shape their lives. In a region where conversations connect generations, the team at Bellbird Hearing are […]
