Catching up with Lianne Dalziel
On the fifth anniversary of her husband Rob’s death, former Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel was back by the tree where she married him for another milestone moment. She tells Metropol deputy editor Tamara Pitelen about life at the golden age. She might be eligible for her bus pass, but former Christchurch mayor Lianne […]
Sonja De Mari: Fashion for a cure
What if you could travel the country celebrating New Zealand’s best in fashion, to save lives? Metropol editor Nina Tucker caught up with Sonja de Mari, the woman behind charitable trust Breast Cancer Cure, who has spent a decade striving to reduce our one-in-nine breast cancer statistic. Sonja de Mari has spent the […]
Jill’s journey with the Christchurch Methodist Mission
“How do we help people who may be struggling to flourish?” That one question has guided Jill Hawkey long into her tenure as Christchurch Methodist Mission’s executive director, writes Metropol editor Nina Tucker. “Who are the people missing out in society? Who are the most disadvantaged or the most marginalised? What actually needs […]
The making of the South Island’s top hairdresser: Sarah McGuigan
What does it take to become the South Island’s top hairdresser? Metropol editor Nina Tucker asks Sarah McGuigan, who was recently crowned with the title at the Australian and New Zealand hair industry’s biggest celebration of creativity and excellence, the 2025 AHIA Creative Awards. Sarah McGuigan’s day will always begin at 5am. That […]
Rachel Sloane’s light-filled legacy
Co-founder of luxury jewellery house Naveya & Sloane, Rachel Sloane chats with Metropol writer Hannah Brown about sentiment, her creative process, and a new chapter in Christchurch. Rachel Sloane’s love of jewellery began with a fascination for how a small object can carry deep meaning. “I was drawn to the emotional weight it […]
Word nerd Tom Sainsbury
Comedian, actor, writer, filmmaker, 80s mum or ward nurse carbon copy – Tom Sainsbury knows how to tell a story. Thanks to Kath & Kim, French and Saunders, and The Office, the comedy star shared with us his satirical sense of humour, and we’ve all been merrier for it. He chats with Metropol […]
Mother of fashion: Dame Pieter Stewart
Dame Pieter Stewart founded New Zealand Fashion Week in 2001 – an event that would revolutionise the local industry and become a creative benchmark. She tells Metropol editor Nina Tucker of its evolution and the satisfaction that comes from watching what she built succeed without her. These days, Dame Pieter Stewart spends less […]
Power, purpose, & the gift of midlife: Petra Bagust & Niki Bezzant
Midlife gets a bad rap – often portrayed as a slow descent into elastic waistbands and forgetting why you walked into a room. Television personality Petra Bagust and acclaimed journalist Niki Bezzant tell Metropol deputy editor Tamara Pitelen that finding yourself in your fifties might be the best chapter yet. Midlife is a […]
Read or rust: Novelist Kate De Goldi says books are critical to our wellbeing in an AI age
Award-winning author and Aotearoa’s new Te Awhi Rito reading ambassador Kate De Goldi says our brains are under siege – by screens, algorithms, and the distraction of ever-pinging phones. The WORD Festival guest tells Metropol deputy editor Tamara Pitelen that the solution is beautifully simple: sustained reading to rebuild attention, empathy and imagination, […]
The rapid rise of rugby’s Jorja Miller
At four years old, Black Fern Jorja Miller was already charging around a rugby field with her older brother. Two decades later, she tells Metropol deputy editor Tamara Pitelen that she is chasing down Olympic medals, World Cups, and a total overhaul of how we think about women’s rugby. Jorja Miller may now […]
