Gold Coast go tos

It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that Australia is going to be the number one holiday destination of choice, and vice versa. Whether you have a trip planned or need a bit more convincing, here are Metropol’s top picks for when you go for Gold.     Green with envy Ranked in Australia’s […]

Getting to grips with autumn

Cooler days and nights have arrived and in true autumn form the change in weather patterns is turning the leaves to gold, burgundy and pumpkin before they float gently to the ground. For many avid gardeners that is the signal to snip, prune, compost and plant anew.     The compost equation: All those lovely […]

Walking on the (re)wild side

As spring gives way to summer, green-fingered folk itch to get out there and start marshalling their gardens into a manicured precision. But wait! A new gardening trend, rewilding, is encouraging gardeners to let nature take its course on kept landscapes.     Technically a form of large-scale conservation dedicated to returning land to a […]

A love letter to mother nature

Mahsa Willis’ eponymous label, Mahsa, shirks convention by releasing new collections, termed moods, every few years. Metropol catches up with the in-demand New Zealand designer about her latest mood, Enduring Nature.   You don’t follow the usual, albeit changing, pattern of seasonal collections. Please tell us why you take a different approach, and about that […]

Growing a passion

It’s obvious he is a consummate plantsman down to the very tips of his fingers. Managing Director of Kiwiflora Nurseries, near Templeton, Nalin Gooneratne grew up in Sri Lanka on his grandparents’ tea, coffee and pepper plantation. That heritage and link to the earth and the environment led Nalin to his career in commercial horticulture […]

TimberNook

Naturally Fun: TimberNook’s back to nature approach to childhood development

TimberNook has just celebrated its first anniversary of facilitating experiences for children in a range of natural settings around Christchurch. The focus of TimberNook is nature-based play, weaving the therapeutic aspects of nature with an understanding of child development, creating play opportunities that challenge the mind, body, and the senses. With programmes for preschool and […]