Sensational swimwear: Lifestyles Hanmer

As much as Hanmer Springs is all about outdoor pursuits and hot pools, equally it’s about indoor pursuits, such as restaurant fine-dining, cafe culture and fabulous shopping.   If heading to the pools and donning swimwear, the most important thing is that the swimsuit flatters the figure, rather than just covers it. Cut and design […]

Rendezvous on 72: Route 72

  Take a drive along Highway 72 to Cust and it will lead you to the unique Route 72 Café Bar Emporium. Owners Steve and Annette Thomson have created an outlet for inspiring tastes and treasures both, with the café servicing one set of needs and the emporium and its fabulous selection of crafts and […]

A treasure trove: Dusty Old Things

Dusty Old Things is a treasure hunters’ delight where almost all of the stock is pre-loved.     Curated to complement the vintage are new items such as the realistic artificial flowers to brighten your home on wintry days. “These are on special,” says store owner Glenis Parker, “spend $20 on flowers and you’ll receive […]

Gorgeous and unique giftware: Malthouse Cottage

  Looking for something special? Then it’s time you paid a visit to Malthouse Cottage Homeware & Gifts in Beckenham.     This quaint historic cottage is home to a stylish giftware store offering a variety of products, some of which have been made by local artists and crafters. Whether you are looking for something […]

All about Aotearoa: Canterbury Playcentre Shop

Today’s child is tomorrow’s adult and what better way to absorb knowledge on our country’s indigenous language and culture than to provide learning tools that feed the mind and fire the imagination?   Puzzles in Te Reo identify numbers, colours, shapes, seasons, months of the year, native birds and modes of transportation, while magnetic learning […]

Autumn Essentials: Belleza Boutique

Loved Lincoln local, Belleza has been providing women with gorgeous garments from top quality brands for years. Owner Anna Green recently opened her second store at The Crossing in the heart of Christchurch CBD, opposite Country Road. The boutique brings a thoughtfully curated collection to the city, with plans to blend clothing with her passion […]

Bright & vibrant in Rangiora: The Station

A curated selection of giftware, clothing and jewellery bring a fresh offering to Rangiora at The Station Café and Shop.   The former train station turned café and beautiful gift store is under the new ownership of Steve and Vivienne King who have lived in and loved the North Canterbury area for two years now. […]

Here comes the sun: Patisserie YAHAGI

Patisserie YAHAGI is a small family-run shop at Church Corner mall. Like many other small businesses, they worried about their future during the lockdown period.     Owner-patissier, Eri Yahagi, considered other ways to provide her desserts and cakes such as using a delivery platform when the lockdown ended. But she knew that her elaborately […]

Live, shop, love local: Coco Gifts

‘Support local’ are the current buzzwords right now and we are betting that they’ll stick around for a while. We caught up with Liz Bloomfield from Coco Gifts who is arguably the queen of supporting local.   She employs locally, with both of her teammates (Andrea and Blossom) living in St Albans. She also donates […]

Recreating a coffee icon

Bink Bowler started making the coffee we have all come to love at the sprightly age of 13 and at age 19, 10 years ago, he and some other coffee guys founded Memphis Belle Coffee House in Wellington.     It became iconic, gaining a cult following in the capital. Bink learnt so much about […]