BETWEEN THE LINES

Make a well-deserved date with one of the latest page-turners to hit our shelves.

THE NOWHERE BOY

Anne Cleary, Allen & Unwin

Winner of the 2025 Allen & Unwin Aotearoa NZ Fiction Prize, Anne Cleary’s debut novel explores the razor-thin line between love and obsession. When three-year-old Oliver vanishes from a remote beach carpark, suspicion and desperation ripple through everyone left behind. As the search for Oliver intensifies, another woman clings to the impossible belief she’s been handed a second chance at motherhood. Tense and impossible to put down, The Nowhere Boy is a haunting must-read for fans of psychological drama.

FAMESICK

Lena Dunham, HarperCollins

Part memoir, part reckoning, Famesick sees Lena Dunham reflecting on the dizzying highs and brutal fallout of fame. Charting the years after TV show Girls turned her into a cultural lightning rod, Lena writes candidly about chronic illness, addiction, ambition and the cost of living publicly while privately falling apart. The book peels back the glossy veneer of celebrity to reveal a woman trying to reclaim herself beyond fame.

YESTERYEAR

Caro Claire Burke, 4th Estate

This unsettling and addictive debut novel takes a sharp swipe at influencer culture. Natalie Heller Mills has built an empire selling the fantasy of wholesome pioneer living to millions online, with polished sourdough loaves, a cowboy husband, perfect children and all. Then she wakes to find herself trapped in the brutal realities of the 1800s she’s been romanticising. Darkly funny, Caro Claire Burke peels back the performance of modern femininity and asks what’s left underneath.

ORGAN SPEAK

Giulia Enders, Harper Collins

More than a decade after Gut, Giulia Enders is back with a wider look at the body’s inner workings. Organ Speak explores what our organs can teach us about stress, healing, safety and connection. Enders has a knack for making science feel surprisingly intimate, by swapping dry medical jargon for sharp storytelling and everyday insight. This is the kind of book that makes you pay closer attention to yourself.

WHY WE GARDEN

Hannah Moloney, Simon & Schuster

In Why We Garden, Australian gardening guru and Gardening Australia presenter Hannah Moloney digs beneath the soil to uncover what really draws us to growing things. Page by page, she weaves together stories from gardeners, artists, activists and everyday people to reveal how gardening nourishes far more than our backyards. Hannah makes a compelling case for gardening as an act of hope and care in an increasingly disconnected world.

RULE OF LIES

Jamison R Firestone, HarperCollins

This political thriller plunges readers into the chaos of post- Soviet Russia through the eyes of an American lawyer caught in the middle of corruption and rising authoritarianism. From mafia threats to exposing state corruption alongside Sergei Magnitsky and Alexei Navalny, Firestone’s real-life story unfolds with the pace of a spy novel. Rule of Lies is an eye-opening account of power and survival under Putin’s Russia.

FOR THE LOVE OF IT

One-time cleaner now award-winning writer Anne Cleary’s lifetime of storytelling is finally paying off.

WORDS HAYLEY BARNETT
PHOTOS GISELLE BROSNAHAN

Anne Cleary didn’t set out to become a prize-winning novelist. Always a hobby, and a way to take the edge off life, writing has simply been slotted between jobs and family life.

“I’ve always just been a recreational writer,” she says. “People often ask why I didn’t pursue it as a career, but I’ve never wanted writing to become a job.”

Her pastime has now culminated in a major literary win. At the beginning of the year, her novel The Nowhere Boy won the Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand 2025 Fiction Prize, but the path to publication was far from easy.

Anne has worked a string of jobs, from cleaner and Salvation Army store worker, to caregiver and photo lab assistant, alongside raising her children.

“You just grab the time when you’ve got it, and ideas come when you’re not sitting there forcing them,” she explains.

A mentorship that began through a library writing group stretched over years and shaped her understanding of the craft, pushing her work toward publication standard. Anne credits that long-term support with helping her find her footing as a novelist.

It wasn’t until later in life, after her children were grown and she moved from West Auckland to Tauranga, that writing became something she felt she could seriously develop.

The Tauranga Writers’ group proved pivotal by offering feedback and, more importantly, belief.

“There’s a real focus there on getting people published,” she says. “That made a huge difference.”

Though the award may have brought recognition, and a nice monetary prize, it has also highlighted the industry’s unpredictable nature.

“It’s important not to think about money,” Anne advises novice writers. “There’s not a lot in it. You do it because you love it. If you’re writing for the market, you lose something essential.”

The Nowhere Boy began with some real-life inspiration passed to Anne through a friend, who told her about a memory of child who briefly went missing in the US in the 1960s. From that seed, Anne built a novel that's driven by character rather than plot, and explores the emotional fallout from the disappearance.

“I just wrote a short story from what she told me, then it kept expanding,” she explains.

Winning the prize came at an unexpectedly emotional time. Anne had been caring for her father in his final months, and he died just weeks before the announcement. The phone call from Allen & Unwin arrived the day before she left New Zealand on a long-planned overseas trip.

“I just sat there thinking, ‘What? I’ve won?’" she says. “And then I was just sad that he wouldn’t know.”

The loss, and the win, only provide more motivation to keep writing.

“I have more in the works,” hints Anne, “something I’ve been working on for a long time.”

While more prizes might be on the horizon, for the meantime, she'll continue writing for fun, between everything else.

EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

Diners might have traditionally come for the food and drinks, says new UNO columnist Rae Baker, but more so than ever, we’re staying for all the feels.

Somethin’ Somethin’.

There was a time when dining out was simple. You chose a place, ordered a meal, and if the food was good, you’d come back. These days, something else is at play. We’re not just going out to eat, we’re going out to feel something.

I’ve spent much of my career working in events and experience design, and what’s happening in our food scene feels like a natural evolution. We’re living in what’s often called the ‘experience economy’, in which people place value not just on what we buy, but also on how it makes us feel.

In hospitality, that means the lighting, the music, the story behind the dish, the welcome at the door and the company around the table matter just as much as what’s on the plate.

For operators, this creates both opportunity and pressure in an already demanding environment. It’s no longer enough to simply serve great food – the expectation now is a complete experience. Diners want atmosphere, personality, connection and something that feels memorable enough to justify both their time and their money.

It’s exciting to see how this is taking shape in the Bay of Plenty. Pop-ups and collaborations are creating space for creativity to thrive without the commitment of a permanent venue, while established operators are reimagining their spaces through one-off takeovers and themed experiences.

There’s a growing willingness to experiment and invite people to be part of something a little different. In doing so, communities are forming around food.

Leopard Boy Pizza.

Take Leopard Boy Pizza, for example. Owner Andy Bowker started out working at Sal’s as a teenager, honed his craft and began exploring how making pizza could become not just a skill, but also a business. By leaning into the Bay’s grassroots hospitality scene and collaborating with the likes of Special Mention, Blondie, Benny and Brew, and most recently Best Behaviour Rum, Leopard Boy has built a pop-up model that feels distinctly local.

Pizza is only the beginning – it’s about that unmistakable feeling of connection that defines genuine hospitality. That same thinking is showing up in different ways across the region.

Wine bar Solera recently wrapped a month long Spanish takeover, complete with Spanish wines by the glass, regionally inspired dishes woven through the menu, and lively Saturday pintxo afternoons built around sharing food and conversation.

Solera.

Somethin’ Somethin’ has cultivated a Honey Club following by using the loyalty club to engage customers beyond their daily coffee ritual and fill seats across a growing calendar of themed events. Over the coming months, they’ll be hosting Latin-inspired evenings, Ragtag collaborations and a Beaujolais Nouveau celebration, all designed to turn casual customers into an engaged community.

We’re keener than ever to invest in experiences that feel thoughtful, immersive and worth talking about long after the table’s been cleared. Perhaps that’s the real change. Forget simply consuming meals, we’re collecting moments. In a region rich with creativity, produce and passionate people, it’s a shift in thinking that opens up a world of possibility.

BEST FOOT FORWARD

In the first of an ongoing series, UNO chats to people who are choosing to build their lives and careers in the Bay of Plenty. Our first subject has been rapt to find a welcoming creative community ready to step right into.

WORDS HAYLEY BARNETT

Maxwell Hutton had perfectly practical reasons for leaving Auckland. His partner had a job offer and he had family already settled in Pāpāmoa. The 25-year old choreographer wasn’t chasing a scene, but Tauranga had one waiting for him anyway.

“I didn’t move down for choreography per se,” he explains. “The discovery that there was a huge creative community here was a surprising bonus.”

When Maxwell's partner Matt Cornere secured a role as a dance teacher at Mount Maunganui College, the decision to move became a no-brainer.

“We already had roots here, so it made it an easy choice.”

What the couple found was a creative scene that exceeded their expectations. Having taken up a full-time position as an office assistant at a Tauranga law firm, Maxwell’s been immersing himself in the local theatre world, choreographing, performing and building relationships.

“The theatre community here is so generous and friendly,” he says. “It’s something I can always rely on wherever I go, and here, it feels especially strong.”

Matthew and Maxwell.

Coming from Auckland, where the theatre network can feel fragmented across the sprawling city, Maxwell was struck by how connected the Bay’s theatre scene is.

“Only once I was part of it did I realise how big and engaged it is,” he says, recalling a recent 80th celebration event that drew well over 100 attendees. “There’s a real sense that people care and want to be involved.”

Perhaps, he muses, it’s not the size of the community that counts, but the quality.

“Things are happening here that even Auckland could learn from,” says Maxwell. “In terms of community involvement, Tauranga’s doing really well.”

Maxwell recently appeared in Tauranga Musical Theatre’s April–May production of Come From Away at Baycourt, before stepping in to choreograph the Dolly Parton-fuelled 9 to 5 The Musical, which opens on July 25 and runs until August 1. It was a quick turnaround that speaks to both his experience and the opportunities on offer.

Having choreographed around 10 shows in recent years, he’d arrived hopeful but realistic about how long it might take to find his feet. Instead, doors opened quickly.

He acknowledges the challenges, with young creatives heading overseas among them, but sees momentum building.

“It’s about attracting new people in,” he says.

For Maxwell and Matthew, any question marks over the move have dissolved.

“We did say, worst case, we could move back,” he admits. “But now we can definitely see ourselves here long-term.”

Turns out the worst case never came close. As our region changes from being known for retirees and summer holidaymakers, stories like Maxwell’s prove something is changing. Creativity, opportunity and a sense of community are taking up a lot more space.

BUILT TO BELONG

Two newly appointed leaders are bringing a distinctly Bay of Plenty perspective to one of the globe’s biggest firms, and making sure it earns its place in our community.

PHOTO SALINA GALVAN

There’s a version of this story where a global firm sees Tauranga’s rapid growth, follows the cranes, and sets up shop to capture the opportunity. But Deloitte’s story in the Bay of Plenty is more considered than that.

As the region continues to grow and diversify, so too does the complexity facing local businesses. From expansion and succession to technology transformation, regulatory change and shifting market conditions, organisations are being asked to make important decisions at pace.

For Deloitte’s Tauranga team, that creates both responsibility and opportunity. The appointment of Alexis Tapsell to partner and Cam Burrow as director reflects a broader story about Deloitte’s investment in leadership across New Zealand.

Nationally, the firm has continued to grow its leadership bench, appointing new partners and directors to support clients through disruption and ongoing change. In Tauranga, that investment is also about building a strong regional team for the future, one that makes sure local businesses have access to the same depth of advice and specialist support as organisations in the country’s largest centres.

Alexis joins existing partners, Paul Shallard and Andrea Scatchard, while Cam joins director Brad Garner, making for a strong leadership team in the Tauranga office. Together, they bring local relationships, national capability and the scale of a global firm to support businesses through growth and complexity. And it wouldn’t be happening if both hadn’t chosen to come here.

For Alexis, it was a return home. The former Black Fern, who represented New Zealand at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia, lived in the Bay before heading to Auckland and making the move back in 2024.

“I’ve got three young kids and I wanted them to grow up in the Bay of Plenty, around family and everything like that,” she says. “This role was part of it, but mainly it was for my family.”

A specialist in tax and business advisory services, Alexis brings a skillset that’s genuinely in demand locally. Her client portfolio is deliberately broad and includes corporates, private and high-growth businesses, alongside the iwi and Māori sector. But her approach is the same across all of it.

“It's about being authentic, building trust, and working alongside clients in a way that feels genuine.”

Cam arrived from a different direction. A “born and bred southerner”, he relocated from Dunedin to Tauranga earlier this year after Deloitte approached him about helping grow the firm’s presence in the market.

“In a place like Tauranga, there’s a feeling of home,” he says. “You can still do your hobbies. You can be surfing before work in the morning, go to the office, and then be playing golf after work.”

He moved up in late April and has quickly become part of the community, refereeing rugby and getting involved in surf lifesaving. His role at Deloitte is deeper than his business card might suggest. He works across accounting, financial reporting, disruption and climate events, and internal audit.

“A lot of what I do is connecting the issues on the ground to the broader Deloitte network,” he explains. “We’re not selling services, we’re going to solve problems people are having for them, or with them. By doing that, we create clients for life.

“We want clients to feel like they have a local team that understands them, but also the backing of a much larger organisation. If a client is dealing with a complex challenge, we can bring in the right people and the right thinking. That might be someone here in Tauranga, elsewhere in New Zealand, or from across the Deloitte network.”

For Alexis, it's about striking the right balance between scale and connection.

“We don’t just want to be this big firm coming into the community. We really want to focus on what the Bay of Plenty is all about and we really want to be locally connected advisors helping Bay of Plenty businesses navigate change.”

“Important conversations aren’t just happening in the boardroom, they’re also happening on the side of a rugby field, on the beach, when you bump into someone in the street,” Cam says. “And that’s where we want to be.”

Both see this strong sense of connection as one of the region's greatest strengths. “There’s a real willingness here for people to support each other and for the region as a whole to succeed,” Alexis says. “There’s an optimism and collaboration that’s pretty unique.”

“We want to be embedded into that growth story,” Cam says. “Deloitte’s ambition is to be part of the momentum, supporting businesses as they grow, adapt and thrive. We’re not here for the short term, we’re here for the long term.”

“We want to essentially play our role in helping build a stronger regional economy,” Alexis adds, “and supporting local organisations to thrive.”

DELOITTE.COM/NZ

NEW NOSTALGIC

Reclaim the romanticism of eras past by blending a vintage aesthetic and timeless colour palette with clean lines and a modern twist.

STYLING AMBER ARMITAGE @ MARIGOLD PHOTOS MELANIE JENKINS @ FLASH STUDIOS WALL COLOURS RESENE PAINTS

Wedgewood Blue is an iconic hue developed by Joshiah Wedgewood in the 1770s for his famous unglazed stoneware. Today, it remains internationally celebrated. Pair it with dark wood tones and rich chocolates for an enduring and elegant look.

ABOVE: Ceiling in Resene Blue Moon, walls in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Wedgewood and floor in Resene Colorwood in Resene Crowshead. October II by Fatu Feu’u from Parnell Gallery. Marlow buffet, Nido coffee table and Juno Pebble sofa, all from Soren Liv. Hugo rug from Baya. CC stool by Rex Kralj and Serenity platter by Zaha Hadid Design, both from Good Form. Karl Bonbonnière Swirl canister and Blixen vase by Akau Objects, Forêts candle by Christian Tortu, Rachel Carley Lotus bowl, and Luisa Calice glasses and Rete Jacquard throw by R&D Lab, all from Tessuti. Ferguson floor lamp by Soho Home from Obery.

The dark chocolate tones in this palette anchor the space, while the powdery blue softens the mood and adds a refined contrast.

ABOVE: Walls in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Wedgewood, archway in Resene Blue Bayoux and floor in Resene Colorwood in Resene Crowshead. Lustro side table and Zita dining chair, both by Soho Home from Obery. Theron Curve sculpture from Soren Liv. Paul Evans-style desk from Mr Bigglesworthy. Pepa table lamp by Astep from Good Form. Bracelets incense holder by Astier De Villatte and Lilac Hollyhock Branch sculpture by Erbavoglio Milano, both from Tessuti.

ABOVE: Walls in Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Wedgewood and Resene White Pointer, floor in Resene Colorwood in Resene Crowshead. Hugo rug from Baya. Kahawai by Helen Kerridge from Parnell Gallery. Handsome Mid-Century Danish armchair from Mr Bigglesworthy. CC stool by Rex Kralj and Nagel candle holders by Stoff Nagel from Good Form. Emilia mirror by Soho Home from Obery.

ABOVE: Background in Resene Colorwood in Resene Crowshead. A4 drawdown paint swatches and testpots in (from top) Resene White Pointer, Resene Blue Moon, Resene Blue Bayoux and Resene Wedgewood.

HOLE NEW WORLD

Pip Crombie discovers a unique golfing destination with a dash of culture on the side.

Bà Nà Hills Golf Club’s signature par 3, 16th hole.

St Andrews may be the centuries-old home of modern golf, but the game – protocols intact – has not only survived, but thrived globally, becoming a powerful drawcard for international travellers. Serious golfers and social hackers alike find an exquisite anticipation in packing clubs into a bag sturdy enough for the cargo hold, plotting which courses to conquer and how best to enjoy après-golf. A half day on the greens, balanced with time spent exploring local culture and cuisine makes for the perfect mix – even when non-golfers are along for the ride.

You might be surprised by which countries deliver exceptional golf experiences. Having played in several overseas locations, a standout for me is the Central Coast region of Vietnam.

The major hub of Da Nang is an easy gateway (with Air New Zealand codesharing with Singapore Airlines), and offers access to more than a dozen courses. Expect diverse terrain, from mountain-top championship layouts to links-style seaside experiences, with scenic backdrops featuring lush vegetation and striking elevation changes, or dramatic ocean views and coastal winds.

Fair warning: it can all be wonderfully distracting – and a convenient excuse for the state of your game. Although some courses are attached to larger resorts, basing yourself in Da Nang or the historic town of Hoi An offers a more authentic Vietnamese experience. Most courses are within about an hour’s drive and feature excellent warm-up areas, well-stocked pro shops, quality amenities and solid dining options.

In Bà Nà Hills’ circular clubhouse restaurant, excellent local and international cuisine is served with panoramic views of the course.

Fairways and greens are immaculately maintained, with well-spaced tee times and good on-course facilities.

If time allows, aim for a varied line-up of courses. For me, two rise to the top. The mountain championship layout at Bà Nà Hills Golf Club sits at the foothills of the famed Bà Nà Hills, just 25 minutes from the city. Set among some of the region’s most impressive ranges, this lush, green course was designed by Luke Donald and feels distinctly Vietnam.

If you’re tempted to squeeze in two rounds in a day, a state- of-the-art floodlighting system illuminates all 18 holes after dark.

My second pick is Hoiana Shores Golf Club, a traditional links course by Robert Trent Jones Jr, who’s known for integrating layouts seamlessly into natural landscapes. Here, you’ll contend with firm, sandy turf on a scenic coastal routing, seasonal (but warm) winds, and classic links bunkering – a mix of wasteland and pot bunkers that demand strategy as much as skill.

Closer to Da Nang, our group also enjoyed the Legend Danang Golf Resort (formerly BRG Danang Golf Club), a 36-hole complex featuring two distinct championship courses. The links-style layout by Greg Norman delivers sweeping coastal views, while the parkland course by Jack Nicklaus offers wide fairways, river vistas and strategic bunkering. Golfers of all levels can take on these courses, choosing tees that suit their game and appetite for challenge.

At the Legend Danang Golf Resort, the caddies are clad in sporty blue.

Caddies are compulsory in Vietnam, with one assigned per player. Typically local Vietnamese women, they perch on the back of the golf buggy as you move between shots. Most are highly intuitive, quickly assessing your ability and reading greens with impressive accuracy – the rest, of course, is up to you. Expect to pay around NZ$40 per round, although a good day on the course may loosen the purse strings.

Golf in Vietnam isn’t exactly cheap. As part of a casino complex, Hoiana Shores sits at the top end of Central Coast pricing, at around NZ$500 per round. However, accommodation, dining, shopping and transport are all relatively affordable, which helps to balance your overall spend. If you’re flying domestically, local airlines will often carry a second (golf) bag free of charge. What’s not to love? Time to swing into action.

Best time to go: March–April (warm but not overly hot or wet). August can be extremely hot, while October November often brings heavy rain and flooding.

How to book: Booking direct via golf club websites is possible, although you may be asked to provide copies of credit cards and passports. Language barriers can occasionally complicate things, but many clubs communicate via WhatsApp. Golf booking agents can simplify the process by arranging tee times and transport, though they often quote in US dollars, take a margin on exchange rates and require upfront payment. Always check cancellation policies carefully.

Where to stay: Da Nang offers a wide range of accommodation, from beachside resorts to quaint, authentic boutique hotels.

Other tips: Bring US dollars for tipping, use a Wise card or similar for payments, and download Bing, widely used in Asia for ride-hailing services.

SOUND BITES

UNO editor Hayley Barnett drops in on Med Lounge and Garden, where live beats and culinary genius are stealing the Village spotlight.

PHOTOS CHAD FERNANDO

If experiences are the latest craze in the epicurean world, then Med Lounge and Garden is right on trend.

Sitting in the middle of the Historic Village, the restaurant, bar and event space has become one of Tauranga’s most interesting hospitality hybrids. It’s partly a neighbourhood eatery and partly a live-events hub. But make no mistake – it’s very serious about food.

For co-owner Jose Lavin, the vision was to create a place where the food feels fun and fresh, and the vibe social. That’s easily achieved when you combine two of the best events guys in the biz.

Med is the brainchild of co-owner Mitch Lowe from Audiology Touring, one of New Zealand’s leading DJ touring businesses. Knowing Jose’s extensive background in hospitality and events, Mitch brought him on to manage things. Jose runs Euphoria, another festival business, and now Med, where he shaped its recent menu revamp.

“I think everything has a little bit of personality,” Jose says of the menu. “A lot of colours, fresh, healthy.”

Co-owner Mitch Lowe.

That philosophy shines through when the dishes arrive. Halloumi salad, falafel and house-made pita bread have already become favourites on the lunch menu. The bread is baked fresh each morning through a collaboration with the team behind Tauranga’s well-known Falafel Metro, whose Middle Eastern roots helped inspire Med’s original direction.

Since taking over the food offering earlier this year, Chilean-born Jose has recently designed the new dinner menu to become something broader and more exploratory, mixing Mediterranean influences with Spanish, Italian and South American touches.

“We’re trying to create a menu that gives an experience,” he says. That means retaining signature elements for the new dinner menu, such as hummus, labneh and romesco, while introducing shareable plates, like cheese and prosciutto cigars, octopus toast and Basque lamb.

Jose says the goal is to give regular diners a reason to return. “If you like a place, you want to go and probably have something new that isn’t on every other menu in town.”

Their approach suits Med’s setting, hidden among galleries, boutique businesses and heritage buildings. The Historic Village is one of Tauranga’s more eclectic precincts, and Med’s audience is largely creators and art lovers who love good food.

The sense of discovery is what drew both Mitch and Jose to set up this business hybrid. Their music backgrounds and impressive contacts have helped put Med on the map as an intimate live-music venue. Together, they’ve already hosted sold out shows there, including gigs from international DJs such as Carl Cox.

“To add value to a city, you need to give it something that it doesn’t already have,” says Mitch. “That’s our goal at Med, to create a unique social atmosphere with food to match.”

Med’s point of difference in the Bay’s dining scene is an important one, and highlights the lack of smaller venues in the city. But so too is the need for quality food.

As Med cements its place on Tauranga's foodie map, the Historic Village gem has become a destination eatery that feels genuinely unique and new.

MEDLOUNGE.CO.NZ

STYLE STATUS

Find what works for your look and lifestyle.

WORDS NICKY ADAMS

CUVÉE ROSE COAT, $728, UNREALFUR.COM.AU

MOOD OF THE MOMENT

Plaid just keeps coming from every direction, and there’s a reason for this: its versatility is as fabulous as its timelessness. From outerwear to statement dresses, often crafted from fabric in a heavier weave, it’s a look that leans into the practical as much as the visually pleasing.

Styling has taken a maximalist slant; head-to-toe is the go – an approach New Zealand designers are excelling at. Given our mild winter climate, Bay dwellers have the advantage of being able to dip our toes into cold-weather looks without having to completely ‘winterise’ our wardrobes, and for this, layering is key. Mid-weight pieces topped with a statement coat enables the outerwear to be the entire look. Go for faux fur and shearling or ethically sourced feather, and add new depth to the most basic of outfits.

HEREAFTER DRESS, $440, TWENTYSEVENNAMES.CO.NZ

WELCOME WINTER TO YOUR WARDROBE

Colour features strongly this season, and a great way to banish the gloom is by zhushing up your neutrals with splashes of it. Although florals will always say “spring”, some designers haven’t been able to wait and have turned blooms transeasonal by showing them paired with heavy boots and a coat.

The quarter zip knit is another favourite look, and one that works just as well for men as women; thanks to its minimalist appeal, it’s a top-tier staple.

INTENT JACKET, $470, MOOCHI.CO.NZ

Sweaters take the average turtleneck up a notch, with this season championing ultra-cosy funnel-necks. In fact, the high-collar aesthetic is a huge breakout trend right now, as are balloon pants. Billowy with a tapered hem, for many fashion fans, these pants sartorially divisive, but like it or lump it, they’ve quickly become the silhouette of the season.

TRENDING NOW

Most-wanted this winter.

BEC AND BRIDGE CASSIS DRAPE MAXI DRESS, $469, SUPERETTE.CO.NZ

RECALIBRATE YOUR LOOK EASY ELEVATION Although transeasonal pieces are imperative wardrobe fillers, find me someone who doesn’t love a winter coat or jacket. At this time of year, in some form or other, leather (or faux) can’t be beaten.

Versatility is a star quality that can just as easily read retro or polished and can’t be beaten for longevity. A beautiful long-line piece of tailoring will never date, and if you’re looking for an on-trend jacket, a funnel-neck or bomber should be your pick.

None of this season’s trends feel too set in stone, but a ’20s-style dropped or elongated waist is a highlight, and generally a flattering one. Sheer lace and corsets are as dramatic as they are current, with a gothic vibe simmering away in the background.

ACLER AVISION MAXI DRESS, $809, BELLOVIDA.NZ

EASY ELEVATION

Overall, this winter’s trends couldn’t get more low maintenance, with designers encouraging fashion lovers to selectively add a few main players, then consider ways to creatively rethink what we already own.

For 2026, pay attention to your knitwear and knee-highs. The former has been elevated via woollen dresses, skirts with matching cardigans, and wrap tops and matching pants, all considered high-fashion pieces.

A trend has also emerged in the form of pre-layered knits. Last year, we saw sweaters and coats with scarf details; this year, it’s knits over knits. If that’s not your thing, look to the trending play on texture – silk or satin paired with merino or cashmere shows an appreciation of quality as well as classic style.

DUMPED

Waste warrior Kate Fenwick spotlights the growing cost of the rubbish we leave behind – and how we can all be part of the solution.

I was driving past a beautiful stretch of coastline recently when I saw it. A couch. Not near a house and not outside a shop, just sitting there in the long grass as if it had decided to retire early. It would have been almost funny if it wasn’t so bleak.

Illegal dumping has a way of sneaking up on us. A mattress on a roadside, a pile of renovation waste tucked into a reserve, bags of rubbish stacked beside an overflowing charity bin. It becomes part of the scenery, until one day you realise it’s not scenery at all. It’s neglect.

Every year, throughout New Zealand, councils spend millions of dollars cleaning up illegally dumped waste. That money comes from rates; from the same budgets that fund playgrounds, libraries, footpaths and community programmes. Every dumped couch quietly diverts money away from something that could have improved a neighbourhood.

Then there’s the environmental impact. Dumped waste can contaminate soil and waterways, especially when building materials, tyres and hazardous substances are involved. It creates safety risks, attracts pests, harms wildlife, and once a pile appears, others often follow. A single act of dumping can quickly create a hotspot.

Councils are trying to keep up. The problem is that dumping often happens at night, in quiet places, and without witnesses. Fines exist, but they rely on being able to identify who did it. If no one can be identified, the clean-up still has to happen.

What fascinates me most is the mindset behind it. Illegal dumping is often justified as a response to cost. Disposal fees feel high. Life feels expensive. It can be tempting to see public space as an easy option. But it’s not free, it’s simply paid for differently.

When someone leaves waste in a reserve, they’re shifting their inconvenience onto the entire community – onto the person who walks their dog there, onto the family who swims at that beach, onto every ratepayer who funds the clean-up. Most of us would never dump a couch in a ditch, but we all have a role in shaping what’s normal.

Plan ahead before a big clean out, check local transfer station options, use bulky-item collections when available, report dumping early before it grows. These are not dramatic actions – they’re small acts of stewardship.

Public spaces reflect how much we value where we live, and when waste ends up in a place it doesn’t belong, the cost is more than financial. It’s about pride, responsibility and the decision to leave a place better than we found it.

WASTEDKATE.CO.NZ

RIVER TO RIDGE

A new Canterbury high-country walk with big views, great food and luxurious stays provides just the right amount of challenge for UNO editor Hayley Barnett.

Multi-day walks have become somewhat of a thing for 30- and 40-somethings lately. You can barely take a whiff of wine without being hassled to join some hodgepodge friend group’s lofty goal of hiking 100km in four days. It’s the new multi-day winery tour, only much better for your waistline.

When the opportunity arose to walk a brand new 31km hike just outside of Christchurch, I jumped at it, eager to regale friends with my ambitious yet achievable adventure – one that surely no one had even heard of, let alone completed. But it seems the two families who set up and manage the two-day walk are particularly good at marketing, since the first person I told has already booked in a group for later in the year.

RockRidge is an all-inclusive walk located in the Windwhistle area of Canterbury, about 45 minutes’ drive from Christchurch, and takes in a multitude of terrain, including mountain peaks, farmland, valleys, rocks and riverbeds.

Rumbling up the driveway, our view of the Birchview Homestead is the first sign my husband, Karl, and I are in for something special.

Birchview Homestead.

Henry McElrea greets us at the door and gives us a brief introduction to the huge, stone building with five bathrooms and five bedrooms that sleep up to 10 people.

Originally built in 1928 and extended in the 1980s, the homestead sits among established gardens, native bush and a meandering stream. It’s part of Birchview Farm, a property with farming roots stretching back to 1913. Today, it remains closely tied to the McElrea family, who are among the driving forces behind RockRidge.

Henry, raised at Birchview, and his wife Megan have helped change the property into a place that somehow feels traditional and modern all at once. It’s a classic rural home, with formal dining spaces, log fires and upstairs rooms looking out over the surrounding high-country landscape. It’s also an elegant and welcoming beginning to our journey.

As Henry heads off, he leaves instructions for dinner, which awaits us in the fridge – 55-day-aged Angus beef with roasted vegetables and salad, matched with a beautiful local red wine. Dessert is a chocolate torte with berry coulis. All the food is prepared by Fable Terrace Downs, a golf resort down the road, renowned for its cuisine. From the first night, it’s clear this trip will be worth it for the food alone.

The next morning, after breakfast and a leisurely start, the walk begins in earnest. Day one runs from Birchview Homestead to Quartz Hill Quarters: 13 km, six to seven hours with breaks, and roughly 1000m of climbing. It sounds intimidating, but in reality the route unfolds in chapters and includes waterfalls, spring fed creeks and ancient cave systems said to date back some 80 million years.

The ascent to Snowy Peak and High Peak Summit is the headline act. We have morning tea at altitude, which feels deserved. Canterbury spreads below plains, braided rivers, lakes and distant ranges surrounding us on every side.

Later comes the 300m climb to Cooks Cliff, with a shortcut available. We ignore that and go the long way, before descending toward Copper Creek Watering Hole, where a dip in a man-made watering hole awaits. Here, we’re collected by a four-wheel buggy, and driven 5km down to Quartz Hill Quarters.

By the time we arrive, our legs are humming, our cheeks are wind-burnished and, thankfully, the second night’s accommodation feels glorious. We head directly for the hot tub and sauna, which are situated right on the edge of where the sheep are grazing. It’s a surreal experience to be surrounded by your upcoming dinner, but, if you’re not vegetarian, it also makes you appreciate the farm-to-plate ethos on a whole other level.

Food, as I mentioned, is central to the entire concept. Georgie and Dan Harper are the owners of Quartz Hill Station, a third-generation farm with deer, Angus cattle and sheep, and all of the food is built around locally sourced produce.

Slow-cooked Lumina lamb is the star of the show, and the berry crumble and ice cream pushes me pleasantly over the edge.

Day two offers another welcome fork in the trail: a shorter 10km half-day option, or a fuller 18km route for those still feeling ambitious. If you choose the longer walk, you’re rewarded with some of the most memorable geology of the trip – formations named The Brothers, The Mole, Periscope Rock and Hanging Falls – before descending through native bush of kōwhai, black beech and honeydew.

Unfortunately for us, fog has descended on the entire Windwhistle area, and so we choose the shortcut, which slices off a good chunk of the overall distance.

Eventually, the track joins the original Washpen Falls adventure walk, where there’s a waterfall to linger beside, and where heritage hydroelectric features add to all the grandeur.

The finale feels strangely civilised: afternoon tea back at Birchview Homestead, with the option of a hot shower before departure. We wash off the day’s mud, take advantage of the giant jar of what might be the best biscotti I’ve ever tasted, and sit in front of the fire as we await our shuttle back to Christchurch.

RockRidge’s genius seems to lie in understanding that many travellers want wilderness without the hardship. The McElreas and Harpers haven’t diluted the high-country experience, but they have framed it beautifully. You still earn the views and feel the miles, but the best part, for me at least – besides the stunning views and lush accommodation – is that someone has already thought about dinner.

ROCKRIDGE.NZ

DUMPED

Waste warrior Kate Fenwick spotlights the growing cost of the rubbish we leave behind – and how we can all be part of the solution.

I was driving past a beautiful stretch of coastline recently when I saw it. A couch. Not near a house and not outside a shop, just sitting there in the long grass as if it had decided to retire early.

It would have been almost funny if it wasn’t so bleak.

Illegal dumping has a way of sneaking up on us. A mattress on a roadside, a pile of renovation waste tucked into a reserve, bags of rubbish stacked beside an overflowing charity bin. It becomes part of the scenery, until one day you realise it’s not scenery at all. It’s neglect.

Every year, throughout New Zealand, councils spend millions of dollars cleaning up illegally dumped waste. That money comes from rates; from the same budgets that fund playgrounds, libraries, footpaths and community programmes. Every dumped couch quietly diverts money away from something that could have improved a neighbourhood.

Then there’s the environmental impact. Dumped waste can contaminate soil and waterways, especially when building materials, tyres and hazardous substances are involved. It creates safety risks, attracts pests, harms wildlife, and once a pile appears, others often follow. A single act of dumping can quickly create a hotspot.

Councils are trying to keep up. The problem is that

dumping often happens at night, in quiet places, and without witnesses. Fines exist, but they rely on being able to identify who did it. If no one can be identified, the clean-up still has to happen.

What fascinates me most is the mindset behind it. Illegal dumping is often justified as a response to cost. Disposal fees feel high. Life feels expensive. It can be tempting to see public space as an easy option.

But it’s not free, it’s simply paid for differently. When someone leaves waste in a reserve, they’re shifting their inconvenience onto the entire community – onto the person who walks their dog there, onto the family who swims at that beach, onto every ratepayer who funds the clean-up.

Most of us would never dump a couch in a ditch, but we all have a role in shaping what’s normal. Plan ahead before a big clean out, check local transfer station options, use bulky-item collections when available, report dumping early before it grows. These are not dramatic actions – they’re small acts of stewardship.

Public spaces reflect how much we value where we live, and when waste ends up in a place it doesn’t belong, the cost is more than financial. It’s about pride, responsibility and the decision to leave a place better than we found it.

‍ WASTEDKATE.CO.NZ

RAW AND UNFILTERED

Live radio isn’t for the faint of heart, as Hayley Bath so eloquently demonstrates through her most embarrassing yet hilarious moments at work.

Most people will, at some point in their career, make mistakes at work. I have the rare gift of having any mistakes I make happen in public, while broadcasting live on nationwide radio. It’s a great way to keep any fragile ego in check.

I’ve been the day-show radio announcer on The Hits for nearly nine years. I love radio, and I’m good at what I do, but I’ve still never met a sentence I can’t ruin with confidence.

Picture this: I have 10 seconds until the song finishes. I can see the countdown on one of four screens in front of me before I go live. The mic is ready, the red light is on. I go to speak and, mid-sentence, my mind goes blank. What was I going to talk about again? The dreaded brain freeze hits.

There’s no backspace in radio, no TV editing. It’s just me, a mic and the dawning realisation that I’ve made a mistake I now have to commit to publicly.

Over the years, I’ve mispronounced words I invented only seconds earlier. I’ve had callers go rogue live on air, ranting and swearing. One day, I was reading the weather when a spider crawled across my forehead. I had no choice but to scream, recover, then casually mention the incoming storm warnings. I still don’t have any idea how the spider got inside a double-walled, acoustic-lined studio.

I was humbled early in this line of work. As an intern on my first shift, I nervously came out of the song White Flag by Dido, stumbled over my words, and said it was sung by “Dildo”. I’d like to say the rest of the shift improved, but that same day I also managed to accidentally broadcast a Donald Trump speech over a Backstreet Boys song. I was sure my career would end as soon as it started.

Every workday, I sit in front of 184 radio buttons and audio controls (I counted them for the purpose of this article), not to mention all the screens in my studio. It’s multitasking at its best – technical pressure, talking, timing, reading, listening and reacting all at once.

When the mic turns on, it’s sink or swim. It’s what makes this job fun and terrifying all in the same breath. There are people in the radio industry who keep a dreaded folder of on-air mishaps made by announcers over the years. You don’t want to be the one whose audio is blasted out through the speakers at the end of the work party.

Sometimes, the chaos isn’t even contained to your own studio. We share a building with Newstalk ZB, and during a stint in temporary studios while new ones were being built, I clumsily knocked out what looked like some fairly critical wires. I held my breath, then relaxed when The Hits stayed on air. Crisis averted – or so I thought. Seconds later, a producer burst out of the studio next door, shouting, “WE’VE GONE OFF AIR! GET THE TECHS IN! ZB IS OFF AIR!” Three people sprinted past my window as I quietly sank out of sight behind my mic. Oops.

Radio’s addictive because it’s about real connection and what’s happening in the moment. There’s a certain intimacy to it, too. People listen in cars and kitchens, on night shifts, at workplaces; they invite you into their space every time they turn on the radio. This week, a caller told me I was the first person they’d spoken to out loud all week. They live alone, work from home, and mostly communicate through emails and texts. It’s not uncommon for a lot of people.

Radio is an unfiltered, real-time exchange between people, something carefully edited social media video reels can’t rival. The weird and wonderful texts and calls that come in daily create a sense of community you can’t fake, and in a world that often feels chaotic, I try to create a positive place people can come to for good music, connection, and a moment to breathe and have fun. It’s very hard to feel bad when music from S Club 7 and Coolio is pumping on a Friday.

Like I said, there’s no backspace in radio. When the mic turns on, anything can happen. It’s not about getting every word right – instead, it’s sometimes messy, unpredictable and completely human. That’s the magic of it.

Catch Hayley on The Hits 95FM, weekdays 9am till 3pm.

OUTWARD BOUND

Through their new online series, Kids Unplugged, a local family of filmmakers is encouraging young ones to turn away from their screens.

WORDS KARL PUSCHMANN

The question of how much screentime is too much screentime is one many parents wrestle with. Thanks to the rise of streaming services and devices like iPads and smartphones, kids could have access to virtually any TV show or movie they want, whenever they want.

It’s a problem previous generations of parents haven’t had to face, so it’s no wonder that when it comes to screen time, many parents feel the genie has escaped its bottle.

It was while reading social psychologist Jonathan Hyatt's book, The Anxious Generation, that producer Kylie Dellabarca Steel realised something needed to be done to encourage kids to unplug.

“There are a lot of devastating statistics in that book,” she sighs. “The addictions, anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation… all that negative stuff that comes with too much screen time. No parent wants their kids to resemble the statistics in that book. It’s sad and depressing reading.”

Kylie gave the book to her husband, director Anton Steel, who felt the same. They began thinking about how they could “use the tools in our hands” to make a positive change.

The eureka moment came, as these things often do, unexpectedly. “It just popped into my head when I was in the shower,” laughs Kylie.

The idea was Kids Unplugged, an online series of 10-minute episodes that show children how much fun there is to be had when they unplug, and profiles inspiring locals who’ve found joy, fulfilment, health, purpose and human connection after switching off their screens.

At Otanewainuku waterfall, clockwise from left: Kylie, Anton, Malachi, Judah and Ezra.

The clever part is that the show isn’t doom and gloom, nor does it try to scare kids off their screens. Instead, the couple’s three children, Malachi (15), Judah (12) and Ezra (7), present it, making it hugely relatable to its intended audience and ensuring it stays light and fun, and doesn’t become preachy. The goal was to make kids want to unplug, rather than being told to.

“In mountain biking, there’s a saying, ‘Where you look is where you hit’,” says Anton. “What that means is if you look at the trees, you’ll hit the trees, but if you look at the trail, you’ll focus on that and go where you want to go. If we just talked about all the negatives of screen time, we’d actually lean towards them, but if we tell the story of the positives of unplugging, all the health and wellbeing benefits, that’s where people will go.”

Having crowd-funded several other independent productions, the filmmakers followed the same steps to fund Kids Unplugged. It was a topic that resonated, and people were quick to support the project.

The six-episode series heads off on outdoorsy adventures like hiking, snorkelling, horseriding and skiing, while showing the unplugging journey other kids have made. For example, it features a 15-year-old former videogame addict who gave up screens and found a new calling as a political activist, cycling to Wellington to present a case for the continuation of Māori wards in his hometown of Whakatāne.

“Jack's a good example of someone who was overweight, sleep-deprived and addicted,” says Anton.

“He had played 3000 hours in the video game Runescape,” Kylie says, almost in disbelief. “He went from a complete screen addict to a child who’s full of life. He’s thriving, happy and healthy, and gives so much to his community.”

“He really turned his life around,” says Anton.

All up, the show took a year to make, from idea to funding, filming to production, to now streaming for free on RNZ’s website and YouTube. It’s been quite a journey, but the family’s keen to get to work on season two.

“We filmed the series in the Bay of Plenty for budget reasons, and because it’s the fantastic place we live in, but we’d love to take it nationwide,” says Kylie.

Anton nods: “The dream would be a family road trip to find amazing kids all around New Zealand.”

As for Judah, he was initially a little wary of the project, having grown up watching the amount of work mum and dad put into their productions.

“I knew it would be a lot of time and effort,” he says, “but it was quite fun. I enjoyed making it because I got to meet other people who live unplugged and I got to do fun activities with them.”

3 TOP TIPS FOR UNPLUGGING

1. “It can be as simple as making a cushion hut in the lounge or going for a walk. Instead of hopping straight onto screens straight after school, just get yourself outside. Start with small steps like that.”

– Judah

2. “Don’t be too hard on yourself to begin with. Ease into it. It’s tricky for parents, but be intentional and recognise that you're your kids’ role model. There’s no point preaching unplugging to them if you don't practice it yourself. We try to be those role models and not use screens recreationally ourselves.”

– Kylie

3. “Aim for balance. We want to eat healthy, we want to exercise for healthy bodies, and we want to think healthy too, so try to encourage balance in your kids’ lives. If they’re going to spend some time on a screen, then think about what they can do to balance that time.”

– Anton

THECOMMONUNITYLENS.COM/ KIDS-UNPLUGGED-FAMILY-TOOLKIT

POWERHOUSE

Step into a world in which it’s Mana by name and a sense of mana by nature.

WORDS JO FERRIS

In the exclusive enclave of Mana Ridge, Welcome Bay, this home marries the charm of a country house with the finesse of skilful contemporary architecture. The site occupies the pinnacle of this private estate, which is home to just 13 residences.

Designed by Adam Taylor of ATA, the house is clad with Lawson cypress board and batten, and is slowly achieving Adam’s goal for it to develop a gentle patina over time. The result lends it the comfort and familiarity of a farmhouse that belies the modernity and up-to-the-minute thinking within.

Three gabled wings play to the property’s strengths. Built to capture the panoramic views, they provide a sweeping outlook that embraces the city, the harbour and Mauao, as well as the western outlook towards the Kaimai Range. The wings have different perspectives, but share common ground in their dawn-to- dusk brilliance.

Among the trio of bedrooms in the eastern wing is a sound-proofed main suite with a glass-corridor entry that provides both separation and connection.

A fourth sleep space with its own ensuite sits above the garage. Soaring ceilings and thoughtful design in the heart of the home guarantee the sun, views and garden support every aspect of family life.

Courtesy of a generous window with an inviting built-in seat, Mauao is the star of the kitchen. On either side, the dining and lounge areas have their own special links with the scenery.

So pivotal is the outdoors to the lifestyle here that there’s even an alfresco ‘restaurant’. A recent addition, it stands alone as an entertainment destination, yet remains in harmony with the rest of the home.

Divided into living and dining areas, this substantial space is anchored by an impressive Argentinian barbecue. Large glass sliders open onto expansive decking designed to enhance the party.

To the rear of the house, a taste of Tuscany emerges in a sheltered courtyard in which olive trees evoke the Italian influence. This is another fabulous entertaining space and assures safety for children and pets; it comes complete with a playhouse.

The final high-end elements in this area are a sunken gas fire pit and a heated, saltwater swimming pool.

Underfloor and ducted heating, solar panels and a Tesla battery are a few of the other fantastic features to write home about at this landscaped beauty, and help to bring some thoughtful sustainability into the property’s powerfully prestigious picture.

23 Te Auhi Way, Mana Ridge, Welcome Bay

OLIVERROADBAYOFPLENTY.COM

ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS

The seeds of world record-holder Sam Ruthe’s success may have exploded into full bloom recently, but they were sown nearly eight decades ago. Jamie Troughton retraces the remarkable story of a family of runners, which could be culminating in the current generation.

WORDS + PHOTOS JAMIE TROUGHTON + SUPPLIED MAKE-UP DESIRÉE OSTERMAN

If you learn nothing else about Sam Ruthe, just know he’s the type of 17-year-old boy who treasures time with his grandparents.

His ‘Poppa’ and ‘Nan’ are Trevor and Rosemary Wright, who moved to Tauranga 44 years ago. They left behind a life in England, as well as extraordinary athletic careers in their own right.

Sam often pops in during study breaks to see his grandparents at their house in Tauranga’s Avenues, or on his way home from Tauranga Boys’ College, where – almost incongruously – he’s a Year 12 student.

These days, into their late 70s, Trevor and Rosemary are still active. And recently, on a warm autumn day for the umpteenth time in their lives, they were perched on a park bench at Welcome Bay’s Waipuna Park watching cross country. On show was Sam’s younger sister Daisy, and she was putting on an absolute clinic. Not only did she demolish her age group to win the Western Bay under-16 girls title but she cleared home ahead of the entire field of boys, who started at the same time.

“I get more nervous watching the kids and grandkids run than when I used to run myself,” says Trevor. “When I was running, it was down to me and I knew what I was doing, but you can’t control how the kids run their race and you don’t want them to be disappointed.”

Disappointment, however, seems a rare commodity in this family these days. In 1971, Trevor set the world record for the fastest debut marathon, and collected podium medals at the European championships, the New York City Marathon and the London Marathon. His best marathon time would have been enough to finish in the top 40 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But the former electrician relished the chance to move to New Zealand in 1982, with Rosemary, four-year-old Emma and two-year-old Jess. Now, the girls have five kids of their own and the Wrights are frequently on the sidelines, offering gentle encouragement but a distinct absence of advice. Their once-powerful flame of ambition, which carried them both to achieve worldwide athletic feats, is now just a gentle warm joy for the next generation.

“They really don't talk about their running that much,” says Sam. “Nan's theory is that you don't really need to do too much to be good at running, and she views it as a simple thing you can get good at by doing quality over quantity. She tells me stories about how she used to hide around the corner and eat chocolate while others trained. It might not be a great tip, but it definitely makes running a lot more casual, having that perspective.”

It turns out that Rosemary grew up in Whakatāne – where she spent the first 14 years of her life – next door to the grandmother of one of Sam’s good mates and training partners, Ronin Dickens. That piece of trivia has absolutely no bearing on anything, other than to provide a comforting reminder that, in this country, we live in merely a large village.

Sam’s village is tight and trustworthy and nourishing; his family is his foundation. He may or may not become the greatest runner New Zealand has ever produced, but he will always know where his feet stand, and who has put him on his journey.

“That’s the really cool thing about having a family full of runners – everyone’s been there and done that, and things like records don’t interest them as much,” says Sam. “They understand everything that’s going on, they don’t see you as ‘a runner’, and it helps build your own identity within your family.”

Fifty-six years later, Rosemary can still hear the pulsing roar of 5000 Edinburgh throats, opening as one. Meadowbank Stadium, newly opened for the 1970 Commonwealth Games, shook on its foundations as the women’s 800m field leaned into the final curve.

Time has blurred out most other details for the long time Tauranga teacher, clad that day in the white and St Andrews blue of her adopted Scotland. Intriguingly, she was also something of a prodigy. Then Rosemary Stirling and still just 22, she was at her second Commonwealth Games after a promising debut in Jamaica four years earlier, where she’d picked up a pair of fourths in the 400m and 800m.

Just eight years after moving back to the UK with her British-born parents, and having overcome injury in the lead-up, she was still only rated an outside chance in the 800m on the final day of the Games.

“I remember [England's] Sheila Carey falling over on the first lap and thinking, ‘That’s good’ because she was the favourite to win,” the now 78-year-old recalls of that 1970 final. “And I can just remember crowds. There were huge crowds shouting and bawling and just screaming. It definitely lifted me.”

After two compelling laps, it all came down to the final few desperate strides, when the Kiwi-born Scot lunged at the line to beat England’s Pat Lowe and Australia's Cheryl Peasley. It was the closest finish of the Games, and Scotland’s first-ever female track gold medal at Commonwealth level. It’s given Rosemary an enduring legacy in Scotland. She made the Olympic final in Munich two years later, and her 800m national record stood in Scotland until 2002. She was invited back to help open the 1986 Games and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in 2014.

These days, Rosemary downplays her own athletic feats to the point of irrelevance. “It’s only running,” she says. Though dismissive, there’s a glimmer of steel in her tone, well known to the thousands of Tauranga Girls’ College students she’s taught over the years. And there’s also a deeper philosophy embedded in that short truth, one that has become something of a family mantra.

It’s only running. You can see that, later that same autumn day, when Sam starts rekindling his deep, abiding love affair with the sport. On Tauranga Domain’s busy synthetic track, he’s taking the first, slightly tentative steps from a fast walk to a light jog, six weeks after suffering a stress fracture in his fibula during a casual game of backyard football. At 17, it was his first major injury, which has since ruled him out of emulating his grandmother’s Commonwealth Games heroics – this year, at least.

Around him, his village takes note and quietly celebrates. Coach Craig Kirkwood sends his burgeoning training squad on their way, pacing out meticulous laps, alongside Tauranga Boys’ College’s gun running posse, coached by Sam’s uncle, Gareth Hyett. All of them have had front-row seats in the past two years, as a young man in their midst – their buddy, protégé, training mate and schoolmate – burst onto the world stage in the most extraordinary manner.

Sam’s most recent piece of history came at the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University in late January. The mile race featured three Olympians, a world champion, a junior world champion, a US champion and a two-time US college champion – and yet, striding past Belgian Olympian Pieter Sisk in the final 200m, came a 16-year-old from Tauranga, jaw clenched in the final straight, clocking a scarcely believable 3:48.88.

Trevor and Rosemary Wright – aka Poppa and Nan – with Sam and Daisy.

Since New Zealand’s John Walker first broke the three minute 50 second barrier in 1975, only 63 men worldwide have managed it. None were under the age of 18.

As well as breaking the under-18 world mile record – and this is one for the stats lovers – it was also the fastest mile run during the month of January. Ever. But the greatest race of Sam Ruthe’s career – so far – was a curious moment for the Tauranga schoolboy.

“I didn’t really get any sense of satisfaction. Once I finished that race, I thought, ‘I definitely have more to give’. I was just off the plane and know I can definitely go a lot faster than that. At the time, I also didn't really realise how perfect the race went, how even the splits were, the atmosphere at the track and all the factors that played into it.

“But running’s a sport where you’re never satisfied and I don’t even really have goals, so it wasn’t as if it was even a goal for me to run the New Zealand record or the under-18 world record. I guess I was happy about it, but I wasn't satisfied.”

After all, it’s only running. That Boston race was bittersweet for the other Kiwi in the field, who just happens to be another Tauranga prodigy, until recently also coached by Craig, two-time Olympian Sam Tanner. Of course, the 25-year-old has known for a while that his young training partner is something a little bit special. They notably shared the New Zealand 1500m title last year in an enthralling dead heat, and Tanner paced Ruthe on the way to his historic sub-four-minute mile as a 15-year-old weeks later. Things were actually shaping up perfectly for Tanner in Boston, until disaster struck 400m in, with his young training partner tucked in behind.

“I told Sammy before the race, ‘Just turn your brain off and follow me, bro – you’ll be sweet’, and he turned his brain off and followed me. We got in a perfect position, and then the dude who chopped between us clipped my Achilles and I had to pull out. Sam ended up behind him, but then he just went around because that guy was falling off, and then he just followed Peter Sisk, which was perfect.”

Injured, Tanner watched the rest of the race unfold from the sideline, with mixed emotions. “It's not very often that you get a perfect set-up like that for a 3:48 mile. I’ve been waiting five years and I thought it was my chance; often the races that I’ve been part of have had a 3:45 pace or a 3:46 pace and I’m not quite there. You end up blowing up and run 3:50, or 3:49, like I’ve done a couple of times.”

Tanner’s also wise enough to know that a great running career is a thing to build brick by brick, and he piles credits onto Craig for his craftsmanship in that realm.

“Kirky’s just so good at seeing where an athlete’s at, making the best decision and trying to guide them, rather than just thrashing them. He lets the talent speak for itself and just cultivates that. And for Sammy, it just means that a little bit of work goes a really, really long way.

“Sammy and I just got lucky; we can both punish ourselves and enjoy the punishment for the sake of success. And when you've got parents who are good at goal-setting and you look up to them in that sense, it becomes a perfect storm.”

For his sake, young Sam has been exposed to the likes of Tanner, triathlete Hayden Wilde and top Tauranga runner Julian Oakley from the time he started running seriously at 14.

“It's pretty incredible when you can see someone in the training group and you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s the level I need to get to, to make this my career’,” says Sam. “It’s a cool feeling when you’re running with Tanner. Heading off with Ben on the US tour in January, on which Sam broke numerous records. Sam signed with Nike in March 2025. It’s not like, ‘I’m training with an Olympian’ – it’s the feeling of knowing exactly where you need to be to make it. The coolest thing was seeing how close I could get to him, every time I’d run with him, and that brought me to the level I am today.”

Sam has always been polite, quiet, even shy, says Sam’s father, Ben Ruthe. He has a good yarn about his young son at daycare, when a clown came in to make blow-up balloons. Swords, crowns and sausage dogs were being requested and handed out to the other kids, while Sam sat there quietly, as his parents had instructed.

“It wasn’t until right at the end that he went up and asked for a sword, and the clown had run out of balloons,” recalls Ben, clearly still a little mortified. “I thought it might’ve been quite crippling – we'd taught him to be quiet and patient and polite and never demand or ask things, and he’d missed out. I think we spent the next 10 years trying to encourage him to vocalise what he needed!”

From left: Jess, Daisy, Sam and Ben.

These days, Ben has his own semi-permanent air of bemusement about him. He knows a fair bit about running himself, having won the Auckland Marathon in 2008 and New Zealand titles in the 1500m and 5000m.

Sam’s mum Jess, meanwhile, won the Auckland Marathon in 2009 and New Zealand titles in the 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and the 10,000m (twice). Still, they’re amazed by what Sam has achieved so quickly – it’s been far more life-changing for them than their eldest child. While the sub-four-minute mile was staggering, Ben had an inkling things were about to go up a level late last year.

“There were signs in training in November that Sam was in really good shape,” he says. “He was training with Tanner, who couldn’t have been a better training partner, and all of a sudden, instead of a kid trying to keep up with an Olympian, it was, ‘Sam’s starting to hold on here’, and, ‘Sam’s taking his fair share of reps’.”

Sam’s memory is even clearer. He can pinpoint one typical early-Saturday session along Ōtūmoetai’s Beach Road in particular, when he realised he could genuinely foot it with international-class seniors.

“Tanner always makes us share the reps, and when Craig sets us a pace, sometimes I might push it a little bit faster than that, just to test things a bit. I remember one session when everyone else was dropping off and I was thinking, ‘How hard is Tanner puffing right now?’ and I got the feeling that I was nearing his level because he took over and dropped the pace down again. Little moments like that are really cool to look back on.”

Ben points out that Sam’s recent injury has also had the unintended benefit of encouraging him to ask for help, but it also heaps more pressure on the parents of an athlete, when everyday decisions start carrying increasingly larger ramifications.

“We had a debate about suggesting he didn’t go out and play barefoot soccer with his mates. We weighed it up and decided, ‘Nah, we want him to enjoy the best of Kiwi youth’ – and that’s the day he picked up a fibula stress fracture!

“But if I went back in time, I’d still let him go out and play football, because you learn so much from something like this. His mindset now is around strength and conditioning, stretching, core work, cross training. He was a good runner, but now he’s got a much broader view of all of the ingredients he needs.”

Because of that inbuilt, humble mindset, Ben also has no fear that Sam’s international success will cause him to get cocky.

“We really haven't wrapped him up in cotton wool,” says Ben. “We’ve constantly put him in situations where he could test himself, and that comes with risk. He genuinely just enjoys the process and has never wanted fame. He just wants to work hard and work towards results, and any sort of fame is not a motivator for him.”

ART OF RETREAT

Along with the cold, winter can bring loneliness, low motivation and social withdrawal. Cass Hogan of Fontein Coaching offers advice on how to support yourself through it.

PHOTO CASEY VAN LIEFDE

There’s a particular feeling that settles in around now. The mornings are darker, the harbour is grey, the calendar is suddenly less crowded, and something in us pulls inward. We sleep a little later. We say no to things we'd usually say yes to. The text we meant to send sits idle for three days.

If that’s where you find yourself this winter, I want to start by saying it’s not a failure. The natural world slows down in winter for a reason, and we’re part of the natural world. The pull toward quiet is real, and it can be a beautiful thing if we move with it intentionally, rather than letting it carry us somewhere we didn't choose to go.

In my coaching practice, I see this distinction every winter. There’s intentional retreat, which might mean slower mornings, deeper conversations and early nights. Then there’s unintentional withdrawal, like motivation that disappears, relief sought through cancelled plans, a slow drift away from the people and practices that keep us well. The first restores us; the second costs us. The tricky part is that they can look identical from the outside, and even from the inside for a while.

The question I find most useful during the cooler months is a gentle one: Am I choosing this or am I hiding in it? If the honest answer is the latter, you don’t need a five-step plan or a burst of new-year energy, you need anchors that look like small, consistent points of contact that keep you from drifting.

Here are three I come back to again and again with my clients.

Light, every day. Even 10 minutes of natural light in the morning can help your sleep, your mood and your sense of being awake to your own life. Coffee on the deck counts. A walk to the letterbox counts.

One real conversation a week. Not a “We should catch up” text – an actual coffee, an actual phone call, an actual “How are you, really?”. Connection isn’t a luxury we earn when we feel better; it’s often what helps us feel better.

One small thing that's just yours. A book, a class, a Sunday ritual, a project underway. Winter has a way of shrinking our worlds down to work and obligation. A small claim on your own joy is an act of self-respect. Winter will do what winter does. The grey will come and go, but you get to decide whether this is a season you move through asleep, or one you move through with your eyes open, with purpose.

That’s the difference, and it’s a difference worth choosing.

FONTEINCOACHING.CO.NZ

INTO THE WILD

From Big Five encounters to Cape Winelands and Cape Town’s coast, YOU Travel & Cruise Bethlehem explores South Africa’s extraordinary richness firsthand.

WORDS LIZ FRENCH

Most travellers to South Africa have wildlife top of mind, then discover so much more in a country of remarkable depth and diversity.

YOU Travel & Cruise Bethlehem’s Brenda Stephen and Lydia Haydon each visited this big, beautiful country recently. Both returned raving, and not just about their safaris. From vibrant cities to untamed wilderness and world-class wine regions, they got a tantalising taste of the best of South Africa.

Getting to South Africa involves just two international flights. Brenda and Lydia agree that any uneasiness you may anticipate is completely allayed by the hosts of the tours they can organise for you, ensuring you’re wrapped in an exhilarating bubble from the minute you step off the plane.

A LAND REVEALED

Between them, Brenda and Lydia experienced three private game reserves and that being a guest confers pertinent privileges. Thrill at wildlife sightings from the comfort of a purpose built jeep with guides who have an intuitive (aided by technology!) ability to get you up close and personal with elusive and unforgettable beasts in their natural habitat. Game drives typically start before sunrise, with golden light spilling across the savannah, and are repeated from late afternoon for entrancing evening encounters.

Brenda stayed at the Lion Sands River Lodge in the prestigious Sabi Sand Game Reserve. It borders Kruger National Park, a public reserve often congested with traffic. Add the luxury of a suite above the river where wildlife wanders past your deck, and the benefits of a private reserve richly reward your investment.

The luxury continued at Ngala Private Game Reserve with extraordinary encounters with rhino and elephants, and wild dogs on the hunt. The Ngala Treehouse experience where guests spend a night open air under a star spangled sky was described by Brenda as the perfect honeymoon or once in a lifetime stay.

Lion Sands River Lodge

Lydia arrived by air at Phinda Private Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal region, an equally amazing private reserve with six luxury lodges spread out over varied habitats and safaris into areas where the ‘big five’ (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo) roam freely. The abundance of wildlife and the proximity of unsoiled coastline and spectacular reefs make Phinda the perfect bush and beach adventure.

CITIES, COASTLINES AND CABERNET

South Africa is much more than the big five. Brenda found Johannesburg (Joburg to the locals) far beyond expectations. Learning of the country’s journey to democracy on a visit to Constitution Hill proved a “poignant eye-opener”, and an inspection of the legendary Rovos Rail (The Pride of Africa Train) encouraged her to recommend this luxury rail journey.

Of all the most lauded hotels Brenda stayed in on her tour, the waterfront Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town was a favourite, perfect for exploring one of the world’s most beautiful coastal cities, where style, culture and cuisine is ever framed by the silhouette of Table Mountain. Excursions to Chapman’s Peak (cited as the most scenic drive in the world), to windswept Cape Point, and to see the penguins at Boulders Beach were among many highlights.

Table Mountain, Capetown.

Lydia relaxed and imbibed happily in the Cape Winelands, staying at the utterly gorgeous Franschhoek Country House and Villas, where vineyard covered valleys meet Cape Dutch architecture. A day trip from Cape Town to the wine country gave Brenda a taste of its charm and vintages.

In just under two weeks, these YOU Travel & Cruise consultants experienced the wonder of wildlife in superior private reserves, cultural richness, scenic beauty and historical significance in the cities, renowned wine regions and culinary experiences – all enhanced by luxury accommodation, each exuding unique character. What’s not to love? Lydia’s well qualified to name South Africa, “one of my top three travel destinations”.

Brenda’s and Lydia’s trips were aimed at achieving a lot more than having a wonderful holiday. Like many others taken by the YOU Travel & Cruise team, their South Africa journeys were all about gaining personal experience they can share with their clients. YOU Travel & Cruise believes that by investing in knowledge, they add genuine value as travel advisors and facilitators, and enhance the enjoyment and satisfaction travel provides – not to mention the peace of mind of having a professional on the job as you plan and embark on much-anticipated adventures worldwide.

Sundowners at Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.

If South Africa is on your radar, the experts at YOU Travel & Cruise in the Bethlehem Town Centre would love to share their first-hand knowledge of what makes this country an extraordinary destination, and to curate an unforgettable holiday for you. YOUTRAVELBETHLEHEM.CO.NZ

MEET YOUR GROCER

Ian Harrison’s rapt to have opened a restaurant all his own, and everyone’s invited. Just don’t call it fine dining though, okay?

WORDS HAYLEY BARNETT / PHOTOS ERIN CAVE

As I enter The Grocer through the kitchen, the first thing Ian Harrison does is apologise for swearing. The second thing he does is swear again.

He’s standing in the middle of his new restaurant's kitchen on Tauranga’s Strand, talking about duck fat and why he hates the term ‘fine dining’. He’s also prepping plates of confit duck, mushroom gnocchi and crispy chicken, all updated versions of dishes from his revamped menu.

“This isn’t fine dining,” he says, gesturing toward a duck salad layered with beetroot, orange and walnuts. “If it was fine dining, the orange would be a jelly, there’d be micro herbs everywhere and the sauce would be some over-reduced, complicated bullshit.”

He looks at me, warily.

“I just want to cook really good food.”

For people in Tauranga, Ian Harrison hardly needs an introduction. Over the past decade, he’s become one of the city’s defining hospitality figures. He’s helped shape restaurants including Sugo, Clarence, Alpino and Florence. Ask around local food circles and his name comes up quickly, usually alongside words like ‘perfectionist’, ‘obsessive’ and ‘brilliant’

– sometimes all three.

The Grocer is different because, for the first time, it’s entirely his. After years spent building other people’s visions, this is the place where he finally gets to cook exactly what he wants.

It’s only a few months old, yet Ian has already reworked the menu, tweaking dishes, refining portions and adjusting it based on what people have responded to. Winter is pushing things further toward hearty British gastropub territory, with slow braises, rich sauces, duck fat potatoes, steak and Sunday roasts. Summer, he says, will pull everything back toward lighter seafood and vegetables.

“It’s probably more Pommie than anything,” he laughs. “But then there’s Asian influence, Kiwi influence, Māori influence. If I feel like putting a curry on later in the year, I’ll put a curry on.”

Ian talks about food the way some people talk about architecture or music. He doesn’t like trends, but he does like details.

“If we do eggs benedict here, I want it to be the best eggs benedict someone’s had,” he says. “Not because we’re trying to be fancy – just because we’ve thought about it more.”

Ian’s mentality was moulded long before he arrived in Tauranga. He grew up in England and spent years cooking his way through Europe. He worked in Michelin-starred kitchens where precision ruled everything. He cooked at three Australian Grand Prix without seeing much more than the inside of a kitchen. Eventually, exhausted by the intensity of hospitality, he decided he wanted out altogether.

He planned an enormous trip from Papua New Guinea to London, using boats and buses, working and diving along the way, but after arriving in Auckland in 2011, he stayed.

“I remember thinking, ‘I’m not doing those chef hours anymore’,” he says, “so I went front-of-house instead – because I’m good with people, I can talk.”

His talent earned him hospitality awards and briefly pulled him away from the kitchen entirely. Then he met Krystal, now his wife, and eventually followed life south to Tauranga. Now they have two daughters, Hine Ao Manawanui and Māia, who have become the centre of everything.

“I probably would have left hospitality completely if this place didn’t happen,” he admits. “It was kind of now or never.”

The Grocer occupies a historic building on The Strand that once housed a grocer’s store, among other things, and Ian liked the idea immediately. He wanted to recreate a neighbourhood place filled with essentials, like preserves, sauces, wine, good bread, conversation. He’s already begun bottling house-made condiments to sell, including tomato ketchup, duck fat and preserves made from ingredients used in the kitchen.

“I like the idea that people can take a little bit of the place home with them,” he says.

The restaurant itself feels warm. There are candles at night, heavy plates, proper portions and staff encouraged to read tables rather than recite scripts.

Ian talks as passionately about service as he does food.

“I wanted adults,” he says of his team. “People with personality. People who can actually read the room.”

He speaks openly about the realities of hospitality too, especially in Tauranga, where rising costs and cautious spending have made survival increasingly difficult for restaurants. He jokes about seeing himself less as a restaurateur and more as a “drug dealer”, trying to get customers hooked on the experience before they drift elsewhere. But behind the humour is very real pressure.

“This winter’s going to be rough for a lot of places,” he says. “You’ll see casualties.”

Ian remains optimistic, partly because he believes Tauranga’s dining culture is changing. He intentionally chose this location before major developments around the waterfront are completed, because he still believes people want genuine hospitality.

That’s also why he’s resisting labels like ‘fine dining’, despite his background. He says he doesn’t want hats or awards. “I don’t care about being a celebrity chef – I really don’t.”

Ironically, Tauranga already treats him like one. Customers regularly stop to talk to him. Diners specifically ask whether he’s cooking that night. His social media videos pull strong engagement, despite the fact he openly admits he hates spending time on his phone.

“I’d rather be home with my wife and kids, having a wine, than sitting on Instagram.”

That said, he understands modern hospitality requires visibility, and so he appears in videos; talks to media, like me; and promotes the restaurant, even if reluctantly.

“No one sells the place better than I do,” he says with a shrug.

Really, all The Grocer’s aiming for is good food, generous hospitality and enough warmth to make people want to stay awhile. And while Tauranga’s still figuring out exactly what its dining culture can become, that might be exactly the right recipe.

THEGROCERTGA.CO.NZ

TASTE OF HOME

These dishes from Home Foods by Elizabeth Hewson prove great cooking doesn’t need to be complicated. A few honest ingredients and you’re away.

CRISPY SAUSAGE, TOMATOES AND GARLIC GREENS ON POLENTA

This is a very ‘me’ bowl of food: garlic, chilli, lemon, greens, sweet, blistered cherry tomatoes and gnarly, crispy pork sausages, all piled onto a bed of buttery, cheesy polenta. I know purists may baulk at the idea of instant polenta, but for a midweek meal, cooked with plenty of butter and cheese, I’m all for it. If polenta isn’t your thing, toss this through pasta or stir in a can of drained beans when you add the greens.

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

4 good-quality Italian pork and fennel sausages 200g cherry tomatoes

1 tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup chicken stock

80g kale, leaves stripped and roughly chopped

1 lemon

Quick polenta

1 cup full-cream milk

450ml chicken stock or water (or a combination of both)

100g instant polenta

1 tbsp butter

½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve

METHOD

Heat a deep, heavy-based frying pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Once hot, pour in the olive oil.

Cut the ends off the sausages and squeeze out nuggets of meat into the pan. Fry for 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat into small nuggets, until they're golden and crisp.

Throw in the tomatoes and leave to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, to get some colour on the tomatoes.

Add the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, rosemary and garlic, and give everything a good toss.

Cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all that sticky goodness off the base of the pan. Let the wine simmer for 2 minutes, then pour in the chicken stock and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 5 minutes for the flavours to mingle.

Meanwhile, to prepare your polenta, bring the milk, stock and water to a simmer. Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking as you go. Continue to whisk the polenta for 3–5 minutes, until thickened. Once it’s thick and oozy, stir in the butter and cheese. Season.

Now, back to your sausage. Add the chopped greens to the pan, toss through, then put on the lid. Give it a minute or two to wilt, then toss and turn off the heat.

Zest the lemon over the top and add a squeeze of juice to brighten everything up. Spoon the sausage mixture over the creamy polenta with extra Parmigiano Reggiano showered over the top, and a little kiss of olive oil.

Leftovers: This will keep for 3 days, but it’s best to keep the polenta and sausage mixture separate.

FISH PUTTANESCA WITH
GARLIC AND CHIVE BREAD

This is a one-pot fish dish with all the punchy, briny flavours of a puttanesca – anchovies, olives, capers, chilli and a good hit of garlic – only here, they’re wrapped around fillets of fish instead of pasta. Like puttanesca, which was famously thrown together from pantry staples, this comes together with little effort but delivers big on flavour. A side of garlic bread to mop up the sauce is non-negotiable for me.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 anchovy fillets

Pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional), plus extra to serve

⅓ cup dry white wine

1 × 400g can cherry tomatoes

200g whole cherry tomatoes

½ cup Italian black or green olives, pitted

2 tbsp capers in vinegar, drained

½ cup basil leaves, plus extra to serve

½ tsp caster sugar

4 × centre-cut fillets of firm white or pink-fleshed (trout or salmon) fish

1 lemon, for zesting

Garlic and chive bread

60g salted butter, at room temperature

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tbsp chives, finely chopped

1 small loaf ciabatta or baguette

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350˚F) fan-forced. In a large frying pan with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes, if using. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to help the anchovies melt into the oil. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble, simmering for about 2 minutes until it starts to reduce. Add the canned cherry tomatoes, then rinse out the can with about ¼ cup water and pour that in too. Stir in the whole cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, half the basil, and the sugar. Taste, and add a pinch of salt if needed. Cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.

Meanwhile, for the garlic and chive bread, mash the butter, garlic and chives together in a bowl. Slice into the baguette at 1 cm intervals, stopping just before the base so it stays intact. Using a teaspoon, smear the garlic butter between the slices. Wrap the bread in foil and bake for 15 minutes, until the butter has melted. Open up the foil slightly so the top of the bread is exposed and cook for a further 5 minutes, until golden and toasted.

Once the sauce has had its 10 minutes, nestle in the fish. Season each piece with salt, pepper and a lick of the remaining olive oil, then lay the remaining basil leaves over the top. Reduce the heat to low, put the lid back on, and poach the fish gently for 6–8 minutes, until it’s opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

When the fish is ready, zest some lemon over the top and serve, spooning the sauce over the fish. Scatter with basil leaves, a pinch of dried chilli and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with the warm garlic and chive bread to mop up every bit.

Leftovers: This will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

INSTANT CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE CREAMS

Although I mostly prefer to serve dessert in the centre of the table to allow guests to help themselves, I will admit there’s a certain elegance about individual servings. These billowy creams look beautiful in little glasses, but don’t let your eyes get the better of you – they’re rich, so a little goes a long way. They do need to be made in the moment and served straight away, but considering the effortlessness of them, this shouldn’t be cause for concern. Berries make the perfect partner, especially big, fat strawberries that can be dipped and twirled in the chocolate cream.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

120g dark chocolate (70%), roughly chopped

1 egg

250g mascarpone

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

¼ cup full-cream milk

To serve

Salt flakes

Fruit of your choice, such as berries or cherries

METHOD

Fill a medium-sized saucepan with roughly 4cm water. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Suspend a heatproof bowl on top of the pan, ensuring it fits snugly but doesn’t touch the water. Reduce the heat if needed to maintain the gentle simmer, then add the chocolate and slowly let it melt, giving it a stir to encourage it. Once melted, take it off the heat and immediately whisk in the egg. The mixture will become very thick and shiny. Add the mascarpone and vanilla and continue to whisk until combined. Pour in the milk to loosen things up. You should have lovely, billowy cream. Spoon into small glasses or bowls and sprinkle with salt flakes, then serve immediately with the fruit.

OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH LEMON AND THYME GLAZE

This olive oil cake is hard to beat. Irresistibly moist with a golden crust, it’s rich, flavourful and achingly simple. In fact, it’s about as straightforward as a cake gets. It suits any occasion, equally happy served for morning tea or rolled out for dessert (with the help of a little cream). It’s a cake that takes me through the seasons, as I serve it with the best fruit of the moment. Sometimes I’ll poach the fruit, other times I’ll serve it fresh – always with a dollop of crème fraîche or thick Greek yoghurt.

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

2 cups plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1½ cups caster sugar

½ tsp salt flakes

3 eggs, whisked

1 cup full-cream milk

1 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup lemon juice

Lemon and thyme glaze

45ml lemon juice

115g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

To serve

Sliced peaches (or your favourite fruit)

Crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt (optional)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170˚C fan-forced. Oil a 20cm round cake tin with high sides, then line the base and sides with baking paper. I like to have a 5-10cm overhang of baking paper to encourage the cake to rise evenly. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, olive oil, vanilla paste, and lemon zest and juice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.

Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is a beautiful golden colour and a skewer comes out clean. The cake sides will also be coming away from the tin. Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn it out onto a cooling rack.

While the cake is cooling in the tin, mix the glaze together by combining all of the ingredients. Once you’ve turned the cake out, flip it right-side up onto a cooling rack and drizzle the glaze over the top.

Leave to cool completely (for at least 1 hour) before slicing.

Serve with fruit and crème fraîche or thick Greek yoghurt, drizzled with olive oil. Leftovers: This cake will keep quite happily for 3 days in a sealed container at room temperature.