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A big congratulations to the 2025 Resene Bright Spots winners! We are proud to announce our ten winners who have all won a $250 Prezzy card and a $250 Resene Gift card!
Deepa Keenawinna - Lower Hutt (home crafts)
Slava Voronin - Kerikeri (blossoming tree)
Sam Holliday - Paraparaumu (hot pink … View moreA big congratulations to the 2025 Resene Bright Spots winners! We are proud to announce our ten winners who have all won a $250 Prezzy card and a $250 Resene Gift card!
Deepa Keenawinna - Lower Hutt (home crafts)
Slava Voronin - Kerikeri (blossoming tree)
Sam Holliday - Paraparaumu (hot pink outdoor chair)
Chris Carlyon - Waikanae (French Bulldog painting)
Joel Bradley - Auckland (Kea painting)
Jayne Walton - Rangiora (rainbow gate
Charmaine Macpherson - Cheviot (colourful bathtab)
Adele Whittaker - Auckland (school mural)
Karan Robson - Foxton Beach (blue backdoor)
Dave Bang - Levin (native bird mural)
Take a look at their wonderful colourful entries below. A huge thank you to everyone who shared a Bright Spot in their community this year; we have loved seeing the places in your neighbourhood that bring you joy.
Join us any Wednesday in November and explore our lifestyle, show homes and amenities.
More than just a place to live, Ryman villages are places where friendships grow, hobbies flourish and a genuine sense of community thrives.
The best way is to experience it for yourself. No appointment … View moreJoin us any Wednesday in November and explore our lifestyle, show homes and amenities.
More than just a place to live, Ryman villages are places where friendships grow, hobbies flourish and a genuine sense of community thrives.
The best way is to experience it for yourself. No appointment necessary!
“A lot of adults don't play."
"I was in the city for whatever, I think I was with a colleague. We had just been to the convention centre and we walked back to where we parked. There were some puddles, and instead of walking around, I jumped onto one of the blocks, and ‘boink, … View more“A lot of adults don't play."
"I was in the city for whatever, I think I was with a colleague. We had just been to the convention centre and we walked back to where we parked. There were some puddles, and instead of walking around, I jumped onto one of the blocks, and ‘boink, boink’ jumped over. She was like, ‘you jump on things and play on things, but most people don't do that’. I think it's why a lot of people get bored - forgetting how to play.
I started skating mid 2010-ish, right before the September quake. Because I'd been doing Aikido for so long, stopping Aikido and gravitating towards skating instead, that was quite a big thing for me. And then I started getting more into downhill.
My first skate trip was to Auckland. I linked up with some of the Auckland crew, and joined them on a trip to the Coromandel. There's also Longboard Girls Crew which has created a worldwide community of female skaters, so I linked up with one of the Aussie girls, Gemma, and joined her crew for my first overseas trip in 2014.
Since I started doing the Asia Pacific tour and all those races I would be away for roughly about a month every year, because I’d do a race in Australia for a week, and then maybe another event in a different place, the Philippines, occasionally China or Korea, or whatever. I've been to the Philippines heaps. It's cool because a lot of the guys there know me now, so I get treated as one of them, like part of the fam. I linked up more recently with the Malaysian skate crew, it's been really cool going back and experiencing Malaysia as an adult.
The female skate community is like that as well. If you do downhill skating or even longboard dancing, it's cool that when you find other people that do the same thing, you just instantly have this connection with them.
I decided to join the Euro Tour in 2019. God, I'm so glad I did that, who knew that COVID was gonna happen, right? The European Circuit is seen as the pinnacle, it has some of the most prestigious races worldwide and a well-established downhill skate scene. I remember when we camped off the side of the road in the Dolomites to skate. You skate at sunset, then you set up your camp as it gets dark. You wake up at dawn, skate, then when traffic starts to get too heavy, you pack up and you chill for the rest of the day.
As I've become a better skater I've become more confident, I feel it's helped me to really grow as a person. I think it's such a good thing for other people. I like teaching adults, because A) adults have a greater understanding and awareness of body movement, and B) It is that growth in confidence thing that I really love. When you unlock that and you see that spark, that's the most rewarding thing.
I feel like I'm in a really good place now. The older I get, the more I learn that I have to prioritize what I want to do, because there's so many things that interest me. It's boring to just be stationary.”
Elissa
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Love raspberries? We will give away free copies of the December 2025 issue to readers whose raspberry recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way enjoy raspberry (dessert, salad, jam main?!): mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by October 24, … View moreLove raspberries? We will give away free copies of the December 2025 issue to readers whose raspberry recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way enjoy raspberry (dessert, salad, jam main?!): mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by October 24, 2025.
Police are appealing for sightings of Rowena, 39, reported missing from Christchurch.
Rowena was reported missing to Police on 22 October, however was last heard from on 15 July 2025.
Police are now appealing for any sightings of Rowena or any information that may assist in locating her. If … View morePolice are appealing for sightings of Rowena, 39, reported missing from Christchurch.
Rowena was reported missing to Police on 22 October, however was last heard from on 15 July 2025.
Police are now appealing for any sightings of Rowena or any information that may assist in locating her. If you see Rowena, or have information that could assist in our enquiries, please contact us.
You can contact us at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking "Update Report" or by calling 105, referencing file 251022/9026.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Big news! Ryman has won Best Provider Nationwide at the 2025 Seniors New Zealand Awards - for the 6th time!
Leading the way in retirement living and aged care, again and again.
A trailblazing Māori scholar has finally received the recognition she deserves — nearly 100 years after her passing.
Mākereti Papakura, believed to be the first Indigenous woman to study at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a posthumous degree certificate.
Papakura sadly passed … View moreA trailblazing Māori scholar has finally received the recognition she deserves — nearly 100 years after her passing.
Mākereti Papakura, believed to be the first Indigenous woman to study at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a posthumous degree certificate.
Papakura sadly passed away in 1930, just weeks before she was due to present her thesis. Her research was later published as The Old-Time Māori — the first ethnographic study written by a Māori author.
We hope this brings a smile!
At Ryman you won't pay your base weekly fee for 12 months* when you sign up to an independent apartment or townhouse at a participating Ryman village before 31 October 2025.
That means that you won’t pay rates, water rates, home insurance, maintenance fees and more.
And because life … View moreAt Ryman you won't pay your base weekly fee for 12 months* when you sign up to an independent apartment or townhouse at a participating Ryman village before 31 October 2025.
That means that you won’t pay rates, water rates, home insurance, maintenance fees and more.
And because life at Ryman means less home upkeep, you’ll have more time for the things you love.
*Participating villages only, terms and conditions apply.
Friday 17 & Saturday 18 October, 10am - 2pm.
Experience the award-winning lifestyle at a Ryman village.
Join us at our open days and explore our lifestyle and care options, tour our show homes and see the premium amenities on offer.
We look forward to seeing you.
For two decades, Aotearoa’s favourite feathery showdown has crowned our top bird ... and the competition has never been fiercer.
Behind the fun is a serious mission. Many of New Zealand’s native species are in serious trouble. Bird of the Year raises awareness of their habitats, the threats … View moreFor two decades, Aotearoa’s favourite feathery showdown has crowned our top bird ... and the competition has never been fiercer.
Behind the fun is a serious mission. Many of New Zealand’s native species are in serious trouble. Bird of the Year raises awareness of their habitats, the threats they face, and how we can protect our feathered taonga. Important work that we love seeing!
Who was last year’s champ? 🏆 The Yellow-eyed penguin, one of the world’s rarest penguins. But this year, Neighbourly is keeping a close eye on another ocean wanderer: the Tītī (Cook’s petrel).
Who is getting your vote this year? 🐦💛
🗳 Voting closes: Sunday 28 September
🏅 Winner announced: Monday 29 September
We hope this brings a smile!
Some of the best moments are shared over food. That’s why we’re giving you 10,000 New World Dollars when you sign up to an independent apartment or townhouse by 30 September 2025.*
We’ll cover the grocery bills, so you can spend less time worrying about what’s in the trolley and more … View moreSome of the best moments are shared over food. That’s why we’re giving you 10,000 New World Dollars when you sign up to an independent apartment or townhouse by 30 September 2025.*
We’ll cover the grocery bills, so you can spend less time worrying about what’s in the trolley and more time enjoying who’s around the table.
And because life at Ryman means less home maintenance, you’ll have even more time for the things you love.
*Participating villages only, promotion terms and Clubcard terms and conditions apply.
Summerset’s Nationwide Open Day is on Sunday 5 October. All 38 of our villages are open from 10am to 2pm.
“It’s only since I've been in my 30's that I've had proper conversations about being Māori. I started to question all of that stuff when I moved away.
I left New Zealand just before I turned 19. I went to Australia for a few years, to the UK for a couple of years, then back … View more“It’s only since I've been in my 30's that I've had proper conversations about being Māori. I started to question all of that stuff when I moved away.
I left New Zealand just before I turned 19. I went to Australia for a few years, to the UK for a couple of years, then back to Australia. People would ask me, ‘are you a native New Zealander?’ Or ‘Are you a Māori?’. I always thought that was really weird, because being Māori wasn't a positive thing growing up.
I came back to go to university in Wellington. I didn't do well at school so it was quite scary to be suddenly going to university. I decided I wouldn't work for my first year, but that also meant that I was going to be really hard up for cash.
I found out about this accommodation called Whānau House. It's subsidized by the marae at uni, the catch is that you have to help out at the marae. I didn't really know what I was signing up for. There were 14 people living there, a range of ages. All of them were North Island Māori and spoke te reo to some extent. Suddenly being Māori was everywhere in my life, and it shocked me into seeing everything that I'd been missing out on. I spent a lot of time at the marae, and started to learn about te ao Māori.
I moved to Germany and for the first time ever, I got homesick. I couldn't figure out why, I'd never felt homesick for New Zealand before. And then I got pregnant, and I just said, I've gotta go home. I can't do this over here. I don't want my son growing up without his culture the way that I did. I didn't live in Christchurch for a really long time when I finally did come back, I had a baby. I was a pretty different person.
I started learning te reo when Thomas was four months old. and then the pandemic hit. We were in lockdown and I was doing all my classes online.
There were words that Dad used that I didn't realize were Māori until I started learning, which I think is quite funny. The first one I realized was a Māori word was pōtae - hat. And I was like, I know that word. Dad used that word my whole life!
We finished our first year, and we made lots of friends and kept in touch over the summer, so we didn’t lose what we've learnt over the year. We started trying to meet up at a cafe or for games nights so that we could practice using our te reo outside of the class.
That’s how Kōrero ki Ōtautahi became what it is. Initially it was just a group of friends. It's about supporting speakers and learners so that they can take what they've learned and put it into practice. We need more support for the intermediate people to push them into being fluent, and being confident, to be able to use it in everyday situations.
The ideal for me would be to see Christchurch as a bilingual city; you can just walk into any space and choose either English or te reo Māori. There's plenty of places around the world that are bilingual, and people switch between the two just casually.
In order for te reo to not just survive, but to thrive, we need everybody on board, whether you be Māori, Pākehā, tauiwi.”
Celebrating Te Wiki o te reo Māori - 15–19 September 2025
First-time lifter Mona got the technique down pat while Colin lifted an incredible 60kg! Even 100-year-old Bill joined in! Together they raised $1,700 for Hato Hone St John. A day full of fun, courage, and community spirit!
Click read more to read about the full lift-off.
After 50 years without a sighting, the rare and quirky sailback houndshark has finally been spotted again in Papua New Guinea!
Because it’s been seen so rarely, scientists still know very little about it. But its striking features are already sparking debate about whether it should be given … View moreAfter 50 years without a sighting, the rare and quirky sailback houndshark has finally been spotted again in Papua New Guinea!
Because it’s been seen so rarely, scientists still know very little about it. But its striking features are already sparking debate about whether it should be given special protection, and some have even argued it could become an icon species for Papua New Guinea.
At a time when we so often hear about species disappearing, the return of this little shark is a reminder that nature can surprise us ... and that there’s always reason to hope.
You can read more about the sailback shark here
We hope this brings a smile!
© Neighbourly 2025
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