Culture
We’re a diverse country full of many traditions, practises, hobbies and interests. These stories dive into various cultural niches.
Chasing ice
For a fleeting spell each winter, ponds and dams across Central Otago freeze—and the chase for wild ice begins.
The garden of life
Nine years ago the people of Tāneatua saw that their tamariki were hungry, and bored. The people had no idea how to garden. They made a garden anyway.
Homecoming
Eighty years ago, during World War II, hundreds of Polish children found safe harbour in Pahiatua. In October, the surviving children, now in their 80s and 90s, gathered to honour their lives here—and piece together those they left behind.
Little Beauties
Bonsai are teeny-tiny. But for some New Zealanders, they have a way of taking over.
Fly, Fly
How do you say goodbye to a life’s work?
Worlds Apart
Your grandad builds a hut in the bush. But he builds it on public land. Should you get to keep it?
Ba-gerk!
Driven partly by egg prices but also, surely, by the sheer joy of keeping chickens, Gallus gallus domesticus is really having a moment.
Bloom or bust
Summer is the season of dahlia shows. Every weekend, enthusiasts assemble in town halls around the country to compete for the top prize: Champion of Champions. But participation in these shows is dwindling, and now the country’s top growers are seeking to pass on their expertise to a new generation of gardeners. Meanwhile, dahlia breeders continue to explore the plants’ hidden genes, producing ever newer, stranger, more extravagant cultivars.
Keeping faith
Participation in religion may be dwindling overall, but the practice of faith remains a highly visible and active component of New Zealand society.
Loud and clear
Siren crews offer belonging and creativity as much as resounding treble or volume—all of which were on display at New Zealand’s first-ever national siren battle.
Immaculate
You might spot them on their hands and knees, grid-searching their section for weeds. Spending their Saturday carving perfect stripes—or even diamonds—into their ‘outdoor carpet’. Most of all, you will know them by their works. Meet the lawn addicts.
