Click here for events of note from around the country

Once a month we send out an e-newsletter, giving behind the scenes insight into the production of the magazine, sneak previews of upcoming issues as well as interactive features.

Click here to sign up and receive our e-newsletter.

Issue 19 May / June

Feature Story
Land Girls
WORDS: Kate Coughlan PHOTOGRAPHS: Guy Frederick
LEAD STORY: Five generations of the same family have farmed Gladbrook Station. Currently the day-to-day running of the farm is all girl-powered.

Fresh from the Garden
TASTE: Annabel Langbein turns the time-honoured olive into dishes of the day.
 

Dinner for Six
FOOD HERO: Guest chef Ben Mills shares some of his favourite recipes for an elegant three-course dinner.

Living Well
WELL-BEING: Health is the new wealth. Invest in your long-term vitality.
 

Mind, Body & Soul
BEAUTY: Lucy Ewen samples the latest spa treatments in order to determine the nicest ways to indulge.
 

Ribbons of Memory
DESTINATION: For a small town, Arrowtown has a big history.
 

The Green School
ENVIRONMENT: Enviroschools are taking the community approach to sustainable learning.

WIN: A Sentimental Journey
Spend six indulgent days in Thailand. Our prize gives a reader and companion the chance to see some of Thailand’s seductive scenery from the comfort of a Pullman carriage on the Eastern & Oriental Express, travelling from the cool hills of Chiang Mai to the big-city bustle of Bangkok. It’s a journey reminiscent of a more gracious age – afternoon tea served in your own compartment, cocktails in the bar (with a pianist) and dressing for dinner in one of the restaurant cars. There are local dancers and musicians on board, a saloon car with library and boutique, even a resident fortune-teller to tell you your future might be just as bright as the old Silver Star’s.

Fly to Bangkok and stay overnight at the five-star Shangri-La Hotel; next day, fly to Chiang Mai for two nights at the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi where the spa and wellness centre looks like an ancient palace; board the train and reach Bangkok two days later, having stopped for sightseeing twice en route; celebrate journey’s end with another night at the Shangri-La where the extravagances on offer include a private spa and butler service.

The prize is valued at more than $12,000, and includes air travel from New Zealand to Bangkok.

Find out how to enter!

Other fantastic web-exclusive prizes to be won! To find out more, see our competition pages.

Other features in this issue ...

Tower of Strength: What used to be the cement silo on Raglan’s wharf is now a stylish home.
Family Business: Unable to find a store that catered for their baby’s food allergies, a young Wellington couple opened their own.
Ball & Chains: Basketball and jewellery-making have much in common.
Divine Domesticity: Their own quirky works fill the Northland farmhouse of a painter and a glass artist.
Chips Off the Old Block: A Taihape family is anything but poles apart.
Flower Power: Buy a potted chrysanthemum and chances are it will have been grown by the Knights.
Acres of Organics: Farming is a family affair for the owners of a  Southland property where even the home-made ice cream is organic.
World of Interiors: The French markets are a happy hunting ground for antiques importer Meredith Lee.
The Royal Family of Racing: The Chittick dynasty reigns in the Waikato kingdom of high-stakes horse breeding and racing.

Other destinations in this issue ...

Animal Attraction: Hamish Ross’s 1961 Jaguar Mk2 is still a sexy beast.

Climb Every Mountain: Venture beyond the teeming  urban centres and discover Taiwan’s rugged wilderness

Other tastes in this issue ...

Ring of Confidence: Peter Gordon’s protégé is holding the fort at one of Auckland’s finest restaurants.
No Kidding: The fourth generation of one of Australia’s best-known wine families is serious about its own label.

To enjoy these articles, pick up a copy of NZ Life & Leisure from the newsstands today. Or subscribe here. Issue 19 May / June.