From the Editor - Issue 30

TELL ME IF THIS doesn’t make you laugh: it’s the end of the day; a commuter from Wellington arrives at her front gate deep in the Wairarapa heartland; she greets her pair of chocolate-coloured miniature ponies by revving her little sedan engine before shrieking “ready, set, GO” and they’re off … all three racing for the house. It’s a little family habit that enlivens the day’s routine for no reason other than it’s fun.

Gus Watson drives his ride-on mower through the house for the totally sensible reason that there is no other way to get from one side of his Queenstown property to the other. Anyway, he made the doors wide enough to do it. And this is not the half of it when it comes to the curious habits and happinesses of this successful painter.

Emilia Wickstead lives in London, loves the glamorous era of Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren and would never dream of leaving the house without looking as though she had just stepped from the screen in Fellini’s 8½. Why not dress to the nines every day of the week?

Frances Stead and Russell Hall have spent $2 million trying to put New Zealand equestrians back onto the medal podium at the 2012 London Olympics. Frances is long-time horse mad (as well as being one of New Zealand’s leading business people) and Russell loves nothing more than a challenging project. Good on them, we say.

Invercargill’s Paul Adams built an unsinkable boat for his paua-fishing mates and whaddya know? Stabicraft is now an international brand shipping recreational boats to the United States and Australia every other day or so.

Josie Martin, a lady with bright blue hair who lives in Akaroa, has built a giant’s garden of mosaic figures so huge and colourful that the total effect is little short of a miracle. It is a Garden of National Significance, according to the New Zealand Gardens Trust official listings.

Joyous events and lovely, loopy people fill this totally bonkers issue. Apologies to anyone who feels slighted by being included in the Totally Mad Issue because they feel they are on the right side of eccentric. However, we think oddballs keep the world spinning and we love them. Being daft as a brush is where we, at NZ Life & Leisure, are heading.

The last year wasn’t great for many of us so this time round we are determined to fill the happy bank to the brim by introducing people who create wonder and delight.