Craig and Jo Cook describe themselves as ‘your average Mum and Dad’ and when the kids wouldn’t leave home, they did. But it wasn’t your usual six week European sight-seeing holiday most middle-aged couples embark upon. This was going to be an 800km trek through the Indian side of the Himalaya Mountain Range. Six years ago on a typically average evening at home while trolling through social media... Source ..read more

Despite a 2023 season that struggled to deliver similar highs of the one prior, the Taranaki Steelformers Mountain Airs are doing everything right to rekindle the magic that captivated the community in 2022. So will 2024 be the year of the Airs? You don’t have to look too hard to see the belief. It’s flowing through the team, the wider organisation, and a hearty fan base that has continued to gain... Source ..read more

One of New Plymouth’s most distinctive central office blocks has seen the modernist monolith undergo a major metamorphosis courtesy of a total transformation at the hands of its iwi owners. The revamped Ngāmotu House, formerly the Atkinson Building on Devon Street West, was unveiled in February after a two-year redevelopment to turn it into a cultural and commercial hub for Māori and Taranaki... Source ..read more

20 Years 2004 – 2024 There aren’t many magazines that last for 20 years, but Taranaki’s first and only lifestyle magazine has been a success story since its inception in 2004. In this, our 150th issue, founder and editor Irena Brooks, reflects on how it all started, how it has changed, some of the challenges and what she still enjoys about publishing the region’s leading lifestyle magazine. Source ..read more

When the guest list for an engagement party got out of hand, a South Taranaki farming couple shifted gears to quickly transform their do into their big day. All the stars aligned for Pihama dairy farmers Catherine and Simon Walker, when they used a date saved for an engagement party to share their nuptials instead. The venue, dress, suit, flowers, cake, you name it, were all lined up and booked... Source ..read more

Terry Clegg Builders is one of New Plymouth’s highest achieving building companies, with a reputation founded on 25 years of unwavering commitment to quality. That dedication is evident across everything they do, from award-winning builds to rave client reviews. Never ones to rest on their laurels, Terry and Mary-Lu Clegg believe they can do better still. The business has been rebranded to FORM by... Source ..read more

Tucked away down the Fitzroy Arcade in the heart of Fitzroy Village, is a secret spot that only locals know about. Opening out onto a sunny courtyard The Hub and Vin Bar are just two of the businesses that connect to this sheltered sanctuary. With new owners and a host of new businesses opening up in the area as well, Live shines a light on your new ‘go-to’ destination this summer … Source ..read more

Joy Josephs couldn’t be happier with the team at FORM by Terry Clegg. Her and husband Mark felt immediately at home when they moved into their new home on Manutahi Road, which recently won a Regional Silver at the House of the Year Awards. The home is a generous 323 square metres, with three bedrooms, three bathrooms and two living areas separated by a stunning double-sided gas fire. Source ..read more

It may be Womad’s twenty-first birthday, but it’s Taranaki that has been given a gift. In celebration of the festival’s coming of age milestone, we take a look at just how impactful this award-winning event has been. Twenty-one years after opening its gates at the picturesque Brooklands Park, Womad has injected millions of dollars into the local economy, catapulted the region onto a global stage... Source ..read more

At the base of Mt Taranaki is the Shakespeare-themed town of Stratford. The Romeo and Juliet clocktower on the main street plays at 10am, 1pm, 3pm and 7pm. While you’re waiting for the doomed lovers to state their lines, there’s plenty to see and do in the town … or hamlet! Exceptional coffee, gin, food and art are on offer at the Fenton St Arts Collective (page 55), housed in a striking black... Source ..read more