Lessons from the country

Have you recently taken up jam making, or thought about getting a brood of chooks? Countrywoman Georgie Robertson muses on some lessons from the bush to help her city sisters when times are tough.

Marcia LANGTON SAINT OR SINNER

She’s gone to war with Andrew Bolt, been criticised for cosying up to right-wingers and miners, and she’s changed the face of Australia. Samantha Trenoweth gets personal with Marcia Langton.

The Queen SECRETS of her REIGN

In her 95th year, despite being in lockdown, Queen Elizabeth II is as present and powerful as ever. Juliet Rieden uncovers the courage, humour and intense loyalty of this inspirational leader for our times.

THE POWER OF isolation

From the fun of camping in the backyard to discovering what love truly means, some of our favourite stars tell Tiffany Dunk the lessons they’ve learnt during self-isolation.

Clean thinking

Some of us found solace in self-isolating, enjoying time for clearer thinking. For others, lockdown is slowing the mind too much. So how can we stay sharp for now and the future?

Hope in their hands

When 2020 was nominated as the International Year of the Nurse, no one knew how apt that would be, as COVID-19 wreaked havoc around the globe. Bronwyn Philips honours our nurses who bring healing, comfort and care.

Adventure on the HIGH SEAS

In the winter of 1969 Paulette Cooper embarked upon a mission to become the world’s first successful female cruise ship stowaway. What followed was seven days of action, adventure and daring before men in uniform finally arrived. But had she really been caught? Paulette recounts her unlikely tale to Tiffany Dunk.

The Housewife Vs The Feminists

As Australian stars Cate Blanchett and Rose Byrne go head to head in the brilliant drama Mrs America, Juliet Rieden investigates the real women who inspired this sizzling feminist versus housewife battle for equal rights in the US.

Slow - cooked comfort

Make the most of your slow cooker this winter with our deliciously thrifty line-up of easy recipes.

Keep calm & carry on!

The royal family has always been a beacon in times of national crisis and today’s “firm” has answered the call with the whole family playing its part, writes Juliet Rieden.

This too shall pass

Changes in our life can be tough to cope with, whatever form they take. Psychotherapist Julia Samuel shares her guide for not only surviving but thriving in difficult times.

SUPREME SISTER

North Korean princess Kim Yo Jong is seen as the brains behind her tyrannical brother Kim Jong Un. Amid rumours of his failing health, Genevieve Gannon asks, could his sister be the next Supreme Ruler?

The great beauty myth

Dame Helen Mirren has been grappling with ideals of beauty and the exasperating ‘sexy’ tag since the beginning of her career, and as she approaches 75 she says it’s time to break free. Juliet Rieden reports.

Happy birthday!

For Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, turning five in the time of coronavirus proved to be all about giving back, writes Juliet Rieden.

Mother courage

Merle Thornton is a battler, an academic, an author and a woman who has made history. She and her screen star daughter Sigrid discuss their deep and complex mother-daughter bond with Jenny Brown.

I AM STRONG

These six inspiring women prove that physical and emotional strength are ageless as they smash records and conquer goals, Vicki Bramley discovers.

Family values

As families around the country retreated behind closed doors, new mum Samantha Hayes tells Phoebe Watt why she continued to put others first, no matter the personal risk.

Keeping It In The Family

As a starry-eyed teen, Jason Donovan became famous for his role on Neighbours. Now history appears to be repeating itself for his daughter Jemma. The pair tell Tiffany Dunk why the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The Crown Jewel

Level-headed Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is increasingly indispensable, as the royal family faces perhaps its toughest time in decades. Her calm, conciliatory approach is soothing fractured royal relationships, says William Langley, as she shoulders an ever-heavier workload and enjoys a new closeness with the Queen.

When Darkness Falls

Depression had followed Wendyl Nissen through her life, and in a bid to keep it at bay, she resolved to make a massive change. But living a simpler, less stressful life wasn’t going to be straightforward. In this deeply moving account, she talks about the loss of her baby daughter, battling perfectionism and finding her way out of the shadows.

Road To Recovery

It’s fair to say 2019 was an awful year for chef Michael Van de Elzen and his wife Belinda – cancer treatment, a motorbike crash and a host of family health crises – but Emma Clifton finds things are looking rosier now as their cook school and its flourishing garden take off and they can finally enjoy their country idyll.

Covid-19: Spread The Word

The epidemic of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has confronted the world with a new public health challenge on a global scale. Professor Kerryn Phelps explains why it is a familiar story of mobilising responses to an infectious disease with no known cure.

Allergy Alert

With deteriorating air quality indoors and out, allergies are not just a spring thing.

There's Something About MAGDA

The comedienne extraordinaire, award-winning memoirist, equality activist and now children’s book author, Magda Szubanski, never stops evolving, and as she contemplates 60, she couldn’t be happier, she tells Juliet Rieden.

Julie Walters The Great Dame

Dame Julie Walters kept her cancer diagnosis quiet, because she didn’t want to make a fuss. Now, Emma Clifton finds the famously mischievous 70-year-old is wondering if this latest movie will be her last, as she looks back on her most memorable roles and talks about loving the anonymity of life on her organic sheep farm.

Truth be told

It’s hard to get a word in edgeways when these much-loved Kiwi actors get together. They chat to Nicky Pellegrino about the movie project that fast-tracked their friendship, the reality of menopause, the heartbreak of losing a parent and how in their 50s they finally feel relaxed about how they look.

Courage under fire

When trouble looms, Dr Megan Woods is often called upon to sort it out. The cabinet minister talks about surviving crazy hours (but still finding time for cricket), how she’s learned to worry less about cruel comments, and why she believes Christchurch is finally on the mend.

Dolly Parton - Beyond Compare

She’s the dirt-poor Tennessee girl with big dreams who became a global sensation. As Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 The Musical undergoes a revival, she talks to Juliet Rieden about love, ambition and not having children.

Becoming Kate

Inspired by a fabulously free childhood, Kate Sylvester has gone from making beaded sneakers as a teen to global success in the fashion world. Now life’s entering a new phase, as she deals with the loss of her father, watches her three sons forge their own creative paths and works to make the Kiwi fashion industry more sustainable.

From Heartbreak To Hope

Four months after fire tore through the beautiful Clarence Valley, Susan Chenery finds a close-knit community offering each other hope and slowly healing and rebuilding together.