Lifestyle
“Nothing develops intelligence like travel.”
Country Life: Pick and be merry - harvest time under a big sky
Harvest time at Big Sky Wines begins or ends with friends and neighbours in the vineyard helping to bring in the first grapes of the season. Husband-and-wife team Kath Jacobs and Jeremy Corban started out 21 years ago, growing mainly Pinot Noir on six hectares in Te Muna Valley near Martinborough, and were both the viticulturalists and winemakers at their certified organic vineyard.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.03.2026
After you finish reading the news stories, make sure to come back to the Can Do Kiwis website to check out more cool stuff and stay connected
This is what a rip looks like and how to avoid getting caught in one
Do you know what to do if you get caught in a rip? Or how to respond if you see someone else in trouble in the water? "Only about a third of New Zealanders can actually identify a rip," surf lifeguard Phoebe Havill says. "We don't want people hopping into the water in an unsafe place."
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 27.12.2025
After you finish reading the news stories, make sure to come back to the Can Do Kiwis website to check out more cool stuff and stay connected
Map Men Mark Cooper-Jones and Jay Foreman on cartography quirks and catastrophes
Many of us will have stumbled across a map that has a gap where New Zealand ought to be. There's some famous examples - like Florida's Universal Studios globe, the 2019 IKEA wall map and the Kiwi traveller detained in Kazakhstan amid a visa mix up that wasn't helped by the world map at Customs failing to include a New Zealand she could point to, as proof of where she was from. But why does it keep happening?
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.11.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
How we move, gesture and use facial expressions could be as unique as a fingerprint
Human faces are constantly in motion; they blink, smile, grimace and our gaits are unique to each of us, but how could understanding these traits have real world applications? The way someone walks, talks, smiles, or gestures gives a clue to who they are. Whether through the flick of an eyebrow, the rhythm of our walk, or the tilt of a head, movement speaks volumes.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.11.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
What babies’ cries really tell us – and why maternal instinct is a myth
"The next time you hear that piercing cry in the night, remember what it truly is: not a test of your innate abilities or a judgement on your parenting skills, but a simple, powerful alarm." The sound slices through the quiet of the night: a muffled sob, then a hiccup, quickly escalating into a high-pitched, frantic wail. For any parent or caregiver, this is a familiar, urgent call to action. But what is it a call for? Is the baby hungry? In pain? Lonely?
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.10.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Sage advice: why you should grow more herbs
If you’re limited for space growing a bunch of herbs in your garden is the way to go, says gardening expert, Lynda Hallinan. Herbs not only pack a flavour punch and elevate your cooking, they look good and the gardener's best friends - bees - love them, she told RNZ's Sunday Morning. If you like mint in your mojitos, give it some space in the garden, she says. "You can't really buy good mint from the supermarket - you can buy a plant.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.10.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
What you should plant now for a blooming summer garden
Pick something you enjoy and start with the easy ones, says self-taught cut flower specialist Olivia McCord. Apart from the pleasure they bring, there are other good reasons to grow cut flowers, says gardener Olivia McCord. “One is from a nature perspective, if you are a vegetable gardener, you know, it can bring those pollinators to your garden with the bees.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 18.10.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Boxing back Parkinson's disease
There's a growing movement of people with Parkinson's putting on the gloves, and taking boxing classes to counter the effects of the disease. When Lisa Gombinsky Roach was seeing more and more research showing the benefits of exercise to counter the effects of Parkinsons, she decided to set up a small group to try boxing classes.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 14.10.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Mustering at Molesworth
It's an early start for the musterers at Molesworth Station. The bulls are out with the cows for the mating season and the stockmen need to beat the heat. Country Life producer Sally Round spent a day with the musterers, the farmer and the cook, peeling back some of the mystique of New Zealand's most famous farm.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.10.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Country Life: Spray-free vegetables from Suncakes Gardens
Rows of colourful vegetables line this plot of land just on the outskirts of Hamilton. For more than 10 years David Ruan has been growing vegetables which he sells at the local farmers' markets under the name, Suncakes Gardens, a nod to his Chinese heritage. "In Chinese tradition, there is a Mooncake Festival, usually between late September and early October, that is Spring in New Zealand - a good time for a new growing season,".
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 11.10.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Denmark plans social media ban for under-15s as PM warns phones ‘stealing childhood’
Mette Frederiksen links social media use to anxiety, depression and lack of concentration. The Danish prime minister says the country will ban social media for under-15s, as she accused mobile phones and social networks of “stealing our children’s childhood”. Mette Frederiksen used her speech on Tuesday at the opening of Folketing, the Danish parliament, to announce the proposal, in which she said: “We have unleashed a monster.” She added:
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 07.10.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
The man who's never owned a cellphone
Even the Kiwi professor's mates are baffled, asking “when are you going to move into the 21st century?” University of Auckland professor Paul Kilmartin has made it to the age of 63 without a mobile phone - and he's determined to keep it that way. "It's become a little bit of a mission, much to my family's annoyance at times,". "They say, when are you going to finally get one? But I'm hanging out for as long as I can."
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.10.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Cape Palliser paper road: Vehicle ban gets the nod
Vehicles will soon be banned from accessing a scenic stretch of South Wairarapa coastline for at least two years, but pedestrians and cyclists will still be allowed. At a bylaw deliberations meeting on Wednesday, South Wairarapa District councillors agreed to scrap its initial proposal which aimed to ban all access to an unformed legal road in the Cape Palliser area for three years.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.05.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
How to grow your own forage garden
Let nature have its way and you could have an abundant self-sown source of food, gardening expert Hannah Zwartz says. If you like the idea of gardening but can't bring yourself to spend hours toiling away, making a self-sowing forage garden might be the answer. With minimum effort you can use a wild corner of your patch, relinquishing control and letting the garden do the hard work for you, gardening expert Hannah Zwartz says.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 24.05.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Where the art of Edvard Munch comes alive: a city break in Oslo
As a new exhibition celebrating the portraits of Edvard Munch opens at London’s National Portrait Gallery, we take a trip to the artist’s home city in Norway. Ireach Ekeberg Park at sunset and walk along the muddy paths to find the viewpoint. The late winter sky is like a watercolour: soft blue and grey clouds layer together, with a sweeping gradient of yellow verging from tobacco stain to pale lemon above the distant, bruise-coloured hills.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 12.03.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Top six tips when starting your veggie garden
A trio from New Zealand have completed a 12-day Rickshaw Run covering more than 3000km in India. People from around the world can go on their own rickshaw marathon around India with the help from UK-based The Adventurists, with the goal for each team to raise at least 500 pounds for the Cool Earth Foundation.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 02.02.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Kiwi trio complete 3000km Rickshaw Run through India's west coast
A trio from New Zealand have completed a 12-day Rickshaw Run covering more than 3000km in India. People from around the world can go on their own rickshaw marathon around India with the help from UK-based The Adventurists, with the goal for each team to raise at least 500 pounds for the Cool Earth Foundation.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.01.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Kiwi Stefan Ozich achieves record feat of running length of Aotearoa - twice
Kiwi marathon runner Stefan Ozich has achieved a significant feat, running the length of New Zealand twice, all for a noble cause. Ozich set out on the incredible journey in efforts to raise $1 million for The Last Chance Project, a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of men in New Zealand.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.01.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
New Zealand’s best loop walks
If you're looking for some beautiful loop walks this summer, travel writer Peter Janssen has you covered. Onekawa Te Mawhai regional park, Opotiki, Bay of Plenty. Ohinetonga Scenic Reserve, Owhango, King Country. Tawa Walk, Manawatu Gorge. Travis Wetland Circuit Walk, Christchurch. Farewell Spit - Inside/Outside Beaches, Golden Bay.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 22.01.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Abseiler at work hanging from remote cliffs, to keep highways open
Sending a big rock sailing through the air then crashing into a valley far below gives a thrill that never grows old for Wayo Carson. He loved it when he was a boy, out rock climbing, and decades later he still loves it and it is his career. Back then he was throwing rocks. Now he shunts much bigger boulders down the hillsides using explosives and inflated rubber bags.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 19.01.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Walking just 5 minutes a day makes a difference
With the start of the new year, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by unrealistic goals and fitness trends. But you don't need to follow those fads. Research shows that even a short amount of walking - one of the most accessible forms of exercise - can help set you up for success when working toward other fitness achievements.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.01.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
The 'superpower' helping Nigel Latta deal with incurable cancer
Psychologist and TV presenter Nigel Latta is used to helping others. But the tables turned after an "incurable" gastric cancer diagnosis last year. He says optimism is a "superpower" because research has shown it does affect survival rates and the immune system.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.01.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Take a hike - Ten of Aotearoa's best walks
Omanawanui Track, Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, Editor and publisher of Wilderness Magazine Alistair Hall said the Omanawanui track is an escape, a world away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Auckland city. Rangituhi, Former Victoria University Tramping Club president, and lifetime tramping enthusiast Anita Radcliffe said she adored Rangituhi Hill, tucked behind industrial Porirua.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 12.01.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Experience: I found treasures in a shipwreck
The sand swirled, and cleared. A flash of gold appeared and my heart leapt. Iwas 10 when I went on my first archaeological dig. I’d been exploring a clay pit near Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, where I grew up, and found the fossilised jawbone of a small ichthyosaurus, complete with tiny teeth. I took it to a local geologist – he was amazed at what I’d found and put me in touch with an archaeologist in Buckinghamshire, who took me to a dig site.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 10.01.2025
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Switching off from work can be difficult but taking a proper break is good for your health
It's never been easier to stay connected to work. Even when we're on leave, our phones and laptops keep us tethered. Many of us promise ourselves we won't check emails during our break. But we do. Being away from the workplace, and even in a new location, is often not enough to detach psychologically. We might still be thinking about a demanding project we raced to finish or even feel guilty about leaving others to cover for us.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 25.12.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Goat farmer can recognise the milking does from their udders
Thanks to goat milk, Andrea Gauland's son's eczema cleared up within two weeks. "He was a walking rash at seven years old because he drank a lot of milk and it was mostly cow milk," she said. Goat milk has been used for centuries to soothe and treat eczema-prone skin. The milk by nature contains fewer allergens (components that trigger an allergic reaction) than cow's milk, hence it may reduce eczema in children that are allergic to milk.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 06.12.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
‘You have to find your own recipe’: Dutch suburb where residents must grow food on at least half of their property
In the suburb of Oosterwold, a living experiment in urban agriculture, the 5,000 inhabitants find different creative ways to fulfil the unique stipulation. The eventual goal is to provide 10% of Almere’s food, which many see as ambitious but hopefully doable in time. Residents and experts alike also emphasise the potential for replicability. “Some of the things that we do could be implemented in other places in the Netherlands and beyond.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 28.11.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
How many Chalamets does it take to cheer a city up? The rise of the celebrity lookalike contest
As doppelgangers of Jeremy Allen White, Paul Mescal and Dev Patel compete across the country, organizers say contests bring wholesome fun to a negative news cycle. The New York event that started the trend was organized by the YouTuber Anthony Po. He promoted the event to create a fun, positive video in contrast to the negativity he sees on the internet. “What’s really interesting about these events is the grassroots origins of these contests.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 28.11.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Seed library opens in Wellington
A new Wellington library initiative sees people not just picking up Jack and the Beanstalk the book, but the beans now too. Newtown Library's Kohinga Kākano has become the capital's first-ever seed library in a bid to help people grow their own kai. City libraries said a request for donations saw seeds pouring in from vendors up and down the country. "We've had more donations than we expected, there's been huge generosity."
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.11.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
I moved to another city – and found an unexpected way to make new friends
While self-help books might suggest manifesting new people in your life or cold-water plunges to change your entire personality, the key to finding a community is much simpler. If there is some magic secret to making new friends, it’s probably this: enthusiasm is everything. If you find something you are genuinely excited about then it’s much easier to find a community. Forcing yourself to try new things is also key.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 26.11.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Hiker discovers first trace of entire prehistoric ecosystem in Italian Alps
Melting snow and ice has revealed footprints of reptiles and amphibians, dating back 280 million years. A hiker in the northern Italian Alps has stumbled across the first trace of what scientists believe to be an entire prehistoric ecosystem, including the well-preserved footprints of reptiles and amphibians, brought to light by the melting of snow and ice induced by the climate crisis. The discovery dates back 280 million years to the Permian period.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 14.11.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
What woolsheds in the heartland reveal about New Zealand
Annette O'Sullivan has captured the stories of the people and the history of 15 woolsheds in heartland Aotearoa. Her large hardback book Woolsheds - the historic shearing sheds of Aotearoa New Zealand is liberally sprinkled with photographs of the interiors and exteriors of woolsheds, captured by Jane Ussher.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 08.11.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
The Sega Saturn at 30: a pioneering games console ripe for rediscovery
A commercial failure by comparison with its rival the PlayStation, the Saturn nevertheless boasted stylish, genre-defining titles that are still played and beloved by retro games enthusiasts today. The console, which was launched in Japan on 22 November 1994, almost two weeks ahead of the PlayStation, is continually and pejoratively compared to its rival.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 05.11.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Have a stately Christmas: 10 historic houses and gardens to get the festive party started
Scrooge, Santa, polar bears, gingerbread and light shows are among this year’s seasonal family delights at castles, palaces and Palladian piles throughout the UK.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 05.11.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Lost Maya city with temple pyramids and plazas discovered in Mexico
Archaeologists draw on laser mapping to find city they have named Valeriana, thought to have been founded pre-AD150. After swapping machetes and binoculars for computer screens and laser mapping, a team of researchers have stumbled on a lost Maya city of temple pyramids, enclosed plazas and a reservoir, all of which had been hidden for centuries by the Mexican jungle.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 29.10.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Why we need bees in urban spaces
Cormack Farrell is the Head Beekeeper for the Australian Parliament in Canberra. It's a role that happened almost by accident. He was working for an engineering firm in downtown Canberra, and convinced his boss to let him keep bees on the balcony of their office. But when the firm had to move premises, there was nowhere for the bees to go. By lucky coincidence, Parliamentary Services was keen to host the bees as part of its sustainability strategy.
Click here for more information
Source. rnz.co.nz, 29.10.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
Exploring the Silk Roads: 10 stunning sites in 10 countries from Turkey to China
There are extraordinary places to see and adventures to be had along the strands of the ancient Asian trade route. hether or not the term Silk Roads is a myth or a handy catch-all for a dauntingly wide geographical network spanning mountain chains, deserts, cities and seas, the idea of it still entices travellers. There are countless extraordinary places to explore along its various strands from Asia to Europe.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 26.10.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.
‘No one will save you’: tourists warned as volcanic site reopens in Iceland after six eruptions in a year
Local safety chief’s stark advice as visitors return to Grindavík – with more activity expected.
Click here for more information
Source. theguardian.com, 26.10.2024
It is recommended to return to the CDK website after reading linked news articles.