Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 1, 2024 i New Zealand Woman's Weekly

Like all of us, the celebs can’t wait to hit the beach and soak up some sun. Aussie actor and surf-obsessed Chris Hemsworth, 40, has been riding the waves since he was a kid and wow, he Thor is good at it! Singer/songwriter/actress Nicole Scherzinger, 45, was on board for some fun too, while Magic Mike star Salma Hayek, 57, stuck to the shallows. We spotted songstress and honorary Kiwi Rita Ora, 33, testing the waters and who wouldn’t be Bedazzled by British actress Elizabeth Hurley, 58, in one of her own beachwear designs? Meanwhile, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, 43, clearly had her heart set on catching a gorgeous sunset and Goldie Hawn just wanted to go fishing! The 78-year-old is a keen angler who says, “A little wine, bald eagles…

The royal family lives by the mantra “never complain, never explain”. It’s why the Princess of Wales has been unable to fight back against some of the shocking things said about her in the controversial book Endgame by Omid Scobie. However, as the new year gets underway and Kate focuses on a busy schedule ahead that will mix her official duties with being a mum, royal correspondents continue to defend her over the barrage of allegations that many have described as nasty and untrue. Kate came off worst in the book that takes potshots at most members of the family – and that was particularly galling because she doesn’t deserve it, say many writers who get to see the royals up close. “The princess has devoted herself to duty, to…

Jeanette Thomas One summer road trip has gone down as legendary in Jeanette Thomas’ memory. “In 1988, in the fifth form, my school friends headed away to the Coromandel for our first summer road trip on our own,” recalls The Breeze Breakfast co-host. “One friend had her licence. We just piled into her green Datsun and couldn’t believe our parents said we could go. We had the best time and recently celebrated our 50ths together. Nothing’s changed, except for some topics of conversation – menopause, HRT and our adult children!” For Jeanette, 51, who shares children Charlie, 22, and Mia, 19, with her husband Dave, a great Kiwi summer means “leftovers, long evenings, no 3.30am alarm and legitimately not knowing what day it is between Boxing Day and New Year.”…

Dubbed the Michelangelo of gelato by international megastar Cher, Gianpaolo Grazioli will never forget the first time the hit musician called him. “I was pretty sure it was one of my friends playing a prank,” tells Gianpaolo, who also goes by Giapo, the name of his Auckland gelato shop. “She said three or four times, ‘It’s me, Cher, the singer.’ Her voice is pretty unique – you can’t really confuse her with anyone – so eventually I realised it was the real deal. We talked and she said she loved our ice cream and wanted to bring it to America.” That was in 2018. Five years later, thanks to Covid setbacks, it became a reality in 2023 with the launch of Cherlato, a food truck partnership between Cher and Giapo…

I wonder if you feel the same. I’ve had such good fortune in my life. Yes, some awful shocks in my teens, but now there’s so much I’m thankful for. It weighs me down a bit. My good luck doesn’t seem fair on others. I feel a need to publicly express my gratitude somehow. In previous centuries, this used to be catered for by religion and still is for many – they attend church and give thanks. I liked the idea of those special church services when parishioners would leave harvest’s bounty on the altar, mainly fresh fruit and vegetables, later to be distributed to those in need. And everyone would sing All Things Bright and Beautiful, then they’d thank God for looking after them. Excellent.lent. But for the majority…

I don’t know about you, but I always try to be outstandingly pleasant to tradespeople. We’d be lost without them and they, the tradespeople, know it, which is sometimes reflected in their invoices. But there’s no getting away from their usefulness when it comes to fixing things. We’ve had a few tradies visit our place lately and I treat them like gods who walk the earth. Well, not quite, but I do make them coffee, point out the bathroom facilities and even attempt small talk, though that’s often a waste of time and can result in confusion. It’s just that I’m so pleased to see them. Because one of the trickiest of tricks to pull off when you live in the big, busy city is to actually get someone to…

Winners and losers Children’s sport gets ugly in this compelling tale Anyone who has stood on the sidelines to cheer on a kids’ sports match is sure to find much that is relatable in this story. It’s a gritty and involving tale about what can happen when the competitive spirit gets out of hand. Peopled with believable characters and investigating themes like parental pressure, teen mental health, bullying and self-harm, Sidelines is a strong contender for a book club read. Both of Jonica’s kids play football. But is it really their passion or are they driven by their father’s fanatical love of the sport? And how big a toll is the game really taking on them? This season, daughter Audrey is playing for a boys’ team as that is a…

WEEKLY STAFF EDITOR Marilynn McLachlan LIFESTYLE EDITOR Anna Lee SENIOR WRITER Catherine Milford CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Denise Bowden SUB-EDITOR Katie Shepherd ART DIRECTOR Mirella Monteiro DESIGNERS Anna Pétursdóttir, Béla Trussell-Cullen, Debby Wei, Hayley Pearce PHOTO & EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Kellie Blizard CONTRIBUTORS Alice Soper, Donna Fleming, Fleur Guthrie, Kasia Jillings, Leigh Matheson, Megan McChesney, Nicky Pellegrino, Sheryn Church, Steve Landells ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Claire Chisholm claire.chisholm@aremedia.co.nz SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Jacquie Fraser jacquie.fraser@aremedia.co.nz COMMERCIAL BRAND MANAGER Bridget Hewitt 021 1591265 bridget.hewitt@aremedia.co.nz SALES MANAGER Chloe Jordan chloe.jordan@aremedia.co.nz SENIOR CAMPAIGN MANAGER Angela Wei angela.wei@aremedia.co.nz DIRECTORY SALES MANAGER Kim Chapman 021 673133 classifieds@xtra.co.nz ARE MEDIA GROUP MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jane Huxley GENERAL MANAGER Stuart Dick EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sarah Henry PRIVACY NOTICE This issue of New Zealand Woman’s Weekly is published by Are Media Limited (Are…

She made headlines 20 years ago when she went from being a Tasmania-born real estate salesperson to the fiancée of a European prince. Now the former Mary Donaldson is making history by becoming the first Australian to be a queen. Crown Princess Mary, 51, will become Denmark’s new queen consort when her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, 55, becomes king next week. Their promotion to the top jobs in the Danish royal family is the result of Queen Margrethe II’s decision to abdicate on January 14. While her announcement on New Year’s Eve that she was stepping down after 52 years on the throne came as a shock to the nation, it seems there were signs beforehand that her heir and his wife were preparing for their new roles. The couple…

Aquarius January 21 – February 19 Lifestyle & wellbeing Everything you need is going to be available to you in 2024 – what you do with it is up to you. If you’re thinking of changing your lifestyle in any way, this is the year to do it. Your health is excellent and there’s nothing to get in the way of what you want to achieve. There’s a new-found energy and passion at the beginning of the year, and that will carry on throughout 2024. Finances/assets/work Following on with the same vibration is work and money. You know what you need and how you’re going to get it. You’ll have planned your finances well in advance, but you’ll also make sure there is flexibility. Being an Aquarian, you never know…

As a fit, healthy and vibrant single mum-of-three, marathon running star Mel Brandon initially shrugged it off when she detected a lump in her breast, only to be shaken to her core when several weeks later a biopsy confirmed breast cancer. Feeling “sick to her stomach” and in a daze, the 2022 Rotorua Marathon winner remembers sitting in her car after finding out, trying desperately to process her thoughts. “To be hit by the C-bomb was a huge shock,” admits Wellington-based Mel, 46, who was diagnosed early last year. “I didn’t think the lump would be anything much. I thought it would be benign. But as I was the age for regular mammograms, I thankfully decided to get it checked out.” Juggling her running schedule with life as a busy…

Getting your vitamin fix through diet and supplements? Make it a trifecta and incorporate a vitamin-fuelled skincare regime to achieve even more stunning results! For a complexion that’s glowing with good health, you’ll need to nourish from the inside and out. Feed it well and you will reap the rewards. SPOTLIGHT ON VITAMIN A Ask any dermatologist or skincare professional what ingredient we should be using and chances are you’ll get the same answer: vitamin A. One of skincare’s most hardworking ingredients, vitamin A, or retinol, which is pure vitamin A, works by getting to the deeper layers of the skin to help with cell renewal, as well as thickening the epidermis and dermis, meaning the skin becomes more elastic. This is why retinol is known for its anti-ageing powers,…

Paradise at yours The fiddle-leaf fig has dominated interiors for as long as indoor plants have been trendy and rightly so – it has great structure, is easy-care and looks good in any setting. But another plant has stepped up to rival the fashionable fig’s top status this year – the bird-of-paradise. Much like the fiddleleaf fig, this plant has oversized leaves and is relatively easy-care, but what sets it apart is its blue-and-orange flowers, which add Meaningful by design Impersonal décor has had its day. The trend to more meaningful spaces has been developing for a couple of years now and 2024 will really see it take off. Say hello to spaces that tell a story with one-of-a-kind treasures, repurposed, second-hand furniture and items collected on your travels to…

Right now, I am discouraging myself from going shopping. This takes a bit of effort given I think of stores (especially op shops) as entertaining spaces akin to an art gallery where you’re allowed to not only admire what is on display but – bonus! – maybe take something home. I love a fossick for treasures and bargains. If I can combine the two and find something fabulous at a fraction of its recommended retail – and it fits – it feels like magic has happened and my day is made. But there is to be none of that this month. Forgive me for not contributing to the domestic economy in January, but it’s fair to say I invested exhaustively in local businesses in the lead-up to Christmas and that’s…

I was reading an article by an Australian feminist, Clementine Ford, recently. She has written a book called I Don’t, which is a criticism of the institution of marriage. She says she believes in love – she just doesn’t believe an archiac institution based on the notion that women were property to be traded. She says marriage, as a contract, doesn’t serve people well – especially women. And she says she would love it if her book prompted women readers to walk away from an unhappy marriage. I understand there are many people who are miserable in their marriages. Before divorce was legal and socially acceptable, many women – and some men – were at risk of their lives in their marriages. The law offered no protection for domestic violence…

Welcome to our first issue of 2024! I hope you have managed to enjoy a spot of sunshine, and precious time with family and friends. I’m writing this from beautiful Mangawhai, which has certainly had its fair share of rain. This year, my goal is to say yes to a lot more adventures and experiences, so I kicked this off on New Year’s Day with a trip to Waipu for its annual Highland Games. Now in its 151st year, there was dancing, bagpipes and sport competitions – I even found some relatives I hadn’t seen since I was a teenager. It was a fabulous time. We cover this week’s magazine with Catherine, Princess of Wales, who is becoming a powerful force for the royal family. We also catch up with…

The abdication of Denmark’s Queen Margrethe has raised questions over whether King Charles III would ever consider stepping down from his job. Royal writer Phil Dampier says it could be an option. “It must make you wonder if in five or 10 years’ time the King might think about doing the same if his health suffers or he just thinks it’s a good time to pass on to William and Kate while they’re still young.” For the time being, the King, 75, has no plans to go anywhere because he is relishing the role he was born to do but didn’t get to take on until he was 73. Several royal insiders say he is pleased to be finally getting on with the job. “He is very happy being king,”…

As Kate Moss sizes up what it means to turn 50 on January 16, there are plenty of fans lining up to pay homage to the supermodel. Phrases such as “style icon” and “queen of cool” are used to describe the woman who managed to both outrage and intrigue the world back in 2009 by announcing, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” But those close to the elusive fashionista say if Kate could choose just one word to describe her legacy, it would be “mother”. In the lead-up to her milestone birthday, Kate refused to acknowledge the passage of time. “I’m not turning 50,” she joked. “No. I’m not thinking about it. I do not feel 50.” Instead, she put her efforts into her daughter Lila’s career – revealing…

The adage of “you can’t pour from an empty cup” rings true. Self-care isn’t selfish – in fact, it’s a fundamental aspect of maintaining overall wellbeing, both mentally and physically. By prioritising self-care, you’re better positioned to contribute positively to your own life and the lives of those around you. Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once sad, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” And while no doubt he was using this to spur people on to better approach their careers or life goals, this quote has special resonance when it comes to the idea of self-care. It’s one of the most fundamental needs we have and yet one that is often relegated to the bottom of the priority pile.…

AQUARIUS Jan 21 – Feb 19 There is a major achievement concerning something personal. Sports people will gain a personal best or big win, artistic folk will earn a prize or award and those on a spiritual quest will reach an understanding or revelation. Tell the world about it, then make the most of the opportunities. PISCES Feb 20 – Mar 20 You may feel a little reckless and wild, which is just perfect for you right now. Remember, you’re an independent person, answerable to no one! You’re in the right place at the right time all week – if there’s something to be won, you win it; if there’s a bargain to grab, you get it. You are in the zone and life is amazing. ARIES Mar 21 –…