Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 15, 2025 i New Zealand Woman's Weekly

It’s not unusual for couples to celebrate a significant occasion like an anniversary with a mini break overseas. King Charles and Queen Camilla spent their 20th wedding anniversary in Rome during a four-day trip to the Italian capital, but it wasn’t quite a typical sightseeing holiday. Instead, the pair’s milestone day involved carrying out official engagements as part of their historic state visit. Still, they did get to toast their two decades of marriage in style at a banquet held in their honour. The couple packed in 19 engagements during the brief visit, but didn’t get to catch up with Pope Francis, who is still recuperating after being hospitalised with double pneumonia. Charles, 76, made the trip even though it had only been 12 days since he spent time under…

Sticky date hot cross buns with butterscotch glaze PREP + COOK TIME 45 MINUTES (+1 ¼ HOURS STANDING) MAKES 8 BUNS ¾ cup (180ml) lukewarm milk 3 teaspoons (10g) dried yeast 100g unsalted butter, melted, cooled 1 egg, at room temperature 14 Medjool dates, pitted, finely chopped ¼ cup (60ml) boiling water 3 cups (305g) gluten-free plain flour ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (see note) ¼ cup (55g) firmly packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons mixed spice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract FLOUR PASTE ½ cup (65g) gluten-free flour 2 teaspoons caster sugar 1/3 cup (80ml) water BUTTERSCOTCH GLAZE 60g unsalted butter, chopped ½ cup (110g) firmly packed brown sugar 1/3 cup (80ml) cream 1 Whisk milk and yeast together to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes or…

Take your beauty inspiration straight from the stars! Whether you’re attending a big event or just want to channel Hollywood’s most glamorous, these Oscars after-party looks will have you feeling like an A-lister in no time. MINDY KALING, 45 Mindy’s smoky-meets-sultry glam nods to ’90s drama. Start t with a deep brown or charcoal al eyeshadow, blending it into the crease and outer corners for a diffused effect. Smudge a matching eyeliner along the lash line for added depth, then finish with voluminous lashes to bring the drama. Overline your lips with a rich brown liner, then fill in with a creamy, caramel-nude lipstick for a full, sculpted pout. Instant eye lift! Tap a shimmery champagne or gold shadow on the inner corners to brighten and open the eyes. ANA…

Yesterday, Linda and I took a ride on an ordinary Upper Hutt suburban bus. We weren’t heading anywhere. It was just an outing. We stayed on the bus long enough for it to do its rounds and drop us back more-or-less where we got on. Because we both had SuperGold Cards, it cost us nothing. Before you think we’re either a little short on ambition or running out of things to do, I should add that with us was our two-and-a-half-year-old grandson. We were looking after Benny and thought he might enjoy the trip. He, of course, also travelled free. It was a hot day as the bus trundled from Heretaunga, through Trentham, down to Silverstream, up through the hills of Pinehaven and back again. But shortly after we started,…

Letters to the Editor BUS ROADBLOCK ● Winning letter Like Michèle A’Court (NZWW, April 14), I like to use public transport when possible – a comfortable trip into town without the hassle and expense of finding a parking space! But it’s so complicated to use now. To travel on a bus around Auckland, you need a prepaid AT HOP card to tag on and off. If the money on your card runs out, you have to find a means of topping it up. What if someone needs to make an urgent journey and doesn’t happen to have a HOP card? Are they refused entry and left at the bus stop? I remember the days long ago in Palmerston North where you got on a bus and gave the driver a…

Initially, I wasn’t too worried when the money didn’t appear in my account. I have our house in the Hokianga on a travel platform where people can pay and stay for short-term rentals. It helps a bit with the rates, but really, I rent it out because homes need people in them and I love sharing the place with people who appreciate a basic but beautiful bush sanctuary. It was when I went to pay the electricity bill that I realised the payment from our latest guests hadn’t come through. The woman who had stayed had left me a glowing review, so I knew she wasn’t withholding payment because she was grumpy. So I went on to the Vrbo hosting website. I had listed the property with Bookabach because it…

Everyone in the office is buzzing about Elisabeth Easther’s story with Ilona Rodgers. In this warm and revealing piece, the acting legend shares her extraordinary life journey, from losing her father and attending boarding school to embracing her Baha’i faith and eventually moving to New Zealand. It reads like a movie script and reflects a life truly well-lived. We also catch up with another screen icon, Cliff Curtis. He may be a Hollywood heavyweight with a string of blockbuster credits and famous friends, but the actor remains grounded and proud of his roots here in Aotearoa. Meanwhile, is it just me or is this year flying by? Somehow, we’re already at our Easter issue. With two short weeks ahead, I hope you manage to embrace a little downtime. I’m personally…

Nearly three years after receiving a multimillion-dollar payout from Prince Andrew when she sued him for sexual assault, Virginia Giuffre is making headlines again after claiming she had just four days to live. The Australia-based American, who alleges she was trafficked by Andrew’s pal Jeffrey Epstein as a teenager, posted a photo on social media of herself covered in bruises. She said she was on her deathbed as a result of suffering kidney damage in a crash with a bus. However, the bus driver, police and witnesses say the accident wasn’t as serious as she made out. Her family backtracked and said Virginia meant to say she could have died in four days if she hadn’t got medical treatment. At the same time, reports surfaced alleging the 41-year-old had accused…

Pop legends Sir Elton John and Madonna have mended their 23-year rift. The feud began in 2002 when Elton, 78, publicly voiced his dislike of Madonna’s theme song to James Bond’s Die Another Day. Things escalated over the years, with Elton accusing the Material Girl, 66, of lip-syncing in 2004, declaring her career “over” in a 2012 interview, and calling her “ungracious and nasty” in his 2019 memoir Me. Despite everything, the Like a Virgin singer went to see Elton perform on Saturday Night Live, sharing a story of how his music changed the course of her life as a teen. “Watching him on stage helped me understand it was okay to be different, to stand out,” shared Madonna. “It hurt me to know someone I admired so much shared…

Time to call it quits? Jaws dropped when Michelle* and her husband Tony* broke the news that they were getting divorced. They’d been married for 27 years and to most people it looked like they had a strong relationship. In fact, the mid-fifties pair had been planning on calling it quits since becoming empty-nesters a year earlier. “We’d both known for some time that we had nothing in common any more and no longer wanted to be together, but we’d stuck it out for the kids,” says Michelle. “Once they were gone, we just wanted to get on with living separate lives.” The number of “grey divorces” – couples ending their marriages later in life when they’ve been together for many years – is on the increase. Data from Statistics…

Bunny bunting Enlarge the bunny template (opposite page) to desired size. Trace onto coloured cardboard, then cut out bunnies. Use a hole punch on each ear and thread with string. Glue a pom-pom tail on each bunny. Easter cards Use the same bunny template and pompoms to create cards. We’ve decorated ours with washi tape to create easy Easter patterns. FORK POM-POMS You will need: ● Fork ● Scissors ● Wool/yarn 1 Take a length of yarn (the more yarn, the thicker and fuller your pom pom will be). Wrap the yarn around the fork. 2 Use a smaller piece of yarn to tie a double knot between the middle fork prongs. 3 Slide off the fork and use scissors to cut the end loops. Fluff up your pom pom…

While everyone else is looking forward to the Easter Bunny this weekend, I will be celebrating the Tooth Fairy. That’s because after months of dental work, I now have a brand-new tooth. You won’t be able to spot it – which is kind of the point, right? This tooth is a perfect match to its neighbours, except so tough and so carefully implanted, it will likely outlast us all. There was a nut, you see. Specifically, an almond. I tried chomping it at the front, nibbling like a squirrel with my premolars and – gasp – felt one of them give way. The news was bad, it could not be saved, but then good, I could have a replacement implant, but bad, it would cost the earth, but good, the…

WEEKLY STAFF EDITOR Marilynn McLachlan LIFESTYLE & BEAUTY EDITOR Anna Lee SENIOR WRITER Catherine Milford CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Denise Bowden SUB-EDITOR Darren Bevan ART DIRECTOR Mirella Monteiro DESIGNERS Anna Pétursdóttir, Béla Trussell-Cullen, Debby Wei, Hayley Pearce PICTURE EDITOR Kellie Blizard CONTRIBUTORS Donna Fleming, Elisabeth Easther, Fleur Guthrie, Kasia De Vydt-Jillings, Leigh Matheson, Megan McChesney, Nicky Pellegrino, Steve Landells ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Claire Chisholm claire.chisholm@aremedia.co.nz SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Chloe Jordan, Amy Madden ACCOUNT MANAGER Sara Grace Aldis SENIOR COMMERCIAL BRAND MANAGER Angela Wei angela.wei@aremedia.co.nz COMMERCIAL BRAND MANAGER Georgia van Koningsveld 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 New Zealand Woman’s Weekly is published by Are Media Limited (Are Media). Are Media may…

NO WORDS FOR THIS by Ali Mau (HarperCollins, $35) Perhaps best known from the many years she worked as a TVNZ news presenter, life since then for Ali Mau has involved being a leader in New Zealand’s #metoo movement. In her first-ever memoir, she writes of growing up in Australia and building a news career there, then in this country, where she became one of our most recognisable media personalities. She also reconsiders the long-buried secrets of her past in this inspiring and honest memoir. THE GOOD LIFE by Gillian Swinton (Allen & Unwin, $45) Homesteading is trending right now and on a couple of hectares in Central Otago, Gillian Swinton is doing it for real. She and her partner Hamish are trying to be as self-sufficient as possible, growing…

They both came from pretty normal families, not aristocratic backgrounds. They both had to put up with criticism and interference from palace courtiers, who are often the real power behind the throne. Yet when their marriages to princes changed their lives, one adjusted brilliantly and the other lasted less than two years as a working member of the royal family. Now, royal household staff, who see what goes on behind the scenes, have revealed why they think Catherine, Princess of Wales, has become one of the most beloved members of the Windsor family, while Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, no longer has anything to do with The Firm. “Kate is actually a much stronger person than Meghan in many ways,” a staffer told author Tom Quinn for his tell-all book Yes…

Jason Isaacs has spilled the beans on what it was like making season three of The White Lotus – and it wasn’t always as fun as it looked! “It was a cross between summer camp and Lord of the Flies, but in a gilded cage,” says the British actor, who plays doomed tycoon Tim Ratliff in the hit black comedy. The show’s cast spent seven months living at the opulent Four Seasons Hotel on Thailand’s Koh Samui – the same resort where filming took place. “Some people got very close,” says Jason, 61. “There were friendships that were made and friendships that were lost. “All the things you would imagine with a group of people unanchored from their home lives on the other side of the world, in the intense…

It never ceases to amaze Ruth Shaw that people have travelled from all over New Zealand – and indeed, from around the world – to visit her in the three tiny bookshops she runs in the remote Southland settlement of Manapōuri. “People say, ‘It’s an honour to meet you,’ and I say, ‘I’m just Ruth – I’m nothing special,’” she tells. Her visitors disagree with that. She’s the author who has touched many thousands of readers around the world with her own book, The Bookseller at the End of the World, a memoir about a life packed with challenges and trauma that she has navigated with incredible courage and written about with brutal honesty. Her book, which also features funny and heartwarming stories, became a bestseller when it was published…

Arriving in New Zealand from Vietnam eight years ago on what was supposed to be a one-month holiday with their mum, sisters Alisa Pham and Vicky Ngo knew very quickly they never wanted to leave. “I had never seen a sky so blue or so many trees in one place,” enthuses Alisa, before laughing that it was her sister Vicky’s dream of seeing penguins that made them choose New Zealand as a vacation destination. Deciding to stay on student visas, the exceptional teens made history after both completing the full five years of high school in just 10 months – becoming the youngest people in New Zealand and Vietnam to be admitted to university. Vicky, now 18, enrolled at AUT at just 13 and Alisa, now 15, followed in her…

Easter SPECIAL Tips You will need 12 bamboo or metal skewers for this recipe. Soak the bamboo skewers for 10 minutes in boiling water before using to prevent them burning during cooking. Oil metal skewers to prevent sticking. Recipe can be made a day ahead. Store covered, in the fridge. Greek slow-roasted lamb leg with lemon potatoes & skordalia PREP + COOK TIME 4 HOURS 45 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION) SERVES 4-6 2 garlic cloves, crushed ½ cup (125ml) lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon oregano leaves 1 teaspoon lemon thyme leaves 2kg lamb leg Lemon wedges, to serve LEMON POTATOES 5 large potatoes (1.5kg), quartered 1 medium lemon, rind peeled into wide long strips 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt and…

Biscuit bonanza Hop to it, biscuit-lovers! You’ll want to crack these special seasonal treats that put an irresistible twist on classic Easter eggs. Available in caramelised white chocolate and milk chocolate, the Cookie Muncher’s Cookie Crumb Egg ($13) features a large chocolate egg loaded with cookie crumbs and two whole cookies tucked inside. Find yours at Woolworths, The Warehouse and munchtime.co.nzbefore the Easter Bunny snags them all. Berry bliss Warning: There’s no chance of treating yourself to just one of these luxurious little chocs – if you’re anything like us, you’re more likely to devour the bag! With an irresistible raspberry and cream filling and coated in a delicate chocolate shell, the Lindt Raspberries & Cream Chocolates Pouch makes for the ultimate indulgent treat for yourself or to tuck into…

TWIG BOWL You will need: ● Packet of modelling clay (from art supply stores) ● Resene testpots in your choice of colours. We used Resene Cararra and Resene Gold Dust ● Resene testpot brush ● Plastic bowl ● Baking paper ● Knife and scissors 1 Using the modelling clay, as per packet instructions, roll several long twigs. 2 Place the plastic bowl upside down on some baking paper, then drape twigs over the bowl in a random star-like pattern. 3 Trim any long or unsightly ends. Leave twigs to dry. 4 Once it’s dry, turn bowl right side up and paint all over with Resene Cararra. Leave to dry. Paint ends of twigs in Resene 5 Gold Dust from the Resene Metallics and Special Effects range. Fill with chocolate eggs.…

TAURUS Apr 21 – May 21 The pace has been full-on lately, and your body and mind are craving proper relaxation, not just collapsing at the end of the day. Slow down intentionally. Protect your precious peace by saying no where it counts. You don’t need to be productive to be worthy. Recharging properly now will bring clarity later. GEMINI May 22 – Jun 21 This is a powerful week for connection. Whether it’s reconnecting with old friends, building bonds or finding new like-minded people, you’re reminded that you don’t have to do everything alone. Midweek could bring a surprise conversation that shifts your thinking. CANCER Jun 22 – Jul 23 A career or purpose-related spotlight could catch you off-guard, but you’re more prepared than you think. People are paying…

New Zealanders have long had a love affair with their lawns, though I’ve never been entirely sure why – unless all that green flatness is big enough to kick a ball around on or perhaps graze some livestock. Lawns seem like the prisoners of our gardens, kept on a short lead, never allowed to let themselves go. Never allowed to breathe freedom. Not so when it comes to the lawn at our place. Because where once lawn ran free, there is wilderness. Wild flowers sprout, and birds and bees are hovering where they never hovered before. After long and delicate discussions with the man who keeps our grass trimmed, I tore up a lump of our lawn and sprinkled all that bare earth with many – quite expensive – packets…

Tale of the century A woman shares her story on a milestone birthday As the title suggests, this is the story of one woman’s long life. Betty is an ordinary person who experiences extraordinary times and we get to live through them alongside her, from birth through to the preparations for her milestone birthday a century later. Along the way, there is love and loss, highs and lows, wrong turns taken and mistakes made. It’s a thoroughly immersive read that by turns made me angry, warmed my heart and moved me to tears. Born into an impoverished household in 1920s London, Betty has an alcoholic father and a mother who dies young. During the war, she enjoys another life very briefly when she is evacuated, but mostly for young Betty…

Sydney’s got a lot of bottle! Please don’t drop that! Sydney Sweeney, 28, did the heavy lifting in New York while shooting an ad campaign for haircare brand Kérastase. The Anyone But You actor’s been throwing herself into work since splitting from fiancé Jonathan Davino. Monkey music Chris Martin, 48, dedicated an original song to Dame Jane Goodall, 91, to thank her for her work with chimpanzees when she won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Trail Blazers Ball in Los Angeles. GETTIN’ FREAKY Fun-loving duo Jamie Lee Curtis, 66, and Lindsay Lohan (above), 38, spilled the beans on Freakier Friday, the sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. In the film, the pair “take on all new personalities because we find the bodies we’ve swapped with…

Stair attractions It’s musical theatre, darlings! Imelda Staunton, 69, received some dramatic smackers from presenters Jesse Tyler Ferguson, 49, and Jane Krakowski, 56, at the Royal Albert Hall in London after winning her fifth Olivier Award for her role in Hello, Dolly. Suite life Kiwi star Morgana O’Reilly, 39, joined the rest of The White Lotus cast in Sydney for the dystopian-themed Australian premiere of The Last Of Us. Still on track Kylie Minogue’s Tension tour continued at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden. Kylie, 56, began her singing career 37 years ago with The Loco-Motion. MEL MODE The White Lotus juggernaut continued at LA’s Sunset Tower Hotel, where stars, including Melanie Lynskey (left), 47, gathered to celebrate the Neon show’s season three finale. Work i t, Work i…

The hottest celebrity scoop Stars galore stepped out to celebrate the premiere of George Clooney’s Broadway production Good Night, and Good Luck in New York. The Gravity star, 63, cowrote and also acts in the play, which tells the true story of journalist Edward R. Murrow’s 1954 exposé of Senator Joseph McCarthy. The occasion saw George – dad to seven-year-old twins Ella and Alexander – reunite with his former ER mate Julianna Margulies, 58, and his Out of Sight co-star Jennifer Lopez, 55.…