Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 31, 2025 i New Zealand Woman's Weekly

Fashion has moved on... Gird your loins because the devil in Prada has returned! With her perfectly coiffed hair and effortlessly chic outfit, Meryl Streep, 76, easily slipped back into the character of Miranda Priestly as she was spotted on her first day filming the highly anticipated The Devil Wears Prada sequel in New York. Racing after her was Anne Hathaway, 42, as Andy Sachs, who seems to be back in the web of her ruthless former boss, despite quitting at the end of the first film. Seeing the pair on set is a happy sight as it was only last year that Anne declared there would never be a sequel to the 2006 hit and that fans should “just keep the thing that we all agree we love”. While…

Janine Morrell-Gunn (Ngāti Kahungunu) has worked in television for more than four decades. One of Aotearoa’s most accomplished producers, she tells the Weekly that “producing isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am”. Born and raised in Christchurch, Janine’s career began in 1985 when she joined TVNZ as a trainee, working on everything from Foreign Correspondent to Spot On. She’s been deployed around the country, including seven years as executive producer of TVNZ’s Children’s Unit. For the past 21 years, Janine and husband Jason Gunn have produced What Now? under their production company Whitebait Media. “I’m a proud working-class girl from the sixties and I remember when the first television arrived in our street. It was wheeled out of a truck and all the kids crowded around, our noses…

The first time celebrated children’s author and illustrator Ruth Paul saw kiwi footprints on her 80-hectare Wellington property, she stopped in her tracks, amazed to see the results of the ambitious plan to rewild the national bird in the capital. “Exactly one year later, in the same spot, I saw all these little baby kiwi footprints and suddenly it all seemed real,” recalls Ruth, 61. Not only were kiwi living wild in the Wellington hills for the first time in more than a century, they were also raising chicks – and doing it on her land. “It’s extraordinary,” she says. “You do all this work, planting native trees, pest control and then one day, there they are. I cannot believe I hear kiwi every night now and it’s become normal.”…

Overwhelm stifles our ability to think creatively or flexibly. We lose the skills that assist with reasoning, managing and planning, and it’s harder to access the part of the brain that helps us make sense of things. We are observing our baby and also planning, preparing, anticipating, supporting and caring for the family’s practical, physical and emotional needs. Overwhelm in motherhood can feel like: ● Paralysis and heaviness, both physical and mental. ● Being quick to snap, reactive, angry, panicked. ● Head fog, inability to make decisions, forgetfulness. ● Tense shoulders and jaw. ● Being swallowed up by responsibility. It’s not a message we hear very often, but it’s an important one nonetheless: postpartum is innately stressful, and this stress is exacerbated by your physical and emotional vulnerability. There are…

VIRGO Aug 24 – Sep 23 You’re craving more peace in your routine and it’s the perfect time to refine what’s working. A health habit you’ve dropped could be worth restarting. Workwise, details matter this week. One overlooked number could delay progress. Romance simmers in the background, waiting for your attention. LIBRA Sep 24 – Oct 23 This week brings joy, creativity and maybe a little romance too. Say yes to invitations that feel fun. Your sparkle returns when you’re around uplifting people. If you’re feeling out of touch with someone close, the weekend is perfect for a reconnection. SCORPIO Oct 24 – Nov 22 Home and family matters rise to the surface, so expect a meaningful talk with a loved one. You may feel more private than usual, but…

My mother used to like quoting classic Hollywood star Bette Davis on the subject of old age, with her famous line about it not being for sooks. Though, I think Bette, being American, said “wimps”. She was a famously tough nut. Her gravestone carries the epitaph, “She did it the hard way.” I’ve visited it in Los Angeles. My mother’s humbler gravestone doesn’t make any dramatic claims – just that she was much loved by her family. Mum wasn’t one for drama and would never have claimed that she did it, or anything else, the hard way, though she came through the bombs of World War II, and outlived so many people she cared for along her own way through life and into old age. Which is when she started…

The boy with three lives How a different moniker can set you on a different path The content of this novel makes it difficult to read at times. The Names is about domestic violence and the devastating impact it has on one family. The reason it’s so compelling is the inventive way the subject is tackled. Like the Gwyneth Paltrow movie Sliding Doors and the Kate Atkinson novel Life After Life, it examines how the course of someone’s life can change its course thanks to a single action or decision. Set in England, the story opens in 1987 on the eve of a great storm. Cora is trapped in an abusive marriage and has just given birth to a second child. Her husband’s instructions are that the baby boy must…

If there’s one thing the world needs right now, it’s love. And this issue is filled with it. We begin with former politician Simon Bridges and his wife Natalie, who recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. The pair met in their twenties before moving to New Zealand from England, with Natalie leaving friends and family behind. Even the Reverend who married them questioned their decision to tie the knot so quickly – but they’ve certainly proved him wrong. What I really enjoy in their story, from page six, is their banter and honest outlook. Too often we’re told that perfection means never arguing, but these two show there’s a lot to be said for authenticity. Elsewhere in this issue, Black Fern Shiray Kaka shares her exciting pregnancy news, Janine Morrell-Gunn…

Local talent For Olympic gold medallist and Black Fern Shiray Kaka, the pull between motherhood and the rugby pitch has been a constant tug-of-war. After years of weighing up the right moment to start a family, it turns out life had its own timeline. “Following the Tokyo Olympics, I thought maybe it was time,” says Shiray. “Then I decided I wanted to keep playing. Last year, we were trying for a bit, but again, I wanted to keep playing. Two weeks later, baby changed that!” Shiray missed out on the chance to be part of the sevens team at the 2024 Paris Olympics after tearing her ACL for the fourth time. She was in the early stages of recovery from surgery and had only just returned to training when she…

Parenting SPECIAL Princess Beatrice The world was intrigued when it was revealed Princess Beatrice was set to marry millionaire property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi – and that she would be stepmum to his young son Christopher Woolf, affectionately called “Wolfie”. The pair tied the knot in the midst of the Covid pandemic and Beatrice, 36, dotes on her “bonus child” Wolfie, now nine, calling it a “great honour” to be in his life. Wolfie’s now the proud big brother to Sienna, three, and Athena, eight months, who are Edo, 41, and Beatrice’s two daughters. His mum, architect Dara Huang, 42, is thrilled to have Beatrice as a co-parent. “Wolfie has had two sets of parents trying to help him on both sides and I just think, ‘The more, the merrier,’”…

Steamed mussels with ouzo & fennel SERVES 4 1kg fresh live mussels 60g butter 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, halved,thinly sliced (reserve any fronds to serve) 4-5 spring onions, thinly sliced 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced 2 bay leaves 100ml ouzo 3-4 small thyme sprigs Zest of 1 small lemon 3-4 tablespoons parsley, chopped Freshly ground black pepper, to season Toasted bread, to serve 1 Wash mussels to remove any dirt or grit. If any mussels are open, tap them on the counter – if they close, they’re alive; if they remain open, discard them. 2 Place a large, shallow pot or deep pan with a well-fitting lid over medium heat. 3 Add half the butter to pot and, once hot, add sliced fennel bulb, onions, garlic and bay leaves.…

Having a family will make you think more about the future than you ever have: “What happens to my kids if something happened to me? How would we cope moneywise if I got really sick and can’t work?” That’s why many parents start exploring insurance. It’s one way to help protect your family when life doesn’t go to plan. But a lot of people don’t realise how many different types of insurance there is. It pays to know what your options are so you can decide about which ones will help you sleep at night. Life Life insurance is the most common insurance that parents get. If the worst happens and you pass away early, then your family gets paid out a lump sum (eg $200,000). You get to choose…

A few weeks ago, my GP sent me to a phlebotomist to get my bloods done. (I could have just written she sent me to a blood clinic, but don’t you love that word phlebotomist?) Overall, the news was fine – though one of my liver counts was nothing to be proud of. So I’ve been giving my liver a rest, which I suspect has something to do with New Zealand’s current wine glut. The following week, I happened to have my annual ECG and CT scan with my heart specialist. My wife Linda came with me, both for moral support and to make sure I didn’t tell him any lies. To Linda’s surprise, the specialist told me my heart was pretty good, as was my blood pressure. He then…

It’s raining. In fact, it’s bucketing down. The washing is piling up, the gutters are overflowing and once again, we’ve been warned that an “atmospheric river” is sweeping the country. This is what happens when it’s winter. It rains and it’s cold. And I’m trying very hard to be happy I went to Fiji, not sad that I’m not still there. People have been saying to me how lovely it was that I created such lovely memories with the grandchildren. And if our adventure is stored away in their memory banks, all well and good. We ran into my old media mate Paul Henry while we were there. Paul had sailed his boat Olive from New Zealand to Musket Cove and it was lovely to run into him at Traders…

When it came to life, nobody did it quite like Sir Michael Hill. The iconic Kiwi – who shot to fame 40 years ago with his “Hello, Michael Hill, Jeweller” TV ads – lost his battle with cancer on July 29, aged 86. Life didn’t start easily for him – he was bullied at school and after his teenage dreams of becoming a concert violinist came to nothing, his family demanded he change course “and get a real job”. He went to work for his uncle’s Whangārei jewellery store, firmly believing he had no potential to succeed at anything. It was while working there that Michael met his future wife, Lady Christine, who was in New Zealand “on an adventure” after packing up her life in England. Shortly afterwards, they…

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is one of the most beloved and respected members of the royal family, greatly appreciated by the King for her tireless work in support of the monarchy. But it’s now been revealed that when she first became the girlfriend of Prince Edward, there was one member of The Firm who wasn’t very welcoming. That was Princess Diana, and according to a new biography of the duchess, Sophie: Saving the Royal Family, the pair had a feud that has, until now, been kept under wraps. Author Sean Smith says Sophie’s friends told him there was “no love lost” between the two women. “They did not like each other,” claims Sean, who says the tension between them was partly due to Diana being annoyed by how much Sophie,…

Celebrity update At 76, Kathy Bates is riding high with her new hit TV show about an ageing lawyer who’s always outwitting the whip-smart youngsters around her. But not so long ago, the Misery star’s phone wasn’t ringing off the hook. In fact, it was hardly ringing at all and she was on the verge of giving up on her acting career. “I remember calling my agents and saying, ‘I think maybe I want to go into, if not retirement, semi-retirement,’” recalls the actor, who was questioning if she could even afford to keep her beloved LA home. “I just began to ask myself, ‘Do I want to maybe move to France and call it a day?’ And then I got this script. It just fit me like a glove.”…

For most people, retirement means easing the workload and taking up relaxing hobbies. But for celebrated cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Alan Kerr, now 90, and his wife Hazel, 85, it marked the beginning of an entirely new chapter. They spent 20 years travelling to Gaza and the West Bank on medical missions. “I had no idea I would become so involved,” tells Alan, who received the Palestinian Medal of Honour for his services in the region. “I stopped operating in 2013, but I continued going with a New Zealand team every year to Ramallah. They were very grateful to us.” Across more than 40 missions, Alan operated on 800 children, trained medical staff and helped establish paediatric cardiac units in East Jerusalem and Ramallah in the West Bank. The operating theatre…

Your lipstick bullet might say more about you than your star sign. From the precision points to the flat-top fans, lipstick shape theory is the beauty world’s answer to palm reading. So go on, twist up your most-loved lippy and take a look. Just don’t blame us if it’s eerily accurate... Mountain peak SHAPE: A symmetrical, centred point like a little mountain YOU’RE: The boss with the to-do list You’re a natural leader. Whether it’s planning a weekend away, nailing a deadline or remembering everyone’s birthday, you’re the one people rely on to make things happen. Your lipstick is worn to a sharp peak because you apply it with the same purpose you bring to the rest of your day: clear, confident and ready to go. Rounded & smooth SHAPE:…

What do you do when you’re listening to an audiobook? This is the question I’ve been asking everyone this past week. Regular readers will know I’ve had Toni Morrison in my living room, reading her magnificent novel Beloved just to me. By which I mean I’d borrowed my first talking book from the library on what was an otherwise quiet, wintry Saturday night. Yes, well spotted – I live a wild life. Sometimes I’m off on the high seas or donning an evening gown to entertain a roomful of strangers. But there are also Winceyette pyjamas and chips in the air fryer, when I can grab empty days and stuff them with books and movies. I’d filled the living room with Toni’s mellifluous voice only to discover that without a…

WEEKLY STAFF EDITOR Marilynn McLachlan LIFESTYLE & BEAUTY EDITOR Anna Lee WRITER Rebekah Hebenton CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Denise Bowden SUB-EDITOR Darren Bevan ART DIRECTOR Mirella Monteiro DESIGNERS Anna Pétursdóttir, Béla Trussell-Cullen, Hayley Pearce PHOTO EDITOR Kellie Blizard CONTRIBUTORS Donna Fleming, Elisabeth Easther, Fleur Guthrie, Fiona Hawtin, Kasia De Vydt-Jillings, Megan McChesney, Julie O’Reilly, Nicky Pellegrino ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Claire Chisholm claire.chisholm@aremedia.co.nz SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Chloe Jordan, Amy Madden, Jacquie Fraser 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 use…