WEBSITE

Goings- on at thisNZlife, and a generous handful of prizes to be won

thisNZlife is the online home of NZ Life & Leisure. It’s an inspiring place to visit for new recipes (such as Ruth Pretty’s moreish meatballs), advice on going plastic- free, or to immerse yourself in bookish pursuits

NO PLASTIC, FANTASTIC

In a four- part series, Nicole Barratt ditches shopping bags and plastic to participate in Plastic- Free July and shares easy changes you can make to embrace plastic- free at home. Online throughout July.

FEELING SHEEPISH

Be in to win a Wilson & Dorset Shaggy Bag, worth $ 1690. Amanda Dorset, the company’s co- founder, describes the shaggy bag as like sinking into a big furry armchair. Meet Amanda and her husband, Ben, on page 22.

THE LEAD STORY

Selina McIntyre spent her teenage years caring for lion cubs at Paradise Valley Springs Wildlife Park in Rotorua. Now she’s moved on from big cats and has gone to the dogs, founding a canine behavioural consultancy. NZ Life & Leisure’s Mikaela Wilkes gets behind the lead to learn some dog- training tips from the pro.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Adventure Books in Oamaru sells rare, out- of- print and new books that range in price from a few dollars to $ 20,000 and more. Nathalie Brown meets owner Bill Nye to find out what sparked his passion for rare books and how a full- scale replica of Shackleton’s James Caird lifeboat washed up in the entrance to the shop. Online in August.

DARK TIMES AHEAD

The book club is reading Into the Night, the follow- up book to Sarah Bailey’s bestselling crime novel The Dark Lake. Join the discussion in our NZ Life & Leisure Book Club Facebook Group.

FABULOUSLY FRUITFUL

Make the most of winter fruit with Kristina Jensen’s tamarillo desserts and a glorious NZ Grapefruit Cheesecake from Ruth Pretty. Not a fan of grapefruit? Sarah Tennant finds other uses for grapefruit including creating a sugar scrub, cleaning products and a fire starter.