L I F E S T Y L E
KIND CR ACKERS Refill store Hopper is hoping to keep Christmas crackers out of the 50,000 tonnes of extra waste that gets sent to New Zealand’s landfills over the festive period, with their clever recyclable version. Inside are hand-crafted gifts made from upcycled or natural materials, an adjustable crown, which is assembled using the cracker itself, and of course a couple of jokes to tell at the dinner table. This year Hopper is giving 30% of cracker proceeds to Forest and Bird.
BEACHY WARES
FOOTLOOSE, FARE FREE
TREADING WATER
Pearl Delaney-Girdlestone and Cruze McFarlane have set up lifestyle store Hendrix at Waikanae Beach, in time for the summer. The Kāpiti Coast locals were inspired by their years travelling and living abroad to source homeware items that make a house feel like a holiday home. Launching the store, which sells New Zealand and international brands, has been a long-term dream of the pair who live locally with their son Atlas and Boston terrier Rocket.
In the spirit of the season Metlink has waived fares on their trains and buses on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve for all passengers in the Wellington region. General manager Samantha Gain says, “Helping to bring friends and whānau together for free at Christmas and New Year’s Eve is a way of supporting the community hard hit by cost-of-living increases during a difficult year.”
White Ferns cricket player Amelia Kerr has created an online video series featuring seven people who have struggled with mental health issues. Treading Water will be released weekly over the coming months, with stories from Amelia’s friends and family, sports personalities, and Amelia herself, who has been open about struggles with her own mental health. They discuss grief, depression, and ways parents can help their children.
