Summer Times

    May the force be with you

    Steven Spielberg.

    May the force be with you

    The really, truly big film industry awards ceremonies of the season start with the Golden Globes on January 16 and end with the Academy Awards on February 27. It can be a busy time of the year for lovers of the glitz and glam side of the industry.

    Earthy feel makes dirt top chocie

    Jimmy and Rebecca Cotter with sons Patrick (8) and Oliver (4) outside their Lake Hawea mud-brick...

    Earthy feel makes dirt top chocie

    As the world enters a more environmentally-aware era, sustainable building resources are back in vogue. Catherine Pattison talks to two Lake Hawea brothers, who realised long before it was fashionable that they really dug dirt and were so captivated by it as a construction material that they have both built houses out of this natural resource.

    Other halves: Injury led to change of role

    Sir Tim and Prue Wallis with a reminder of Sir Tim's pioneering deer industry days. Photo by Lucy...

    Other halves: Injury led to change of role

    While Prue, Lady Wallis admits she's had to "clear the decks a bit" since her aviation entrepreneur husband Sir Tim Wallis crashed his Spitfire into the ground nearly 16 years ago and sustained a serious head injury, she is reluctant to take praise for the enormous role she has played in her husband's's recovery and the full life he still leads.

    Graffiti tells the story

    Photos by Peter McIntosh.

    Graffiti tells the story

    High above the passer-by, glass or wire netting-covered openings give a tantalising glimpse into the towers and spires of historic Dunedin. Overcoming vertigo, David Loughrey ventured where most do not get to go. Here, he explores the magic spaces inside the clock towers of the Dunedin Railway Station, Dunedin Town Hall, the University of Otago's registry building, and the spire of Knox Church.

    Knee-knocking climb of Knox

    Knee-knocking climb of Knox

    High above the passer-by, glass or wire netting-covered openings give a tantalising glimpse into the towers and spires of historic Dunedin. Overcoming vertigo, David Loughrey ventured where most do not get to go. Here, he explores the magic spaces inside the clock towers of the Dunedin Railway Station, Dunedin Town Hall, the University of Otago's registry building, and the spire of Knox Church.

    Ignominious entrance to tower

    Photos by Peter McIntosh.

    Ignominious entrance to tower

    High above the passer-by, glass or wire netting-covered openings give a tantalising glimpse into the towers and spires of historic Dunedin. Overcoming vertigo, David Loughrey ventured where most do not get to go. Here, he explores the magic spaces inside the clock towers of the Dunedin Railway Station, Dunedin Town Hall, the University of Otago's registry building, and the spire of Knox Church.

    Death-defying feat up clock tower

    Photos by Peter McIntosh.

    Death-defying feat up clock tower

    High above the passer-by, glass or wire netting-covered openings give a tantalising glimpse into the towers and spires of historic Dunedin. Overcoming vertigo, David Loughrey ventured where most do not get to go. Here, he explores the magic spaces inside the clock towers of the Dunedin Railway Station, Dunedin Town Hall, the University of Otago's registry building, and the spire of Knox Church.

    Rustic, raw and individual

    Long and lean, clean lines are a feature of this passive solar house. Photos by Jane Dawber.

    Rustic, raw and individual

    Walk into Kevin Tattersall's Signal Hill home and you are greeted by a series of photographs covering each step of its construction. Rebecca Fox finds out more about the passive solar home that has changed the Tattersall family's life.