More than 50 years ago an artist from Auckland changed his name to Billy Apple and became a living brand. On the eve of a major retrospective of his life’s work, he talked to Greg Dixon about his past, his present and his future.

Dear citizens of the Free World, I bring you further missives from The Zone, the suburb formerly known as Grey Lynn.

Plenty of new wine producers are vying for our attention. Meanwhile, the established “old guard” keep on doing what they know best — and getting even better.

If it's not the 50s, its all about the 70s. If it's not rust tones, it's all about blue - but then who cares? Take a moment to throw the rule book out the window this season.

Regatta drops anchor with one of the best views in town complemented by a nautical theme and satisfying seafood.

Fashion designer Denise L’Estrange-Corbet and her daughter Pebbles answer your agonising questions.

Howick has a good number of eateries on the main strip but we liked the open space of Basalt, and the modern menu.

Never mind the name, Kazuo Ishiguro is one of the best British writers in the business, and his dazzling latest novel, The Buried Giant, may just be his best yet.

I have this version of hell, in my head, where it is like this giant faceless corporation, where the souls of the damned serve out eternity in mindless bureaucratic servitude.

Tired of summer whites and rosé wines? Longing for a robust red even if you have to match it with fish and salad? Help is at hand ...

This season’s power clash throws all the rules out the window.

The Otago restaurant and its host are world famous — the seafood for its freshness and the host for her good humour.

My friend has a nailbar in her house, and I got a really bad toenail infection after going there but she says it has nothing to do with her.

Were the pushy parents of Brooke Shields, Judy Garland, Shirley Temple and other Hollywood stars really as bad as all that, asks Geoffrey Macnab.

The look is the big drawcard for The Garden Shed. As the name suggests there's a botanical, rustic theme throughout the establishment.

We love our All Blacks, but the new flag debate shows our obsession with the darkest hue may be fading, observes Lindsey Dawson.

She may have just won the best actress Oscar for her new film, Still Alice, about a professor diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, but Julianne Moore is as down-to-earth as ever.

S.J. Watson’s ambitious follow-up to his best-seller Before I Go To Sleep delves into the murky world of cybersex, he tells Stephen Jewell.

Known as an actor in TV satire The Thick Of It and as a comedy writer for Veep, Will Smith has written a mystery thriller set in the Channel Islands. It’s John le Carre meets Middlemarch, he tells Alice Jones.

I write these few words to you, the people of free New Zealand, from the suburb formerly known as Grey Lynn.

A couple of close calls prove life is a series of tests, writes Steve Braunias.

Three New Zealand wines seeking points of difference while retaining those elements you expect to find in wines you particularly enjoy.

A flattering wardrobe staple beloved in the past makes a welcome comeback.

Succulent steak, beautifully cooked every time, is one of life’s simple pleasures — and a tradition for the patrons at Jervois Steak House.

Once, she was the undisputed queen of the toy cupboard. But today, sales of Barbie are in free-fall. Rachel Halliwell (and her 8-year-old daughter) explore her decline and ask how toy manufacturers can win over girls now.

My husband and his best friend had a punch-up and are not speaking, but his friend’s wife and I are really good friends. Now my husband does not want me to talk to her.

Julia Donaldson’s most famous book, The Gruffalo, has won the hearts of children around the world. During a fleeting visit to Auckland and Wellington, Britain’s best-selling author talks to David Larsen.