Bollard bids farewell to his 'cool job.'

Jill Worrall is schooled in the etiquette of Guinness drinking as she absorbs the unparallelled atmosphere of Ireland's pubs.

French wine and food fuel a luxurious cruise down the Rhone, worked off by ambles through scenic towns, writes Pamela Wade.

This summer, life under the Tuscan sun lost some of its shine. There's nothing romantic for farmers watching the mercury rise up and over 40 degrees daily - for the sixth successive week.

In our second debate on the Electoral Commission's recommendations for MMP, Graeme Edgeler and Muriel Newman put the arguments for and against reducing the threshold. Join the debate and leave your comments at the end.

Diana Balham cruises through a danger zone without a scratch.

Anne D'Innocenzio discovers a love for river cruising on an eight-day trip on the Rhine, starting in Basel, Switzerland and ending in Amsterdam.

Kate Simon is introduced to the South Devon coastline by marine biologist and colourful local personality, Monty Halls.

Liz Light visits Vienna and learns about the man behind the famous Kawakawa toilets, and the soon-to-be-built Whangarei Arts Centre.

One year after the start of global anti-capitalist protests, Laurie Penny talks to those still camping out.

A youngster from the Solomon Islands has taken on the future king of England in a show of football prowess - and won. "He was good, yes, but not as good as me," said Philemon Fatai, 13.

Matthew Bell experiences some Old World glamour in the stately surrounds of Tuscany's Castello di Casole.

Doug Conway discovers Scotland has a rich cinema history as a location for films like BraveheartThe 39 Steps and even a classic Connery James Bond flick.

Kate Simon and her family use peddle-power to travel Catalonia's Via Verde, a converted railway line that passes through a landscape that feels Alpine and Mediterranean in turns.

Kate Simon discovers that the active trail that weaves its way through Newcastle exercises the mind as well as the body.

Internet giant's map showed Kiwi boy lying on road, car advancing during school drill.

Kayaking, mountain-biking, bridge-jumping, paragliding - as Simon Calder discovers, Slovenia is a mecca for extreme adventures on land and water.

It's easy to imagine this land was fought over by princes, kings and lords, writes Peta McCartney.

Adrian Mourby develops his yoga sea legs aboard a five-masted clipper sailing from Spain to Italy.

There is no city in the world that's easier to get lost in than Venice, as Doug Conway discovers.

To mark the Herald relaunch we're taking an in-depth, week-long look at what it means to be Kiwi. Today - why we choose NZ over anywhere else on the globe.