Goode PR Official Blog

From modern seaside mansions to historic cottages, New York-style urban lofts to the Prime Minister’s official residence, some of New Zealand’s most captivating homes are opening their doors to the public for the first time.

The NZ House & Garden Tours take in more than 40 homes in four centres: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and the well-heeled settlement of Omaha.

It’s a rare chance to get a sneak peek inside some of the country’s most interesting residences – belonging to equally interesting people from architects to designers, from empty nesters to artists. 

Often referred to as ‘The Hamptons’, the Omaha/Matakana tour takes in several modern beach retreats varying in style from Pacifica to boat shed to Cape Cod and English country. See the “casual mansions” that have sprung up in this seaside resort.

Auckland visitors can view a huge Newmarket urban loft, a remodelled Remuera 1920s arts and crafts villa, an industrial minimalist Mt Eden home and even the upgraded 100-year-old Devonport bungalow home of NZ House & Garden collectables editor Pam Neville.

The Wellington properties range from the official residence of the Prime Minister – Premier House, to a modified 1890 Te Aro cottage, a property designed as a doll’s house and one which includes a latin dance studio.

In the Garden City, visitors can view inside the winner of the 2009 NZ Institute of Architects Canterbury Regional Award, and a 1890s mansion that has housed royalty. This tour also includes a restored Victorian workers’ cottage and an architecturally-designed 1960s family home.

“We have chosen the 42 houses in this year’s house tours to showcase the huge variety of New Zealand’s home design,” says NZ House & Garden editor Kate Coughlan. “Some of them are grand and spacious, some of them are compact but perfect. Some are modern and some are very old, but faithfully maintained or restored.”

 The NZ House & Garden Tours take place in March on the following dates: 

Christchurch               Friday 5 March

Auckland                     Friday 12 March

Wellington                   Friday 19 March

Omaha/Matakana       Friday 26 March

Get in quickly! Tickets cost $55 and are available from Ticketmaster on www.ticketmaster.co.nz  0800 111 999 or (09) 970 9700 or your local Ticketmaster outlet. 

The proceeds of all four tours will be donated to the Cancer Society of New Zealand and cancer charity, Look Good Feel Better

CheeseFest is a unique event on the NZ food calendar. It’s the only time all NZ Cheese companies are in one place as part of the Cuisine NZ Champions of Cheese Awards. This years CheeseFest is being held at The Langham Great Room. Wednesday 3 March 5 – 8 pm. The ticket price has been reduced to $30 and is available through www.eventfinder.co.nz Door sales are also available from 4.30pm on the day.

Talk to the cheesemakers, enjoy your complimentary glass of Yealands Estate wine, Bakers Delight bread and sample over 400 cheeses. The winner of the Cuisine Artisan Awards will also be there with samples.

The NZ Specialist Cheesemakers Association also run a stand selling cheese at bargain prices. It’s a great evening out and the only chance you’ll get to taste and see this much cheese at one venue.

Believe the buzz! Cult skincare brand Burt’s Bees has finally landed in New Zealand.

Redefining what it means to be naturally gorgeous, Burt’s Bees is a brand that walks the talk when it comes to making quality natural skincare products while being earth-friendly at the same time… And needless to say, we’re in love with the range here at Goode PR.

It seems the rest of the world has already bought into the buzz, with a Burt’s Bees lip product sold somewhere around the globe every 1.36 seconds!

But don’t be tricked into thinking lip balms and glosses are Burt’s Bees’ only speciality. Their range is nothing short of extensive to say the least, spanning across face, hair, body, lip, baby care and men’s grooming. Love it!

We’re currently obsessing over the Peppermint Foot Lotion (RRP$40). Extracts of menthol, peppermint and witch hazel cool feet and stimulate circulation.

Another Goode girl fave is the Radiance Body Lotion (RRP$40). Enriched with royal jelly and natural mica, it nourishes skin and leaves you glowing.

Burt’s Bees is currently available at Smith & Caugheys (Queen St & Newmarket), IE Produce, Urban Loft, Kirkcaldie & Stains, Ballantynes, Arthur Barnetts and selected pharmacies and health food stores.

New Zealand’s largest commercial cleaning franchise, Crest Commercial Cleaning, has struck up a deal in India which will see it operating in around a dozen cities and employing thousands of people in the next two years.

The cleaning company, currently employing 300 people in India, is on track to expand that to 3000 employees in the next two years, as a growing number of companies in India place more emphasis on hygiene and cleanliness.

“We have established ourselves in this powerhouse economy at an opportune time,” says Crest co-owner and spokesperson Grant McLauchlan “As the Indian economy becomes more sophisticated, customers, particularly international corporates, are demanding better hygiene standards.

“Many people tell us that one of the big barriers to doing business in India is hygiene and so we are seeing savvy companies starting to make that a priority,” Mr McLauchlan says, on his return from a business trip to India last week.

He says with a 6-9 per cent growth rate and a population of a billion people, India’s growth potential is huge. Cleaning, or housekeeping as it is known in India, is worth around $150 billion per annum.

Mr McLauchlan says Crest is doing well in the Indian market because it is a quality brand, with excellent training programmes in place for staff. The training in India is based on New Zealand standards where staff are required to undertake an NZQA recognised qualification which leads to a National Certificate in Cleaning and Caretaking.

“Training cleaning staff to achieve nationally recognised qualifications makes more sense for commercial cleaners than hiring unskilled staff,” he says “Training has a very positive effect on morale, motivation and on the person’s ability to carry out cleaning to high standards.

Watch out for Crest in the future. New Zealand and India is their focus over the next two years but they are looking at expanding into other Asia countries and the Middle East beyond that.

Once again our lovable 5 + A Day mascot took to the city streets to spread the word.  Fredge’s adventure did not start off without its challenges. Facing slippery steps and boxing DJ’s, our healthy hero managed to break into the Classic Hits and Easy Mix studios armed with a bucket of fruit.  Presenters Andrew Dickens, Jacque Tucker and Melanie Homer couldn’t contain their excitement as they gathered around Fredge for a photo opp.  Alison Leonard also made a special guest appearance to greet Fredge and dip into the bucket for her daily serving of fresh fruit.  Be sure to check out our Twitter account for the latest in the Find Fredge series and be in to win a 5 + A Day goodie bag if you correctly guess Fredge’s location.

Fredge hit the streets of Auckland again today making guest appearances at several local radio stations to spread the 5 + A Day message.  Flava FM, The Rock and George FM opened their doors and welcomed Fredge into their studios.  Today’s adventure had its challenges for the cute and charming mascot as he battled archways designed with dwarfs in mind, death defying staircases and the paparazzi on Ponsonby Road in the pursuit of healthy eating. Stay tuned for further adventures of Fredge in the City.  Remember to visit Goode PR on twitter to guess today’s Find Fredge location and be in to win a fabulous 5 + A Day goodie bag.

Fredge, the giant celery stick made a guest appearance at Breakfast with Corbett, Jesse and Jo at More FM today. He stormed the studio with fresh fruit for the team and reminded everyone to have their 5 servings a day. The 5 + A Day programme is celebrating 15 years in New Zealand and kiwi kids are getting the message. Today, more than 90 per cent of kids have a piece of fruit in their lunchbox. Stay tuned as Fredge makes more appearances around the city this week.  Everyday we will be posting photos of Fredge in various Auckland locales via Twitter.  If you are the first person to correctly name his location you are in to win a 5 + A Day goodie bag.

Meleana Bourke, Belinda Abernethy, Kerre Woodham and Sarah Henry

It was all sparkling eyes and beaming smiles at beautiful Barolo restaurant at the Langham for the launch of the Look Good Feel Better advertising campaign.

Makeup formed the foundation of the new campaign showing that beauty is more than skin deep – it’s also a powerful communication tool.

The campaign for cancer-related charity Look Good Feel Better uses makeup and makeup tools to spell out how looking good can help women with cancer feel better.

Designed by TBWA\Whybin, and brought to life by photographer Charlie Smith the print ads highlight the work of Look Good Feel Better.

The charity runs morale-boosting workshops for women with cancer, showing them how to disguise the sometimes visual side-effects of their treatment with simple makeup techniques. 

Using makeup and makeup tools to form the headlines of the ads was a spark of genius. The overall effect gives a fresh look, great relevance to the tools of the beauty trade and creates a very high impact in the process. 

Charlie Smith’s creative drive came from a desire to create visually stunning ads that stood out from the clutter.

At Look Good Feel Better workshops women not only learn how to use makeup to combat the appearance-related side-effects of cancer treatments, they also go home with complimentary cosmetic product packs to help them recreate the looks themselves.

 General Manager of Look Good Feel Better Yvonne Brownlie said at the luncheon; “It’s most uplifting thing to watch a group of women experiencing cancer, walk out of a Look Good Feel Better workshop with their heads high, a smile on their faces and the sparkle back in their eyes.”

The ad campaign is set to run in women’s magazines, on-line and in bus shelters across the country starting this summer.

 A Kiwi mother-of-two struggling to cope with a lack of sleep, motivation and ‘me’ time has discovered the key to turning her life around and is sharing it in her first book.

Lisa Folland’s “The Attractive Mum” shows how a technique called ‘vibrating’ and feeling good can transform your life.

Exhausted and overwhelmed with two babies under two, Lisa decided to get her life back on track. She says it’s all about attitude, setting goals, healthy eating, exercise and looking after your finances.

A former school teacher, Lisa says she is not a psychologist, life coach or a doctor, but she knows mothers and believes that the key to get Mums to feel good about themselves is to think about their own happiness first.

 “The Attractive Mum” is packed with helpful tips from Kiwi mothers and insights into several well known women and how they have juggled family and business success.

Having lost her own mother to cancer Lisa was moved to join forces with the charity Look Good Feel Better and half the profits from the sale of the first edition are to be donated to the charity.

Look Good Feel Better helps build confidence and put a smile on the faces of women undergoing treatment for cancer. The charity organizes more than 300 workshops around the country every year for more than 1200 women. They provide ‘makeovers’ along with hair and skin advice to women of all ages. The workshops literally make the women look good and feel better and provide a boost as they take on the challenge of a lifetime.

“The Attractive Mum” goes on sale 2 November 2009 and is available at selected Dymocks stores in Auckland, Women’s Bookshop in Ponsonby, Arcadia Books Newmarket  or via the website www.theattractivemum.co.nz

Grate an apple, peel a banana, slice your pears, chop your peppers…however you do it, make sure you are doing lots of it this month because November is Fruit and Vegetable Month.

 Today, the highly successful 5+ A Day programme has more than 5000 early childhood centres and primary schools around the country involved – the highest number in the programme’s 15 year history.

 New Zealand children have made fantastic progress in their understanding of the 5+ A Day message. Research shows that around 90 per cent of children know about the programme and understand the importance of eating a wide range of colourful fruit and vegetables every day. And if you lifted the lids on lunchboxes around the country you would find that 91% of Kiwi kids have at least one piece of fruit in it.

 It’s kids leading the charge. Adults haven’t been quite so easy to persuade. The challenge this November is to get Kiwis of all ages taking action and increasing their daily fruit and vegetable intake.

Fredge – a giant celery stick – will be making appearances around the country during the month. He was last spotted in Christchurch making his way to the What Now! studio. He will be appearing again on TV 3’s Sunrise next week.

 For more information on 5 + A Day go to www.5aday.co.nz