Good—simple choices for a better life

Good start

8 Editorial

Francesca Price on some big changes.

10 The goodies

Chris Keall, Jo Thapa, Nicola Galloway, Sarah James.

25 Charcoal or gas barbecue?

Good choice: Summertime and the grillin' is easy … but which barbie burns better?

25 The global financial crisis

Convenient truths about: Confused about the economy? All you need to know is ten simple truths.

26 Goodbye yellow brick road

Good question: If your fingers prefer typing to walking, can you opt out of Yellow Pages delivery? Plus: Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade?

34 Keisha Castle-Hughes

My green journey: At the age of 18, Keisha Castle-Hughes has clocked up more experience and wisdom than someone twice her age.

36 Lifeguard

Local heroes: Emma Forster, Piha lifeguard and part-time panda.

38 Hoteliers

Local heroes: John Dick, Langham hotel managing director, and Nicholas Blake, kitchenhand-turned-environmental advisor.

Features

40 Good Christmas

Lavish food, a few good presents and as little family tension as possible are all you need to havea truly happy Christmas. Gorgeous gift-wrapping and the prettiest tree you've had in years are the icing on the cake. This is the Good team's guide to a better, cheaper, more sustainable Christmas

42 Wrap it up

We’re big fans of re-using wrapping paper, but carefully peeling away all that sticking tape can get a little tiresome, and it’s much more satisfying to give your presents a uniform look. Here are four different looks that are as kind to the environment as they are stylish and affordable

44 Sock monkeys

How to: Make a sock monkey

45 Christmas decorations that are good enough to eat

These days shops are full of plastic decorations in many colours and forms. Some are pretty; some are just cheap and, well, plastic. If you'd like some fresher, more authentic ideas for your tree that are homemade and reuseable, here are a few ideas.

46 Cherish old traditions and create new ones

If there is a collective mind, surely it exists on Christmas day, when the world as we know it pauses and even the most cynical are obliged to accept that something special is going on.

46 Real Kiwi Christmas trees

Christmas is a time of giving and a time of renewal—so cutting down thousands of pine trees across the land, dragging them indoors for a couple of weeks, then discarding them rather goes against the grain.

47 Tie-pod case

How to: Make a tie-pod case

48 Join the goody-goodies

Helping those less fortunate hangs right up there with the angel on the list of all things Christmassy—and one of the country’s three city missions is a good place to start.

48 Forever brewing bubbles

The fast-growing Elderberry tree, a small introduced tree that has naturalised in New Zealand, is almost a pest in some areas. But as the saying could go, if life hands you elderberries, make elderflower champagne.

49 A fraction too much friction

How to deal with holiday stress.

50 The year ahead

Satirist Denis Welch peers into his new age crystal ball and shares his vision of the year to come. Our tips: Enjoy white bread sandwiches at your desk while you still can—and brace yourselves for Federated Farmers' shocking discovery

52 National treasures

Creatures we've always taken for granted are in critical condition. Dave Hansford looks at ten native species that are fighting for their lives, and what you can do to help them

62 The ultimate DIY guy

Renegade architect Tony Watkins believes we should all be building our own houses—even if you've never picked up a hammer before. Francesca Price meets New Zealand's ultimate DIY guy, and finds out why we should fight for our right to build homes.

The goods

68 Bach to basics

Home: The heritage baches on Rangitoto Island haven't changed in decades—and that's the way the locals like it.

73 Wildly addicted

Food: Sick of hugging trees? Try eating weeds. (No, not that sort of weed!) Here's how to rustle up a meal out of wild greenery

76 A very berry Christmas

Food: Christmas pud the Kiwi way.

78 Real food for real kids

Family: Get your kids into the kitchen.

89 Down on Main Street

Community: Hendon, Otago.

90 Get rid of unwelcome pests

Garden: Summer has arrived—and so have the mosquitoes and flies. Make them feel less welcome with naturally insect-repelling plants.

92 The fruits of your labour

Garden: This month in your garden.

94 Bare-faced cheek

Health: Three top natural makeup brands put to the test.

96 Change gear for the new year

Health: How to keep your New Year's resolutions

98 How time flies

Travel: Swing across the Whanganui River in a box to visit the Flying Fox

101 Eco-chic ... Queenstown

Travel: Eco-chic in Queenstown

102 Green machines

Technology: If your hardware is ready to recycle, you'll love these green machines.

104 Totally camp

Transport: Trust a Kiwi to come up with the ultimate travel vehicle.

107 Eco heroes of business

Business: The good guys of business collect their awards.

Good bits

112 Wairoa leads the way

Business: Rod Oram loves Wairoa.

113 There is no Depression in NZ

Eco-worrier: Emily Perkins has advice for hard times.

114 To Hell with consensus

Gaia and brimstone: Majority rules, reckons Dave Hansford.

115 What's really wrong with the economy?

The green room: Damon Birchfield believes our current economic system is broken—and it's a much bigger issue than a few collapsing banks.

116 Rally the troops for chores

Good housekeeping: A plan of attack for your chores.

119 Save the whales

Action: And a couple of dolphins, an eel, a few fish, a kiwi, tuatara and some cute little baby sea lions

120 Quaker Settlement

The good life: Wanganui's Quaker Settlement is peaceful, simple and sustainable.