BREATHE EASY - Just BE

With the arrival of winter, I decided that it was time to brush up on my crampon skills, and learn how to use the ice axe I carried as something more than a short walking stick with some lethal spikey parts.

For lockdown I turned a blind eye to the opportunity to spring clean the house, learn a new language, brush up on virology, or spend four hours a day on yoga or any other form of pretzel-wrestling. After a few weeks of numbed-out indecision doing a combination of walking the dog and diddly-squats, I settled on specialising in fungiculture.

Shaz goes on a reporting mission for The Oxford Observer and discovers that she isn’t too old to give surfing a go. No awards were won, but a lot of fun was had. Find out if you too should give surfing a go.

On a sunny, calm day Lake Matheson offers postcard-perfect views of snow-capped Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman reflected in the dark waters, making the short walk to the viewing jetty one of the most rewarding Fox Glacier walks.

If peace, solitude, and pristine natural surroundings far from civilisation and the maddening crowd are what you look for in a holiday then the Rakiura Track on Stewart Island could be for you. Sharon Davis tells us more.

The cheapest and most effective form of advertising for any business is a referral from an existing customer. Sharon Davis highlights five effective ways to increase referrals – and your bottom line.

Her just-worn-in hiking boots felt stiff and unwelcoming as she pulled at the laces. Next, she hefted her overweight pack and shifted it awkwardly on her shoulders, closed the belt buckle with a tight snap, and picked up her traditional walking stick. In days gone by the stick was used as a grave marker for pilgrims who didn’t make it. Like Bob’s kongo-tsue she’d selected one with a brass bell that jangled with every step. It was supposed to scare away bears, and serve as a constant reminder to focus on each moment

Getting ready to file year-end tax returns can be an annual recurring nightmare for advisers. These simple tips will help reduce your year-end financial stress and streamline your filing process in 2015 and beyond.

Whether you plan to enjoy the 60km circular Kepler Track, one of New Zealand’s stunning Great Walks, over a leisurely three or four days – or in a body-grinding five-plus-hour mountain run as part of the Kepler Challenge – Fiordland’s Kepler Track should be on your bucket list. Sharon Davis tells us more.

It's easy to get blasé about certain aspects of your business, and easy to overlook pain points that customers might experience when dealing with your company. Many business owners get so caught up in running their business that they don't stop to question their procedures or investigate ways to improve their customer's experience.