First Rung is here: A podcast guide to getting on the property ladder
Hi! I'm so excited to finally be sharing a project our team has been working on for a while now: First Rung, our first podcast!
First Rung is packed with tips, advice and anecdotes from experts and home owners on every aspect of buying your first home - it also comes with a chance to win a $500 Resene prize pack.
Over six, bite sized episodes, we cover everything from saving that deposit, to sunset clauses, to how to get your newly purchased home ready to move into.
We'll also introduce you to ordinary Kiwis, just like you, who have navigated the choppy waters of home buying in NZ and made it onto that first rung - and pick their brains for how they did it.
We all know buying a home is one of the toughest, most daunting things we might ever do as adults, so it doesn't hurt to get some expert advice and support. That's what we wanted to give you with First Rung.
So give it a listen and let us know what you think - and be in to win that mint Resene prize pack. I can't enter and I'm well jealous!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
Raglan tops unpaid rates bill list in Waikato District
More than $1.3 million in unpaid rates is owed to Waikato District Council by just 10 property owners — including one Raglan ratepayer who owes nearly a quarter of a million dollars.
An Official Information Act response reveals the council’s worst rates arrears, with a single Raglan property topping the list at $234,017.07 outstanding.
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