Transition Towns - communities readying themselves for a post-petroleum world - are quietly popping up in New Zealand suburbs.

This may be the best thing to happen to Titirangi since the annual Going West literary festival.

Taimi Allan, actor, a mental health promoter and educator, husband Stewart, a secondary school music teacher and recording artist live in an architecturally designed tree house, set amid bush in Titirangi. They share why they love Titirangi

Fashionable events worth checking out this week.

So close to Auckland, and yet a world away, is a hotel tucked into an area of unsurpassed beauty. Nikki Birrell heads into the heart of the Waitakeres.

Colin McCahon's house reveals another side of Titirangi, says Liz Light.

A real estate agent was caught out on tape by a couple upset over his "unprofessional behaviour" when selling their home.

Gorgeous views and simply delicious Italian fare are getting tongues wagging in the Waitakeres.

For a day of fresh air and fun, golf can't be beat. Graham Hepburn visits Auckland's courses.

The Chinese company that sparked a fierce national debate last year about foreign investment in farming is ploughing ahead with plans to export millions of cartons of UHT milk from New Zealand to China.

Just as her on-screen love affair with 'Westie' culture came to an end, Robyn Malcolm has made the move in real life.

Boutique ice cream maker shows that customers are prepared to pay top dollar for quality products.

Wildlife, bush and nearby cafes make this a perfect spot for a private couple, writes Diana Clement.

Gill South tries out the gentle art of t'ai chi for total body relaxation.

Print illustrator Anna Crichton has translated her skills into ceramic art for a new exhibition, writes Catherine Smith.

A canvas grid hidden in dense bush marks the spot from which police removed the dismembered remains of Carmen Thomas last night. Officers who recovered her body are being offered trauma counselling.

The remains of Carmen Thomas have been removed from a crude grave in dense bush in the Waitakere Ranges.

Murdered mother Carmen Thomas has been found in one of several concrete containers partially buried in the Waitakere Ranges.

The dismembered remains of murdered mother Carmen Thomas have been found buried in bush in the Waitakere Ranges.

We walked in and immediately thought the decor matches the bush location and namesake, with lots of wooden fittings and takahe birds dotted about the place.

It’s a fairly laid-back sort of place, says Ashley Campbell.

Rose McIver is a rare talent: a child star emerging unscathed into adulthood - with a fan in Peter Jackson, no less. She tells Rebecca Barry about her grown-up new role, her desire for dysfunction and why she won't move to Hollywood.