Innehållsförteckning för Issue 3, 2026 från that's life!

Teachers can make such a big difference in a youngster’s life. The right words of praise, encouragement or guidance can help shape who you grow up to be. But our stories on page 60 this week show they can be lifesavers as well as life changers. It got team tl! talking about our own memorable teachers. My Year 6 teacher, Mrs Bush, once kindly mentioned she liked my stories and ‘hoped to see my work in print one day.’ It always stuck with me, and when I was trying to decide whether to study to be a teacher or a journalist, I think it might have swayed me a bit. My Year 2 teacher, Mr Baker, stole the hearts of a lot of little girls by being so kind. And…

Fastening my seatbelt, I was giddy with excitement. It was May 2025, and my fiancé, Luke, then 34, and I had boarded a plane headed for our destination wedding. We’d decided on a celebration at a resort in Jamaica, with 40 of our friends, after getting engaged two years earlier. But during the 10-hour flight, I noticed a sore lump in my right groin, next to my bikini line. Not thinking too much about it, after we arrived, we enjoyed days basking by the pool and sipping cocktails. We even held a welcome dinner and threw a pre-wedding boat party. But while everyone was having a ball, I felt really out of sorts. I was moody, nauseous, lethargic and was struggling to focus. ‘What’s up?’ Luke asked me. ‘Just pre-wedding…

MONTE CARLO ICE-CREAM LOAF SERVES 8-10 PREP & COOK 30 MINS ½ cup shredded coconut 250g packet Monte Carlo biscuits 2 litres vanilla ice-cream ¾ cup frozen raspberries, plus extra to decorate ¼ cup raspberry jam 1 tbsp honey 1 Grease a large, deep, straight-sided loaf pan (15cm x 23.5cm x 9cm deep). Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above pan edges. 2 Scatter coconut over an oven tray lined with baking paper. Cook in a 180°C preheated oven for about 3-4 mins, or until lightly toasted. Remove. Cool. 3 Roughly chop half the biscuits. 4 Spoon half of the ice-cream into a large bowl. Stand 5-10 mins until slightly softened (do not melt). Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add raspberries and jam. Gently…

Stuffing clothes in her suitcase, 26-year-old Nicole Lenway zipped it shut and headed for the door. It was September 2015, and a year since the crime scene investigator had moved in with her taekwondo instructor boyfriend Timothy Amacher. But Nicole wanted out. The pair had met after Nicole started training at the gym Tim operated in Minneapolis, US. Beautiful Nicole quickly caught the attention of the charismatic martial arts expert. Tim was handsome, with an easy confidence which earned him a legion of female admirers. But he only had eyes for Nicole – pursuing her until she agreed to give him a chance, and in time the casual dates led to love. The fairytale didn’t last once the pair moved in together, though. After 12 months of near-constant arguing, the…

Did you know? Leaving drinks in a hot car can turn your water bottle into a science experiment. Heat can cause chemicals from plastic bottles to leak into your water, and fizzy drinks can build up pressure and explode. If it’s been baking in the car, toss it out and grab a fresh one. 15 A cup of cherries contains around this per cent of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. BURNING QUESTION With our fierce Down Under sun, SPF 50+ is the gold standard – anything lower just won’t cut it. Our UV levels are some of the highest in the world, and SPF 50+ blocks around 98 per cent of UVB rays. The trick? Use enough (a teaspoon per limb), apply 20 minutes before heading out, and reapply…

Choose a number, choose a petal – and choose a moment of personal meaning! Across spiritual traditions, the lotus symbolises rebirth, purity, and rising above the murky waters of life with grace. It reminds us that even in challenging environments, beauty and wisdom can bloom. By pairing this beautiful flower with the power of a one-word oracle, you are able to access your own intuition and unlock the clarity you seek! How to use the oracle The lotus reflection oracle is a simple yet soulful practice. • Firstly, clear your mind. • Next, close your eyes and focus on a question or situation you need some guidance about. • When you're ready, open your eyes and choose the number you are drawn to from the lotus flower’s petals to reveal…

In the darkness, I gripped the stranger’s hand tightly. An eerie silence surrounded us, and the air smelt smoky as my heart pounded. Then came a bang. Waking in my bed, my face was slick with sweat. It was just a nightmare, I thought. But then it hit me like a sledgehammer. The man in my dream was real – and I didn’t know if he was alive or dead. Just a year earlier, I’d been living a simple life… I’d moved to New Zealand from Turkiye in 2009 with my wife and our sons, then aged four and three. The marriage didn’t last, and after 15 years, in 2016, we’d divorced. By 2019, I was busy running my kebab shop in Christchurch, giving back to the people who had…

SALMON, RICE AND BROCCOLI SALAD SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 25 MINS 450g packet microwave jasmine rice ¼ cup Oriental Fried Noodle Salad Dressing 2 tsp white vinegar 500g broccoli, trimmed, cut into small florets 2 cloves garlic, crushed 250g snow peas, trimmed, thinly shredded 2 tbsp sesame seeds 1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp soy sauce 460g packet salmon portions, skin off, cut into 3cm pieces 1 Heat rice according to packet directions. Transfer to a large bowl. 2 Meanwhile, place dressing and white vinegar in a jug. Whisk well. 3 Heat an oiled, large, non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add broccoli and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 mins, or until just tender. Add snow peas and sesame seeds. Cook, stirring, for a further…

BOUNTY CHEESECAKE TART SERVES 8-10 PREP & COOK 1 HOUR 15 MINS 250g packet Butternut Snap Cookie biscuits ¼ cup desiccated coconut 75g butter, melted Chopped chocolate Bounty bars, toasted coconut chips, to decorate FILLING 2 x 250g blocks cream cheese, softened ½ cup caster sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 270ml can coconut milk ½ cup desiccated coconut, toasted 2 tbsp cornflour 3 eggs TOPPING 100g dark chocolate, chopped 50g butter, chopped 1 Grease a 25cm round x 3cm deep, loose-base flan tin (base measures 23cm).  2 Process biscuits in a food processor until finely crushed. Add coconut and melted butter. Process until combined. Press firmly over base and up side of tin. Refrigerate while making filling. 3 FILLING Process cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in same, clean food processor…

THAT’S INTERESTING! Do you feel like you’re working more than ever but still struggling to make ends meet? You might be one of many employees doing unpaid work. A study by the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work found that the average Aussie is putting in an additional three and a half hours work each week for free. That’s around $150 a week for someone on an average income, and workers are reporting feeling stressed, anxious and exhausted. Remember, under the right to disconnect legislation, Aussie employees are allowed to refuse unreasonable out of work hours requests from their employers. For more visit the Fair Work Commission, fwc.gov.au Hold onto your playground-approved bucket hats because I have some numbers that may blow them clean off. According to Finder, parents spend…

EASEL-Y SUPERB A mesmerising artwork appeared in London, England, in December and left people wondering. But the mystery has been solved. Elusive street artist Banksy confirmed he’s behind the mural of two children lying on the ground dressed in gumboots, coats and beanies. One of the stargazing kids is pointing up to the sky. The wall painting was spotted above a row of garages on Queen’s Mews, Bayswater. On December 23, the artist, whose identity is not publicly known, announced his new work by posting an image of it to his Instagram. The BBC understands that Banksy is also responsible for an identical mural, thought to be a statement on homelessness, that appeared outside the luxury Centre Point tower in central London a week later. But Banksy’s representatives have only…

LAMB STEAKS WITH MOROCCAN POTATO SALAD SERVES 4 PREP & COOK 25 MINS 750g white baby potatoes, halved 4 (540g) lamb leg steaks 2 tbsp Moroccan seasoning 1 small red onion, thinly sliced ¼ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped ¼ cup currants ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves, plus extra leaves to garnish  200g tub Sweet Potato & Roasted Cashew Dip 1 Place potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with damp paper towel. Microwave on High for 5-6 mins, or until tender. Drain. 2 Meanwhile, sprinkle lamb steaks with seasoning. 3 Heat a lightly oiled, large, non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add lamb. Cook for 3-4 mins on each side, or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Rest, lightly covered with foil, for…

His fists clenched, I watched my son Theo, seven, punch at the air. ‘Ha!’ he cried, in his white karate suit. ‘Go Theo!’ I cheered, as my hubby, Austin, 29, our son Oliver, almost two, and Theo’s dad Damien, 39, clapped too. It was September 2025, and I was bursting with pride as Theo collected his orange belt from his sensei. ‘I did it!’ he beamed, running over. ‘I knew you would,’ I replied proudly. At 101cm tall, Theo, who was born with achondroplasia – a type of dwarfism – was used to putting his mind to the things he wanted to achieve. A fighter since the day he was born in June 2018, Theo had become stuck during my 18-hour labour, so I was rushed in for an emergency…

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