Artist and designer Paul Darragh went from a fast-paced life in NYC to settling down in the Mount and evolving his painting practice. We visit him as he prepares for a show at Tauranga Art Gallery.

For Natalie Procter, it’s a juggle running Mina, her Auckland-based label, from the Mount, but relocating to the laid-back seaside location has had a positive impact on her designs ands her approach to life.

The Floral Hub is a weekly flower market in central Tauranga where florists and the flower-loving public can get their hands on blooms and foliage that are often unusual and always freshly picked.

At Watercliff eco retreat on the banks of the Omanawa River, you can escape to an off-the-grid cabin (that has all mod cons), walk in native bush, swim in a river and laze around until calm is restored.

Thirty one years ago, when Te Kaha was doing his final stint in rehab, he fell in love with pounamu and discovered his life’s work: learning about his whakapapa and telling those stories in the shapes of the stone. Te Kaha now creates taonga pounamu, including hei tiki, mere and hei matau, along with pieces that his wife Cristina, a silversmith from the Scottish Highlands, transforms into modern jewellery. They live on Tūhoe land and their business is a whānau affair with their three tamariki, who are homeschooled, all getting involved.