2 w. ago ‘Like an Indiana Jones adventure’: the joys of New Zealand’s hot springs

Rotorua and Taupō in northern New Zealand are home to geothermal pools that can heat up to 90C To get to the geothermal pool of the Squeeze near Taupō in New Zealand, you need to kayak across a lake and wade through a stream pinched between the narrow walls of a canyon. As she walked through the forest to get to the pool, Carmen Chan could feel the mud between her toes getting warmer.“It was such a visceral way to be in the forest,” Chan says. The pool had a hot waterfall, the steam from which created a fogginess “like an Indiana Jones adventure” – even though the real world, golf courses and highways, was only 6km away. A decade after that first trip, the now 32-year-old Chan is still hooked. The doctor regularly goes to local hot springs to soak her feet after a long shift at Rotorua hospital. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago The strange combination that could boost immunity and cognition... and even ward off colon cancer

The researchers say that their findings suggest that combining two lifestyle interventions may contribute to better health, and could potentially applied as a treatment in preventive medicine.

Events

3 w. ago Hot springs, empty beaches, forests and wine: exploring the unspoilt Greek island of Ikaria

On a trip to the eastern Aegean isle with my mum after my dad died, we found inspiring landscapes, delicious local produce, and a profound sense of peaceThere are no signs to the hot spring, but I locate it on the map and we drive to the end of the paved road. Overlooking the sea is a stone bench someone has dedicated to her parents, “with gratitude and love as deep as the Aegean”. My dad died recently and the words strike home. I’m glad my mum has joined me on this little adventure.We walk down to the deserted cove at Agia Kyriaki thermal springs. There are old fishing shacks with stone-slab roofs, and shuttered cottages. Down an unmarked path, we find a rock pool where hot waters bubble gently from the sand, blending with the sea to a perfect temperature. Immersed in the healing mineral bath, I look up at juniper trees and blue sky, lulled by lapping waves and cicadas. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago The UK’s first wine trail is as good as any in Napa Valley – here’s how to visit

Wine writer Rosamund Hall strikes out in lush Sussex to explore the Rother Wine Triangle

Politics

3 w. ago 'No pay' parking to tackle 'lawlessness' at famed Welsh beach and forest

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) parking system will be introduced at the beach

Society

3 w. ago The beautiful beach with sand dunes and pine forests 90 minutes from Manchester

Soak up the summer sun with a day at the beach

Politics

4 w. ago Real reason UK homes don't have air conditioning and how much it costs to run

Demand for air conditioning in UK homes is now on the rise following this year's unusually hot spring and summer - but why don't more homes have it?

Society

4 w. ago Trinny Woodall unleashes her inner cowgirl as she undergoes Western makeover with lookalike daughter Lyla Elichaoff during ghost town visit

The beauty entrepreneur, 61, was joined by her look-a-like daughter Lyla Elichaoff, 21, as they set off to explore Dunton Hot Springs, a 19th-century ghost town.

Politics