How to pick the right perfume for mum this Mother’s Day

Whether she’s a “spontaneously elegant woman” or subscribes to “feminine rock-chic”, there’s a fancy, expensive designer perfume for every mum.  I don’t know about people who stay strong in the face of Mother’s Day marketing hype. It’s a bit weirdly zen to me; borderline sociopathic, maybe. We all know the day is just a trick … Read more

Ambergris, the whale poo worth more than your car

Dragon tears, meteorites, or just plain shit – ambergris is an olfactory miracle of the deep. Sought after for thousands of years, and worth upwards of $10,000/kg today, ambergris washes up on beaches across New Zealand all year long. Don Rowe goes looking for it. This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine under the title … Read more