Welcome to our May 2026 issue of Channel Mag. 

As I write this, it is a beautiful late April day on the Shore, and I have had the pleasure of a family walk along Takapuna Beach and brekkie at one of our local eateries. Bliss. There’s no better place to be in the world right now, I reckon! In this, your FREE local magazine, we see our role as highlighting all that’s good about living on the North Shore. We love the place!
On our cover for this issue is one of our many high-achieving sportspeople, Izzy Gaze. Channel Mag’s Paula Arblaster caught up with Izzy during April to produce an excellent feature. The Bays youngster and White Fern is one of our very best Kiwi cricketers, and another to come out of the Takapuna club. Takapuna was named the national club of the year at the recent New Zealand Cricket awards. Hand in hand with this Izzy interview is our Q&A feature for this issue with captains of local sporting teams. This Q&A with Donald, Dino, Emily, Dave and Bridget is an interesting read.
In this issue, we have a focus on health matters. On the Shore, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to health and wellness, with not too much you have to travel over the bridge for. In this issue, we have information on a wide range of health-related solutions to encourage readers to stay northside for these services.
Christine Young has produced a good interview with born and bred Shore youngster Ella Cook, who is embarking on a Reda ‘From Sheep to Shop’ fashion internship. This is an internship offered in partnership between Zentera Wool (formerly New Zealand Merino) and Italian textile group Reda. Excitingly, this internship involves an end-to-end experience, including a stint in Italy. 
I reckon there’s something in this issue for everyone! Happy reading, and have a great May.

Aidan Bennett, QSM
Publisher, Channel Magazine
Founder and Managing Director, Benefitz
aidan@benefitz.co.nz