Business confidence has dropped sharply across New Zealand, with a growing number of businesses feeling pessimistic in the face of rising labour costs and slow progress on housing and infrastructure projects. According to the ANZ Business Outlook Survey, 27 percent of 354 firms surveyed expect general business conditions to deteriorate over the coming 12 months, an increase from 23 percent the month before. The situation is especially pronounced in Auckland, with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce recently saying business confidence in the city was in "free fall".

The New Zealand housing market had a solid month in May, with median house price growth reaching a new high and a big jump in the number of homes for sale across the country. According to the latest figures from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ), 7578 residential properties sold in May, which was 19 percent higher than April and 1.3 percent higher than May 2017. A big part of this growth can be attributed to foreign buyers, who accounted for almost 20 percent of all sales in central Auckland and 3.3 percent of national sales.

Western interior design has always been influenced by and drawn inspiration from other cultures. The exotic world of Japanese design has been a particularly fruitful source of ideas over the years, from the shapes and colours of traditional Japanese rooms through to the minimalism of kanso and the philosophy of zen. Whether you're choosing new furniture or undergoing a full renovation, many of the elements of Japanese design can be incorporated directly into western homes.  

From the computer networks that run the office through to the fast foods you enjoy at the end of the day, everything in modern life seems to be speeding up. The faster we go, the less we seem to get done, however, with urgency often leading to stress and anxiety. We all know that patience is a virtue, and according to science, it may also be beneficial for our physical and mental health. Having patience gives you the ability to wait and heal, the time to stay cool and collected, and the personal space that everyone needs for real health and well-being.

Most of us are content playing tennis on the weekends or kicking the soccer ball with the kids after school. For others, however, sport is a much more exciting and dangerous endeavour. From BASEjumping and bull riding through to luge and endurance ocean racing, some sports are much more likely to lead to injury and death than others. Let's take a look at some of the world's most dangerous sports to see if you're ready to swap the golf clubs for a bucking bull or wingsuit.

In an effort to tackle the housing affordability crisis, the New Zealand Government is considering an interest free loan scheme for first-home buyers. The shared equity scheme could save first-home buyers up to $100 a week compared to a commercial mortgage, with officials working on the scheme alongside its Kiwibuild programme, which is planning to build 10,000 houses a year at up to $650,000 each. With New Zealand's housing shortage continuing to worsen by the month, this could be a great way to boost home ownership rates in certain demographics. 

Lack of growth in the housing market continues to effect residential rents, which are now outpacing wage growth in Auckland and Wellington. For the first time in a while, gross rental yields are rising in more areas than they are falling across New Zealand, as investors seek to capitalise on their properties without relying on capital gains. There are some significant regional differences, however, with rents in Canterbury hardly moving as wages continue to rise.

Whether it's cooking our food, washing our clothes, or keeping us entertained at night, electricity is needed for all aspects of modern life. Power bills are a huge expense for most people, with domestic appliances accounting for 33 percent of all household energy consumption. Other big contributors include water and cooling at 40 percent, and water heating at 21 percent. Electricity is charged in kilowatts per hour (kWh) units, with some appliances much more expensive to run than others. Let's take a look at some of the best, and some of the worst offenders.

Have you ever thought about taking drugs to make you smarter or help you perform better at work? Smart drugs include all compounds that are capable of enhancing cognitive function, including stimulants like caffeine and Ritalin and nootropic substances such as piracetam and modafinil. While some of these substances have been found to improve memory, motivation and creativity in scientific studies, they can be dangerous when abused or taken without a prescription.

There's nothing better than a good road trip to clear out the cobwebs. Fresh air and majestic scenery inspire the imagination like nothing else, helping you to break the bonds of familiarity and giving you a new lease on life. From far away journeys like Route 66 in the United States and Ticlio Pass in Peru through to the Great Ocean Road in Australia and Milford Road in New Zealand, let's take a look at some of the world's most amazing road trips.