Capital 21 by Capital

CAPITAL TA L E S O F T H E C I T Y

WALK THE LINE M AY 2 0 1 5

ISSUE 21

LIVING ON CRUMBS

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C O N TA C T U S Phone +64 4 385 1426 Email editor@capitalmag.co.nz Website www.capitalmag.co.nz Facebook facebook.com/CapitalMagazineWellington Twitter @CapitalMagWelly Post Box 9202, Marion Square, Wellington 6141 Deliveries 31–41 Pirie St, Mt Victoria, Wellington, 6011 ISSN 2324-4836 Produced by Capital Publishing Ltd

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This publication uses vegetable based inks, and FSC® certified papers produced from responsible sources, manufactured under ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems

t’s been interesting as we have put this issue together to realise just how much eco/Green/organic thinking or actions have become part of the mainstream of our lives. Not so long ago, decisions such as not using plastic in the home, recycling, or even, heaven forbid, going off-grid and generating one’s own power, were seen as fervent and idealistic gestures or expressions of belief. Now we are all eco-warriors in CAPITALs (can’t resist). And new terminology has also entered our day-to-day vocabulary, green washing, green dollars, eco-friendly, sustainability, environmentally friendly, organic and many more. In this our first Green issue, we have talked to a number of locals who are all in their own way developing a less wasteful and more sustainable lifestyle. Mark Sainsbury looks at the joys of a new electric car from international car makers Audi, who are taking the desire for environmentally friendly motoring to new levels. It is important to remember however that clean and green measures don't eliminate all the grime and dirt of industry. We look at rubber tyres, and the new industry that recycles them. It is still gritty, dirty work. Fashion is playing its part, with commercial and design interest in upcycling clothes. An annual event in the Wairarapa, the OverSew Fashion Awards, is gaining momentum. We have talked to carpenters offering organic coffins, mothers offering plastic-free lunch wrap, and Ben Gleisner who is taking his eco appraisal model international. Joelle Thomson discusses the difficulties of organic wine making. And if you are still are not swayed on the issues termed green, just read the articles anyway, as there are lots of fascinating stories to enjoy. As always it is a pleasure to hear from you and I look forward to your feedback. Alison Franks Editor

The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Although all material is checked for accuracy, no liability is assumed by the publisher for any losses due to the use of material in this magazine. Copyright ©. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of Capital Publishing Ltd.

editor@capitalmag.co.nz

CONTENTS

THE GRASS IS GREENER Morally digestible dishes Get your burial rite Mother and munchkins

WA L K THE LINE

LIVING ON C RUM B S

Tour of duty crosses the line

What to do with piles of tyres

8 LETTERS

50 EDIBLES

10 CHATTER

CONVERTED BY NUTS

NEWS SHORTS

LIQUID THOUGHTS

BY THE NUMBERS

PERIODICALLY SPEAKING

16 GREENSLEEVES

BY THE BOOK

BOTANICAL INSTINCTS

22 CULTURE

A GREEN INVESTMENT

ECO DIRECTORY

TALK TORQUE

WHAT THE FLOCK

WELLY ANGEL

40 SHOW-OFF

BABY BABY

STREET STYLE

CALENDAR

A STITCH IN TIME

TOP DOG

TALES OF THE CITY

S TA F F Alison Franks Managing editor editor@capitalmag.co.nz Campaign coordinators Lyndsey O’Reilly lyndsey@capitalmag.co.nz Haleigh Trower haleigh@capitalmag.co.nz Kate Ellis kate@capitalmag.co.nz John Bristed General factotum john@capitalmag.co.nz Shalee Fitzsimmons Art direction shalee.f@live.com Rhett Goodley- Hornblow

Design design@capitalmag.co.nz

Craig Beardsworth

Factotum

Anna Jackson-Scott Journalist Gus Bristed

Distribution

BEX MCGILL Ph oto g r aph er

JAMIE MELB OURNEH A Y WA R D Journ a li st

Bex is currently in her second year of study at Massey University, majoring in Photography. She is the face behind the current People of the Capital project, posted on the Capital Facebook page every week. She loves fashion, cats and large amounts of chocolate.

Jaime has spent three years in Barcelona, where he moonlighted as a tour guide. His writing has been published in Spanish and English, in Oceania and Europe.

AIDAN RASMUSSEN Writer

A N NA B R IG G S Ph oto g r aph er

Aidan is a freelance writer who has spent much of the past decade working as a web copy writer and editor. Though Wellington will always be home, his love of other places' means he's often far away from it.

Anna is a young freelance photographer and soon to graduate from Massey University Wellington. She has a love for photographing her surroundings showcasing their natural beauty in a stylish and tasteful way. You can check out her work at annabriggsphoto.com

STOCKISTS Pick up your Capital in New World and Pak’n’ Save supermarkets, Moore Wilson's, Unity Books, Magnetix, City Cards & Mags, Take Note and other discerning greater Wellington outlets. Ask for Capital magazine by name. Distribution: john@capitalmag.co.nz.

SUBMISSIONS We welcome freelance art, photo and story submissions. However we cannot reply personally to unsuccessful pitches.

THANKS Bex McGill | Jess Hill | Jeremiah Boniface | David Hamilton

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LETTERS

SUPERBUG SCIENCE

PEOPLE IN CARS

KARORI HUI

I was very interested to read about the library of medically important bacteria in Porirua, in the recent issue #20 in the column by John Kerr. It was a surprise to know it existed. Thank you for the very good local insights Capital offers. Our whole family finds something of interest in your magazine. J White, Kapiti Coast

On page 13 of the April edition, you state that “census figures show that the number of people using their cars to get to work has decreased slightly, by 4.6% to 64%. You are confusing numbers and percentages. The percentage (as a part of the total different ways to get to work) has dropped, but actual numbers of people travelling to work by private car has increased since 2001: Mode of travel to work on census day -drove a private car, truck or van: 2001: 33,324 2006: 34,548 2013: 34,017 Source: http://goo.gl/9wvock Pam McKirdy, Hataitai

As a past pupil of Karori Normal School I enjoyed your article (#19) on its history. As pupils we did know it had had a former life but little of the colourful details that were presented in your story. It was of great interest at a recent family gathering. R Tilly, Karori

AMALGAMATION BLAH I am not really interested in local body issues and although I am old enough, have never voted. The summary about amalgamation in the last issue( #20) was quite good. I liked that you kept it to one page each side. I surprised my family by talking about it at my Uncle’s birthday. The drawings by Rosa Friend were cool. Name supplied (abridged)

SWEETER THAN HONEY I loved that story about the children at Te Aro primary school working to produce honey from their hives. What a great way to teach children effectively. Thank you for lovely tales like this each month. Delighted, Karori (name supplied)

Ed: Thank-you for the infomation

Letters to editor@capitalmag.co.nz with subject line Letters to Ed or scan our QR code to email the editor directly.

WILLIS

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HERE’S AN OFFER YOU DON’T SEE EVERY DAY, ONLY ON A SUNDAY! We’re throwing our doors open every Sunday between now and the end of May at Les Mills Extreme, Hutt City and Lambton Quay. So throw off the duvet, grab a mate, and get started on those fitness goals – for free! With the world’s best fitness classes, top cardio and weights equipment, on-to-it instructors, and heaps more Fit 4 Free Sunday action, we’ll get you going, and going – and GOING! Every Sunday until the end of May.

Visit lesmills.co.nz/fit4free *Conditions apply. Fit for Free Sunday is available every Sunday from 5 April to 31 May 2015. Offer not available to current members or in conjunction with any other Les Mills offer or special pricing plan or discount. Standard Les Mills conditions apply. Les Mills reserves the right to refuse entry on the grounds of minimum age (15), health and safety. Additional fee applies for Les Mills RPM® and Personal Training.

C HAT T E R

INK INC.

THEY’LL M A NAG E Cushla Aston is a finalist for the 2015 Music Managers Awards, to be anounced on 13 May. The independent manager handles local talent Louis Baker, Thomas Oliver, and Estere through her company Aston Road. Aston won upcoming manager of the year in 2012 and was nominated in 2013. “We tend to be behindthe-scenes people so it’s a bit freaky when you put yourself in front! “It’s a real honour to be up against heavy weighters, and to represent Maori, independent, Wellington, and women managers in the industry.”

MONIQUE PEAKMAN Art or rebellion? Definitely art & culture, I wanted something that represented my Maori heritage and reminded me of my roots.

THAT ’S FUNNY

How did you choose the design? I knew what I wanted it to represent and talked about that with my tattoist (my cousin). He then drew free hand on my shoulder as we were talking and that's how it came about. It was done at home with the family around, it was a pretty natural design process.

Troy Knott was inspired by comic books to study graphic design and, having finished his studies at Weltec, he’s created his own. He releases the first chapter of Zahi on 16 May on online platform Bandcamp. Wellington back streets and side alleys, and the laidback character of Wellingtonians were a strong influence on the Sci-Fi/Futuristic super hero story, Knott says. Each chapter has an electronic music track to set the vibe of the story.

Where is the tattoo & why? On my left shoulder. My right is the dominant/strong side of my body and having it on my left I feel like it balances me out.

C HAT T E R

WELLY WORDS

THE ROY POLLOI No one would argue that the coffee world in the Capital is not prone to... pretension. We all have our favourite baristas and think we can decipher vanilla overtones in our double-shot free-trade ristrettos but one Wellyworder presented with a Roy Latte i.e. a mixture of rice and soy milk thought that was one step too far.

HOLD THE FORTNIGHT

THE NOSE KNOWS According to a Wellyworder entrenched in Miramar, Peter Jackson is chuffed with the three distinct ‘death smells’ created for his Great War exhibition in the old Dominion Building. As you wander the WWI trenches he wanted you to have a multi-sensory experience. Bring your smelling salts.

The Fairtrade fortnight activities will include an interactive pop up space in the CBD which, will operate as a cafe during the daylight hours run with fair-trade staff. In the evening erudite educational documentaries will be shown, accompanied by coffee and chocolate tastings along with supper. They hope to raise awareness and knowledge of the fair-trade cause. From May 8-22.

FINE WIND

POWER WALKING

An antique shop owner on the Kapiti coast has found a way of reminding people to be careful of all the fragile china in store. An intrepid Wellyworder came across this by the front door “You break - you buy. You break wind – you buy us air freshener”.

IT'S COOL TO KORERO WAINUI WAI WAI

Impress your eco-friendly buddies with this sustainable lingo:

KIA MAU KI MATOMATO AOTEAROA! KEEP NEW ZEALAND GREEN!

Wainuiomata is once again hosting the King of the Hill fun run, or fun walk on 30 May. It begins at the Queen St Reserve in Wainui, before heading up the hill and back again.

The newly opened Leonie Gill walking and biking path in Kilbirnie has found favour with residents of the nearby Rita Angus Retirement Village. “It’s already helping to fill the need for short walks in the neighbourhood, and I have made use of it several times with my walker,” said one of the residents, aged 90. “It is bliss to walk on such a flat and smooth surface.” The path runs eastwest from Cockburn St to Tirangi Rd and down to Lyall Bay beach.

NEWS SHORTS

SIGN UP CQ Hotel’s restaurant in Cuba St is the first eatery in the country to introduce a New Zealand Sign Language menu. They incorporated it last month in time for New Zealand Sign Language Week, 4 -10 May. It will be available for the rest of the year. Volunteers to help with the ‘language barrier’ will be front of house, as well as current staff who are undergoing regular training. There are numerous events held over NZSL week such as taster classes, Thursday night comedy festival shows and competitions. deaf.org.nz/nzslw

COMPUTER GEEKS CONTRIBUTE

ENERGY SAVER

FILM UP AND D OWN

Project Synergy launched this month. For a contribution of just $1 a week, charities and their technical problems are matched to an I.T. professional who will help out free of charge. Volunteers donate several hours of their time a week for one year. Many charities do not have enough money to access I.T. professionals said James Winstanley CEO of Strong Links, the company behind the project. Charities will be able to request support on a wide range of problems. James@strong-links.org

Upper Hutt Brewing Company Kereru has installed a new heat recovery system as part of their upgraded refrigeration plant. “It takes the heat created by the refrigeration system that would usually be discharged into the atmosphere and captures it in water, producing approximately 2,500L of 65 degree water for free every day,” owner operator Chris Mills says. They’ll use the water for washing and production of beer.

Wellington has retained its title as the country’s film capital, despite overall revenue dropping relative to previous years, thanks to post-production and digital effects work on films such as Legendary Pictures’ Krampus and Disney’s Pete’s Dragon. Grow Wellington CEO Gerard Quinn says the region has weathered the industry downturn and should expect more activity in 2015. “Many New Zealand-based productions are already making this year a successful one for the region,” Quinn reports.

S ENCETW IO S NS H HOE R A TDSE R

A C C E P TA B L E A E R O N AU T I C A L A C T I V I T Y Wellington airport’s aeronautical charges have been confirmed to be within an acceptable range by the Commerce Commission’s most recent draft report. Over the next five years the airport will hold the average price per passenger. Also the next five years will see the airport invest in expansion of the terminal and apron, as well as a hotel, multi-level car park and retail area. “Wellington Airport is committed to improving travel and tourism infrastructure and is consistently rated among the best in Australasia for service quality” said Steve Sanderson, C.E.O.

GREEN CAMPAIGN

CHALLENGE THE CHIPPIES

STEP-BYSTEP

Local MP James Shaw is campaigning for the male co-leadership of the Green party. Mr Shaw said he had started the London Greens and run successful local campaigns gaining 30 per cent of the vote in Wellington Central at the last election. "I also understand the value of the work current co-leader Russel Norman did on economic credibility and with 20 years of working in sustainable business I am the strongest candidate to continue that work." The vote will be taken on 30 May, at the annual general meeting.

Entries for the annual carpentry apprentice of the year close on 11 June. With over $100,000 worth of prizes to be won it is a hotly contested competition. It is run by the Master Builders Association of NZ and principally sponsored by Carters. Last year Wellington entries jumped from eight to eleven. Ryan Lake, local winner of last year says winning the competition has made him a better builder.

The Dress for Success power walk on 9 May from Frank Kitts Park to Point Jerningham and back is highlighting the link between personal health and professional success. Dress for Success provides free clothing and support programs for women trying to get back to work after falling on hard times. Capital magazines will be available in goodie bags on the day. Contact cheryl.horo@wellingtondressforsuccess.co.nz.

BY THE NUMBERS

ISLAND MAGIC

10 2000 1998 100

distance in kms of Kapiti Island number of people who lived on the island at the height of the whaling boom during the early 1800s year in which rats and mice were finally eradicated. It is now the largest predator free island in New Zealand

BUILDING A FESTIVAL

number of years the Resene Architecture and Design Film Festival has been running

20 14

films to watch, in four categories

1977

maximum number of visitors allowed at any one time

CAMPUS CONNECTION

1986

year in which Whitireia was originally founded (originally called Parumoana Community College)

number of campuses – seven in the Wellington region and one in Auckland

38 11,000

different programme areas offered ranging from carpentry to hairdressing, weaving to media journalism student population

FOR THE FALLEN

days to catch it at the Embassy Theatre from May 28 – Jun 10

number of dollars in millions to create The Great War Exhibition that Peter Jackson has mounted at the old Dominion Museum on Buckle Street

500,000

year the film Architect Athfield was made – part of a two-movie feature on Wellington’s recently departed Ian Athfeld.

expected number of visitors (in the first year alone)

4500

number of individually painted pewter toy soldiers created for a diorama

2018

year it will close (on Armistice Day)

HANGING WITH THE RE-HANG

new mini-exhibitions opening at Te Papa as part of their on-going Nga Toi show

24 30 5

ECOWARRIOR

Cook Islands tīvaevae (quilts) on display in one of the exhibitions

minimum cost in dollars to drop off green waste at the landfill (quicker to start a compost heap and it costs nothing)

number of years Glen Jowitt spent photographing Pacific people (his work is also one of the miniexhibitions)

cost in dollars to replace the green plastic bins used to recycle glass, so don’t leave it out or the wind will steal it

potential % saving the regional council predict you can make in household wastage if you compost and recycle

the floor it’s all displayed on...ok it may be a long way from the front door but it’s well worth the trek

Compiled by Craig Beardsworth

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TA L E S O F T H E C I T Y

TIPPING POINT

HOBBY

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CHEAP EATS

SP O RT

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Cooking

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Titahi Bay

WRITTEN BY ANNA JACKSON-SCOTT | PHOTOGRAPH BY ASHLEY CHURCH Working at Wellington landfill has really opened Joshua To’omaga’s eyes to what happens to our waste, and just how much of it there is. “Seeing how much rubbish comes to a landfill in a single day and how much rubbish is compacted back into the earth. The rubbish man will pick up your rubbish bin once a week but he's doing that every day on other streets. That's a lot of rubbish. It does make me much more aware of the waste that accumulates in my house and what is actually waste and what is not waste.” The 21-year-old New Zealand-born Samoan grew up in Cannons Creek, Porirua, and attended Bishop Viard College. At school, Josh planned to pursue music and rugby. “I wanted to push forward with music and rugby and then the landfill job came up as temporary money, and I started enjoying learning to use the different machines." He’s been working there two years now, compacting rubbish, carting earth and shifting rubbish. “My goal is to get whatever I can out of this, like a heavy machinery license. There’re a few machines under one license so you have to learn all of them, and that means time.” Rugby is still his passion. He’s played for Marist St Pat's for the past four years after his cousin, All Black and Hurricanes player Jeffery To’omaga-Allen, introduced him to the club. Josh then worked his way up from the Under21s to Premier League. “I’d rather play rugby than work at the landfill. It’s definitely something I want to pursue, and I’m trying to keep my options open.” He’s looking for more game time, but working full-time, and playing rugby is demanding. “With all the good players there’s good competition. I probably need to work less and train more.” He still plays the guitar from time to time, but an injury to

his larynx means he can’t sing too much at the moment. Instead, he listens to Kendrick Lamar and Fredd Hammond, and a bit of gospel music when he’s driving to his rugby games. Josh is also considering culinary school further down the track. “It’s something I’d like to get into. I like food. If I’ve got time I like to cook.” Lambshanks are a particular favourite. If he’s going to eat out, he likes Mungavin Ave’s Zayaz kebabs, or comes into Wellington city to have a drink or go clubbing at The Establishment. He has a big breakfast after a sleep-in on Saturdays before his game. “I’ll have a big Up 'n' Go, chicken roll and One Square Meal and then drive to the game. It gives me time to mentally prepare myself.” Porirua will always be home. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else, but I would like to travel – after I get my life sorted out,” he laughs. He lives with his mum and dad and four sisters. Lots of his cousins live in Sydney, and he’d love to visit them for a holiday. “I’ve known them ever since I can remember, so it would be cool to chill with them.” Josh maintains his fitness by running, “but you can’t get too skinny,” so he also goes to the gym. He’s not really a ‘dress up’ person so he relaxes in rugby shorts, a singlet, and slip-ons. He enjoys Wellington beaches and spots like Scorching Bay and Red Rocks. “I’ve got an old four wheel drive so I go around there with my partner. Or if it’s a nice day with no wind – that’s pretty rare! – I get the whole family out to Titahi Bay and make a day of it.” Apart from a pet or two (he's not allowed them), Josh has everything he needs. His one wish, if he could have it: “I wouldn’t age a day. I don’t want to grow up!”

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N AT I O N A L TREASURE WRITTEN BY ANNA JACKSON-SCOTT Nic Sampson’s fondest memories of Wellington involve freezing swims at Lyall Bay beach and drinking Bullet bourbon and cokes at Karori house parties as a teenager. He grew up in Lyall Bay and went to Wellington College. He lives in Auckland now – “because I love terrible public transport systems and paying through the nose for a damp flat in a fruit fly quarantine zone” – but returns to Wellington in May for the New Zealand International Comedy Festival to perform his solo show National Treasure. “It’s all about me accepting an award for being amazing. I need it to not just be me talking to my mum and dad for an hour because I can do that at Christmas, so please come.” It’s unlikely to be. Nic won NZICF’s Best Newcomer 2014 award, and is a 2015 Billy T Award nominee. The award recognises outstanding potential. “The good thing is, even if you win it you never have to actually live up to the potential because it’s just potential.” Sampson got into comedy from a young age. “I’ve always been funny I guess. Well, not necessarily funny but… weird?” His parents encouraged Nic’s and his siblings’

dreams, “which has resulted in two professional dancers, a drummer, and a comedian – basically four very creative adults with very few financial prospects!” It’s a familiar joke, but not necessarily true. Nic’s the head writer for TV3’s Jono and Ben at Ten, and plays D.C. Breen in Prime’s The Brokenwood Mysteries. He thinks the New Zealand comedy scene is opening up and making room for more people. “A few years ago there were no ‘jobs’ for ‘comedians’ in TV, where you can earn money working on the craft of writing jokes,” he says. “It’s already increasing the number of people who are looking at comedy as a potentially workable career. And more people, especially more women, is what we need.” Turning a hobby into a career hasn’t changed much for Nic. “I still laugh at very dumb things. That video of the pug who can’t reach his tennis ball? He tries so hard! There’s a lesson there. You can try all you like but you’ll never get that ball...so you should at least look stupid while you do it.” National Treasure, 5–9 May, 8:30pm, Cavern Club, Wellington.

CULTURE

SIZE M AT T E R S An exhibition of works by little-known Kiwi illustrator Graham Percy has become one of New Zealand art's most popular touring shows ever. A Micronaut in the Wide World, the Imaginative Life and Times of Graham Percy is currently at Mahara Gallery, the secondto-last venue in its tour which began at City Gallery in 2011. “It’s the biggest, longest tour in New Zealand’s touring history,” Mark Roach from Exhibition Services Ltd says. It’s the first time the Taranaki illustrator has been exhibited in New Zealand. “Graham deserves to be much better known than he is, nationally and internationally,” Mahara Gallery director Janet Bayly says. New Zealand poet, painter, essayist, anthologist and curator Gregory O’Brien curated the exhibition.

WINE GO GGLES

SALUTE TO THE PAST

Emerging artists have found sponsorship from a boutique Martinborough winery. Harvest Estate has entered into a multi-year partnership with The New Zealand Art Show. Their wine will be served at the event and provided as prizes to those attending and voting for the premier art award, the NZ Art Show’s $3,000 Signature Piece Art Award. Wine goggles, anyone? NZ Art Show Executive Director, Carla Russell, was said wine and art are a natural pairing. Who are we to disagree?

World War One is remembered in ballet performances this May. The Royal New Zealand Ballet presents Salute, consisting of four dance works themed around war, loss and hope. Many of the dancers are of a similar age to the men and women commemorated in the works, bringing the stories to life. The New Zealand Army Band will accompany the performances.

COMPOSER IN RESIDENCE AT VIC John Elmsly returns to Wellington in July to take up his position as Composer-in-Residence at Victoria University’s School of Music. He originally studied at the University, taking electronic music composition with composer Douglas Lilburn. “It is extra special to have John with us on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Douglas Lilburn’s birth in November,” NZSM Director Euan Murdoch says.

From 25 April

OPEN DAILY 10AM – 5PM 326 MAIN ST, PALMERSTON NORTH www.temanawa.co.nz

WINTER IS COMING Unichem Pharmacy has been Cuba Street’s reliable health go-to for 25 years. While pharmacies aren’t typically associated with natural health remedies, Unichem maintains a strong focus on wellness, not simply solutions for when you’re sick. “We have an extensive range of natural health remedies. Our focus this side of winter is reminding people about probiotics, especially Viral Defence and BLIS K12 throat probiotics for when the throat gets the early niggles,” co-owner Simon Rillstone says. “The flu shot is another important part of winter defence. We can send a pharmacist into the workplace to vaccinate the whole team” Unichem has diversified over the years and now has an in-store sports nutritionist who offers free advice on injuries, nutrition, and strapping. Pampering is another way to unwind and feel refreshed. Unichem is offering $5 off OPI in May, and a free gift with Trilogy brand purchases – “perfect for Mother’s Day” Simon says. Unichem was originally a combination of Crouch Chemist and Burlington Pharmacy on Cuba Mall, which closed and reopened as Amcal at their current spot. They became Unichem in 2014, celebrating 25 years in the same location. Sponsored story

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CULTURE

AHEAD OF HER TIME In May 1949 an invitation was sent out to the public to join Helen Hitchings for coffee, to mark the opening of her Bond Street modernist art gallery – New Zealand’s first. Her progressive gallery space is honoured with Te Papa’s current exhibition The Gallery of Helen Hitchings. “The exhibit focuses on Helen as a glamorous young taste-maker in 1940s Wellington, breaking new artistic ground in New Zealand alongside the artists she supported,” Te Papa’s Jenny Bridgen says. “The photographs of the gallery that Helen commissioned show her as a young woman keen to promote the gallery. She was highly media savvy.” Curator Justine Olsen says. She hosts a floor talk on 2 May at Te Papa.

FAIRY TALE

WANT A BITE?

CHILD STAR

New Zealand Opera’s production of Cinderella is a contemporary fairy-tale with a difference. In La Cenerentola, stepfathers are tyrants and beggarphilosophers replace fairy godmothers, and a silver bangle stands in for the glass slipper. Kiwi singer Sarah Castle sings the title role and Amelia Berry and Rachelle Pike play the nasty step-sisters. John Tessier and Marcin Bronikowski add international flavour, accompanied by Orchestra Wellington. May 9—16, St James Theatre

Wellington Repertory performs its third Terry Pratchett adaptation this May. Black comedy Carpe Jugulum, adapted for the theatre by Stephen Briggs, is the fantastic, tongue-incheek tale of a family of vampires who have decided to establish themselves as modern vampires with new clothing styles, haircuts and names. 27 May - 6 June, Gryphon Theatre

Established Wellington playwright Hone Kouka is one of two winners of the Adam NZ Play Award for this year. The annual award is for the best new New Zealand play. Hone’s winning play Bless the Child highlights the issue of violence against children. Kouka co-founded Wellington production house Tawata Productions, and was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Contemporary Maori Theatre in June 2009.

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Embassy Theatre May 28 - June 10 www.embassytheatre.co.nz 24

CULTURE

WELLINGTON IN WELLINGTON Brazilian violinist Wellington de Jesus Silva arrives in Wellington this month, from Napier where he is living, to take part in Chamber Music New Zealand’s new open stage initiative, which allows any group to get up on stage and perform. The twenty-seven-year-old has music in his blood. “From a young age, I have been drawn to music – using a broom as a imaginary guitar before getting a real one!” He has played violin for eight years. Wellington has been to Wellington several times before to play with local act Clube de Choro. He laughs about sharing a name. “It can be confusing when people ask my name. They reply, “No, not where you're from, what's your name?” 9 May, Michael Fowler Centre

LIT TLE FEET

LARGER THAN LIFE

The Wellington-based NZ School of Music has incorporated the Wellington Jazz Festival into their school program for the first time this year. They’ll host jazz students from around the country for master classes, workshops and a showcase. The Festival runs over five days from 3 June, bringing around 100 gigs to Wellington’s streets and venues. Light House Cinema will even screen jazzinspired movies.

Java Dance is holding weekly children’s dance workshops throughout May. Every Tuesday, children aged from 3–5 years and of any dancing ability dance the stories Giraffes Can’t Dance, Mister Whistler, Duck’s Stuck and The Animal Undie Ball. Artistic director Sacha Copland founded Java Dance in 2003.

Te Papa and Weta Workshop have joined to create a Gallipoli exhibition to mark the centenary of the First World War. Gallipoli: The scale of our war immerses guests in the sights, but also the sounds and emotions of war, says Te Papa Chief Executive Rick Ellis. The figures of soldiers and a nurse – 2.4 times human scale – have been created by Weta workers. The exhibition cost 8 million dollars, and it took 24,000 hours to research and create the figures.

CHAMBER MUSIC NEW ZEALAND presents

JAZZ SCHO OL

TURNOVSKY JUBILEE ENSEMBLE

Bach | Lilburn | Mozart | Mendelssohn

Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington Thur 18 June, 7.30pm | Free pre-concert talk, 6.30pm Buy tickets: ticketek.co.nz | 0800 842 538 Adult tickets from $35 (Booking fees apply)

/ChamberMusicNZ 0800 266 2378

chambermusic.co.nz/turnovsky

F E AT U R E

THE GRASS IS GREENER COMPILED BY JAMIE MELBOURNE-HAYWARD AND ANNA JACKSON-SCOTT. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA BRIGGS AND CELINE KIM.

Green has become the new way of life. In large and small ways, throughout the community we are almost all recycling more, thinking about sustainability more and wasting less. Often Little changes make a large difference. Ben Gleisner has pioneered the greening of the hospitality industry and is now extending the business model. A trio of carpenters with traditional skills are offering a new version of eco- coffins, and a lawyer mother puts into action her concerns for family health.

F E AT U R E

M O R A L LY DIGESTIBLE DISHES

addening confusion awaits those who wish to change the world, especially when ordering food at a restaurant. Waiter, waiter! Did this Chicken Parmigiana grow up clucking free-range, feasting on organic corn? Was it slaughtered at a sustainable farm and wrapped in eco-packaging? And who provides all your recycled containers? At this point, you’re lucky if the waiter hasn’t slapped you. A discreet “user-friendly” system would save us these bothers, and as it happens, a Wellington-based company has created one. Which appears to be taking off. It’s simple: if you want to be environmentally and socially responsible in your culinary choices, then download the Conscious Consumers’ App. “We have had interest from all over the place, Barcelona, Melbourne, San Fran, Tel Aviv; people are really interested in our model,” says Conscious Consumers national director Ben Gleisner. He estimates customers are spending half a million per week in Conscious Consumers-accredited establishments in New Zealand. Things have been going well for Gleisner of late. Last year his company increased their client base from 110 to 350 hospitality businesses and suppliers. They have attracted around 10,000 users, and employ nine mostly part-time staff in New Zealand. Conscious Consumers, Gleisner says, streamlines the greening of the hospitality industry, for both consumers and businesses. “One of the main barriers to becoming a conscious consumer is the amount of green-washing going on, ecothis, and cage-free that. What we need is ‘customer facing’ service, which is completely transparent and not about brands and back-office deals,” he argues. Before dedicating himself full-time to this project, Gleisner worked as a Treasury analyst, and was involved in creating the Living Standards Framework, which explores economics beyond simple monetary capital. Gleisner, who has a Master's in Environmental Studies from Victoria University, is passionate about his cause: “GDP doesn’t measure all that matters, just like business profits don’t measure all that matters.”

Over the past five years Conscious Consumers has received around half a million dollars from a mixture of private, council and central government funding. The message appears to be catching on, and this year his company will cut ties with previous funding partners and stand on its own two feet. Gleisner believes an increase in awareness of sustainable issues, especially in Wellington, has allowed the company to become independently viable. “Businesses, especially local ones, don’t just like to make profit. They like to be responsible citizens in the community,” he says. Despite its success, Gleisner says Conscious Consumers’ accreditation system has not been properly validated yet. “Although studies show more people are willing to pay for these accredited services, the studies don’t provide the evidence. The real tipping point for the sustainable movement will be showing businesses it is worth their while.” The problem: many patrons forget to "check-in" on the company’s app when they visit accredited establishments. To bypass this hit-and-miss system, Gleisner wants to pioneer an electronic tracking system to keep tabs on users' purchases. It sounds a bit Orwellian, but the system will simply use the established eftpos system. However, developing this technology will be costly. Gleisner needs to raise around $100,000 in order to develop the system with Paymark, one of New Zealand’s largest electronic payment companies. Fundraising is set to begin in May, with a campaign titled Count Me In, to attract supporters through crowd funding on Pledge Me. In New Zealand, accreditation with Conscious Consumers costs a business around $35 per month. Although most participating businesses are currently confined to affluent communities, Gleisner hopes with this upcoming technological leap, a domino effect will convince others it is worth their while to go green. “I suppose the utopia we are working towards would put us out of business, with everyone following these [accredited] standards.”

Left: Ben Gleisner

F E AT U R E

G E T YO U R BU R IA L R I T E

growing interest in ecological coffins has boosted the business of a trio of traditional carpenters. The carpenters have never been so busy, turning out handcrafted models with names like the Raglan, the Coromandel, and the Nelson.With all due respect, it sounds a bit like surfing your way to paradise. “The names come from capturing a sense of place, so you have associations with positive memories and a style that fits those areas,” says coffin maker Sebastian Bissinger. Raglan is rustic and down-to-earth, he says. Nelson has natural oils and more detail to reflect the creative and crafty character of the region; while the Coromandel reflects the lighter side of life. “They have more feeling than the mass-produced items you get from computer-generated supply lines. They include aspects of design that require craft.” In order to keep up with demand, Bissinger has had to enlist an extra carpenter Josh Bowman at his workshop Down to Earth. And to his knowledge, the only other coffin-maker in the region is located in Masterton. Two main features set their product apart: they are handcrafted, and the materials are environmentally friendly. “The entire process is a minimum-waste operation,” Bissinger says. The caskets are solid wood, sourced from sustainably managed forests, or natural composite materials. At their workshop on Thorndon Quay, the carpenters are working full-time to meet demand. Bissinger credits this in part to the aging of the baby boomer generation. “It’s the old hippies, who grew up listening to John Lennon, they’re more conscious than their parents’ generation.” For the past two years Natural Burials New Zealand (a

not-for-profit that promotes the creation of natural cemeteries across the country) has hosted a stall at a home show. Broadbent and May works alongside Natural Burials to promote the concept in New Zealand. This year the stall was jointly staffed by the carpenters, a Natural Burials representative, and the Broadbent director, Fiona King. “People were much more willing to approach us and discuss the issue this year,” King says. King says while there are around 280 ecological cemeteries in the UK, New Zealand has only four. Wellington has access to two natural cemeteries in Makara and Otaki. “It has been quite difficult to establish yourself in such a [profession], as Wellington has two traditional funeral parlours.” Although Broadbent pioneered the concept in Wellington, other parlours have now expanded their services to include more ecological options. Almost all of King’s clients have requested eco-burials, 114 to date. A normal burial in New Zealand costs around $9,000, while Broadbent offers a service at $3,350. For Bissinger, that represents an economic boon. The trade also supports local suppliers of ecologically friendly materials. “Reducing our carbon footprint is important; it helps to cut out the impact of materials like fibreboard and plywood. Those industrial materials are better suited to making a kitchen.” Bissinger admits the idea of crafting eco-coffins was not his, but came from the workshop’s luthier Alan Clayton. “My colleague had a great aunt who worked at the hospice in Martinborough, and she asked him to make a simple pine box for her funeral,” Bissinger recalls. Clayton liked the idea so much he continued producing the coffins, taking them around retirement homes in an effort to spread the word.

Left: Josh Bowman Right: Sebastian Bissinger

F E AT U R E

MOTHERS AND MUNCHKINS

t wasn’t until she had children that Anna Bordignon really began to think about the health of the environment. The Island Bay mother of three was a commercial lawyer before becoming a mother, and it completely changed her outlook. “It’s since having my children that I’ve wanted to do something that will better children’s lives and the greater community.” That “something” is Munch, Bordignon’s online, eco-friendly company, which makes and markets green products and healthy recipes for families. It comprises a magazine of healthy recipes written by like-minded mums, a shop full of eco products, and the Munch Food Awards, an annual online event that recognises the best (and worst) in the kids’ food industry. The company began with an award-winning cookbook, Munch Seasonal Cookbook for Baby's and Family, which Bourdignon published in 2013, to share her healthy recipes. “You think more carefully about what you’re going to feed your children, and health food links into natural products that can break down.” The book won the children’s section of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Munch magazine and the awards soon followed, and Anna began to make more products and connect with other like-minded mothers. There are about ten mothers working for Munch now, all out of their homes in the Wellington region, making products, writing for the magazine or doing design work. They don’t make food products; rather, products related to food, such as reusable food wrap made from organic beeswax and cotton, or their best selling Munch Litter-less lunchwraps.

Made from raincoat-like material on outside and organic cotton on inside, they can last up to three years. “We try to use natural products that can be reused or recycled, rather than using plastic.” Anna calls these “issue-based products.” “ Each product needs to link to an issue. It’s about making social change. For example, encouraging our kids to have waste-free lunchboxes educates them around the damage to the environment that plastic causes.” In that sense, Munch is a social enterprise. She also works with local schools on ‘ethical fundraisers’, where the kids choose a fabric they like for an eco wrap and then sell them in the area. “There are so many rubbish fundraisers through schools (such as selling chocolate door-to-door). This is educational, good for the environment, children-led, New Zealand-made and community oriented.” Munch is children-centric. The business allows Anna and the other mothers to prioritise family. “Work is sometimes seen as more important than being a mum. Government policy is about getting mothers back to work as quickly as possible, but is that the best thing for our community?" She thinks motherhood is often undervalued, and wants to show that work can be done differently. “So many mums want work to fit around their children rather than having their children fit around work. And mothers have important value for social change. We’re putting a stronger value on motherhood and showing that actually you can work in a different way. We don’t do 9–5 hours, we work to fit around our children, when they’re sleeping or at night. As a result, we work extremely efficiently! Part of the philosophy of my company is that I’m living it.”

Left: Anna Bordignon and son Edison

ECO DIRECTORY

GREEN CABS

TAILO R S K IN CARE

New Zealand's environmentally friendly taxi company Green Cabs aims to provide taxi users with an eco-friendly option in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown that doesn't cost the earth. Saving the planet, one taxi ride at a time, is now even easier with the official Green Cabs app to book and track your cab in real time.

Tailor is a Wellington-made boutique skin care range created from the passion for healthy skin. Founder Sara Quilter selects each ingredient from local and international sources ensuring each one is premium quality and provides benefit to the skin. This process has resulted in a natural product range which is gentle, effective, and cruelty free. Info@tailorskincare.co.nz / www.tailorskincare.co.nz

0800 GOGREEN (0800 464 7366)

LA BOCA LOCA

CAPITAL

La Boca Loca brings together two equally popular, but rarely combined, food trends by making fresh Mexican food from organic, local, sustainable and ethical ingredients. All La Boca Loca tortillas, for example, are made by hand each day from organic masa. La Boca Loca proudly uses and sells organic masa, from a producer that follows ethical and responsible growing practices. 19 Park Road, Miramar. Ph 388 2451 booking@labocaloca.co.nz

Capital is the monthly magazine for those who love to live, play, work, and visit the capital. It is locally owned and printed in Wellington, covering the creative, colourful, cultural communities in and around the capital. Capital is produced using vegetable-based inks, and FSCÂŽ certified papers produced from responsible sources. Subscribe online or if you want to speak to a real person, phone us. (04) 385 1426.

TRADE AID

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ECO DIRECTORY

BODY ORGANICS

DUSKIES

Organic is the new sexy and with the Body Organics range of 100% bodysafe adult products you can be assured that getting your sexy on will be fun and safe for you and the environment. Our body products range is paraben-free, vegan and never tested on animals. Our pleasure range is phthalate free and 100% bodysafe. www.bodyorganics.co.nz

Duskies pride themselves on providing stylish and comfortable eco-eyewear handcrafted from sustainable materials. Inspired by nature, Duskies combine traditional craftsmanship with exceptional design. Made from wood, every pair of Duskies is a unique work of art made to last. Shop the new collection now at www.duskies.co.nz

LABELS

INHABIT DESIGN

Labels specialises in women’s consignment clothing and accessories from top end designers. Located in the historic Tinakori Road precinct we provide a friendly welcoming environment where discerning clientele can view at their leisure. Our business gives another life to quality items, you help the planet and your wallet. 320 Tinakori Road, Thorndon, 04 472 4911, shona@labelsclothes.co.nz, labelsclothes.co.nz

Inhabit Designstore – your store for environmentally lowimpact furniture. Our furniture is made locally using plantation–grown timbers. Pictured: A little bit of 60's fun, our Lip chair, covered in Ingrid Anderson's 'Rings' fabric. Inspired by a love of New Zealand's native flora and fauna, textile designer Ingrid Anderson creates fabrics with an innate connection to local design, heritage and contemporary art. 23 Adelaide Road, Newtown. 04 384 5532. www.inhabit.co.nz

FUNERALS THAT DON’T COST THE EARTH

INK DIGITAL

BROADBENT & MAY

Proudly part of the Ink Group,

Naturally you care what goes into your body - do you care what your body goes into? Broadbent & May arrange familyled to full service funerals; we offer advice and eco-conscious options to Wellington families. Beautifully crafted wood coffins, trimmed in cottons or pure wools. Our website will help you make informed decisions, so you can plan your earth friendly farewell. www.broadbentandmay.co.nz

Here at INK we THINK GREEN. Environmental sustainability is hugely important to us within our business practices and the materials we use. We take it seriously and help our customers understand what it’s all about! 20 Marion St Wellington City (next to the post shop) PH 04 3849474, mail@inkdigital.co.nz, www.inkdigital.co.nz 35

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ECO BRIEFS

GROWING ORGANICALLY Local store Commonsense Organics has expanded to Auckland. The business, which has five stores in the greater Wellington region, opened up shop in Mt Eden last month. The business began with the Wakefield Street shop in 1991 by Jim Kebbell and Marion Wood. Their daughter Lucy, a lawyer, works part-time on their branding and their son, Dominic, does the accounts. The duo says it’s been an organic process.

B E AU T Y A N D THE BIN Method bins have made recycling a beautiful thing. In fact, one seems to be the key to the other. Masterton couple Steve and India Korner undertook extensive research before launching Method – a recycling bin line aimed at modern offices – and found that making bins attractive was key in encouraging offices to recycle. “People spend a lot of money on an office fitout and architects are horrified by an ugly wheelie bin. It’s about making it attractive and available, and engaging for the user,” Steve explains. Steve and India – from engineering and design and business backgrounds – saw they could improve behaviour. "Everyone recycles at home but half of the businesses don’t recycle at work. The bins can be a behavioural change item, people see them and make a mental note." They researched every step of the recycling process to understand how customers engaged with recycling. “We did cleaning shifts in office blocks, visited the transfer station in Seaview to see how recycling was sorted, interviewed property managers and did role plays with different users to try and understand how people thought about recycling in an office environment.” They also recognised the growing pressure for businesses to show environmental awareness. “We have small kids. If people can take two seconds extra to recycle at work we wanted to encourage that.”

URBAN FEIJOA Prefab’s urban feijoa trees have been bearing fruit for local foragers. The trees were planted by Prefab manager Rob Wilkinson who sought to create an inviting public space around the eatery. “They’re foraged on a regular basis and we’re happy about that. People have been coming down with plastic bags, and I even saw a couple in the mint garden the other day,” laughs Wilkinson. He sought out self-fertilizing trees, which are hardy and wind resistant. His only desire is that people leave enough for others. He won’t have any problems with Prefab’s owners, who dislike feijoa.

A STORM IN AN ECO CUP Wellingtonians’ love affair with coffee is well documented as is the waste created by takeaway coffee cups. One takeaway coffee a day creates 10 kilos of waste each year. IdealCups was created by Nick and Steph Fry of Petone’s Celcius coffee a few years ago. They’re New Zealand’s only locally-made eco cups. They can be reused and recycled and fit under a coffee machine. Now you can take your coffee away and not worry about Wellington’s lack of public rubbish bins.

W HAT T H E F L O C K

DR PAR ADISE SHELDUC K Name: Paradise shelduck. Māori name: pūtangitangi. Status: Endemic, not threatened. Habitat: Occuring on the North, South and Stewart Islands as well as larger, near-shore islands like Kapiti, Great Barrier and D’Urville, the paradise shelduck is the country’s most widely distributed waterfowl. The species has flourished due to the conversion of bush and forest to pasture for grazing livestock, despite being hunted annually. Look for them: In pairs (which they nearly always are), looking larger than your average ducks but smaller than geese. They are beautiful birds, and are highly sexually dimorphic, meaning the male and female look very different. An adult male has a glossy black head and body, which may reflect green-ish, and the female’s head is stark white. The female’s back is mottled dark grey and chestnut. Both sexes have a chestnut undertail and black, green and white wing feathers. You’ll stumble upon them in paddocks and crops, on sports fields or in other grassy city areas, and will sometimes drive past them on grassy verges beside roads. You can seek them out at the wetlands and lower dam of Zealandia, from a bird-watching hut at the Pauatahanui Wildlife Reserve, or at the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Park. Call: Constantly vocal in flight and on land. A deep zonk-zonk-zonk in males and a more shrill zeek-zeek-eek in females. Feeds on: Grasses, clover, seeds, herbs, aquatic plants and invertebrates. Did you know? While sexual dimorphism in animals is not uncommon, the paradise shelduck displays an unusual variation in that the female is brighter and more gaudily ornamented. If it were human it would be: one to aspire to. Highly adaptable to change, a loyal and trustworthy romantic partner, herbivorous for a healthier planet and really, really, ridiculously good looking. SPECIAL G I V E AWAY

For lucky readers, Capital has copies of The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand by Barrie Heather and Hugh Robertson with illustrations by Derek Onley to give away. First published in 1996, this fourth edition published by Penguin has been fully revised and updated. Tell us your favourite New Zealand bird and go in the draw to win a copy. Email name and details to editor@capitalmag.co.nz with What the Flock in the subject line.

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FASH ION

SHOW STOPPER WRITTEN BY WHITNEY NICHOLLS-POTTS SPONSORED STORY

A new SHOW is coming to town, an occasion

that brings together some of the designers and talent

to put your boots on and go to dinner about,

from Zambesi, BoConcept, Trelise Cooper, Manda-

brought to you by a team of local talent with new

tory, Ziggurat, Skandi, Resene and more.

ideas and created with equal parts: luxe, gusto and mystique.

This is the age of creative collaboration and it’s changing the way we communicate. If Spike Jonze

SHOW is a series of conceptual events that steer away from traditional catwalk presentation with a focus on designer collaboration and creative community. A team of seven equal partners, all Wellington creatives, have gathered together people at the top of their game in art, design and fashion in Wellington — those who are engaged in creative, challenging and boundary pushing work—to create an immersive event. “We are a collective of people who came together because we work in the creative industries and we all have other creative endeavors. We recognised there was no real celebration of good

can direct a play for NYFW and Chanel can create a supermarket and Wu Tang can release a singular time capsule album in an art gallery; our creative culture is as possibility-rich as ever. Objects and clothes are not merely things, they are something we experience and live with. As the city of the aesthete: SHOW aims to combine all of the elements that make up a Wellington lifestyle. This is an event that celebrates the things that affect designers and their brands. Wherever inspiration is drawn from, SHOW is all about what moves the designer to create, make and influence. It will

design in Wellington; we saw a gap in the market

take the audience backstage for a glimpse behind the

for this type of event and went for it,” one of the

scenes into how this world is created. Exposing the

directors, Mark Westerby says.

talent involved and revealing the layers of thought

To get the ball rolling for SHOW 2016, a brand launch event SHOWcase is happening on 2 May. It is an invite-only event at an undisclosed location

behind the product. Follow the progress of SHOWcase and get a taste of what’s to come online now.

Photographer: Ashley Church Illustration: Becca O’Shea Models: Faye Nielsen & Ella Murphy @ KBM Hair: Daniel Cooke @ Willis York Makeup: Natalee Fisher Style on shoot: Jo Shackel Assist: Bex McGill, Trina Edwards, Mark Westerby

Fashion

World 3786 Descartes coat, $1,299.00, World

Mohair scarf, $200.00, World

Sofia travel bag black, $799.00, World

World geomerty brooch b, $75.00, World

World 3795 Perspective dress, $399.00, World

STREET STYLE

IT â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COMING... Name: Alice Poon

Working: Prefab

Location: Cuba Street

You can feel it coming and you know what it means â&#x20AC;&#x201D; big knit scarves and beautiful woollen coats. Winter is creeping up a bit too quickly and a part of me is sad but then the other part is over the moon. Because we all know that fashion in winter is so much more exciting. One of my favourite things about winter style is layering, layering, layering! Yes simplicity can be stunning but it can also be, and often is, boring. Alice looks perfect in her not-quite-winter no-longer-summer outfit. This Lela Jacobs coat is to die for, with the unique drawstring closure in the front. Brand new kicks and some dark grey jeans, not black, complete this look. Elsie Blackman, workingclass.co.nz

Sakaguchi

Chocolat

Boardroom

Winter collections are in now. View online .... lookbooks, ideas, shopping ..... or try the range in store.

fashion | sizes 14+

www.zebrano.co.nz

Wellington: 40 Johnston St & 127 Featherston St 46

Lower Hutt: 330 High St

FASH ION B R I E F S

WA S T E N O T WA N T N O T Two Massey lecturers are making new garments from old New Zealand Post uniforms. It’s part of Jennifer Whitty and Holly McQuillan’s new social enterprise Space Between, created to address waste in the fashion industry. The enterprise has two branches, one to upcycle existing waste and another to find ways to reduce or eliminate waste. They’ve created the Fundamentals range from the Post Office uniforms, manufactured by Earthlink in Lower Hutt. How they’ll eliminate waste is a more complex question. “It’s an open canvas as to how people want to address it,” Jennifer says. “This is a place people can test their ideas.”

LIT TLE ONES

FAIR FASHION

Three long-time girlfriends have launched a new label for under-fives. Wai Mihinui, Monique Peakman and Ebony TiopiraWaaka are the trio behind Stuck on Mew, a range of garments, bumpers and bibs for young kids. They studied creative technologies and two of them have their own young ones (who model the new products). They work out of Ebony’s converted studio garage in Aotea.

Founder Gosia Piatek of local label Kowtow spoke at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Sydney. The talks focussed on sustainability and ethics in fashion. Piatek, whose label is certified organic and fair trade, says ethically sustainable fashion is becoming much more mainstream. “Ten years ago ‘organic’ and ‘fair trade’ weren’t buzz words. Only hippies were into it.”

OPEN SPACE Steph Lusted has sold her handcrafted jewels at Avid gallery for years. Now she’s striking out on her own, opening Steph Lusted Jewellery & Objets d’ Art at 17 Whitmore Street. “I have been working towards this goal for 16 years so it’s pretty exciting!” The space is primarily her workshop but is open to the public for limited hours during the week.

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A STITCH IN TIME WRITTEN BY ANNA JACKSON SCOTT For Robyn Cherry-Campbell and Vicki Waller, minimising waste is just part of what they do. When they combined their passion for the environment with sewing skills learnt “way back,” Oversew, New Zealand’s only upcycled fashion awards, was born. It combines the sustainable fashion concept of ‘upcycling' – creating new garments from pre-loved clothing – with recognising talent. Robyn, a Kinesiologist, lives with her husband Mick Campbell on an organic lifestyle block in Carterton, as does Vicki and husband Ross Waller. They grow their own fruits and vegetables and upcycle wherever possible. “As ‘life-stylers’, we are definitely passionate about protecting our environment; the concept of upcycling pre-worn clothing into current fashion works well,” Robyn says. They’re also dedicated to spreading the sustainable mindset to young people. Four Wairarapa colleges have incorporated Oversew entries into their school curriculum, so students can gain NCEA credits by creating garments for

the awards. “Exposing future generations to the possibilities of upcycling and recycling is a win-win situation for our environment,” Robyn says. The awards are growing. Entries increase by 30% each year, and each event has sold out. “This year the entrants span the country from Auckland to Dunedin as well as internationally. Last year we had two entries from overseas, and this year we have entries from the UK, France and Australia.” Robyn sees Oversew as part of a larger movement in the fashion industry toward increased awareness of the impact of waste on the environment. “There is definitely more awareness, such as Susie Amis Cameron’s Oscars Red Carpet Green Dress, and locally, Massey University’s new initiative Space Between, NZ Eco Fashion Week and many more.” The 2015 Judges include Massey University lecturer Jennifer Whitty, Wellington Fashion Week director Cameron Sneddon, and Masterton stylist Samantha Hannah. Oversew, 22–24 May, Carterton

EDIBLES

V I E T NA M E S E V O L - AU - V E N T When the French colonised Vietnam, a land they called Indochine Française, it was a meeting of two cultures for whom dining at the table was at the heart of life. Local culinary icon Chris Green has brought about a meeting of cultures once again, transforming his French restaurant Arbitrageur into Annam. “It is not about fusion, it is about two distinct, authentic approaches to food.” Chris has fallen in love with Vietnamese cuisine during his travels, “It’s simple, healthy and stunningly flavoursome.” Annam is for all and the prices reflect this, with mains from $18–$26.

EAT TO GETHER , STAY TO GETHER

HOP TO IT

OUZO, TONIC AND SMASHED PLATES

If dinner parties are your thing, then Kaibosh wants to hear from you this month. Their annual fundraising appeal takes place during May. With a single $10 donation, Kaibosh can provide 17 meals for those in our community who need it most. They ask you to host a dinner and take donations from guests in place of what they might have spent eating out.

The cunning boys at Crafters & Co. are opening a distribution warehouse, at 71 Webb St. The plan is to ultimately be the leading retailer of craft beer in New Zealand. Trade agreements with over 28 NZ craft breweries suggest this is not just a drunken dream. Deli foods and interesting non-alcoholic beverages will also be available. Set to open in June.

Greek musical duo Tonic are performing at Fringe bar in the city on the 30 May. The Wellington locals plan to create an atmosphere that will have your feet jiggling under the table while you eat the delicious Greek fare provided. Calamari followed by your choice of moussaka or fresh fish. Make sure you bring your dancing shoes.

EDIBLES

KARORI CAKES Online cake and cupcake business Sweet Bakery & Cakery has opened a cafe in Karori’s Marden Village. Co-owner, head baker and decorator Grace Kreft trained during her OE at UK bakery Crumbs and Doilies, and opened Sweet as soon as she arrived home. The whole family – husband Brad and two daughters – are now involved fulltime. Grace has been attached to Marsden village since they launched from their commercial bakery there two years ago.

PHOTO BY PATINA PHOTOGRAPHY

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

LEAF BY LEAF

FRYERS, BURNT

The southern suburbs are is looking forward to the reopening of the Empire cinema and eatery on May 14. Empire has been closed since 2013 when it went into receivership. Island Bay property developer Pat Vinaccia suggests there will be food and films for all ages, with of cabinet food, gelato, coffee and more traditional theatre foods such as popcorn.

New juice company Rawkus are bringing juice to the people. They will deliver you a fresh, cold juice, and pick up the empty bottle afterward. Linda launched Rawkus to give commercial life to her raw food obsession. The juice pulp is delivered to local community gardens, encouraging the green thumb among us. These are just a Hop (green), Skip (orange) and a Jump (red) away from your office. www.rawkus.co.nz.

In August the new Taita Sports & Community Centre is set to open to the public. A conscious move designed to make ‘healthy decisions, easy decisions’ means that there will be no deep fryers. This is part of the Hutt City Council’s commitment to the Healthy Families initiative. Mayor Ray Wallace is “issuing a challenge to all councils across New Zealand to do the same.”

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THE FOREST CANTINA

C ONVERTED BY NU T S BY UNNA BURCH

on’t knock it till ya try it. Right? I was not at all attracted to the ‘raw’ way of life as an all-day every-day option. I mean salad is good, but 24/7 of raw — so foreign to me. Then I began following @lilyllin and her food page @liltingfooddiary on Instagram. Her raw vegan diet looked delicious and I also became curious because she talked about her food lifestyle in a way that didn’t sound ‘preachy,’ which I loved. Lili and I became Instagram friends and followed each other’s food journeys from across the world, I was more than excited when she moved to Auckland to work at Little Bird Organics. We went to Auckland recently as a nice kid-free retreat treat to ourselves for completing my cook book. I met

Lili at her work and tried a raw vegan ‘cheesecake’ which I had seen so much of online, for the first time. And OH EM GEEE it was good! Was that because I was expecting it to taste ‘healthy’, I dunno, but we loved it so much we ordered another slice. I now actually prefer ‘cheesecake’ without the cheese…who says crazy stuff like that? Apparently me now. This recipe is my attempt at creating a raw vegan cheesecake. I also loaded it with FairTrade goodies. I love to support FairTrade and believe in paying farmers in developing countries fairly for their products (more on ‘why FairTrade’ on my website www.theforestcantina.com) I hope you enjoy this sugar free vegan treat as much as we did.

FAIRTRADE VEGAN CHO COLATE AND RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

METHOD Ingredients Begin the day before by soaking the cashews overnight in water – this will help them blend better and give a smooth texture. Crust 1 cup desiccated coconut 1 cup walnuts 10 FairTrade medjool dates, seeds removed 1 tablespoons FairTrade organic cocoa powder Cheesecake 2 cups frozen raspberries 10 FairTrade medjool dates, seeds removed 1 FairTrade vanilla 2 ½ cups (350 grams) raw cashews, soaked overnight then drained 3 heaped tablespoons coconut oil juice of one lemon ½–¾ cup water or coconut water Topping 200g Wellington Chocolate Factory RealTrade organic chocolate 1 heaped tablespoon coconut oil Garnish freeze dried raspberries Sweet William edible flowers

For the crust For the base, line the tin of a 23cm spring form cake tin with baking paper and set aside. Bend the coconut, walnuts, dates and cocoa powder in a blender and process until fine crumbs form and it begins to clump together in the mixer slightly. Press firmly into the base of the prepared tin then pop in the freezer. For the cheesecake Blend the raspberries and dates together until smooth, remove and set aside. For the second processing part, add the vanilla, cashews, coconut oil and lemon, blending and adding liquid as you go to get a nice smooth and creamy consistency. Add the raspberry and date mixture back into the processor and blend again until combined. Spread over the prepared base, smoothing the top. Freeze for several hours or overnight. Remove from the freezer ½ hour before you want to top it. For the topping Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. When melted, allow to cool to room temperature and thicken up again slightly. Then spread over the cheesecake. Let it set before removing from the tin. Garnish with freeze-dried raspberries and edible flowers. Recipe adapted from WholeFoodsSimply.com

LIQUID NEWS

NATU R A L WINES OR GO OD M AR KET ING? BY JOELLE THOMSON

Organic, biodynamic and natural are buzzwords in wine right now, but let’s dispel the myths and focus on the scarce facts about them.

o say that preservatives in wine are a concern is a little like saying that Wellington gets the odd southerly. We all know it; the question is: what do we do about it? I don’t have a definitive answer to the wind or the wine but the latter is easier to get our heads around, even if ‘natural wine’ labels are more about PR than fact right now. The global natural wine movement is gathering momentum like a snowball these days. The problem is that there is no legislation to ring-fence what constitutes ‘natural’. Anyone can label their wines ‘natural’. Many people do. What is meant by the description depends very much on the philosophy of the winemaker, but it loosely implies that the wine has had fewer inputs than other wines. What is an ‘input’? The main inputs in wine today other than grape juice are added in the vineyard: pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides are all unfortunate-sounding necessities when growing wine grapes in climates where rainfall is an issue at any stage of the growing season.The other main input is sulphur dioxide; also known as SO and Preservative 220. This is the lifeblood of freshness in most packaged food and liquids. Without it, most foods and liquids would look, smell and taste oxidised by the time we got around to consuming them. It preserves all the goodies we enjoy in wine; its citrusy purity (Chardonnay); its fruit-forward assertiveness (Pinot Noir) and its spicy seductive flavours (Malbec, Tempranillo and Syrah). More than 70% of New Zealand wineries and grape growers over the past 20 years have significantly reduced the amount of chemicals they use because New Zealand Winegrowers will not market them, unless they are audited annually by an independent sustainable group, such as BioGro (organic) and Demeter (biodynamic). Still, the addition of sulphur dioxide raises a red flag for most of us, despite the fact that the levels of it in wine are 54

less than one fifth of what it was a century ago. The role of sulphur in wine is too complex for this story but only miniscule traces remain in most wines, except bag-in-box cask wines, which contain high levels to prevent oxidation each time the plastic tap is turned. Most ‘natural’ wines are unlikely to use packets of active dried yeast to begin fermentation. Instead, they are likely to have undergone indigenous yeast fermentation, which can highlight a wider range of flavours. Natural wines are interesting, but about 60% of those that I have tasted have been faulty: brown in colour and lacking in freshness.The best I’ve tried have been at wineries or carried home around the corner, when staying with family in the Wairarapa. A short journey from winery to fridge to wine glass works a treat for these interesting vinos. But a trip halfway across the world is a big ask for a ‘natural’ Sicilian ‘white’ and a Croatian amber wine I tracked down.The back label of the amber wine said that it was made the same way as it had been in the 1100s.Sadly, it tasted like it too. Health concerns are a valid reason to look for less manipulated wines. By working in the vineyard to get grapes in optimum condition, winemakers can make wine that is more natural; producers such as Dog Point Vineyards, the Millton Vineyard, Rippon Vineyard, Pernod Ricard and Yealands, and many others, are doing this. Thankfully, they are not using the word ‘natural’ on their labels. The phrase ‘natural wines’ raises a red flag because it suggests that other wines are not ‘natural’. This is misleading because sulphur dioxide is a natural by-product of fermentation and is therefore present in all wine. Since wine grapes are one of nature’s gifts to us, surely it’s only natural to enjoy their transformation into a delicious liquid that causes a slightly anaesthetic effect?

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G R E AT W I N E S F R O M GREEN-MINDED MAKERS

2013 D O G POINT SECTION 94 $35

2014 YEALANDS ESTATE SINGLE VINEYARD PGR $16–$24

2013 MOANA PARK VINTAGE PROJECT CABERNET FRANC $60

Eighteen months in old French oak barrels is always the talking point of this outstanding white, which comes from the owners of the largest organic vineyard in the country. Not that Ivan Sutherland and James Healy ever talk about it. The 2013 Dog Point Section 94 is, as all its previous versions have been, one of this country’s greatest white wines and made by a group who are not only meticulous about detail and flavour, but also about making wines that – they aim – will have the least impact on the land in the winemaking process. A must try for all wine lovers. www.dogpoint.co.nz

This is an unconventional white wine blend that works surprisingly well; the letters PGR stand for Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Riesling, although the Pinot Gris is the lead player in this fresh, full-bodied, fruit-driven white. Yealand’s is a vast Marlborough winery and enormous vineyard, but this wine is made from a small area within its 1,000 hectares in the Awatere Valley.

This outstanding red is quite possibly the best Cabernet Franc that I have ever tasted from... anywhere; it is made from grapes grown on the dry river stones of Moana Park’s Gimblett Road vineyard. All of the grapes were hand-harvested, hand-destemmed and put into a small fermentation tank. Like the 2013 Moana Park Syrah, this wine has had no fining or filtration (which makes wines look clear and clean but can also remove all those goodies, such as the grainy tannic beauty that adds weight, flavour and interest). So, here is a wine for the purists; a stunningly beautiful red made in small quantities as an experimental red. Available from the cellar door only or from www.moanapark.co.nz/

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P E R I O D I C A L LY S P E A K I N G

FROZEN IN TIME WRITTEN BY JOHN KERR | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NANCY BERTLER

Drilling deep into the cold heart of Antarctica, Wellington scientists are uncovering secrets of the Earth’s ancient climate, allowing us a glimpse into a warmer future.

limate change has become the looming spectre of the twenty-first century. Scientists warn that with more and more greenhouse gases in our atmosphere the global temperature will insidiously rise, the ice caps will melt and the rising ocean will encroach on our coastlines. How quickly could this happen? Much of climate scientists’ knowledge of the consequences of a warming atmosphere is based on looking back at warmer periods in the Earth’s past, and one of the clearest windows into this climatic history is the ice of Antarctica. Formed thousands of years ago, this deep ice holds trapped bubbles of air, dust and trace chemicals that can offer clues about our future. Here in Wellington, scientists are studying cores drilled from this ice, hoping to see into that ancient climate history. The Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) project, led by Dr Nancy Bertler, is examining ice from the Ross Ice Shelf to understand how parts of Antarctica will react to warming temperatures. After more than a decade of planning and field work, the answers they are seeking are tantalisingly close. The Ross Ice Shelf, an expanse of ice the size of France, is the first thing you would hit if you travelled due south from Wellington (after 4,000 km of ocean). The giant chunk of ice acts as a buffer between land and sea, holding back millions of tons of glacier ice in West Antarctica. If it collapses, the melting of these glaciers is predicted to accelerate rapidly and could ultimately cause a 6–7–metre rise in sea level. Will this happen over a matter of centuries or mere decades? That’s where the RICE project comes in. “The focus of the RICE project,” explains Nancy, “is about understanding how vulnerable West Antarctica is to abrupt and sudden collapse in the near future.” One of the key goals is to figure out how the Ross Ice Shelf, West Antarctica’s coastal buffer, handled the last period of significant warming, when the Earth came out of the last ice age, about 20,000 years ago. Nancy and her team spent several chilly Antarctic summers camped at Roosevelt Island on the ice shelf, drilling down through the ice beneath them. Their custom-made hollow drill extracted ‘ice cores’ – solid, drain-pipe sized cylinders of ice.

The team drilled all the way through the shelf, essentially collecting a 760-metre cross-section of the ice. Moving the several tons of ice-core back to Wellington for analysis was a logistical challenge; The team had to transport the ice via snowmobile, plane, cargo ship and truck, all the while keeping it in pristine condition at a constant -18 degrees. Back in New Zealand, the RICE team has been studying the ice at the National Ice Core Facility at GNS Science in Lower Hutt. Lengths of ice core were fed into a ‘melter’ that siphoned off water and gases into a maze of tubes. At the other end of these tubes, machines analysed the molecular make-up of the water and the gases and sediments trapped in it, charting the history of the ice shelf, year by year, as the ice melted. Tracking the amounts of gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide, and dust trapped in the layers of ice allows the RICE team to see how the global climate and Antarctic weather patterns changed over time. “We could follow the real-time instruments and we could see that remarkable record developing in front of our eyes,” says Nancy. “It was so exciting to see, finally, those secrets coming to the surface.” Combined with data from previous drilling projects, the record will allow the RICE team to estimate how quickly the Ross Ice Shelf shifted and changed as temperatures increased thousands of years ago. With the last – and oldest – section of the core melted down in mid-2014, number crunching is now the focus of the RICE project. Nancy hopes to be able to come out with some initial conclusions this year which will help scientists better predict how much sea-level rise we can expect in a warmer future. Answers are coming soon, but there are still years left in the RICE project. After the initial analysis, water from the cores was stored for further climate-related experiments in Wellington and with collaborators overseas. “We have a hundred thousand vials we haven’t touched yet,” laughs Nancy. “We really analyse every single drop of that core. There are many, many more stories that will develop from it.” 58

BY THE BOOK

R E -V E R SE INTRODUCED BY FRANCES SAMUEL

C har a c ter Rain and storms were the favourite of the huia – then being happy and in full song. Birds of Whaitiri, the goddess of thunder. Have you seen her wing of snow streaming from the top of the mountain in the gale up there. She brought them with her. A different wife. And its smooth and gliding unslurred call – where are you? And its footprint in the mud. And its love for the human hand. In the future, when all this is chronicled, it will be safe to come out again. By Stefanie Lash, from Bird murder, Mākaro Press Hoopla series (2014)

BREAKDOWN Bio Stefanie Lash lives in Aro Valley and works as an archivist. In brief The enchanting, sacred huia bird is at the heart of Stefanie Lash’s gothic murder mystery, Bird murder, told in a sequence of poems. The story follows the huia’s fall towards extinction, alongside the sorry tale of Jupiter Cockatrice, a broke ex-banker tangled up in the taxidermy trade. In this poem, we discover that the storm-happy huia came to these islands with Whaitiri, the thunder goddess (on the waka Tākitimu). Whaitiri’s ‘wing of snow’ recalls the cloud-like whoosh you see on the top of mountains when the snow is powdery, although it also makes me think of the huia’s white-tipped black tail feathers. Huia hung out in male and female pairs and were faithful till death did them part – ‘a different wife’ (translated from its genus Heteralocha acutirostris) refers to the female’s beak: long, while the male’s was short – a feature unprecedented in nature. Unfortunately, in early New Zealand, a unique physiology + exquisite feathers + ‘footprints in the mud’ (bounding about on the forest floor) sometimes equalled ‘where are you?’ High-paying orders for stuffed exotic birds were coming thick and fast from Europe. The huia’s curiosity or ‘love for the human hand’ was pretty much the nail in the coffin. As another poem in the book – which quotes directly from settlers’ diaries – describes it, ‘I sat down to breakfast and they came to me/ I shot them.’ But did they really kill every last one? The poem ends with the hope that, in time, it will be safe for the huia ‘to come out again’. Folks, keep your binoculars at hand.

on the new 57 Willis St, Wellington 6011 (04) 499 4245 • www.unitybooks.co.nz wellington@unitybooks.co.nz

BY THE BOOK

PUBLISHING IN PICTURES Graham Stewart has been recording New Zealand’s history since the early 1950s. The writer, photographer, and publisher celebrates the 30th birthday of his Oriental Bay publishing house, Grantham House, this year. Stewart has a long history in publishing. He worked as a newspaper photographer, photo journalist, and illustrations editor from 1950 until coming to Wellington in January 1975, where he became an executive director for the old publishing house of A.H. & A.W. Reed. “I have been in various forms of publishing for 65

years!” They published his first book, The End of the Penny Section, in 1973, which became a New Zealand best-seller. He opened Grantham House 10 years later. “I‘ve always worked from home – hence ‘House’ – and ‘Grantham’ is the Norman form of ‘Graham,” he says of the name. He bounces ideas off his wife, Annie, and has employed specialist editors, proofreaders, and designers since opening. New Zealand pictorial histories have been a hallmark of the publishing house, sprung from Graham’s early exposure to photography. “My Father was a director of Kodak NZ Limited when it was established in NZ in the mid-

1920s. As a schoolboy during the Second World War I worked for pocket money at Kodak’s developing and printing laboratory in the school holidays and became fascinated in the magic of black and white film, then in its very basic form.” They’ve since published extensively on New Zealand’s past, on subjects from the clairvoyant’s life to rugby trivia, the Colonial New Zealand Wars, architecture, antique furniture, New Zealand birds, tragedies and transport, cricket, art, and saloon motor racing. And after all that, Graham mainly reads what he has never published – fiction. “It’s the best therapy, bar a good Pinot with fine friends.”

ANIMAL FARM

MATCHMAKING

STRIKE OUT

Carolyn Press-McKenzie has had a long involvement with animals, from her first cat Blue to Christchurch earthquake animal rescue missions. She’s the founder of HUHA (Helping You Help Animals), a Lower Hutt organisation that rehomes animals that would otherwise be killed. Previously, the ex-vet-nurse trained animals for film and television and ran an animal corner on TV One’s Good Morning. Animal Magic, My Journey to Save Thousands of Animals (Allen & Unwin)

Debbie Cowens’ first novel Murder & Matchmaking is a comic mash-up of two of her favourite things: Pride and Prejudice and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Wellington-based Paper Road Press ran a Pledgeme campaign to raise funds for the book. Supporters could pre-order books or have a minor character named after then. Cowens is a Kapiti-based writer and English teacher, and co-authored the award-winning Mansfield with Monsters with her husband.

Victoria University of Wellington academics Dr Charles Ferrall and Dr Dougal McNeill have published Writing the 1926 General Strike, a look at how the UK 1926 strike impacted on writers and literature from the 1930s to the present. Dr Ferrall explains how Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse was shaped by her political involvement. “Virginia Woolf’s house was a centre of literary and political activity through the Strike, and she recorded her daily experiences in her diaries. Evidence suggests that the writing of crucial parts of To the Lighthouse was shaped by this context.”

SECTION HEADER

BY THE BOOK

WALK THE LINE WRITTEN BY SARAH LANG | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA BRIGGS

“I had been trying to delude myself for years,” writes John McLeod in his eye-opening memoir Elusive Peace: A Kiwi Peacekeeper in Angola (Steele Roberts, $39.99). The former army officer is referring to his refusal to admit he’d developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during 1998 as a United Nations peacekeeper in civil-war-torn Angola, Africa. “Many people have been through worse, and how does my experience compare to those in the trenches in World War One? It’s hard to fess up,” he tells me.

skinny, slightly awkward chap with an intense gaze, and a pronounced lisp, McLeod joined the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) in 1979 as curator at Waiouru’s National Army Museum. He slowly transitioned, into the role of mainstream officer, also earning a Master’s in Public Policy. He already had a Master’s in History, which became the basis for his 1986 book Myth and Reality: The New Zealand Soldier in World War II. This pioneering revisionist history was confronting and controversial at the time, but its views are now mainstream. His second book – accepted sight unseen by Roger Steele on the strength of the first – has taken more bravery and more time. McLeod began it in 1999, pushing past roadblocks (tears, losing concentration, the words not coming) to finally finish, getting some help to trim and tighten. He also checked the manuscript past first wife Jennifer (who didn’t want changes because it was his story not hers) and wife Linda (who pushed for more honesty). The book centres on his eight months in Angola in 1998 during the long, brutal civil war (1975–2002) between the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). In June 1997, the UN Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) – the UN’s fourth peacekeeping mission there – began monitoring outbreaks of fighting and human-rights violations in the mistaken belief that peace was close. In April 1998, Lieutenant Colonel McLeod arrived as a UN Military Observer (UNMO). The senior officer to two other NZ UNMOS and three personnel, he was effectively commanding a region the size of New Zealand with next to no manpower. It was a tough gig.

“My time in Angola,” he writes, “was punctuated with moral dilemmas, difficult command decisions and judgements, dangerous and traumatic experiences, and the outlandish. And someone died, while others were saved, because of my decisions.” Once a patrol he sent out was ambushed; a local interpreter died but McLeod managed to rescue another of his men. Once he risked death by intervening in an Angolan officer’s brutal beating of a soldier. More than once, he had to liaise politely with corrupt officials guilty of humanrights abuses. Many times, he had to lead investigations on the ground into alleged ceasefire violations. “You don’t know what you’ll find – bodies, an ambush, mines, booby-traps, or nothing at all,” he writes. He’s remarkably frank in the book, about everything from the pressure of making life-and-death decisions quickly, through to the Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) community’s heavy drinking, use of prostitutes and sexual harassment of women. He even writes about the appalling handling of a rape complaint made by a UN staff member against an UNMO; she left the mission and there were no legal consequences. He also admits to cheating on ex-wife Jennifer, saying affairs aren’t unusual in that environment. “You’re desperate for someone to hold your hand.” He does tell me, though, that the affair didn’t appear in the first few drafts. “What goes on tour usually stays on tour, but once I crossed the emotional line from a travelogue to my personal story, I needed to be completely honest with myself for the book to have the liberating effect I needed. It became an obsession to get the story down.” Between potential memory distortions and leaving out some graphic or gratuitous violence, the book is “probably 95% the 63

BY THE BOOK

truth,” he says. “It’s been part of moving on, and also accepting the past and its continuing impact.” Catharsis aside, he also wrote Elusive Peace to help readers understand the realities of modern peacekeeping. “‘Peacekeeping’ is a politically comfortable term,” he tells me. “I feel very strongly that peacekeeping is pigeonholed as less dangerous [than combat].” As he writes, “Death is death, whether in peacekeeping or in war; a bullet is just as lethal, and the stresses and strains as debilitating. Many peacekeepers, often unarmed, are regularly placed in harm’s way.” He adds that peacekeepers working primarily alone don’t even have colleagues as support mechanisms. From the peacekeeping missions in Angola have come the lessons for New Zealand’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. McLeod says the big lessons learned were about looking after people. “Particularly caring for small groups and individuals in the field and when they come home.” He’s thankful for the NZDF’s support on his return and for its ground-breaking debriefing programme, though he was also angry at a lack of recognition for his contribution. He says that his week’s pre-deployment training was inadequate, and that he wrongly thought he could manage any psychological issues. Knowing about PTSD from his WWII research, he’s often wondered whether he thought himself into it. He has perspective now. “My problems were caused by a combination of circumstances – traumatic events, guilt, the burden of responsibility, life issues and illness (malaria).” And what he saw couldn’t be erased. “It’s not just death,” he tells me. “It’s the extreme violence.” He began experiencing mood swings, trouble sleeping and disturbing dreams. Working from 6am–9pm didn’t help. He asked to come home in December 1998 – and not just for his own sake. “I was indeed probably just as unbalanced as everyone else.” He says that he was at a “tipping point”. “There’s a point where you cross the line, where you become dangerous, where you’re so immersed in that environment that nothing else exists,” he tells me. “I didn’t want that.” He returned home determined to change his life for the better. But he was barely sleeping, always hyped-up, with periods of tears and agitation, and obsessive compulsions. “There was a seemingly never-ending video of Angolan incidents playing through my mind,” he writes. He also had trouble readjusting to his New Zealand life, which felt “boring, routine, materialistic”. Though he was annoyed that no one really wanted to

hear details about Angola, he admits his behaviour around family, friends and colleagues wasn’t acceptable. Think agitated, aloof, distant, erratic, intense, irritable, intolerant, moody, unpredictable. Jennifer had “intuitively known” about his affair, he writes, and was prepared to work through it, but he refused to discuss it. “I was indifferent, probably callous.” He quickly ended the marriage. But he knew he needed help. Despite initial qualms, he kept seeing a psychologist and made progress. He was wary of being labelled with a mental illness for ever. “If it’s related to your mind, people are always a bit suspicious.” Taking sleeping pills, and getting some sleep helped. Gradually, life got back on track. In 2000, the NZDF promoted him to colonel, and to deputy human-resources manager. In 2001 he married Linda, and had two daughters (now 10 and 12). From 2005 to 2008 he lived in Jakarta as defence attaché to Indonesia and TimorLeste, returning home to become Director of International Defence Relations for nearly two years, followed by a stint teaching at Trentham Military Camp. In 2011, he “changed from uniform to a suit” to become the NZDF’s Director of Heritage, Commemorations and Protocol, which is keeping him busy during the centenary of WWI and Gallipoli. Today, at 59, he’s not ruled by PTSD. He can press pause on the video. “I am one of the fortunate,” he writes. “The symptoms of post-PTSD (as I call it) will continue, but there is a way back.” But was there one for Angola? MONUA withdrew in 1999 following the collapse of the peace process, after the UN had spent US$1.5 billion on what’s globally regarded as a miserable failure. When the MPLA won the civil war in 2002, half a million were dead and over a million displaced in a devastated country. Surprisingly, McLeod says going to Angola was worth it. “You think, why are we bothering? But then you go to a small village and make a small difference to people’s lives, like organising polio vaccines.” Even more surprisingly, he says he’s glad he went to Angola, despite the torment that followed. “It led to a different personal life and probably a better career.” Not only was he promoted, in 2002 he was also made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit. And he’s realised his military peers don’t think less of him for what he went through, because some had similar experiences. “It’s just they can’t or haven’t had the chance to tell their stories. I’m very glad I did.”

INVESTING IN 150 WORDS Challenge: Investing savings after living abroad My Experience: by Charlotte*

Why did you seek investment advice? It’s best to stick to the things I do well and delegate the rest. Managing money is a serious and complex business, and I knew it was better to get a specialist to do it for me. What was your biggest challenge? Finding someone whom I trust, listens to me, understands the way I operate, and in whom I have confidence. I wanted someone who gave me enough information, without drowning me in complexities. How did you choose an Investment Firm? I asked people for their recommendations, and underlying reasons. I also wanted an established firm. What impressed you? I liked my adviser’s approach, which is very much to the point, and his understanding of my needs and time constraints. What snippet of advice would you give someone who was wanting to invest? It’s essential to find an adviser you consider competent, who listens. It may take a bit of scouting about to find the right person so be prepared to take some time.

Talk to an Investment Adviser 04 917 4330 / www.craigsip.com * The name and photo of the client referenced in this material have been altered to maintain privacy. Craigs Investment Partners Limited is a NZX Participant firm. Disclosure Statements are available on request and free of charge. Please visit www.craigsip.com for more information.

BUSINESS

LIVING ON CRUMBS WRITTEN BY AIDAN RASMUSSEN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELL LENDERS

Before me are what appear to be massive carry bags. But these are nondescript white, capable of holding up to 650kg and bulging. Along the walls pallets of their massive 20-kg brothers and sisters are stacked high on shelves. Inside each is rubber crumb. Derived from recycled truck-tyre tread, the material is ground down to various grades for use in roading, playgrounds, artificial turf, or even horse arenas.

’m standing on the factory floor of Rubber Solutions, the only rubber crumb plant in New Zealand. It’s a sunny Saturday and, despite being burgled just the other day, Director, Andrew Melbourne’s mood is as bright as the day is warm. Dressed casually in cargo shorts and a blue Superman t-shirt, the 64-year-old is happy to show off the recycling operation he and co-Director Steve Matthews started in 2006. Born out of the demise of Dunlop tyres, which had been taken over by Goodyear, Rubber Solutions took up residence in Dunlop’s Upper Hutt factory when operations ceased in 2006. They employ one person and are looking to hire another. As former employees Matthews was the General Manager of Dunlop and Melbourne was the Procurement GM for Australia and New Zealand the pair were perfectly placed to take advantage of the empty space. “Steve stayed on for one year to look after the decommissioning of the tyre factory and I took over Rubber Solutions, which we’d set up as a small business down the road from the factory while it was still in operation,” says Melbourne. Unlike Dunlop, Goodyear preferred adhesives and solvents to be manufactured off site. To this day, Rubber Solutions have continued to manufacture paints and adhesives for the retreading industry. “When the factory closed, the guy who ran Rubber Solutions approached Steve and me to ask if we’d take over.” They took him up on his offer. Not only did they inherit the factory space, most importantly they gained a rubber crumb machine, avoiding set-up costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Melbourne takes a handful of rubber raspings (the shredded outer layer of tyres) from one of the huge bags sitting at the bottom of a conveyor connected to the machine. They trickle through his fingers back into the bag. Soft to touch, they look like charred bark. “What this machine does is ambiently grind rubber we have sourced from the retread factories when they take the old treads off. It goes through a number of processes and can go directly into the machine where some very powerful magnets take out any metal. The process consists of two mills going against each other and grinding the rubber down into a powder. It gets put back into the rubber crumb machine where it is sieved. It goes through this process until it meets the mesh size we want, which is a 30 mesh ground powder called A710 used in Australian roading.” Which is where the market is. “The Australians have been putting rubber into their roads forever because they have local government and state governments that are very environmentally on to it. They don’t want to put tyres into landfill. If you put rubber in roads, you’ll make the road 30 percent quieter and they last 30 to 40 percent longer.” Melbourne’s voice raises ever so slightly and it’s not without a hint of irony he says this isn’t the case in New Zealand. He doesn’t go into specifics, but he and his business partner continue to hit a brick wall when it comes to getting used rubber crumb in our own roads. It doesn’t stop them trying, though. “We’ve had audiences at the highest level with the Ministry

BUSINESS

for the Environment and at the NZ Transport Agency. The government has appointed KPMG to investigate the possibilities and OPUS consultants to review the whole thing. They’ve used the 3R group in the Hawkes Bay to look at the whole life cycle of tyres. Whatever happens, there will definitely be a tyre after-market that is much better looked after.” Rubber Solutions is no stranger to being shut out of business opportunities. There is another method of manufacturing rubber crumb that involves cryogenically freezing the raw material then exploding it. This might mean little to most. But when it comes to meeting the specifications for infilling artificial sports fields for cushioning it means a lot. “Cryogenically made rubber crumb is the only type that fits the IRB and FIFA spec, which is nonsense because our rubber is perfectly okay. But for some reason our stuff is deemed to not drain as well. Any non-FIFA or non-IRB facility we’ve done, has been perfectly fine.” Melbourne hasn’t quite finished talking me through the refinement process and points to a pipe that runs along the ceiling of the factory. Once the crumb has met the right sieve size it gets sucked up, flows along the pipe into a holding silo where it drops into a bag from a canvas funnel. He reaches into another 650-kg bag. “It’s actually spec in most of Europe now – for urban roading it must have rubber in it. This is the grade that meets the Australian roading spec.” I take a handful of the gunpowder-like black substance. It’s soft and slightly heavier than sand. “It’s better than the cryogenic stuff in roads because it has better swell characteristics. In its ball-like form it blends with bitumen on the surface. This doesn’t work with the cryogenically-exploded alternative.” I ask him if he sells his product to Europe, he shakes his head “It’s too expensive.” Rubber Solutions makes the most

profit internally but the biggest volume is shipped to Australia. Last year they sent over a shipment of 600 tonnes to be mixed with bitumen by Sydney’s transport authorities What does the future hold for Rubber Solutions if they continue to be shut out of some the most lucrative markets for their products? “We supply virtually every independent retreader in New Zealand. Heavier bits of rubber shard are now starting to replace the bark pieces that have, until recently, been used in playgrounds.” They’ve discovered rubber crumb also blends well with polyurethane and foams and have linked up with a local manufacturer. “He’s making a very very good foam underlay where he’s blending rubber crumb into the foam. Foam underlay has always been imported and it’s very poor quality. This stuff performs so well, he’s now capturing the imported foam market.” They’re also looking at getting a toehold in the artificial turf market by creating a product that acts as a shock pad on the hard base surface of sports field, which in some cases is asphalt. “We may not have a product that sits within artificial grass and fits FIFA standards but we’ll certainly have a product that takes the shock out of a surface to reduce body impact. This is a huge market currently serviced with imported products.” When he was working for Dunlop, recycling and the environment weren’t exactly top of the agenda for Andrew Melbourne. But since establishing Rubber Solutions he’s become much more of an advocate, especially when it comes to reusing tyres. “Everyone wants to stop tyres going to landfill. The reality is there is another life for a tyre after it’s used. It’s just how do we do it? What are the end products everyone has to agree on?” As long as Rubber Solutions exists you can guarantee they’ll seek to answer these questions and profit from them.

INTERIOR

BOTANICAL INSTINCTS

Left to right: Jute & cotton storage basket, $49.00, Stacks Furniture Store Teepee coat stand, $111.60, Nood Sea Tangle blanket, silver birch, $135.00, Let Liv Kina cylinder vase, chartreuse, large, $192.00, The Vault Kokedama plant, $49.00, Kokedama-rama Vita Conia lightshade white, $270.00, Stacks Furniture Store Blossom side table, $63.60, Nood Tall vase, white top, black spots base, $79.00, The Vault Small vase, white top, black spots base, $68.99, The Vault Uashmama paper bag, dark grey, small, $28.00, Let Liv Emperor large linen cushion, $189.00, Let Liv The round dorm, $299.00, Let Liv Love Hate petite hanging vase, $32.90, Iko Iko Combi vase, $59.00, BoConcept Replica R160 contour chair, $799.00, Nood Aura lattice cushion, $85.00, Stacks Furniture Store Grid laundry basket, $119.00, Let Liv

Styled by Shalee Fitzsimmons & Rhett Goodley-Hornblow Photographed by Ashley Church Assisted by Bex McGill

All plants care of Thorndon Green Gardens Garden Centre

INTERIOR

Left to right: Dowel lamp natural, $290.00, Let Liv Oslo bedside table, $495.00, Stacks Furniture Store Shadow evening vase, $69.00, BoConcept Katherine Smyth fat vase, black and white, $34.99, Small Acorns General Eclectic plush paper bag, medium, black, $26.90, Iko Iko Twig coat stand, $923, Backhouse Porte cushion cover, $49.90, Iko Iko Vita Conia lightshade white, $270.00, Stacks Furniture Store Cache storage bench, $399.60, Nood Chartreuse linen cushion small, $109.00, Let Liv Moroccan leather pouf, white with black stitching, $159.90, Let Liv Laundry hamper, $55.00, Stacks Furniture Store Oflo chair folding, $$249, Bo Concept

INTERIOR

Left to right: Emperor large linen cushion, $189.00, Let Liv Aura Lattice cushion, $85.00, Stacks Furniture Store Uashmama oversized paper bag, black, $89.00, Let Liv Replica organic chair, $399.50, Nood Wire basket, grey, $119.00, Let Liv Wire basket, top oiled oak, $129.00, Let Liv Tall vase, white top, black spots base, $79.00, The Vault Katherine Smyth fat vase, black and white, $34.99, Small Acorns General Eclectic plush paper bag, medium, black, $26.90, Iko Iko Twig coat stand, $923, Backhouse Leather plant hanger, black, $110.00, Let Liv Uashmama paper bag, white, small, $28.00, Let Liv Kokedama plant, $49.00, Kokedama-rama Optic cube, $501, Backhouse Porcelain lattice table lamp, large, $79.00, Iko Iko

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HOUSE

A GREEN INVESTMENT WRITTEN BY KAREN SHEAD | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHAN KAY

For Richard and Yvonne Mansell, the motivation to install solar panels on the roof of their new home in Waikanae wasn't so much about saving the planet, but was more about making a sound investment.

“I

don't regard myself as any kind of eco warrior or greenie, we made business decisions,” says Richard, the CEO of Coastlands. “Using the electricity to save money is the big thing for me – it costs about a 40th of the price to run.” “And it is nice to know you are doing your bit for the environment,” adds Yvonne, who works as a special needs teaching aide at a local primary school. When the couple planned their new home, they knew they wanted to use an alternative energy source. They had thought about using wind power when living in their family home of 20 years in Otaihanga, and when they bought the plot of land in Waikanae, solar power was top of the list. “Richard did the research and met up with Peter Davis of AD Architecture in Paraparaumu,” says Yvonne. The couple had a clear idea of the spaces they wanted in their new home and, working with Peter Davis, they came up with the spacious four-bed family home they live in

today – a far cry from the 1950s 100 squarefoot bungalow which sat on the land when they bought it. And after a year and a half of planning and another year and a bit of building, they moved into the property in Kohekohe Road in February. The house has 26 solar panels on the roof. They are grid-connected photovoltaic panels which generate their own power from the sun. This means that excess electricity can be returned to the grid, although as Richard points out, for a much lower price than consumers pay for grid power. “The aim is to heat the house during the day on our power and to top-up at the night rates during the night if we need to,” he explains. “And if some of our power is sold back, it's a bonus.” To do this efficiently, they have been changing their power use habits, for example, running the dishwasher and washing machine during the day and not at night.

HOUSE

They also have solar hot water heaters to fill the hot water tanks and to heat the swimming pool in the back garden. The tanks in the house are heated first and the excess heat goes to the pool. The house has under-floor heating in the concrete slab flooring which is powered by electricity. In many areas, for example the open-plan living and dining area, the concrete is exposed so it collects the sun's heat during the day and stays warm until late at night. The concrete slab allows each room, or “zone”, to be heated separately. There is a panel in the garage which shows each zone and its thermostat. “How it works, how one area is heated to a different temperature to another, don't ask me, but it works,” says Richard. And to ensure that the house retains all its warmth, they invested in quality double glazing and heavy-duty insulation. The double glazing uses an e-gas, Argon, which improves its efficiency. And the walls are thicker to allow better insulation – they have double the required standard. They have installed LED lights throughout the house, although they admit a few halogens have sneaked in, and although there is still a big television screen, they moved from plasma to LCD LED to save power. And finally, they harvest rainwater which is used for toilets and the garden (there is a big water tank under the grass in the front garden), but Richard says they can't take credit for this as it is a council regulation for new homes in the district. Although they have only been living in the house for three months, so far, all of its sustainable

features are working well, as is the layout. Richard and Yvonne wanted the house to work well for a couple as well as for a family. They have three growing boys, Joseph, 20, William, 18 and Hamish, 13, who are away a lot (the older two are at university and Hamish boards at school during the week). “We wanted areas to be open but to be able to be closed off too,” says Yvonne. “And we wanted the boys' area to be separate. We plan to be here for at least the next 20 years so were planning for changing family needs.” (They have installed a lift to the upstairs bedroom for when they get older or for when elderly relatives visit). The boys' area – which includes a bedroom each, shared bathroom and area with sofa and screen where they can play their PlayStation – is separate from the rest of the house, as is the upstairs bedroom (and walk-in closet), which Yvonne says feels like “coming up to a little tower at the end of the day.” The main living area includes dining area, kitchen and two adjacent living spaces. A large wooden dining table takes centre stage, which was the intention, and the two separate living areas look very much like a “his and hers”. One room is very dark with black sofas and black reclining chairs. A large television screen dominates one wall, and on another wall are photographs of the boys in sporting action. “The room was designed to be dark,” says Richard, “you don't want light reflected on the screen when you are watching sport.” The room is soundinsulated and has a ceiling to floor sliding door.

HOUSE

Next door, in the “light” room, there are two facing sofas and a couple of armchairs, chandelier, bookshelves and general air of calm. (This can also be closed off with a sliding door). Three months in, Yvonne and Richard have found that the house is working well. “It is a nice, functional space. There is space to come together as a family and space for everyone to go off and do their own thing,” says Yvonne. They are also pleased with the décor. They worked with friend and interior designer, Wendy Elers Colour and Design, who “knew how we lived and what we liked” and helped with everything from the colour of the roofing material to the stone cladding and the carpet. There are personal touches, like the kitchen splashback which features a large-scale photograph of the Palais de Luxembourg in Paris, taken by Richard on a family holiday, yet it doesn't feel at all

cluttered. Elements like the scullery at the end of the kitchen help to keep the kitchen looking tidy. “You can hide everything away which is important when you are open plan,” says Yvonne. They have yet to discover how well everything will work in the winter, but Richard is confident they have everything in place to ensure it works well. “In general, houses in New Zealand are not good at heating or insulation, but this one should be good at both,” he says. “And the benefit over time of the solar power will be great. That's why we invested so much time and money into it.” He says they still have a lot to learn but they will learn as they go. “And I still turn the light out when I leave a room.” Some habits (or maybe that should be good habits) die hard.

The Russian Empire Study Tour September 2015

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For more information visit www.victoria.ac.nz/studytours

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T O R Q U E TA L K

COLOUR ME GREEN WRITTEN BY MARK SAINSBURY | PHOTOGRAPH BY RHETT GOODLEY-HORNBLOW

am no stranger to electric vehicles. Back in my deep and distant past I drove buses in Wellington. It was after the well worn path of law studies, university politics, disillusionment, and the need to pay the rent or move back in with my parents. (Why is that no longer considered such a terrifying prospect?). So I ended up on the “big reds” as they were called then and to this day I remain a licenced electric bus driver. They were fantastic things to drive, quiet, no gears and effortless torque as you pushed your foot to the floor. The one downside was the two bloody long poles connecting the back of the bus to the wires overhead which fed the electric motors with the juice to make it all work. The big issue was if you had to make a turn: how did you get the poles to follow you? Well it was quite simple, they had these yellow lines on the road with ON/OFF written above them and if you wanted to trigger a turn it was a bit like a railroad siding. Instead of a handle or remote control you accelerated over that sign and it tripped the switch to send the poles in the direction of your intended turn, if you wanted to go straight ahead you coasted over the sign without applying any power. The problem came when a car stopped right in front of you and you had to accelerate to take off again and that sent your poles the wrong direction. So it was with great interest I embarked on my latest motoring assignment testing driving Audi’s A3 e-tron. A hybrid plug in electric car. It was weird. Driving what by all appearances was a regular A3 sportwagon took me back to the mean streets of Wellington and the joy of effortless noiseless motoring. In full electric mode this thing is virtually silent and with 75kw on tap is no slouch. (There’s 150 kw available if you put your foot down hard enough to use both the petrol and electric motors). It purred around and to have that joy without the constant nag of having to get out and hook those poles up was a delight.

Audi’s approach to these electric /petrol hybrids is simple and they’ve played a long game on this. While others may have stolen a march they have waited until they were happy with the lithium battery technology which they guarantee for seven years. They also intend to make the e-tron version available across the model range at a premium of $10–15,000 which means the more expensive the model you buy the less of a margin it entails. Such a lot has been written about hybrids and about how modern diesel and petrol engines are so efficient that you have to wonder what’s the point? But deep down you know electricity makes sense. The range on pure battery power is around 50k and Audi figure few people drive more than that in a day regardless. To charge up in your garage at night is effortless. You simply hook up the cable to a slot behind the grill and then to a nearby three pin plug, and if you can be bothered setting the timer for the cheapest power it’s less than $2 to recharge. I was working on Radio Live’s breakfast show at the time and rocked into work at 4:30am and took one minute to hook it up so it would be ready to leave work with it all done and dusted. Unfortunately I forgot to hit the 'on' button but using the petrol motor (turboed 1.4 litre - frisky) I had fully charged it again in about 40 minutes driving so could return to the silent cruising. The beauty of the A3 e-tron is that it looks and feels (apart from the silent stuff) like a regular Audi, and doesn’t have eco warrior splashed all over it. It has the same feel and quality of any new A3. They tell us that it drinks fuel very sparingly – remarkably as little as 1.6litres/100km which means that if you don’t boot it too hard it can run without refuelling from Wellington to Auckland and back to Waikanae. That should have the accountants smiling (although a little less when he hears it’s $75,000 before extras). The best advice I can give is to go and test drive one. And you don’t need a special licence.

W E L LY A NG E L

WHAT WOULD DEIRDRE D O? Got a problem? Maybe we can help. Welly Angel Deirdre Tarrant, mother of three boys, founder of Footnote Dance Company and teacher of dance to generations of Wellingtonians, will sort out your troubles. HE’S GOT THE MO OLAH I am about to move in with my boyfriend who earns more than me. Should bills be split down the middle and who should pay when we go out? He often orders more expensive things than I would on my own. It seems a bit tight-arsed to insist on each and every expense being split in half.

TO O GO OD TO THROW AWAY We have been given a room set of furniture from my Mother, which I dislike. My partner likes it because it cost us nothing and won’t hear of it being replaced. How do I manage to get rid of it, without upsetting everybody? Wannabe Stylish, Brooklyn You are probably doomed on this – the furniture is destined to stay until you can move it on to a bach by the sea or an investment flat. We have a cane suite that has followed four generations and is too good to throw out – it is still in survival mode and part of the family. Grit your teeth and learn to live with it, there are worse things and it is useful!

A HEALTHY STINK

Frugal, Willis St You need to sort this out as the euphoria of a new relationship can lead to over committing and being 'stuck' with paying forever! That you are prompted to ask indicates you are concerned and need to agree. Go turn about or simply work out a budget split with an account you both contribute to and spend from together. This will be for your household expenses as well and a good plan if you are moving in together. Sounds like high-finance but actually it works and you will both feel good and know where you stand.

My workmates are very organic and health minded, and are addicted to quantities of raw garlic as a remedy for winter colds and coughs. The result is a hideous workspace. How do I ask them to stop? Aspro fan, Johnsonville Ugh! Take in a very floral and sickly sweet room perfume and spray lavishly or get an equally odious set of perfume sticks and put on your desk in a prominent position. Mention once again how you feel about garlic and see it they can't find a well-ventilated park bench out in the wintry cold to sit on while they eat the

antidote! It does work, however, so the other alternative is to join them and be healthy too.

OLD AND STUBB ORN My father at 90 is living at home alone and would like a lot of our attention. He expects daily visits from us. He is alert and determined to stay there. We (two siblings) think he would be much less lonely in a retirement village. Should we make the decision, or is it up to him? Weary, Wadestown I really want to say it is up to him. You do not mention his health and if there are any concerns about his living alone and coping. My grandmother was in her own home till she was 97 and very determined to cope. Ultimately she fell one dark wintertime night so this is the risk you take. Are you calling in regularly? Talk it over with him. Sow the seed and take it steadily. He may really enjoy the new environment but needs to visit etc and feel he is making the decision. There are retirement homes and retirement homes, so do the research and include him in your thinking without committing anything. How wonderful you have him to be part of your family. If you’ve got a burning question for Deirdre, email angel@capitalmag.co.nz with Capital Angel in the subject line.

DO YOU HAVE A WILL? Say

I will

the will to live is not enough and make an appointment with RASCH LEONG LAWYERS

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B A B Y, B A B Y

FAMILY PAIN BY MELODY THOMAS

ake me back to February. In February I turned 30. We threw a big party, invited all our friends and the family who were here from overseas for my sister’s wedding the week before. And then we got married - a complete surprise for nearly everybody there, and a thrilling way to head into something that is so often treated as solemn and heavy. My mother was in New Zealand again for the first time in 15 years - leaving behind her home in Oregon for a few weeks - and rewarded for the journey by seeing two daughters get married within the space of a week. But the past couple of months have been hard. As I’ve since learnt from a lot of people, getting married can cause a period of strain soon after as the pressure of a happy co-existence intensifies. A fight is often followed by the words “How can we be fighting when we’ve only been married a week?!” It’s not unusual to wonder if you’ve done the right thing (and if you write highly personal columns like me, you’ll want to be lucky enough to have married a very understanding man). March and April saw cancer invade the bodies of three of our favourite people in the world. For two of them this cancer was especially malicious, having sat unnoticed for too long. As if that weren’t enough, last week me and Baby Daddy (who, in line with how the toddler refers to him, shall henceforth be referred to as ‘Dadoo’) hopped a plane to Samoa for eight days of honeymoon - the bulk of the money for which was donated by family and friends who didn’t have a chance to buy wedding gifts. I jumped on that plane glowing from the freedom of leaving Sadie with her grandparents and from knowing that we have such an amazing support network around us. But then, as if it were scheduled to arrive at the moment of peak happiness, more heartbreak arrived. My step father, sick for some time but stubborn as a __ when it came to giving in to illness, died. The past week is this uncanny blur of palm trees and tropical fruit and swimming, but also so many tears and so much hopelessness, stuck on this (beautiful) little island in the middle of the ocean as friends and family gathered to say goodbye to a man I completely adored. His funeral was scheduled for the day we

left Apia, and I sat in the departure lounge crying silently as I watched half an hour of the proceedings on a dodgy Skype connection, before the phone battery died and I was left to cry on Dadoo’s shoulder instead. I haven’t really had to deal with much in the way of loss before. When my great grandmother died, she was in her nineties, and it should have come as no surprise, I was struck — as with this time — by the great unfairness of it all.That the best people in the world die while horrible people live on. That healthy, vibrant young friends get cancer at 30 when bitter, 20-a-day old cynics live to 100. There’s no making sense of it and in the end you just have to succumb to the grief and focus on that day in the future when things might start to feel better again. I thought about how I might prepare Sadie for the fact that life can be a real bitch sometimes. That, unfair as it is, being good and kind and healthy and working hard might help hedge your bets but in no way guarantees you a long or a happy life. It’s a depressing thought, and of course when I look at that tiny, grinning face I know there’s no way I can do it to her — be the bitter old person telling her her optimism is naive and her excitement displaced. Because I know I will be happy again. That I will return to the belief that it’s all worth it for the great miracle of being alive. All I can do is make sure she is surrounded by good people who love and support her. And impress on her the importance of a really good group of friends, the ones who will "have your back" through the teenage years and well beyond. And of course that overstated but much under-applied mantra of living life each day and each moment. And finally, when one day she decides to throw herself on the ground and scream when I refuse to buy her an ice-cream, to refrain from offhandedly telling her that ‘life isn’t fair’. Because sometimes is really isn’t, and if I’m going to be the one to tell her that I don’t want it to be in some trivial circumstance that she’ll look back on 30 years later and think, “That was my warning?”