Capital 23 by Capital

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

POT LUCKY AU G U S T 2 0 1 5

THE FOOD SPECIAL

ISSUE 23

A RUNNING HISTORY

$4.90 A BOX OF TALENT

TO HELL IN A HAND CART

W OR L D ’

S T A I R P OR

FFEE

P UN NER U

RANKED BY THRILLIST

of Visa Wellington On a Plate

What possible right would New Zealand have to create a world-class contemporary art museum? We’re world-class when it comes to growing stuff. And we’re world-class when it comes to knocking people over, rowing quickly and throwing things a long way. So why set out to build a world-class contemporary art museum in New Plymouth? Because there’s no point wasting everyone’s time creating one that’s average. And because art makes the world a bigger place. It lends you someone else’s brain for a minute. It throws your gaze on places you wouldn’t otherwise see. The job of the Govett-Brewster is to provoke. The point, surely, of visiting an art museum is to feel something. We get that you can live a life that’s insulated but we just can’t see the point. The value of experience lies in the depth of feeling. So we want to make you angry. In fact, we suggest you stop by Giovanni Intra’s Needle in Glove. Get angry. Get annoyed. Get delighted. But get something. Then visit the Len Lye Centre. Spend some time with his Universe. It’s beautiful and it’s puzzling and that’s ok. Then spend some time with Ngahina Hohaia’s I am your Lord. Poignant, sad and inspiring. We believe the point of art is to challenge people’s perceptions. To challenge them. Not to gently nudge them. Art isn’t mild. Art is full-fat. Art isn’t polite. Art punches, screams and kicks. We are the Govett-Brewster. Provocateurs since 1970. New Plymouth, Aotearoa New Zealand govettbrewster.com

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CAPITAL MADE IN WELLINGTON THE COVER: Unna Burch is Capital’s food writer, a blogger, and a proud mum. She’s running two sold-out events at Visa Wellington on a Plate and recently published a book, My Garden Kitchen, and blogs at The Forest Cantina. Photography: Benjamin & Elise

SUBSCRIPTION Subscription rates $77 (inc postage and packaging) 11 issues New Zealand only To subscribe, please email accounts@capitalmag.co.nz

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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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.

have been travelling afar over the past few weeks, and am reminded of how food we ate and much enjoyed now forms part of our travellers’ tales. And further, how cafes and restaurants are an integral part of most major tourist attractions. Some friends exclaimed in amazement when it emerged that the planning hadn’t included a Michelin starred restaurant there or a degustation meal somewhere else. Fortunately we were able to retrieve our reputation slightly when we remembered that generous relatives had taken us to a Rick Stein restaurant in Padstow. This month Wellington puts food centre stage with its annual Visa on a Plate food celebration, in a bumper month of food in every guise. Capital has also made food and enjoyment central, with foodie news, beer matching and food and music matching. Food writer Unna Burch has concentrated on a pot luck meal at home with friends, and Kaibosh founder, George Langlands talks about his enjoyment of the capital. To ensure all is not food and gluttony we’re leavened with our wide range of other local stories. Members of the Fabian Society outline their distress at inequities in New Zealand to Harriet Palmer, and Beth Rose looks at the long running history of the Scottish Harriers. Griff Bristed talks to fellow skateboarders about a new skaters’ heaven. I want to thank Mark Sainsbury for his cheerful contributions to things vehicular in previous issues, and welcome Sean Plunket who in this issue takes a close look at a Volvo. Our distribution in June expanded to include Countdown supermarkets. We are pleased to see sales continue to rise and we welcome any feedback about content or any aspect of the magazine. Please enjoy and celebrate good things to eat out or at home this August.

Alison Franks Editor editor@capitalmag.co.nz

CONTENTS

POT LUCKY Sharing is caring – a pot luck menu created by three local foodies

A B OX OF TA L E N T

TO HELL IN A HA N D C A RT

The Toi Pōneke smorgasbord

Who are the Fabians?

8 LETTERS

50 FASHION

10 CHATTER

STREET STYLE

NEWS SHORTS

PERIODICALLY SPEAKING

BY THE NUMBERS

BY THE BOOK

NEW PRODUCTS

TABLE DANCE

TALES OF THE CITY

WELLY ANGEL

OMA RAPETI

SISTER CITIES

TALK TORQUE

BABY BABY

22 CULTURE 26

SURVIVALIST SELF-HELP

FOOD DIRECTORY

42 EDIBLES

84 DIRECTORY

LIQUID THOUGHTS

86 CALENDAR

WHAT THE FLOCK

ON THE BUSES

CONTRIBUTORS

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

SARAH LANG Journ a li st

SEAN PLUNKET Car columnist

An award-winning magazine feature writer and North & South alumna, freelancer Sarah Lang, 33, is a self-confessed bookworm who lives in Mt Cook with her husband Michael.

Sean Plunket has owned three Hondas, two Alfa Romeos, a Peugeot, a Jeep and a Triumph, and currently gets around in an ageing Range Rover. When he’s not hanging with his family in Wellington he’s into fly fishing, golf and walking with Pax, the black Labrador. He’s to be heard most mornings on Radiolive.

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

BETH ROSE Journ a li st

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

THANKS Bex McGill | Laura Pitcher

Beth loves writing about people and issues. Relocating from London in 2011, she now spends most of the year writing in Wellington and the rest of the time travelling the country in a six-metre converted bus, finding out lots of interesting stuff from the boltholes of NZ.

A L IC E B R E N NA N Ph oto g r aph er Alice experiments with portraiture and landscape photography. Check out how she sees the world on her flickr account – flickr.com/photos/alicekayphotography/ and see what makes her heart and soul tick.

LETTERS

RESPECT

STARRY CONNECTION

After reading the small segment in your winter issue entitled 'Skating Crusaders' (#22 p100) I knew that I had to get in touch with you. On the last weekend in June we were in Wellington and observed the Last Post ringing out at the National War Memorial Park. In the run-up to 5pm, there was a group of about 10 skaters using the park with great respect to fellow pedestrians and the street furniture etc that make up the new complex. I was astonished when at 4.55pm they all ceased skating and took a quiet seat whilst The Last Post ceremony took place. I thought it was absolutely brilliant to see them observing such an important and significant event that is taking place daily, and just wanted to let it be known that this group of skaters most certainly were not deserving of any negative focus! I was very impressed, and thank them for being so respectful. Rebecca, travelling around NZ from the UK (and loving Capital Mag every time I visit or pass through Wellington)

I found your article about Matariki and the Carter Observatory in your current issue (#22 p23) very interesting. After reading about Welsh-woman Claire Bretheren our family, (my wife has a Welsh grandmother) visited the observatory and really enjoyed learning about the southern skies. We also enjoyed the other articles in your lovely magazine and were very taken with the rhubarb pie recipe. It is a new fruit/vegetable to us. We are newcomers to this part of the world. (abridged) S Munz, Horowhenua

Editor: See our piece on another aspect of skateboarding in Wellington, page 20

We’ll treat your investment with care

GREEN WINE I have enjoyed your green issue (#21). However I found the column by writer Joelle Thomson difficult to follow. Inputs are mentioned but no indication of their quantity or how to spot them, just that they have reduced over the past 20 years and that “natural wines” are often faulty. I would be interested to know more about how to identify organic and natural wines or what to look for to find “healthier to drink wines.” Name supplied, Belmont

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MANY THANKS I just wanted say thanks for the fantastic article on Space Night. Tickets sold out 10 days before the event and despite the horrendous weather on the night we had at least 800 people attend. Thank you again for your amazing support with the article. Nicky Stallworthy, Crofton Downs

LIKES TOAST I was very impressed with the cover of your summer issue. The toast with the bikini image is so clever. Whose ever idea that was, keep them around. Fred Bell, Wellington

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

Goldsmith artist Dorthe Kristensen of Vilders makes contemporary jewellery with individuality and flair. Bring in your old gold jewellery and gems and Dorthe will work with you to give them new life. Open: Fri 12 – 5 Sat 11 – 3 or by appointment.

104 Aro Street, Wellington Phone (04) 384 7989 / 021 615 971 www.vildersgallery.co.nz

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BRAIN FOOD Alexia Mengelberg of Massey University’s School of Psychology received $11,647 last month for research into the early stages of dementia. She’ll investigate the effects of fish oil supplements on the cognitive performance of older adults who have mild cognitive impairment. The goal is to improve memory in those who carry the gene ApoE, which puts them more at risk of developing dementia.

COURTNEY D OUGAN Art or rebellion? To begin with, it was rebellion – I was 16 and wanted to be different. As I got older, it turned into an admiration of tattoo artists and their work.

LIGHT UP

Family – for or against? My parents were definitely not for it initially. They've slowly started to realise they're not just scribbles on my body. I do still get the occasional eye roll when I mention I want more though.

Wellington artist Cameron May offers up a 3D stroboscopic Zoetrope at this year’s Lux Light Festival. Don’t know what that is? It’s a cyclical optical-illusion that is produced by a pulsing, liquid nebulous light, facilitated by a strobe picking up tiny animated details within the slowly rotating form. The festival of interactive light installations illuminates Wellington’s laneways and waterfront from 21–30 August.

Which is your favourite tattoo & where is it ? My fav tattoo is this little swallow, which a lovely girl named Brooke did for me. He's my favourite at the moment because I'm really liking more traditional art. I chose my arm because I hope to have the whole sleeve done someday.

C HAT T E R

WELLY WORDS SHAT TERINGLY GO OD Maranui Cafe on Lyall Bay is renowned for its sea views and lip-smacking food. One Wellyworder reports they can now add spontaneous in-house entertainment. The display cabinet covering all the food unexpectedly exploded one afternoon showering the floor with shards of glass. We think the integrity of the glass finally gave way after years of intense longing looks from punters eyeing up the date scones.

YO U T H T RU T H S

GOT THEIR SKATES ON And as you know we like to give credit where credit is due. In Welllington transport problems don't all take years to fix, one Wellyworder advised us. Sequence of events: 1. walking to work early in the winter dark, someone noticed that the frost had made the pedestrian bridge by Waitangi Park treacherous. 2. Our skating pedestrian notified Ward Councillor Young once safely at office. 3. WCY contacted Ian Pike of Wellington Waterfront. 4. IP of WW replied to say that WW was already abreast of the problem and contractors poised to deliver improvements. 5. WCY passed the message back to skater. All that before lunch time

It’s International Day of the Youth on 12 August. The United Nations General Assembly made a resolution back in 1999 to celebrate it so celebrate it we will. Here at the Capital offices we intend to skateboard to work, speak in monosyllables to authority figures and take a lot of selfies. If you want to connect with a nearby yoof we have compiled a short list of words that might potentially aid communication. Be aware that these words will probably be out of date by the time you utter them and even if they are still in use the mere fact that you (someone over 30) are using them will immediately make them hopelessly passé. on fleek perfect, on-point

“Graeme’s flannel shirt was on fleek today"

swag attitude, style

“Gordon – that dawg got a killa swag”

bae term of endearment

“Is that your bae over by the hors d'oeuvres?"

quiche

good looking

“Barbara is so quiche today”

mupload

mobile upload “What a great selfie – mupload that!” onto social media

SALON DE RISQUÉ Seen in very large pink letters on the side of a beauty salon on Kent Terrace: “The nicer you treat her outside the bedroom, the naughtier it will get inside the bedroom”. Umm...seriously? Is that a healthy attitude to be promoting in a marketing campaign?

IT'S COOL TO KORERO Keep your puku full with this food-inspired lingo:

He aha te hoki tina? What’s for dinner?

NEWS SHORTS

F R O M W E L LY W O O D T O H O L LY W O O D Kiwi-American producer and lawyer Wendy Benge returned to Wellington last month to launch production company Bullet Entertainment. It has a sister branch in Hollywood. Benge is looking to develop several New Zealand films over the next few years and initiatives to benefit Kiwi filmmakers and bring jobs to locals. "It is important that filmmakers abroad understand the various advantages of filming in New Zealand.” “We will not only bring work and jobs to New Zealand but aid New Zealand filmmakers in breaking into Hollywood." She shared her expertise in a presentation to WelTec students and filmmakers while she was here.

CYCLE AWAY

SUSTAINABLE SNAPPER

PRICE IS RIGHT

Upper Hutt received $1.5 million from the Urban Cycleways Fund, to accelerate their cycleway projects. The money will go towards the rail corridor route which will run parallel to the railway from Silverstream to Upper Hutt’s City Centre, and sealing and widening the Hutt River Trail. The funding was announced in June along with a regional allocation toward metropolitan Wellington projects which are estimated to cost between $65 and $75 million over the next three years.

Snapper has developed a multimode transport pass for Victoria University students and staff. It enables students who have classes split between different campuses to use the cable car and buses that run between two campuses. “To use the cards for buses and the Cable Car creates a convenient travel option,” says Andrew Wilks, Victoria University Environmental Manager.

Wellington airport’s charges will remain after a Commerce Commission report deemed them appropriate in June. The airport had consulted with airlines in 2014 about pricing for using the airport’s terminal and runway services from June 2014 to March 2019. The airport also plans to invest $250M over the next five years to expand the main terminal and add a hotel, multi-level carpark and a retail park, after a previous commission report expressed concern about the future of the airport’s returns.

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WILL THE B A S I N F LY ? The New Zealand Transport Agency has just held their appeal against a board of inquiry’s decision to decline resource consent for a Basin Reserve flyover. The hearing was held at the High Court during July. No date has been given for the judge’s decision, although Tim Jones of Save the Basin expects it by the end of the year. Matthew Palmer QC for Save the Basin Campaign and Mount Victoria Residents' Association and Philip Milne for The Architectural Centre opposed the NZTA’s case. Action Station launched a fundraising campaign to help pay legal fees for the hearing.

CHAIR UP

FAST TRACK

MO ORE PARKS

Chris Laidlaw has replaced Fran Wilde as Chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council. Wilde resigned as chairperson but will remain a councillor. Laidlaw says his first priority is the amalgamation question. “Everything we do at the Regional Council depends crucially on co-operation with local councils and stakeholders around the region.”

Upgrades to the Hutt railway line have been accelerated by a $2.3 million grant from the New Zealand Transport Association. Corrosion on the line has meant speed restrictions which causes delays for commuters. Kiwirail says the upgrades will be a major step towards getting the Hutt line up to the same standard as the Kapiti line.

Johnsonville’s Alex Moore Park has received two significant grants, moving the sports facility closer to reality. Wellington City Council contributed $1,745,000 and Lottery Community Facilities Fund, $500,000. The complex is to include a gymnasium, meeting rooms and function areas, which will cost an estimated $5.2 million. The park board is looking to private investors, as well as the sale of existing clubrooms in Philip Street, to reach their target. Five thousand sq m of playing field space would be lost in the plan's parking development.

BY THE NUMBERS

YOU CAN BANK ON IT

number of shops in The Old Bank Arcade on Lambton Quay

1901

year the BNZ moved into the original grand building

ship wreck found under the foundations when renovations began in 1997 to convert the old bank into a shopping centre (you can see parts of it under glass in the floor)

1855

CHORAL FANTASY

Wellington schools involved in the Big Sing finale on 15 August (out of 24 possible finalists)

260

number of school choirs that entered across the country

800

number of students participating in the finale

number of minutes choirs must sing in two adjudicated sessions

AIRPORT REPORT

15,000

daily average number of passengers using Wellington airport

5.5

number of passengers in millions per year

6000

size of terminal extension in metres (finished early 2016)

250

dollars in millions the airport company intend to spend on terminal and runway development over the next five years

year of the earthquake that raised the shoreline and marooned the ship (now known as Plimmer's Ark)

MAKARA RAP

BULB BUSINESS

kilometres to get to Makara beach on Wellington's wild west coast (from the city)

number of days the Lux Festival will be lighting up the night from 21 August

kilometre loop walk will take you from the beach up into the craggy hills

35 +

number of enlightening artworks planned

gun emplacement to visit at the top of the cliffs. Fort Opau was garrisoned by 100 soldiers during WWII.

65,000 1.5

people visited in 2014 kms of installations and activities from Leeds Street down to the waterfront

Compiled by Craig Beardsworth

PIPING HOT

nights Edinburgh Tattoo is on in February 2016

1,200

performers involved (dancers, musicians, cultural performers, and pipes of course)

189 1

cost in $ of a premium ticket life-size replica of the Edinburgh Castle used as a backdrop to proceedings

22 AUGUST – 22 NOVEMBER 2015

PRINCIPAL PARTNER:

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

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image Still Life with Young Kahu, Hag Stone and Paper Nautilus, Ripiro Beach 2014

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Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music presents

PURCELL DIDO & AENEAS RAVEL L’ENFANT ET

LES SORTILÈGES

Conducted by Donald Maurice Kenneth Young Directed by Frances Moore Designed by Alexandra Guillot

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SECTION HEADER

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

WA S T E M A S T E R

WA R D R O B E

PETS

COFFEE

WEEKEND

GAMES

Icebreaker jacket

Zola, Wol, and Fisher (dog and two cats)

Greenland on Kate Sheppard Place

Fruit and vege markets

Pandemic and Dead of Winter

WRITTEN BY JOHN BRISTED | PHOTOGRAPH BY ANNA BRIGGS

Most days, George Langlands works as a Lead Marketing Advisor at ACC on a varied diet of injury prevention campaigns such as sexual violence and rugby. He also has fingers in a lot of pies.

“

n 2008, my partner Robyn Langlands was working part-time for Wellington Women's Refuge while writing her PhD. Women’s Refuge got a call from Wishbone (the takeaway food people) asking if they wanted food that was left over at the end of the day for the people in their safe house. “People don't like to buy food on the day that the Best Before expires, so Wishbone had to get rid of their food the day before the Best Before, so that although not suitable for sale, the food would be good to eat. “Robyn put her hand up and said that she usually picked me up from work on Molesworth Street and we could pick up any food from the Lambton Quay stores on our way home. We were expecting maybe a carrier bag full of stuff but on our first night it was enough to fill a black bin bag. “This was more than Women’s Refuge could take, even if they froze some of the items, so we started storing the food in our own fridge on a Thursday night, passing the ready meals on to Refuge and then the balance we dropped off at the Wellington City Mission on our way to work on Friday morning.” That was how George and Robyn began Kaibosh, the first NZ food rescue service which since 2008 has rescued nearly 400 tonnes of food from going into the landfill, and has grown into a viable not-for-profit with a full-time general manager, five part-time staff and more than 80 volunteers, and is shortly to open in the Hutt. “Nowadays I’m less involved in the day-to-day sorting of food and work more at a board level so I’m not surrounded 19

by rescued food to the same extent as I used to be. Cooking food is a huge source of relaxation for me. I do all the cooking at home. Robyn’s a vegetarian so 90% of the stuff I cook is meat-free, as it’s just easier than trying to prepare two separate dishes. I try and challenge myself to cook something new every week. A recent success that I’ve had is a black bean burger recipe I found. Apart from food I love craft beers, and I host and produce the Beer Diary Podcast. I’m looking forward to Beervana. Something I adore about Wellington is the fact that in summer you can see people lunching, sunbathing and playing touch on the lawn in front of the Beehive while most other countries’ parliaments are surrounded by barriers and armed guards. I’m a new dad so I need books I can pick up and put down, so lately I’ve been reading pulpy scifi novels (Leviathan Wakes) though I am keen to pick up the new Neil Stephenson, Seveneves. I also really enjoy cooperative board games where the players are working together to beat the game. I also stay true to my adolescent geek roots and play as part of a regular Dungeons & Dragons group. As much as anything it’s an excuse for a bunch of friends to get around a table, roll dice, laugh and tell a story together. I’d love to learn more about behavioural economics. My job at the moment touches on that, but I love the Freakenomics podcast and I’m amazed by what motivates people.

DIA MON D I N THE TREETOPS WRITTEN BY JOHN BRISTED | PHOTOGRAPH BY CONNOR HILL

Skateboarders revel in obstacles. They like stairs and handrails, planter boxes, ditches, park benches, kerbs and other street furniture where there are often people and children. It is not always an easy mix. So enterprising local boarders have taken matters into their own hands and developed a space they would like to call their own. The size of several tennis courts, it’s the abandoned Newtown Skating Rink, which was donated in 1971 by the Rotary Club of Wellington, Newtown Businessmen’s Association, and the WCC, for roller skaters. The rink was rediscovered several years ago, by skateboarder and real estate agent Tom Culy, who saw the potential, and began a cleanup of all the rubbish that had accumulated since roller skating went out of fashion. The first obstacle he put up was an old marble bench, found under a friend’s house. Now there are many, almost all homemade, with various skateboarders committing serious amounts of personal time and money toward the place, for communal benefit. Tom estimates he’s put in at least $2,000 of his own money and at least as much again of his time to the project they call Treetops.

He and other skateboarders are fundraising for the park. National champion Jesse Abolins Reid (see issue #9) has a quote of under $14000, to get the rough concrete surface diamond polished. Tom notes this is a tiny fraction of the amount spent on the Waitangi park, which is now so popular with younger children that experienced skaters can only really use it late at night. “If this space was smoothed off and got two benches, a flat bar and maybe a manual pad that would keep the majority of skaters happy,” said Jesse. “Simplicity is the key.” Tom and Jesse say “In other cities, skateboarders are welcomed, but here there is next to no public funding and skaters are criticised for using the streets, and forced into small skate parks, where they must compete with kids learning to ride bikes, or simply running around, which irritates both the parents and the skateboarders. “Treetops is a place for experienced skaters to really develop their skills", said Tom. “We embrace ‘grommies’ – it’s how I grew up learning to skate around the older skaters in Newlands, years ago” said Jesse, “but we need space to keep developing talent to world standard.”

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CULTURE

C O N T I N E N TA L C ONCERTO Michael Houston performs Scriabin's Piano concerto in F# minor in the upcoming Orchestra Wellington concert. It was made famous by Walt Disney, who used it in his 1940 film, Fantasia. Scriabin, known as the Russian Chopin, was one of the most innovative and most controversial of early modern composers: the Great Soviet Encyclopedia says, "no composer has had more scorn heaped on him or greater love bestowed." Soloist Houstoun says he fell in love

with the concerto immediately after hearing it. “It is an extremely passionate work, but with the typically mystical element that we associate with all of Scriabin’s music. It is exquisite, delicate, ethereal, but he is also not afraid of a good big tune.” Scriabin only wrote one concerto and it is not performed often enough, Houstoun says, because there are so many great Russian concertos so pianists are slow to get it into their repertoire. Originally from Timaru and having performed around the world, Houstoun now resides “in a quiet corner of the Manawatu,” where he has lived for the past 35 years.

COMEDY CENTRAL

NATIONAL TREASURE

MEMORIES

Former Wellingtonian Freya Desmarais is returning to her roots, bringing Home and Live Orgy to BATS Theatre in August. Desmarais; who graduated from Victoria University in 2013, made theatre for eight years before turning to comedy six months ago. It’s the best way to approach heavy subjects, she says. “Comedy is one of the best ways to combat tough topics like these that are difficult to talk about.” Home, 6-8 August, 8:30pm & Live Orgy, 11-15 August, BATS Theatre

Expressions Gallery in Upper Hutt has set a new attendance record. It's 50 Greatest Photographs of National Geographic had 20,000 visitors through the door a week before the exhibition closed on 26 July, double their previous record 9,500 visitors to Off the Wall; World of Wearable Art, in 2014. Visitors came from all over New Zealand. The National Geographic exhibition opens next at Te Manawa Museum in Palmerston North on 8 August.

The largest exhibition to date of photographer Fiona Pardington’s work opens at City Gallery on 22 August. A Beautiful Hesitation comprises over 100 photographs spanning 30 years. Pardington, of Scottish (Clan Cameron of Erracht) and Maori (Kai Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Ngāti Kahungunu) descent, describes photography as a “hesitation in time.” Her work has evolved from an early focus on technique, to documentary, and more recently, to still-life photography.

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CULTURE

D R AW N U P Almost a third of the shortlisted artists for the Parkin Drawing Prize this year are Wellingtonians. An exhibition of the 80 finalists opens 11 August, and well-known Kiwi artist Dick Frizzell will select a winner on 7 September. It’s the second year running local artist Heidi Ankers has been selected as a finalist. She goes by the name Hedy May, and says she was stimulated after the first year by new ideas about what drawing can be. She entered Polataufale, The Inner Blind, which seeks to express “Va” — the “Samoan understanding about the constantly negotiable field of being that space and relationship occupies.”

FACE PAINTING

NEW DIRECTION

CAPITAL TALENT

Local artist Heather Main has been selected to paint the portrait of late social justice advocate Celia Lashlie. The New Zealand Portrait Gallery chose to add Lashlie’s portrait to their collection after a public voting campaign. Main was a friend of Lashlie’s for over 40 years, so “the task carries a huge responsibility to capture Celia’s essence,” she says. Gallery director Gaelen Macdonald says it’s great Heather has real-life knowledge of Lashlie as “it’s really hard doing a posthumous portrait.”

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will have a new Music Director from 2016. Dutch conductor Edo de Waart will begin in March when he conducts Mahler’s masterwork Symphony No. 3. He will then take two Beethoven Symphonies on tour to eight centres around the country. de Waart toured Wellington with the NZSO last year when he conducted Mahler’s final Symphony No. 9.

Two Wellington musicians have been selected to participate in the Red Bull Music Academy 2015 programme at collaborative culture hub, la Gaîté lyrique in Paris. It’s the first time New Zealand applicants have been selected. Eddie Johnston, (Cap #19) and Katherine Anderson (above), who perform under the aliases Race Banyon/Lontalious and k2k, will travel to France for two weeks in October to take part in studio sessions, workshops and lectures with artists at the academy, and other musicians throughout the city.

CULTURE

L I T T L E WOM E N I N WELLINGTON Wellington Repertory Theatre is staging an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women this month. Ewen Coleman directs the story of Mrs March, left alone to bring up four girls, Meg, Beth, Amy, and Jo. Coleman says initially directing the play was a challenge. “I had never seen the movie or read the book!” Repertory’s version is unique in using a multifunctional set. “Most theatre adaptations take

the Little Women story and just go from Christmas to Christmas. This version is not dissimilar to the movie in that it takes both the books [Little Women and Good Wives] and goes inside, up in the attic with the girls, on the ice-skating rink and to Amy’s apartment in New York.” He says it was daunting to direct such a classic. “You’ve got to somehow make an original production that doesn’t deviate from what people expect. And everybody’s got their own favourite moments. So many women have come up to me and said, ‘that was my favourite book when I was at school!’” 12 – 22 August, The Gryphon Theatre

SET IN STONE

SCHO OL CREATIVES

BET WEEN THE LINES

After many updates, Scott Eady’s sculpture The Philanthropist’s Stone will be unveiled 12 August, in its new lower Cuba Street spot. Dunedinbased Eady was commissioned by the Wellington Sculpture Trust to create the shiny gold and blue Corinthian column to commemorate Thomas George Macarthy, a prominent Wellington philanthropist and businessman, who died in 1912.

An exhibition of drawings from Samuel Marsden’s 17th annual Artist in Residence, painter Maria O’Toole (above), opens at the end of the month. She tutored preschool, primary, and secondary students for five weeks, encouraging them to explore their creativity, Inge Doig of the school told us. The week-long exhibition shows O’Toole’s In One Breath, a series of works from her walks around Marsden School and its surrounds, alongside student work, at Wellington’s National Portrait Gallery, Shed 11, from 31 August.

Aro Valley comic Sean Molloy published season one of his web comic in book form last month. Two Pedants collects all the strips about two pedants saving the world one correction at a time. “This is a book for people who like Oxford commas, hate Oxford commas, don’t really care about Oxford commas - and people who don’t know what an Oxford comma is," Molloy says. See page 87

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MUSIC

SURVIVALIST SELF-HELP MANTRA WRITTEN BY MELODY THOMAS

Give Up Your Dreams is the sixth studio album from The Phoenix Foundation, and while the title reads like the maxim of a washed-up old cynic, closer inspection reveals a motivational mantra in disguise.

mbition is a great thing. It keeps us focused, pushing us onwards and upwards in the pursuit of our goals. But in life those goalposts aren’t static. They shift the moment we reach them, and so our ambitions are never really satisfied. This self-defeating pattern is what The Phoenix Foundation is referring to when they urge you to Give Up Your Dreams (GUYD). “It's not actually about abandoning ambition. It's about accepting where you're at… Freeing yourself from unachievable goals that eat you up inside... It can be a horrible mindf**k trying to meet your own expectations, so maybe we should all lower them,” says co-frontman Samuel Scott. “What sounds like a depressing and defeatist thing is actually a survivalist-self-help mantra… don't expect anything, just do it,” adds the band’s other frontman, Luke Buda. This joyous throwing off of the bonds of expectation translates to an album overflowing with infectious exuberance — in Scott’s words the most “dancey party-times” Phoenix Foundation release to date. But while accessible, GUYD is still incredibly complex — the “just do it” attitude, Scott says, “freeing us up to go deeper and further creatively.” Traditionally the songs on a Phoenix Foundation album are written mostly by Buda and Scott and then brought to the band for finishing, but GUYD saw the process flipped on its head, with rhythm as the starting point. “When I sat down to make my demos to bring to the band I thought, ‘What are the things that make the

band unique?’ and ‘What is the most exciting thing about the band right now for me?’ My answers were the high musical facility of the band, that we can play all sorts of stuff from simple to complex, and the most exciting thing was our drummer,” says Buda. Not just any drummer — improvisational wunderkind Chris O’Connor, who joined the band half way through recording their last album Fandango, and “can pretty much play any ridiculous beat you suggest to him, but make it sound relaxed.” “So basically my aim was to make some stuff that had complex and exciting rhythms,” says Buda. Buda obviously succeeded in his aim — when I ran into him a month ago he expressed delight at the fact that he’d presented a rhythm to O’Connor that he couldn’t play immediately after first hearing it, and the last time I spoke to bassist Tom Callwood he was still working up the stamina required to play one of the new songs in its entirety live. It can be safely assumed that once they’ve got it down, the GUYD tour will make for an electrifying experience. And despite all this talk about giving up your dreams, fans can rest assured that The Phoenix Foundation aren’t likely to throw in the towel anytime soon. Scott says, “When I reflect on making music, on who we get to make music with, and how we get to do it… Questioning what you do with your life seems completely normal to me, but sometimes the answer is, ‘What I am doing with my life is a bloody blessing.’”

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B R I G H T, YO U N G T H I N G WRITTEN BY CRAIG BEARDSWORTH | PHOTOGRAPH BY ANNA BRIGGS

Hanging out in New York for six months is a dream for hundreds of artists. Having your expenses paid is a whole other level of “dream” and that’s what Frances Moore did. As a Fulbright Scholar she was awarded $30,000 in 2012 to complete an Artist Diploma in Operatic Directing at New York University. “I studied different models of opera performance from intimate art gallery performances of new works to watching closed tech rehearsals at The Met.” Moore initially trained as an opera singer at Victoria University, gaining an Honours degree in Performance Music and a Masters in Musicology. The decision to change focus to behind the scenes she describes as surprisingly satisfying. “I love working with singers, I remember some of the struggles they are going through. I stay away from talking about vocal technique, but I know not to direct my soprano to do a handstand while singing her top D. I also know when I can ask a little more from my singers.” When asked if she misses singing on stage Moore admits to getting the odd pang. “Only sometimes! I had many

great experiences as a singer, and my time with NIMBY [a small Wellington opera company] where we worked on contemporary repertoire was really exciting.” Now based in Auckland, Moore has returned to Wellington to direct Victoria University’s School of Music double opera bill of Dido and Aeneas by Purcell and L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (The Child and the Spells) by Ravel. The Ravel opera has a cast of animals and inanimate objects like a clock, a fireplace and a broken teacup. Moore has relished the challenge of finding a “language” for the students to portray the characters with. “Opera, by its nature, should have very little to do with naturalism. Playing with dance and physical gesture is a great way to explore these unusual roles.” She has worked closely with designer Alex Guillot to create costumes that will aid the characterisation If you want to see what a singing teacup looks like head to Opera Double Bill: Dido and Aeneas & L’Enfant et les Sortilèges,VUW Memorial Theatre, 13–16 August.

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WHOLE FOOD FEAST WRITTEN BY ANNA JACKSON-SCOTT | PHOTOGRAPH BY RHETT GOODLEY-HORNBLOW Katie Richardson and Rebecca Hardieboys have whole foods at heart. Katie, co-owner of Maranui, Deluxe cafe, and Queen Sally’s Diamond Deli, has been a vegan for around 20 years. Rebecca is the brain behind Hardieboys Ginger Beer, and eats more or less from her garden. The two women are bringing their passion for whole food to the public at this year’s Visa Wellington on a Plate with a vegan showcase and cocktail event, The Loving Spoonful. The evening will be a feast of vegan creations, with gingerbeer cocktails made by Rebecca. Katie likes the challenge of cooking delicious vegan food. “It makes doing food so much more of a challenge, which I love. I’m always trying to find substitutes, I’d never buy that processed vegan food like fake vegan cheese, at home or in cafes. "Wellington definitely has a close food culture with a lot of variety available for vegans. And raw food is a strongly growing trend.” Katie was a vegetarian before becoming a vegan two decades ago, mainly for health reasons. “I’m not one of those vegans who doesn’t wear leather shoes,” she clarifies. “And I do eat honey but I don’t put it in the food because I know some vegans don’t like that.”

Her food preference has become a lifestyle. “I can’t imagine eating animal products ever again. It’s so much a part of me. People said when I was pregnant, “You’ll eat meat!” but I never craved it and I’ve carried three children.” Her family will eat meat — “My boys love it!” — but Katie makes sure it’s free-range. “Animal rights are definitely part of it. I like ethical farming, and I try to buy only organic stuff for home.” Organic food is also central to Rebecca’s life, although she’s more concerned with organic, local food than veganism. “I eat anything but I try and eat organically and locally. I believe in low air miles — although obviously I can’t get ginger round the corner! Basically 90% of our food comes from our garden and from doing trades with people.” During their school days “our kids were embarrassed by their healthy lunchboxes,” she laughs. Katie was one of Rebecca’s customers and a solid friendship grew from their shared food philosophy. “It’s great working with Katie because we’ve got the same beliefs about nutrition, only she went down the food track and I went the drinks way. It’s a great match.”

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F E AT U R E

POT LUCKY PHOTOGRAPHY BY UNNA BURCH

A pot luck dinner provides suspense and surprise, social atmosphere, and exposure to new flavours. And it makes life easy for the host. Capital food writer Unna Burch asked friends and fellow foodies to join her for a pot luck and share their recipes.

Dai Phonevilay and Dal Philavong are Laotian-born Wellington friends who competed in New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first series of My Kitchen Rules last year. Nikki and Jordan Shearer from Wainuiomata are a mother and daughter team from Master Chef.

The five of them each share a recipe for an entree, main and dessert that will satisfy the masses.

F E AT U R E

POPCORN CHICKEN WITH CHIPOTLE LIME MAYO NIKKI AND JORDAN

any nostalgic memories come to mind when pot luck is mentioned. As a family we spent eight years at the Outward Bound School in Anakiwa, a small settlement in the Marlborough Sounds. The pot luck dinner was a common occurrence but we were a long way from supermarkets and had to rely on what we could shoot, forage, grow or had in our freezers. We had a large vegetable garden so fresh veges were never a problem. Our freezer would be packed with wild venison, beef mince, chicken thighs and chicken breasts. All OB staff were on a modest income so meals had to be economical and go a long way. The great thing about this dish is that everything INGREDIENTS Chicken (Begin marinating the day before) 4 free range chicken breasts cut into 2cm cubes 1 cup thick Greek yoghurt 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 3 tablespoons finely chopped thyme or parsley Chipotle Lime Mayo Juice of two limes and zest of one 2 tablespoons chipotle paste I tablespoon honey ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 3 egg yolks ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup vegetable oil Pickled carrots 100ml rice wine vinegar 100g sugar 2 carrots, peeled and julienned 1 large red chilli, cut into fine strips 2–3 cups panko breadcrumbs Salt and pepper Canola oil for frying Cos lettuce leaves for serving

could, and should, be prepared the night before; apart from the cooking of the chicken of course. The pickle and mayo can be kept for up to two weeks in the fridge. The chicken gathers even more flavour if you can marinate for approximately 8 hours. Depending upon your preference, the chicken can be oven baked or deep or shallow fried. If you are oven baking, heat oven to 180oC, drizzle popcorn chicken with a little olive oil and bake for 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve on individual cos lettuce leaves with the pickle and a drizzle of mayo. Or, let the guests get creative and assemble themselves. We promise you...you will not be taking leftovers home!

METHOD Marinating chicken

Mix together yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, paprika and 1 tablespoon of the chopped herbs. Add chicken and set aside to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight. While that is marinating, you can make the mayo and the pickles. For the mayo

Blitz all ingredients except the oil with a stick blender or food processor. Drizzle in the oil slowly while still blitzing until thickened. Set aside. For the pickled carrots

Heat vinegar and sugar over a medium heat until sugar dissolved. Take off heat and add carrots and chilli. Set aside to cool. To cook chicken

Mix panko crumbs, the remaining 2 tablespoons of herbs and season with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken pieces in the panko mixture. Remove chicken pieces and place on tray until ready to cook. Heat canola oil in a deep fryer or shallow pan to 180oC. Cook pieces for approx. 3–4 minutes until golden in colour and juices run clear. Check the thickest piece before serving to ensure chicken is cooked through.

F E AT U R E

TOM KHEM CARAMELISED PORK BELLY STEW WITH BOILED EGGS DAI AND DAL

e’ve grown up attending pot luck gatherings since we can remember. It’s very much a part of our culture and it’s how we like to eat – as the saying goes, sharing is caring. This is one of our favourite Lao dishes, Tom Khem – caramelised pork belly stew with boiled eggs. Tom Khem literally translates to “salty stew or soup”. It’s the perfect dish for sharing because it’s INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoon white sugar 3–4 slices ginger 1 tablespoon crushed garlic 3–4 slices galangal (fresh if possible, otherwise dried galangal is fine) 6 eggs boiled and peeled 800 grams free-range pork belly (sliced into 4cm strips) 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoons chicken stock 2 cups of water (approx) 3 tablespoon dark soy sauce 2 star anise 1 cinnamon stick (optional) 2 tablespoons fish sauce coriander to garnish steamed rice to serve

hearty and packed full of flavours – the fragrant spices, the tender caramelised pork and the boiled eggs which soak up the delicious stew make it an absolute joy to eat. The best part about this dish is both adults and children will love it – and as busy parents, this is a good thing.

METHOD

The first and trickiest part is caramelising the sugar, but do give it a go. Heat sugar in a pot or wok on low to medium heat. Keep an eye on the sugar as it melts, as you don’t want the sugar to burn. Once the sugar has caramelised (when it has started to turn a golden brown colour) add the ginger and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add the garlic, galangal and the pork slices. Increase the temperature to medium/high and cook for two minutes while stirring the meat so it doesn’t stick to the wok. Add in salt and chicken stock. Keep stirring until pork is browned. Once the meat is cooked and is brown all over, add water – just enough to cover the pork. Then add the soy sauce, star anise and cinnamon stick. Turn the heat on high and let this boil for a few minutes then turn the heat down to low/medium to simmer. Put a lid on the wok and simmer for at least one hour. If time permits, we cook this on the stovetop for at least two hours. This will ensure that the meat is tender. After approximately 90 minutes of simmering, add the boiled eggs then add the fish sauce. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Doing this, will make eggs able to soak up all the delicious flavours of the stew and will also colour the inside of the egg as well. To serve, dish the Tom Khem into a large serving bowl, garnish with fresh coriander and serve with steamed jasmine rice or sticky rice and Asian greens. There you have it – a beautiful pork belly dish that smells good, and will also melt in your mouth. So rich and flavoursome. We hope you enjoy cooking Tom Khem for your families as much as we do for ours.

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F E AT U R E

ROCKY ROAD TRUFFLES UNNA BURCH

any hands make light work, right? I think so! Especially at a pot luck. I love the idea of not only sharing out the preparation of food, but also the cost, everyone contributing a little something to the shared meal experience. But there is also the excitement about what people might bring, and that for me is the best part. These truffles are bite-size morsels. If you are too full to eat the dessert after a generous pot luck buffet, you

INGREDIENTS 250ml (1 cup) cream 250g (1 large block) dark FairTrade chocolate, chopped 2 tablespoons butter 1 ½ cups salted peanuts, roasted 1 ½ cups dried cherries or dried cranberries 2 cups marshmallows (see my website under ‘recipes’ if you would like to make your own homemade marshmallow) To decorate 1 cup roasted & chopped hazelnuts 1 cup FairTrade cocoa powder, sifted 1 cup desiccated coconut

can package them up at the end and people can take them home. They also make a really easy homemade gift, perfect around Christmas time. This recipe is quite simple. It’s a good one for a beginner cook or to do with your kids. It does require setting time, but the good thing is that it can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge.

METHOD

Warm the cream in a pot until it is hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and butter. Shake the pot back and forward a little to cover the chocolate with the cream and set aside for three minutes. While the chocolate is melting, chop the rocky road ‘bits’. Cut the marshmallows in half and then into thirds, I did this with scissors. Cut the peanuts, not too fine, a chunky cut, same with the cherries. Set aside for now. Now that the chocolate has been sitting, give it a good mix with a whisk to combine. Leave to cool slightly before adding the other ingredients, If it’s too hot the marshmallow will melt. Add all of the chopped ingredients, fold through the chocolate and pour into a container. Cover and refrigerate until set (at least four hours, but can be done up to a week ahead) Line a tray with baking paper and set aside. Take heaped teaspoons of the chocolate mix and roll with clean slightly damp hands, washing your hands as you go as they get mucky. Refrigerate again until they are firm, about 30 minutes. Once firm roll in either cocoa powder, hazelnuts or both. Serve on a tray with tongs so people can help themselves. You can also buy little cellophane bags or white noodle boxes and have them sitting next to the truffles so people can bag some up to take home if they prefer.

EDIBLES

H E L L’ S A-HELPING Rene Bunker of Lower Hutt has been given a helping hand by Hell Pizza. She graduated from their “Active in Hell” program last month, an initiative that provides training opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Rene spent six weeks training at Hell’s Pizza Petone and has since enrolled at Weltec. Rob Lindsay of Hell Petone has seen big changes in Rene’s confidence and ability. “What Rene is able to do now is no different to what the rest of the guys do every day.”

HOT STUFF Paekakariki-based chef Nicholas Huffman’s Chilli Pepper Hot Sauce has won gold last month in an international competition. Huffman, who has been connected to Matterhorn, trained in Paris and has worked in kitchens around the world. His Huffman's Hot Sauce took out the Pepper Blend category at the World Hot Sauce Awards in Louisiana.

PHOTO BY PATINA PHOTOGRAPHY

IN THE BAG “The money or the bag” was the catchcry of this year’s Wellington City Mission’s annual appeal this year. “Money is an easier option if people can’t find time to make a hamper,” Tareq Branney of the Mission says. Their Brown Paper Bag Appeal raised $100,000 in food donations, which will keep their food bank stocked until their Christmas Appeal in November.

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FO OD DIRECTORY

TR A DE K ITC HE N

G O O D CHEM IS T RY

Enjoy a $35 lunch in the sun during Visa Wellington On A Plate or Dinner at Dusk for $45. While you're in the house, toast the CBD with a Beehive Cocktail! Trade hours: Monday – Saturday 7am – late. 10 Customhouse Quay. Bookings call 04 499 1639 www.tradekitchen.co.nz

Imagine your best friend was an amazing chef. She knew a guy who could style a table like no-one else. And together they threw a stunning dinner party in your home (and cleaned up afterwards). We can’t promise we’ll be best friends, but we can promise we're brilliant at private party catering. www.goodchemistry.co.nz

L E A F Y R IDGE O L IV E S

W HERE LAN D M EET S S EA Portlander is a unique take on the grill house concept one which is local, seasonal, cultivated... and just a little bit wild. Bloody rare and rather well done - it's the ideal place to eat meat and greet. 75 Featherston Street Ph: 04-499-8686 www.portlander.co.nz

Leafyridge Olives is the largest commercial olive grove in the Wairarapa. We supply award winning extra virgin olive oil to some of Wellington’s finest restaurants, as well as through several retail outlets. We welcome visits to our beautiful grove. Ph: 06-370-2603 / Cell: 0275-421-228 www.leafyridge.co.nz

S TR AW B E R RY FA R E

CHAM ELEO N J O URN EY

Enjoy superb desserts, pre-show meals and delicious weekend brunch. Be assured we won’t disappoint your sweet tooth. Visit soon we’ve got free customer parking next door. 25 Kent Terrace, Wellington 04 385 2551 www.strawberryfare.co.nz

Chef de Cuisine Paul Limacher has traversed the Wellington region to collect produce from Masterton to Cook Strait and everywhere in between to deliver A Culinary Journey for Visa Wellington on a Plate. www.chameleonrestaurant.co.nz/aculinaryjourney

EDIBLES

MUSIC M A N IA Courtenay Place’s Basque opened Wellington’s first rooftop bar in June, with an added twist: you can play your own music. The bar supplies speakers that plug into the tables outside, which bargoers can connect to their phones. The outdoor space is proofed for the winter with heaters and awnings to let any sun in but keep out the wind. Owners Maria Boyle, Lydia Suggate and Stacey Walsh raised $30,000 for the rooftop space in a week on PledgeMe in December last year.

FOR THE PEOPLE

TOASTIE TO OTSIES

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR

Newtown coffee roaster Peoples Coffee are supporting events around the community. Last month they ran a two-week barista training course at Arohata Women’s Prison, aimed to give real, transferable skills to the inmates to help their transition back into the community. The roastery also supplies coffee to the yearly fundraiser for homelessness, the Big Sleepout, and JustSpeak events, where the public can come together to discuss changes to our justice system.

Spring Spa on Tory Street will warm you during the winter months with a Storm and India Chocolate Elixir while your toes are warmed with a foot bath and massage. Their Toasty Toes offer couples a 30-minute sandalwood oil and a milk foot bath and shoulder massage with a cup of assam black tea blended with chunks of cocoa and vanilla.

WelTec patisserie students Ryan Bloomfield and Daniel Baird recently won the International Culinary Cooking Competition at Johnson County Community College in Kansas USA. The 19-year-old students travelled to the invitationonly competition with WelTec chef tutors Ray Morrell and Scott Campbell, to compete against other trainee chefs from around the world. Daniel works at Taylors on Jackson in Petone, and Ryan at Wellington’s Intercontinental Hotel.

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EDIBLES

FA C E THE MUSIC Wine matching is old news; it’s time to match beer to music. As part of Wellington on a Plate 2015, four local brewers have teamed up with San Fran to celebrate different beer styles. Music2Brew2 runs over four nights, one each with Parrot Dog, Panhead, Garage Project, and Tuatara breweries. The brewers curate an evening of local Wellington music, choosing genres that suit their chosen beer style, brewing special recipes with the music in mind. Local musician and Chef Ian Gordon of Fat Freddy’s Drop will create individual tasting menus to accompany the evenings’ brews. 20 & 21 August, 27 & 28 August, 8pm

PHOTO BY PATINA PHOTOGRAPHY

CHEFS FOR CHARIT Y

SEASONAL SODA

COAST TO COAST

Chefs from Wellington restaurants came together recently to cook for families staying at Ronald McDonald House Wellington. The house provides temporary free accommodation for families who need to stay close to their ill children. Glen Taylor from Zibibbo, Marie Penny from Dockside, sous chef Blayne Still at Shed 5 and Darren Shead, previously of Charley Noble, prepared the meal as part of the launch of the charity’s annual Supper Club event. The fundraiser, to be held on 22 September, has 30 local restaurants participating.

Six Barrel Soda launched a seasonal soda last month, bitter sweet Rhubarb and Juniper. The soda flavour will change four times throughout the year to match the season. It’s available at Six Barrel HQ in Wellington, Moore Wilson's, and Laundry on Cuba.

Kapiti’s North End Brewing Company has had its first canned beer sold on the other side of the world. The brewery’s Super Alpha Pacific Pale Ale was selected to be served at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington DC alongside Tuatara, Epic, Parrotdog, Emersons and Three Boys. “This is a great development that will see New Zealand diplomats promoting the New Zealand craft beer industry in the biggest craft beer market on earth” says Kieran Haslett-Moore, Capital beer writer and North End head brewer and partner.

It’s the ingredients that make it taste so good. Find it all at labocaloca.co.nz

LIQUID THOUGHTS

TOP BUYING Where are the places to buy wine, why and what’s on offer; JOELLE THOMSON scours the local shelves.

eese Drake sells wines that many retailers and most bar owners describe as impossible to sell: he just puts them out on his shop shelves. The shelves are at his New World supermarket, in Thorndon, with an entire aisle devoted to craft beer and six rows of wine.The six rows provide a seemingly endless choice from discounted southern French syrah, gutsy Spanish garnacha and dry riesling to good Prosecco and cheaper than usual champagne. Am I seeing correctly? Can this be true? And since it is, why on earth can’t more supermarkets be like this one? It’s now 26 years since the floodgates opened and the 1989 Sale of Liquor Act legalized the sale of wine in New Zealand supermarkets, so we could be forgiven for hoping that at least one supermarket in every community might have figured out by now that Kiwis like variety. When supermarkets here began selling wine, it was suggested that buyers would swiftly turn into discount junkies. This would make us rather like our British counterparts, who are so entrenched in bargain bin buying habits that nine out of 10 bottles of wine sold in the UK are now on discount in supermarkets (Decanter magazine, 2011). Although that prediction has largely turned out to be true, supermarket wine sales in this country have also democratized wine; by sheer coincidence, perhaps, but by making it widely available, all people who enjoy it can now drink it regularly. Which brings me back to the fact that, if they are brave enough to stock a diverse range, offer modest discounts and display wine seductively, wine shops and supermarkets can lasso a loyal following and push up the average bottle spend. In turn, this means that savvy retailers can lead their customers to new wine experiences so that every drink is not identical to the last. Why should wine be a staid experience? We do not eat exactly the same food for dinner every night of the week. New World Thorndon is one the best places to buy wine in this country. The owners provide an enormously diverse range at affordable prices and they drive their own discount

regime, rather than the fake discounts that now permeate global supermarket dump stacks. In one chain store I saw the cabernet sauvignon shelves full of merlot and the riesling shelves occupied entirely by low priced moscato from across the ditch. I lost count – and almost the will to live. It’s a sad state of affairs when labels become that meaningless. Supermarkets might never compete with the high end of the fine wine store. But then again, how many days each week do even serious nerd wine buyers (such as yours truly) enjoy the great Burgundies, Mosels, Piemontese reds or sherries of this world? Okay, right now a little too much of my income is going in the direction of two of those wines above but I’m as seduced by discounts as the next person. Who can imagine buying outdoor gear from Kathmandu at full price ever again? The same is true of most supermarkets' wine shelves. Low-priced riesling tastes phenomenal in five years’ time (and rather acidic right now), so I stash it away for five years’ or so. On the other hand, when I saw a 2013 Paddy Borthwick dry riesling on sale at $11 recently I bought it to drink now and went back for more. It won’t necessarily be available in another month. A chat with Reese, one of the owner-operators at the Thorndon store, reveals that it’s not only riesling that sells like hot cakes at his supermarket, but also gewürztraminer, viognier and a wide range of chardonnays, from big ‘n buttery to lean and crisp. Supermarkets such as this one compete on all levels: availability, price and top quality. Despite booming online wine sales, I am sure great wine stores will remain. Like books (rather than e-readers), they sate the appetites of those who enjoy fossicking around in a tactile environment. And with that thought in mind, I might just pop into another couple of the capital’s top vino shops this weekend. Regional Wines and Spirits at the Basin Reserve, Centre City Wines in Waring Taylor St, Moore Wilson’s in Tory St, and Glengarry’s here I come.

LIQUID BRIEFS

T H E AT R I C A L TA S T E S Taste, talk about and learn more about the wines that importers Hancocks bring into New Zealand at a free tasting this month at the St James Theatre in Wellington. Those in the drinks trade can register for the Hancocks Tour online at hancocks.co.nz/tour and the rest of us mere mortals (who enjoy wine and other interesting beverages) can simply turn up between 2pm and 6pm on Thursday 13 August. The Hancocks’ wines are stocked in Glengarry’s and some other wine stores nationwide.

WINS FOR WINE

FOUR SEASONS AT ONE WINERY

CHANGING THE GUARD

Finalists from four regions compete for Young Viticulturist of the Year 2015 on 25 August. The finalists, from Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay, Central Otago, and Marlborough participate in various activities at EIT Hawke’s Bay before the winner is announced on the evening of 27 August. The winner recieves a $5,000 travel voucher, one year’s use of a Hyundai Santa Fe, $2,000 cash, wine glasses and leadership training, and will compete in the Young Horticulturist of the Year in November.

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Martinborough’s Medici Café and Palliser Estate winery are joining forces for an event called Symphonic Feast on Saturday 15 August. This Four Seasons includes a four course meal with music by the NZSO at Palliser Estate’s barrel hall in Martinborough. The meal to match the music and wine will be made with Wairarapa produce by Café Medici. Tickets can be purchased at the Visa Wellington On A Plate website or Pip Goodwin at pipg@palliser.co.nz

Richard Riddiford has become a well known figure in the Wairarapa, not least for having his own table at Medici Café in Martinborough, where he enjoys a daily espresso. He is now retiring from his long-standing role as managing director of Palliser Estate, and winemaker Pip Goodwin is stepping into his large shoes as the winery’s new MD.

We are pleased to announce the opening of our brand new sister venue at 105 The Terrace. Modern brasserie menu and bar grazing, all day and into the evening.

Bar & Kitchen

fine wines / craft beers / sherries / ports and cocktails.

Open Monday to Friday. Join our mailing list for a chance to WIN a free meal for two. www.ministryoffood.co.nz / Ph. 04 4995209

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IN THE BATTLE OF THE BUNS, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE VICTOR. Between August 14th & 30th, you can volunteer for ‘e Hunter Games’... Portlander’s tasty entry in the #WOAP Burger Wellington Competition. 47 Portlander.co.nz / Cnr Featherston & Whitmore / May the odds be ever in your favour.

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Behind the Scenes of Vatican Art and Architecture 6pm-8pm starts Thursday 20 August

Explosions and Fallout: The history of the Nobel Prize for Literature 6pm-8pm starts Wednesday 16 September

BOOK YOUR WARDROBE IN FOR AN UPDATE AT WESTFIELD QUEENSGATE WEDNESDAY 19 – SUNDAY 30 AUGUST.

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W HAT T H E F L O C K

LIT T LE PIPIT Name: New Zealand Pipit. Māori name: Pīhoihoi. Status: Endemic, declining. Habitat: Pipits are widely distributed in rough, open habitats like grasslands, sand dunes and rocky terrain the length of the country. Look for them: Around coastlines and rivers. Pīhoihoi occupy the same habitats and are similar in colour and size to skylarks, but a skylark is more likely to fly when disturbed, the pipit displaying a similar friendly curiosity to other New Zealand natives. The pipit also sports a distinctive pale eyebrow stripe and – as a member of the wagtail family – likes to flick its long tail up and down as it runs and walks. Pipit populations may originally have been encouraged to spread and grow as clearing land created more open spaces, but their numbers are now declining in favour of the skylark. It is believed this is down to the use of pesticides on farms — the skylark diet relies more on seeds — as well as a vulnerability to predators through ground nesting. Call: A shrill “scree”. From now till February you might catch the territorial song of the male pipit, a high pitched “peepit” for which it was named. Feeds on: Diet relies heavily on small invertebrates and insects, with some seeds too. Did you know? Despite their similarities, the pipit and the skylark belong to different taxonomic families – the skylark is part of the family Alaudidae (with the other larks) and the pipit belongs to the family Motacillidae – encompassing wagtails, longclaws and other pipit species. If it were human it would be: If the skylark were human too, we imagine the pipit to be that annoying relative who looks just like you, but is generally agreed to be friendlier, cuter and more curious.

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Photography by Ashley Church Assisted by Rhett Goodley-Hornblow

STREET STYLE

JACKIE FEE

COLIN RO ONEY

Singer Found at Milk Crate

Medical Psychiatrist Found at Elements.

Where are your clothes from? I got my jacket from TradeMe and I put a few patches and badges on it. The top is from Recycle Boutique and some black Chucks. What’s your go-to outfit to wear to brunch? Something flowy with a leather jacket and some funky sunglasses.

Where are your clothes from? My boots are from Wellington, my trousers are from Australia and my shirt is from Bali. What’s your go-to outfit to wear to brunch? This outfit. I don’t really sway too much from this. Favourite meal in Wellington... Something at Istanbul.

Favourite meal in Wellington is... Anything Japanese and Capital Market.

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F E AT U R E

TO HELL IN A HAND CART PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA BRIGGS

A century-old political society has been revived in Wellington – by a group of grizzled left-wing activists determined to make an impact today, HARRIET PALMER finds.

he right wing has had its way for too long in New Zealand, Mike Smith says. They’ve shaped the whole political conversation – and since 1984, when we adopted the standard late-20th-century capitalism, we’ve gone backwards. “ The right has systematically dismantled the progress made by working people over the past century.” Paul Chalmers agrees, more colourfully. New Zealanders are buzzing around on the floor like dying flies, he says. The rich are skipping off to the bank with fistfuls of cash and we can’t stop looking at ourselves in the mirror long enough to take notice. “We’re all going to hell in a handcart, smoking money as we go.” Geoff Bertram says New Zealand barely has a left wing in its politics – and those who claim the title are just pragmatists looking for votes. He’s mourning the New Zealand he grew up in during the 1950s and 60s. These aren’t fringe student politicians or ranting bloggers. They’re a Victoria University economist, a successful businessman, and a former Labour Party general secretary – establishment figures. So what do you do, if this is what you believe – that the country is pointing in the wrong direction? In their case, the answer was to revive a 131-year-old association dedicated to progressive politics: the Fabian Society. In 2010, shortly after Smith’s retirement from his post in Labour, he and the others helped found a New Zealand chapter of the group that has long been a pillar of the British left wing. Why the Fabians? Why a genteel, century-old society that got going before there was any semblance of the welfare state? Because, says Smith, who chairs the group, the Fabians’ ideas remain relevant from large wealth disparities to persistent unemployment, many of their 19th-century worries still ring true. “The idea was to have a group that was raising ideas different from the standard economic ideology that we have had in

New Zealand since the 1980s, that the market is everything. The early Fabians had a focus on inequality and in New Zealand that’s a very real issue.” The group’s ethos holds a lot of appeal, too. The Fabians emphasise high-quality research, free thinking and candid debate, he says. They’re not doctrinaire and they don’t seek consensus, so there’s no need for tortuous back-room policy debates. He thinks it enables good ideas to flow. They’re not a “think tank”, he says – to use a political buzzword, which describes the likes of the Business Roundtable and its successor, the New Zealand Initiative. (Smith explicitly wanted a counterweight to such free-market outfits). They’re more of a “think group”. Plus, he says, there’s hardly any money in the New Zealand left – so a staffed-up institute that produced its own research wasn’t going to fly. The Fabians (of New Zealand, at least) are more like a forum for interesting, informed and provocative ideas. It’s all very mature, which might account for the large number of silver heads bobbing about in the audiences at their lectures, but it’s still activism and by all accounts it has a long and successful history. In Britain, the Fabians have played a major role on the political stage. They were instrumental in the formation of a number of fundamental policies taken for granted today: a minimum wage, a national education system, universal healthcare. They founded the London School of Economics and the New Statesman. Internationally, the society has left its mark on the design of the United Nations and UNESCO. In India, Jawaharlal Nehru was a Fabian, and much of his country’s post-colonial policy was based on their work. New Zealand has hosted prominent Fabians before, too. In 1898, two of the founders of the society took a tiki tour of

F E AT U R E

the country. Beatrice and Sidney Webb were social researchers with family money. Their initial work had been on causes of poverty in England. They came to see a supposedly model society, lauded around the world for its social insurance and labour market reform. Beatrice famously said she would bring her children up in Christchurch. They even produced a small publication, Visit to New Zealand, based on their observations – they found the women lacking in ambition and open to enjoying themselves, and they were impressed by the “equality of treatment of all, by all” among workers. Another famous Fabian, the playwright George Bernard Shaw, also made the months-long journey out to New Zealand in 1934. He was best-known for Pygmalion – a play tackling the British class system, which to this day is being picked apart by Kiwi secondary school students. A major celebrity of the age, Shaw drew large audiences to lectures that were broadcast over the wireless. Wellington’s first Fabian Society was formed with the exclusive aim of hosting a Shaw lecture chaired by Walter Nash and Peter Fraser. The society didn’t last, so the 2010 group is the first real and functioning group Wellington has seen.

nd it is a passionate group. For Smith, it clearly isn’t a part-time thing. Like other Fabians, Smith has a long progressive pedigree. He began his professional career as a Catholic priest – he always liked the Sermon on the Mount– but soon left and moved into community and political activism. He worked at a centre for Wellington street kids. He was a social worker at Porirua Hospital in the 1970s when electric shock therapy was the preferred treatment; it started him campaigning for people with mental health issues. He ran the Downtown Ministry for a number of years before becoming involved with unions and the Labour Party. Despite the century of tradition, the current Fabian society is “very much a new initiative for our time,” Smith says. He, Chalmers and Bertram all mention Thomas Piketty, the French economist du jour whose book Capital has become an international sensation. They enthusiastically endorse his thesis that capitalism inexorably leads to growing wealth disparities – and that the exception to the rule, in the middle of last century, resulted from the upheaval of the world wars. “Piketty’s work exposed things we have always known,” Chalmers says.

“[It] has been an important part of what we have done over the past few years,” Smith agrees. They’ve been influenced, too, by research on the growing insecurity of work – what economist Guy Standing calls the precariat, a class of people who struggle for basic job security. “When I started work there was nobody unemployed,” Smith says. “I could basically write a sentence, I could get a good job and it wasn’t at all difficult. Now there is no such thing as lifelong employment, everybody’s employment is vastly different. It is much more contract-based, it is much more uncertain, it is much more insecure. These are very, very fundamental and important questions.” The Fabians look to the home front for inspiration too. They’ve had Sir Michael Cullen on the future of progressive politics lately (in short: make an emotional appeal for votes); they’ve had Nicky Hager on investigative journalism; they’ve had Professor Jane Kelsey on her belief the “rock star economy” is a kind of fiction that “sedates the majority of people and avoids confronting unpalatable realities”. Chalmers, a former economist at Victoria University, uses the Fabian platform to voice his opposition to the country’s current economic and political direction – something he says he was never able to do as an employee of a university so dependent on government favour and funding. He says a popular belief in this country that economics and left wing politics don’t share the same space is a fallacy – the issue is that our universities have become increasingly allied with the right, and economists with “progressive tendencies are not being hired”. He calls the Business Roundtable and its allies “thought police” and says while once he enjoyed discussions with members of the right, “they’ve become feral”. Attracting people, particularly young people, is one of the group’s challenges. Smith says they’re beginning to pop up at events, depending on the topic. They have also reached out groups who have similar interests, including Generation Zero, a youth-led climate-change movement. Smith says they are intent on bridging generations because the aims and ideals of both groups are the same. The Fabians are also up with the technological moment – they do podcasts, they have a busy website, they’re getting likes on their Facebook page, some members write blogs for other left-wing websites and they push their messages and meetings through all social media channels.

The Fabians may be ancient, but Smith says they are still relevant. “It goes back to the emphasis on quality. They have founded institutions that have lasted. It’s the issues and the principles that sustain the tradition. They don’t change, no matter how they are presented or communicated.” What about the inevitable impression that the Fabians are effectively a wing of the Labour party? Smith admits this is an easy conclusion for outsiders to come to, but he is intent on the group having no official affiliations. “Our aim is to promote social democracy in general terms, so we look to the sympathetic political parties across the spectrum.” “Once you become linked to a particular party, possibilities for debate become limited.” The group also has a policy of not using Members of Parliament in their presentations. “So to people who say we are just part of the Labour Party, yes, there are plenty of us who are, but there are plenty who aren’t”. So is it working? That’s hard to answer, because of the open-ended Fabian approach. The society wants change to happen incrementally. They are opposed to revolution and have been known for what one critic called their “velvet glove” approach, of feigning respectability while pushing for far-reaching reforms. Smith says the current government here has been pushed by the left to realise the importance of child poverty, for example. They are making baby steps in addressing housing issues. “These are the big questions of our time, they do need to

be raised and yes, we are contributing to the debate, and yes, we are getting listened to by people who are significant.” “If I look at the climate of opinion in the country in the time we have been in operation, I can say with some confidence that we have assisted in shifting it in a direction we consider to be a more progressive and useful approach for the future.” Even though the group is new, these activists have been fighting for a long time. Smith has been standing up for the creation of a different New Zealand, or perhaps a return to an old New Zealand, for half a century. What’s that saying – the one that says you don’t have a heart if you’re not left wing when you’re young, but you don’t have a brain if you’re not right-wing when you’re old? Smith says it’s rubbish. “If you are not questioning things, with the way the world is working at the moment, your brain is not working.” Bertram, is on the same page. He may be 70, but he’s not giving up and he’s getting more involved than ever. “I’m proud to say I can still look in the mirror without wincing – my conscience is clear.” Chalmers, the businessman, says it might be right that the Fabians are a group of grumpy old people, but at least they’re not selfish. He winds up into his argument, landing punches left and right. “I think of the people I went to school with, they are pulling up ladders,” he says. “Things are the way they are, because of a small number of people in our society. They will look back on these times aghast … Our generation is committing intergenerational theft, what the bloody hell are we doing to this world?”

Mike Smith

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

WAIT A SECOND WRITTEN BY JOHN KERR

To make up for the slowing of the Earth’s spin, a one-off leap second has been added to Wellington clocks.

r Tim Armstrong is a very punctual person, as befits a man in charge of keeping New Zealand’s official time at Wellington’s Measurements and Standards Laboratory. When I rang to chat about leap seconds, he didn’t miss the opportunity to needle me (good-naturedly) about being three minutes late. He should know. The high-tech atomic clocks at the laboratory use the vibrations of caesium atoms to track the passing seconds with razor-sharp accuracy. These clocks are so accurate that if they were miraculously able to run for 300,000 years, they would only be out by one second. The same cannot be said for the Earth. Our planetary home is slowing — almost imperceptibly — in the amount of time it takes to spin about on its axis. The motion of the seas due to the gravitational pull of the moon, the flow of molten metals in the Earth’s core and even the weather interfere with the length of the "solar day" as we experience it, explains Dr Armstrong. This tiny mismatch between our atomic clocks and the rotation of the Earth has led the world’s time-keepers to agree to occasionally tweak “The Time,” adding an extra second to ensure our clocks match up with sunrise and sunset. The most recent leap second was added to the clock last month at midnight Universal Co-ordinated Time — which was actually midday in New Zealand. The official time on 1 July went from 11:59:59 to 11:59:60, instead of straight to 12:00:00. When to add a leap second is decided by astronomers who keep one eye on the atomic time and the other firmly fixed on the time as determined by the Earth’s position relative to the Sun. Once the two get close to a second out of synch, they put out the word that a leap second is to be added.

This year’s leap second was the 26th to be added to the clock since 1972, and it may be the last. Crucial high-tech systems are not all built with the leap second in mind. When an extra second is surreptitiously slipped in by the world’s time-keepers some computer systems can throw a wobbly, “panic and shut down” as Dr Armstrong puts it. Indeed, last month’s leap second caused brief systems crashes for a number of tech giants including Twitter and Amazon. com. The leap second before that, added in 2012, scrambled Qantas’ booking systems, delaying over 400 flights. Given the technological headaches now caused by this time tweaking, some in the telecommunications industry are arguing that we should do away with leap seconds altogether and allow the official time to very slowly drift away from the solar time. In November, representatives from around the world, including New Zealand, will meet to decide the fate of the leap second at a conference, fittingly held in the land of accurate timepieces, Switzerland. For what seems like a tiny problem, the philosophical implications of the decision are actually pretty huge, requiring us to wrestle with questions about the very nature of time. Should the time on your wristwatch or smartphone be linked to the hyper-accurate beating heart of an atom, or the traditional but less consistent cosmic dance of planets in our solar system? Dr Armstrong is of the personal view that — for now — we should keep updating the time to keep it in synch with Earth’s rotation, pointing out: “We've got plenty of time to look for more elegant solutions.”

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BY THE BOOK

R E-VE R SE INTRODUCED BY FRANCES SAMUEL

Hung r y I always eat the apple core. To eat the sprouts of plants is to eat potential energy, the life force of babies. Fill me with the earth's iron, I would drink magma if I could. One day, when my insides are made of steel, I will. My oesophagus a mine of solid rock. My spine a sky scraper. Heart an engine of bolts and pistons. Blood, oil piped from under ice and all that wind and water will not touch me. By Morgan Bach, in Sport 43 (2015), edited by Fergus Barrowman

BREAKDOWN Bio Morgan Bach's debut collection of poems, Some of Us Eat the Seeds, was published last month by Victoria University Press. She is one of the editors of Sweet Mammalian, a literary journal. In brief As a member of ACEA (Apple Core Eaters Anonymous), I was hooked by the confessional first lines of this poem. That personal beginning makes a sudden switch, however, at "Fill me / with the earth's iron" − then it's all on. A cyborg-esque life form emerges, its insides made of "steel" and "solid rock". Short lines let out steam as words like "magma" and "engine" drive the poem forward at a piston-pumping pace. But, wait, what about the title, "Hungry?" A robotic figure on a rampage of consumption could suggest something beyond individual hunger, such as societal greed. Behaviour like this can only lead to disaster – climate change for starters. So, read this way, although the grand declaration 'all that/wind and water/will not/touch me' sounds convincing, bets are that the forces of nature will have the final say.

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

Best lines to quote: 'My spine/a sky scraper' is terrific, as is 'Blood,/oil piped/from under ice'. 60

BY THE BOOK

ON SCREEN

SPIRIT B O OKS

Journalist Lindsay Shelton’s 2005 book The Selling of New Zealand Movies has been updated and re-released by Awa Press as an ebook under a new title, Dancing with Hollywood. It expands upon the first edition, adding a list of all New Zealand-produced movies. It gives a critical look at why some New Zealand films succeed internationally and some do not. Peter Jackson, Jane Campion, and Taika Waititi are among those considered.

Two Wellingtonians are finalists in this year’s Mind Body Spirit Literary Awards. Karlo Mila’s Mana Moana is a finalist in the best unpublished manuscript category, and mental health commissioner Julie Leibrich’s Sanctuary: The Discovery of Wonder in the best book category. The two compete against the other nine finalists including two vicars, a monk, and a methamphetamine survivor. The winner of each category receives $10,000 to be announced on 14 August.

RUGBY MAD

JUD GING BY ITS COVER

B O OKSELLERS UNITE

As the Rugby World Cup approaches, rugby is taking over — including books. Piri’s Big All Black Dream (Penguin Random House New Zealand) is a children’s book and collaboration between Piri Weepu and authors Jared Bell and Jimmy Diaz. Bell grew up in Piri’s hometown in Wainuiomata. It’s the true story of young Piri Weepu dreaming of being an All Black, boldly illustrated and with Maori influenced lettering.

The Curioseum: Collected Stories of the Odd & Marvellous won Best Cover 2015 at the PANZ Book Design Awards last month. The cover was illustrated by writer and graphic designer Sarah Laing, and published by Te Papa Press. Judges said the cover “perfectly balances the illustration, type, colour, paper stock and embossing to achieve a design with an intangible quality.”

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8 Waring Taylor Street, Wellington

BUSINESS

A B OX OF TALENT WRITTEN BY SARAH LANG | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA BRIGGS

From the outside, 61 Abel Smith Street is undeniably ugly. But it’s what on the inside that counts, right? In this building and its prettier next-door neighbour, some 70 artists and creatives work from 30 studios; some solo, some sharing. Think painters, printmakers, photographers, ceramicists, sculptors, muralists, jewellers, costumiers, graphic designers, sound artists, animators, musicians, toy-makers. Fourteen arts organisations and small creative businesses (including mine) also base themselves at Toi Pōneke Arts Centre.

n 2005 Wellington City Council opened the centre to house and support up-andcoming artists. The inner-city bypass would soon open and rising rents would squeeze artists out of the Te Aro area. Its affordable studios were ideal for artists and creatives who were starting out, didn’t have space to work at home, had cabin fever, or really needed some company. But Toi Pōneke was, and is, more than an affordable workspace that lets you show a professional face to the world. It's what you make of it. You can work quietly in your office. Or you can share studios; chat with neighbours; air ideas over a cuppa in the student-flat-like lounges or on couches in

public space The Hub. Another drawcard is Toi Pōneke Gallery, where 300-plus emerging artists have exhibited solo or jointly. The centre also hires out project/meeting rooms, a music studio, a dance studio and a darkroom from a shared reception manned by residents working part-time. As Toi Pōneke turns ten, Wellingtonians are invited to an open day on August 8, with studio doors open, bands playing and dance workshops. There’s a lot to celebrate. Over the decade, Toi Pōneke has become the heart of the capital’s arts scene – and a springboard for many creative businesses. We profile two of its many success stories.

Paul Neason (left) & Robert Appierdo (right) with monkey Fred (middle).

S EBCUTSI IONNE SHSE A D E R

BUSINESS

SHIPPING NEWS

veryone in Wellington’s arts scene seems to know Rob Appierdo. The founder and creative director of Storybox, a design and production studio, is known for building a unique business out of interactive installations made from shipping containers. And he spent nearly four years working from and collaborating at Toi Pōneke. “Toi Pōneke was a network and a launchpad for my business.” Back in 2007, the freelance web designer, visual artist and VJ was working under the name Dnation – and sick of working from home. He had exhibited a dance film at Toi Pōneke Gallery, and decided to move into the centre, partly for the affordable rent. “But mainly to be among like-minded people – not alone, not an outsider. My work had been quite isolating and quite [financially] risky but suddenly I was part of this community, this creatively and artistically secure space.” The centre’s then-manager Eric Holowacz also helped him with ideas, contacts and tips. Initially Appierdo shared a studio with film and TV production company Sticky Pictures, designing its website and learning a lot about directing and video production. Mainly sharing studios, he worked from five different spaces over nearly four years. “It was a bit like a dorm. Our floor had a ping-pong table and people doing similar things. You could pop out and go ‘what are you up to?’ If you're putting in enough time and you’re around enough people, your insecurity falls away. And ideas evolve, grow, snowball.” He eventually collaborated on projects with around a dozen fellow residents. Straddling the commercial and artistic worlds, Appierdo picked up a lot of work in the centre. He created the logo for The Hub, designed Fringe Festival posters, and developed digital and print material for the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand. He also worked with Taika Waititi on the website for the film Boy and on viral videos for Waititi's fictional Crazy Horses Gang. Seven years on, he still does graphic design and branding for theatre company Taki Rua. Soon after moving in, he had an idea. Why not use shipping containers as an installation space? So, for the 2007 Petone Winter Carnival, he created the “Petone Storybox”: an installation on the beach made from two shipping containers, with music playing alongside video loops that he’d filmed at Petone Settlers Museum. The shipping-container concept caught on, and Storybox was born. Soon companies were calling to commission interactive shipping-container spaces, such as Lynx’s "premature perspiration test lab" at music festivals.

2010 was a big year. Appierdo conceived, directed and produced a sell-out, award-winning performance piece Everything Is Ok for Bats Theatre’s STAB season. “The idea, the rehearsals, the photocopying all happened at Toi Pōneke. That was the peak of me feeling secure and supported enough there to do a really high-risk project.” But the biggest get was a commission from New Zealand on Screen to showcase Kiwi cinema during the Rugby World Cup. “We converted shipping containers into interactive exhibitions in Auckland and Wellington, and toured a caravan-turned-theatre around the South Island.” It would be a year-long project – and the big growth curve demanded more space. So in late 2010, Appierdo and four other creative businesses set up Orchard Studios, a shared space on Cuba Street, to mirror Toi Pōneke’s supportive, collaborative setup. “It was time to move on from Toi Pōneke, just like it was time to move in here.” Storybox has just shifted into a retro-style studio on Wakefield Street, with four full-timers including Appierdo, four part-timers and multiple contractors. Currently Storybox is focusing on video and installation projects, and also doing other boundary-blurring multimedia projects categorised as spatial, graphic and digital. That could include touch screens, video loops and photo booths. “I've always done more than one thing, and as the company has grown it’s reflected that.” Clients include Wellington City Council, Unicef, and various museums and galleries. Appierdo particularly loves working with light. For Anzac Day 2015 commemorations, he collaborated with various organisations to create WWI Remembered: A Light and Sound Show, projected onto the facades of the Dominion Museum and the Carillon at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park. Meanwhile, he continues to do arts projects. His 27-container, 14-screen installation After Light has shown at light festivals in Singapore, Sydney, Auckland and Wellington. Never idle, Appierdo also helped set up Wellington’s Lux Light Festival, and helped bring design festival Semi-Permanent here. As for his old haunt, Appierdo still drops by to say hi. “Not everyone understands the value of what Toi Pōneke does. It could do more, like artistic programs, international residencies, and what about a quality mark ‘Made at Toi Pōneke? But it's hard with limited funding – and the fact that it’s consistent and still around is massive. If it wasn't for Toi Pōneke, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing.”

BUSINESS

STOP GO WORK No, National Park isn’t anything to do with the Department of Conservation. It’s the name of an animation and video production house tucked away in a modest upstairs office on Willis Street. Using both digital animation and hand-made props, coowners Paul Neason and Toby Donald create videos – particularly ads – for TV and the web. They also make music videos and "explainer videos" (for instance, a video that will screen on EBay Australia’s website to explain a new service). Known for their appealing, innovative work, they’re particularly keen on the stop-motion technique, which, frame by frame, makes an object (say, a puppet) appear to move on its own. Commissioned through design and ad agencies or directly by national and international clients, Neason and Donald take care of many jobs themselves. But for big projects they take on regular contractors; for instance, a cameraman and soundie for live-action shoots. The two other co-owners are Steffen Kreft – currently studying marionette-making and performance in Prague – and producer Melissa Donald (Toby’s wife). Rewind to 2009, when Neason, Kreft and friend Daniel Loorparg graduated from various visual-communications and design courses at Massey University. I was trying to freelance from home,” Neason remembers, “and it was incredibly distracting.” The trio took a studio at Toi Pōneke. “That was partly to have a little bit of accountability and professionalism. The idea was to arrive by 8.30 and leave at six.” The main attraction was the affordable rent. “But we quickly realised the value of being at Toi Pōneke. It’s an incubator that offers you a community and the opportunity to figure out what you want to do with your career. I made friends and lasting relationships, especially with people on the same floor. We were trying to make something of ourselves and we

bounced ideas off each other, while the people a bit further ahead in their careers imparted their wisdom.” Encouraged, Neason and Kreft began National Park in March 2010. “Early on, we landed a job that was a bit too big for us, and Rob Appierdo from Storybox helped us pull it together.” It was a series of four stop-motion animations for the New Zealand Transport Agency’s Right Car website, with animated eggs driving egg cartons and the slogan ‘Have you ever felt like an egg buying a dud car?’ National Park also collaborated with Storybox on an atmospheric video that screened at the launch of the 2012 Frankfurt Book Fair, where New Zealand was the guest of honour. That year, Neason hired a project room at Toi Pōneke to make cardboard and paper props for his award-winning short film Queenie. “It was great that Toi had extra space for hire if you want to take on something more ambitious.” After four years sharing three offices at Toi Pōneke, Neason gave notice in 2013. “Even though there was no pressure to leave, it definitely felt like it was time to make room for new people, and go our own way.” They go back to see friends and hire spaces there to shoot ads. Recently, they filmed a TV ad there for Kiwibank’s split mortgage rates, mixing real paper with digital movement. Other clients have included Home Energy Saver, the Green Party, business-software company 9 Spokes, and photo-album company Moleskine & MILK. “We’ve had some luck with international clients who have seen our work and got in touch. We’d like to do more overseas work, and more stop-motion work.” But wherever things end up, it all started at Toi Pōneke. “Being there gave us confidence that it could be done.”

INTERIOR

TABLE DANCE

ORANGE WHIP Left to right: Katherine Smyth small bowl, $32.99, Small Acorns Namaste plates, set of three, $280, Backhouse Wok scrubber, $12, Let Liv Handmade ceramic small white dish, $18, Letliv General Eclectic measuring cups set of four, $32.90, Iko Iko Saito wood coaster set, $60, Precinct 35 Katherine Smyth ice cream bowl, $31, Small Acorns Small vintage apothecary jars with lids, $20, Small Acorns Salad Days tumbler, $35, Precinct 35 Wooden spoon, $20, Small Acorn Handmade ceramic small white dish, $22, Let Liv Saito wood tray, $35, Precinct 35 Handmade ceramic white dinner plate, $29, Let Liv Cork grid placemat set, $45, Letliv Katherine Smyth ice cream bowl, $31, Small Acorns Cotton teatowel, $5.50, The Cotton Store Check out sweet tart linen duvet cover, $329, Let Liv

Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re having a homemade dinner party or a quiet takeaway night in for one, these dishes won't judge.

INTERIOR

BLACK Styled by Shalee Fitzsimmons & Rhett Goodley-Hornblow

SAND

Left to right: Katherine Smyth ice cream bowl, $31, Small Acorns Namaste plates, set of three, $280, Backhouse Katherine Smyth ramekin, $17, Small Acorns Handmade ceramic small black sand dish, $22, Let Liv Black marble tray, $79, Let Liv Cotton teatowel, $5.50, The Cotton Store Handmade ceramic black sand dinner plate, $29, Let Liv Essential marble key bowl, $129, Let Liv

Photographed by Ashley Church Foliage care of Twig & Arrow

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. SNIFFY DILEMMA I have a workmate who suffers from particularly bad BO. The three other people in her office pod complain and joke about it regularly but no-one has said anything to her. It doesn’t affect me directly but it seems mean to let it slide as she is becoming the butt of some pretty snide jokes. How on earth do you go about telling someone kindly that they stink? Worried, Wadestown You tell her! This is not something she won't want to know even though the actual moment of truth may be tough! Go out for a coffee takeaway and sit in a park where there is air and diversion and just be a friend. If halitosis is part of the problem it is often a symptom of digestive disorder and finding out is the first step. She needs to talk to her dentist. Don't talk about talking about it to anyone in the

office. I am sure she will be grateful and life will proceed more healthily and harmoniously!

SNAP HAPPY My brother- in-law is obsessed with his selfiestick. He takes it to all family gatherings no matter how small and is continuously halting proceedings to pose and snap. Most of us live within Wellington city limits so it’s not as though we don’t see a lot of each other. It’s fun to have the odd picture taken now and then but being constantly on display is tedious. How do I tell him to snap out of it? Peeved, Maupuia What fun! It is the latest craze and it will pass so in the meantime enjoy all the recording of self-created moments and get in the act by sharing the shots wide and far. If you can't beat 'em join 'em and stop complaining – you could be pleasantly surprised at the outcome!

SHO O SHOES What are your views on wearing shoes inside? After reading somewhere that carpet harbours a dirt fiesta my partner banned all shoes in the

house. He has formed a militant stance and I’m worried that our guest’s toes will freeze. Should we provide slippers for everyone?! Tootsie, Alicetown I grew up in a family where it was shoes off at the front door and this carried on to the next generation for my own family although with wooden downstairs floors it was more like shoes off at the bottom of the stairs. Maybe it is our national farming heritage but when we lived in Taranaki it was common to remove shoes when visiting and those lovely homestead verandahs always had piles of shoes lying at the door. My working life has been spent in dance studios and so the day starts with shoes off as street shoes are a big no-no on the modern dance floors laid in ballet studios. Go for it and stick to it and your visitors won't mind but make sure you are consistent and don't be too critical if there is an odd slip up! I don't think you need to provide slippers at all.

If you’ve got a burning question for Deirdre, email angel@capitalmag.co.nz with Capital Angel in the subject line.

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design by tracy grant lord

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HISTORY

OMA RAPETI

WRITTEN BY BETH ROSE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES O'NIEL

One hundred years after the formation of Wellington Scottish Harriers, Grant McLean is making history, both as a runner with the club and as the author of a new book marking the centenary.

elebrating a milestone anniversary this year, Wellington Scottish first emerged during a tumultuous era of war and unrest. Squabbling between regional clubs and loss of members heading to Gallipoli and the Great War, as it was then called, almost ruined the club before it had begun. Wellington Scottish has since grown to be one of the prestigious running clubs in New Zealand and has a colourful history. Grant McLean puts Wellington Scottish’s survival down to old-fashioned Gaelic stoicism, pride and frugality; traits hailing from the Highlands that saw off competition, feuding and ridicule and subsequently led to the formation of a respected Wellington sporting establishment. “I’ve been a member of Wellington Scottish for 20 years”, says Grant, “I’m now a Masters runner but I joined when I was in my twenties”. It’s not unusual for a membership to span two decades, as the club is renowned for loyalty and multi-generation membership and management. “Walter Pop Ballantyne is the founding father of the club,” explains Grant “He was a harrier runner from Galashiels in the Scottish Border region, who moved to Wellington in 1889.” A formidable collection of photographs from the early years shows Pop in a static running pose against a traditional painted countryside backdrop. He is wearing the running attire of the day, which appears to be a pair of stripy undies worn over long johns. “He formed Wellington Scottish,” continues Grant, “with his son, Bob Ballantyne, and Sam Hall after a disagreement with the Brooklyn club who refused to award a gold medal to Hall when he broke 30 minutes in the annual Cook Cup five-mile race, claiming it was a fluke.” The fracas led to Bob offering his own medal to Hall, resigning from the Brooklyn club and subsequently the disgruntled trio formed Wellington Scottish as a matter of principle. Grant is proud to be associated with such good

sports and his identifying also relates to his heritage, as his Grandfather was also a Scot from West Calder. When I ask him why he likes running, he refers to yet another Scot of Pop’s era, Charles Hamilton Sorley, a WWI poet who sums it all up in his work The Song of the Ungirt Runners, which concludes: “We run because we like it through the broad bright land.” Grant explains that harrier running began in British public schools as hares and hounds. A single runner, the hare, would mark a course cross-country by leaving a paper trail for a pack of runners, the hounds, to follow. It later evolved to be called harrier running or harriers. The paper trail technique has been used in Wellington, but didn’t work so well in the wind as runners got lost on a scattered trail.” “When the club began, harrier running was viewed with suspicion, compared to traditional track and field running, and we weren’t taken too seriously by other more established clubs at that time, who referred to us as The Kilties. We were considered a social club and not competitive.” Times were tough to begin with, not least when Bob Ballantyne — club hero and son of the founding father — went off to serve in the First World War. “Bob was injured in Passchendaele, returning to Wellington only to succumb to influenza, having never fully recovered from his injuries”, says Grant, “but the war also had a bonding effect for Wellington runners as local clubs merged to form the Trinity Harriers when memberships got low, and the collaboration was repeated during World War II.” By the 1940s, individual achievements were stacking up and Wellington Scottish had gained a winning reputation in some established annual races such as the Dorne Cup, the Vosseler Shield and the Shaw Baton. This coutinues, and Grant himself has contributed. When the Wellington Marathon became an official event in 2005, Grant won it, and did so for the next four years.

SECTION HEADER

HISTORY

Last year he won the New Zealand Masters 10k road running title and he has recently been named Wellington Athletics distance runner of the year. “It is an amazing feeling to run an event like a marathon and think wow, I made it all on my own power, all that training has been worthwhile. I am a very competitive and goal-oriented so running has been a way to push myself to achieve through athletics. I have experienced both the agony of defeat and the ecstasy of victory”. Another sporting star and current member of Wellington Scottish is Melissa Moon, who twice won the World Mountain Running title, in Italy and Alaska, and was crowned New Zealand Sports Woman of the Year in 2001. Fortunately the club’s membership criteria has evolved since it was drawn up in 1915 at the Scottish Society’s rooms upstairs in the Barber Building at 125 Cuba Street, or she’d never have been allowed in. While Wellington Scottish was founded on principles of fair-mindedness, it wasn’t until the 1970s that women were officially permitted to join. Melissa first became a club member aged 16, after being talent spotted while running for Wellington Girls' College. Now aged 45 and with her competitive mountain running days behind her, Melissa is channelling her energy and experience into another running direction. In April she ran the London Marathon as a coach and guide to blind runner Maria Williams, with the goal of helping Maria get to the Rio Paralympic Games. “I felt I had nothing more to do personally, meeting Maria came at the perfect time,” says Melissa. “Maria only started jogging three years ago and I could see she had physical and mental potential. I set a conservative goal of four hours for the London Marathon, as I wanted her to have a good experience, but she finished at three hours and 44 minutes and proved she could dig deep. “We are waiting to find out what the qualifying standards are for Rio and in the meantime, our next competitive race will be the Auckland half marathon in November where Maria will wear the Wellington Scottish red and yellow singlet for the first time, as she has just joined the club.” If Maria qualifies for Rio, she follows in the footsteps of two previous club members, Kate Horan and Tim Prendergast, who both won medals representing New Zealand in the Paralympic Games.

“The club most of all provides encouragement, companionship, support and a social occasion with a good bit of exercise,” says Melissa. “Families join so that parents can get out for a run and their kids can run with the juniors. “It’s also one of the best ways to get to know Wellington. We explore so many different areas on Saturday pack runs – places you wouldn’t think to go to on your own. We go for a run and then come back to the club house for a cuppa, a bikkie and a yarn. Grant’s fondness for running and appreciation of Wellington Scottish has led him to set aside his duties as their magazine editor in order to concentrate on chronicling the club’s long-running history in a coffee-table book. “Running has given me so much,” says Grant, “it is good for mental as well as physical health, a great way to get away from it all and for time to reflect and relax on one’s own, or to be social. It has given me great friendships and camaraderie and amazing experiences, taking me all over the world including London, USA, Germany, Holland and Japan. “When I was a child I had asthma, and a forwardthinking doctor at the time suggested I should take up either swimming or running to improve my health. So I started running, and kept on running and in my late 20s I joined Wellington Scottish. I love the simplicity of running, it is the most natural human movement after walking, and I like that connection to the essence of what it is to be human; we are physical, as well as intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual. And yet running is also all of those things as well. “Even as a Master there are goals to achieve. There is something special about running against people half your age, and sometimes beating them, it makes you feel younger. I’m a huge advocate for everyone experiencing the benefits of running, at whatever level, and like to encourage others by doing it myself. That’s partly why I have run 150 races in the community and country in the past six years”. The Wellington Scottish legacy will, it seems, be both the sociable club that its rivals accused it of being at the start, but also the group of competitive and accomplished athletes that it has always striven to be.

ABROAD

TWINS A PA R T

WRITTEN BY MEGAN LANE

Wind-whipped harbour. Glowering hills. Colourful houses clustered on tight slopes. An enthusiastic relationship with beer. Not Wellington but Reykjavik, its Icelandic double.

et’s play spot the difference. Which city is Lonely Planet describing? “Merely a town by international standards but it’s loaded with funky cafes and bars. Add a backdrop of mountains, churning seas and crystal-clear air and you may fall helplessly in love.” And here? “Its mildish climate can rapidly degenerate into heavy rain, biting wind or fog.” Both describe Reykjavik, but could equally be applied to Wellington. Reykjavik is a world away –17,245 kilometres, almost on the opposite side of the globe. Yet these far-flung cities seem twins separated at birth. The peaks looming above Reykjavik’s working harbour are glacier-scraped rather than bush-clad, but the fundamental similarity is striking. Both share a sense of being at the ends of the earth, and for good reason. Wellington is the world’s southernmost national capital. Reykjavik is the most northerly. Both are home to policy wonks and those of a more aesthetic persuasion. I visited Reykjavik 14 years after leaving Wellington to live in the UK. Packing for a summer holiday involved squeezing in sunscreen, fleeces and waterproofs. After several zephyrous, grey days, the sun burst forth. “Can’t beat it on a good day,” I caught myself thinking. “Wait – seems familiar…” The locals’ attitude to the weather also chimed a familiar note: “Third day in a row now with sun in Reykjavik. Should we be worried?” noted the I Heart Reykjavik travel blogger.

Years of living in largely flat and sprawling London made this compact, hilly city seem both exotically novel and achingly familiar. So did rock-hopping on a windswept waterfront before retreating into a landmark public building perched on the old docks, all jutting angles and coloured glass. Where Wellington has Te Papa, Reykjavik has Harpa, a prism-encrusted concert hall and conference centre that’s become a tourist attraction even between events… not least to shelter from, and peek out at, the elements. With rumbling stomachs, we discovered Reykjavik bristled with quirky cafes. House specialty? Giant waffles topped with glaciers of whipped cream (such a staple in Iceland that a traditional coming-of-age gift is a waffle iron). And with nose-to-tail eating a long tradition, there was even a drive-thru doing brisk business in boiled sheeps’ heads. I passed on that one. Then there’s beer — craft beer in abundance. But Reykjavik’s relationship with the amber nectar proved to be unexpectedly complex. For much of the 20th Century, Iceland banned beer. It was only legalised in March 1989, aka Beer Day, after 79 years of prohibition. Beer quickly became Iceland’s most popular alcoholic beverage, but only in the past five years has it moved away from mass-produced lagers. The annual beer festival based around this red-letter day is only in its fourth year, and tends towards the beard-scratchy/food-matchy end of the drinking scale. Both cities inhabit landscapes forged by fault lines and the presence of mythic creatures. In Iceland, more

ABROAD

than half the inhabitants believe it’s at least possible elves and trolls exist. Eighteen months ago, construction of a proposed highway into a Reykjavik suburb was halted because it was thought to pass through an elf habitat, including an elf church formed of lava. Maori legend tells how Wellington harbour was once a lake until two taniwha thrashed their way to the open sea, gouging out the harbour entrance. The lazier of the taniwha beached in the attempt, and his body fossilised into what is now Haitaitai. His spirit departed from atop Mt Victoria, now Wellington’s most accessible viewing point. The highest point in Reykjavik also has a spiritual element — the hilltop church, Hallgrimskirkja. Shaped like an upended space shuttle, its steeple contains a panoramic viewing platform. The city fans out on all sides, spilling down to the choppy waters of the harbour and fiord below. Brightly coloured houses step down the hills, a patchwork of brick reds, royal blues, hot pinks and mustard yellows — kicks of strong colour to offset

midwinter nights lasting up to 20 hours. Both cities shared this palette, in their architecture and abundant street art, with Wellington’s tones often more muted in the strong Southern Hemisphere light. On another hill across a lagoon lay the 19th-Century Holavallagardur (“garden on a hill”) Cemetery, a haven of moss-encrusted headstones and gnarled trees. Like Wellington’s Bolton Street Cemetery, its last remaining plots were filled decades ago. Recently named by National Geographic as one of Europe’s loveliest cemeteries, its picturesque paths and abundant birdlife have made it a popular strolling spot and commuter shortcut. Above the gravestones arched a modest but graceful red-roofed weatherboard bell tower, strongly evocative of colonial Wellington architecture in general, and Old Saint Paul’s in particular. Iceland made me homesick for New Zealand, and Reykjavik made me miss Wellington. Why aren’t these two sister cities?

IN NUMBERS

R E Y K JAV I K

WELLINGTON

Population

118,488

200,100

Founded

1786

1840

Former colony of

Denmark

Great Britain

Midsummer average min and max temperatures

10C to 15C

16C to 23C

Midwinter average min and max temperature

2C to 3C

9C to 15C

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T O R Q U E TA L K

NOB ODY WILL DIE IN A NEW VOLVO AFTER 2020

WRITTEN BY SEAN PLUNKET | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RHETT GOODLEY-HORNBLOW

nce I almost bought a Volvo. It was ten years or so ago, an S90, and although I liked it a lot it never made it into my garage because my head was turned by a pimped-out Peugeot that stole my heart and dented my wallet. It was with this in mind that I picked up the keys to a Volvo XC60 Luxury to see something of what I’d missed. You won’t catch me pining for a standard station wagon or claiming that a car like the XC60 is some showy halfway house for suburban wannabe off-roaders. Let me say I’m an all-wheel drive/suv/crossover fan so while S.U.V. probably be short for Suburban rather than Sport Utility Vehicle the popularity of the class and the flexibility it offers to go at least a wee way off the beaten track is too popular to deny. Even back in the days when their body design was rectangular, Volvo has always had an underlying air of class and design without pretention. Nowadays they are a lot better looking. The XC60 is no exception. It doesn’t scream chunky SUV and could even be mistaken for a standard wagon in a dark parking lot, but for its well proportioned and unmistakeable Volvo curves. Because it’s not trying to look like an ersatz off-roader the XC60 isn’t too far off the ground and very easy to get into, which (as I’m 6 feet 2 inches – 188cms and several kgs over what my doctor thinks is advisable ) is just as important as comfortable, supporting seats. In that regard the Volvo is outstanding. The comfort meter was off the scale and the driving position remarkably roomy. Inside, the classy good looks continue … the stitched leather, brushed steel trim and a smooth flowing feel that is all understated ergonomic elegance. Although there are few flat open surfaces to stick stuff like cell phones and pens and flashlights to, this car will not disappoint the gadget geeks amongst you.

I don’t think I’ve ever driven a vehicle that has given me so much advice … and truth be told even after three days I still wasn’t always sure exactly what was going on as it flashed beeped and binged at me. But just so you know, it tells you when someone is in your blind spots, when you’re about to change lane unintentionally, when you might be sleepy, when you’re going to hit a pedestrian or a cyclist and when you might bump into the car in front of you … in which case it will actually brake to stop you doing so (not sure if you can disable that). That is all in keeping with Volvo’s uber-safe philosophy which includes the ambitious goal of having no one die in a new Volvo after the year 2020. You can turn most of that stuff off and just drive if you want to, but really, with all that tech onboard you will only have yourself to blame if you prang the XC60. Driving the XC60 is a pleasurable if not spine-tingling experience. Eighteen inch wheels made for a smooth ride and there is more than enough pep in the 2.4 twin turbo diesel to give you confidence the vehicle can do what it's asked when it's asked. A straightforward flick on the gearstick puts you in sport mode and there’s the option of using the wheel paddles for manual shifting. At 6.4l per 100kms it’s not going to break the bank either. I haven’t got space to share all the XC60 Luxury’s features but a few really tickled my fancy: the compass built in to the rear vision mirror, the super nifty built-in booster seats in the back, and an excellent active headlight and dipping system which made night driving a real breeze. This stylish, safe, suave SUV will not be short of suitors.

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ALL THE SINGLE MAMAS BY MELODY THOMAS

month ago Sadie and I waved goodbye to Dadoo in Wellington, off to spend time with Nana in the wake of losing Grandad and despite our heavy hearts just quietly smug that we were heading to California and Oregon for a spot of sunshine. But while my Instagram account has since been filled with all the obnoxious postcards of an American summer — craft beer, overflowing punnet of berries, waterfalls and sparkling rivers – those pictures only show one side of the story. What would the other pictures look like, if I chose to share them on social media? Maybe one of me at San Fransisco airport, bawling over the collapsed skeleton of a stroller with a punctured tyre, a toddler screaming on one arm, three welloversized bags at my feet and an hour to get to our third flight in 24 hours. Another from the next day — more crying — me making breakfast for Sadie at 5:30am, trying to stay on my feet as jet lag-induced vertigo threatens to pull me to the floor. There’d be several of Sadie at peak toddler — disappearing into dark corners and giggling as I run terror-stricken around the house and out to the street, disintegrating into full-on meltdown if I dare to, I don’t know, offer her the bowl of noodles she specifically requested for lunch, or tell her she can’t wear her pyjamas in the bath, and demanding we watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and never, ever anything else (“why do you like them?” “‘Coz dey’re gwumpy and sad”). And then there would be the selfies. Lots and lots of selfies, but cropped so all you could see was my pleading eyes. Begging the stranger on the train to please offer us their seat, imploring the person behind us at the cafe to not get upset

by Sadie’s insistence at climbing over the back of her chair to share their lunch, beseeching anyone — ANYONE — to say "oh hey, you look tired, go grab a nap while I look after her." Yesterday we waved goodbye to Vitamin D and leisurely, light-filled evenings and boarded a plane back to Wellington — my excitement at heading home far outweighing any anxiety over the journey ahead. It was an amazing trip and I know how lucky I am to have made it. Plus there are perks to travelling with a toddler. Authority figures fast-track you through lines. Cute, nice men smile at you and offer to help with your stroller and gross, leery men let you pass without harassment. You get to try both options on the plane food menu. But it is so exhausting — and the experience left me completely at a loss as to how you solo parents do it. It must be so hard. To never get a break. To be so focused on just getting by that you feel you can’t be the parent you want to be. To feel alone and without support. And to feel pitied or vilified by people who don’t understand. I hope you know how impressive you are. Those who look at you and see failure are looking through a severely distorted lens — and that you are in fact an incredibly inspiring, hard working and selfless superhuman. The kind of person we could all stand to learn something from, and who we should all be lining up to support. Because just a month of walking in your shoes — not even your shoes but the summery vacation version of them — was enough to have me pining for the icy cold southerlies and wet pavements of Wellington.