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Hoko and Glenda exude happiness, and a closeness that only 37 years of marriage can bring. They felt it was time to make a change to a more secure and supportive environment. “When you’re out in the community you’re on your own,” says Hoko. They began investigating retirement villages and soon decided it would be a Ryman village for them. They picked Diana Isaac in Christchurch because of the personable staff approach, and the peace of mind from terms such as the ﬁxed weekly fees. With no close family nearby, what stood out was the full continuum of care. If anything happens they have the security of knowing that resthome, hospital and dementia care is available to them right there. “This is not just a village. It’s our home, and it’s felt like home since day one. I’ve never been so happy. This is what we have worked for all our life – it’s time to sit back and enjoy it,” Glenda says.

To see Hoko and Glenda’s story or for more information about the Ryman difference visit www.rymanhealthcare.co.nz or phone Josie on 0800 000 290

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*Our Price Beat Guarantee will beat fares on competitor and third party sites by 10%. Conditions apply. ^Things you need to know: prices based on payment by POLi, Jetstar voucher or Jetstar Gift Card through jetstar.com. For all other bookings, a Booking and Service Fee of $5 per passenger, per domestic flight applies. Flights depart Wellington airport. Fares are one-way and non-refundable. Limited changes are permitted, charges apply. Availability is limited (not available on all flights or days). Limited availability on school and public holiday weekends. Available for travel on selected dates: Queenstown: Early May – Early July 2018. Not available on all flights or days. Availability may be limited. Carefully check the carry-on baggage limits, including size restrictions, as they will be strictly applied. Passengers with more than the applicable carry-on baggage allowance will need to check in baggage, and charges will apply. All travel is subject to the Jetstar Conditions of Carriage. See jetstar.com for more details. Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd – ABN: 33 069 720 243. JET/PR/0237

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CAPITAL M A G A Z I N E

CAPITAL

MADE IN WELLINGTON W

ho would have thought we’d make it this far? We certainly weren’t sure when we launched the first issue in 2013. And 50 issues later it’s time to celebrate. We have looked back at some of the people and photography we have most enjoyed over these past issues and caught up with what is now happening in their lives or projects. We have tried to provide a representative sample of the range and variety of stories we have covered, which means inevitably many things have had to be left out. And some things have been included not because they are more important but just because we liked them. We are also celebrating with some larger happenings around town: look out for ‘our’ buses and bus shelter, and our sponsorship of the Estère concert on 3 May. Musician Estère featured on our second cover, and in subsequent issues as her career has developed. We also went back to Gosia Piatek who in 2013 had recently launched her clothing business Kowtow. She featured on our first cover and now oversees her business around the world. Of course we have played with the numbers fifty and five in this issue. Our long-time columnist Melody Thomas, who has contributed something to every issue, has provided her fiftieth baby column. We are not sure what she will write when she runs out of her own babies for copy. Melody, with her music hat on, also takes a look at five new musicians or groups to listen to this autumn. And Joelle Thomson offers celebratory quaffing suggestions – five local wines at $50.00 each. Another 50 for you to relish is the relaunch of our Best of Wellington survey: answer 50 questions and go in the draw to win some wonderful prizes. Go online at capitalmag.co.nz/bestof You have probably spotted those very frequent old ‘Best of ’ certificates in multiple eateries and dairies still proudly displayed around town. After many requests and much urging we have decided to bring the certificates back and update them. Please vote. For something fresh we have brought back our poetry piece. Chris Tse, who featured with his choice of Christmas food in our 2016 December issue provides the poem and commentary this month. And much, much, more. Producing a magazine is, of course, a team effort and I thank all the people who make up the Capital team from month to month, from advertisers, writers, designers, office admin, photographers, printers, sales people, proofreaders and readers. Thank you all for making it fun – well mostly. I look forward to hearing from you. And we’ll see you again in May.

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C O N TA C T U S Phone +64 4 385 1426 Email editor@capitalmag.co.nz Website www.capitalmag.co.nz Facebook facebook.com/CapitalMagazineWellington Twitter @CapitalMagWelly Instagram @capitalmag 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.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Staff

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

Alison Franks Managing editor editor@capitalmag.co.nz Campaign coordinators Fale Ahchong fale@capitalmag.co.nz Lauren Andersen lauren@capitalmag.co.nz Haleigh Trower haleigh@capitalmag.co.nz Lyndsey O’Reilly lyndsey@capitalmag.co.nz Factotum John Briste d john@capitalmag.co.nz Art director Shalee Fitzsimmons shalee@capitalmag.co.nz Designer Luke Browne design@capitalmag.co.nz Editorial assistant Alistair Murray hello@capitalmag.co.nz Accounts Tod Harfield accounts@capitalmag.co.nz Gus Bristed

Distribution

Contributors

ALISTAIR MURRAY E ditori a l Assi st ant

J O NAT HA N BUENAOBRA Ph oto g r aph er

Alistair recently completed an MA thesis on maritime fiction but knows nothing about sailing. He has no hobbies. You can find him on Twitter @alistair_murray.

Jonathan has been contributing to Capital since he was a student at Wellington High. Now at Massey University studying communications, Jonathan collates our monthly Ink Inc feature. He's also pretty handy with a camera, taking photographs in his spare time.

BEX MCGILL Photographer

CHRIS TSE Writter

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

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

Bex has just completed her final year of study at Massey University, majoring in Photography. She loves fashion, cats and large amounts of chocolate.

For our 50th issue, we invited Chris to revive Re-Verse, which used to appear regularly. Chris is the author of the award-winning poetry collection How to be Dead in a Year of Snakes. His new collection, HE’S SO MASC, was published in March.

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LATE W E L L I N GT O N

CONTENTS

M A GA Z I N E • 5

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12 LETTERS 14 CHATTER 16 NEWS BRIEFS 18 BY THE NUMBERS 20 NEW PRODUCTS 22 TALES OF THE CITY – TUPE LUALUA 24 CULTURE

FA S T F O R WA R D FIFTY Our fiftieth issue retrospective celebrates then and now

RO OM WITH A PEW Barry Scannell on saving St Mary of the Angels from future Acts of God

CMYK

A sartorial nod to the power of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and blacK

CONTENTS

SHEARER'S TA B L E

COLOURS O F AU T U M N

Smoked apple cake with passionfruit curd

Music for the new season

BY THE BOOK

FASHION

LET TERS TO WELLINGTON FROM BEATRIX POT TER

Fashion and feminism

67 FISHY BUSINESS 68 EDIBLES

FIVE BY FIFT Y Best bottles for your (fifty) bucks

RE-VERSE Poet Chris Tse introduces Everyone at the Pool Looked Like Ewan McGregor by Sharon Lam

80 82 83 86 88

TORQUE TALK WELLY ANGEL BABY, BABY CALENDAR GROUPIES

LETTERS

CREATIVE TREATS I received a gift subscription to your magazine for Christmas and the lovely tea towel. This is the second time I have received your tea towel and I wanted to say how much I enjoy all the creative treats your magazine provides throughout the year. I see that Greta Menzies (#47, p35, designer of the tea towel) also designs for Thunderpants. I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ever bought that brand but I will try them now. J Williams, Kapiti Coast

LEARN FROM THE SHEARERS I grew up in a family where no one really enjoyed food, it was just fuel, and I am only learning now as an adult how to put food together in ways that work. I like your recipes and in the March (#49) issue the Miso salmon goodness bowl has been a great success for me. My friends ask for it, and it is quite straightforward to make, although it looks complicated. More please. B Archer, Wellington Delighted you are enjoying cooking. Check out our celebratory cake this month, p70. Ed

MY THBUSTERS Loved your mythbusters series last month. Great idea to do a collab with the medical school, also. You used also to have a regular science column which I really enjoyed. Any chance it might reappear? Mythbuster, Wellington We hope so, it is under consideration. Ed

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ELECTRIC BLUE We’re very pleased to be supporting long-time Capital friend Estère (Capital #2) by hosting her My Design, On Others’ Lives album release party at Caroline on 3 May. The electric blue empress kicked off 2018 playing a number of dates around Southern Africa and opening for music/fashion icon Grace Jones in her recent headlining show in Queenstown. Following her album release Estère will hit the road again, playing in Auckland before jetting off to Europe and the UK. Tickets are available at undertheradar.co.nz

JERYKAH TOIMATA What lead you to getting a tattoo? I found the image online while scrolling through Instagram. To be honest, the image was too low quality to set as my phone background and I felt like it was a waste to not use it to its full potential, so I got it as a tattoo. Why did you choose the design? It reminded me of the child on the moon from the DreamWorks logo – I like to envision myself as that child.

PAUL-HILL When National Geographic designated 2018 International Year of the Bird, they launched it with a visit to Zealandia and Polhill Reserve. The Polhill Protectors are led by Paul Stanley Ward (see Capital #42) who is producing Capital Kiwi, a project to bring our national icon back to Wellington. It has been shortlisted alongside Predator Free Wellington for DOC’s PF2050 funding. He’s also working on a series of videos for TVNZ's new digital kid’s channel, called Wild Peeps, where kids see inspirational adults working in nature and science.

Family, for or against? My family is against it because they see no meaning behind it. They think I’m going through this rebellious teenage stage and honestly I am, but who cares. Where did you get the tattoo and why? It's a pretty risqué tattoo so I got it on my upper arm where it's easily hid (especially from my grandparents, who don’t know it exists).

C HAT T E R

WELLY WORDS SNAPPED We’re loving the new take on photo filters by Te Wānanga O Aoteraroa. Forget cute ears or rainbows, they’ve come up with a camera effect which allows you to see your face with Kirituhi (Māori skin drawings). It's available now on their facebook page by uploading your own picture.

NO COMMENTS We’ve loved all the festivals, but thumbs down to those over-educated Wellington types who offer long winded comments at after-show Q & A talks. Random opinions are just not what we are there for.

RETURN OF BEST OF

CO OL SHED And we love Havana Coffee tycoon Geoff Marsland who like rust, never sleeps. No need to wait for climate change or coastal erosion to bring the coast to Mt Victoria. Geoff has had international street artist Pablo Ruiz on the job, for those who have been wishing Hawker St had sea views.

IT'S COOL TO KORERO Ko taku rā whānau te rangi nei, ā, kua reka rawa te keke! Today’s my birthday, and the cake is delicious!

By popular demand Capital is bringing back our classic ‘Best Of’ awards. Perhaps you’ve seen some old certificates around town? Hard to believe they’re at least five years old now. This month you can vote on all your favourite Wellington bests. Think best barista, best beach, best brew, best bar, best burger, best bookshop and many, many more that don’t start with a 'B'. Vote online at capitalmag.co.nz/bestof and be in to win some amazing prizes.

B OT TOMS UP Wellington's own Ardie Savea and TJ Perenara recently swapped their All Black’s jerseys for, well, not much. They both stripped down for the new Jockey campaign which was launched last month. The Jockey 24/7 range marks the 10th campaign of Jockey’s three-year sponsorship deal with the All Blacks. Designed with the everyday Kiwi bloke in mind, the undies feature moisture-wicking fabric, four-way stretch, and an elasticated leg-line to reduce ride-up.

NEWS BRIEFS

SHA R I NG IS CARING Central region DHBs have co-developed a suite of shared computer systems. Now Capital & Coast, Hutt Valley, Wairarapa, Whanganui, MidCentral, and Hawkes Bay DHBs will be able to access and share the stored patient information. ‘Patients sometimes go to hospitals in other regions. Health professionals need to be able to access a patient’s medical records regardless of which DHB they belong to,’ said chief information officer Shayne Hunter. Each DHB maintains its local part of the shared computer systems and a new IT support team based at Capital & Coast DHB deals with problems they can’t fix locally.

START 'EM YOUNG

SAFER CYCLING

GOLD GAMES

Twenty-one schools in and around Miramar are taking part in Predator Free Wellington. The mission of the environmental education programme is to rid Wellington of rats, possums and mustelids so that our natural wildlife can thrive. Zealandia’s educators will be coordinating and delivering a predator tracking and trapping programme for kura kaupapa and primary and intermediate schools in the Miramar project area and Rongotai Isthmus buffer zone.

Wellington City Council announced last month that a new two-way bike path around part of Evans Bay will go ahead later in the year. It will run around the bays on the seaward side of the road between the intersection of Carlton Gore Road on Oriental Parade, and Greta Point. Changes to several other streets will make it safer and easier to bike around Kilbirnie, into the city, and over the hill to Newtown.

Fresh out of Wellington High School, Anton Down-Jenkins is off to the Gold Coast this month to compete in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Introduced to diving at a Have-A-Go session at Kilbirnie pools when he was ten, he now competes against the best in the world. Anton will compete in the 3-metre individual and synchronised springboard events on 12, 13 April. The 2018 Commonwealth Games run from 4-15 April.

NEWS BRIEFS

BONJOUR French artist Chloe Quenum has arrived in Wellington to take up her place as Te Whare Hēra’s 2018 international artist in residence. Chloe, who works in various media and also draws on her background in textile arts and anthropology, has moved into a purpose-built studio, gallery and apartment suite at Clyde Quay Wharf on the Wellington waterfront. The residency is jointly run by Massey University’s Whiti o Rehua School of Art and the Wellington City Council, with support from the French Embassy.

ON THE ROAD

CONNECT THE D OTS

TAKING THE REINS

Amélie Lucas Gary is the current French writer in residence at Randell Cottage in Thorndon. Last month she began a speaking tour which takes her around New Zealand. She will be speaking at the Alliance Française in Wellington on 6 April. Her priority for the residency is a novel, Hic (Here), which she describes as an archaeological work set in the Randell Cottage and travelling back through time, into the Cottage’s imagined past.

A proposed bridge over the Tauherenikau River, linking tourist trails between Featherston and Greytown, would be 160 metres long and sport suspension towers about five stories high. Locals are divided on the idea, some saying the money should be spent on more urgent issues such as roads, failing to realise the project is not funded by NZTA. The Greytown Trails Trust is behind the plan and hopes to have the bridge built by 2021.

Lance Walker, formerly chief executive of Cigna Insurance, takes up his new position as CEO of the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) this month. Interim chief executive Derek Fry has been covering the role since last May. Lance was awarded the Supportive CEO Award at the NZ HR Awards in 2017. Adding another feather to his hat, the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand has announced that Lance is joining them as an independent Board Director this year.

BN Y ETWH E P RNOUDMUBCETRSS

Nifty fifty Appropriately, this edition of By the Numbers celebrates Capital's 50th issue and all things fifty. As the Romans would say 'It’s one L of a ride.'

Take it as read

CAPITAL

9,300

10,650

39,000

25,000

Instagram followers

Facebook followers

regular readers per month

regular online readers per month

Incredibly useful facts

Earth is roughly 50 x the volume of the moon.

The atomic number for Tin is 50.

In international one day cricket matches both sides bat for 50 overs.

A P

If you use all seven of your letters in a single turn at Scrabble you get 50 bonus points.

I F T A Y

In the Kabbalah there are 50 Gates of Wisdom and 50 Gates of Impurity.

Keeping it local

On April 10 Wellington marks the 50th anniversary of the Wahine disaster – the Orpheus Choir will sing and the harbour will host a flotilla in memory.

Slightly less useful facts

There are 50 ways to leave your lover according to Paul Simon.

Last year it was announced that local developer Mark Dunajtschik will donate $50 million to build a children's hospital on the main Newtown site.

The 50th Pope was Anastasius II (from 496–498 AD) apparently he was involved with several schisms.

Paparangi School celebrates it's 50th anniversary 1–2 June this year.

No Resene colour chart has 50 shades of grey.

Compiled by Craig Beardsworth 1 18 8

The no. 50 is a bus service between Broadmeadows and Johnsonville, catch it and think of us.

The triggering of Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon has led to Brexit (Britsh exit from the European Union) and a massive bureaucratic headache for British politicians.

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

Where the heart is W R I TT E N BY F R A N C E S CA E M M S

FOOD

WRITER

DRINK

A B R OA D

MUSIC

KC Cafe

Teresia Teaiwa

Siglo

Samoa

Le Art

Tupe Lualua is bringing her spirit to Whitireia’s new home.

upe Lualua has history with Whitireia. ‘My mother was one of the first to study Early Childhood Education here in the late 80s–early 90s, my sister received a certificate in retail studies, then I studied performing arts.’ Tupe graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and went on to dance for the graduate company Taumata for five years. In 2009 she was appointed Samoan Performing Arts Lecturer on the Bachelor of Applied Arts programme. Whitireia has now combined with Weltec’s arts and creative programmes at Te Auaha, a purpose-built location on Cuba St. ‘The new space is impressive. Very new and flash, with upgraded facilities,’ says Tupe. Whitireia Performing Arts has moved three times since it was established in Porirua in 1990. ‘Although it’s a different space, my colleagues, our students and our craft as arts practitioners and educators is what really sets the vibe in any building,’ says Tupe, ‘I believe that we carry the beat of the Pacific and the spirit of those who came before us to Te Auaha.’ She is excited about what the new space has to offer, including a new collaborative practice paper, ‘which I get to teach in the second trimester.’ She’s pretty happy with the location too, saying, ‘Historically, Cuba St has always been a playground for arts practitioners, so the street culture and vibe that embraces diversity makes a natural backdrop for Te Auaha.’

Tupe is also the artistic director and producer of Le Moana, a dance company of Whitireia graduates. Their award-winning shows have toured throughout New Zealand and internationally to Samoa, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Los Angeles and San Diego. Le Moana also hosts the annual Measina Festival presented at Pātaka Art + Museum in Porirua, Tupe’s hometown. These days Tupe lives in a warehouse apartment off Courtenay Place where she says, ‘we host a lot of events with our friends.’ She likes being close to KC Café, ‘an oldie but a goodie,’ and Siglo, ‘when my friends can get in lol.’ If she’s not at home she’ll be in the studio or the office. ‘I work a lot but my work life is pretty extraordinary.’ Does she have any down-time? ‘I work my own hours so sometimes my days off are during the week,’ she says, ‘Saturdays are always busy. My next Saturday off will probably be in 2019.’ Days off are spent with family, or ‘fleshing out ideas for more work.’ So how about holidays? ‘There are still many parts of Aotearoa for me to discover. But so far, I’ve really loved Te Tairawhiti – the East Coast. I loved the waterfalls at Waihirere, beach at Wharekahika and the paua pies from Cafe 35 at Tokomaru Bay.’ And her favourite place outside New Zealand? Tupe says she loves travelling and has had some very special experiences, ‘but to keep it simple yet deep: Samoa – everything about her inspires me.’

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

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CULTURE

TRIPLE A About 80 works of art, some valued at over $10,000, will be available to purchase at the Aratoi Artists Auction, a fundraiser for Aratoi Museum of Art and History. Barbara Roydhouse, Chair of the Aratoi Regional Trust, says, ‘Over the last few years, we’ve had quite a significant funding squeeze. There’s only one full-time staff member now.’ She says the Museum is facing severe fiscal constraints and the auction is part of a new initiative of the Aratoi Board to raise necessary funds. Aratoi Artists Auction, Aratoi Main Gallery, Masterton, 13 April

MOVING ON UP A play set at a moving company has been shortlisted for the Playmarket Adam NZ Play Award. Age, race and class differences are explored in Movers, written by Wellington playwright James Cain. ‘I've always viewed jobs as families. They're strangely intimate and you inevitably learn a lot about your co-workers,’ he says. ‘I'm proud that I've been able to capture a little bit of that funny weird side of the workplace.’ Winners will be announced at a presentation at Circa Theatre on Saturday 7 April.

LET ’S DANCE

HIGH ON A HILL

Te Papa is celebrating International Dance Day on Sunday 29 April with a day of free dance events, including performances, workshops and dance films, with the premiere of Daniel Belton’s latest work, XYZ. It marks the end of NZ Dance Week which aims to get Kiwis dancing and highlight the value and joy the art-form can bring to our society. New Zealand Dance Week, 21–29 April.

Catherine Downes and Simon Leary star in the New Zealand premiere of Switzerland at Circa Theatre. Written by Australian playwright Joanna MurraySmith, it explores the final chapter in the life of Patricia Highsmith, an American novelist and short story writer best known for her psychological thrillers. Fiction and reality become dangerously blurred when Highsmith’s writing retreat in the Swiss Alps is interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious young man.

CULTURE

A LWAY S S AY Y E S Artistic Director Tim Gordon has been performing with The Improvisors since their inception in 1990 when they performed their first show, an improvised murder mystery, at the old Circa Theatre on Harris St. Almost 30 years later The Improvisors are still making people laugh. Later this month Tim will take the stage again at the International Comedy Festival in the show Theatresports. Along with other top comedians he will fight it out in a series of gruelling comedy scenes in the hopes of becoming Wellington Improv Champions 2018. ‘It is scary,’ says Tim, ‘it is actually all made up. The audience don’t know what’s going to happen and nor do we. And for twenty-eight years they have loved to share the fear, applaud success and forgive failure. Our job is to stay in the moment and to say ‘yes’ to every offer and that requires a great deal of trust in your fellow players.’ Theatresports, Circa Theatre, Sundays, 7pm, from 29 April

SISTERS AND WIVES

WORDY WELLY

I SAW A CROWD

International piano duo Christina and Michelle Naughton will perform Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos in the NZSO’s Masterworks concert Mozart & Mahler. The sisters recently performed in Hong Kong and were described as ‘electrifying and moving’. The double bill also features Mahler’s Fifth Symphony performed by the NZSO and conducted by Maestro Edo de Waart. With its haunting strings and harp, it is Mahler’s love song to his wife, Alma. Mozart & Mahler, Michael Fowler Centre, 6 April, 6.30pm

Wellington publishers have taken a number of places in the 2018 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards short list. Victoria University Press has three runners for the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize and Lawrence & Gibson Publishing has one. In the Illustrated Non-Fiction category Bridget Williams Books has one by Alison Jones and Kuni Kaa Jenkins (above). Awa Press’s Driving to Treblinka: A Long Search for a Lost Father by Diana Wichtel is in the running for the Royal Society Te Apārangi Award for General NonFiction. Winners will be announced in May.

Filming has begun on Daffodils, a love story set against a backdrop of classic Kiwi pop music including songs by Neil Finn, Dave Dobbyn, and Bic Runga. A recent call for extras attracted crowds of hopefuls to Lower Hutt’s Avalon Studios. Wellington’s David Stubbs is directing. He described the stage version of Daffodils, written by Rochelle Bright, as beautiful, powerful and ‘inherently cinematic.’

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CULTUR AL DIRECTORY

INTERNATIONAL DANCE DAY

HANNO LEICHTMANN @ PYRAMID CLUB

DOC EDGE FESTIVAL

FREE public dance workshops, performances and films. Learn a new dance, with workshops from Cuban salsa to Scottish ceilidh. Performances by local groups reflecting the rich diversity of dance in Wellington. Plus, dance films from top NZ choreographers.

Curator, musician and sound installation artist Hanno Leichtmann (Germany) brings his Berlin-tinged minimal electronica to Wellington. He has won praise for his work under the moniker Static, and in groups such as Denseland and Groupshow. His most recent project is his duo with Valerio Tricoli, released on the influential Entrâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;acte label.

The 13th Doc Edge International Documentary Film Festival returns this year with over 70 stunning films. The festival features a diverse selection of films from NZ and around the globe, covering everything from pop culture to politics to our very own Pacific.

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14 April, 8pm The Pyramid Club 272 Taranaki St goethe.de/nz

9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;20 May 2018 The Roxy Cinema, Miramar docedge.nz

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F E AT U R E

Ro o m w it h a p ew W R I TT E N BY N I CO L A YO U N G | P H OTO G R A P H BY A N N A B R I G G S

The usual ecclesiastical cycle of baptisms, marriages, funerals, Easter and Christmas beckoned when Barry Scannell was appointed parish priest of Wellington’s St Mary of the Angels in 2009.

nstead he ended up driving one of the most successful fundraising campaigns this city has ever seen – raising $10 million for seismic strengthening of the church after the Seddon earthquake of 2013. In January Barry was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of his frankly staggering achievement in raising so much money very quickly, and acting as ‘clerk of works’ for the ambitious rebuilding programme. The church is now close to 100% of the building code, although the only visible change is the shear walls (unnoticeable by laymen’s eyes). It re-opened last Easter as a church and a popular concert venue. St Mary of the Angels, the Roman Catholic church in central Wellington’s Boulcott Street, is one of New Zealand’s best-known churches and a Category One heritage building. The building was the world’s first reinforced concrete gothic structure when it was completed in 1922. Heritage New Zealand says, ‘It’s hard to think of Wellington without it.’ It’s also been described as ‘the face of Catholicism in New Zealand.’ Although born in Temuka, Barry considers himself a Wellingtonian, having moved here in the early 70s to work for the New Zealand Post Office in telecommunications. St Mary of the Angels became his local parish, as he flatted only a few streets away, and he knew the building well. He spent 1975 in Antarctica, as postmaster at Scott Base; ‘I was really in charge of the telecommunications, when it was all radio; no satellites.’ He returned a few years later, flying in the day after the Erebus disaster in 1979 to provide experienced support to the overwhelmed communications team. Six years later in 1985, at the relatively advanced age of 32, Barry decided to become a priest. ‘I joined the Marist order of priests – who administer this parish – because of their tradition of caring for people. Besides, St Mary of the Angels was my parish, and I’ve always loved the building.’ After his ordination, Barry served in the parishes of Hastings, Blenheim, Epsom, Otara and Pakuranga. The Marist order, formally known as the Society of Mary, was founded in France after the fall of Napoleon. Formerly its New Zealand seminarians (trainee priests) were taught at Greenmeadows, near Napier; these days the former seminary is better known as Mission Estate Winery, and still owned by the Marists. Now Marist seminarians are educated in Auckland.

The 6.5 Seddon quake struck during Mass at 5.09pm on Sunday July 21; fortunately the congregation included Brian McGuinness, a heritage building specialist who’s also managing director of leading Wellington construction company L T McGuinness. Brian believed the building was stressed to its limits by the earthquake and recommended it be closed until it could be strengthened. Barry made the brave decision to close the church, helped by co-operation and generosity from nearby St John’s Presbyterian Church, the Catholic Basilica and St Joseph’s on Mt Victoria, which provided temporary homes for Barry’s congregation. Raising $10 million was a bigger hurdle. Back in the early 1980s, Barry (as a layman) had served on the church’s finance committee when some upgrades were done. The church had employed a professional fundraiser, and Barry was determined not to repeat that unhappy experience. ‘I wanted every cent donated to go towards seismic strengthening of the church; I didn’t want a fundraiser clipping the proceeds.’ Some members of his finance committee were horrified by his decision and self-belief; at least one member was convinced it would end in tears. Barry proved them wrong. He worked tirelessly to raise the funds from parishioners, former parishioners, concerned Wellingtonians and well-wishers – almost anyone with a link to the church or Wellington. His fundraising skills quickly became legendary, including his ability to get money out of – almost – anyone. He admits to having a mental list of those who could have donated, but didn’t, and makes ‘special mention’ of the few who boast about how much they’ve given but actually haven’t handed over a cent. As one of his parishioners said, ‘Fr Scannell was the right man, in the right place, at the right time; no one else could have, or would have, managed to raise so much money – almost entirely from the private sector.’ Now Barry’s work in Wellington is done and he’s been appointed parish priest in Napier. Marist priests normally serve a maximum of six years in a parish, but Barry was asked to stay until the church was completed so he’s served a whole decade at St Mary of the Angels. But he’s praying to return here in retirement – and surely, after his triumph in rescuing such a beautiful building, God will smile kindly upon his request?

WELLNESS BRIEFS

F A S T F O R WA R D F I F T Y

L TA

M A GA Z I N E • 5

MA • A RS YE

UES • C A

For our special 50th issue feature we looked back and forwards and caught up with fishermen and farmers, artists and athletes, and Wellingtonians working in hospo, fashion, education, medicine and more. Some of our favourites are no longer with us – separated by distance or death – but it’s been a great ride, finding out what they’re up to.

Wellington in 2012 by Evangeline Davis

•

Looking back over earlier issues of Capital we found that change is inevitable and progress never stops. But who wants to stand still anyway?

Here’s to 50 more.

E L L I N GTO N

iSS

Fast forwa rd fifty

Up and down In November 2014, Capital reported the conclusion of the Grow Wellington report on the Wellington economy that ‘generally the Wellington economy is performing below the national average.’ Wellington was lagging behind in job growth, immigration and visitor numbers, and while only a bit below the national average,

it was well behind the roaring engines of the Auckland and Christchurch economies. In 2018, it seems little has changed: while between then and now Wellington did surge up, it has fallen back again. March 2018 report from economic consultancy Infometrics concludes ‘Wellington’s economic growth cooled in the final quarter of 2017. (Our) provisional estimate for GDP growth in the city to December 2017 year is for 2.1%, down from 3.6% the year before.’ Wellington’s 2017 growth figure was also below the national average of 2.8%. It says retail sales 31

have been ‘a little sluggish’. Tourism expenditure growth of 3.0% also underperformed the national average, as did guest nights in commercial accommodation. Wellington’s housing market has also slowed, but rents have rocketed ahead, with Trade Me reporting a ‘massive demand’ for rental accommodation while fewer flats were available, resulting in rents now equivalent to those in Auckland. Issue 16, page 34 Photography by Evangeline Davis

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Dust to dust Earlier this year the Environment Court ruled that the historic Chapel of the Sacred Heart must be strengthened before any other work, including demolition, can take place on the $30 million housing development at Erskine. The Wellington Company, who has owned the property since 2000, made a move on the

site last year. The destruction of the Reverend Mother’s Garden, which many thought had been saved under a June 2017 agreement between the Wellington Company, Heritage New Zealand and Save Erskine College Trust, was witnessed by horrified locals in October. However, many are pleased that the area, a regular target for vandals, will finally be given some attention. Others have pointed out that 96 new terraced houses and apartment units are 32

not to be sniffed at during a housing crisis. All sides are pleased that the 1930s gothic chapel, renowned for its superb acoustics, will finally be earthquake strengthened and restored. Oscar Keys explored ‘buildings left to perish’ for our Abandoned Spaces photo essay in 2016. It included Erskine’s chapel and college. Issue 35, page 34 Photography by Oscar Keys

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Ka Pai Kahurangi In 2013, Kahurangi School, a decile two primary school in Miramar, was doing something no other school was doing. It wasn’t

charging parents anything for their kids to attend – no fees, no ‘voluntary’ donations, no extras, nothing. And it still isn’t. Principal Kyran Smith has stuck to the principle ‘that our school should be an equitable place.’ In 2018, ‘our biggest problem is growth. Our capacity is 171 kids and we have 199 35

compared to 135 in 2014. We desperately need new classrooms.’ The school has succeeded in forming strong partnerships with parents, Scots College pupils, a Rotary club and cultural groups in the community. Issue 6, page 41 Photography by Benjamin & Elise

Motherload He Huarahi Tamariki is a secondary school for teenage parents. It’s been two years since Capital visited and got to know five current and past students of the school. Hinehou Mason, now 18, is still at HHT and working towards her University Entrance at Level 3. ‘My studies are going really well, I enjoy English and Computing. Unfortunately I am

not loving Home Ec,’ she says. ‘Not much has changed except for that I am really wanting to get into Victoria University to study English and History as I'd like to be a secondary teacher. I’ve wanted to be a teacher since 2016 when I went to Tawa Intermediate for work experience. I just loved being able to help the kids and teaching them a few tricks in English and Maths.’ Her daughter Rinoa has just turned three. ‘She’s doing really well in kindy and is growing really fast too. She’s already wearing size 10 toddler 36

shoes and sizes 5–7 clothing!’ Rinoa’s dad isn’t in the picture. Hinehou says she’s fine with that as she has many, many supporters with all her whanau. ‘I am still living at home with mum and the kids and they love Rinoa so much. Their favorite part of the weekdays are when we’re off to school and they all get one big kiss from her, and when we come home she runs to them with a big smile on her face yelling.’ Issue 24, page 36 Photography by Ashley Church

F A S T F O R WA R D F I F T Y

Eric Matthews, now in his 80s, still enjoys whitebaiting. During the season he’s down at his spot two or three times a week. His son Shane says last year was the first year he didn’t get into it. He enjoys it, but he’s been a bit busy and ‘if you get a couple of good runs it can be very addictive and you’ll end up staying all day.’ Two of Shane’s sons have taken his spot in the old Landrover. Even though the boys are in their 20s now, Eric still mends their nets for them every year. Issue 25, page 20 Photography by Benjamin & Elise

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F A S T F O R WA R D F I F T Y

An eye for it Photographer and visual artist Chev Hassett says, ‘I really wanted to do a project you didn’t commonly see in Capital magazine.’ His Day at the Marae photo essay hit our pages in winter last year, just in time for Matariki. ‘Koraunui Marae fitted well as the idea of a marae is quite close to home for many Capital readers but

also quite far away at the same time. I hope the essay was a short bridge into daily life many Māori experience here in Wellington.’ A Wellingtonian born and raised, Chev is of Ngati Porou, Rongomaiwahine, Ngati Kahungunu ki Mahia and Pakeha heritage. He has a passion for cultural identity and social ethnography. ‘As I mature more and more within my art, I find myself getting excited about projects that embody Māori schools of thoughts and 39

concepts. So, at the moment Te Ao Māori is what gets me out of the bed in the morning.’ Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters. Their rise in mid-winter marks the start of a new year. This year Matariki begins on 15 June. Issue 42, page 56. Photography by Chev Hassett

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In issue three we met Capital Toastmasters members Margaret Nixon, Sue Hamilton and Peter Gallagher. The three of them have been volunteering at Arohata prison every week since 2011, helping inmates to improve their communication skills.

Issue 3, page 18 Photo by Sarah Burton

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Kaupapa continues Paula MacEwan says, ‘there has been a shift but the kaupapa prevails!’ She’s talking about her Koha Shed in Cannons Creek which Capital visited in August 2016. It’s now called the Koha Healing Hub and offers rongoā, traditional Māori healing. Paula says the shed was created to alleviate poverty. She hoped that by saving people money she could ease hardship. ‘Over three

and a half years I saw they were just spending more money at the dairy, more money on cigarettes.’ She was also horrified to discover that some of the donated items might have been contaminated by P. She saw children ‘riddled with skin issues’, a result of their living conditions. So she adapted her kaupapa to focus on healing. Paula makes rongoā outdoor fire baths using medicinal herbs and heat to treat both body and soul. She says relaxing in hot water 41

out in the elements is healing on its own, but if she knows in advance what ails you she can customise the healing plants, such as harakeke, kawakawa, rātā or koromiko, to suit. The Koha Healing Hub is also different from the Koha Shed in that the relationship is reciprocal. People could take without giving at the Koha Shed, but the Koha Healing Hub requires a gift. Issue 33, page 19 Photography by Anna Briggs

F A S T F O R WA R D F I F T Y

Driving forward Syrian former-refugee Dalal has passed her restricted driving test and completed NCEA Levels 1–3, and has just begun studying at Victoria University. Dalal has been in the limelight since her interview with Capital, starring in the interactive documentary Together We Make a Nation and appearing on Seven Sharp in 2017. Three years into their life in the Hutt Valley, things are going well for the whole family. Habiba is expecting a baby, Nuseba is learning how to drive, and Kasem’s garden is thriving. Issue 29, page 26 Photography by George Staniland

Have you hurd the bells? Timothy Hurd is still New Zealand’s National Carillonist, a position he’s held since 1984. When Capital interviewed him in 2015 he was looking forward to playing the Carillon’s 74 bells – ranging in weight from 10 kilograms to 12.25 tonnes – to celebrate the opening of Pukeahu National War Memorial Park. The bells have been out of action due to extensive rust, but work should be completed in time for ANZAC Day. Issue 20, page 38 Photography by Rhett GoodleyHornblow

F A S T F O R WA R D F I F T Y

Landreth’s lifestyle Opera singer/farmer Matt Landreth, who featured in Tales of the City is pretty much the same. He’s still performing regularly with NZ Opera and Wanderlust Theatre, still working at Weta Workshop, still running the annual Oxfam 100km trailwalker and still farming in Horokiwi. Currently the animal residents are four chickens, two horses and 60-odd sheep. They include Trevor, a lamb Matt rescued in the middle of the night two winters ago. Trevor enjoys scratches on the head, chewing on gumboots and sniffing small children. Issue 5, page 19 Photography by Sarah Burton

Family business Sir John Todd, New Zealand’s first billionaire according to Forbes, appeared in our December 2014 issue discussing his work and career with Todd Corporation. ‘Money gives you an easier life. But money itself will not give you anything,’ he said. Sir John passed away in his Wellington home six months later, aged 88. Issue 17, page 67 Photography by Benjamin & Elise

F A S T F O R WA R D F I F T Y

Kow t ow with the f l ow W R I T T E N BY M E LO DY T H O M A S

You might recognise Gosia Piatek as the cover model from the first ever Capital magazine, all of 50 issues ago. More likely you know her as the brain behind local conscious fashion label Kowtow − a brand which has moved from strength to strength since we last spoke with its founder.

ince 2013, Kowtow staff numbers have quadrupled, international stockists of the brand have risen from 45 to 250 to include stores in Tokyo, Copenhagen and London, and they most recently opened a physical space on College Street − much to the elation of local Kowtow obsessives (of whom there are many). Much has changed on a personal level too − soon after that cover interview, Gosia was working in India when she met an English chap she quite liked. They fell in love over skype, later met again in real life − and a couple of months later she was pregnant. ‘It was such a whirlwind. We didn't really have time to think about what this would mean in day-to-day life!’ she says. What it meant initially was life spent between two countries, with Gosia running the business from abroad during our winter then returning to be on the ground in the summer months. But motherhood forced Gosia to step back, employing more staff to take on some of the tasks she had once done. This turned out to be a great thing.

‘The distance from the physical business has given me more clarity and bravery to implement bigger-picture things, it has allowed us to grow. Living a global life has definitely given me more courage in everything I do,’ she says. The fresh global perspective is partly responsible for the launch of a brand new fibre, a merino cotton blend launched just in time for autumn. ‘The properties of merino are a perfect complement to our organic cotton: natural, renewable, biodegradable and hypoallergenic,’ says Gosia. When asked about future plans Gosia simply declares an intention to do more of the same good work. ‘The plan has always been to be a world dominator in ethical and sustainable fashion, which includes increasing product lines and engaging in more exciting collaborations, all without compromising on our values. Ethics and sustainability won't ever be a second thought.’

Issue 1, page 33

On track When we spoke to Mary Fisher in 2013 she had recently returned from the London Paralympics with a swag of medals and world

records. Since then, she hasn’t slowed down, in, or out of the pool. In 2014 Mary was New Zealand’s disabled sportsperson of the year. Competing at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro she won gold in the women’s 100m backstroke, with a world record time. Last 46

year Mary astonishingly completed the 62km Tarawera Ultra Marathon, over narrow trails and winding paths, with the help of a guide. Issue 6, page 71 Photography by Ashley Church

SECTION HEADER

Sister Loyola Galvin is the nun who became famous after starring in the documentary Gardening with Soul. She was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to gardening in 2015. Now in her late 90s, Sister Loyola has left Our Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home of Compassion in Island Bay and retired to a rest home in Silverstream. Without her energy and passion the vege garden couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be kept up and in 2016 it was removed. The site of her garden has been incorporated into a project to re-establish the cloisters, plant formal and wild gardens, and create larger lawns. Issue 4, page 43 Photography by Tamara Jones

47 47

Fired up On his idyllic lifestyle block Paul Melser makes pots. His stoneware is fired to 1300 degrees

centigrade, making it dishwasher, microwave and ovenproof. The Wairarapa potter has had a few ups and downs over the years: most notably his Carterton pottery burned down in 1976 and an earthquake destroyed around $8000 worth 48

of pots in January 2014. Recently he starred in a short documentary simply titled Paul Melser Pottery. Issue 30, page 70 Photography by Anna Briggs

Bee friendly At Te Aro School the multi-disciplinary beekeeping project involving eight-year-olds is thriving with 30kg of honey coming from

a single hive this year. There are now three hives (though one is dormant). In 2015 Clare Tocher and her pupils donned head-to-toe overalls and webbed helmets to inspect their bees on Tuesday afternoons. Clare’s moved on and Walter Taniwha is now in charge. He loves the 49

project, ‘because you can connect it to anything in the curriculum, and the kids get so enthused about it, which makes teaching and learning so much easier and more fun.’ Issue 20, page 24 Photography by Bex McGill

F A S T F O R WA R D F I F T Y

MEN OF LETTERS

WELL-PRIZED

SPORT STYLE

Dr Tim Beaglehole was a spritely 80-year-old when he welcomed Sarah Lang into his Karori home to be interviewed in 2013. The author and former university chancellor spoke of getting to know his late father John through the hundreds of letters he found while writing John’s biography. Photography couple Benjamin and Elise Johnson took Tim’s portrait with which he was delighted. After he died in 2015, aged 82, the family requested further copies of the photographs.

For a 24-year-old, composer/violinist Salina Fisher has quite the trophy cabinet. After winning the 2013 and 2014 NZSO/ Todd Young Composers Award, she became the youngest-ever winner of the SOUNZ Contemporary Award (New Zealand’s premier composition prize) in 2016 – and won again in 2017. Currently studying at New York’s Manhattan School of Music, Fisher’s home to hear the NZSO open three concerts with her new work Tupaia (Michael Fowler Centre, 21 April). Her compositions have been performed in eight countries.

Ardie Savea was 20 years old and playing under the shadow of his brother when we spoke to him in his first season of Super Rugby. He’s now a household name across New Zealand with 22 caps for the All Blacks. Ardie has a baby girl, threemonth old Kobe. In October 2017 he and partner Saskia Hartmann-Hechenberger released the first drop of Ardie Savea Clothing which is designed by Ardie and manufactured in Hawkes Bay using locally sourced materials.

Issue 6, page 60

Issue 17, page 38

Issue 13, page 82

F A S T F O R WA R D F I F T Y

BABY STEPS

CLEAN DREAM

FROM ARO TO OCKHAMS

We profiled ‘Literature Lovers’ Claire Mabey and Andrew Laking in November 2014, before they staged the first LitCrawl Wellington. It’s grown into New Zealand’s best little literary festival, and draws a much younger crowd than its counterparts. The couple, who also produce arts events like solstice festival Lōemis, are expecting a baby, and will have guest curators to help with LitCrawl 2018. Laking, also a musician, released the book and accompanying CD The Empire City: Songs of Wellington in 2015.

Sam Judd, co-founder and CEO of Sustainable Coastlines, had just been named 2013’s Young New Zealander of the Year when we interviewed him. Over the years Sam and his team have delivered educational programs to more than 144,500 people, collected more than one million litres of rubbish from the coast and planted over 28,000 native trees along our waterways. In January this year Sustainable Coastlines won the World Award in the Youth category at the 18th Energy Globe Awards, one of the most prestigious environmental awards on the planet. They are currently tackling their biggest New Zealand clean-up project to date – the entire Tāmaki Makaurau region.

Last June, lawyer/author Brannavan Gnanalingam (issue #7) and his publisher/ friend Murdoch Stephens (above, issue #10) walked along the railway tracks and bike lane from the Hutt Valley into Wellington city, just as Sri Lankan refugee/cleaner Sita does after a storm closes roads and cancels trains in Gnanalingam’s fifth novel Sodden Downstream ($29). Gnanalingam and tiny Wellington publishing collective Lawrence & Gibson are stoked about their first-ever shortlisting for the Ockham NZ Book Awards’ fiction prize. Stephens, who’s never publicly admitted to being author Richard Meros, is writing a book about his five-year Doing Our Bit campaign to double New Zealand’s refugee quota.

Issue 6, page 30

Issue 7, page 63, and Issue 10, page 61

Issue 26, page 68

Dad decisions Lima Sopoaga had pulled the black jersey on twice when we chatted with him in the winter of 2016. Since then he’s added

14 more caps to his name. He’s also had a daughter called Milla (now seven months old). He says she was a large part in his decision to sign with top-flight English club team London Wasps. He’ll move his young family to England at the end of the 2018 52

Super Rugby season. The offshore money for him is a sound financial decision as a man playing for a living in a sport where careers are limited. Issue 32, page 52 Photography by Inge Flinte

In 2014, Douglas Stichburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charcoal piece Observer controversially won the $20,000 Parkin Drawing Prize. Stichbury says this win opened up international opportunities, and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s since held residencies in Switzerland, Germany and Hong Kong. He now lives in New York. Issue 14, page 30 Photography by Benjamin & Elise

Popular pooch A number of Top Dogs have appeared on our pages. Miniature pinscher Ralph featured in 2015, photographed with his human,

Chloe Rose Taylor, in her home studio on Majoribanks St. The warehouse they lived in has since been demolished to make way for new apartments. Chloe is busy working on a collection for a group show in Auckland. The show is themed around 125 years of women’s 54

suffrage in New Zealand, ‘a subject that’s close to my heart,’ says Chloe. Ralph is four now and beginning to get a few distinguished grey hairs around his muzzle. Issue 18, page 100 Photography by Connie McDonald

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CMYK We pay homage to the four power colours of print: cyan, magenta, yellow and black with four power suits, in the old boardroom of the Wellington Harbour Board, now part of Museums Wellington.

Photography: Bex McGill Art Direction: Shalee Fitzsimmons Make-up: Islay Payne Model: Freya Priest of Kirsty Bunny Assisted: Bella Griffiths Location: von Kohorn room, Museum Wellington

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MUSIC

Colours of autumn With the change in weather comes a need to hit pause on the relentlessly upbeat summer jams, and settle into slower paced, more introspective sounds. MELODY THOMAS profiles five Wellington bands with brand new music to help ease the transition.

Groeni

g irlboss

Local electronic trio Groeni (pronounced groan-ee) have just released their debut full-length album, Nihx, expanding on and refining their blend of atmospheric electronica, melancholic vocals and introspective songwriting. Their music is beautiful, and so too is the relationship between band members Al Green, James Paul and Mike Isaacs – selfdescribed as ‘the three least blokey blokes in New Zealand.’ There’s a photo online of them cuddled up together that feels like an accurate snapshot of their personal and creative affinity. ‘It must be a social, macho thing that stops you sharing on an emotional level,’ says Al. ‘Once you get rid of that it opens up super rewarding friendships.’ It also opens up creative pathways, and audiences both here and abroad are responding to the openness and vulnerability that permeates Groeni’s music (they’re also very funny, but that’s another story).

Seven years ago, musician Lucy Botting moved to Wellington from Christchurch with her boyfriend and Wet Wings bandmate Darian Woods. A week after they moved the earthquake struck, taking out the venues that had cultivated the local music scene and causing their ‘cosy community’ of fellow musicians to disperse around the world. Though the couple (and their band) split a few years later, both stayed in Wellington, and Botting started to write and record solo as girlboss. She eventually grew frustrated as material accumulated but never really ‘turned into anything’. Botting started a band, rekindling the musical friendship she had once shared with Woods and bringing Douglas Kelly and Olivia Campion (Yumi Zouma, Estère) into the fold, and with this sounding board began to whittle down her compositions to the best and brightest. The songs were recorded in Auckland over 12 hours and released on the debut girlboss EP Body Con, out now on local label Ball of Wax Records.

On Nihx as a soundtrack to autumn: One of the themes of the album is dark vs light. Autumn being a transition season seems to fit nicely.

On Body Con as a soundtrack to autumn: Autumn can be a nice change. You don't feel so bad about curling up and having a lazy day.

MUSIC

ONONO

Womb

ENT

Last year I went along to a gig in Newtown, and within 20 minutes went from thinking the opening band was incomprehensibly bad to being completely enraptured. The band was local psychedelic pop 5-piece ONONO, and what initially threw me about them would become what I most enjoyed – the off-kilter time signatures, the mosh-heavy breakdowns and the way their songs seem to switch counterintuitively at multiple points. It took a bit to get my head around it, but as with most slow burners it was well worth the time invested. ONONO is the brainchild of Jonathan Nott, who recorded and released the first ONONO album Bad Posture in 2016, calling on friends and musical allies from previous projects to form the live band when it came time to take the songs on the road. The Stand EP, released at the beginning of this month, was recorded between Nott’s home in Melrose and at the band’s rehearsal space.

Womb is a family band but not as you know it. Its members Charlotte and Haz Forrester and Georgette Brown all come from the same uterus – two of them even sharing it at the same time. The music they make is similarly womb-like: listening to it through headphones on a particular kind of day, you might feel as if you were floating in a warm cocoon. Womb’s debut full-length release Like Splitting The Head From The Body, released last month, has various inspirations, from ‘thoughts while travelling and a drunken moment with friends to fever dreams’, but tying it all together is the muse, their mother. The album is named for the real (but now deeply mythologised) time she cut off a snake’s head with an axe, after it got too close to her babies back when they were living in the forest in Australia.

If ‘beautiful terror’ sounds like your jam, or you like music to inhabit all of your senses, then you might want to listen to ENT. ENT is the moniker of 33-year-old musician Nathan Taare, who grew up on the ‘stony river banks, surreal skate parks and emotional suburban vistas’ of Upper Hutt. Made with a combination of synthesizers, drum machines, gongs, vocals, field recordings, guitars and effects pedals, Taare describes the tracks as ‘long-form ambient compositions and psychedelic sounds with a moody and deep feel’. It’s not ‘background music’, but it is intended ‘to be played as you work away on your own art.’ An ENT performance is never music-alone, and Taare has experimented with scents as well as visuals at his gigs. His background in mixology lent itself to the practice, and before he knew it, he was making perfumes. In May, Taare will release an album of ENT material. The album title is unconfirmed, but if it were a scent Taare says it would be, ‘a dark and heady mix of burnt blonde woods, dried foliage and lavender, wet leather and animal sweat.’

On Stand as a soundtrack to autumn: The first single Pickup Point is a fitting farewell to summer: ‘The feeling of a missed opportunity or not making the most of something but only realising when it’s too late,’ says Nott.

On Womb as a soundtrack to autumn: Charlotte says, ‘We often get told our music is sad... sometimes too sad to listen to. This album does have a lot more of a "dark pop" feel than ever before. This strange cross of melancholy and elation mirrors autumn quite well.’

On ENT as a soundtrack to autumn: ‘I provide the music to bring you down safely into winter. To help the transition and ease the harsh change. Wellington in particular can be aggressive. Sip this back, smell it in and feel comfortable with the change at hand.’

FASH ION

Fashion and feminism BY M EGA N B L E N K A R N E

e spend huge amounts of time and money recording what women have worn, or not worn, and debating whether what they wore was appropriate. To take a recent example, Jennifer Lawrence, wearing a revealing Versace dress in the cold, provoked an outpouring of opinion online, which came down to something like ‘Oh my God someone save her from the people who forced her to go semi-naked in a snowstorm!' Her response, in summarised form: ‘Get a grip, people. I dress myself, thanks, and if I want to be cold in an amazing dress then I will do so and you can naff right off ’. Fashion land is spending a lot of time talking about #metoo and the intersection of feminism and fashion (and Jennifer Lawrence). Although fashion is a femaledominated industry, this has proven to be no protection against sexual harassment or sexism more generally, most likely because of the relative power of most of the women who work in it. Women make up the vast majority of fashion graduates from top fashion programmes (typically well over 80% per year), and dominate the fashion manufacturing sector at approximately three-quarters of the workforce. However, Business of Fashion reports that only 40% of womenswear designers at major fashion weeks in the Spring/Summer 2017 season were women, and only 14% of the major fashion brands are helmed by women. Perhaps promisingly, the few women who are in

positions of power – the highest-profile being Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior – are now turning towards feminism in fashion. It seems that fashion is ready to be openly feminist. I’ve noticed more than one label creating prints featuring the female form (including this Dancer print, current season at Kowtow), celebrating women aesthetically. Fashion seems to be performing an uncomfortable balancing act: offering an empowering vision of dressing up on the one hand, and failing to recognise the ick factor in judging women on their looks on the other. It’s not an easy conundrum to solve, and it’s further complicated by cries of slacktivism. It’s all very well to make a t-shirt that reads 'Feminist', but if you aren’t acting to address the inequality inherent in your own industry, are you a hypocrite? It seems to me that Jennifer Lawrence pulled the same move I’ve pulled a thousand times, and wore that outfit entirely because of the way she looked (and felt, I’m sure), with scant regard to whether she’d be cold. It’s great to hear she had a choice when she got dressed for that photo call, but it’s important to remember that not all women have a choice in fashion – and that is true regardless of where you fall in the supply chain. If that pisses you off as much as it does me, then please, stop tweeting Jennifer Lawrence and start asking – what does feminism in fashion really mean?

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FISHY BUSINESS

Octopus Name: Common octopus, Māori octopus or New Zealand octopus. Māori name: Wheke

intelligence – fair enough, so long as pig is off the menu too.

Scientific name: Macroctopus maorum Looks like: A large octopus with an arm span of more than 1m. Coloration can vary but they are usually orange-brown or dark purple-grey. Of all 42 known species of octopus in New Zealand, this is one of the most commonly seen. Habitat: Found off the coasts of both North and South Islands as well as many of the surrounding islands, and the waters off South Australia. Octopus live mainly in what is known as the ‘benthic zone’ – the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water (including the sea floor and some sub-surface layers) – though you might spot a smaller one in a rock pool. Feeds on: Crabs, crayfish and scallops. Wheke are evolved hunters, using stalking, ambush, jetpropulsion and digging to catch their prey (google video search 'octopus and crab' for some brilliant scenes). Catch: Octopus are usually taken by hand, gaff, line, net or bait trap. But they should be handled with caution – a bite from their beak can be painful. Cook: Octopus can be pickled in the Greek style, cooked with capsicum, potato and paprika to make Spanish pulpo, baked and cut into pieces for an Islandinspired dish with coconut cream and onion, or simply chucked on the BBQ. Though there are some we know who refuse to eat octopus because of the animal’s

Did you know? From kiwi expat Elle Hunt's brilliant (and award-winning) essay in The Guardian, on why we should not eat them: 'Octopuses were the first intelligent beings on Earth… They have two more hearts and about 10,000 more genes than humans do… can navigate mazes, solve puzzle toys, open jars – even childproof ones – without instruction…The Pacific striped variety is known to tap shrimp on the opposite side of its body – its shoulder, if you will – causing it to jump into its waiting arms.' There are many famous octopuses worldwide, a few of which are from Aotearoa. In 2008 Sid the octopus broke out of his tank in Otago to look for a mate. He was recaptured after five days but later released on Valentine's Day so he might fulfill his romantic wishes. Inky the octopus made international headlines after escaping from his tank at the National Aquarium of New Zealand in Napier and sliding down a 50m drainpipe to the sea (go Inky!). And Ozzy the octopus from our very own Island Bay Marine Education Centre holds what is thought to be a world record for opening a jar in less than 60 seconds, to get to his purple shore crab breakfast inside. If they were human they would be: Frankly, octopuses are offended at the implication that to be human would be an upgrade. Anyone who has stared into their trippy eyes or watched their hypnotic, out-of-this world colour changing knows octopuses are in fact aliens sent to earth to monitor us all and, hopefully, to save us from inevitable demise. Long live the octopus.

EDIBLES

TOP OF THE POPS One of the best summers on record has helped artisan company Paekakariki Pops have a buoyant first season in business. Childhood friends Amy Delahunty and Chrissy Vize have set up in business, hand-making real fruit ice blocks from seasonal, and wherever possible local, fruits. The two full-time mothers began production in November and to date have made and sold more than 5000 ice blocks. Free delivery is available on the Kapiti coast. Available in Wellington at Moore Wilson’s, the most popular flavour of the summer was roasted plum and coconut, closely followed by ginger, lime and lemongrass. They plan to use the winter to trial new recipes and to be back in business next summer.

MOTHER’S MILK

BIG CHEESE

VIGOROUS VEGANS

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10am Southern Cross bar offer masseuses to ease the load on parents. They have dedicated their guest room to the service and if you come in for coffee a staff member will look after your child while you receive a 10-minute head, back, neck or shoulders massage, on the house. They are calling it the ‘Cross Critters Coffee Group’.

Zany Zeus (Lower Hutt) and The Drunken Nanny (Martinborough) have recently each won multiple medals at the New Zealand Champions of Cheese awards. Zany Zeus also took home a trophy, winning the Kiwi Labels Champion Feta Cheese Award. These awards are run by the national Specialist Cheesemakers association. More than two tonnes of cheese was submitted for judging. The New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association is also behind Cheese Month, which is October this year.

Starting this month, on the first Saturday of every month is Wellington’s first vegan market – the Vegan Vault. From 6pm at 171 Victoria St there will be a selection of vendors selling totally cruelty-free food and merchandise. The market was created by Kristine Bartley of vegan bakery Sweet Release Cakes and Treats, to highlight all the vegan options available locally. To become involved contact theveganvault@gmail.com

Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television a colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to reaine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2] Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television a colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea

Buying or selling property? Use our experience. We SEE the small print.

30 Years

PARTNERS Ramona Rasch LLB David Leong LLB 68 1st Floor Kilbirnie Plaza 30 Bay Road | Kilbirnie, Wellington | Tel 04 387 7831 | www.raschleong.co.nz

EDIBLES

MAD MAX(INE) Maxine Scheckter has recently opened a patisserie and restaurant, Sugar Flour, at 29 Coutts St in Kilbirnie. Maxine has returned to New Zealand after working in Europe, including time at two-Michelin-star London restaurant Sketch (the pink one that lots of people put on Instagram) and celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant, The Fat Duck. Sugar Flour is open Friday to Sunday.The rest of the week Maxine spends prepping for the weekend ahead. At the time of interview she had just sent 50 custom Easter eggs to Dunedin.

BARKING GOOD

FAMILY TIES

ZERO HEROES

Barkers of Geraldine have made a move towards a low-sugar range: they have introduced a range of syrups intended for mixing with soda water. These syrups are made with all natural ingredients, and contain 25% less sugar than most full-sugar syrups. Flavours include caffeine-free Dry Cola, Brewed Ginger, Citrus Lemonade and Lemon Lime & Bitters.

From the family behind Leuven and Avida Bar comes the Fermentery. The Scott family have added the restaurant to their craft beer brewery complex, Whistling Sisters Beer Co., on the corner of Taranaki and Ghuznee. The Fermentery is serving ‘lots of rich pickled and fermented flavours, excellent charcuterie, our very own handmade breads and coffee alongside many other local seasonal delicacies.’ Head Chef John Allred was executive chef of Osteria del Toro for nine years.

After a year operating from temporary premises, Wellington’s Kaibosh Food Rescue has found a new home on Hopper St. Promoting a vision of zero food waste and zero food poverty, Kaibosh collects quality surplus food and delivers it to community groups that support people in need. To date they have rescued 867,122kg of food and provided 2,477,491 meals. A similar group called Waiwaste is operating in Masterton.

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S H E A R E R S ' TA B L E

Smoked apple ca ke with passionfruit curd BY N I K K I & J O R DA N S H E A R E R

ny celebration, be it birthday, anniversary or graduation, is worth the time and effort to create a cake masterpiece. Consider the fruits in season when selecting your cake type, and especially flavour combinations that work harmoniously together. As we approach autumn we wanted to celebrate the humble apple but give it a lift with the tangy tropical flavour of passionfruit and a little bit of smoke. The smoking of

the apple is easily done with a smoking gun; we use the Breville brand. Smoke the apple after it is cooked, liquor and all, using applewood wood chips or similar. The desired flavour is achieved after three minutes and, trust us, it takes this cake to a whole new level. Maybe this is your new kitchen toy to play with over winter? Think smoked pork ribs, smoked bloody marys, smoked butter… Go get one!

INGREDIENTS

Cake batter

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 2cm chunks juice of 1 lemon (stops the apples from browning) 1 Tbsp brown sugar 3 Tbsp water 150g softened unsalted butter 1 ½ cups caster sugar 4 eggs separated pinch salt 2 cups high grade flour, sifted 3 tsp baking powder, sifted 1 cup coconut ¼ cup liquor from the apples 3 Tbsp sour cream ¼ cup milk

METHOD 1. 2.

3. 4. 5.

Passionfruit curd

Cream cheese frosting & cake assembly

12 passionfruit, juice strained from the pulp/seeds (this takes time so be patient; use a teaspoon to encourage as much juice out as possible, scraping the bottom of the sieve); reserve 1 passionfruit for garnish 4 egg yolks 150g caster sugar 100g unsalted butter 250g cream cheese juice of 1 lemon 1 cup icing sugar, sifted 2 Tbsp softened butter 3 Tbsp passionfruit powder (we use ‘Fresh As’ brand) Edible flowers for garnish (we used marigolds, pansies, purple salvias) Serves 8

1. 2. 3.

1. 2.

3. 4. 5.

Prepare a 23cm cake tin, lining the bottom with baking paper and greasing the sides of the tin with butter. A tin with a removable base is preferable. Place apples, lemon juice, brown sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for three minutes until apples just start to soften. Remove from heat and strain, reserving liquid. Set both aside to cool. Smoke at this stage if you can. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated. In a small bowl whisk the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. In a large mixing bowl sift in the flour and baking powder. Fold in the butter/sugar mixture. Fold in the coconut, apple liquor, sour cream, milk, apple chunks and lastly the egg whites. Do not over-mix as this will take the air out of the batter and create a dense cake. Pour batter into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes at 160 degrees. Cool in the tin. Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar. In a medium saucepan add the butter and heat until melted. Reduce the heat to medium/low and add the egg/sugar mixture and the juice. Stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. Do not overcook as this will scramble the eggs. It should be the consistency of a thick custard and will continue to thicken as the mixture cools. Remove from the heat and cool in the fridge, covering with plastic wrap right on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin forming. Whisk together all ingredients until creamy. Ensure that you have sifted the sugar to prevent lumps. Set aside. When the cake is completely cold cut in half horizontally to achieve two even layers. Place bottom layer of cake onto your serving plate and spread half the cream cheese on the layer using a warm knife. Layer enough passionfruit curd on top of the cream cheese to cover. It may run down the sides of the cake but this is ok! Place the top layer of cake onto curd. Spread the remaining frosting on the top of the cake. Drizzle more curd on the top and then the passionfruit pulp, including seeds. Garnish with flowers.

LIQUID BRIEFS

Five by fifty JOELLE THOMSON shares her best five tipples for $50 or under.

1. 2015 Dog Point Marlborough Pinot Noir $43.99

wine with smooth flavours, thanks to 22 months maturation in French oak.

If Ivan Sutherland and James Healy were ever intimidated by starting a new wine brand when they left Cloudy Bay in the early 2000s, it did not show. Today they make three of Marlborough’s wonderful wines. The wines are subtle, sensuous and velvety, particularly the Pinot – and it’s Noir, not the ubiquitous Gris. All the grapes are organically certified. A little (15%) whole bunch fermentation adds oomph and spice, without dominating the delicacy of Pinot.

3. 2014 Astrolabe Wrekin Vineyard Pinot Noir $49.99

2. 2014 Big Sky Provenance Pinot Noir $44.99

4. 2012 Lansdowne Pinot Noir $49

Meet Katherine Jacobs and Jeremy Corban. They grow the grapes, live on the vineyard and make the wine at their Te Muna Road Vineyard, nine kms east of Martinborough township. Provenance is their flagship wine and is a labour of love, made by hand from the pruning to the picking to the selling. This is a big

Astrolabe is best known for its popular Sauvignon Blanc, but here’s another strong string to winemaker Simon Waghorn’s bow. This Pinot is made with grapes grown on the gentle slopes of the Wrekin Vineyard, which benefits from exposure to the sun and cooler nights to elongate the growing season, allowing the flavours of Pinot Noir’s red fruit and spice and its full body to develop.

Age is totally irrelevant, unless you happen to be a bottle of wine, said Joan Collins, who has always looked uncannily youthful for her age. Her words reminded me of an old bottle of Lansdowne Pinot that I tasted two years ago, supposedly made in 1903 from the same vineyard as this wine. The Lansdowne Vineyard is considered to be

the oldest in the Wairarapa and is now owned by Derek Hagar. His neighbour is winemaker Karl Johner, who makes this Pinot, one of the best in the Wairarapa. Production is tiny and the wine is not easy to find, but so worthy of the search, thanks to its delicacy, silky flavours and long finish. It’s available at the White Swan in Greytown or online. 5. 2016 Ata Rangi Craighall Chardonnay $49.50 It’s big, it’s buttery, it’s Chardonnay and it’s Ata Rangi’s top white. This wine is all about concentrated flavours (think of stonefruit, ripe peach, nectarines and apricot juice and you get the picture). The Ata Rangi winemaking team attribute these beautiful flavours to the Craighall Vineyard, which is home to Mendoza vines; they are famous for bunches of large and small grapes, which provide loads of flavour on one hand (the large grapes) and refreshing acidity on the other (the small ones). If you’re a Chardonnay lover, this is the ultimate.

At BurgerFuel, their burgers and sides are crafted to fit into all lifestyles, so you never have to fit them in to yours. Not only do their gourmet burgers taste good, but they’re a combination of everything that’s better for you and full of fresh, natural, wholesome ingredients. Providing awesome options for everyone right here in the Capital City. You never need to compromise on eating well with seven stores located across Wellington and one on the Kapiti Coast. Get a pure protein hit with their lean, free range Chicken Fenders. Go bun-free with the Low-Carborator option, grab a low-GI carb boost with the Kumara Fries, and make the best bun choice for you – through either a wholemeal bun or one that is gluten-free.

Living life in the low-carb zone? All BurgerFuel gourmet burgers can be served as a Low-Carborator. You’ll lose the buns and double the salad. That’s double fresh, hand-cut iceberg lettuce, red onion and red, ripe, juicy tomatoes.

Need an extra punch of pure protein? BurgerFuel Chicken Fenders are made of 100% pure, free range chicken tenderloins, with no added fillers, flavours or crumbs and batters. They’ve got more than twice the protein, 85% less total fat, 65% less saturated fat + 95% less carbs than your average chicken nugget. Served in a four or six pack, they’re perfect as a burger supplement, lunch on the go when you forgot to meal prep, or as a pure protein snack. Head to www.burgerfuel.com for more information.

BY THE BOOK

BOOK OF BOOKS When Chris Maclean was writing his history of the capital Wellington: Telling Tales (2005), he discovered that ruminating on his research before bed meant that, the next morning, he knew how to begin each chapter. The Waikanae author-photographer explains this process in A Way With Words: A Memoir of Writing and Publishing in New Zealand ($49.99), an illustrated history of books and the industry over 40 years. Maclean, who publishes his non-fiction books under the imprint Whitcombe Press, is the great-grandson of George Whitcombe, founder of publishers/booksellers Whitcombe & Tombs (1882–1995).

THAT ’S SICK Illness and literary genius have long gone together, and Gigi Fenster’s creative-writing PhD (2016) explored fever and the creative mind in literature. Will Fenster follow through with her plan to give herself a fever so she can better write her memoir Feverish (VUP, $30)? This short, engrossing read spans everything from her South African childhood with a psychiatrist father and mentally-ill friend, to her take on feverfilled classic Wuthering Heights.

ELSE-WHERE New hardback Go Girl: A Storybook of Epic NZ Women (Penguin Random House, $45) celebrates 48 extraordinary New Zealand women from Dame Whina Cooper and Jean Batten to Lorde and Lydia Ko. It’s written by Barbara Else (MNZM) – a writer and longtime Wellingtonian who moved to Dunedin in 2016 – and features portraits by local female illustrators including Sarah Wilkins, Sarah Laing and Phoebe Morris.

NO PUFF PIECE When Te Papa first opened in February 1998, exhibition developer Conal McCarthy watched people pour in as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra played. Twenty years later, Victoria’s Museum and Heritage Studies director has written Te Papa: Reinventing New Zealand’s National Museum (Te Papa Press, $45). While he clearly admires the globally influential institution, this honest appraisal also covers issues such as the need for more temporary exhibitions to drive repeat visits.

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MOTHER’S DAY – MAY 13TH

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BY THE BOOK

Re-verse I N T RO D U C E D BY C H R I S TS E

Everyone at the Pool Looked Like Ewan McGregor Ewan McGregor was doing freestyle Ewan McGregor was trying to do freestyle lifeguard Ewan McGregor watched over all the Ewan McGregors and I while Ewan McGregor snuck into the sauna without a wristband I shared my lane with two Ewan McGregors one had red Speedos and one had teal goggles we swam up and down the lane: Ewan McGregor, Ewan McGregor and I we fell into a rhythm, swimming equal distances apart I grew attached to my two Ewan McGregors, how could I not the three of us made a rectangular volume of water our own Ewan McGregor was tired and stopped Ewan McGregor was tired and stopped I also stopped, how could I not catching our breath side by side: Ewan McGregor, Ewan McGregor, and I By Sharon Lam, from Starling issue #4 (starlingmag.com), 2017.

BREAKDOWN

The poet: Sharon Lam is an architectural graduate and writer whose work has appeared in literary journals and online. She’s a graduate of the International Institute of Modern Letters, where she wrote a novel for her MA in creative writing.

Why I like it: This poem is effortlessly funny. The image of a swimming pool filled with Ewan McGregors is so delightfully ridiculous you can’t help but laugh. It’s also doing some great technical things: the use of repetition creates a calming rhythm akin to swimmers doing laps. The name ‘Ewan McGregor’ becomes an unlikely mantra, and the multiple uses of the phrase ‘how could I not’ suggests a surrender, on both the speaker and perhaps the reader’s part, to this fantasy scenario. It’s a surprisingly immersive poem despite its strangeness.

In brief: Sharon’s poem first appeared in Starling, a journal that showcases young New Zealand writers under the age of 25. It’s essential reading if you want to discover the future of New Zealand literature. First things first: The first question I asked myself after reading this poem is: are all the Ewan McGregors the same one or different versions of him from his entire filmography? I for one would like a swimming pool filled with the suave, caddish Ewan McGregor of Down With Love but I’d settle for a bunch of action star Ewan McGregors.

What is it about? My initial thought was that this is Sharon’s sly reverse takedown of the ‘all Asians look alike’ brand of casual racism. But the more I read it, the more I felt that the speaker was also an Ewan McGregor, thus making the poem a comment on the mundane sameness of life. It’s a sobering interpretation of an otherwise amusing poem, but if you can’t see the brighter side of the homogeneity of life, how else are you going to get through the days?

THINK

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HISTORY

Letters to We l l i n g t o n fro m B ea t r i x Potter W R I TT E N BY R U T H BA R N A R D

The recent live-action film version of Peter Rabbit shows Beatrix Potter remains a household name around the world. But as Ruth Barnard discovers, she had surprising connections to Wellington.

aptivating characters such as Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle have been part of childhood for generations. But, despite the popularity of Beatrix Potter’s stories her letters to young fans are not well known. There may still be some letters hiding in attics although many of them can be found in libraries and museums around the world. Thanks to Wellington’s Alexander Turnbull Library, I’ve held and read four of Beatrix’s letters dated from 1907 to 1911. Miss Potter’s words lead me into her dark parlour on Hill Top Farm where a flax basket from New Zealand hangs on a little brass hook next to bellows, a kettleholder and photos of young fans. The flax basket was sent from Coromandel Street, Newtown, Wellington, the home of young fan Louisa Sefton Ferguson and her mother Mary. Louisa’s father, William, was a respected civil engineer, whilst her mother, Mary, was the daughter of one of Wellington’s mayors. This wasn’t Beatrix’s only connection to Wellington. She had previously written to Mrs Bessie Hadfield who lived with her husband and four children on Lindale Farm in Paraparaumu. According to Judy Taylor’s Letters to Children from Beatrix Potter, Beatrix had promised to write the Lindale Farm girls a story; and after her death a tale called The Fairy in the Oak was found with a note saying ‘for two New Zealand Fairies – by promise.’ This story with a few changes is said to have been published as the last chapter of The Fairy Caravan. Beatrix’s letters to the Ferguson household were more than a formal exchange with notable fans. There is warmth and care in her writing. As well as sending little books to Louisa, Beatrix wrote accounts of her daily life and thoughts for subsequent books; one letter even included illustrations of Peter Rabbit with Louisa’s flax basket gift. Beatrix loved to include those around her in her writing, immortalising them as the small creatures she

is known and loved for. At one point she sent Louisa an autographed copy of The Tale of Ginger and Pickles which was dedicated to John Taylor, a shopkeeper in Beatrix’s village. The letter sent with this book explains that Mr Taylor was bedridden for a long time and could not pose for Beatrix’s illustrations. Instead, he suggested, he would make an excellent Dormouse. Unfortunately he didn’t live to see the published book but if you read Ginger and Pickles you will see ‘John Dormouse’ and his little shop. In other letters to Louisa Beatrix discussed her real animal friends, sending a photo of her old pet, Benjamin Bunny and talking about another, Peter Rabbit. She draws charming pictures of naughty Peter who is shown holding and then gnawing at the flax bag Louisa sent. Beatrix explains that when she first saw the bag she thought it would be for him to ‘carry his pocket handkerchief in’ but concluded ‘It is a great deal too nice for Peter, and he would bite holes in it as it seems to be made of flax or grass.’ Louisa died in 1910 at the age of eight. Upon hearing this news Beatrix sent her heartfelt condolences to Mary and a gift – Peter Rabbit’s Painting Book. Louisa’s life was commemorated in a stained glass window in Karori Cemetery Chapel. Her father also commissioned commemorative windows dedicated to his wife who died about 20 years after Louisa. There are also windows for Mary’s mother and brother, and one for William himself signed by artist Michael Healy. I read these letters expecting to learn something about the real world of Miss Potter, but instead I discovered a world so intertwined with fantasy that it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. I realised that many lives are connected to the magical places in Beatrix’s tales, over the hill and far away. Reference: Potter, Beatrix, 1866–1943:Letters to Louisa and Mrs Ferguson, Item Reference Number: MS-Papers-0461.

SECTION HEADER

T O R Q U E TA L K

Wunderbar Porsche 718 Cayman W R I TT E N BY RO G E R WA L K E R | P H OTO G R A P H Y BY LU K E B ROW N E

erdinand Porsche, the brilliant engineer who designed the revolutionary rear-engine Volkswagen Beetle, went on to spawn Porsche, one of the world’s best known and best loved car brands. And it’s pronounced Porsh, not Porsha. In Europe, there is an element of mutual respect between Italy’s and Germany’s great sports car brands. So Ferraris are becoming more reliable, and, more to the point, Porsches are showing some signs of flamboyance and emotion. I’m very happy about the win-win outcome of this European rivalry. It’s been interesting to watch the evolution of the Porsche sports car. (Although we think of Porsche as a sports car manufacturer, these days their top-selling vehicles are still sporty but they’re SUVs, the Macan and the Cayenne, which have engines in front like their luxury four-door car the Panamera) . Back to the ‘proper’ Porsche. From the start, the engine was positioned over the rear wheels, like the Volkswagen from which it was derived which enabled ‘2 + 2’ seating. This layout began with the 356 and continued through the 550, arriving in 1964 at the iconic 911. But that engine ‘hanging out the back’ unnerved some early drivers, as it had a tendency to oversteer pretty viciously when pushed too hard by the inexperienced. Porsche tried to replace the 911 in 1978 with the more conventional 914 and 928 series, which had the engines in front. Production ceased after 18 years. But a loyal and committed bunch of 911 buyers has ensured that car’s survival. I have lost count of the complex iterations and ever-hotter variations of the 911, but to this day it is still the model most generally recognised as a Porsche. Back in 2006 a revolution took place at Stuttgart when they introduced an entry level ‘baby 911’ which had its engine in the middle. The rear ‘+2’ seats were removed, which meant the engine could be moved forward. This enabled a near perfect 43/57 weight distribution, giving the cars brilliant cornering and braking prowess. They became instant sports car classics. The baby 911 came in two forms, the convertible Boxster and hardtop Cayman, both powered by 2.5-litre six-cylinder engines. Now, the 718 Boxster and Cayman (the hardtop is named after the Cayman Islands not, as some say, the Caiman crocodile) have moved up to a smaller and lighter

four-cylinder 2.0-litre 220kw (that’s 300 hp!), engine, which is turbocharged and offers more punch, speed and fuel efficiency than the old six. Constantly innovating, Porsche never rest on their laurels, and they recently previewed the four-door Mission E all-electric vehicle, slated for production within a couple of years. And in anticipation of forthcoming EU regulations, the company has recently announced they’re ending diesel engine production. Back at Armstrong Prestige in Wellington, I was handed the keys to a brand new 718 Cayman, by the enthusiastic Johan, their Porsche brand manager. I was struck by the beauty of the little silver car, with its 20-inch Carrera S wheels and low-profile race-bred Michelin tyres. For a sports car there is a (relatively) vast amount of luggage space both up front and behind the engine compartment. The black and crayon leather interior is simply lovely. Settle into the very cosy seat and everything falls to hand; the controls are delightfully simple and intuitive. The dashboard is well integrated, swooping cohesively into the interior linings. Clever details abound. The steering wheel is soft but grippy, and the distribution of the controls is just right. Taking off, the turn circle is remarkably tight. I know there’s no need to rev a turbo engine as the torque is available from the bottom, but when the traffic cleared I pushed the Jekyll and Hyde (sport) button which transforms the car’s personality, and was happy to revel in the music of its very zippy motor. Knowing that the lighter weight of the hardtop Cayman allows a performance edge over its roadster cousin, I couldn’t resist giving the car a semi-serious nudge. It goes! And it felt like it was made for me. Yet if you treat the accelerator politely round town it behaves like a merely very good-looking car. For me, there was plenty of performance, but astonishingly there’s even more to be had if you fancy it – a Cayman 718S, with another two cylinders and an extra 37 kW. I wonder sometimes about the future of personalised transport. I can see the appeal of computers, but their enthusiasts surely just don’t understand the thrill of driving; and driving this Cayman convinces me that performance sports cars built for people who enjoy driving have a very bright future. Danke schön Porsche

W E L LY A NG E L

W h a t wo u l d D e i r d r e d o? A DOG IN THE WAY

MONEY TALKS

FULL OF ANGER

I have begun a relationship with a woman at my work, and we get on very well. We had a very successful holiday together over New Year. However she had been in a relationship which she said had finished, (I believe her) but she is still sharing a house with the previous partner, and now says it is too complicated to move out – finances, mortgages, depression, and a shared dog. She has asked me to give her more time. What do I do?

For various reasons we have been assessing our financial position. I have been taken aback to find that my husband sees the money that his parents offered specifically and only to pay for private school fees for our children (not something I thought necessary or wanted) as part of his contribution to the family finances, thus making our contributions about equal. (I have always earned more than him and all our money has been shared, but I haven’t added in gifts or occasional help from my parents.) Is he making a fair assumption?

Please help me. I spent a long time caring for my sick mother before she passed away. Now she’s gone, it’s created a rift between my sisters and me. I’m angry they never helped care for her, or at the very least, thanked me for putting my life on hold to look after her. I know my Mum would want us to move past this but I’m struggling.

Mixed feelings, Kelburn You sound committed to her but I detect a bit of doubt developing. It is three months since New Year and she is procrastinating. It is for you to know how much she means to you and to extend the olive branch. Maybe try to get a timeline in place – mortgages and finance all come with pretty predictable dates and change parameters. The dog is trickier. Is it her dog? Who is depressed? Who says so? If she is really moving to a commitment to you, then still sharing a house with a former partner seems a bit odd. Have you talked about living together? Her commitments can be arranged in a business-like way and don’t need a physical presence to maintain them. There are a few things to sort here on both sides. Good luck!

Bookkeeper, Ngaio Money is a real divider and keeping clear lines on income stream is hard. This money from his parents has come tagged and they should put it in a trust or fund for the children’s education – it is clearly not part of your relationship finances and neither is money from your parents. Draw up a budget and income stream document − go to a financial advisor or citizens advice for objective advice. Do this now! The longer it is murky the more it may affect your relationship.

Eldest child, Titahi Bay. There are so many families that will relate to this situation. You helped and now time has moved you all on. It is hard but you should try to let it go and move forward in your relationship with your sisters. They may never see it your way; and they weren’t there, you were and that means personal memories that are yours alone. Cherish these and get on with life. You have the moral high ground but don’t let anger colour the picture.

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

B A B Y, B A B Y

Ad v i c e t o i g n o r e BY M E LO DY T H O M A S

love babies. The smell. The goobery, toothless grins. The roly poly limbs. The only person who loves babies more than me is my husband, who knows better than to ask to hold your baby but will coo and cluck pointedly in your baby’s face until you relent and hand it over, after which it might never be seen again. Recently friends returned to New Zealand with their fivemonth-old, and over a glass of wine confided in me about all the books they’d read while expecting – books that promised to unlock all the mysteries of parenthood but instead left one of them crying in a heap of destroyed confidence. I could relate – I too was a terrified mess right up until the moment I threw away every parenting book I’d been given. There is a difference between being a few months or a year in and seeking solutions to a specific concern, and being pregnant with no idea what is coming, reading book after book full of ‘solutions’ – which really only serve to make you wonder, ‘if I don’t know any of this, what else do I not know?’ In honour of 50 Capital parenting columns, I thought I’d round up some of the most commonly spouted BS pieces of ‘advice’ for new parents:

Sometimes it isn’t easy to start with and perseverance pays off. But if you have been trying and it’s just not working, if the guilt and the stress are causing you to clench your toes every time you latch your baby on to a cracked nipple, do not feel like a failure for using formula. That’s what it’s there for. You are an awesome Mum, and your baby is so lucky to have you. Co-sleeping is bad. The number of times I’ve lied about this one – but here it is, on paper – my kids have always slept in my bed, since day one. Yes – co-sleeping can be dangerous, but there are some VERY SIMPLE RULES that, if you follow them to a T, make co-sleeping the absolutely safest option out there. Look them up, promise never to bend them, and go for it. If you’re breastfeeding you might even get to the point where you can flop out a boob and feed the baby in your sleep.

You should never feed/sing/rock your baby to sleep because they will develop a ‘crutch’. It’s true that if you love your baby to sleep they will continue to expect you to. My husband still cuddles our nearly twoyear-old to sleep every night, while I lie in the dark waiting for Miss Five to start snoring. Sometimes I wish she could go to sleep on her own, but most of the time I’m overwhelmed by the beauty of those moments – knowing they are exactly the thing I will miss when the kids are big. One of the most ridiculous things I ever read was that feeding a baby to sleep teaches them your breast is a ‘comfort object’. Well yes, breasts are literally made to comfort babies. The fact that they also comfort grown people is just an added bonus. Boobies are voodoo baby magic. Use them. Breast is best. We have established that boobs are great. If breastfeeding is available for you, you and your baby are very lucky.

You can’t parent without this absolutely necessary, ridiculously expensive newfangled piece of equipment. All lies, all of the time. If buying baby things makes you feel more prepared for the role to come then all good – but I’m here to tell you that for the first couple of years you don’t need much of anything. Baby carriers are awesome but there are a bunch of tutorials online for sewing a wrap. Bottles can be sterilised on the stove top. Babies can be changed on the floor. There are loads of great prams for sale on Trademe for quarter of the price of a new one. Put out the word for hand me down clothes and you won’t buy any for years. They’re only young once, make sure you appreciate it. This one is true, but way too often is used as a weapon to stop mothers from doing something ‘selfish’ like taking trips away without kids or going back to work, or to make you feel guilty for complaining. It’s important you know that we have ALL thought about throwing our babies out the window at least once, or bawled our eyes out as we circle the block for the 1000th time with a crying baby in our pram, or considered how different our lives might look had we not had them. Parenting is the best, but it’s also the worst. Find yourself a group who knows this and is happy with you sharing both.

Capital 50

Articles inside

Bowl'n With the Homies

Fashion and Feminism

Music: Colours of Autumn

Kowtow With the Flow

Room With a Pew