Capital 52 by Capital

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

SKATE PROOF WINTER 2018

The w inter issu e

ISSUE 52

COASTAL FASHION

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CAPITAL

MADE IN WELLINGTON

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

SKATE PROOF WINTER 2018

ISSUE 52

COASTAL FASHION

$4.90 MATARIKI MAGIC

D R AW N T O T H E F L A M E

The w inte r is s u e

kateboarding has been around for a long time, in fact, it has recently been accepted as an Olympic sport. But the attitude here seems to be that at best skateboarders are delinquents and at worst desecrators. I think we all accept that the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior should be treated with respect but does this really mean that the whole of Pukeahu Park, a large popular public space, needs to be entirely off limits to skateboarders? Skateboarder Luke Browne, who is also one of Capital’s designers, puts his view of the prevailing attitude, and asks for design consideration of skateboarding to be part of city projects. I once received a warning call from the police. Our 13-yearold son had just been rebuked for hitching a skateboard ride on the back of a Lambton Quay bus. Perhaps the many skateboarders I have known have coloured my view, but I also think it is time that we embraced skaters and designed our urban landscape to cope. In our winter issue we look at fires and firewood, still heating old wooden villas around the region. Baz MacDonald looks at how the video game industry could be fired up; and Sarah Lang talks to Bridget Williams Books about their online and offline publishing success. The take on fashion is Southerly, while fashion writer Megan Blenkharne suggests buying local design to avoid abetting international counterfeiters. Food writers Nikki and Jordan Shearer suggest chilli to ward off the cold. We have highlighted seven Matariki events and we are looking forward in particular to the fireworks show, on 7 July. It is great that the WCC has finally made it the city’s main fireworks event. Thank you for the wonderful response to our Best of Wellington survey. We have compiled a directory of nominees in this issue and will release the results in August and September. Go to www.capitalbestof.com

SUBSCRIPTION Subscription rates $77 (inc postage and packaging) 10 issues New Zealand only To subscribe, please email accounts@capitalmag.co.nz

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

PRINTED IN WELLINGTON

Alison Franks Editor editor@capitalmag.co.nz

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

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.

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 Leilani Baker hello@capitalmag.co.nz Accounts Tod Harfield accounts@capitalmag.co.nz Gus Bristed

Distribution

BA Z M AC D O NA L D Writer The envy of teenagers everywhere, Baz is a freelance culture journalist with a focus on video games. He writes for all of NZ's major outlets from his home in Wellington – typically in pyjamas and with his dog Honey on his lap.

M E G A N B L E N KA R N E Fash i on c olum n i st Megan writes about personal style as a working woman and the fun and power to be found in dressing up on her blog, Mode & Methodology. Living proof that owning [undisclosed] pairs of high heels won’t diminish your intelligence, and she is a huge fan of New Zealand design.

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.

LEILANI BAKER Writer

ANNA BRIGGS Ph oto g r aph er

Leilani is the Capital office newbie. For a young lass she is quite the nana. She enjoys listening to her records, drinking strong cups of tea, and wearing woolly cardigans. You will rarely find her without socks on as she suffers from podophobia.

Anna is a young freelance photographer. She has a love for photographing her surroundings, showcasing their natural beauty in a stylish and tasteful way. You can check out her work at annabriggsphoto.com

THE LES AND MILLY PARIS

Adrienne Martyn, Les and Milly Paris, gelatin silver print (1988)

COLLECTION PART 2

ART + OBJECT AUCTION 28 JUNE artandobject.co.nz

CONTENTS

12 LETTERS 14 CHATTER 16 NEWS BRIEFS 18 BY THE NUMBERS 20 NEW PRODUCTS 24 TALES OF THE CITY 26 CULTURE

THE GAME DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL

ANTI / SO CIAL

Baz Macdonald looks to the future

Don't assume skateboarders are delinquents says Luke Browne

BEST OF DIRECTORY

SOU TH

Check out nominees for the Best of Awards

Warm fashion for cold weather

SEVEN STARS OF MATARIKI

Seven local Matariki events to get you starry-eyed

BURN BABY BURN What's the best firewood?

BACH / GARETH FARR / HAYDN / BRITTEN

Chamber Music New Zealand presents

Heath Quartet

Thrilling audiences with their dynamic and charismatic performances, the Heath Quartet are one of Britain’s most exciting chamber ensembles.

Wed 27 June, 7:30pm Michael Fowler Centre / WELLINGTON Free kids concert – register online.

chambermusic.co.nz/heath

Core Funder

Tour Partner

CONTENTS

A WOM A N OF M A N Y TA S T E S

BAG L A DY

Bridget Scanlan has designed a bag to keep you together

Rose Miller's villa is a study in preservation

102

FASHION

RE-VERSE

Megan Blenkarne asks if fashion 'inspiration' has gone too far

Chris Tse introduces Spring Onion Pancakes by Nina Powles

77 INTERIORS 78 LIFESTYLE BRIEFS 81 FISHY BUSINESS 82 EDIBLES

Sam McCafferty is living his Ducati dream

86 90

BY THE BOOK TEXT TALK 106 GOOD SPORT 111 TORQUE TALK 112 WELLY ANGEL 115 BABY, BABY 117 CALENDAR 120 GROUPIES

MY EAT PRAY LOVE MOMENT

Beef rendang with coconut

Sharon Greally reports back from India

SHEARERS' TABLE

LIFE IN THE FAST L ANE

DALLA TAFELMUSIK AL DIVERTIMENTO

Chamber Music New Zealand presents

Ensemble Zefiro

Light, elegant, and unapologetically entertaining, dine out on an exquisite banquet of Handel, Fasch, Telemann, Haydn and Mozart.

Fri 10 August, 7:30pm Michael Fowler Centre / WELLINGTON

chambermusic.co.nz/zefiro

Core Funder

LETTERS

MORE HOUSES PLEASE I have particularly enjoyed the focus on houses in the latest issue of Capital. Please feel free to include many more. And a belated congratulations on reaching your 50th issue. I give your magazine to all my visitors to read. Houseproud, Karori

HAPPY NEWS Thanks for continuing to provide positive local news and views in your wonderful magazine. It’s refreshing to be confronted with success stories, happy faces and clever design. Shona Wright, Mornington GO OD ADVICE

MUZZLE ‘EM Although I applaud the local councils’ move to allow dogs on public transport, why does it have to carry so many restrictions? Who has a cage that they wish to carry with them while travelling about their city on business or to take their dog to a nearby park or beach? Why wouldn’t a requirement that all dogs on public transport wear a muzzle be enough to safeguard the public? Dog lover, Thorndon

I liked the Advice to Ignore column in your recent issue (#50, p83) Too much information and too much obsessing over doing things perfectly has meant that mothers are fearful of using their own common sense and are not developing good instincts about how to look after their babies. It was good to see an experienced mother giving her opinion about making her own decisions. Granny of 10, Hataitai

Take your Skills on an

Adventure with Volunteer Service Abroad

Volunteer with local people and organisations in the Pacific and beyond.

costs covered ages 25-75 diverse industries

Choose your adventure: www.vsa.org.nz/adventure

WELCOMED REVISITS I wanted to get in touch to tell you how much I enjoyed your 50th issue. After being a Capital reader for five years, it was nice to have a follow-up with some of the stories and see what they are doing now. My personal favourite was the young girl from He Huarahi Tamariki. After reading the follow-up, it sounds like she's doing wonderfully – I wish her luck in the future. Big fan, Melling

Send letters to editor@captalmag.co.nz with the subject line Letters to Ed

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HEART YO U R A RT Thanks to everyone who entered our Greta Menzies colouring competition. Dee Stevens, Marketing & Design at Gordon Harris, says, ‘We loved the use of colour and mediums in the winning pieces! They stood out with their blending skills and use of complementary colours. Great job!’ Leila of Owhiro Bay and Joshua of Newtown won the Youth category. Adult category winners are Talulah of Melrose and Louisa of Featherston. They all received a Gordon Harris voucher. Special mention goes to Eva, who sent an episode of her quirky comic strip starring Cat and Avocado. Thanks for the lols Eva.

JERYKAH TOIMATA Why did you choose the design? I got the coordinates of New Zealand divided onto each arm. I also have the Philippine coordinates on the back of my legs to kinda signify my beginnings and foundations – the New Zealand coordinates are to signify my present and future.

DRAWN IN Art curator and writer Emma Bugden will be joined by John Gow and Simon Rees to select the finalists for the 2018 Parkin Drawing Prize. The award was launched six years ago by Chris Parkin, arts patron, philanthropist and former owner of the Museum Art Hotel in Wellington. Emma, who is currently a PhD candidate at Victoria University of Wellington, was the Judge of the Portage Ceramic Awards 2017 and a juror for the 2016 Walters Prize. Parkin Prize exhibition, NZ Academy of Fine Arts, 17 July – 19 August

Family, for or against? My family are quite supportive and open minded. My parents both have tattoos so I feel like it wasn’t really as big a deal. I just walked in and said ‘I’m getting a tattoo!’ and they replied 'Ok cool!' Art or Rebellion? Art. I’d rebel in many forms but not with something as permanent as a tattoo.

C HAT T E R

WELLY WORDS THE RIGHT WORD A Wellyworder catching the Number 18 bus couldn't help but overhear two 20-something girls chatting about their newish boyfriends. One talked about getting 'anxiousness' when he didn't call. 'Anxiety,' said the other. 'Anxiousness' the first girl shot back. And so this continued the length of Wallace Street until another commuter finally turned around and said 'It's definitely anxiety, girls'. Lesson learned: it's possible to be overheard on the bus.

FIG FRENZY We often see children climbing trees, but one Wellyworder wasn’t expecting to see an older woman up a tree one sunny afternoon. The large fig tree outside Clyde Quay school is a popular spot for fig lovers. Although a few school kids did let out a few giggles when passing the lady determined to get her share – go fig-ure.

DOG GONE Getting your cute dog fix is now easier thanks to the Dogs of Moore Wilson’s Instagram. A WellyWorder recently drew our attention to the page, which seems to have only existed for a couple of months, and admitted they’ve become obsessed with finding out who’s behind it.

IT'S COOL TO KORERO Kaua e wareware ki te tango i tō kōti. Don’t forget to take your coat

TWINKLE TWINKLE From 6 – 9 July you should be able to see Matariki rising. Space Place tells us how to spot it: Matariki is to be found just before dawn, low on the horizon in the north-east of the sky. First find the pot (the bottom three stars of the pot are also called Tautoru, or Orion’s Belt). To find Puanga (Rigel) look above the pot for the bright star. To the left of the pot, find the bright orange star, Taumatakuku (Aldebaran). Follow an imaginary line from Tautoru across to Taumata-kuku and keep going until you hit a cluster of stars. That cluster is Matariki. If it looks fuzzy, look just above or just below and the stars will be clearer.

SHAKE, RAT TLE AND ROLL One of the world’s most popular computer games is being used to teach important lessons about earthquake safety. A new Minecraft mod called ‘ShakerMod’ was developed by Te Papa and the Earthquake Commission to help kids learn to Fix, Fasten and Don’t Forget. ‘We’ve involved kids during the development of the ShakerMod and their input has been key,’ says Te Papa’s Head of Learning Innovation, Miri Young. ‘They’re having a blast and learning too, which is the ultimate combination.’ The game can be played at Te Papa’s Earthquake Encounters.

NEWS BRIEFS

HOUND AROUND TOWN We talked about it five years ago (see Capital #3) and now, finally, commuters will be able to take their pets on public transport. Animals will be allowed on Hutt Valley services from mid-June and Wellington city, Kāpiti Coast and Porirua City services from mid-July. Wairarapa trains have allowed pets since last month. But as animals can only travel during off-peak times, during which there is a scarcity of Wairarapa services, this is of limited use. Animals must be inside a suitable pet carrier and be placed in the luggage space or on your lap.

GARDI-AN ANGEL

BIKE FIGHT

BELOW THE SURFACE

Young New Zealander of the Year 2017, Rez Gardi, was in the capital last month to announce that her mentorship programme, Empower, will open in Wellington. She founded the education focused charity in Auckland last year and has invested $20,000 of her own money to help it expand. As a teen, Rez was discouraged from pursuing a law career because of her refugee background. She has just been accepted into Harvard University to do a Master’s in Law. World Refugee Day is 20 June.

News that the Island Bay Residents' Association intends to go to court over the Island Bay cycleway has been met with a mixed response. Last month the association announced they had instructed their solicitor to advise the Council that it proposes to seek a judicial review of the Council’s decision to go ahead with Mayor Justin Lester’s ‘common sense’ compromise. This led to name-calling and personal insults on Facebook from both sides of the debate. The association is calling for donations to fund its application.

Detailed underwater inspections have found extensive damage and decay in the piles of the Rona Bay, Days Bay and Petone wharves. Hutt City Council’s Divisional Manager Parks and Gardens, Bruce Hodgins, says detail on any additional work or costs won’t be available until the information on the condition of the piles is fully analysed by engineering and quantity surveying specialists. ‘With projects like these – especially those with their foundations under water – the true scale and cost of the work is often only known once detailed work gets under way,’ he says.

B O TA N I C A L S K I N C A R E / H E R B A L D I S P E N S A R Y / H O L I S T I C FA C I A L S / TA I L O R E D M A S S A G E / S K I N C A R E W O R K S H O P S

C r e a t e d b y H e r b a l i s t s M a d e i n N e w Z e a l a n d w e l l i n g t o n a p o t h e c a r y. c o . n z 1 1 0 a C u b a M a l l 0 4 8 0 1 8 7 7 7

NEWS BRIEFS

SHA R I NG IS CARING A shared path will be built alongside the Peka Peka to Ōtaki expressway, says the New Zealand Transport Agency. Kāpiti Cycling Action Group spokesperson Lynn Sleath welcomed the decision, saying, ‘Not everyone can or wants to share State Highway 1 with vehicles, and securing a safe shared pathway for the benefit of bikers, walkers, and equestrians has been a significant goal for local cycle advocates for many years.’ Ōtaki Ward Councillor James Cootes says it’s a great outcome for everyone. ‘This brings Ōtaki a step closer to what should have been included in the expressway contract from the start.’

SWEET DREAMS

XERO HERO

B ONSOIR RESERVOIR

Visitors to Wellington’s QT Hotel will soon be sleeping under brand new artistic creations. The design-driven hotel is running a competition to find 18 new art works to grace the wall space behind the bed heads in their brand new guest rooms. A judging panel will choose from the submissions and also hold the purse strings, awarding prizes ranging from $2000 to $6000. The winning artists will be announced on 22 June and the art will be installed by late August.

Small Business Insights, a monthly dashboard on the economic health of small businesses, has been launched by Xero. It offers an in-depth look into the economic health of Kiwi small businesses, giving real-time insights into the health and condition of small business. Launched at their Wellington HQ last month, its data covers cash flow, getting paid, hiring people, trading overseas and cloud adoption.

A new water reservoir for Wellington has been described as a necessity by an independent panel. Last month the panel recommended going ahead with the 35-million-litre reservoir at Prince of Wales Park in Mt Cook as part of the city’s resilience strategy. Councillor Iona Pannett, the Council’s Three Waters portfolio leader, says ‘I know this will be disruptive to the local community, but it is a vital project to ensure Wellington can recover after a major event.’ The panel has imposed 43 conditions to mitigate the impacts from the project.

BN Y ETWH E P RNOUDMUBCETRSS

Let it ski

stuff.co.nz/business/ industries/70325450/ Bumper-winter-seasonboosts-NZ-ski-resorts

1.4

ski areas where the public can pay to ski in the South Island

ski areas in the North Island (Turoa, Whakapapa, Tukino, Happy Valley all on Ruapehu and Manganui on Taranaki)

million visits to ski fields in 2016

billion pumped into the New Zealand economy through the ski industry and supporting industries

Let it snow

102

number of Winter Olympics that have been held since their inception in 1924

events now held across 15 sports

number of times New Zealand has competed

number of medals we’ve won in that time (one silver, two bronze – still glad I’m not mentioning weather?)

Let it solstice

Let it sing

9.54

14.6

5.58

date in June that the Winter (or hibernal) solstice takes place this year

exact number of hours and minutes of day light on this, the shortest day of 2018

exact number of hours and minutes of darkness

number of extra hours and minutes we get at the December Solstice (the longest day)

1934

1955

200+

year one of the most famous winter songs; Winter Wonderland, was written

last time a version of the song made the Top 40

number of artists who have recorded it including Elvis, Dean Martin, Michael Bublé, Cyndi Lauper and Snoop Dog... yes really, Snoop Dog – he sings it in the movie Pitch Perfect II and I fearlessly listened to it so you don’t have to

Compiled by Craig Beardsworth 18 18

NEW PRODUCTS

2 1

8 7 6 5 10

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

S k y ’s the limit W R I T T E N BY F R A N C E S CA E M M S P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

FASHION

COFFEE

READING

C H E A P E AT S

CINEMA

Kowtow

Milk Crate

Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Indian sweets and snacks in Newtown

Empire

With a name like Matariki, it's not suprising she's reaching for stars.

sk Matariki Williams who her favourite artist is and you probably won’t get an answer. The Curator Mātauranga Māori at Te Papa is spoiled for choice. ‘I’m really lucky to work in a memory institution and have centuries of art at my fingertips,’ she says. ‘I work with the taonga Māori collection which consists of taonga from pre-contact times right through to contemporary social history, fashion and art. This makes it nigh on impossible to choose a favourite.’ In addition to her curatorial work Matariki does ‘a lot of editing and writing on the side, usually about art, culture and society.’ As if that isn’t enough, she’s also working on her doctoral proposal. ‘I want to look at critical writing on Māori art and the lack thereof, especially from Māori writers. As part of this I want to explore wānanga as an editorial process, and to expand the way in which critical writing is defined by looking at ekphrasis (a very fancy word that I just learned from an editor colleague) between Māori artists and writers, as well as my own practice.’ Recently she saw Shannon Te Ao’s my life as a tunnel at The Dowse, and says, ‘When I went I had the gallery almost to myself, and I sat where I could see the edge of the pātaka Nuku Tewhatewha which cast shadows on the floor toward me. It was very affecting.’ Matariki is ‘a huge fan of the mahi of Miria George and Hone Kouka, and the theatre community around them.’ So every Matariki season – ‘not me, the stars’ she clarifies – she tries to

make it to at least one show in the Kia Mau Festival. When she’s not working Matariki will usually be at home with her partner and two children. Weekends always start with the kids’ swimming lessons in Berhampore. ‘As they’re so early, it means we make it to Gramercy before all the bread sells out.’ On Sunday evenings they all sit down together and watch Attenborough as dinner cooks. ‘It’s bliss,’ she says. Living in Island Bay offers easy access to the Empire Cinema’s gelato and Matariki’s favourite thing about Wellington − the environment. ‘I get to see the harbour and the south coast every day, and no matter what the weather is like, they always look great.’ She’s been trying to get back into running lately and says, ‘There’s nothing like being blown around the south coast to clear your mind.’ Family vacations are usually spent in the Bay of Plenty. ‘A lot of my whānau live in Rotorua, and we whakapapa to Ngāti Whakaue, so I’ve been heading there all my life.’ Matariki’s dream destination is a hut surrounded by native bush. ‘In Tūhoe we have a word that expresses our relationship to each other and our whenua, and I want my kids to understand and live the meaning of this word: matemateaone. I’d love to have space to go to with my whānau, on our tipuna whenua in Te Urewera, to feel the soil beneath their feet and appreciate how holistically our people live there. It’s hard to put into words but there is a connection to that land that grows stronger by being there.’

CULTURE

W H AT D O YO U S E A ? Wellington's biggest sculpture, Lightwing, has been installed at a busy roundabout linking Seaview and Gracefield in Lower Hutt. The brief for production designer, composer and artist Andrew Thomas was to represent the industrial area’s characteristics, past and present. Made from 20 tonnes of steel, his 10-metrehigh sculpture represents the white-faced heron’s wing feathers, the rolling hills, the curving Waiwhetu stream, or whatever you may see (such as hair blowing in the wind). The $250,000, five-year project was jointly funded by Hutt Public Art Trust, Hutt City Council and local businesses.

SCIENCE AND ART

GOT IT MAID

SCI-FLY

Wellington’s Elizabeth Thomson is known for integrating various forms of natural science into her art. The Page Blackie artist recently unveiled two brand new large-scale works inspired by fossils. Waka, storm warning and Sentients are part of Ashburton Art Gallery’s The Water Project (until 22 June). Whanganui’s Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua is also exhibiting work by Elizabeth as part of their Creature exhibition (until 15 July) which brings together a group of artists around this theme, understood as human, animal or mythical.

Mermaidens are doing very well indeed. The three-piece Wellington indie-rockers band has toured the country, opened for Lorde, landed representation by Flying Nun Records, released their second (and first international) album Perfect Body, and been nominated for New Zealand’s 2018 Taite Music Prize. ‘It was wild just to be up for the award!’ says member Lily West. Mermaidens, (Capital #12) who recently released a music video for single Fade, play an alt-rock gig with Sydney fourpiece Mere Women on 16 June (San Fran).

GNS Science in Lower Hutt has collected over 10,000 photographs by landscape and science photographer Lloyd Homer, many taken from the air. Thirty snaps will be on show near Homer’s Upper Hutt home at Expressions Whirinaki, in the exhibition Flying High: The Photography of Lloyd Homer (until 1 July). Expressions also hosts the Wellington Regional Arts Review (23 June – 5 August), displaying artworks by locals.

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CULTURE

THE NEXT JENNIFER L AW R E N C E ? As daughter to actor Miranda Harcourt and playwright Stuart McKenzie, 17-year-old Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie (The Hobbit, Shortland Street) had little chance of escaping the creative arts. She stars as a girl living off the grid with her war-vet father in Leave No Trace, a movie directed by Debra Granik whose film Winter’s Bone (starring Jennifer Lawrence) got four Oscar nominations. 'It was the opportunity of a lifetime,’ Thomasin says. ‘I got into wilderness skills and bee-keeping!’ Leave No Trace screens during the NZ International Film Festival (27 July–12 August).

INSEPARABLE

SWAP MEET

LO OKING AHEAD

Dubbed ‘a young Pavarotti’ by his voice tutor at the San Francisco Opera, tenor Pene Pati sang his first major role last year for the US company, where his soprano wife Amina Edris also recently completed a fellowship. The couple come home to sing the lead roles in the New Zealand Opera’s production of Donizetti’s comedy The Elixir of Love (Opera House, 23–30 June). Pene’s looking forward to the coffee in Wellington, where he’s played many gigs in the crossover trio Sol3 Mio.

Each year for 11 years, an Asian artist and a Wellington artist have swapped countries for three months. The Wellington Asia Residency Exchange – courtesy of the council and the Asia NZ Foundation – is this year hosting Chinese jeweller/educator Bifei Cao. He’ll be based at Te Auaha NZ Institute of Creativity from June, working alongside students and tutors to create work for an exhibition. ‘It will be my new adventure to explore the rich, diverse New Zealand and Maori culture.’

The NZTrio recently farewelled two founding members. The third, cellist Ashley Brown, will play with guest artists until the two places are filled. Brown, Natalie Lin (violin) and Somi Kim (piano) appear in Home Series 1: Weave (20 June) at City Gallery, weaving together music by composers including Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Philip Glass and New Zealander Dorothy Buchanan.

CULTURE

Behind the diaries

Tied together

By Francesca Emms

By Sarah Lang

You may have read her diaries, but here’s your chance to discover more about the girl whose family hid – ultimately unsuccessfully – from the Nazis. Developed by Amsterdam’s Anne Frank House, the internationallytouring exhibition Anne Frank: Let Me Be Myself comes to Wellington’s Dominion Museum building (until 22 July), thanks to the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand. The exhibition, already seen by 80 million people worldwide, teaches the history of World War II and brings the lessons from that time up to date with a section dedicated to stories of young people today. Visitors get to know how these youngsters see themselves, and how strangers respond to them, as they comment on identity, tolerance and discrimination in the 21st Century. It also has an educational programme where students themselves give guided tours. Chris Harris, National Director of Education for the Holocaust Centre, has been working with local schools to train peer guides to deliver the exhibition to other 14-18 year olds. They learn how to interact with visitors, how to convey the content, what questions to ask, and how to moderate a discussion. Exhibition Chairman Boyd Klap, who was a courier in the Dutch resistance, says, ‘It seems to me the message of the Holocaust has never been more important. We still have much to learn from stories like Anne’s.’

‘I was meant to be a farmer but escaped Blenheim at 18,’ says Owen Mapp. Now he’s considered the father of New Zealand bone carving – not just as the country’s first professional ‘artist-carver’ of bone but also for sharing his knowledge. Pātaka hosts his first retrospective Owen Mapp: Dragons & Taniwha – Fifty Years an Artist Carver (until 19 August). It displays 200 works from one metre to two centimetres tall plus a video showing him at work. Mapp has tutored carving and tool-making at Whitireia for 28 years, and informally teaches at his Paraparaumu studio. Students come from Japan to learn netsuke, a form of miniature sculpture that originated in 17th-century Japan (where inrō – carved boxes used by pocketless Japanese for personal possessions – were suspended from belts by cords. Netsuke knobs or buttons both closed the boxes and were the buttons from which they were suspended.) Mapp’s is one of five exhibitions that re-open Pātaka after a four month closure for maintenance. Mapp’s wife Hanne EriksenMapp and their Denmark-based goldsmith daughter Anja Eriksen made jewellery individually and together for Whānau: 2 Generations – 18,000km Apart (until 24 June). Also opening is Puiaka: Carved Knowledge (until 19 August) displaying waka huia: carved, waka-shaped treasure boxes not unlike inrō.

SECTION HEADER

CULTURE

FULL CIRCLE In 2014, Wellington teenagers Connor Masseurs and Toa Paranihi attended the New Zealand School of Dance’s free workshop ‘Tū Move’ for Maori and Pacific Island boys aged 14–18, spanning hip-hop, street and contemporary dance. The NZSD graduates and sought-after contemporary dancers now run their own company – and this year run the eighth Tū Move (2–4 June, Te Whaea). Meanwhile the NZSD’s choreographic season this year is about our connections with architecture and other surroundings. It features 11 interconnected works performed and choreographed by graduating contemporary-dance students (Te Whaea, 27 June–7 July).

AUF WIEDERSEHEN

BIG SCORES

D O GGED EFFORT

Award-winning singer-songwriter Thomas Oliver is spending at least three months in Berlin to perform in at least 17 European festivals. ‘Berlin is a natural home base. I'm excited to be surrounded by the city's energy, and to write and record my next album there. I'm sure I'll be back-and-forth a bit in the foreseeable future.’ Thomas, who has shared the stage with Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton, has built an international audience with millions of tracks streamed and music videos viewed.

Hear Gareth Farr’s new work Te Koanga as Chamber Music NZ brings British string ensemble The Heath Quartet to New Zealand (Michael Fowler Centre, 27 June). By day, the quartet will perform concerts for students from 19 schools in Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt and Porirua as local composer/children’s author Chris Lam Sam tells the audience about the music. Meanwhile on 16 June the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra presents An Evening With Simon O’Neill, the international superstar tenor who once studied at Victoria University.

Known for its French accents and physical comedy, Wellington theatre troupe A Slightly Isolated Dog makes its Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut in August, performing its show Don Juan about the master of seduction. To attend, they’ve raised over $60,000 through grants and performances, and $10,000 through crowdfunding. Their rave-reviewed show Jekyll and Hyde tours New Zealand in June and July.

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CULTURE DIRECTORY

MULTI MEDIA TALK WITH DANIELLE DE PICCIOTTO AND ALEXANDER HACKE

PHOTOGRAPHER HERLINDE KOELBL IN WELLINGTON

You are warmly invited to hear Danielle de Picciotto (Love Parade) and Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten) talk about their participation in Berlin’s culture from 1980 till today, how they became nomads in 2010 and the projects they are currently involved in.

The Goethe-Institut and Massey University invite you to a presentation with Herlinde Koelbl, one of Germany’s most renowned photographic artists. Herlinde often works on long-term projects and her photographs are exhibited internationally and in many major collections. Do not miss this unique opportunity to hear from her.

25 June 2018, 6pm Goethe-Institut 150 Cuba Street goethe.de/nz

STOA - CHOREOGRAPHIC SEASON 2018 Journey deeper through a collection of thoughts. Join us in a compilation of 11 interconnected short works, choreographed by graduating NZSD contemporary dance students. Together, we’ll discover how meaning is created in our way of being, in expressing how we connect ourselves with our habits and surroundings.

28 June–7 July 11 Hutchison Road, Newtown nzschoolofdance.ac.nz

5 June, 6pm The Pit, Te Ara Hihiko, Massey University, Entrance C, Wallace Street goethe.de/nz

WHERE CHILDREN SLEEP Where Children Sleep, a project by photographer James Mollison, highlights different living situations for children across the globe. From brightly colored walls filled with toys to a mat outside or a collection of trash on a dirt floor Where Children Sleep paints a powerful picture of inequality around the world.

7 July–16 September 836 Fergusson Drive expressions.org.nz 32

SONGS FOR NOBODIES By Joanna Murray-Smith, STARRING ALI HARPER (A Doris Day Special, Legendary Divas & Bombshells) Everyone has a story… Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday and Maria Callas. “Truly astonishing!” The Press. A Court Theatre Production. 07 July–04 August Circa Theatre, Wellington circa.co.nz

NZTRIO WEAVE THEIR WAY TO WELLINGTON NZTrio presents Weave: an aural tapestry rich in colour and texture. The structuralist sensibility of Philip Glass and ordered tonality of Felix Mendelssohn provide a framework for the more fluid and silky soundworlds of Stuart Greenbaum and Dorothy Buchanan, before the flat-out emotional turbulence of Robert Schumann closes the loop.

7pm June 20, 2018 City Gallery Wellington 101 Wakefield Drive Tickets: nztrio.com

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CULTURE DIRECTORY

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Here’s a different way to experience Pukaha Mount Bruce, join in our Matariki celebration. Enjoy a shared hangi for Kai, kapa haka performances, and a guided night walk to search for wild kiwi, longfin eels and glowworms. If you can’t make Matariki, every Saturday you can book a guided night walk.

The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) is a celebration of film, and the cultural highlight of winter. NZIFF maintains a rich tradition of curating a diverse selection of expertly crafted films - features, documentaries and short films, too - that deserve to be experience with an audience.

June 23rd–Matariki Night walks every Saturday Pukaha Mount Bruce, National Wildlife Centre, Masterton 5881 pukaha.org.nz

27 July–12 August. Embassy Theatre, Reading Cinemas, Penthouse, Light House Petone, Roxy Cinema, and Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision. nziff.co.nz

Experience this extraordinary re-creation of the trenches at Quinn’s Post - what it was like for Anzac troops at Gallipoli. This Sir Peter Jackson designed sensory experience is open at The Great War Exhibition. Not suitable for all - life on the front line 103 years ago was not comfortable! Open Daily 9am–6pm. Admission and Trench charges apply.

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F E AT U R E

Seven stars of Matariki I L LU ST R AT I O N S BY G R E TA M E N Z I E S CO M P I L E D BY F R A N C E S CA E M M S

Seven ways to celebrate Māori New Year Matariki is the Māori name for the cluster of stars also known variously as the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, Subaru and the Krittika. These stars are the oldest mentioned in literature and play a significant role in cultures around the world. In New Zealand the return of Matariki signals the Māori New Year. According to the Maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, the reappearance of Matariki brings the old lunar year to a close and marks the beginning of the new year. It's a time of renewal and celebration. There are many events celebrating Matariki around the region. Here are our top seven picks.

Whetū Whitu

Come together

Matthew McIntyre Wilson (Taranaki, Ngā Māhanga and Titahi) makes brooches by hand-cutting and repurposing imagery found on New Zealand, Cook Island and British coins. During Matariki, large-scale photographs of the brooches will be displayed in the light boxes along Courtenay Place. Named Whetū Whitu, which loosely translates as ‘seven stars’, the exhibition highlights the star Puanga and Matariki as a time for gathering and sharing.

This exhibition celebrates the way we gather with friends and whānau during Matariki, coming together to share stories, remember the past and consider the future. Artists represented in Come Together include Robyn Kahukiwa, Lonnie Hutchinson, Glenn Jowitt, John Beggs, Warwick Freeman, Ann Verdcourt, Rangi Kipa, Areta Wilkinson, Juliet Peter, Michael Smither, Lois White, Ruth Castle and Emily Siddell.

Courtenay Place light boxes, from 1 June

The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, opens 2 June

Matariki ritual/ Hika Ahi

Matariki, Work of the gods

Te Korekore

Matariki dawn viewing

Sky show

Te Papa is celebrating Matariki with more than a week of free events. Their Matariki Festival (15–24 June) kicks off with Matariki Hika Ahi, an opening ceremony for the whole whānau to mark the arrival of Matariki. It includes the lighting of a ritual fire, a retelling of the Māori creation story, a recitation of the Maramataka and of course the story of Matariki. Visitors will be invited to share their own histories, place lights on the pond to farewell their loved ones and express their hopes and dreams.

This presentation by Kay Leather and Richard Hall explores the celestial wonder of the seven stars of Matariki including their ancient meanings and significance. Afterwards, weather permitting, visitors will be invited to observe the night sky through large telescopes.

Inspired by Matariki, Te Korekore is an hour-long multi-genre performance work that weaves a narrative around the traditional story of Tinirau and Kae with video art, story-telling, contemporary NZ chamber music, jazz-based composition and ngā taonga puoro. Te Korekore is presented by Chamber Music New Zealand, Wellington Museum, Pātaka Art + Museum, Puke Ariki (New Plymouth) and Te Manawa (Palmerston North).

Enjoy a special opportunity to view the rise of Matariki from Tangi Te Keo/Mount Victoria summit. Space Place will have telescopes up on the viewing platform for this special early morning viewing of Matariki.

Wellington City Council’s Matariki ki Pōneke 2018 offers a range of free public events to celebrate Matariki. The most anticipated is the Wellington Sky Show. This landmark event lights up Wellington harbour with a spectacular fireworks display.

Meet at the red gates at Te Papa, 15 June, 7.30pm

Stonehenge Aotearoa, Carterton, Wairarapa, 15 June, 7pm

Pātaka Museum + Art, Porirua, 24 June, 2pm Wellington Museum, 27 June, 6pm and 8pm

Tangi Te Keo/Mount Victoria summit, 30 June, 5–7am

Wellington Waterfront, 7 July, 6.30pm (Postponement date: 8 July)

Community service Written by Francesca Emms Photo by Jo Whalan Louise Parkin’s motto for life is ‘highest good every day.’ She’s drawn to the Japanese martial art of Aikido because of its pacifist nature. A black belt and sensei, Louise explains that Aikido translates to ‘the way of harmony,’ and says, ‘It’s about closing down your opponent without aggression, and using a generous pathway instead.’ Generosity is a bit of theme for Louise. She has just completed her Masters in Business Management for Non-profit and Philanthropy at QUT in Australia and is the General Manager of Nikau Foundation, which offers grants to charities throughout the Wellington region. Over the years Nikau Foundation has donated over $4.5 million to 300 charities including arts, youth, conservation, education, health, the relief of poverty, children and families. Louise hopes Wellingtonians are feeling generous too because, for the first time, Nikau Foundation is using crowd-sourcing to raise money. They’re aiming to build a dedicated pot of funding for community-development initiatives with a focus on connectedness and preparedness for emergencies. The fund will support community-building projects like communal gardens and predator-free activities as well as emergency equipment like water tanks and solar-charged power banks. Louise says the aim is for Wellingtonians ‘to be ready for the next significant event affecting our wellbeing.’ The newly-established Wellington Resilience Fund, which has a target of $100,000, will be built ‘by community, for community’ through a chocolate-bar fundraiser. From 18 June the Wellington Resilience Bar will be available for businesses and individuals to purchase through PledgeMe. The ethical bean-to-bar salted caramel chocolate bar is perfect for emergency kits and a proportion of the sale price of each bar is donated directly to the Wellington Resilience Fund.

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F E AT U R E

Burn ba by burn W R I T T E N BY F R A N C E S CA E M M S

here’s a lot of debate as to what type of wood is best for your fireplace. Firewood New Zealand says hardwoods such as gum, manuka and wattle are the best firewood as they burn slower and longer. ‘However, softwoods such as pine, poplar and willow are great for starting fires.’ A popular mixture is apparently pine and tea tree firewood. There is one thing everyone agrees on, that dry firewood is the best fire wood. The easiest way to get burned (sorry, I had to) when buying firewood is purchasing wet wood. Wood can appear dry but still be wet on the inside. Burning wet wood produces more smoke than dry wood, which releases more pollutants and small particles into the air. It can also cause creosote buildup in your chimney, which may create a fire hazard. Consumer NZ says firewood needs to have less than 25% moisture content to burn efficiently. A small, inexpensive moisture meter is a great tool to have in your pocket if you’re not confident about what you’re buying.

Jason Hague-Smith, owner of Wellington Fireplace, takes great pleasure in matching a customer with the right fireplace. ‘As a child I had passion for fire and construction,’ he says, ‘and that passion has lead me initially to being a builder and then an installer of fireplaces.’ When recommending a fireplace he looks at the style of the house and what the customer visually wants, the size of the home and the height of the ceilings, and of course, what the fireplace needs to do – for example will it supply radiant or convection heating, and does it need to also be a cook top? When asked about firewood suppliers Jason is quick to recommend Firewood Direct. ‘As passionate as I am about fireplaces, Len is about fire wood,’ he says. In the Akatarawa valley, Len Drabble of Firewood Direct guarantees ‘quality firewood every time.’ His dry wood is ready to burn and can be stored in areas like garages or sheds with little or no air flow. Len delivers throughout the Wellington region (including Wairarapa

F E AT U R E

and Kapiti), but if you have the option of picking it up yourself it’s worth it to get a look at his impressive operation. For the ambiance of a fireplace without the hassle of wood Jason recommends gas. ‘Gas fires offer visual appeal with high efficiency and modern convenience,’ he says. ‘You can turn them on with the click of a button. Some even hook up to your phone or computer so you can turn them on remotely.’ You’re not going to get that special wood-fire smell though, or the satisfaction

Firewood

Experts say

of lighting and building up a proper fire, nor those glowing embers. Romantic aspects aside, a wood fire may be the most efficient option. Jason says modern design features allow ‘increased fuel efficiency and maximum heat output with minimal smoke and ash.’ Firewood NZ says that with rising electricity prices, firewood is a great option. It improves the ambience of your home and can also be used to heat water, saving you more money.

NZ Avg. Cost/ m3

Heat Output kWh/ cu.m

Price per Burn time kW heat produced

Type

Very light when dry, a Poplar fast burning softwood

$100

1,200

$0.08

Fast burning

Soft hardwood

The wood is dense and Eucalyptus is known for burning very hot

$140

1,270

$0.11

Fast burning

Hardwood

Pine

A great all round firewood for all situations

$80

1,091

$0.07

Fast burning

Soft wood

Macrocarpa

It has a medium heat output and ignites easily

$130

1,150

$0.11

Slow burning

Medium density wood

Gum

Middle of the range on the scale for hardwoods

$140

1,270

$0.11

Slow burning

Hardwood

Manuka

Hot and long burning, great once fire’s going

$180

1,860

$0.10

Slow burning

Very hard wood

Tea Tree

Kiwis' most trusted wood – burns hot and long

$180

1,860

$0.10

Slow burning

Very hard wood

*Table information courtesy of Firewood NZ

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Wellington: the game development capita l W R I TT E N BY BA Z M AC D O N A L D P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

magine standing in your lounge and having sevenfoot-tall robots bursting through your walls and falling from teleporters in your ceiling. Armed with a steampunk pistol, you repel their attacks as best you can, spinning around and obliterating them with energy blasts. Anyone else in the room sees a person wearing a headset and spinning around in circles. But you are heroically fending off waves of dastardly foes invading your house. For decades, this has been the stuff of science fiction, but now it is becoming reality – augmented reality (AR), in fact. This AR experience, called Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders, is being created right here in Wellington at Weta Workshop’s game development studio, Weta Gameshop. It is fitting that Weta should have its own game development studio, because the success of Weta has greatly bolstered the game development sector. This is particularly true of Wellington, which is quickly becoming the hub of our country’s game development industry, with ambitions to be the hub for all of Australasia. Already, three of the country’s biggest game developers are based in Wellington, with Pik Pok and Aurora44 working alongside Weta Gameshop – plus dozens of smaller studios and developers creating games in the region. The New Zealand game development industry is growing quickly, with annual revenue increasing from NZ$19.6 million in 2012 to almost NZ$100 million in the last financial year, and with ambitions to reach $1 billion by 2026. Wellington as the hub of game development in Australasia is a lofty goal, but one that the Wellington Economic Regional Development Agency (WREDA) thinks is well within reach. WREDA Sector Development & Business Attraction team lead Dorien Vermaas says the agency is working to bolster the industry in Wellington, but they are simply ‘nurturing

and helping to grow what is already organically happening.’ Dorien says we have an important chunk of the local film industry based here in Wellington. It is expanding and attracting talent that is closely related to game development. 'There is already a very vibrant scene of game developers here, and they attract new game developers.’ Last year, WREDA began looking for profitable sectors to bolster in the region. The game development industry represented many of the sectors they identified, such as screen, creative industries and technology. Dorien and her team have been supporting the industry and making plans to develop it further, providing incentives to multinational game companies to setup satellite studios in the region, and facilitating their establishment. This is important for the success of Wellington’s game development industry, as growth relies on grass-root studios succeeding and multinational companies setting up satellite studios here. Weta Gameshop is not technically a satellite studio of a multinational, but they are working closely in partnership with USA company Magic Leap, the creators of one of the most anticipated pieces of AR technology. Greg Broadmore is the director of Weta Gameshop and creator of their first game's source material, Dr. Grordbort, as well as being an integral figure in the history of Weta Workshop itself. He thinks the talent New Zealand has become known for through our film industry is a major draw for multinational game companies. ‘Magic Leap worked with us because they identified that sort of creative talent and problem-solving that New Zealand has in spades. If you are trying to make interesting digital entertainment, yes, you need technical brilliance and infrastructure – but what you really want is that creativity and problem solving.’

Dorien Vermass of WREDA

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

F E AT U R E

Wellington is an obvious pick as hub of the development industry because of the way Weta works as a ‘creative magnet’ – drawing creative talent to Wellington from around New Zealand and the rest of the world,' says Greg. This draw is important, the major obstacle facing the local industry is a lack of senior talent – with a surge of young enthusiastic developers emerging and few industry veterans around to manage and direct them. So, we are having to enlist senior talent from abroad. ‘It can be incredibly hard to get people to come here and we need the best brains from wherever they may be,’ Greg says. ‘We need to let people know that Wellington is a place where opportunities exist, and Weta is a great boon to that because so many people know and respect that name.’ For instance, one of Wellington’s biggest studios, Aurora44, was founded in 2013 by two ex-Weta artists, Derek Bradley and Leighton Milne. Aurora44 is working on Ashen, a game about wanderers looking for a home in a world with no natural light except from eruptions across the land. It is an artistic experience, full of characters with hauntingly featureless faces, presented in dark pastel tones. Despite not having released their first game, Aurora44 have already been highlighted by Microsoft in 2015 at the world’s biggest game exhibition. Aurora44 lead animator Simon Dassan says this kind of early recognition also reflects the prestige of our country’s film industry. ‘The film industry has a lot to do with the overall success of games in New Zealand – we are known for the film industry and the creative buzz we have,’ he says. ‘It gives companies confidence that the stuff we are making comes from an experienced background.’ This helps our development industry, since visibility becomes increasingly difficult as the number of games being released increases – an average of 21 games are released every day for PC and 68 games submitted a day to the Apple IOS store. Despite this volume, New Zealand game developers continue to rise to the top of the heap. For instance, New Zealand IOS developers Runaway Play and Pik Pok have had their games routinely highlighted by Apple in the App Store. ‘Our New Zealand industry has developed a reputation for consistently creating high-quality titles,’ Simon says. ‘We are legitimately making world-class content that

people want to see, and so companies want to push our stuff out there.’ As well as boosting Wellington’s creative profile, the game development industry has the potential to provide an economic boom in the region. Internationally, video games are the fourth-biggest entertainment industry, generating over US$100 billion in revenue in the last financial year, whereas the film industry box office made only $39 billion. To see where the New Zealand game development industry could go financially, a common comparison is Finland – a country with similar population and GDP to our own. Their development industry has seen huge growth in recent years, going from an annual turnover of NZ$180 million in 2010 to $4.3 billion in recent years. The growth was due in large part to the international success of the mobile game Angry Birds, however, some think our country needs a similar hit to see this kind of growth. Another school of thought says growth will come from multinational companies setting up satellite studios here, but for this to be feasible there will likely need to be financial incentives from the Government to make NZ more appealing. For example Montreal in 1997 began offering tax rebates on 37.5 percent of labour costs to developers of multimedia titles. Since then, it has become the fifth-largest video game development centre in the world, with 230 development studios employing more than 10,000 people. We have seen the effect of Government incentives in bolstering the film industry in Wellington. While these incentives remain contentious, Greg Broadmore, as someone who has worked in both industries, says ‘Games getting all the same benefits as the film industry would help us build this industry.’ These kinds of boosts would help, but even on its current trajectory, the Wellington game development industry is in a position to cement the region as a bastion of creativity and bolster the entire region’s economy as it gets closer to its $1 billion a year goal. With the continuing support of WREDA, and with Weta drawing creative minds to the region, Wellington could become a haven for game development as it has become for film production, and secure itself as the game development hub of Australasia.

Greg Broadmore of Weta Gameshop

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Anti / socia l W R I TT E N A N D P H OTO G R A P H E D BY LU K E B ROW N E

Can you even read what it says up there?' a very angry middle-aged male shouted in my face one sunny Sunday afternoon. I replied, 'Yes I can read, and from my interpretation the writing on the cenotaph statue roughly translates to: young people gave their lives so youth can have youthful ones.’ He shook his head and stormed away. A moment from my 14 years as a skateboarder.

walked past, stopped to read the newly added signage and said, ‘No skateboarding? What else are you meant to do on this thing?’ According to this guy, BMXing and parkouring were fine, but the few scratches caused by skateboarding on the temporary structure were ‘not okay’. I’m not saying this area should have been especially designed for skateboarding (although that would be amazing): but why wasn’t such a dominant urban activity considered in the design process? There are so many ways around the issue. You could put time restrictions on when it could be used, use different materials, add metal edging to some parts, or have a skateboarder or someone who knows about skateboarding involved with the design process, even if only to incorporate ways to deter them. ‘No Skateboarding’ signs everywhere automatically puts us into that ‘anti-social’ category of behaviour, which is ironic as skateboarding is very sociable. Apart from the obvious benefits of young skaters doing something that is relatively healthy, affordable and accessible, skateboarding is increasingly being recognised as encouraging qualities from creativity and entrepreneurship to resilience, confidence and independence. I am biased because skateboarding is my life, but being in the industry has let me see first-hand how it can change others. I grew up in Hastings where there are a lot of ‘troubled’ youth, and a prevalent gang culture. Almost every day after school I would go to the small indoor skate park where I would find kids who didn't have a place in conforming

'm generally a pretty relaxed person but the recent prohibition on skateboarding in the Tory St temporary urban area has got my gears grinding. The problem on Tory St seems to have begun with noise complaints, and escalated to media claims about anti-social behaviour including skateboarding and puking in the new planter boxes. People are very quick to assume skateboarders are delinquents, because skateboarding is banned in some public places. A few days later I skated past the Tory St installation to find contractors installing thin wooden planks all over the new structure and a bunch of new ‘No Skateboarding’ signs. I noticed a man telling the contractors what to do, so I had a word with him to see what was going on. Turns out the $140,000 temporary structure was being 'skate stopped'. This man, apparently after multiple community meetings and forums about the use of urban shared spaces, had no idea that it might get used by skateboarders. It was pretty funny that while we were talking an elderly couple

Skatestopper at the War Memorial

OPINION

society. Here they could be themselves, work at their own rate, fail over and over again until they succeeded, then start all over again on the next trick or obstacle. They were in charge of their own decisions, progress and challenges. That's what got me into it. I had played football as a kid but hated the regimented training and coaches yelling at me. When I found skateboarding I realised I could teach myself at whatever rate I wanted to, do it almost anywhere and find it fun. It still had a team aspect, everyone who skates is on your team regardless of age, gender, sexuality, race or skill level. I quit football and never looked back. Skateboarding is the sum of all my success and fuels all of my creativity. I own my own skateboard company which sells throughout New Zealand and Australia. I film street skateboarding and shoot skate photos for magazines here and overseas. Skating has fuelled my art and graphic design career as well as teaching me many lessons in life. People often ask, ‘Why don't you use the skate park? That's what it’s for.’ The skate facilities available in Wellington are featured on the Wellington City Council website under ‘stuff for kids.’ Not only is this undermining because the majority of skateboarders are young tax-paying adults; but it suggests that the areas are for all kinds of activities, not just skateboarding. It’s not uncommon to find children using the ramps as slides or sitting on the ledges that are meant to be skated. The newest skate park, in Lyall Bay, was meant to be a reasonably big skate plaza, but its funding was cut, reducing the final area down to about 20% of the original design. Chaffers skate park is over 10 years old and has never been upgraded – apart from metal edges which were added by local skateboarders themselves. The Rec Centre in Kilbirne is the only sheltered area for skateboarding in Wellington. It actually used to be an indoor skate park in the late 90s, but now it’s a shared area with an extremely slippery and dangerous surface. After visiting it on the weekend, I realised how much the place was used, not only by skateboarders but also toddlers and children running, jumping, bicycle training, soccer, basketball, hockey – all at once. It wasn’t a safe environment. In Khandallah there’s just a lump of concrete, an area that shouldn’t be called a skate park. Tawa, the same. Island Bay actually has a half pipe. But they’re all badly made, and the only thing the council does in terms of upkeep is painting over graffiti. The best facility, which has been built from the ground up by skateboarders, is Treetops in Newtown. It was the skate community’s own initiative to create somewhere to be used just for skateboarding, with ramps and all kinds of obstacles. The council granted permission for the ground to be resurfaced, but wouldn’t put a cent into the project. After two rounds of crowd-funding and no council support other than permission, it was resurfaced and upgraded for the second time. Recently, the council was kind enough to supply a skip bin.

Putting aside the poor quality, and small number, of Wellington skate parks, we also want to challenge ourselves. It's the nature of skateboarding to explore, find new challenges, work outside the box. That's why most people get into it in the first place. Always skating in a park is like playing the same level of a video game for 10 years, rugby training on your own turf without ever actually getting to play anyone, or practicing just one piece of music forever. Around the world skateboarding is being integrated into society. Copenhagen and Berlin boast skate-friendly public spaces, while Sweden has one of the largest skate parks in the world, a skateboarding-based high school and even a skate ambassador in City Hall. In Portland Oregon skateboarding is recognised as a mode of transport, with the same laws as cycling, and skate friendly routes around the city. Closer to home, in Auckland, where there are 38 skate parks compared to Wellington's seven, they are adding skate-friendly areas outside the library and in Aotea Square. Even Lower Hutt Council has included skating facilities in Riddiford Gardens. Skateboarding will be a sport at the next Olympics and already some skateboarders are considered professional athletes, with six-figure salaries and sponsors like Nike, Adidas, New Balance and Converse jumping on board with huge budgets. Skateboarding is increasingly central to debates about the value of public spaces. It also adds artistic, cultural, educational and commercial value to our urban lives. It’s helping to address some of our most difficult social challenges, and providing hugely disadvantaged children and youths with hopes, skills and futures. Skateboarding contributes to many industries including fashion and advertising. Recently Wellington Tourism, for example, ran an advert with 50+ people skateboarding along the waterfront. Despite all this, skateboarders are still seen in a bad light in Wellington. Skateboarding should be welcomed and celebrated as something diverse and positive. Instead it is restricted from many new areas around the city, shared spaces, open spaces and urban areas. If we’re such a forward-thinking, creative, artistic, future super-city, why is skateboarding not a part of the plan? Take note WCC, there will be a skateboarder on the council soon enough.

Pascal Reif, Kickflip, The Terrace, Wellington

Luke is a Capital designer by day and owner of skateboard brand Daylight, by night. Originally from Hastings, England, he immigrated to Hastings, New Zealand as a wee lad. He now lives in Lyall Bay with his girlfriend and cat Chewy.

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Best of directory Best beer, bakery, barista, beach, bar, burger, bookshop, ‘burb – and that’s just the Bs! Nominations are pouring in for our Best of Awards. Seems people are pleased as punch to have them back. Check out the awesome businesses that have been nominated so far, then head to capitalbestof.com and vote for your favourite. If you haven’t tried them out, then this is an official recommendation from The People of the Wider Wellington Region. We’ll be announcing the winners of the food and beverage categories in our special August food issue, and all other winners in the September issue. Voting closes on Monday 18 July so get sampling and let us know who’s the best!

BEST OF

Food

CO M E S & G O E S Korean-inspired, mouth-watering food, plated to perfection, in a modern minimalist Scandi-inspired interior. Breakfast & Lunch Tue–Fri: 7.30am– 3.30pm, Sat & Sun: 8am–3.30pm. Dinner Wed–Sat: 5pm–9.30pm. Find us on Facebook & Instagram

E L E M E N TS

BA K E R G R A M E RCY

C . G. R . M E RC H A N T & CO.

A simplistically stylish bakery full of charm and passion, crafting flavoursome sourdoughs, buttery croissants and delectable treats. Complete with superb coffee and good ol’ fashioned friendly service and you’ve discovered one of Wellington’s true gems. Open Wednesday to Saturday. www.gramercy.co.nz

A candy shop for grown ups. Enticing and adventurous Rum and Gin infusions. Coconut & Chocolate. Candied pecan. Black Doris plum. Neat or in a cocktail. Exceptional service from friendly staff. Exquisite times. Upstairs, 46 Courtenay Place, Wellington.

D E LU X E CA F E

www.cgrmerchant.co.nz

EG M O N T ST EAT E RY

Heavenly vegan and vegetarian food paired with devilishly good Havana coffee. Treat yourself and visit a Wellington icon. 10 Kent Terrace next to the Embassy Theatre. Open 7am til 5pm weekdays and 8.30am til 5pm weekends.

Egmont St Eatery is a modern, light filled eatery that combines quality ingredients to provide a modern spin on classic dishes. Dinner five nights, Tuesday to Saturday. Breakfast 7 days a week.

Check us out on Facebook

www.egmontstreet.co.nz

FO RT U N E FAVO U RS

G O L D I N G ’S F R E E D I V E

A local Lyall Bay eatery offering a fresh, seasonal menu with vegan, gluten free & dairy free options available. Just a short stroll from Lyall Bay beach, Elements is open for breakfast & lunch Tuesday – Sunday, and dinner Thursday – Saturday.

Housed in an old dip strippers on Leeds St, Te Aro we brew beers for The Bold, The Brave and The Lucky.

Proudly serving its laneway neighbourhood fresh beers, delicious wine and of course the best pizza in Wellington from our mates Pomodoro. Open noon – 11pm 7 days. Beer is Love.

www.elementslyallbay.co.nz

www.fortunefavours.beer

www.goldingsfreedive.co.nz

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L’A F FA R E

L E E D S ST BA K E RY

L I TT L E B E E R Q UA RT E R

With 28 years experience in roasting and serving their emblematic espresso, customers are in safe hands at L’affare. A recent refurbishment combined with a slick new all-day menu, and chock-full cabinet clinches the café’s reputation as a firm local favourite.

Nestled down Leeds St we offer an amazing range of artisan breads, scones and a delicious selection of tasty sweets, including our award winning salted caramel cookies! We open 7 days a week so you can always get your fix.

Little Beer Quarter is Wellington’s beer haven, tucked away in Edward St Precinct. 14 rotating taps, 2 handpulls, over 100 beers/ciders and wine in the fridge. Match your beverage of choice to our speciality pizzas, platters & seasonal mains.

www.laffare.co.nz

www.leedsstbakery.co.nz

littlebeerquarter.co.nz

M A R A N U I CA F E

M I L K C R AT E

Maranui Cafe feels comfortably retro on the inside. Red leather booth seats, Havana coffee, milkshakes served in the shakers and eclectic delicious menus. A bustling café with a million-dollar view which offers plenty for families, tourists & surfers alike!

A boutique cafe dedicated to making as much as possible in house. Serving coffee from Rich coffee roasters, delicious house made sweet treats, sandwiches, salads, smoothies and juices.

www.maranui.co.nz

www.milkcrate.co.nz

M R G O ’S Mr Go’s is a vibrant and fast paced restaurant serving hand made Gua Bao, Asian sharing plates and crafty and creative drinks!

mrgos.co.nz

Food

P EO P L E S CO F F E E

R I P E CO F F E E ROAST E RS

Peoples - organic & fair trade coffee, dedicated to producing excellent coffee as ethically as possible since 2004. Visit our flagship cafes; 12 Constable Street in Newtown or 1 Lukes Lane in the city (coming soon).

Hello from the Ripe Team. We love what we do and hope that you do too. XX PS. Have you tried our MoTown Vegan Burger?

www.peoplescoffee.co.nz

www.ripecoffee.co.nz

MoTown - Small Batch - Hauora - Microlot

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S C H O C C H O CO L AT E S

S I X E S & S EV E N S

Enjoy the Schoc sensation of divine chocolate. Hand crafted unique flavours made from the freshest real ingredients available. Open Mon – Fri 10am – 5.30 and Saturday 10am – 3pm. 31 WaringTaylor Street, Wellington.

Our bright little cafe is perhaps Wellington’s best kept secret. Here you’ll find damn good coffee, hearty eats, and delectable treats. Open 7 days. 51 Taranaki Street.

www.schoc.co.nz

www.sixes.co.nz

SOUTHERN CROSS GARDEN BAR RESTAURANT For over 165 years, our home here in Te Aro has been a favourite meeting place for locals. Spaces to relax, wine, dine, dance or enjoy a coffee - The Cross has something for everyone. Open 7 days. www.thecross.co.nz

SW E E T VA N I L L A K I TC H E N

M EX I CO

T H E OAT E RY

Sweet Vanilla is in a cute compact Heritage building in Lower Hutt. Winning Best Suburban cafe 2017 and 2018 in NZ. Our simple philosophy fresh cuisine, great coffee and exceptional service. Mon–Fri 8am–4pm Sat–Sun 8am–3pm.

Mexico is an immersive dining experience inspired by street cuisine and culture of its namesake nation. Mexico celebrates the vibrant, fresh and lighter side of Mexican cuisine, with authentic and fusion dishes available on a seasonally changing menu.

The Oatery exists to celebrate breakfast, in particular the ever so humble oat. We currently reside at Harbourside Market selling bowls of oaty goodness, or you can find our bags of Warmly Spiced Granola both online and at Moore Wilson’s.

Check us out on Facebook

www.mexico.net.nz

www.theoatery.nz

T U LS I I N D I A N C U I S I N E

W I LS O N BA R B EC U E

Tulsi is voted one of the best Indian restaurants in Wellington, opening hours are on the website. We cater food for any occasion, we have huge space for large bookings which can accommodate over 150 people at one time.

Wilson Barbecue brings all your American barbecue dreams to life think brisket, ribs and pulled pork all cooked low ‘n slow in their 1900kg smoker! Catch their meaty deliciousness around Wellington or hire them for your next event.

tulsicuba.co.nz

www.wilsonbarbecue.com 58

Food

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Retail

JA N E DA N I E LS

GOODNESS BOUTIQUES

I LOV E PA R I S

Goodness is a Wellington fashion institution - two great locations filled with cleverly selected fashion, footwear, accessories and gifts. See us in Jackson St, Petone, College St in the CBD or online.

An eclectic collection of footwear from the world’s most innovative designers... Beau Coops, Arche, Sempre Di, Reike Nen, Miista, Intentionally Blank, Pons Quintana, Chaos and Harmony, Kathryn Wilson, Veja and many more. xxx

www.goodness.co.nz

www.iloveparis.co.nz

J U L I E TT E F LO R I ST

K I LT W E L L I N GTO N

Jane Daniels garments are 100% New Zealand made with the latest exclusive fabrics from Europe. Sophisticated clothing with intelligent design to ensure you are always at your best.

Delivering gorgeous fresh flowers around the Wellington region. We create bouquets and arrangements for weddings, events and corporate offices. We also offer subscriptions of fresh flowers to your home. We hold workshops for groups and Hen’s parties too. Open Mon-Sat.

KILT is a NZ designed and made women’s clothing company. Our mission at KILT is to provide the ultimate experience by helping women feel amazing, with the best NZ made products at affordable prices. 100 Victoria Street, Wellington.

www.janedaniels.co.nz

www.julietteflorist.co.nz

www.kilt.co.nz

KOW TOW Sustainable and ethically made womenswear. 29 College Street, Wellington. Opening Hours: Monday – Friday, 10am–6pm. Saturday, 10am–5pm. Sunday, 10am–4pm. www.kowtowclothing.com

MADAME FANCY PANTS

M A N DATO RY M E N SW EA R

MFP is a darling boutique located on Cuba Street, filled to the brim with goodies you never knew you needed but want! Clothing, jewels, stationery, bags, baby goods & bunches of other sweetness for you or your BFF.

Since 1997, Mandatory design and produce menswear on site! Good fabrics in great cuts are cult classics and can be cut to fit for clients within a fortnight. New designs every week. Work, occasion and casual wear. Open 7 days.

www.madamefancypants.com

www.mandatory.co.nz

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O F N O B L E N AT U R E

THE WHITE ROOM GALLERY

Fresh, affordable flowers to your door, one-off bouquets and flower subscriptions. Whether it is a treat for yourself or a gift for someone wonderful in your life; we believe that there is nothing more noble than nature’s gift of flowers.

We offer an extensive range of quality and quirky gifts and artworks. Located at 147 The Parade, Island Bay, we are open seven days.

www.ofnoblenature.co.nz

www.whiteroomgallery.co.nz

Retail

Mon-Fri 9.00am–5.30pm Sat/Sun 9.00am–4.30pm Phone (04) 383 6958 / 021 383 795

T R A D E A I D W E L L I N GTO N Made fair, made by people, made to feel good. Beautiful handcrafted products for your home, toys for children and organic foods from around the world. Open 7 days.

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T W I G & A R ROW

U N I T Y B O O KS

Providing Wedding flowers, Event flowers and styling, Floral workshops and Botanical styling for advertising and social media. By appointment only.

Award-winning indie booksellers trading for over 50 years on Willis Street. Vertical staff (reviewers on the run) who care about people and books. Major range of local and imported publishing. Events, special orders, web supply. Firing on all syllables. Nice chairs.

twigandarrow.com

www.unitybooks.co.nz

V I C B O O KS

WA N DA H A R L A N D

WELLINGTON APOTHECARY

Located in the heart of Victoria University of Wellington’s Kelburn and Pipitea campuses, Vic Books has been 100% student owned since it was founded in 1975. Open daily from 8am — 5.30pm & Kelburn open Saturday 10-4pm

Wanda Harland is full of cool clothes, made well. You’ll find gorgeous garments from New Zealand and around the world, designed for work and play. We have a store in Petone and at 126 Wakefield St. Open 7 days.

www.vicbooks.co.nz

www.wandaharland.co.nz

Wellington Apothecary is a botanical factory, herbal dispensary, natural therapy clinic, and alchemists delight. Find natural handmade skincare, herbal remedies, organic teas, workshops, naturopathy, holistic facials, massage therapy and more! Open Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm. www.wellingtonapothecary.co.nz

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WO O D STO C K F LO R I ST

Y V E TT E E DWA R D S

A creative space for botanical prettiness & inspiration. We specialize in weddings & events with an online store sending fresh seasonal blooms & plants throughout our cool wee city. Workroom located at 34 Kent Terrace.

Nestled on the ground floor of the prettiest building in Wellington is my botanical studio. A lush oasis in the heart of the city with an abundance of indoor plants, beautiful blooms and dried florals. Open Wednesday to Sunday.

www.woodstock.co.nz

www.yvetteedwards.co.nz

Experience

Retail

CARLUCCI LAND MINI GOLF

EXPRESSIONS WHIRINAKI

Admire the sculptures at this iconic Wellington landmark. Our unique mini golf made from recycled junk is fun for all ages. We are open 9.30am till late 7 days. Come see us @ 281 Happy Valley Road, Owhiro Bay, Wellington.

Expressions Whirinaki Arts & Entertainment Centre is a vibrant arts centre offering art, culture, history and live entertainment. Our fabulous galleries and theatre have a changing programme of exhibitions and events, with a focus on family friendly experiences.

www.carlucciland.nz

www.expressions.org.nz

Bofes

PAG E B L AC K I E GA L L E RY

M U S E U M S W E L L I N GTO N

Page Blackie Gallery represents leading contemporary New Zealand artists, and also specialises in the sale of significant historical works. Visit us at 42 Victoria Street. Monday – Friday, 10am – 5.30pm. Saturday, 10am – 4pm. 04 471 2636.

Museums Wellington comprises four of our city’s leading visitor attractions – Wellington Museum, Space Place, Cable Car Museum and Nairn Street Cottage. All housed in heritage buildings we tell stories unique to Wellington and attract over 400,000 visitors every year.

www.pageblackiegallery.co.nz

www.museumswellington.org.nz 61

ARD

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South Warm fashion for cold weather

Art Direction : Shalee Fitzsimmons Photography : Bex McGill Model : Jessy Lewis Assistant : Leilani Baker Hair colouring : BlowUp Hairdressing

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Ingrid Starnes, Magda Coat, Harry's, $695 Grace dress in lilac, $279, Kowtow Shoes, stylist's own

Acne lysanne pop press white, $520, No. 16 Ginza coat, $1079, Jane Daniels Building block skirt, natural marle, $129, Kowtow Machete luna drop earrirngs, $75, Mooma Shoes, stylist's own 64

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Ann Demeulemeester june shirt, $1120, No. 16 Penny Sage pumpkin jumper, $495, Service Depot Casting pant in gold, 229, Kowtow Machete luna drop earrirngs, $75, Mooma Giovane Euro Pulp, $150, Hannahs 66

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LIFESTYLE

Bag lady W R I TT E N BY F R A N C E S CA E M M S P H OTO G R A P H Y BY M AT T BA R N E S

Designer and diabetic Bridget Scanlan makes bags that unite fashion with function.

hen Bridget Scanlan was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a 20-year-old she left the hospital with a huge blue nylon carry case. ‘As a new diabetic I was pretty cautious and always carried everything I might possibly need with me,’ she says. This bag went with her everywhere, including 21st birthday parties and clubbing. ‘At clubs we’d put my massive bag in the middle of floor and dance around it.’ Bridget was always on the lookout for a bag for her diabetes kit − something functional but also stylish − but could never find one. Eventually she thought, ‘I wonder if I could do this myself?’ The short answer is yes. Following her training at New Zealand Fashion Tech, Bridget was accepted into Project Fashion Wellington, a programme that mentors fashion designers as they produce a capsule collection. To explore what a bag for diabetics could look like, Bridget designed and made six bags ‘and six garments so my models didn’t walk down the runway naked,’ she laughs. These prototypes included a cross-body handbag, an evening bag, a laptop bag and a men’s compendium. Bridget’s next step was to canvass the diabetes community. She knew intimately the hassle of having to carry around a load of medical equipment but wanted to check that she was making something that people would in fact carry. The compendium was a no-go, while the cross-body bag was a clear favourite. ‘I spoke with a woman in her 80s who’d been diagnosed at 51,’

says Bridget, ‘She said she’d been looking for a bag like this for 30 years.’ She tells of meeting other young women and bonding over their clubbing experiences, including one who loved dancing but was ‘sick of hitting people in the face with my bloody diabetes bag.’ The KYT Crossbody bag is the first such dedicated bag to be launched. Bridget explains the name: ‘Lots of diabetics talk about carrying their “kit”, and KYT stands for Keeping You Together.’ The bag has two compartments, ‘so you can organise life essentials and medical equipment separately. Combine them together to take it all, or pull them apart to just take what you need.’ The bag is made of leather, with a suede-like bloodresistant lining that can be wiped down ‘after those inevitable blood stains.’ Key features include a pocket for sharps and empties, a medical ID slot, and dedicated space for all the usual diabetes equipment. Presales for the KYT Crossbody bag opened last month online (kytbags.com) and early interest has been much wider than Bridget expected; a greater age range, and about a 50/50 split between locals and internationals. Bridget says, ‘Diabetes isn’t a simple case of test, jab, repeat. It’s a turbulent, complicated experience that has many emotional layers.’ She hopes that with her bag, designed exactly for this experience, she can help make life with diabetes look and feel a bit better.

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FASH ION

When inspiration goes too far BY M EGA N B L E N K A R N E

ashion might seem frivolous to some, but the reality is it’s big business. To add some complexity, it’s a business based on the idea that we can have an endless supply of new ideas, fresh designs and lightning-bolt inspiration, which the amount of blatant copying going on suggests is completely wrong. Take for example the Cult Gaia Ark bag, a pretty half moon of wooden slats that became the It Bag of 2017. It is beautiful, but it has now been copied so ruthlessly that you can buy a knock-off on any high street (and the argument goes, of course, that the Ark bag is itself a ‘slavish copy’ of Japanese designs of the 1940s). It seems there’s a distinction to be made between counterfeiting – which is definitely illegal – and copying or knocking off. Counterfeiting will land you with a bill for UDS$6.9 million in damages, owed to Chanel Inc, as in a case reported by Business Insider in 2014. Copying, on the other hand, is so out of control that fashion bloggers have a name for copies – ‘dupes’ – and even legitimate media outlets overseas have been known to print ‘best of the dupes’ features (let’s not name names). The Instagram account @dietprada exists for the sole purpose of recording ‘ppl knocking each other off lol’, and at 699 posts and 435,000 followers, it seems it has captured the zeitgeist. It’s not cool when someone is ‘inspired’ by your design and you happen to be Gucci, but it’s even less cool when you’re a small independent creative and you find someone knocking 72

you off. You’d think that the law might offer a solution, and it does, in the form of registered trade marks. However, you can’t just roll up and register any old thing as a trade mark and, not to throw my profession under the bus here, but you may have heard that legal advice ain’t cheap. Thus, few designs ever manage to pass the test for registration and although artistic works and every rubbish novel ever published have the benefit of copyright laws, fashion does not. So far, Cult Gaia has failed to convince the US Patent and Trademark Office that they have a product that can be trademarked. The catch-22 is that they need to prove that the shape of the bag is associated by customers with the Cult Gaia brand, even as that association is being watered down by literally hundreds of copies. This seems to leave designers with little resort if they find their designs being passed off as someone else’s work. It would appear that fashion is stuck with an honesty system, which has never been a system that worked for a business any bigger than a roadside fruit stand (and as Urban Outfitters has demonstrated with its repeat offences, even a good old public shaming might not be enough to stop the stealing). Once again, the opportunity lies with us, the consumers. Be sure to buy original design, which we have heaps of in New Zealand, and don’t support the cheats who copy instead of coming up with their own ideas. My jacket is from Wilson Trollope, at 115 Victoria Street here in Wellington

Welcomes

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Oh hej! Kirsten Judd and Alice Isles have a shared belief that fashion should feel good and be fun, not intimidating or pretentious. They wanted to create a collection of beautiful designs featuring close attention to detail, that are easy to wear and match. Raised in Wellington, Kirsten and Alice studied together in Otago and went on to work in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Being in the heart of China meant they could access exotic, premium fabrics – linens, silks and cashmeres – that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Their brand hej hej (pronounced hey hey) launched in January with a collection of 100% linen garments inspired by life in China. ‘Living through the baking hot summers of Shanghai and Hong Kong, we discovered linen was by far the best way to beat the heat, and it’s also highly functional,’ said Kirsten.

The hej hej gals will be launching their winter range at a Wellington pop-up in July. ‘Our knitwear was inspired by fond memories of growing up in wild Wellington winters dressed in homemade winter woollies – that may not have been the height of fashion – but Wellington’s always been on our minds as the natural fit for hej hej’s first winter collection launch,’ says Alice. Today, Alice is based in Auckland and Kirsten in Shanghai. On the ground in China, Kirsten, a Mandarin speaker, works closely with fabric suppliers and makers. ‘Being close to our suppliers makes all the difference: it means our demands for quality, ethical standards and attention to detail can be met. And the fact that we can get together with our suppliers over a cup of tea to work through measurements and fittings makes it more enjoyable for us.’

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LIFESTYLE

RAD LAD The winners of the New Zealand Institute of Architects Wellington Architecture Awards were announced last month. An Enduring Architecture Award went to Park Mews (1973) by Capital’s car columnist Roger Walker. The awards jury said, ‘The local landmark, with its signature turrets and portholes, is emblematic of a period of New Zealand architecture that shunned modernist norms in favour of a more radical approach.’ All winners of the 2018 Wellington Architecture Awards are eligible for shortlisting in the New Zealand Architecture Awards, which will be announced in November.

CARPET REPORT

UNDER THE GUN

FIRST FACE

IndexBox have just published a new report with a long winded title – World: Carpets And Other Textile Floor Coverings - Market Report. The report says the global carpet market is worth a whopping $30.4 billion, and includes detailed profiles of the 50 largest carpet consuming countries. New Zealand is not one of them. This is not surprising as, according to reports from BusinessDesk, a trend to hard flooring means many local households only carpet the bedrooms and media rooms, which means overall carpet use per household has declined.

A new high-tech skin-enhancing treatment is now available in Wellington. Dermagun is a sophisticated gun that injects a substance called Teosyal Redensity directly into the top layer of the skin. Skin Institute’s Dr Sarah Hart says the gamechanging device is becoming very popular as it appears particularly beneficial for the dehydrated, sun damaged skin seen in many Kiwis.

A former Samuel Marsden Collegiate School student has been named The Face of Tailor. Last month Petrina Chai was named the winner of the Tailor Face of Beauty Search. Tailor Skincare, the brainchild of Wellingtonian Sara Quilter, offers bespoke skin and beauty solutions, tailored (wink) to your skin’s needs. Petrina’s prize pack includes accommodation at QT Museum Hotel, a number of wellness therapies, the use of an electric Audi from Mevo and a year’s supply of Tailor Skincare.

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FISHY BUSINESS

Paua Name: Pāua or black-footed pāua Other names: Known elsewhere as abalone

underwater to minimise the chance of damage and return it right way up to the reef if it proves to be undersize. Similarly if you don’t get it off the rock first time, leave it − once a pāua has clamped on to the rock it’s very hard to get it off without causing damage, and damaged pāua bleed easily, attracting predators.

Scientific names: Haliotis iris Looks like: Pāua are gastropods with an ovalish shape and a row of holes in their shells for breathing and reproduction. These shells are fairly plain on the outside but few New Zealanders would be unfamiliar with the stunning green and blue swirl of the underside. Here there are three species of pāua − black-footed, yellow-footed (H. australis), which are found all around New Zealand but in smaller numbers, and Virgin pāua (H. virginea), which is much rarer and smaller, reaching just five cm in size.

Cook: Pāua can be eaten a number of ways − tenderised and thinly sliced with garlic on the BBQ, minced and mixed with onion, flour, herbs and maybe a spot of bacon or pork mince for a glorious fritter, or even as sashimi. If you want to get fancy, Logan Brown’s pāua ravioli with basil, lime and coriander beurre blanc is exceptional and not too tricky to make − the recipe is easily found online.

Habitat: Pāua can be found clinging to the rocks all around the coast of Aotearoa in low intertidal and high subtidal waters to depths of 10m.

Did you know? The pāua black market in New Zealand is huge, with hundreds of tonnes being taken illegally each year, many of which are undersized. The Ministry for Primary Industries − Fisheries relies on citizens reporting suspicious behaviour. If you see something dodgy call 0800 4 POACHER and try to take note of the location, a vehicle registration number, boat name and/or description of the person.

Feeds on: Seaweed, moving about at night and feeding on pieces that float by before apparently returning to the same spot by morning. Catch: Diving for pāua is relatively straightforward, especially if you have someone to show you the ropes (it’s not legal to dive for them with breathing apparatus though − so you might want to get some snorkel practice in). Individual divers can take a maximum of 10 pāua of each species − common pāua must reach 125mm and yellow-footed 80mm in length. There are a number of ‘best practice’ considerations too. Always measure pāua

If they were human they would be: We wouldn’t dare to personify pāua when its story is already so well told in the children’s book Tangaroa’s Gift by Mere Whaanga, where a sad and lonely pāua is mocked for being slow and unattractive, so is gifted a shell of many colours − hidden within where only he can see it.

EDIBLES

UNBENDING Fidel’s Café has introduced metal straws for shakes, smoothies and cold pressed juices that are drunk inhouse, and biodegradeable ones for takeaway drinks. The WCC found that some restaurants and bars in Wellington are using more than 800 plastic straws per week each, many of which are ending up in our oceans. Fidel’s infamous snickers shake is the stuff of legend, so we suppose this will contribute greatly to reducing the number of straws on the beach.

HELPING OF HANOI

WHAT’S THE TIME

EXCLUSIVELY AT THE EATERY

Adding new flavours to the multicultural Newtown culinary scene, there is a new Vietnamese restaurant at 88 Riddiford St. Pho-Viet (not Soviet) is serving traditional-style quick and easy street food, such as Pho Bo, Banh Mi, fresh spring rolls and Vietnamese coffee. Coffee made in the sweet Vietnamese style is often sought after by travellers returning from Vietnam.

Wellington restaurateurs the Bresolin brothers have opened 1154 Pastaria, a sister restaurant to Scopa, directly opposite on the corner of Cuba and Ghuznee. The interior design was completed by Prak from Precinct 35, which is just down the road. The most expensive dish on the relatively simple menu is $17.00 and all of their pasta is made in house.

On 14 June Egmont St Eatery will host a four-course dinner matched with the new Prestige Collection from Craggy Range, some of their finest wines, which have often been cellared for years before release to the public. Craggy Range and top sommelier Michael Bancks will discuss each wine match of the dinner. Contact info@egmontstreet. co.nz for tickets or more information.

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EDIBLES

R E S TAU R A N T I F I C AT I O N Tory Street is rapidly becoming one of the hottest dining precincts in Wellington. Monte Cervino has gone from strength to strength since opening this year. Diners are talking about not only the food but also sommelier Alex Judd’s knowledge and recommendations from the domestic and international wine list. According to owner Sean Marshall, the Snapper spaghetti or duck cavatelli (both pastas made in house) are their most popular dishes. Tory St’s other popular dining places include Chow, Bastardo, Le Samourai, Restaurant 88 and Wildfire.

WINNER WINNER LAMB DINNER

PLATE UP

THE GRAPEST PLACE

Grass Fed Girls, a collaboration between Preston's Master Butchers and farmers Dion Kilmister and Ali Scott, has been awarded a gold medal at the Outstanding New Zealand Food Producers Awards. Dion and Ali have also been named 2018 Wairarapa Sheep and Beef Farm Business of the Year. Preston’s Marketing and Communications Manager, Tania Thomas, tells us that the female lambs have a more mellow flavour, and because they are less lean than the males, their meat is more succulent and tender.

Wellington on a Plate is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. From 10–26 August more than 100 food-related events will happen around Wellington. The popular WOAP burger competition will run again. Last year there were more than 110 entries. The events programme will be released on 6 June.

For the third year running Winetopia is returning to Wellington. It is being held on 29–30 June at TSB Arena. More than 60 wineries will be featured, from all of New Zealand’s iconic wine regions. There are three sessions over the two days, with tickets available online now. Industry gurus Stephen Wong (Master of Wine) and Nick Stock (Australian expert) will give tasting seminars.

Did AnYone here order A truckloAd of hops? Our latest release, arriving at a supermarket or bottle store near you.

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

Beef rendang with coconut BY N I K K I & J O R DA N S H E A R E R

eef rendang is an Indonesian dish traditionally served at special occasions to honour guests. It is well worth the effort to make your own spice paste and even though some of the ingredients may sound weird, they are readily available at your local Asian supermarket. The choice of chilli is very important as this will determine the heat. Avoid the bird’s-eye chilli and look

INGREDIENTS 2 cups thread coconut, lightly toasted Spice Paste 10 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 10 red chillies (approx 100−150g), deseeded and roughly chopped 4 medium shallots, peeled and roughly chopped 1 large knob fresh ginger, (approx 50g) peeled and roughly chopped 1 large knob galangal, (approx 50g), peeled and finely chopped 50g fresh turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp white sugar 2 tsp salt 4 green cardamom pods 2 tsp ground cumin 10 cloves 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 2 Tbsp tamarind paste 4 kaffir lime leaves 800ml coconut cream 2 stalks lemongrass, bashed 1.5kg topside steak, cut into 3–4-cm pieces.

for the Serrano, which are not as fiery hot but will still give a nice amount of heat. Your chilli tolerance will ultimately determine how many chillis you use. The galangal needs to be finely chopped as it will not break down even with the long cooking time. During the cold winter months this is the perfect comfort dish to serve the family and warm the soul. Serves 6–8

METHOD

30 minutes preparation, 2½ to 3 hours cook time 1. 2. 3.

4. 5.

In a dry wok toast the coconut until lightly browned. Set aside. Place the 12 spice ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a paste. Heat the wok and add the oil and spice paste. Cook over medium heat until fragrant, approximately 5 minutes. Add the tamarind paste, kaffir lime leaves and coconut cream. Stir to combine. Add the lemongrass, 1 cup of the toasted coconut and diced beef. Stir and simmer over medium heat for 2 ½ to 3 hours, stirring often to ensure that the beef does not stick to the pan. (Remember that the liquid will all be absorbed by the end of the cook time.) If it starts to dry out too much before the meat is tender then add more coconut cream or water. Garnish with the remaining coconut and serve with turmeric rice, coriander, lime cheeks and your choice of sambals.

BY THE BOOK

UNEXPECTED PHONECALL The country’s best book store is also very generous. Unity is marking its 50th birthday by providing awards of $20,000 each to Patricia Grace and Peter Wells for their extensive bodies of work and their social-justice activism (Grace for Māori and land rights, and Wells for LGBTIA visibility). 'As Unity turned 50 we asked afresh: who matters most to us in the world of books?’ says Tilly Lloyd. ‘We decided it was authors.’ Grace, who lives on ancestral land at Hongoeka Bay near Plimmerton, was ‘thrilled’ to get the phonecall.

BIG OE

SMART ALEX

NOT DUN YET

Sarah Laing’s graphic novel Mansfield and Me (issue #35) has just been published in England, Scotland and Wales. It caught the attention of London publisher Scott Pack when he spoke alongside Laing in New Zealand, then attended her session at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. She couldn’t be more excited. ‘I feel like the book mirrors Katherine Mansfield’s own trajectory: childhood and adolescence in NZ before leaving for London and beyond.’

To mark the centenary of Alexander Turnbull’s death and his legacy (including 55,000 volumes of books and other publications), the Friends of the Turnbull Library are holding a creative-writing competition for secondaryschool students from New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The brief: to produce prose, poetry, or a combination of text and illustration that responds to an item in the library’s collections. Entries close 22 July; there are cash prizes.

At age 95, Kapiti Coast author John Dunmore has finished his 70th book (yes, 70). Scoundrels & Eccentrics of the Pacific (Upstart Press, $39.99) is about the white adventurers (including conmen, slavers and pirates) who exploited the Pacific Islands following their ‘discovery’ by explorers. A world authority on Pacific exploration, Dunmore also ran publishing company Dunmore Press, and wrote thrillers under a pseudonym. Scoundrels launches at Unity at lunchtime on 14 June.

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BY THE BOOK

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

Spring Onion Pancakes hold stalks under the tap and let the water run over your hands. chop finely with your mother’s best knife, all the way down to the white parts. listen to the sound the knife makes on the scratched polyethylene. let yourself go back to winter evenings spent pulling basil leaves from the dying plant by the window. tip in the flour, sunlight, onions, salt and rainwater. light the flame, test the heat with the tips of your knuckles. catch your wrist on the wok, gasp, kiss it cold. remember if you hadn’t relearnt how to speak you would still say scallions. remember how she used to buy the pancakes from the market every morning, come home and press the package into your hands, warm sesame seeds falling into your lap. bite and feel your bones turn soft in the heat. collect up the forgotten things, paper towels turned transparent with grease. gather broken eggshells into a small mountain made of calcium, then sweep the mountain away. by Nina Powles, from Rambutan Literary issue #5, 2017.

BREAKDOWN The poet: Nina Powles was born in Wellington and partly grew up in China. She’s a graduate of the International Institute of Modern Letters and in 2016 she was awarded the Biggs Family Prize for Poetry for her manuscript of Luminescent (Seraph Press, 2017). Nina is also a zine-maker and Poetry Editor at The Shanghai Literary Review. In brief: This poem first appeared in Rambutan Literary, an online literary and arts journal dedicated to

showcasing literature and art from mainland, maritime, and diasporic Southeast Asia. What’s it about? The poem starts as an instructional guide in making spring onion pancakes (cong you bing), a popular Chinese snack food. The stepby-step meditation whets the reader’s appetite, but in the grand tradition of domestic poems there’s more to this poem than simply being a recipe. As the author moves through each step, she slips in details of a past life, memories of a relative that forever imbue the preparation of this familiar dish. It’s a soft, gentle

poem that flickers with moments of pain and regret – a reminder that even the simplest pleasures carry a shadow. Why I like it: My friend Renee talks about how Chinese parents tell you they love you by cooking for you and making sure you don’t go hungry. That’s especially true in my foodobsessed family, so reading this poem fills me with nostalgia. It makes me think about cooking with my beloved Por Por, and reminds me I should call my parents to tell them I love them (maybe putting this in print will score me brownie points?). I

Raschy leon

love the line 'bite and feel your bones turn soft in the heat' – so provocative and yet a perfect description of what it’s like to bite into a freshly cooked cong you bing. Read more: Nina’s beautiful first book Luminescent tells the stories of five New Zealand women. The poems are presented as five separate chapbooks that can be read in any order. I also recommend that you check out Nina’s food blog Dumpling Queen. As the poem above attests, she has exceptional talent at capturing the joy and comfort of food.

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

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Use our experience. Claire is the author of poetry collection Cold Water Cure. Years Her resolution for 2018 is to complete the manuscript for her We SEE the small print. second collection. Find her work at claireorchardpoet.com

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Text ta lk P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

BWB Texts publisher Tom Rennie talks to Sarah Lang about how the short books on big subjects are bringing through new authors, provoking public discussion, and paying the bills.

ith his long, straight blond hair, Tom Rennie slightly resembles a cleaner-cut version of Kurt Cobain. The 38-year-old also looks slightly tired. That’s not surprising, given he and his wife Sarah have an eight-month-old, Natalie, at home in Brooklyn, as well as six-yearold Louisa. Somewhat reserved on the personal front, Rennie couldn’t be any more enthusiastic about being the publisher of BWB Texts: a five-year-old ‘mini-series’ of sorts from Bridget Williams Books, tagged as ‘short books on big subjects’. We’re meeting at BWB HQ: a heritage building in the Botanic Garden shared by small businesses and sole traders. Rennie is well-prepared, with scribbled notes and various Texts fanned out on the boardroom table. One is twice as thick as another. ‘The minimum length is 10,000 words and the maximum 45,000, but most are 20–30,000,’ Rennie says. ‘We’ve published 50 so far. The series is split between contemporary issues, history, and memoirs – and it’s interesting when those three genres combine in one book.’ His example is university professor Damon Salesa’s popular Island Time, about why New Zealand should act as a Pacific Island nation. Rennie works on Texts with Bridget Williams, who has published long-form non-fiction – particularly histories – for over 30 years. In 2011 she hired Rennie, a former intern, to develop BWB’s digital-publishing programme. ‘At BWB we talk about taking the past into the future,’ Williams says, ‘and Tom is doing just that. BWB’s big histories have flowed seamlessly from my hand (Tangata Whenua, A History of New Zealand Women) to Tom’s (The Great War for New Zealand, The Big Smoke). His fine grasp of the critical issues

facing New Zealand is driving a new strength into the list, particularly with the Texts, the series he dreamed up then created five years ago.’ Rennie also credits Williams and publishing doyen Geoff Walker with the idea behind the Texts. ‘We saw what was happening offshore with shortform e-books, like Kindle singles.’ Initially, Texts were intended only as e-books, when the first (Paul Callaghan: Luminous Moments) was published in March 2013. By late 2013, readers were asking for physical copies. Print runs began at 750 copies and are now at 1000, sometimes more, and over half of the Texts have been reprinted. ‘Selling more than a thousand copies of a New Zealand scholarly or cultural book is a good outcome. Primarily we’re selling through bookstores: Unity, the other independents, key Whitcoulls and Paper Plus stores.’ With Texts selling for $14.99, people often buy more than one. Currently 80–90 per cent of sales are paperbacks, always with the same, plain cover template, inspired by Penguin Classics (which also keeps costs down). Their digital readers are loyal, requesting a subscription service, which was introduced in 2015. The Texts series has fast become one of New Zealand's most influential platforms for new ideas, analysis, and discussion. ‘Texts put forward a strong non-partisan argument grounded in evidence.’ Many deal with subjects that might not otherwise be covered properly, such as economic inequality, child poverty and mass surveillance. Are Texts plugging a gap left by a decline in long-form journalism? ‘Actually, I see them as complementary to interesting long-form journalism. We have a Text on the media out in July.’ The Broken Estate: Journalism in New Zealand by lecturer Mel Bunce is both a critique of and a love letter to the profession.

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BY THE BOOK

Currently Rennie is commissioning Texts for early next year, but he’s published a few particularly topical Texts only a couple of months after commissioning them. ‘That’s when I take work home.’ In 2015, he allowed just a fortnight between receiving the manuscript for and publishing a Text by economists Shamubeel and Selena Eaqub; Generation Rent soon became a catchphrase. Subsequently, Shamubeel became one of three people who conducted an independent housing review commissioned by the previous government, and he’s attending the OECD Forum in Paris. Meanwhile microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles’ 2017 Text Antibiotic Resistance: The End of Modern Medicine? surely helped her become a finalist in the 2018 New Zealander of the Year Awards. Rennie’s favourite Text? ‘I just can’t choose.’ This year he’s particularly enthusiastic about Murdoch Stephens’ Text Doing Our Bit: The Campaign to Double the Refugee Quota (out in July), Lana Lopesi’s False Divides about uniting the Pacific (August), and Rachel Buchanan’s memoir/history Parihaka (September). Does the series cover its costs? Its non-profit business model relies primarily on sales, with some funding. ‘We get a small, important amount of Creative NZ funding, generally for more literary memoirs.’ Most funding comes from the BWB Publishing Trust, which seeks grants and donations from public-sector agencies, other trusts, corporates and individuals. One-off donations and friends’ memberships are available online. ‘Our aim is to make the Texts series self-sustaining on a non-profit basis, albeit with some key funders.’ Aside from Williams and Rennie, BWB has four in-house staff: an editor, a publishing assistant, a finance assistant, and a marketing coordinator who also fills other roles like organising events. The BWB Texts Winter Series runs for the third time this winter in main centres and regional towns. Last year, countrywide events for Max Harris’ Text The New Zealand Project (a vision for confronting the country’s challenges) included one in Gisborne that drew 200 people on a wet Tuesday night. ‘In publishing, you now have to do that much more to make it work: print books, e-books, publicity, literary festivals, events.’ Over summer, Texts reviewed its publishing, seeking external comments. ‘That affirmed what we’re doing.’

‘What I enjoy most is building long-term relationships with authors who have interesting ideas, working with them to achieve their vision, and reaching readers. Texts are a jumping-off point for the next generation of New Zealand non-fiction authors.’ Authors get a royalty. ‘The trust also sometimes issues modest grants to authors, particularly those young and unaffiliated [to an institution].’ Rennie has also led BWB’s digital-publishing programme. This has included overseeing a supplier’s conversion of BWB’s long, heavily illustrated and referenced works into e-book formats. He also introduced a digital platform where BWB does additional work on e-books prior to distribution (publishers usually outsource this function). ‘This platform houses all our titles within a content-management system, which allows us to publish efficiently in new ways, such as Texts that have spun out of bigger pre-existing books.’ Rennie has also packaged the Texts series – and five BWB collections made up of various backlist titles (including The Treaty of Waitangi Collection) – into digital resources that are licensed to libraries and institutions nationwide. Rennie and his two brothers had a fairly bookish childhood. His mum Caroline Rennie, who died of cancer when he was 12, taught English. ‘At primary school I did a competition about how many books you could read in a month. I’m quite competitive.’ Later, after doing honours in English at Victoria, he got an internship with BWB. ‘Bridget saved me from attempting and failing to do a PhD on Janet Frame.’ Post-internship, Rennie did a publishingstudies Master’s in England, and in 2005 joined large educational publisher Cengage Learning in London, working his way from editorial assistant to commissioning editor then publisher in just two years. After his five years there, he and Sarah (who also worked in publishing) moved to Wellington, and he soon joined BWB. Between work and family, he has little time left for hobbies like golf. Rennie knows he’s lucky to have a rare job as a publisher. ‘Independent publishing in New Zealand is very hard work so I have deep admiration for what Bridget has achieved. Thanks to her, I’ve got the publishing bug. We feel as long as we’re keeping Texts lively, fresh, and sometimes surprising, they will keep going. I’m really up for it.’

14 APRIL –15 J ULY 2018

C R E AT U R E Featuring work by ANGELA TIER ELIZABETH THOMSON GREGOR KREGAR JANE DODD JOHN LAWRENCE JOHN ROY K ATE FIT ZHARRIS K ATHERINE SMY TH NICHOLA SHANLEY

Choose Success Choose Whitireia

On view at our object-based gallery above the i-SITE, 31 Taupō Quay, Whanganui

It’s Matariki, time for new beginnings. Learn te reo Māori. Enrol now, start July.

Danie Mellor

Pleasure and Vexation: the strata and spectacle of history

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27 May – 19 August 2018

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Danie Mellor, The pleasure and vexation of history 2017 (detail), wax pastel, wash with oil pigment, watercolour and pencil on paper

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A woman of many tastes P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

Rose Miller’s eclectic, art-filled home preserves the century-old cottage’s history. She talks to Sarah Lang.

numberplate from a car that’s long since left the road is affixed to the living-room floor of Rose Miller’s and David Cauchi’s home in Mount Cook. A previous owner used the numberplate to cover a hole in the floor. ‘We don’t want to cover up things that are part of the house’s history,’ Rose says of the villa built over a century ago, alongside its then-identical nextdoor neighbour. ‘Ten years ago, when the realestate agent first showed us around, she said “You could gib over this, paint that, grind the floors down.” But if you grind the wooden floor down, you’re grinding away the history, with all its nails and marks. And I love the pinex walls – you can pin things on them!’ An ‘introverted extrovert’ who often wears all black, Rose had been hunting for a ‘house with quirky 70s architecture, not an old workingman’s cottage’. Then she walked in here. ‘The smell on the verandah reminded me of my childhood. When we moved in, I felt at home straight away: I slept great, my cats loved it. It felt “meant to be”, even though I knew all the maintenance involved with an old house. We’ve done all the boring stuff you don’t see like insulation and repairing the roof.’ They didn’t want to renovate away the home’s history. ‘All I’ve done is wallpaper that wall.’ On that yellow pattern hangs a large painting by David, depicting a trumpet next to the words ‘The Entertainer’. No, it’s not about entertaining guests – ‘It’s about blowing your own trumpet,’ Rose says with a laugh. Good luck finding a wall without one of David’s paintings – often

portraiture and self-portraiture – which make satirical, sometimes cryptic statements. ‘We also collect art,’ Rose says. ‘Sometimes David and his artist friends do swaps. We’ve bought art that isn’t even up yet. There’s always wall space. We’ll find it.’ David works from a studio in the back yard, and Rose works from an office inside the house. Her main income comes as a graphic designer for repeat clients, and she also runs year-old online store Mooma, which sells ‘non-essential items’ like candles, perfume, make-up, cards and notebooks. ‘Things you don’t need but want, and that make your existence more pleasant. And nothing that negatively impacts the planet.’ Why online? ‘I thought it would be cool to have an online store, selling things you can’t get elsewhere. It’s obviously cheaper than a bricksand-mortar store, but also I can pick only the products I love.’ Many of the candles that Mooma sells are dotted around her house, their sleek minimalism contrasting with the eclectic aesthetic of her interior decorating. In May, Mooma became the first New Zealand retailer to sell the US-sourced unisex, vegan DedCool fragrances. ‘I like more masculine scents. I chuck perfume on every morning, and now David does too.’ Other favourite products are Kester Black nail polish, soap, body wash and moisturiser – all vegan, cruelty-free and halal. Rose writes about the designers and brands on Mooma’s blog. ‘I hope Mooma will organically grow and it looks to be happening.’

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She’s so busy with two businesses that there’s no time to read any of the many books in the lounge. ‘I really like good literary fiction, but when I’m “not working” I’m reading blogs, and doing research, social media and emails [for Mooma]. I work long hours on fairly limited sleep. I go to bed about 12 or 1am and get up at 6 or 7, David goes to bed about 2, and wakes up about 10.’ Recently, Rose hasn’t had time to add to her collection of hundreds of records, which she plays on the turntables in her office and in the living room. ‘I’ve done a bit of DJ-ing here and there and did a radio show online, live once a fortnight from my laptop, for a couple of years.’ She’s quite the collector. On the top shelf of a cabinet of books are some beautifully-curved 1960s mugs. Atop the cabinet are several unusual figurines. ‘Some are from op shops, some from David’s parents, some from travel in East Timor. The Jesus figurine is holding a goat instead of a lamb because they don’t have sheep in East Timor, but it kind of looks like the devil on his shoulder. I like a bit of weird stuff. I’ve got a bit of witchiness in me that comes out from time to time.’ Rose grabs what is apparently a Victorian duster made of pony hair. ‘But is it really a duster? I know what the Victorians were all about,’ Rose says with a wink, whipping the table. This 'duster' appeared several times in local band Hex’s most recent video, then returned to Rose’s vase atop a former’s dentist’s cabinet. Her most treasured possession is a figurine of a man

holding a staff – it’s just a couple of centimetres tall – that sat on a piece of pounamu in her adored grandparents’ home. ‘It reminds me of Nan, so I’d be devastated to lose it.’ Rose grew up in Timaru and went to high school in ‘soulless, conservative’ Tauranga. She has lived in Wellington since 1994. ‘It’s my city. There’s nowhere else in New Zealand I want to live. It has such a great community feel. I’ve met some great people through screen-printing studio Neighbourhood Studio on Adelaide Road, where I did a screen-printing course.’ ‘I also love textiles and I’d like to sell them eventually. Part of the idea behind my business was about inspiring me to get back into creating. In the 80s I was a domestic goddess: I knitted, sewed, made smock dresses. I had three young children – David’s not their dad, by the way.’ Following a 10-year relationship with their father, she has been with David for 20 years. By day, the couple usually only cross over for a cup of tea or lunch. They often sit on the bench on the verandah in the late-afternoon sun, or in the back garden sheltered from the wind. They’re usually shadowed by Olga, a poodle-schnauzer cross wearing a jacket with a pattern of emojis, flowers and stars. Rose enjoys cooking – usually freestyle – but doesn’t entertain a lot. ‘We’ve recently become vegan, so cooking is a little more challenging. I was thinking about going vegetarian, and David was thinking about going vegan, so we just did it. I do tend to grab the bull by the horns.’

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My Eat Pray Love Moment W R I TT E N BY S H A RO N G R E A L LY

ou know you want me', he said. I tried not to splutter my mojito all over the table. It’s very sweet, bland and nearly non-alcoholic, but I'd paid a fortune for it, and I wasn't about to waste a drop. 'What?!', I managed to stutter. 'You know you want me, let's go back to my place.' Was this my Eat, Pray, Love moment? I was looking at a pimply skinny youth, with a crooked smile, an odd twitching of the head and a tic in his eye. He has appparently rehearsed this behaviour, which he seemed to think was a pirate-style wink. I tried desperately not to laugh. Welcome to India, specifically Varkala Beach in Southern Kerala. Situated on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India on the Indian ocean, and also known as Papanasham Beach, its bright red cliffs meet the Arabian Sea on an otherwise flat coastline. Natural springs and spas abound, and it's a popular destination for surfing, sunbathing and swimming, washing clothes, and as the name Papanasham means, washing away your sins. The young chap told me that Varkala is a hot spot for 'older' western women to find love with local men, and was keen to offer me his services. I told him that I had a perfectly competent and lovely man at home, thank you very much, and now I really must be going. Unfortunately, a torrential downpour just at that moment, closed the street, and I had to stick around a bit longer, suffering more comedic twitches and resisting his temptations. My friend and I had come to Varkala in November to do a couple of weeks of yoga, a week’s ayurvedic treatment, and some touristy things. Varkala has a population of 40,000, and is known as a laid back, friendly area. It is also known for numerous Ayurvedic treatment centres. Ayurvedic medicine is a traditional holistic healing system developed more than 3000 years ago in India. Based on the belief that health and wellness is determined by the delicate balance between mind, body, and spirit. I was keen to give it a try. Relatively unknown until the early 1980's, Kerala has become one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, and tourism an important source of revenue. Tourist numbers are increasing annually, with sun, surf, and wedding packages on offer to promote the state as a destination. Signs are everywhere calling Kerala God’s Own Country.

And it wouldn't be India without its heritage sites, slowly becoming an important part of the tourism agenda. Work is beginning after years of neglect to preserve ancient wonders such as the palaces of Padmanabhapuram, Hill, and Mattancherry. We took a two-day trip to Kanyakumari, four hours away by train, on the southern most tip of India, where the Indian Ocean meets the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. No trip to India is complete without experiencing the seething mass of humanity on the rail system. We found a berth, and could stretch out our legs on the ground level. Others climbed up to the berths above us, and promptly appeared to fall asleep. The train is a beautiful way to see the countryside, with waterways, banana trees and pineapple plantations whooshing past. It's a cheap way to travel too, and hawkers trawled the carriages selling treats such as samosas wrapped in newspaper, the tea seller singing out 'Chai, chai, garam chai'. We didn't attempt the toilets – the miasma as we passed them on our way to our seats was almost enough to bring up our breakfast. The symphony of colour outside was echoed inside by family groups on the train, the women and girls dressed in vivid saris. One family had brought a gold-plated microphone to pass the time on the journey, and we all took turns singing into it, entertaining the whole carriage. We came across this group many times over the next couple of days, and exchanged lots of smiles and selfies. Kanyakumari is known as a place of pilgrimage and various religions are represented by temples and stunning architecture. It used to be an important centre for art, culture, trade and commerce, but now is more noted for its sunrises and sunsets, which didn’t disappoint us. As the huge glowing orb descended, it changed from yellow to orange to pink to tangerine and dipped slowly into the silvering sea. One of my most magical moments. Returning to Varkala, we took a day cruise on the 'backwaters', on a beautiful traditional thatched houseboat, motoring along enjoying the peace while the onboard chef made us delicious freshly cooked local fish and vegetarian dishes, and cups of fragrant masala chai. These backwaters are an amazing network of more than 900 km of interconnecting rivers, lakes and canals. Lush

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vegetation overhangs the waterways, marred by a lot of plastic and other rubbish floating on the surface and lining the shores. A trip to the old colonial town of Fort Kochi followed, where the Portuguese, Dutch and British all added their architectural and cultural influences over the centuries. Rubbish seems to be a major problem here. There are actual mountains of it, and discarded fridges litter the embankments and push up against the historic Chinese fishing nets along the river. As the state’s tourism agenda actively promotes 'ecologically sustained tourism', this was a very disappointing sight. However, the local government is addressing plastic pollution; it has banned plastic bags, and set up a shredding and bailing unit to prepare reclaimed plastic to use for road surfacing. In two months, 12,000 kg of plastic was collected. On another overnight trip, we visited the lush tea and spice growing area in the hills of Munnar. We had hired a driver for the day, and as usual in India, took the rough with the smooth. The bumpy roads with hairpin bends were made more challenging by vehicles overtaking on blind corners right in front of us, including the colourful buses that barely seemed to fit on the narrow roads. Each bend is numbered, and so, I thought, were our lives. The higher we went, the fresher and cooler it got, a relief from the heat of the coast. We also visited the Periyar National Park, a tiger reserve, at night, but saw no tigers. Apparently we 'just missed' a cheetah. It was scary travelling in tight formation, unable to see far, and not knowing what was waiting to pounce, though the ranger guides’ stunguns reassured us. The leeches had a feast, and at the end of the trip we had to extract these disgusting creatures from our clothing and footwear. The local language in Kerala is Malayalam. With the population being a mere 31.8 million, against the 1.324 billion of India as a whole, Kerala is nevertheless said to be the largest democracy in the world. The main religion is Hindu (47%), with Christian (35%) and Muslim (17%) making up the rest. Kerala's culture is rich, formed from many centuries of diverse influences, and its vibrant dance, music, theatrical and martial arts traditions are well preserved and widely practiced. The many temples, churches and mosques reflect this historic diversity, among them eight of the world's oldest churches. One of them is said to have been founded by Thomas the Apostle; the first mosque in India, and the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of

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Nations, also bring devotees from around the globe. Varkala beach has its own famous temple, the 2000-year-old Janardana Swami temple. It is believed that a Pandyan king was instructed by Lord Brahma to build a temple at this site to redeem his sins. The temple, a very important shrine, attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. We would see people there performing various rituals, washing away their sins, and sometimes scattering the ashes of their cremated relatives into the sea. They would walk in single file, the men clothed in white loincloths, the women in colourful saris. One of the men would lead, carrying on his head the ashes wrapped in banana leaves, decorated with brightly coloured flowers, rice and a candle. Hindus believe the many crows are souls on their way to the next life, and that the rice provides them with one last meal before they go. It's beautiful to watch, and very soothing to the soul. And no plastic. It's a strange feeling though to be walking amongst the recently departed on the sea shore, their ashes and the detritus of the ceremony washing around your feet. Varkala Cliff is an ideal spot to shop for local handicrafts. There are some great cafes and restaurants, and also some very average ones. This 2-km stretch of narrow walkway was relatively quiet until recent years, and is now a construction site of bamboo scaffolding, attempting to cater to the growing number of tourists. The cliff itself rises about 200 metres above the beach, and offers great 180-degree views along the coastline from the top. At night from the top, you can see the lights of the fishing trawlers, strung like fairy lights across the horizon. The cliff is not without its hazards. We missed a landslide, set off by the previous days' torrential downpour, by just a couple of hours. A young couple were not so lucky, and had to be taken to the local hospital with injuries. The steps we'd been climbing every day were no longer there. Erosion is at work along this coast, with many slips along the beach. There are accomodation and dining options to suit all budgets in both Varkala and ‘the Cliff ’. There are also many massage parlours, beauty clinics, tourist operators, and the ever persistent hawkers. After my Ayurvedic treatment, eating mainly vegetarian, and practicing yoga most days, I was feeling cleansed and energised. India can be confronting and challenging, but also enriching and fulfilling. This was my second trip there in as many years, and I will be back.

T O R Q U E TA L K

Life in the fast lane W R I TT E N BY G R I F F B R I ST E D

Sam McCafferty was forever in trouble for drawing on his text books. Now he’s taken 'mucking around' to a new level and turned it into a dream job.

on’t muck around, Sam McCafferty!’ was the refrain from Sam’s teachers as he doodled on his school work. Sam’s obsession with vehicles revealed itself in his drawings from an early age. His mother, Nicola McCafferty, has kept many of the school textbooks Sam defaced as a child. Her/ their favourite is a drawing from 101 Dalmations which he faithfully reproduced in maths class: Cruella De Vil’s car. He’s now living in Italy as part of the six-strong team of motorcycle designers who dream up concepts for Ducati, arguably the world’s premier motorcycle company. By Kiwi standards Sam’s upbringing was reasonably standard. He grew up riding a pushbike around Eastbourne, jumping off the Day’s Bay wharf and playing with the family dog Enzo (named after the Ferrari founder). He attended Hutt Valley High School, and played rugby for several years before he grew ‘too skinny’, and surfing and skiing took centre stage. He often watched motorsport on TV with his dad and grandad (a hereditary interest?), and by age six could identify the badge emblems of most major vehicle makers. At just 17 Sam went to Massey, Auckland and later Wellington, to study industrial design. His career in transport design was kick-started when as a second-year student his passion for motors, and obvious talent, got him into a fourth-year design paper sponsored by Honda. This led to an internship with Honda at their European

R&D facility in Rome. Because progression opportunities are few, the transport design industry can be very hard to break into in New Zealand. So Sam has kept in contact with Massey and his lecturers, offering help to any students interested in following in his tracks. Sam says that social media plays a huge part in his daily life – his Instagram posts helped him secure a three-year contract with Ducati. He uses it to keep up with many designers worldwide. Posting snippets of his life, he’s amassed more than 16,000 followers. He can be found with the IG handle @Smccdes. No matter how assured he was on social media, nothing prepared the young man for his first moments at Ducati, which were ‘intimidating for sure.’ Some of his favourite machines to ever hit the road and track were designed by people who still work there. Of the 30 or so people working in the Ducati Design Centre, most are Italian. Sam is one of six motorcycle designers coming up with concepts, something he says he’d always wanted to do even before he realised it. The other five are Italian, French and Indian. Workplace meetings are held in Italian, leading to some embarrassing mixups, although after a year and several months his comprehension is improving. McCafferty says the language of design at Ducati is very specific, and themes such as ‘sporty, elegance and beauty’ are dominant. ‘Which is

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something to be expected from an iconic Italian manufacturer, but it doesn’t always make life easy.’ When developing a new motorcycle design the team works in a ‘very traditional way with a modern setting’, utilising sketches as well as computer and clay modelling. He’s not allowed to say much more about the processes, let alone what he’s currently working on. Ducati’s marketing team had to give the all clear before he was allowed to speak to Capital at all. The Ducati factory is located in Bologna which is about 200km north of Florence. McCafferty mentions that life there is easier for him because it is one of the calmer Italian cities. Because work has been all consuming, making friends outside of it hasn’t been the easiest. Sam says that it is easier to chat to girls in a bar than to walk up to a group of guys and say ‘Hey, wanna be friends?’ However after nearly 18 months in Bologna he believes he has a good balance of workmates and friends from outside work. Many New Zealanders move to Europe because they are interested in travelling. For Sam it’s a bit different: he travelled to Europe because he was interested in work. He’s done a fair bit of travel there, but it’s been largely for work. Recently he was in Geneva for the Swiss Auto Show, where he checks out competitors’ latest designs and innovations. Ducati are great at letting staff try out their products, says Sam. When he arrived in Bologna he was given a Ducati Panigale 959 sports bike straight off the factory floor, with 2km on the clock. He was allowed to keep it for the entire summer and did a lot of riding in Italy, around Turin and up into the Swiss Alps, on roads that motorcyclists dream of riding; he was often

alongside other drivers testing Ferraris or Ducatis. This summer he hopes he might be able to test out his dream bike, the Panigale V4 (which retails for about $80,000 NZD). In August, when the Ducati factory shuts down for the entire month for the Italian summer holiday, Sam’s coming back to a New Zealand winter to see his family. Sam wonders (from Italy) if people realise how easy life is here. 'We all take so much for granted,' he says, 'while in Italy, even going to the bank is an exercise in patience.' Back here he hopes to get some surfing and skiing in with family and friends – two of the things he misses most, things you can’t just wake up and do on impulse in Italy. As a designer he says what drives him is wanting to see his creations come to life, be used and loved by real people. He has no plans yet for the future after his three-year contract with Ducati is up, but meanwhile he’d love to be the one behind a really iconic motorcycle to come out of the Ducati factory. The transition to electric-powered vehicles is something everyone is aware of at the factory and in the industry. Sam says it comes hand in hand with the possibility of driverless cars, something which, as a motorcycle designer, doesn’t worry him too much. He believes that motorcycles will have a place for many years to come, because of their practical nature and the pure joy and freedom of riding. He gives the examples of getting a package delivered crosstown in Shanghai, and of waking up on a Sunday and wheeling your bike out for a ride up into the mountains. You feel the passion through the phone as he describes the motorcycle as a beacon of motorsport and ‘fun’.

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Fresh HoppeD Heaven T

he March hop harvest in Motueka is an eagerly awaited and slightly nervous time for most craft brewers – the environmental conditions playing havoc, the challenge of getting hops back to the brewery before mortal deterioration, the clamour for different varieties, the choice of which style to make your brew sing. And then there’s the anticipation post brewing to see what these erratic little cones will impart in a tasting profile (with fresh hops, the result is more unpredictable than the usual dry pelleted hops). Yet, aside from the relative unknowns, Kapiti Coast brewers Tuatara claim that the inherently organic nature of this fresh hop brewing is also the beauty of it. “You can have the best of intentions for a recipe but environmental conditions can play havoc with the intensity of hop characters and final brew profile,” says Master Brewer Carl Vasta. “Most of the time fresh hop brews are intensely flavoursome, but it’s definitely a case of crossing the fingers and hoping for the best!” Tuatara has been brewing fresh hop beers since their relative inception in 2011. What started as a brew to celebrate the harvest with friends and whanau, has now reached epic proportions with a dedicated 500ml bottle and keg launch each year, and Tuatara has employed some

tasting notes

extreme measures to ensure the freshest of hops make it back for brewing. Everything from hiring a plane to a Cook Strait crossing by the iconic Tuatara landy for a haul at first light and ferry ride back to NZ’s craft capital. This year it was cyclone besieged lands that welcomed the crew to Motueka. “Thankfully a bumper crop had been predicted so the weather bomb bought it back to normal proportions and there were still enough hops to go around.” The arrival back at the brewery has reached ritualistic proportions for the crew who hang around to see, smell and in some cases bathe with these sources of sensory overload. “It’s impossible to describe the impact of such a small, seemingly innocuous cone,” says Tuatara Hospo Honcho, Corey Taylor. “The smell is intense – piney, resinous, citrussy – they’re vibrant green and feel quite delicate. Times that by a few sacks-full and the result is pretty amazing.” To celebrate the 2018 yield, Tuatara has reverted to an old favourite in Conehead Fresh Hopped IPA with 100% Riwaka hops to create a brew that’s heaving with telltale grapefruit flavours. Conehead is on tap at Tuatara’s CBD Third Eye tap room (Kelvin Grove, off Abel Smith Street), the brewery tasting room just off SH1 at Paraparaumu and in 500ml bottle at most crafty supermarket and liquor stores.

Look : Pale golden Aroma : Zesty citrus Taste : Grapefruit citrus notes, balanced bitterness Hops : Riwaka Try it with : Pad Thai or Som Tam Green Papaya Salad

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GOOD SPORT

ICE ICE BA B Y What better place to watch two of the world’s best ice hockey teams than on the Southern Hemisphere’s very first outdoor ice hockey rink? Watch the greatest rivalry in sports history as USA takes on Canada in The Ice Hockey Classic at Westpac Stadium on 23 June. The event will also raise awareness and funds for the Stopconcussions Foundation. To win tickets, keep an eye our on the Capital magazine social media channels, where we'll be giving away a double pass.

POUND THE PAVEMENT

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STACKS OF FUN

The 32nd annual Wellington Marathon will be held on 1 July. Beginning and ending at Westpac Stadium the Wellington course is known as a fast, flat, scenic marathon. A variety of options are available for entrants: Kids Magic Mile, 10K, half marathon and full marathon. For the average person a marathon (42 kilometres) equates to about 53,000 steps. Last year the fastest full marathon time was 02:22:43.

Grenada North’s cross-country course is widely regarded as challenging, and even feared. It is considered the ‘truest’ crosscountry course nationwide. This is where New Zealand’s best will be competing at the national championships on Sunday 5 August. Last year Wellington's Ruby Muir won the women's title, and the Wellington men won the men's team title. Grenada North is also considered a great spectators’ course because you can see the entire circuit from certain vantage points.

Don’t have anything planned for Queens Birthday weekend? Head down to Northland Memorial Community Centre on Sunday June 3 and watch the New Zealand Sport Stacking Open Championships. The cup stacking competition is the second sanctioned tournament for 2018 and doubles as a trial for the NZ Black Stacks. Events run from 8:30am– 5:30pm and admission is free which means a fun day out for the entire family.

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Individual music lessons with professional musicians Bass, Cello, Drums, Guitar, Piano, Brass, Woodwind, Violin, Voice Find out more at ratastudios.co.nz mark@ratastudios.co.nz

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Designed Wellbeing

e all recall that memory of being five and running around the school yard, climbing, hanging and playing on the jungle gym. Moving like this didn’t feel difficult, it was fun, and it almost never ended in injury. This is something that Wellington-based physiotherapist Stephen Heron, along with trainer Matt Jepson, desperately want us to understand.“ We were designed to move, and we were designed to move well,” they tell us. Tired of being a physiotherapist who just deals with injured people, Stephen created Movement Designed, a business focused on educating people about how to take care of their bodies and prevent injuries. “After a decade of working in the industry, I’ve met too many people who believe their pain is inevitable due to old age, or that they’re stuck with a certain injury for life. And to be honest – that’s just wrong,” he says. Stephen and Matt believe the solution is more simple than we think. Much like brushing our teeth, they advocate for a simple routine of daily movements, to help keep the cobwebs away. Matt explains: “we need a basic understanding of how we are meant to function, then we need to move our joints regularly; healthy joints make everything work easier. This is where a new training system known as Functional Range Conditioning, or FRC, comes in.”

The duo is determined to change people’s perceptions about exercise. They’re now some of the few people in the country certified in FRC, which teaches the body to move more efficiently by improving joint function. The method has proven so successful, it’s used by professional athletes in the world’s top sports leagues, including the NBA and NFL. “Mobility is crucial,” Stephen says. “It helps you bend over without back pain, sit cross-legged with the kids, but more importantly, it gives your body the resilience to deal with future injuries.” Stephen and Matt coach everyone from professional athletes through to top corporate leaders. They say there are no barriers to change – only your own willingness to work for it. Oliver Davie has experienced years of aches and pains. “It’s incredible how much I’ve learned since going to Movement Designed. If people had a better understanding of how to move, less of us would be injured and in pain,” he says. Nestled at the bottom of Mount Victoria, the Movement Designed studio is different to many traditional gyms. It’s a bright, welcoming space with minimal equipment. Stephen And Matt run group classes and are both available for one-on-one appointments throughout the day and can be contacted via their website. www.movementdesigned.co.nz

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GOOD SPORT

L A D I E S G E T YO U R S H I F T TO GETHER Lots of young women are heading to Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua on 28 June for the EmpowHER conference. This is the second organised by a Wellington charitable trust called Shift. Inspirational speakers, workshops, and a Shut Up and Dance session will feature at the one-day event, which aims to inspire women aged 12–20 with a focus on well-being and entrepreneurship. The ‘Just Shift It’ initiative was a finalist in the Community Impact category of the New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards. The winners were announced just after we went to print.

WINTER DIP

A WORTHWHILE FISH

FO OTBALL FANATIC

It’s always amazing how perfectly normal people seem happy to tear off their clothes on the shortest day of the year to jump into really cold water. But they do, every year, for the mid-winter swim. This year’s event kicks off on 21 June at 9am by the Freyberg pool on Oriental Parade.

Winter weather getting you down? The thought of winning a $10,000 prize might brighten your day. If you’re a fisherman at any level the Marine Boat and Shore Fishing Competition is one to add to the diary. The competition runs 15–17 June at Pete Lamb Fishing in Rongotai. There are kayak, kids, shore, and boat categories. Competitions start bright and early at 5am on 15 June and wrap up a couple of days later at 3pm.

The new equal working rights agreement for the Football Ferns and All Whites is a watershed for gender equality in highperformance sport. It means pay parity, equal prize money, and equal travel conditions for top New Zealand footballers. Football Fern players based overseas will be enjoying these new travel conditions as they fly into the capital this month. The Football Ferns take on Japan at Westpac Stadium on 10 June.

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Jaguar’s cub W R I T T 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

Jaguar. The name that conjures up so much performance DNA.

t was a big deal for me as a kid to ride in my Uncle Bill’s MK ll 3.8 Jag. It was his pride and joy. I loved that leaping jaguar on the bonnet. But under current health and safety rules that mascot is seen to be positioned exactly at kidney height, so, in the name of pedestrian safety, has been replaced with a flat badge. Those Jaguars were among the first ordinary cars that would easily do 100mph (160kmh) – pretty fast in the 1960s – and many saw success on the saloon car racing circuits. Cleverly, and without betraying its sports car heritage, Jaguar has transferred its DNA seamlessly into its first sporty SUV, the F-Pace. That model is now selling better than the rest of the range combined. Well, what do you know, Jaguar’s F-Pace now has a baby brother, the E-Pace. And in Europe there’s already the I-Pace, an electric version. I’m reviewing the E-Pace, which shares its underpinnings with Landrover’s Discovery Sport and Evoque, but has adapted front and rear suspensions to suit Jaguar’s needs. The base price of the petrol vehicle here is $69,990 ($30K below that of the F-Pace). All its internal combustion models employ Jaguar’s ‘Ingenium’ twin-scroll turbo, 2.0-litre four-cylinder, all-aluminium diesel or petrol engines, sitting transversely. They have stiff cylinder blocks and twin balancer shafts, teamed with ZF 9-speed multi-mode auto. All have on-demand four-wheel drive. There are essentially three models: the entry level S, the R-Dynamic S, and the R-Dynamic SE. The RDynamic versions add styling elements to the exterior and interior of the entry-level car; and there are myriad options, including 12 different wheel designs, available for each model, so your choice can suit your personality. I was interested to drive this Jaguar First Edition R-Dynamic SE version; it was kitted out with all the works, and I wondered if it would impress me as much as Uncle Bill’s did all those years ago. This model is in limited supply and costs $99,900. It sports black exterior detailing, fixed panoramic roof, superb 20-inch wheels, powered tailgate, smart key, and adaptive cruise control.

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There’s also fancy adjustable inside lighting, and roof rails. Only two body colours are available for the RDynamic SE: red for those who want to be noticed, or for the shy, white. The interior is finished in ebony leather, with suede headlining. It’s comfortable, alluring and rather beautifully stitched. The controls are intuitive and the ‘Touch Pro’ infotainment system, with its 10-inch tablet-style touchscreen, is easy to navigate. The clear head-up display, auto wipers and lights, combined with wide-angle rearview camera and 360-degree parking sensors, made it easy to concentrate on the actual driving experience. I dialled up my perfect seating configuration (which, by the way, it remembers!), pushed the inviting ‘start’ button and took off. Squeezing through narrow city streets, tootling through the ‘burbs, whizzing over the hills, and devouring motorways, it was a pleasure. It just felt right. I liked the way it responded to my every input without hiccup, jerkiness, protest, or turbo lag. The steering is great. In ‘comfort’ mode the car feels limo like, but push the sport function and you recognise its DNA immediately as it becomes a sports car with room in the back. But Jaguar is about much more than brilliant engineering, technology and performance. The brand has always embraced the subjective pursuit of visual beauty. Ian Callum, Jaguar’s lead designer, is to me the Leonardo da Vinci of car design. He calls the E-Pace the ‘cub’ of the Jaguar family, hence a picture on the windscreen of the tiny shadow of a cub following its fierce parent. To my semi-trained eye (I have previously confessed to being a frustrated car designer), its chunky front end, with its nicely proportioned LED headlights and openings, its sculpted flanks, tapered windows, and its F-type-influenced rear end, are gorgeous. And, I have to say, much more beautiful to me than Maserati or Lamborghini’s stratospherically priced rocketship SUVs. The E-Pace is one of the most complete vehicles I have ever experienced.

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? MINE OWN CHILDREN

MY KITCHEN RULES

FLIRT Y FEELINGS

I would like to have children and we have been trying. But I have realised that I don’t want them at any price. I don’t want to try IVF. I don’t like all the drugs you have to take and we can’t really afford to do it privately, which it seems to me where most of our friends end up. And I find, if I can’t have my own, I’m not keen about other people’s children and don’t want to even try to adopt. My partner thinks I am being very selfish. Am I? Is this an odd way for me to feel? Millennial, Karori

My new partner has three children, older than mine, who all resent me. I don’t want to tell him how to bring them up, but when he brings them to my place do I say, my place, my rules? Or do I just let them behave badly (eg refuse to come to the table to eat, or get up and walk off halfway through a meal, or use their cell phones throughout the meal) and say to my confused and irritable children, they are guests, and we all just put up with it? Family manners, Kapiti

I have feelings for my best friend’s boyfriend and he’s been flirting with me. I’m honestly not sure if I’m imagining there’s something more, or if I’m making it up in my head. Should I just cut off ties with them both? I don’t want to lose my best friend. Worried, Wainuiomata

You sound very positive about all your negatives. Have a careful look at the language you have used in this letter − it closes many doors and I can see how your partner finds you selfish. But it is your decision and you need to live your life. A child is forever and giving all children a chance is what the world is about but negativity is not a good start! Give it some space and find happy things to do together. It is amazing how often pregnancy occurs when it is far from the plan!

You are already in this relationship so this must be an issue already. Extended families need lots of acceptance and dialogue so try to engage with these new members of your whanau; and you, your partner and your family will need to lead by example. I would be hesitant to talk about rules − at this stage they are guests to your family. Try to make dinner fascinating, and serve in dishes on an appealing table, not plated up – just a thought, but it might create more of a special occasion feel. You do not say if they are going to be living with you or are older and independent. Don’t be irritated, be excited at a potentially new family. They feel threatened too.

Keep your distance. Do lunches and long walks and keep your friendship first! Flirting and feelings are out of bounds – create space and find time for other friends. Time will solve this for you both, one way or another.

WELLNESS WORRIES My Mum has been very sick. Rather than deal with it, I’ve been avoiding talking to her about it. I feel guilty because I don’t have this problem with anyone else. How do I approach the subject with her? Guilty, Eastbourne TALK! Talk! Talk! You both need to open up and be there together. Do it today.

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

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Self-ish BY M E LO DY T H O M A S

’m not sure how you define life-changing television but I can assure you I didn’t expect to find it in the latest season of Queer Eye For A Straight Guy. What I did expect: a bunch of sad hetero dudes in ill-fitting pants who couldn’t manage to get their shit together despite all the advantages in the world. What I found instead: A beautifully executed dismantling of some of the more harmful elements of masculinity and, within myself, a surprising amount of empathy for people who don’t think exactly as I do. Also my husband, whose only love aside from family is fishing and who still wears a 20-year-old Soulfly hoodie with zero shame or irony went shopping for NEW CLOTHES after a couple of episodes − so there’s that. I also finally learned the definition of that overused term ‘selfcare’. I’m sure you’ve heard it too and so probably have a basic understanding of what it means: taking time to do things that replenish and rejuvenate you. It’s the kind of thing every mother on the earth desperately needs but has never found the time − or been given the encouragement − to claim for herself. But until I heard it out of the mouth of the infinitely beautiful and wise Jonathan Van Ness there was an important part I had been missing. Namely, that you make the time for self-care because you believe you’re worthy. As a person who is outwardly confident I have found it hard to come to terms with the fact that I am ultimately insecure. Sure, I understand I am worthy on a logical level − that I’m good at my job and with my kids and to my friends. But the moment any of these ‘truths’ are questioned I tend to fall apart − they’re held up by some impressive scaffolding but they’re not built on a solid foundation, and so they tend not to respond well to shaking. Nowhere is this divide between what I ‘know’ and how I feel more glaring than when it comes to body image. Time and time again I have written about the importance of accepting yourself, how your appearance is not the sum total of your value, how we need to learn to appreciate our bodies for the amazing things they do for us. And yet despite everything I ‘know’, self-acceptance still fails to be a reflex. Watching Queer Eye − I suddenly realised what was standing

in the way. The reason I fail to turn up to yoga as much as I could, or swear off sugar for a couple of months only to dive head first back in, is because no matter what I say to myself and others about how I’m doing it ‘to get fit’ or ‘to be healthy’− underlying it all is the hope that I will also lose weight. I am not doing these things for my body but to spite it. This week I started the process of actively shifting this mindset, understanding that I may have to force it for a while before it becomes spontaneous. I began talking to my body (not out loud obviously) − asking if the thing I was about to put into it would feed it or cause it to slow down. I went to a brilliant yoga class and afterwards in the showers when my brain started to note anything bumpy or sagging or hairy I hugged myself, and I said thank you. There was a wobbly moment a few days later when I was trying on clothes and nothing fit right − but I caught myself just as the body shaming bullshit began to play and instead I told my body it was absolutely fine and that I loved and appreciated it. It’s early days obviously, but it seems to be working − my mind is already starting to recognise the negative internal voice more quickly and switch more easily to one of gratitude. I wonder how many of us are trapped in what is effectively a toxic and abusive relationship with ourselves. Imagine having a friend who constantly told you you weren’t good enough, not pretty or skinny or clever or ambitious enough. Who laughed when you tried on clothes or went to the beach. How long would you keep that friend around? But because it’s we who are saying those things we excuse them. Worse than that – we accept them as truth. We need to start telling ourselves different truths. As Marianne Williamson so wonderfully put it: ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.’ Maybe it’s time to quit playing small. To let out our light. Yes, for our kids, our partners and our friends − because they will all benefit − but most of all, for us. Because we are worthy and important, and everything we are is enough.

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