Capital 58 by Capital

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

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ON THE ROAD

SPACEMAN

SUMMER 2019

SUBMERGED

ISSUE 58

KAPA HAKA

BEACH HOUSE

The Summer issue

TOSS WOOLLASTON 1930 - 1960 14 February - 2 March 2019

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CAPITAL

Made in Wellington

t’s been a busy year and like all Wellingtonians I’m looking forward to some down-time with the family and friends as summer gets under way. We live in a beautiful city and that’s emphasised over the Wellington summer. The light takes on an almost surreal nature and there’s nothing quite like going for a run or walk into the Town Belt or a kayak on the glistening harbour. I’m hoping to spend some time with Liz and the girls exploring the South Coast, Shelly Bay, Te Ahumairangi, and Mt Kaukau and getting the scooters out on the waterfront. We’ll also spend some time away with Wellington friends as we pack up the trailer and go on our annual camping trip, this year in the South Island. We take it for granted a little, but it is always nice to be reminded just how good we have it when international agencies decide that we live in the most liveable city in the world (for the last two years running). And I want it to get even better. This summer will be one of our biggest ever and there will be some major projects getting under way next year. In 2019 we will also be making special announcements that will help transform Wellington and shape the type of city we want to live in for the next 50 years. Let’s Get Wellington Moving will ensure we have a multi-modal approach to transport and urban design, focused on moving people around in a sustainable, efficient way. Our transport network needs to focus on people and complement rather than detract from our cityscape. We’ll also start construction on our new Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, a strengthened Town Hall and St James Theatre, and on building hundreds more affordable homes. It’s also the final year of my first term as Mayor. I’ve enjoyed the role immensely and think Wellington is in good heart. We already live in a city we can be proud of and I’m looking forward to contributing to make it even better. Thanks to Capital for contributing to what makes Wellington special and I wish all readers a Happy New Year.

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

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Justin Lester Mayor, Wellington City Council

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 Managing editor Alison Franks

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

editor@capitalmag.co.nz

Campaign coordinators Lauren Andersen lauren@capitalmag.co.nz Haleigh Trower haleigh@capitalmag.co.nz Lauren Edwards laurenedwards@capitalmag.co.nz Lyndsey O'Reilly lyndsey@capitalmag.co.nz General factotum John Bristed

john@capitalmag.co.nz

Art director Shalee Fitzsimmons shalee@capitalmag.co.nz Designer Luke Browne

design@capitalmag.co.nz

Writer Francesca Emms

journalism@capitalmag.co.nz

Editorial assistant Leilani Baker

hello@capitalmag.co.nz

Accounts Tod Harfield

accounts@capitalmag.co.nz

FRANCESCA EMMS Writer

OSCAR KEYS Ph oto g r aph er

Francesca is a Wellington-born, Wairarapa-raised writer. The things she writes vary in content and length. Sometimes people say the things she writes aloud and other times they read them silently. She enjoys tap dancing, avoids the sun and gets carsick really easily.

Oscar is a young photographer, videographer, and spatial designer based in Wellington. Recently he's been diving, directing music videos, and making perfume – thankfully not all at the same time. You can find more of his work at www.oscarkeys.com

S A N N E VA N G I N K E L Ph oto g r aph er

SARAH LANG Journ a li st

Originally from the Netherlands, Sanne moved to Wellington to study for her Masters in Design, majoring in Photography at Massey Uni. She also runs her own company, In the Flash Photography.

Sarah Lang, Capital's books and culture writer, lives in Mt Cook with coffee-geek husband Michael and Theo, nearly three. She works from Toi Poneke Arts Centre, but often pops into Capital HQ with baking. She also runs the Wellington Classic Literature Meetup group.

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.

For wine lovers. For food lovers.

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CONTENTS

12 LETTERS 14 CHATTER 16 NEWS BRIEFS 19 BY THE NUMBERS 20 NEW PRODUCTS 22 TALES OF THE CITY

STAR MAN

KARAWHIUA

Space art is a thing, just ask Julian Priest

Ginny Maxwell will be bringing it at Te Matatini

ODE TO THE ROAD Six idyllic road trips, curated by six Wellingtonians of note

CULTURE

PL AY ON WORDS

B E N E AT H

Cassandra Tse and James Cain make a theatrical team

Take a peek below the surface in this underwater photo-essay

CONTENTS

SUMMER BRIEFS

80 83 85

LIQUID BRIEFS BY THE BOOK RE-VERSE

EX-STREAM Adrenaline junkie Sid

68 71 73 75 76

FASHION LIFESTYLE BAGS TO RICHES BUG ME EDIBLES

98 86

R AU M AT I BLUE Beach houses aren't just for summer

IN C O N V E R S AT I O N Anna Dean and Fernรกndo Suen on influence

SHEARERS'S TABLE Tomato tartare with basil panna cotta, Bloody Mary sorbet and parmesan crisp

104 GO OD SPORT

94 SHORT FICTION Fishing in the Dark by Michaela Keeble

106 111 113 114 116

TORQUE TALK Wฤ HINE WELLY ANGEL CALENDAR GROUPIES

LETTERS

MURRAY CHRISTMAS I have been a reader of your magazine since the beginning and thank you for your regular Christmas feature. The Mary’s and the Kings and of course the Murray’s. I don’t remember them all but enjoy it every year and look forward to see what you will come up with each year. It is a nice lighthearted touch. Thank you for my Christmas reading. J Smythe, Kapiti Editor: We also featured Christmas Carols, Chris’s and this year Three Shepherds. FAMILY FUNERALS I agree with the letter writer in your December issue (#57, p 12) who said that the views of the remaining family regarding funerals should be taken into account along with the views of the deceased. I have struggled with well meant but foolish and restrictive commands from family members about their own funeral, i.e. banning certain people from attending and thus perpetuating family conflicts into the next generation. Where does the idea come from that the demands of the deceased are paramount? F Williams, Lower Hutt

LIGHT RAIL COSTS The points made by your columnist Stephen Franks about Airport Light Rail and its high cost compared with other transport solutions were interesting. I have been a light rail supporter for years, in a vague sort of way and now I am unsure. I would be interested to see any other opinions on the subject. And I wonder why these kind of costs are never mentioned in public discussions. Cyclist, Island Bay (name and address supplied) Editor: we hope to publish other opinions on transport solutions over the next year.

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

Rocket Porta Via Enjoy the Rocket experience wherever you are.

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RD E R S E C TCI H OA N THT EE A

INK INC.

AN EAGLE EYE

LIZZIE KELLY

Te Rā o Waitangi will be heating up Waitangi Park this Waitangi Day on 6 February. So if there’s been any sub-par summer weather this is the perfect event to compensate. Just warm up your heart, tummy and soul with food, family, friends and live entertainment. Visitors can look forward to Kapa Haka, hāngi and performances by Maori artists. There are also activities at Whairepo Lagoon. The lagoon is named after the whairepo, or eagle rays, that visit it at this time of year.

Do you regret any of your tattoos? I don't regret any but I would arrange some of them differently. I think that's part of it. No matter what you do, it will always cross your mind that you could have done it better. What led you to getting tattoos? I've always loved tattoos but I never thought I would actually get tattooed, let alone this tattooed. I'm a nurse and I believe we shouldn't take skin so seriously – you never know how long you've got so you should live life to the fullest. Art or rebellion? I would say they're a mix of both, a little bit of rebellion to the norm and to what we expect of people.

SORRY, DRIVERS Still annoyed about that parking ticket? Sick of dodging cars on Cuba Street? Or are you just feeling creative? Sign up for Wellington PARK(ing) Day (Friday 8 March), when individual people or groups turn metered parking spaces on Cuba Street into ‘living parks’ to provoke reflection about how we use public space. Last year, one of two joint winners was the collective Occupation: Artist for ‘Exhausted’ – four women spent six hours each lining up 4000 matchbox cars. Proposals are due 29 January, and anyone can apply. Wacky ideas welcome.

S E C TCIH OANT H ADER TER

WELLY WORDS GOOD HAIR DAY There’s been a lot of bus-related negativity these past few months, so it was nice to hear from a Wellyworder who witnessed an exchange between a driver and passenger on the 83. ‘New hair cut?’ asked the driver. ‘Yeah, how did you know?’ the passenger replied. ‘Because I see you every day. It looks great!’ said the driver. The passenger, clearly chuffed, flicked her luscious locks, said a cheery thank you and swanned off to her seat.

WINE O'CLOCK A well-dressed older couple were observed holding hands as they walked down Taranaki Street early one morning – well, about 10 am. So far, so normal, except for the fact that the man was also carrying − and drinking from − a wine glass. When he caught the Wellyworder staring, the man said 'Never too early' and winked. Perhaps he was celebrating retirement, or practising for summer picnics.

SUMMER SLING A Wellyworder has admitted to a ‘learning moment’ recently. While waiting to pick up her framed art print she became impatient at a lady discussing courier prices for a delivery just two streets down! Then a young woman, second in the queue, piped up, offering to give the woman and her framed print a ride. The faffer, who turned out to be an elderly woman with one arm in a sling, was beyond grateful. Our Wellyworder was left quietly shamefaced at her uncharitable reaction.

IT'S COOL TO KORERO Kaua e wareware ki te pani ārai hihirā! Don’t forget to put on sunscreen!

I T ’ S A BI R D, I T ’ S A PL A N E , NO, I T ’ S NA N O G I R L ! The world’s only female-led science show, which features academically trained female scientists and engineers, is coming to Masterton. Nanogirl will be performing the NanoGirl Live Science show in the entertainment zone at Wings over Wairarapa air festival. Aviation enthusiasts will be flocking to the event where a huge range of military, agricultural and civil aircraft will be on display and in the skies. For the first time the festival will host a night show with a performance from the UK’s Airborne Pyrotechnic gliding team. Wings over Wairarapa: Hood Aerodrome, 22–24 February

OPERA ON THE WATER A special one-off river event will be held on the Whanganui River to celebrate 25 years of the New Zealand Opera School. The school has often engaged with the Putiki Marae singers who have been involved in Royal Whanganui Opera House productions. This year on 18 January they will be arriving from the marae in waka to join opera singers on a floating pontoon. Digital pianos stationed on the Waimarie paddle steamer along with a quartet from Brass Whanganui will provide the accompaniment.

NEWS BRIEFS

WIDEEYED Capital and Coast DHB has purchased a $536,000 state-of-the-art theatre microscope to make eye surgery less invasive, more comfortable, and much safer. ‘It allows us to see much more clearly the depth we’re working at when doing fine procedures such as retinal surgery,’ says ophthalmologist Dr Keith Small. ‘We’re better able to see any scar tissue that’s been left behind and which otherwise may have been missed. Part of the cost of the microscope was covered by a bequest from former longterm ophthalmology patient, the late Lola Churchill.

G O O D HA B I T S

S OM E T H I N G I N T H E WAT E R

O P E R AT IC R E T U R N

Hutt Valley hero and former All Black Cory Jane has been supporting the New Zealand’s Healthiest Schools Challenge. A total of 55,000 children from more than 500 schools took part. Participants were given fun tasks and simple tips on how to build healthy habits into their daily lives, as well as their family routines and classrooms. Twenty-five schools received $1000–$10,000 sports grants at the completion of the challenge from a total prize pool of $50,000. Miramar North School received $5000.

Wellington Water is seeking community feedback on proposals to upgrade the wastewater system that serves Porirua and northern city suburbs. Issues with the ageing network of pipes and pumping stations include overflows during heavy rainfall and dry weather leakages. ‘We want to prioritise improvements to the wastewater network over the treatment plant, to reduce overflows and leaks, and improve the harbour and coastal environment,’ says Stewart McKenzie, of Wellington Water. More information about the Porirua Wastewater Improvement Project can be found online.

Georgia Jamieson Emms remembers taking tap-dancing lessons in the old Martinborough town hall as a child. She returns to her old stamping ground, bringing her comic opera Don Pasquale to the revamped venue on 9 and 10 February. After six years and $5.3 million, the refurbished town hall, now called Te Waihinga Community Centre, reopened last month with a powhiri, waiata, speeches and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Te Waihinga means cascading waters and was the original name of the town.

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E S TA B L I S H E D 2 0 1 0

NEWS BRIEFS

HIGH HOPES FOR HOMES Wellington Mayor Justin Lester says the private rental market in Wellington is broken. ‘It’s not working for students, it’s not working for key workers such as teachers, nurses and firefighters,’ he says. An affordable apartment project, with the aim of keeping people in the CBD despite skyrocketing rents, is converting the former Freemason House on Willis Street into 35 apartments. Last month the council’s City Strategy Committee unanimously agreed that the model would be applied to six further CBD buildings whose owners have approached the council wanting to convert them to apartments.

WHEELS KEEP TURNING

M A ST E R O F H E R C L A S S

ST E P S T O N O F O O T P R I N T

Community feedback on the Beltway Cycleway in Lower Hutt closed late last month. Hutt City Council requested specific feedback on how they plan to deal with the trees in the northern section of the cycleway. The two options under consideration are removing some of the existing trees, or keeping the trees and extending the roadside berm. Senior Project Engineer Simon Cager says he expects to be reporting back to the community by early February.

A script for a television comedy series Not Even, written by Dana Leaming (Ngāpuhi) has been awarded the 2018 David CarsonParker Embassy Prize in Scriptwriting at Victoria University of Wellington. Written as part of her Master of Arts folio, Not Even features a group of young Māori friends in their 20s, all wrestling with the tricky question of identity. The prize of $3000 is awarded annually to an outstanding MA (Scriptwriting) student at the University’s International Institute of Modern Letters.

The grass is getting greener in the Hutt Valley. Councillors have recently voted in favour of a new carbon emissions target, which will apply to the Hutt City Council and council-controlled organisations. The pledge will undertake to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. Mayor Ray Wallace sees the move as the start of ‘an important journey to safeguard future generations’. The council will explore ways to minimise the impact of its operations while encouraging broader action to reduce the city’s carbon footprint.

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SB EYC TT H IO E NN H UM E AB D EE RR S

Summer stunner It’s summer: if we say it enough it will happen. While the world rocks between El Niño and La Niña summers, Wellington prefers El Ni-No and La Ni-Nah (if after two years you’re still coming here for original jokes then you have only yourself to blame). With a probably inclement beach season upon us I’ve compiled a list of summer cultural references each based on a beachy word for you to listen to or watch. And for good measure I’ve thrown in some numbers to justify the name of this column. Bask in linguistic if not solar warmth.

Beaches A 1987 movie produced by and starring Bette Midler. It was panned by the critics but grossed $57 million, gaining a cult following. Midler also sang the theme tune Wind Beneath My Wings and let’s be realistic – when we visit a beach in Wellington this summer we’ll all be feeling it.

Here Comes the Sun Written by George Harrison and released in 1969. In 2015 NME listed it as the fourth-best Beatles tune. Nina Simone is among many to have covered it and your humble columnist considers her version to be the best.

Sonny Bill Williams Go onto YouTube and type in ‘SBW 2011 shirt malfunction’. That’ll keep you warm for a while. Oh, and he played second five eighths – there are three numbers to justify including him here.

Researching SBJ (which was truly arduous) I discovered another Sonny sportsman. Sonny Liston (1935–1970) was world heavyweight champion in 1962. Of the American’s 54 professional fights, 39 were won by knockout. In The Gods of War Herb Goldman ranks him as the second best heavyweight boxer of all time.

Sandy Olsson from Grease

Sandy Edmonds

Another cultural touchstone – this film musical was released in 1978 and has gone on to earn $394 million worldwide. Hopelessly Devoted to You was nominated for an Oscar and the subsequent hoopla steepened the trajectory of Olivia Newton-John who played Sandy.

Who? Yes, exactly. A Liverpool-born dental assistant, Edmonds immigrated to New Zealand and became the face of groovy 1960s youth culture. She was one of the first to get censored on conservative Kiwi telly: the problem? – a revealing zebra-skin bikini. I can’t find a number associated with Sandy but her most famous song was I Love Onions. I think we’ll all agree – that’s reason enough to include her.

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

Force of nature 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 BY SA N N E VA N G I N K E L

PODCAST

HAIR SALON

EDUCATION

ARTIST

BAR

Stuff You Should Know

Snip

PhD in Geophysics

Salvador Dali

Crumpet

Christof Mueller needs science as well as art in his life

hristof Mueller runs tsunami simulations on supercomputers. He’s a Senior Computational Geophysicist and Tsunami Scientist at GNS Science, a Crown Research Institute concerned with geology, geophysics, natural hazards and geohazard monitoring. Part of Christof ’s job is to inform evacuation zoning and tsunami forecasting. ‘It is a very meaningful responsibility,’ he says, ‘I feel that I can contribute directly to the safety of people in New Zealand and internationally.’ Has he ever seen a tsunami in real life? ‘Fortunately not,’ he says. ‘Most of the cases that have reached New Zealand in the past few years have luckily been so small that they only caused strong currents in harbours and offshore. I've seen the damage that the tsunami that was triggered by the Kaikoura earthquake caused in Pigeon Bay (Banks Peninsula). And this was only a very small taste of the forces that can unfold in a tsunami.’ He says there’s no need to panic, but people need to be prepared and act appropriately. ‘If you are at the coast and feel a strong earthquake that makes it hard to stand up, or a weak rolling earthquake that lasts a minute or more, or if you see a sudden rise or fall in sea level, or hear loud and unusual noises from the sea move immediately to the nearest high ground, or as far inland as you can – "Long or strong, get gone" is the official advice.’ Christof and his partner Susi (a marine geophysicist at NIWA) are originally from Germany. They made the big move because ‘New Zealand had made a lasting impression on us from a previous vacation and there was

a job opening at GNS Science.’ They particularly love Abel Tasman National Park for its ‘beautiful beaches, seals, hiking and kayaking and because I don’t need to fly there.’ Christof ’s not a fan of air travel in general but quite likes seeing the southern coastline, Wellington Harbour and the Weta Workshop decoration at the airport when he’s returning home. Christof ’s recipe for a happy life is simple: ‘Friends and family. And doing the things we love as much as we can. For me those things are science and the arts.’ When he’s not working, Christof will most likely be found at Midnight Espresso, Crumpet (he recommends the Saffron G&T), the Michael Fowler Centre or Bunnings. He likes Midnight’s food and the ‘great variety of people and music, right in the heart of Cuba St.’ Music is a big part of Christof ’s life. He’s ‘dabbling’ in composition and would love to study it. His favourite composers include our own Gareth Farr as well as John Williams, Tchaikovsky, and Django Reinhardt. Christof ’s also pretty handy. He likes working in his shed and building furniture. A filmmaker in his spare time, he once built a crane so his 48-Hour Film team could get the perfect shot. ApeOnAWhale, his no-profit, no-budget film production team of friends, has already produced a number of short films. This summer Christof plans to swim as much as he can, get cracking on a list of DIY projects and enjoy chill-time on the deck. With a view of the bay, it’s the perfect spot for a gin and tonic after a productive day.

AU D I S P O R T. KI W I FOR P ER FOR MANCE.

The all new Audi RS 4. ‘Performance’ holds a diﬀ erent meaning in New Zealand. It’s not a special something, held back for rare occasions. It’s not weather dependent. And it doesn’t excuse itself when the road surface won’t play nice. Instead, it’s met with a wry smile and a simple nod. Together with the expectation it will be there next time, every time, you call on it. Experience this Kiwi brand of performance from the driver’s seat of the all new Audi RS 4 – contact us to book a test-drive.

Contact us to book a test-drive Armstrong Prestige Audi 66 Cambridge Terrace, Wellington (04) 887 1306 armstrongprestige.com

F E AT U R E

Ode to the road I L LU ST R AT E D BY O S CA R T H O M A S

Desert Island Discs meets the kiwi roadie in our special summer travel feature. A rugby prop, a model, a florist, a drag king, a mayor and the owner the karaoke cab share their ideal road trip. We asked them where, how, what snacks and, most importantly, what tunes? Read on to find out where they want to go this summer and get some ideas for music to add to your spotify or treats to add to your shopping list. Shotgun front seat!

F E AT U R E

Jeff Latu Toomaga-Allen

Hugo Gr r r l

Porirua boy and prop for the Wellington Lions, Hurricanes, and All Blacks

Drag King, comedian, and producer of comedy and cabaret

Where: Tauranga. I love the beaches, the people and the weather!

Where: Anywhere to watch fancy theatre. Nothing beats the excitement of piling into a car with friends, and pilgriming to something special out of town together.

Driving: A Jeep Wrangler. It’s a beast of a car and blasts the sounds.

Driving: Being a cliché young gay, I can't drive. So we are cruising in whatever my generous mate has offered to chauffeur us in.

Snacks: Snickers pods and snippets from the local supermarket. Washed down with a cool Deep Spring, orange and mango flavour.

Snacks: There is no better road trip food than roadside real fruit ice cream.

Listening to: Backstreet Boys – I Want It That Way I always like serenading my wife to this song.

Listening to: Th' Dudes – Be Mine Tonight Embarrassingly, this is probably actually my favourite song. I had it on an MP3 (I know, I’m so old) and I’d bliss out to it on the bus on the way home from high school.

Anthony Evans – Something Better This is me and my son’s jam, he’s only two but he’s already an entertainer! I spend most of my time cracking up, watching him go hard in the rear-view mirror.

*NSYNC – Bye Bye Bye The ultimate sing-along, or should I say yell-along. Every drag king has at one point done a group number.

Ella Mai – Whatchamacallit ft. Chris Brown This song just gets me bumping, ya know. I like cruising and bumping the shoulders and head.

Fleetwood Mac – Dreams Because anything by Stevie is the perfect music to wistfully float your hand out the car window to. The whole vibe of the song is ‘we’re going somewhere, slowly’ which obviously makes it perfect road trip music.

2pac – California Love ft. Dr Dre This reminds me of my teenage years coming up through college. It used to get me geed up before my games or in the gym. One time I was jamming in my room doing push-ups and Mum came in really unimpressed. I said ‘ooooh Mum man, it’s just a song,’ but she just gave me ‘the eye’, you know the look only your mum can give? I turned that thing off real quick.

Kesha – Woman I used to feel bad about liking pop and then once a friend said ‘Never apologise for your music taste,’ and it really stuck with me. Fittingly, Kesha is also very, very unapologetic. That’s strength I can get behind.

F E AT U R E

Jul iet M oore

K Gur unat han

Florist and DJ for the Americana Show on Radio Active

Kapiti Mayor, father, and resident of Kapiti for 18 years

Where: My ideal trip is going somewhere I've never been before and catching up with dear friends on the way. Think lazy drifting days of rivers and beaches and sunshine and evenings sitting around fires, watching the stars and talking till dawn.

Where: Wellington. It’s compact, diverse and breezy. Driving: A coal-black Toyota Corolla Hybrid. It’s a conscious environmental choice. Snack: My snack of choice is a South Indian delight called Muruku. A savoury made of rice and urad dal flour with a dash of spices, then deep fried to a crunch.

Driving: We’d be driving an old Valiant (there's no global warming or energy crisis in my road trip fantasy).

Listening to: Edith Piaf – La Vie En Rose Many moons ago in my Vic uni days my girlfriend Claire, now my wife and mother to our three kids, had a collection of records, including this one. It's the wonderful sound of summer and love.

Snack: We'd stop for picnics and eat cherries bought roadside and toss the stones from the car to make new cherry trees that we'll come back to visit someday. Listening to: Talking Heads – Road to Nowhere I just saw David Byrne in one of the best concerts ever and even though I have many favourites on the album, this is just a perfect road trip song.

Paul Simon – Under African Skies The whole 1986 Graceland album resonates deeply of our life in Malaysia. I used to boogie with my three-year-old daughter Jessie. She's 35 now and still listens to it.

Jimmy Buffet – Grapefruit Juicy Fruit Because this was on a mix tape that played all of one summer filled with road trips with one of my best friends. Every time I hear it I'm transported back there.

Katchafire – Get Away Having kids aged 21 to 35 I've been forced out of my music comfort zone many times. But this was an easy introduction by my son Ra.

Toots and the Maytals – Country Roads Because home is here and there, and many places in between.

Dave Dobbyn – Welcome Home As an immigrant the lyrics mean a lot to me. They’re inspired by an anti-racism protest Dobbyn witnessed. It's more meaningful now because when I was elected mayor in 2016, Jessie and my youngest Ari performed this song as a surprise at my inauguration ceremony.

The Breeders – Driving on 9 It’s got a summertime lilt and I love this band and I always feel a particular kind of happy when I hear it.

F E AT U R E

Anya n M a koi i

R i ad i Subagya

Karen Walker Eyewear model and recent high school leaver

Wellington Combined Taxi Driver and creator/owner of NZ’s only karaoke cab

Where: I'd travel to the Pinnacles in Wairarapa. Super amazing views, good walks and there’s a beach nearby you can camp at.

Where: Masterton. It’s just such a great and peaceful place. I love that it’s so close to Wellington. Only an hour drive and then you get to see the spacious countryside.

Driving: I don’t drive but if I did I would be driving a van. That way I could squeeze all my friends in – the more the merrier.

Driving: My Toyota Camry. That’s the car with the karaoke machine, and singing karaoke on a roadtrip is just about the most enjoyable thing in the world.

Snack: Definitely dessert Skittles. They’re way better than the normal ones.

Snack: Chocolate-coated peanuts and iced coffee.

Listening to: Trippie Redd – Topanga When I first heard this song I was super-hesitant. After, I listened to it heaps and the more I heard the more I was like hello yeah this is pretty cool.

Listening to: Joe Cocker – You are so beautiful I used to sing this to my wife, and now I sing this to all of my passengers. As soon as I sing this song people relax. I wonder what the magic in this song is.

Yuna – Crush ft. Usher You have to have an ‘in the feels’ song. And this is probably the best ‘in the feels song’ because it’s also happy at the same time.

Frank Sinatra – L.O.V.E Such a pleasant song that reminds everyone that life is beautiful.

Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next Ooo that song is so good! One of my friends got me into the song and now it’s definitely our anthem. I don’t really listen to her music, but that song goes off no matter the crowd.

Jim Reeves – He’ll have to go The song is about a man who's talking on the phone to the woman he loves when he realises that another man is with her. Imagine that! I wouldn’t say I’ve had a similar experience but just imagine how that feels. Such a sad song.

Skepta – Energy ft. Wizkid I found this song while looking for new music on YouTube. Skepta just has so much good energy and the beat is so good. Plus the music video is what I love the most! I reckon it makes the song ten times cooler.

Engelbert Humperdinck – Spanish eyes My friend thinks I’ve got an excellent voice to sing this. That’s a legitimate reason to love this song!

R OYA L N E W Z E A L A N D B A L L E T

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CULTURE

A STITCH IN TIME When the British troopship Marquette was torpedoed in 1915, Otaki nurse Edith Popplewel bobbed in the sea for nine hours until a submarine rescued her. A tapestry depicting Edith nursing later on at England’s Mount Felix Hospital has been embroidered by Alexandra Smith from the London-based NZ Women’s Association for The Mount Felix Tapestry project. English and Kiwi stitching teams have created 44 tapestries to honour the 27,000 New Zealand soldiers treated at the hospital – and its staff. The tapestries show at Expressions Whirinaki (22 December – 3 March) during a national tour.

STEPPING UP

NEW WORLD

SUPER STOKED

Talk about talented: Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer Shaun James Kelly is also one of the company’s three choreographers in residence this year. In 2017, he choreographed a work for the RNZB’s Tutus on Tour performances, and another RNZB work for Andrea Moore’s catwalk show at NZ Fashion Week. Shaun is one of four choreographers (with bigger names Moss Patterson, James O'Hara and Sarah Foster-Sproull) commissioned to create world premieres for the RNZB’s New Choreographic Series (1–2 March).

Leading Chinese artist Cao Fei is known for RMB City, the virtual metropolis she built within online world Second Life – and for her fantastical short films. New City Gallery exhibition Cao Fei: #18 (until 10 March) shows two of her video works. In Unmanned, a monk travels to the future to bless a driverless car. With La Town, Cao creates a miniature world through tiny architectural sets and figurines. ‘Both demonstrate her interest in building worlds,’ says curator Aaron Lister.

Wellington’s amateur choir Supertonic – made up mainly of 20- and 30-somethings – performs with popular Melbourne duo Mama Kin Spender at Kapiti Coast music festival Coastella (23 February). Mama Kin Spender singers Danielle Caruana (drums) and Tommy Spender (guitar) collaborate with community choirs in every town they visit. ‘We love how they shape a relationship with place,’ says Supertonic’s Briony Pentecost.

CULTURE

WA L K THE LINE Follow a three-kilometre pink line between the railway station and Oriental Bay to navigate the ninth annual Performance Arcade (22–24 February; 28 February–3 March). Shipping containers dotted along the line house interactive art installations, and music and other performances by Kiwi and international artists. ‘We’re spreading out not up this year, by choosing one-storey rather than two-storey containers,’ says artistic director Sam Trubridge. ‘The pink line isn’t just about navigation. It’s also a Hansel and Gretel-type game – and it directs, even disciplines people like airport queues or traffic lights do.’

HER-STORY

SEE YOU ON COURTENAY

BEYOND THE PALE

The NZ Film Commission’s one-off 125 Fund is investing $1.25 million in each of three films made by women and telling women’s stories – to mark 125 years of suffrage, of course. Raumati writer-director Linda Niccol (sister of Hollywood director Andrew Niccol) is ‘beyond thrilled’ that she and producer Susan Parker can now make the Kapiti Coast-set feature Poppy, about a girl with Down syndrome determined to learn to drive and do a burnout. Equity investments mean the commission shares in any profits.

Lower Hutt artist Chevron Hassett, 24, (Cap #42) has created an ‘urban marae’ via his installation A Place TŪ Be in Courtenay Place’s exhibition space of steel and glass lightboxes (until 24 March). The award-winning visual and graphic artist is exhibiting 16 photographic portraits of young urban Māori standing in cityscapes. ‘I imagine them as digital pouwhenua [land-marking posts] in an ātea [public courtyard] or marae. Here you can meet, in a way, the people in the photographs.’

A kaumātua (elder) wearing a cloak is one of 10 life-size figures made from wood and tapa cloth that make up Sally Burton’s sculptural installation Pale History (one of three new summer exhibitions at Pātaka). Pale History depicts the ‘Wairau incident’ of June 1843, when Ngāti Toa and Nelson settlers clashed over land rights. Twenty-two Pākehā and four Māori died.

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Come back

Being invisible

By Sarah Lang

For four years, telecommunications executive Andrew Tierney has run Facebook page Bring Back The Wellington Street Race, which has 84,000 likes. Known as the ‘Wellington 500’, the waterfront street race for internationally-touring motorsport teams ran from 1985 to 1996, once drawing 50,000 spectators and 162 million television viewers. It ended partly because of waterfront developments like Te Papa and the TSB Bank Arena. ‘I was once a flagmaster at the race,’ says Andrew, who now races in the NZ Formula First Championship (‘a step up from GoKarts’). He hopes the Wellington 500 returns one day. ‘I planned to try to help bring it back, then realised I don’t have the time and contacts.’ Now the Facebook group is more about memorabilia. Hundreds of drivers who took part in the race have posted photos − including USA driver Bruce Andersen, who drove a Mustang. ‘And I’ve posted hundreds of videos and images that I found or others sent me.’ Andrew has contributed photos and knowledge to the Wellington 500 exhibition at Wellington Museum (until 13 January, though it may be extended). Race remote-controlled cars around a mini-track, and see the wheels of a racecar and aerial photos of the waterfront circuit then and now.

‘The less people notice my work, the better,’ says Callum Strong (pictured), Te Papa’s mountmaker of seven years, whose materials include steel, fabric, foam, plastic, acrylic and timber. In August, Callum spent two blazingly-hot weeks in China to work out how to mount around 200 items that are now on display at Te Papa’s Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality exhibition (until 22 April). In 1974, a well-digging farmer discovered the underground tomb of China’s first emperor Qin Shihang, guarded by 8000 terracotta soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses (plus various non-military figures). Only 10 of the Terracotta Army’s category-one historical items are loaned at one time. Te Papa has brought over eight warriors (each weighs between 100 and 300 kilograms) and two horses, plus many lesser-category items – two replica bronze chariots and 160 ancient artworks. Callum, who visited five of the 20 institutions loaning the items, examined 60 objects closely and discussed how to mount everything coming to Wellington. He has used stainless steel mounts, and felt that has been rigorously tested to museum standards where the mount and the object touch. His biggest challenge? Mounting a 50-kilogram bronze goose whose legs snapped off years before – ‘so its legs seem to float below its body. Mountmakers are magicians and multiinstrumentalists.’

FIND RARE NATIVE ANIMALS LIVING FREELY IN THE WILD

CULTURE DIRECTORY

HOT COUNTRY IN THE CAPITAL

SEE WHAT I CAN SEE @ ARATOI

Some of the world’s hottest country performers hit Wellington for the first time performing 44 of the greatest country music songs ever recorded. Hear a range of hits from Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash thru to to The Dixie Chicks. Don’t miss it!

A major touring exhibition of New Zealand photography, curated by Gregory O’Brien and Greg Donson. Developed and toured by Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui.

8 April, 7.30pm The Opera House, 113/111 Manners St, Wellington. stetsongroup.com

Curators’ Talk: Saturday 2 March, 11am.

Daily until 31 March 12 Bruce Street, Masterton. aratoi.org.nz

NATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL Created just for children and young people, the National Arts Festival is a celebration of performance that will see national and international artists take over Wellington! Be transported to wonderful new worlds with acrobatics, 3D shadow puppets, music, street performance, comedy, and dance.

9 –17 March 4 Queens Wharf, Wellington. capitale.org.nz

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Part-ghost story, part-thriller, part dark comedy, Hamlet moves at breakneck pace towards a tragic conclusion. Hamlet is the perfect opportunity to experience the Bard’s best known play in the beautiful Dell, Botanic Gardens. Directed by acclaimed director and Victoria University of Wellington Associate Professor David O’Donnell. Dress warmly and bring a picnic!

New Zealand Arts Icon photographer Ans Westra is responsible for the most comprehensive documentation of New Zealand culture over the last 60 years. The {Suite} Westra Museum is a dedicated exhibition space for Ans' photographs. Prints are available for sale.

Wanderlust Opera goes on the road in summer 2019 with their third touring opera production, Don Pasquale. Performed in English with a witty new libretto by Georgia Jamieson Emms, and directed by Jacqueline Coats, the tour will hit eight lower North Island locations including Martinborough, Wellington and Upper Hutt.

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F E AT U R E

Play on words W R I TT E N BY SA R A H CAT H E R A L L P H OTO G R A P H BY A N N A B R I G G S

ellington thespians James Cain and Cassandra Tse met on a playwriting workshop, and they share a love of writing for theatre. ‘We’re always reminded of our anniversary because our first date was at the French Film festival,’ laughs James. Now James and Cassandra, both 25, live together in Mount Cook, where they try not to talk about work too much. When they’re not planning a new production, one of them is typically writing a new work. Over four years, they have worked together on several plays. They co-wrote a musical, M’Lady, a feminist satire on pickup artists. Cassandra directed James in David Henry Whang’s musical, Yellow Face. She has also written four original musicals and two plays. Jointly running a theatre company, Red Scare (nominated for Most Promising Newcomer at the Wellington Theatre Awards in 2017), they approach writing plays very differently. Cassandra works slowly and carefully, while James drafts prolifically then throws half of it out. They are the first to read each other’s plays and say they are one another’s best critics. They jointly took James’ play, Movers, about furniture removal workers, on tour to Auckland recently. The script was shortlisted for the Adam NZ Play Award last year. Besides being each other’s first readers and often working on the same productions, they inhabit the same theatre world. They both have to bolster their theatre earnings with part-time jobs: Cassandra works part-time at Bats Theatre, while James works as a drama teacher and publicist and does advertising voice-overs. They both love the intimacy and liveliness of theatre. Cassandra prefers it to film or television. ‘Live performance offers a chance for humans to connect with each other in real time and share the same space, which is becoming increasingly necessary for our wellbeing as the world moves further and further away from live contact into the digital space.’ ‘Red Scare’ was used to describe the climate of

anti-communism during the Cold War. While both Cassandra and James had middle class upbringings, they describe themselves as ‘Green voting socialists’. The plays they write or stage typically have a political tone. And their productions are run on communist principles: everyone is paid the same, so the director and the lighting designer get the same base rate. Says James: ‘We believe that everyone’s work is equally worthy.’ Cassandra grew up in Wellington, studying at Queen Margaret College. Aged four, she watched the Sound of Music musical, and cried when Julie Andrews didn’t appear on stage. In Year 13, she made her stage debut with Wellington Musical Theatre, in Miss Saigon. While studying a BA (hons) in theatre at Victoria University, she focused on playwriting and directing. Now artistic director of Red Scare, her forte is musical theatre, and all her plays feature music. ‘Musical theatre is the most cathartic to watch. You feel these extremes,’ says Cassandra. ‘You get complex shades of emotion expressed through a musical.’ James grew up in Hamilton, and began acting at school. He moved into playwriting at university, and Movers, which highlights age, class and race tensions, was his first production. He says: ‘With Movers, I wanted to show there is potential for connection if we allow it. Not in a neat, tidy way though.’ Last year, Cassandra spoke out about the lack of Asian actors in a Wellington production of Madame Butterfly. Of Asian descent, she doesn’t want to be pigeonholed as an Asian actor or playwright, however. ‘That’s just limiting. You can end up having your work framed through a lens that is not necessary.’ With three plays confirmed for 2019 and a trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for inspiration, Cassandra says: ‘We don’t want to be making plays that feel like the same.’ Adds James: ‘We want to surprise ourselves too. We like to champion great, modern writing.’

SECTION HEADER

F E AT U R E

Star man W R I T T E N BY SA R A H L A N G P H OTO G R A P H BY J O R A M A DA M S

How and why has ‘sci-fi’ artist Julian Priest sent a satellite into space?

t 10.01 pm on Saturday 17 November 2018, Julian Priest and 20 friends and family members fixed their eyes on a live video stream projected onto the wall at Wellington’s Thomas King Observatory. They were watching the Cygnus NG-10 cargo spacecraft blast off from Virginia, USA, on a NASA mission to take supplies to the International Space Station. The spacecraft was launched successfully. ‘We let my confetti cannon off,’ Julian says, smiling. Why spray confetti? Because the spacecraft had some hitchhikers, including Julian’s mini-satellite The Weight of Information, known as TWOi (pronounced Tui). It’s the size of a large postage stamp. Julian, a softly-spoken, mild-mannered man, is the first-ever ‘Thomas King Observatory Resident’. A small, white rectangle with a mini-dome at one end, the observatory was built in Wellington Botanic Garden in 1912 as the city’s first public observatory (after the death of Thomas King, New Zealand’s ‘Astronomical Observer’ from 1887 to 1911). However, it fell into disuse after 1941, when the Carter Observatory was built mere metres away, and in recent years served as a storeroom for Museums Wellington’s ‘Space Place’ centre. Julian, who did some satellite observations in the mini-observatory in 2017, later helped clear out the junk and do some renovations. Museums Wellington then let Julian use the observatory from July 2018 until March 2019 to finish his long-running ‘space-art’ project.

In 2011, Julian heard that US space-science student Zac Manchester had designed and built a tiny, inexpensive kind of CHIPSat satellite. Nicknamed Sprite, the ‘world’s tiniest spacecraft’ has solar cells to convert light into electricity, a radio transceiver (receiver and transmitter), and a micro-controller with a memory and sensors. Zac’s Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign raised $75,000 to build a KickSat satellite that could deploy (or kick, if you like) Sprites into space. Julian pledged $1500. ‘That bought a developer kit, so I could program my CHIPSat to do what I wanted. I’d always wanted to get something into space – and as I can’t send myself, this is the next best thing. The initiative democratises space by bundling together launches to dramatically lower costs.’ In 2014, NASA donated time and launch costs to the KickSat project through its Educational Launch of Nanosatellites program. Imagine this: attached to a cargo spacecraft was a deployer (which resembles a jukebox) that housed KickSat-1 (the size of a loaf of bread) which, in turn, housed the Sprites. ‘It’s a piggyback on a piggyback on a piggyback.’ However, after KickSat-1 was deployed in orbit, an electrical malfunction meant it didn't deploy the Sprites and burned up in the atmosphere over the Sahara. Zac built another KickSat, KickSat-2, which Julian watched being launched. Three days later, at 1.31am on 20 November, Julian watched again as the spacecraft docked at the

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International Space Station, where TWOi has since been ‘sleeping’ on the still-attached ‘jukebox’. In late February or early March, the Cygnus – filled with trash by space-station crew – will be sent back towards Earth to burn up as far from people as possible. Standard procedure when cargo craft aren’t reused, this avoids contributing to ‘space junk’ which can collide with satellites. Before the spacecraft burns up, it will deploy KickSat2, which two days later will deploy approximately 100 Sprites into low orbit as a ‘cloud of tiny spacecraft,’ each transmitting signals to the person who sent it – in most cases, their name. TWOi then begins its nine-day descent to Earth, before vaporising at 27,000 kilometres per hour. Julian’s ‘chip in space’ is part of his larger art installation The Weight of Information 2.0, which encompasses the entire observatory. Under the dome is Julian’s ‘budget robot/mission control’. After TWOi deploys, the robot’s large antennae will swing toward TWOi’s position in orbit. Meanwhile, TWOi will collect and transmit metadata (essentially, data about data) which will pop up on Julian’s computer screen, projected onto a wall. (Another screen plays the launch video on repeat.) When its memory is full, TWOi resets it to zero – 8000 times per second. ‘This is science fiction not physics. I’m imagining that information not gravity is pulling TWOi down to earth. He’s a tragic hero in a death spiral, trying to forget things to become lighter.’ ‘This project is about control and sovereignty of information, privacy and the right to be forgotten. In 2009 I made an artwork, Terms of Endearment, about how much money big companies make out of our personal data. For that, I signed out of my social-media accounts and never signed in

again. Can you really delete information when the internet works by copying?’ Drop by the observatory during TWOi’s nineday descent (julianpriest.org/twoi will provide exact dates) for ‘Meet2Delete’ sessions, anytime between 11am and 6pm. You can securely delete paperwork (student-loan invoices, perhaps) on Julian’s paper-shredder, before a confetti cannon blows the shreds into the dome. Alternatively, bring your laptop or phone and delete digital data (failed manuscripts, perhaps), logging the metadata for later deletion. Otherwise, post an Instagram video of your deletion with hashtags #Meet2Delete and #Delete2Ascend (delete the story later) – or log information on Julian's website for later deletion. It all becomes part of the installation. Julian, who studied physics and philosophy at university, spent a decade trying to influence the development of an internet operated by and in the interest of its users. In 1997 he co-founded Consume.net in London, which built community networks using free wireless internet (WiFi) when broadband availability was limited – inspiring similar grassroots projects globally. In 2007 he moved to New Zealand with collage-artist wife Sophie Klerk and their three children (now teenagers). Most years, the interdisciplinary artist also teaches a Victoria University mobile-media course about creating designs featuring compact mobile technology. While Julian largely self-funded TWOi, Creative NZ provided some ‘seed money’, Wellington City Council’s Public Art Fund paid for the installation, and Museums Wellington provided the space. More artists may be hosted at the observatory – perhaps even more space artists.

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F E AT U R E

Karawhiua [Hit it!]

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 BY SA N N E VA N G I N K E L

For the first time in 20 years the biennial Kapa Haka festival, Te Matatini, will be hosted by Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

long with thousands of other Kapa Haka performers, tutors and organisers, Ginny Maxwell is ‘dedicating our summer months and sacrificing our weekends to take the stage in February 2019.’ She says having the competition in Wellington gives her team, Ngā Taonga mai Tawhiti, an extra push ‘to do the whole of the Wellington Kapa Haka community, and the region itself, proud.’ Te Matatini festival opens with a powhiri, managed by the local iwi and hosts, at Waitangi Park on 20 February before the four day competition begins the next day at Westpac Stadium. There are three teams representing the Whanganui-a-Tara region at this year’s event; Ngā Uri Taniwha (performing for the first time at Te Matatini), Tū Te Maungaroa and Ngā Taonga mai Tawhiti (Ginny’s team). All these teams are from Te Awakairangi. The Wairarapa area falls under another rohe (region). Kapa Haka is a family affair for Ginny, who is one of the four tutors of Ngā Taonga mai Tawhiti and will also be performing with them. The other Ngā Taonga mai Tawhiti tutors are her stepfather Wiremu Wehi, her brother Lendl Maxwell and her mother Merlene Maxwell-Wehi, who is also the Chair of the Wellington Māori Cultural Society-He Kupenga Toi Manawa – the host committee for Te Matatini 2019. ‘Performing in Te

Matatini gives my family the space to do what we as family do best and that is to create,’ says Ginny. ‘Create the items, the music, the movements and then to create the bigger picture with all the choreography to make what we hope is a flawless performance.’ Ginny’s earliest memories of Kapa Haka are from the East Coast. ‘Growing up in Gisborne I was surrounded with Kapa Haka. And not just any Kapa Haka, Gisborne was the breeding ground for a solid future foundation in Kapa Haka and home to the world's most famous Kapa Haka icons and still is today,’ she says. When Ginny moved to Auckland she worked at Auckland Museum for five years, performing Kapa Haka to thousands of people every year. She’s travelled the world as a Cultural Ambassador performing in all sorts of venues including top hotels and cruise liners, welcomed famous people (like Janet Jackson and Snoop Dogg) to Aotearoa, and taught Kapa Haka in schools and tertiary education institutions throughout Auckland and Wellington. At Te Matatini Ginny will be focused on her own and her team’s performance, but along with hundreds of others, she will also be assisting the Wellington Māori Cultural Society − He Kupenga Toi Manawa wherever possible, to ensure this is the best experience for all performers, spectators, and workers.

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‘I’m looking forward to sharing our months of hard work with our people and the world. Oh and the Te Matatini 2019 t-shirts,’ she laughs. ‘I hope to see people bring their families and communities from all over the world in to the stadium − where ever they maybe from. Experiencing Māori culture should definitely be on the to-do list, but to experience the competitive side of it is bucket list material!’ The preliminary competition runs from 21 to 23 February with three pools of Kapa Haka teams competing. ‘Each team performs and is judged on compulsory and optional disciplines,’ says Carl Ross, CE of Te Matatini. ‘The top three teams from each pool will perform again in the finals on 24 February and the winner is chosen from the top nine.’ Along with the Toa Whakaihuwaka (overall winner), there are prizes for the highest marks in the different disciplines as well as special awards for stand-out performers, lyrics, music and composition. The compulsory disciplines are Whakaeke, Mōteatea, Waiata ā-Ringa, Poi, Haka, Whakawātea and Te Mita o Te Reo. All seven have to be performed within a 25-minute time limit. The Waiata Tira is optional. Each group must have no less than 24 and no more than 40 members performing in the compulsory and optional disciplines, the teams have to include men and women, and all performers must be 14 or older. ‘I can’t wait to be in an environment where te ao Māori is at the forefront of our city,’ says

Jill Day, Deputy Mayor of Wellington. To be ‘at a festival where you hear, see and can speak te reo Māori and where kaupapa Māori is dominant.’ Jill feels its important to share events like this with her whānau. ‘Ko Ngāti Tūwharetoa te iwi. Therefore Te Matatini is a place where my whānau can honour our heritage and say we are Māori and proud of it. As I didn’t grow up on or near my marae, like many people today, opportunities like this are unique.’ She’s looking forward to seeing the stage (which features the largest Māori carving in New Zealand, a 30-metre wide mahau (stagefront) carving that frames the stage) and the kai. ‘Try all the kai! Personally I am hoping there will be fried bread, it’s delicious.’ And for people who’ve never been to a Kapa Haka festival before? Jill says, ‘The festival is not just about the stage, but the whole experience, so put aside a few hours to be able to enjoy it properly. Look out for the different formations, how synchronised they are and the volume! It won’t be quiet! The performances will be filled with singing, dancing, and haka, and people might be surprised to know most will also include plenty of innuendo and jokes. They are there to entertain.’ Ginny agrees and adds, ‘Kia ora is a great start because you'll hear it a lot. But other than that; bring yourself and your family, a hat, sunglasses, lunch and a cushion. See you all there.’ Te Matatini ki te Ao 2019: Westpac Stadium, Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), 21–24 February

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F E AT U R E

Beneath P H OTO G R A P H Y BY O S CA R K E YS

There are over 1,000,000 species of plants and animals living in our oceans and an estimated further 9,000,000 species that we are yet to discover or classify. The ocean holds the vast majority of life on Earth, and we are yet to explore 95% of this teeming living space. ‘The chance to discover and explore a completely alien world is right on our doorsteps,’ says Wellington photographer Oscar Keys. ‘The colours, light, movement, life, and sound of our oceans are as unfamiliar as they are alluring, and all this is right in front of us.’ It was Oscar who brought us the Abandoned Spaces photo-essay (Cap #35). In this new underwater collaboration, he goes below the surface to expose what lies beneath. Oscar used snorkel gear, the GoPro Hero 7 Black, and the Olympus TG-4 to shoot this photoessay which he says ‘quite literally only scratches the surface of this world, and I hope that it serves as an invitation to explore.’ So, come on in, the water’s fine.

Thanks to DiveSki for providing gear

Shelly Bay 51

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SUMMER BRIEFS

PA C I F I C RHYTHM Mojo Juju, Punialava’a and Bella Kalolo will be the headline acts for the annual Pasifika Festival, returning to the Wellington waterfront on 19 January. The event attracts over 15,000 people from all over New Zealand to celebrate Pacifica people. We think listening to the sounds of the Pacific and indulging in tropical food is the perfect way to spend a summer’s day. Look out for community food stalls, tivaevae and hula workshops, lots of crafts to buy, and the always popular cuisine cook-off.

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CREAM OF THE CROP

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A new environmentally conceptual art work created by New Zealand and overseas artists will be completed in mid February – just in time for the St Johns Bar & Eatery Long Lunch. The lunch is a culinary performance event and part of Wellington’s annual performance art festival, the Performance Arcade. It takes place on the lawns outside St Johns, around a single long table that can seat more than 120 guests.

An aromatherapist’s dream has come true for yet another year. Lavender Abbey, based in sunny Carterton, is hosting its annual ‘Pick your own Lavender’ event over three consecutive weekends from 5 Jan 2019. Lavender has been used for centuries to alleviate ailments and add scent and colour to life. These gates to heaven open for only a gold coin entry.

In the height of the summer the 22nd Wellington Region Chambers of Commerce Golf Day will be held in support of the Cancer Society of Wellington. Golf Day is an opportunity for the business community to support a local charity, said Chief Executive John Milford. It will be at the Shandon Golf Club on 22 February. Businesses from throughout the region are invited to enter a team. Lunch, an on-course drinks service, snacks, and prizes are included in the entry fee.

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F E AT U R E

Syd

Exstream W R I T T E N BY L E I L A N I BA K E R P H OTO G R A P H BY A N N A B R I G G S

Found amongst sheets of paper and covered in ink, Sid Dhlamini works diligently at printing company Printlink (who print Capital). Don’t be fooled by his softly spoken manner. He does not seem like an adrenaline junkie but Sid lives a double life as an extreme kayaker.

‘Only a handful of my colleagues know that I am a professional kayaker,’ he says. He’s shown a few people photos and has taken a couple of friends on the odd kayaking trip. But otherwise Sid just likes to get his work done and save the fun for afterwards. Born in Lupane, Zimbabwe, and growing up in Victoria Falls, he stumbled upon kayaking at the age of 18 when

bird watching on the bank of the upper Zambezi river. ‘I encountered a group of kayakers who were having lunch and asked if I could try one of their kayaks while they ate,’ he says. He quickly mastered eskimo rolls and within a few weeks he was knocking on doors of rafting companies asking if they were taking trainee kayakers. Manager of

F E AT U R E

adventure company Safari Par Excellence agreed to train Sid on the condition he supply his own kayak and paddle. ‘I learned the hard way, I went kayaking on the Zambezi river for the first time using a canoe paddle’ he chuckles. Gear wasn’t the only barrier to learning the sport. ‘My instructor explained the hazards in broken English. I didn’t even know what he was saying or what a rip was’. A natural talent, it wasn’t long before he was kayaking professionally and when the Red Bull Camel kayaking challenge bought him to New Zealand 16 years ago, Sid knew he wanted to stay. He travelled around New Zealand before settling in Petone. At 41, he now competes in ‘casual’ festivals riding class 5 rapids (such as the Huka Falls) and on his days off he enjoys kayaking to Some’s/Matiu island or tramping with his two children.

The same company that taught him to kayak, Safari Par Excellence, still assist him with high-risk trips by supplying helicopters, walkie-talkies and safety equipment. 'My most memorable trip was flying by helicopter over Skippers Canyon and kayaking the Shotover River,’ he says. He’s paddled over 50 different rivers in New Zealand and has recently learned how to rescue other water users who find themselves in tricky situations. At over 6ft tall Sid still struggles to find a comfortable kayak. Taihape company Bliss Stick are creating a customsized kayak which will be ready for his next event, the Buller’s Festival in Murchison in February. Running over two-days it’s New Zealand’s premiere white-water event, which has been running since 1887. ‘The prizes for kayaking competitions usually aren’t great but I do it for the love of adventure’.

Sid on the Colorado River, USA Photo by Andrew Peacock

FASH ION

Sun of a beach BY M EGA N B L E N K A R N E

ike many New Zealanders at this time of the year, I’ll be hanging out at the beach a fair bit. I wear one-piece togs (great for the surf), emblazoned with parrots or tropical flowers, and a generous layer of SPF50. This year I bought a hat from Hill’s Hats and I’ve collected numerous oversize silk and cotton shirts from op shops to throw over my togs and swan about in. A few things have changed since my Mum lay on Bondi Beach in the smallest bikini possible, smeared with oil and Coca Cola to maximise her tan, but the gist remains unchanged – togs are the centre of the beach look. The beach represents a unique style opportunity, and I think Kiwis do it best. Not for us the ridiculous resort wear that looks fabulous on a runway but is a nuisance in real life. Kiwis know that the beach calls for fashion that is, basically, togs plus a sun layer. Is there anything more comfortable than wearing a pair of togs, a tshirt, and jandals that have molded to the exact form of your foot? Or how about when you ‘dress for dinner’: an old hoodie, a pair of jeans that got a bit damp earlier when you were taking a walk on the beach but have now mostly dried, and a pair of tramping socks. Perfect for dining al fresco, by which I mean a slightly burned chop off the barbeque. However, beach fashion is changing in invisible ways. You may be aware that we have trashed the oceans with billions of bits of plastic, slowly choking sea life and confusing birds into feeding their babies with teensy bits of coloured plastic instead 68

of teensy bits of fish. Fabulously, there are now numerous companies worldwide making togs out of that same plastic, offering you a sustainable option if you want a new cozzie. This parrot number is from Batoko. Their website says, ‘Plastic is the direct cause of death for approx. 100 million marine animals and seabirds every year in the form of entanglement, drowning, choking and ingesting.’ Consider also that New Zealanders recently learned that their plastic recycling is being dumped in other countries and burned, and you can see why a new cozzie made from the stuff might be a better option. Close to home we have Kowtow. Their swimwear uses Econyl, which is made from fishing nets and discarded carpets, plastic components and fabric scraps: and the launch of Kowtow Swim has meant that 120 kgs of plastic has been recycled so far. Plastic can be reduced and respun into a new yarn, and then woven back into a new fabric. That’s how togs can be made from fishing nets that have been swishing about in the ocean, looking for a dolphin or an albatross to ensnare. While I’m generally obsessive about natural fibres, and go on about organic cotton, I will put it out there that togs made out of cotton are…not great. A pair of togs made out of recycled polymer, though, will make a teensy contribution to making our oceans cleaner, in turn making sure that Kiwis can enjoy wearing only togs for a week each year, for generations to come.

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LIFESTYLE

NEW TO TOWN Nick and Amy of online store Newtown House have opened a new physical showroom in Green Street, Newtown. Buyers can now go beyond the screen and see and feel the quality of the product range, browse the books, catch up by the kitchenware or have a yarn over actual yarn. Just like old-school shopping. Reflecting their wish to play their part in more sustainable and responsible consumerism, Newtown House’s ethos takes in the slow fashion, self-made craft and slow food movements.

A COVER UP

CAUSING A SPLASH

PAWS IN THE PARK

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in New Zealand and over 90% of all skin cancer cases are attributed to excessive sun exposure. Covertogs have established a strong foothold in a niche market, with their beach wear eliminating the need to endlessly apply sunscreen and offering women comfort and freedom without a focus on their bodies. Made from high-UV-protection fabric, the designs include capped or elbow-length sleeves and more cover over the shoulders.

What better way to start the year than an ocean dip. The Interislander Capital Classic Ocean Swim is back for another year. Held on 27 January at Oriental Bay, the event is open to participants as young as seven. Three race options are available for experienced swimmers: 500m, 1km, and 3.3km. The Banana Boat Oceans Kids series has 100m, 200m, and 300m distances to cater to all swimming abilities.

A day for the doggos! Helping you Help Animals (HUHA) is hosting their annual Paws in the Park event. Dog walkers are invited to a morning walk at the Tawatawa Reserve on 24 February. Dogs and their owners can choose a 0.7km or 2km walk. The event is free but donations are encouraged. All donations go to HUHA who provide shelter for less fortunate animals.

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BUG ME

Chorus cicada Name: Chorus cicada

New column

soundtrack to our warmest weeks. Only male cicadas sing, usually in order to court females, and songs vary widely between species. Male cicadas sing using ‘tymbals’, or ribbed membranes on each side of the base of their abdomen, and have large air sacs in their abdomens which amplify this song. The wāwā in the Māori name kihikihi wāwā means ‘to roar like the sound of heavy rain’.

Māori name: Kihikihi, kihikihi wāwā, matua kihikihi, tarakihi or ngengeti. Scientific name: Amphipsalta zelandica Status: Endemic Description: There are 42 known species of cicada in New Zealand, all of which are endemic, and the chorus cicada is both the most common and the largest (averaging about 40mm). Chorus cicadas are coloured a combination of black, green and brown and often have stripes along their body. They can be identified by a turquoise patch at the base of their wings.

Tell me a story: The cicada’s short adult life and celebratory song captured the imagination of many storytellers. One Māori tale tells how, in the later days of summer, popokorua (ant) advised kihikihi to store up food for the coming winter period. Kihikihi paid no attention, choosing instead to cling to sun-warmed bark and sing his joyous song, watching as foolish popokorua wasted the beautiful days. But when winter came, popokorua was snug and well fed in his underground home and kihikihi perished, hungry and cold. In Plato’s ‘Phaedrus’, a conversation between Socrates and his student Phaedrus is repeatedly interrupted by cicada song. At one point Socrates tells a story about how cicadas came to be: when a group of men became so intoxicated by the music of the Muses that they forgot to eat or drink. The men sang until they died, after which the muses reincarnated them as cicadas so they might continue their song and also spy on humans, reporting back as to who honoured the Muses and who did not.

Habitat: Female chorus cicadas lay rice-sized eggs in a herring-bone pattern on thin tree branches. The eggs take between three and 10 months to hatch, after which the larvae burrow into the ground, where they grow and develop into ‘nymphs’ over two to four years. Once nymphs are at full size they emerge from the ground, climbing up the nearest plant or tree and waiting until their skin hardens and eventually bursts, allowing the adult cicada to back out. A cicada will last three to four weeks in adult form − just enough to mate and get the next life cycle started. Look/listen: Kihikihi make their appearance in late summer, providing the cacophonous

EDIBLES

EDIBLE ART This year the Performance Arcade’s Culinary Performance Series is expanding with a ‘walking menu’ of culinary performances all the way along the waterfront. Look out for Mexican QBT Chef Andrés Pimentel who will serve Mexican food while regaling audiences with his own stories of illegal border crossings and immigration, and Anna Cacace’s ‘Sky Salad’ where the public work together to toss a salad as greens fall from above. Caitlin Le Harivel will be making edible sculptures of Matiu/Somes Island from jelly and champagne and serving them on lightboxes. The Performance Arcade: Wellington Waterfront, 22–24 Feb & 28 Feb – 3 March.

NECESSARY EVIL?

MAGICAL MASH UP

GET FORKED

Antibiotic sales via veterinary medicine and agricultural chemicals increased 8% in the 2014–2016 period relative to the preceding two years. This could be partly attributed to the overall growth in plant and animal production, for example in poultry farming, where there has been a 39% increase in production from 2011–2016. Sales of Aminoglycoside, used by the kiwifruit industry to treat the Psa bacterial border invader, rose 23% between 2011 and 2016.

A few lucky foodies recently attended an exclusive three-course fusion dinner created by New Zealand Chef Monique Fiso (Cap #53) and German Chef Helge Hagemann. Named ‘The Magic Hour’, the dinner was hosted by the GoetheInstitut at Hiakai in Mt Cook. It featured Rēwena bread and Horopito dumplings poached in Kiokio broth, wild radish pods, earth-baked beetroot and chilli and bayleaf-pickled cherries. Helge says, ‘To create a menu with traditional Māori ingredients while adding a German touch brought our cultural exchange to a whole new level!’

To reduce waste the Vegan Vault night market now provides forks. Visitors are encouraged to grab one to use for the evening and return it as they leave. ‘The fork initiative was by our local host Mt Vic Hub,’ says Kristine Bartley, creator of the Vegan Vault. ‘Our stallholders haven’t had to provide takeaway cutlery since we started it and everyone who comes has really jumped on board with the idea.’ Vegan Vault: Clyde Quay School, first Saturday of the month, 6–9pm

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EDIBLES

T H AT ’ S FRESH! Fresh and foraged are the focus for Jiwon Do, the new Executive Chef of Hippopotamus at QT Wellington. ‘I want to tell the story of New Zealand through food to create a dining experience with a difference,’ he says. The signature dish of his new menu, Le Chevrueil Sauvage, features helicopter hunted Central Otago Wild Venison, Horopito and wild spinach from North Canterbury and Kaikoura, and kelp from the Wairarapa coast. Awatoru Enterprises, a wild food supply company based on the Kapiti Coast, is providing most of the wild and forage items.

BELLE OF THE BALL

CAFE NEWS

JAFFAS TO LEVIN

A staple of the Capital coffee scene will close its doors this summer. Memphis Belle Coffee House, a flagship café for Flight Coffee and nominee for best coffee at this year’s Felix awards, has been sold. John Matias, owner for the past four years, has been serving up coffee (and to-die-for cheese scones) from the Te Aro Park location for eight years. He hands over the keys to the new owner at the beginning of February, so you’ve got a month to get your final fix.

Ever the enthusiastic cafe dreamer, Matt Wilson is at it again. Not content to stick with Shorebird, his busy cafe on the Petone waterfront, with his partners he's opened another down the other end, on Gracefield Road. He's been quietly hammering away there for a few weeks. In a nice play on words – his coffee brand is Good Fortune – he's named it Miss Fortune.

For more than 21 years RJ’s have produced confectionery locally. They have just added iconic Jaffas to their line of sweets, which means the Kiwiana favourite is back on the menu here, after being absent since the Cadbury factory in Dunedin closed last March. This also means that the traditional Jaffa race down Dunedin’s Baldwin Street will soon return, although a firm date has not been set.

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

Tomato tar tare with basil panna cotta, Bloody Mary sorbet and parmesan crisp BY N I K K I & J O R DA N S H E A R E R

s summer is in full swing and vegetable gardens are flourishing, we are always looking for ways to celebrate produce sourced direct from our back yard. There is nothing quite like a sun-ripened tomato and this recipe celebrates this humble fruit perfectly. While not a tartare by definition, as a tartare is usually raw, the tomato INGREDIENTS

Serves 4–6 Bloody Mary sorbet ½ cup water ½ cup caster sugar 750 ml tomato juice 45 ml vodka 15 ml lemon juice 2 tsp worcester sauce 3 tsp chipotle sauce ½ tsp smoked paprika salt and pepper Tomato tartare 25–30 large tomatoes, dunked in boiling water for 1 minute and then placed in an ice bath to cool 1–2 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp fresh thyme & seasoning Basil panna cotta 1 cup cream 3 Tbsp creme fraiche 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil 2 gold grade gelatine leaves & salt Pecorino cream 4 Tbsp white wine 120g pecorino cheese 2 Tbsp sour cream Parmesan crisp 120g parmesan cheese, grated black pepper basil oil Large bunch fresh basil and Italian parsley ⅓ cup olive oil To serve Thyme powder (we use 'Fresh As') 2 Tbsp balsamic crema

is finely chopped and presented in the style of a tartare on the plate. Don’t be put off by the quantities of tomatoes as they cook down in the oven – you will be left with an incredibly intense tomato flavour. This is not a recipe that you whip up in a second, but we promise you, it will be one of the best things you have ever eaten.

METHOD 1. Bloody Mary sorbet: In a medium saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil and then simmer until sugar is dissolved and liquid is syrupy. Cool. 2. Add vodka, lemon juice, worcester sauce, chipotle sauce, paprika and seasoning. Whisk to combine. 3. Churn in an ice cream maker for sorbet or simply freeze for a granita. This can be made in advance. 4. Tomato tartare: Preheat oven to 180°C. 5. Peel blanched tomatoes. Remove most of the seeds with a sharp knife and lay skins on a lined baking tray. 6. Sprinkle with oil, thyme and season. 7. Bake for one hour, being careful not to blacken. Remove from oven and when cool, chop into small pieces. 8. Basil panna cotta: Bloom gelatine in cold water. Squeeze out excess liquid. 9. In a small saucepan add cream and creme fraiche. Heat until warm. Add bloomed gelatine and whisk until dissolved. 10. Add chopped basil and salt to cream mixture and pour into a 20 x 20 cm dish, to a height of approximately 3cm. Refrigerate until set. 11. Pecorino cream: In a small saucepan heat wine until reduced by half. Add cheese and sour cream and mix until cheese has melted. When cool, spoon into a piping bag and set aside. 12. Parmesan crisp: Heat the oven to 180°C and on a lined baking tray using a 7cm round mould, place approx. 2 Tbsp of grated parmesan into the moulds and repeat, sprinkle with a generous amount of pepper and bake until golden. Shape into cylinders when cool enough to handle. 13. Basil oil: Place herbs in a bowl and pour over boiling water to wilt, drain immediately and rinse with cold water. 14. Place blanched herbs, salt and olive oil in a blender and puree until smooth 15. To serve: Remove sorbet from freezer to slightly soften. If making granita, grate with fork and return to the freezer. 16. Place the chopped tomato on each plate using a round 7cm mould, piling high. Remove mould. 17. Loosen the bottom of the panna cotta by dipping the tin in warm water for no more than 30 seconds. Turn out onto a tray and using a 2½cm cutter, shape into six rounds. Sprinkle with thyme powder and place on plate. 18. Pipe a generous dollop of the pecorino cream on each plate. 19. Place small dots of the basil oil and balsamic crema on the plate.. 20. Quenelle the sorbet and place on plates, or sprinkle with frozen granita. Top with crisp and serve immediately. 78

LIQUID BRIEFS

FROST BITES Martinborough grape grower John Douglas thanks his lucky stars that frost fighting saved at least half his crop from devastation by spring frosts late last year. It’s a fact of life on Te Muna Road, nine km west of Martinborough, says Douglas, who usually relies on the lone windmill on his five hectare Te Hera Estate Vineyard. Last year’s spring frost was worse than most, due to a high inversion layer, which made it difficult for windmills to counteract frost. Fortunately other frost-fighting efforts saved the day. ‘Parts of my vineyard are okay and parts are devastated but without frost fighting, all the grapes would have been wiped out, so I’m slowly getting over it and working with what I have got. Ironically, grape quality can be great when frost strikes. You get fewer grapes but more concentrated flavours.’ Others in the Wairarapa were also affected. Martinborough Vineyards lost between five to 10 per cent of their crop.

JUICE HEAD

FLOWER OF FRANCE

PINK PINOT

Havana Brothers want you to bring back your empty cold-press juice bottles. ‘We’re taking responsibility for what happens to our end product by recycling and sterilising our bottles so we can refill and re use them,’ says founder Roger Young. To encourage you, they’re offering a reward. Take ten empty Havana cold-press juice bottles back to their café/juice kitchen (at 19 Arthur Street) and they’ll give you a free juice.

A 21st birthday party where the bubbles have been crafted especially and named after the birthday girl is a notable occasion. Chris Harrison of Beach House Wines added La Fleur, a sparkling wine, to their wide range of red, white and rosé wines in time for his daughter’s birthday. What is left, after the party, is available from their cellar door at Te Awanga over the summer. And the French name refers to our very own Capital intern, Brittany Fleur Harrison. ‘My mother is a mad Francophile,' she says.

Jannine Rickards has launched her first vintage of Huntress, an evocatively labelled, deep pink Pinot Noir, made from certified organic grapes grown in Gladstone in the central Wairarapa. The wine is a deeply coloured rosé, made from Pinot Noir, a portion fermented in old French oak and the remainder using a technique called carbonic maceration – the Beaujolais method. It’s all about putting your fruitiest foot forward, says Rickards. The new 2017 Huntress Pinot Noir costs $29. Its label design is by Dusty and Lulu in Martinborough.

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ROTARY

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BY THE BOOK

COPY T H AT ? The Publishers Association of New Zealand is pleased with the recently-released issues paper on the Review of the Copyright Act. (PANZ had previously made submissions.) Tom Rennie (Cap #52), the PANZ council’s lead on copyright, says they’ll participate in government workshops about copyright. ‘One issue for authors is that enforcement of copyright globally is expensive and difficult to access. We’d also like copyright applied the same way for print and digital formats.’

GREEN ROOM Lynda Chanwai-Earle plans to complete her Antarctic Trilogy of ‘green’ plays during her year as 2019 International Institute of Modern Letters and Creative NZ Writer-in-Residence. A Chinese New Zealander, the playwright, poet and broadcaster will also adapt her play about the murder of a Chinese student into a screenplay. ‘This residency creates precious time and space,’ she says, noting that writing is a ‘financially challenged vocation.’

READ-DATING A third of boys aged 9 to 13 admitted they don’t like reading during a fiveschool workshop held by the NZ Book Council, National Library Services to Schools, Duffy Books in Homes, the Auckland Writers Festival, and Colenso. But after the workshop – which included a ‘Speed Date a Genre’ session – over half the boys said they were interested in reading; most preferred fantasy, scifi, action, and horror. The findings will influence reader-engagement projects.

JOINING FORCES Nine books in eight months ain’t bad for a new publishing house. The Cuba Press was formed in July by Mary McCallum, Mākaro Press and Sarah Bolland from Steele Roberts Aotearoa. (The two publishers still exist independently.) In December, The Cuba Press published Peter Wells’ art book Mutzig the Clown Cat, about a stray he adopted. Massey University Press’s new children’s imprint Annual Ink – a partnership with Kate De Goldi and Susan Paris – publishes its first book in March.

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SEB CY T I TOHNE HBEOAODKE R

Re-verse I N T R O D U C E D BY F R E YA DA LY S A D G R O V E

Small girl talking to the quail chick she has just picked up off the driveway Her pink leggings are a fluorescent version of skin. She stomps and stumbles. Look what I found! she cries out happily, the tiny thing in her hands. And already it is over. Smudge a small life with human smell, and the mother bird won’t go near it. The small girl wants to be tender. She has been wishing for a pet. She strokes the callow head of the bird with clumsy fingers, crushes it a little. This is my friend, she insists, it can sleep in my bed. It cheeps a frightened prayer. She will end the bird in the hot nest of her hands, in her heart of gold.

FREYA DALY SADGROVE is a writer and performer from Te Whanganui-a-Tara. She has a Master of Arts in Poetry from the International Institute of Modern Letters, and her poems have appeared in Sport, Minarets, The Spinoff, Sweet Mammalian, and elsewhere. She tweets @FreyaDalySad.

THE POET’S POEMS This is from Joan Fleming’s first collection, The Same As Yes, which is one of the only books of poems I’ve ever read cover to cover. I can’t usually take in a lot of poems at once, but I find her prose poems so calm and generous, and full of such quiet energy, and so content among each other, they carry me along in thrall. Each poem is a sort of conversation overheard by someone with very sensitive hearing. She gives ordinary things the time of day and they reveal themselves to be beautiful, or disturbing, or both – often both.

—Joan Fleming

WHY I LIKE IT This poem gets me in the gut. The title of the poem is an ending in itself, the tragedy so inevitable it’s immediate. Every soft thing you can think about a little girl is turned carefully monstrous – her clothes, her skin, her size, her voice, her heart of gold. But it’s done with remarkable compassion. It’s hard to pick out a favourite line, because the poem feels so whole. Each sentence in its place makes each other sentence more impressive; the poem winds itself up with dreadful firmness. And it’s so real! l read this poem and know that I was, and still am, the small girl who is in fact huge and a tyrant. I still have an overblown opinion of my own suitability to protect things that are more vulnerable than I am. But then I refuse to believe there’s anyone in the world who hasn’t destroyed something they love by the very nature of their love. We all overestimate our own tenderness.

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S E C TFIEOANT U H RE EA D E R

In Co nversation: A nna Dean and Fernándo Suen

The second in a series exploring shared experience and common ground. In this instalment, Melody Thomas talks with two Wellingtonians-of-influence — Instagram fashionista Fernándo Suen and cofounder and co-director of creative agency Double Denim, Anna Dean.

Thanks to Sunday Night Club for hosting

BY THE BOOK

F E AT U R E

The media landscape is changing. While a few of us still scour the paper every morning over breakfast, most people are now getting their information digitally. But the digital market is crowded, and to make sense of it all consumers increasingly look to people they can trust for recommendations − be it for a product, a news source or even how to cast their vote. These people are the influencers.

Pulling the strings Anna Dean wasn’t always a professional string-puller. After studying journalism at the New Zealand Broadcasting School she worked as a television reporter, magazine editor and band manager (among other things), eventually taking on her first role in marketing at the New Zealand Film Archive. On the side, Anna worked as an event planner and publicist for projects that excited her, and eventually this side-hustle became her main hustle when she set out on her own as a freelancer for five years. In 2015 she partnered with Angela Meyer to launch Double Denim − a creative agency and gender intelligence company aimed at unlocking the power of the female economy. They also support women through events organised under the banner of the Ace Lady Network.

Fernándo Suen is an Instagram influencer with nearly 20,000 followers, dealing in high fashion, lifestyle and beauty. Anna Dean’s influence is via several different mediums and sometimes makes itself felt in real life − like the time she got the Wellington sign changed to ‘Vellington’ for the launch of vampire flick What We Do in The Shadows.

On influence

Melody: A lot of the campaigns you do through Double Denim seem to be calls to action or to have a focus on creating social change. Why do you choose to focus on that work?

Melody: You’re both here under the guise of being ‘influencers’ but I’m guessing you interpret that label differently. What defines an influencer and where do you see yourself inside that?

Anna: Because equality is the more worthy cause for getting up in the morning! We’re also motivated by helping corporates change their culture and for gender and diversity to be top of mind. Change is coming to the advertising and marketing industries. We live in an age where there has never been this many connected women online, harnessing the power of technology. We're interested in helping this process along as the changes until now have been slow. We think it's time to go faster.

Fernándo: I think it's just helping companies getting the word out there. It's quite hard for companies sometimes, so they want someone who already has a following in their market to spread the word for them. Anna: My influence… cuts across the film industry, the business sector, music, art and increasingly the political realm. I don't see myself as a social media influencer as such… I know how to make a bit of noise but I’m not so comfortable putting myself in the picture, I'm much better at engineering that for other people.

While it’s increasingly common for someone to set out with the intention of ‘becoming an influencer’ (the thousands of articles online outlining how to do this are testament to it), Fernándo’s rise to prominence was fairly organic. He began posting photos to Instagram four years ago as a way of dealing with the stress of university − and to this day sees it as a hobby. Something fun to do on the side of his job as a manager at Tom Ford.

Fernándo: You’re behind the scenes. Anna: Well... more pulling the strings (*Anna winks, everybody laughs).

F E AT U R E

self-esteem and feelings of inferiority. But correlation does not equal causation. Too much time on Facebook might lead to feelings of loneliness, but equally somebody who’s feeling lonely might be more likely to seek out Facebook for solace.

Fernándo: [At uni] I started this series based on [Joan Rivers’ Fashion Police segment] ‘B**** Stole My Look’. I would pull photos of celebrities and just do my own version of it in the same clothing-styles − like a side to side look, and that got a lot of attention.

Melody: I’m not sure where I fall on this one. I feel if millennials are depressed it’s just as likely to be because none of us can afford a home and our world’s about to end. But then I recently unfollowed a bunch of hot people on Instagram and felt like my mental health got instantly better! How do you see it?

Melody: So if we go way back in your feed we’ll be able to see those? Fernándo: No, I deleted them! Those old photos don't go with the flow. Anna: I wondered how you got all those followers with so few photos! Yeah you definitely have an aesthetic. I was like ‘Is this even Wellington?!’ Is that on purpose?

Fernándo: You know I follow a lot of quite attractive people and I just don’t see it that way. I have a lot of guys on my following list who are quite buff and muscle-y because I want to get there, so it's more like a motivation for me. I’ve always looked at it in a more positive way.

Fernándo: Yeah it is… I'm originally from Hong Kong and I travel quite a bit and I want to be able to take photos of different places but still connect them together. The majority of my followers are from the States, then number two is the UK and especially London. Those countries have a massive following for luxury designers. Wellington is number five. Sometimes I'll post something productrelated and ladies will come in and say, ‘I'm looking for this’, and I'm like, ‘oh, that's my photo!’

Anna: I've definitely developed more of a love-hate relationship with [social media]. I really appreciate the resource and the connectivity, it’s pretty much what led to #MeToo and #TimesUp and #BlackLivesMatter, all these massive movements of cultural change. However it’s really interesting because the latest Pew Research (from the first two quarters of this year) shows that social media uptake in the US is actually starting to plateau. So while numbers globally are still growing it’s only because the developing nations are catching up and getting smart phones, and actually a lot of the early adopters are starting to limit their time. Plus we’ve seen all these different issues with Facebook hacking and Cambridge Analytica. So people are feeling a bit more distrustful. I think people are realising there are different ways they could be spending their time, or that they need to take better care of their mental health like being outside in nature or going for a run. And also there’s this tendency towards bragging and too much comparison that goes on between people and it doesn’t make people happy.

Anna: So you know it works! It really does. You know, I did journalism training almost 20 years ago, and the head of school at the time was saying journalists of the future or basically anyone operating in these roles will be content curators, and it's exactly what you're doing, you're pointing people in a certain direction and being a good source of information. Once you find that good source you follow that, and that person does the hard work for you.

Connection v isolation

Melody: Do you wake up in the morning, roll over, grab your phone and scroll?

On the surface, social media is all about connecting people. And yet study after study claims to link social media use to everything from depression to jealousy, social isolation, low

Fernándo: Yes I actually do. I totally do do that.

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Anna: I used to do that but I've definitely made a conscious effort to try not to. I’ve been working in social media for 11 straight years, and often in charge of some pretty major feeds. They are the last thing you think of and the first thing you think of when you wake up. Recently this one guy who's a social media manager for a boutique beer company came up to me in a car park in tears and said, ‘I’ve just had a new baby and I just don’t know how to limit my social time...’ and I think lots of social media managers get to a point where they hit this incredible burnout, it’s really hard to cut off. It's interesting because I stopped posting on Instagram for a bit and as soon as I started again I was back in there like, ‘how many likes’, ‘what kind of reaction’ and ‘it's been three hours I'll just see if anyone's liked that.’ It's like: ‘What the f***?!’ Fernándo: Or, like, every 10 minutes you’ll just check on your phone and see if there’s any new likes! Anna: Yeah! That kind of stuff I think is scary.

Time well spent The latest iPhone update includes an app called Screen Time, which tells a user how much time they’ve spent on social media over a given period. It breaks that time down into specific apps and gives you other handy (or scary, depending on your outlook) stats like ‘Pickups’ (how many times you pick up your phone to check it) and ‘Notifications’ (how many you get a day and from where). (*After Anna brings it up, the pair compare their stats.)

Anna: So, the weekly total for me is 25 hours Fernándo: Are you looking at this part here? (to Anna) Anna: (helping) Yeah so, last seven days… Oh yeah, I’m more! Haha. But I know that’s because I spent almost four hours on messenger and emails … So if it’s just Instagram… (Anna checks Fernándo's Instagram stats)… Oh, yeah, I’m more than you there too! Most of this is email and the Messenger use because I’m in a long-distance relationship, but I’m pretty scared by this Instagram amount. That is pretty terrifying.

Famous last words? Anna: I think it's interesting to point out that social media’s still in its teenage years and while there are lots of people who are really quick to write it off, it’s just going through different phases. The thing that I worry about is how much it costs now to promote things through these platforms. The number of people on them is in the billions so it's been very effective, but if you don't pay for your content to be seen no one sees it. That has big implications for NGOs, charities or smaller organisations − even the local coffee shop. Previously they would have put an ad in the Island Bay news and now that newspaper doesn't exist. Melody: When you think to the future of these technologies are you nervous or excited? Fernándo: Yeah I'm quite excited actually. Anna: There was a big story recently where quite a few large Facebook pages and Instagram accounts just got deleted by the US government… They were agitators and they were completely wiped out in a systematic approach. Dissenting voices can get squashed, so I'm a bit nervous.

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Nicola Willis National List MP based in Wellington

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BY THE BOOK

Fishing in the dark Summer short fiction

BY M I C H A E L A K E E B L E

hard bite on Shadow’s line, then his hand reel began to spin and the nylon skipped out of his grasp. ‘Grab it,’ Shadow’s father growled, not quite meanly, just a direction for his son to follow. Shadow lunged for the reel and let the line run across his finger, so fast it cut a furrow through the skin. He managed to get a brake on the fish and felt it fighting against him, down deep in the hole they were fishing. He listened for his dad – busy sorting out a trace. He wouldn’t interfere while Shadow had things under control. It wasn’t often that Shadow was allowed to come fishing at night – only in summer when the water slipped through the harbour like mercury. Stars fell into the ocean and reformed themselves beneath the boat. Matiu Island loomed at the edge of sight. His dad never fished a full moon, and tonight it was a fingernail in the sky. This was more like fishing in space, with the slow-running current tugging them off anchor and away from earth. Shadow began to pull the line in hand over hand. He couldn’t get a decent grip and pulled his shirt down over his fingers. The line kept curling and catching and he lost precious seconds untangling it. It was

a big fish. He hoped for a snapper or even a kingfish. He pushed back his sleeves. But the fish was heavy and Shadow felt he was in trouble – that the fish would run and snap the nylon or that the line would go slack and the fish would come free of the hook. ‘It’s hard,’ he said, ‘the line’s slippery.’ But his dad hadn’t asked a question. All around them phosphorescent threads of plankton drifted on the tide. Shadow felt for the fish, tried to follow its fight underneath the boat. He wanted his dad to take over but he could not come out and ask. Tears threatened and he tried to work out if it would be worse to admit defeat or to lose the fish. It really was a big fish. Then it went dead on the line, maybe it was swimming directly down. But without the sideways fighting it was easier to drag it back in. He hadn’t lost the fish. It was stuck properly on the hook. He looked up at his father, who grinned. ‘Here, fishy fishy,’ his dad crooned, ‘Here fishy.’ They saw the huge streak in the water at the same time. His dad reached for the gaff, even though normally they pulled the flailing fish over the sides and stuck them in the brain with a chisel. ‘What is it, Dad?’ Shadow asked, voice full of wonder.

BY THE BOOK

His father changed his mind and dropped the gaff back into the metal hull with a clang. He reached over and took the fish by its jaw, pulling it free of the water and holding it high above the boat so Shadow could see a giant false eye staring at him from the fish’s side. Alien spines extended from its head. It hung off his dad’s hand like a concertina, the mouth enormous and extended, like the whole thing might rip from its own lips. ‘John Dory,’ his dad said. ‘It’s a monster, Shadow,’ and he let the fish down in the hull so they could look at it properly. He was laughing, and it was a relief, and Shadow was laughing too. He’d never seen a John Dory up close – only studied them on his Fish of New Zealand poster. It looked weirder in real life, and then it started grunting, a low bark that seemed to Shadow to be so funny, a dog’s bark coming from a monster fish he himself had caught, and he got the giggles and soon enough he was laughing out of control. In the cramped dinghy, he let his foot down too close to the fish and caught it on one of the long spines. Blood sprang across his instep and sprayed into the hull, mingling with the fish blood and the bait. Shadow cried out.

‘Don’t be stupid,’ his dad growled, really mean this time. The boy held his foot tightly and felt dizzy. He shifted to dangle his legs over the edge of the boat. It was precarious but he could wash the blood off in the salt water. It stung. He didn’t want to sulk but didn’t know how to recover. His dad was already over it, and would tell the story of Shadow’s fish later with great delight, as if nothing hard had happened on the water. Shadow’s first John Dory was still grunting in the hull.

Michaela Keeble is an Australian writer who lives with her partner and kids just north of Wellington. She mainly writes press releases about how we could be adapting to climate change, but her poetry and fiction is also published online and in print.

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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Raumati blue W R I T T E N BY SA R A H CAT H E R A L L P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G GS

Some people have holiday baches and some just live at the beach all year round.

he colour blue makes Deanna Eisenhofer feel calm and happy, so it’s no surprise that her home on the Kapiti Coast features splashes of the summery hue. Perched back from the seafront on Raumati Beach, the home she shares with her partner Marcel van den Assum, is a light-filled, airy, modern residence with dreamy views across the Kapiti Coast. The couple’s three-bedroom home barely resembles the tiny 1940s weatherboard bach they bought from a family friend in 2015. Deanna and Marcel could see the potential of the house and its section with two titles. The property had been in the man’s family for 80plus years. They took the shell of the existing cottage and gave it a fresh start, and recycled some of the old timber in the new house. Rimu studs from the old house have been reused in the new front door.

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Says Marcel: ‘We respected the history in the layout of our new house, the reuse of materials, and maintaining the integrity of the landscape. The former owner is stoked with the result.’ Deanna has architecture in her blood. The daughter of one of New Zealand’s visionary architects, Fritz Eisenhofer, she spent her childhood and teenage years visiting his building sites. The modernist architect is most famous for his two curving concrete-domed houses − one on the Waikanae coast, next door to where the 92-year-old still lives. As a child, Deanna thought she might like to be an architect like her father, until she realised the work involved. ‘I have a lot more empathy for architects having grown up with one. I appreciate why you need one and why you need someone to pull it all together, which is the hardest part.’ Their home, Karekare (named after the road it is on), was overhauled by William Giesen and Cecile Bonnifait of Wellington’s Atelier Workshop, whose architectural design Deanna describes as ‘simple and clever’. The house is designed around the pool which was part of the original property, along with the cottage. They painted the pool grey − a tip from Fritz to get their pool the same blue-green hue of the sea – and added

mosaic tiles, and a wrap-around kwila deck. ‘We had spent many lazy days by the old pool years back and it's very satisfying to have brought the pool and the memories up to date,’ says Marcel. The shell of the original cottage has been reborn as the open-plan kitchen, dining and lounge area, which has been opened up to embrace the sea views. Behind it, a two-storey, cedar-clad tower wing has been added. The second storey houses the couple’s bedroom and a bunk room for their seven grandchildren, ranging in age from 13 years to newborn. From this lofty height, the couple can look down on their home, and out to the sea. They weren’t too prescriptive about the design, but one of their requirements was a gallery. They have collected a lot of art, which are displayed in the gallery off the entrance. A colourful Jan van Huysum work sits beside the front door. Sculptures by their friend Bodhi Vincent, who also lives in Kapiti, are dotted around the garden. Several works by another Kapiti local, Colin Hope, hang on the gallery walls. Karekare boasts a neutral palette, punctuated with splashes of colour. Echoing the sky and the sea, the kitchen cabinetry, the bathroom walls, the doors, and even the outdoor chairs are different shades of

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blue. Duvets are blue, cushions are blue, and much of the crockery in the kitchen is Deanna’s favourite hue. ‘We’re not afraid of colour,’ laughs Deanna. Marcel’s favourite colour is orange − evidenced by the ripe orange Pyroclassic burner in the middle of the living room, and the occasional orange cushion. Inside, the walls are covered in Italian poplar ply, giving a relaxed, summery feel, while expansive windows are flanked by louvres. ‘We wanted the home to feel light and airy and to have a simple, pared back palette,’ Deanna says. The internal kwila stairs spill vertically, like a waterfall. The white paper lamp shades dangling in the bedrooms and over the breakfast bar were found in Sydney. The couple lived in the bach for part of the renovations, and tackled the ‘urban jungle’ surrounding the property. Keen gardeners, they cleared the section, planting natives, a vegetable garden and an orchard. Three years on, their renovated home is nestled among pohutakawa trees which shelter the house from the wind. The Kapiti Coast has been their home

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for many years. Marcel raised his three children in a large house five kilometres up the road, which he and Deanna (who has a son) outgrew when all four kids left home. Says Marcel: ‘The house was high maintenance and, as the kids left home, a little cold and empty. Although a great place to bring up a family and with a glorious past, the time was right for us to embrace a bright future in something more contemporary.’ Deanna ran her gallery, Lush, in Waikanae for 16 years until she sold it last year. A self-taught fashion designer with her own label, she designs and creates clothes in her studio in her neighbour’s house. ‘What I do is architecture for the body I guess,’ she says. The house is a perfect spot for the couple who love walking on the beach, cycling, and boogie boarding. Their four children and seven grandchildren live locally, and they spend a lot of time together. The pool is thrashed over summer. Asked if they’ll be taking a holiday over summer, Deanna is quick to answer. ‘We don’t need to go anywhere,’ she laughs.

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GOOD SPORT

AT H L E T E T U R N E D A D V O C AT E Paralympic medallist swimmer Mary Fisher has applauded a new government initiative to be more inclusive of the disabled community. Last year Carmel Sepuloni, the Minister for Disability Issues, announced a work programme to explore full accessibility for people with disabilities in New Zealand. Fisher says the work programme is a chance to take a holistic approach and get an understanding of what a fully accessible New Zealand will look like. At the end of 2018 she announced her retirement from competitive swimming to focus on advocacy for environmental change and assistance for others with disabilities. She will spend 2019 working parttime, co-ordinating volunteers for the Blind Foundation and assisting the Access Matters campaign. A few dips in the pool too, of course. For more on Fisher’s earlier success see Capital #6.

BACKING BLACK

ON POINT

BURNING RUBBER

For the first time ever, the Indian Men’s and Women’s national cricket teams will both face our Black Caps and White Ferns respectively on the same day. The T20i double header is coming to the Westpac Stadium on 6 February. The match will be a taste of what’s to come at the Cricket World Cup in England in May. It is a big year in sport. The Netball World Cup will also be held in England in July, and the Rugby World Cup begins in Japan in September.

With two $1000 cash prizes up for grabs, the Castlepoint Fishing Competition is one to add to the calendar. It starts at 6am on 11 January and finishes at 3pm on the 12th. Prizes will be awarded for nine species caught from land and nine from boats, with additional youth prizes. Registration opens on 10 January.

Hataitai’s Velodrome will host Wellington’s premier track-cycling carnival on 27 January. The event features the 90-year-old Laykold Cup scratch race, the Poneke Plate and the Veteran’s Stayer’s Cup. Cyclists of all ages are welcome to participate.

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

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Volt & pepper W R I TT E N BY RO G E R WA L K E R P H OTO G R A P H Y BY LU K E B ROW N E

Continuing his understated campaign to rid the world of greenhouse gasses Roger Walker enthuses about Porsche's latest.

here are two Cayennes. One is a pepper, the other is a Porsche. This is a car column, so I’ll write about the Porsche. Its revered and internationally respected brand is built on technological advances, driving satisfaction, motorsport history and visual beauty. In 2017 I was lucky enough to visit both the factory and museum in Stuttgart. Production process and history were on display, also art galleries. Despite what purists might believe, the brand is not limited to the classic 911 series which, like a stone gently rolling down a river bed, has been finely honed over many years. There is more to Porsche than the 911. In fact the very first car the genius Ferdinand Porsche ever built, in 1898 when he was just 21 years old, was a petrol/electric hybrid. It had hub-mounted electric motors, one in each wheel, powered by batteries linked to a gasoline-engine generator. Increasing petrol prices are here to stay. We need to sip, not gulp it. So it is clear that when issues with charging times, battery costs and travel range have all been resolved, hybrid drive is a sensible stepping stone to a distant electric future. One hundred and fifteen years after that 1898 car, in 2013, Porsche introduced the hybrid 918, the contemporary reincarnation of Ferdinand’s idea but with hyper-car performance and looks to die for.

That model is now part of technical history. But you can still get your hands on one if you have 1.5 million NZ dollars lying around and want to know what it feels like to arrive at 100km/hr in 2.6 seconds, or the adrenaline rush you get travelling at 352 km/hr. For a wider market, in 2016 Porsche launched its four-door Panamera Sedan V6 E-Hybrid, followed a year later by the even gruntier turbo V8 S E-Hybrid. Closer to the budget, and building further on the 918 know-how, Porsche have just launched the second generation Cayenne E-Hybrid with more range, more power, plug-in charging (the first generation did not have this feature), and a 30% increase in battery capacity. A 3.0-litre 340-bhp petrol V6 up front is integrated with an 8-speed Tiptronic gearbox and a 136-bhp electric motor, permanently driving all four wheels, cleverly delivering power to where the grip is to be found. It can tow 3.5 tonnes of trailer or caravan. Over the rear axle, where the 911’s motor normally sits, is the powerful battery which doesn’t intrude at all into the capacious boot. Weight distribution between wheels is perfect. American figures are taken at steady speed on a fairly flat road. But remarkably, the battery is said to allow a combined fuel comsumption of 88 mpg – that is 2.7 litres a 100 km. It’s not realistic

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T O R Q U E TA L K

in real life driving, but those figures give you an idea of what the car is capable of. This year, the all-electric Taycan 4-door sedan is to be launched and next year a new all-electric Macan. As to the health of the planet, Porsche, more than most manufacturers, has achieved a balance between the joy and freedom of cars and management of the environment. In September last year Porsche abandoned diesel power. And if you are really enamoured of self-propulsion, Porsche also make bicycles. Apart from all that, waiting for me patiently on Armstrong Prestige’s forecourt, was my lovely date. Sleek of body and, like its 911, Macan and Panamera siblings incorporating a full-width rear LED light bar, and sitting on 21 inch wheels, it looked well built and beautiful. Yellow fluorescent badges and brake calipers display its electric credentials. Inside the spacious, partially leather black cabin, I settle into my heated seat with massage function and familiarise myself with the plethora of controls. The 12.3-inch centre screen integrates a multitude of functions configured to the driver’s requirements via a touch-glass screen between the front seats. Four driving modes, conveniently selected from the steering wheel, also vary the weighting of the steering and suspension: • •

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range and performance, seamlessly integrating petrol and electricity without the driver noticing. Sport mode puts the V6 at the ready, holding hands with the electric motor when you want to have a squirt. Finally Sport Plus mode calls on every available volt and turbo boost. With a combined torque of 720Kn you can get to 100kmh in just 4.7 seconds. I really didn’t expect yet another technological leap. The car is fitted with ‘Stability Management’, in which air suspension raises the car for river crossings and lowers it for track days.

The rear wheels steer in the opposite direction to the fronts, reducing the turn circle and making parallel parking a breeze. At higher speeds the rear wheels subtly steer parallel to the fronts for optimum cornering control. Pitch and roll are eliminated as the system pumps up the inside wheels for energetic cornering, giving go-kart like handling to a 750kg vehicle. Make no mistake Porsche purists, the Cayenne E-Hybrid that you can buy today is a real sports car, even with its extra doors and seats. Its incredible responsiveness, comfort, safety, and practicality all add to its performance credentials. So for me, this Porsche Cayenne very much shares the attributes of its peppery namesake. Both are hot, spicy and very good for your feeling of wellbeing.

E-power mode – there’s just whooshy silence, and no emissions for 44 km at 135km/hr. Hybrid Auto mode, which lets this highIQ car do the thinking, and optimises

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WĀ H I N E

Screen clean BY M E LO DY T H O M A S

hen you read this column we’ll be well into summer. If the city is behaving the sun will be out and the breeze just gentle and cool enough to provide relief. I imagine us all tanned and glowing, maybe a little tipsy. It’s been an intense year and while I can’t see into the future I’m hopeful that the weather, time off work and a slow news cycle will combine to open a deserved little window of rest for each of us. But as I write this column I’m not in that space − I feel used-up, flat and sad. And despite the fact that I’m fully aware my mental health is perilously frail, I just spent an hour scrolling through Twitter and crying, somehow unable to do what I know is best for myself: Unplug. Go for a walk. Find someone who loves me and ask for a hug. SLEEP. Like a newly-heartbroken teenager listening to the same Tori Amos song over and over and over again, I’ve passed the last hour reading opinion pieces about our shameful domestic violence and murder rates, and a beautiful but ultimately depressing story about a mother’s attempts to connect with the teenage daughter who doesn’t need her anymore, and watching a video where adults reflected on the horrific, repeated traumas they suffered as children in state care. For this issue of Capital I spoke with ‘influencers’ Anna Dean and Fernándo Suen about social media use, and they introduced me to a new function called Screen Time which lets iPhone users track their time online. Anna, who is the older of the two and the more aware of the need to log off and engage with the real world, was surprised to find that she used her phone more than Fernándo, who was making no attempts to curb his social media use. After the interview I checked my own statistics and was similarly shocked by how much time I spend on my phone (about 22 hours a week, including text messages, phone calls, email and podcasts.)

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Here’s the thing − I hate articles written by out-oftouch old people about how kids are all glued to their screens and not engaged with the ‘real world’. I know that for many, especially for those who are marginalised or ‘othered’ by society, the internet is a lifeline. And for all of the negative, toxic trolling there are some wonderfully supportive communities which show up for their members both online and in real life, and which I myself rely on. But in order to access the good stuff on the internet you have to expose yourself to the bad. And when it sticks, the bad stuff can feel really heavy. I recently went through everyone I follow on Instagram and un-followed those whose bikini pics and photoshopped selfies made me feel bad about myself, adding a bunch of people who I don’t see enough from − fat babes, people with disabilities, older women, women of colour. But when it comes to other media I’ve been hesitant to block or ignore voices I don’t agree with. I know we all live in our little bubbles now, surrounded by people whose opinions echo our own, and I see the value in challenging one’s assumptions and biases. Similarly, I feel torn between a desire to stay informed on what’s going on in the world and a deep hopelessness over my inability to do anything about it. How can I tap into the blissful part without also signing up for the ignorance? For me, this summer, the answer is simply to log off. I know that not everyone has the opportunity to tap out of the fight, that for many just existing is a political act. But if that is an option for you it’s OK to take it. Get some rest. Splash about in the sea. Bliss out on the dappled light shimmering underneath the pohutukawa tree. Replenish and re-energise. Then, when you’re ready, pick up your armour and come re-join the fight.