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CAPITAL CAN YOU DIG IT? APRIL 2020

The E x p l o re issue

ISSUE 70

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It’s a well-known paradox that it’s difficult to break into the job industry without experience, but how do you get that experience without a job? That’s where Wellington ICT Graduate School comes in with its practical one-year Master programmes which work with the local tech industry and real-world projects. The Graduate School is an initiative lead by Victoria University of Wellington to create direct pathways from education into employment. They partner with local tech businesses to provide guest lectures, workshops,

“They’re a diverse group of people with a wide range of skills and business experience which they’ve brought to the course, and are now learning the full spectrum of BA [Business Analyst] skills. It was a thoroughly enjoyable mentoring them and I have to say to employers who may be looking for a BA, don't pass up the opportunity to talk to these students. They are bright, intelligent and passionate.” - Colin McIntosh, Agile Coach and MBusAn Mentor

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Master of Information Technology (MIT)

Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in ICT (PGCertICT/PGDipICT)

mentorships, projects, and more for our students so they can gain the experience needed to hit the ground running. Some of the Graduate School’s partners are Weta Digital, ANZ, Spark, Catalyst IT, Wellington City Council, Ministry of Education, and Chorus. Everyone has to start somewhere and have their own personal career journey. The Graduate School recognises this and builds upon people’s existing talents and skills. Some of their postgraduate programmes are ‘conversion’ meaning they are created for people from non-ICT backgrounds and open to anyone with a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. This allows people to change career directions without having to start from scratch. The Graduate School’s students have had varied backgrounds from vets to linguists to musicians who are now expanding their skill sets. Avenir Technology, who’ve hired many of their Master of Software Development students, said that they “really liked that the students have previous experience, other degrees, and backgrounds.” Not only does the Graduate School offer industry-relevant

BUT I NEED A JOB TO GET EXPERIENCE” experience and fast-tracked learning of highly sought-after technical skills but it also offers professional development opportunities. They run CV workshops and offer one-on-one advice on everything from job interviews to LinkedIn profiles with help from their industry partners. According to the Ministry of Education’s ‘Employment outcomes for tertiary education’ report only 53% of Bachelor graduates are employed within a year, but Wellington ICT Graduate School has a 92% graduate employment (relevant to their study) rate within a year. Part of the reason why the Graduate School has such a high employment rate is that it works with the industry to see what skills are most needed. There is a big demand for people to fill ICT roles in Wellington and IT roles dominated the list of highest paid positions in 2019. Business analyst, developer programmer, software tester, web developer, and ICT project manager are on the skill shortage list. These are some roles that the Graduate School’s programmes target. The Graduate School recently opened a new campus just off Courtenay Place which is home to three of their programmes. Their Master of Software Development, User Experience Design, and Professional Business Analysis live here. This purpose-built new space has the latest technology with a range of workspaces that encourage collaboration and innovation whilst providing flexibility. Their postgraduate programmes often collaborate together,

“It gave me the chance to apply the skills I had learned to a project I was passionate about. We explored a software solution to address issues affecting young people in New Zealand. Being part of this meant we were also exposed to a great community and given a chance to gain skills that would not have been possible in a normal corporate environment.” - Madeleine St-Laurent-Guérin, MSwDev (Cloud Engineering Consultant at Deloitte)

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CAPITAL

Made in Wellington

‘W

e live in uncertain times’ said successful writer Somerset Maugham of the 1930s, in The Summing Up. Our uncertain times are just beginning. A few weeks ago, Welly locals were grumbling lightly about a poor summer and vaguely aware of a virus causing alarm elsewhere in the world; now we are completing the April issue in a blaze of late summer sun and in the middle of a pandemic, with the entire country worrying about selfisolation, quarantine, work, travel restrictions, and the health of family and friends. Explore, the theme of this issue, suddenly takes on a different complexion. Exploration ranges from close to home in the photo essay from Frenchman Yoan Jolly, whose exploring eye captures a very distinctive landscape flavour, to Sarah Lang’s story on Jacqui Kenny who uses technology to explore the entire world and create art, in the process mitigating the constraints of her agoraphobia. Claire O’Loughlin writes about the privations and elation of a cycling holiday in the USA. And exploring close to home we talk to wheelwright and new Carterton mayor Greg Lang. Melody Thomas reminds us to explore our emotions honestly, while archaeologist Mary O’Keefe enthuses to Benn Jeffries about exploring the buried narratives of New Zealand. Also tracing relics of our colonial past, Matthew Plummer looks at some of Wellington’s mostly forgotten fountains. Somerset Maugham was a part of that colonial past and lived through the last major pandemic that affected New Zealand and Europe. Maugham’s delight in the company of the rich and famous was well known. Explorer, writer, and adventurer Patrick Leigh Fermor, himself no slouch in seeking the acquaintance of influential people wrote ruefully about an encounter. Fermor had blagged an invitation to Maugham’s lavish villa in the South of France, he proceeded to mislay his usually winning ways and after a series of faux pas, Maugham encouraged him to self isolate saying before he went up to bed, ‘I’ll say good bye now as I won’t be up in the morning before you leave.’ Oops. We hope you will find this issue the perfect companion in company or isolation and that we see you all in May.

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FA I R O O Z S A M Y Writer

M AT T H E W P LU M M E R Hi stor y c olum n i st

Fairooz is a Wellington writer, researcher, and pop-culture fiend. When she isn’t writing, she analyses the internet as part of a media studies doctorate. She enjoys social commentary, buffets, intellectualising reality television, and Oxford commas.

Matthew is in the buildings team at Beca. In his spare time he runs the Old Wellington twitter account (@oldwgtn), and is slowly renovating a 1900s house in Mount Cook. He’s a seventh generation Wellingtonian and isn’t a fan of the Water Whirler.

CLAIRE ORCHARD Po e t

R AC H E L H E LY E R Journ a li st

Claire was born in Wainuiomata, grew up in Hutt Valley, and now lives in Wellington. Her poetry has been published in various literary journals, including in her 2016 book Cold Water Cure (VUP). When not occupied with wrangling her own poems she enjoys reading and thinking about works by other poets.

Originally from Te Waipounamu, Rachel spent 16 years in London. In 2014 she sensibly settled in Wellington to set set up as a freelance feature writer and filmmaker. Taking part in her first-ever Round the Bays in February made her feel like a true Wellingtonian.

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.

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C O N T E N T S

12 LETTERS 14 CHATTER 16 NEWS BRIEFS 18 NEW PRODUCTS 21 BY THE NUMBERS 22 TALES OF THE CITY

D I R T B E N E AT H T H E N A I L S Archaeologist Mary O'Keeffe digs around

REINVENTING THE WHEEL

INTERNET EXPLORER How an agoraphobic travels the world

30 CULTURE

36 INTERNATIONALLY INDIGENOUS Brandon, Wellingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busiest creator

Greg Lang, Wairarapa wheelwright and Carterton Mayor

C O N T E N T S

A B S O L U T E LY P O S I T I V E LY

SHEARERS’ TA B L E

SWEET VA L L E Y H I G H

Our backyard captured

Hot cross bun pudding

Little house on a hill

62 BUG ME 64 EDIBLES 70 BY THE BOOK

86 ON THE ROAD-SIDE

73 RE-VERSE Claire Orchard on Maeve Hughes’ Moscow in Winter

Claire O’Loughlin explores the Pacific Coast Highway on two wheels

New!

75 PAST TENSE Wellington’s forgotten fountains

88 90 93 94

WELLY ANGEL GOOD SPORT WĀHINE CALENDAR

L E T T E R S

O N YOU R T O E S I’m a keen follower of dance, attending all of those on offer at the recent International Arts Festival. The stand out show for me was undoubtedly the local show Strasbourg 1518 (Cap #60). What a treat. I was bewitched by the wonderful Michael Parmenter and astounded by the sheer exuberance and stamina of the performers in this wild cacophony of sound and music. However the biggest surprise came from two Fringe dance shows Enough at Bats and Situations in Play at Toi Poneke. The latter I had read about in your magazine (Cap #69). Thanks for keeping me up to date with what’s going on and finding those little gems. Heather Thomas, Brooklyn FOOD FOR THE SOUL

Comprehensive eye care and advice you can depend on

Every month I look at your recipes and I think, ‘Oh yes, I’ll try that,’ but I never do. Until now. I’ve just made the carrot risotto (Cap #69) – minus the zucchini chips (yuk) – and it was delicious. I’m now inspired to go back and actually make some others. Next I’ll try the Christmas pies (Cap #67). I’m hoping they’ll pick me up in these uncertain times. Marama, Hataitai P IC T U R E P E R F E C T Just wanted to tell you how much I loved your photo of ‘Private eye’ Peter Grimmer (Cap #69). I can’t help but smile too when I flick to that page. I also loved the photo of ‘Ballet bones’ Kate McIntosh. So silly! Lou, Upper Hutt W E L L SE RV E D Thank you for featuring a sweet little article about our Kanama Kopi Kadai in your latest issue (Cap #69). We truly appreciate it. We've been getting wonderful response and support from everyone for which we are truly humbled. Thanks again for the lovely gesture. Vanitha Muthuvelu, Wellington

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CASTLEPOINT IMAGE BY JOAO INACIO

S E C TCI HO AN T TH EE RA D E R

One Good things come in threes Kāpiti Coast brewery Tuatara launched three new beers last month. The Tuatara IPA Trio Mix Pack is three new variations of the popular IPA style – East Coast Hazy IPA, a West Coast IPA, and a Pacific (NZ and Australia) IPA – and comes in a handy six pack. The packaging features navigation themed imagery including a variety of mythical creatures from each hop region as a nod to early explorers and the like-minded craft beer lovers who thrive on discovery and experimentation.

Three Lures and beacons Artist Jade Townsend has retrieved discarded materials from beaches in Thailand and Spain, and transformed them into delicately woven and painted works for her exhibition this month. The art she made from fishing and tourism debris is described by Jade as ‘expressing my relationship with navigation, the pull of the sea and the complex emotions of returning home. I look at this new series and realise I have made a collection of lures and beacons to signal a way back.’ Homesick/Sickhome by Jade Townsend, Page Galleries, from 8 April

Four Old soles

Tw o Wa s t e n o t Before you succumb to the temptations of the ‘new in’ section, why not consider an ethically-conscious alternative? This month, the Sustainability Trust is hosting a body-positive clothing swap, where you can trade in your unwanted garments for a slew of pre-loved threads. Tickets include nibbles and a tipple, but get in quick – there are only 25 spots!

Many happy returns to Willow Shoes, who provide footwear for the long-footed among us. They’re turning 20. And it’s a diamond anniversary for Gubbs, where we all got our first pair of ballet shoes, which is a whopping 75 years old.

F i ve Get laid Clucky is back for Easter. The famous Kirkcaldie and Stains Easter Chicken lays an Easter egg in return for a gold coin donation. Find her nesting at Wellington Museum from Good Friday to Easter Monday.

C H AT T E R

New in town

By the beach Onepū at Lyall Bay wants you to enjoy the sand between your toes. Their menu is designed for takeaway, so you can grab a snack or a drink and head straight back to the beach. Onepū, meaning ‘sandy,’ offers waffles, ice cream, toasties, coffee, smoothies, and shakes.

Six S ev e n y e a r i t c h We’ve just turned seven! According to Great School Developmental Milestones for 7-Year-Olds, we should now have good hand-eye coordination and use a vocabulary of several thousand words. The top tip for dealing with seven-year-olds? ‘This is a time of fragile self-esteem, so offer frequent encouragement and positive feedback.’ You can send this to us at hello@capital.co.nz.

Eight Riffs and rhythm

S e ve n

Jazz babies rejoice, a new adult all-comers jazz band is starting up later this month. Jazz musician and composer Jake Baxendale (Cap #51) will lead a weekly session for musicians of all levels. He promises it will be fun, with no pressure to get it right first time. Tuesday nights at Rata Studios in Strathmore, email mark@ratastudios.co.nz for info and to sign up.

Ro a r i n g g o o d t i m e The New Zealand backcountry will soon be filled with tremendous roaring and the sound of antlers clashing. April marks the red deer breeding season, or ‘the roar.’ It’s a popular time for hunters, who track and lure deer by imitating their roars. Over the summer months stags re-grow their antlers in anticipation of the roar. Once winter hits the antlers drop off, and the cycle repeats itself. April also happens to coincide with the highest rate of firearm-related accidents; the Mountain Safety Council urges people out in the hills to follow the firearms safety code.

It's cool to kōrero Nō Whanganui-ā-Tara ahau. Nō hea koe?

I'm from Wellington, where are you from?

N E W S

BELL B OY Pukerua Bay’s Dylan Thomas has received the Association of Ringing Teachers’ 2020 Learning the Ropes Achievement Award for his proficiency in and dedication to bell ringing. The 16 year old began ringing at the Cathedral of St Paul last year and has already rung over 80 quarter peals – each a performance involving ringing 1,250 changes. Derek Williams, Ringing Master for Wellington Combined Society of Bellringers, says Wellington has fantastic bells, but not the comprehensive national structure that most people benefit from when learning to ring in the UK. ‘So this award is especially worth celebrating.’

TOP TEN

C U T T H E C H E E SE

DREAM TEAM

Mermaidens (Cap #12) and Louis Baker (Cap #1) are among the 10 finalists for the Taite Music Prize. Named after the late music journalist Dylan Taite, the $12,500 award recognises outstanding creativity for an entire collection of music on a single recording. Wellington sludge metal band Beastwars are finalists again, having been nominated for their self-titled debut in 2012 and Blood Becomes Fire in 2014. Winners will be announced on 20 April.

Martinborough goat cheese makers Amanda and Lindsey Goodman of the Drunken Nanny have brought home a herd of medals from the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards. Black Tie – a pyramid-shaped fresh goat cheese coated in ash from burnt French grape vines – won a gold medal. Their Lemony Lush and Dill Lush were awarded silver medals, while Cheeky Camembert and Fresh Lush both received bronze. The judges, who tasted more than 300 cheeses, will announce three supreme champions next month.

Kara Puketapu-Dentice will be the new Director of Economy and Development at Hutt City Council. He currently works as a consultant with NZTA on the Ngauranga to Petone shared pathway project and leads projects supporting housing outcomes with Kāinga Ora. Council Chief Executive Jo Millar announced four other new directors for the Corporate Leadership team: Anna Welanyk, Helen Oram, Chris Marsh, and Andrea Blackshaw. All five will be in place by 1 July.

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N E W S

OOPS, THEY DID IT AGAIN Wellington Water has had three wastewater contamination incidents since January. On 14 January and 27 January, Martinborough Wastewater Treatment Plant discharged 190,000+ litres of wastewater into the Ruamahanga River. On 2 March, two mechanical failures at the Southern Landfill Treatment Plant caused an overflow of sludge. Locals described the result as the ‘bog of eternal stench.’ Wellington Water also discovered five places where wastewater pipes had been connected to stormwater pipes, leading to high levels of faecal contamination in the Owhiro stream and marine reserve.

H I ST O R IC

GEARED UP

FEMALE FUTURES

Featherston’s 92-year-old World War I War Memorial became a Category 1 historic place last month. The memorial on Fitzherbert St lists the names of 48 local soldiers who died in WWI. Twenty-nine further names, casualties from World War II, were added in the ‘50s. Further north, St Joseph’s Church at Riversdale Beach is now a Category 2 historic place. It was built in 1881 and was originally in Tinui. In 1981, the church was moved 30km south to Riversdale Beach, a journey which reportedly took six hours.

A Wainuiomata cycle trail will soon join the network of Heartland Rides, a nationwide network of cycle trails. The 28-km route starts at the Orongorongo River car park and connects to the Hutt River Trail. Senior Project Engineer Simon Cager says, ‘The route, although it already exists, is still going to need some work to make it fit for purpose. We’re currently scoping a number of safety enhancements and seeking input from road users and the community.’ The trail will open mid-2020.

Margaret Adeane, Academic Director at Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, is representing New Zealand on a Global Action Research Collaborative pilot programme. Nine teachers from girls’ schools from around the world are researching ways to increase girls’ confidence and resilience, while reducing anxiety and improving emotional wellbeing. Adeane is investigating how to teach girls to fail and thrive so they develop the skillsets needed for workplaces of the future.

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B Y

T H E

N U M B E R S

Explorer Wellington has been discovered, claimed to be discovered, fought over, by multiple people – here’s a potted history of some of the attempts. Whoever it was, the birds beat us by a long shot.

c.925 A.D

10th

century that Kupe is said to have discovered Wellington Harbour. He is also reputed to have named Matiu Island (‘Somes’) and Makaro Island (‘Ward’) after his daughters

c.1350

year Kupe settled on the harbour

when explorer Whātonga sailed from Hawaiki and landed at Mahia. Whātonga’s sons formed the tribes Ngāti Tara and Rangitāne who settled the Wellington region

1773

1770

year Captain James Cook sailed past the strait between the North and South Islands during his first exploration of Aotearoa – which was subsequently named after him

1820

when, on a return visit, Cook anchored at the entrance to the harbour but his attempt to enter was thwarted by a southerly (quelle surprise, eh?)

1824 & 27

year Te Rauparaha moved south and attacked Māori tribes, causing many including Ngāti Ira, Rangitāne, and Muaūpoko to flee the harbour

1826

two visits by the French Naval officer Dumont d’Urville but without entering the harbour (who wants to wager it was the wind?)

year of first failed attempt at European settlement by the New Zealand Company − after Te Rauparaha’s rampage six years earlier the harbour was sparsely populated, but a boatful of 40 migrants weren’t sure if they would be welcomed by inhabitants so turned tail for Sydney (starting the brain-drain to Oz)

1840

1820s–80s

year the first wave of British settlers arrived – 150 on the Aurora, hence Aurora Terrace in the CBD

decades the Te Aro Pa is thought to have been occupied – its remains not discovered until excavations in 2005 for an apartment on lower Taranaki Street

Compiled by Craig Beardsworth

S E C T I O N

H E A D E R

TA L E S

O F

T H E

C I T Y

Current affairs BY F R A N C E S CA E M M S P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

BAR

PIZZ A

B O OK

HOLIDAY

Moon

Rogue & Vagabond

Caves: Exploring New Zealand's Subterranean

Golden Bay

FAVE PLACE Wellington’s south coast

Nicole Miller explores the watery depths

f Nicole Miller isn’t in her dive gear, you’ll most likely see her exploring Wellington’s coastlines wearing her Wellington Underwater Club t-shirt. She’s always been drawn to water and the outdoors, especially the lakes and rivers where she grew up in the south of Germany, and moving to New Zealand finally made her scuba-diving dreams come true. ‘My two first ever scuba dives in the ocean were in the Poor Knights Island Marine Reserve in Northland, and we had three bronze whaler sharks joining in on the scuba course! I was hooked immediately and my passion for the marine environment has grown ever since.’ A Wellingtonian for ‘about nine, ten years,’ Nicole works in the CBD and loves the way our green and blue spaces connect to Wellington’s city life. ‘It’s so easy to go for a walk along the harbour or the Botanical Garden during lunch time, or head to the coast after work with fish ‘n chips.’ Nicole is a regular at any cafe close to a dive site: Beach House, Maranui, the Botanist, Scorch-O-Rama, and Chocolate Fish cafes are among her favourites. She’s also partial to pizza and craft beer at Rogue & Vagabond. Through the Wellington Underwater Club, of which is she now the president, Nicole discovered the Taputeranga Marine Reserve. ‘The marine environment changes every day and you never know what you will get to see. Just the other day I saw two huge eagle rays and got circled by a large school of fish. I also love the little critters, like anemones and nudi-

branchs (most amazing sea slugs). Some are really colourful and others are blending in as masters of camouflage.’ The thing she loves most is ‘spending time watching all the amazing seaweed around our coast, rimurimu in te reo. On the first look you see seaweed forests with giant kelp towering over bush-like brown seaweeds and when you look deeper you discover smaller seaweeds in red, brown, and green colours and in different shapes and an amazing variety of marine life. It’s an entire hidden ecosystem! Some of the seaweeds are delicious to eat and all of them produce oxygen like forests on land – you’ll dive in a sea of bubbles on a sunny day.’ Experiencing the marine environment in this way is a real privilege, she says. Nicole joined the Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve Trust who act to protect and enhance the reserve. For the trust, she has created a 360° virtual dive tour of the marine reserve. She’ll be showcasing this tour, using a virtual reality headset, on 1 & 7 April at the Embassy Theatre, during the Ocean Film Festival Tour. It’s also available online (adventure360.co.nz). It’s not just exploring underwater that appeals to Nicole. ‘I also enjoy tramping, climbing and being out in the bush, mountains and remote places marvelling at natural wonders. Caving brings a lot of this together and it’s a real buzz to go underground and discover what lies around the next corner.’

F E AT U R E

Internet explorer

ow does an agoraphobic explore the world? With a bit of ingenuity. From her London home, New Zealand expat Jacqui Kenny explores countries through Google Street View, an online platform which uses cameras mounted on various vehicles to capture photographs of locations worldwide, then 'stitches' together the images to produce 360-degree panoramas. When Kenny finds an image she likes – which can take many hours – she screenshots it (there are 27,000 so far). A perfectionist,

What began as a way to open up her world has turned agoraphobic Jacqui Kenny into an artist who’s begun exhibiting internationally. She talks to Sarah Lang.

F E AT U R E

she’s posted only 200 or so images (‘I only really like 10 of them’) on Instagram feed @streetview.portraits as the Agoraphobic Traveller. At last count, she had over 141,000 followers. In 2017 Kenny featured on the front page of National Geographic’s website ‘despite me not travelling or having a camera!’ The same year Google also featured her work on its home page, and made a threeminute doco about her (1.5 million-plus views on YouTube). The images often depict the outskirts of cities, remote towns,

and arid landscapes (camels in a United Arab Emirates desert, a mobile home in Kyrgyzstan) with the sky and/or foreground often prominent as negative space. ‘Oddly enough, given my agoraphobia, I’m drawn to open spaces. I like vivid architecture, bright light, and pastel colours, which suit Instagram.’ With their stark aesthetic and otherworldly feel, her images convey both isolation and hope. People are peripheral, if there at all – Google’s privacy protocol means recognisable faces are blurred. ‘I do hardly any editing.

F E AT U R E

I decided not to go down the Photoshop route at all. One day I might link to the actual locations [on Google Street View] and I don’t want them looking completely different.’ Kenny absolutely considers her work art. ‘It’s blurring the lines of what photography is, for sure. Some people think I’m just a curator, but it’s different from curation because, like a photographer, I’m considering different elements: the subject matter, good lighting, composition. Everyone would do this differently.’ She had

never made or studied art, but had worked in the film industry. ‘One of my main jobs was helping directors put together visual mood boards which entailed looking at lots of typography. That helped me figure out the style I like.’ Kenny, who smiles even while talking about painful things, has experienced severe anxiety for more than 20 years. ‘Back then, no one really talked about it.’ Initially, she didn’t know what her panic attacks were. ‘I thought I was dying, and the doctor put it down to

F E AT U R E

something I'd eaten.’ Symptoms included a racing heart, shortness of breath, feeling faint, even feeling her feet had left the floor. ‘You start fearing having an attack. Then you stop going to places where you might have an attack.’ Thirteen years ago she moved from Auckland to London with her partner to run their digital-production company. Ten years ago, when the illness was affecting every aspect of her life, she was diagnosed with agoraphobia. Often mischaracterised as a fear

of open spaces, it’s more a fear of being trapped in places where escape might be difficult, ‘or just away from your comfort zone. I reduced my world to places near my home.’ Then the business closed. ‘It was a not-so-great time. I wasn’t ready to go back out into the world but I wanted to do something creative.’ She remembered an image of Brazil that she’d screenshot from Google Street View, and began exploring countries at random, then more methodically. ‘I just loved it. Sometimes I’d spend

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18 hours on it a day.’ Originally, she posted images on Instagram without mentioning agoraphobia, then she decided to become ‘the Agoraphobic Traveller’ to raise awareness of agoraphobia and mental illness. ‘The whole project has helped me. It’s not just about opening up, but also about being creative and keeping away negative thoughts.’ These days Kenny only spends a few hours a week on Google Street

View. ‘I’m in the best place I’ve been in ages. Now that I talk about it, it doesn't seem to have as much power over me. I’ve got so much support through this project – and now know people wouldn't react badly if I had a panic attack. I’ve also fallen in love with the world. I feel really connected, no matter where I go.’ First published Art Zone #73

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WA I N O T ? Elizabeth Thomson’s Between Memory and Oblivion; Te waka totohu, is one of many water-inspired works included in Wai: The Water Project at Pātaka Art + Museum (from 12 April). Using glass spheres, resin, vinyl, and lacquer, Elizabeth’s piece references rivers and oceans and the preciousness of water. The Water Project began in 2018 when Elizabeth and 12 others explored Canterbury’s waterways and responded with new works for an exhibition curated by the Ashburton Art Gallery. Elizabeth Thomson also shows at Page Galleries in Wellington.

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Positioning dance as a pathway into the Bard’s work, the Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ’s second annual Dance Nimble Soles initiative invites people of any age to choreograph a Shakespeare-inspired dance work. They must be between 3 and 10 minutes long and may be in any dance genre. Last year, Maddie Brooks Gillespie was the dramaturg (literary adviser) for a friend’s entry centred on Joan of Arc (a character in Henry VI, Part 1). This year Maddie, 17, is helping home-schooled students choreograph pieces. They will all be performed on International Dance Day (29 April, Hannah Playhouse).

Most artists would love to get $23,552 for a project, and Sarah Hunter is no exception. The Wellington creative storyteller and multi-media artist has nabbed one of two spots in a Department of Conservation and Creative NZ programme, Wild Creations, which supports artists to tell conservation stories. Sarah, who grew up near Porangahau Estuary, will take and print photographs of the estuary for Wellington artist Juliet Black to turn into origami light-shades and lit origami objects. Also featuring Thomas Voyce’s sound art, Home will be exhibited next year.

This is self-portraiture, but not as you know it. Australian sculptor/multimedia artist Christian Thompson takes photographs of himself (or is photographed by an assistant) while wearing or carrying costumes, adornments, disguises, and other items that often reflect his Aboriginal and European heritage (think a model ship, or a map). See his multi-disciplinary artworks at Oracles a joint exhibition with Pacific Island artist Pati Solomona Tyrell, at City Gallery (4 April – 2 August). Both artists use self-portraiture and masquerade. ‘I’m excited to return to Wellington after a residency here in 2014,’ says Christian.

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S I N G E R’ S SONGS Currently making a name for itself internationally, Wellington band French For Rabbits performs its ‘ethereal dream-pop’ at Wellington Museum’s After Hours session, 8 May. ‘It includes a taster of material we're working on for our third album,’ says vocalist Brooke Singer (yes, her real surname). The five-person group has done seven international tours. Singer also works on solo material, and tutors at Massey University. ‘And I assist other musicians through community record label Home Alone Music. Look out for Wellington trio Ida Lune, whose self-titled album is out in April.’

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The annual Show Me Shorts festival has begun running monthly short-film events throughout autumn and winter. Each evening showcases a different country’s films. For the German Short Film Night (29 April), Show Me Shorts is collaborating with the Goethe-Institut New Zealand, which promotes German language and culture. Expect subtitled comedy, sci-fi, and mockumentary. Tickets are $15 and the venue is Tuatara’s bar the Third Eye on Arthur St.

Talk about a big break: Richard Crouchley, who graduated from Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School last year, will play David Bain in the upcoming TVNZ series Black Hands, based on the eponymous podcast. Experienced actor Luanne Gordon, a 1997 Toi Whakaari graduate, plays Bain’s mother Margaret Cullen. Toi Whakaari will hold various events this year for its 50th birthday.

An exhibition exploring the kaupapa Māori approach of ‘hokohoko’ (exchange, trade, barter) in Aotearoa’s jewellery-art scene certainly isn’t about swapping pieces. Ngā Hokohoko (The Dowse, until12 July) is about connections, influences, and the exchange of ideas and materials. Whitireia grad Neke Moa, known for her pounamu and shell jewellery, exhibits alongside Areta Wilkinson and four others. ‘Areta is an absolute inspiration as a wāhine Māori, Kāi Tahu iwi member and maker,’ Neke tells us.

Twigland Gardeners World has a superb range of plants and gardening related products, including all your favourites and those not easily procured. Come visit Wellington’s favourite garden centre and the very popular Café Thyme Only 15 minutes from downtown Wellington 240 Middleton Road, Glenside Open every day from 9am to 5pm

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Hot Takes: Climate Crisis

We have something to say

Power pack

From the Pacific’s cries of ‘we are fighting not drowning’ to the Greta Effect, young people around the globe are demanding to be heard in the fight for climate justice. Be part of the conversation on the world’s burning issues. Koha.

Five artists – Elspeth Shannon, Glen Jorna, Jasmine Chalmers, Sian Torrington and Owie Simpson – combine their bold creative visions and collaborate in the collective exhibition ‘have something to say #2’. A percentage of sales are donated to Vincent Art Workshops, a Wellington arts access institution.

Art Zone celebrates NZ art with these limited edition cards. Ten exclusive cards by five NZ artists, all presented in one beautiful package. Artists featured are James Tylor, Kate Woods, Cam Edward, Amy Unkovich & Harry Culy. Cards are blank on the inside and envelopes included. Only $34.99.

Thur 16–Sat 25 Apr Ground Floor, Te Auaha, 65 Dixon Street havesomethingtosay.nz

Thur 23 Apr, 5.30pm 3 Jervois Quay, Wellington. wellingtonmuseum.nz

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Wellington Fri, 3 Apr, 6.30pm Michael Fowler Centre In Conversation (free event) Wed, 1 Apr, 7.30pm Waitoa Social Club 175 Victoria Street

Devotion NEW ZEALAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PODIUM SERIES

Donald Runnicles Conductor Jennifer Davis Soprano Vasilisa Berzhanskaya Mezzo-soprano Samuel Sakker Tenor Jonathan Lemalu Bass Voices New Zealand Choir Beethoven Missa Solemnis

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{Suite}

Starman (1984)

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.

Legendary director John Carpenter hasn’t made too many conventional heartwarming films. Starman sees Carpenter switching genres, opting for an out of this world romance film. Starring Oscar-nominated Jeff Bridges and an equally great Karen Allen. $15 per person.

Free public dance workshops, performances and films.

Tuesday–Friday 11am–6pm, 11am–4pm Saturdays 241 Cuba St. suite.co.nz

Sun 26 Apr, 7pm 40 Salamanca Road, Kelburn, Wellington. spaceplace.nz

Sunday 26 April 10.20am–4pm Te Papa, Wellington. internationaldanceday.org.nz

International Dance Day 2020

Fantastic celebration of dance, everyone welcome! Learn a new dance, with a wide range of workshops from Spanish flamenco to a Scottish ceilidh. Performances by local groups reflect the rich diversity of dance in Wellington.

Exhibitions at the Sarjeant

Ngā Mahi ā te Whare Pora

SGCNZ Dance Nimble Soles

Whanganui’s Sarjeant on the Quay is showcasing the considerable talent of the region in the Whanganui Arts Review. Also on show: Kathryn Wightman’s Digital Parent, which is the inaugural ‘pattillo project’ a solo showcase offered to the previous year’s Arts Review winner.

A unique opportunity to look at stitching from the many communities that call Wellington home, weaving together stories of cultures, textiles and creators through workshops, talks, show-and-tell, swaps and more. Join us for a day of making, conversation, connection and celebration. Koha.

Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ (SGCNZ), in association with DANZ and Hannah Playhouse, presents a selection of Shakespeare-inspired dance pieces exploring and interpreting through a variety of genres the eternal themes, relationships, and issues found in all the Bard’s works. Koha entry.

Throughout April 2020 Sarjeant on the Quay, 38 Taupō Quay, Whanganui. sarjeant.org.nz

Sat 18 Apr, 10am–5pm 3 Jervois Quay, Wellington. wellingtonmuseum.nz

Wed 29 Apr, 7.30pm Hannah Playhouse, 12 Cambridge Terrace. sgcnz.org.nz

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Internationally indigenous BY FA I RO OZ SA M Y P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

ilm-maker Brandon Te Moananui is irrepressible. The all-rounder (he edits, produces, and directs) may be one of Wellington’s busiest and most chill creators. Since 2019, he’s worked on the Avatar sequel, directed two short documentaries, planned his second TV project with showband the Māori Sidesteps, and helmed an upcoming anime series titled Āio: The Last Paradise of Kiwa. A co-production between New Zealand and Japan, the anime will be the first of its kind, blending Japanese animation with Māori characters and art. Brandon’s film-making journey began in his Hutt Valley hometown, with a high school friend, a choreographer cousin, and a video camera. The trio began uploading dance clips to YouTube in 2010 and he soon found himself directing the debut music video for Wellington reggae band the Tomorrow People. The video went viral. Encouraged by the exposure, and having ‘fallen in love’ with content-creation, Brandon left his photography/graphic design degree course at WelTec to enrol in the New Zealand Film and Television School. Brandon might be best known as the creative director of The Māori Sidesteps, a comedic web series starring the band’s members as Pete’s Emporium employees turned musical heroes. He woke up one morning and ‘had this idea of doing a Māori musical web series’, and ran the concept by friend and writer Jamie McCaskill, who was, serendipitously, a founding member of the Sidesteps. The rest was history. Like Brandon, the series is effervescent and uplifting, bringing a Māori perspective to storytelling on- and off-screen. The show’s dialogue incorporates te reo and the production starts each day with a waiata. ‘I think bringing te reo Māori into the film process has been one of our big things with karakia and waiata’. These changes made the series’ working environment inclusive and ‘a lot of fun’. ‘Everyone’s laughing’, said Brandon. ‘There are always tough times but it’s about keeping everyone’s energy up through the shoot days’. Āio came about during a catch-up coffee between Brandon and Nesian Mystik singer Te Awanui Reeder, who lamented that his young son would find no representations of himself in children’s media. Inspired, Brandon brought McCaskill on board as a writing partner, and they spent the next 18 months developing Āio’s story and ‘the tikanga of the world’ in which it takes place. They received develop-

ment funding and headed to Japan for a series of pitch meetings. ‘We realised that no one in New Zealand had actually done this, so we didn't have anyone to ask for advice. We just had to figure it out!’ Āio's concept was so compelling that all eight of the studios he pitched it to wanted to take up the project, something he describes as ‘amazing’. Āio is the product of te ao Māori (the Māori world view) in practice. The project brings Māori stories to an international stage, and does so in a way that includes and uplifts other indigenous creatives. ‘One thing that we have set in stone and contracted with the studio is that we’ll develop Māori artists. We’ll take Māori with us’, explained Brandon. ‘When the series is being made, they have to hire one or two Māori artists to learn the skills they have’. Language inclusivity was also crucial, with Brandon hoping to ‘put the whole series in te reo, and English, and Nihongo (Japanese) as well’. They chose to partner with the Kishida Group (of Yu Gi Oh! fame) who put them in contact with interested networks. The team came prepared with winning touches inspired by te ao Māori. ‘We had Weta workshop make one of the character’s taiahas (in polystyrene and PVC) so that we could walk around with it. We went to every meeting and presented it to them with a ketu. We had 15 ketu made, each one holding our proposal for the whole story. We also had these taonga carved, and inside was a USB stick which had all the information they needed.’ The uniquely Māori presentation was a hit with the studio – ‘the Kishida Group wanted to keep all the ones we had so they could pass them on to their networks’ – and captured the attention of two networks. However, their success came with a cost, specifically that of the pilot episode. ‘Animation never really gets made in New Zealand because it’s too expensive,’ explained Brandon. ‘You can make a whole live-action web series for about three minutes' worth of anime’. The team offered the studio a percentage of the licencing fee in exchange for reduced animation costs, but the real boost came from whanau and friends who got the funding over the finish line. When asked about Taika Waititi’s Oscar win and the potential of indigenous art, Brandon was characteristically optimistic. ‘It feels different now. There are more opportunities and it’s just about doing the hard yards. It’s the perfect time to be an indigenous storyteller’.

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Dirt beneath the nails Veteran archaeologist Mary O’Keeffe talks to Benn Jeffries about diving on shipwrecks, digging up ancient roads, and uncovering New Zealand's complicated past. P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G GS

estled between tall buildings in the drone of city noise sits Antrim House, a curious slice of Wellington history, and an architectural gem. Historian Michael King said if New Zealand has anything to offer world architecture, it is our wooden structures. Appropriate then, for the Heritage New Zealand headquarters to occupy such a building. Mary O’Keeffe runs from its grand front doors to meet me in a cafe on a rainy Wellington day. She isn’t wearing a cobweb-covered fedora, nor is she running from a five-ton boulder barrelling down the hill, but she is Wellington’s answer to Indiana Jones. ‘I’d love to say I was that kid who sat in the back yard and dug things up, but I wasn’t. It was sheer serendipity.’ In the 1980s when the government still ran summer job programmes Mary got involved in one that focused on history. She had no idea what to expect and ended up spending the summer recording archaeological sites in the Bay of Plenty in anticipation of the kiwi fruit industry. Mary became hooked and went back for the next few summers, eventually going on to study archaeology at Otago. In the early ‘90s she began her own company, Heritage Solutions, a one-woman outfit not afraid to get her hands dirty. Over the years, Mary has helped unearth some of our country's buried secrets, piecing together clues to unravel our tangled narrative.

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‘Small things tell big stories,’ she says. ‘The fundamental purpose of archaeology is storytelling and national identity. What does it mean to be a New Zealander in the twenty-first century? What are we like as a people? How do we live our lives? And how has that changed over the several hundred years that people have been running around New Zealand? That’s a fantastic story. Archaeology gives us the physical evidence of that story.’ In the grand scheme of human history, New Zealand’s isn’t very long. The first Polynesian people are thought to have arrived around 900 years ago. ‘People often say “Oh but, it’s so recent”. Actually, that’s part of the story. New Zealand was the last major landmass to be discovered and settled, which means we’re the last chapter in the story. That puts us in a really particular place.’ I told Mary our interview would only take half an hour or so, but within five minutes of our meeting it became clear I had seriously miscalculated. She speaks with a kind of passion for her work that marks a master of a trade. During the interview, she apologises several times for her giddy excitement over the topic she loves so much. Over three decades, Mary’s work has taken her all around New Zealand. One of her most memorable projects was beneath Lake Waikaremoana, surveying two 19th century shipwrecks. I had to double-check I’d heard right: ‘Shipwrecks in Lake Waikaremoana?’ ‘It’s a neat story,’ she says.‘The Department of Conservation wanted to analyse the wrecks but at the time there weren’t any maritime archaeologists in the county. I was an archae-

ologist and I knew how to dive.’ In good Kiwi fashion Mary made things work. ‘I was the only show in town,’ she says, grinning. While the wrecks readily capture our imagination, Mary maintains they are only a small part of the narrative. ‘It’s not just the shipwrecks,’ she says, ‘it’s the storytelling. Why are they there? How did they get there?’ The wrecks date back to 1869, during the New Zealand land wars. Government forces were chasing Te Kooti through Te Urewera and thought they had him trapped at the north end of the lake. Instead of walking around the lakeside, they build two 30-foot boats to sail across to him in a surprise attack. Te Kooti escaped to the Bay of Plenty, of course, so the government troops scuttled the boats for fear they’d fall into enemy hands. As Mary’s career progressed and a family came along, she focused her work in Wellington. She mentions two of her favourite digs in the capital. ‘The first one has to be Plimmer’s Ark under the Old Bank Arcade. As they renovated the building in 1996, my colleague who was the archaeologist on site needed an extra pair of hands, so I went to help her. The whole premise of the site is mental, because shipwrecks are normally out at sea – and here’s a shipwreck in the middle of the city. Most of the keel was buried under the building. We just kept finding more and more bits of the ship.’ It’s part, she says, of Wellington’s story pre and post the 1855 earthquake. ‘It shows us where the shoreline was. We were really excited by the find, the developer not so much.’ The developer or client normally bears the cost of archaeological investigation when

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something of interest is found. Tools are laid down and progress on the construction comes to a halt. ‘It’s a complex relationship’ Mary says, ‘but I find once the client has the story explained to them, they get it and they buy into it.’ The other project Mary had to include in her list was the more recent McKay’s to Peka Peka expressway. Because the proposed road was going through land that was completely unmodified, Mary knew the archaeology would be intact. Every ounce of fresh soil that was turned during the construction process, Mary was there observing. ‘I was the principal archaeologist on the project. I recorded two hundred and thirtysomething new sites. But it’s not so much the individual sites I recorded; once again it’s the totality of the story. I call the coastal dunes of the Kāpiti coastal area “the fish and meat aisle of the supermarket.” People weren’t living there permanently. I found no sign of permanent occupation or pre-European Māori garden. It appears people went to this area for really specific resources like the kaimoana. They had these intense shellfish gathering sessions and processed everything on the spot. There also appeared to be an extensive network of navigable wetlands. So rather than carrying this huge amount of food on their backs, they just chucked it in their waka, and paddled it home.

It really did feel as though they were stocking up the fridge.’ The irony is it took the construction of a modern highway to reveal the ancient road. The process was destructive, but it yielded data Mary couldn’t get any other way. In her public talks about this project she calls it ‘paddling down the highway.’ While New Zealand's history tells the stories of two distinct peoples journeying to and settling Aotearoa, Mary prefers the more ancient of the two. ‘The Polynesian story is far more kickass. The whole story of Polynesian voyaging through the Pacific – God-damn! These are not people who were drifting, these were deliberate voyages, they were cracking good navigators. An amazing story. Polynesian voyaging is one of the great stories of humanity and we’re not really giving it the front and centre it should have.’ Mary is currently working on a national database of all of New Zealand’s archaeological sites at Heritage New Zealand. It’s an important piece of work but I can tell she’s twitching to plunge her hands into soil again. ‘Favourite Indiana Jones film?’ I ask. ‘Got to be the first one. Classic Indie getting chased by that big stone ball. Can I just add, my stock whip skills are not as good as his, but I’m working on it,’ she says with a grin.

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Reinventing the wheel P H OTO G R A P H Y BY TO N I B I N G L E Y

Wheelwright Greg Lang shows Sarah Lang (no relation) around his workshop and talks about becoming Carterton’s mayor.

wenty years ago, wheelwright Greg Lang and his wife, artisan Ali Lang, landed quite the commission: making Gandalf ’s tiny cart with its oversized wooden wheels for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The couple has also made six carts for The Hobbit, 10 carts for The Last Samurai film, three carts for the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and wooden wheels for TV series Xena: Warrior Princess. Greg, a laconic, down to earth chap, ‘somewhat’ enjoyed seeing their creations onscreen, while Ali excitedly freeze-framed the relevant scenes. Film and TV commissions are rare, Greg says. ‘Also, they’re usually short-notice, and I find rushing through the work takes some of the enjoyment away.’ Greg is New Zealand’s only trained wheelwright: a craftsperson who builds or repairs wooden wheels. He and Ali also make and repair wooden vehicles. They’ve run their business for 25 years. For 22 of those years, they’ve worked (while raising two now adult daughters) from a one-acre property once home to the local store in Gladstone, 15 kilometres from Carterton in rural Wairarapa. It has rolling hills, a primary school, a corner pub, the Gladstone Vineyard, and the Wheelwright Shop. Taking time out of his busy schedule, Greg shows me their cavernous workshop. He’s proud of his carefully-stacked wood of all types and sizes, running his hands fondly over a piece of oak. He uses elm for a wheel’s hubs; oak, ash, or hickory for its spokes; and ash for its felloes (rims). He only uses wood from the heart of the tree, for its superior strength.

Ignorant of such things, I ask him how he makes the wood bend. The answer, steambending. Greg positions a piece of wood over a ‘steambox’ (a PVC pipe containing boiling water) and leaves it for 15 minutes to an hour, while the steam softens the fibres until the wood becomes ‘springy’. He then stretches the pliable wood around a ‘former’ (curved mould) and clamps it into the desired position. Left to dry and cool, it holds its new shape. Greg also fits either steel tyres (created onsite) or rubber tyres to the wooden rims. Greg has built about 20 wooden vehicles and restored about 45, including horse-drawn carriages, railway carriages, trams, carts, gigs, phaetons, gypsy caravans, and even Victorian fairground equipment. ‘Horse-drawn vehicles are pieces of art,’ Greg says. Is he an artist of sorts? ‘No. An artisan.’ He likes to take his time. ‘The essence of being a craftsman is making each thing better than the last one – hopefully heading towards perfection.’ Ali does a lot of the ‘machining’, such as sanding and lathing. She’s also a ‘coach painter and finisher’, as she puts it. Using the art of traditional coach painting, she applies, with a brush, layer upon layer of enamel to a wooden vehicle. She also does the delicate, time-consuming work of ‘gold-leafing’: painting a surface (which may be flat or grooved) with a primer, then ‘sizing’ it with an adhesive, sometimes called tack. When the sizing is fairly dry but still sticky, Ali lays thin sheets of gold (or metal resembling gold) over the surface. A highlight for her was ‘gold-leafing’ a Dutch barrel organ. These mechanical street

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instruments are activated either by turning a crank, or by clockwork. An organ is usually housed in a wooden case, often highly decorated. Greg also makes some commissioned furniture. While I’m visiting, a couple arrive after driving for three hours to pick up their rimu coffee table. Imagine half a wheel turned upside down, with a flat plank of wood on top. ‘It’s just how I envisaged it,’ the woman says. Greg always wanted to make and repair things. His grandfather George then his father Gary owned Mitre 10 on Vivian Street from the 1920s to the 2000s and, as a teenager, Greg helped out there after school, then became a mechanic. He met Ali at a bar when he was 21 and she was 19. They went to the UK, where Greg did a qualification in wheelwrighting and carriagebuilding at the City and Guilds of London Institute, and did an apprenticeship in Somerset, while Ali learned coach painting. They drove a house-truck around England, restoring horse-drawn gypsy caravans, before returning to New Zealand. Their daughters loved helping their parents, though they were kept away from dangerous machinery. ‘Our daughters learned skills and a work ethic that will put them in good stead,’ Greg says. ‘One’s a design graduate working in the UK. The other’s in Hamilton studying and working in the sports and exercise industry.’ Neither will take over the family business, but their parents are fine with that. Hey, maybe a future grandchild? Not every couple could work together, but Greg and Ali are a patient, in-tune pair. ‘We’re still finding out new things about each other,’ Greg says. Ali nods. ‘We actually enjoy working together,’ she says. ‘And it’s not a lonely life. We know our neighbours well.’ People drop off screws, spokes, springs and the like to them, and stop for a yarn. Seventeen years ago, Greg set up Gladstone’s 17-year-old Scarecrows’ Big Day Out, still held each November; you drive between

fields to see the lifelike scarecrows, then head to a fete. The pair always has a backlog of work. ‘You do what you can in a day,’ Greg says. Restoration and conservation of wooden vehicles can take thousands of hours, and Greg usually produces reports detailing the vehicles’ history, and his planned methods and materials. Out back, he shows me a large carriage he’s restoring for the Mainline Steam Heritage Trust, which operates steam-locomotive excursions around New Zealand. The project, he estimates, will take 5,000 hours. ‘We also just restored a tram for the Wellington Tramway Museum.’ (Based at QEII Park between Paekakariki and Paraparaumu, it runs tram trips.) Greg recently finished building a full-size version of a pātaka (they were once used by Māori as storehouses), a commission for artist Brett Graham. So that his skills are passed on, would Greg take on an apprentice? He’s had one, who decided on a different career, and Greg is open to having another sometime. But right now, he’s very busy. Greg, who runs triathlons, also ran for the Carterton mayoralty in October – and won. He had been a district councillor for five years. ‘It’s one of New Zealand’s smallest councils, so we can make stuff happen.’ He’s getting the three Wairarapa local councils working together more. ‘I’ve put so much work into creating a diverse governance group that works proactively and cohesively to help turning our districts’ challenges into opportunities.’ One goal is to help building owners, developers, and new and existing businesses by rationalising rules restricting the way buildings are used. He’s also planning an off-road trail network for cyclists (and hikers) between the five Wairarapa towns. The mayoralty is a full time role. How does he fit everything in? ‘A lot of the mayoralty is evening stuff. We’re just making wooden wheels, or saying we can't guarantee when the work will be done.’ For now, he’ll be changing between his overalls and his very first suit.

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Emporio’s Eric Heycoop with his wheels of choice in 2000, a ’68 Mustang.

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Absolutely positively I N T R O D U C E D BY F R A N C E S C A E M M S

or Yoan Jolly, a photograph is a success when it manages to catch someone's attention for at least one second. ‘Two if they really love it. And if it makes it onto a fridge under a magnet, bingo!’ Jolly is a professional photographer, illustrator, and graphic designer and also works in video and textile design. But his Instagram (@it.already. exists) is mostly landscapes. ‘I’m interested in how years of human occupation have tamed every single part of the natural world,’ he says, ‘I might see a hill glowing yellow in the sunset. It is pretty, but the underlying story is that humans have stripped all the trees that once covered it. Landscape photography bears a social message for me, even though it might not be that obvious when first looking at my images.’ His personal photographs capture a raw and unexpected side of the region. He says great landscape photography requires effort. ‘It means getting off the beaten track, braving the weather, planning and searching for locations that are not popular, and spending time in places that are not your typical postcard shot, mostly on your own.’ Born and raised in a small French village, Jolly felt claustrophobic when he moved to Paris for his first job. He needed to get out. ‘Back then, there were only four countries offering a working holiday visa. The only country that appealed to me was the one I knew the least about: New Zealand.’ Spotting Wellington in the middle of the map, he thought it would be a perfect starting point for exploration. He booked a flight and arrived in 2008. ‘My first year, I lived in a small house near the Botanic Gardens. I used to walk through the bush every day to go to work. One day I saw dolphins in the harbour: it was one of those magic moments where the ocean was completely still. I fell in love.’ Twelve years later, he’s still here. ‘I can't imagine living anywhere else. Poneke is home.’ Putangirua Pinnacles, Wairarapa

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Left: Butterfly Creek, East Harbour Regional Park, Eastbourne Above: Moss Waterfall, Patuna Farm, Martinborough

Castle Rock, Castlepoint

East Coast between Tora / Te Awaiti

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Left: Pencarrow Head, Eastbourne Above: Belmont Regional Park, Lower Hutt / Porirua

Houghton Bay

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Left: Moss Waterfall, Patuna Farm, Martinborough Above: Baring Head, Remutaka

Above: Castlepoint Right: Putangirua Pinnacles, Wairarapa

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Jumping spider Name: Black-headed jumping spider

for jumping), while the other eyes can detect movement in virtually any direction.

Status: Endemic, not threatened

Habitat: Black-headed jumping spiders can be found all over New Zealand, and are as at home in the garden as they are in your house.

Scientific name: Trite planiceps Description: The jumping spider family (Salticidae) is the largest of all spider families − with more than 600 described genera and over 6,000 described species living all over the world. Here in New Zealand there are thought to be around 150 different species, many of which are yet to be classified. One of the most commonly seen is the black-headed jumping spider, which jumps on its prey from up to half a metre away. You might recognise this little arachnid from its jumpy behaviour, its black head (hence the name), or its elongated front pair of legs – also black. Jumping spiders are very cool, often described as ‘cute,’ and come across as having character, perhaps partly because of the large pair of eyes right at the front of their head (in addition to three smaller pairs), and their responsive way of moving. Whereas most spiders rely on cues such as vibration to catch prey, jumping spiders are helped by their acute eyesight. The two big central eyes identify targets and estimate distance (important

Look/Listen: If you’re super keen to find one, you might like to head out to the garden at night and unfurl the leaves of a flax bush; this is where they most commonly seek shelter. Otherwise keep an eye out about your house! Once you've managed to recognise one you’ll undoubtedly see them fairly regularly. Tell me a story: Though a jumping spider’s brain is about the size of a poppy seed, they've been found to be pretty smart. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, scientists at the University of Canterbury studied another jumping spider, Portia fimbrata, and found it could think ahead and plan detours to locate prey. They modified the experiment to test other jumping spiders and found that, overwhelmingly, the spiders were able to navigate an obstacle course to locate food. (The scientists also had to hide during the experiments because apparently jumping spiders are attracted to blinking!)

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E D I B L E S

NO SMOKE Emporio Coffee has bought itself a sweet birthday present – a Loring Kestrel 35 coffee roaster. The Loring is a smokeless roaster. Its single-burner convection design roasts beans and incinerates the smoke. No external after-burner is needed, meaning less fuel, less expense, and less environmental impact. Eric and Miriam Heycoop started Emporio 20 years ago and are still hands-on. They’ll be celebrating two decades of Wellington coffee throughout 2020 with special partnerships, giveaways, and merchandise designed by artist Jacqui Colley.

HIGH BALL

HANDS ON

UPPER CRUST

After 11 years in hibernation, the New Zealand Bartender of the Year Competition is back. Bartenders from around the country will compete in a series of challenges including a written exam and a whisky challenge. The final two rounds (recreating a classic cocktail and presenting a new creation) will take place at the spirits and cocktail festival, Highball, originally in May now postponed till October. The winner will represent New Zealand at the Diageo Reserve World Class bartending competition in Sydney later this year.

Seagulls prefer food handled by humans, is the finding of animal behaviour experts Laura Kelly and Madeleine Goumas who led a study on seagull behaviour. The study, in Cornwall, tested 38 herring gulls with pancakes some of which had been touched, some untouched; 79% chose food previously touched by the researchers, suggesting that gulls associate human actions with food. 'This highlights the importance of disposing of food waste properly, as inadvertently feeding gulls reinforces these associations,' says Kelly.

Arobake has moved its production kitchen to Nelson Street in Petone. Established in 1989, this Wellington bakery has grown its original team of three to a team of 30. There may be a new Petone shop in Arobake’s future, says Master Baker Maximilian Fuhrer, but for now Aro Street will keep selling its much favoured sourdough, butter croissants, and lemon sour cakes.

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PULP KITCHEN Lunch box staple Annie’s Fruit Snacks has expanded its range with three new products: Fruit Strips, Fruit Jerky, and Fruit Flats. It all began 33 years ago when Annie Giles wanted to find a way to use up fruit that was going to waste in her family fruit shop in Blenheim. The new products are made the same way Annie has always made them: ‘We take the whole fruit, pulp it, then air-dry it. Simple as that.’

LAMB UP

FOWL WEATHER

HOPS AND DREAMS

In the last 12 months we had the largest annual rise in food prices in over eight years – an average 3.6% increase, according to Stats NZ. High prices for meat, poultry, and fish are the biggest culprits, with the cost of bacon up 21% and lamb chops up 14%. Prices that decreased included iceberg lettuce (down 34%), onions (down 15%), and honey (down 21%).

Seems Wellingtonians can’t get enough chicken, with at least four fowl-focused fooderies opening recently. Soul Shack, formerly a food truck, now has a permanent spot on Dixon St to serve their signature Nashville-style fried chicken. Winner Winner on Courtenay Place offers fire-roasted chicken. Best known for their popcorn chicken, Lucky has opened a second location in Press Hall. Petone’s Dirty Burger have also opened a second outlet, and will be serving up their ‘crowd fav’ Coq Burger in Cuba St.

Wellington’s eighth annual Craft Beer Capital Hopstock Festival is coming. A celebration of New Zealand’s fresh hop harvest, the 2020 lineup features 30 venues and breweries including Tuatara, Third Eye, Parrotdog, and Double Vision. In the mood for a scavenger hunt? Complete the Hopstock Trail brochure by gathering stamps for any purchase made at participating venues. Festival takes place April 22–26.

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Hot cross bun pudding BY N I K K I & J O R DA N S H E A R E R

he aroma of freshly heated hot cross buns always brings back memories of family Easter weekends, with the summer fading and comfort food beginning to make an appearance. This recipe is a take on the traditional bread and butter pudding and is a great way to use up any lingering Easter leftovers. The addition

1 Tbsp butter ½ cup sultanas 3 Tbsp Marsala (optional) 1 vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped 300ml cream 250ml milk 5 egg yolks 1 whole egg 150g caster sugar (plus 1 Tbsp extra) 2 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp brown sugar 6–8 large hot cross buns or 10–12 mini hot cross buns, cut in half (exact amount will depend on your choice of dish) 1 tsp icing sugar ½ cup fresh (or frozen) berries – our favourite is raspberries

of the hot cross buns adds a spicy flavour to this family favourite, and the marsala is a shot of pure decadence. Serve with custard or ice cream and your favourite fresh fruit. For an extra twist, try adding some chunks of Easter chocolate when you sprinkle over the sultanas. Serves 4

1. 2.

Pre-heat oven to 175°C bake. Grease an ovenproof dish generously with butter. We used a round 250mm dish. 3. Soak the sultanas in the Marsala until plump. 4. In a medium saucepan bring the cream, milk, and vanilla bean just to the boil. Remove from heat and remove the vanilla bean. 5. Whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, and 150g caster sugar until the sugar is dissolved and mixture is light and fluffy. 6. Slowly pour the warm cream mixture into the egg mixture, continuing to whisk until combined. 7. Tear the bottom halves of the hot cross buns into chunks, layering and covering the bottom of the dish generously. 8. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp extra caster sugar and dot with 2 Tbsp extra butter. 9. Sprinkle over the soaked sultanas and pour over the custard to cover bun chunks. 10. Top with the hot cross bun top halves, pressing down into the liquid. Leave to soak for at least 30 minutes. 11. Sprinkle over the brown sugar and bake for 30−40 minutes or until the custard is set. Again this will vary depending on the size of your dish. 12. To serve, dust with icing sugar, sprinkle with your favourite berries, and serve with extra custard or icecream.

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H E A D E R

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E D I B L E S

Good taste

Obsessed

By Victoria Whisker

By Francesca Emms

Paul Homes lacks a sense of taste, but still loves food. When he was five years old a neurosurgery error left him with ageusia − he lost the taste function on his tongue. This and other disabilities have made it difficult for him to achieve his dream of becoming a chef. It doesn’t keep him out of the kitchen, though. Paul and Neo Cafe owner Luke Crawford run a Soup and Games Night for the Free Store – a local charity based nearby that gives good-quality surplus goods to anyone in need on weekday evenings. Once a month the volunteers and the recipients are invited to eat together. Paul does the cooking while Luke, a professional chef, provides the location and helps out as Paul’s mentor and taste-tester. Luke has given him an opportunity to learn. ‘Luke doesn’t treat me like a disabled person’ says Paul. Making the food from start to finish and seeing people enjoying his cooking maintains Paul’s interest in food. His dream is to open a restaurant with Braille and sign language on the menus. Paul is active in the disabled community. He advocates for employers to hire people with disabilities at the Human Rights for the Disabled conferences, held once a month. In addition he represented New Zealand in basketball as a Special Olympics athlete in 1991. ‘People like me can do anything,’ he says.

When Jelena Stekolstsikova moved to Wellington two years ago she set herself to taste every tiramisu the capital had to offer. ‘Tiramisu is a simple dessert but it has to be perfect,’ she says. ‘Ladyfingers should be perfectly soaked – moist but not soggy. They should hold the shape but not be dry. Espresso must be good quality and the right strength to provide a “pick me up” effect but not be overpowering or bitter. Mascarpone should be light and airy, not heavy or too creamy.’ Who’s she to judge, you might ask. Jelena comes from Estonia, and with a Master’s Degree in Food Engineering and Product Development from France, is thus well placed to assess an Italian dessert. She’s worked in food research and analytical laboratories, and in a food manufacturing company as a product development technician. But mainly, it’s just that she’s obsessed. ‘Tiramisu is my passion,’ she explains. ‘It picks me up when I feel down and makes me even happier when life is great. I miss it when I don't have it for a while and I’m excited when I see it in front of me. There’s some magic in this dessert.’ Jelena has tried every tiramisu in Wellington, Lower Hutt, and Petone. She documents her adventures on Instagram (@chasingtiramisu) where she posts a photo, location, and tasting notes for each sample. Favourites include tiramisu from Scopa, Bongusto, and Mediterranean Foods Trattoria and Deli.

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PRESSING ON Who knew Wellington has a printing museum? The Printing Museum Whare Taonga Perehitanga is a ‘book-arts’ hub and living museum, with letterpress printers and a working type foundry producing traditional lead type. It has many projects in train. Established in 1983 by people in the publishing industry to save specialised printing and related machinery from the dump, it recently moved its HQ from Upper Hutt to Thorndon Quay and has significantly expanded. The Printery, Bindery, and Composing Room house numerous machines; you can visit by appointment. It offers 24 courses in areas such as bookbinding and calligraphy.

TEETHING PROBLEMS

HEADS OR TAILS

SELF-ASSESSMENT

The topic is perhaps unexpected, but Wellington author Noel O’Hare’s Tooth and Veil: The Life and Times of the New Zealand Dental Nurse (MUP), out this month, is surprisingly interesting. The School Dental Service, which was vigorously opposed by dentists, was a worldfirst experiment later copied worldwide. ‘I became interested after hearing that dental nurses once marched on Parliament,’ Noel tells Capital. They endured low pay, military-style training, underresourcing, and isolation and loneliness.

Author-illustrator Donovan Bixley recently ran a competition asking children to sketch a character to star in Downfall (Upstart Press), the latest in his Flying Furballs junior-fiction series about pussycat aviators. From 150 entries, he chose two sketches and created characters from them. One is tartan-wearing Scottish cat Furgus McLongtail, sketched by Wellington’s Amelia Ferguson, 9. ‘I’m so excited to see the book!’ Amelia says. Three other finalists’ characters get cameos.

We're calling it now: local writer Madison Hamill will be an Ockham NZ Book Awards contender next year for her personal-essay collection Specimen (VUP). Her essays cover topics including Christianity’s contradictions, asexuality, and her psychology internship in South Africa, as she looks back at her ‘younger selves’ in something of a coming-of-age story. ‘I’m very excited for my book to infiltrate the coffee tables and minds of strangers,’ she tells us.

稀攀戀爀愀渀漀

䴀攀最愀渀匀愀氀洀漀渀

一椀渀攀琀攀攀渀⼀⼀㐀㘀

䨀愀猀漀渀䰀椀渀最愀爀搀

a darker shade of magic

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R E V E R S E

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

About the poet: Maeve lives in a tall house in Wellington. She has studied Fine Arts and Creative Writing. Her first publication, Horsepower, won the 2018 Story Inc Prize for poetry and was launched in October 2019. Maeve also writes reviews for Art Zone. Why I like it: I like this poem for the way it has me paying attention to the paradox that is my own damn self. What’s Moscow like in winter? Well, windy for a start, but the poem does not divulge more than this and the speaker’s geographical location feels more or less irrelevant. It’s the human condition being considered here, not the specifics of life in the Russian capital. And the human condition means that, wherever we may be, we encounter – perhaps even require? – opposition, something to ‘lean into’, those moments that remind us we’re alive. People go ‘out to where they need to be / to fill themselves so they can be’ – can exist – but, in this process, they’ll be emptied again. Today this apparent contradiction reminds me of one of my own: the way, from time to time, I struggle to reconcile my need for contact with others with my craving for solitude. The speaker’s ruminations about their lost hat give a concrete example of the way we human beings have honed the fine art of internal contradiction. The speaker abandoned that hat. They know that – ‘Poor hat’ is not to blame, yet still they feel as if it had deserted them. Unreasonable, but there it is. Human nature is not reasonable. Why read it: Because this poem, like a lot of Maeve’s work, possesses the power to morph, to show different things to different people, even different things to the same people, on different days. Wherever you may be, this poem will meet you there. Best moments to break out this poem: This is my go-to poem for those Sunday evenings when the thought of having to go back out into the world on Monday morning is decidedly underwhelming. It is also an ideal poem for those moments when you find yourself fretting over something misplaced that you still regret losing. Last year’s umbrella is a big one for me (it was a very fine umbrella) but it could as easily be a lost friendship, or a lost love, out there somewhere, languishing forlornly right where you left it. More like this: Treat yourself to your own copy of Horsepower from Unity Books. And if this leaves you hankering for more wellformed short verse, Short Poems of New Zealand, edited by Jenny Bornholdt, is another gem.

M O S C OW IN WINTER People lean into the wind. They are going out to where they need to be to fill themselves so they can be emptied again. I once had a hat but I abandoned it. Poor hat, I left it but I feel as though it left me. By Maeve Hughes published in Horsepower (2019)

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The lost and forgotten fountains of Wellington BY M ATT H E W P LU M M E R

Our public fountains are part of Wellington’s visual identity. The Bucket Fountain is top of many visitors’ bucket lists. Oriental Bay’s Carter Fountain lends magic to a walk around the waterfront. And the Water Whirler is fascinating when it’s not broken. But some of the city’s water features have been demolished, recycled, or overlooked; as the memory of their benefactors has faded, they are increasingly obscure footnotes to our city’s history. Which is a pity, because they all help tell the story of how the city was shaped. Here are four fountains that you probably hadn’t heard of – all but one existing still in some form.

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John Martin's Fountain

Lambton Quay & Hunter Street / Oriental Parade Built 1875; moved circa 1909; scrapped 1938

The Martin fountain on Lambton Quay was built by one of Wellington’s rags-to-riches millionaires, Irishman John Martin, who arrived in Wellington in 1841 aged 21. He quickly progressed from manual labour to property development: his projects included the second Government House (on the site of the Beehive) and the creation in the 1880s of Martinborough – one of New Zealand’s few ‘squire towns’ founded by private developers. Most of all, Martin craved recognition by the establishment. Naming places after his family was one way he sought inclusion – hence the eponymous Martin Square, with Marion Square and Jessie Street nearby for his wife and youngest daughter. The drinking fountain he presented Wellingtonians with was another, conspicuously located amid the imposing bank buildings that had sprung up on the recently reclaimed land at the Willis Street end of Lambton Quay. Martin’s fountain became a Wellington landmark. It was around six metres tall, crowned by three large gas lights (a recent innovation) and the water spouts supplied safe drinking water – real philanthropy when the Government’s principal scientific advisor had recently warned that ‘no water collected from within the crowded part Wellington, from either wells or house tops, is safe or proper for human consumption’. True to Martin’s roots, the drinking fountain’s water was laced with whiskey the day it was unveiled in 1875. The roll-out of reticulated water and electric lighting, however, meant the fountain was soon an anachronism. The magnificent gas lanterns were removed shortly after Martin’s death in 1890, and the fountain was moved to Oriental Bay just before World War One. It was sold for scrap iron in 1938 after being irreparably corroded by salt spray, and today the Oriental Terrace bus stop stands in its place. James Bragge; circa 1877; Wellington.

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Centennial Fountain

Centennial Exhibition, Rongotai / Kelburn Park 1939–1940; rebuilt in 1955

The highlight of New Zealand’s 100th anniversary was the Centennial Exhibition in Rongotai. Financed by share purchases from government and local businesses, the 22-hectare campus, with shows and pavilions from across the Empire, took two years to build. At the heart of the exhibition grounds was a magnificent Centennial Fountain, which cost an extraordinary £246,735 ($26 million in today’s money). Set in a 30m-diameter pool, the main bowl featured classical figures and towered over the throngs of visitors. Water was pumped high into the air – always risky with Wellington’s wind – with lighting adding to the drama. Architect Edmund Anscombe leaned heavily on the Art Deco look – his Post and Telegraph Building (now the Chaffers Dock Apartments) was completed at the same time in a similar style. Advertised as ‘six months of fun and pageantry’, the exhibition’s worthy exhibits from around the Empire were overshadowed by rollercoasters and miniature ride-on versions of Britain’s famous steam trains at ‘Playland’, a freakshow with ‘Mexican Rose’ (billed ‘the world’s fattest girl’ at 343kg), and a Shark Pool that boasted ‘a dozen large man-eaters caught off the coast of Australia’ (how this was determined was unclear). The show attracted over 17,000 people a day, and traffic volumes forced the council to ban bicycles and horses from the recently opened Mount Victoria tunnel. Gates closed in May 1940, with numbers falling far short of the 4,200,000 expected; anger from shareholders left out of pocket was hushed up as the war situation was looking bleak. The exhibition buildings burnt down in 1946 after wartime use by the air force; by then the fountain’s motor had been carefully packed up, and was revived in 1955 as the slightly less grand Kelburn Park fountain. Leslie Adkin, Central fountain in the Exhibition grounds, 16 December 1939.

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Gibbs Memorial Fountain Mercer Street / Harris Street 1956–1991; relocated 1990s

Nestled behind the City Art Gallery, and away from the dull roar of Civic Square’s 1990’s infinity-edge water features, are the charming gargoyles of the Gibbs Memorial Fountain. Relatively little is known about David John Gibbs, whose £1,000 bequest funded the fountain. There is a tantalisingly brief glimpse of 25-year-old Lieutenant Gibbs marching his troops down Lambton Quay in archive footage of the 1908 Dominion Day parade. He survived the trenches of the Western Front, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the 1918 New Year Honours list. After the war he served as Secretary to the Harbour Board in the 1920s and died in 1946. The Gibbs memorial was an early commission by sculptor Jim Allen (whose enormous marble panels were removed from 61 Molesworth Street during its demolition in 2017). It featured Neptune with a pair of dolphins similar to those on our city’s coat of arms. Older Wellingtonians will remember the hemispherical pool with underwater lighting in front of the City Council’s 1951 Municipal Office Building, and the adjacent lawn that was a popular spot for lunch on sunny days. The fountain’s construction pre-dated the renaming of Mercer Street as the ‘Civic Centre’ by a year, but its inscription ‘On becoming soldiers we have not ceased to be citizens’ perfectly anticipated the precinct. The 1974 masterplan for the area retained the pool in situ (the Town Hall was to be demolished and replaced by a brutalist office block); sadly the 1987 Athfield master-plan bolted the curved Civic Administration Building onto the front of the Municipal Offices, so the fountain had to go. The gargoyles were saved, but their new brick setting, hidden off Harris Street, is a serious downgrade for a generous gift to the city. Gibbs Memorial Fountain, Civic Square, Wellington. Evening post Ref- EP 1956 2395b-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

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Nathan Memorial Fountain Hobson Street / Queen’s Park

Cast in the 1880s; moved in 1904 and 1951 Alfred de Bathe Brandon arrived at the New Zealand Company’s fledgling Wellington settlement on the London in 1840. His practice flourished, despite the challenges of looking after a young family after his first wife died shortly after they reached Wellington, and he was made the Provincial Solicitor in 1853. Thirty years later Brandon’s law firm was passed on to his son (also called Alfred), and Alfred senior turned his attention to building a large family home on Hobson Street, completed in 1880. While settlers could buy luxuries like silver cutlery by mail order from the Mother Country, Alfred de Bathe Brandon’s wealth let him return to England to hunt out the finest garden ornaments from Coalbrookdale. One was a fine romanesque fountain featuring cherubs and a partially robed goddess, which was duly installed in his garden. The fountain was moved to another Brandon family home on Hobson Street in 1904, where it remained until 1942 when the third Alfred Brandon sold the property and moved to Heretaunga. The Brandons were friendly with the Nathans, who were mourning their son Benson, killed the previous year in a friendly-fire incident during the Battle for Crete, and the fountain was given to George Nathan (Benson’s father) for use as a memorial. Lady Katherine Macalister, the Mayor’s wife, was sympathetic to locating the Nathan Memorial Fountain in Queen’s Park, and the fountain was unveiled in its new setting at the foot of Wadestown Road in 1951. The fountain was restored in 2014 – dismantled, water blasted, and given seven coats of paint. Today it is in immaculate condition, as it would have been when Alfred de Bathe Brandon saw it in England 140 years ago. Fountain presented to Wellington by Mr Nathan, Queens Park, Wellington. Photographed circa 28 December 1951 by an Evening Post photographer. Ref- 114/400/12-F Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.

H O M E

Sweet valley high BY R AC H E L H E LY E R D O N A L D S O N P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G GS

‘W

e don’t get any noise from the road, we get all-day sun and we’re sheltered from the southerly so it’s a really nice spot. As soon as you get up out of the valley, it’s quite secluded,’ says Aaron Thornton. For Aaron and his partner Tomoko Hasegawa, life in their new-build home on a bush-clad Brooklyn hilltop, north of Happy Valley, is pretty blissful. The steepness of their road is bit of a shock, even for Wellington, but it spirits you away to a place high above the heavy traffic of industrial Ohiro Road. Their cedar and storm-blue steel-clad house perches high on a hill, 130m above sea level, trapping the sunshine and overlooking a verdant valley of tree ferns, eucalyptus, and pine. Aaron and Tomoko met in Wellington in 2004. Shortly after, they set up vegetarian cafe Pranah in Newtown, and ran it for seven years. These days Aaron, who grew up in Wainuiomata and studied computer science at Victoria, is a web developer for Storypark, an app for early childhood teachers. Tomoko, who is originally from Kyoto, works as a counsellor to Japanese exchange students and at CBD restaurant Hey Ramen. The couple have lived in their house since November 2018, but they owned the land for three years before any work began. The site they bought was ‘a piece of dirt’, says Aaron. Its steep topography had put off potential developers for decades. Part of a very old Wellington subdivision, ‘done in the UK in the 1800s without any regard to the actual land’, it was never developed because of the extreme constraints on access and building. There were no utility services whatsoever and no access road. ‘I think that scared a lot of people: the uncertainty – how expensive was it going to be to build up there, and to get the services.’ The couple delayed their build in the hope that the subdivision would progress to adding services and a road. But in the end, they went ahead with their dream home, beginning construction in February 2018. The original design, by architects Cecile Bonnifait and William Giesen, was for an off-grid house, with water tanks and solar batteries. Tomoko and Aaron’s brief was ‘a strong connection with all the nature that’s around here, with our surroundings’. They also wanted a small footprint, with a low impact on the environment. Bonnifait and Giesen Architects designed the house as a simple three-level tower with a 50sqm footprint.

H O M E

Going off-grid fitted with the couple’s philosophical beliefs, but lack of easy access and electricity also meant a more costly build. Having to rent a generator, for instance, was a huge expense. Luckily, midway through the build, Aaron and Tomoko managed to persuade the four neighbouring landowners to go shares – around $20,000 per household – in building a road and getting services installed. This made both the build and day-to-day living expenses more affordable. Solar panel batteries can cost around $15,000, meaning it could take years for the couple to recoup any savings, says Aaron. Instead, they pay just $50 a month in power bills, thanks to the house’s passive design (including expansive double-glazed windows that seal in heat but allow ventilation, and good insulation) and using gas. The house remains future-proofed for off-grid use, and the roof has been pitched for solar panels. The three levels of the house – a carport at its base and two upper living spaces – are connected by a kowhai-yellow central stairwell. The second-floor living area is light and open, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling, 2.4-metre-high windows and simple wood-lined walls. A sense of spaciousness in the living room is created by a double-height void. The upper level is set back, creating an enclosed mezzanine area. The north-facing

windows bring light and heat to both levels, thanks to internal windows in the bedroom area upstairs. Dividing the living area from the sleek galley kitchen is an innovative wire balustrade. It allows natural light from the large windows to fill the stairwell and kitchen. Upstairs, the flow of the floorplan – bathroom leading to a dressing area and then the main bedroom – encourages a relaxing evening ritual of washing, undressing, and sleeping. The bathroom is mezzanine-style, with no rear wall behind the his’n’hers sinks. They overlook the stairwell to prevent the space feeling too enclosed. The main bedroom is Aaron’s favourite room. He loves lying in bed looking through the curtain-less windows morning and night. ‘Seeing the stars is like a childhood dream.’ Tomoko loves the spare room, her makeshift study. ‘It’s cooler to work in, in the afternoon.’ She describes their style as ‘minimal but functional.’ Aaron adds, ‘The beauty of this place is that there’s nowhere that we don’t use in the house. Every corner is utilised.’ Yet it’s also clean and uncluttered. Although no longer off-grid, the house includes many low-impact and low-cost design features. The couple was on a tight budget: originally $350,000 for building and materials, with a final tally of $420,000.

H O M E

Aaron ‘loves the process’ of building things, and previously made the couple a stylish plywood ‘tiny house on wheels’ trailer for holidays. To keep costs down for their house, he constructed the custom-made built-in furniture, and did all the painting himself. He worked alongside builder Matt Nelson who, in a neat twist, turned out to be the manager of a bar Aaron worked at in his uni days. The entire interior is clad in oriented strand board (OSB) ‘cheaper than ply, but more special and just as strong because of the fibres in it’. Using one material also means less waste. To add contrast, the walls are whitewashed from the 2.4 metre mark. Meanwhile there are pops of bright yellow throughout the house including the doors, the sound-proof bi-fold shutters on the bedroom interior window, the kitchen splashback, and the stairs. The kitchen, bathroom, and living room feature subtle sculptural LED strip lights while the bedrooms and dining area use pendants. They are all designed by Lower Hutt’s Lightstudio. A sleek low-emissions wood-burner takes pride of place in the downstairs living room. The Pyroclassic Mini,

designed with smaller houses in mind, holds heat overnight thanks to a ceramic fire chamber. The flue extends through to the main bedroom, keeping both levels warm all night. At the back of the house, large glazed bi-fold doors open out onto a wide deck and the surrounding hillside. Steps built by Aaron lead up to a flat garden, where a cedar hot tub is to be installed for winter dips. The couple loves the lush surroundings and the ‘rural aspect’ of their valley. Walking to work through native bush and parks is a daily tonic. But they also enjoy being handy to Brooklyn, he adds. ‘We spend a lot of time at the local curry place, the deli, having drinks at the Salty Pidgin.’ The inevitable question is, would they do it again? Yes, says Aaron. ‘We are planning another. We’re suckers for punishment!’ On his phone are photos of another Bonnifait and Giesen design, the 3m x 10m Minihut, built in China. Aaron and Tomoko would like to build one at the top of the section, reachable by an old access road. ‘It would be a studio, or a possible place to rent out, a little retirement nest egg,’ he adds. ‘So watch this space!’

A B R O A D

On the road-side You can take in the details when you’re cycling. Claire O’Loughlin turned her ‘soft’ legs into mean cycling machines as she slowly explored 4,000km of the Pacific Coast Highway.

n early 2016 my partner Marcus (Cap #62) and I went to see Sufjan Stevens play in Wellington. Sufjan stood in front of a projection of Big Sur in California, and I thought, ‘I need to go there’. A few months later, we stored away our Wellington life, packed our bicycles into bike bags, and flew to Vancouver. Over the next three months we cycled 4,000km, zig-zagging to San Diego on the Pacific Coast Highway. I had just finished two years of sitting at a desk and not going to the gym I paid $95 a month for. For the first couple of weeks I sat heavy on my bicycle, my soft legs very aware of the weight of four panniers plus camping gear strapped to the back. Marcus, a constantly-fit bicycle fanatic, carried his own stuff as well as our food, cooking equipment, and the tent. In our first campsite on Vancouver Island, I was so tired walking back from the showers that my legs almost gave way. We had cycled about 60km that day. I paused to stretch, and reaching up saw the moon silhouetting the Douglas firs. I realised with joy that, as much as my legs hurt, I was now far away from any desk. The Pacific Coast Highway is a well-known cycle route. Although you’re on the road with the cars, the State Park ‘hiker/biker’ campsites along the route make it unique – they’re reserved for those who have walked or cycled in. They’re cheap, can’t be booked in advance, and will always squeeze you in. There are always other cyclists in hiker/biker sites – people like us who choose to cycle busy highways all day for fun! We’d meet the same people each evening at the next campsite, until a change of plans or pace separated us.

There was 25-year-old Cameron – a short, wiry stage technician from LA with a Dali moustache, who wore a black lycra Borat cycling onesie and lived on ramen and a huge bag of orange ibuprofen pills. There was Cat Man, living permanently on his bike with his big ginger cat Good Time, working at music festivals and sneaking into campsites without paying. We cycled through bear country in Washington State, beer and weed country in Oregon, and rightwing country whenever we veered inland into farming territory. The primaries were on, and we passed Trump and Bernie Sanders supporter signs every day. Everyone talked about how Trump would never get in, it would be Hillary Clinton for sure, yet Trump was everywhere. We never saw a single Clinton sign. There were other signs – miles of farmland lined with barbed wire fences strung every few metres with ‘private property, keep out’ and ‘trespassers will be shot’. I hated those stretches. I felt if we had to stop for a flat tyre we’d be at risk, even on the public road. Sure enough, the one time we did stop for a break near such a sign, a beaten-up van pulled up slowly beside us and a bearded face looked out the window and said gruffly, ‘If the farmer sees you loitering, he’s gonna call the cops.’ We moved on pretty fast. In a car the world rushes by, but on a bike its small details are close and intimate – the textures of the road, the quality of the asphalt, the nature alive around us. We saw whales, deer, foxes, and eagles. We were warned about bears and mountain lions but never saw any. Road kill was common, the most intense scene being a dead deer, followed by a dead vulture then a dead fox, each of whom had

A B R O A D

presumably been feasting on the other before a car, the ultimate predator, came out of nowhere. Not long after that we passed a dildo on the roadside, confirming Oregon as wild in all sorts of ways. We didn’t pick up that particular piece of roadfind, but we gained a reputation amongst the cyclists as roadside scavengers for anything useful – half a dozen knives, a roll of gaffer tape, half-used bottles of sunscreen, a new iPhone (which we managed to return to the owner). We admit we were getting greedy when we both skidded to a halt after passing an iPad and, rushing back for it in glee, flipped it over to find it was actually a silver styrofoam packet half-full of rotting sardines. We rode through Redwood State Park and the Avenue of the Giants, where the huge trees make the forest cool, dark, and silent. We rode by an elephant seal colony, stopping to watch them roar and roll around in the sun before clipping back in and cycling on. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge on a stormy day, sharing the cycle lane with terrified tourists on rented bikes. In San Francisco we mooched around vintage stores in Haight-Ashbury and encountered Karl, as the San Francisco fog is personified, who didn’t allow our washing to dry (look up @KarltheFog). After looking forward so much to Big Sur, we couldn’t enjoy it, as by then summer fires were raging only a few miles inland. There was smoke in our mouths when we climbed the hills. The Big Sur State Parks were closed so we charged through, cycling

over 120km in a day. But by then, 100km-plus days were easy. At some point my body had turned into a kind of machine. I no longer sat on top my bicycle, it now felt like part of me. I didn’t notice the weight of my panniers and took extra weight off Marcus. After Big Sur came Malibu, Santa Monica, and hot, dusty LA, where campers with no lawns raked the gravel outside their RVs, and the campsite showers gobbled our quarters but refused to give even a dribble. Before we knew it, we were riding on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. We took part in a Critical Mass ride, joining thousands of cyclists in riding across (a very small part of) LA at night. It’s impossible to cycle LA in a day, and even more impossible to camp there, so the next day we caught the light rail to get across the city. We were feeling very clever until an unexpected breakdown saw us stranded for 30 minutes in Compton, infamously the most dangerous suburb in California, though that’s up for debate. But it was definitely freaky sharing the platform with shirtless guys with guns stuck casually in the back of their jeans. The final stretch from LA to San Diego was a blur of vast army bases and 1950s nuclear reactors glistening in the sun. Across three months and 4,000km, the country transformed from cold pine forest with orca swimming nearby to desert with a border wall. America is a whole world in itself and cycling down just a sliver of it was an epic, wild ride. Now back in Wellington, my legs are soft and under a desk once more, but we’re dreaming of our next bicycle adventure: following the cherry blossom season through Japan.

W E L L Y

A N G E L

What would Deirdre do?

L ANDLORD B OUNDARIES REQUIRED My landlord is very nice but a bit too friendly – not in a creepy way. How do I convey that we don’t want to be friends? Business only, Thorndon

A DV I C E F RO M D E I R D R E TA R R A N T

WA I T A N D SE E

I am not clear what ‘not in a creepy way’ means? Maybe he is just trying to help you move in and pleased to have nice tenants? Be cheerful and smile but keep to yourself and put your own boundaries and parameters into action. A good landlord is a plus in the world of flatting and not to be under-rated.

I am 17 and not sure whether I like boys or girls. How do I find out? Anxious, Te Aro You are growing up and having new experiences. Maturity is all about meeting people, developing trust and trying out new friendships. You will know. Trust your feelings and take your time. You have your whole life ahead of you.

DON’ T BE A B R AT My family complain that I don’t ring them. I put lots of stuff on Insta and Facebook, but they say that’s not enough and want personal messages now that I am away from home. I don’t like phonecalls. Do I owe them more now that I am away from home? Too much connection, Hamilton/Kelburn

S T I L E T T O S T O STAY Please settle an argument. A friend asserts that it is not possible to be a feminist and to wear high heels. Do you agree? Wobbling, Karori

You have left home and are on your own but you will learn that communication is key to success out there in the big wide world. Don’t be a brat, if phone calls and a chat will be appreciated then do this – these are your parents. Facebook and Instagram are for different people – find the media mix that works and consider both sides of the dialogue.

Shoes have nothing to do with it! This is about values and beliefs, not about fashion. Wear what you like and stand strong for your principles.

M O D E R N WOM E N I’m worried about my flatmate because she brings strangers home most weekends. I’m not totally comfortable with having strangers there, but I’m more concerned she’s putting herself in danger. When I try to talk to her she says I’m victim blaming or a prude. I really like living with her otherwise. Should I move? Sophie, Mt Vic

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

Move. You have talked to her and it makes you uncomfortable. There will be other flat mates – tell her you worry but just get organised and go.

L O V E

L O C A L

Love local Whether you’re looking for food, drinks, flowers, jewellery or whatever – wouldn’t you rather love local? Yeah, that’s what we thought. In the Love Local directory cool people doing cool stuff tell us what they’re up to.

Inner Body Freedom Experience the health benefits of Stillness Touch at Inner Body Freedom. A form of craniosacral practice, Stillness Touch assists you to relax profoundly, releasing deeply held tension and increasing your vitality. Come and experience Stillness Touch for yourself. www.innerbodyfreedom.com

Upcycled homewares at Te Papa Store

Commonsense has a new home

Recycled wool blanket roses, by Seam’s Sue McMillan, introduce the vintage aesthetic to a small space. Better known for her cushions, Sue works out of her Newtown home re purposing the blankets salvaged from Op shops around the city. www.tepapastore.co.nz

Commonsense provides you with fresh, organic food and groceries, environmentally friendly homewares and toxic-free health & beauty products. From April you’ll find us at a new Wellington City location – 147 Tory Street. We can’t wait to see you there! www.commonsenseorganics.co.nz

Good Vibrations Sound Therapy

Going on a beer hunt

Our bodies contain 'energy frequencies'. Sometimes when we are stressed, they go off key. Sound Therapy can be used to retune these energies. All you have to do is lie down and bask in the tuneful beauty of 'pure' resonance. www.goodvibrationssoundtherapy.co.nz

It’s hot, you’re thirsty, and pausing for a beer and bite to eat is never a bad idea. Capital have produced a handy pocket sized guide to tempt you on beer adventures around the city. Find a copy free around the city this summer. www.capitalmag.co.nz

G O O D

S P O R T

TA L L TA L E After taking out the 2019 season, the Wellington Saints return for the 2020 Sal's National Basketball League to defend the championship and make sure the title remains with the capital. Their first home game is against the Taranaki Mountain Airs on 12 April at the TSB Bank Arena, where a host of new players will make their debut, and American-born Dion Prewster will return.

GRAND TRAVERSE

OLD SCHO OL

MOTO MADNESS

Athletes will run, kayak, and bike their way around Porirua for the Grand Traverse multi-sport race on Sunday 5 April. The event has race options for all abilities and snakes it way through the Porirua harbour and hills.

Wellington Football Club, also known as the Axemen, will be turning 150 this year, making it the oldest in Wellington. The club played their first match in 1870 and has fielded almost 30 All Blacks since, surviving lulls during the Boer War and two World Wars. Registrations are now open for the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebrations later in the year.

You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t beat the sweet smell of a two-stroke engine on a calm autumn evening, unless of course said engine is being backflipped over a hovering helicopter. The Crusty Demons freestyle motocross world tour is coming to Masterton 24 April for a night of death-defying stunts, mullets, bourbon and coke, and of course that sweet-smelling two-stroke.

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WĀ H I N E

Fool no one

the years about the importance of ‘processing your emotions’ left me with very little understanding of the ‘why’ – and no idea about the ‘how’ of such processing. The best answers I found were from the School of Life, an organisation founded by the incredible Alain de Botton (whose writing is well worth seeking out). In the book SelfKnowledge, the authors describe feelings that aren’t acknowledged, named, or interpreted as being stored up in the system and becoming a kind of ‘vague, directionless anxiety.’ The authors aren’t just talking about grief; if anything, sadness over a lost one is one of the more ‘acceptable’ feelings, to which we naturally give time and space. More worrisome are those we believe to be unjustified: anger over being let down by our partner yet again, guilt about leaving the baby to go back to work, sadness resulting from new tensions with an old friend. We tell ourselves we shouldn’t feel that way, everyone else is getting on with it, and besides others have it much worse off – don’t we know how lucky we are? And so we distract ourselves with work, friends, or compulsive activities (anything from going to the gym all the time to consuming too much porn) – basically, whatever we can do to avoid a good look in the mirror. We put on a happy face, numb ourselves with drugs or alcohol or adopt a carefully non-specific tone of cynicism, ‘which masks the specific wound that has been inflicted on us’. We become unoriginal, uninspired, restless, and ‘depressed about everything, because we can’t be sad about something.’ Hard as it is to face up to uncomfortable emotions at the time, it’s got to be easier than sifting through decades of unprocessed, debilitating backlog. So, how do we set about doing this from now on? And how do we work through the stuff we never really let ourselves feel in the first place? There are a bunch of answers to this: good therapy, trusted friends, ‘philosophical meditation,’ and the practice of recognising and naming feelings as you experience them, then allowing yourself to feel that way for a bit. But in SelfKnowledge, the first step is self-compassion. Yes, emotions like insecurity, inferiority, rage, sadness, and fear are painful or embarrassing, but they’re also part of being human. Every single one of us has felt every single one of those. We fool nobody by pretending to be immune, least of all ourselves.

BY M E LO DY T H O M AS

hey say one of the benefits of growing up in the country is that you get good at processing grief and loss through the coming and going of animals. It’s true that I buried my fair share of pets as a kid: our rescued magpie Murphy Tuesday, left in his outdoor aviary on a night that was just too cold; a skinny, hairless baby possum that peeked from the pouch of its recently-shot mother just in time to be spotted by one of us kids, and so, for a time, saved; numerous lambs that we fed, cuddled, adored, and later ate. But for me, this keen awareness of the fleeting lives of animals never translated to a wider acceptance of death. That’s partly because for a long time I never had to deal with it. My grandparents are young – even today three of them are alive and active, and my first big loss was my great grandmother, who died when I was in my early 20s. She was in her 90s, had lived a wonderfully full life and at that point was probably happy to depart. Yet I was devastated. As the years went on the losses got bigger, closer to home, more unfair, and I never got any better at dealing with them. Recently, we helped our daughter through the death of her first pet, Scatter, a mouse who’s survived by her sister Nibbles. She was discovered in the morning, and throughout the day we were pretty impressed with how our little girl seemed to be coping, until it came time to bury poor Scatter, at which point she blankly refused. ‘I don’t want to have a funeral,’ she told us, ‘I just want to pretend like it never happened.’ We eventually managed to coax her into the garden, where we shared stories of Scatter’s little life, said goodbye, sang a song, and cried. But that comment about wanting to pretend like it never happened stuck with me. Somewhere along the way, our daughter had learned that difficult emotions were best avoided, that if you tried hard enough you could convince yourself you weren’t feeling a certain way. Had she learned that from us? In lieu of money for an actual therapist, I turned to google. It turns out that everything I’d heard over

C A L E N D A R

April

Free welly

ENCOUNTER 1

Feeling the pinch? Check out the following idea...

City Gallery, until 13 April SUFFRAGE IN STITCHES

LET ’S GET CHEMICAL

Wellington Museum, until 27 April PATILLO PROJECT 2020 Dr Kathryn Wightman

Want to see a mini hot-air balloon powered by a hair dryer, ride a virtual reality rollercoaster, create bubbles, or see how white light splits into a rainbow? Mr Science (Sterling Cathman) brings his interactive science demonstrations to Te Papa at 10.30am on 24 April.

Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui

1 APRIL FOOL’S DAY

2 NO MAN IS AN ISLAND

If you’ve got extra fiver, stick around for the slime workshop at 12.30. It’s all about chemical reactions and changes involving solids, liquids, and gases. And you get to keep the slime.

Collab brew day to support men’s mental health awareness Husk, Ghuznee St

3 DEVOTION NZSO performs Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis Michael Fowler Centre, 6.30pm

April S

A PLACE APART Paintings by Christina Pataialii and Ruth Ige City Gallery

ORACLES

Pati Solomona Tyrell and Christian Thompson

City Gallery

5 DAYLIGHT SAVING ENDS

C A L E N D A R

Pātaka Art + Museum, 5 & 19 April

HERSTORICAL MOMENTS Talks, screenings, and activities

Wellington Museum, 10am–3pm

SIMON INGRAM: NEURO-ACTIONPAINTING Brain activity monitoring as art City Gallery, 6–13 April

EARTH DAY

THE LOST LETTER OFFICE

Capital E theatre show for ages 2 and up

HOT TAKES Climate crisis and justice Wellington Museum, 5.30pm, koha

Hannah Playhouse, 14–21 April

HEADGIRL: THE SHOW

Freya Daly Sadgrove performs selected works

PAINT AND WINE NIGHT

BATS, 7–11 April, 8.30pm

Drink while you paint like Bob Ross Arborist Rooftop Bar, 7pm

Woven and painted works by Jade Townsend

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY

Page Galleries, until 2 May

Work by five Wellington artists Te Auaha Galley, until 25 April

9 JUST A SECOND CLOTHING SWAP

TURN ON THE LIGHTS

Reduce textile waste and get a ‘new’ wardrobe

Expressions Whirinaki, Upper Hutt, 10am

Puppet theatre for ages 2 and up

Sustainability Trust, Forresters Lane, 6–8pm

FRAME UPS Fundraising exhibition

GOOD FRIDAY

Mahara Gallery

TITAHI BAY EASTER FAIR Whitehouse Road, 10am–3pm

NGĀ MAHI Ā TE WHARE PORA

WELLINGTON ARMAGEDDON EXPO

Wellington Museum, 10am–5pm

Sky Stadium, 10–12 April

12 EASTER SUNDAY

25 ANZAC DAY Public holiday 27 April

HOMESICK/SICKHOME

WELLINGTON PHOENIX V BRISBANE BEAR Sky Stadium, 6pm kick-off

A celebration of textiles and culture

SHED SERIES: WAI NZSO performs five water-themed pieces Shed 6, 7.30pm

INTERNATIONAL DANCE DAY Workshops, performances, and films Te Papa, 10.20am–4pm STARMAN An ‘out of this world’ romance film starring Jeff Bridges Space Place at Carter Observatory, 7pm

29 DANCE NIMBLE SOLES Hannah Playhouse, 7.30pm

May 1 LAGER THAN LIFE 2: LARGER HARDER National brewery challenge The Hudson on Chews, 4pm HURRICANES V CHIEFS Sky Stadium, kick off at 7.05pm

O L D S T PA U L’ S

A living historical icon – wedding & event venue www.heritage.org.nz

All bets are off. In this state of flux, please check the event is still on before you pay for parking.

ART CRAFT MARKET

P U Z Z L E D

Isolation station

Are you currently experiencing self-isolation? Bored? Feeling uninspired? Sick of screens? Try these fabulous puzzles.

5 6

7 8

9 11

10 13

12 14

15 16

17 18

20 21

23 24

2 2

4 9

3 7 1

1 8

3 7

6 9 1

1 3

Across

Down

2. Superb (9) 5. Untalkative (8) 6. Over look (4) 8. Harakeke (4) 9. Swim (5) 11. Small concert (3) 14. Autumn fruit (6) 15. Magazine (11) 16. Jacuzzi (3) 21. Exemption (8) 22. Search through (7) 23. Winter hat (6) 24. Love (MÄ ori) (5)

1. Isolation (10) 3. Unearth (8) 4. Wellington surf beach (5) 7. Forty winks (5) 10. Ethereal (8) 12. Kupe's daughter (5) 13. Wairarapa river (8) 17. Fall (6) 18. Sea urchin (4) 19. Early settler ship to Wellington (6) 20. Cradle song (7)

Answers will be published in the next issue

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y: J O S E P H K E L LY

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