TALES OF THE CITY

First as tragedy, then as farce

BY ARTHUR HAWKES PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNA BRIGGS

PLAYWRIGHT Arthur Miller

MUSIC John Coltrane SPORT Basketball DIRECTOR Akira Kurosawa RUGBY TEAM Highlanders

Hone, the theatre maker who puts himself through the hoops.

After working with performers for the first time in two years, playwright Hone Kouka is exuberant, high on the energy of sharing space with other theatre makers, in the city he called home for 30 years.

Hone moved here from Dunedin in 1988 and lived in the central city. “At that time far fewer people were living there,” he says. The warehouse at 62 Ghuznee Street became an artery in the city’s creative scene, housing actors, artists, writers, and musicians. “Some arrived for a week and stayed for six months!” The collective Roots Foundation, the precursor to Fat Freddy’s Drop, was among many notable residents. Hone punctuated his theatre-making and study with late-night swims at Oriental Parade, enjoying plays at Taki Rua Theatre, and football matches “and the accompanying southerly” at Athletic Park.

The project that’s consumed him of late is Ngā Rorirori, which translates as “The Idiots”, at Circa Theatre from 18 to 25 June. The first work he has written and directed since 2015, it is a farce with dancing, music, audio-visual projection, and spoken word. The story follows a two-person iwi that discovers it has claim to a huge tract of land worth millions.

The last piece he wrote for theatre, Bless the Child (2018), painted a harrowing portrait of the child abuse epidemic. “There were things I wanted to say and get out of my system at the time.” For Ngā Rorirori, he’s drawing on an earlier work for inspiration: 2015’s The Beautiful Ones, which had dancers, thumping electronic music, and an audience dance floor.

This lighter approach came from Hone’s survey of the theatre landscape during the pandemic. “My colleagues all felt so battered. It was difficult to come to terms with, so I asked myself, ‘How can I bring joy to you?’” Farce and satire seemed a good vehicle for this, allowing humour into the thematic elements: Māoridom, capitalism, class, and what he calls “marae bureaucrats”.

Aside from the upheaval to the theatre world, much has changed in Hone’s personal life. In 2018, he and partner Mīria George moved from their place in Khandallah to Ngongotahā, where her family live. They live close to the lake. “I’m really happy. There’s space for my basketball court, and a beautiful back lawn that gets turned into a cricket pitch by the kids.”

They return to the capital often, for the two organisations they run here: Tawata Productions, which is producing Ngā Rorirori; and the Kia Mau arts festival. “We find it creatively enriching to come back. We put on our Wellington clothes, get into our Wellington mode. I think you can miss that good stuff when you’re grinding there all the time.”

As for his creative process, Hone admits he’s a night owl. “I can write late on the couch watching a basketball game, or I make a playlist and play it continuously and just write to it.” The first draft for Ngā Rorirori took 10 days. He sits on his ideas and ruminates, sometimes for years, before putting pen to paper. “Mīria will see me dancing around the kitchen and say, ‘You’re working on your play, aren’t you?’” Only when the idea is fleshed out, and partially acted and danced out, will he begin writing.

He says a recent Zoom reading through the script with 20 other playwrights reinforced the aspirations he had for the show, and his optimism. “Getting the joy into the work, and into the making of it, is really important. It’s good for our health and our wellbeing as artists.”

Queenstown’s Winter Wonderland

Nestled alongside the pristine waters of Lake Whakatipu and surrounded by majestic, snow-capped peaks sits Queenstown, the home of winter adventure. It is the perfect escape, whether you have an appetite for adventure, mountains, and fresh air or are more at home enjoying a delicious meal and fine wine next to a roaring fire. Every year from early June, the region transforms into a winter wonderland, attracting snow sports enthusiasts with its incredible lake and alpine scenery, crisp blue-sky days, vibrant après ski scene, and easy access to some of the finest ski and snowboard terrain in New Zealand.

Choose from four different ski fields

Queenstown is the perfect winter base to hit the slopes of Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona Alpine Resort, and Treble Cone, each located within a 20-90 minute drive of Queenstown. The four ski fields feature a variety of terrain and cater for different levels of experience, from beginner to expert. Try night skiing at Coronet Peak; check out the home of freeride, The Remarkables; ski the Willows Basin at Cardrona which opened briefly in 2021; or head to Treble Cone, the largest ski area in the South Island.

Take your skiing to the next level

Experienced skiers are well catered for in Queenstown, with ample opportunity to take your skiing to the next level. Queenstown’s four ski fields each have a range of double-black runs and off-piste terrain just waiting to be explored. Or for the ultimate powder experience, spend the day exploring the backcountry with a local guide or through one of Queenstown’s heliskiing operations. The helicopter ride up to the Southern Alps is spectacular, and provides access to pristine, untouched snow just waiting for you to make fresh tracks on.

Once-in-a-lifetime winter experiences

Queenstown is the place to tick off those once-in-alifetime experiences, and there’s no time more scenic than winter to try them. Take an early morning hot air balloon flight above white-capped mountain peaks, paraglide from a ski field covered in fresh snow, or take a leap and skydive over the Southern Alps. You can also horse ride through fresh snow, bungy jump into an ice-cold river, or 4WD adventure into an abandoned mining village. The options are endless.

Après ski scene

Winter in Queenstown is just as much about après ski as it is about skiing and snowboarding, and the compact and vibrant town centre truly comes alive after dark. Stylish bars, sophisticated clubs, Kiwi pubs, and late-night hot spots make the après ski atmosphere second to none. Along with nearby Arrowtown, Queenstown is home to more than 150 bars and restaurants, offering an extensive range to tempt all taste buds, from fine dining to bustling eateries, family-friendly cafés, and boutique restaurants. If visiting local bars and trying new cocktails isn’t your thing, there are plenty more local activities to keep you occupied after you leave the ski field, including zipline tours, ice skating and plenty of indoor thrills.

Beyond the ski field

Queenstown is renowned for its high-octane thrills. If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush or want to push your limits, there are activities like jet boating, zip-lining, or quad biking – all guaranteed to get your blood pumping! For the ultimate in relaxation, especially after a day on the slopes, enjoy some ‘me time’ at one of Queenstown’s luxury day spas and yoga studios. A full range of treatments are on offer, and it’s the perfect way to revitalise the mind, body, and soul.