LIFESTYLE

PINBALL WIZARD

Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe is the new kid on Bond Street. For two dollars a game you can plunge, flip, and slingshot on 20 pinball machines, with themes including The Flintstones, Guns N’ Roses and Jurassic Park. The arcade will also be a dedicated venue for pinball competitions, which can be certified by the International Flipper Pinball Association. They want to promote pinball as a non-screen-based social sport that can be enjoyed by all ages. The first of their monthly tournaments, Pōneke Pinballers, will begin on 5 May.

MADE IN KĀPITI

Kāpiti desinger Danni Rose is fighting fast fashion. Under her label Danni Rose Designs, she creates made to measure garments, aiming for as little environmental impact as possible. Growing up in Whanganui, Danni became interested in clothes early, altering op shop finds to create something new. Her garments are made using natural dyes and deadstock fabric. Off-cuts are given a new life as bags or scrunchies or feature trimmings. Danni provides free alterations. SOFT SPOT

Kelsey Brown is aiming to make Pōneke a little cosier. Her recently launched brand Wellington Knits celebrates the city with pieces personalised by suburb, such as the Island Bay jumper and the Roseneath sweater. Beginning each piece on a vintage domestic knitting machine and hand finishing them, Kelsey creates garments that use local wool (some of it from Wairarapa sheep and spun in Upper Hutt). BAG OF WEED

If you notice eerie big black sacks on your next walk through a Pōneke park, don’t be alarmed. These 1.8m x 2.4m bags are filled with soft seedless weeds, which have been left in the sun to break down into compost within six to twelve months. They are popping up in reserves around the capital, including Skyline Reserve, Monaghan Road Reserve and Mākara Peak. The bags mean that herbicides aren’t required, and carbon emissions are reduced as the weeds don’t have to be transported for disposal.