Capital 84 by Capital

CAPITAL Top of the crops We put vege boxes to the test WINTER 2022 $9.90

Photo finish

Capital Photogapher of the year finalists

Frozen in thyme Why freeze dried food is hot

Hospo hokey

Who’s in, out, and shaken all about

The kai issue THE STORIES OF WELLINGTON

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CTIO

REPRESENT WELLINGTON

Find out how you can stand for Council and your community at wcc.nz/elections

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CAPITAL

The stories of Wellington

Isabella Sutherland, Strawberry Nails. An entry into our Capital Photographer of the Year competition. To see the finalists, see page 63.

t is exciting to bring you the finalists and section winners from our Capital Photography Competition. Managing it for a second time has been both easier and harder. The competition attracted more than double the number of entries – pleasing but almost doubling the work for our convenor, Shalee Fitzimmons, and our wonderful judging panel of top photographers from all around New Zealand and abroad. Like the previous competition it has been heartwarming, invigorating fun to see the range of entries, and the talent and expertise to be found here in New Zealand. Thank you to our judges who give their time and talent, our sponsors without whom we couldn’t run the competition, and keen photographer, Mazz Scannell who has again generously donated the prizes for our winners. I hope you get a chance to see the exhibition at Courtenay Creative, 49 Courtenay Place, or online at capitalmag.co.nz/cpoty And of course this issue is our food issue. Cold weather means the right conditions for hunkering down and enjoying good times with good friends and family, or sampling the new food adventures on offer all over town. We have covered most options for you, with an investigation by noted vegetable gardener Hannah Zwartz of the vege boxes on offer, a look at the growing trend for freeze dried food, and a hearty winter recipe perfect for family dining. Korean chef Hoon tells us how he came to settle in Wellington, while Sophie Carter reminds us of some of the many hospo changes Wellington has seen over the past year. To remind that we don’t “live by bread alone,” Jordan Hamel chats to Chris Tse about his development as a poet, while Sudha Rao tells Sarah Lang about the joys of a life infused with classical Indian dance, and poetry. Maybe-candidate Tim Brown brings us back to the practical issues facing Wellington city. He identifies council process problems as contributors to a low level of of voter interest in October’s local body elections. Meanwhile Melody Thomas pays a visit to some denizens of Aro Valley who are seeking a better way of living in their urban bush paradise.

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All this and more. See you in September with our Spring issue.

Alison Franks Editor

Staff

Featured contributors

Managing editor Alison Franks editor@capitalmag.co.nz Campaign coordinators Haleigh Trower haleigh@capitalmag.co.nz Milly Brunel milly@capitalmag.co.nz Siobhan Vaccarino siobhan@capitalmag.co.nz Factotum John Bristed john@capitalmag.co.nz Art director Shalee Fitzsimmons shalee@capitalmag.co.nz Designer Elaine Loh design@capitalmag.co.nz Writer journalism@capitalmag.co.nz Publishing coordinator Sophie Carter hello@capitalmag.co.nz

MELODY THOMAS Writer

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

Melody is a writer, columnist and producer for radio who uses her work to offset terrible FOMO, or Fear Of Missing Out. Writing for Capital provides just the excuse she needs to pry, consider and explore the world vicariously, all from her little window desk in Island Bay. Catch up with Melody between issues on Twitter @WriteByMelody.

Sanne is a creative professional who began her freelance career in 2018, after completing her Bachelors and Honours in Design. Her creative work focuses on photography and graphic design, with a range of clients throughout New Zealand.

S I O B H A N VA C C A R I N O C amp ai g n c o ordi n ator

SARAH LANG Writer

Accounts Tod Harfield accounts@capitalmag.co.nz

Contributors Melody Thomas, Janet Hughes, John Bishop, Anna Briggs, Sarah Lang, Deirdre Tarrant, Francesca Emms, Dan Poynton, Chris Tse, Claire Orchard, Harriet Palmer, Jess Scott, Griff Bristed, Claire O’Loughlin, Chev Hassett, Joram Adams, Sanne Van Ginkel, Rachel Helyer Donaldson, Matthew Plummer, Fairooz Samy, Adrian Vercoe, Sasha Borissenko, Courteney Moore, Josiah Nevell, Monica Winder, Craig Beardsworth, Olivia Lamb, Hannah Mahon, Tim Brown

Submissions We welcome freelance art, photo, and story submissions. However we cannot reply personally to unsuccessful pitches.

Siobhan is the newest member to join the Capital team. A stylist of sorts, you'll find her rummaging through all the opshops and wearing outrageous outfits. That may be a thing of the past though; as she recently became the proud mum of a show-stopping pug called Pinocchio.

Sarah Lang writes about books and culture for Capital, has written for many national magazines including North & South, and also does some copywriting gigs. She is in charge of Theo, seven, and the nine-yearold Wellington Classic Literature Meetup group.

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C O N T E N T S

12 16 19 20 22 27

CHATTER NOTEWORTHY BY THE NUMBERS NEW PRODUCTS TALES OF THE CITY CULTURE

46 Best of the bunch

33 Dancing queen

We venture into vege box delivery services

Full out for poetry

36 Hospo hokey-cokey

The food and drink landscape continues to shake

Hung out to dry Freeze-dried food flies out the door

EDIBLES

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C O N T E N T S

63 Snap happy Impressive depth of field, finalists revealed

The Holloway way

Council puckerooed?

Hippies in the heart of the city

Dilemmas in election year

76 78 82

54 Steak and mushroom pie Hearty tucker for winter

LIFESTYLE BUG ME BY THE BOOK

100 Wāhine

84 Slam’it that's good A poet on the move

WELLY ANGEL

Melody Thomas wants to be alone

102 CALENDAR 104 PUZZLED

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE WITH ISABELLE H O L I S T I C T H E R A P I E S | H E R B A L R E M E D I E S | F R E S H P L A N T B A S E D S K I N C A R E | A R O M AT H E R A P Y | W O R K S H O P S | B E S P O K E O P E N 7 D AY S / ( 0 4 ) 8 0 1 8 7 7 7 / 1 1 0 A C U B A S T R E E T, T E A R O / S H O P O N L I N E AT W E L L I N G T O N A P O T H E C A R Y. C O . N Z

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

H o l l y wo o d Pa lm Names such as these Its home is a tiny speck of land in the Pacific Ocean between Australia and New Zealand, called Lord Howe Island, which is reputed to be the most beautiful island in the world. Kentia palms were exported as early as the 1870s. Queen Victoria coveted them and had large collections. Its modern name, Hollywood Palm, came about as it hit film sets and the movie world. It has arching, dark green leaves. In their natural environment they can soar to 15 metres in height but outdoors here, 10 metres may be more realistic. Indoors some control may be exerted by the size of the container used.

One Serious tour Oscar winner, comedian, and one half of Flight of the Conchords Bret McKenzie embarks on a three-country 46-centre tour soon. His new album Songs Without Jokes will be released in August, with a tour following in September. With a seven-piece band behind him he delves into a different side of his song writing – a more serious side.

TLC It will shine in warmth and well lit spaces. Direct sunlight will result in scorch marks on the fronds. A sheltered spot in your garden that receives indirect morning sunshine may give it enough sunlight. Tuck it into a corner of a courtyard or at the back of a garden bed where it can spread out and command attention. Liquid fertilizer applied during the warmer months will keep the fronds dark green and encourage new growth.

Two R e c o r d b r e a ke r Bustastrophe 2018 move over, 2022 has you beat! Wellington bus and train cancellations have reached a new high, due to Covid-19-related absences and ongoing driver shortages. During the network overhaul of 2018/2019, there were around 1,500 cancellations per month, compared with the period between 1–22 May this year, when a total of 2,653 trips were cancelled. Many commuters simply wish there was better communication about the cancellations from the network so they could make other arrangements. Others have given up and resorted to walking. Bet there’s been a rise in the sale of Gore-tex rain pants and jackets.

To thrive If you are tempted to repot it, think twice – it likes an established environment. Repot only when it has outgrown its container, and in the warmth of late spring or summer. For refreshment on a bright, calm day pop it outside for a wash down with the hose. Don’t leave it out in the midday sun. Our plant of the month comes from Margaret Davies, Palmers Miramar.

C H AT T E R

F i ve

Shelling out After more than 500 days of occupation, construction has begun on Ian Cassels’ Shelly Bay development on the Miramar peninsula. The land was originally sold to developer Cassels by the Taranaki Whānui iwi, which caused an internal rift. Protest group Mau Whenua wanted to see the land returned to the iwi, and occupied the site, delaying works. The occupation has now ended. With 350 homes planned, plus a boutique hotel and ferry service, the $500-million development is one of the largest Wellington has seen.

Three I s l a n d ex p e r i e n c e A proper gateway to Kāpiti Island is on its way, with advanced plans for a building recently released. Te Uruhi is planned to raise the profile of Kāpiti Island and its conservation successes. Two single-storey “pods” designed by Athfield Architects will house information panels, art installations showing the island’s history, and a biosecurity area to screen prospective visitors. A 450 sqm deck will also be available to beach-goers. The new facility is expected to increase tourism to the island by speeding up bio check-ins.

Six

Four So lit

Ta g y o u ’ r e i t

Lights and action abound at Greytown’s Festival of Christmas. Every evening in July will have something happening in the little Wairarapa town. Brave a drive over the Remutakas to experience night markets, Matariki events, parties, comedy, festive food, workshops, and of course lots of spectacular lights.

Plastic ain’t fantastic for the Kāpiti Coast Council dog registry. Environmental concerns have motivated the council to replace plastic dog-registration tags with anodised aluminium ones designed to last a dog’s lifetime. To avoid penalty fees, dogowners are encouraged to register their pooches by 1 August. The registration fees of the more than 8,000 dogs on the Kāpiti Coast help to fund a seven-day animal management service, a 24-hour emergency response service for urgent dog control complaints, and an animal shelter.

By the numbers

2500+

132

entries

semi-finalists

finalists

Cats in Inside

Capital Photographer of the Year

Birds in Rangatahi

Sunsets in Whenua

Cranes in Structure

Fishermen in Society

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

S e ve n B r i g ht fu t u re From molecular engineering to jazz performance, ecology to feminist political science – the latest tranche of Fulbright Scholars covers the usual wide range of expertise. Established in the United States in 1946, the Fulbright programme is one of the largest educational exchanges of scholars in the world. Among the 27 New Zealanders heading abroad to further their study are five Wellingtonians. •

Sophie Oliff will complete a Masters of Science in Clinical Service Operations at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

•

Mattias Tolhurst will complete a PhD in Molecular Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle.

•

Rayhan Langdana will complete a Master of Laws in electoral law at the University of California in Berkeley.

•

Pete McKenzie will complete a Master of Arts in Journalism at Columbia University in New York City.

•

Dexter Stanley-Tauvao will complete a Master of Music in Jazz Studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College in New York City.

It's cool to kōrero Would you like to have dinner at our place?

Ka kai tātou ki te kāinga?

Eight Blues hues The colour blue is a common thread throughout Sully's, a new fashion boutique on Ghuznee Street. The owner Hannah Sullivan named the shop after her father. “I wanted it to feel like a breath of fresh air and a dip in the ocean, hence the blue floor.” A born and bred Wellingtonian, Sullivan has worked in fashion retail for a decade and built relationships with international and local brands including Zoe McBride, Wellington Knits, and Collina Strada. “For many this is their first introduction to these brands and I want to make that interaction memorable.”

Nine Pulsating final With a record-breaking third ANZ Premiership title now under their belts, Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse has much to celebrate. After a year away coach Yvette McCausland-Durie was lured back for the 2022 season. The 56–37 win over the Northern Stars in June proved it was a good decision. Yvette McCauslandDurie confirmed she will be back at the helm for the 2023 netball league.

ALWAYS ORGANIC, ALWAYS DELICIOUS FAIR TRADE

LIVING WAGE

DRINK COFFEE

STAY LUCKY

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N O T E W O R T H Y

WOE F U L FUNDING New rules in the latest draft National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity can’t be implemented without a comprehensive and well-resourced financial support package, say Federated Farmers. Chris Allen says the policy’s chances of success are undermined by woeful funding. In the 2022 Budget only $20 million of the $150m needed over the next four years was allocated. Allen was a member of the cross-sector Biodiversity Collaborative Group that made recommendations to the government.

PASIFIKA SCRIBE Wellington writer Tamara Tulitua has been appointed the 2022 Emerging Pasifika Writer in Residence at Victoria University’s International Institute of Modern Letters. Tamara traces her lineage through the villages of Lefaga on her mother’s side, and Sapapāli’i, Vailima, and Tanugamanono on her father’s side. She intends to use the residency to work on a collection mixing prose and poetry to explore the experiences of tama’ita’i Samoa (Samoan women) in diasporic settings.

NAME SHAME

GRANT THREE WISHES

Ngāti Toa has requested that Calliope Park in Cannons Creek be renamed, as the name is culturally offensive to mana whenua. In the 1920s Te Rauparaha, Ngāti Toa’s paramount chief, was arrested and held captive without charge on board the HMS Calliope (a 26-gun frigate) for over 18 months. The former Calliope Crescent has already been renamed Matahourua Crescent, after the twin-hulled waka Kupe was sailing when he discovered Aotearoa.

Three up-and-coming Māori businesses have been selected as recipients of grants from the Kāpiti Coast District Council and Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti’s 2021/22 Māori Economic Development Fund. Two of the grants will go to health and wellness organisations: Hā Pai Wellness, a holistic health collective, and Te Rongoā Rerehua, a developer of rongoā Māori products. The third grant will go towards the building of Te Hāhi, an art residence and workspace at Hori Gallery Ltd – Te Whare Toi o Hori in Ōtaki.

Juno Gin Distillery tour

GET A TASTE OF TARANAKI

Black Sands Pizzeria, Ōakura

N O T E W O R T H Y

MAKE IT PRETTY Lower Hutt residents have given feedback on how they would prefer the Government’s requirement for territorial authorities to enable higher and denser housing to be implemented. A requirement that developers make public areas more attractive was sought by 82% of the respondents, and there was strong support for the introduction of minimum standards for landscaping. Views were mixed on whether Boulcott, Lowry Bay, and Woburn should remain zoned as low-density areas. Lower Hutt City Council is now considering the feedback for inclusion in a proposed District Plan change, which will be open for formal submissions in August.

BEEP BEEP

ON THE RISE

LYDIA’S LEGACY

Hutt City Council has signed off an Integrated Transport Strategy setting out the city’s vision and direction for transport developments. "Residents have consistently raised transport as one of their biggest concerns in our city,” says Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry. “While we know the strategy won’t fix our transport challenges overnight, we now have a guide for our strategic transport decisions and investments that will lead to a more efficient, resilient, and safer transport network in Lower Hutt.”

The Takutai Kāpiti Coastal Advisory Panel, set up to represent the Kāpiti Coast community, will help the Kāpiti Coast District Council find ways of adapting to coastal erosion due to climate change. “Everyone is affected, as we all pay when council has to repair, replace, or relocate community infrastructure like accessways, roads, pipes, and parks as climate change brings more extreme and frequent storms and rising seas,” says Kāpiti Coast District Council coastal manager Lyndsey Craig. A public information session on coastal hazards will be held on 23 July, at the Ocean Road community centre, Paraparaumu Beach.

Family and friends of the late Professor Lydia Wevers ONZM have created the Lydia Wevers Scholarship in New Zealand Studies. Born in the Netherlands, Wevers moved with her family to Masterton as a child. She became an internationally renowned literary historian, critic, teacher, writer, and scholar, specialising in New Zealand studies. Wevers was director of the VUW, Stout Research Centre, for New Zealand Studies from 2001 to 2017. Recipients of the $33,000 annual scholarship will have access to work space and support in Victoria University's Stout Centre.

Shining Peak Brewery

You’ll be spoiled for choice in Taranaki when it comes to filling your puku, with an abundance of cafés, restaurants, bars, and eateries right around the maunga. Taranaki is a foodie’s haven, with paddock-to-plate style menus, hearty gastronomic dishes, and locally-made produce regularly featured. Take in beachfront views at Black Sands Pizzeria, do a tour of the Juno Gin distillery, or visit Shining Peak brewery for craft brews and refined bites. Nau mai haere mai, it’s time to experience Taranaki – a place like no other.

taranaki.co.nz/visit

AN INITIATIVE OF VENTURE TARANAKI

09 Jul – 20 Nov 2022

Vanessa Arthur, Untitled (Pendant), 2021. Image courtesy of the artist and The Judgeford Collection.

B Y

Bun in a million

Beer belly

Grocery cajolery

T H E

N U M B E R S

1,164.2

4,500

205

185

1976

the weight in kilograms of world’s largest hamburger

burgers eaten every minute world wide

burgers in Burger Wellington 2022

price of the most expensive burger in Burger Wellington 2022

the year the Kiwi burger was created

14+

16,000

256%

22,000

breweries in the Wellington area

people attend Beervana

varieties of hops grown in New Zealand

growth in sales of low and no-alcohol beers since 2015

people employed by the beer industry nationwide

3,499

116.60

6.4%

supermarkets, grocery stores and dairies in NZ in 2022

the average weekly $ food shop for singles in Wellington

higher food prices in April 2022 compared with April 2021 in NZ

for 450 gm of rice, the cheapest serving of food in the world

CO M P I L E D BY S O P H I E CA RT E R A N D HANNAH MAHON

Gone to the dogs

12,220

28%

12%

42,000

dogs in Wellington

of Kiwi homes have at least one dog.

were adopted from the SPCA or an animal shelter

age of the world’s oldest dog

That’s second only to cats, who share 44% of our homes.

Just 2% of people said they took in a stray dog.

registered Labradors are the purebred of choice for Kiwis

(in 2021)

19 19

N E W

P R O D U C T S

10. 11.

10. 8. 9. 9.

Cheese board

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Chef’s Delight kalamata olive tapenade, $11.49, Mediterranean Foods Pols Potten fruit smile plate, $540, McKenzie & Willis Bonnie and Neil striped napkin, $25.99, Small Acorns Bonnie and Neil chamomile pink tablecloth, $299, Small Acorns Ethnicraft geometric dining table, $6065, McKenzie & Willis Robert Gordon coffee set white speckle, $124.95, Moore Wilson’s Field Guide to Cheese, $65, Unity Books Quince platter selection, $10, Rutherford & Meyer Dishy bread board, $57, The Minimal Co Burnished black stainless steel cheese knife, $24.90, Tickadeeboo Various artisan cheeses, The Cheese Wheel

TA L E S

O F

T H E

C I T Y

Knife life BY SA S H A B O R I S S E N KO P H OTO G R A P H Y BY SA N N E VA N G I N K E L

DRINK

MUSIC

Fruit Cru Pét nats

Andy Gartrell

ACTIVITY

HOLIDAY

PET

Te Papa

Queenstown

My girlfriend's chihuahua Buddy

Hoon in the kitchen.

ailing from South Korea, Havana Bar head chef Eom Jae Hoon has always been obsessed with food. “I’ve always loved food – like lots of people – but I was curious and wanted to make the dishes I was having out and about at home, so I decided I would become a chef.” When he was 16 he went into the kitchen of his favourite restaurant and asked whether he could have a job as a chef – he was told no, he couldn’t, he laughs. But he approached kitchen after kitchen until he was given a job. He soon realised that for him, the best experience would be to work in as many different kitchens as possible rather than going to culinary school. After making a career working in 10 fine-dining restaurants in Korea, Hoon decided several years ago to come to New Zealand to learn English. “It was completely random. I wasn’t fussy as to where I went, but the more I looked into it I liked the sound of New Zealand. The melting pot of cultures appealed to me and I wanted somewhere that treated Korean people well.” He had to choose between Auckland and Wellington, but with the big Asian population in Auckland, thought he would probably find himself hanging out with Koreans there. “I knew that to get my English up to scratch I should make as many non-Korean friends as possible. I jumped into the deep end.” So, Wellington. He didn’t think he’d ever land a job as a chef again, but if he did, he wanted to ditch the fine dining in favour of a more casual set-up, he says. “The experience was incredible, but making up to 10-course meals could be quite intense, and the work was really detail-oriented. I learned a lot, but I wanted more face-to-face interactions with customers.” Put it this way, he says, while his favourite place to eat in Wellington is “hands down” the 10-course set menu

from Jano Bistro on Willis Street, he equally loves the beef brisket at K C Cafe & Takeaway on Courtenay Place. In fact, if he had to choose a last meal he’d go for KFC, Korean barbeque, or traditional Korean noodles. Contrary to popular belief, traditional Korean cuisine isn’t all about chicken, Hoon says. Take a Bibimbap, for example, where the six ingredients in the dish might be bland on their own, but when they’re mixed together the result is “amazing”. “It’s like New Zealand, in a way. There are so many different ethnicities living here and the result is awesome.” Now, a typical weekend for Hoon involves finishing in his head-chef role at Havana Bar at about 11pm on Friday. He’ll then wake up at 3am to make donuts with Porno Donuts co-owner Nikos Otis, before heading to the Lower Hutt markets. He might work the dinner service at Havana that night, and then he’ll wake up at 4am on Sunday to get the market donut set-up running again. He works seven days a week but he wouldn’t change a thing, he says. He’s worked for Wellington’s Ascot and Amok eateries, and last year he was a finalist at the 2021 emerging chef awards in Wellington On A Plate. This year, he’s got two pop-ups at Havana Bar as part of the food festival and he’s in the throes of setting up a Porno Donuts cafe on Willis Street. The plan is to open in mid-August, he says. While he hopes to visit his family in Korea in the next two years, he’s content with being in New Zealand for good. He lives with his two favourite things – his girlfriend, and his set of knives, he jokes. “I always tell my staff that you must treat your knives as if they’re your babies. Don’t ever drop them, and care for them like they’re your kids. I’d save them from a burning house, for sure.” 23

City of good taste – or Food central A rising star in the foodie world and a powerhouse for food technology, education, innovation and entrepreneurship, Palmy is fast becoming a hub for all things food.

Take a stroll through Palmy, and you’ll find an abundance of foodie delights all within just a few kilometres. From fine dining and gourmet indulgence to traditional dishes from around the world, you’ll never be far from a meal that suits your taste and budget. And you’ll find yourself spoilt for choice by the city’s diverse range of international fare. Embracing the diversity of 130 cultures, Palmy has restaurants and cafés specialising in Vietnamese, Indian, European, Chinese, Canadian, South African and a host of other cuisines. They cater for locals as well as people from further afield, many of whom treat them as a destination. Amayjen – The Restaurant was recently awarded one hat in the Cuisine Good Food Awards. It’s easy to see why chef/owner Andrew May was named Scottish Chef of the Year before he returned to his Manawatū hometown. He and his wife Jenni brought back the skills and experiences they earned on their extensive OE, and now apply them on Victoria Avenue from morning until night. The standards are high and only fresh ingredients will do, to sit alongside a carefully chosen wine list. Andrew has also been named a Beef + Lamb New Zealand ambassador for 2022-23, and Sous

chef Jacob Aomarere-Poole recently won the Lee Kum Kee NZ developing chefs award.

A TASTE OF P^LMY with local ingredients, and help growers and other food providers flourish.

For South African cuisine, head to Little Savanna. Jamie Holmes, General Manager of the high-end casual restaurant, says its South African cuisine, flame grilled and gourmet dishes, such as locally sourced ostrich fillets when in season, set it apart from most other restaurants. The uniqueness draws regular patrons from outside the region, such as from Wellington and Hawke’s Bay.

Palash Saha, chef and owner of Dejeuner Restaurant & Bar, which specialises in European cuisine with a Kiwi-style twist, regularly sources quality produce from the local Farmers’ Market. Keen to support the food sector, he says today’s restaurants must serve consistently good quality. “There’s lots of competition in our small city, so restaurants need to produce fresh, consistently great food. That’s our main objective, whether people want a quick meal or a full dining experience,” he says.

Canadian locals and out-of-towners alike love the taste of home prepared at Palmy’s Beaver & Bear restaurant and food truck, owned by Blair and Brooke Argyle. “They come to get a taste of North America,” Blair says, adding that many non-Canadians have embraced the concept as well. Local producers also benefit from the business. “Sourcing local produce is important, and we’ll promote that more in the future.”

Palmerston North City Mayor Grant Smith says Palmy’s growing reputation as a food hub is well-earned. “We’re rich in culture – and that lends itself to amazing food experiences for locals and visitors. As well from the farmgate to plate, along with food growing and manufacturing, logistics and food distribution, we have Massey University and other large food science organisations that provide food innovation for our region, for New Zealand as a whole, and to the world.”

Keeping it fresh

For innovation with more of an on-the-street flavour, be sure to visit palmynz.co.nz or head to the Palmerston North i-SITE to pick up your Palmy food guide. The idea is that diners will use the map to find their way to various locations for a progressive dinner evening.

A short drive from the city centre, at weekends and on some weekdays, locals sell their ware at charming markets. Fresh food, such as vegetables, cheeses and salamis, and homemade produce tempt tastebuds, provide restaurant and café owners

GILBERT & GEORGE

THE T Ā M A K I M A K AU R AU AU C K L A N D EXHIBITION 2022 Sat 25 Jun – Sun 11 Sep

Union Dance (detail) 2008 Courtesy ARNDT Collection

Supported by:

S P O N S O R E D

C O N T E N T

Helping hospo defy the odds Of all the industries to get pummelled by the pandemic,

And your favourite restaurants. WBC, Amok, Chow,

hospitality is pretty much top of the list. So when a new

Shed 5, all the Best Ugly Bagels. And your favourite bars.

startup designed and built specifically for hospo emerged

The Library, Bebemos, Waitoa, Lovebite, Thistle Inn, Boneface.

just as the pandemic hit, it seemed like unfortunate timing.

In fact, we’d have to name over 9,000 places across the

As it turns out, the timing couldn’t have been better. The

country to get through the full list.

app, called Upstock, helped hospo all across NZ slash costs, avoid expensive mistakes, plus it gave owners and

It’s not just hospo, either. Plenty of your favourite grocery

staff the ability to work remotely. It provided sanity and

markets are using it too. Moore Wilson, Ontrays, Forage,

relief at a completely insane time.

heaps of Four Squares. Ok, right – you get the idea.

Mind you, Upstock is no typical ordering app. Most

The point is, when hospo was hurting, digital tech provided a

people don’t even know it exists. That’s because it’s only

critical survival tool. Which all of us can be extremely grateful

used by staff – front and back of house use it to order

for. More great news for hospo – Upstock is completely free

all their wholesale supplies – all the ingredients: the eggs,

– so you really can’t do better than that. The app is designed

milk, bread, coffee, booze, even cups and containers.

and built by the team who made Xero, so it’s no wonder it’s having such a big impact and it’s so popular.

Your favourite café most likely uses it. Just ask Squirrel, Swimsuit, Aro Café, Prefab, Good Fortune, all the Mojos.

You can check it out at www.upstock.app

C U L T U R E

THE SHOE FITS Feisty, funny and fabulous is how the Royal New Zealand Ballet is describing its new interpretation of Cinderella. Artistic director Patricia Barker says the dream team behind 2019’s Hansel and Gretel – choreographer Loughlan Prior and composer Claire Cowan – has reimagined the ballet into “a sparkly, well-styled twist on the much-loved classic, with a heroine who knows her own mind and a hero who follows his heart.” Three years in the making, Cinderella opens in the St James Theatre, Wellington, before touring four other centres.

CALIFORNIA KIWI

THRICE IS NICE

GRACEFUL DANCE

Singer songwriter Greg Johnson returns to New Zealand from his home in Santa Monica, California, for a tour of nine centres including Wellington beginning on 9 July. Johnson won a Silver Scroll in 1997, and a Tui Award in 2002 for his album ‘The Best Yet’ before moving to America. He has built a steady career making music for American television shows.

Three-time Grammy award winner Hilary Hahn will perform three concerts with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Wellington in August. The violinist last performed with the NZSO in 2010 during their European tour. Since then Hahn has continued her rise in the classical world to become a sought-after soloist. She will perform some titans of violin repertoire - Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No.1, and Brahms’ Violin Concerto among them.

Now in its 27th year, contemporary dance company Black Grace is embarking on another tour, its first since the covid pandemic. The programme on the six-city jaunt across the United States and New Zealand includes two world premieres by founding artistic director and choreographer Neil Ieremia (ONZM). One of the works, ‘Fatu', is inspired by the work of Samoan artist and fellow recipient of the ONZ Fatu Akelei Feu’u.

COFFEE & GREAT READS

vicbooks.co.nz

C U L T U R E

H U IA WHO’ S WHO The last confirmed sighting of a huia was in December 1907 in the Tararua Ranges – not far from the Dowse Art Museum’s location. To mark this historical event and acknowledge the museum’s 50th anniversary, photographer Fiona Pardington (pictured) was commissioned to produce an installation work. Te whitinga o te pō (“the shining lady of the night”) includes the artist’s signature photography plus sculptures. The exhibition is described as both homage and a moment of contemplation for the loss of a significant taonga.

MAGIC CARPET RIDE A giant map created as a carpet is part of Wellington Museum’s new ground-floor exhibition Te Whanganui-a-Tara. The exhibition explores the history of Wellington’s natural and cultural landscape. It was developed in collaboration with mana whenua and scientists. It also includes commissioned artworks by three Wellington artists - Xoë Hall (pictured), Derek Cowie and Ariki Brightwell. Superhigh-definition satellite images of the region make it possible to spot your house in the carpet-pile.

ONE PEOPLE ONE FILM Fighter for justice and equality Dame Whina Cooper has been immortalised in film. The much-delayed movie Whina will be in theatres from July. Renowned for her activism for Maori land rights and the rights of women, Cooper is played by three actors covering different stages of her life – Rena Owen, Miriama McDowell, and Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne.

POWER BALLADS Local singing teachers have complained of not being able to source New Zealand repertoire for their students. Conductor and musician Michael Vinten embarked on a mission to find some. The result is a three-volume, 118-song resource of pre-1950 New Zealand art songs, many never before published. Vinten, along with a pianist and three singers, will present a concert of some of the songs. In conjunction with NZ Opera the concert Call of the Huia: The Power of Song, will be performed in the three main centres in August.

We have: » A great range of programmes » Short and 17-week courses » Part-time or flexible study » Online learning with eCampus » Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) You can use your existing skills and experiences to fast-track your learning.

C U L T U R E

SHOOT HERE A new television series is in the offing and Wellington has a principal role. Although the creative team is not from Wellington, the landscape and vibe convinced producer Peter Salmon (pictured) he should set it here. The sixpart series After the Party applied successfully for funding from the Te Puna Kairangi – Premium Productions for International Audiences Fund. Nine films or television series made successful bids in this final round of funding from the $50-million kitty intended to help the New Zealand production sector recover from Covid-19.

SPILL THE TEA

DEVELOPED LIFE

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

Ever been stalked by a sheep, argued with a mullah, or planned the perfect murder? Sameena Zehra has, besides having a cuppa with some terrorists in Kashmir. In her play Tea with Terrorists she shares stories from a life that has straddled her Anglo/Indian heritage. Before moving to New Zealand the writer, director, performer, and blues singer lived in the United Kingdom. Circa hosts the play throughout August.

From portraits to panoramas, everyday life to grand occasions, Whirinaki Whare Taonga in Upper Hutt is celebrating its city in black and white photography. Photo essays by ten photographers capture the area’s history, people, and places. In photography from the 1960s to the present day, Upper Hutt in Black and White covers more than five decades of city life.

Psychologically-charged encounters with the intangible form the common denominator in the work of two emerging Wellington artists currently showing at City Gallery. Photographer Hendrix HennessyRopiha and installation practitioner Dayle Palfreyman have mounted Talia an exhibition filling two small galleries. Their work is starkly different in many ways, but both of them use their practice to explore some difficult territory, including suicide. The show runs until 14 August.

Winter at Circa Theatre

Wonderkind

Endless possibilities for wonder and joy lie in true friendship. Devised by Timothy Fraser, Kerryn Palmer, and Emma Rattenbury Directed by Kerryn Palmer General Admission $15 Under 2’s free Family pass $50 (4 tickets) ECC/Schools Pricing $12

Wednesday to Come

Four women. Four generations. One whānau. By Renée. Directed by Erina Daniels Presented by arrangement with Playmarket $15–$55

23 Jul–20 Aug

Wonderkind is a non-verbal show for children aged three to seven. It follows two friends as they explore everyday objects to create magical worlds filled with music, light, puppetry and transformation.

As the 1930s Depression threatens to tear New Zealand’s working class apart, a family must confront a personal crisis when the husband and father dies in a relief camp. Daniels directs a new version of a theatre classic by one of Aotearoa’s finest playwrights. Underlined with a rich vein of earthy humour, Wednesday to Come is a powerful statement and passionate celebration of the contribution women have made to the evolution of our country.

Image by Rebekah de Roo

Image by Roc+ Photography

9–30 July

Shows daily Tues–Sun 1 Taranaki St Wellington 04 801 7992 I circa.co.nz

Tea With Terrorists

A roller-coaster ride of dark comedy and delicious storytelling. By Sameena Zehra Directed by Sabrina Martin Presented by The Magnificent Weirdos $15–$55

6–27 Aug

Journey with award-winning performer, writer, director, and blues singer/songwriter Sameena Zehra in her debut show at Circa Theatre, Tea with Terrorists, to find out why fear is redundant, joy is essential, and terrorists can be a real hoot. Image by Roc-T

Skin Tight

A muscular piece of poetry. By Gary Henderson Directed by Katherine McRae $25–$54 Presented by arrangement with Playmarket

27 Aug–24 Sep

One of Aotearoa’s most poignant and lasting works of theatre. Skin Tight is a searing and sensual romance that is as stunningly physical as it is poetic - a theatre experience that will leave you with goosebumps. Image by Isabella Austin

17 – 21 SEPTEMBER

Soundings Theatre, Te Papa, Wellington BOOK indianink.co.nz $15 to $60* Group and family packages available *Booking fees apply

Study Textile Design Challenge traditional boundaries of textiles and create new surfaces that impact on social, environmental and cultural opportunities.

creative.massey.ac.nz

C U L T U R E

Dancing queen P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E B O N Y L A M B

Poet and public-policy strategist Sudha Rao tells Sarah Lang about her background in classical Indian dancing, and learning to be a New Zealander.

C U L T U R E

ou’d never know Sudha Rao is shy. She exudes warmth and positivity. “I love being with people and the energy they bring,” Sudha says. But she also needs space to recharge. And to write. She’s been writing poems for pleasure since the 1970s. Her debut book – a lyrical poetry collection called On Elephant’s Shoulders – will be published in July. Much of it speaks to the migrant experience. Sudha, who has two adult sons and lives with her policy-analyst husband in Wadestown, grew up in South India. “My mother was a classical musician and beautiful singer who encouraged me in dancing.” “Classical dance in South India used to be the domain of men, passed on from father to son over generations. Men performed both male and female parts. It wasn't until the late 19th century that women were taught dance as a form of praise in temples supported by rulers of the area. Women of higher castes weren’t allowed to dance, though they participated in other art forms.” “Aged six, I started learning Bharatanatyam.” This is the pre-eminent Indian classical dance form, in which dance and music are utterly inseparable. “At nine, I performed my ‘Arangetram’: my first solo performance, which lasted over two-and-a-half hours.” (The word “Arangetram” means “ascending the stage”, via a performance that is the culmination of years of work.) Aged 12, she won the junior category for Bharatanatyam in the fiercely-competitive All India Dance Competition. Sudha was in her early teens when she moved with her father, mother, and three brothers to New Zealand. Her father, a doctor, came to take up a research fellowship at the University of Otago’s Medical School. A two-year stay became permanent when he got a teaching role. “Dunedin was where I began to learn to become a New Zealander. We may have been the first Indian family to live in Dunedin.” Was it hard to adjust? “Yes and no. It’s just how things were.” “My life in India was all school and dance. Arriving in Dunedin, I felt lost – until Shona MacTavish [the late dancer and choreographer] appeared on our doorstep after reading an article about our family and my dance background in the Otago Daily Times.” So Sudha began teaching Bharatanatyam to Shona’s students. “Our family, along with two other Indian couples, introduced classical Indian music and dance to Dunedin, with our first performance at the Globe Theatre. My mother sang, I danced and my father was

programme director. In the late 1970s, the audience had very few Indians!” Halfway through her degree in education at University of Otago, Sudha travelled to Madras in South India, to complete a degree in dance at the Kalakshetra Dance School: a cultural academy dedicated to the preservation of traditional South Indian arts, with an international reputation for training dancers and musicians. Sudha was a live-in student for four years. “Life on campus was simple and austere – focused on learning dance, music, and reading Indian literature.” Sudha became part of Kalakshetra’s touring troupe and performed around India. Returning to New Zealand, she gave well-received solo performances around the country. But Sudha found it less satisfying to perform to New Zealand audiences, to whom Indian classical dance “was still an unknown language.” Sudha and former student Bronwyn Judge collaborated to create performances meshing Sudha’s classical Indian style and Bronwyn’s very expressive “Bodenwiesser” style. “The shows weren’t very successful, and we were a little bruised, because I don’t think the audience understood what we were trying to achieve. It wasn’t the right time, I think.” “And I used to get nerves before going on stage. I didn’t like costumes or makeup and would have preferred to perform in a simple sari.” There are other reasons she gave up performing. “It was partly the need to have an audience that understood Indian classical arts. Also, I was becoming interested in New Zealand music and literature, and their intersection with dance.” Sudha married, had two sons, and worked as a librarian in Dunedin. After divorcing, she moved to Wellington in 1994 to become the first chief executive of Dance Aotearoa New Zealand, an infrastructure organisation set up by Creative New Zealand. “My vision was to bring different New Zealand dance communities together while maintaining their individual identities, to increase the profile of dance as an artform, and especially to convey the value of dance for the community and the economy.” DANZ is still going. After three years of juggling the job with parenting, Sudha became a strategic business analyst for Wellington City Libraries’ chief librarian. This spawned her interest in arts policy. Sudha became a National Library policy analyst and earned a Master’s in Public Management from Victoria University. She worked for

six years at the Ministry of Transport. At present she is the strategic adviser at Education New Zealand, a small Crown entity that works to attract international students. She says she has never experienced overt racism. “But there’s systemic racism. It isn’t just about colour – it’s about perceptions. Some people make assumptions about me, such as I only cook and/or eat Indian food.” She actually likes a good single malt whisky. Some of her poems refer to her Hindu beliefs. “Hinduism is a way of life. We believe God’s spirit sits in all of us. My book’s title, On Elephant’s Shoulders, references Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, whose spirit Hindus invoke at the start of any venture or daily activity to remove any barriers and smooth the path for success. The ‘shoulders’ in the title also represent my family who brought me to New Zealand.” Does she finally feel she belongs here? Yes and no. “There’s always the sense of being the ‘other’.” She definitely feels a sense of “belonging” to the Meow Gurrrls, a group she joined 15 years ago. At present, seven Wellington poets meet every six to eight weeks (for many years, at Meow). They often bring work in progress to critique and discuss. It’s a source of encouragement, friendship, support. “To be with people doing and talking about similar things is so important as a writer.” Their YouTube channel shows them performing their poems (it’s “performing” not “reading” because usually you know them by heart). Sudha participated in a Verb Wellington event, performing her poems and incorporating dance movements in the classical Indian style. She also attended the International Bengaluru Poetry Festival 2019. In 2017, she completed a Master’s in Creative Writing at Victoria University’s International Institute of Modern Letters. She submitted her manuscripts to publishers and got a yes from the Cuba Press. “I’m so pleased to contribute an Indian New Zealander’s voice through my poems. I’ve written poems about my family, parents, sons and husband as part of becoming a person living on this land, alongside tangata whenua.” “I like to think dance and music have flowed into my poems, because these art forms all have rhythm binding them, and help me express the world around me.” The different threads of her life have come together. “I love ambiguity. I love change. I love spontaneity. That’s where I feel most comfortable.”

F E AT U R E

Hospo hokeycokey

Our foodie landscape looks very different than it did six months ago. Sophie Carter has cast her eye over the changing landscape and compiled a list of who’s in, who’s out, and who’s shaken it all about.

Flùr Scots Gaelic for ‘flour,’ Flùr opened in May at the top of Cuba Street. The new café serves coffee and clever little pastries you’re unlikely to find anywhere else (it's not every day you eat a pistachio passionfruit friand).

Karahui Wine Bar and Eatery There’s always room for more wine in Martinborough. Karahui Wine Bar and Eatery is the latest addition to Memorial Square. They offer tastings from their own tasting room, saving you the wobbly bike ride around the vineyards.

Chaat Street Chaat Street has quickly become the talk of the town. The restaurant offers tapas-style Indian street food by chef Vaibhav Vishen, cocktails, and a “Chaat-ityourself” takeaway option – take home prepped food and assemble it when you’re ready to eat.

That Little Cake Shop In November last year That Little Cake Shop opened its Victoria Street store. Going from strength to strength, baker Alisha Lewis will soon also be serving her cakes and cookies in a second shop at Paraparaumu Beach.

Graze Wine Bar Kelburn just got cooler. Graze Wine Bar not only serves wine, but also top-notch food. They aim to have as little environmental impact as possible, sourcing local, ethical ingredients for their dishes.

Abandoned Brewery Abandoned Brewery’s new pop-up taproom in Porirua is the first stage in making the site their permanent home. They have has teamed up with food truck Kid Karaage, so customers can grab some grub to accompany their beer.

RE Burger Starting their journey in a tiny food truck in Dunedin, RE Burger has now expanded to nine locations, Wellington’s Tory Street being the latest.

Black Lion Bakery and Café In the mood for a fresh loaf of sourdough, a sandwich filled to the brim or a vegan danish? Black Lion Bakery is stocked up with all the good stuff and open on Cuba Street.

Auntie Social Lounge The new kid in Newtown. Auntie Social Lounge features 70s-style carpet walls, live music, and mulled wine.

Belén Vegan Bakery After running a delivery service with their plant-based treats, Belén Vegan Bakery has opened a store on Lambton Quay. They offer everything from vegan sausage rolls to carrot-cake croissants.

Concord When Lido closed, the space received an extensive red and gold make-over, becoming Concord. This is the latest venture of Shepherd Elliot and Sean Golding (best known for Shepherd restaurant and Golding’s Free Dive).

Elixir Chews Lane is now home to New Zealand's first and only Chartreuse Bar. At Elixir Bar and Restaurant you can enjoy Chartreuse on its own, paired with food (like a negroni tart) or in a custom cocktail.

Kisa After a series of pop-ups Kisa now has a permanent home at 195 Cuba Street. From their shiny new premises they’ll be serving Middle Eastern inspired cuisine, mezze sharing plates and Martinborough wine.

F E AT U R E

Out

Milk Crate After its 16 years on Ghuznee Street, in April we said goodbye to Milk Crate. They coped with the pandemic, but in the end it was rising rent that made owner Morgan Allan-West decide it was time to close the café.

Tommy Millions Pizzeria Tommy Millions served its last slice in March. After 10 years in business they decided to “call time” on the final remaining kiosk. Their next-door-neighbours, Lucky Chicken, have now moved into the larger space.

Le Moulin In May customers queued outside Le Moulin, hoping to get one last baguette. The bakery took a seven month break in 2021, while co-owner Nita Kivi recovered from heart surgery. They reopened in October, but after 24 years they decided it was time to prioritise family time and health.

Lamason Brew Bar The sunny Lombard Street coffee shop has become another casualty of covid. After 11 years they have closed. Owner Dave Lamason said he doesn’t think “the book is finished” but "a great chapter of this amazing story has sadly come to a close."

La Belle Waffle La Belle Waffle’s little window closed in June. We will miss the sweet, warm smell wafting down Manners Street and having a little bit of Belgium on this side of the world.

Vic Books Pipitea Vic Books Pipitea has announced their shop and café will close at the end of July. A retreat for students and hungry Pipitea residents, the café could no longer sustain the damage from the pandemic and the vaccine protests. Vic Books Kelburn will remain open.

Lido Lido was a much loved institution for over 30 years. Owner and chef Frank De Roose said the café had been struggling with staff storages because of the pandemic, and with a grandchild on the way he decided to call time.

OnTrays Scheckter’s Deli The best Reuben in the city was cruelly taken away from us in May this year. Purveyor also of many European treats, OnTrays in Petone has closed, after more than 20 years.

Lashings Welly’s favourite brownie shop has closed its Eva street café. But fear not, Lashings treats are available online for delivery, and the café is holding regular pop-ups at their old location so you can still get your brownie and donut fix to take away.

Hop Garden to Boneface Tavern After almost 12 years, in early June The Hop Garden poured their last pint. But as one door closes another opens. Boneface Brewing Company has taken over the 13 Pirie Street location, where they’ll be serving their own beers on tap along with their famous menu.

Astoria In December 2020 one of the city’s oldest eateries, Astoria, closed. But after 18 months Astoria is back up in business, and it’s had a makeover.

Mean Doses X The Brew House Newtown's cycleway development means the The Brew House has moved. They’ve joined forces with Mean Doses brewery to make a onestop-shop. At Mean Doses on Tory Street customers can now both fill up a flagon and pick up all the equipment to brew their own.

Laundry Crowds stood outside Laundry on its final night at 240 Cuba Street, where it had been for nine years. Due to lease issues they have packed up their vintage lampshades, leopard print curtains and disco balls, and will be moving to new digs.

Liberty Grill Meats Beer has had an extreme makeover. The Cuba Street joint, which specialised in IPAs and burgers, underwent a speedy transformation into Liberty Restaurant, a fine dining establishment.

Mason Mason is becoming Margot. Owner Matt Hawkes has decided it was time for a break and will be heading north for warmer weather and better surf. The new owners will take over in August.

HiTea! The little hole-in-the-wall bubble tea shop has been shut since last September for earthquake strengthening. Thankfully it will soon reopen in a new home on Lombard Street.

Shake it all about

Influenza vaccine is a prescription medicine. Ask your Pharmacist about benefits and possible risks. You’ll still need a flu jab even if you are Covid vaccinated.

Located at: 59 Johnsonville Rd, Johnsonville 04 477 9513

S O C I A L

N O T E S

F E AT U R E

Hung out to dry Fans of freeze-dried food come in many shades – end-of-the-world “preppers”, hungry hikers, top chefs looking for a bit of zing. Jacqui Gibson caught up with a handful of fanatics to find out why this latest food trend is flying high.

Water out, flavour in. That’s freeze drying, and it creates crunch, turns up taste and makes food last a really long time, as much as 30 years. Probably invented by the Inca to preserve potatoes back in the thirteenth century, freeze drying today zaps away moisture in a slow mechanical process. It renders veges, fruit, meat and even some dairy products lightweight and durable, while locking in nutrition and boosting flavour. Add water, and a freeze-dried strawberry or garden pea plumps up again, maybe even sweeter. Once the preserve of doomsayer preppers, trampers, and space travellers, freeze-dried foods are taking off around the world and in our own backyard.

ou may find one of Yvonne Cheong’s freezedried treats in the next dish or cocktail you order. In 2020, the Wellington entrepreneur launched Foodnerd, a food business specialising in small-batch freeze-dried fruit and vegetables for Wellington’s food and hospitality industry. She’s supplied dessert cafes with freeze-dried berries and city bars with fruit, vegetables and tiny marshmallows, all freeze-dried. Artisan food retailer Forage Merchants of Wellington stocks her retail packs, as does Fresh Choice in Merivale, Christchurch. Yvonne’s most recent convert is Hippopotamus’ executive chef Jiwon Do, a “huge fan”. He’s using freeze-dried lemon with a citrus oil to enhance the flavour and texture of his fish of the day. He’s also added parsley powder that Yvonne’s made exclusively for him to the deer-milk dessert.

“I wanted something with maximum colour and flavour; something that hadn’t completely lost the chlorophyll. I knew dried parsley wouldn’t do the job.” He likes the “unrefined” aspect of the powder – “You can still see all the tiny leaves.” Wellington chef Vicki Young says few people realise how flavoursome and versatile freezedried foods are. “It’s exciting. As kids we’re told, ‘don’t play with your food’. Well, freeze-dried food gives you full licence to play.” Vicki met Yvonne at a Welly Hospo Wāhine networking event and the pair have experimented with freeze-drying foods for Vicki’s various projects ever since. “She’s fearless and I love her approach to my crazy ideas. She’s freeze-dried corn, which I used in a dessert and cocktail match. Together, we’ve freeze-dried vegan ice cream for a pop-up event last year.” Experimenting with tomatoes was “perilous” – they were whipped out of the freezedryer “mid-explosion”, in the nick of time. “They were so good, like little pockets of sugar, and just so wild-looking and intensely flavoured.” While Yvonne is excited about her business, she admits it’s still early days. Her husband’s desire to stockpile food in the early weeks of covid led to her to her importing a domestic-scale freeze-dryer from the United States and setting up a small business. “We freeze dried all sorts of things – vegetables, cheese, chicken. You name it,” says Yvonne. “But we found fruit tasted particularly amazing.” Nothing, not even sugar, has to be added to fruit, “the freeze-drying process retains its nutritional value and makes everything crunchy.”

F E AT U R E

Their commercial range is mostly fruits, including banana, orange, pineapple and berries, and petite popmallows, Yvonne’s only freeze-dried lolly. The global freeze-dried food market is expected to grow by more than eight percent annually over the next three years according to market research reports. It is growing fast in the Asia-Pacific region, with an increasing demand for ready-to-eat meals. But exploiting this demand is not straightforward. Hataitai food writer and entrepreneur Rosie Percival has spent some years exploring the possibilities of freeze-dried ready-to-eat meals aimed at outdoorsy types and trampers. Using Massey University’s freeze-dryer, and with help from a food technology student, Rosie prototyped two gourmet vegan meals. But the cost of producing the meals themselves, combined with the difficulty of finding compostable bags that could withstand the requisite hot water, proved too much. So she switched to making freeze-dried vegetable mixes that could be added to an existing meal for nutrition and texture. This time she contracted a commercial freeze-dryer, but before the year was out the company shut down. Rosie shelved freeze-dried products altogether, and settled on a line of dehydrated hummus and blackbean dips, which she plans to launch this summer. “It has been about identifying a process that’s viable and still meets the needs of my target market. And, for me, the cost of freeze drying was too big a barrier.” According to New Zealand food technologist Samuel Richardson, freeze drying (or lyophilisation) is a three-stage process of removing water from food. These steps are usually freezing, drying (using vacuum), and secondary drying (using sublimation). Refined by various industries for more than a century, freeze drying is now commonly used in the food, pharmaceutical and aeronautical industries. During World War II, for example, it was used to preserve human blood. In the 1970s, it became the preferred means of preserving food for space travel.

It seems to have surged again during the global pandemic as people sought to dodge shortages by stockpiling. Samuel says that freeze drying can maintain a food product’s colour, shape, and nutritional value. It also lengthens shelf life, intensifies flavour, and makes foods more crisp and lightweight. But freeze drying is relatively expensive to set up and to run. It uses significantly more energy than air drying. And buying and setting up a freezedrying plant costs anywhere from tens of thousands to more than a hundred thousand dollars. Katie Louttit launched her freeze-dried lolly business, Sweets and Treats, in October 2021. She’d noted the popularity of freeze-dried sweets online during lockdowns, and wanted a small business that could grow into a fulltime job. Katie searched high and low for an affordable freeze dryer and eventually found an American-manufactured model in Auckland, and had it shipped to Christchurch. After several months’ experimentation with many kinds of sweets, she launched a range of around a dozen freeze-dried lollies to an eager market. After less than a year in business, Katie has already decided it’s time to buy bigger machinery, increase her production, and rebrand. “I’m only just keeping up with demand. I’m turning down requests to bulk buy my product.” She explains that the process changes the texture of sweets completely. “It makes things airy, but crunchy. It feels like hokey pokey in your mouth. Kiwis love freeze-dried pineapple lumps.” And it intensifies taste freeze-dried sour lollies “come out even more sour.” She says Wellingtonians, her second-biggest consumer market right now, are “adventurous and always keen to give new things a try.”

EXPERIENCE A

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E D I B L E S

FOOD FOR THOUGHT New Zealanders throw away over 122,547 tonnes of food a year – enough to feed half of the Wellington population for 12 months. Wellington City Council’s Para Kai trial has succeeded in reducing food waste going to Southern Landfill. Over 18 months, 500 households participated in the weekly kerbside food collection service, while another 450 households composted their food waste in either a compost bin, worm farm, or bokashi system. “One important lesson is that we’ll need to consider how we can provide food waste bins robust enough to survive the onslaught of Wellington’s wind!”

SWEET FUNGI

BUGGY BREW

ONE SMALL STEP

The folk at Half Baked Catering Co have discovered a way to combine chocolate with health. Collaborating with chocolatier Baron Hasselhoff’s and Misty Day Plant Potions, they have infused reishi and lion’s mane mushrooms into a vegan chocolate bar. The mushrooms are believed to support the nervous system, reduce stress, and boost immunity. The bars are the newest addition to the Tawa company’s range of cakes and frozen dessert bars.

Your next cup of tea may not be quite so calming. A study reported from Germany has discovered the DNA of over a thousand species of insects, mites, spiders and other creepy crawlies in commercially sold teas and dried herbs. Among them they found several types of agricultural pests. The method used could be helpful in detecting these pests, and tracing the origin of illegal plant matter confiscated by customs.

Chef Vicky Young’s (see Cap #82 and 83) next adventure is called In Time and Place. The four-course dessert degustation is being held at Food Envy on Tennyson Street, from 25 August. It is part of the annual Wellington on a Plate culinary festival. Friends with design and architecture experience have helped her create a “multi-sensory experience, exploring sea, land, space and beyond”, and alluding to space and time-travel. “It’ll convey the idea of space and astronauts travelling through time.”

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A COFFEE A DAY Coffee lovers rejoice. A recent study has found that regular coffee drinkers are likely to live longer. The study collected information on lifestyle, genetics, and health of more than 171,000 participants for a median period of seven years. It found that consuming 2.5 to 4.5 cups of coffee a day, without sugar, lowered the risk of death by 29% compared with non-coffee-drinkers. Drinking from 1.5 to 3.5 cups of coffee with sugar also correlated with a reduction in the risk of death, but the effect of using artificial sweeteners was unclear. Using ground, instant, or even decaffeinated coffee gave similar results, so it doesn’t matter how you get your morning fix.

SUPERMARKET SWEEP

TURKISH DELIGHT

PARDON MOO

For the first time Four Square has taken first place for Overall Satisfaction in Canstar Blue’s Awards. Canstar surveyed 1,900 consumers on their shopping satisfaction, in which Four Square scored highly for “accessibility of staff” and “excellent customer service”. Their Foodstuffs NZ companions Pak’n’Save and New World, took the award’s second and third places. Diane Clark for Four Square says, “The past few years have been challenging for Kiwis and we feel privileged to have played a significant role in supporting them.”

After a series of successful pop-ups at LTD on Dixon Street, Kisa now has a home to call its own. Their shiny new premises are situated opposite sister restaurant Ombra on the corner of Cuba and Vivian Streets. In the centre of the restaurant is a gasfired pita bread oven and a huge charcoal BBQ, known as a Josper Mangal. On the menu are mezze sharing plates of Middle Eastern inspired dishes, along with cocktails and house-made sodas.

The Hindu community has urged New Zealanders to forgo meat and shift towards a plant diet to curb methane emissions rather than attempt to tax cow burps. Spokesperson Rajan Zed, said the proposed new tax is likely to result in the maltreatment of the cows. The tax requires farmers to purchase credits for methane created by their livestock. Emissions from farm animals accounts for an estimated 5.5% of all greenhouse gases that come from human activity. If approved, the ‘animal gas tax’ will come into force in 2025.

Dine in, shop online or bring home the best of the Mediterranean and share our love of wholesome food and passion for life. Eat, drink and be healthy, the Mediterranean way. 0 4 93 9 8 989 | ME DIFOODS .CO.N Z 45 42 Constable Street, Newtown, Wellington

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Best of the bunch BY H A N N A H Z WA RT Z

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY O L I V I A L A M B

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We asked keen gardener and vegetable consumer Hannah Zwartz to rate the attraction of the home-delivered vege box and to assess the various boxes on offer.

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Hannah Zwartz is a professional gardener, garden writer, designer and teacher living on the Kāpiti Coast. Since her first job as an office pot-plant waterer she has been a longtime garden columnist, Botanic Gardens herb specialist, urban farm manager, and educator in schools, community gardens and prisons across the region.

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hy buy a vege box, rather than choose what you want at shops or markets? During lockdowns, the convenience factor was obvious – not having to leave the house, trudge the supermarket aisles, and carry home heavy bags. But these boxes also surprised me with their value for money. They offer the freshness found at farmers’ markets, for prices somewhere between markets and supermarkets, which makes sense when you consider the lower food miles, shorter supply chain, and reduced packaging. Which one to try? Forget about comparing apples with oranges, it’s more like comparing lettuce with pumpkin – which is “better” depends whether you want salad or soup. The best vege box depends on your household priorities when it comes to convenience, freshness, sustainability and cost. To save you having to figure it all out, we ordered a selection of boxes, crunched the carrots, squeezed the radishes, tasted the tomatoes, and photographed everything along the way. If freshness and flavour are your priority, the boxes from CSA farms stood out from the pack. If these veges were fish, they’d be still twitching. Vege nuts like me, to whom baby podded peas are more delicious than lollies, appreciate the difference between fresh-picked produce and stuff that’s been sitting on the shelves or warehouses for several days.

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This box is grown by a CSA model farm

If convenience is more important, most home-delivered box services allow you to skip a week, add extras like eggs, bread and preserves, or even switch out one or two items of produce. Personally, I don’t mind having my vege range limited by what’s cheapest and seasonal. It’s like a Masterchef challenge – here’s your box, now figure out what to make. But if you want to eat tomato salad all winter rather than rocking the roast veg; if there are some veges you hate, which will slowly turn to rubbery slime in the back of the fridge; if you go away a lot, or you’re rarely cooking from scratch at home, boxes may not work for you. What does CSA mean? Community Supported Agriculture or subscription farming is a model where members sign up to buy a farm’s produce for a season. It puts money directly into the hands of farmers, giving them security to concentrate on growing rather than marketing, while subscribers know where their food is coming from and how it’s being produced. There are currently three CSA farms in the region – Ecofarm, Kaicycle and Vagabond Vege. These are not the cheapest options, but some consumers will choose to value sustainability, put their money where their mouth is and support these small growers.

This box is grown by a farming co-op

All scores are rated out of 5 broccolis 48

This box is able to be delivered to your door

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Vagabond Vege

This most urban of farms, tucked between Wellington Hospital and Government House, has built rich soil by composting food waste (collected by e-bike from around the inner city). They combine composting and teaching with producing limited-edition vege boxes (20 per week over summer, just 10 over winter) and a salad-only option. Currently at capacity, with a waiting list for the spring vege boxes.

This Greytown market garden, which broke ground less than a year ago, offers CSA vege boxes within Wairarapa (they also sell to restaurants). The four-farmer team, using regenerative practices, are in the process of getting Hua Parakore organic certification. Their winter subscription of 30 boxes is full, but they hope to double those numbers over spring/summer. Value: This is the $30 box – you’re paying for freshness and organic-ness.

Value: The weekly $40 CSA box has super-fresh organically grown produce you can't find elsewhere (unless you grow it yourself).

The veges: Superb salad mix, with buttery and bitter greens and edible flowers and sprouts that had even my bacon-worshipping family asking for second helpings. Plus gorgeous, delicious baby vegetables, capsicums, and two types of kale.

The veges: Just-picked freshness and flavour. Lots of salads, baby root veges, herbs and leafy greens, rather than filling staples. Everything was super-delicious and the big bag of salad mix, with microgreens, kept very well.

Convenience: Weekly delivery in Greytown, Carterton, Martinborough and Featherston, or pick up from the farm.

Convenience: Subscription only – buyers commit to a 13-week season. Pick up directly post-harvest from the Newtown farm (no refrigeration), and bring your own bag.

Green factor: Supporting regenerative, soil-building horticulture. Extras: In summer, you can find their produce stall at the Greytown Market. The team also run workshops sharing their expertise in composting, crop planning, microgreens, and soil health.

Green factor: Supporting super-local regenerative farmers, building soils, recycling food waste, and building skills. Extras: See the website. Salad-only subscription, flower posies over summer, volunteering and training days.

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Homegrown

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Levin-based Homegrown have been delivering boxes for 20 years, with huge growth in the last three years since covid changed our shopping patterns. Produce is sourced directly from farmers and businesses, as local as possible, and the boxes are plastic-free.

This mum/daughter team from Otaki source 85% of their veges directly from local growers, topping up from local wholesale markets. Conscious of budget pressures for their customers, they focus on good value seasonal produce and provide smaller, discounted boxes for senior citizens in lifestyle villages.

Value: The ‘small’ $39 box had a good range, with fruit as well as veges.

Value: The $30 box was one of the largest, including veg staples like kumara, tomatoes, onions, and leeks.

Quality: Like the freshest supermarket produce, with prices closer to a farmers’ market.

The veges: Good fresh fare, like high-end supermarket veges. Convenience 12 different boxes available including Juice, Workplace, and Weekend boxes. Home delivery is free from Levin to Kāpiti, $3 for the rest of Wellington and the Hutt.

Convenience: There’s a lot of choice among the boxes, and delivery from Feilding to Wellington and the Hutt. This was the most customisable box, with many online options to swap out produce and add extras such as potatoes, garlic, coriander, lemons, walnuts….

Green factor: More about affordability than organic/regenerative farming. But the boxes are shortening supply chains, and supporting local vege growers from Horowhenua and Ōtaki wherever possible, as well as local small food businesses.

Green factor: We liked the wooden crate, which is exchanged each week, and the plastic-free presentation (lettuces were wrapped in paper instead).

Extras: Helpful recipes and lots of customised add-ons including eggs, local preserves, crackers, honey, cheeses, coffee, and spices.

Extras: Breads (including GF), eggs, preserves, meat, salamis, nut butters, mushrooms, flours, honey, vinegar, coffee, olive oil – a huge range of products from local small food businesses.

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Ecofarm

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Wonky Box

The idea is genius – collecting and redistributing produce farmers can’t sell to supermarkets for whatever reason (too big, too small, too much, or too wonky-shaped). Owners Angus and Katie set up the business a year ago after experiencing firsthand, as seasonal workers, the frustrations facing growers in traditional supply chains. It’s a win-win, providing affordable alternatives for customers.

The Ecofarm family team has been growing food for over 20 years on their organically certified Tauherenikau farm, filling around 100 fresh vege boxes per week. The CSA model has allowed them to create a permaculture paradise including orchards, chickens, sheep, and other animals. Value: It is a $49 fruit and veg box.

Value: The $30 box included basil, lettuce, and fruit as well as staple root veges, broccoli, and cauli.

Quality: The only box to be fully certified organic produce, including the option of organic fruit sourced from other farms.

The veges: It was all super fresh, if you don’t mind your produce out of shape – lopsided mandarins and weeny (but still tasty) brussels sprouts.

Convenience: Subscribers commit to a 13-week season with the option of a family- or couple-sized box, with or without a large or small fruit share (there are some fortnightly options). Pick-up is from one of 19 locations across the region; home delivery is available at extra cost and oneoff baskets, subject to availability, cost 20% more.

Convenience: Subscription only, but with options of weekly, fortnightly, or every 3 or 4 weeks, and the option to skip a week (handy for long weekends or holidays). Delivery across Wellington City, Porirua, and the Hutt Valley. Green factor: Reducing food waste at the farm level – much of this produce would otherwise be chucked.

Green factor: Ecofarm have been walking their talk for 20 years. Extras: Meat and herbal products are also available through the website, as well as workshops, tours, and consultations.

Extras: Weekly posts advise what to expect so customers can pre-plan meals.

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The Wellington Region Fruit and Vege Co-op

Mangaroa Farms

One to watch, Mangaroa farms, a settlement just outside Upper Hutt, is a recent addition to the local regenerative farming scene. Vege farmer aka “growlord” Sam Gibbins is part of a wider farm operation which includes regenerative soil-building practices, sustainable animal-rearing, and reforestation projects.

These $15 deals show that the vege box isn’t just a middleclass thing. A 2014 Cannons Creek pilot has grown to a region-wide, not-for-profit co-op that serves 1,400 households per week. Collective buying power, and members volunteering to pack, mean that great-value fruit and veg don’t have to be a luxury. Set-up costs have been supported by Regional Public Health, with admin by Wesley Community Action; co-op members’ weekly contributions cover the ongoing costs of the produce itself.

Value: The $35 bag was the only farm-box to include potatoes, and late-season tomatoes and cucumber from a large tunnel house, as well as leafy greens.

Value: $15 box included potatoes, a whole pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, kiwifruit, pears, apples and bananas. As cheap as it gets.

Quality: Top quality fresh produce, grown using regenerative practices. Feedback was that the tomatoes were “way better than from the supermarket.”

Quality: Market-fresh, good-quality produce. Low on leafy greens but high on sturdy, long-lasting fruit and veg.

Convenience: Currently only offering online sales of a premade bag, with pick-up from the farm in Whiteman’s Valley Rd.

Convenience: No delivery, but there are 35 pick-up points across the region. Members can choose one-off or recurring orders.

Green factor: Part of a regenerative farm including forest restoration, community education, and regenerative grazing.

Green factor: Minimal packaging, low waste, making fresh food available to all – plus the chance to volunteer and get involved in your local community.

Extras: They hope to add a homegrown meat option.

Extras: No.

FANCY BREKKIE FOR DINNER? ALL GOOD, WE DON'T JUDGE!

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E D I B L E S

Steak and mushroom pie R EC I P E BY ROZ M C I N TO S H

inter has well and truly set in. The icy air and the never-ending rain mean it’s time for comfort food. With casseroled beef softened in warming red wine and bone broth, this cosy pie makes a comforting filling meal. Make this dinner,

Filling 1 kg casserole steak (cut into 2cm cubes) 2 tbs olive oil 2 tbs plain flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 2 onions (finely chopped) 10 button mushrooms (sliced) 4 cloves garlic (crushed) 500 ml Restore Beef Bone Broth 1/4 cup red wine 1 bay leaf 1 tbs thyme leaves (chopped) 2 tbs cornflour Pastry 2 cups plain flour 150 g cold butter (cubed) pinch salt 1/4 – 1/2 cup iced water 1 egg, lightly beaten

all wrapped up in homemade pastry, ahead of time, and just pop it in the oven and enjoy. Don’t be nervous to make your own pastry (though if you’d rather not, don’t worry – we won’t tell). Recipe courtesy of Greenlea Butchers

To make the filling: 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. 2. Place a large cast-iron casserole dish on a medium/high heat. Add the olive oil to the casserole dish. Toss the beef in the flour and seasoning. Cook the beef in batches until browned, and set aside. 3. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until softened. Then add the mushrooms and sauté for another couple of minutes. 4. Return the beef to the dish, along with the beef bone broth, red wine, bay leaf and thyme leaves. Bring up to a simmer, then cover and place in the preheated oven, and cook for two hours until the beef is meltingly tender. Combine the cornflour with 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl. 5. Remove the beef from the oven and add the cornflour mixture, stirring on a low heat until the mixture has thickened. Place the pie filling in the fridge to cool completely. To make the pastry and assemble the pie: 1. Heat the oven to 200°C. 2. Place the flour in a food processor along with the butter and salt. Pulse until the butter is incorporated. With processor running, add the water, little by little, until the pastry begins to clump together. 3. Turn the pastry out onto a floured surface and bring together, kneading with your hands. Form a ball and put it in the fridge to rest for at least 15 minutes. 4. Grease a 22cm pie dish with butter. Cut the pastry in half and roll out one half to line the bottom of the pie dish. Spoon in the beef mixture. Roll out the other half of the pastry. 5. Brush the edge with egg and place the second round of pastry on the top of the pie, sealing around the edges by pinching the pastry together. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and prick with a knife to allow the steam to escape. 6. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 30–45 minutes until the pastry is golden and the pie is heated through.

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Kai to try Smell that? It’s these winter goodies coming in on the wind – try these and thank us later.

Plant-based smoked cheddar

Greenroots Juicery

Wai Mānuka

Giving dairy the side-eye these days but really love cheese? Angel Food’s new smoked cheddar alternative is totally plant-based and totally delicious. Great on a cracker or a pizza, in a toastie or mac and cheese. The fresherfor-longer tub is resealable, reusable, and recyclable. Angel Food is Aotearoa’s original vegan cheese company, founded in 2006 – way before plant-based was cool. The range also includes a regular cheddar, mozzarella, cream cheese and powdered parmesan. In the chiller at supermarkets across the motu.

Designed with ultimate wellness in mind, our juices are cold-pressed using ageold techniques to create raw revitalising juices. This process extracts the living enzymes, vitamins, and minerals – from fruit, vegetables, and nuts. This captures as much of the goodness as possible. Pressed from fresh, organicwhere-possible produce grown at the base of the Southern Alps, our juices are handcrafted at our Christchurchbased Juicery. Each juice is made fresh to order, bottled in glass, and delivered overnight New Zealand wide. Our goal is to create happy bodies, minds, and souls with ingredients that promote longevity. We specialise in 1-7 day juice cleanses, guiding our customers through their journey to wellness. We believe that the goodness you consume for your inside’s shines and radiates on the outside.

Wai Mānuka is New Zealand’s premium, nonalcoholic beverage which infuses mānuka honey with lemon juice and sparkling water. A New Years Eve idea between friends, Wai Mānuka was created throughout the global pandemic and launched at the 36th America’s Cup. Fed up with the lack of options for premium nonalcoholic drinks, the friends wanted to create something that not only looked and tasted great, but was healthier and told a local story. The company have picked up major partnerships across the country including the likes of Government House, Kāpura Group and Sky Stadium. The goal now is to continue to build partnerships with Kiwi businesses that share similar values and prepare to enter the export market.

angelfood.co.nz

greenrootsjuicery.co.nz

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ally c i h Et ed ts with c r u so edien ingrainable sust kaging. pac

Grafters Raw Manuka Honey MGO 263+

Award Winning Gift Collection

Loopline Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lunch Packs

Millions of bees and one tireless beekeeper work the wild and windy hills of Kāpiti, Hutt Valley, and Wellington to bring you this honey. Our Manuka MGO 263+ Honey is delicious and full of flavor with earthy, nutty, and toffee notes. Its unique antibacterial properties makes this honey great as a tonic, and it pairs beautifully with sweet and savoury. Even eat it by the spoonful, straight from the jar. Minimal handling from the comb to the jar keeps this honey sweet and simple. Grafter’s brings you this honey. No shortcuts, no nonsense – just hard work.

Award winning, artisan chocolate maker, Baron Hasselhoff’s always brings the mouth party. Located in sweet little Berhampore, they’re best known for their epic stories of taste adventures. To celebrate their wins in the Outstanding Food Producer Awards they’ve put together a little gift set, so you can judge them for yourself. The collection features the gold medal winning, Pedro Picante - Spicy Hazelnut Brittle. South Island hazelnuts & Kaitaia Fire chipotle chilli make this adult candy so addictive. Also included are silver medal winners, Pirate Mary - Rosemary Infused Caramels and Le Breakfast Bar - single origin coffee & croissant, dark milk craft bar. And finally their bronze medalists: Viva Frida Almond & Spiced Molé craft bar & Swinging Sultan - Rose & Raspberry, Pomegranate Molasses Truffle.

Loopline Olives Certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is listed in the official index of the World's Best Olive Oils. Situated in Opaki in New Zealand’s Wairarapa region, Loopline Olives specialises in the highest quality, single variety EVOO. Five olive varieties grow at Loopline, flourishing in the hot dry summer days and cool nights of our crisp winters. Oil is produced from four of the varieties Picual, Picholene, Leccino and Frantoio. The fifth, Pendolino, is a pollinator. Each variety is picked and pressed separately to celebrate the fruit's individual qualities. Loopline is committed to excellence in all stages of production to assist nature with our expertise and passion to bring you olive oil perfection.

Whether you’re hosting an office lunch or a corporate event, our experienced team are here to create the perfect menu to suit your needs. From attractive packaging to our delicious cuisine, we offer the best of the best. Looking for a tasty lunch that’s easy to serve? Look no further. We offer individual lunch platters for small or large events, with a mouth-watering selection of sweet and savoury items to tantalize your taste buds. Our catering is perfect for all dietary requirements, and we can create custom menus to suit any event.

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Council puckerooed? Trouble on multiple fronts and traditionally dismal election turnout: Mt Victoria Tim Brown mulls over solutions as we look ahead to the local body election in October.

Tim is a trustee of the Creative Capital Arts Trust which oversees Wellington’s very successful Fringe, CubaDupa, and Classical on Cuba festivals. He’s also a director of NZ Opera and was recently named 2021 Wellingtonian of the year, Business, in recognition of his roles at Wellington Airport and Infratil.

Will the 2022 council elections result in more of the same, or rejuvenation? It will be more of the same if the electorate picks candidates with strong personal opinions, or political-party representatives with strong party positions – people who put their own theories or ideologies ahead of working as a team for what is best for the community. There is a possibility that the councillors elected in October will include a majority capable of working together to reform the business of the council, make council a more fulfilling place to work, and reprioritise its goals and approach to align them better with the interests of a majority of Wellingtonians. But that would require that such people put their hands up, and that they gain the backing of the electorate. I have a personal perspective on this as I’ve been thinking about running for council. By the time you read this I’ll have decided but, as I write this mid-June, I’m still not certain. My interest was aroused last year as I witnessed the train-wreck of Wellington housing. Reduced availability of fit-for-purpose social housing, absurd prices for entry level homes, huge rent increases, destructive and unproductive proposals to remodel planning rules, and extremely fractious argument. One wit suggested that bombing Mt Victoria would have the double benefit of clearing land for high density housing and coincidentally removing the heritage mob who were opposed to such housing. Not all heritage supporters saw the joke. The cost and availability of pleasant housing is crucial for the wellbeing of the city. To have some people sleeping on the streets while others contemplate the burden of taking on a million-dollar mortgage is symptomatic of a council failing its community, with huge consequences for both the affected individuals and the demography of the city.

ess than 10% of government spending in New Zealand is done by local councils; and their share of the pie is shrinking. Local voices are also being squeezed out in relation to health, polytechs, roads, and public transport, water, and sewerage, and even the rules governing the scale and location of houses. Not surprisingly, the country-wide 42% turnout in the last local body elections was only about half of the General Election’s 82%. The shrinking relevance of local influences and decision-makers and the resulting decline in voters’ interest results from both central government policies and local government’s ineptitude. In its 2021 Annual Report, Wellington City Council reported that its own surveys indicated that only 16% of the city’s residents were satisfied with council’s decisions and priorities. The same report indicated that 22% of staff had been with council for less than one year, and of the nine-member leadership team none had been in their roles three years and only two had been there two years. It’s not just residents who are unhappy with council.

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My decision on whether I run will be based on two criteria. Can I identify a set of practical policies which would increase the supply of both social and entry-level homes? And, secondly, is it likely that the councillors elected in October will back these policies? In other words, both a plan and a team to back it. The latter criterion is naturally problematic. It depends on the people who run and whom the electorate endorses, but it seems probable that the electorate will at least be offered people who could be team players. Whether they are elected probably depends on whether the dissatisfied 84% vote. As for policies that could improve the availability of social and entry-level housing? Social housing would seem to be the simpler problem to define and solve, if only because council literally owns a large part of the problem as the city’s largest residential landlord. The problem is simply a material reduction in Wellington’s fit-for-purpose social accommodation (“fit for purpose” excludes the motels and apartments now being pressed into service). Wellington has 15%, or 291, fewer Kainga Ora units than it did three years ago. Over the same period Kainga Ora added 2,401 units elsewhere in NZ. Coincidentally, Wellington City Council reduced its own stock of social apartments by about 400 units at Arlington, Rolleston, Lyall Bay, and Granville. A solution has been waiting to happen since 2008 when Mayor Kerry Prendergast and PM Helen Clark agreed a $220 million bail-out to remedy the council’s neglect of its flats. But the deal did not future-proof the stock. Council had to either get out of the landlord role or get more income from tenants or Government to expand provision and to fund maintenance. The alternative was to condemn and close accommodation, which is what is now happening. If Ryman can build 459 apartments in Wellington to add to its existing stock of 500 units, it has to be within the capability of council to follow suit or, if not, to transfer the accommodation to others who can. Ryman may spend more on a new apartment than council or another social provider, but I doubt it, and in any case, social accommodation has to be provided for the people who need it. Increasing the supply of entry-level housing is more complicated. Council doesn’t own the properties, it’s a

facilitator. The Productivity Commission has specified that this means ensuring buildable land is available, that consenting is efficient, and that urban travel times are kept down. The issues associated with each of these three ingredients are substantial and complex, but in simple terms it requires that any and every relevant council policy initiative asks the right questions. To take a contentious example, transport. Quick, comfortable, convenient travel means people don’t mind living a reasonable distance from their jobs, schools, or places of play. If council transport management and spending makes travel slow, expensive, and unpleasant, expect it to push up the value of inner-city residences. Over the past two years council has spent $232 million on transport and has shown little interest in whether it will improve how most people get from A to B. Of course, reducing emissions and accidents are objectives in their own right, and their achievement may justify slower travel times. But slower travel times and the impact on demand for inner city housing must be part of the assessment and treated as important. Today Wellington City Council is of declining relevance. 84% of residents are dissatisfied by its decisions. 60% of the electorate didn’t vote last time. Central Government is expropriating assets and removing discretions. Half of the council staff have left since the last election. Councillors talk freely about how unpleasant their roles have become. The problems with social and entry-level housing are illustrative of the wider malaise. Both sets of problems are well recognised, but remediation hasn’t happened. Improvement can only start at the top, and it has been impeded by a version of the Groucho Marx problem: “I would never belong to a club that would have me as a member.” No one likely to be able to bring about change would want to join “the club” unless there is a high probability of “the club” changing. Most of the feedback I’ve had from informed people about the merits of running for council has suggested that it would be a frustrating exercise: a version of “don’t join that club”. But if “the club” and thereby council can be changed, the upside is tremendous for the Coolest Little Culture Capital (with affordable housing).

26 May – 14 August 2022 FREE ENTRY

Shed 11, Queens Wharf, Wellington Chris and Kathy Parkin

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Snap happy I N T RO D U C E D BY S O P H I E CA RT E R

Capital Photographer of the Year has just completed its second season. From over 2,500 entries – more than double the number last year – the team of judges selected 18 finalists to compete for their category titles and the overall crown. Our 20-strong panel, comprising some of New Zealand’s top photographic minds, noted a very high calibre of work, which made their job extra difficult.

Kia ora to our sponsors and Mazz Scannell who provided the prize money. Over the next 12 pages you'll see the three finalists from each category including the winner. Ka pai to Eduan Groenewald, Kristina Hlavackova, Jack Burdan, Isabella Sutherland, Hang Ren and Lorenzo Buhne. You’ve made this another amazing celebration of Wellington and its creative inhabitants. See you next time.

These photographs are included in our 2022 People's Choice Award. Vote for your favourite photo at capitalmag.co.nz/cpoty until 29 July.

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Whenua winner Kristina Hlavackova House in the Clouds The photograph that won the Whenua category, the competition’s most popular section, was an image Kristina Hlavackova rushed to capture through her kitchen window, a combination of perfect timing and artistic reading of the environment. “It was just before a storm,” says Kristina. “I was pacing around the kitchen with my camera waiting for a good moment.” With dark clouds crowding out the afternoon sun, she sensed there was a shot somewhere in the disorder. “The clouds were gathering around the house and I had to shoot it. There was real atmosphere in it with all the colours and movement.” Walters-Prizewinning artist and CPotY judge Bridget Reweti says the image is “incredibly emotive and shows scale beautifully – it acknowledges the immense environment surrounding us”. The copper gradients contrasting with the dark areas led judge Shaun Waugh to label it “dramatic”, also noting the “lovely sense of timing capturing the highlights in the clouds”. Kristina says the church was illuminated for just “a split second”; she calls it “pure luck”. Despite winning the category with a landscape, Kristina is inspired by photographic exploration of the human condition: “That's the hardest for me to capture – maybe that's why I’m drawn to it.”

Whenua Whenua is land, sea, sky and the ground beneath our feet. These photos showcase the region’s landscape.

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Kristina Hlavackova, House in the Clouds Trixan Grande, Splash Bridget Sloane, The Fog at Dawn

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Capital Photographer of the Year

Society winner & Supreme winner Eduan Groenewald The Mysterious Gardener “The subject is my father, sitting in his garden – the green oasis that he’s shaped for the last 20 years.” This is how Eduan Groenewald described the submission that won him Capital Photographer of the Year, an image layered with personality and complexity. Judge Harry Culy says it gave him “a feeling of how the artist sees the world, and a sense of the sitter’s personality”. The interesting contradictions drew him in: “it is comical yet deadpan, formal yet quirky”. Judge Sarah Burton Fielding agrees: “It’s absurd and funny and just beautiful to look at.” And the picture really does tell a story, of a father and son – Eduan moved to New Zealand from South Africa in 2019 to work for his dad as a dog handler. “I wouldn't call it work, because it brings me so much joy to be with dogs.” In South Africa, Eduan studied photography, freelanced, then worked for a decade as a studio photographer. His winning image was shot on a medium-format Bronica SQ-A Sf. As for inspiration, Eduan says, “I love going through my book collection – photographers like Martin Parr, Alec Soth, and Mike Brodie are great examples of the work that inspires me. And when that inspiration strikes, I just get in my car and go shoot.”

Society A place is nothing without its people, and Wellington has some characters. This category celebrates people in all their complexity and as part of our city.

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Eduan Groenewald, The Mysterious Gardener Alan Blundell, Freedom Bikers Zuyi Woon, Half Time Dip

Structure winner Hang Ren Kite of Steel

Structure

What Hang Ren saw among the cranes and rooftops took him straight back to his childhood. “I called the photograph Kite of Steel because it looked like a type of swallowshaped kite that I used to play with when I was a kid, so there was immediately a strong connection.” His photo, the winner of the Structure category, was taken in Civic Square, completely unplanned; he just happened to spot it. The housing for the crane’s pulleys, just above its hook, resembles a Chinese swallow kite, an upright bird with wings outstretched. Judge and commercial photographer Chris Sisarich says, “It’s interesting that the photographer has seen this image.” He also praises its simplicity: “I love the composition, the colour palette, and the negative space – it’s all very nicely done.” Hang has been taking photos for more than a decade, first picking up the skills through some elective high-school photography classes. “I liked it straight away. I knew from that moment it was the beginning of my photography journey.” He has now been photographing for about 10 years. Aside from architectural photography, Hang sees himself as a landscape photographer: “It’s the style of photography I enjoy, which is because I enjoy walking and hiking – New Zealand’s landscape is too good to miss.”

From high-rises to dairies, the city we live in has been constructed by human hands and tools over generations. This category applauds the structural innovations, which form the bones of the region.

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Hang Ren, Kite of Steel Rob Fall, Wellington Airport Tower Eva Kerer, Grid

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Movement winner Jack Burdan Fog Beams “Being born again, into the sweet morning fog” sings Kate Bush – a creative influence on Movement winner Jack Burdan. Describing it as “poetic in its sense of movement”, judge Virginia Woods-Jack praised the photo’s “use of time to create flow.” The picture was taken from the back yard of Jack’s home in Maungaraki, in the western hills of the Hutt Valley. He has a fondness for the phenomenon of fog, fascinated by the “tranquility that comes with the disappearance of the outside world.” Jack is in his second year at Massey University, working towards a Bachelor of Design and majoring in photography. The movement in Fog Beams was achieved using a long exposure. World-renowned astronomical photographer Mark Gee said, “It's a minimal but striking composition, using light and subtle silhouettes to tell the story.” Jack was attracted to the Movement category by the “experimental and playful” aspects of showing motion in a still image. As for Kate Bush, Jack says, “I aspire to channel that same passion she has for her craft and apply it to my own. Or maybe I just like her because she sings about fog.”

Movement Capturing movement in a static image is an art in its own right. These finalist photos convey the energy and vigour of the subject.

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Jack Burdan, Fog Beams Sage Rossie, My Body Is My Vehicle #16 Humaidi Ridwan, Young Star

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Inside winner Isabella Sutherland Sushi Night “Everything beautiful about the flatting experience” is what Isabella Sutherland represented in her photo. This winning image gives the viewer a seat at a busy table. “You can almost hear the conversation,” said judge and photographer Sara McIntyre. To Isabella flatting is “organised chaos with people you love, if you’re lucky.” She finds something special in “living with your close friends and learning to navigate one another’s house habits.” In 2018 her parents passed their cherished Pentax point and shoot camera to Isabella as a parting gift before she travelled to Europe. “I’ve been using it ever since,” she says. Her Dad remains her biggest creative influence, with similar tastes in cooking, music, and fashion. Te Papa curator Lizzie Bisley commended Isabella for capturing, in one of her favourite images in the competition, “the social life of the interior as a place of community and connection.” Capturing intimate moments with friends is especially important to Isabella. “This particular meal had us rolling with laughter and chatting for hours while we tried out different flavour combinations.”

Inside The pandemic has reconstructed the relationship we have with our personal spaces. The judges wanted to see individual interpretations of inside, as a space for socialising, privacy, or creativity. 1. 2. 3.

Isabella Sutherland, Sushi Night Nina Cuccurullo, Mamma's Bedside Essentials Sam Tanner, Minecraft

Rangatahi winner Lorenzo Buhne Lachie He’s done it again. This is the second year Lorenzo Buhne has won the Rangatahi category. The winning photo, a “spur of the moment shot,” was the result of a game with his friend, Lachie. The pair took each other’s photos on the last day of the school year. The 13-year-old has been taking snaps on digital cameras for almost four years before moving on to film photography. “I found a half-broken bright red Hanimex film camera for $5 at the Salvation Army. I love it.” He finds inspiration from spontaneous “documentary and street photography,” fascinated by their ability to portray a story. Storytelling is exactly why this photo drew the judges’ praise. Curator of Modern Art at Te Papa Lizzie Bisley said, “I feel intrigued and connected to whatever is unfurling here – I want to know more.” She commented on the “ambivalent expression on the subject's face” and “the feeling of something about to happen.” Between winning photography competitions, Lorenzo is playing bass, ignoring his English teachers, working hard in math and trying to get out and about with his camera several times a month. He intends to continue in the creative field and to one day study photography at Massey University.

Rangatahi Only open to those 21 years of age or under, this category shines a light on the region's next generation of creative talent. This was an open brief, with the only rule being that some aspect of Wellington is captured. 1. 2. 3.

Lorenzo Buhne, Lachie Jed Stace, Life is a beach Will Preston, Bubble Head Sister

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FIRED UP Razed to the ground in a fire three years ago, Tapu Te Ranga marae in Island Bay may have a new lease on life. After the fire the sprawling complex was found to have had few building consents and no fire alarms switched on. No dates have been set or plans released but a working group has been set up to pursue avenues for rebuilding. It is hoped a marae, housing, and an educational facility are all in the mix.

CLAY HONOUR

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Ceramicist and sculptor Wi Taepa was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours. Six decades as an artist and an advocate for uku (clay art/pottery) earned him designation as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to Māori art, particularly ceramics. A mentor, trained social worker, and Vietnam veteran, Taepa has several works on permanent display at Pataka Art + Museum in Porirua.

Built in only nine months in 1912, the St James Theatre has caused much consternation as its refurbishment and earthquake strengthening has stretched beyond three years. Now, after several delays, it is set to reopen mid-2022. The 110-year-old grand dame will host productions including TEEKS with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, La Traviata, Cinderella, Les Misérables and Macbeth.

What to flush or not to flush – that is the question. Wellington City Council is asking residents to resist the urge to flush wet wipes and sanitary items down the toilet. Kitchen sinks are also on their warning list, with oils and fats creating “fatbergs” in the wastewater system. Removing these items from the pipes will reduce the strain on the city’s wastewater system. Over 30 tonnes of solid mass were removed in May.

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Cave weta BY M E LO DY T H O M A S

Name: Cave wētā, also known as jumping wētā Māori name: Tokoriro Scientific name: Rhaphidophoridae (family), Gymnoplectron (genus) Status: Endemic, threatened Description: There are two families of wētā in Aotearoa. The ones you’d first think of (the classic, chunky, spiky-legged wētā) are in the family Anostostomatidae, but the cave wētā is in whānau Rhaphidophoridae. There are about 60 species of them around the motu, varying in size from a few centimetres to 40cm from antennae tip to hind leg. Tokoriro look a bit like crickets, with bodies that are small in comparison to their long, spindly legs and antennae, and they can jump like crickets too – up to 3m! Unlike other wētā, cave wētā aren’t aggressive, and don’t bite, kick, hiss or scratch when threatened.They simply leap away. Habitat: Cave wētā live in caves and other dark places including tunnels and hollow tree trunks, and under rocks and stones. Tokoriro have small mouths, and do not appear to eat leaves, browsing on fungi, algae, and lichen growing on trees and

rocks, as well as the occasional dead insect (and on offshore islands, they gather to feast on dead seabirds). While it hasn’t ever been “officially” reported, cave wētā have been seen to “lick” native slugs! (There are pictures of it online). They don’t appear to be eating the slugs (again, tiny mouths) but may be gaining moisture or nutrients from the slime. Look/listen:The easiest way to spot cave wētā in Pōneke is probably on a night tour at Zealandia (bonus – you’re also highly likely to see kiwi). The tour sets off at dusk and lasts two and a half hours, finishing with a hot cup of kawakawa tea, and if you sign up for an annual membership you get night tours at half price. Tell me a story: While tokoriro are endemic to Aotearoa (meaning they live only here), similar creatures exist in other parts of the world. Australians have camel crickets, while the Americas, Europe, Asia, and South Africa have long-legged cave crickets. Scientists reckon the international distribution of these wētā-like insects is down to the fact that they all once made Gondwana home.

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SCI-FI GUY An unassuming tax inspector who breaks the law by night experiments with a virtual-reality headset in dystopian novel Chevalier & Gawayn. It’s the 11th science-fiction book by internationally known author Phillip Mann, still writing aged 80. He’s also a theatre director and academic who founded New Zealand’s first university drama-studies course (at Victoria University in 1970). Winner of the Sir Julius Vogel Award for services to science fiction in 2010, Mann’s also patron of the Phoenix Science Fiction Society – a group of Wellington sci-fi fans, who meet monthly (new members welcome).

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Wellington author Sally J Morgan, who grew up in Yorkshire, had a close call – she nearly accepted a ride with serial killers Rosemary and Fred West. This inspired her debut novel Toto Amongst the Murderers, in the background of which the Wests roam the countryside. In a live online announcement with six finalists including Booker-nominated novelist Andrew O’Hagan, Sally was awarded the £10,000 Portico Prize 2022, for the book that “best evokes the spirit of the north of England”.

As a fourth-generation Wellingtonian with roots in the city dating back to 1850, Alistair Luke is passionate about sharing its history through his writing. The architect (who is also married to an architect, Sharon Jansen) has written debut novel One Heart One Spade, which tells the story of Detective Lucas Cole negotiating the capital’s criminal scene in 1977. His relationships at home and work, a missing woman, and a deceased drug dealer add to his troubles.

Calling eager young writers: the Michael King Writers Centre is running its second Signals Young Writers Awards, which offers writers aged from 16 to 23 the chance to be published in the centre’s journal Signals. The fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry winners each win $150 and the overall winner an additional $150, thanks to Penguin/Random House publishers. Entries close 29 July.

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Slam’it that’s good P H OTO G R A P H Y BY E B O N Y L A M B

From performing at slam events to the publication of his first book, Jordan Hamel has honed his craft. He talks to Chris Tse about poetry and an impending move to America.

orn and raised in Timaru, Jordan has become a fixture of Wellington’s poetry scene, with charismatic and arresting performances. He is a former national slam poetry champion and represented Aotearoa at the World Poetry Slam Champs in the US in 2019. He is the co-editor of Stasis Journal and of the climate-change poetry anthology No Other Place to Stand (Auckland University Press). In his other life he is a policy advisor at the Ministry of Justice. Jordan’s debut collection, Everyone is Everyone Except You (Dead Bird Books) unpacks traditional and modern constructions of masculinity, and explores how the stressors of modern life impact on mental health, relationships and sex. His poems swing wildly between obscenely funny and earnest, and are full of heart and life lessons. In the standout poem “Suitcase (Everything, everything will be alright, alright)” he comforts a distressed mate who has learnt his parents are separating on the eve of the final 1st XV match: “what’s a team without a captain and what’s a captain with a lip that rattles like an empty can.” The poem ends with his mate pleading, “don’t tell the boys for God’s sake don’t tell the boys.” Chris: How were you introduced to poetry? Jordan: Probably like most people, in high school. We studied Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, James K. Baxter and Hone Tuwhare, and that got me more excited because it was maybe a bit more contemporary and relevant. Also, it was about the time I got obsessed with music and singer-songwriters – people like Patti Smith and Leonard Cohen. The part of music that I really liked was the lyrics. When did you start writing poetry? Like every teenager I had a lot of feelings. I have a couple of journals at home that my parents won’t throw out but I would much like to destroy. It was, I guess, like an urge – I’ve got these feelings and I’ve got to put them somewhere.

What was the moment when you realised you were a poet? The most visceral moment for me, when I first thought of myself as a poet and not just someone who scribbles away, was the first time I performed – at Bush Bash alongside Hera Lindsay Bird, who was my hero and whose book I had obsessed over. In front of a big crowd it went really well and it gave me that endorphin hit you get the first time you have a crowd cheering for you. That was the moment I thought I could start taking it more seriously, and committing more of myself to it. How did slam poetry help you to develop your craft as a poet? I sort of fell into slam poetry. I really loved it and the opportunities to get up and perform and experiment. It both helped and hindered my craft, in that I almost felt like I had to learn to write twice. When I was writing the slam stuff, I wasn’t thinking about how words should look on a page to a reader. It made me re-learn a few things, but now I’m at a stage where I can put some bombastic elements into it and I can think about how it can come off the page as well. I think it can be a really fun way of elevating stuff, or making it more exciting or unexpected – chaotic but in controlled ways. Why do you think some poeple engage with poetry more when they hear it read or performed, as opposed to experiencing it on the page? I think it’s the oral tradition – we all grew up being told stories. When you hear something it can make more sense. You’re not only listening, you’re “reading” the person who’s telling you the story. You’re hearing their intonations. You’re hearing how they want you to hear it. When you have words on a page often you can’t – sometimes you can. Good writers are good at guiding the reader.

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When you start writing a poem, do you know whether it’ll be more suited to performance or the page? Sometimes I’ll think it’s one and it’ll become another; sometimes it will start off as a poem and become a short story. I almost find short fiction is closer to spoken-word poetry than page poetry, because it’s storytelling, and that’s what I really like. It’s always something I think about – whether it will look better on the page, what form it will look better in, whether it will translate.

Humour features in your work. What draws you to humour? It’s a great coping mechanism. There’s always been humour in poetry, but why I’m drawn to it is I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh. It always came naturally to me, I guess. But I never wanted to do stand-up – I can’t imagine anything more terrifying than having to get on stage and make someone laugh. But in poetry, humour can be much more unexpected. I think it can be much more effective. And it’s a really good way to communicate stuff, expecially stuff that can be tough or challenging, or bleak – humour can be a good delivery system. It can go wrong – you see it a lot in bad comedy, and you see it in some bad poetry.

Does Wellington inspire your writing? It does. Not the city or the geography of it – I don’t really have an affinity with the natural world. But Wellington does inspire my writing because of the people. I just really like people – I find people interesting. I don’t think I could live in an isolated place and write good work without some sort of connection to others. Wellington is the perfect microcosm, with a lot of wonderful people and writers.

What’s the easiest or hardest poem you’ve ever had to write? One is a performance piece – “Jordan, I love you, but you’re bringing me down”. I was getting into performance poetry, so I wrote it for the stage and to be a public piece. I found it really hard to write that because it’s interrogating how I felt over the last however many years about myself and depression and things like that. The writing of it was hard, but what was almost harder was the performing of it. I remember the first time I performed it in front of my parents – they were in the audience at the slam nationals. In a similar vein, the last poem I wrote for my book, ‘Good Kiwi Lad’, is not necessarily as autobiographical, but was me interrogating stuff around sexuality and queer sexuality, the role it’s played in my life. That’s something I hadn’t mined in such a direct way before. I knew it had to be in the book; it was the hardest one to put in there, but I’m really glad I did.

You’re about to head to the US to study creative writing. What will you miss about the poetry scene in Wellington? Oh God, so much! The main thing is I’ll miss all my friends. I’ll miss going to events and seeing everyone. I’ll miss doing events and performances. There’s a comfortability about it here now that I didn’t feel three or four years ago. I like being in a place where everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows you, and that extends to the poetry community. Wellington’s a pretty special place – there’s a lot of amazing writers and performers here.

Can you talk about how you chose the title of your book? I couldn’t think of a title for so long! It got to the point where I had to pick a title, and I had nothing. My dear friend Rebecca K Reilly [author of Greta & Valdin] said, “send me a list”. I sent her a list – poem titles, random thoughts, lines from poems, and we went through them and talked about why they were terrible. We got to Everyone is Everyone Except You. It was a line I had written into an old poem that I then put into the book, and I liked it because it was vague, but it was lyrical, and it summed up a lot of what the book’s about – community but also isolation, how you see yourself internally versus in the context of other people. I liked how it sounded – it’s soft and flowing. And it makes you look twice, because it doesn’t make sense the first time you read it.

What’s your most memorable performance or event in Wellington? The launch of Solid Air, the Australasian spoken-word anthology at the National Library. One, because the National Library is a rad venue; and, two, because it was the first time I had seen a lot of poets like Tusiata Avia, Hinemoana Baker, and David Eggleton read. I remember coming off stage really happy – I just felt good. All these people from different walks of life coming together for this amazing event and this amazing book. What’s your tip for people who are curious about poetry but don’t know where to start? If you want to get into poetry, whatever that may mean to you – try a lot of stuff. Turn up to events, slams, open mics; talk to your friends and find out what poems or poets they like; read widely; decide what you do and don’t like; and ask yourself why you have a reaction to something. That’s how I think you build a language within yourself, knowing what works for you

What’s next for you and your poetry? I’m going to the University of Michigan in August to undertake a Masters in Fine Arts in creative writing. I’ve never studied creative writing before so I’m really excited for that. I’m really excited not to have a job and just to write and learn and study again. Hopefully I’ll come out with a really good manuscript at the end, some sort of masterpiece.

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The Holloway way BY M E LO DY T H O M AS

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G GS

Aro Valley has a strong and nostalgic place in Wellington folklore, often as a great place for short-stay youthful hi-jinks. Melody Thomas visits a couple who came, stayed and grew.

riving from Te Aro up the winding road towards Karori, you might have looked back towards the city and spotted a rambling two-storey house sitting high on the hill above Holloway Road. Surrounded on all sides by dense bush, the old house perches perilously, paint peeling and washing flapping from the second-floor balcony. Maybe, like me, you’ve wondered who on earth lives there, how they get their shopping up the hill, and whether that washing ever gets dry. If you had time to look more closely, you might also have noticed two smaller houses just below the big one, similarly enmeshed in greenery. These three buildings come as a set, sharing a single address, and are colloquially identified by those who live there as Top House, North Cottage, and South Cottage. Over the years a roster of interesting, unusual, and sometimes down-and-out characters have lived in them and the tiered garden surrounding them have expanded and contracted accordingly. But for 40 years they have all orbited around one constant: Rebecca Hardie Boys. You might recognise the name. Rebecca is the brain behind Hardie Boys Beverages. Actually, she’s the brawn too,

spending her weekdays out at the factory in Wainuiomata brewing up effervescent treats including her natural ginger beer, or hauling great crates of bottled brews to 80 or so cafés all over Wellington. But evenings and weekends find Hardie Boys at home on the Aro hillside with her partner, artist, cabinetmaker, film-maker and chief fixer-upperer George Rose, fermenting great ceramic jars of sauerkraut, knocking off one of the thousand jobs on the to do list, or getting wrist-deep in the earth alongside the others who make up this flourishing little community.

his part of Aro Valley was once known as Mitchelltown, and it was the first suburb established by settler Wellingtonians. The first cottages here, including the North and South Cottages, were built in the 1860s and 1870s. But by the 1970s many of them, at this point belonging to the Crown, had begun to succumb to rot, neglect and fire. An article from The Evening Post at the time described Holloway Road as “sagging stairways with most of the tread rotted away”, leading to “sagging, open doors and damp, musty rooms where glass from broken windows crunches under-

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foot.” In the late 70s the community began to reestablish itself, with people moving back into the dwellings and, eventually, beginning to negotiate the possibility of tenants purchasing houses from the Crown. Rebecca first arrived here in 1982, on the run from the “claustrophobic” towns (Nelson and Palmerston North) where she’d spent her childhood and university years, “carrying a broken heart in my backpack”. A friend was living at Top House with her two young children, and offered Hardie Boys a bed for the weekend while she looked around for a flat. “I arrived in the middle of the night to an old empty house up a zigzag track. Not even sure it was the right place, I found a bed and crashed. The next morning – amazing! – I was five minutes from town but in the middle of the bush!”

ven though these houses are clearly visible from the opposite hillside, finding your way up to them is a complicated endeavour. I’ve come on a clear autumn Saturday morning, with an hour to chat before the households descend on the garden, as is their habit. As I’ve climbed up from the valley floor, the atmosphere has changed from dark and damp to warm and dry. A kākā freewheeling overhead shrieks its prehistoric cry, adding to the effect of stepping back in time. By the time I knock on the door of the North Cottage I’m fairly puffed, and just about recovered

when Rebecca and George open the door and welcome me inside their home. North Cottage might be where Rebecca and George now rest their heads, but it was in Top House that they built their life together. They met in 1984, the details involving either a bad first impression and a boat (if you ask Rebecca) or the discovery of a long-haired beauty stoned and prostrate in a gutter (if you ask George). Eventually they got together, and in 1988 George moved into Top House. A year later their first child was born, their second following in 1992. The rambling old house on the hill became a family home, with children joyously exploring a world without television: racing and yelling up and down the stairwell, making DIY radio shows on their tape player, and tracing the journeys of ants around the dining-room walls. “It was a wonderful place to bring a family up,” reminisces Rebecca. The Holloway Road houses were still being sold off by the Crown, first being offered to original owners, then to long-term sitting tenants, and finally on the open market. But when it got to Top House, the process got stuck on title and access issues. Rebecca and George found bringing up their kids in a home that might at any moment be ripped out from under them incredibly stressful. “We were tied between wanting to make the house warmer and less grotty, but being reluctant to spend our own money on it or to ask for improvements in case we got booted out… and the girls grew up with the threat of ‘maybe we’ll get evicted’ breathing at their door,” says Rebecca.

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An eviction notice was served, but in 2010, after the girls had grown up and moved out, Rebecca and George lawyered up. In 2012, they finally purchased the property, the title having been redrawn to include two “uninhabitable” workingmen’s cottages. “But we had no money left,” says Rebecca, “So we had to rent out the only habitable house.” Which meant moving themselves into the North Cottage, which was completely derelict. “It had no sewers, no power, no electricity, no nothing. The floor had collapsed, we had an office chair that would just run across the floor on its own,” says George. “This bathroom was underground,” says Rebecca. “And underwater!” adds George. Now the couple can laugh about it, but this was an extremely difficult period, especially for Rebecca. George explains: “For her it was like ‘I’ve lost everything I’ve waited 25 years for, I’ve just moved into this horrible, unfixable hole’. Whereas I saw it like ‘Great we can do this place up!’ I thought it was a wonderful project.” Today, the North Cottage is a world away from the “unfixable hole” they moved into. But the transformation is ongoing, so beautiful, carefully considered details sit side by side with those yet to be tackled, like a before and after picture brought to life; a warm clay wall on one side of the dinner table / peeling, watermarked wallpaper on the other; an immaculately tiled

L I V I N G

bathroom with stunning handmade mosaic relief / a tiny, cobwebbed outhouse. There’s not much that could honestly be called new: the stunning floor tiles were salvaged from a skip on its way to the tip, the ceiling panels made from plywood gifted to George by a neighbour, who’d found it on a demolition site. The overall effect is complementary: the “new” house appears to be not so much replacing the old, as slowly embracing it. Over coffee at the dining table, under lights with makeshift tinfoil lampshades, Rebecca and George share far more than I can use here (including one yarn involving a grand party entrance complete with flaming penis). They outline the complicated, messy process of trying to live according to their values, alongside other people. They have tried hosting Woofers and bringing in tenants, but neither were quite what they were after. “We saw this property as the most beautiful, wonderful property in Wellington. Beautiful, close to the city, able to grow your own vegetables, the song of native birds. We thought it was too valuable to run as a tenant-landlord situation,” George says. The sum of these buildings seemed to be worth more than its parts. So in 2020, George and Rebecca decided to advertise for people who wanted to live “like flatmates”, but across three separate dwellings. They

L I V I N G

employed a lawyer, and drew up a protocol setting out the ways in which residents would be expected to live and contribute. “Each house has autonomy. We’ve kept the bedrooms as private spaces, but we're free to walk into any of the bathrooms and kitchens, because all the houses belong to everyone. We charge a weekly fee to keep the place running, but it’s very cheap, and the main thrust is not gathering money, it's to try and live in a better way,” George says. As of now, this is a community of seven, including Rebecca and George, a Czech couple Pavla Neuhöferová (30, performance artist) and Daniel Dvořáček (29, software developer), who are away hiking the Tongariro circuit when I visit, Hannah Blumhardt and Liam Prince, a couple in their 30s who work in zero waste advocacy, and Grace Yu Piper, a 30-year-old contemporary jeweller who commutes between here, her job at Pātaka in Porirua, and her studio at Nautilus in Owhiro Bay. Before coming here recently, Liam and Hannah spent nearly three years travelling the country with their organisation The Rubbish Trip, a zero-waste roadshow delivering presentations and workshops on reducing New Zealanders’ waste footprints. During that time they stayed in comparable communities, so the place felt instantly familiar. Liam describes his first impressions as “magical in a sense like stepping back in time, and into a bit of a jungle.”

Hannah calls it “the good life in the middle of the city.” Perhaps surprising is the absence of certain kinds of characters “alternative lifestyles” typically attract: wellness fanatics and conspiracy theorists. One loved resident recently left because she didn’t want to be vaccinated, and the community couldn’t find a way to operate collectively while keeping everyone safe. Everyone else is fully vaccinated. Among the red flags for Rebecca and George when wannabe residents apply are “musician”, “gluten free”, “5G” and, presumably – now that the word has been properly ruined – “freedom”. Yes, there are regular comments about supermarket monopolies, “Zookerboog”, and the social ills caused by overreliance on screens. But there’s enough truth in all of that that excessive zeal is easily forgiven. “They’re hippies, but they’re not woo woo,” says Hannah, “I’m not a woo woo person. I like evidence-based not-destroying-

the-planet. I’m not that bothered about my own vibrations.” “The protocol” lists five activities that residents are expected to participate in, mostly revolving around the production, preparation, and sharing of food. If this might seem like a bit much, Hannah points out that almost everything listed in the protocol was something she and Liam were trying to do already. “I actually find that the way we live is less time-consuming. It’s so much more convenient to not have to go to the supermarket!” says Hannah. It’s early days for the seven members of the current community, and who knows, they may find they need to tweak the protocol at some point. But it does feel closer to sustainable than many of the communal models I’ve seen. Everyone here has work and friends outside of the community, most travel to the city daily and so remain connected to the wider world, but they also share the benefits of

L I V I N G

coming together regularly on the land and at their tables, to share “the wins and frustrations of the day” (as the protocol says), along with the food they’ve collaborated to produce. I finish my visit with a two-hour tour of the garden and the other houses. We stroll past apple and feijoa trees, clamber up a steep bush path through stands of kawakawa and bay trees, and nibble on the last of the season’s beans and the first of the mizuna. I get to stand out on that high balcony at Top House with Grace, looking down the verdant valley with the sun beating on my face, the washing flapping beside me (drying fast thanks to the wind and all-day sun). At the South Cottage I climb a ladder to the cosy loft shared by Hannah and Liam, admire the tambourines collected on their travels and the bikes they haul up from the road to their verandah each day. When I eventually leave it’s with three bottles of cold ginger beer clinking in my backpack, and renewed excitement over my own home garden, and the things I might begin to coax from soil to table. George and Rebecca also send me off with advice for anyone wishing to follow in their footsteps: “It’s easy to become paralysed by the size of your wishes and ideals, so small steps are crucial,” says George, “Pick up the skills you do have and use them as a way to step forward with an eye on the path of what you believe in.” “If you wish to grow your own food all you have to do is pick up a spade and then plunge it into the ground. Doing too much research stops you from picking up the spade,” adds Rebecca. “Oh,” says George, “and it doesn't matter if you mess up.”

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W E L L Y

A N G E L

What would Deirdre do?

and be open and happy and fun to be with. There should be no need for choosing or compromising. Keep the involvement up with them both and don’t be a grouch! It is hard for your brother too.

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

W HO A M I ?

L O N G WA I T B Y T H E I N B OX

My cousins want to find out more about their birth parents, but their adoptive mother, my aunt, is against it. Is it their right to push for it, or should they wait until she has gone? Gang of cousins, Strathmore

I’ve sent greeting cards lately to various acquaintances, for a 50th wedding anniversary, an ex’s birthday and a “get well soon” situation. Each one required a trip to the card shop, selecting from dozens of options and writing a personal note. None of the recipients responded. I’m disappointed. What’s the protocol for responding to greeting cards? Old school, Karori Surely it is all in the giving? It is lovely to get cards and notes from people, but the etiquette surrounding them is fading indeed. It is great that you made the effort, but I don’t think there are protocols any longer to follow or expectations to be delivered on. The satisfaction may be all on your side.

Tricky. I feel that everyone needs to be on the same page – your cousins clearly are keen to discover, meet, and have time to consider and possibly build a relationship with their biological parents. Their parenting mother needs to be informed, consulted, and ideally comfortable. If she persists in saying no, maybe they should indicate that they are going to start the process but would like her to say when? Hard for her too but moving forward needs to happen with lots of assurances and support for her. Take time.

J E A L OU SY D OU B L E D

E X I T T H R OU G H T H E O P SHO P

My twin brother and I have become estranged. We have always been close and hung out together a lot. The difficulty has come about with his new partner who, in my assessment, struggles with our close relationship, and is isolating him from his family. The result is we are not seeing each other and I miss him in my life. I have suggested a few activities without the partner, and my brother has agreed, but then it causes him trouble at home. I think my brother ought to choose whomever he wants, but is it my job to worry about the consequences for him and keep away or just keep involving him in my life? Caring and sharing, Titahi Bay

Is a handmade present superior to something bought new from a shop? And is it okay to find something in an op shop, for example, a substantial glass vase, and present it without saying it was an op shop find? Savvy shopper, Lower Hutt A gift is a gift and surely it is the spirit of giving and the thought that counts? Choose a gift that you think will be appreciated by the recipient – new, second-hand or homemade are all good! Whether you would like it yourself is always a litmus test.

It seems you are really concerned. Try to keep your own relationship with your brother and to also include the partner at times. Support their partnership and your brother’s choice of a close friend too. Being siblings never changes. Be there,

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

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