Capital 91

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The clever issue 9 772324 483036 THE STORIES OF WELLINGTON

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CAPITAL The stories of Wellington

B

est of Wellington has dominated our preparation for this issue. This round has been great fun, with a few surprises, and thousands of you voting to show your interest in our local businesses. Thank you for your votes – I am delighted to tell you that the total increased again for this year’s competition. And please enjoy the results. If you are a disappointed entrant, please know that some of the categories were very tight races with only a vote or two separating the winners and runners-up.

“Clever” has featured in our thinking for this issue. After all kinds of discussions in and out of office, I conclude that we use clever mainly as a compliment. It seems to cover intelligent, ingenious, innovative, creative and successful thinking and actions. And this despite an anti-intellectual mind-set that is often said to prevail in New Zealand. I think cleverness is something we can all enjoy. Although I do recall that once upon a time it was not okay for good school results to derive from obvious hard work. A languid achievement was way cooler. This seems to have changed, and for the better.

We like to think all our issues are clever. In this one we seek out cleverness. Charlotte Fielding has talked to two scientists engaged in teaching and research that benefits us all. As always, we showcase the clever thinking and ingenuity of local creators. English expat Sophie Carter has talked to Argentinian expats to understand the flavours of their home cuisine, now on offer in Wellington.

And, yes, it’s that time again, please don’t forget to get out and vote on 14 October. It is important. To help understand your options, keep an eye on the candidate profiles on our website capitalmag.co.nz over the next few weeks.

All this and much more.

See you again in November.

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8

Alan Ibell / Andrew McLeod / Hannah Ireland / James Ormsby / John Ward Knox / Kate Small / Lorene Taurerewa / Nephi Tupaea / Sam Mitchell / Ursula Bradley 9 SEP 2023 – 11 FEB 2024

Lorene Taurerewa Lonely Prairie 2022

dowse.org.nz

Staff

Featured contributors

Managing editor Alison Franks editor@capitalmag.co.nz Sales manager Milly Brunel milly@capitalmag.co.nz Campaign coordinators Haleigh Trower haleigh@capitalmag.co.nz Factotum John Bristed john@capitalmag.co.nz Project manager Shalee Fitzsimmons shalee@capitalmag.co.nz Art director Rachel Salazar artd@capitalmag.co.nz Designer Elaine Loh design@capitalmag.co.nz Content manager / writer Sophie Carter content@capitalmag.co.nz

CRAIG BEARDSWORTH Writer

MELODY THOMAS Writer

Having previously helped edit ArtZone and reviewed for Capital Times, Craig’s association with the Capital whanau is long and scandalous. He’s managed a dealer gallery, sings professionally, and teaches Music Theatre at Te Auaha. He lives in Newtown with his partner and Delilah the bouncing Maltese.

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, and explore the world vicariously, from her little window desk in Island Bay. Catch up with Melody between issues on Twitter (now X) @WriteByMelody.

MONICA WINDER Ph oto g r aph er

ANDREW MORRIS Ph oto g r aph er

Monica grew up in Wellington and now lives in the underrated suburb of Wainuiomata. She is a photographer/ office-worker/mum who loves nature, black coffee, and red wine. Having been chosen as a finalist for Capital Photographer of the Year, she is now shooting for Capital. monicawinderphotography.com

Andrew is a freelance photographer and cinematographer from Wellington. From government gigs to k-pop, Andrew has followed many different paths with his camera. Especially interested in old analogue equipment, he enjoys experimenting with different mediums and creating unique visual works.

Publishing coordinator Hannah Mahon hello@capitalmag.co.nz Accounts Tod Harfield accounts@capitalmag.co.nz

Contributors Melody Thomas, Janet Hughes, Anna Briggs, Sarah Lang, Deirdre Tarrant, Francesca Emms, Dan Poynton, Chris Tse, Claire Orchard, Harriet Palmer, 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, Barnes, Bex McGill, Charlotte Fielding, Jackie Lee Morrison, Andrew Morris, Humaidi Ridwan, Gus Bristed, Esmond Paterson

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

10

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C O N T E N T S

14 16 19 20

CHATTER NOTEWORTHY

BY THE NUMBERS NEW PRODUCTS

36 Postcards from the edge

40 Everybody outside

The stories behind the pictures

Can pedestrian precincts walk the walk?

You’re the best

Wellington has spoken.

Check out who was voted the best of the best

22

Tack shop All hands on deck with the Lintons

24

CULTURE

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C O N T E N T S

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62 65 70 75

BUG ME EDIBLES RECIPE CLEVER

From strands to stars One’s exploring galaxies, the other’s solving ultimate genetic puzzles

68 Taste the tango Argentinian cusine is having its day in Aotearoa

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Find out what took this Brooklyn residence from sweat to serene

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C H AT T E R

CPotY Snapshots

One

Ru by a n n i ve r s a r y Title: Damsels #1 Photographer: Felix Jackson Category: Rangatahi

Neil Dawson’s Ferns, above Civic Square; Len Lye’s Water Whirler on the Waterfront (soon to be back in action); and Lambton Quay’s Woman of Words by Virginia King are among the landmark sculptures that the Wellington Sculpture Trust has had a hand in. This September the charitable trust is celebrating its 40th birthday. Beginning in 1982, led by Henry Lang and Dr Ian Prior, their first project was Albatross by Tanya Ashken, which remains at the side of the Whairepo Lagoon on the waterfront, 37 years on.

They’ll be celebrating with a big party of all the people and artists who have helped them reach this milestone.

Behind the camera: Felix is a photography major at Massey University Wellington. He grew up in Marlborough and moved to Wellington to study.

Why photography? He finds that is it the perfect niche, between the ambiguity of fine arts and the more regimented ethos of design. “It’s such an applicable medium.”

The snap: Damsels #1 was taken on 35mm B&W film for a darkroom assignment. He wanted a whimsical aesthetic using feminine subjects, like the late-19th-century works he was researching, but made contemporary, attempting to dissolve traditional patriarchal agendas.

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C r e t e ex p e c t a t i o n s

Judges’ thoughts: Photographer Steven Boniface says, “I’m not sure if it’s staged or a captured moment. There is a lot of ambiguity to the shot.

I want to know what is going on in the scene. I really like the framing as well; there are enough elements to give some context, but nothing is too obvious. The door and wall lead you into the people. They have such contrasting expressions.

I’m not usually a massive fan of black and white images, but in this shot I really think it works.

It feels very contemporary and the harsh flash isolates the foreground by darkening of the background, which simplifies the shot. Well done.”

Local media mogul Doug Gold has written a second historical novel. Rich lister and retired broadcaster Gold has won numerous media awards and is a consultant to media networks globally. Wartime Nazi-occupied Crete is the thrilling setting for The Dressmaker & the Hidden Soldier. The true story of Peter Blunden, a New Zealand soldier captured

by Germans in WWII, is a tale of love against the odds.

Blunden escapes his captors and hides in dressmaker Mrs Tasoula’s house. Tasoula is a member of the Greek Resistance. There he meets Thalia Christidou, one of the tailoring assistants, and falls in love.

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C H AT T E R

New in town

Three

Election time The general election is just around the corner and on October 14 Kiwis around the country will have their say about who should be running the joint. With Wellington Central MP of 15 years, Labour’s Grant Robertson, choosing to be a list-only MP, there are a few fresh faces fighting for the position. For the Greens it’s 26-year-old city councilor Tamatha Paul. For National it’s new candidate, lawyer and diplomat Scott Sheeran. For Labour, current list MP Ibrahim Omer, and for TOP it's Natalia Albert.

Keep an eye on capitalmag.co.nz as we pick the brains of some of the candidates in the run-up to voting day.

H o t off t h e stove Wanting to add a burst of flavour to your weekly meals?

Apostle have added two exciting new Saints to their hot sauce lineup: Saint Valentine – Lavender & Rosemary Hot Honey, and Mary Magdalene – Crispy Chilli Oil. Find recipe ideas and their full range of Saints at apostlehotsauce.co.nz

It's cool to kōrero Ka nui taku pukukata ki āu kōrero, e hoa!

Mate, that story of yours just cracked me up!

Four

Kā p i t i I s l a n d b o u n d Art lovers following the Kāpiti Coast Art Trail 2023 will need to take a boat to reach one of this year’s stops. Renowned weaver Adrienne Spratt lives on Kāpiti Island and will be welcoming visitors to her gallery, Waiorua, during the festival, which occurs over two weekends in November (4–5, and 11–12 Nov). The island is a protected nature reserve, so boat trips during this time have been arranged to take visitors on the 20-minute journey and back, with plenty of time for them to enjoy the work of Adrienne and other local artists.

Mean nights The Mean Doses Taproom is the latest bar on the streets of Welly. At Level 1, 66 Tory Street, you’ll find pinball and arcade machines, a pool table, a very cool shuffleboard, a well curated wine and gin list, and of course plenty of craft beer.

Pop in and say hi!

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N O T E W O R T H Y

A J O L LY GOOD FELLOW A passion for sharing knowledge has led to a Wellington doctor being awarded a Distinguished Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. In her role as a national clinical lead for HealthPathways, GP Dr Justine Lancaster developed an industry resource.

It provides concise information on locally agreed pathways of care for 800 clinical conditions, for use by the general practice workforce. The guide aims to support efforts to secure equitable health outcomes.

GAME ON

COUNCIL OVERRATED

FAKE VIEWS

Rebates for the gaming sector are to be implemented by public media agency NZ On Air. In the government’s May budget a special scheme was announced to help the industry become more competitive in the global market.

NZ On Air’s chair Dr Ruth Harley says the game development sector is of clear economic value to Aotearoa New Zealand, and the agency is privileged to have the trust and confidence of ministers to administer the scheme.

Miscommunication between Wellington City Council staff and the regional council has lead to some discrepancies in rates. An error beginning in 2019 has seen residential and rural ratepayers overcharged and some central city residents and business ratepayers undercharged. The council’s chief executive Barbara McKerrow says the council is working with Greater Wellington to correct the error and tighten communications.

Misinformation is rife, with a new report claiming that four in every five Kiwis believe unsubstantiated information.

The Kantar Public report was released in August by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. It was compiled soon after the 23-day occupation of Parliament’s grounds in Wellington. Eight percent of 2001 respondents surveyed believed threatening to hurt someone to bring about social change was acceptable.

N O T E W O R T H Y

ON THE RECORD Stewardship of New Zealand’s public records has fallen to Anahera Morehu. She has been appointed chief archivist at Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand. She is the first Māori to hold the statutory role in a permanent capacity. “The chief archivist role is pivotal, as we look to build stronger partnerships with communities across the country to care for and provide access to the nation’s memory,” says Hoani Lambert, the deputy chief executive of the Department of Internal Affairs.

PARK AND RECREATION

TRASH TALK

SNAPPER OFF THE HOOK

Wellington City Council’s Green Network Plan has a target of delivering two new inner-city parks to green up Te Aro. The first, on the corner of Taranaki and Frederick Streets, is being developed now. Sitting alongside the old Chinese Mission Hall and a new residential apartment block, the new park will provide green space in a mostly commercial area. In recent years Taranaki Street has seen a burst of apartment developments.

Waste and how it’s managed is being discussed by Kāpiti Coast District Council and the seven other councils in the Wellington region. The public have been asked to submit their views. A local action plan for each of the eight councils aims to align with the Waste Strategy released by the Ministry for the Environment earlier this year.

Kāpiti is currently planning to ensure that all urban households have access to a kerbside recycling collection by 2027, and to introduce kerbside food scrap collection by 2030.

Cable Car riders will not be able to use their Snapper card to pay their fares from October this year. The 120-year-old Wellington institution is phasing the payment system out in readiness for a National Ticketing System. Upgrades to the current system would have been too expensive in the interim. Alternative payment options will be available for Cable Car travel until the new system is implemented.

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B Y

T H E

TOAST MARTINBOROUGH

N U M B E R S

THANKS DAD

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the 30 years festival has been running

10,000 available 12 vineyards to explore

number of minutes of 42 the sleep lost per night by the average father with

tickets

90

children under one year old

average age of first32 the time dads in New Zealand

wines to try

when he fathered 79 DehisNiro seventh child the age of actor Robert

TE WIKI O TE REO MĀORI

WILLIS LANE

14

year that Māori 1975 the language week commenced

September date of the 14 the presentation of the 1972

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delicious food vendors

18 pop-culturethemed holes

Māori language petition to parliament

12

the September date that Father’s Day is celebrated in New Zealand

at Holey Moley

lanes at 8 bowling Archie Brothers

when Māori language week starts this September

Cirque Electriq

lining the 54,000 tiles floors and walls

the percentage of people who agreed or strongly agreed that signage should be in both Māori and English

CO M P I L E D BY HANNAH MAHON

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N E W

P R O D U C T S

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1. The Song of Significance by Seth Godin, $40, Unity Books. 2. Dressed tango dress, $349, Zebrano. 3. Aglaonema plant, $42.99, Palmers Miramar. 4. Mingk ladder earrings, $113, Zebrano. 5. Gisborne Gold beanie, $35, Sunshine Brewery. 6. OYOY lasi vase, $85, Auckland Art Gallery. 7. Saint Valentine lavender & rosemary hot honey, $19, Apostle Hot Sauce. 8. Gee's Bend puzzle, $37, Minerva. 9. NYDJ Teresa wide leg jeans, $347, Zebrano. 10. One Of A Kind Ceramics small tumbler, $89, Small Acorns. 11. Sempre Di green ankle boot, $359, I Love Paris.

12. Johanna Gullichsen round tray, $75, Living Room. 13. Deborah Sweeney peach candle holder, $40, Small Acorns.

14. Bonnie and Neil leafy rust bath mat, $105, Small Acorns.

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TA L E S

O F

T H E

C I T Y

Tack shop

BY S O P H I E CA RT E R P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B E X M CG I L L

STAYCATION Marlborough Sounds

LYNDAL’S CAFE

FAMILY FILM

OVERSEAS HOLIDAY

BRETT’S MUSIC

The Larder

Shrek

Turkey

The Feelers

When World of Wearable Art comes round, it’s all hands on deck for the Lintons.

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he ocean has been a constant in the Lintons’ life. Brett Linton is a sailmaker; his wife Lyndal creates handbags using sailcloth and swims year round at Worser Bay. When Capital spoke to the family in August, 21-year-old son and sailing coach Harvey was somewhere in the Atlantic, delivering a boat from the UK to Spain.

Last year the ocean was a source of inspiration for the family’s World of Wearable Art (WOW) entry, X-ray.

Lyndal has been entering the annual design competition since 2005, after attending the show in Nelson. “It was like nothing I had ever seen before and I just knew I had to be part of it,” she says. Since then, it’s become “quite an addiction” for Lyndal, who has submitted 20 garments, 14 of which have made it to the finals and onto the WOW stage. “I can’t imagine not entering!”

Among her extravagant outfits have been the EdinBra, a bra inspired by the Scottish thistle; a humansized fabric sandwich called Lunchbox Night Nightmare back in 2007; and in 2013 The Messenger, a garment made from 1,000 coloured pencils.

But of them all X-ray is her absolute favourite.

Not only did this garment win second place in the Aotearoa section of the competition, it was the first time she, her son, and her husband entered as team.

Their design used carbon fibre and Nomex honeycomb to mimic the skeleton of a stingray, with the creature’s “spine” running from the model’s back down to the floor, and an oil painting of its organs peeking out from within the structure. “We are fascinated by these mystical creatures found here in our coastal waters,” says Lyndal. “Wrapped in its outer skin there is a surprising elegance that lies beneath the surface.”

Although it was their first time officially collaborating, the whole Linton family have always had input into Lyndal’s WOW creations. “Brett is the technical one, who knows how to make the garments fit on the body,” says Lyndal. “Harvey has the skill of being able to put onto paper what is in his mind and mine. And if there is any fabric or sewing involved, that’s me.”

Brett has a lot of useful skills from his years working with boats. “Carbon fibre, rivets, rope, and sail sewing have all been utilised in our entries,” he explains.

In 1997 Brett started sail-making company Linton Sails. Lyndal was eight months pregnant and he and a friend “thought it would be fun to open a sail loft.”

This led to another Linton venture in 2004. For her birthday, Brett made Lyndal a handbag from yacht sailcloth, which got lots of attention at a kindergarten meeting. “One of the mums thought it could be a business opportunity and she helped me in the initial startup phase,” says Lyndal. AQ Bags eventually moved from being a sideline business to her full-time job.

Their two businesses now share a workshop in Rongotai, which means although there’s some competition for floor space, they do get the convenience of shared tools and sewing machines.

This year the trio have made it to the finals again and will see their piece on stage at the WOW show in September. Lyndal wouldn’t give too much away, but says: “This year's entry is again related to the sea.”

With Harvey and daughters Penny and Alice currently scattered across the world, Brett and Lyndal will be attending the WOW awards night without them for the first time in five years.

And then, of course, it’s straight back to the drawing board for WOW 2024.

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C U L T U R E

funny odyssey where humour and pathos collide. Jennifer plays Binka, a guinea pig in a laboratory cage, and Joel plays Paul, the lab assistant who looks after her. I Want To Be Happy is presented by Nightsong, a theatre collective who mix poetic language with music, visual arts, puppetry, illusion, and choreographed movement.

B

M A K E I T JA Z Z

ack to Black is a group of New Zealand musicians who have been touched

by Amy Winehouse’s career. To commemorate what would have been Winehouse’s 40th birthday, the group, which includes Vanessa Stacey, Lisa Tomlins, and Johnny Lawrence among others, presents Celebrating Amy Winehouse (Michael Fowler Centre, 29 October), a collection of Winehouse’s original compositions. Their show is one of the headline acts for the Wellington Jazz Festival, which will host over 100 events from 25 to 29 October.

Other festival headliners include Wellington’s Rodger Fox Big Band collaborating with hip-hop legend King Kapisi, the ARIA-nominated Zela Margossian Quintet, and awardwinning Cécile McLorin Salvant.

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H OW RO M A N T I C

arly twentieth-century romanticism is the theme of Poem of Ecstasy (Michael Fowler Centre, 28 October). The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is led by Wellingtonian Gemma New, the NZSO’s Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. The programme includes Luonnotar, Jean Sibelius’ 1913 tone poem for soprano and orchestra. Kiwi soprano Madeleine Pierard joins the orchestra to perform the song of Luonnotar, the Finnish goddess of nature.

K

N OT B L A N D

iwi acting legends Jennifer Ludlam and Joel Tobeck star in I Want To Be Happy at Circa Theatre, 7–30 September.

The play, by Carl Bland, is a blackly

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A

P OW E R ST R U G G L E S

yesha Green (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Kāi Tahu examines histories of Māori and Pākehā representation in her exhibition Folk Nationalism, at City Gallery Wellington until 15 October.

Working in painting, drawing and sculpture, Ayesha co-opts culturally loaded images from the history of Aotearoa, by the likes of Benjamin West, Isaac Coates, Marcus King, and Gordon Walters. She interrogates the ways that power is upheld in the images by breaking them down and repositioning their elements.

C U L T U R E

(m)Orpheus (The Opera House, 20–23 September), a dance-opera collaboration between Pacific contemporary dance company Black Grace and New Zealand Opera. Composer Gareth Farr has re-orchestrated Gluck’s music for a 10-piece modern chamber ensemble.

The notes are identical to the original score, but the effect of using different instruments (some of which didn’t even exist in Gluck’s day) changes the entire atmosphere of the piece.

M

HAM IT UP

emes, AI art, and viral videos take centre stage in Steamed Hams (The Dowse Art Museum, until 19 November), an exhibition which uses comedy to pose serious questions about culture, communication, and the role of artists in the digital age. The group exhibition serves up a feast of cursed TikTok videos, Lindsay Lohan cameos, and sentient muppets while examining the relationship between contemporary art and internet culture. And in case you’re wondering, the exhibition name comes from a 1996 episode of The Simpsons, which more recently has turned into a persistent internet meme.

C

issues around sexuality and gender and exploration of sex as a young person,” she says. “I’m trying to build better conversations for our young people, especially in some Pasifika communities where these topics are still seen as taboo.”

MORPHED

hristoph Gluck’s eighteenthcentury masterpiece Orpheus and Eurydice has been reimagined in a Pacific context by director and choreographer Neil Ieremia (ONZM). The result is

FA N TA SY A N D FA E R I E S

K

U

NEW RESIDENT

ūki ‘Āirani producer, director, writer, and actor Teherenui Koteka is the recipient of a new Pacific Producer Residency, hosted by BATS Theatre and supported by Creative New Zealand.

The residency supports a Pasifika producer to develop new work and expand their network. Teherenui, who was born and raised in Rarotonga, says she likes to create as a way to generate conversation.

“My work has been focused on

sing textiles, embroidery and sculpture, Jakob Rowlinson weaves alternative histories steeped in queer culture and nature.

His work reimagines the art of the Middle Ages, exploring how the fantasy genre has shaped the way we imagine this period through sources like Disney movies, Game of Thrones, Final Fantasy, and The Lord of the Rings. His exhibition Faerie Land at The Dowse Art Museum features a mix of new and earlier works. His newest tapestry, Queerdwood, was partly inspired by the imaginary Aotearoa New Zealand marketed to foreigners through blockbuster films.

OLD ST PAUL'S HERITAGE ICON EVENT & WEDDING VENUE OPEN DAILY

25

oldstpauls.co.nz

Wellington Sat, 28 Oct, 7.30pm Michael Fowler Centre In association with

Poem of Ectasy Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Gemma New conducts a programme featuring titans of early twentieth-century romanticism.

Gemma New Conductor Madeleine Pierard Soprano Bridget Douglas Flute Kenneth Young Dance Scriabin Symphony No. 4 The Poem of Ecstasy Debussy Syrinx Sibelius Luonnotar Ravel Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2 Principal Partners

Tickets from $23 Book at nzso.co.nz

F E AT U R E

From strands to stars P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N D R EW M O R R I S & H U M A I D I R I DWA N

One’s exploring galaxies, the other’s solving ultimate genetic puzzles.

Charlotte Fielding meets Haritina Mogoșanu and Shaun Wilkinson,

two brainy adventurers delving into our streams and solar systems.

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F E AT U R E

Critter scene investigation P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N D R E W M O R R I S

Shaun Wilkinson and his crew are like Sherlock Holmes, but for critters. Instead of dusting for fingerprints, they’re decoding DNA from water samples, revealing who’s who in New Zealand’s river party.

From troublemaking clams to shy native fish, Wilderlab’s on a mission to keep nature’s balance in check.

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haun Wilkinson describes the environmental DNA work his lab does as resembling crime scene investigation, but for species rather than offenders.

Instead of analysing blood or hair from a human, they take a sample of water from one of Aotearoa’s rivers, and sequence the DNA from it. Then instead of matching it against a database of crime suspects or known perpetrators, run it against a database of species that people have uploaded over time.

That’s how Wilderlab, the lab Wilkinson founded and runs, can tell which critters are found in the environment the sample was taken from. This is a simplified version, of course.

The work Wilkinson’s team does at Wilderlab in Miramar falls into three broad categories. First there’s biosecurity surveillance, which is important for protecting New Zealand’s unique ecosystems by detecting invasive organisms before they have had a chance to establish themselves and get out of control. Recently a new clam has been causing mayhem in the Waikato river. This invasive clam from Asia is clogging up the hydroelectric power plant by breeding prolifically on the power turbines, stirring up a whole lot of sediment and causing a decline in water quality. It will eventually compete with the native mussels. What they know so far is that the clam hasn’t yet made it beyond the Waikato river to cause damage in any of the lakes.

Another aspect of Wilderlab’s work is searching for threatened species, such as Hochstetter’s Frog, or rare native fish. Understanding where the species is makes it easier to target protective measures. Take the native galaxiid fish, which has about 20 species ranging from threatened to critically endangered. Some have the same threat ranking as Kākāpō, because of predation by trout and habitat degradation. “There's a huge push to try and protect these little guys before they go extinct,” Wilkinson says. “We work quite closely with the Department of Conservation, carrying out an environmental DNA monitoring programme for them. And they’ve managed

to find new populations of these little galaxiids that we’ve never known about before. Clutha flatheads are in the Clutha river, and they’ve been able to find little hidden populations, which they would probably not have been able to find with visual surveys, because they’re quite cryptic.” Finding this species of galaxiid in Central Otago means DOC are now putting in measures to protect this rare fish, like installing trap areas to remove the trout.

The third category of work for Wilderlab’s eDNA technology is looking at overall ecological health, using the samples to generate a time series on each waterway to figure out if it’s declining, improving, or staying the same.

On the basis of this information, management actions can be taken – “particularly if things are getting worse,” says Wilkinson. Mitigation measures might involve, for example, “keeping stock out of the river or doing some riparian planting.”

Sometimes the samples turn up surprising results, such as marine fish in samples from the freshwater reservoir at Zealandia. It turned out that the shags would fly to the south coast, eat a bunch of marine fish, and fly back to roost in the macrocarpa at Zealandia. Their poo would end up in the water and show up in the eDNA samples.

Another time, kangaroo DNA at Breaker Bay had the scientists stumped, until dog poo was sighted; the dog had been eating kangaroo meat. “We’re picking up the DNA that’s in the water, not necessarily living organisms that are there,” Wilkinson says. “Most of the time, it overlaps. But occasionally, there’s a little divergence in the Venn diagram there.”

Science was not Wilkinson’s first career. After spending some years as a chef then working as an account manager, he attended Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington as a mature student.

A BSc with first class honours was followed by a PhD, a postdoc, and a teaching fellowship.

The technology has been around for a while, but Wilkinson and his team scaled eDNA testing, and made it more accessible. He developed a sampling kit that anyone

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can use, including school groups. “Our mission was to unlock its potential as a monitoring tool for positive conservation impacts,” he says. The price per sample has now been reduced by 90 percent. Sampling is now also less time-consuming, and carries less risk of contamination.

Wilderlab currently processes around 15,000 samples a year, and is building a larger lab as it has outgrown its original premises. They’re also doing more work internationally. Wilkinson recently returned from a workshop in Suva, where he undertook eDNA sampling with village representatives from various islands in Fiji. “We’ve been processing their samples which look absolutely amazing,” Wilkinson says. “Just so many fish.

I've never seen so many different fish in a single cup of water before”. They are excited to expand into the Pacific countries, and hope to add value to big infrastructure

projects by providing a baseline and an ongoing environmental impact monitoring tools.

One of Wilkinson’s current projects is developing an index to distil all the data collected down to a single number, giving a river health score. “I’m really motivated to see this technology being used and unlocked to help improve things around rivers in New Zealand,” he says. The index is already in use by the Ministry for the Environment, local councils and other groups.

“I’m interested in helping others to help improve the environment,” says Wilkinson. The hope is to establish “an uncontestable metric” for progress and setting targets: being able to say “We want to get our river to a score of 100, within the next five years” would be, he suggests, “quite a powerful motivator, and we can build up a really nice national picture of river health across the country.”

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F E AT U R E

Cosmic cheerleader P H OTO G R A P H Y BY H U M A I D I R I DWA N

From growing up in Romania to reaching the realms of NASA, Haritina Mogoșanu’s odyssey has been a journey through space and time. Meet the astrobiologist whose stellar outreach initiatives are changing how we see the sky.

H

aritina Mogoșanu is an astrobiologist who interned at NASA, trained for Mars as an “analogue astronaut”, and has even had a star named after her.

Mogoșanu’s love for space and fascination with science started at a young age. As a child Mogoșanu lived with her grandparents outside Bucharest, in Romania. Her father, a pilot, died in a plane crash when she was very little. Her grandfather was an agronomist and shared with her a love of growing plants, and of the expansive universe. Together they would wander, looking at the stars. “He was my hero,” she says.

A seminal moment occurred when she was only six years old. She was asking a lot of questions, as children do, wanting to know the meaning of things, and her mother gave her a dictionary. Amongst all the words was a picture of the star cycle. “How stars are born, how they turn into red giants, how they turn into white dwarfs, and black holes, neutron stars,” she says. She was hooked on space. Too young to attend the Bucharest Astroclub, she found a book about astrophysics to learn from. Unfortunately she only had volume two, so it was hard to understand, despite multiple rereadings.

Part of Mogoșanu’s work as a science communicator involves teaching children about space, in schools all over New Zealand which which links back to her eagerness and limited opportunity to learn more when she was a child herself. “It is one of the reasons I do science communication.

If there is any kid like me who really wanted to learn about space, but never had this chance, maybe I can help them.”

She and partner Samuel Leske present Spaceward Bound in schools, an immersive learning experience that uses a portable planetarium, solar and lunar telescopes, and robotic Mars rover models.

In Romania when she was growing up, children had to choose their vocation at 13. Mogoșanu knew she wanted to be an astronomer, but there wasn’t a career pathway for that option. A family friend suggested that biology was the science of the future, which appealed to Mogoșanu thanks to her agronomist grandfather. She was particularly interested

in horticulture, and became passionate about ecology at university. “I really like the big picture,” she says. “How everything combines, and works with each other. One of my favourite things was to follow the evolution of species and how species go well or don’t go well together and how they exist in a habitat, how they evolved together.”

As well as learning how to drive a tractor (her licence is one of Mogoșanu’s prized possessions, and is framed on the wall next to her partner’s pilot’s licence), Mogoșanu became fascinated by genetics. “What fascinated me the most was the genetic code. A tiny, tiny little bit that says, ‘this is the beginning of the gene’. And then a tiny, tiny bit at the end that says ‘this is the end of the gene’. It’s just mind blowing, how RNA comes and copies the DNA.” Although science was strongly encouraged in Romania, reflecting the anti-religious bent of the communist party, the laboratories and scientific facilities were poor, and Mogoșanu wasn’t able to pursue genetics. She completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees, studying in London for a period, and then began working as a horticultural engineer for a pesticide company in Romania.

During this time she fulfilled her childhood dream of joining the Bucharest Astroclub. The Hubble telescope photographs released in the early 1990s reminded Mogoșanu of how much she loved astronomy and space. “They blew my mind. And I thought, here I am doing biology and plants and things and actually I really want to do space,” she says.

“There’s that silly mentality that already you have a pathway and when you finish university at 23, this is it, that’s your career for the rest of your life. Nobody told me you can change your mind, it doesn't matter when. I had to find this out the hard way. This is part of what we tell students and kids, that you can do whatever you want. You can change your mind.” Her advice is to follow your passion, “because that’s the only thing that you can do without being bored.”

The Astroclub provided an opportunity to travel to New Zealand. Mogoșanu intended to come for a visit and she’s still here, 20 years later. It took some time to learn about the stars visible in the southern hemisphere. Her grandfather

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called the three stars of Orion’s Belt the Rake with which God gathered the stars from the sky in the morning. “I didn’t see it for so many years and then it finally clicked, and after that it was really easy,” she says. “I learned all of them. I was just missing that one thing, and there's no shame in that.”

Mogoșanu worked at Carter Observatory (now Space Place) on and off, around maternity leave and the observatory closing down for a period. She worked at the Ministry for Primary Industries with the biosecurity risk analysis team. The combination of biosecurity and astronomy experience led to her being invited to join a Mars mission through the Romanian space agency.

“The Mars Desert Research Station is in Utah. You stay there for two weeks and you pretend you live on Mars,” Mogoșanu says. “So you’re a Mars analogue astronaut. Here I am at MDRS and I’m doing this job of being the biologist who grows plants.

I couldn’t even grow the sprouts”, she says. We only grew mould and had no fresh food for two weeks.” The trip represented another seminal moment. “I finally found my peace,” she says.

“That was the first time ever in my life when I made peace with myself.”

Mogoșanu did a Master’s in International Security and Intelligence through Massey University, with a thesis on the

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institutionalisation of space research. Space exploration and research has long been driven by war. “Even the telescope, my favourite invention, was invented to kill people because it was a spyglass,” she says. “We went to the moon for political reasons.”

Technologies developed for use in space are now in widespread use, such that many of us don’t even realise the origin of things we use every day, like cordless tools, non-scratching glasses, and food safety measures and preservation methods.

“I wanted to know how the space environment is changing lives here on earth and if we use space research, can we change the future of humankind? Will people inspired by space be better people? That’s what I wanted to know. We know we’re made from stardust. We know our atoms are made in stars.

When we tell kids they’re made from stars they’re just gobsmacked.”

These days, as well as the Spaceward Bound education programme, Mogoșanu and Leske also own and run a Star Safari from their home in Carterton, welcoming visitors to stargaze with them throughout the year. She has also been heavily involved in making the Wairarapa a Dark Sky Reserve, and establishing and operating the pop-up proof of concept Wairarapa Space Science Centre.

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T I T I R O

Postcards from the edge P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N DY H A N S E N

Meena Kadri has been intrigued by print, postcards, and post for a long time. She shows Sharon Greally and Ani Waaka (Te Arawa) her large collection of Māori postcards.

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ostcards have become an almost obsolete form of communication. Instead it is a world of quick snaps sent magically to family and friends when travelling, or to a social media page for instant gratification.

Once, postcards were the quick way of letting people know where you had been and your future destinations back when stopping on impulse and last-minute booking were options. In New Zealand they could take weeks to be delivered, often arriving after you were home. And while you were abroad people could write to you ‘poste restante’; the ubiquitous post offices would hold your mail until you could collect it, weary after weeks or months of travelling. The excitement of hearing from loved ones was palpable around the poste restante counter.

Meena began her collection early. “Growing up in Rotorua I would regularly go to an antique shop after school. It was run by a Lebanese woman. I thought her very exotic. She drank espresso coffee way before it became fashionable. I found this old postcard of a famous gateway at Whakarewarewa, taken in the 1930s, and she said “You can have all this stuff, but it’s the stories behind them that are

important.” And that’s what started it. My earliest cards are from the turn of the last century, 1800s.

Most are handpainted, and then printed. Even with spelling mistakes! There were massive typos in some too, Wairoa to Wairod for example.”

There’s so much more history than I knew about, growing up in Rotorua in the 70s, Meena said. “It was seen as a ‘tacky tourist place.’ But I thought, “There’s a much deeper history that speaks to Māori people.”

“My mother was the first female GP in Rotorua, and her surgery was very close to Ohinemutu, one of the Māori villages. Although I’d grown up with local Māori at school. I was very aware this wasn’t my history, it was history about Māori in Rotorua, and that postcard ignited an interest in me. And as is the way with collections, then you start looking further afield and I started collecting beyond Rotorua.” But most of the collection is from Rotorua.

“I wrote postcards as a kid, and had a penpal.

One New Year, while I was at university, my resolution was to send a postcard every day, which I did for around six months. It fascinates me as to where they travel. I have a postcard of a beautiful

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From left to right, Meena Kadri and Ani Waaka (Te Arawa)

T I T I R O

Right above, Mita Taupopoki, Rangitira Arawa Chief, ancestor of Ani Waaka (Te Arawa)

female guide. It was very hard to get. It had been sent to Uruguay in 1913 (from a Miss Cook in Dunedin).

I missed out in a previous auction, but found it again.

I bought it from someone in Brazil. And then during covid, postage got really stuffed up – it couldn’t be sent from there to New Zealand. I had it sent to my nephew in California, and he sent it here. So she’s been on this big journey out in the world before returning to Aotearoa.”

Ani Waaka was very keen to see the collection.

“I was born in Rotorua, my family are Te Arawa people. My grandparents lived in the village of Whakarewawarewa, but they were from Tarawera, until the mountain erupted.

“We still have our family home in Whakarewarewa.

It’s in its original state. My sister is the guardian. She looks after it beautifully, and operates it now as an AirBnb. It’s the only place in Rotorua where you can stay in the village. The land has been in our family for many generations. My Dad renovated it, and it’s truly a unique experience.

“My whanau have a long history of being involved in tourism, way way before Europeans ever came. Our

people were creative and innovative – and still are very involved. My father actually started the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute in the 1960s, with a couple of others, and he was its first Director. And I served on the board, for nine years. We have a long history and connection with Whakarewarewa, the Thermal Valley, and the development of tourism.

“Lots of the women in family were guides. All my aunties, my kuia, my sisters, cousins, were all guides.

It’s what you did in the village. Guiding was a form of income, the main form for people, as well as selling kete and cloaks and going up to the Thermal Valley.

There were all manner of crafts that the old people would make – and the guiding was all part of that.”

Mita Taupopoki is also an ancestor of Ani’s. He travelled with a delegation invited to England in 1911 to take part in the Festival of Empire celebrations.

They entertained thousands of people at various venues, including Crystal Palace in London. “He was a pretty important leader at Whakarewarewa”, says Meena. “He lived a long time and saw a lot of change.

He maintained his leadership a long time, and would have seen very few pakeha in his childhood.”

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O P I N I O N

Everyone outside Let’s Get Wellington Moving’s (LGWM) plans for the Golden Mile pedestrianisation are a touchy subject in the capital. Just back from her travels in Ireland and North America Janet Hughes investigates how pedestrianisation worked for them, and suggests if it could work here.

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edestrian precincts are a hot topic in New Zealand. Not everyone thinks they’re a clever idea – without them, some motorists and retailers insist, we could all park outside our every destination. This won’t stand much scrutiny, but arguments can be made about priorities amidst inflation and unprecedented calls on public funds.

Enormous sums are quoted, and expensive mistakes have had to be expensively rectified. An idea best parked until better times?

During recent visits to Ireland and French Canada we explored many pedestrian precincts.

They were mostly hospitality strips, such as Shop St in Galway, Temple Bar in Dublin, St Laurent Boulevard in Montreal. We found the nightly dinner-hunt easy and entertaining in these concentrations of eateries. For studying menus, strolling beat scrolling hands down. There was a palpable sense that long, warm evenings were something to celebrate.

People obviously like dining out of doors. We soon learnt that a long queue was usually waiting

for the prized outdoor tables. There might be free tables, and air conditioning or live music inside, but the buzz was undeniably on the street.

Galway’s narrow main drag, Shop St, was the buzziest of all. Terrace seating engulfed the footpaths, and the road space swarmed with people, eating ice-cream, listening to the buskers, scouting menus, or just strolling and chatting. Galway is not a big city, with a smaller population than that of Wellington, though it has more visitors. If it’s not size, is cost the main obstacle to making the most of our urban outdoors?

In the morning I walked along Shop St and briefly didn’t recognise it as the place where we had eaten the night before. The terrace dining areas had simply vanished. Tables, chairs, menus, barriers, planters, awnings and the rest were packed away, and the footpaths were returned to pedestrians, the road to service vehicles. The costs and effort of pedestrianising, in effect, fell largely to the businesses that profited from it. No permanent obstacles were involved, no expensive engineering.

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Temporary closure arrangements, we found, varied a good deal. Some were season-long, some year-round; some 24/7, some confined to the evenings. At other times the roads might be returned to vehicular use, sometimes only for delivery, maintenance, and emergency purposes. Any physical barriers tended to be nothing more substantial than hurdles or wire fences and some signery.

This approach minimises the costs of pedestrianisation in general, and especially to the public purse. The other clear benefit is flexibility: special occasions, emergencies, changing circumstances, even changes of mind can be accommodated without compounding the high costs of paving and street furniture with wasteful revisions.

Pedestrian zones were mostly on long-established dining strips, but some also involved concerted efforts to broaden the appeal of the precinct. In Montreal the closure of St Laurent Boulevard, on the fringe of the university district, is part of a summer-long municipal programme, with events, performances, art installations and stalls on ten city streets. Between the lines of popular eateries, stalls and stages were set up in the roadway. Musicians shared the stage with artists painting big manga images, attracting crowds. Adults and kids sploshed leftover paint onto a big black-and-white drawing of the neighbourhood. There was some policing and traffic management at entry points. As for hardware, a few hurdles and wire barriers were deployed at the ends of the strip.

Which raises the perception of public safety.

Would the streets of the capital or Auckland be safer if we pedestrianised more streets? As we walked back to our accommodation, the bright, busy boulevard felt much safer than the rather sketchy and forlorn streets nearby, haunted by distressed people.

Opponents seem to assume that whatever attracts legitimate custom will also attract more potential offenders. But I got the strong impression, in Montreal and elsewhere, that lighting and crowds tended to push them into the shadows. The streets around, rather than in, hospitality precincts were the ones that typically felt dodgy, whether or not vehicles were excluded.

Pedestrian only shopping precincts were less in evidence on our travels, and much less appealing. Are chain store strips like the Golden Mile or Queen St really the best targets for pedestrianisation? They are primarily business districts, and their pedestrians tend to be rushing rather than strolling. Their eateries are focused on daytime trade. At night they are dark, quiet, and closed – and, we have seen recently in Auckland, sometimes dangerous. Excluding traffic without changing the mix of business and attracting more diverse crowds will not change this.

Pedestrianisation, as we saw, can be a flexible arrangement rather than a permanent state. It can be moved, tested, refined, and adjusted to accommodate seasons, times of day, occasions, people’s habits, and commercial and civic imperatives. And this adaptability means using the lightest, most minimal, most portable means of delineating space, rather than costly monolithic concrete structures.

Instead of installing street furniture and leaving it, literally set in concrete, to shape human behaviour, we need to take a more agile, humancentred approach to pedestrian precincts, and maximise the appeal and manage the downsides in ways that are place and time specific. We are not too small, the examples of Galway and Québec City suggest: but we need more civic imagination, and more dedicated investment of time, thought, and effort rather than dollars and permanent design.

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You're the best

BY S O P H I E CA RT E R A N D H A N N A H M A H O N

Wellington has spoken. The vote is in and we have our Best of Wellington winners, 2023. Our little city is spoilt for choice in so many ways, making this a tough competition with some extremely close voting. A big thanks

to all our nominees, campaigners, supporters, and to all you lovely lot who voted in your thousands to show your favourite businesses a whole lot of love! You all make Wellington the best place to be.

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W E L L I N G T O N

Best Wellness & Beauty Wellington Apothecary

Best Burger Burger Liquor

Best Bar Hawthorn Lounge

Bringing nature indoors, Wellington Apothecary is a botanical factory, herbal dispensary, and natural therapy clinic.

With tea always brewing, they make everything at the Cuba Street store, “fresh and by hand. You can see and smell products being made, which makes for a unique immersive shopping experience,” says Jemma Scott. Herbalists, naturopaths and nutritionists are in store to offer advice, or even just sit and chat.

Returning from his travels around the states, owner Dan Haycock thought Wellington was missing a “burger-first” restaurant – a “spot to hang at the bar or around the table with friends.” Burger Liquor became an ode to the burger bars in America, aiming to always make the best burgers in town.

According to Dan, they are best known for their World-famous Smokey Burger, which is “So good it was once named one of the top seven burgers in the world by an international writer.”

Hawthorn Lounge embodies the vibe of a 1920’s speakeasy – “warm and inviting, a place you want to sit for a while” – and is themed around owner Justin McKenzie’s grandfather’s study. The seventeen-year-old bar focuses heavily on classic and creative cocktail making, using high-quality interesting ingredients. Asked what they’re best known for, Justin said, “longevity and consistency” which is comforting in these times of uncertainty.

Runner up: Float Well

Runner up: BurgerFuel

Runner up: Dirty Little Secret

Best Brewery Fortune Favours

Best Activity / Attraction Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne

Best Artisan Food & Drink Six Barrel Soda

With a giant, jointed wooden hand reaching out from the side of the building, Fortune Favours is hard to miss. Founder Shannon Thorpe took the brave leap of starting his own brewpub in 2017 in the “craft beer capital”.

Scott de Graf says, “We love Wellington so much we named a beer after it,” referring to their IPA, The Wellingtonian. “Wellington has a creative energy like no other city. Anything goes, and it’s the reason we produce some of the best beer in New Zealand and the world.”

“Since human arrival, at least 51 bird species, three frog species, three lizard species, one freshwater fish species, one bat species, four plant species, and a number of invertebrate species have become extinct in New Zealand”, says Marketing and Comms Manager Sam Irwin. Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne is the world’s first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary, with a vision to restore the Karori reservoir valley to the way it was before the arrival of humans.

After some dodgy batches and plenty of experimenting, founders Joe and Mike discovered the perfect formula for delicious real fruit syrups that worked in cocktails, mocktails, or a soda. “This is how Six Barrel Soda was born.” Asked about their secret ingredient for success, Amy says, “As well as making wonderful drinks, we love being a force for good in the industry and have strong sustainability goals.”

Runner up: Double Vision Brewing

Runner up: Te Papa

Runner up: Foxton Fizz

Best Café Squirrel Amanda Holland opened her retail and interiors store Small Acorns in 1993, and in 2017 floated the idea of a café next door that would offer a nice break from the retail environment, and extend the offerings in the area. In April 2019 Squirrel opened as a joint family venture. Asked about a recent highlight, her daughter Milly Brunel says, “Winning the Wellington Avocado Toast Awards was a special one indeed. We won People’s Choice in 2022, and it was nice to take out the big boy this year.” Try their award winning avo toast on Blair Street.

Runner up: Evil Twins

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Best Bakery Belén Vegan Bakery Belén Vegan Bakery have taken Wellington’s plant-based world by storm. Best known for their gooey donuts and sweet pastries, Belén have also worked their vegan magic on mince and cheese pies, croque monsieur and meatball marinara croissants.

They haven’t been on the scene long. In April 2021, owners Mica and Chris started selling their plant-based treats from a stall at the Newtown farmer’s market. “We both had full-time jobs, our oven only fit six croissants, and our deep fryer was a

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frying pan, but we had a burning desire to show that pastries could be (re)created with fully plant-based ingredients!” When covid reared its ugly head just a couple of months after they opened the stall, the pair quickly adapted and set up a home delivery option. “We sold out, selling over 300 items in five minutes and gained thousands of the new followers.”

With new-found confidence Mica and Chris opened their first bakery on Masons Lane, and within just one year relocated to a larger store on Lambton Quay. “We’re proud of our humble journey from two people, a home kitchen and market stall, to a big, bright shop in the heart of Welly all within two years – that is a real tear-jerker for us!”

The secret ingredient to their success?

“Blood, sweat, tears, early mornings and late nights! With some solid months of super physical, 100-plus hour weeks.”

Thankfully Chris and Mica are no longer an army of two, but a team of 15, its members “blessing us with their talents each day.”

Belén have some big plans in the works, including a “range of plant-based products that will be available on shelves around NZ, including one that we think is truly going to be a game-changer.”

Runner up: Arobake

Best Sweet Treats Duck Island Duck Island manager Rebekah Bakker said “We call our team ‘ducks’ and they’re the absolute best ducks in town.

Every single duck is an ice cream fanatic and they often suggest flavour ideas, which sometimes we even make. Looking at you, Hummus ice cream (yes, it was actually yum).” Get some delicious quality small batch ice cream by the ducks at the recently opened Duck Island in Willis Lane.

Runner up: Sixes and Sevens

Best Pizza Pizza Pomodoro

Best Homewares Trade Aid

Best Arts & Crafts Miss Maude

Massimo Tolve founded Pizza Pomodoro in Wellington in 2000 to introduce authentic Neapolitan pizza, a rarity at the time. His wood-fired, handcrafted pizzas boast a soft yet crisp crust, awarded certification by the Italian governing body overseeing global pizza production. “I’ve worked hard to get it as close to the original product as you can outside of Italy.”

Wellington's sense of community and its special qualities captivated Massimo, making it the perfect place to call home.

When asked for a recent highlight for Trade Aid Petone, Manager Annabel replied, “Hearing young consumers asking the hard questions, for example, ‘But how much do the producers really get?’” Started in a garage by Christchurch couple Vi and Richard Cottrell, Trade Aid has grown into an international fair trade whānau. Since 1973, Trade Aid has worked with small-scale food and craft producers around the world to improve fairness in trade.

Emma Smith opened Miss Maude in Greytown in 2019 out of a desire to share the joy of creating and to bring garment-making supplies to the region. The store stocks a range of high-quality fabrics, patterns, and sewing supplies. “We want people to focus on the process and to not worry so much about the outcome. I believe it’s not about perfection, but simply giving something a go, using your mind and hands in a way you don’t usually.”

Runner up: Colombo Martinborough

Runner up: Small Acorns

Runner up: Wellington Sewing Centre

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Mica Calle and Chris Corbett from Belén Vegan Bakery

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Best Coffee Coffee Supreme This is a big year for Coffee Supreme. As well as being named by Capital as the best coffee in town, the caffeine connoisseurs are celebrating their 30th birthday.

It’s a huge milestone for a business that didn’t originally set out to be a wholesale coffee company. In 1993 founders Chris Dillon and Maggie Wells went in search of a new coffee supplier for their café, Reds at 49 Willis Street, eventually concluding that if you want something done right, do it yourself. “One thing led to another and Chris took over a small site on Woodward Street with a roaster in it, and Supreme was born,” explains brand manager Doug Johns, who has been with the company for almost 14 years.

The tiny roastery was a nightmare for delivery drivers to reach, had a basement that flooded regularly, and the smoke from

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the flue was constant source of anger for the neighbours. Thankfully they soon outgrew the space, moving several times before settling in Hopper Street, where their Wellington HQ still is today.

work,” says Doug. “We’re always kicking around ideas for new products. When it comes to coffee things, it’s all about trying to create a better option or experience than what exists.”

Not-so-small any more, Coffee Supreme now has sites across Aotearoa, Australia, and even Japan. Last year, Chris and Maggie decided it was time to step back and sell up, leaving the company in the capable hands of New Zealand-owned Pioneer Capital and the Coffee Supreme team.

While new products are exciting, Doug insists that consistency has been the key to Coffee Supreme’s success. “Coffee is wildly subjective and people know what they like,” he explains. “Even when coffee prices skyrocket or market trends aren’t in our favour, we’re committed to maintaining our standards and delivering the same quality and flavour our customers have grown to love and expect.”

Although spread across three countries, team Supreme are a “pretty tight bunch,” says Doug. “Our brand attracts a great kind of person, who often, but not always, comes from the hospitality industry, is creative, social, and likes looking after people. This makes for a gang who all generally get on.

We couldn’t ask for much more.”

Last year Coffee Supreme released their iced coffee cans – a big highlight for the business and “the result of a lot of hard

Al Keating and Doug Johns from Coffee Supreme

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Like so many Wellingtonians the best part Doug’s day involves a cup of Joe. “Sometimes it’s the first one in the morning that I pour into a thermal mug and head out to the dog park with. Sometimes it’s the first coffee off the espresso machine when I get to work.”

Runner up: Good Fortune Coffee Co.

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Best Barber The French Barber

Best Florist Flowers Manuela

At 15 years old, Jason Hurier started hairdressing in France. He met his Kiwi wife Kajal during her OE, and in 2015 they returned to New Zealand. After two years working in a barbershop, Jason ventured out on his own, becoming the owner of The French Barber, where he takes pride in offering his customers “a luxury grooming experience, providing quality cuts and beard services with professional, oldschool barbering flair.”

Manuela Lipsham started Flowers Manuela on the first day of Spring in 1998 so she could share her love of nature and her artistic and individual style of floristry. This spring will mark Flowers Manuela’s 25th birthday, and they’ll be celebrating with a whole bunch of daily specials. Manuela says she is lucky to have a team of “greatly supportive and talented people. I couldn’t do it without them.”

Runner up: MANE Salon

Runner up: Cellar Daisy

Best Restaurant / Eatery Kisa Sharing is at the heart of Middle Eastern dining – food, conversation, and good times, which is what Dean White focuses on at Kisa. Dean is no stranger to the hospitality scene, also owning Mr Go’s, Ombra, and LTD. Asked why he likes restaurants, Dean says, “I’d say it’s the food, but I love the energy. When you see an empty restaurant it’s just another room. Fill it with staff and customers from all walks of life, and they bring that energy. So, probably, people.”

Runner up: The Old Quarter

Best Bookshop Unity Books

Best Fashion Good As Gold

Best Shoes & Accessories

Alan Preston founded and opened Unity Books in 1967 to create a space of relevance, where books connected people and conveyed ideas. “Alan was passionate about books and proudly endeavoured to look after local authors and poets within Wellington’s rich literary culture,” says manager Adrian Hardingham. Asked what he loves most about Wellington, Adrian says, “The city has a strong culture filled with talented artists, creators and writers. It is always great to see the communities that are fostered within these groups and the support that they share.”

Ruben Bryant has always loved selling and connecting with people, and when he came back to Wellington in 2004, aged 26, he decided to create a new shopping experience with Good As Gold. “I wanted to create a friendly place to shop for rad stuff.” It started super small at 140 Victoria Street, and over the years has slowly got better at what it does, following a loose business plan, according to Ruben. Its latest label is CAHU, a Parisian bag brand made from upcycled bouncy castle materials, available at the Bond Street store.

Following in the footsteps of her mother Ava who opened the first I Love Paris store in Dunedin in 1988, Samara Collins opened Wellington’s store in 2004. Since then it has acquired “a wonderful team who are all very passionate about providing great service and who really enjoy fashion. They all have their own individual styles and love helping customers find the right shoes for them, whether it is matching a pair with an outfit for a special occasion, finding a classic ‘do everything’ style or helping move someone out of their comfort zone into a new look.”

Runner up: Good Books

Runner up: Kowtow

Runner-Up: that was then, this is now

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I Love Paris

Manuela from Flowers Manuela

ArtZone’s Best Playground Motutawa Avalon Park

Wellington Airport’s Best Beach Lyall Bay beach

Go Media’s Best Suburb Newtown

Revamped in 2016, Motutawa Avalon Park in Lower Hutt is a must-see for Wellingtonians. The six-hectare park has lots of facilities including a playground, climbing walls, a public tennis court, a children’s cycle circuit, mini-golf, and a miniature railway. The playground is designed for preschoolers up to 12-year-olds, with a particular focus on equipment designed for enjoyment by children with disabilities. It has a mix of contemporary and traditional play equipment, with seating, picnic tables, a shade canopy, and a deck area.

Lyall Bay beach, which stretches for a kilometre and a half, is a popular surfing spot for Wellingtonians. Home to two surf lifesaving clubs, and once the site of the surf lifesaving championships, the water is often speckled with wetsuited hopefuls waiting for a wave. Located right by the airport, it’s fitting that it won the coveted Best Beach award sponsored

by Wellington Airport. Fun fact: Lyall Bay was once known as False Bay, because ships would mistake the bay for the entrance to Wellington Harbour.

For people-watching or street photography, this is the place to be. Our best ‘burb, as voted by you the public, is Newtown. Originally a working-class suburb, Newtown has become a hub for artists, students, and immigrants, making it a great neighbourhood.

Newtown exudes a rugged yet irresistibly hip vibe with things to do around every corner – including the muchloved annual Newtown Festival, which attracts around 80,000 people.

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Jungle gym P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

Sunshine, serenity, and a dash of gymnasium glamour, Claire

O’Loughlin visits a Brooklyn residence that’s a little bit different.

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his sunny home perched up in Brooklyn, overlooking Wellington, feels relaxing yet full of energy.

Sun pours through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Strips of yellow tape on the varnished wooden floor catch the light — court markings from the floor’s first life in the Wellesley College gymnasium.

“We paid to have them pulled up, and we stored them for nearly a year before we built this place,” says Amelia. This cost almost as much as a new floor, “but the effect is awesome — right away the house looked lived in.”

The home is owned by Amelia Bardsley, a yoga instructor, and her husband Mark Albiston, a filmmaker. Their teenagers, Jude, and Oli, live at home, and their eldest, Eva, often visits.

For years, Amelia was a commercial lawyer, and she and Mark also ran film company Sticky Pictures, making TV shows, short films, and arts documentaries in the early 2000s.

Their series The Living Room, mini-documentaries celebrating contemporary New Zealand artists and urban life, was a particular hit.

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But the film and legal life was “crazy busy,” and when they built the house in 2015, Amelia made a decision to reduce her work hours, spend more time with the kids, and bring some tranquility into their lives. “I wanted to make the home a calm haven for them.”

It certainly feels like a haven. It’s a brilliant winter day when I visit, and I’m bundled up in a jersey, scarf, and coat against the chill. Amelia greets me with a hug. She’s barefoot, wearing a singlet. In the house, the warmth envelops me, and I shed my layers quickly.

“We call it the colourful house on the hill,” says Mark. From the outside, it has a mid-century modernist look, with panels in primary colours.

Inside, it feels more rustic. The wooden floors, beams, and big dining table, combined with pot plants that have grown up to the high ceiling, make it feel as if we’re part of the bush and the sky. It helps that the double-glazed windows have been cleaned to crystal perfection by Jude, who owns a window-washing business.

The house is built on three levels, stepping down the hill.

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“We’re in a high-wind zone, but the way it’s designed, the wind comes over us. We can be in the garden and it’s not windy, but up on the driveway it will be.”

Situated at the end of a cul-de-sac next to the Waimapihi Reserve, the house feels cosy and private, but also expansive. At road level, there’s a small studio space separate from the rest of the house, but sharing its roofline. In the main house, the open-plan kitchen, dining, and living area look out across the reserve and city.

The world outside is so close, but within it is sheltered and safe, says Amelia.

The view, of course, is breathtaking. We can see Matiu/Somes Island resting in the harbour, the central city cradled in the hills, all the way around to the surf in Lyall Bay.

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There’s a sense of energy and movement all through the home, with fresh air from the wide sliding doors circulating.

“In the wintertime we have magnificent sunrises over the island,” says Amelia. “It’s a direct beam of sunight coming in.”

On the lower level, the privacy is striking.

You can’t see any neighbouring houses. An outdoor shower looks directly out over the city. The garden around and below the house is full of native trees, planted by Mark. Nestled amongst them is a halfpipe skateboard ramp, put in for the kids and their friends.

They weren’t looking for a new home when they found the land in 2012, but when Amelia saw the For Sale sign when she was biking up the Waimapihi Reserve track, she fell in love. “Imagine building a house here,” she said to Mark when she brought him to see it.

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Friend and well-known architect Gerald Melling had renovated their first house, just around the corner. He looked at the site and saw its potential. Gerald passed away at the end of that year. His son David Melling (with his firm, Melling Architects) designed the house, and a smaller, similar one next to it, which Mark’s dad owns as a rental. Melling used prefabricated insulated panels laid on exposed glulam beams (glulam, I learn, is a kind of plywood, made of sheets of wood laminated together with glue, producing extremely strong timber). Planit Construction did the build, which came together quickly thanks to the prefabricated panel design.

“Once the framework was up, it was just whack, whack, on with the panels, so fast.”

Although, Amelia laughs, “building is a bit like childbirth — you forget all the bad parts!”, like the wind blowing the panels off the driveway, where the delivery truck had left them, onto the roof of the house next door.

“And that’s how we met our neighbours! They were so nice about it. I took them some beers, of course. They’ve become good friends.”

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My aunty says “there’s great community in a cul-de-sac”, and Amelia agrees. “Particularly during lockdown, we all got to know each other a bit more.

Every day at 5 o’clock we’d all go out, stand at the edge of our properties and have a distanced drink.”

As many people sheepishly admit, they loved the first covid lockdown. Eva moved home for it, so the whole family was together. Mark put some monkey bars and a boxing bag in the garden and the skate ramp got plenty of use.

Lockdown also provided the clarity Amelia needed to begin teaching yoga. She had always practised yoga, but being at home all day made her realise her home is a wonderful place for it, and she wanted to share it.

She has taught yoga classes in the house, using the downstairs study room and the deck. But the home classes didn’t quite gel with teenagers in the house.

She’s put them on hold for now and teaches instead at Awhi Yoga & Wellbeing off Lambton Quay, and yoga studios in Lyall Bay and Thorndon. She has plans to teach at home again, meanwhile finding other ways of sharing the space with others. “It’s a great place to have people over, and wonderful for parties.”

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The vastness of the windows leaves little wall space.

There are only a few artworks, including a piece by Martin Thompson, an outsider artist also known as Marty the Mathematician, who passed away in 2021.

Amelia and Mark made a film about him before his work became widely known.

There are a few meaningful knick-knacks, but the house is remarkably uncluttered. “We try not to get too attached to things,” Amelia says. The stuff-free space contributes to the sense of calm. With nothing to distract the eyes, there’s nothing to clutter the mind.

It feels creative.

“I love the warmth,” says Amelia again. “Ah yes,” I say, “the warmth, that’s your thing.” Jude, walking into the kitchen to wash his hands, laughs. “It’s all Mum’s thing,” he says. “Even my room is Mum’s thing. Every four weeks it shapeshifts into a whole other room.”

Amelia laughs guiltily. “I do shapeshift each room.”

“It’s all good though,” says Jude, “it’s a blessing.”

And he gives her a kiss.

“Aw, thank you darling,” she says.

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Open 6 days a week

SHOP FOR YOUR STORY AT TE ĀMIKI Our purpose is to collect the story of our nation and take the intangible taonga we've curated words, images, stories - and turn them into something physical. With our carefully curated collection, you can take a piece of this story home with you.

Monday to Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm Saturday: 9:00am - 1:00pm

Visit us online or instore at:

shop.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand, Molesworth Street, Wellington

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Orange-spotted ladybird

BY M E LO DY T H O M A S

Name: Orange-Spotted Ladybird Scientific name: Coccinella leonina Māori name: Pāpapa kōpure Status: Endemic Description: Pāpapa kōpure is a beautiful, medium-sized ladybird, growing up to 5.5mm long. It has a shiny black shell with yelloworange spots, and is one of around 30 native ladybirds in Aotearoa.

Habitat: Pāpapa kōpure can be found on both North and South islands, though no further north on the mainland than Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland (they live on quite a few northern offshore islands, however). They love tussocky grasslands, native bush, pasture, and crop land, and are especially common on Banks Peninsula, near Ōtautahi Christchurch.

THE

Look/listen: Sightings of this lovely beetle start to go up from now, as the weather warms up and

they disperse to find food and a good spot for laying their eggs.

Tell me a story: Ladybirds look sweet but they are voracious predators that love to feast on aphids.

The adult orange-spotted ladybird can eat around 100 aphids a day! They also eat scale insects, mealy bugs and other tiny pests, hence they’re beloved of gardeners. The eleven-spotted ladybird (which has an orange shell and black spots – so the opposite to Coccinella leonina), was introduced to Aotearoa in 1874 to help control the aphid population. But we also have an extremely invasive ladybird on our shores, the Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis), which harms native and beneficial insects.

The harlequin ladybird has a highly variable appearance, making it hard to identify (and therefore eradicate), but there are fact sheets online to help if you think you’ve found one. Check out NZ Ladybird Watch on inaturalist.com for more info.

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THE CLEVER WAY TO GET DISCOUNTS AROUND TOWN & MEMBER-ONLY GIVEAWAYS WHILST SUPPORTING YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL RADIO STATION! SCAN THE CODE OR GO TO WWW.RADIOACTIVE.FM TO GET YOURS

1-31 October 2023 ChoctoberFest Porirua poriruacity.govt.nz/choctoberfest

Located at: 59 Johnsonville Rd, Johnsonville 04 477 9513

Proudly supported by

What makes a pint a proper pint?

It’s all in the numbers. A history lesson (or a Google search) tells us a pint, traditionally one-eighth of a gallon, converts to the much easier to understand 568ml.

Yet a visit to many other establishments will see you served a ‘pint’ with a volume around 425ml.

Their pints and our pints are not the same.

At the four Sprig + Fern Taverns in Wellington and Little Sprig Seatoun, we’re proud to pour proper pints.

B E R H A M P O R E | T H O R N D O N | TAWA | P E TO N E | S E ATO U N

E D I B L E S

UPPER C RU ST

稀攀戀爀愀渀漀

There’s new slice in town. Slim’s is the latest venture of the team behind Ombra and Kisa, and will be strictly devoted to thin-crust Chicago/tavern-style pizza, instead of the more common deep dish. LTD Executive Chef Jonny Taggart has created some left-field flavour combinations, such as toasted sesame, Egyptian falafel, honey, blue cheese, dried cherries, and clams. Currently Slim’s is offering delivery only on Friday and Saturday nights.

NO BANANA BREAD HERE

PIE CHART TOPPER

MOVE OVER KALE

Food rescue charity Kaibosh have found a clever new way to save old bananas from landfill, teaming up with their Paraparaumu neighbour Duncan’s Brewery to create a special edition pastry stout. Up to seven percent of the food Kaibosh rescues isn’t suitable to give to the community as is, but in collaboration with local brands this food can often be “upcycled” into something new. Every $20 raised through beer sales will allow Kaibosh to provide 40 meals’ worth of rescued food to people in need.

The Clareville bakery in Carterton has been on a roll, with some big award wins. Second-year apprentice at the bakery Amie Irwin was awarded the top prize at the NZ Bakels Apprentice Pie Maker competition with her slow-cooked lamb shoulder pie, with rosemary, white wine, caramelised onion, and vintage cheese. The bakery has also proved it makes the crème de la crème of custard squares, coming first in the Baking New Zealand Custard Square Championship 2023.

Watercress, that forgotten leafy green vegetable, has been dubbed the heathiest food in the world.

A study by American researchers CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) tested 41 fruits and vegetables against 17 different nutrient markers, such as potassium, fibre, and calcium content. Watercress earned a perfect score of 100 for its nutrient density. The runners up were also leafy greens, including Chinese cabbage (with a score of 91.99), and chard (89.27).

匀瀀爀椀渀最 䐀攀氀椀最栀琀猀

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CHOCS AWAY Home of Kiwi favourite Whittakers' chocolate, Porirua is taken over each October by ChoctoberFest, a month-long festival devoted to chocolate. Cafés, restaurants and bars in the area will add special chocolate-centric creations to their menus, including over-the-top hot chocolates, frappes, and maybe the odd cocktail, all competing to be Top of the Chocs.

There’ll also be a bunch of decadent baked goods to try at the Whittaker’s Bake-off, and both competitions will be decided by an online public vote.

TOP OF THE CHOPS

WRONG DIRECTION

BON APPÉTIT

Chefs Lizzie Rogers of Atlas, Courtenay Charles of 50-50 at Paraparaumu Beach, and Sian Davies of Olive have been named Lumina Rising Stars for 2023.

Wellington region chefs aged 18–25 could apply for the Lumina training programme, and then shortlisted applicants entered a lamb dish to be assessed by judges. The three winners will receive culinary tutorials throughout the year, and $500.

In the last decade deaths related to drink-driving have doubled. In 2022, 111 people died as a result of drunk-driving – a huge leap from the 53 deaths in 2013. Measures have been put in place to reduce the number of incidents, including alcohol interlocks (a system that requires a breath test before a vehicle will start), and a police target of testing three million drivers a year for alcohol. The target has not been met since 2014, but police are on track this year, having tested over two million people so far.

The masterminds behind Sixes and Sevens Deli have opened up a new coffee spot in Island Bay. Coucou (pronounced Ku ku, is French for “hey” or “hi”) will be serving flaky croissants, quiches, pies, sausage rolls, and an array of Sixes and Sevens’ much-loved donuts. Their sister company Skunkworks Coffee will supply the beans for their customers’ morning cup of Joe.

www.sunshinebrewing.co.nz

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Taste the tango

BY S O P H I E CA RT E R I L LU ST R AT I O N S BY R AC H E L SA L A Z A R

Hailing from the mountainous land of football, gauchos, and tango, Argentinian cuisine is having its day in the sun in Aotearoa. Meet the people bringing a little slice of Buenos Aires to our Capital and discover some must-try Argentinian grub, from asado to dulce de leche.

Aurora Argentinian Bakery Mariana Ladislao and Facundo Arregui

Medialunas Mate Mariana: Mate is the Argentinian green tea. We drink it out of a cup with a special straw that has a strainer on the bottom so the leaves won't come up the straw. Mate is not only drunk to fight thirst; it's a celebratory moment with friends and family. It is not about the drink itself, but the ceremony of passing it around with your group of friends.

Mariana: To the untrained eye these look like croissants, but they’re way better. They are a buttery flaky brioche-like pastries brushed with an orange syrup. The layers are created by laminating the brioche dough with butter, and they taste like heaven in your mouth. The usual combo is three medialunas and a café con leche (coffee with milk) to start your day.

Alfajores

Mariana Ladislao and Facundo Arregui are the owners of Argentinian bakery Aurora.

They serve up sweet and savoury delights, including their signature medialunas, the pastries that started it all. After posting a photo of home-baked medialunas on the Latinos en Wellington Facebook group they were inundated with requests to buy them, and eventually Aurora was born.

Although they are both from Argentina the couple met here in Wellington, six years ago.

Both from foodie backgrounds – Facundo, a talented baker and meat curer, and Mariana, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef – they have made it their mission to fill the bellies of homesick South Americans and hungry Wellingtonians alike.

Mariana gives us her top treats to try.

Javier: Alfajores are cornflour cookies filled with dulce de leche and coated with coconut.

We also make chocolate versions. The chocolate and cornflour are our most popular snacks.

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Chimichurri Argentinian BBQ Florencia Prieto and Javier Di Leo Chimichurri restaurant is a perfect example of how one door closes, another door opens.

It’s owned by Buenos Aires couple Javier Di Leo, a professional chef of 20 years, and pastry chef Florencia Prieto. The pair moved to Aotearoa in 2017 and lived in Queenstown, but pandemic lockdowns meant Javier lost his job. They moved to Wellington, where a friend offered them the chance to buy Brooklyn Deli and they jumped at it. At first, they were serving classic Kiwi café grub; but after adding Argentinian dishes to the menu and seeing how popular they were, they changed tack, installed a BBQ in the kitchen and haven’t looked back, hosting regular asado nights and selling sweet Argentinian treats. Javier gives his must try foods.

Picada Javier: This antipasto spread is perfect for gatherings with friends and family. Sliced salamis, cheeses, bread, and homemade pickled eggplant make it a moment to share.

Cañoncito de dulce de leche Empanadas Javier: These savoury pastries are great for any occasion.

My mum's empanadas are the best, and I could never resist eating them fresh from the oven. Each bite is a burst of flavour, with fillings ranging from beef and chicken to ham and cheese (the different shapes often indicate what’s inside them).

Mariana: A flaky cone-shaped puff pastry filled with dulce de leche (a milk-based caramel). It's one of our favourite pastries!

Guiso de lentejas Javier: This stew is an Argentine classic and my all-time favourite. I have fond memories of cooking it with my mum as a kid. Meats, chorizo, bacon, veggies, lentils, and a sprinkle of parmesan. It’s even better the next day.

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Canola oil

Red wine vinegar

Water

Salt

Chimichurri

Lemon juice

Dried parsley

Baguette

Dried oregano

Chilli flakes

Smoked paprika

Smoked provolone cheese

Choripan Argentine chorizo

Garlic

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Chorileta: choripan with smoked provolone and chimichurri

BY JAV I E R D I L EO

E

very Argentine knows what a choripan is. It’s more than a sandwich for us; it’s a feeling. The very mention of it sparks memories – of the smell of smoke from burning charcoal and wood; of family and friends gathering around the BBQ; of the “asador” (cook) with a red face from the heat, desperately in need of a beer.

Nobody likes to clean up afterwards, so to avoid the need for cutlery, the provolone has to be inside the choripan, hidden under the chorizo. By peel-

Chimichurri Serves 4–8 ½ cup dried parsley 1 tbsp dried oregano 5 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 1½ tsp chilli flakes 2 tsp smoked paprika 20ml red wine vinegar 15ml lemon juice 20ml water 350ml canola oil 1 tsp salt

Choripan 8 Argentine chorizos, or soft chorizo sausages,(not to be confused with cured Spanish chorizo).

1 baguette 300 grams smoked provolone cheese (grated)

ing the skin off the chorizo, you can use the meat as a barrier so the cheese doesn’t melt away. We grill everything until it’s crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside – then allow it to cool before topping it with plenty of chimichurri.

As simple as it gets, this is Argentine cooking at its best – fire, meat, cheese, bread, and sauce. But it’s so much more than that: it’s the smoke, the laughs, the music, the ritual of any “asado.”

To make Chimichurri: 1. Simply combine all the ingredients and mix well. It’s best to make it the day before, and it will keep for six weeks in the fridge.

To make Choripan: 1. Peel the casings from chorizos and discard them, keeping all the meat.

2. Slice open the baguette and cut into 4. With your fingers, hollow it out making a “canoe” to hold the stuffing. (Keep the scooped-out bread to make croutons or breadcrumbs!)

3. Distribute all the grated provolone along the hollowed-out baguettes, then top with the chorizo meat. Make sure to cover the cheese and distribute the meat to encase it. No cheese should be visible; this will prevent the cheese from leaking when cooking.

4. If cooking on a BBQ, make your fire with some good South American charcoal and distribute embers under the grill. The BBQ is hot enough when you can hold your hand closely over the grill for no more than 5 to 8 seconds without the heat burning you. If using a gas BBQ, heat up with high fire for 10 minutes, then set it to minimum. To cook on a stove, use a cast-iron skillet or a non-stick pan set to medium-high heat.

5. Place the two pieces of stuffed baguette with the chorizo meat facing down, and you should hear a good sizzle. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes (this will depend on whether your bread is taller and thicker or wider and thinner). The chorizo should be fully cooked and golden brown on top.

6. Flip the baguette carefully and cook on the bread side for another 4 to 6 minutes, using the fat that the chorizo meat left to crisp up and toast the bread.

7. Remove from the fire or skillet and allow it to rest for 3 to 5 minutes.

8. Top each piece with a healthy dose of chimichurri and enjoy!

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Willis Lane seven ways

C O N T E N T

There’s another world under Willis Street and it’s full of delicious things. Journey down into the tunnels of Wellington’s newest food and entertainment precinct for a tasty adventure, with plenty to please the quick biters, long lunchers, late-night snackers, fancy diner goers, sweet-tooths and savoury fiends alike. Discover why Willis Lane is the place to be whatever you’re craving.

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Crack Chicken: Bulgogi Double Cheeseburger

Duck Island: Ambrosia & Salted Caramel Cacao Crumb Ice Cream

Corso Pastaria: Pumpkin, Gorgonzola & Nduja Arancini

From the mind of culinary maestro David Lee (of Auckland’s awardwinning restaurants Aigo, Candyshop, Gochu and Pōni), Crack Chicken introduces a tantalising fusion that's hard to resist: a tender Nashville-style double cheeseburger enriched with the flavoursome layers of Korean Bulgogi.

The succulent marinated beef slices come together in a harmonious blend of sweet and spicy – where every bite is as crunchy as it is juicy. This one’s an instant classic.

The talk of the town for their delectable ice cream, Duck Island has certainly elevated the CBD's dessert game to new heights with their new, eagerly-anticipated Willis Lane venue.

Sensitive tummy?

Don’t worry – everyone's invited to this ice cream feast, thanks to their extensive vegan and gluten-free range. Dig into everything from handcrafted artisan scoops, ice cream sandwiches and wonderfully creamy milkshakes.

Our personal favourite?

An Ambrosia & Salted Caramel Cacao Crumb combo.

Craving an Italian beachside getaway?

Dive into the arancini balls at Corso Pastaria. Filled with deliciously salty gorgonzola, spicy nduja, and sweet pumpkin, these little wonders are an irresistibly sumptuous, soft cheesy delight.

Settle into Corso’s swish new dining space tucked away at the end of the lane, designed with evenings in mind – whether you're there for a lively group gathering or a slow date night paired with fine wine.

willislane.nz

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Hot Like a Mexican: Crunchy Chicken Tacos

Angry Ramen: Chicken Katsu Kimchi Donburi

Rick’s Cheese Steaks: Buff Chick n’ Bleu Sandwich

Corso Pastaria: Linguini with Southern Clams & Sav Blanc

If it's authentic Mexican you're after, look no further than Hot Like a Mexican.

Serving up everything from mouthwatering tacos and hearty burritos to cheesy quesadillas – every item on the menu is filled to the brim with fresh, crunchy, delicious fillings.

Hailing from Cuautla, México, owner and local culinary legend Andrés “The Mexican” ensures every dish is crafted with nothing but top-quality ingredients – setting a standard that's hard to beat.

Stopping by for lunch?

Don't walk past Angry Ramen without trying their Chicken Katsu Kimchi Donburi.

Dig into a generous and deliciously fresh rice bowl filled with crumbed chicken, tangy katsu, mayo, and their signature bold kimchi – all made in-house daily.

Capturing the essence of Tokyo street food, this medley of flavour and texture is simply a must -try for all the CBD foodies.

It’s a crowd favourite for a reason!

Got a hankering for a hearty sandwich? Rick’s Buff chick n’ bleu awaits you – and it’s sure to hit the spot. Straight from the heart of Philly, this gem boasts succulent chicken, melted American cheddar, and fiery buffalo sauce, complemented by creamy blue dressing.

It's a Philly sensation reimagined with an unexpected twist, guaranteeing a belly-warming, mouth-watering experience.

Dig in and grab a napkin. This one’s going to be saucy.

While you're down at Corso Pastaria, don't skip one of our favourites: the linguini. Each strand is meticulously cooked to al dente perfection – serving as the perfect backdrop to the rich, briny taste of southern clams, and further elevated by the crisp and zesty undertones of sav blanc.

This dish is Corso at its best: paying homage to the timeless simplicity of traditional Italian cuisine. It’s a plate of culinary poetry.

willislane.nz

Spring at Circa Theatre

I Want To Be Happy

By Carl Bland Starring Jennifer Ludlam and Joel Tobeck Directed by Ben Crowder and Carl Bland $30–$55

7–30 Sep

Binka is a guinea pig in a laboratory cage. Paul is the lab assistant who looks after her. Neither understand each other yet everyday they share their hopes and fears. Binka wants to escape. Paul wants to get the love of his life back. Both just want to be happy again. Humour and pathos collide in this blackly funny odyssey from trailblazing theatre creators Nightsong (Mr Red Light, Te Pō, The Worm), starring theatre greats Jennifer Ludlam and Joel Tobeck.

Verbatim

Written by William Brandt Devised by Miranda Harcourt and William Brandt Performed by Renee Lyons $30–$55

9–16 Sep

Verbatim premiered in 1993 and broke new and important ground. William Brandt and Miranda Harcourt presented an uncensored insight, with first hand accounts, into the impact of violent crime in Aotearoa. This work still strongly resonates today. We might ask what has changed?

ONO

Co-directed by Nicola Hyland (Te Atihaunui-aPāpārangi and Ngāti Hauiti) and Sally Richards $30–$35

7–16 Sep

ONO is a collection of six new monologues by Māori and Pasifika writers especially commissioned for TAHI New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance 2023. Six unique voices from Aotearoa. ONO follows the success of TAHI’s collection of monologues Batch, Whānau and Joy.

Image by Lauren Douglas

Image by Ralph Brown

Image by Dianna Thomson

Mr Fungus Dreams

By Fergus Aitken and Thom Monckton Directed by Thom Monckton and Amalia Calder Presented by Mr Fungus & Friends $10–$15; Under 2s Free

19 Sep–7 Oct

Visual theatre and absurd comedy for all ages, from the people that brought you the sold-out season of MR FUNGUS in 2021… along with some other brilliant friends! A tale of adventure, resilience and self reliance. Our mischievous MR FUNGUS embarks on a journey of discovery, reminding us that even though things may not always be as they seem, we always have what we need.

Image by Amalia Calder

The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde Directed by Jonathan Price $30–$55

7 Oct–4 Nov

Oscar Wilde’s greatest work for the stage returns to Circa for a season of blistering wit, mistaken identities, and human hypocrisy so keenly observed you’d think it was written yesterday. A troupe of Wellington’s finest comic actors take the stage like a jazz band tearing through a bop classic. Colourful, naughty, subversive, smart and fabulous, this Earnest finds a new home in an age still obsessed with appearances.

Design by William Duignan. Photo by Lewis Ferris

Also in September… An Honest Conversation Series! Talk, dance and be honest - Concept: Sacha Copland; Company: Java Dance Theatre - Sun 24 Sep 7pm; $16–$25.

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

Govett-Brewster/Len Lye Centre

Cirque Olio – Reimagine

Taranaki Garden Festival

TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT TARANAKI

Taranaki has a vibrant spring event-line up waiting for you. Experience glorious gardens with bright spring colour, inspiring local art studios and modern galleries, or gravity-defying performances.

It’s all here in Taranaki - a region like no other.

WHAT’S ON Reimagine Festival – 5 – 15 Oct | Taranaki Garden Festival – 27 Oct – 5 Nov Taranaki Fringe Garden Festival – 27 Oct - 5 Nov | Sustainable Backyards Trail – 27 Oct - 5 Nov Taranaki Arts Trail – 27 Oct – 5 Nov | NZ Tattoo & Art Festival – 25 - 26 Nov AN INITIATIVE OF VENTURE TARANAKI

Make a weekend of it! taranaki.co.nz/visit

C L E V E R

SHEDDING LIGHT A N D WO OL Cute as they are, a single baby uses around 4,500-6,000 nappies before they’re potty trained. Each nappy will take 500 years to break down and contains a cup of plastic made from crude oil. Mother and electrical engineer Derelee Potroz-Smith is on a mission to reduce the impact of the synthetic, non-woven fibres through her company Woolchemy. She is using NZ wool to craft eco-friendly hygiene products and nappies, utilising the material’s renewable, biodegradable and absorbent properties, and benefiting both nature and wool producers in the process.

CLEAN, GREEN MACHINE

DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT

SIZING UP FOR COMFORT

Ammonia boasts unparalleled energy density as a zero-carbon fuel, but its sizeable carbon footprint undermines its ecocredentials. The maritime industry's quest for decarbonisation fuels demand for greener ammonia solutions. If all global shipping transitioned to ammonia now, it would demand 440 million tons yearly — triple the current supply. Starting life as a research discovery at Victoria University

by Associate Professor Franck Natali and Dr Jay Chen, Liquium is reshaping ammonia production, using their deep tech application to decarbonise the pollutants, enhancing production with cleaner, more economical, and scalable methods.

Globally, the iron and steel sectors contribute 2.6 gigatonnes of CO2 (7% of total emissions). In New Zealand, steel production accounts for 55% of industrial CO2 emissions and 5% of gross emissions. Researchers from Victoria University Wellington and Robinson Research Institute have shown hydrogen’s potential to replace coal in steelmaking, potentially eradicating CO2 emissions.

Dr Chris Bumby’s team developed a custom reactor, using hydrogen to react with ironsand at up to 1000°C, yielding pure iron. As the reactor’s electrically heated, it could run on renewable energy, ensuring zero CO2 output.

Global estimates suggest that over 80% of women wear ill-fitting bras due to limitations in sizing methods. This issue is amplified for post-cancer reconstructive surgery patients seeking confidence and symmetry. Sisters Xuxu and Aida Amoozegar-Montero, PhD students at Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University, have combined their expertise in design innovation and post-surgery experiences to create a revolutionary bra system.

Utilising 3D knit tech and a dedicated app, they capture 12 precise breast measurements to craft personalised bras, addressing fit challenges to boost comfort and self-assurance.

Subscribe to Capital and win Bialetti’s new birthday suit In a fusion of classic and new wave, the Bialetti Moka Express has teamed up with graffiti spaghetti artist Mr Doodle to mark its 90year jubilee.

Subscribe at capitalmag.co.nz/shop Offer ends Nov 1 2023

To celebrate Bialetti’s 90th anniversary, we’re giving away 1x Bialetti x Mr Doodle Moka Express with a 3-month subscription of Supreme Stovetop Grind Blend, delivered to your door fortnightly.

S P O N S O R E D

C O N T E N T B Y

T H E

B O O K

Alcohol causes cancer, so why is it advertised everywhere?

By Suha Wahab

Alcohol is the most harmful drug in Aotearoa, yet alcohol advertising surrounds our city. A harm not many people are aware of is alcohol causes six percent of all cancers, up to 500 deaths per year which is around the same as New Zealand’s annual road toll. Alcohol is linked to mouth, throat, voice box, oesophagus (food pipe), bowel, liver, and breast cancer.

My experience living in Wellington city has been wrapped in brightly coloured alcohol ads on billboards, to inviting festival posters on buildings, pubs, and liquor stores plastered with discounted alcohol at every corner, even beside schools. Mapping alcohol and other cancer-causing commodities shows the growth of alcohol advertising which paints an ominous future for the cancer prevention hopes of the Cancer Society in reducing cancers associated with alcohol.

A Cancer Society Wellington digital billboard,

A street survey of passersby’s views and reactions of

“Less Alcohol, Less Cancer” in the heart of Cuba

this billboard was conducted. Many people described

Street was a rare picture in comparison to the

alcohol advertising as “wallpaper”, and a normality in

alcohol promotion last summer.

our culture, saying:

“If you went outside and saw a cigarette advertisement, you’d be horrified, but yet no one blinks an eye at the hundreds of alcohol advertisements in our city, and arguably the overall impact of alcohol on communities is worse.”

“Alcohol has become so ingrained into our lifestyles that we don’t even stop and think about how absurd it is that it’s sold right next to our fruit and veg in supermarkets.”

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“We are desensitized to it.”

“Alcohol promotion is normal, it’s promoted by sports, it’s promoted by the city, it’s promoted by everything that can promote it.”

We are yet to see regulations on alcohol advertising at Central or Local Government levels. Current tools available to residents seem ineffectual. A local resident handed in an application to the Advertisement Standard Agency about the “Beers at the Basin” advertisement shown below.

The response was upheld, requiring the Basin Reserve to remove the advertising as it was seen as harmful, yet the pervasive 16 billboard-sized posters were never taken down.

Participants had many solutions to stop harm from alcohol including:

The Basin Reserve is a major Wellington roadway next to three schools, with thousands of commuters and pedestrians every day. “Alcohol advertising encourages young people to drink alcohol earlier and more harmfully”, says Professor Louise Signal. New Zealand research shows that children are exposed to alcohol advertising frequently.

We are behind as a city and country when we compare our current regulations with other cities around the world like São Paulo, who have no advertising for any product since the implementation of their Clean City Law in 2007.

“Effective regulation of alcohol marketing is urgently needed in Aotearoa”, says Cancer Society Wellington Interim CEO, Moana Uerata-Jennings. “Wellington City could lead the way for changes and take a stand against alcohol harm.”

For more information, check out cancer.org.nz

B Y

T H E

B O O K

E V E RY DAY A N D OT H E RWOR L D Claire Orchard was a Capital Reverse columnist for many years and released her first poetry collection Cold Water Cure in 2016. We’re delighted to see she has now released a new collection, Liveability, described by the publisher as “an ode to the eccentricities and occasional sorrows of the everyday.” Editor Ashleigh Young (Cap #61) says Liveability is “an excellent, funny and clever book of poems.”

LIGHTHOUSE LOVERS

APOCALYPTIC

NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE

Tītahi Bay resident Adrienne Jansen releases her sixth novel, Keeping Light, this spring (Quentin Wilson Publishing, 2 October). It follows orphaned siblings who find refuge with their lighthouse-keeper grandparents.

Adrienne says, “Although no one in my family has ever lived in a lighthouse, the novel has a personal feel to me.” All the lighthouses mentioned in the novel are fictitious, as are their locations, but they borrow features from many lighthouses around New Zealand. See Capital #74 for our feature on Wellington lighthouses.

About her Y/A post-apocalyptic novel, The World I Found (Black Giraffe Press), Indian Kiwi writer Latika Vasil says, “I remembered the feeling of not always having control over your life when you are fifteen and how frustrating that can be. The story grew from there.” The World I Found follows fifteen-year-old Quinn, who is dragged to Campbell Island by her mother, a scientist who studies birds. When Quinn returns to the mainland she discovers that everything has changed.

Applications for the Michael Gifkins Prize close on 13 October. Administered by the New Zealand Society of Authors, the prize seeks fiction manuscripts by Kiwi authors. The winner will receive a publication contract for world rights from Text Publishing, and an advance of $10,000. Also through the society and also worth $10,000, the Peter & Dianne Beatson Fellowship will be announced in October. Past recipients include Wellington theatre practitioner, performer, author, and Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit Jo Randerson (Cap #54).

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ONE OF THEM 57 Willis Street, Wellington unitybookswellington.co.nz

19 High Street, Auckland unitybooksauckland.co.nz

IT SEEMS THE JUDGES WERE STUNNED. GolD aT THE BREWERS GUIlD of NEW ZEalaND aWaRDS.

MALTY

HOPPY

LIGHT

DArK

sweet

bitter

Discover your perfect day in Porirua!

A Halloween themed party, complete with new brews, cocktail specials, a live DJ, dress-up competition and spot prizes (our birthday presents to you).

WWW.CHOICEBROS.CO.NZ 04 282 0583 62 GHUZNEE STREET, TE ARO, WELLINGTON

Grab yourself a table or just show up in style. We can’t wait to party with you!

Opening from midday and going till late.

C U L T U R E

Rodger Fox Big Band ft. King Kapisi with Erna Ferry A night of jazz and hip-hop with two Aotearoa icons. Hip-hop legend King Kapisi returns to the stage with jazz legends Rodger Fox Big Band. Fusing the modern big band sound with Aotearoa-New Zealand hip-hop, this performance will showcase a distinctly Aotearoa sound like never before.

With special guest Erna Ferry.

Friday 27 October Michael Fowler Centre ticketmaster.co.nz

D I R E C T O R Y

Marlborough Opera Festival

Show Me Shorts

Now in its second year, the Marlborough Opera Festival has something for everyone: an astonishing four operas in one night "Quadruple Bill"; a Fairytale Concert for children and families; and a spectacular Grand Opera Gala featuring some of NZ's most exciting emerging opera stars and established professionals.

Show Me Shorts Film Festival is coming in October at the Light House Cuba. Showing the best short films from Aotearoa and around the world, Show Me Shorts shows bite sized short films that are sure to intrigue, inspire and excite.

20–22 Oct ASB Theatre 2 Hutcheson St Blenheim. wanderlustopera.com

12–18 Oct Light House Cuba 29 Wigan St Wellington. showmeshorts.co.nz

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Capital Conversations

On a summer's day in 1900, three Australian schoolgirls on a picnic expedition to the remote Hanging Rock walk away from their group.

They are last seen heading towards the beckoning Rock. In this chilling play, five performers struggle to solve the mystery of the missing girls and their teacher.

Wellington Museum’s monthly after-hours event celebrates the coolest of the capital.

Best-selling author, activist and mum Emily Writes joins the conversation in September to share her story and talk about motherhood and community in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Tickets include a drink and the grazing platters.

Loops is a multidisciplinary contemporary circus show that delves into the frustrations and repercussions of experiencing burnout, explored through immersive live sound and breathtaking aerial art. The multi-award winning production returns to the Hannah Playhouse for three nights only before taking the show international.

1–11 Nov Gryphon Theatre, 22 Ghuznee St, Te Aro Wellington. wellingtonrepertory.org.nz

The third Tuesday of each month Wellington Museum 3 Jervois Quay Wellington. wellingtonmuseum.nz

15–17 Sep Hannah Playhouse 12 Cambridge Terrace, Wellington. companyhiraeth.com

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Loops

W E L L Y

A N G E L

What would Deirdre do?

U N F R I E N D W I T HOU T O F F E N C E ?

My friends will insist on bringing their dog to my place. Unfortunately I have put up with it for quite some time (about 18 months), saying nothing. I don’t like dogs inside and have had enough. How do I tell them now without causing offence?

No to dogs, Kelburn

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

L OYA LT Y C O L L I SIO N My elderly husband still plays golf and regularly drives to the golf course. He still drives there and home. I don’t think he is a safe driver, and won’t be driven by him. He doesn’t listen to me. Should I worry about it, and take action to try and prevent him being allowed to drive or is that disloyal and should I leave it to the system to finally take his licence, maybe after an accident? Competing loyalties.

Worried, Lower Hutt

You have set a precedent that is hard to break after 18 months! What were you thinking? This is going to have to be an awkward conversation. You need to tell your friend what you feel now, and then together come up with an alternative plan for the visits. Maybe meet at a dog-friendly café; there are plenty around and your friend may already have a favourite, or enjoy the search? Spruce Goose has a dog’s delight beach alongside in Lyall Bay and Picnic in the Rose Gardens is dog heaven! Both have walk space and sustenance. Or you might visit your friend? Be friendly but firm, and hopefully neither your friend nor dog will take offence.

I can see that this worries you and I am sure you are not alone in your concern at this situation. He has a licence and must have passed the test, so you have only your wifely concern to use in any effort to stop him.

Maybe suggest he shares rides? But also consider that at least some of his co-golfers are likely to be in the same category of worrisome dodgy drivers. Can you drive him? Is that any better? Tricky, but I think you can only tell him you are worried and ask him to be careful. You really can’t stop him. Safe golfing!

SK Y H IG H F U N My friends are taking issue with the number of airline flights I take each year. I like to traveI. I am aware of climate change issues and think I do my bit, but do not think I should have to justify my choices to my friends. I don’t challenge their decisions. How would you handle it?

Irritable, Petone

WA L K O N My partner and I like to tramp. We met in a tramping hut. We walk at very different speeds. It is uncomfortable to walk at someone’s else’s speed but I interpret tramping together as stopping at each juncture to catch up. He thinks it is meeting up in the hut each night, to cook together. I think I’d rather be tramping with other friends at my pace. Am I being unreasonable?

Lonely tramper, Karori

Fly on, pay your carbon costs, and enjoy the world.

Your friends have a worthy point but you can totally make your own choices. Perhaps don’t discuss your plans with them too often. It is your exploration, your money, your excitement and your call! Be happy travelling while you can and the world is still out there for you to visit! Go now!

You both enjoy tramping, so I suggest you agree to tramp happily and individually. If you meet up consider this as a bonus, whether it is on the track, at the end of the day, or back home. Tramping with friends at your own pace seems a perfect and pleasurable thing to do. You can do togetherness at other times! Tramp on!

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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C U L T U R E

The Barbie Collector Unlock childhood memories and discover the fantastic behind the plastic. Wellington Museum’s popup exhibition features close to 500 Barbies and Kens from one of New Zealand’s biggest Barbie collectors, Patsy Carlyle.

Open daily until Sunday 8 Oct Wellington Museum 3 Jervois Quay, Wellington. wellingtonmuseum.nz

D I R E C T O R Y

Dear Katherine

The Pilgrimage Exhibition

A collection of beautiful ceramic art by Sophie Florence Arbuckle honouring the life and work of acclaimed writer Katherine Mansfield in the centenary year of her death. The collection is inspired by old English ceramic techniques, details from Mansfield's writing, her fashion sense, love of gardens and the language of flowers.

Walrus Gallery present: The Pilgrimage Exhibition 29 June – end of September 2023.

Oil on canvas and mixed media on linen. By Robèrt Franken.

19 Aug–29 Oct 25 Tinakori Road, Thorndon Wellington. katherinemansfield.com

Now till end of September 2023 111 Taranaki Street, Te Aro Wellington. walrusgallery.co.nz

Books, boutique magazines, cards, calendars, stationery & special gifts 237 Cuba Street, Wellington | 934 3424 www.minerva.co.nz

Old Bank Arcade, Lambton Quay

iloveparis.co.nz

WĀ H I N E

Vote anxiety

BY M E LO DY T H O M A S

D

epending on when you read this, you’ll either be anxiously / excitedly awaiting the outcome of the general election, or mourning / celebrating the results. If you don’t have strong feelings either way, then congratulations on finding yourself in the privileged circumstance of not having your quality of life depend on who sits in the top office. This is not the case for many.

Pre-election time makes me anxious, and it often makes me angry. This is when we see the most cynical politicking: like Act’s David Seymour politicising Kiri Allen’s mental health struggles by calling an unnecessary urgent debate; both major parties tapping into voters’ fear with harmful “tough on crime” rhetoric; and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins ruling out tax changes.

As someone who generally believes in the goodness of people, and who looks to leaders for, you know, leadership, I never feel as tested on both fronts as I do in the run-up to election day.

Frankly, I’m over it. I’m over childish scrapping between the parties through the media, cynical vote grabs relying on fear and distrust, and uninspired policy aimed more at holding on to political power than making any real difference for those who are struggling. Because so many people are struggling! And I don’t care who you are, which party you vote for, what your background is: you deserve to feel supported, seen and taken care of.

You deserve adequate mental health support; the ability to keep your family warm, dry, and well fed; well-resourced education, health, and justice systems; and support to face the challenges right on our doorstep of increasing catastrophic weather events related to climate change. You deserve a mould-free home. You deserve fresh fruit and vegetables. You deserve rewarding, decently paid work and time to rest and recuperate. You deserve to feel safe and accepted by your community.

As a child, a teenager and into my 20s I felt so proud to be from here. The Aotearoa I believed in was one where every person had access to a decent life, and we could see past our personal differences to each other’s humanity (I now know this was never true for everyone, though it was true for more

people than it is now). The Aotearoa I see around me now couldn’t be more different. Utterly divided, rife with inequality, and intent on scrapping and squabbling over “issues” like bilingual road signs (there’s English on the sign too! It’s not that confusing!).

Where is the outrage over the fact that nearly one in four Pasifika children are living in material hardship? That nearly a quarter of young adults are suffering from anxiety, fatigue, or depression? That childhood bronchiolitis hospitalisation rates are 3.9 times higher for Pasifika and 2.9 times higher for Māori children than for other New Zealanders? That so many New Zealanders report feeling lonely, depressed, hungry, anxious, isolated, stressed, cold and sick?

In Hipkins’ comments about ruling out a tax shakeup – that now is not the time because many households are struggling – he revealed a bias many of us share: that the status quo itself is unbiased. But this is not the case. Rebecca Solnit said in her 2021 piece “Stop Glorifying ‘Centrism…’” for The Guardian: “The idea that all bias is some deviation from an unbiased centre is itself a bias that prevents pundits, journalists, politicians and plenty of others from recognising some of the most ugly and impactful prejudices and assumptions of our times,” she said. “It’s mostly a prejudice of people for whom the system is working, against those for whom it is not.”

In 2018, a Ministry of Social Development report said that within nine months, babies living with material hardship were angrier than others and reacted badly to stressful situations. Within nine months. We know for a fact (and have known for some time) that children suffering from material hardship are more likely to end up in poor education and in crime. If we want to get “tough on crime” we need to get tough on poverty. If we want the people of our country to thrive, we need to find a way to act bravely, creatively and empathetically, and we need to act fast.

I’m not here to tell you how to vote, but I know how I’ll be voting: with those who are less well off than myself in mind.

Because despite our differences, we are still a community.

And we cannot truthfully say we are succeeding while so many are being left behind.

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Active Feet Podiatry “for feet that look and feel great”

Dr Tim Halpine DPM (USA) MPN Z

F L O W E R S M A N U E L A 2 5 T H B I RT H D AY FLOWERS MANUELA FLORIST SHOP – WELLINGTON FLOWERSMANUELA.CO.NZ

Level 2, 85 The Terrace Wgtn Ngaio Medical Centre

04 473 8696

www.activefeetpodiatry.com

C A L E N D A R

2023 PARKIN DRAWING PRIZE NZ’s premier drawing award finalists and winners exhibition Academy Galleries, 1 Queen’s Wharf, until 3 September FACINGTIME: PORTRAITS OF GEOFF BY EUAN MACLEOD Lockdown friendship portraits NZ Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, Shed 11, Queen’s Wharf, until 10 September WAIRARAPA EMBROIDERERS’ GUILD: KNOT JUST THREADS Members’ biennial exhibition Aratoi, 12 Bruce Street, Masterton, until 10 September BRENT HARRIS: THE OTHER SIDE First NZ survey exhibition from the 80’s to now Auckland Art Gallery, until 17 September INSIDE THE CURVE National Geographic storytellers’ view of the COVID-19 pandemic Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Upper Hutt, until 22 September THE BARBIE COLLECTOR One woman’s obsession Wellington Museum, Jervois Quay, until 8 October AYESHA GREEN: FOLK NATIONALISM Power play in painting, drawing, and sculpture City Gallery, Te Ngākau Civic Square, until 15 October

JURASSIC WORLD by BRICKMAN Jaw-dropping use of 6 million Lego bricks Tākina, Wellington Convention Centre NAADOHBII: TO DRAW WATER Indigenous artists’ responses to water Pātaka Art + Museum, Porirua INVISIBLE NARRATIVES: CONTEMPORARY INDIAN CREATIVES FROM AOTEAROA The first contemporary Indian Art exhibition in NZ NZ Portrait Gallery Te Pukenga Whakaata, Shed 11, Queen’s Wharf JAKOB ROWLINSON: FAERIE LAND A queer trip through fantasy literature and pop culture The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt

September

1 NZSO: BERNSTEIN & COPLAND Giancarlo Guerrero conducting, Joyce Yang piano Michael Fowler Centre, 6.30pm 2 HE RITO: MATT TINI, MAIJA STEPHENS, RENATI WAAKA, ELENA REI Four tauira ringatoi explore harakeke Toi Poneke Gallery, 61 Abel Smith Street, until 29 September WELLINGTON LIONS v COUNTIES MANAKAU This will be an exhilarating rugby showdown Sky Stadium, 7.05pm

2/3 CLASSICAL ON CUBA Culture in small bites: 80 shows, 40+ groups, 12 venues Cuba Street Precinct, from noon each day.

3 TE RĀ O PĀPĀ – FATHER’S DAY Spend the day doting on dad 7 I WANT TO BE HAPPY Humour and pathos Circa Theatre, until 30 September 9 HALL OF HEROES Hang out with the superheroes Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Upper Hutt 10 CARTERTON DAFFODIL FESTIVAL Events and activities for the whole whanau 15 LOOPS Award-winning multi-disciplinary contemporary circus show Hannah Playhouse, 12 Cambridge Terrace, until 17 September 19 SUFFRAGE DAY Celebrating 130 years since NZ women secured the right to vote National Library, Molesworth Street, all day from 10am 20 NEW ZEALAND OPERA AND BLACK GRACE: (M) ORPHEUS An opera-dance collision of the 18C masterpiece The Opera House, 7.30pm, until 23 September

Showing New Zealand art to Wellington since 1882.

Contemporary art, gifts and indulgences or unique venue hire.

Visit our beautiful waterfront galleries, open daily: 10 – 5 pm Free entry.

Te wahi e kitea ai nga mea ataahua – The place where beautiful things are to be found

Visit us : 1 Queens Wharf, Wellington Call us : (04) 499 8807

Find us : www.nzafa.com

Follow us :

nzafa

academygalleries

C A L E N D A R

23 NGAHUIA HARRISON: COASTAL CANNIBALS Exhibition focusing on Whangārei Harbour City Gallery, Te Ngākau Civic Square 24 WELLINGTON LIONS v NORTH HARBOUR National rugby back in the ’burbs Porirua Park, Mungavin Avenue, 2.05pm 30 GET YOUR GEEK ON FAIR Pop culture, arcade games, art, craft, cosplay, collectables Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Upper Hutt, 10am–5pm RITA ANGUS: NEW ZEALAND MODERNIST Works from the Te Papa collection Aratoi, 12 Bruce Street, Masterton, Tues–Sun 10am–4pm PŌNEKE WELLINGTON POETRY SLAM FINAL Pick the champion, often hilarious, sometimes heart-breaking National Library of New Zealand, Molesworth Street, 7–10pm

2 ADVANCE VOTING OPENS Top of the To Do list if you’re away on the 14th 5 TUATARA OPEN LATE A monthly feast of art, music, film, and talks City Gallery, Te Ngākau Civic Square, 5–10pm 7 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Oscar Wilde’s greatest work Circa Theatre, until 4 November 12 SHOW ME SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL Short gems of cinematic brilliance Light House Cuba, until 18 October 14 2023 GENERAL ELECTION Get out and vote. Polling booths open 9am–7pm 19 MARVEL MADNESS QUIZ NIGHT How well do you know your superheroes?

Whirinaki Whare Taonga, Upper Hutt, from 7pm

22 WELLINGTON SPEEDWAY OPENING NIGHT Sensory overload for the petrol head 1039A SH 2, Te Marua, Upper Hutt, 6pm 24 EERIE PAGEANTRY: JULIA ROBINSON AND DON DRIVER Folk-horror-infused art City Gallery, Te Ngākau Civic Square 27 RODGER FOX BIG BAND ft.

KING KAPISI WITH ERNA FERRY Big band meets hip-hop royalty Michael Fowler Centre, 8pm 28 POEM OF ECSTASY Gemma New conducting, Madeleine Pierard soprano, Bridget Douglas flute Michael Fowler Centre, 7.30pm 28/29 TOI MAHARA OPENING A weekend of events celebrating the new gallery Mahara Place, Waikanae, 11am

1 CHOCTOBERFEST Whittaker’s chocolate – baked, shaken and stirred Porirua cafe’s and bars, during October

20 CRICKET: WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS v CANTERBURY Plunket Shield 4-dayer – pack a picnic Cello Basin Reserve, 10.30am

29 WELLINGTON EMBROIDERERS’ GUILD LIVE DEMONSTRATION Flex your creative muscle and add stitches of your own Old St Paul’s, 34 Mulgrave Street, 10am–2.30pm

HAVE A GO DAY Learn to ride a bicycle, at speed, on the track Wellington Velodrome, Hataitai Park, 2.30pm

MARLBOROUGH OPERA FESTIVAL A full programme with something for all ages ASB Theatre, Blenheim, until 22 October

31 HALLOWEEN Dress up, have fun, eat lollies

October

Follow us :

Not to be missed Pedro Trueba 5 Sept – 1 Oct 2023 Internationally acclaimed contemporary Mexican artist will be painting in the Academy Galleries.

‘OPEN’- Celebration 6 Oct - 12 Nov 2023 “OPEN” theme, open to all NZ artists.

Visit us : 1 Queens Wharf, Wellington Call us : (04) 499 8807

Pedro Trueba Find us : www.nzafa.com

‘OPEN’ - Celebration Follow us :

nzafa

academygalleries

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Pungakupu (crossword, te reo Māori) Answers will be published online at capitalmag.co.nz/ crossword

Answers will be published online at capitalmag.co.nz/crossword

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1. Chilly Marvel comic book superhero (6) 3. Easy (10) 8. 23 October, ____ day (6) 9. Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, and Brontosaurus (8) 11. They watch (8) 12. Clever shoe (5) 13. Variety (7) 14. Theatre, fashion, art combine for this annual show (3) 17. Clever problem solver (11) 18. Winter pear (5) 20. October activity, carving _____(8) 22. Spookiest night of the year (9) 24. Teach, _____ wisdom (6) 25. Knock knock, sweets or flour? (5) 26. Family, te reo (4) 27. Eager to know or learn (7) 31. Guest, visitor, te reo (8) 32. Gifted (8) 36. Welcome, te reo (3, 3) 39. Large French country house (7) 40. Clutching (8) 41. Talk, te reo (3) 42. Kiwi classic film, What We Do in the ___(7) 43. 13+1 in Roman numerals (3) 44. People, hapu, te reo (3)

1. A quality that encourages someone (9) 2. Extra soft wool (6) 4. Taste (7) 5. In the place of, time in____ (4) 6. Arm covered in tattoos (6) 7. PS (10) 10. PhD (6) 13. Intelligent aquatic mammal (7) 15. Aviation pioneers (6, 8) 16. An illegal act (7) 19. Arch of eyebrow (12) 21. Spurs energy in someone or something (7) 23. Hogwarts examination (4) 25. Knock knock, sweets or flour? (5) 28. September 3 is a day for ___(3) 29. Treasure, te reo (6) 30. Peanut tasting grub (4) 33. First lady of the USA 2001 – 2009 (5) 34. Opposite to catch (5) 35. Top of the food chain, ____predator (4) 37. Work, te reo (4) 38. Power, te reo (3) 39. Company top dog (3)

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