Nelson Magazine - April 2023

As we change seasons it is a timely reminder to set some time aside to care for one of your most significant assets, and one that keeps you and your family safe as you move around.

Bowater Toyota specialises in Toyota’s, but it doesn’t stop there as we have the ability to service all makes and models. Our workshops are packed full of technology that helps keep your car in top working condition, as well as keeping you as safe as can be out there on the roads. All of our service departments have the Safe-T-Stop diagnostic machines installed, which are calibrated annually to ensure their accuracy, and enable our highly trained technicians to perform a suite of safety tests on your vehicle

without it having to leave our workshop

The next time you need a WOF come and see us, and catch a glimpse into our world of service - a concept that we take very literally and very seriously. It is our commitment to you to keep you and your family safe in a vehicle that is performing as well as it can by making sure every is as it needs to be

All of our stores are Toitu Diamond accredited meaning that we have met and maintained the highest level of environmental standards. This level of accountability is important as we all move forward towards a more sustainable future

Salvi & Martin are just some of the friendly faces you will encounter at the Bowater Toyota Service Department in Nelson on the corner of Rutherford & Halifax Street.

Our large, state of the art, modern workshops across the region make servicing all makes and models of vehicle easier, as well as affordable and closer to your home.

Solar panels, rainwater harvesting, thermally insulated workshop floor, ev charging, all contribute to future proofing our Richmond Store for generations to come.

S er v ice means many things. I t’s what we do that really matters.

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At the end of each month the Nelson Magazine team become like energiser bunnies. The pressure of print day focuses our attention as we strive to make each magazine better than the one before. The hard work is rewarded when the magazine arrives back from the printer a few days later and we get to share it with you.

Like myself, the rest of the team enjoy the demands which come with print week, it’s emotional, there’s a buzz about it that’s stimulating. But there is one job which I always procrastinate with – writing my

So this month, as a little experiment, I thought I’d see if ChatGPT could come to my rescue. For those who aren’t aware, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that writes about any subject you ask it to using information that is available online. To test its capabilities, I asked it to write an editor’s note for a magazine in Nelson.

Although quite impressed with the results, unfortunately for me it was a bunch of words without much meaning and no relation to the magazine, so it looks as if you’re stuck with me writing these for the foreseeable future.

It did however remind me how good our incredible team of writers are. There’s a lot that goes into crafting our articles for print. Our writers spend time with their subjects, getting to know them and gathering information to make a compelling read. While technology like ChatGPT is hugely impressive, so is the splendid skill of being able to tell a story that connects with readers and evokes emotion. Hopefully that hard work and pride that we have in each edition is felt by you as you flick through the pages.

EDITOR

Sarah Board | editor@nelsonmag.co.nz

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Tessa Jaine | tess@topsouthmedia.co.nz

DESIGN

Kara-Shay Manson, Patrick Connor and Kylie Owens

CONTRIBUTORS

Adrienne Matthews, Britt Coker, Felicity Connell, Tracy Neal, Matt Lawrey, Amy Russ, Mackenzie Charleton

ADVERTISING

Kirsten Ammann | kirsten@topsouthmedia.co.nz

Kara-Shay Manson | kara@topsouthmedia.co.nz

PUBLISHER Top South Media 563 Main Rd, Stoke topsouthmedia.co.nz

issuu.com/nelsonweekly

Artist Keri-Mei Zagrobelna’s piece titled Tamatea-a-Ngana. Model: Miriama Grace-Smith. Nelson Jewellery Week Pages 38–40

Norm Heke

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Where is your favourite place in the South Island?

Golden

I’m a painter and there is beautiful scenery over there to paint from.

It was a great place to bring up kids and it’s got good access to beaches and rivers.

My son was the manager at a restaurant over there and I went to visit. Everything I saw was beautiful and it’s a very friendly place.

It’s stunning, and it’s especially great for us during dog season.

IN STORE NOW

best photo to editor@nelsonmag.co.nz

Don McLean is bringing his American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour to Nelson on May 2. To be into win one of two double passes send your

Dawn Martin

Bay.

Ray Gill Motueka.

Janet Duncan Kaikōura.

Dean Connor Kaiteriteri.

Young falcon photographed up Barnicoat Walkway.

Shelley Marrison

4B Kotua Place, Whakatu Estate, Stoke Open Mon-Sat, 10am to 2pm www.jellicoe.co.nz

Teacher strike

Headliners

What made news in our region...

Murchison Area School teacher Caroline Blommaert was one of hundreds who gathered last month for what is thought to be the biggest combined teacher strike in New Zealand’s history. She is in her fourth year of teaching and is trying to juggle being a solo mum to a two-year-old on top of her job and says teachers are not simply striking for more pay. “It’s certainly part of it, but the major thing is the workload. I work through my morning tea and lunch breaks. I work half my school holidays. I start my day at 5am and finish at 11pm then go to bed. I’m burning the candle at both ends,” she says.

Eight-year search for work pays off

A woman who has been searching for paid employment for eight years has finally been given a chance by Night ‘n Day Tāhunanui. Karlee Hughson was born with down syndrome. She, along with her mother Karen, have been searching for a job since she was 18. Karlee in now 26 and has just been offered her first opportunity in paid work. Despite being a volunteer at Red Cross in Stoke for the past five years, she struggled to find someone to give her a chance but loves her new role that sees her keeping the drinks fridge full.

Land ahoy with Australia in sights

At 74-years-old, Alister Dickson will be the second oldest competitor to ever enter the Solo Trans-Tasman yacht challenge, beaten only by his brother Malcolm. Having spent the better part of the last 12 years diligently tinkering away on the boat ‘Frontier’ in his backyard, it is ready to set sail for Australia in a nearly two-week-long solo race across the Tasman Sea this month. “Obviously, it’s a race. But it’s more of an adventure race where getting to the finish line is an achievement.” He expects it will take about two weeks to reach the finish line, weather dependent.

Anger over eel attacks

The popular eels beneath the Berryfield Bridge in Richmond have been attacked, leaving locals shocked and rallying to their aid. Leah Gibson took her young children to visit the eels last month and was met by the gruesome sight of a hacked dead eel and another that was still alive but badly injured. The stream is usually teeming with eels under the bridge and Leah says she could see the tails of the others poking out, but they were very still compared with the usual activity at the site. “Animal cruelty in my book is messed up,” Leah says. “There should be a sign there saying cruelty will be reported.”

Stoke homes on track for May completion

Twelve families in Stoke will have a new place to call home before winter. Habitat for Humanity Nelson’s rentto-buy housing project on Main Rd Stoke is on track to be completed by the end of this May. The development is happening on a section behind Elim Christian Centre and includes six two-bedroom homes and six three-bedroom homes, all two-storey. There will be a shared BBQ area, sheds, play areas, and a green space.

Let there be light

Lighting is finally coming to the Railway Reserve to guide the way for cyclists and pedestrians in the dark hours of the night and winter. “It’s so important, it’s such a popular route for people cycling between Stoke and Richmond into town,” says Bevan Woodward, convenor of Bicycle Nelson Bays. Phase one of the project focuses on the section of the Railway Reserve from Beatson Road to St Vincent Street. Work began late in March and is expected to take 16 weeks. Nelson City Council is advising commuters to expect minor delays of up to five minutes as they will need to be escorted through the worksite by contractor staff.

Things we love

The food rescue app, Foodprint, has arrived in Nelson! The free app allows you to purchase surplus food, at a reduced price, directly from eateries. Foodprint’s mission is to prevent food from being wasted and the launch is supported by Nelson City Council through their waste minimisation fund. The app profiles a great selection of local eateries. Download today from foodprint.app

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“I would love people to be reminded to check in with their loved ones and take a moment, whether it’s a call or a turning up. Just knowing that you’re there, or that someone is there for you makes a huge difference.”

Rutu King-Hazel Pages 26-29

If I could...

Hayden Brown is a human behaviour specialist and speaker. You’ll find Hayden working with his clients one-on-one from his Richmond clinic, helping them uncover the “why” behind their behaviours, emotional challenges and long-term patterns. He tells us why he’d like to travel in time and what he’d do if he was Prime Minister for a day.

If I could swap lives with someone, it would be.. Well, if a client asked that question the answer would be that it is unwise to fantasise or compare your life to the values and priorities of others. That’s a recipe for selfdepreciation in the long run. That said, It would be truly incredible to see the world through my three-year-old daughter’s eyes for a day. I think we can learn a lot more from children than we know and could all benefit from being more ‘child-like’, myself especially at times.

If I could travel anywhere, it would be..

Can I go back in time too? I love a good esoteric mystery or documentary on ancient civilizations. I’d be keen to be a “fly on the wall” (metaphorically not an actual fly), during the time the great pyramid of Giza was built in ancient Egypt. Many believe we couldn’t build the pyramids with the same precision even with today’s technology. Absolutely incredible!

If I could tell my younger self one thing it would be..

Hayden, get out of your own way and give yourself permission to do what you love! I think life is full of synchronicities (meaningful coincidences) if we chose to look for them –so I wouldn’t want to change my journey or how my challenges or historic pain points have shaped me into who I am today.

If I could be on a reality TV show, it would be..

Ironic timing for this question as I was asked to be on a reality TV show which is filming this month. I liked the show concept, however, frankly, it’s just not my thing… I would rather be serving my clients! I will add that I would love to launch an education podcast in the near future, however. That would certainly not have the same dramas that go along with reality TV!

If I could only take one thing to a desert island, it would be..

As a lifelong learner this is an easy one. I would 100% be taking a smartphone or device to listen to audiobooks! For me, I’ve always found audiobooks (I use the app, Audible) the best way for me to learn or read on the go. Listening on the way to work or when doing odd tasks is very time efficient!

If I could have any job, it would be..

Exactly what I’m doing now. Mind you, I have recently thought that I would love to contribute to or write a script for a psychological-based movie or series one day. I love the inner workings of the human mind and I think I could create some pretty compelling TV.

If I could be Prime Minister for a day, I would.. I can’t think of anything worse than working in the polarising world of politics… but one day is manageable I think! I would look to create policies that encourage better health outcomes through nutrition. I would subsidise or set in place tax rebates for fruits, vegetables, and non-processed, quality meats. I believe this would actually pay for itself due to improved health outcomes and reduced burden on the health system. I would also prioritise evidence-based essential nutrients such as Vitamin D, C and Zinc rather than supporting a paradigm that treats primarily with pharmaceuticals.

If I could predict the future, in ten years’ time I will be..

I would hope, in the same role! Working with clients helping them uncover and resolve the “why” behind their challenges and behaviours. Long-term I also would love to train other counsellors or therapists in my approach and create a platform that connects clients with the right therapist or coach for them.

We are delighted with the difference our beautifully made curtains have made to our home. We are very pleased with the finished result and want to thank Trish for her fabulous vision and excellent service.

- Glen and Trina

Trish Gray - Co-owner Guthrie Bowron, Richmond

on the couch

Tell us about your childhood..

I had a pretty humble rural South Island upbringing. We didn’t have a lot. But while we never had an overseas holiday or anything like that, Mum worked really hard to make sure there was always food on the table and that I had a decent pair of football boots to play in. She also instilled in me the importance of education, so I grew up knowing it was important to do my best at school.

What was your first job?

I had a whole lot of part time jobs in and around Methven, where I grew up. I worked harvesting potatoes on a potato farm, I worked on race days at the local racecourse, I drove a courier van, I worked at a restaurant, and as a football referee.

What would you bring to the table if you are elected as our local MP?

My whole career, working for places like Princeton University and the World Bank, has focused on how to improve the effectiveness of governments. That is, how do you ensure that governments deliver results? How do you actually get stuff done? That is what excites me most about this job—the opportunity to get things done and deliver results for Nelson.

What’s your number one priority?

There are so many: health, education, reducing crime, building resilient infrastructure, the environment... but the biggest one has to be the cost of living. Food prices are through the roof and mortgage and rent payments are skyrocketing. If I am elected, I will be laser focused on getting policies implemented that will ease the cost of living for everyone.

How will you do that?

We need to get inflation under control, cut wasteful spending, and prioritise policies that will make the biggest difference in people’s lives. For example, I know childcare is a big expense for families here. Our FamilyBoost policy will give families earning less than $180,000 a tax rebate of up to $75 per week for childcare—that will make a big difference for many households across Nelson.

What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?

When I was in university, I worked for an environmental NGO working with indigenous communities deep inside the Amazon rainforest. I went there several times, usually for a period of 2-3 months each time. I learned Spanish and Portuguese—and some words from the local indigenous languages—and lived in the rainforest with tribes that only a generation earlier had no contact whatsoever with the outside world.

Where can we find you when you’re taking a break from the campaign?

I live close to Tahunanui Beach, so at the moment I am getting out to the beach whenever I can to go for a swim and soak up some sun while it is still warm out. And now that summer sports are wrapping up, you’ll be able to catch me at the rugby each weekend. I used to play both rugby and football, and now I love to get out and watch matches as a supporter.

022 013 0099

blair.cameron@national.org.nz

Nelson Magazine sits down with Blair Cameron, the 31 year old who has been selected as the National Party candidate for this year’s general election.

with Blair Cameron

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The perfect Pic

Aimee McCammon has been coming to Nelson for summer holidays since she was a teenager. As the new CEO of Pic’s Peanut Butter, she’ll be a more frequent visitor. She shares her longstanding connection to the Nelson region, what her children think of her new role, and her favourite recipe using peanut butter.

Aimee McCammon has an impressive CV. Her last gig was CEO NZ of Augusto Group, an entertainment, advertising and technology company. She’s been general manager of Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post Production and has worked in the Auckland, Wellington and New York offices of advertising company Saatchi & Saatchi. Her career has included looking after some of New Zealand’s best-loved brands, including Whittaker’s Chocolate, 42 Below, Toyota, Lotto and Tourism NZ. All of this makes her the perfect ‘Pic’ to be the new CEO of the business founded by her stepfather, Pic Picot. Her strong family connection with the region started with her maternal grandparents who moved from Christchurch to Nelson before the Second World War. Actively involved in the community, her grandparents helped establish the Waahi Taakaro public golf club in the Maitai Valley. Aimee herself was born in Christchurch but grew up in Auckland. When her mother met Pic, the family spent some time living on a commune in the Coromandel. Aimee

now lives in Wellington with her partner and their two children. She’ll be commuting to Nelson three days a week.

“I’ve been coming down to Nelson pretty much every summer since I was a teenager. After I left school, my mum moved from Auckland to Nelson as we had cousins here. She’s now living in Wellington near us, but if we decided to make a full-time move to Nelson, I don’t think it would take much to persuade her to move back with us,” Amiee says.

“We’ve got a family bach right next to Pic’s place at Marahau, so we’ve basically got a family compound out there. I’ve been bringing my kids to Nelson every summer since they were little, so I’ve got lots of happy memories of long, lazy summer days, hanging out at the beach, or exploring all the great things the region has to offer, including the wonderful vineyards,” she says. “Although I’ve been a frequent visitor, I’ve never lived and worked in Nelson, so I’m excited about doing business in Nelson and seeing what happens here. I feel like I've worked my way

Tessa Jaine

Words: Felicity Connell

around New Zealand, as well as being in London and in New York, but I’ve always loved working in the regions, so I’d put my hand up for clients who were regionally based. You get a different energy in business in the regions, it's a different way of working.”

While she’s looking forward to finding new places to eat and drink, she already has a few regular spots.

“When we’re in Marahau, we get our daily coffee fix at Hooked Café. I recently discovered Nicola’s Cantina, and The Free House is a place I always think of having that Nelson spirit – it feels like somewhere you wouldn’t find anywhere else.”

After ten years on the advisory board, joining Pic’s as CEO felt like the right time and fit.

“I did think long and hard before taking this role, because it’s not always straightforward being part of a family business. I’d already been involved through being on the board, and of the four kids, I was in the best position at the moment. It feels great to be

working for the family business when your values are so closely aligned. It's one of those lovely things that as you get older, you just recognize yourself better and know what's important and what actually makes you happy,” Amiee says.

“I’ve been lucky to have had the experience of working for some great family companies, including Whittaker's Chocolate who are multi-generational, and Partridge Jewellers who are fifth generation jewellers. I've also worked for some very large multinational companies too, and family businesses tend to use very different frameworks for decision making. There’s a legacy that you can create with a family business and you’re much more in touch with your community. I like that we can do what we think is right or do what we think is fun.

It’s a great way to work.”

“We’re a super fun brand and we don't take ourselves too seriously. That’s really in line with Pic’s personality and his general enthusiastic approach

to the world. He’s been a hippy since way back and living sustainably has always been part of his life. As he became a business leader, he feels strongly about the important role businesses play as influencers in those spaces. Sustainability is hugely important to us, and we were thrilled to gain B Corp certification last year. It’s a big deal for us. We also feel strongly about taking care of our team and contributing to our community. We’re involved in a whole range of initiatives including supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, so we feel like a big part of this community.”

She’s excited about networking with other likeminded businesses.

“I think we are just so lucky to have this incredible basket of local food brands like King Salmon, Pete’s Lemonade, Proper Crisps, Chia Sisters, Kono and all their brands, including Hop Federation. What a fabulous trove of other businesspeople to work with, because it's really hard to be on your own. When you're in an ecosystem of other people with similar challenges, whether it’s supply chain issues or increased freight prices, you’re able to pick up the phone or meet over coffee and share solutions.”

While life is busy, Aimee takes time when she can to relax.

“I've learned the hard way that I need to exercise for my mental health, probably almost more than my physical health, so I try to be disciplined and make time for that. It’s great when you start a new job because you’ve got the opportunity to create new routines. I’ve been recommended a fantastic Nelson trainer who’s an ex-physio so knows how to keep your body in good shape and not injure you! I’m also a massive reader and so I can switch off really easily with a book. It's almost a meditative thing for me. So even as a CEO, and a mum with two kids, I still manage to get through a lot of books.”

Her children are thrilled with her new role.

“I used to run an advertising entertainment company, which is quite a hard role to explain to young kids. They would come to the office, but unless you're out on the set with the All Blacks, it doesn't actually mean much to them. They thought all I did all day was send emails, and they thought it was pretty boring. It turns

out that you get a lot more respect from kids when you're running a peanut butter factory! They get what I do now - they're like ‘mum makes peanut butter.’ They love it,” she laughs.

While her partner is family’s main cook, Aimee is having fun discovering different ways of using peanut butter as an ingredient.

“Because I’m the child of hippies, my specialty when I was younger was stir-fried brown rice and veggies with tofu and peanut sauce. In honour of that, I made the Pic’s peanut sauce the other night and it’s so good! After my first week here I took the recipe book home, and I realised you could do a whole dinner party with just peanut butter recipes! I’m going to do that just for fun.”

Pic and Aimee at Aimee’s Auckland University graduation in 1996. Supplied

Nose to the grindstone

Emma even has the perfect argument prepared, should she ever be stopped by the police –the sharp, glinting axes are not so much weapons but essential tools for her newfound love of competitive woodchopping.

Some nights after work and each weekend the Nelson barrister heads out to a nearby farm to train in perfecting the art of swinging an axe or slicing a timber block with a huge saw. The interest is perhaps not so unusual when considering she has roots deep in a Southland farm, and the competitive sport she’s always played.

Emma recently returned home to Nelson bearing trophies from the Stihl Timbersports at the Rural Games in Palmerston North, where she finished second overall from points gained in three events. It was quite the challenge getting the axes on the ‘plane, Emma says.

She was also recently triumphant in one of woodchopping’s biggest competitions of the year –the South Island championships in Waimate, in which Emma won both the women’s individual events.

Axe throwing is also where the former netball goal shoot excels. The farthest Emma has thrown a twinheaded axe is 16 feet (the contests are still assessed using imperial measurements) in the novelty event usually held at the end of serious competition.

“It’s usually a fun event at the end of the main competition but I tend to take it quite seriously.”

The focus needed is the same as that in court; Emma knows that even after almost 14 years in the job; which started as a junior at Invercargill’s Crown Law office, a dull axe requires more strength than a sharp blade for winning any argument.

“I try to be assertive in court in terms of my position. It’s about being confident in knowing what you’re doing, and about 10 years in you get to know what you’re doing."

She agrees there are parallels between the law and woodchopping, which is a heritage sport in New Zealand dating back to the 1870s. “I think it’s just if you work hard you’re going to get results, and it’s the same with law. If you’re doing a trial you have to know the case better than anyone in the courtroom, and like woodchopping, the more you put into it the better the result.”

Emma also applies that to her love of clothes and fashion, and a style she describes as “very black”, as evident by the chique black dress she wore by New Zealand designer Jimmy D for this interview.

“It’s very Dunedin isn’t it? I don’t think I’ve ever gotten past that. I just got a new wardrobe put in my house which I desperately needed because there was no storage, and when I stood back and looked I realised more than a good quarter of the wardrobe was black.”

Tucked away in the closet is the protective chain mesh worn on her legs and feet during woodchopping.

Tessa Jaine

Words: Tracy Neal

She’s perhaps the only specialist criminal lawyer in the country who drives around in designer fashion, carrying a box of axes in the boot of her car. But Emma Riddell says hard work and a sharp axe are her keys to success.

1. Emma Riddell in court in Nelson. 2. Emma competing in the Stock Saw event at the Stihl Timbersports Women's 2023 National Championship.

Supplied

Emma grew up on an 800-acre sheep farm in Hokonui, cradled in the rolling green Southland hills north of Invercargill and west of Gore. “I had a great childhood and I helped lots on the farm… although my parents might well have disagreed. I helped with stock work, fencing, and tractor work – a bit of everything.”

Emma’s father is still on the farm, but her mother died last year.

“I miss the farm, and I spent a lot of time going back there last year to see my mother. It was a difficult year, a crap year actually. It’s been awful.”

Emma credits her parents, both farmers and academics – especially her mother who was a strong advocate for the environment - with her interest in law, even though economics took precedence when she began study at Otago University. Criminal law studies in her second year was the turning point.

“I had great lecturers and a great tutorial class. It was a really little one on a Friday afternoon that hardly anyone went to.”

She graduated in 2009 with a law degree and an honours degree in economics and was admitted to the bar the following year. She went out on her own as a self-employed barrister in 2016 after moving from Invercargill to the Crown Law office in Nelson in 2012.

“It’s good to be self-employed – it was always a goal.”

Emma credits her mother also for the inherited administrative skills, which she’s applied in her career, and the various sporting codes Emma has been part of. “Mum was very supportive of environmental causes and did a lot of work in the community and was on various committees at national level.”

Emma knew little about woodchopping, except from watching it at various A&P Shows and rural sports days, before she became hooked after winning her first competition in 2020. The interest was triggered by a friend’s partner at the time who mentioned she might be good at it.

“So, they took me out to meet the person who's now my coach near Motueka and here I am."

Emma is coached by the head of the sport’s governing body, New Zealand Axemen’s Association president, Dave McEwen. She says success requires a combination of fitness, technique and strength which are “really hard to master”, but she loves the challenge.

“A beautiful technique is a nice big swing with your axe out in a big arc, using your legs at the right time; getting your timing right and using all the power you have in your whole body.

“I think I’m slow with my swing, but I’ve got the power in it.”

Success also relies on finding enough wood for the multiple training blocks needed. “Dave does have a knack for finding wood for training. For example, last season he was just driving around and saw trees down on a farm near Tapawera, so he called the farmer and asked if we could get some blocks out.

“I spent a weekend with Dave and his wife getting them out, for my training blocks.”

Emma says chopping and sawing wood also requires knowledge of how to read wood. “It’s very technical and that’s something my coach is big on, in terms of how you set up the block, it’s what you learn from the start.”

She says it’s also a good way to learn more about how to respect trees and timber.

“You can tell from a block how old the tree was, and where it grew, maybe with heaps of wind battering it. Every tree tells a story.”

A combination of hard and soft wood is used in chopping. In forest-clad Nelson, it tends to be pine, helped by forestry company sponsors which donate timber. Then there’s poplar, because it’s easy to get from excess trees felled on farms. West Coast gum “chips out nicely” and Emma says she was once really spoiled when she got to cut two cedar blocks on the West Coast.

“That’s a very pretty wood, and very soft. A few women were cutting it and all the men crowded around to look at the cedar.”

Emma says there’s a core of Kiwi women competing in the sport, mostly professionals who’ve found chopping and sawing a great antidote to the stresses of work. She has always turned to sport and fitness as a way of coping with the stress of work, especially the trials involving sex offences.

“Any sex trial is particularly difficult. The subject matter is difficult, and it’s difficult cross-examining the complainants – that’s never a fun job but you’re there to do the best for your client.

“They have the presumption of innocence and they need someone to advocate for them – what if they didn’t do what they were accused of? That’s what we’re trying to avoid, wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice.”

Emma has further ambitions for woodchopping, which she says is a relatively hard sport to break into.

“A lot who chop have family in the sport and it’s expensive to get into. An axe is $900 and a saw is close to $4000.”

Emma says these are specialised tools made especially for sport and says the racing axes made in Masterton are known to be the best in the world.

She’d like to see woodchopping become an Olympic sport. It’s big in Europe and in the US, from where some of the sport’s best women athletes come from, and the Australians are also highly competitive.

A more immediate goal is competing as part of the New Zealand women’s team in Australia.

“I just love the sport, the people – they're an awesome group and they’re completely different from the law, which is good.”

My homeboy

Words: Britt Coker

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. It’s the classic playground comeback we’d chant to disempower some mean-mouthed kid. Trying to show we didn’t care when we probably did too much. But cruel words eventually take their toll.

Rutu King-Hazel set up a fashion label called Hope is My Homeboy to help raise funds for mental health. Tessa Jaine

Te Kahu Whero was a flamboyant young clothing designer (very appropriate, then that his name means red feathered cloak) trying to stretch his creative wings in small town New Zealand. Instead of being celebrated for his brave, bold designs and vibrant self, Whero was frequently bullied. His younger sister, Rutu Hazel-King, was a frustrated and angry observer. There to support him but powerless to stop the bullies. It doesn’t end well.

“It was a pretty sad sort of thing to experience next to him; I just constantly had this sense of injustice. I was just always upset and angry and protective of when he’d come home and have juice all over him (thrown on him as he walked down the street) and things, just because of who he was, and I definitely know it played a huge part in why he took his own life. He would rather not be here than be himself, that's the bottom line.”

The siblings were close in age and together they were going to take on the world. But since 2012 Rutu has faced it without him. While Whero would have dressed Lady Gaga if she’d asked him, Rutu’s interest in honouring her brother’s death did begin with a clothing brand, but not extend to daring fashion designs. Together with her whanau, they launched casualwear clothing with messaging aimed at reducing suicides. The slogan resonated with the public and was worn by suicide prevention advocate Mike King and many others who know firsthand the toll life challenges can take on our mental health.

“On the front it says Hope is My Homeboy and on the back we have a message of raising awareness, which is ‘Check on your homies’ which we want essentially people to wear around and promote … I'd love to have that on clothing where you just cross paths with anyone, and you never know who might be needing to see that or be reminded to check on each other.”

“We [the whanau] call each other homies and bros so I just took that and thought, 'yeah, that's quite fitting for us, and holds true to our family.'”

Initially, the brilliant plan to honour Whero felt right, but the energy and adrenaline of doing good is no match for grief. It kept seeping in through the hole in

their hearts, so they stepped back from the business and prioritised healing - if that’s the word for a grief that subsides but never goes away.

“We realised we’re not ready to go out into the world, you can't pour from an empty cup, so we shut down the production and then last year I relaunched it. I decided to relaunch it on my own because I felt ready, and it's been 10 years now. I felt really prepared to move forward into the mental health and suicide prevention area and talk about it and play my part where I can.

The business is not-for-profit, selling high quality, sustainable, ethically-made casual wear with all proceeds going to the I AM HOPE Foundation, run by mental health advocate Mike King. Though Whero’s design interests were “futuristic, big fashion dresses”, that’s not where Rutu’s creative strengths lie, but “I know he would’ve been really proud and blown away by what I've created in his honour.”

Meanwhile, the response by everyone else to the concept has been overwhelming.

“I just kind of pushed it out into the world and from there everyone’s just running with it, and carrying it, and it’s drawn a lot of attention, and a lot of support,

Rutu with her brother Whero who she lost to suicide.

Lara Tutty, Mikayla Stanbridge-Brien, Laura Phipps, and Debbie Taylor model the Hope is my Homeboy brand.

and a lot of people and places that I want to progress to have come on board to help. So it’s just been a beautiful experience to be part of the journey, with the community just taking hold of it and bringing it to a new level.

“I get messages at least three to four times a day since I launched, it’s incredible. On the card [included with the purchase] it has our vision and reminding each other that they are enough, and people just message me all the time saying, ‘I really needed to see that today.’”

The success is bittersweet, of course, since it has only come through the experience of losing a loved one. What’s worse for Rutu is that she feels that the world has come a long way in a decade, that Whero would not have felt alone if he had stayed around.

“That’s the hard thing to process… we come from a small town in Kapiti Coast and he was the only openly gay person in our community really. He was very bold and was 100% himself… I think we've progressed so much in this world and I always think, if he was here and could see how much more accepted he would have been now - though there are still challenges - he would have been really proud to be a part of it and to have stayed, seeing everything grow.”

She has managed to forgive one of the people who taunted her brother the most, knowing he is sorry for the part he played and is now facing his own challenges (cancer). Not that the forgiveness was easy or instant. There were a couple of times she saw him afterwards where she ‘really let it out’, but a wise woman helped.

“He didn’t actually personally apologise to me, but he did apologise through his friends. He wanted to pass it on, but he couldn't bear facing me. My mum always taught me to forgive, even if people don't ask for forgiveness it's just not worth carrying it. My mum is amazing. She is the modern Mother Teresa, I swear by it. She’s taught me a lot about me and who I am. She’s just the most loving, forgiving, kindest woman ever, so it’s been an amazing example and a huge part of my grief journey. I've learned a lot from her.”

Being a parent comes with a primal urge to always protect your children from the world, and themselves. It’s this sense of responsibility that makes a parent’s loss of a child additionally painful. A saint, indeed. And Rutu lost her best friend.

“He was always so proud of me and such a cheerleader, my hype, my besty. We were a year and a half apart so anything I wanted to do he was my number one guy that I would tell. He would be

like, you can 100% do that, there was no doubt. We were just big dreamers and would talk up a lot, big dreams and goals and ambitions that we wanted to accomplish together without any doubts, so it's been quite difficult doing this on my own, not having that trust and support person.”

She still connects with Whero. Sharing the big dreams and goals, just in a different way.

“He was obsessed with Lord of the Rings, so I have all his toys and figurines that he collected, and my mum bought me a Lord of the Rings diary and I write to him in it most nights about what's been happening. That's how I talk to him 'cause it's quite hard for me.”

While it is not a journey she would have chosen, Rutu is enthusiastic and positive as we speak, acknowledging the personal growth that has come from the experience.

“I really understand that grief changes you as a person, you are never the same. My empathy is next level now. I really care for people more than I probably would've before. I see people more. I take time more, there's just so many beautiful things that have come out of it. I’m just way more present. I make sure when people come into contact with me that I’m 100% there and in the moment with people. I just think there is some beautiful qualities that come out of really difficult situations.”

Is there a message that you want to get across to people?

“I know it sounds cliché, but I would love people to be reminded to check in with their loved ones and take a moment, whether it's a call or a turning up. Just knowing that you’re there, or that someone is there for you, makes a huge difference just to really assure them. To put it out there and say, if you are going through something, you don't have to carry this alone. And vice versa, if your friend or family member is going through something you don't always have to have advice, you can just sit there and be present. Just being in the room with someone and showing up does more than people can ever imagine, and it's just as simple as taking that step of saying, ‘I’m here and are you ok?’” hopeismyhomeboy.com. All proceeds go to I AM HOPE foundation.

A foodie love story

Alesha Bilbrough-Collins might have cooked in some well-known restaurants overseas but she is now more than happy to have her feet “back on grass” away from the big cities and in a home she shares with husband John in the Moutere. These days the chef and new cook-book author sparkles with health and vitality, but that hasn’t always been the case, as Adrienne Matthews finds out.

Alesha Bilbrough-Collins

Growing up in Christchurch with a father who was a hunter provided a ready connection to the great outdoors and taught Alesha a huge respect for animals and the life they give. Her mother was always making and preserving food and her grandparents lived on a farm with an orchard and beehives. They had a bach in the Marlborough Sounds so there was always plenty of fishing and foraging that went on in her family. “I think I was born with a love of food and have always been obsessed with nature,” she says, “school wasn’t for me, but somehow I got food and food got me.”

Undertaking a chef’s course in Christchurch she quickly realised that a kitchen was where she felt everything made sense. “I had my first part-time job with an interesting head chef who was ex-army from Northern Ireland. He had good structures in place and I learnt about being super productive. He was positive and encouraging which made me want to achieve more. I loved the fast pace and rhythm of the kitchen, the team work and the camaraderie.”

As Alesha started working her way up in the hospitality world, her path led her towards fine dining. “It fascinated me and I was hooked,” she says. “I made sure that I learned as many different aspects as possible to give me a wide skill-set which has provided so many opportunities subsequently.”

“I got a job in London in one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants. I wanted to educate myself and learn the rules of a restaurant with a Michelin Star. I enjoyed my stint there and knew how to be one of the boys. It was a long time ago and kitchens were pretty hardcore back then. Fortunately, it was okay for me because I was well-trained but I soon realised I didn’t want to work in that kind of egocentric environment.”

“One day I walked past one of Israeli-born British chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s stores and was instantly captivated. I was like a child at Willy Wonker’s factory. He and Sami Tamimi were producing the same type of food that I loved, visually voluptuous fare that was simple with bold flavours. This was the contrast I was looking for and so much closer to my roots.”

An interview with Ottolenghi saw Alesha employed to work in his restaurants. “I had also met a wonderful man in London, now my husband, and he suggested we do a big road trip in Australia. Returning to Melbourne,

I managed the catering and product side for a company that ran cafes. It was fun, but after three years we were both ready to return to New Zealand.”

Arriving in Christchurch, Alesha started a stall at the farmer’s market selling huge salads, cakes, muesli and hummus. Her food was so popular she soon needed her own kitchen.

An old café was found in New Brighton but Alesha’s health wasn’t good. It had started to deteriorate in Melbourne but now she was getting much worse with heart palpitations, headaches, bad food reactions, unsteadiness and serious skin issues. “I went to many different practitioners, but nothing worked. It got so bad I couldn’t walk a hundred metres without being exhausted and constantly felt a strange vibration inside my body. One day I found myself sitting on the kitchen floor crying, I had hit rock bottom. It honestly felt my brain didn’t know how to function anymore.”

“Fortunately, my sister knew of someone in Auckland who tested for chemical poisoning, and he discovered my problem was certain herbicides and pesticides, mainly Glyphosate, the product used in so many weed killers. I see those symptoms as a blessing now. I’ve been able to detox and heal instead of these poisons staying silent inside me only to become a bigger problem in future years. I was dosed full of Vitamin C and put in a decompression chamber. The remedies from then were mainly homeopathic.”

Alesha says the treatment saved her. “Since then, I have been actively engaged in self-care and trying to educate others. We grow what food we can, and I try and use as many organic local suppliers as possible.”

Alesha and her husband ran their BearLion restaurant and farmer’s market stall in Christchurch for eight years. The name came from her sister always calling her ‘little lion’ and Alesha calling husband John her ‘bear’.

Following a few brutal life blows they decided to close the restaurant and go travelling. “We took off around New Zealand in a 1980s Bedford van and the trip transformed our lives, beliefs and cemented what we really wanted and valued as the best way to move forward in life. I have family in Nelson and when John was offered a job here, we were able to purchase the perfect property in a quiet valley.”

“Food is the centre of my life. I have a weekly menu people can sign up to. They pick up their food with their own containers. Reuse is the way forward. I also do catering and events and cook for people in their own homes. I love doing that - going to different houses - rummaging in their cupboard and making dishes up. I feel like I’m doing some good by taking their food stress away so they can have more time for their family.”

“I want to encourage everyone to eat from as close to nature as possible and help the farmers who are looking after their land and not just taking from it and poisoning it,” she says.

“For years people have been asking when I was going to do a cookbook. During the Covid lockdown I had the time to submit a book proposal with all my thoughts, feelings and emotions. Within a few days I had a positive response from Bateman publishers.”

“I don’t use recipes normally because everything is created by look and taste so there was lots of recipe testing to make sure everyone could understand them.” So much work goes into a book. I did the photography myself and there is endless editing. Some of my life’s experiences are in it. The result is me in a book.”

Alesha’s tips for better cooking

“I love to introduce bold flavours and things people haven’t heard of that are simple, like coating kumara with cinnamon before baking it or blending tahini with a tin of tomatoes to use as a dressing,” she says.

“I use a lot of fresh herbs and spices. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated but it helps when it is full of flavour and nutrition.”

“Increasingly I realise the importance of taking time out to really enjoy food with friends and family. Good relationships and healthy, life-giving food are the perfect match,” she says with a beaming smile.

We have a copy of Food for Thought to give away. Email editor@nelsonmag. co.nz to be in with a chance to win.

• Be sure to have your oven at a high heat when roasting veges.

• Love texture? Try a cooked vegetable with its raw self also, like cauli purée with shaved cauli on top.

• A coating such as miso or mustard on roast veg is all you need sometimes. Quick, easy and bloody delicious.

• Don’t forget to season and taste as you go.

Garlic potatoes, smashed peas and pecorino

At the BearLion Deli we had a notebook in which any of us could jot down our favourite salad of the week. I started this for the sole purpose of writing a cookbook one day, so here’s one that made the cut. I often forget about potatoes but they really are terrific and utilising them differently with a salad is always a winner. You don’t have to smash the peas. I just prefer to do it that way. I find they hold to the potato better, like a dressing almost.

Ingredients - feeds 4

• 4 medium potatoes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• salt and pepper

• 4–6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 cups frozen peas, defrosted, or fresh

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted

• 1 lemon, zest and juice

• 1 whole fresh chilli, thinly sliced

• 100g pecorino cheese

• 1 tbsp dried dill or 1 cup fresh, including stalks

Method

Turn the oven up high to 220˚C fan bake.

Scrub the spuds and give them a rough big chop, golf-ball size. Whack them in a bowl with the usual palaver — olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper plus the garlic. Cook in the oven for about 25–30 minutes or until golden brown.

While the spuds are doing their thing, smash the peas by using a kitchen whizz and giving a wee blitz or go old-school and use a masher. Place them in a bowl and dress with the extra virgin olive oil. Add cumin seeds, lemon zest only and chilli. Mix well and see if you’d like more heat. Remember it’s going to be dispersed so flavours and heat won’t be as full on.

Keep potatoes on the roasting tray or put in a vessel that gets you excited. Squeeze the lemon juice over the potatoes, then top with big splotches of the pea mixture followed by thinly sliced pecorino (use a peeler if need be) and lastly the dill.

I’d have this as is for brunch, possibly add a fried egg on top if you wanted or serve up with a big steak and plenty of jus or mustard. There’s plenty of good New Zealand peeps producing pecorino cheese these days. So go find your favourite. I used the ViaVio brand.

Food for Thought: A New Zealand grown cookbook from the BearLion kitchen by Alesha Bilbrough-Collins, photography by Alesha Bilbrough-Collins, published by Bateman Books, RRP$55. Release date 10th April.

Ensuring a world-class experience for all who visit

New things are happening at Nelson Airport, and it is all part of the brand’s continuing vision to create a world-class experience for its visitors, says communications manager Beth Catley.

Completed in 2019, the new terminal is a hive of activity and the team is keen to ensure they are catering to everyone's needs. “We want everyone to have a really positive experience when they visit us. This building is for our community as well as for visitors to our region, and we want everyone to feel like they are a part of it.”

“Some of the additions we have made over the past six months include our new Customer Service Desk and the completion of the Rental Car Kiosk. We have always had airport staff on hand around the terminal, but the new desk is a clear hub for customers to come to us with any enquiries they may have,” says Beth. Staffed seven days a week from 6am until 6:30pm, the hub is a central space to find information, whether it be about airport facilities, lost property, or where to access visitor information.

Completed in October last year, the Rental Car Kiosk gives a modern, fit-for-purpose facility and is a onestop shop for rental car customers. “The development also allowed us to reconfigure the car park to add more mobility spaces closer to the terminal.”

The team has also installed a Kids Zone play area, which is a great space for families travelling through, giving them the space to relax and have some fun.

Seating has been moved closer to the Arrivals and Departures gates to create a better flow, and Beth says the space is now a lot more user-friendly. “We

now also have a dedicated Plug-In zone located near the Air NZ check-in counters for people to connect to the free Wi-Fi, get some work done, or recharge their phones and laptops.”

“We have a world-class building, and these additions are all part of working towards the vision of ensuring our visitors have a world-class experience to go along with it. To make sure we keep improving, feedback from our customers and wider NelsonTasman community is really important to us.”

Nelson Airport is running an online survey to help them ensure their customers’ current and future needs are always met. Open from March 27 to April 30, visitors to the terminal can scan the survey QR code or it can be completed via the airport’s website. “We are keen for everyone to fill it out and let us know what they think! The survey is easy to complete and provides really useful information so we can ensure we are providing services that people need.”

Everyone who completes the survey goes into the draw to win one of 10 prize packs which include a full-day e-cycle hire, vouchers for the terminal stores, and family passes to some of the region's local attractions.

Scan the QR code using your phone's camera, or complete it online at: surveymonkey.com/r/NelsonAirportSurvey

Nelson Airport's new Customer Service Desk is one of the new additions at the airport.

The Lawrey Story

Listening to all the recent talk about how the time has finally come for New Zealanders to take climate change seriously, I couldn’t help thinking of one of my favourite quotes.

It comes from writer Alan Ball’s screenplay for the Academy Award-winning movie American Beauty, and it goes like this: “Never underestimate the power of denial.”

I’m essentially an optimist but, when it comes to climate change, I worry that we lack the maturity, foresight and electoral system to really make a difference. I worry that, after a sustained period of grief, we will once again return to our traditional state of inertial-inducing denial.

I hope I’m wrong, but the truth is that for every New Zealander I see on TV distraught over the impact of climate change, I see another proudly driving a brand-new, gas-guzzling, planet-killing, double cab ute. And, no, I’m not talking about farmers or tradies, I’m talking about people who see nothing wrong in using what’s basically a tank for getting to the office and dropping the kids off at school.

Statistics New Zealand tells us that nationwide transport makes up 90% of the country’s household emissions and that in Nelson-Tasman the figure is 94%. So, if Nelsonians do actually care about climate change, there’s plenty of room for action. It’s true, there are encouraging signs in the shape of Nelson’s soon-to-be launched improved public transport service and the Tasman District Council finally embracing separated cycle lanes and safer roundabouts, but there’s so much more we can do.

One of the most effective steps we could take is to stop the madness of urban sprawl that, despite everything we know about the importance of arable land, remains Nelson and Tasman’s number one

planning response to population growth. You know how for much of the day the roads in and out of both Nelson and Richmond are now both clogged with cars, most of them with only one person in them? Well, that is largely the result of urban sprawl. The next thing we could do is finally get real about the need to persuade Nelsonians not to drive everywhere, all the time in their cars, all by themselves. Until now attempts to do this have been based on the idea that you can create change by offering people choice. It’s a tempting and politically palatable proposition but the state of our roads tells us it hasn’t really worked. Give people more choice and most of them will keep doing what they’ve always been doing. The best way to achieve what’s known as ‘mode shift’ is to actually prioritise walking, cycling and micro-mobility over cars, and one of the most effective and cheapest ways of doing that is by, wherever possible, giving pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders the right of way. For a great example of this, check out the Railway Reserve as it runs through much of Stoke where motorists have been happily giving way to pedestrians and cyclists for over 20 years.

New Zealanders have a romantic view of themselves as egalitarians but, when it comes to the road, it’s clear that most of us still believe that might is right. The bigger and noisier the vehicle, the more everyone else has to get out of its way. If we could get past this primitive mindset and start designing our transport network to prioritise the kinds of transport we’re supposed to be encouraging, we might actually get somewhere.

Not only would we finally have a chance of doing something about congestion, and all the planetwarming emissions that come with it, we just might end up healthier, happier and richer in the process.

Clogged roads are becoming a more regular annoyance for Nelsonians. Matt Lawrey argues the solution is in dropping our fascination with quasitanks and putting foot, bus and pedal-power first.

Waimea Road on a weekday morning.

weloveshoes.co.nz

2 GREAT LOCATIONS

245 Trafalgar St, Nelson 211 Queen St, Richmond

Wow what a wrap

We have gorgeous one off hand knits, NZ made possum merino blend ponchos, shrugs and shawls instore now. Lots of inspirational yarns and patterns for you to create

155 Hardy Street, Nelson. Ph 03 548 4016 www.cruellas.co.nz

OPEN: Monday to Friday 10-5pm, Saturday 10-2pm cruellas_spritzeryarns cruellasnaturalfibreboutique

ON THE STREET

Anna Hesp has always loved fabrics and fashion, and after twenty years working at Wellington’s AVID Gallery has collected quite the jewellery collection, too. Now in her early eighties, Anna has left the big city to be nearer to her family, although this certainly hasn’t slowed her down. Anna shares her unique style with us.

What are you wearing today?

Today I’m wearing one of my favourite pieces, a wool wrap I hand-embroidered, with a collarless white shirt, jeans and boots. My earrings are Warwick Freeman, necklaces by Kobi Bosshard and rings by Ann Culy and Blair Smith.

What is your style?

I’ve always liked clothes and fabric. When I was a child I would collect scraps of fabric and make outfits for my dolls. Over the years I’ve developed my own style, I guess it could be described as eclectic, casual and chic.

What is most of your wardrobe made up of?

Cotton shirts and jeans mostly. Choosing quality fabrics is important. I knit a lot so I wear wool in the winter time. Some old favourites are beautiful silk kimonos, black polos and pants – pieces that are easy to put on and be ready for work.

Where do you buy most of your fashion from?

I shop here and in Wellington. I don’t do labels as such but I’ve got some favourite stores in Wellington, like Kowtow and Gorman. I have a couple of lovely frocks from Gorman. I pick up essentials from other stores in Nelson. For jewellery, I only buy New Zealand made, from New Zealand jewellers. I have collected beautiful pieces of jewellery over the years.

What is your approach to shopping?

I only shop if I need something, because in times gone by I didn’t have the bank balance to go out shopping, I do consider what I buy and I don’t buy a lot. I reconstitute and use what I’ve got in the wardrobe to make new outfits. I don’t do implusive buying, I’m a decisive shopper.

What wardrobe item should everyone invest in?

A beautiful black shirt. My sister gave me my favourite black shirt. She actually bought it online and it didn’t fit right. It’s plain on the front, with beautiful pleats down the back.

Do you have a style rule you always obey?

You find your own look when you dress for yourself, when you concentrate on what looks good on you. I don’t think anybody could tell me how to dress. I choose what suits me and I’m not afraid to alter something to make it right for me. If I buy a shirt with a collar I’ll have the collar taken off because they don’t suit me. When I go out, I take a second look in the full length mirror before heading out the door. I want to look the best I can for as long as I can.

If you could raid one person’s wardrobe, who would it be?

No one’s, my style is my own.

Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing…

Frills are very fashionable at the moment, but they aren’t me. I like quite a severe look - pared down, big shirts, jeans.

A signature piece

This month sees the return of Nelson Jewellery Week, a biennial event and the only one of its kind in the country. It’s luring in jewellers and the bejewelled from around New Zealand to celebrate one of our most popular forms of personal expression.

Our jewellery boxes are treasure chests full of the shiny and sentimental, knuckle-dusters, delicate chains, single earrings (you’ll find the other one day), pounamu carvings, a 21st birthday gold bracelet you’ve worn twice, and your grandmother’s marcasite brooch which you are still waiting for the right occasion to wear. Symbols of pop-cultural bling, family ties and solemn vows, Gollum was neither first nor last to clutch a piece of jewellery while feverishly muttering, “My precious!”

Historians believe that early jewellery pieces were worn for one of two main reasons - to ward off evil or indicate social status. As John Lennon once said at a Royal Variety Performance, “The people in the cheaper seats, clap your hands, the rest of you, just rattle your jewellery.” Avoiding evil will never go out of fashion, though individualism and imitation jewellery have levelled the social hierarchy

significantly. And as minute crowns and sceptres become high street fashion, even the royals will be hard to spot.

Our long love of jewellery deserves to be celebrated so it’s a good thing that Nelson Jewellery Week glistened in the light when Kay van Dyk’s brain had a flash of inspiration. She is now one of a small team of people behind this biennial celebration of jewellery expressed through workshops, displays, exhibitions and talks.

Kay says, “It’s designed that it can be for absolute novices through to people who are really late in their career. We wanted people who just want to dabble and have a go, whether that’s through workshops or coming along to talks, right through to events that are going to push people who already have a lot of knowledge but want to learn or hear more.”

Words: Britt Coker

Organisers of Nelson Jewellery Week, Katie Pascoe and Kay van Dyk. Tessa Jaine

1. Keshi pearls with dendrite agate in silver and gold by Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler.

2. 9ct yellow gold Lace ring by Louise Douglas.

Being involved in the curation of the week, Kay is naturally looking forward to the entire event that includes 15 workshops and 31 exhibitions, but she has a few personal stand-outs. ‘Nerdy enthusiasts’, Jane Dodd and Anna Wallace, have works from The National (a Christchurch gallery) exhibiting at Palm. Kay is also keen to see the Licky exhibition by 11 jewellers at Quiet Dog Gallery, Deep Material Energy at the Suter Gallery which is a collaboration between New Zealand and Australian artists, and Whenua, a collection of work from Ngāi Tahu artists living in Dunedin.

Local artists are well represented, but pieces and peoples are coming from both ends of the country, from across the ditch, and even a highly-regarded jeweller based in The Netherlands is coming to town (“It’s good, I think, for people to be influenced; to see what’s going on in the world”).

“We have collaborated with Object Space in Auckland, they’re bringing out a woman called Marina Elenskaya from Amsterdam and she was one of the founders of Munich Jewellery Week and co-founder and creative director of Current Obsession magazine and digital space for contemporary jewellery, so that’s quite a coup – amazing - I can’t believe that she’s going to be coming.”

If you’re interested in the hands-on learning, the 15 workshops offer jewellery making in an eclectic mix of mess, unloved silver, design exploration, string things, planishing, electrical festoonery and radical acts of transformation. [Some have already sold out as this goes to print.]

Wedding rings aside, jewellery is less often spotted on men in this country, though women who don’t wear any jewellery at all may be rarer still. Like tattoos, a well-worn piece of jewellery has become a permanent extension of us. Many of us get our ears pierced when we’re young and maintain that curated ear until the day we die. We take our jewellery for granted until we lose it or take it off and then it feels odd, that finger without the ring, or looks odd, that throat without the necklace. I’ve lost lots of jewellery and some of them I still think about and sigh. Why does one pretty little thing matter so much when there are many more to replace it? It probably correlates in some random way to sentimentality in human beings being an offshoot of our desire to nurture. As in, I would feel really said if I misplaced

my child AND those origami swan earrings that Justine gave me.

Combining this penchant for caring about things with our aversion to boredom serves the local jewellery industry well, as most of us can never have too many pieces. “It’s all about this persona that we have that we put out in the world and you can do that with jewellery in so many ways. It could be super subtle or big and bold and actually a lot of the work that you’ll see in Nelson Jewellery Week would fit into that category.”

While the number of jewellers living in our region is not formally recorded, there could be less to guess one day. Kay says places offering formal qualifications are getting few and far between, and that’s where the Nelson Jewellery Week workshops will come in handy.

“Beforehand you could train in all sorts of places [around the country], but it’s slowly disappearing, so that’s why community courses are so popular …. I think it [Nelson Jewellery Week] is a way to keep those conversations happening as well for people who have studied and who want to study and find out more about contemporary jewellery. It’s a way to bring all those people in one place and talk about it.”

Nelson Jewellery Week has had plenty of support from Nelson City Council and various creative funding avenues, all acknowledging it as not just community enriching and relevant, but an event of national interest. Since it’s also one of a kind in the country right now, its uniqueness places it in a good position to attract necklace-rattling commoners from further afield. Kay’s not sure where it will progress to but the momentum behind this year’s jewellery week has a pretty nice feel about it.

“We think this is an event we can grow, but we don’t want to grow too big. We want it so that it fits nicely into the 10 days and that it’s accessible to everybody… I think there is a lot of passion for it… It’s going to be fun, and that’s a lot of it as well. We want it to be fun, a celebration for the makers, but also for Nelsonians.”

Nelson Jewellery Week 13-23 April 2023, various Nelson venues. nelsonjewelleryweek.nz

The Artist Goldsmith

Keeping the Jewel in Jewellery –here an opalising ammolite – is the speciality of Nelson goldsmith

Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler. 50 years after training in Germany, Christine uses gold and silver to create enduring art that is a joy to wear.

NJW: Open studio 17 – 19 April.

Documentary ‘Christine…The Artist Goldsmith’ at NMIT on 21 April at 6pm.

Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler 021 817 209 (David) theartistgoldsmith.com |

Your Nelson Jewellery Week hosts

Nelson City Framers

A small team of friendly and passionate craftspeople. Services include the framing and mounting of art and objects, high quality giclée and photo printing with archival papers.

Come and see the exhibition gallery space displaying works by New Zealand artists. We are proud to be hosting the Minumental exhibition for Nelson Jewellery Week.

Mon – Fri 8:30 - 5pm, Sat 10 - 1pm

info@ncf.nz

42A Halifax Street, Nelson 03 539 1233

Red Art Gallery

Fourmation highlights the work of Grace Yu Piper, Hilary Johnstone, Jacqueline Morren and Maike Barteldres. Grace seeks to challenge our preconceived notions surrounding jewellery. Hilary’s work has a raw grittiness softened by the glisten of glass road marking beads. Using Jade, Jacqueline explores the concept of how we all carry scars inside of us. A series of Cup Handle Rings by Maike are inspired by a year of endings and new beginnings.

1 Bridge Street, Nelson 03 548 2170 redartgallery.com |

Shine

Shine prides itself on bringing unique fashion and beautiful jewellery together. We are proud to be exhibiting Isaac Ibbotson’s jewellery. Isaac was our first jeweller in the store 22 years ago, it is fantastic to see he is still creating stunning pieces of art jewellery with his exhibition Driftwood and Gold.

Jens Hansen The Ringmaker

The art of adornment lies at the heart of every design Jens Hansen creates. It’s been there since we began in 1960. From our bold Danish heritage came bold collectible pieces. We still handcraft legacy jewellery, alongside curated modern designs that reflect our beautiful beginnings.

253 Hardy Street, Nelson 03 548 4848 shinedesignstore.co.nz |

Louise Douglas Jewellery

Located in the heart of Nelson city, this friendly boutique stocks a large range of handcrafted jewellery to suit your budget and style.

Each piece is designed and made by hand in the workshop right above the Nelson store. We look forward to your visit!

320 Trafalgar Square, Nelson 03 548 0640 jenshansen.co.nz |

191 Hardy Street, Nelson 03 970 0232 louisedouglas.com

Autumn SUNSET

From fiery reds to yellow hues and blood orange, our wardrobes are set to resemble the beautiful sunsets we see in the sky.

Fashion

What’s Hot

1. Solar Crinkle Dress by RUBY, $269 Trouble and Fox troubleandfox.co.nz 2. Mesh bralette and open lace up panty, $59.90 Be Adult Boutique | bkinky.co.nz 3. Pol Vision top, $229 and pants, $279 Shine | shinedesignstore.co.nz 4. Rugged Hide Millie, $479 Tango’s Shoes | tangosshoes.co.nz 5. Helium Adylyn, available in 2 colours, $349 Tango’s Shoes | tangosshoes.co.nz 6. Sela top, $167 Robyn Reynolds | robynreynolds.co.nz 7. Jens Hansen JW258 cabochon ring in yellow gold, set with an orange amber Jens Hansen | jenshansen.co.nz

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We are delighted to offer Cosmetic Tattooing for Eyebrows, Lips and Eyeliner. Our Cosmetic Tattoo services include permanent eyeliner, lip colour, brows (powder brows, ombre brows and microblading aka feather stroke brows).

Nelson Tasman’s only private surgical hospital.

We provide our skilled surgeons with modern, state-of-the-art theatres and equipment so that Nelson Tasman residents can have access to the very best in surgical procedures. Contact us to find out more.

Dealing with chronic stress

Are you tired but wired, have unexplained symptoms, or keep getting sick and don’t know why? Chronic stress may be the cause.

Dr Marissa Kellaher explains.

It’s an issue many of us don’t think about, yet research shows it’s responsible for up to 80% of visits to GPs. This type of stress can be hard to identify, as the symptoms are often vague, and being constantly stressed is often seen as normal in a society that values productivity over rest.

Struggling to switch off, even when you’re exhausted, craving salty or sweet foods, or getting sick all the time, are common in chronic stress. Even symptoms like palpitations, chest pains, or diarrhea can be stress-related.

Our mind and body are controlled by two opposing systems - the ‘fight flight or freeze’ system and the ‘rest and digest’ system. They’re both vital, and ideally we switch between them as needed. But when we’re chronically stressed, we get ‘stuck’ in fight flight or freeze - meaning our stress hormones stay elevated. And it’s the effect of these hormones that cause symptoms.

Chronic stress isn’t always easy to identify either, while acute stress is easy to spot (such as a death, or natural disaster), its often ‘microstresses’ - the constant small daily stresses - that have the most impact. Yet these can become so normalized we don’t realise just how much they’re affecting us. Microstresses are harder to identify, as they aren’t always obvious. They don’t tend to trigger the same level of support as larger stresses do, meaning we feel like we ‘should be able to manage.’ This can leave us feeling exhausted, isolated, overwhelmed, and tense.

So, what can help? The first step is identifying where stress is coming from. Think through your day, and write down all the things that make you feel tense. If you aren’t sure, think of how your body feels when stressed, then think of what situations trigger this feeling.

The next step is taking action. Often when we’re stressed we tend to lump stresses together, then feel overwhelmed and unsure what to do. Yet we have far more control over stress than what we realise.

Start by dividing your list into stressors you have less control over (such as finances, family responsibilities) vs those you can control (such as social media use, overcommitting, lack of sleep.)

Then reduce the stresses you can control, such as:

 Prioritising sleep

 Leaving your phone switched off after you wake, and taking time to have a cup of tea, meditate or stretch instead.

 Getting outside in your lunch break to get fresh air and movement.

 Saying ‘no’ to non-essential things you don’t enjoy.

 Being kind to yourself, and not trying to do too much (or be everything to everyone).

 Limiting multi-tasking.

Lastly, think of ways to ‘turn down’ your stress response. This is called stress resilience - improving our ability to cope with stress. These are like exercise, as they need to be done regularly - the more often you do them, the more they help!

Some tips include:

 Taking ‘micro moments’ during the day to slow down, take a deep breath, and pay attention to how you feel. Try it while making a cuppa, going to the bathroom, or in your break.

 Try deep breathing techniques when you feel tense.

 Journalling and gratitude practicing.

 Time in nature.

 Exercise you enjoy.

 Mindfulness and meditation.

Above all, be kind to yourself. In our society there is so much pressure to do everything right all the time, this creates stress in itself.

Learn to realise it’s okay to take time and space for yourself- after all, you only live once.

Dr Marissa Kelaher is a GP and lifestyle medicine doctor. She runs health courses and offers one-onone consults at yourlifestylemedics.com

Healthy diet for healthy skin

Did you know that the quality of your skin can be significantly impacted by the food you consume?

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables help keep your skin looking young and vibrant. It is recommended to consume a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables in at least five daily servings. More antioxidant activity results from eating a colourful diet, which promotes healthier, more youthful-looking skin.

Add fish oil supplements to your diet

If you want to improve the health of your skin, supplemental fish oil can be a great addition to your diet. They contain omega-3 fatty acids that have been demonstrated to aid in reducing inflammation which can result in clearer, healthier skin because it is a common contributor to skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and acne. Omega-3s can also aid in defending the skin against sun damage caused by UV rays, by making cell membranes stronger and more damage-resistant. Finally, omega-3 fatty acids can assist in hydrating the skin from the inside out, maintaining its youthful and plump appearance.

Limit processed foods

Keeping your skin healthy means limiting your intake of processed foods. These foods can cause inflammation because they frequently contain high amounts of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. You will be consuming more nutrients and antioxidants that are good for the health of your skin and helping

to control blood sugar levels, which is crucial for avoiding acne and other skin problems.

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Drink plenty of water

Drinking enough water is essential for maintaining healthy skin. In order to keep skin cells hydrated, plump, and supple, wrinkles and fine lines will appear less noticeable. Aim for at least eight glasses of water each day to keep your skin hydrated.

Stay out of the sun

UV (ultraviolet) rays from the sun can damage skin through excessive exposure, causing sunburn, early ageing, and even skin cancer. When going outside, it’s crucial to wear protective clothing like hats and long-sleeved shirts and to use a broadspectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30. Avoiding prolonged sun exposure, particularly between the hours of 10am and 4pm, can also help lower the risk of skin ageing.

Eunoia Beauty owner, Kate Dyer, shares how you can control the health of your skin by choosing the right foods and keep it looking young for years to come. 1 2 3

It is clear that maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for having healthy skin. The texture and appearance of your skin can be significantly influenced by the foods you eat. Consuming high-quality foods can help reduce inflammation, protect the skin from sun damage, and keep it hydrated.

Take care of yourself

Focusing on ourselves encourages a feeling of self-worth and balance within the psyche and promotes a sense of calm, important for navigating everyday stresses of life. It is vital to take some time out for yourself, whether it be in an emotional, spiritual or physical sense.

Nelson’s wellness clinic

Our team of holistic practitioners offer many layers of individualised support both inclinic and online with an emphasis on a natural approach to total well-being care.

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Reformer Pilates on common ground

03 545 9911 | 027 545 9911 wellnessnewzealand.co.nz

17 Collingwood Street, Nelson |

Enhance your natural beauty

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Invest in your well-being and improve your strength, balance and flexibility with Common Ground studio. Move mindfully and have fun in a small class environment.

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270 Queen Street, Richmond |

Natural Beauty and Massage provides waxing, massage, shamanic healing, and spiritual counselling services for women. It is Rebecca’s aim to help you discover your own unique goddess identity.

022 505 7390

naturalbeautyandmassage.com

Natural Beauty and Massage

A perfect weekend getaway

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River Retreat is a 500 acre private luxury nature and wellness resort two hours from Nelson. maruia.co.nz/book

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Happiness is the goal. But we get messy, striving for perfectionism, approval, putting others first, plagued by guilt, and never feeling good enough. This isn’t self-care. There’s another way. Let me help.

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Full-body fitness in 20 minutes

Experience fullbody fitness in just 20 minutes with Bodywave’s EMS training. Get stronger and toned with expert trainers. Book now for effective and efficient workouts!

03 553 0739 bodywave.co.nz

05 Montgomery Square, Nelson |

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Advanced skin treatments producing amazing results

Nearly six months after opening her new business, Luxe Skin Solutions, owner and experienced skin therapist Brittany Fenwick says things are going really well. A client’s skin health and wellbeing are Brittany’s number one priority which is why she undergoes personal consultations with each client, tailoring plans to suit each individual’s needs. Brittany is breaking the stigma many may feel around advanced skincare, and she wants people to know that it’s not vanity to want to improve or enhance your natural features. Loving the freedom of working independently and increasing her skill set, Brittany is excited to introduce a few new treatments to her range of services of advanced skin treatments, dermal needling, chemical peels, laser, Botox and dermal fillers. “I now offer two types of biostimulators, Profhilo and Radiesse. Profhilo is a revolutionary skin remodelling treatment made up of a beautiful form of hyaluronic acid. Once injected it has a prolonged stimulation of collagen and elastin production, improving fine lines, wrinkles and skin laxity. Usually two treatments are required, approximately four weeks apart. The other treatment, Radiesse, is also a biostimulator but is made up of calcium hydroxyapatite, the same as bones and teeth are made of. What is amazing about Radiesse is that it can be used in many ways. It can be used like a filler to restructure jawlines and improve volume loss to certain facial areas, whilst stimulating the growth of collagen and elastin at the same time. It can also be used for skin improvement only, where a certain

technique is used to thin out the product. Once placed under the skin a firm network of collagen fibres form, providing a lifting and contouring effect.”

Skin boosters are coming very soon to Luxe Skin Solutions, says Brittany. Specifically designed to be injected into the skin, boosters increase fibroblast activity - fibroblasts are skin cells that secrete collagen. “The product is rich in vitamins, amino acids and antioxidants and is the perfect treatment for tightening the skin under our eyes. I also like to use the skin boosters during micro-needling sessions which creates a very large absorption of nutrients. The results are amazing.”

Belkyra is a new treatment that Brittany is looking forward to introducing to Luxe Skin Solutions in the upcoming months. Available by consult only, Belkyra is an injectable treatment that destroys fat cells in the area under the chin to improve the side profile. The product contains two active ingredients that work together to cause death of fat cells.

“I am continuously updating my skills and knowledge and absolutely love learning more about the skin and what treatments genuinely work to improve the quality of our skin. I only bring in treatments that I believe in, and these new treatments really work.”

Registered nurse Brittany Fenwick at her clinic in Richmond.

My HOME

Where is your home and how long have you lived here?

The house is located at Kina Beach Vineyard, on Kina Peninsula. We have owned the property since 2011, although this house wasn’t finished being built until 2020.

What four words would you use to describe your home?

We’ve got three – bespoke, bold and sustainable. What inspired this look?

Originally, we wanted to renovate the house that was onsite, it was an old bungalow. Being European, renovating houses is the norm for us, it’s not always about building new.

We learnt as we went along that we would essentially need to take the old house down to the framing and start again. We figured we wouldn’t actually be keeping much, so decided to build new. We went from a renovation idea to a plan for a new build.

We worked with Anna and David Wallace from Arthouse Architecture and used much of the existing footprint to develop the design but added an extra storey. So that it wasn’t too high, we designed the second-storey to be mono-pitch, while the singlestoreyed parts of the build are gables.

We were very mindful of the surrounding landscape and were keen for the exterior of the home to blend in. We chose an exterior that works with the nature and the environment.

On a vineyard in Tasman sits Karin Schoch and Achim Bauer’s dream home. Surrounded by vines and views of the estuary and mountains, it really is a special place.

ABOVE: Achim and Karin at the entrance to their home, which doubles as the vineyard’s cellar door and tasting room.

Tessa Jaine

Chocolate Dog Photography

What’s your decorating style?

We’re quite minimalist. We don’t like an overcluttered house, every piece we have has to deserve its place in the home. We wanted the views to speak more than what is in the rooms. The materials we chose are quite bold with a mix of concrete and the black metal industrial stairs, but softened with natural timbers. Where do you shop for homewares?

Most of the furniture we have has been with us for twenty plus years. We have been lucky that it has fitted in with our changes in life. For this house we have bought a few pieces from Edito in Nelson, appliances from Kitchen Things and our artworks are mostly all local. The light pendant is from Matisse in Auckland.

What’s your favourite spot in the house?

It’s difficult to say there is just one. Nearly every place in the home has a lovely outlook. Depending on the time of day and what’s happening outside there is always something to look at. A favourite room is the sunroom with views over the inlet and mountain range.

What should every home have?

Solar power and rainwater collection, which we have put in this home. Having a small carbon footprint is important to us. Also, living rurally, both are helpful to have if we need to be self-sufficient.

If you had a day to refresh your home what would you do?

With the house being quite new there isn’t anything pressing, although a wallpaper behind the bed in the master bedroom would be nice. Just need to find the right one.

1. Karin’s favourite seat in the house is the grey sofa, with views out to the estuary. 2. The kitchen features different textures and materials with white benchtops, timber joinery and polished concrete. 3. Pirate, the couple’s rescue dog sits in his chair under the staircase. Local artworks, including a hanging piece by Darryl Frost feature throughout the home. 4. The light pendant by Zaha Hadid is like a piece of art hanging from the top floor ceiling.

What is one thing you would change about your home if you could?

There’s nothing really, we like it the way it is. It was a work in progress that evolved from a very different starting point, and we are happy with where it has got to. It is only two bedrooms, but there are two self-contained guest cottages on the property, so extra rooms are available when needed.

Did any of your purchases cause a debate?

Well, Achim did wonder if the Smeg freestanding oven could cook by itself, given the price tag!

What do you love about the neighbourhood where you live?

It is a magical place out here, with a friendly community and good neighbours who look after each other. It is also really well connected, with just a short drive to Motueka or Māpua.

Best memory in your home?

We were very proud of our new home, but of course couldn’t show it to our friends and family in Europe until last Christmas when our kids come out and we finally were able to have a family Christmas in the new house.

It was important to Karin and Achim that the colours and materials of the home blend in with the existing landscape. This was achieved using colorsteel and timber.

Gardening advice with Daltons

Daltons gardening experts are here to help. Send in your gardening question and you could win a Daltons gardening prize pack! See entry details below.

Apart from digging it out, what is the best/most successful way to get rid of oxalis?

Oxalis is a common weed in gardens and lawns, with clover-like leaves and small pink, white, or yellow flowers. Unfortunately, once established it is difficult to eradicate because it spreads rapidly - via seed above ground and small bulbs underground.

The most effective way to get rid of oxalis is to manually remove all of the bulbs. Even though it takes time, it is worthwhile. Section off the area, then dig down 20-30cm and sieve the soil to catch all the bulbs. If you (or a neighbour/friend) have chickens, you can dig up the area, enclose it, and leave them to scratch about and eat the bulbs.

Once all of the bulbs have been removed, replenish the soil with Garden Time™ Compost mixed with Enriched Garden Mix, or use our Premium Lawn Soil if the weed was in your lawn.

Spread a thick layer of Daltons Premium Mulch and Grow around plants in your garden to help suppress oxalis (and other weeds) growth by depriving them of light and moisture. Maintain good garden hygiene by removing weeds as soon as you notice them and before they spread.

Win a Daltons Premium Bulb pack!

Want to grow a vibrant, healthy lawn the neighbours will envy? The secret is fertilising regularly with lawn fertiliser. Our Daltons Lawn Care Pack, valued at $80.00, has everything you need to bring your lawn to life.

To enter, email your gardening question to nelsonmag@ daltons.co.nz with Daltons Lawn prize pack in the subject heading by Wednesday Friday 21 April 2023. daltons.co.nz

Herbicides that kill oxalis can also kill surrounding vegetation, and there are significant soil residual issues. This means you won’t be able to grow plants in the same location for a while. Discuss your options with your local garden centre if you choose to go down this route.

Congratulations to Roseanne who has won a Daltons gardening pack with her question.

Where function meets style

Born from a passion for gardening, Grace & August is a small family-run business that has been doing big things in the function and style department.

Owner Charise O’Connell says she was tired of purchasing boring products that were functional but didn’t look and feel great. “I believe that whatever you wear and use, you need to feel good about it. I went to work developing ‘functional’ products and turning them into great products with a designer flare. I began by developing a series of quality, stylish face masks and high-quality garden aprons that I’m really proud of.”

Now, having expanded her brand, Grace & August stocks gorgeous niche home and garden products that are not only functional but beautifully stylish. From indoor watering cans, self-watering globes, herb savers and garden e-books to bath bombs and candles, Charise does not compromise on quality, meticulously overseeing the design process for each product.

Grace & August graceandaugust.co.nz |

www.nelsonshadesolutions.co.nz

Home Style

ENHANCE YOUR LIVING

1. Indulge in luxury spa relaxation with flower-infused bath bombs, graceandaugust.co.nz, Grace & August | 2. Handmade amber glass vase, $62.50-$104.95, Villarosa Maison, 62 Montgomery Square, Nelson | 3. Guava passion icicle candles, Living Light, 219 Trafalgar St, Nelson Central Arcade | 4. Landscape stars flowering hibiscus plant, 10L pot $54.98, Mitre 10 Mega Nelson, 99 Quarantine Road, Nelson 5. French Country hammered round lamp base with a mustard velvet lampshade, storeycollection.co.nz, 65 Collingwood St, Nelson | 6. ivoli Audio model one(R), a modern-day icon of acoustic and industrial design. The addition of Bluetooth allows you to stream your own music, $499, Beggs Musicworks, 264 Hardy St | 7. Big smoke Delhi fire pit, 58cm x 60cm, $275, Mitre 10 Mega | 8. Rachel 3-seater sofa featuring intricate button detailing and plush seat cushions, NZ made. From $6135, special from $5,215, lynfords.co.nz, 675a Main Rd, Stoke | 9. Fazeek Coupe Glasses, Set of 2, $149, Karen Jordan Style, 151 Trafalgar Street, Nelson

One stop shop for property maintenance, cleaning and carpentry services

Local company Manor Property Services has grown from small beginnings fourteen years ago to being a leading residential and commercial property maintenance and cleaning company that also offers interior and exterior painting, gardening, rubbish removal and arborist work, along with asbestos testing and removal. They also own the DSK brand, a high-quality design and build service for kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and cabinetry.

Co-owners Mark Forbes and Andy Dumville came up with the idea for the business because they could see there was a need for a one stop shop for homeowners and businesses who needed a range of work done on their properties but were concerned about how they would manage all the required contractors.

“It can be daunting for people to realise they have maintenance issues with their building and confusing knowing where to go to get the help they need. What we put in place is an all-encompassing service which can solve all their property’s problems and takes their worry and stress away,” says Mark.

“It can be as simple as removing moss and mould and water-blasting pathways, driveways and decks while tidying up the garden. We also clean roofs and gutters and do roof treatments for moss, mould and lichen. Our arborists are experienced in hedge and large tree work and we have experienced fencing and landscaping staff available.”

“We can do anything that is required in the interior with general cleaning, window and carpet cleaning, popular services we offer. Our building and carpentry team can carry out any repairs needed and we have a team of dedicated painters and decorators.”

MPS makeover a number of properties each year that are being prepared for sale. “Making the best first impression to a potential buyer as possible is so important. Most prospective homeowners don’t want to feel they will have a lot of work to do to bring the property up to scratch. A little tender loving care can go a long way towards a good sale outcome.”

With over forty staff, Manor Property Services have the ability to carry out a wide range of jobs at any one time. “We are very diverse and work to a very high standard, undertaking work for private homeowners and businesses as well as local and central government,” he says.

“All our staff go through a substantial training process and our builders and painting team are all qualified tradespeople.”

While Mark is responsible for the administrative side of the business, he also runs the property maintenance, grounds and arborist teams, while Andy is in charge of the carpentry, painting and decorating teams, design and manufacturing of DSK kitchens and the asbestos removal business.

“We love the interaction with customers,” says Mark. “It is extraordinarily satisfying to see properties go

through the process of a complete makeover. They can look entirely different once their gardens have been tidied up and all the maintenance brought up to date and that adds value to the property too. Likewise, it is a joy to see the look on clients’ faces when they see their brand-new renovated kitchen or bathroom,” says Andy. “Transformation is what we’re all about and excited to be able to deliver.”

Manor Property Services Ltd

104 Tahunanui Drive, Nelson

0800 677 005

mpsnelson.co.nz |

Peaceful, light and warm –a home inspired by the seasons

Situated proudly on Nelson’s Grove Street sits a perfect example of classic, early New Zealand architecture. The historic building with its stunning landscaped garden was originally built in 1880 and has long been a loving home to the local families who have lived there. Purchased in 2020 by Wellingtonians Hazel Barnes and Mark Anderson, the couple were drawn to the region by its temperate growing climate and relaxed lifestyle. Hazel led the charge to lovingly restore the 232m2, two storey, four-bedroom home and its gardens, with a strong determination to keep the historic aesthetic of the house intact. It was a dream come true for Hazel to see her home lovingly restored and turned into her own place before she, sadly, passed away in October last year, after getting to enjoy her dream home for six months.

Mark says that as an avid gardener Hazel insisted the couple spend a year living in the home before embarking on the restoration project, saying it helped to get a real feel for how the home worked and how the light fell through the different seasons. “Hazel wanted to experience where the

sun would be during different times of the year. She wanted to really live and walk through the seasons. She had a vision for a seamless indoor/ outdoor flow. Her concept was to be sitting inside the home but feeling like she was outside in the garden.” With a love of white gardens and inspired by timeless and traditional landscaping, Hazel set about planning and designing the perfect outdoor space to complement the homes serene and elegant interior. “Gardening was very much a part of Hazel’s social life. She spent many hours talking with friends, family, the landscapers and the neighbours, garnering advice, sharing ideas, having a laugh, and planning the garden out meticulously.”

Wanting to remain sympathetic to the home’s historical significance, Hazel and Mark enlisted the help of local builders MOORE, owned by Craig and Connie Moore, and architect Simon Hall from Jerram Tocker Barron to see the project through to fruition. “We had a strong sense that for many people in Nelson this was sentimentally a heritage-type building and we were very conscious of treating it as

Daniel Allen

Words: Amy Russ

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a heritage home. We wanted it to be a restoration, not a rebuild. It was very important to us that trusted relationships were built with everyone who worked on the project. We couldn’t have gotten through it without them.”

Demolition began in June 2021, and Craig and Connie say the brief from their clients was to bring light and brightness into the home. “Hazel and Mark had a huge passion for, and emphasis on, the landscaping and the outdoor living and wanted to pay homage to the era of the home through restoration and renovating.” Interior spaces were opened up to bring

natural light throughout the home, careful and clever dismantling of original features was undertaken so they could be reinstated and reused in the project, a full height chimney was removed and bespoke steel support beams were installed, as was an interior lift. “We had to support the existing structure to ensure no damage occurred while we worked on various areas of the home. Protection of existing features that were to be kept and restored were paramount, and making an old house straight and plumb to take the lift were some of the challenges we worked around,” says Craig.

Showing the extent of bare bone renovations undertaken by MOORE. The entire north-facing wall was extensively damaged by a fire in 1990. This was a magic moment for Hazel Barnes and Mark Anderson, when they could see the space in its entirety and how it was going to look once completed. Mark says the photo really tells the story of the scale of work that Craig Moore and his team were doing.

The rear of the house, including a kitchen and dining extension, was redesigned and rebuilt to incorporate a beautiful sunroom that lead out to the courtyard, a skylight was installed in the stairwell to bring in ambient natural light and, in a stroke of genius from Mark, the existing garage was moved seven metres from its original location. “Thanks to the expertise and craftmanship of our team at MOORE, who delivered the building services, the restoration has been finished to the highest of standards, one the team are proud of,” says Craig. “The indooroutdoor flow and all-day sun are spectacular and the

light and brightness it has brought into the home is amazing. Working with Hazel and Mark was a wonderful process that we really enjoyed. They were understanding and interested clients who shared a desire to achieve a beautiful home. They had very real expectations and the entire process went smoothly, even when things needed to be changed or adapted. Hazel in particular was very involved and on-site most days, adding input and decision-making. The home is an absolute credit to Hazel’s vision, she was the drive behind the overall design and it is truly spectacular what she managed to achieve.”

Seeing the home come together was a huge highlight for both parties, and with it a strong appreciation of the scale and quality of work that was done. Hazel and Mark held a ‘thank you’ dinner for all involved and Mark remembers fondly seeing those who had worked on the project share the story with their families. “Watching them proudly telling, and showing, their families in detail what they had done was a really lovely moment for us. Everyone, from the architect and the builders to the landscapers, painters and concrete layers, were just fantastic. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

Marks says living in the finished home was a dream come true for the couple. “We just loved how the light changes throughout the day and the seasons. In winter the sun comes right through to the back of the home, and at night with the lights on, the recreated stained glass in the front door warms up the exterior. After completion, Hazel was the happiest I have ever seen her. She was just loving what she has achieved. It was her big project, and she had done it. All of it. At the time, mine was just a supporting role, now it is as a guardian.”

Gallery Showcase

Our region’s best creative talent

Nelson Classic Car Museum Museum Store

1 Cadillac Way, Annesbrook Open 7 days, 10am-4pm 03 547 4570 nelsonclassiccarmuseum.nz

Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler

The Artist Goldsmith

Central Nelson By appointment, come and play! 021 817 209

theartistgoldsmith.com

RED Art Gallery & Café

Gallery open weekdays 8.30am4:30pm, Sat 9am-3pm. Cafe closes 3:30pm weekdays and 2pm Saturdays. 03 548 2170

redartgallery.com

Bill Burke Gallery

15B Ajax Avenue

Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-12.30pm 027 847 0620

billburkeartist.com

The Coolstore Gallery

10 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf Open 7 days, 10am – 5pm 03 540 3778

info@coolstoregallery.co.nz

thecoolstoregallery.co.nz

Protean Art Gallery

20 Tahunanui Drive Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm Monday by appointment 027 548 5003

proteanart.co.nz

Flick & Co. Studio – Artist

Lisa Grennell BVAD – Artist

Private tuition available

View paintings at Wall to Wall Art Gallery

112 Bridge St nicolareifnz@gmail.com nicolareif.com

Jonty & Mike Ward

Studio Gallery and Store

3 Morrison St, Nelson 022 035 9175

mikewardofnelson@gmail.com

3 Wood Loop, Mariri, Motueka Zappekin Artist’s & Allies By appointment 021 0885 9482

flickcostudio@gmail.com

The Suter Art Gallery

208 Bridge St, Nelson Open 7 days, 9.30am-4.30pm 03 548 4699

thesuter.org.nz

13 Cheshire Place, Stoke Studio visits by appointment only grennell.lisa@yahoo.co.nz

lisagrennellartist.co.nz

Cathy Jones 4 Art

1/47A Washington Rd. Open Wednesdays 12pm-5pm, and by appointment 027 546 9499

cathyjones4art.weebly.com

Nicola Reif (IAPS-MC, DPANZ)

Expressing emotions through watercolour

Beth Nolan, the talented Tasman Bay artist behind Flick and Co. Studio says, having a mother who is an incredible artist in her own right, creativity runs through her blood and is the one thing that seemed to come naturally to her. Remembering having always painted, Beth says it is where she is completely in her happy place. “I am even happier when the painting’s outcome is how I had imagined. I have vivid memories of painting with my mother as a child, she is an extremely talented portraitist, but not in the traditional sense. I discovered recently some watercolour works she painted, then discarded, and I hoarded them. They are pop-art fashion portraits, looking at them now they are very similar to my ‘Indigo’ portrait series. Sometimes inspiration comes from places you didn’t know existed, the subconscious mind is a mystery until you unravel it.”

A self-confessed ‘nomad’ for many years, Beth chose watercolour as her favourite medium due to its ability to compact down. It adds an almost jewel-like quality to her work, depicting her subject’s energy and their depths of movement. “I started painting with watercolour as it was easy to travel with - the palette fitted perfectly in my rucksack. But I obviously love it, for me watercolour is a dance between spontaneity and restraint. I love the layers you can create, and the flamboyant colour and fluid shapes. I am able to express an emotion and energy that I haven’t been able to achieve through other mediums.”

Entering some of her art into the Wanaka Art Society Easter Exhibition on completion of her studies was a personal highlight for Beth, which saw her win

the Multimedia Section and sell pieces from the collection. “I entered a couple of my final year pieces, which were a study on memory. That exhibition was definitely a career highlight, along with organising and curating an exhibition in Wanaka from the ground up. It was called ‘Out of the Blue,’ and along with my friend Charley we created something really special.” The exhibition was about connection, collaboration and community, says Beth. “We stripped away all of the formalities of traditional exhibitions, with incredible up-and-coming artists, live music, beautiful food and great vibes.”

The exhibition was born from ‘our need for connection’ and was showcased after the end of second lockdown. “There was something missing in the region. A sense of disconnection. Giving our local artists and musicians a wee push in the right direction, we were able to raise enough to donate to Gumboot Friday - supporting mental health in New Zealand, which after the dreaded ‘vid’ was increasingly important.”

Working on a new series which is an extension of her ‘Indigo’ portrait pieces, Beth is also excited to launch her ‘Top of the South’ collection showcasing her exploration of birds that are specific to the region.

By appointment 021 0885 9482

flickcostudio@gmail.com

flickandcostudio.com

3 Wood Loop, Mariri, Motueka

Beth Nolan at her Flick and Co. Studio in Motueka.

Re-united with Nelson’s Mona Lisa

Gwen Daly lives in a home full of male energy, so Lloyd Harwood’s take on the famous Mona Lisa brings some feminine calm to her Nelson home. She explains to Matt Lawrey why she loves the artwork so much.

Gwen Daly’s face lights up when talking about her favourite artwork.

A semi-retired counsellor and filmmaker, Gwen beams as she tells you how Nelson artist Lloyd Harwood’s take on the Mona Lisa makes her feel.

“She makes me feel calm, still, serene. She’s how I’d like to be, really, all knowing and wise,” she said.

“I love Lloyd’s work. I love the fun of it. I love the colour he uses. I’ve loved his work for years. His paintings are like Lloyd himself, there’s a twinkle in his artwork that makes you smile.”

Painted in oils in 2011 and titled Nelson Mona, Harwood’s tribute to the Da Vinci classic features an almost alien Mona Lisa smiling enigmatically at the viewer with a background that includes Fifeshire Rock and the Nelson Lighthouse on the Boulder Bank.

Gwen first came across the painting at an exhibition at Red Gallery. She loved it but someone else snapped it up before she could buy it. A decade later, Gwen attended an exhibition of pre-loved artworks at The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū where, once again, she found herself face-to-face with Nelson Mona.

“I saw her and I thought ‘Oh my goodness!’”

This time Gwen made sure she didn’t miss out. She did, however, have one niggle; she didn’t like the frame that had been added since she first saw the painting all those years before. Gwen thought she’d get it reframed but when she brought it home she got a surprise.

“When I hung it, it just looked like it had lived there forever,” she said.

A mother of two boys, Gwen thinks the painting’s feminine energy is one of the reasons it works so well

in the home she shares with her husband Mic Dover.

“I realised a few years ago that I live with only men, we had a cat that was a male, and all our artwork was male, and I thought I need to address this, so I started to get things with women and when I saw Mona I thought she’d work well.”

Gwen and Mic have known Harwood since their sons both attended Hampden Street School and over the years have worked with him in his role as manager of Arts Council Nelson on a number of projects. Much of this has involved enlisting Harwood’s work with funding.

“Lloyd is wonderful. He’s one of the people who makes doing creative stuff in New Zealand easy because he’s so approachable,” Gwen says.

The walls of Gwen and Mic’s home are graced with works by a host of local artists including, amongst others, Nic Foster, Jo Tyson, Mike Perry, Katie Gold, Shona McLean, Lisa Grennel and Astrid Visser. Mona Nelson is the second of Harwood’s paintings to hang in their home.

The couple commissioned Harwood to do a version of Edvard Munch’s The Scream for Mic’s 60th birthday. Mic liked the painting but Gwen found it a bit full-on.

“It had fantastic colours but it was of this traumatised person and, in the end, it had to go,” Gwen laughs.

“We’re quite a loud house and I just thought having so many males, plus an image of a person standing on a bridge screaming, would probably not add to the serenity of our household.”

Gwen’s latest creative endeavour has been directing her friend Philomena Donlon’s play Love Me Tinder for the Nelson Fringe Festival. It’s been an experience that has reinforced her belief in Nelson-

Whakatū as a collaborative and creative community.

“I can’t believe the amount of talent that we’ve got here and the number of people who come forward and give so much time and energy to projects like this,” she said.

Looking ahead, Gwen would love to see a screenplay she has written based on her own relationship with the English star Diana Dors turned into a feature film. Gwen knew Dors growing up in the UK and is actively looking for an agent to pitch it to potential buyers.

Gwen, 71, says, if she could do it all again, she would have gone to film school as a young woman. She’s been acting since she was a teenager, including professionally in Sydney, but came to filmmaking later in life. She’s directed two short films, acted

in two and produced three. A highlight was 2016’s award-winning Late Equaliser. Directed by Gwen, written by Mic, and starring Anna Burns and Troy Warring, Late Equaliser was described on its poster as “A short film about life, death, reincarnation…. and football.” The 20-minute flick picked up awards at short film festivals around the world and was bought by a French distribution company.

Gwen’s advice to anyone thinking of making their own film is to connect with the Top of the South Film Society.

“They’re really easy to get involved with and there are lots of people who can help you get something made. There’s lots of expertise out there but you have take responsibility for it and do the mahi,” she says.

Gwen Daly with her favourite piece of art, Lloyd Harwood’s Nelson Mona.

Matt Lawrey

ZUMO Coffee

Stay in for the full ZUMO experience. Enjoy spacious rustic surroundings inside & out, Kids Zone, Bored Room or takeaway. The team of baristas offer fast, fabulous service with the ZUMO personal touch.

Open 7-days. Fresh baking from 7am. Brunches Saturday & Sunday from 10am. Coffee Roasting every Tuesday. Come enjoy the aroma, buzz and great conversation.

42 Rutherford Street 021 484 170 zumo.coffee

Alberta’s Café

All day breakfast from 7.30 – 2.30pm, seven days a week. Exceptional coffee and views to match. Pop in and enjoy their delicious breakfast menu or a bite to eat from their tasty cabinet of house-made delights. Gluten free, dairy free and vegan options available, they cater for all. Dine in or takeaway.

Miracle Restaurant

Famous for classic Chinese and signature Thai family dishes, Miracle Restaurant offers rich and diverse Asian fusion cuisine with Yum Cha available all day. Come and meet Mira - Miracle’s friendly robot who will deliver dishes to your table and even sing happy birthday. Popular set menus are available for individual diners, and all menu items can be ordered online for takeaway. Fully licensed and open 7 days for lunch and dinner.

Shed 4, Mapua Wharf 03 540 3933 albertas.co.nz |

200 Hardy St, Nelson 03 545 8163 miracleasian.co.nz

Mapua Village Bakery

Open for breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the day, choose from their fantastic menu full of all your favourites. Dinner is sorted with fabulous take home family pies ready to heat and enjoy or pop in the freezer, plus takeaway cakes for dessert.

A great place to have a work meeting or breakfast, then indulge in one of the many tempting treats. Their amazing coffee will add a bounce to your day too. Open 8am to 3pm.

68 Aranui Rd, Mapua 03 540 3656

mapuavillagebakery.co.nz

McCashin’s Tap Room

With great indoor/outdoor dining areas bring your friends, family or workmates along to enjoy their mouth-watering menu. Which includes their famous steak sandwiches, pizzas, platters and seasonal plates to savour. McCashin’s Tap Room is your local friendly meeting place with fine beverages made on site at the brewery. It’s your local.

660 Main Road, Stoke 03 547 0329 mccashins.co.nz

The Junction Shop

A visit to The Junction helps you make the most of the long weekends this month. Whether you are spending time with family or entertaining guests we have everything you need to create an amazing cheese board or grazing platter. Locally produced award-winning cheese, cured meat, chutney, chocolate, snacks and of course a cheeky bottle of wine or two. The friendly, helpful staff know their cheese and will even tempt you with a wee taste while you’re shopping.

151 McShane Rd, Appleby 03 544 1911 thejunctionshop.co.nz |

Port O’Call Bar

When you need a place to relax, Port O’Call Bar is the perfect spot! You’ll be impressed with the superior selection of local and international beers and wines, along with one of Nelson’s largest whiskey selections.

Open Monday – Sunday, 4pm – 11pm.

Sprig + Fern Brewing Co.

It’s not autumn in Nelson Tasman unless you’ve spent time at a local Sprig + Fern Tavern enjoying a pint of craft beer or cider.

Solander Gourmet Seafood

The crème d la crème of oysters are now available – Bluff oysters. Limited season season, order now so you don’t miss out.

Level Two, Rutherford Hotel Nelson 03 548 2299 rutherfordhotel.nz

Real beer, real people, really local Sprig + Fern Milton St, Sprig + Fern Hardy St, Sprig + Fern Tahuna, Sprig + Fern Upper Queen, Sprig + Fern The Meadows, Sprig + Fern Brightwater, Sprig + Fern Mapua, Sprig + Fern Motueka. sprigandfern.co.nz |

River Kitchen

Situated on the banks of the Maitai River, at the heart of city centre of beautiful Nelson. You can sit back and relax, away from the hustle and bustle.

Specialising in delicious, seasonally inspired food, craft beers, wines from around New Zealand, and locally roasted coffee. We offer a full à la carte menu, serving breakfast and lunch all year round.

Open Tue-Fri | 7:30am-4pm, Sat | 8am-4pm and Sun | 8:30am-4pm.

81 Trafalgar St, Nelson 03 548 1180

riverkitchennelson.co.nz

The Indian Café

With three great locations you can enjoy Indian Cafe’s delicious food no matter where you are. Head in and find out why Indian Café is the favourite choice for anyone looking for the highest quality food and a memorable cuisine experience. All venues offer intimate restaurant dining and courtyard settings and takeaway options.

94 Collingwood St, Nelson | 03 548 4089 266 Queen St, Richmond | 03 544 8979 201 Songer St, Stoke | 03 547 0008 theindiancafe.co.nz

The very best seafood available in Nelson and NZ, accessible to you via online order. Select from the finest seafood and other gourmet products, to ensure that your dining experiences are healthy, delicious, and incredibly well priced.

gourmetseafood.co.nz

Anchor Restaurant and Bar

Top quality food is best served with amazing ocean views! Blessed with a fantastic spot on the water, you will feel welcomed and won’t want to leave.

Specialising in local seafood and steaks, there are also delectable choices for non-meat eaters, people with special dietary needs and kids.

62 Vickerman St, Port Nelson 03 546 6614 anchorrestaurant.co.nz

Johnnie and Blood Orange

A PINT WITH JUSTIN AND BARB FROST

SPRIG + FERN BRIGHTWATER

In the heart of Brightwater lies a cosy little tavern with a big heart. Owned by Barb and Justin Frost, Sprig + Fern Brightwater on Ellis Street is a community hub that oozes village and family atmosphere. The perfect spot to meet with friends, the couple say it is the relationships they have formed with their patrons that makes their tavern unique. “We are a busy little pub in the heart of the village. We have a real community vibe and all of our patrons are just great.”

A local lass, Barb says her years of hospitality experience and Justin’s background in liquor sales combined to make the perfect fit for the tavern’s ownership position in January 2022. “I grew up in the district and Justin is originally from Canada and moved here seven years ago.” They both jumped at the opportunity to run the popular establishment and have been loving it ever since.

The couple love to host events, and as a nod to Justin’s heritage, they hosted a Canada Day event which proved to be hugely popular with the locals. “That was a definite highlight on the calendar last year. We hosted a Canada Day-themed party with Canadian drinks, food and music. We had a massive turnout for that and loads of people really got into it and dressed up, it was amazing! We look forward to hosting it

again this year on July 01. There will be prizes for the best dressed!”

Huge supporters of the community, Barb and Justin raised over $15,700 for local clubs, groups and charities last year through their quiz nights alone. Back after a summer hiatus, their popular quiz nights are underway again, taking place every Wednesday from 7pm. “People are welcome to come and make a night of it, rock in early, have some delicious stonegrill, enjoy a pint and get ready for the quiz. Bookings are recommended though!”

Creating a welcoming atmosphere, Barb and Justin have refurbished a cosy outdoor environment for people to relax in. “We saw a need to increase the outdoor seating and maximise the space, so have not long had our new front outdoor seating area completed. It is built with sustainably-sourced bamboo through local company You Bamboo. It was finished just in time for the summer season and is a great spot to sit. It is also quite lovely sitting out underneath the beautiful hops in the back courtyard. When pressed for his favourite drink, Justin says it is hard to go past the Pilsner and Grown Up Lemonade. “But I also really love the Hazys!” New on tap at the Sprig + Fern Brightwater, the couple are enjoying the newly released Duhoppily Fresh Hop Hazy Pale Ale and the multi-award winning Harvest Pilsner™ which comes out every year. “Last year was really popular so we are looking forward to it coming back.”

Tuesday to Sunday 2pm-close.

Closed Monday

Rigger sales available sprigandferntaverns.co.nz

"The most wonderful stayfabulous hosts, food, yoga, massages .. the forest bathing was transformative A very special place "Clare and Brian

8 April Nelson Giants vs Auckland Tuatara

15 April Nelson Giants vs Franklin Bulls

21-23 April Top of the South Gymnastics Competition

2 May Don Mclean

6 May Nelson Giants vs Taranaki Airs

May

Celebrate Life Your Way

At our modern funeral home on Champion Road, Richmond, we have everything you need to celebrate the life of your loved one in their unique way. Reach out today to find out how we can help you.

Experience the best of country living

The creatively talented collective that make up the Moutere Artisans are excited to invite you to their Autumn Open Day on April 23. Attracting thousands of people from across the region, the bi-annual event showcases the very best of what the skilled makers have to offer.

Celebrating some of the region’s finest crafts and creations, the talented collective will be opening their doors and warmly welcoming the public to explore their special little village of Upper Moutere. Marking the start of the autumn season for the artisans, Noël Jelsma, co-owner of Neudorf Black and chairman of Moutere Artisans, says they are always blown away by the amazing support they receive from visitors. “It is always great to see so many people coming out to enjoy a relaxing and fun day out in our village. It is especially nice to be able to offer a slightly different experience with different crops in season, and the beautiful surroundings playing their part with autumn colours on the hills. Driving through the Moutere countryside in autumn will offer a spectacular backdrop to an already stunning landscape. There will be a stunning autumnal vibe with new wines and wares on the table.”

Jewellery, sculptures, pottery and ceramics will be available on the day, and new season wines can be sampled from the plethora of award-winning

Moutere Valley vineyards, along with some of the country’s finest cheeses, mushrooms, olive oils, black garlic, and gourmet smallgoods and charcuterie. To help ease congestion in the village the Moutere Hills Community Centre (MHCC) will be serving as a hub for information on the day. “It’s a great first stop for people to pick up a map and flyer and use the facilities at the community centre before they visit the artisans.”

The artisans make glorious wine, stunning cheeses from sheep and cow’s milk, grow gourmet mushrooms, crush rich olives for fresh and peppery olive oil, create delicious sausages, salami and smoked duck. Discover the unique flavour of black garlic, enjoy delicious sourdough pizza, delightful wines and original local artworks. The artisans include food creators, winemakers, ceramic artists, sculptors, wood workers, basket weavers, flower growers, a jeweller and the owners of the oldest pub in New Zealand pouring thirteen artisan beers and serving great meals.

Making for a wonderful social day out, Noël suggests meeting up with friends at the Moutere Hills Community Centre and carpooling to each stop. “Forget about your troubles and enjoy a wonderful day out in our stunning region. There is plenty of parking available at the community centre and Neudorf Black at 92 Neudorf Road.”

Theres and Hannes Krummenacher of Neudorf Mushrooms have been involved with the collective since the beginning and say the open day is a wonderful opportunity to meet people and talk them through the process of what they do. “It gives us the opportunity to show people that we are doing something that is very unique on our property, and for people to have some fun with us. It is a wonderful chance to exchange, and hopefully we will have some tastings of fresh mushrooms!”

Founding members Judy and Tim Finn of Neudorf Winery agree, saying the event showcases the exceptional talent we have in this little place called Upper Moutere. “We really love it! We get to see people we don’t normally get to see. It is a great institution and long may it continue!”

One of the newer members of the artisan group, jeweller Stacey Whale has been involved for around three years and says people can expect to see new contemporary art creations in her range of jewellery at the open day. “The event is a good, fun and inspiring day out for all!”

Not all Moutere Artisans are open to the public. Please check out individual listings and websites for opening hours and accessibility.

moutereartisans.co.nz

Moutere Artisans

invite you to explore their patch of paradise this autumn

The Moutere Artisans have been busy harvesting their crops, making their wares and stocking their shelves, to throw open their doors once again for their Autumn harvest open day. The Artisans invite you to their beautiful part of the region to experience the best of country living.

Michael MacMillan Sculptor & Country Homeware

Internationally recognized for his carved, kinetic and bold concrete sculpture. Here you’ll find two galleries full of Michael’s sculpture and bronze works. Discover his French Oak Homeware range and enjoy a coffee in a majestic country setting. Photography, painting and jewellery too. Open Thurs to Sun, 10am-5pm and by appointment.

Thorvald and Little River Estate

Taste award-winning sheep and cow cheese made by Thorvald and Little River Estate. Take some home and create a grazing platter with goodies made by fellow Moutere Artisan producers. If you can’t visit us, you can taste our cheese and find products from local producers at The Junction, Old Factory Corner. A great opportunity to try something new.

The Sausage Press Deli Co

Named after the antique sausage press Miles inherited from his parents. Miles and Steph Drewery produce cured, smoked small goods from their property nestled in the Moutere hills. They believe in great quality local produce supplied at a reasonable price from ethically sourced ingredients, excluding nasty extras. All products are free from nitrates and fillers using free-farmed NZ pork.

511

Flaxmore Vineyards

TASTE - outstanding wines from one of the Moutere’s newest wine labels from an established family vineyard. WALK - explore the vineyard for stunning views across the Moutere Valley to the Kahurangi ranges and beyond. ART - enjoy a visit to our unique gallery.

flaxmore.co.nz | 027 527 8680

24 Flaxmore Road, Upper Moutere

Neudorf Olives

We welcome you to wander through our scenic hilltop grove. Enjoy the stunning views and learn all about the process of turning olives into extra virgin olive oil. You will be able to taste our three delicious, full flavoured and distinct varieties of olive oil we have for purchase.

03 543 2434

598 Neudorf Road, Upper Moutere

Neudorf Vineyards

As the new wines from Vintage 2023 are safely tucked away for the cooler months, join us to celebrate the release of the Home Block Moutere Pinot Noir. Perfect for sipping fireside, when you have a piece of venison ready to hit the grill. For Moutere Artisans open day we will have the new pinot noir to taste along with our current portfolio.

neudorf.co.nz | 03 543 2643 138 Neudorf Road, Upper Moutere

Contemporary fine jewellery

Discover Stacey’s beautiful creations in her inspiring jewellery boutique in the heart of the Upper Moutere village. Stacey blends contemporary NZ art jewellery with classic fine jewellery design and her award winning style is refreshing and a delight to see.

staceywhale.com | 027 975 9204

1381 Moutere Highway, Upper Moutere

Neudorf Black

Come and sample New Zealand’s best range of gourmet Black Garlic products, including our new Black Honey. Forage for hazelnuts and say ‘hi’ to our alpacas. 021 0806 0150

92 Neudorf Road, Upper Moutere

Neudorf Road, Upper Moutere

Cinch up your bowyangs and fill your boots with the true West Coast story

Make a weekend of it, over on the West Coast. A perfect holiday destination this autumn, the replica gold-mining village of Shantytown Heritage Park, near Greymouth, offers award-winning historical attractions and relics of yesteryear. Hand-built in 1971 to preserve the West Coasts’ 19th-century gold, timber, and steam-powered pioneer history, Shantytown Heritage Park has been an international icon ever since. Spend a few hours with your family exploring the magic of Shantytown where you will gain an understanding of the wider environment and mindset that sculpts what we know as ‘Coasters’ to this day. Ride one of Shantytown’s Heritage Trains through the native rain forest along the Infants Creek Tram line, explore the Sawmill, and catch the mighty sluice gun blasting gold-bearing gravel from the cliff face. Follow the water races down to the gold claim, where the team will tutor you to find your own gold. On your way back through the forest to the heart of Shantytown, there are plenty of historical tidbits to soak up on the informative Timeline Trail.”

Once you arrive back on the main streets, it’s time to grab a snack from King Dick’s Cafe and enjoy browsing the broader township. Delving into the early years of colonisation as you wander around. Each building is part of the open-air museum experience, showcasing the West Coast pioneer story. Have a cold drink and your ‘Old Time’ photo taken at the Golden Nugget Saloon, then clamp your friends in a ball and chain at the Gaol for an amusing picture. Take a rare glimpse into a functioning Masonic Lodge or a quiet moment in the historic church. On your way to the Steam Shed, you’ll also pass the scariest exhibit at Shantytown, Rewa Hospital. Full of instruments that would make your eyes water in a modern hospital setting.

Laugharne Kemp, Shantytown Heritage Park Marketing Manager says, “It’s a nearly forgotten world to explore at Shantytown Heritage Park, so set aside enough time for a proper visit. The rest of your journey around ‘The Coast’ will be much more intriguing for it. From the gold that brought people here and transformed the landscape to the steam engines hauling people, products and timber through some spectacular yet, extremely hazardous environments. You will leave with plenty to ponder and an understanding of the true West Coast story.” shantytown.co.nz

Murchison’s adventure and heritage park

The Buller Gorge Swingbridge Adventure and Heritage Park is a must-see tourism destination, rich with history, and flora and fauna that is a delight to explore. Located just hours away from Nelson, Picton, Westport, the West Coast, and Christchurch, the Adventure Park is place of excitement and adventure where visitors can walk the heights of New Zealand’s longest swingbridge, feel the rush of the cometline ride, experience the thrill of a jet boating experience, pan for abundant gold treasure, or simply relax on one of the many nature walks.

Suspended 19 metres high above the mighty Buller River, the 110m long Buller Gorge Swingbridge is a must-do for locals and visitors alike. The park has attractions for everyone whether you can spare five minutes, or a few hours, time will be well spent in the Buller Gorge Swingbridge Adventure and Heritage Park. “Try a ride high above the river on our highspeed 160m Comet Line suitable for all ‘young at heart’ ages” - “Take the ride solo or with a friend – the more weight on the ride the faster it goes!”

The 40min Jet Boat ride will take you up the mighty Buller Gorge, between pink granite rocks, and through beautiful native forest before spinning around and heading upstream to the spectacular white water of the Ariki Falls. “Forget the rest do the best. The driver will pull over at Deep Creek to allow you to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the river, interrupted only by the calls of the native birds, before relating a short story of the natural history of the area.”

The land at the top of White’s Peninsula has been a working claim for more than 120 years and the river is still mined today, with the team providing expert tuition on panning and ‘dirt’ from their favourite secret spot. “Visitors are bound to find some gold. They are also able to go down to the river and pan for as long as they like – and what they find they can keep!”

413 Upper Buller Gorge Road, Murchison 0800 Buller bullergorge.co.nz

Shantytown Village from Viewing Lookout

Experience Chatham Island

Fly from Wellington or Christchurch direct to Chatham Island. Experience eight days in one of New Zealand’s most remote and unique places.

Tour #47 is for 8 days and 7 nights on Chatham X Wellington

Incorporating the 2023 Chatham Islands Festival of Science (Complimentary)

Mon 14th August 2023, departs Wellington 2.00pm – arrive

Chatham Islands 4.30pm

Mon 21st August 2023, departs Chatham Islands 9.45am –arrive Wellington 11.15am

Tour #48 is for 8 days and 7 nights on Chatham X Christchurch

Incorporating the 2023 Chatham Islands Festival of Science (Complimentary)

Tues 15th August 2023, departs Christchurch 2.00pm – arrive

Chatham Islands 5.00pm

Tues 22nd August 2023, departs Chatham Islands 10.00am –arrive Christchurch 11.45am

Tour #49 is for 8 days and 7 nights Chatham X Christchurch

Tues 5th December 2023, departs Christchurch 2.00pm –arrive Chatham Islands 5.00pm

Tues 12th December 2023, departs Chatham Islands 10.00am –arrive Christchurch 11.45am

Tour #50 is for 8 days and 7 nights on Chatham X Wellington

Wed 3rd January 2024, departs Wellington 2.00pm – arrive

Chatham Islands 4.30pm

Wed 10th January 2024, departs Chatham Islands 9.45am –arrive Wellington 11.45am

All inclusive costing per person: Single shared facilities $4,455

Twin/double with ensuite $4,555 | Superior suites $4,655

Make up your party now and take advantage of your preferred accommodation while availability lasts.

Join Merv’s Chatham Island Tours

“An experience you will never forget.” – Merv Halliday

There are few places on earth like Kaikōura

A small coastal village offering breath taking views that will stop you in your tracks. The towering snow-clad mountains known as the Seaward Kaikōura’s provide a stunning backdrop over the town centre which extends out to the Kaikōura Peninsula, where the waves of the Pacific Ocean roll in. These mountains rise to heights which are 2600m and the Kaikōura undersea canyon plunges to depths of over 1200m very close to shore, these two factors alone make Kaikōura incredibly unique.

Local tour operators offer the chance to watch whales, dolphins, seabirds, and many other species of marine life on a daily basis, by boat, flight and by land. With wet suits provided, visitors can even join dolphins and seals in their ocean environment. Kaikōura is also renowned worldwide as a birding hotspot; within just a small area, you’ll meet one of the greatest varieties of seabirds and pelagic birdlife you’ll find anywhere! Such as the Hutton’s shearwater which is an endangered seabird endemic to Kaikōura. The only place in the world that this species breeds is high in the Seaward Kaikōura Ranges at elevations between 1200 to 1800m.

Kaikōura is also renowned for its great fishing grounds, which anyone can enjoy by boat with a local fishing guide. Experience scuba diving the undersea world for some of the best reef diving in the country or kayaking around the ruggedly beautiful Peninsula.

If you prefer to stay on land, there is quad biking on a working beef and sheep farm with some exhilarating views, you can visit the lavender farm, enjoy a massage or a beauty treatment, check out the many mountainbike and walking tracks or explore Kaikōura’s history at Fyffe House and the museum, to name a few.

We invite you to discover what makes Kaikōura so unique – a place that’s one of a kind; unlike anywhere else.

kaikoura.co.nz

Kaikōura, mountains to the sea

Columnar basalt, Ohira Bay

South Island Getaways

Explore Kaikōura

Encounter Kaikoura is a multi-faceted tourism operation for visitors to Kaikōura offering two quite different tour experiences, a popular café to enjoy on the beachfront and some retail therapy – all on the same site!

Dolphin Encounter

The Dolphin Encounter tour has been operating for 33 years and over time has grown into a popular and sought-after marine mammal activity. It started from a very random idea which popped into the minds of two young men who were fishermen along the Kaikōura Coast at the time. With frequent sightings of dusky dolphins in the coastal area they wondered if it would be possible to create a dolphin swim experience. The rest is now history and over time the tour has grown into a unique and very much “in-demand” marine mammal encounter with Kaikōura’s dusky dolphins. They are interactive, curious, sociable and plentiful, and seeing them from the boat and also swimming with them in the open ocean can be a deeply emotional experience.

Albatross Encounter

The Albatross Encounter tour which commenced in 1998 is a seabird viewing extravaganza. Kaikōura is also known as the best place in the world to see multiple species of albatross year-round and this has attracted the attention of both committed birders and nature lovers who are keen to witness the sheer size and magnificent grace of these spectacular ocean-going birds for themselves.

Every tour passenger they carry contributes a percentage of their fare to their charitable trust – the Encounter Foundation. Established in 2009, the funds accumulate and directly support research and conservation programmes, as well as environmental enhancement opportunities. Since its inception the Albatross Encounter are proud to have donated $400,000 to a range of projects.

The beachfront café and gift shop completes the Encounter experience and is open daily for breakfast, lunch and quality coffee to be enjoyed in a beautiful setting. A large café courtyard and plenty of parking provide an easy stopping place to relax and recharge while taking some time to browse in our stylish gift shop.

encounterkaikoura.co.nz

Kaikura

Swimming with dolphins is a lifechanging experience.

What’s On

For updated information visit itson.co.nz

On now – 14 May TOSS WOOLLASTON EXHIBITION

Atkins Gallery – In association with the Toss Woollaston Trust, Painting Nelson/ Tasman. Exhibition event for Nelson Heritage Month Tuku 23. Open Saturdays 10 to 4pm and Sundays 12– 4pm.

6 April - 9 July

I AM TREASURED

See some of Nelson Provincial Museum’s most treasured objects. Quirky and heroic, beautiful and moving, this family-friendly exhibition is certain to surprise and delight everyone.

On now – 16 April

NSAS AUTUMN EXHIBITION

With guest artist Angela Maritz. Opening Wed 29 March, 5.30pm. Then open every day 9.30am – 4.30pm.

On now – 11 June

GARY BASEMAN: MEMENTO MOA

Step into the wild and wonderful world of artist Gary Baseman, filled with vibrant characters, dazzling colours, and boundless creativity. Don’t miss this must-see exhibition.

8 - 10 April

OLIVER! JR

Presented by Nelson Youth Theatre Company, ‘Oliver’ has strong characters and contrasting themes of light and dark which bring Dicken’s story memorably to life, accompanied by numerous well-known and much-loved songs.

8 - 10 April

EASTER WORD HUNT

Grab a map from reception in the Windmill and get hunting to unscramble the word! Fun for the whole family.

12 – 14 April

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Nelson Youth Theatre presents the musical based on one of the most screened movies of all time! Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music touches the hearts of all ages and brims over with some of the most memorable songs ever performed on stage. It’s sure to enchant the whole family.

The Suter Art Gallery

Theatre Royal Founders Heritage Park

Atkins Gallery, Founders Park

McKee Gallery within Suter Art Gallery

Theatre Royal

Nelson Provincial Museum

Rutherford Hotel Nelson

1. Kerry and Reece McLaughlan

2. Victoria Cooper, Anthea Whitlock, Aimee McCammon and Lisa-Jane Kew

3. Alice Hazlett and Belles Pollock

4. Crystel and Paul Burt

5. Merv Hall and Ricarda Scherschel

6. Robyn Sheves and Amanda Wiggins

7. Mary and Graeme Taylor

8. Lee and Lee Wright

9. Paul and Jenny Hunter

Mackenzie Charleton

Marchfest

Founders Park

1. Jonny McKitrick and William Matthews

2. Mel Potter, Will Browning and Nikki Rackley

3. Janene Hiefty and Michele O’Callaghan

4. Nic and Mitch Brydon

5. Sharna Dobson and Daniel Springer

6. Stephen Caunter and Raewyn Lovell

7. Kurtis Smyth, Dan Scott and Lloyd McLanchlan

8. Luka Taulilo and Apera Deer

Mackenzie Charleton

Founders Heritage Park

1. Hino Fukui and Tharu Wickrama

2. Vicky Yuen, Ren Inoue and Ayaka Sugihara

3. Kelly May and Andrew Luke

4. Marie Lindaya and Mary Bronsteter

5. Tracy Farrell and Joanne Mulvena

6. Nathan Capper and Deyna Hikuroa

7. Sebastian Torres, Daniela Morales and Ya Chu Tsou

8. Megan Savageau and Gavin Stott

Multicultural Festival

Mackenzie Charleton

*Except during public events School holiday & Easter fun, check our website for more details

The Granary, Founders Park

1. Fred Kramer and Sarah Jordan

2. Casey Elleny, Sophie Scotson and Asher Gibbins

3. Hilma Schieving and Frank Davey

4. Lauren Rasmussen and Ellen Hill

5. Mackenzie Rose and Julie Paul

6. Shiona Smith and Ann McMurray

7. Steph Smith, Megan Ward and Angela Tait

8. Sophie Jobe and Amber Murphy

Mackenzie Charleton

Cushla’s Village Fabrics offers patchworking, quilting fabrics & sewing accessories by leading labels from around the world.

136 Aranui Road, Mapua. P. 03 540 2011 E. cushla.fabrics@xtra.co.nz

HOURS: Mon - Fri 10-4pm, Sat - 10-1pm cushlasvillagefabrics.co.nz

Providing gentle guidance when you need it most

Providing gentle guidance when you need it most

Funeral Plans from: $2,250 (incl.gst)

Funeral Plans from: $2,250 (incl.gst)

Nelson I 03 539 0066 Richmond I 03 929 5145

Nelson I 03 539 0066 Richmond I 03 929 5145

nelson.simplicity.co.nz

nelson.simplicity.co.nz

Providing gentle guidance when you need it most

Funeral Plans from: $2,250 (incl.gst)

Nelson I 03 539 0066 Richmond I 03 929 5145

Three Gems Natural Skincare

Made in Nelson

PRESENTING 176 NILE STREET, NELSON

Welcome to this exquisite early 1900’s double-bay villa - a stunning example of classic New Zealand architecture. Set on flat and expansive park-like grounds, this remarkable residence boasts a sunny position and generous proportions, making it the perfect family home. Sympathetically and extensively modernised to retain the charm and character of her era, creating a seamless blend of old-world elegance and modern convenience.

Set Date of Sale: 4pm Friday 14 April 2023 (unless sold prior)

www.thecoopergroup.co.nz/properties/176-nile-street/

Debbie Cooper 021 0252 8294

debbie@thecoopergroup.co.nz

Ben Blair 027 848 3044

ben@thecoopergroup.co.nz