Nelson Magazine - June 2024

Maisey Rika at

Matariki

A new life in Nelson + +

Love, babies, and a bold journey

Stockists of Magnolia Pearl, Meg by Design & Beacon Hill’s Closet

Dress Circle View...

Coastal View Lifestyle Village in the Tāhunanui Hills has a variety of sunny and spacious house designs with private outdoor areas and generous space between neighbours.

Featured above is Coastal View’s latest design The Regal, at the front of the village . This design features a generous private deck with panoramic vie ws overlooking Tasman Bay. The Regal offers three spacious bedrooms, with an expansive lounge and living area.

The facilities at Coastal View also include a single level resthome/hospital care centre and separate specialised dementia centre – with large care suites... all with personal decks, leading to beautiful gardens .

This time last year I was talking with someone who had moved to Nelson and was excited to discover all the wonderful things about our region that many of us take for granted.

After conferring with my team here at Nelson Magazine, we decided that a new monthly feature called ‘New Life in Nelson’ would be a great way to share some of the stories of people who have decided to make Nelson home.

Since then we’ve featured people from all over the world who have found their way to Whakatū. From Zimbabwe to Mexico; Italy to India, and Columbia to Cambodia, we’ve been privileged to tell their stories each month.

This month we hear from Jarek Pole, who came to Nelson from Poland, via Hungary and France.

What I love about these interviews is the common shared love of Nelson. No matter what corner of the globe they began life, they’ve chosen to be here and to help make Nelson a better place. Without question Nelson has some incredible natural assets, but the addition of cultures from all over the world make it an even better place to be.

SarahNew Zealand multi-award winning Māori singer-songwriter Maisey Rika will be performing at the Matariki Festival on 28 June at Trafalgar Park. Pg 67

Abe Mora

EDITOR

Sarah Board | editor@nelsonmag.co.nz

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Tessa Claus | tess@topsouthmedia.co.nz

DESIGN

Patrick Connor, Kylie Owens, Toni Woolf

CONTRIBUTORS

Charles Anderson, Britt Coker, Alistair Hughes, Adrienne Matthews, Amy Russ, Matt Lawrey, Kate Dyer, Sara Hollyman, Chey Habib, Shelley Illingworth

ADVERTISING

Simone Stewart | simone@topsouthmedia.co.nz

Kirsten Ammann | kirsten@topsouthmedia.co.nz

PUBLISHER

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

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JIMMY BANKS NEW CEO

If you were to experience living in another country, where would it be?

David Hamlen-Williams Kerala, a state in India. They have beautiful waterways and national parks. Many Indian people who come to Nelson to live, work and study are from that state and I’d like to experience it.

Nelson

Congratulations to Lee Punt who won a Plant & Share gift box.

Arnold Sweden or Finland. They’re forward thinkers and I’m impressed by their education systems and technology.

Kōhatu Kohara is a family run stone carving business based in Whakatū. To be in to win a pair of Grossular Garnet earrings with stirling silver hooks email your best photo to editor@nelsonmag.co.nz. kohatu_kohara

Lee Punt

waterfront sunset.

Kahu Paul Jerusalem, because of the connection to God and the culture. It’s one of the oldest cities in the world.

Lynne

Arrun Pancha Istanbul, because of the cultural mix between the Middle East and Europe.

Navigate your options with one of our expert study navigators.

Chart a path to your qualification and fit learning into your life with one of our study navigators.

Book a call or an on-campus chat at our Nelson, Richmond, or Marlborough campuses.

nmit.ac.nz/study-navigators

What made news in our region...

Splashing innovation

Plant & Food Research in Nelson is making a splash with its new flume tank. The largest of its type in New Zealand, the flume tank will enable advances in marine and seafood science. The 190,000L tank produces a smooth, horizontal flow of water moving up to speeds of 1.5m per second. Technology or equipment can be lowered into the tank, to be put through its paces in a simulated ocean current. The large windows offer invaluable insights for scientists, engineers and developers from many fields – seafood, aquaculture, marine energy, marine robotics and more.

The map to Matariki

The trick to locating the Matariki star cluster is knowing when and where to look. In late June/early July, cast your gaze to the north-eastern horizon between 5.30-6.30 am. First, find the more familiar pot or saucepan (Orion’s Belt). Locate the bottom three stars of the pot (Tautoru). Looking to the left (northwards) is a bright orange star (Taumata-Kuku). Continue tracking left and you’ll see the cluster of stars we know as Matariki. There’re about 1000 in the cluster, nine are the most well-known, but most people can only see seven (or less) with the naked eye.

Whiskey winter warmer

Nelson’s first Winter Whisky Festival is set to take place from June 11-15, boasting a range of experiences centred around the famous drink. Hosted by Kismet Cocktail & Whisky Bar, the festival includes a series of whisky tastings, plus events such as food and whisky pairings and informal daily lunchtime talks from industry insiders. A highlight of the festival will be ‘Dram in the Clouds’ – an immersive experience which aims to showcase the subtle differences that elevation brings to whisky by sampling four whiskies at ground level, and again – after a short helicopter ride – atop the 1,500m summit of Mt Starveall.

Waimea College presents a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious show

It has been three long years since Waimea College’s last musical production, but, starting on 26 June, for five shows over four days, Mary Poppins will be flying into Nelson’s Theatre Royal. Production manager Tracy Gibbs, says more than 100 students are involved with the show, from cast to orchestra and the large crew behind the scenes. Portraying the magical Mary Poppins with her umbrella is Year 13 student Shenae Speedy, who is excited to bring classics such as ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ and ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’ to the stage.

Tait shoots for the stars

Tait Francis, a former Garin College student, is over the moon to be awarded a New Zealand Space Scholarship to study at NASA. This month, he will head to Pasadena, California, to spend three months working at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Tait is currently in the third year of his postgraduate research degree (PhD) at the University of Otago, the subject of which is all about chemistry in space, specifically chemistry of ice particles in the atmosphere of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.

Clearspan Glazing System

Clear Blinds

Getting to know... Betsy Fowler

One half of the driving force behind Pro Karts and Nelson Fun Park, Betsy Fowler tells us about her love of singing, dancing, her family, and that time she fled the Exclusive Brethren Church aged 18.

Something I learnt way later than I should have… Where do I start? No one is coming to save you; you must change your mindset to make things change. It’s an often-used quote, but it’s oh-so true!

I wish people knew… If you come from a colourful past, your past does not define who you are! It is ok to ask for help. Surround yourself with the right people, find a mentor, and seek a counsellor or psychologist; things will fall into place with time. Trust the process. It is tough, but so is staying the same and being miserable.

My real-life superpower is… Getting sh*t done! I don’t muck around. If something needs to be done, I’m on to it… pronto.

One thing I will never do again… There are many things I would not do again (cringe), but the first one that comes to mind is not shrinking myself to fit others’ expectations of me. Coming from a secluded background, I am not afraid of being loud and proud.

When I need advice, I go to… I have a few people I go to, but mostly my husband, dad, or brother. Between the three, they usually help me get back on track.

My biggest pet peeve… My cats licking themselves in the middle of the night at the end of our bed. I take my sleep a bit too seriously at times, especially since I have to get up early for a workout in the morning. At least, that’s what I tell myself!

I get myself out of a funk by… Assessing what the root of the problem is. I always ask myself ‘why?’. It’s usually because I’ve overdone it (I’m like a bull at a gate sometimes) and need to rest. So, I go through a self-care phase where I drink plenty of water, get massages, hibernate, get plenty of rest, eat nutritional meals, have lots of baths, light candles, gentle walks and take things slowly.

The biggest risk I have ever taken… Early one morning, when I was 18, I fled the Exclusive Brethren Church. I was living in Sydney at the time, leaving friends and family behind to find myself again. I was reunited with my immediate family. It all feels like a dream now, but yes, it happened.

I am most passionate about… Singing! I love to sing. Not for any reason other than how it makes me feel when I sing. It’s healing, euphoric and a temporary escape. Occasionally, I sing publicly to share a piece of my talent and let people feel what I feel when I sing.

At the weekend you will find me… Hanging out with my daughter and/or husband. My daughter and I love going to the Nelson Markets, singing, dancing, laughing, and hanging out. She is 12, so I make the most of every opportunity to hang with her until I’m not cool anymore! My biggest regret… Not believing in myself sooner. I still have little voices telling me untruthful things, but I just tell them to shut up. So, if you ever see me talking to myself, you’ll know why.

At a party you will find me… Lurking around the snacks, I love a good cheese, cracker, or chips and dip. Yummy! Or busting moves on the dancefloor. I love to let loose and have a good dance.

I hope in ten years I will be…. Living my best life to the fullest, surrounded by everyone I love. I also hope to be more advanced in music-making and singing my heart out more often.

Beach walks with my dog Mahlie.

My husband Nick Fowler.

Hanging with my daughter, Olivia Hill.

on the

couch

with Foodcom founder Julie North

Channeling a love for food and well-being to better connect businesses to consumers, Foodcom is a specialist consultancy that supports local start-ups and global brands, by integrating sound nutrition with clear communication into the food and beverage industry. This month, founder Julie North talks about getting it right when it comes to telling your ‘food story’.

Why is it important for businesses to have a specialist consultant on board?

A consultant can guide a business through the requirements to bring a product to market. Our expertise lies in claims, health marketing and storytelling - connecting businesses to consumers. We love to get to know the people behind the product and find the best way to engage with their audience. There are several challenges for a food business or industry to grow and enjoy success. It can seem daunting, but being compliant with food standards is essential. It can be quick and easy to set a clear direction, then it’s a matter of finding the story and getting it out there.

What does a typical week look like for Foodcom?

We could be checking over labels for an artwork refresh, preparing an annual report, creating resources for the health sector or schools, preparing information in Mandarin or German to support our foods in the overseas markets, running a social media campaign to engage food writers, or out in the field talking with growers at sunrise. We have a genuine passion for what we do and some of our best days involve high-vis and sturdy boots, others involve farmers, videographers and chefs.

What is your go-to tip for those in the industry?

Seek advice early. Time and investment are less wasted if you can get your plan robust from the outset. Google is not your friend when finding health benefits for your food and drinks. Compliance sets the tone for sound business and from there get into the fun. Don’t be shy - if you are in food production, be it field or factory, you are likely driven by a huge love for what you do, and great food. Let’s get your story out there. For those starting as a consultant - qualify in nutrition, food science and/or communications. It’s important to be able to sort fact from fiction. This also helps build useful networks. Look after those relationships and remember your integrity is your greatest asset. It helps to have a genuine love for good food - and a love for talking about it. Opportunities lie in building value, innovation and quality, then telling the story. There is plenty of passion in the food sector – let’s share it and get more people connected to our wonderful New Zealand food.

foodcom.nz

Foodcom founder Julie North.

Shane Christie

On his enforced retirement, his love of rugby and changes he says are needed for it to survive.

Shane Christie is a Mako legend who ended his rugby career early after suffering from repeated concussions. He tells Charles Anderson his story and how we need to be doing more to avoid the tragedy that can come from ignoring the sport’s ticking time bomb.

Here is a boy. Six years old, on the rugby pitch at Canvastown. It’s morning and frosty. The feel of ice crunching under small boots. The feel of picking up the ball from the back of a scrum, running down the left side, crossing the try line and putting it down. Shane Christie remembers it vividly - his first game. His first try. He’d play any chance he could, every lunch break. He’d watch his brothers play. He’d watch the All Blacks on the weekends on the TV at home. His was a childhood typical of so many players. He grew up with it, the feeling of strapping on boots on those cold weekend mornings. The rush of crossing a tryline. The exhilaration of watching the All Blacks. Typical. Until it wasn’t.

Shane also remembers his first concussion. He was now in Nelson, playing for the Nelson Rugby Club. They had just finished a game in Golden Bay and were heading back over the Takaka Hill. His teammates cracked open the beers. So did he. He had one and then had to tell the bus driver to pull over so he could vomit. He remembers his coach saying: “Oh you’ve had a knock.”

He told that story on a recent podcast episode but, after, he thought more. It wasn’t his first concussion at all. Back then ‘knocks’ were part of the game. You weren’t playing right, if you weren’t putting your body on the line, if you didn’t come away with a couple of those over your playing time. He thinks now that maybe his first concussion was when he was rollerblading on a halfpipe.

Evan Barnes/ Shuttersport

He slipped out and hit his head. Then another when he was playing bullrush at high school, got his tackle wrong and collected the knee of the school’s best rugby league player.

“I just got up and saw stars and felt pressure on my head and had headaches straightaway,” he says. “Basically, I just sort of looked around and ignored it. As a kid, even now, you do not think what damage you’re doing to your head.”

It wasn’t until later in his career that he started having an idea about it. From those Canvastown days he moved up the ranks after starting to take rugby more seriously when he turned 21, after the death of his stepfather.

That ambition turned to training hard. Shane made the Mako squad, eventually captaining them and then onto the Highlanders, which he also captained, and then onto the Māori All Blacks.

Early on, he received another concussion while at a trial for Nelson Bays. Again, he went in hard for a tackle and hit the hip bone of his target. When he stood up, Shane walked off in the wrong direction. He went to the on-site ambulance and couldn’t remember his name or address.

He remembers his friend driving back to where he was living in Richmond. They picked up chocolate milk from a store on the way home. Shane took a sip. Looked at the bottle and couldn’t fathom what he was drinking. He had forgotten what it tasted like.

“I knew it wasn’t right. I knew who my friend was. He was talking to me, and I could understand what he was saying.

But I just couldn’t remember what the drink was and why it tastes so good and familiar.”

Memory is a strange thing. Over the course of Shane’s career he thinks he likely had dozens of concussions. These are types of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, creating chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretching and damaging brain cells.

But Shane remembers those incidents with astounding clarity. Dates, people, times. He remembers the player at the Nelson Bays’ trial whose hip crashed into his head.

“It’s the emotions,” he says. “The same thing why I remember scoring that first try. Something is changed by emotions that make it stick out. Emotions make you remember.”

It wasn’t until 2016 when he started to have serious concussion problems. Sometimes he would play games and feel like he was on autopilot. He would look back and not really remember anything about what happened.

His loyalty was to his teammates. So over the course of three months, he tried to come back. He would train apart from his team, slowly working himself up. He couldn’t abide loud noises or being in a social setting for long periods. So this time was also isolating for Shane. He was trying to build tolerance in his brain to be able to handle the sorts of work it would need to stand up on the playing field. But as soon as he started to run he would get stabbing pains.

“When you think about that and what you need to be able to play contact rugby. You know your brain can’t tolerate the same collisions.”

It came slowly, the inevitable decision. But he knew it was time. His time playing the game was over.

“I love the sport, and I hope it lasts a long time, but it’s not going to. It’s not going to if we don’t make changes.”

In that year, Shane says he received a few concussions while playing for the Mako. Then, when he went to play Super Rugby for the Highlanders, he had three or four over a three or four game period, over about six weeks.

“I’d lost the tolerance to handle them,” he says. “I’d lost the tolerance so much that I couldn’t exercise.” What does that feel like?

“It feels like a bruise in your head, and when you’re walking it hurts. So when you’re thinking it hurts, when you’re trying to exercise the pressure hurts, and you’re not as fast and can’t think as quick.”

During the summer break, Shane would try to run but found any sort of high intensity was impossible. When he came back to the Highlanders he managed a couple of short runs. He thought he would be fine to start training. Then, during a lineout practice, he lifted one of his teammates and when they came down their elbow clipped him in the head. It was a small knock, comparatively. But when your brain is in the condition Shane’s was, any kind of trauma sets you all the way back.

One of the dynamics at play in this scenario is how players may or may not talk about the extent of their problems with management. These are high performance athletes whose income relies on their ability to play at a certain level. Anything that compromises that compromises their ability to earnand the future of their contract.

For Shane, he didn’t realise how severe his head was at the time.

“I was hoping it was my neck issues but without stricter protocols I was able to play.”

“I was gutted,” he says. “I knew I couldn’t play, so I went through this phase of thinking ‘what am I going to do’?”

Because the tolerance in his brain was so low for any sort of stimulus, the stress of losing a career was magnified.

“How you handle stress is limited because your mind can’t compute things the same way … I’d get angry. I was frustrated by a lot of things. The general stress from the symptoms and then the stress from losing the game, your career, identity, the doubts about the future, short term, long term.”

But the conversations happening around Shane were not about the rest of his life. They were about his ability to play right now. What needed to be proved so he would be eligible for a small payout on retiring from the game.

“It’s short-term thinking … we are not looking at what life looks like 10 to 20 years after. If we don’t start looking at that timeframe, how can we prepare players and give them the best health advice for their life. Professional sport becomes just like a rotisserie.”

Shane became the latest victim of that rotisserie in 2016, when he stopped playing. He didn’t play in 2017, hoping to make his comeback. In 2018 he finally retired, aged 32.

But it was earlier, in 2015, when Shane first saw the movie ‘Concussion’. Set during the 2000s, the film stars Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who fights against the National Football League trying to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional American football players.

CTE is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse over time and can result in dementia.

“I knew exactly what it was. I don’t remember where and why I watched it. People would say, ‘bro you

don’t want to watch that’. I was like, ‘this is what we are doing’.”

Shane recognised similarities in what CTE presented and what he was experiencing. Moments of psychosis. Where he couldn’t distinguish what he was doing. Short term memory loss. Irritability.

Former All Blacks Carl Hayman and Regan King are also among more than 200 named claimants currently suing World Rugby over exactly these types of neurological injuries.

Closer to home, you can’t talk about this topic without talking about Bill. Billy Guyton. Mako legend, teammate of Shane’s for four years. One of his best friends.

Shane still remembers the phone call in May of last year. The person on the other end of the line told him, matter of factly, that Billy had taken his life. He was 33. It didn’t hit Shane until a few days later.

Guyton’s family decided to donate his brain to the Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank at the University of Auckland. Following post-mortem analyses conducted in New Zealand and Australia, Billy was diagnosed with stage 2 CTE in March of this year, becoming the first New Zealand-based player to be officially diagnosed with the disease.

In response, New Zealand Rugby said it acknowledged the Guyton family for their loss and continued grief surrounding the passing of Billy.

“We share the family’s concern at his diagnosis. NZR is concerned about the possibility that repeated head impacts during participation in rugby may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases in later life.”

Shane and Billy were having concussion problems around the same time. They both were launching their coaching careers too, after retiring from the game. That’s when they didn’t spend as much time together. It’s something that Shane regrets.

“Bill was way more outspoken than I am. Now I’m just trying to have the courage to speak my mind about what I see. He has motivated me to do that.”

What he is talking about is a frustration with entities like NZR who will not publicly acknowledge the link between the types of head knocks Billy and Shane received over their careers and their brain damage. Especially in light of the amount of money that is spent on the game.

“You think about Eden Park. You know that’s one of the biggest stadiums in the country. The Cake Tin, Dunedin and Christchurch. We spend millions and millions of dollars on the organisation to entertain, but we’re not putting the right resources into health from the outcome of the sports.”

Shane does worry about the future. His symptoms escalated after Billy died. When he was really bad, his middle finger was twitching severely on both hands, along with his elbow.

“That’s like nerve damage. So I’m worried, but I’m not going to think negatively about it. I’m going to use my time. What it does give me is a bit more confidence

because I’m pretty lucky in a lot of ways to sit here and speak … but there needs to be truth. We can’t be ignorant and say, ‘oh, yeah, they did everything they could;’ like they say. That’s not true.”

“Everything they could” looks like a greater acknowledgement of the impact that repeated head injuries have on players - not just professionals. Shane believes kids shouldn’t start playing until they are much older. He thinks there needs to be a wider catalog of what players have head knocks over the years from all their teams. Just switching teams or schools, or locations should not matter.

“A doctor needs the full picture. Not just from the time they are with a particular team. If they can look at that history and see what has taken place then they can better inform those players about how they should play the game, or whether they should play at all.”

It also looks like better insurance for players, better collaboration between NZR, ACC and teams to make sure that if they have long term injuries, they are looked after, even after retiring.

But if he could speak to that six-year-old kid on the Canvastown rugby pitch, what would he say?

“I have no regrets, nothing. I loved my career. I’m so stoked to have had the opportunities that it gave me. I love the sport, and I hope it lasts a long time, but it’s not going to. It’s not going to if we don’t make changes.”

TOP: Shane in action for the Mako against Hawke’s Bay at Trafalgar Park. Shuttersport. ABOVE: Shane, right, hanging out with his mate Billy Guyton.

Love, babies, and a bold journey

Melanie Arthur and Leah Kerr made headlines last year when they announced that they were going to have each other’s babies. Charles Anderson speaks to the Nelson couple about their journey and how life looks now with two new additions to the family.

Tessa Claus

They don’t do things by halves. When Leah Kerr and Melanie Arthur met each other about 10 years ago, they became friends. Now they have had each other’s babies.

It was three years ago when that friendship turned into something more. Fast forward and now they have crammed in two pregnancies, two births, a soon-tobe wedding and a honeymoon. All with six-month olds Alfie Allan and Charlie Elias Arthur-Kerr in tow.

When they got together it was not without its pain - both leaving previous relationships with two children each.

“We just didn’t know how true love would feel until we found it,” says Melanie.

That became their north star. So when the dust settled, they sat down and asked each other what it was that they wanted out of their lives - that was just theirs. Melanie said ‘travel’. Leah said ‘children’.

“In my mind, I was like, if I ever had a child with a female I'd want to swap eggs, so therefore the baby is a part of both of us,” Leah says. “If Melanie had her own, and I had just my baby, I don't think we would have cared, but it just takes that layer away.”

It also means they are both allowed to be on the birth certificate, which is rare for the situation.

However, Melanie wasn’t sure. They already had four other children between them, aged between 11 and 20, and she worried about the impact of bringing another

ABOVE: Melanie Arthur and Leah Kerr with babies Charlie and Alfie. The couple used IVF last year to fall pregnant with each other’s egg and the same sperm donor.

complexity into their lives. They had counselling to help them come to the right decision.

“I didn’t want to push Melanie to have children, and whatever we decided we wanted to make sure no one felt pressured into it,” says Leah.

But soon they realised that this was a way of solidifying their love and their relationship.

“It kind of spiralled from there,” says Leah

They moved out into a tiny home in Todds Valley, a space that was just theirs to build their new lives. Then they set about planning how they would have each other’s babies - Leah’s eggs inserted into Melanie, and vice versa, both with the same sperm donor.

“We went for our initial visit and then the gynecologist said it's a four year minimum wait for a donor in New Zealand,” says Leah.

That sort of time frame did not suit.

“We wanted to go through it together,” Leah says. “It came a bit down to us being close to 40. It was like ‘we're gonna do this anyway’. And it's like, may as well do it now rather than wait until, I don't know, 42 or 44.”

So they did their own research on private platforms where people were offering their sperm. Unsurprisingly, they found a few duds.

Following this, they underwent daily hormone injections for IVF and the egg retrieval procedure. In the end, Melanie had six fertilized eggs, while Leah had nine.

So they had their donor. Then they had harvested their eggs. From there, it was a traditional IVF process. The only other difference being that neither woman ever had difficulty falling pregnant. So once they were both inseminated they pretty much knew it had worked.

“Five days later I was nauseous,” says Leah. They hadn’t told anyone but had a slip up when they decided to take pregnancy tests and left it on the window sill. Melanie’s mother found it.

The news was initially met with mixed reactions from friends and family, and confusion from some over their decision to swap eggs, but now the majority of their loved ones are supportive.

“In my mind, I was like, if I ever had a child with a female I’d want to swap eggs, so therefore the baby is a part of both of us.”

“We had two people who private messaged with all of the information,” Melanie says. “One of them had been through the clinic and they wouldn’t allow him to donate anymore because they had reached their capacity. So that kind of put us off.”

There were also some concerns from their specialists. The idea of having two mothers going through pregnancy at the same time was not particularly heard of. Also there was a risk that if the eggs split then they would be dealing with four babies, not two.

But that did not deter them and, soon enough, they had their donor.

“He asked us early on if race was an issue,” says Melanie.

They hadn’t thought about that. It turns out the donor was from Uganda. While they believed it might throw up some issues they hadn’t thought about, they decided it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle.

Despite Leah, Melanie, and the donor all having genetic markers for four separate conditions, they were relieved to discover that none of these conditions were passed on during testing. This allowed them to proceed with IVF at the end of 2022 without concerns.

But it was their other children whose reactions they cared about the most. Leah’s daughter had her reservations about it at the start. She called it a terrible idea. But now that the babies are older she is one of their biggest fans.

“She has actually been amazing with them. If we give her the babies, she will hold them and she's so good with them.”

Before any of that, they needed to actually give birth. Their due dates were six days apart. There were nerves they could possibly go into labour at the same time or miss each other’s births.

Leah was induced first at 37 weeks and six days.

Alfie's growth was found to be stunted during a scan, coupled with Leah experiencing high blood pressure and suspected pre-eclampsia, necessitating his early delivery.

“It was safer to get him out.”

Pre-eclampsia, a perilous pregnancy condition marked by high blood pressure and fetal growth restriction, poses severe risks to both mother and baby if left untreated.

Additionally, Leah grappled with persistent pain due to two herniated discs in her back. Despite being advised to undergo spinal surgery during pregnancy—a significant decision—she managed to hold off until reaching 37 weeks.

Reflecting on Leah's resilience, Melanie recounts the moment when, at 37 weeks pregnant, they decided to wait until after birth for the surgery. Leah recalls enduring escalating pain throughout labour,

culminating in Alfie's birth after seven hours of intense labour on November 1, 2023.

During the pivotal moment of birth, with the midwife momentarily absent, Melanie glimpsed the imminent arrival of Alfie's head. Although momentarily taken aback, she swiftly adjusted, contemplating whether she would need to assist in catching the baby.

Fortunately, Alfie was born with one powerful contraction just before the midwife returned to safely receive him.

However, he was very small and needed to be admitted to the Special Care Baby Unit.

Melanie says it felt like she herself had already had a baby.

“But I was still pregnant. I've got a baby here. So it was weird.”

She praises the hospital staff for how they looked after them.

“The hospital staff were really lovely. They put another bed in Leah's room, so we just stayed in for the week, which they usually don't do.”

But they had another birth to prepare for.

Melanie had undergone Caesarean sections for her first two births due to the absence of spontaneous

labour. Given her history, a C-section was scheduled for November 20 as a precautionary measure, though Melanie remained open to the possibility of a natural birth before that date if feasible.

“I remember the midwife saying, ‘I don’t know if you’ll make it that long. With all the hormones in this house, you’ll probably go into labour soon’. This was actually quite a science experiment having two women together in the same household,” says Melanie.

It turns out they were right.

On November 11, Melanie thought she was experiencing lots of Braxton Hicks contractions during the day. Then, she found something was definitely happening after getting out of the shower that night.

“I was drying myself, but I was still wet.”

Her water had broken.

Since it was 10pm, Melanie's mum hurried over to care for baby Alfie, allowing Leah and Melanie to return to Nelson Hospital for the second time in just one week.

“As much as it terrified me because I’ve never done it, I thought I should try and do a natural birth,”

Melanie says.

However, those plans were put to the side when she ended up having an emergency Caesarean after a scan during labour showed her baby was breech.

1. Leah with Alfie. 2. Charlie and Alfie Arthur-Kerr were born ten days apart. 3. Melanie with Charlie.

So, with Leah right by her side in the operating room, Charlie Elias Arthur-Kerr was born a healthy 3.9kg.

They had been used to Alfie being tiny. So when Charlie came out he was huge.

“I turned to the anaesthetist and said, ‘I’m quite glad I didn’t have to push that out.”

When they arrived they got used to having two babies in the house and realised that every child was different. All their previous children had been relatively easy. Charlie and Alife, however, are very particular about their needs. It means that each of the mothers will breastfeed the other, particularly if it means allowing the other to get some sleep.

“Like my previous kids, but they would just kind of, like, chill out on the floor and play with the toys,”

Melanie says.

These boys, however, need constant stimulation.

“So every day we just go somewhere. Like for a walk or whatever. We just go somewhere.”

The couple are besotted by the new additions to the family.

“We feel that they're both equally our babies,” says Melanie. “Technically he’s not my DNA, but he feels like my DNA.”

While the boys aren’t technically twins, they are considered twins by the Multiples NZ society.

Melanie and Leah are both on maternity leave until the end of the year and plan on making the most of it.

The couple are looking forward to their Queenstown wedding this month, then the boys will be baptised the next day with their closest friends and family present.

They have managed to find a priest who is accommodating of their unique circumstances.

And then it’s off to Italy for their dream honeymoon with the babies in tow. Venice, Parma, Tuscany and London are all on the cards.

“We can’t wait,” Leah says.

They will have to return to work later in the year, which will have its own set of challenges. But after everything they have gone through, they know they made the right choice.

The wedding and honeymoon will cap off a journey two years in the making, one that resulted in the latest additions to the family.

Pole dancing

Imagine barrels of cabbage so large that children jumped into them barefoot and stomped on the vegetable to make sauerkraut, like grape growers once made wine. Jarek Pole doesn’t have to imagine.

As told to Britt Coker.

Iwas born in Poland. In a small town of 55,000 people called Bełchatów, in the middle of Poland, about two hours south of Warsaw. I never saw the ocean until I was 16. I left Poland when I was about 26 and started living in Hungary and then moved to Spain, then Paris, France and then New Zealand. I came here eight years ago.

Poland is a flat country, we have mountains in the south. It’s about 40 million people. After the Ukraine war over 2 million Ukrainian refugees were accepted in Poland and almost treated as citizens. I am very proud of my people for that. You can see next week’s weather on the horizon, so it doesn’t change as much as it does here. Most of the time it’s cold and it rains. The summer is from June until August, so three months of summer, and half of the year you don’t see the sun, pretty much. The sun goes down in the winter around 3.30pm.

The Polish are very generous people. The hospitality is at a completely different level. If I go there, and I see any of my cousins or aunts at their house, the table is usually right away full of food and it’s an insult not to eat it. It’s an insult not to actually put lots of food on the table. They’re generous amongst friends; they’re very curious about foreigners and treat them like their own brothers. Between themselves, Polish are not that nice, definitely Kiwis are much better. For example, here pretty much anyone in the city path walks would say, ‘hi.’ Even to a stranger. Its not like that in Poland.

Poland was between Russia and Germany for about 1000 years and that’s a very unfortunate position to be. My father’s generation was the first one that did not experience the war. Every other generation experienced war for a thousand years. So, you can imagine the generational baggage the nation carries. The religion in Poland plays a big role in people’s life, we are Catholic. Here the religion is much more about the community than the faith, at least that’s my own vision. When I was a kid, pretty much everyone was in the church on Sunday.

I go to Poland every one or two years and I take my daughter (10) with me. Although she doesn’t reply in Polish, she understands everything I say, and when she goes to Poland it takes her about a week for her brain to switch and then she starts talking Polish. The aim is not for her to be perfect in speaking Polish, it’s for her to have a certain flexibility in her brain later on so that she can use those neural pathways to learn better. She speaks Hungarian as well.

Kiwis are much more friendly to each other and much more pragmatic. I think it’s also historical; if you are all on the island, if everyone knows each other then you have to be nice to each other to survive.

The Polish don’t beat around the bush and that was one of the learnings when I left Poland, to be indirect.

I found it sweet [the New Zealanders’ polite way of interacting], once you acknowledge that, once you are fine with that, but you need to learn when yes means no and when yes means yes.

We wanted to move away from Paris [to raise a child].

I didn’t want to go to Poland, the climate and cultural things. I didn’t want to put my kid in Polish education system. It’s an old traditional way, a lot of discipline and I didn’t want my daughter to go through the same thing I did. It turns out that New Zealand is not only great from the nature point of view, but it’s amazing for bringing up kids. There’s much more learning from play, much less discipline that is based on fear.

We have this perception [of Nelson] of white and conservative, but when you start speaking to people on the street, most people have an accent. So there are lots of migrants with diverse backgrounds and I love that. A mix of cultures and mindsets which is really healthy.

I do spear fishing, tramping, kayaking, classic Nelson. There’s quite a vibrant Latin dance community that is growing right now, salsa and bachata. Latinos have an ability to create very rich music and quite complex music which for me personally sparks a lot of joy when I dance. And you don’t do it by yourself, you do it with another person, so when you start dancing with the partner, joy can be shared, and it can be shared right away because people feel the joy very easily.

We have a small Polish community here. There’s 40 or 50 of us. We meet often, and every year we have Christmas at Rabbit Island. The classic Polish dish is probably not something you would enjoy much. It’s called bigos and is made from sauerkraut. We have a short summer and so much winter, this is the way we preserve food for ages. I remember us harvesting cabbage, shredding it and having these big 200 litre barrels. The kids were actually walking on the cabbage to get the juice out before fermentation.

I feel 30% Kiwi. I feel like it’s my home. But I’m very much Polish and I’m also carrying inside the cultures of where I have lived for a long time.

I think this is for every migrant, when you leave and you decide to go somewhere else, you disappear from the lives of people that are important to you. So there’s some sort of grief and sadness that you have to face because that connection is missing, but eventually you stop becoming who you are there because the language defines also the way you think, and the way you behave, at least I believe that language cuts the reality into different pieces. So somehow becoming someone else that you started your life with, and when you go back to your motherland you realise are not the same person. There’s some kind of loss of identity in it. And part of becoming a lifelong migrant is to understand that it comes with the package, and accept that.

1. Jarek also lived in Paris for two years between 2014 - 2016. 2. Enjoying the great outdoors spearfishing near D’Urville Island. 3. Salsa dancing at Lonestar’s social latin dance party. 4. With daughter Olivia last year at Nelson City Council’s Citizenship Ceremony.

World acclaimed artist’s work on show at Nelson Museum

Natalie Kere turned her childhood love of rock hunting into creating exquisite resin creations and art which has been exhibited in New York, Paris and Spain, with shows in London and Austria later this year.

“To make it to Europe is something I’ve wanted for a really long time,” she admits, “but I don’t really want to brag, I just want to create.”

It is a remarkable achievement for the modest local artist and carver for several reasons, one of them being the fact that she is a woman.

“I’ve talked to traditional carvers, and some don’t like the fact that a woman is carving,” Natalie recalls. “That’s the old school, but I found it only made me more determined.”

In fact, Natalie is now introducing groups of women to carving, and sharing her own knowledge.

The other obstacle which she has had to contend with is debilitating endometriosis, which ironically motivated her to want to be an artist.

I need to work for myself, rather than somebody else because I never know when I’ll be in pain. But I’m incredibly fortunate to be creative and I’m passionate about being able to create.”

Natalie says it is easy to give in to the pain but passionately believes in encouraging other sufferers to not let it stop them.

“You can still succeed and live a life where you’re happy, you just have to find something that works around it. I’ve found it pushes me to create.”

Natalie credits her Māori heritage for a strong connection to the rivers and land, and a passion for the geology unique to the Nelson region. Her artistic journey began when she felt driven to create something with her substantial collection of stones.

“I was fascinated with minerals and what was inside,” she says. “I start with an idea in my head and carve freehand. My work is contemporary and not traditional at all.”

As well as exquisite jewellery her creativity also finds expression in delicately veined and hued resin artwork, inspired by the interiors of the stone she carves.

Despite her work being showcased in major European galleries, what Natalie is most excited about at the moment is inclusion in the upcoming Pakohe Unearthed exhibition at the Nelson Provincial Museum, opening on June 22.

“Pakohe is also called argillite,” explains Natalie, “and it is especially significant for Ngāti Kuia. The exhibition will show how Māori originally used pakohe, and the evolution through time to carving now.”

Once again, Natalie is the only female carver featured among work from a collection of talented male peers, but has more than earned that right.

“The carvers represented are incredible, both Māori and Pakeha - it’s definitely worth seeing.”

Te Tuhi o te Whenua: Pakohe Unearthed Nelson Provincial Museum 22 June - 6 October nataliekereart.com

Natalie Kere’s work represents her connection to her Māori culture.

Taleea Kere, Tkaptured Photography

On the Street

Meet Kingston Pimley, a Motueka High School student and aspiring model whose style is always on point, blending casual femininity with timeless staples and a pop of colour – but never orange.

What are you wearing today?

A red leather jacket, black ripped jeans, Vans and Karen Walker accessories.

What is your style?

Casual with a feminine touch.

What is most of your wardrobe made up of?

Mainly denim and leather, and cotton shirts in black or white. I mostly go for classics then add a pop of colour or something different.

What are you loving at the moment?

Leather coats in a business suit style.

What are you dressed for today?

I’m dressed for a day of shopping in Nelson.

Where do you buy most of your clothes from?

Mostly from online stores for pieces that are a bit different, I love The Iconic. I also like op shopping but don’t always find it easy to get pieces that I love or that fit well. I’m quite picky when it comes to clothes.

What is your approach to shopping?

When I see something dark coloured, especially in leather, I have to have it. I consider what is in my wardrobe already and what is going to work.

What is your all-time favourite purchase?

This red leather jacket.

What has been your worst clothing disaster?

When I’ve rushed out the door too quickly and haven’t considered how the pieces in my outfit will pair together. The worst was probably when I was in a rush and heading out to dinner. I had thrown on leather pants, a brown leather jacket, and a white Tommy Hilfiger shirt – it was not my best work; it did not pair well.

What wardrobe item should everyone invest in?

Outerwear, like a good dress jacket, or anything leather – it will last well and look great.

Do you have a style rule you always obey?

Make sure everything pairs well together; think about the whole look.

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

Either my cousin from Christchurch – she has a really fancy wardrobe – or my older sister.

Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing… Anything orange.

Tessa Claus

Jellicoe’s

exciting new direction

Long-established and well-loved local business Jellicoe is moving into an exciting new phase.

Owners Deeanne and Gareth Hobbs, who already supply 80 stores around New Zealand with their Jellicoe and Deeanne Hobbs designer clothing ranges and hundreds of retail customers online throughout the country and globally, have made the decision to shut the doors of their retail store in the Whakatū Estate so they can concentrate on expanding the online and wholesale sides of their business.

“We have loved having the store open for our wonderful Nelson customers, but with two key staff leaving us it is the right time to make the change,” says Deeanne.

Shirlene Hunter has been with the company for 26 years and is leaving for Western Australia for a change of lifestyle, while Julie Brawley, who has been at the shop front on and off for 17 years, has also made the decision to retire.

Seamstress Sandy Langdon, who has been with Jellicoe for 24 years, faithfully sewing Deeanne’s designs into being, continues with Jellicoe. “She is going to be just as busy as ever, as will our other staff who work hard behind the scenes to help bring each collection to life,” says Gareth.

The changes are going to free Deeanne up to grow the fabric design side of the business, “Deeanne has special skills in that area, and it is very special to be able to incorporate her own designs in both our Jellicoe and Deeanne Hobbs clothing ranges.”

Each month a new range of clothing will continue to hit stores around the country and in Jellicoe’s online store. “We encourage our retail customers to sign up on the website to receive our monthly newsletters so that they can be the first to hear about the latest styles,” says Deeanne.

Deeanne has always had a love of ceramics, and in the small amount of spare time she has she will continue to produce her line of one-of-a-kind porcelain and white clay vases, bowls and sculptural pieces. Each are intricately detailed with texture, flowers, and enhanced with 24 carat gold. They are available from the Red Art Gallery in Bridge Street.

She and Gareth also need extra time these days for travel overseas to keep up-to-date with international trends and fabrics and source the extra components they need that give their designs the unique style that has become their signature.

“Until the physical shop side of the business ends later in the month, we will have some good discounts in store and look forward to catching up with our customers. Although we won’t be seeing them in person afterwards, we will be very much interactive with them online.”

jellicoe.co.nz

Shirlene Hunter, Deeanne and Gareth Hobbs, Julie Brawley, Luci Russell and dogs Wilson and Archie.

Be proactive for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

Know the symptoms and get checked. That's the message from Tasman Day Surgery in support of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. They firmly believe that utilising a proactive approach to healthcare encourages people to take charge of their well-being. With bowel cancer being one of the deadliest, but most preventable diseases, the team urge people to talk to a health professional about any recent changes to their abdominal health.

Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is a major problem in New Zealand and can affect any part of the large bowel (colon) or rectum. If left untreated, the cancer can spread (metastasise) beyond the bowel to other organs and become much harder to treat.

Each year in New Zealand more than 3300 people are diagnosed with Bowel Cancer, and one in ten of those are under the age of 50. Doctors Tom Burton, Omer Hajelssedig, Nick Anticich and Jane Strang are just some of the specialists who bring their expertise and extensive knowledge to Tasman Day Surgery.

“There is often stigma regarding colon/bowel issues as it's often something that people struggle to talk about,” says Dr Burton. “A lot of people find it difficult or embarrassing and we often see patients who have hidden their symptoms or concerns for a long time before seeking medical attention.”

If you have any of the following symptoms, get checked. Recent, persistent change in bowel habit to looser, more diarrhoea-like motions, or are trying to go more often.

• No change in bowel habit, but there is bleeding.

• Other symptoms such as straining, soreness, pain, or itchiness.

• Any abdominal pain or have lost weight or become more tired.

Dr Burtons says bowel screening is a great tool to have, as prevention is much better than cure, however the current limitation of age range does limit the ability for them to do as much good as they would like to.

“More and more we are seeing patients diagnosed young – under the age of 50. We can find colonic polyps when we do colonoscopy and although not all polyps will go on to form cancer, all cancers come from polyps. So, if we do find polyps on colonoscopy then it allows us to screen a patient’s risk and ensure appropriate follow up colonoscopies can be arranged.

For people outside the age of screening, being aware of any new symptoms and taking these seriously is important and they should see their doctor.”

The Tasman Day Surgery team.

Hear, every time

Born with hearing loss, local audiologist Ed Thynne understands firsthand the personal impact this can have on someone’s life. Having worn hearing aids since the age of five, Ed says his clients often find comfort in dealing with a professional who holds a deep understanding of how life-changing the right technology can be. An audiologist for over ten years, Ed attended Otago University where he studied human physiology and completed his Master of Audiology at Auckland University before working in private practice. He has held management positions in large national practices across the top of the South Island and opened his own business, Ed Thynne Hearing two years ago operating from his clinic in Motueka with visiting clinics held in Richmond and Wakefield.

Helping clients to find the best solution for them and their budget, Ed says “Hearing is such a central part of our lives and relationships with others. It might sound cliché, but helping people with their hearing and seeing wonderful changes in them is what drives my passion for what I do. Being able to work with someone to improve their hearing is a such a buzz. When someone comes in for a check-up appointment after getting hearing aids and describes all the sounds they are hearing again, and being able to hear conversations without straining, it’s amazing. I think of myself as an experienced guide, showing the way to better hearing.”

Ed Thynne Hearing is about more than providing new hearing aids, Ed also provides a comprehensive

hearing aid optimisation service for hearing aids purchased elsewhere. He will take a look at a client’s hearing aids to make sure they are set correctly and undertake an in-clinic service and clean. “This is essentially a ‘second opinion’ service”. He also takes the time to explain things well and not rush through the appointment. “If required, I can arrange for the devices to be repaired offsite and I can also access any existing ACC, Veterans’ Affairs or MoH funding or help with new claims.”

Bringing a personalised level of care to the community, Ed has already helped a tremendous number of people in the region and looks forward to assisting many more. “I think that people really do appreciate someone taking a genuine interest in them and their hearing. Being able to do this helps, and people love being able to support a locally owned audiologist rather than a big multinational company. I’m really pleased that I am now getting a lot of word-of-mouth referrals from happy clients who have come through. They are telling their friends and ‘word’s getting round’. Hearing from someone they know and trust that they’ve had good service is always the best type of advertising, and I genuinely appreciate that.”

Ed Thynne Hearing

03 526 8221

171a High Street, Motueka Visiting clinics to Richmond and Wakefield edthynnehearing.co.nz

Audiologist Ed Thynne knows firsthand what it is like to experience hearing loss.

Experienced plastic surgeon, Chris Adams.

Chris Adams, plastic and reconstructive surgeon

Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Chris Adams, who specialises in aesthetic (cosmetic) and reconstructive breast surgery and the surgical management of melanoma, visits Nelson once a month.

He consults privately from Specialists @132 in Collingwood St and has regular private operating lists offering outpatient surgery through The Rutherford Clinic and inpatient service through Manuka St Hospital. For the past 20 years he has been the visiting plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Nelson Public Hospital.

Chris graduated from Otago Medical School in 1990 before training in plastic and reconstructive surgery in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington. In 2001 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Australasian Surgeons (FRACS). After completing his training in New Zealand, Chris spent two years in the UK where he completed fellowships in aesthetic surgery, breast surgery, hand surgery, microsurgery and burns surgery at hospitals including the Wellington Hospital in London and Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.

In addition to breast and melanoma surgery, Chris offers a full range of cosmetic and reconstructive surgical procedures including non-melanoma skin cancer management, hand surgery (especially for Dupuytren’s Disease) and post-traumatic (ACC) reconstruction.

His practice is based at the Wellington Plastic Surgery Institute (WPSI) in Wellington. The Wellington Plastic Surgery Institute offers comprehensive plastic surgical care including advanced plastic surgery nurse specialists to support Nelson patients. WPSI is an affiliated provider for Southern Cross patients.

Early detection has never been more important

Kiwiskin - Māpua Skin Clinic welcomes patients to a purpose-built community focused clinic in the heart of Māpua, offering a quiet and safe space to have your skin checked. Utilising the latest techniques, top-of-the-line equipment and training to check moles or lesions, the experienced clinical team can surgically remove spots that may require a biopsy and further testing to ensure clients receive optimal care.

Kiwiskin work together as a team to build the foundations of their skin clinic in which they provide optimal skin cancer health care. They identify individual needs and respond to the growing tide of skin cancer risks.

Kiwiskin have strict audit processing and best safety protocols to ensure clients receive a safe and effective treatment plan and service outcome.

They are a general practice skin clinic that receives no government funding and their biggest priority is their community's well-being, therefore Kiwiskin will continue to subsidise skin care.

The clinic’s Free Spot Check Service is available to ensure that if anyone has a specific single spot of concern, they can be seen to, and receive advice or treatment options. Should surgical options be advised, this can be provided at Kiwiskin or referred on to the individual's GP.

Melanoma is the main concern of all skin lesions. Melanoma accounts for nearly 80% of all skin cancer deaths in New Zealand. The New Zealand sun is dangerous and can cause serious harm to our skin.

Many of the melanomas that are removed are detected early, however, any spots, in particular on the face, if not found fast enough, could develop and lead to more serious circumstances.

As experts at detecting skin cancers when they are early and subtle, Kiwiskin encourage people to get in contact with their team about any concerns they may have as soon as possible.

They look forward to welcoming you at Kiwiskin Māpua.

Wellington Plastic Surgery Institute 04 499 7642 | L6, 15 Murphy Street, Wellington Specialists@132, 132 Collingwood St, Nelson wpsi.co.nz

Kiwiskin - Māpua Skin Clinic Unit 9, Mapua Village Mall, 66-68 Aranui Road, Mapua 03 540 2373 kiwiskin.org.nz

The Kiwiskin - Māpua Skin Clinic team.

Improve your quality of life and health

Hauora Matua ki Te Tai Aorere (Nelson Bays Primary Health – NBPH) is a primary health provider and commissioning network for primary and community services in the Nelson Bays region.

NBPH supports the 22 general practices across Nelson Bays who support accessible primary care to meet health care needs. NBPH contracts local community groups to provide health related services for our community. NBPH manages Golden Bay Community Health, a rural integrated health facility, and urgent care services at the Medical and Injury Centre.

NBPH is highlighting for this issue the Falls Prevention and Green Prescription community services.

The Falls Prevention service assists in ensuring increased confidence as we age. Following a fall it’s natural to worry and fear that you may fall again. Confidence is impacted which leads to reduced physical activity, decreased muscle strength and balance and increased risk of falling again.

NBPH provide a More Stable More Able session where you learn all the information needed to keep you on your feet. Learn about causes of falls, the importance of strength and balance exercises and how to access them through the ACC initiative “Live Stronger for Longer” and their approved Community Strength and Balance classes. Move Your Way back to a stronger more balanced you and continue living independently for as long as possible.

Establishing a regular exercise routine is not always easy to do, that’s where the Green Prescription service can assist. Green Prescription is a free service that supports you to make small, achievable changes to improve your quality of life and health. The team will support you to achieve your wellness goals by self-management.

NBPH have different programme options, KickStart is a good way to get involved. KickStart is one-hour long and runs oncea-week, for eight weeks. It includes a brief lifestyle discussion followed by physical activity either in a warm pool or gym, supporting you to reduce your risk of falling.

Falls Prevention and Green Prescription Services fallsprevention@nbph.org.nz or grx@nbph.org.nz nbph.org.nz

0800 731 31

Preserving vision and transforming lives at local clinic

At Nelson Eye Surgeons, on Collingwood Street, a dedicated team of visionaries is safeguarding sight and restoring clarity to the people of the Top of the South. At the helm are consultant ophthalmologists and ophthalmic surgeons Dr. Antony Suter and Dr. Rob Jones, whose expertise span a wide spectrum of eye conditions, from cataracts to glaucoma, retinal disease and eyelid disorders.

Dr. Antony Suter brings decades of experience honed across international borders. Having undergone rigorous training in New Zealand and the UK, his proficiency in cataract, glaucoma, and general ophthalmology is matched only by his commitment to excellence in eye care. Since 2006, Dr. Suter has been a cornerstone of both public and private practice in Nelson, earning accolades for his compassionate approach and surgical precision. Joining him is Dr. Rob Jones, a seasoned cataract and eyelid surgeon. Trained in Wales, New Zealand and Australia, Dr. Jones specialises in micro-incision cataract surgery and eyelid procedures. His tenure in England, mastering complex cataract surgeries and techniques in eyelid reconstruction underscores his unwavering dedication to ophthalmic care.

Complementing their surgical prowess is nurse practitioner Fiona Suter. With an eye nursing career commencing in Moorfields Eye Hospital in 1993. Fiona’s expertise in glaucoma and macular degeneration care is unmatched. As one of New Zealand’s few nurses offering laser eye surgery, her contributions to the field extend far beyond treating patients in clinic. Fiona’s advocacy for nursing standards and patient-centric care is instrumental in shaping the future of ophthalmology in New Zealand.

Together, the friendly and professional team of highly qualified surgeons, nurses, ophthalmic technicians and orthoptists form the backbone of Nelson’s premier eye care facility. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for preserving vision, the specialists provide independent surgical and medical eye care to the top of the South Island including Nelson, Richmond, Motueka, Golden Bay, Marlborough and the West Coast.

Nelson Eye Surgeons

132 Collingwood Street Nelson 03 545 7900 eyenz.com

Nelson Bays Primary Health Green Prescription is a free service that supports you to achieve wellness goals through self-management.

Nurse practitioner Fiona Suter, Dr. Antony Suter and Dr. Rob Jones.

BEAUTY Report

Keep fresh with treatments set to leave you looking and feeling your best this winter.

Designer permanent makeup

Enjoy fabulous long-lasting eyebrows or eyeliner without the hassle of applying makeup every day. With 30 years’ experience in the industry, you are in safe hands with Kathy Basalaj.

The Beauty Suite, above Prices Life Pharmacy 027 435 8336 designerpermanentmakeup.co.nz

Be smooth for summer

Book your free consultation to find out more about our gold standard laser treatment. Underarms: $70 single session, $189 three sessions, $375 six sessions.

Mabin House 03 539 0699 mabinhouse.co.nz

SkinCare that really does care

Forbidden Beauty forbiddenbeauty.nz |

The Forbidden Beauty range of skincare creams have been professionally formulated using carefully selected natural ingredients selected by industry professionals, and focus group feedback from women wanting more from their skincare products.

Recharge with full-body Red Light Therapy sessions

Light your path to wellness and beauty with head-to-toe red light sessions. Rejuvenate your skin, embrace holistic health, glow from within. Try it now!

Beacon PBM Light Therapy 027 366 2213 beaconlight.nz

100% natural rejuvenation

Platelet Rich Fibrin is the next generation in blood plasma therapy. It is extremely effective for the delicate area under the eyes where signs of ageing start to appear. PRF can also be injected into the lips to rejuvenate tissue, improving colour and texture without adding obvious volume.

The Beauty Nurse 020 41444988 thebeautynurse.co.nz

Refresh tired eyes

Rewind time on fine lines and wrinkles, and reduce dark circles with permanent, long lasting eye rejuvenation. $900 for four treatments over three months. Includes bright peel and hydrating eye mask.

Samantha Grant Advanced Dental, 70 Collingwood St, Nelson 03 548 4675 globaldental.co.nz

LED Lights have been around since the 1960s but have recently been gaining popularity as a cosmetic treatment. Different wavelengths of the visible light spectrum correspond to different colours of LED light. Kate Dyer says these can confer biological effects and promote cell repair, improving the appearance of many skin-related conditions.

In the 90s, NASA experimented with LED technology for their potato growth experiments on the International Space Station. Unexpectedly, they noticed positive benefits on the hands of technicians handling the plants and discovered its potential for increasing circulation and energy production in cells. They then began researching its potential for delaying muscle degradation in astronauts who were in space for extended time periods. The U.S. Navy SEALs adopted this approach and began using LED therapy to increase wound healing and assist in regenerating damaged muscle tissues.

LED light therapy is now commonly used in the beauty industry to treat acne and prevent the signs of aging, by increasing collagen production.

How LED Light therapy works

Light therapy works by modulating the function of cells in the skin. As skin cells absorb specific wavelengths of light, they become more efficient at producing energy in mitochondria. The effects of the most used wavelengths of light, include:

• Red light 650-950nm, is anti-inflammatory and promotes wound healing by increasing blood flow which can also help reduce muscle pain and promote the growth of new collagen. It is used to treat age spots, wrinkles, and improve skin fullness.

Blue light 450-495nm, reduces inflammation by killing microbes on the surface of the skin and reduces activity in the sebaceous glands that produce oil and feed acne causing bacteria.

• Amber light 570-600nm, targets the most superficial layer of your skin. This wavelength reduces inflammation, helps with skin sensitivity, and improves the appearance of redness.

Green light 495-570nm, targets broken capillaries in superficial and deeper layers of the skin. It is used primarily to decrease the production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color and causes dark spots on your skin.

Where to access LED therapy

LED light therapy devices can be purchased and used at home, or you can have treatments performed by a trained professional.

What are the side-effects?

Generally, there are minimal risks with LED light therapy, even when performed at home, but irritation can still occur, especially if you are taking medications that make your skin more sensitive to light.

LED light therapy is a non-invasive procedure that can make a measurable difference in the appearance of the skin, but consistency is a must and it might not work for everyone. Consult a skin-care professional before you purchase an at-home device or undergo professional treatments.

Kate provides personalised skincare consultations through her blog at beautyandthebiome.com

Unparalleled quality & style

For Alana and Russell Bruce, building homes isn’t just a job - it is a passion. Their latest project, a bespoke cottage-style home with a modern twist, exemplifies their dedication to marrying timeless aesthetics with contemporary comforts. From handcrafted architraves to vintage-style fittings, every detail in their latest build was meticulously planned and executed to perfection. Featuring two bedrooms, plus an office, a double garage, and amenities such as a ducted smart vent system and Buster + Punch steel light switches, this Eton Street home is designed for modern living without compromising on style or comfort.

“It was a real team effort,” says Russell, who is quick to acknowledge the contributions of their project manager, JP, and the entire Bruce Design & Build team. “We wanted to capture the essence of an old villa while infusing it with modern elements. There was a passion for carrying this theme throughout the home. Creating those touches was both a challenge and a highlight because we were having to improvise - and because they are not ‘off the shelf’ products. JP and I are largely based in the office, but we spent a lot of our weekends working on the build. He has a real passion for attention to detail and was instrumental in helping us to get these finishing touches right. Alana worked on the interior design and did an absolutely incredible job.”

Words: Amy Russ | Chocolate Dog Studio

Throughout the home, thoughtful aesthetics abound, from European Oak Forte flooring to Villaboard lining and raised ceilings that create a sense of spaciousness and grandeur.

“Alana and I have always wanted to build a cottage-style home, but haven’t yet had the opportunity to, until now. We love modern architecture, but to do this type of build has been really fun as well. Especially with the products that are out there now, brand new fittings but in a vintage style. We wanted to make sure we kept the same theme throughout the home, with all the characteristics of an old villa, including the bathroom ware, Fretwork, finials, traditional skirtings and architraves.

The result is a welcoming sanctuary that exudes calm and sophistication. Sitting on a 170sqm footprint the stunning home features Villaboard lining and floating shelves in the entranceway, window seating incorporated in both the open plan living areas and the master bedroom and raised internal ceiling heights from 2.7m to 3m in some parts. “I love doing differing height ceilings as I feel it is a great way to create a sense of space, but in a very subtle way,” Russell says.

Beyond the impeccable craftsmanship, what truly sets Bruce Design & Build apart is their commitment to client satisfaction. From day one, Alana and Russell work closely with clients to bring their vision to life, ensuring that every detail reflects their unique tastes and preferences. With longstanding relationships with subcontractors like Tasman Roofing, Glass and Window Solutions, Cooper Webley Kitchens, Geeves Scaffolding and Placemakers, Bruce Design & Build offers a seamless and intuitive building process from start to finish. “We have been inspired to do more homes of this style, due to feedback from all sorts of unexpected people,” Russell says. “I feel it showcases our versatility as builders and our ability to adapt to different architectural styles and preferences, as we have built the foundation of our reputation from difficult hillside sections around the Nelson Tasman area, which are still our speciality.”

LOCALLY

NELSON CHRISTCHURCH CROMWELL DUNEDIN

“We wanted to capture the essence of an old villa while infusing it with modern elements.”

In the world of ‘Design & Build’ companies, few names resonate with the same level of excellence and craftsmanship as Bruce Design & Build. With a commitment to delivering exceptional quality builds and a dedication to exceeding client expectations, the entire Bruce Design & Build team have established themselves as leaders in the industry. Trusting in the process is paramount to a successful build, says Russell, who is connected to every project bearing his name. From concept to completion, Russell and JP ensure that each build reflects the highest standards of quality and attention to detail.

As they celebrate 15 years of building top-quality homes in the region, the company remains driven by a passion for creating spaces that exceed expectations and fulfil dreams. For them, there’s no greater reward than seeing a client’s vision come to life and knowing that they played a part in making it happen.

Gardening advice with Tim’s Garden

IWintertime can bring some real challenges in the garden; this month we will be discussing some tips to make them more manageable.

t’s important to remember that most of the commercially available trees we have in our gardens have been selected, bred, and chosen to be fast growing, bear fruit, or have nice colours etc. But they aren’t in many ways ‘natural’ and need some help staying in shape. The key to winter pruning deciduous (dropping leaves in winter) trees is that during its dormant state, there’s little or no sap or water passing through the branches. This helps making this process cleaner and less chance of infection for the plant or infestation from pests.

I like to assess each tree to find any over lapping branches to help improve air flow, light, and access. There are many shapes or goals with each type of tree, but I like to bring trees (especially fruit trees) down to more manageable size and usually 2-3m. We often have too much fruit, which falls to the ground, and waste a lot of it because of small size or bad timing. So don’t be scared to reduce the number of total branches. You can take 1/3 of the branch length back and look for where the tree will bud again.

Ornamental grasses can be cut right back to give them a 30cm haircut this time of year and removing the dead leaves and seed heads. This will look a bit spiky for a while but brings a much fuller plant next season. Ornamental plants like roses will need a good cut back, it sounds drastic, but some gardeners cut them back to 40-50cm to encourage new growth and clear dead wood.

On older trees, dead branches and flaky bark can be cleared this time of year. You’re looking for any burrowing insects under dead bark, and by removing their hideout the birds will help manage this. Dead branches can make great stakes in the garden or

chopped up to feed the soil. Loosened bark can be a great soil conditioner around the garden, peeling it off with a metal scraper can be satisfying, but be careful not to damage the healthy and living trunk.

Leaves, in my opinion, can either be left on the soil or garden bed to provide mulch and encourage insect activity. Or these can be raked up off the lawn and stored in a bag, it is especially important this is done on a dry day to avoid rotting leaves in your garage or shed. They are a great addition to the compost bin for a later date.

There are some winter sprays some gardeners use to help get on top or pests or mould. The first frosts should deal with most of the pests, however this year has been very dry and last winter wasn’t very cold. In Nelson we are lucky with our sunshine hours, mould treatment in very shady or wet areas would be advised, but otherwise a good clear out of affected material (in commercial green waste not home compost) and thinning out will really help the spores to dry up and be killed. Otherwise, organic fungicide on a dry sunny morning with a good mister/sprayer will help deal with black sooty or powdery mildew.

Happy gardening, Tim

Reid armchair in black leather, RRP $2,899, winter sale $2,399. lynfords.co.nz

Hand blown eclipse vase from $295 hoglundartglass.com

White Lily is an alluring blend of sweet melon, tuberose, coconut and vanilla, spiced with hints of sandalwood Living Light Candles Nelson, 219 Trafalgar St, Nelson

Functional art furniture creations, retro kiwiana upholstery, cushions, and bags. vickiesoriginalsnelson.com

Essence rug W: 200cm, L: 290cm $299, Mitre 10 Mega

Finial antique silver lamp base with linen lampshade from French Country, storeycollection.co.nz

ivoli Audio model one(R), $499 beggsmusic.co.nz

Signature

A masterclass of design and building excellence

With over 20 years of experience in the building industry, Duncan Taylor of Mecca Built doesn’t shy away from challenging sites, as demonstrated by the home he has built with his wife Amy on the Atawhai Hills.

Words: Adrienne Matthews | Tessa Claus

Akeen sportsman who has played rugby for Nelson Bays and cricket for Central Districts, Duncan decided early he needed to get into a trade. While playing rugby in England, he gained a wide range of building skills, as he did in Sydney, where he projectmanaged a large sky rise development.

“I got tired of always working in dark, underground spaces, doing crazy hours in Sydney, and New Zealand called me home,” he says. Meeting and marrying Amy set the couple off on a new journey in the building industry in Christchurch where they also began raising a family.

Amy says the Christchurch earthquakes led to even more experience for them. Their work involved house lifting, foundations, retaining walls and extensive renovation and rebuilding work.

“Duncan had been involved with commercial and residential builds overseas, as well as project managing large scale jobs. We became part of the earthquake home repair programme and continued repairing homes in Christchurch right until the end of the programme. It was an amazing experience and something we would happily do again.”

Duncan and Amy moved to Nelson because they wanted a change from earthquake repairs and to be near family. Here, Duncan gets the chance to relish his love of technical and challenging building and high-quality renovations.

The couple’s own home in Atawhai is a masterclass showing what a combination of building excellence and superb design skills can bring to a project. Amy, an artist and trained interior designer, has put her stamp on the house and made it very special indeed.

The hillside site required the removal of 150 ton of material before the foundations could be established.

“It was a substantial engineering exercise and a

great deal of steel was needed in the construction, but worth every bit of effort to make the most of the spectacular views over Tasman Bay to the mountains beyond,” says Amy.

On entering the home, to the left is a large living/ bedroom/bathroom area opening out onto its own tropical inspired patio. Amy and Duncan’s daughter appreciates its luxurious feel whenever she returns in the holidays from university. As with elsewhere in the house, Amy’s abstract paintings add a rich and colourful impact.

The entrance itself is striking with the same 600 x 1200 ‘Revolution Black’ tiles, from Tile Direct that adorn the entrance floor and right-hand wall leading up the staircase and over into the lounge. “I particularly love it because in certain lights it has depth with deep green hues, much like greeenstone,” says Amy.

The same bank of tiling forms a backdrop on one side of the main living area and the tiles are also used in the kitchen and master bathroom, giving a cohesive feel throughout.

The stair handrail made of American White Oak is a pièce de résistance with inlaid solid brass. “I love the combination of timber and brass and have used this throughout the house as a signature feature,” explains Amy.

The stairs in matching oak veneer lead up to the open living area with a vaulted cedar ceiling and spectacular views west. The contrast of concrete floors, expansive large dark tiles, cedar ceilings and Resene ‘Merino’ on the walls is contemporary but also feels warm and family-friendly.

The kitchen, designed by Bays Joinery, continues the brass theme in the negative detailing of the cabinetry in both the black cabinetry on the hob wall as well as the oak veneer island. The island’s white

quartz countertop has a bold and striking gold vein flowing throughout the surface, which adds a touch of elegance to the space, and sits beautifully with the 60mm thick breakfast bar benchtop in American White Oak solid timber.

Notable in the kitchen is the lack of a fridge, as Amy didn’t like how fridges can take over spaces. The solution is a butler’s pantry where it sits out of sight.

The floor in the main living and dining areas is black polished concrete with underfloor heating. If the temperature does drop, a short burst of underfloor heating morning and night provides all they need and is incredibly cost effective.

The living area opens out onto an outdoor entertaining zone complete with rooftop lawn, sensored Johnson and Couzins louvres and large television. With super comfy seating, the children love spending time out there, as does Arlo their dog.

There was nowhere to put a fireplace, so the alternative is outside on the southern side of the deck, providing a cosy outside ambience.

There are three bedrooms on this level including a master with its own superb views and luxury bathroom, family bathroom, large laundry and media room.

The brass theme is carried through all bathroom fittings and even door hinges.

Notable everywhere are stunning light fixtures, sourced from overseas. “The ones over the kitchen island remind me of jellyfish and the one over the dining table hints at fish swimming through water,” says Amy.

The Taylor’s home shows what experience and clever design aesthetic can achieve by a couple whose business ethics are founded on honesty, good communication and exceptional attention to detail.

CONTACT OUR AWARD-WINNING TEAM TO START YOUR PROJECT NOW

RENOVATIONS

NEW BUILDS

EXTERIOR DOORS AND WINDOWS

VANITIES

TIMBER JOINERY

STAIRS

WARDROBES

WE CAN WORK WITHIN ANY BUDGET REQUIREMENTS

JOINERY AND DESIGN AWARDS 2024

- Best Kitchen Design

- Best Kitchen

- Designer of the year George Molnar

- Myles Sellers Supreme Award

- Best Apprentice

Blenheim Design Studio P 03 579 2520

25 Redwood St, Blenheim info@baysjoinery.co.nz

Nelson Design Studio P 03 544 0087

6 Tokomaru Place, Stoke info@baysjoinery.co.nz

Design & build with Refresh Nelson Tasman

Whether you have a clear vision for your dream space or need help developing ideas, we help from initial concepts to project completion. We start with pricing estimates, move to fixed-price quotes, and include comprehensive project management from planning to final construction.

If you’re unsure of your exact preferences, we start from scratch, transforming your ideas into a design and ultimately delivering the built project as imagined. Our design and build approach consolidates planning, design, and construction into a single team effort, ensuring timely and budget-friendly delivery.

Considering opening up your house? We can explore options for different investment levels. How does an open-plan $100k project compare to a $300k extension? Using sketches, drawings, and realistic images, we help visualise the potential outcomes. And our realistic pricing and transparent cost drivers highlight the areas that really impact the budget.

For example, an open-plan design with straightforward floor plans, structural support, roofing, and standard finishes keeps your budget in the lower ranges. Whereas an extension with high-end finishes, or complex designs, difficult site access, and adding multiple bathrooms increase the project costs.

By working closely with you on planning and design, we provide a fixed price for the build, ensuring the project stays within budget and is delivered on schedule. This integrated approach is just one benefit of our design and build approach.

Call Gary and the Team at Refresh Nelson Tasman on 03 550 0556 and get your project started today.

HOME My

A housing crisis during Covid inspired Courtney and Jason Bailey to start from scratch and take on a project they never wanted, but ended up loving every minute of.

Tessa Claus

The design

We live at the top of Marybank on McConnell Place. We fell in love with our piece of land after months of searching for a house at the end of 2020. The house market was tough, and we decided we had a better chance of creating a space that was right for us by starting from scratch.

The house has been thoughtfully designed by Tony Karsten (KAD) to highlight the views from every room. Positioned towards the north-west, means the house is warm all year round and catches the first light in the morning and the last light in the evening. We spend most afternoons on the deck, sitting in a beanbag watching the sky change.

We wanted to create a home that can cope with the chaos of everyday life, work, kids and a dog. It is simple in its design with high-quality, well thought out joinery providing ample storage and functional spaces, so the mess of life rarely feels overwhelming.

Luckily, the design and build went smoothly even with the challenges Covid brought, with delays and availability of building materials our builders at Mecca Built weathered the storm calmy and effectively.

Our style

When describing our home, I say it is calm, elegant, coastal and contemporary. We love the ocean and want the décor to reflect the ocean views. We have focused on a simple colour palette to let plants, art and life bring the pop of colour. It also keeps the focus on the world outside. We feel incredibly lucky every day, looking out to the forever changing colours and tides of the Boulder Bank and sky above.

The unexpected

Even though I am a designer at The Custom Space and spend my days working with clients to create beautiful spaces for their dream home or project, designing a new home for our family was much harder than we expected. It took a moment to get past the need for the ‘wow’ factor, and really drill down on what we needed. I think I designed the kitchen eight times, in the end we pulled it right back to basics, a space that was true to our aesthetic; clean lines, zones for the family to relax in and a functional space where all four of us can work together. Our kitchen is the hub, morning and night. This is a house that can grow with us, with space for more art and memories.

ABOVE: The Bailey family; Jason, Paige, Lincoln, Mila and Courtney.

Where we shop

Nelson has such a brilliant selection of homeware shops, and we love mixing old and new. The Custom Creative has been so helpful with basins and décor. Lipscombe Auction House is a bit of fun when looking for a bargain with some character. When my family and friends come to visit, we always take them to Red Art Gallery, and of course, the Little Beehive Co-op for some great local finds.

Treasured pieces

Our most treasured pieces would be the artworks above our tan leather couch, the Crown Tiki Lynn by Anna Church was a gift from Jason when we first moved to New Zealand. It complements the bronze plate hung beside it, a wedding present we never knew we wanted, that has travelled from Byron Bay to Melbourne to Sydney and now to Nelson. It has finally found its home on the wall here.

Save or splurge?

Most of our décor has travelled with us over the ditch so we haven’t had to splurge on furniture, but we have made the choice to invest in built-in joinery. The bench seats by the fire and the built-in Tasmanian Oak cupboards and shelves were well worth the money.

Next on the list…

An oval dining table that fits 8-10 people. But there is no rush, it’s nice to spend time in a new home and get a feel for what you want over time, rather than rush in and do it all at once.

2

1. The kitchen is the hub of the Bailey home and a space to enjoy family time. 2. Basins from The Custom Creative add a pop of colour in the bathrooms. 3. Courtney designed the staircase to include large drawers in each step - perfect for shoe and bag storage. 4. Courtney’s thoughtful kitchen design, created by The Custom Space, includes clean lines and functional spaces. 5. The couple invested in built-in Tasmanian Oak joinery throughout the home.

Every home should have…

Plenty of well-planned storage! I can’t stress that enough. Especially for shoes. This is the first house we have lived in that doesn’t look like a centipede moved in. Our entryway stairs have giant drawers for shoes and bags, that just may be the most functional thing I have ever designed.

A word of advice

Don’t second guess your gut when making decisions during a new build, limit the amount of people you ask for style advice (think of it like baby names… too many opinions ruin the fun) and don’t be swayed by trends, the best home is your home, not the one on Pinterest or Instagram. And finally, be organised, make decisions and stick to them or it will drive you mad and cost you more in the long run.

Our neighbourhood

We absolutely love where we live, the cul-de-sac is a great place for the kids to skateboard and rollerblade and the area is filled with children. It’s always warm on the hill, and we feel a world away from town looking out to the bay, but it’s actually only a ten-minute drive and no traffic.

Your concrete and paving experts

The subject of concrete and related construction activities could be uninspiring to some, but delving into Independent Kerb and Concrete’s business activities and services uncovers a fascinating array of skills and products, as the company’s website demonstrates.

Mike and Carolyn Goodyear purchased the business almost 20 years ago with Mike bringing ten years previous experience in the construction industry to the role, including management of commercial roading, subdivision, drainage and concrete work, along with high-level skills in residential work.

Throughout the years, the business has been a big contributor to the region’s development and is renowned for the many projects it completes for the Nelson and Tasman District Councils along with other key clients. “We are very proud of all the commercial jobs we have undertaken on our own and in collaboration with other industry leaders, and these continue to be a substantial part of our operation,” says Mike.

Independent Kerb and Concrete’s commitment to excellence extends to the residential work they undertake for clients. “No matter what the project, we really enjoy working with customers to come up with solutions for their properties that are practical, well designed and harmonise with the individual features of each home,” says Mike.

Able to craft specialist products at their premises in Parkers Road, Tahunanui, the company can make exactly what customers need. They offer a range of surfaces for driveways, paths and patios and a wide

selection of pavers, including those with timber inserts in concrete and kerb edgings and mowing strips.

“We excel at thinking outside the square and offering up ideas that are a little bit different when the occasion for that arises. Our showroom has a range of options on display and we welcome people to come and have a chat with us and take samples such as paving away to try. They can also reach us through our website where there is the option to request a quote.”

Sometimes the positions of driveways need to be altered and Independent Kerb and Concrete, as an Approved Vehicle Crossing Installer, are able to do all that is required to complete the job to the fully permitted stage.

Mike says he is delighted to have John Gargiulo as his contract manager to assist in the running of the business. “Our key staff are long-term employees with substantial experience in all aspects of our business which contributes to the high quality of workmanship and materials we provide.”

There is nothing quite like seeing a job done well and more than meeting client’s expectations, says Mike. “Safety is paramount in everything we do for everyone involved and we work hard to ensure every project runs efficiently and the end result is top quality.”

Independent Kerb & Concrete

75 Parkers Road, Tahunanui, Nelson

03 548 6491

ikc.co.nz

Committed to excellence: The Independent Kerb & Concrete team.

A bright, airy café established in an iconic Art Deco building a short walk from Tahuna Beach.

Pastries and treats are baked in house, and their small menu features seasonal produce from local suppliers. A great spot for breakfast, lunch or coffee.

Open Tue – Sun, 7am – 2pm.

Oceano Restaurant

Come and indulge in Nelson’s finest buffet, featuring a variety of everyone’s favourite breakfast delights.

Oceano breakfast buffet is open every day from 5am – 10am (Sat & Sun until 10:30am).

Don’t forget, locals can dine for only $25 every day! (excl. Christmas Day)

Kids up to five years old dine free, and just $17.50 for up to 12 year olds.

37 Tahunanui Drive, Nelson |

Moutere HIlls

Local flavours meet idyllic vineyard views. Our chefs create seasonal plates, long boards, platters and more, served with craft beverages for a complete dining experience to ignite your senses.

Bookings essential.

Open Wed - Sun, from 11am.

42 Eggers Road, RD1, Upper Moutere mouterehillsrestaurantandcellardoor. co.nz |

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

NBM Asian Street Eats

Join us on a culinary journey through the streets of Thailand with a symphony of flavours that capture the essence of authentic Thai street food. Choose to dine in or takeaway with a taste sensation from our extensive menu. Our Thai buffet starts from just $9.50 and offers a delicious selection, perfect for when time is short or a lunch on the run. And to make it even better, we’ve just added fried chicken, burgers and fries to the menu.

105 Hardy Street, Nelson 03 539 1426 nbmasianeats.co.nz

Tahuna Breakfast Club

Solander Gourmet Seafood

For all your fresh fish and seafood favourites for nourishing winter chowders, paellas and your delicious fish curries, keep it local with Solander. 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.

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.

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.

gourmetseafood.co.nz

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.

62 Vickerman St, Port Nelson 03 546 6614

anchorrestaurant.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.

68 Aranui Rd, Mapua 03 540 3656

mapuavillagebakery.co.nz

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.

Live music on Thursdays and sports all weekend long on the big screen.

Open Tue - Sun

Shed 4, Mapua Wharf 03 540 3933

albertas.co.nz |

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

660 Main Road, Stoke 03 547 0329

mccashins.co.nz

McCashin’s Tap Room

Seafood Chowder

As winter sets in nothing warms the soul like a delicious, hearty seafood chowder. Solander Gourmet Seafood share this easy to make and versatile chowder recipe. Making it even easier for you by offering all of the best seafood chowder ingredients you’ll need in fresh cuts, or handy frozen packs that can be ordered online.

Ingredients:

• 1.5kg fresh whole mussels

• 300g seafood of your choice (eg, white fish or shellfish - frozen bluenose, cockle meat, prawn cutlets, shrimps or use a frozen seafood mix)

• 300 ml cream

• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped

• 1/2 onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, finely chopped

• 2 potatoes, cubed

Method:

Steam open mussels with a little water. When cooked, strain, keeping the mussel stock. Aim to have 1/2 a litre of stock remaining. De-shell, remove beards from the mussels and cut in half.

Fry onion, celery, garlic and thyme slowly in butter until soft. Pour in reserved mussel stock, add cubed potatoes and cook till potatoes are soft.

Add mussel meat and seafood mixture, cook for one minute.

Stir in cream, season and reduce till desired consistency.

Garnish with chopped parsley.

Gallery Showcase

Refinery Artspace

Changing Threads Contemporary Textile Fibre Art Awards

Cindy Walters - Hestia 2023 On now – 15 June

acn.org.nz/the-refinery-artspace

Hawks Valley Sculpture Gallery

190 Williams Rd, Tasman

Open most days, a call is appreciated 021 267 1127 laurenkitts.co.nz

Peter Copp

Meadowbank on the Awaroa estuary Clayridge Gallery

77 Pine Hill Rd, Ruby Bay 027 491 5187. Please phone before visiting petercopp.co.nz

The Coolstore Gallery

Showcasing New Zealand art and design at Māpua Wharf

Open 7 days, 10am – 5pm 03 540 3778

thecoolstoregallery.co.nz

Stacey Whale

The modern artisan of fine jewellery 1381 Moutere Highway, Upper Moutere Tue - Fri, 10am - 3pm Sat - Sun, 10 - 4pm 027 975 9204

staceywhale.com

Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler

The Artist Goldsmith

Putting a new twist on jewellery design. Contact Christine on 021 817 209 to discuss your wishes. theartistgoldsmith.com

The Suter Art Gallery

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

thesuter.org.nz

Nelson City Framers & The Gallery

Artist: Huia’s Kara Kia

By Emma Moncrieff

42A Halifax St, Nelson Mon-Fri 8:30 – 5pm, Sat 10am - 1pm nelsoncityframers.nz

Natalie Kere Art

Wahine Matike Collection 027 667 7911

nataliekereart.com

Nelson Classic Car Museum Museum Store

1 Cadillac Way, Annesbrook

Open 7 Days, 10am - 4pm 03 547 4570 nelsonclassiccarmuseum.nz

Protean Art Gallery

First floor, 181 Bridge St, Nelson

Visit the website for opening hours. 027 548 5003

proteanart.co.nz

Arty Nelson Gallery

126 Trafalgar St

Open Mon – Sat, 10am - 4pm Sun, 11am - 2pm

021 022 90996

Fifteen years of Changing Threads

Changing Threads | Contemporary Textile Fibre Art Awards founder Ronnie Martin found herself immersed in creativity from very early in life.

“I was the eldest of eight children and so we were always encouraged to make things, and reuse and recycle, which has since become very trendy.”

Originally satisfied with traditional spinning, knitting and weaving, Ronnie found more scope for artistic expression in quilting, but became frustrated with the constraints of the courses she was attending. Finally, an overseas tutor gave her some important advice: “You’re on the wrong side of the desk, you should be teaching.”

And as Ronnie focused more on artistic quilt pieces, she began to receive requests to teach, and even exhibit overseas.

“I became really fascinated with the different materials that were available which allowed for strong statements, and not just pretty pictures for a wall.”

A permanent move to Nelson saw Ronnie immersed in the local creative scene, eventually serving on the Arts Council. Meanwhile, a period of overseas travel opened her eyes to new possibilities.

“I visited a lot of galleries around Europe and experienced work which was just not being seen here. So I raised the possibility of having some sort of oneoff exhibition when I got back.”

This became the first Changing Threads | Contemporary Textile Fibre Art Awards in 2008, and the response was very encouraging.

“The next year, the response was even better,” she recalls. “It suddenly started to really take off. We were now getting pieces from all around the country, which was really exciting.”

Ronnie maintains she has learned a lot about staging exhibitions since those early days. Artists learned as well that they could widen their forms of presentation, and range of materials used.

“As well as natural materials and plant fibres we saw work using fish skin, plastics and coated wires, because right from the beginning our mission statement was to challenge the public’s perception of fibre and textile art.”

Ronnie emphasises that although execution is important, the concept is crucial, and the most successful exhibitors begin with a clear idea of what they want to say, and then how they want to say it.

Category constraints have also been removed over the years to allow artists to retain their creative openness rather than try to fit a brief.

The fifteenth show run by Arts Council Nelson, opened at Refinery Artspace in the middle of May, and it will sadly be Ronnie’s last as creative director.

“I think that’s long enough for anybody, but I also believe allowing an opportunity for change and the development of new ideas is important. I’ve loved it and am a little sad to be stepping back, but also very excited to see where the Contemporary Textile Fibre Art Awards goes next.”

Changing Threads | Contemporary Textile Fibre Art Awards

May 17 - June 15

Refinery ArtSpace

Changing Threads creative director Ronnie Martin will be stepping down after 15 years at the helm. Artwork featured, Cindy Walters 2023.

Big reader loves library poster

Claire Williamson connects with her favourite artwork on multiple levels. Not only does it beautifully depict a scene from the Ivy League university she attended in the US, but its style is reminiscent of the artwork of Japan, the country she lived in before migrating to Aotearoa. Claire talks to Matt Lawrey about the artwork and why it means so much to her.

The item in question is a silkscreened print of a poster created by US artist Lance Hidy for Yale University’s Sterling Memorial Library in 1986. Four hundred copies were printed and Claire’s is numbered 268.

Lance and Claire belong to different generations but both graduated from Yale and lived at the same residential college. She was introduced to his work by her father, who also went to Yale, as did her mother and her brother.

Chicago-raised, Claire was drawn to the image of a woman sitting at a stained-glass window in the university’s largest library when she spotted it in a local arts store while she was a student.

“It’s quite nostalgic and tasteful. I’ve always been a big reader so it’s quite easy for me to imagine myself sitting in a lovely sunlit corridor just with a book and nothing else to do and nothing else to worry about. I find it quite beautiful,” she said.

“Its style, to me, is reminiscent of that kind of Japanese woodblock print aesthetic; quite clean lines and bright colours. I also like the fact that there’s an empty stool across from her. I find that quite inviting.”

Claire, who was completing her Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies at the time, decided she would buy the print for herself as a graduation present.

Following her graduation ceremony, Claire visited her parents at the place they were staying and discovered a large wrapped package waiting for her.

“It turned out my dad had gone in the day before and bought it and told the store that they weren’t allowed to tell me, if I came in,” she says.

“It was a big surprise, and it was very kind of them. It turned out my friend also knew and also didn’t tell me, so everyone was in on the joke.”

Despite coveting the print for some time, Claire didn’t get to enjoy it for long because, as soon as she graduated, she moved to Japan.

Claire spent four years in Tokyo and spent most of the time working for the country’s biggest English language newspaper, The Japan Times, as its food and lifestyle editor.

“It turned out my dad had gone in the day before and bought it and told the store that they weren’t allowed to tell me, if I came in.”

When graduation arrived in 2017, Claire took a friend with her to the store so she could show off the artwork.

“We walked in and there was this big blank space on the wall where the picture had been hanging, literally, the day before,” she said.

Disappointed, Claire had to break the news to her parents who were in town for her graduation.

“I was like ‘Mum, Dad, the picture’s gone!’ and they were like ‘Oh, no!’”

She ended up in Nelson-Whakatū three years ago after meeting her Nelson-raised husband, Troy Stade, in Japan.

So how did it feel landing in Nelson after her years in Tokyo and growing up in Chicago?

“I found moving to a small town almost harder than moving to a different country entirely,” she says.

“It’s an ongoing adjustment but I was very fortunate to marry into a very welcoming and connected family.”

These days Claire works as a PR consultant for Publik Agency. She says she’s now much more settled than in her first year here and, from the sounds of things, her Hidy print has played a small role in that.

“When the art from the US arrived, Troy and I planned the gallery wall out on the floor. We moved the coffee table out of the way, and played around with the layout by arranging and re-arranging the options on the floor until it was perfect. This piece by Hidy was, for me, the anchor of the whole layout. It’s the piece I laid down first and arranged everything around,” she said.

RIGHT: Claire Williamson with her favourite artwork, a print of a poster created by US artist Lance Hidy for Yale University’s Sterling Memorial Library in 1986. Tessa Claus

What’s On

For updated information visit itson.co.nz

Thursdays

OPEN MIC NIGHT

Showcasing some of the regions finest up and coming musicians, first timers and travellers. Always fun and always different. Come down and sign up on the night for your spot. Plus enjoy live music every weekend. Contact the bar or check out Facebook for this week’s events. All events free entry.

Red16

28 June LOVE SONGS

Come to the Boathouse for a special night on Matariki with Love Songs. Warren Love - vocals, Patrick Bleakleydouble bass, Louise Perzigianbanjo. Tickets at Humanitix Pre sales $15, door sales $20. We’ll be open from 5pm for dinner with the gig starting at 8pm.

The Boathouse

20 June

CHRIS PARKER

Most commonly known for his funny Instagram and Tiktok videos, which built him a huge social media audience, his legendary win on the hit New Zealand TV show Celebrity Treasure Island. “By the time the show ends, you will have sore sides from laughing.”NZ Herald.

Theatre Royal

7 June

90s QUIZ NIGHT

Test your knowledge of this wickedly rad decade and help St Joseph’s School raise enough funds to compete the upgrade of the school pool. Dress up is encouraged.

28 June

MATARIKI FESTIVAL

Te Huihui-o-Matariki, the annual Matariki Festival, will include entertainment by special guest Maisey Rika, local kapa haka and Pasifika groups, light art displays, and more. There will be over 40 stalls selling a variety of arts & crafts and kai. Koha – Gold coin entry. 5pm - 9pm. shape. nelson.govt.nz for more. Trafalgar Park

On now - 16 June

PIGMENTS, POTS AND PEARLS

Sally Middleton, Leigh Dougherty, Sue Newitt and Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler present a mature selection of recent paintings, ceramics and jewellery. You are warmly invited to view.

McKee Gallery, within The Suter Art Gallery

22 June BACH & SONS

An uplifting evening of exquisitely beautiful music awaits. Come and celebrate the musical genius of the Bach family with the NSO, featuring stunning cello soloist Matthias Balzat. Conducted by Jason Balla.

NCMA

St Joseph’s School

8 June Cancer Society Ball

13 June NBS Nelson Giants vs Rams 17 June Showquest

25-28 June

Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Taurua

5 July NBS Nelson Giants vs Nuggets

12-14 July Top of the South Gymnastics Competition 16 July Grand Magic Show

“We’re

5. Joanne Johnson and Pru Bell

6. Kate and Kerri Stephenson

7. Annette Paterson and Trish Linley

8.

9.

243 Trafalgar Street, Nelson

1. Jenny Mckenzie, Letitia Scott and Pauline Manley

2. Lorraine and Glen Beattie

3. Cheryl Greenwood and Linda Homan

4. Harriet Whinney and Vilma Flanagan

Toni Mcquade and Purdey O’Sullivan

Louise Kirk and Jo Butler

Harcourts Awards Night

Tides Bar & Eatery

1. Wendy Perry and Sandy Jordan

2. Mike Rollo, Tracey Charlett and Chris Davies

3. Mike Rollo and Tania Stringer

4. Kate and Matt Goodman

5 Chris Davies and Jodine Twose

6. Dion Yandle and Sarah Archer

7. Laura Leonhardt, Elisha Shefford, Sophie Haley and Anna Turner

8. Steve Holbrook and Caroline Fletcher

Tessa Claus

623

5

6.

7.

8.

Rocks Road, Nelson

1. Aaron and Sayuri Bell

2. Gwiyoun and Sangchan Lee

3. Chey Habib and Song Lee

4. Danna Lee and Noreen Macdonald

Christine Aspray and Susan Finigan

Maria Whitley and Marg Hobson

Diane Auld and Emily Whinney

Sarah Benge and Penny Horncastle

Carol Priest Opening

Chey Habib

Design

3.

7.

Alioke

1. Amy Taylor and Courtney Bailey

2. Arthur Hewetson, Raymond Davies and Josh Hewetson

Bec Deacon and Georgia MacMillan

4. Duncan and Alysha Andrew

5 Jared and Eden Armstrong

6. Pam and Jason Gardiner

Eva Stryder, Jess and Scott Brown 8. Alawna Taylor and Meg Wells

5 Kim Lawrence and Jason Moses

6. Floor Van Lierop and Bee Oliver

1. Rosa Coutts and Maria Busching

2. Sarah Jamieson, Bailee Lobb and Lianne Edwards

3. Maisie Lucas and Wilma Asmervik

4. Lyn Russell and Lisa Johnston

7. David Carson, Barbara Speedy and Gurli Hansen

8. Daan Heeneman and Judith Lofley

Cindy Walters: Hestia 2023

Akersten Street, Nelson 1. Andrew Stanley and Susan Marshall 2. Paul Creswell, Suzy Black and Mark Gillard 3. Darryl Hamilton and Nicholas Sleeman 4. Hugh Morrison and Pippa Brown

Mark Jarvis and Rachel Boyack

Sean Doggett and Paul Miller 7. Tracey Kingi and Kieran Elborough 8. Volker Kuntzsch and Fiona Wilson

WELCOME TASHA WORKMAN

We are thrilled to introduce Tasha Workman, whose unwavering commitment to ethical practices and exceptional client service since becoming licensed in 2016 has truly set her apart. Tasha’s emphasis on transparency and fairness not only defines her reputation but also positions her as a trusted and diligent professional.

We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Tasha to our team, as her values of excellence and compassion align perfectly with those of The Cooper Group. Whether you’re embarking on a real estate journey or seeking support, Tasha is ready to engage in discussions and provide her dedicated assistance.

Tasha Workman 027 244 4152 tasha@thecoopergroup.co.nz tasha.workman.co.nz

TESTIMONIAL

“Choosing Tasha to market our property proved to be the right decision as Tasha worked tirelessly throughout the entire process and always kept us informed of what was happening within the market and her knowledge and communication was invaluable, particularly in what was a very slow property market which ultimately secured the result we were after.

Tasha was an absolute pleasure to work with as she is honest, diligent and really listened to what we wanted as far as a marketing strategy. She never sugar coated the reality of selling our property in such a tough market but I truly believe that due to her absolute resolve and hard work she succeeded where other agents would have struggled and I would highly recommend using her if you want results.”

Daren James, Vendor

Debbie Cooper Real Estate Ltd (Licensed under REAA 2008)