43 minute read
High Amez for musician
Amy Cunningham, who performs as Amez, is a trained classical pianist, a world away from her high-tempo drum and bass single released last month. Nelson Magazine catches up with the busy musician/ businesswoman/mother.
AIMEE JULES
Your latest song, Next Wave, has just been released, where did you get the inspiration for the song? The idea stems from those epic nights out that you don’t want to end. The impromptu ‘next wave’ with mates, telling stories and watching the sun come up.
How would you describe Next Wave? Next Wave is a vocal dance track that fits in the liquid drum and bass genre.
You trained as a classic pianist, how did you transition into electronica? I have always loved dance music. After I graduated from Auckland University with a Bachelor of Music and also gained an ATCL (Associate of the Trinity College of London) in solo piano, I needed a change from the hours of practice, study and performance. I still love classical music. I’m not so interested in studying/playing it anymore but I’m grateful for the foundation it has given me. Since moving to Nelson 10 years ago I have been on a new contemporary journey, which has included being a lead vocalist, back up vocalist and playing keys in bands, most recently in a band that I’m still very much a part of called Sonoraw. I also started doing more song writing over the last few years and always wanted to write a song that would be produced into a house or drum and bass track, but I hadn’t met the right person to make that happen. A friend introduced me to DJ Serpico (Ryan Beehre) who is a DJ/producer from Minuit fame, and we hit it off musically. It’s great to finally be doing what I have always wanted to do and Ryan has been a big part of that. How does it make you feel to hear your song on the radio? It was pretty mind blowing at first. Originally my ultimate dream was to hear my tracks played on George FM. Now both Next Wave and Home (my debut track) have been played on there, so I need a new goal! You own a local business as well as being a mother to young children, how do you possibly fit this in? I don’t think juggling several balls in the air is that unusual these days but for me it’s more that music is my art form and it’s part of who I am. If I don’t make time for it - be it song writing, performing, jamming, recording - my soul feels a bit hollow. So, I have to make time for it. What would be your ultimate dream in your music career? Oh this is a good question and really made me think! Writing music that people enjoy and resonate with on some level is always the aim. Having a track make the top 40 wouldn’t be too bad either!
TRACY NEAL
Cawthron CEO Volker Kuntzsch says Nelson embraces opportunity for change like no other place he’s lived.
The science of a leader
Understanding the natural order of things is second nature to Volker Kuntzsch. It’s how this German-born, African-raised zoologist ended up as the Cawthron’s new boss, writes Tracy Neal.
An Honours Degree in giraffes and a Master’s Degree in bat-eared foxes from a South African university might well have led Volker Kuntzsch down a different path.
The one he chose has led him to Nelson, and the post as latest CEO of New Zealand’s largest independent science organisation. The position, which he took up in March, blends his talent for management and his love of science and has placed him in the city that first took his fancy in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He once travelled widely as a fish buyer for the European market, and Nelson was a dot on the map. “I always thought New Zealand – and especially Nelson, was a place I wanted to live one day.” Volker’s international career in the seafood industry includes senior executive roles in Tokyo, Namibia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. He also served as president of Nippon Suisan (USA), and president and CEO of King & Prince Seafood Corp (USA), before moving to New Zealand in 2013 to become CEO of the Sanford fishing company. In 2019 he won the Rabobank Leadership Award and was a finalist in the Chief Executive of the Year category at the 2019 Deloitte Top 200 Awards. It was during his time with Sanford in Auckland that he forged links with the Cawthron, through the work of Nelson-based greenshell mussel technology and production organisation SPATnz. “That gave me an insight into the Cawthron, but I must admit when I left Sanford I didn’t expect I’d one day work for it. “At that time, it was all about just taking a break. Four months later I was approached and that planted the seed to start thinking about it, and what became quite a process from there.”
Volker says Nelson’s drawcard was also its faint reminder of home in Namibia and South Africa - places embedded in his soul for reasons beyond where his roots lie. He was in his late 20s when his first wife and two-year-old daughter were killed in a car accident as he was pulling into port from a fishing trip, ending life as he knew it in Africa.
“I’d been at sea for two weeks and they were on the way to pick me up with a driver from the fishing company, and they never arrived.”
A year later, despite the support of the town in which they had lived, Volker needed to move on and returned to Germany. Parallel to his career trajectory were subsequent marriages and children. “Stellenbosch near Capetown has a bit of the same atmosphere you have in Nelson. It’s quite colonial, with tree-lined streets and it’s very welcoming. The spirit here was what really impressed me. “It’s the only place in the world really - and I travelled a lot as a fish buyer, where I met suppliers who would welcome me to their homes for a barbecue.
“I’ve not come across that anywhere else in the world – but being welcomed with open arms is typical South African behaviour as well.”
Volker says part of what he plans to do in his new role is lift the institute’s profile. “Those who know the Cawthron speak very highly of it. Our biggest challenge is to be a bit more exposed, to make more people aware of who we are and what we do, even here in Nelson.”
The Cawthron is one of Nelson’s largest employers, with 300 highly-skilled staff from 35 different countries. They deliver science that helps to protect the environment and support the sustainable development of primary industries in New Zealand and worldwide.
Volker says the central aim always has been, and will continue to be, the provision of world-class science for a better future. “Ideally, we all want to make a difference, and do something that moves us in the right direction. “It’s fantastic we have this team of 300 who are all about doing that, but I’m guessing most people won’t know what we do when we say we’re involved in coastal and freshwater science.” Volker says they have a responsibility to find ways to stop further degradation of coastal and freshwater, while not closing their eyes to the need to adapt, to survive long-term. He believes that solving the riddle around emissions reduction might rest with our oceans, which play a critical role in capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – a key contributor to the speed of current climate change. Oceans are natural carbon sinks which help to buffer the continued emissions from human activity, but they are under immense strain.
Volker says shifting the focus from the land to the oceans as a platform for planting and growing might be a way to help extract CO2 from the atmosphere, to reduce the rate at which our climate is warming. “New Zealand has the fourth largest exclusive economic zone in the world, we are very alone in the South Pacific, and we should be the ones thinking about this. “I see this as our opportunity to somehow stimulate thinking on how to make an impact on this front; to invest in something that would benefit humankind. “It sounds very ideological, but we have to be courageous, and we have to think more.”
A more immediate challenge is dealing with the impact of Covid on the Cawthron’s workforce, half of whom are aged under 35 and many with families overseas they have not seen in a while.
“You do experience increasing mental health issues, just with people being very frustrated, and not knowing what is going to happen.” Volker wants to ensure that the work he and the Cawthron does contributes to the opportunities he wants for his children, and what will be their children.
“I showed a photo at the recent Aspire Conference of my young daughter, and said I want her to one day say, ‘thank you, dad, for what you have done’, and not, ‘Dad – what have you done’.”
Nelson’s favourite outdoor museum free entry ... for locals from Nelson & Tasman*
AIMEE JULES
Past president and life member Barbara Watt and current President Harriet Whinney.
Behind the bright red doors
For 95 years the Nelson Women’s Club has been a place of friendship and activities. Adrienne Matthews takes a look behind its famous red doors on upper Trafalgar St.
Words: Adrienne Matthews
Near the top of Trafalgar Street is a pair of curious red doors. Step through the doorway and you are drawn straight into a living and very active piece of Nelson’s history, the Nelson’s Women’s Club. Established on July 26 1926, this is no quirky relic from the past but a warm and inviting place to which women of all ages can come to enjoy each other’s company.
Previously the prerogative of men, the female equivalent of Gentlemen and Workingmen’s clubs did not make an appearance in New Zealand until the 1890s. In Nelson a group of sixty ladies had their first meeting in the Haire Mai Room of the building, previously home to the Nelson Institute. Present at the occasion were mostly ladies of prominent Nelson families. Owned since 1925 by the Nelson City Council, the building’s top floor was leased to the club for thirty-five shillings a week. The founding group quickly established a formal set of rules along which to run the organisation and once necessary building repairs were completed and the rooms furnished, the Nelson Women’s Club was officially launched on 17 November 1926 with catering provided for three hundred. The annual joining fee was two pounds and two shillings, in today’s money around $190. The women who are members these days joined for very similar reasons to the early ones who came for a break from family life and a chance to meet up with friends whenever they came to town. Life Member Barbara Watt and current President Harriet Whinney concur that the club was a “life saver” for them. Barbara joined the club when she moved to Nelson in the early 1990s. “I knew no one”, she says. “I joined the Bridge Circle and since then have made so many dear friends”.
Harriet arrived in New Zealand from England eleven years ago to a “new country and a new town. I soon saw the club as like an umbrella”, she says, “something you can dip in and out of, attending which Circles you enjoy and making friends along the way”. The building itself was constructed in 1897 by the Vining family. It is listed by the Historic Places Trust as a Grade 2 Heritage Building, meaning it has historical and cultural value and needs preserving for future generations. In 1965 the City Council put it up for sale and the Club’s members who had been renting it for thirty-nine years were determined to purchase it. They raised money from fundraising activities and debentures taken up by individual members, which was no mean feat, and by 1980 the building was completely paid off. Their tenants on the ground floor have included various eateries including the iconic Chez Eelco and, these days, Harry’s Hawker House. Elected officials of the Club are always extremely busy, not least with the maintenance of the building. Despite the excellent quality and strength of the original structure, a few essential repairs have needed to be made throughout the years. In 1992 local businesses were astonished to see a large crane lifting a new, earthquake-strengthened south wall into place and more recently the verandah has been completely refurbished thanks to several heritage grants. The latter is a piece de resistance. Its elegant windows, interspersed with green Victorian-style panes, look through a leafy canopy onto the upper end of Trafalgar St and the church steps, the perfect place for a morning coffee. The large main meeting/dining space is a study in elegance with a high tongue and groove ceiling painted a crisp white, ornate lighting and room to seat up to a hundred. The library has an array of photos of each of the Club’s past patrons. Beginning with Lady Alice Ferguson, they were all wives of New Zealand’s Governor Generals until the appointment of Cath Tizard as Governor General in 1990 put an end to this tradition. In pride of place here also is a letter to the Club from Winston Churchill, received in 1945 as a thank you for the Club’s support. These days the Club has its own daily part-time housekeeper who ensures it is always kept spick and span and that there is a cup of tea or coffee readily available. It is a place that members can use whenever they choose as well as being the venue for many of the Circle activities. Activities are many and varied and centre mostly around groups of women who meet to share common interests. They date back to the early beginnings of the club with the establishment of the Bridge Circle. This was followed soon after in 1927 by French and Literary, Arts and Crafts, Drama and Garden Circles. These days, while the others remain,
Mrs Noble, Miss Nevin, Miss Tucker, Mrs Nightingale, Miss Bisley and Mrs Harley celebrating 40 years of the Women's Club with a luncheon in 1966.
there is no French Circle. There are additions of an Evening Circle that appeals to women who work during the day, Morning Coffee, Keep Fit, Genealogy, Mahjong, Arts and Artisans, Singing, Techno, and Friday Friends. As Harriet explains, “any member can set up a Circle and any member can attend any meeting that takes their interest”. Barbara caused a furore in 1994 when she arrived at the Club wearing trousers. A special committee meeting took place and permission was given for members to wear such attire from then forward. These days no such strictures occur. As Harriet is keen to point out, “Anyone is welcome to apply to join. There is absolutely no exclusivity here”. Celia Dasler is one of the younger members and joined five years ago. “I was drawn in by those red doors”, she laughs. “I’d always been curious about what went on there. When I saw the ambience of the rooms and the old world charm I was captivated. I have since introduced friends to the Club and they just love it. So many women hide their light under a bushel and here they can be themselves and enjoy the company of others”, she says, “the older members have such wonderful stories to tell and this is a great place to hear those too”.
“For older members, the Club is a home away from home and the centre of their week, and we are their family”, explains Harriet. With current paid up membership of one hundred and thirty, there are a growing number of younger women joining which pleases the committee. “We want to be able to share this wonderful venue and its long history with new generations of women”, says Harriet. “They will take up the mantle and continue the Club on when it is our time to hand over the reins”. At only $90 for a year’s subscription, membership is very appealing.
AIMEE JULES
Harriet looking at the leather folder in the library which holds the Certificate of Title Under Land Transfer Act.
One aspect particularly appreciated by members is that the Club is not a networking organisation. They are not permitted to use the venue to attract clients and, as Harriet explains, “speakers are not allowed to sell their wares here”. This helps to maintain it as a peaceful place that is simply for the enjoyment and the sociability of its members. “It is completely remarkable that for ninety-five years this place has been run continually by presidents, committee and a housekeeper, and is as strong today as it ever was”, Celia says.
BRENT MCGILVARY
Mani Kumar Pradhan with his wife Sunita and children Melissa and Shristi.
Letters to Live By From Nepal to Nelson
Our Letters to Live By column asks Nelsonians to pen a letter to their fellow citizens, telling their story. This month read how Nelson Recycling Centre yard manager Mani Kumar Pradhan spent 18 of his formative years in a refugee camp in Nepal. Mani moved to Nelson 10 years ago where he has carved out a whole new life. He urges more Nelsonians to count their blessings.
My name is Mani – if you say it, it sounds like “money”. I came to New Zealand on the 5th of May 2010, three years after the International Organisation of Migrants began the process of offering us third country settlement.
Lots of my friends from the village, they went to America. I was supposed to go there too but my mother was already in New Zealand, so came here too.
I am 32, and I’ve spent almost 18 years of my life in a refugee camp. When I think about that, it was lots of fun, but we also had lots of struggles. There were lots of things we wanted that weren’t possible to get. If we wanted to eat meat, it took a week’s wages to buy it. Just imagine a big village with thousands of people living in it, in really small huts. We had to fetch water from the tanks in the morning to make breakfast, and if you had animals – goats, pigs, or chickens – they had to be fed before we went to school.
As far as I know we’d been kicked out of Bhutan on human rights issues. My father was pure Hindu, and my parents became scared when many people started to get arrested and put in jail. There was a lot of violence, so they crossed the border and settled in Nepal. I don’t remember Bhutan. What I know is only what I can see on the map, a tiny landlocked country with two different
types of people, the Bhutanese and the Lhotshampa (a Hindu population of ethnic Nepali descent). My memory of life in Nepal…all I can see is my refugee life. We were called refugees by the Nepalese people, we were not allowed to go further than 30 kilometres from the camp, and we faced discrimination by the local people. (A large percentage of the Bhutanese population has fled the country, mainly to Nepal and India. In the mid-1980s, the Nepalese government passed citizenship laws that provided a legal basis for declaring many Lhotshampa to be ‘non-nationals.’ Escalating discrimination throughout the 1980s and early 1990s led to the largescale movement of Lhotshampa refugees to countries around the world.) My first memory of New Zealand was like, WOW! I never thought I’d ride in an aeroplane in my life. It was my number one dream.
In May 2010, five of us including my dad, cousins and stepmother arrived at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre in Auckland. We stayed there for six weeks, learning about life in New Zealand; how to use a card to go shopping, about the schools and the doctors, and what to do if we were confronted with racism.
It was my choice to come to Nelson. At first it was hard. Local people shouted, “you bloody Indian, go back to your country”, or “you little Asian, go back to your country.” I do get asked where I’m from, quite a lot: “Are you from… America?” No. “Are you from Fiji?” No. “Where are you from?” and I say, “I’m from 8848 – Top of the World”, and they go, “where is that”? I tell them Nepal, and they go, “oooh, where is that?” (8848 is reference to the height in metres of Mount Everest). I’ve been at the recycling centre for six years now and I love it there. I love that we save lots of goodies from going down the hole to landfill. Basically, the community gives to us and we give back to the community. I have worked hard and saved enough to buy our first home in February 2020. It felt like I owned all the land in the world. It was amazing, unbelievable. We never, ever had our own house.
I met my wife Sunita, here in Nelson. She was born in Nepal, but her parents were also from Bhutan, and also came here as refugees. Sunita lived in the flat in Victory where my friend lived. We never spoke, and then I sent her a friend request on Facebook, and she accepted. We didn’t talk for a long time, we just talked on social media. Now we have five-year-old Melissa and four-month-old Shristi.
My view is that all of us here in New Zealand are immigrants of one sort or another. I think for Nelson people, just respect each other and live life happily without hurting others. See the good and be positive because we live in the most peaceful country on the entire planet.
Compiled by Tracy Neal
Hungry Mako gear up for ‘three-peat’
Given that the Mako shark is reputed to be the fastest fish in the ocean it is fitting that their rugby personification, the Tasman Mako, have risen to the top of the provincial rugby pool with astonishing speed.
Words: Peter Jones
If winning back-to-back NPC premiership titles was not enough to underline Tasman’s status as one of the nation’s rugby powerhouses, the naming of the first All Blacks squad for 2021 confirmed it.
Seven Tasman players were included in the 36-man squad, comfortably the highest representation from any provincial union. Tyrel Lomax, Shannon Frizell, David Havili, Will Jordan and Sevu Reece have previously worn the fern, while Ethan Blackadder and Finlay Christie were newcomers to the exclusive club.
This is an eyebrow-raising statistic, especially for a union that has existed for just 15 seasons and was such an uneasy alliance to begin with. Traditionally, All Blacks squads have been dominated by players from such fertile rugby breeding grounds as Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington, Otago and Waikato. Now the country’s newest union has become a major player. Six of the seven Tasman All Blacks played their first provincial match in Mako colours, illustrating the fact that the pathway to the top is now clearly signposted for those outside the big cities. Of course, in the modern era, being chosen at the top level generally precludes participation at provincial level, meaning Tasman will likely lose seven players from their roster as they bid for a ‘three-peat’ of premiership titles in the Bunnings NPC, which begins in early August. However, as the team and their management have shown in recent times, their ability to develop and adapt to changing circumstances and personnel is a key component in their success.
Just two of their 2021 All Blacks, Havili and Christie, were part of the team which so dramatically claimed last year’s NPC title at Eden Park and, while they will be sorely missed, their absence merely opens the door for others. The return to full time action this year of former All Blacks prop Atu Moli, plus locks Pari Pari Parkinson and Quinten Strange, whose 2020 seasons were blighted by injury will add heft and experience to the tight five. Strange is a likely captaincy option with Havili back in black, while Mitch Hunt is another possibility. The absence of the talismanic Havili has been offset by the recent signing of utility back Tom Marshall, a former Mako player who provides a similar skill set to Havili. A newcomer on the Tasman rugby scene this season is incoming chief executive officer Lyndon Bray. The former international referee says he could not resist the opportunity to become part of the fledgling union’s “magical” journey. “What they have done with the branding and how the Tasman Mako has evolved is really quite magical.
SHUTTERSPORT
LEFT: The Mako celebrate their 2020 success.
ABOVE: Mako fans in Nelson and Marlborough have helped drive the team to back-to-back NPC titles.
“That excited me and there was another factor … I’m not sure how many people inside the region realise how powerful the Mako image is outside of Marlborough and Nelson. When you talk to people around the country they generally say that I support Auckland or whoever, but their second favourite team is the Mako.
“Despite the struggles that came with [Tasman’s formation] what has come out of it is really powerful.” Lyndon is very aware that, with the new role, comes a multitude of challenges, especially in the community rugby space. “Part of our challenge is how we connect into the clubs, who are such a part of the rich history of the game. “To that end we are hoping, towards the end of August, to bring [the clubs] together for a hui and think, how do we work together, what’s [Tasman rugby’s role] and then get some strong club input into what that looks like. “Rather than jump in and make change, we want to take the clubs with us on that journey.” He says the issues facing the game here are no different to the rest of the country. “Player numbers will always be a challenge, plus getting the right structures for our competitions. “The transition from age group to club players is also a major issue for us all … this region has some unique challenges also, such as the fact a lot of kids are going to naturally move away to university. “There is also a need to engage players with talent … not only to play for their clubs, but to keep them in the game as they go from school level to clubs … then developing them further.” To that end, Lyndon says the union is putting more resources into that area, including setting up a “community-related” gym in Marlborough catering not only for elite players, but also for club and school teams.
Looking ahead, Lyndon has defined goals for Tasman rugby. “I would like to see that, prior to the end of 2021, we are crystal clear about our vision and direction for club rugby. “COVID put us behind the eight-ball going into this season, so this is a chance for us to get things right … with the support of all the clubs, with the clubs owning their direction and us knowing how we support them. If we get to that point, I would be a very happy man.” The Mako kick off their NPC campaign on Sunday August 8, with an away match against Bay of Plenty in Tauranga.
SHUTTERSPORT
Nelson’s Tom Marshall is back for the Mako for the 2021 season.
ENDEAVOUR HOMES
It is our guarantee that Endeavour Homes maintains the highest standards of workmanship and finish in every home that we build. Because quality workmanship is paramount, we urge you to choose the Endeavour Team as your design and home construction partner. “Proud sponsors of Tasman Mako!”
In 2020 Nelson Forests rebranded as OneFortyOne. We continue to support the local community; growing, harvesting and processing trees. OneFortyOne New Zealand Forests and Kaituna Sawmill are proud to sponsor and support the Tasman Mako. All the best for another great season.
03 544 0886 endeavourhomes.co.nz
ONE FORTY ONE
onefortyone.com
HARRINGTON EYECARE
Once again Harrington Eyecare is proud to support the Tasman Mako and we wish the team all the best for the upcoming season. We are sure you will do the province proud once again. Fins up from Richard and the Harrington Eyecare team.
03 546 9160 harringtoneyecare.co.nz
Harrington Eyecare
TAKE A FRESH LOOK
DECKS4U
Give your family and friends a beautiful, social, outdoor living space to catch up and create new memories. Make your property more inviting, comfortable and desirable without adding to your list of home maintenance chores. We cover the Nelson Tasman, West Coast and Marlborough areas. We’re passionate about building decks. We wish the Mighty Mako all the best for another successful season!
0800DECKS4U decks4u.co.nz
NELSON ORTHODONTICS
Nelson Orthodontics is proud to promote dental safety by supplying mouth guards to the Mako team and to over 70,000 junior players in the Tasman region over the past 18 years. We look forward to working alongside the Tasman Mako again this season and being a part of the excitement they bring to our region.
03 546 6981 nelsonortho.nz
RENEW IT
We are thrilled to be teaming up with Tasman Mako for the 2021 season! We are a rugby mad community with staff either playing or volunteering time within rugby circles. We see huge importance of the mental and social health benefits attributed to rugby, and our sponsorship of back-toback winning Premiership Cup Champions was a no brainer for us. We wish the Mako all the best for another successful season!
0800 441 982 renew-itgroup.com
J STEWART BUILDERS
JStewart Builders once again is pleased to support and be part of the 2021 Tasman Mako season. Locally owned and operated and like Tasman Mako, J Stewart Builders have built up a strong and dedicated team. Jason and his team would like to wish the Mako all the best for the upcoming season!
021 495 876 justewartbuilders@xtra.co.nz
021 495 876
ROADMARKERS & SAFE TRAFFIC
LTD
Our Family-owned business is proudly celebrating 40 years in roadmarking and traffic control, with over 20 years in Nelson, unconditionally supporting the Mako. As well as road marking and traffic management, we also have available for hire: VMS signs, portable traffic lights, electronic speed signs, all signage and cones. For your Rroadmarking, and traffic control requirements contact us! For 50 years the Norton name has been synonymous with all things to do with swimming pools. We are very proud to be sponsoring the Tasman Mako team. Top of the South’s Compass Pool dealer, Aquanort Pools has the expertise to be able to offer a complete one-stop pool service. Come on in and see our professional fully trained staff for expert advice.
021 247 1031 5 Rotherham St, Nelson roadmark.com EVENT AUDIO NELSON
The team at Event Audio is pleased to announce they are proud sponsors and audio suppliers for another Tasman Mako season. Contact us for all of your audio, lighting and video needs.
027 473 3159 (Andrew) 027 487 5418 (Ben) info@event-audio.co.nz
ZEROSTONE DETECTOR DOGS
ZeroStone Detector Dogs support the Tasman Mako again in 2021. Matt MacDougall and Mike Lawson contribute to Tasman rugby with the MBC and Nelson 1st XVs and Tasman U19’s. We are also proud to support local businesses striving to provide safe workplaces with drug detection services.
021 594 175 drugdogs.co.nz
NELMAC
At Nelmac we’re a vertically integrated team of ecology-led strategists, planners, designers and production and implementations specialists dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our natural environments. We are proud to work on Trafalgar Park, the home of our Mighty Mako, to keep the park in top condition for our team. Go the Mako for another smashing season! 03 546 0910 nelmac.co.nz
AQUANORT POOLS
03 578 5928 aquanort.co.nz
THE MARKETING STUDIO
CHRIS BUTLER
The Marketing Studio is a proud supporter of the Tasman Mako. Paint your future with the Marketing Studio. Strategy, planning and marketing services. Websites, social media, Enews, design and more. Talk to us about your plans today.
03 546 8269 themarketingstudio.co.nz
THE VIC PUBLIC HOUSE
The Vic is Nelson’s most iconic watering hole. We pride ourselves on serving good, honest food and drinks made with fresh, local produce, celebrating all things Kiwi and providing top-notch customer service. Family owned and operated, The Vic Public House is Nelson’s local and will be for years to come.
03 548 7631 info@thevicpub.co.nz thevicpub.co.nz
MMCA
MANOLI AERAKIS
We are proud to support the Mako team this year. Just like the coaches of the Mako team, we get down on the field with our clients. We provide sound, practical advice through our accounting services and guidance and mentoring via our business coaching services. Just like the Mako team we are award winning (Xero Large Firm of the Year 2019), and its great to be recognised nationally for our efforts in working closely with clients. 03 545 6565 mmca.co.nz CNX
As a sponsor of the Tasman Mako, CNX couldn’t be prouder of our local team! We wish our back-to-back Premiership champions all the best for another successful season!
03 545 6600 cnx.co.nz
INTESAFETY
AARON NEIGHBOURS GRAHAM MAHUIKA
As we step out of our community rugby coaching duties for 2021, the Intesafety team are looking forward to helping the Mako in the season ahead. Like the recent success of the Mako on the field, Intesafety aims to support your business on its journey to make Health and Safety easier and more effective for your business. We specialise in developing the leadership, developing systems, conducting investigations, risk assessment and audits to suit your needs.
027 215 0765 intesafety.co.nz
NELSON BEDS
The team at Nelson Beds are proud to sponsor the Tasman Mako. Our aim is to make sure that you receive the bed that is right for you. Come in and talk to us about giving you a sleep you won’t remember at a price you won’t forget
59 Quarantine Road, Nelson 03 547 4567 nelsonbeds.co.nz NBS
We’re owned by our clients and committed to our communities.NBS have Tasman Rugby’s back for three more years - the new agreement incorporates sponsorship of the Tasman Mako men’s and women’s teams as back of jersey sponsor, and community rugby in the region, continuing a partnership that began in 2014. FinzUp and go the Mighty Mako!
0800 101 700 nbs.co.nz
NBS is not a registered bank
TNL INTERNATIONAL LTD
We pride ourselves on offering the highest degree of professional service. Our strong customer focus and flexibility means we continually strive to provide innovative solutions to meet your needs. “Proud sponsors of the Tasman Mako! Wishing the Mighty Mako all the best for the season!”
03 545 9457 tnlintl.com
NELSON PINE INDUSTRIES LTD
We have a reputation for product consistency and quality, sustainable timber resource management, low environmental impact practices, marketled research into product and production development. We are proud sponsors of the Tasman Mako and wish the back to back champions another successful season!”
03 543 8800 nelsonpine.co.nz
MOTORWORLD
Committed to helping the community that supports our dealership. Our sponsorships are focused on helping local schools, charity groups and sports organisations, including the mighty Tasman Mako! We are proud to be part of a 115-year history of servicing the motoring public of Marlborough, offering new Kia, Volkswagen, Isuzu and Suzuki vehicles, used vehicles, car servicing, WOF, Auto car wash, grooming and genuine parts and accessories.
03 578 5199 motorworld.co.nz
FULTON HOGAN
Fulton Hogan specialise in asphalt, site works construction, driveways, excavation, aggregate supplies and carparks and are proud supporters of the Tasman Mako.
03 578 0055 3 McArtney St, Blenheim fultonhogan.com
THE WAITOHI
SPORTS BAR
New management of the Waitohi Sports Bar, Ra and Kirsty Hebberd, welcome all regular and new clientelle. Enjoy a great range of craft beer, local Marlborough wines and a large menu with a range of appetising food options. Come and join us, your local in Picton, proudly supporting the Tasman Mako.
03 573 5377 7 Auckland St, Picton Open 7 Days from 11am
GILL CONSTRUCTION
Marlborough born and bred and proud to be locally owned and operated and supporting our team, the Tasman Mako. Gill Construction has notched up over 80 years in business. From specialising in roading/earthmoving to fertiliser spreading, stock and bulk cartage and two aggregate crushing plants to supply all roading/sealing chip/concrete and landscaping requirements, they have Marlborough covered. 0508 445 5266 95 Middle Renwick Rd, Blenheim gillconstruction.co.nz
CROWN SHEETMETAL
Crown Sheetmetal is proud to sponsor the Tasman Mako for the upcoming 2021 season. We are looking forward to offering our encouragement (advice) from the sidelines, and hope to see and hear all the Marlborough and Nelson fans at the grounds in their support of the Mako team. Go the Mako!
03 577 6310 crownsheetmetal.co.nz
DELUXE RV GROUP
DeLuxe RV is the premier supplier and seller of caravans, motorhomes and RVs in New Zealand, based in Blenheim, with stock also available in Christchurch and Tauranga. Our collection of over 70 caravans, motorhomes and RVs covers everything from economical caravans for the budget conscious to luxury RVs. Proud to support the Tasman Mako.
03 927 2216 45 Main St, Blenheim deluxegroup.co.nz
CLUBS MARLBOROUGH
Clubs of Marlborough are proud supporters of our commmunity and local sport. Join us at the club for live sport on the big screen in our community sporting hub. We wish our back-to-back champions another successful season!
03 578 1059 42 Alfred St, Blenheim clubsofmarlborough.co.nz
MORGAN PLUMBING
From plumbing and drainage to roofing and gas fitting, there’s nothing the team from Morgan Plumbing can’t handle! We offer a broad range of plumbing styles, services and solutions, no matter what you’re looking for. Catering to clients throughout Marlborough, our team of plumbers, drain layers, gasfitters and roofers can handle any job, big or small.
0800 034 097 11 Purkiss St, Springlands kjmorganplumbing.co.nz
IMAGINE SIGNS
Imagine Signs can provide you with all your signage and sign writing needs. From large scale commercial and retail sites to smaller boutique businesses and wineries. Contact us for ideas and options that will suit you and your business best. We wish our back to back champions all the best for another successful season!
03 578 9900 18 Timandra Pl, Blenheim imaginesigns.co.nz
CHURCHILL HOSPITAL
As Marlborough’s only private surgical hospital, Churchill has been supporting the region for over 25 years. Covering a wide range of elective surgery, our team are both professional and committed. That’s why it’s a pleasure to continue our support of the Tasman Mako, a committed team and great ambassadors for our region. FISHERTM WINDOWS
Fisher™ is New Zealand’s oldest and most trusted joinery brand, offering innovative and trustworthy solutions for over 60 years. Our doors and windows use light to their best advantage while providing the benefits of long life, less maintenance and better security. Our quality, beautifully designed products are backed by superior knowledge and after sales support.
03 578 1436 22 Bomford St, Blenheim fisherwindows.co.nz
SCAFFOLD
MARLBOROUGH
Blenheim based company, Scaffold Marlborough are proud long-time supporters of the Tasman Mako. A locally owned and operated company with a very experienced and capable team. Small enough to care about your job, but large enough to get the job done right, with a vast array of top quality and safety assessed equipment. 03 579 1372 34 Renwick Rd, Blenheim scaffoldmarlborough.co.nz
WOODBOURNE TAVERN
The well-established Woodbourne Tavern and Motels is a family-owned business. Proud supporters of all Marlborough sport, we welcome you to join us to watch our backto-back champions on the big screen! The team at the Woody look forward to hosting you! Go the Mako!
03 572 8007 High St, Renwick woodbournetavern.co.nz
T&D
CONSTRUCTION
T&D know what it takes to make a successful team, just like the Mako. We can lay claim to building most of Blenheim, from its commercial property, to school and winery buildings, exclusive homes in the Marlborough Sounds and high-end residential homes. Our willingness to listen and excellent project management, enable your building project to run smoothly, on time, within budget and to contractual obligations.
03 578 8821 td-construction.co.nz CRAFAR CROUCH
CONSTRUCTION
We are proud to be the leading Marlborough construction company recognised for service and commitment to clients and the community We value the support we receive from Marlburians and are proud to give back to our community and sport in Marlborough, including the Tasman Mako!
03 578 3475 crafarcrouch.co.nz
FORKLIFT HIRE SERVICES
Forklift Hire Services has been servicing local businesses in Blenheim for over 25 years. Locally owned and locally focused Forklift Hire is a proud supporter of the Tasman Mako. Sponsoring JAB rugby and local wine industry events among others forms part of our guiding principle of involvement in the community. 03 579 2921 21 Redwood St Blenheim forklifthireservices.co.nz SIMCOX
CONSTRUCTION
The combination of our values, expertise, and workforce cements us as one of the largest and most capable civil construction groups in the South Island; with over 300 experienced staff throughout the Mainland completing projects to the highest standard. We wish the Mako another successful season!
03 578 5930 14 Taylor Pass Rd Blenheim simcox.co.nz
HORTUS
Hortus is your ground force for vineyard management and labour supply in viticulture and horticulture. Through our industry expertise and sustainable partnerships, we are a leading service provider that succeeds through the growth of our people as well as our crops. We thrive when our community thrives, which is why we are proud to support the Tasman Mako Men’s and Women’s teams.
03 578 4681 hortus.co.nz
Fashion Week beckons
Nelson woman Taylor Pumphrey is already turning heads in the New Zealand fashion world, only months after graduating with a degree in fashion design from Otago Polytechnic. She was recently named overall winner at the 11th annual Miromoda fashion design competition in Wellington for her collection Tangible, which also won the Emerging Designer category. It will now feature at this month’s New Zealand Fashion Week.
She spoke with Tracy Neal about fashion, family and her ideal future.
JAMIE HORSEFIELD
Alesha Pyers models Taylor's Tangible collection which will feature at Fashion Week.
Aweighted blanket of the type used in occupational therapy was the genesis of an attention-grabbing fashion collection, that will now be seen on the catwalk at this month’s New Zealand Fashion Week.
Taylor Pumphrey’s collection, Tangible, is a waypoint on the chart she hopes will lead to bigger things in the vast and varied world of fashion. Then her mother made her a doll-sized wardrobe, with tiny wire coat hangers on which Taylor would hang her tiny cutouts, and the clothes for her Barbie dolls.
The collection explores touch, emotion and the space between the tangible and intangible. It includes woollen handknitted jerseys, original digital prints made from silk crepe de chine and a loose-fitting cream dress with textured drop gather. Taylor says because it was not designed to a brief but was part of an assignment, she had free rein over what she wanted to do. It is partly why it emerged as a response to emotion, driven in part by the weighted blanket she was given last year. “I started to think about, ‘why does this work? Why do we like these things?’ and it started from this tangent.” Weighted blankets distribute weight and settle over someone like a cocoon, which is said to stimulate the calming sensation of deep touch pressure therapy. This helps to promote better sleep by reducing anxiety, stress, restlessness, and improving temperature regulation. “I tried one and it worked. My friends had one too and I got to thinking about why it’s comforting. I also wondered about what they are filled with – glass beads – and I ended up doing this super loop-de-loop to get where I got with this collection.” The collection also references symmetry, and the way people respond to shape and form. “I think there is something built in to how we like things – some people aren’t bothered if the lines aren’t straight, for example, while others find it really stressful. “I really just wanted to explore what causes people comfort and discomfort with the tactile system and sensory processing.” Taylor says feedback from friends helped to shape her thinking. She is not sure when or how her interest in design began, other than the influence of growing up in a close-knit Nelson family, and that of her artist mother Sarah Pumphrey and art teachers at Garin College. “I can’t completely pinpoint how it began, but I do remember… we grew up sewing, and we were always doing creative things. “Being creative and making things was just built into our upbringing. I do remember having those little books that had paper cut-outs and I remember doing them.”
And of course, the Nelson-born World of Wearable Art Awards also had a part in Taylor’s career journey. “I loved it as a kid, and the (WOW) museum in Nelson. At Garin they had Mahi Toi (annual arts festival week), and I’d make garments with friends from recycled materials.” Taylor also credits her tutors at Otago for helping her along the way, and for encouraging her to enter competitions. “I owe my teachers and tutors a lot, along with my family for being so supportive. My mum, who is amazing, actually knitted all the knitwear in the Tangible collection.” After what was a difficult 2020, made more challenging by Covid, Taylor moved to Wellington at the start of this year, where she is currently managing a central city retail boutique. It was a toss-up between Auckland – where the jobs are, and Wellington, but the Capital won, which is where most of Taylor’s friends are. “Last year wasn’t the best. It was a bit of I tend to gravitate towards a disaster all-round, and I just wanted a chill year and to live with friends.” the wearable, commercial Taylor says her day-job provides a side of fashion, but I do see regular income and allows her time to it as adornment. Humans do think and create in what already appears as a solid intellectual process. have an inherent desire to The 22-year-old views fashion as seek out beautiful things. something that can enhance the way someone looks, as well as it being an artform. “There are multiple ways that fashion can exist. There is that line between fashion and art that is often a little blurry. “I tend to gravitate towards the wearable, commercial side of fashion, but I do see it as adornment. Humans do have an inherent desire to seek out beautiful things.” Taylor says fabric and textile are crucial to the aesthetic of a garment, but also how it is engineered. She enjoys the process of figuring out how certain fabrics can be turned into a garment, and the practicalities around that. “I put a fair amount of focus on textiles – just because I’m fussy. I tend to design first and then find the textiles I’ve imagined for it, but that’s actually really difficult because most of the time they don’t exist exactly how I want them, and I end up stuck.” Taylor works instinctively and considers social and environmental elements in all aspects of the process she follows, which she believes is linked to her iwi roots. She is Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
Ngāi Tahu is the principal Māori iwi of the South Island. Ngāti Toa is based in the southern North Island and in the northern South Island, and Ngāti Raukawa has traditional bases in the Waikato, Taupo and Manawatu/Horowhenua regions. Ngāti Tūwharetoa is an iwi descended from Ngātoro-i-rangi, the priest who navigated the Arawa canoe to New Zealand. The Tūwharetoa region extends from Te Awa o te Atua at Matatā across the central plateau of the North Island to the lands around Mount Tongariro and Lake Taupō Taylor’s win at the Miromoda fashion design competition is not the first time a Nelson designer has featured in its top ranks. Miromoda is the trade name for the Indigenous Māori Fashion Apparel Board which was formed in 2008 and is New Zealand's leading indigenous fashion events company. In 2016, sisters Brooke Strang of Nelson and Keri Wanoa (Ngati Porou) of New Plymouth were supreme winners with clothing brand Wanoa Four, born from the ethos of four sisters.
The competition typically chooses a group of between eight to 10 designers to take part in New Zealand Fashion Week. Another Nelson designer, Rosette Hailes-Paku who was a First-Class Honours graduate from Otago in 2019 and went on to create the Karaoke Superstars brand, was runner-up to Taylor in this year’s Emerging Designer category. Rosette has also been selected to appear at fashion week, repeating a previous appearance at the prestigious show. Taylor’s collection Tangible, plus a couple of additional outfits, will feature on the runway at Fashion Week and in the Graduate Show. Taylor says that while her new hometown is a strong creative hub, she is yet to fully explore what Wellington has to offer. “I’ve spent my weekends so far working towards these competitions and pursuing other creative projects. “I’m also involved in the Kāhui Collective mentorship programme with Kiri Nathan, which has been amazing support and inspiration.” The Kāhui Collective is a networking initiative for indigenous fashion businesses.
Taylor says her ambition is to gain experience from people established in the industry, before setting out on her own.
New Zealand Fashion Week, 23rd - 29th August 2021 Auckland Town Hall
