Man Cave

A Cut Above the Rest

When award-winning barber Peleti Oli has a client in his chair, he has the power to determine more than just the rest of their day.

He has a mission which extends beyond the blade, one to promote his barbershop, Somehz Touch Barbers in Hastings, as a ‘safe place’ for all who enter. “You have a bit of power to influence people who sit in your chair. It is a good tool and that’s why I want to use it to make the world a better place; one haircut at a time,” Peleti says. “We try to create an atmosphere where men feel safe, that’s the environment we encourage. If we can be vulnerable it invites them to see that ‘hey, I’m not alone’,” he says. Peleti and his team specialise in hair art, fades, cut throat shaves and beard shaping and reshaping, and this month he is visiting Marlborough salon Cutz on Weld to share some of his skills. “I like to get creative in doing a lot of designs; especially for the kids that come in and want a Batman or a Superman on their head, that’s what I specialise in,” he says. Despite two other barber shops on his block, business is booming for Peleti, who operates a bookings-only policy, and has five other barbers working to keep up with demand. For the past three years he has claimed the top spot in the creative category at New Zealand’s ultimate barbering and men’s grooming event, BarberCraft. Peleti has had no formal training for his career, one which very nearly didn’t happen. “I first started barbering in high school, when my late friend John taught me how to do a haircut. “It’s quite a tradition where you learn the skill and then just do haircuts from your garage, so

I was doing haircuts for free for a very long time; I was never short of guinea pigs,” Peleti says. For many years, cutting hair was a hobby, something he used to do when somebody needed a haircut, and a skill he shared with his late brother Someh, who in turn taught him the art of barbering. Sadly, Peleti later lost his brother to suicide, something he originally thought would end his barbering career. “Just before the family service, all my cousins and Someh’s friends lined up in the garage wanting to get hair cuts. I said ‘hey, I’m struggling to keep it together, I’m mourning the loss of my brother’, I thought that would be the last time I cut hair,” he says. “But as soon as I started doing the first haircut I felt peaceful, I call it my solace, my place of peace.” Peleti soon realised he could utilise his skill to better his own life, and to reach out to others. “Losing my brother was a bit of a wakeup call for myself. I was really just going in and out of jobs, moving from the Hawkes Bay to Auckland to Australia, and not really picking a real path in my life. “I decided to take barbering and give it a go, so to speak, to take it a little more seriously, so I found the opportunity to work in a shop and that’s where it began,” Peleti says. Unlike many ‘men-only’ barber shops, Peleti welcomes both men and women into his shop, and he uses the space to help them not only with grooming upkeep, but also as a place to talk. His work also sees him speak at suicide prevention workshops and share his barbering skills with troubled youth in the hope that he will help them to discover their own passion. “As I lost my brother and my friend John to suicide, it became my journey to raise awareness for suicide and help the youth … continuing [their] journey, that’s my inspiration and motivation.” Peleti looks forward to sharing his hair cutting knowledge with the team at Cutz on Weld, and says there are a few things men can do to ensure they’re happy with their cut. “My tips for men would be just to research. It really comes down to the shape of a person’s face … identify what face shape they have and identify some styles that would best suit their head.” Listening to the barber is also key for maintaining the hairstyle long term, Peleti says. “When you style the hair, as soon as they leave the barbershop it’s probably going to be the last time it’s going to look like that. “My advice for the customer is before they leave the barbershop, to ask the barber how they achieved that style,” he says. The team at Cutz On Weld will be inspired after Peleti’s training, be sure to book in to benefit from his skills and experience.

Won’t Stay at Home DaD

– Lee Griggs

It certainly was unchartered territory for me when my wife and I decided that it would be a good move for the both of us to share the work/home life balance.

But the persona of a stay at home dad is one that I feel extremely comfortable in. I’ve dabbled in a few career paths, none of which ever fulfilled me like staying home to raise my son. Whilst parenting has its days, and certainly is a 24/7 job, it’s one I feel can reward you like no other. On most of our ‘Daddy days’, George and I try to fill our time on some sort of adventure, whether it’s going on a walk, bike ride, or down to the pool for some water play if the weather is in our favour.

You may have read some of our adventures from the ‘Won’t Stay At Home Dad’ column or online blog. I feel it’s important to get kids outside and experience nature as much as possible, and luckily George always responds well to the fresh air, the sights of lambs in the paddock or boats on the sounds. However, as George approaches the ‘terrible twos’, I’m on a steep learning curve. He’s becoming much more animated within our Cheers Lee

april tips

Jacob Lucas, Nelson Marlborough Fish & Game

As the days shorten and evening dew sets in, the night chirruping of crickets signals that Autumn is well and truly here. For the trout angler, April is still a fantastic month for trout fishing. Trout are actively feeding, packing on condition for the rigours of spawning ahead. Brown trout, in particular, display remarkable colourations this time of year: striking golden flanks, darkened bellies and green backs, resplendent with haloed red and black spots. Settled autumnal weather will typically see rivers in a period of relative composure, with stable flows, cool nights, and warm days. Trout, as well as other aquatic native taonga, have been given respite from hot summer water temperatures that have been a mark of the summer gone, and which have certainly taken toll. Prolific mayfly hatches feature in the autumn months and are a sight to behold. Spending most of their lives underwater clinging to adventures, taking the lead in his bossy two year old way. I have to curb my frustrations when a grand adventure takes on a different route at the mercy of George’s imagination and his will to see what lies beyond. But I remind myself as we delve off the side path, this is all for his learning and character building, not my own. Hopefully nurturing an inquisitive, open minded and fun filled individual as he grows in to a young man himself. If you’re keen to get your kids outside and experience more of Marlborough’s backyard, visit the ‘Won’t Stay at Home Dad’ blog on Facebook, where you’ll be able to catch up on some of the best spots that Marlborough has to offer young families. I’ll hopefully see you and your family out there on the trails sometime soon.

rocks and stones feeding on algae, mayfly larvae rise to the surface at their time of maturity and break out into a winged dun, ready for their last few days on earth. Trout, always in tune, respond immediately, and can be seen gorging themselves on the hapless beings, evident by dimples on the water surface emanating from where a mayfly once lay. Locally, Nelson Marlborough Fish & Game have been busy trying to keep local anglers happy, with releases of trout into Marlborough waterways. Lake Argyle, in the Wairau Valley, has just received another boost to the lake population with a tanker load of 4-6 pound rainbow trout. Anglers seeking solitude will be pleased to hear of another 400 large rainbow trout which are to be liberated into the Branch and Leatham Rivers, tributaries of the Wairau, in early April. These fish are transported via helicopter monsoon bucket to the upper reaches of both rivers, and is entirely funded by Trustpower. The trout will be all sporting coloured tags with unique numbers, so if you catch one of these, please inform Fish & Game. With just a few short weeks to go until the close of the regular season, we encourage you to make the most of it. Many of our rivers will be off limits to anglers at the end of the month to allow the trout to spawn in peace, however fear not, there will be still plenty of fishing opportunities on offer during winter, including Lake Argyle, the Wairau River (below Wash Bridge), and the lower Pelorus to name a few. For the very first time, the Rai River will be open for winter fishing from the Pelorus confluence to Carluke Bridge. Tight lines!