Savvy March 2022

TheNew

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OURPEOPLE

04-Continuingfamilymarineconservationlegacy20yearson

Editor’snote

WelcometotheMarcheditionofSavvyaswecelebrate our20thyear!Youcanreadabouthowthemagazine hasevolvedonpages6&7andhearfromour contributorsabouttheirjourneywithuswithinthesepages.

Onthe20-yeartheme,weputthefocusonsomethinglongtimeWhangāreiresidentsmaywellrememberor,formany,it maycomeasasurprisethattheTownBasinoncehousedone ofthelargestfishmuseumsinthecountry.Twentyyearsafter itclosed,athird-generationaldescendantofthemanbehindit all,isplanningtomakethefishpubliconcemore.

Thelegendarybutpublicity-shy88-year-oldGeorge Campbellwasfounderandcuratorofthemuseumandaman ofmanytalents,asyoucanreadaboutonpages4,5,6&7. I’vecomeacrossGeorge,whoIbelievetobeWhangārei’s “fishwhisperer”,severaltimespotteringaboutathisproperty whileI’vebeenoutwalkingonBeachRd.Healwaysinvites meintolookathisremainingaquariumfishandlatest marinetaxidermyprojects.But,I’mnotsureI’dgetaninvite nexttime…Yousee,despitegoingthroughdecades-worth ofnewspaperarticlesinmyresearch,George’spicturerarely features.He’squitecraftyatdodgingthecameraandwhenhis granddaughterAlycesetupthephotoshootforthisstory,he stoodaroundthecornerformostoftheduration!

Movingseacreatures,coupledwithextremesunlightand tankreflection,nottomentionareluctantmainfigure,made forachallengingandhastyphotoshoot,underatighttime-

Editorial JodiBryant –jodi.bryant@nzme.co.nz

Advertising Sarita Parker –sarita.parker@nzme.co.nz

Design BryceZhang

Coverphoto Alyce Charlesworth

frameastheseahorsethreatenedtoover-heat.Itwasalmost impossiblenottogetreflectionsinthetankandIwasn’tto knowwhenIpushedclickonthecamera,thatGeorgehad steppedoutfromaroundthecorner…AlyceandIagreedto putitdowntoGeorge’sreflectionphotobombingtheaquarium pictureinadivineintervention!

Onlytwooftheoriginallivespeciesfromthemuseum remainandreunitingthe25-year-oldseahorsewithGeorge’s shycoralfishforthe5pmphotoshootwasnoeasyfeatforAlyce. Thelead-upinvolvedseveraldaysof5pmwatertemperature checksinlinewiththeweatherforecast,beforewarmingthe hometanktopreparetheseahorseforthechangeinwater temperatureduringhiscarjourneyacrosstown.

I’mtold,upontheseahorse’sreturnfromhisone-hour adventure,hewastakenintohisownnet“diningroom”away fromhisfaster,youngercounterparts,andgivenliveshrimps toeatathisleisure.

ThankyouGeorgeforallyour hardworkintheshowcasing andadvocacyofourmarine speciesandforpassingyour nuggetsofwisdomtoyour granddaughterwhointends tocontinueyourlegacy.And,I promise,nomorephotos.

Happyreadingeveryone.

henshoppingfor llery, it canb wwhere to hattobuy.Do urchasehandcraftedorma canbebenefits pesofjewellery occasion an

producedjewelle easonableoptionwhenl mssuchaspendantchainsor arrings.Piec gwiththousands ass-produced re madethro chines. Therefore, essdurable. ce point canr looking forasea s-producedm option.

FASHION

08-SharingfashiontipswithSavvyreadersforalmost20years 09-Gold,chainsandplatformsrevival

BEAUTY

10-ORILAB:Luxurioushaircaremadewithlove 13-Skin101:Dermalfiller

HEALTH

14-PremiumIntraocularLenses

Motoring

15-AAADVICE:Keepingcarsicknessatbay

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16-HihiauaCulturalCentre-MeAngaWhakamua,Facingthefuture 17-PackardMotorMuseum–VehicleofTheMonth

17-Fishingtips&tales

SAVVYHOMES

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In contrast,thinkofhandmadejewellerylike cooking.When cooking abeautiful meal,there aretwo deciding components to howthe meal willturnout.Thefirstisthequality ofthe product, andthesecondisthe skillsetofthe chef. Jewelleryisnodifferent. Whenbuying apiece ofjewellerythatone hopes to lasta lifetime,itiscrucial to considerthesametwo components:thequalityoftheingredients- in this case,metalsand stones, and thequalityof the chef,orrather thejeweller.

Customisinghandmadejewellery allowsthe client to join thedesigner in creating adeeplypersonal piece thatwilllasta lifetimeormore.Handmade jewellery isthecreationofheirlooms;theytella storyofvision, designandlove,allintertwined andcraftedintoa uniqueone-offpiece that honourstheancientart ofhandmadejewellery. So whenshoppingfor your foreverpieces, besure to buyhandcrafted;they areoneof akindandwill withstand the test oftime.

Published by NZMENorthland, 88 RobertStreet,Whangārei. savvy@northernadvocate.co.nz

with GlobalDiamonds

Continuing family marineconservation legacy 20 yearson

BYJODIBRYANT

Underneath ahouse in Onerahi swimsa25-plus-year-old coral fish.Twentykilometres across town,beneathanother house, floats aquarter-centuryyear-old pot-bellied seahorse. They once shared ahomeina museum at Whangārei’sTown Basinand,20years on,are the only tworemaining residents.

Whatstillconnectsthesetwo seacreaturesaretheirowners, generationsofthesamefamily, bothwithasharedpassionfor marineconservation.AlyceCharlesworth,31,is thegranddaughterofthefounderandcurator oftheformerWhangāreiMuseumofFishesand isdeterminedtocarryonhislegacy.

GeorgeCampbell,88,stilllivesathisoriginal belovedstompinggroundofBeachRd,Onerahi whereitallbegun.There’sbeenmanyan articleofhisachievementsinyearspastand thehumblegreat-grandfatherwasadamant thisnotbeabouthim.Butit’simpossibletotell thestorywithoutthekeycharacterbehindthe legendarytouristattractiononcedescribedby internationalichthyologistsas“oneofthebest fishdisplaysintheworld”.

"I'mveryclosetohimandprettymuchgrew upatthemuseum,"saysAlyce."Itwasvery muchafamilything.Allthefamilywouldwork thereandIwouldspendmostofmyweekends therewithhim.

“Westillhaveoneoriginalseahorseanda gorgeousLordHowecoralfishsurviving,the lastoftheMuseumofFishesresidents,which havemajorlyexceededtheirlifespansbecause Grandadlookedafterthemtoowell.Seahorses incaptivityhaveawrittenlifespanoffour-six yearssoit’squiteincredibletoseehimstillso alert,huntingshrimps.”

Indeed,Georgesetthebarsohighwith hisqualitycareofallthespeciesheowned, thatAlyce,throughnopressurefromGeorge, isdeterminedtofollowhisexampleahead ofresurrectingthemuseum,albeitina21st centurystyle,inabidtoeducate.

“I’mverymuchfollowinginhisfootsteps. TheonlythingIdon’tdoisbuildboats…yet!”

George’scareerbeganasaboat builderbeforethekeenfisherman realisedthefibreglassmedium heused,allowedhimtomakecastingsof someofhisunusualcatches.Hehadtomaster aroundsixothertrades,includingpainting,to accuratelyportraythecoloursanddetailofthe originalfish.Buthisqualityself-taughtcraft soonsawfriendsdroppingroundtheirfish forhimtopreservetheirimpressivecatches

andhebecameregardedasoneofthebest marinetaxidermistsinthecountry.Beforelong, Georgehadacquiredacollectionandopeneda museuminRuakākā,whichitsoonoutgrew.

Inlate1994,withthehelpoftheWhangārei DistrictCouncil(WDC),hesetupasthefirst majorattractionoftheredevelopedTown Basinand,forsevenyears,wasoneofthe mostpopulartouristattractionstothearea, alongwitheducatingandentertainingmany Northlandschoolchildren.

Oneofthelargestfishmuseumsinthe country,thevibrantdisplaycomprisedseveral roomswrappedinmurals,withrockpoolsand crevices,cavesandshelvesteemingwithsea creaturesandshells,birdssuspendedfrom theroofandwallsdrapedwithhundredsof George’staxidermycreations.Theseincluded eightdifferentkindsofflounder,once commonlyseeninOnerahiwaters,a17kg snapper,hugesharksandkingfish,bass,a 1000Ibmarlin,tuna,tinywhitebait,pufferfish, andsomeoftheworld’slargestfish,suchasthe sunfishwhichhadadiameterofover3m,anda 415kgmarlinonthemuseum’sceiling.

Alongwiththefibreglasscastmounts, therewerebottledanddriedcreatures,resinencased,skinmountsandshellmounts,such ascrabsandcrays.

Aquariumsdisplayedlivefishofmany variousspecies,suchasararelyseenporcupine andaschooloftinybluemaomao.Alycerecalls peopleturningupwithunidentifiablefish, whichhergrandadwouldpopintoatanktosee whattheygrewinto.

“Itwaslikeawonderland,”recallsAlyce, whowas11whenitclosed.“Forsomeonewho’s alreadygotalovefortheseaandcreatures,it wasjustlikeaplaygroundforme.Ihavestrong memoriesofgrandadfeedingthefishand workingawayonthings,talkingtothevisitors. IrememberIusedtotellotherkidsoffifthey weretooroughwiththeeels.”

Hermemoriesstretchasfarbackasthe Ruakākādayswhenshewouldfollowthe adultsaround.

“IwentmissingonedayandIwasinahuge turtleshell.Grandadwasveryclosetocalling thepolice.AttheTownBasin,itusedtobe everyweekendwe’dbeatthemuseumwith mumbecauseshe’dbeatthecounter.”

George’suniquecollectiongave localsandvisitorsaglimpseinto thewondersofNewZealand watersthatmanywouldnotnaturallysee.

Therecreationalfishermanhadjustone purposewhenhewentfishingandthatwasto getenoughsnapperfortea.Hehadseenfish stocksfallfromanunlimitedsupplytobeing verydepleted.Overfishingmeantfewerfish hadthechancetogrowtoanadultsize.His twomainaimsweretopromoteeducation andconservationbypreservingfishforfuture generationstoenjoy,whichwasrecognised whenhewonaconservationaward.

“Kidsoftomorrowmayneverseethefish thatwehaveseeninthewater,”hesaidat thetime.“Evencommonbutslow-growing fish,suchassnapperandcrayfish,willnotbe aroundforever,certainlynotthebigonessuch asthoseinourcollection.”

Hesaidthemuseumwasn’tashrinetothe fishermanortothepeoplewhopreservethe fish.Itssolepurposewastoshowoffthefish themselves-andsomeofthemwereright show-offs.

Homevideo footage from2002gives aglimpseinside the wonderlandofWhangāreiMuseumofFishesjust beforeit closed.

George watcheshisoriginalseahorse reunitewithhis coralfishafter a20-yearseparation,withhisbeloved Onerahibeachinthebackground.Photo:JodiBryant”

Alyce findstheseahorses calmingin atrying world.Photo:JodiBryant

Herecalls:“OuroctopusJudywouldsquirt youinthefaceifyoulookedinthetank.Itcould changecoloursinaflashanditstolefishtoeat outofotherclosetanks.Ourporcupinefish wouldcomeuptotheglassandlookedlikeit putonabigsmilesowascalledSmiley.The friendlyeelwasanotherbighitwiththekids and,whenitleftuslastyearafter35years,itdid whatiswellknownanditnevercamebackbut tolditsbabiestocomebacktotheexactspot whereitcamefrom.Andsoafterafewmonths, aneighbourfoundasmalleelinthedrain byourletterboxandlatertherewasanother one.Manyschoolsusedtohavefundraising eelfishingcontests.Isitacoincidencethey stoppedthataftervisitingourfriendlyeelatthe museum?”

Alas,in2001,duetorisingrentcosts andwithGeorge,aged68,wanting tostepbackfromthe24/7role,he triedunsuccessfullyforoverayeartosellthe venturetoalocalbuyer,includingtheWDC “forpeanuts”.Itwaseventuallypurchasedbya Nelson-basedSeafarersMemorialTrust.

Hesaidatthetime:“It’sgoingtobeagreat attractionforNelsonandwillgoverywell there.Butit’samajorlossforthecommunityof Whangārei.”

However,afterpackingupdecadesworthof hislabour,hand-deliveringandhelpingsetup, accordingtoAlyce,mostofhiscollectionforthe childrenofthefutureneversawthelightofday.

"Itwasabitheart-breakingforhim.His collectionwashislife'sworkandsuper-precious. Hewantedittobeusedforeducation.His10kg packhorsecrayfishendedupinatankinthe

windowofarestaurant,whichwasn'tideal.

“Thesadpartformeisthatthecollection hesentdowntherewasonlypackedforthe journey.Thewayitwasshippedinacontainer wasonlyimaginedforshort-term,not20years. I’dimagine,withouttherightpreservationfor theseartefacts,manyofthemarenowruined.”

Whilemanyofthelivefishwerereleased, Georgeretainedsome,keepingthemintanks orpondsathishome,includingtheseahorses, coralfishandfamousfriendlyeelEelMcPherson, which,after25yearsaspartofthefamily,is believedtohavewashedouttoseain2020’s one-in-500-yearstorm.Healsokepttheoriginal fishcastingsandAlyce’sfatherJohnpickedup andcontinuedthetaxidermyrole.Thefamily nowhavemouldsofvarioussizesfrommost speciestothepointthat,ifsomeonelandsan impressivecatch,theyalmostcertainlyhavea replicasothefishercankeeptheiroriginal.

However, in2020,John wasdiagnosed with cancerandAlyce leftherjoband steppedin to finishhislistofwork,which shehasfoundchallengingbutcontinuedwith. Sheisnowworkingoncuratingacollectionof mountstobringsomeoftheoldcreaturesfrom ourcoastbacktolifetotelltheirstories.

“Iwasveryluckytohavebothgrandadand dadteachmetheirtaxidermytechniquesaswe moveawayfromtrophiesandmoretowards theireducationvalue.ButI’mnotanaturalatit liketheyare.”

Shesaysthethreegenerationshavevery differentstylesandshedoesn’tplantohang theirmountedfishside-by-side.

“Mineisdefinitelyamateur.“Dadhasbeen doingitfor20yearsstraightsohisarewayup thereinmyopinionandgrandad’salwaysbeen anaturalbutifyoulinedallthreefishup,I’dbe embarrassed,Ithink.”

Still,Georgealwaysfelthiscreationscould notreplicatenature’scolours.Heoncesaid: “Whenyoucomparethemountedoneswiththe liveones,Igivemyselfaboutthreeoutoften. They’reneverasbeautifulasthelivingfish.”

Whiletooyoungtointervene inthe2002museumclosure, almosttwodecadeslater, Alycesetthewheelsinmotionforplansto openasea/creekdiscoverycentre.Aswell asthecombinationofthree-generational taxidermies,itwillagainbeaccompanied withlivespecies-whichbringsustothesea horseinherbasement.GeoJoeisitsname, afterGrandadGeorgeJosephCampbell.

"Livefisharealotofhardwork.Grandad offeredhissixadultseahorsestomewhich, at10yearsold,hadalreadyoutlivedtheir three-tosix-yearlifespan.Hemademethink aboutitforseveralmonths.Intheendwe didatrialand,itturnsout,I'mverymuch interestedinthem."

Armedwithhergranddad'sold-school knowledgeandthroughonlineforums,she learnthowtokeeptheseahorsesandthey thrivedtothepointthat,oneyearon,they multiplied.

Shedescribesthedayin2020whenshe discoveredhertankwasswarmingwitharound 200babyseahorses,measuring3mmeach,in amongthesixadults.

"OnemorningIwentoutbeforeworkand waswhistlingawayandrealisedthattherewere hundredsofseahorses."

Alyce ononeofhershrimp-huntingmissions.

Georgelooksoutoverhishome turfofBeach Rd wherehe remembersseahorsesused to swim.Photo:Alyce Charlesworth

Wewerejustcruisingalongdoing ourthingwhenaformermanager contactedustopointoutSavvy hadbeengoing20years.That madeusstopandreflectonourjourney. Threeofusontheteamweretherefromthe beginningbut,lookingbackoverthepasttwo decadesofmonthlySavvymagazinepages, showsjusthowfarwe’vecome.

Itstartedasabroadsheetwithinthe Advocatepages,beforegainingitsown pull-outtabloidreputation,laterbecominga glossysupplementandgrowinginsizefrom sixpagestoupto40.

Someofourloyalcontributorshavebeen alongfortheride,evolvingwithus,asyou willreadwithinthesepages,andthey,and we,haveseenhowtrendshaveevolvedand revived.Aslong-timecontributorSantreno Shoes’SandiOxenhammentionsthismonth,

BYJODIBRYANT

20yearsago,itwasallaboutplatformsand shecanseethemmakingacomebackin today’sfashionworld.

Somethingsneverchangeasourother long-timecontributorsKarenMatichand CherylPolwartofPolwarthDesigncorrectly predictedbackin2004:“Denimisanall-time favourite.You’llneverloseyourdenim.In Northlanddenimworksstronglybecauseof ourcasuallifestyle”.

But,nostalgically,flickingthroughpast pages,therearemanyfamiliarnameswhich arenolongerinbusiness:BlueRevolution, MoulinRouge,BlueRoomLingerie,Modern Bags,Shanton,Mullengers,BalloonHeaven, VideoEzy,Caffeine,Reva’s,StickyWicket, PlanetEarth,RedIguanaBar,KillerPrawn, Adrenalin,Spinners,TheKiwiClub,Danger! Danger!–andit’sprobablysafetosay downtownWhangāreianditsnightlifewasa

lotmorehappeningthanin currenttimes.

Butsomehavestuck inthereandwewantto thankthemforgracing ourpageseachmonth.We alsowanttothankyou, ourdevotedreaders,for pickingupyourcopyand takingthetimetoread.

Todayweincorporateextensivepagesof hometrends,alongwithfishingtipsandtales, health,motoring,lifestyle,beauty,fashion, artandentertainment,andahumaninterest featurereadeachmonth.

Tosome,20yearsmaynotseemthatlong ago.But,anarticlewepublishedaboutthe newly-launchedtextingculture,givesanideaof thetimes.Wesupplied,“Handytextmessages thatmaygetyouinoroutofstickysituations:

Continuing family marineconservation legacy20years on

Storycontinued

Oneseahorsecandelivermorethan1000 babiesatatime,althoughonlyaboutfive ineverythousandsurvivetoadulthoodand itisthemale(theonlyspeciesintheworld) thatbecomespregnant.Becausetheyarethe pot-belliedvariety-inwhichthemalepuffs hisbellyouttoimpressthefemales-the pregnancyhadn'tbeennoticeabletoAlyce,who keepsdailynotesonwatertemperatureand behaviour.Thediscoverysentherintoaspin.

"ItextedGrandad,whosaidstraightaway thattheadultswillstarteatingthem.Isaw themtakeafewthentheyspatthemoutas theyrealiseditwasn'tasyummyasshrimp."

Hereducationonseahorse-rearingwasfasttrackedafterthatand,withinamonth,halfhad diedandtwoarenowleft

"Icouldhavereleasedthemintothe marinereservebutthoughtittoogoodan opportunitytolearnand,tobehonest,their survivalrateinthewildwouldn'thavebeen greatanyway,”sheexplains.

“Thefreedomthingisallverywell,butyou alsogetpredators,temperaturesrisingand falling,pollutionandhabitatdestruction.

"Idon'tremember2020asbeingabout Covid.Irememberitbeingaboutseahorses." Notthatsheregretstakingthemon.

“Ican’tevenimaginewhatmylifewould belikewithoutthemnowbuttheyarealotof hardwork.”

Alycetakesnoshort-cutswhenitcomes totheirqualityofcare,whichinvolvesweekly huntingmissionsforliveshrimps.Somedays shedrivesupto11/2hours,onlytoreturn

Thetwooriginalbuddies fromtheWhangāreiMuseum ofFishes reunitefor thefirsttime.Photo:JodiBryant

empty-handed.Othertimesshereturnswith around80shrimps.

“I’mconstantlyneedingshrimps,which isgreatforsummerasIloveabeachtripbut inthewinterit’snotsofun.Italldependson theweatherandtides.I’vealwaysgottobe followingnature,”shesays,addingthather missionsalwaysdrawcuriousspectators.

“Icouldtrainthemontofrozenshrimpsbut it'snotthebestdietandIseeitascheating.It’d bethesameasifwehadfrozenmealsevery day.Iwouldn’tlikeitsoIwouldn’tfeedthem thateither.Theydefinitelygetthebest.”

Sofinely-tunedaretheirtastebuds,Alyce recallscallingintothesupermarketaftera failedshrimpmissionandbuyingprawns whichtheyrefused.

Aswellasrockpoolnetting,shegathers sixbucketloadsofcleanoceanwaterevery fortnighttochangethetanks.

“I’vestartedgoingfurtherafieldforwaterto makesureit’sgoodquality.Grandadgrowlsme andsays,‘You’reusingsomuchpetrol!’Butthe waterfromneartheramp,nowIwouldn’tgetas theywouldn’tswiminitsoIwouldn’tputthem initeither.”

Sheisreferringtowhereseahorsesusedto resideinthewatersalongsideBeachRd,Onerahi.

"Seahorseshavealmostcompletely disappearedfromtheWhangāreiHarbour. Grandad'sbeenlivingonBeachRdforover60 yearsandthechangeshe'sseenareincredible. Hecouldwalktothewaterlineinhisslippers. Thereusedtobeseahorsesrightthereonthe shorelineintheseagrassandnowthere'snone."

Sheattributesthistobothhumanand environmentalintervention.

“Ibelieveworkcarriedoutonlandimpacts thesea.Whenwedredgeintheharbourforthe marina,allthatsedimentdriftsdownwiththe tide.Ithinkit’senvironmentchangeaswellas whatmanhasdoneandtemperature.

“BeachRdwasliterallyonceasandybeach. I’dgothereforschoolholidaysandputthe dingyoutandgetafeedofflounderinthenet.

Likehergrandfather,Alyce hopestousehercollection foreducationpurposesand eventuallybreedandreleaseseahorsesina similarwaycurrentlycarriedoutforkiwi.

“There’snowonlyveryraresightingsand Ibetifwehadacompetitionandyouwentto lookforakiwiandIwenttolookforaseahorse, you’dbeatme.You’dprobablycomebackwith akiwiandIprobablywouldn’tcomebackwith aseahorse.”

Todayhertwoseahorsesurvivorsaretwo yearsoldandmeasure210mmcomparedto theiradultcounterpartswhicharearound 250mm.Butit'salmosta24/7jobkeeping themalive.

"Ihavechillersgoingkeepingthewater temperatureacertainlevelbutifwehave apowercut,itsendsmeintoatizzandIgo straighttotheNorthpowersitetocheckwhere thefaultis."

Betweenthetaxidermyandjugglingtokeep herseahorsesalive,sheisalsospendingher timeresearchingforimprovedhusbandryinthe ponylabinpreparationforhersecondbreeding attempt,ratherthanleaveittochance.She isalsoworkingonherbusinessplanwith

guidancefromtheNorthlandIncgrowthteam andpositivefeedbackfromWDC,thoughthe planofmakingthefishpublicandreuniting GeoJoeandhisunnamedcoralfriendhas goneonholdsincehermotherFayewasalso diagnosedwithcancerthisyear.

“Sadly,myplansfor2022inthe20-year anniversarysincethemuseumlefttownare nowuncertainwhilemyprioritieschange tonavigatebothparentsundergoingcancer treatmentbutmyintentionisdefinitelytomake thesecreaturesaccessibletothecommunity againandhopefullypromoteconversationsand furtherlearningaboutwhat’shappeningonthe coastandinthecreek.

“(Myparents)aresuper-adamantthatItry tocontinuewithmyworktowardstheendgoal. It’sabittrickytojugglearoundtheirtreatment butIwoulddefinitelyhopetoatleastdoa pop-upstyleeventthiswinterwhenthefish wouldn’tboil.”

Recentlyretrievedfamilyvideofootageof themuseumisalsoabouttobemadepublic, featuringtheoriginalcoralfish.

“Insomewaysit’llbealotlikethemuseum but,inotherways,21stcentury.Thingshave changeddrasticallysincethe90sbothoutin theoceanandinpeople'smindsetstowards conservation.ButNorthland'sloveforthe creaturesofthecoastandcreekhaven't changed.Thingshavechangedintermsofwhat peoplefindacceptableoftaxidermyandall thosedeadfishhavestories.We’vehadthem availableforEnviroschoolsandtakenthemto events.WehaveaMauidolphinthat’sbeenin protests.Theydon’tendoncehe’staxidermied them–they’vegotabitoflifeafterthat.

“Nowmorethaneverthereisageneration ofpeoplewhodon’tgettoexperienceit. A40-year-oldoldladycameuptomeata kindergartenvisitandsaid,‘Thankyousomuch forcomingbecauseIthoughtseahorseswere actuallymythicalcreatureslikemermaids!’

“It’sdefinitelynotmyintentiontohavethese littleprisonersinglasstanksandIhopepeople

seethatwhentheymeetthefish.I’vevisited someaquariumswherethefisharejustsittingon thebottomandhavelostallwilltolive.

“ThewaythatGrandad'staughtmewouldbe justasgoodasadegree,Iwouldimagine,and youcan'tlearnalotofitonline.He'sold-school, forexample,insteadofwatertestingkits,hesays touseyournose.ButI'malsogettingtemptedby fancytechniques.I'vebeentopublicaquariums inAucklandandsometimeswonderifIshould strayawayfromwhatGrandad'sdonebutthe qualityoflifeneedstobemoreimportantthan makingthetanklookpretty."

Shesaysthiswasapparentinher granddad'smuseumwhenthelivesnapper, whichhehadkeptforoverfiveyears,would lightupbluewhenhefedthem."Theydidn't losetheirlustreforlife.

“Ithinkthere’salotofpeopleoutthere whowouldlovetoexperiencewhatI’vebeen blessedtoexperienceandIthinkNorthland needsitagain.

“Thereissomuchstressandunpleasantness inthisworldandIcandefinitelyvouchforthe effectyouhavefromwatchingseahorsesgoing abouttheirday.”

Meanwhile,Georgecanstillbefound potteringawayatanothertaxidermyproject,he stillactivelyfishes,andoftencollectsshrimps forhisgranddaughter.

“It’sahardjobtokeepseahorsesalivebut she’smanagedtodoit.She’sdoingreallywell.”

Butthiswillbethelastchapterinhisstory, saysthemanoffewwords,ashehandsthe batontohisgranddaughter.

Offeringapartingquote,hesays:“Iam remindedofanoldIrishRoverssong,“Along timeago,whentheearth wasstillgreen,there were morekindsofanimalsthan you’ll ever see”.

Alyceisinterestedtohearfromanyone withsightingsofseahorsesandcanbe contactedat:alyce-c@outlook.co.nz

I’veseenitinmine.”

Manyofthebabyseahorsesdonotsurvive.

Sharing fashiontips with Savvy readers foralmost 20 years

Ourearliestarticlewaswrittenin September2004,amere18yearsago, andwehavebeenchurningoutmonthly gemseversince,muchtothejoyand sometimesdistressofouradvertisingconsultants asweconsistentlychallengeddeadlines.

Savvyhasallowedustoshowcaseourretail clothingbusinessmonthly,byhighlighting seasonalfashiontrendsandimagesinan innovativepackage.Asmediahasevolvedover theyears,wehaveexperiencedmanychanges thathavetakenplacewiththemagazine.

Initially,ourarticleswerefocusedongeneral fashiontipsandtrendsandnotanopportunityto showcaseourshoporlabels.Thementionofourst nameorshoplabelswasanabsolutetaboo.Thesewere toappearinourpaidadvertisementonlyandasmuchas wehaterules,wedidtrytosticktothisforseveralyears.

Savvy’spublicationonthefirstSaturdayofevery monthisalwayseagerlyanticipatedandwehaveloved thefeedbackfromourreaders.Wehaveexpandedfrom ahalfpageeditorialtoafullpageandthriveonthefact thatwenowhavefreelicensetotalkaboutourfashion experienceswithyou.

fashionfixformetrosexuals

MODERNurbanKiwimalesmayfindtheir ownfashionbiblein whichhitnewsstandslastweek.anewmagazine FashionQuarterlyMen,thoughttobeNew Zealand’sfirstmalefashionandgrooming magazine,hasbeenlaunchedtomeet

agapin themarket created

metrosexual male.

aslightlycheeky,irreverenttoneshebelieved wouldappealtothetargetmarket.

directorHeith

Mediamanaging

‘‘Withallthesedifferent

Andnottoforgetdenim. Denim,saysCheryl,isanalltimefavourite.‘‘You’llnever loseyourdenim.InNorthland denimworksstronglybecause ofourcasuallifestyle.’’ Cherylhasbeenforecasting fashionfor20yearswhenshe andtwinsisterKaren,along withtheirlatemotherstarted PolwarthDesign.Backthen, theyfocusedmoreonthe manufacturingsideandwould travelNorthlandtakingfashions tothefurthestcorners. died,CherylandAfterhermother Karentookoverthe storeinDargaville andWhangarei, laterclosingthe Whangareistoreto focuspurelyonthe Dargavilleone. Cherylbelieves Polwarthshasbeen successfulbecause itisspecial.She saysout-of-townerswillmakea dayofitandcombinelunchor morningtea.‘‘Ithinkourcustomersare sickofchainstores. Ih customersfromAucklandwho justlovecomingintoseethe differentlabelsallinoneshop. Wecaterforages18-100.’’ PolwarthDesign’sproducts includecasual,dressy,the barbecuescene,weddingsand funky,featuringmainlyNew ZealandlabelssuchasStudio Newport,LisaLaw,Sabatini, Sonny,Aliza,Reba,MacJays andResort,toname af

Audrey Hepburn

Gold, chainsand platforms revival

Q&AwithSandi Oxenham, ownerofSantrenoShoes -a longtimeSavvy advertiser andfashion column contributor.

Q:Howlonghaveyoubeeninthefootwearbusiness?

A:I’vebeeninthefootwearbusinessforover30years. (Yes,that’sright,IwasfivewhenIstarted,ha-ha.)

Q:That’salongtime.Iguessyouhavebuiltuployal customersoverthattime?

A:Yes,wehave,andl’dliketosayabigthank-youtoall ofthem,especiallyoverthesetrickyCovidtimes.

Q:WhyhaveyouchosenSavvymagazineto advertisein?

A:Savvyhassuchagoodfashionfeelaboutitandthat isaveryimportantelementforus,andtheadvertising teamaresolovelyandsoeasytoworkwith.

Q:Canyourecallthefootweartrendsof 20yearsago?

A:Itwasallaboutplatforms.Thehigherthebetter.

Q:Whatarethefootweartrendsfor2022?

A:Thisyearit’sallaboutgold,gold,goldandlotsof chunkychains.Platformsarestartingtomakeacomeback.Withwide-legpantsallthego,theplatform shoesaretherightmixtomakethelookwork.

OW,whata show stopper. ThisboothastheUNITED NUDEsignatureall over it.Futuristicand funky butwitha very wearable heel. Youwill certainlymakea statementwiththese.

ORILAB:

WhataretheBenefitsofORILabHair Products?

ORILabisredefiningwhatitmeanstopractice self-carethat’sgoodforyouandtheplanet.

Theseproductsare:

•MadeinAustraliawithlove

•CertifiedOrganicformulas

•Plant-based&cruelty-free

•Sulphateandparaben-free

•Palmoil-free

•Sustainablysourced

BuiltuponthefoundationsofClean BeautyScience,ORILabuseshighperformingskincareingredientsto createsuperchargedformulasforhair thataresafe,mindful,andtransformative.

ORILab is takingClean Beauty to newand luxuriousheights withtheirstunning rangeof Certified Organicand Plantbasedhaircarefor all hair types.

Thisbrandturnssustainablehaircareinto aself-careritualwithlong-termbenefits.Their rangeencompassesshampooandconditioner, dailyessentials,hairtreatments,andstyling productscraftedwithethicallysourced ingredientsdrawnfromnatureandactivatedby sciencetotargeteveryhaircondition.

Witheco-friendlypackagingmadefrom recycledmaterialsandthoughtfullydesigned toenhancethebeautyexperience,ORILab isbothawholesomegiftforyouandagiftto theenvironment!

•Bottlesmadefrom100%recycledland wasteplastic

•Eco-friendly&environmentally-friendly

AreOrganicHairProductsBetter?

Organichaircareproductsusesustainably sourcedingredientsthataregrownand manufacturedwithoutharmfulchemicals, preservatives,orotherartificialnastiessothat theyarekindertoyourhair,health,andthe environment.

EachORILabproductisexquisitely formulatedtoincludeaCleanBeautyBase ofAloe,HyaluronicAcid,Niacinamide,and Marshmallow.BeautyBoosteringredientsare thenaddedforelevationalongwithnourishing buttersandessentialoilstoenhanceshineand angelicsoftness.

ORILab RescueMasque

HowareORILabProductsMade?

Asnaturalhaircareproducts,ORILabishealthy haircarethathasyouandtheplanetinmind.

artingoff slowerthan wo Don’t worry

Mingmarried(woohoo!), inthesensethatthefirsttwomonthsflew byanditonlyfeelsnowinMarchthatmy feetaretouchingthegroundandthatIcanbringmore focusandenergytomydays.BeforethisIdidn’thave muchcapacityforanythingelse.

IwantedtosharethiswithyoubecauseIfeelso manyofusgetpulledintothetrapofthinkingtheNew Yearhastostartoffwithabang;thatyoushouldcome backfromyourholidayperiodknowingexactlywhat youwantfortheyearaheadandalreadyactioningall thenewhabitsandchangesthataregoingtohelpyou getthere.

Ifthisisyouthenthat’swonderful,embracethis energyandletitleadyoutowardstheopportunitiesthat areavailabletoyou.Ifnot,knowthisisalsogreatand perfectlynormal–youdon’tneedtobefeelingoracting anydifferentlyjustbecauseit’sthestartoftheyear.

I’mahugebelieverinlivingyourlifein alignmentwithwhat’smostimportanttoyouwhilst understandingthatweallexperiencedifferentseasons ofchange–somewherewearefullofmotivation, energyandinspiration,andotherswherewefeel insular,reflective,andmoveataslowerpace.Rather thanbeatingyourselfupfornothavingthemotivation orenergytomake‘big’changesatthemoment,learn

Sarah isaninternationally certifiedLifeand WellnessCoach, whosupports youinrediscovering who youareandhowtobring greaterjoy, health,andfulfillment to yourlife.

Remember,evenwhenitfeels‘busy’aroundyou,it’sokto honourtheslowermomentsandmovementsyou’redesiring, becausechangeandgrowthisalwaysavailabletoyouwhen you’reready.

Sothat’smyinvitationforyouthismonth–Whatdoes embracingyourslowerseasonslooklikethisyear?

•Whereareyoufindingyourselfwantingmomentsof stillnessortomoveataslowerpace?

•What’sthesmallest,mostrealistic,wayyoucan honourthis(alongsideyourcurrentcommitments) duringthistime?

Withlove, Sarahx

Ifyoudesiretoliveyourlifemorein alignmentwithwhat’simportanttoyou,and

SKIN 101: DERMAL FILLER

Whilelip enhancement is one of themostcommonly known dermal filler treatments —itcan also beused to contour, shape andplump thefaceinother areas. Cheeks, jawlineand more... We spoketothe team at Caci Whangāreito give youthe

•MarionetteLines

Thoselinesfromthecornersofthemouthto eithersideofyourchincanoftenhavedeep wrinklesandlines.Administeringfillerto thisareaaddsvolumeandhelpstomovethe mouthcornersforward,smoothinglinesand creatingamoreupwardsturnedmouthcorner.

•Lips

Lastbutnotleast,lips.Addhydrationand plumpnesstoyourlips,increaseasymmetry

Whowilltreatme?

Allcosmeticmedicinetreatmentsincluding DermalFillerareonlyperformedbyqualified andhighlytrainedregisterednursesatCaci,so youcanrestassuredyou'reinsafehands.

Howmuchdoesitcost? Costsvarydependingontheareabeingtreated andhowmuchDermalFilleryouneedto achievethelookyouwant—thisvariesfrom

TheteamatCacialsoofferLaybuy,

Premium Intraocular Lenses

Once thenatural lens in the eyehas been removed, theeye losesits ability to focuslight andimagesclearly on to the retina. Before thedevelopment of artificial intraocularlenses, hard contactlensesorvery thick eyeglasses were theonly optionsfor correctingvision aftercataractsurgery.

Artificialintraocular(withintheeye) lensesweredevelopedintheearly partofthe20thcentury.Dr.Harold Ridleyimplantedthefirstartificial lensin1949inLondon.Henoticedthat Perspexwasinertintheeye,afterseeingRAF (RoyalairForce)pilotsofWorldWarIIwith piecesofshatteredcanopiesintheireyes. Sincethat1970scataractsurgerytechniques andartificiallenseshavecontinuedtoevolve anddevelop.

Artificiallensesaremadeofinert(ornonreactive)materials,suchasPMMA,silicone, andacrylic.Justlikenaturallenses,artificial lenseshaverefractivepower,ortheability tobendlight,whichhelpstofocuslight raysandimagesontheretina.Becauseof thisrefractivepower,itisnowpossibleto correctastigmatism,near-sightednessand farsightednesswithartificiallenses.

AconsultationwithanOphthalmologist willguidethepatientonadviceastowhat choicesaresuitableconcerningtheirvision andlifestyle.Theaxiallengthandthecorneal curvatureareessentialmeasurements topredictthecorrectlenspowerofan intraocularlens.Thismeasurementiscalled abiometry.

FrequentlyAskedQuestionsaboutPremium IntraocularLensImplants(IOL’s)

1.HowarepremiumIOLsdifferentfromthe standardsinglefocusIOLs?

StandardsinglefocusIOLsarefixed-focus lensimplantsthataredesignedtoprovide gooddistancevision.Thenewlensdesign createsmultiplefocalpoints,sopatients areabletoseewellatvarieddistances.All premiumIOLsofferpatientsthepotentialfor agreaterindependencefromglassesafter cataractorclearlensextractionsurgery.

2.CouldIbeacandidateforoneofthe premiumIOL?

Ifyouhavebeendiagnosedwithcataracts and/orpresbyopia.Youreyesmustbe healthyandnotafflictedwithseverediabetic retinopathy,uncontrolledglaucoma,or advancedmaculardegeneration.

3.WhatifI’vealreadyhadRK,LASIKor anothereyesurgery?CanIgetthese lenses?

Yes,youmaystillbeacandidate.Youwill requireadditionaltesting,suchascorneal topographyandcornealpachymetry,to assistinproperlenscalculation.

4.Afterreceivingoneofthesepremium IOLs,willIstillneedglassesattimes?

Mostpatientscanconductthemajorityof theirdailyactivitieswithoutglasses,but resultsdovary.Circumstanceswhereglasses weresometimesneededincludednight driving,andreadingveryfineprint,poor lightorcontrastofprint.

5.Isthereanadjustmentperiodorside effectsaftersurgery? Itcantakeoneto12weeksforthebrainto learnto‘see’upcloseanddistancewith thenewlens.Somepeoplereporthalos orglarearoundlights.Formost,thisissue diminishesovertime.However,forsome,it nevercompletelygoesaway.Morepeople reportthattheabilitytoseenearandfar greatlyoutweighsanyvisualside-effects associatedwiththeseIOLs.

6.WillIrequireadditionaleyesurgeries afterapremiumIOL

Whilethegoalistotreatyournearsightedness,farsightedness,lossof focusingpower,andcataractallatonce, itispossiblethatadditionalprocedures, suchasLASIKmayberequiredtoreduce astigmatism,fine-tuneyourvision,and

meetyourexpectations.Consultwith yourdoctorsandsurgeontomakesure youunderstandtheissuesassociated withtheselenses,andwhatadditional proceduresmightbeindicatedtoensure yourultimatesatisfaction.

7.HowdoIknowifIamacandidate? Unfortunately,noteveryoneisacandidate forthesenewIOLs.Thesequestionswith aYESoraNOanswerwillprovidesome indicationofwhetheryoumightbea candidateforpremiumlenses.

•Ihavenothadcataractsurgeryineither ofmyeyes.

•Idonothavewetorseveremacular degeneration.

•Idonothaveglaucoma,orifIdo,itis controlledthroughsuccessfultreatment.

•Ihavenothadalife-longcomplaint aboutsevereglareintolerance.

•Idon’thaveanoccupationorhobbythat oftenrequiresmetodriveatnight.

•I’mnothypercriticalaboutmyvision.

•Idon’tlikewearingglassesallthetime.

Ifyouhavesaidyestoallofthepoints above,thenyoumaybeacandidate.

AAADVICE: Keeping

Travelsicknessisverycommon.It’s causedbysensoryconfusion-your eyesandinnerearsgetconflicting signalsaboutthemovementgoing onaroundyou,muchlikethesensationyou receivewhenyou’respunaroundinacircle.

Whenyou’reinaclosedspacesuchasacar, youtendtofocusonobjectsinsidethevehicle. Youreyestellyourbraintheenvironmentis stationary,butyourbalanceorganssayitisnot.

Becauseit’seasiertopreventmotion sicknessthantodealwithitssymptomsinthe moment,wehaveputtogetherfivetipstohelp avoiditcompletely.

Eatright

Travellingonanemptystomachcanincrease thechanceofsickness,somakesuretoeat

somethinglight45-60minutesbeforeyouset off.Ifyou’replanningtobeontheroadfora longperiodoftime,packsomesnacksthatare lowinfatandacid–weallknowhowtempting itistopopintothebakeryorpetrolstationand fillupongreasygoodness,butthesefattyfoods areknowntocausenauseaorworsentravel sickness.Spicyfoodsshouldalsobeavoided.

Choosethebestseat

Ifyoucan–offertodrive.Driversarelesslikely tosufferfrommotionsicknessbecausetheir focusisfirmlyfixedoutsideontheroadahead, ratherthanobjectscloseby.Passengers pronetotravelsicknessshouldsitinthefront whenevertheycan.Asforchildren,trytogive themagoodviewingpoint,sotheycanlook outofthewindow.

Avoidreading

Focusingonsomethingupclosewhile travellinghasbeenknowntocausenausea; whetheryou’rereadingabook,checkingyour horoscopeormindlesslyscrollingthrough socialmediaonyourphone.Insteadofstaring down,trytokeepyoursightfixedonthe beautifulNZsceneryoutside.

Ratherthangivingyourchildrenacellphone ortablettokeepthementertained,tryto entertaintheminotherwayssuchastheclassic cargames(Ispywithmylittleeye),musicor evenpodcasts.

Keepitfresh

Strongscentssuchasperfumesorcar freshenersarelikelytomakeyoufeelworse. Likewementionedearlier,avoideatingsmelly snacksandtrytokeepthevehicleasodourless aspossible.

Stuffy,hotconditionscanalsohavean impactontravelsickness.Evenoncold mornings,avoidmakingthecabinexcessively

hotwiththeheater,especiallyonrecirculated air.Slipthewindowsopenwhenyoucanand getfreshaircirculatingthecabin.Andofcourse, there’snobetterfreshairthantheairoutside, sotakesomebreaksalongthewayandstretch yourlegs.

Themagicpills

Preventingtravelsicknessismuchmore effectivethanattemptingtotreatsymptoms oncethey’reinfullswing.Travelsickness tabletslikeSea-legsareavailableoverthe counterandarespeciallyformulatedtoprovide reliefwhethertravellingbycar,boat,planeor bus.Antihistamines,suchascinnarizineand cyclizine,canalsohelp.

Ifyou'retheonedoingthedriving, however,bewarnedthatsomeproducts canmakeyoudrowsyandalwaysconsulta doctorbeforetakingmedication.Forthose whopreferamorenaturaloption,youcantry gingertabletsorwearingacupressurebands onyourwrists.

Choosingthenewway of doingthings doesn’tmeansacrificingthebestparts ofwhat wentbefore.Meettheall-new iX3,the firstfullyelectricBMWSAV. Blendingsheerdrivingpleasurewiththe advantagesofanSAV. With anelectric rangeofupto460km*, TheiX3delivers uncompromisedemission-freeelectric excellence. TheBMWiX3.BornElectric. Visit ContinentalCarsBMW tofindout more.

Many

of

that remains by road tripping to favouritespots.But travelling over trickyroads

Distinctivefeel to newparkdesign

BYANNMIDSON-SENIOR COMMUNICATIONSADVISERATTHE WHANGĀREIDISTRICTCOUNCIL

Thebrownsandgreysofhardwoods, cortensteelandconcrete,theshapes ofnativeandsubtropicalplants,the greensoflawnsandmaturetrees andrepeateddecorativemotifsarecreating adistinctive,fresh,openandcleanfeeltothe TownBasin’snewpark.Covidrestrictionshave preventedthemajoropeningcelebrations originallyplannedbutanamingceremonywill takeplaceandthebarrierswillcomedownin March.Theteamsinvolvedintheprojecthope toseeanofficialeventheldafterthecountry movesintothegreen.

HihiauaCulturalCentre -MeAngaWhakamua, FacingtheFuture

It hasbeenawonderfulstart to theyearatHihiaua,followinga big finish last year.

WekickedoffourfirstweekwithTai HuriFilmsinthehouserunninga workshopforthetwosuccessful candidatesoftheirinaugural ‘TāhuhuStoriesofAncestry’project.Theproject lookstosupportyoungfilmmakerstodevelop andproduceshortdocumentaryfilms,andyou canfollowtheirjourneyonFacebook.

Wethenmovedintoplanningforour WaitangiEvebooklaunchforMeAnga Whakamua-FacingtheFuturebyJanet HetarakaandDianeStoppard.Thebookisfilled withemotiveportraitsandwritingthatexplores theimpactofthefirstencountersbetween MāoriandEuropeansandsparksconversations onhowtositwiththepastwhilstalsomoving forward.DameAnneSalmondhasdescribed itas“Amarvellouskohafromalineageof visionaries;itwillinspireallNewZealanders toworktogetherwitharohaforourchildren andgrandchildren”.Itisavailableforpurchase exclusivelyatHihiauauntilitisreleased nationallylaterthismonth.

Thebookhasbeenaccompaniedbya refreshedmultimediaexhibitionofworkby localartistsincludingAmorangiHikuroa,Greg Baron,JinLing,TeKahuwheroAlexanderTu'inukuafe,andVirginiaGuy.Ourkaiwhakairo (carvers)havebeenbusytoo,withnewcarved piecesfromTaaneMatiu,PoutamaHetaraka, NgaraitiTangaroaSmith,TeKaurinuiParata, ShaneHakaraiaandMikaereHutton.

ForthemonthofMarch,wearelooking forwardtothecontinuationofRongoā

IncorporatedMeditationSessionsrunby DyvineRongoā.Thesesessionsarepartofthe fundraisingeffortsofyounglocalthespian DariusMartin-Bakerwhowillbeheadingacross theglobetofulfilhisscholarshipplacementat ShakespeareGlobeCentreNewZealandYoung ShakespeareCompany.Getincontactifyou wouldliketoregister.

Wearealsolookingforwardtoaweek-long wakawanangawhereacrewofbothteachers andstudentsoftaraiwaka(wakabuilding)will continueworkonalargewakastartedlastyear. Thewanangaisduetostart22Marchandthe publicarewelcometoviewtheworkthatwillbe happeninginwakashelterfromtheverandah.

InregardstoOmicronwe’llbetakingitweek byweek,respondingtothesituationinfront ofusbutyoucancheckoursocialmediafor updates,includinganylastminuteclosures. Pleasemakesureyouhaveyourmaskand vaccinepassreadyifyouarevisitinginperson. Kiakaha,kiamaia,kiamanawanui-bestrong, bebrave,besteadfast.

Thenewboardwalk connectstheparkwiththe waterside.

Here’sasneakpreviewoftheworksofar...

ONTH

1930Packard745 Seven-SeaterTourer

BYGERALDINECRAW

Oneofthemostelegantmotorvehicles

inthecollectionatthePackard MotorMuseumisour1930Packard 745Tourer.Thelonglinesofthiscar arereadilyassociatedwiththeeraofAmerican gangstersandslenderwomaninchicclothing. ThePackard745wasappreciatedbydesigners ofitstimeforthegracefulfenderline,raked windshieldandlongercowl.Itisthisdesignthat makesthiscarverydesirabletoday.

Ourcarwasbuiltwithdualwindscreenswhich gavepassengersinthebackprotectionfromthe weatherwhenthecanvastopwasdown.

By1930,Packardwasrecognisedasthe long-standingleaderintheAmericanluxurycar marketandranalargeproductionfacilityin Detroit.Ratherthandesignateitsautomobiles byyear,Packardpreferredusing‘Series’

designationswhichcancause someconfusionasaseriesmay runacrosstwoyears.The1930 745waspartofthesevenseries.

se may 1930 series. nched onths ash. aunching worst ericaandcar nt.However,thePackard cashpositionthanother es,sotheypushedthrough pensivemodels,the745

The745Tourerwaslaunched inAugust1929,justafewmonths beforethestockmarketcrash. Packardfoundthemselveslaunching luxurycarsintooneoftheworst depressionsevertohitAmeric salesdroppedby40percent companydidhaveabetterca independentluxurymarques,sotheypushedthrough andofferedslightlylessexpensiv beingthelargestofthese.

Our745Tourerispowere 145hp,straighteightengine.W spotlightwerebothavailablea

dbya385cubicinch, .Wirewheelsanda easoptions.

Fishingtips&tales

WITHJOHNVOWLESS

WhangāreiHarboursnapperfishingishotrightnow!

LastweekendIdrovearoundBeachRdOnerahi,itwasa lovelystillday,andIcounted27boatsoutfishing.Several wereinthemainchanneldowntowardtheharbour entrance,severalmorealsointhechanneloutfromBeach RdanddowntoalongsideLimestoneIsland,andinthe channelbehindLimestoneIsland.Thetidewasrunning out,theseareasseemtofishbestonanoutgoingtideand usingrunningrigswithlongtraces,pilchardsandfresh mulletarethemostpopularbaits.ThewholeOnerahi area,RatIslandandtheflatsareproducingsnapperto goodsizes.IhadacallfromJohnnyRoss,hefishedthis arearecently,andcaughtagoodnumberofsnapperwith severalover500mmlong,greatfishing.

TheareaoutfromParuaBayisjustasgood;theedges ofthechannels,includingtheblindchannelatManganese point,edgesofthemanysandbankswhenthecurrent isrunning,andinthechannelsthemselves.Someareas fishbetteronincomingtideandothersontheoutgoing. Takeluresandhavestraylinesreadywithpilchard/piper/

mackeralorstripbaitsastherehavebeenreportsofbig surfaceworkupsparticularlyoutfromParuaBay.

Eveningandveryearlymorningsnapperfishing, particularlyalongthewesternsideoftheharbour,has alsobeenverygoodwithshallowwater3-8mdeep,using berleyandstraylinescastwellawayfromtheboat.Thisis greatfun!

Wehavehadsomebigwindsinthelastfewweeks;a smallboatbrokeitsanchorlineandwaswashedacross theharbourintothemangrovesdownbyPortland.Aweek lateratnightayachtwaswashedupontoLimestoneIsland andasmalllaunchwashedontorocksnotfarfromthe Onerahiswimminghole.Atthetimeofwriting,theselast twowerestillaground.Condolencestotheowners.

MybossesatOnerahiGarage,LeeandPete,hada well-deserveddayofftoday,greatweather,cocklesand10 snapper-yummy!

Asweprogressthroughautumnandwatertempsstart cooling,ourharbourfishingwillslow.Getouttherenow andenjoyourbeautifulharbourandwonderfulfishing.

Leewith afreshharbour‘pannie’.

RevealingNewZealands’s best-lookinghomes

Houzz.co.nz, theleading platform forhome renovation anddesign,announcesthe Houzzcommunity’s picksfor Best ofHouzz2022.

Theexclusiveannualpeople’schoice awardfromtheHouzzcommunity highlightsthehomerenovationand designprofessionalswiththemost populardesignsandtopratingsandrecognises just3%ofthemorethan2.7millionactive homeprofessionalsontheHouzzplatform. VanessaWalker,EditorofHouzz.co.nz, highlightssomeofthemostpopularBestof HouzzdesignsonHouzzincluding:

Alaundryroomfeaturingconcrete splashbackinKarakabyinteriordesigneron HouzzDuBoisDesign

Sooftenthelaundryistheroomthatgetsthe leastamountofattention,butwiththiswinning designonHouzz,therearemanyelementsthat makeitawell-designedspace.Thewaythe colourscarrythrough;thetimber,brasstapware andcabinetrysurroundingtheappliances speakstotheneolithstonesplashback. Incorporatingtheindustrialtouchofconcrete or(atleast)thelookofthislow-maintenance materialhasgrowninpopularityonHouzzover thelastyear,withsearchesupby103%from 2020to2021.Notonlyisthematerialversatile, butitcanbeusedtocreateastrikingaestheticas thislaundrydesigndisplays.

Amid-centurylivingroomcharmin AucklandbyarchitectsonHouzzRogan NashArchitects

IntheHouzzcommunity,‘mid-century modern’isthemostsearchedstyle homeownersareseekinginspirationonfor interiors,withthetermjumpingupby918% inthepastyear.Thesumptuoustonebegins atthediningtableandsideboardthatareof mid-centurycraftsmanshipandcharacter. Thereismuchtobethankfulforthisdesign period,towhichweowetheintroductionof theseamlessindoor-outdoorconcept.Inthis livingroomdesignwinneronHouzz,theuse ofglassslidingdoorsallowsthespacetofill withnaturallightwhilecreatinganinstant connectiontothegardenoutside.

HOUZZ.CO.NZ

Anairyentertainer’skitcheninAuckland byarchitectsonHouzzFurzeArchitecture

&Design

Thereissomuchappealinthiskitchen,being fresh,lightandfamily-friendly.Thepalette hasbeenkeptsimplewiththewhiteisland benchandcaramel-and-chocolategrainof the‘plywood’,whichisamaterialwe’reseeing gainingpopularityintheHouzzcommunity, with2021searchesupby249%.Searchesfor ‘kitchenpendantlights’(182%)arealsosurging onHouzz,andinthisdesign,theribbedlighting texturealongsidetherunning-bondbrick patternontheislandbench,andthechevronpatternedflooringcometogetherbeautifully.

AlakefrontbathroominWanakabyarchitecturalfirmonHouzz ParkerWarburtonTeamArchitects

Spoiledbygorgeoussurroundings,NewZealandersintheHouzz communityareseekinginspirationontheidyllic‘lakehouse’,with searchesinthelastyearclimbingto281%comparedtotheprevious year.Andasmuchofthisbathroomtakesitscuesfromthememorable panoramicviewsoutside,itappearsrefinedandelegantwithgrounding stoneelementsandcleveruseoflighting.Itcouldnotbecomplete withoutaperfectlystaged‘freestandingbath’,aluxuriousbathroom featurewe’reseeinggainpopularityintheHouzzcommunity,with searchesupby129%morethanthepreviousyear.

Anoutdoorareatoenjoyallyearroundbyarchitecturaldesigneron HouzzLADArchitecture

Outdoorspacesarebecominganimportantextensionofthehome,and we’reseeing‘alfresco’inspiredupgradestoppingupinsearchesonHouzz (upby245%comparedtothepreviousyear).ThisHouzzcommunitydesign winnerreapsthebenefitsofenjoymentthroughouttheseasons.The featured‘stonefireplace’isapopularoutdooradditionthatofferscomfort incoolersettings,whiletheretractable‘pergola’providesshadingand ventilationduringthewarmermonths(searchtermsonHouzzupby166% and314%fromlastyear).

Whenworkingwithsmallspaces,itpaysto gobig,boldandstylishlikeinthiswinning powderroomexampleonHouzz.Thewallmountedceramicsinkandsculpturalmirror cometogetherwithoutcompromisingon designandfunctionality.Therounddetailings createajuxtapositionwiththelinearwall tilefeature.A‘splashback’featurealways commandsattention,andwecanseeHouzz usersinthecommunityarelookingforchoices thatareallabout“makingastatement”,with searchesupby321%YoY.

Atwin-cabinamongstthepinetreesinMatarangibyarchitectson HouzzCAAHTStudioArchitects

SAND

-thenewneutral

If you’re looking fora neutral colour thatofferssomething newandmodern, insteadof theoften-favouredtraditional whites andcreams, let’stalk aboutsand.

Theseearthyshadesaremaking theirpresencefeltasanewrangeof neutralsthankstotheirrangeand versatility.Theycomeineverything fromhintsofgreyandcharcoal(thinkwild westcoastorvolcanicsands)throughdelicate greigesandevensubtlepinkstocreamyyellows andsubtlebeigesandbrowns.

Resene’ssandyneutralscanfillasimilar neutralroletogreys,offeringcontrasting highlightsorevenmonochromepalettesthat arewarm,luxuriousandalittleunexpected.

THEVERSATILECHOICE

Thoughtheobviousconnectionistousesand huesinbeachyorbach-likespaceswithteal bluesandflaxygreens,theirrootsinthenatural environmentmeansandyshadesworkwell withalargespectrumofcolourcombinationsto createallkindsoflooks.

Somethingstokeepinmindarethatyellowtonedsandyshadeswilllookgreenerinrooms thatlosethesun,orevengoslightlypinkin certainlights.Theversatilityandrangeofsandy shadesdoesmeantheywillalllookslightly differentindifferentrooms,andpossiblyat differenttimesoftheday.Resenetestpotswill helpyouhere,soyoucannarrowdowntothe exactshadethatworksbest,andthenbuildout yourcolourpalettetosuit.

SANDYSTYLEIDEAS

Keepyourpaletteboldbutsimplewithamuted orsmudgysandlikeReseneHalfNapaonwalls withceilingsandtriminmilkyReseneQuarter ThorndonCream.Addotherlayersofcreamand abrownlikeReseneWoodBarkandaccents inwroughtironandsubwaytilesforasemiindustrial,orasleek70sofficebuildingvibe.

Embracethenaturalenvironmentwith layersofwoodandforestshadesagainst asandybase.Tryadeepersandytonelike ReseneBroncowithfreshgreenReseneEnvy andmoodybrownReseneBarista.Fillthespace withgreeneryandnaturalfibressuchaswood, wickerandrope,andanchoritallwithawood floorstainedinReseneColorwoodWalnut woodstaintoresembleaforestfloor.

Foradreamy,zenlikeescape,layerpale sandyshadessuchasReseneWestarand ReseneSilverSandwithpastelReseneDuck EggBlueandReseneSoothe.Addlayersof

differenttextureswithcushionsorthrowsand finishwithnotesofadeepertealbluesuchas ReseneSanJuanorbrassygoldaccessories,to catchtheeye.

Usesandyneutralsforadramatic,modern finishbygoingforhighcontrastbypairingbold, near-blackwallsinReseneBokaraGreywith highlightsinthepalesandytonesofResene QuarterTruffle.Finishwithimpactpiecesina boldburntorangesuchasReseneChristineor mustardinReseneMarigold.

Forthatperfectbeachyvibeweassociate withsandyfeetandrelaxationgoforaclassic tropicalbeachofReseneIslandSandwithcrisp azuretonesinReseneKumutotoandpalerResene Escape.Addplentyofdarkrusticwoodstained inReseneColorwoodDeepOakorgoabitmore ScandiandsandywithReseneColorwoodRock Salt.SplashesoffreshyellowinResenePuttyor ReseneLemonwillmakethespacefeelsunnyand upliftingaswellasbeachyandrelaxing.

PLAYWITHSHADES

Becausetheyarealittlemorevariedintone thantraditionalwhiteorcreamneutrals,sandy shadescanbeusedveryeffectivelytobuild upalayeredlook.Theeffectcanbequite dramatic,givingtheappearanceofbeingquite monochromebutwithplentyofinterestfrom usingmultiple,similarshades.Youcanalso thinkaboutaddingoneboldcontrastcolourin justoneortwopieces.

Somesandyshades,withdifferentlevels ofsaturationandintensitytotryarepaler colourslikeReseneQuarterWan,Resene BisonHide,withmid-intensitycolourslike ReseneParchmentandReseneSandspit Brown,withdeepertonessuchasResene OilskinorReseneFelix.Foradramatic, unexpectedattention-grabberaddimpact notesinafuchsiapinklikeReseneLipService oravividgreenlikeReseneBilbao.

Foradifferentall-neutralspinthatwillmake

alargerroomfeelcosy,tryawarmsandlike ReseneSettlementontheceiling,withcrisp whitewallsinReseneAlabaster.

FINISHINGTOUCHES

Complementthesandytouchesofyourspace withfinishingtouchesincane,wicker,twine orothernaturalfibresinotherfurnishingslike cushions,lightfittings,rugsandthrows.Animal printscanalsoworkwellinsandy-huedspaces.

Asaneutral,sandshadesmakeagreatbase orblankcanvasfromwhichtolaunchyour designexperiments.Layertheroomwitha mixoftextilesandpatternsinboldbrightsor dreamypastelstocreatethefeelyouwant.Luxe fabricssuchasvelvet,woolandleatherand jewelcolouredaccessories,willtakeyoursandy baseintoanopulent,lushdirection.

Tospicethingsupfurtheraddglamour withtouchesofmetallicsbutkeepthem almostneutraltoamplifyyoursandytones.

TryReseneFXMetallicinReseneBedrockor ReseneGoldmine.

Timberfinishesandwhiteswithyoursand toneswillmakeeverythingfeelveryfreshand Scandinavian.Justaddnotesofforestgreen likeResenePermanentGreenforalayerof comfortingwarmth.Ifyourtimberhasstarted tolookwashedout,rejuvenatethecolour withReseneColorwoodinsideorResene Woodsmanoutside.

Texturedorhighglosstilesandotherhigh shinesurfacesorlightfittings,willtakeyour sandyshadestoamorefunctionalspace,perfect inbathroomsasawarm,invitingalternative towhite.Addlargeleafyplantsandsplashes ofcornflowerbluesReseneWedgewood,and mutedcreamResenePuttytofinish.

VisityourlocalReseneColorShopformore colourideasandalltheexpertadviceand productsyouneedforasuperbfinishonall yourdecoratingprojects.

Wecreatebeautifulandfunctionaloutdoorliving spacestoenhanceyourhomeandlifestyle.

Whetheryou’reextending afamilylivingareaor creating aspaceforentertaining,ourproudlyNew Zealand-designedandmanufacturedroofing systemisspecificallymadefortheNewZealand coastalenvironment.

Dual Satisfaction

BYTRACEYHARVEY, FRAZERHURST

Loving that beautifulview?

Notlovingthe sunthatdamages the flooring?

Notlovingthe air that flowsinoncoldnights?

Notlovingyourlackofprivacy?

Don’tbedismayed,youhavesomesimpleandinexpensivechoices. Weathermaster®RollerblindsfromFrazerhurstareyourbestfriend. Frazerhurst,justliketheSavvy,isyourlocalgo-to!

Rollerblindscanlookcontemporaryorclassic.Evenbetter,according toConsumerNZ,theyperformwellintestsonheatretentionduetobeing installedinsidethewindowframetrappingthecoolairagainsttheglassand limitingthechimneyeffect.

•Needsunprotection?ChooseWeathermaster®Sunscreens. Differentfabricsandcoloursofferdifferinglevelsofblock-outbutyou canstillseeyourviewthroughalloftheoptions.

•Preferfullblock-out?Thereareavarietyoftexturesandcoloursinthe Weathermaster®rangeandallofthemarefullblock-out.

•Wantprivacywithoutgoingfullblock?YouneedtheWeathermaster® Lightfilteringoption.Aswiththesunscreen,youhavechoicesof differingopacitiesandcolours.Someoftheoptionswillevengivean elementofnighttimeprivacy.

Ifnooneproductisgoingtoserviceallyourneeds,thentheclever optionistogoforadualset-up.

Fullfunctionality

Ablock-outandsunscreencombinationofrollerblindsonadualbracket givingyoufullfunctionalityforcontroloflightandprivacybothdayand nightwithacontemporarylook.

Functionandambience

Asunscreenrollerblindfordaytimescreeningandalineddrapethat pullsacrossfornighttime.Suncontrol,privacyandambience. Ambienceandfunction

Choosetherollerblindastheblock-outthatcomesdownatnightanda decorativesheerdrapethatcanstayacrossforsoftlightcontrol.

SHARING BUILDING EXPERTISE at everystep

STANDFIRST:Anexperienced salesteamisthe keyto realising your newhomedream.

Buildinganewhomeisaseriousand substantialinvestmentandyouwant tobesureyouaregettingthebest adviceanddesigninspirationfromthe teambringingyourvisiontolife.

GenerationHomesNorthlandpridesitself onitsexperiencedsalesteam–youcanrelyon themtofulfillthecompanypromisetomake buildingeasy.

Theirknowledgenotonlyensuresyourbuild willbethebestitcanbe,butyoucantrustthat theconstructionwillgosmoothly.

Helpinggrowcommunities

SalesConsultantTonyWatkinslivesatRuakaka andhasworkedforGenerationHomesfor nineyearsastheOneTreePointcommunity flourishedaroundhim.

Helovestheclientrelationshipshemakes andtheneighbourhoodswhichdevelopasa resultofhiswork.

“It’sgreatwatchingpeoplegrowasafamily andtheyoftencomebackformultiplebuildsas theirneedsgrow,too.”

TonymayhavebeenborninChristchurch, buthe’slivedinNorthlandfor20yearsnow withhiswifeLindaandheravesaboutthe region’sleisureopportunitiesandlifestyle–beaches,fishing,swimmingandhiking.

Hesometimesgoesfishingwithhisclients, becausemanyfriendshipshavestartedwitha homebuildandgonefromthere.

Knowledgeandintegrity

SalesConsultantVynkaShortmaybenewto GenerationHomes,butshehasyearsofbuilding industryknowledgetocallontohelpcustomers.

“Ilovebeingapartofbringingourclients’ dreamhomestogether.It’simportanttofactor ineverythingontheirwishlist,whilebeing mindfulofthebudgetwe’reworkingwithin. Havingaguaranteedfixedpricecontractgives ourbuyersconfidenceintheprocess,whichis wonderful,”shesays.

“Ienjoylookingataspectsoftheirbuildthat theywouldn'tnecessarilyhavethoughtofand enhancingtheprojectbybringingnewideas thatI'velearnedovertheyears,”shesays.

“Mygoalisforcustomers’homestoexceed theirexpectations.It’snotjustaboutthe

finishingsbeingbeautiful,butalsotheprocess beingaseasyaspossible.”

VynkalivesinWhangareiwithherhusband Grant.Theyhaveraisedtheirthreechildren herehavingmovednorthfromtheWaikato over20yearsago.Vynkalovesthepeopleand beachesinthislittlesliceofparadise.

ParklandsEstateStageTwo TonyandVynkaarelookingforwardtohelping peopletocreateadreamhometosuittheir lifestyleinStageTwoofParklandsEstateinthe westofKamo.

GenerationHomesistakingexpressions ofinterestforhomeandlandpackagesin StageTwoofthisupmarketneighbourhoodoff FairwayDrive.

Manyofthehomeownersinthefirststageof thissmallsubdivisionarelocalcoupleswhohave down-sizedfromtheirlargefamilyhomeand hadthepleasureofcreatingalowmaintenance, single-levelresidencewithabitofflair.

Theyenjoylivingnearthebowlingandgolf clubsandalongsidelike-mindedneighbours withsharedinterestswhoareatasimilarstage oflifewhenyearsofhardworkarerewarded withanewhomefulloffixturesandfittingsto matchtheiraspirations.

Thestunningoutlookfromthe22sectionsis thesurroundingbushwithparksandwalksin thearea.

ThepropertiesinSycamoreDriverangefrom 559sqmto1720sqmsoyoucanbuildanew GenerationHomesresidencetomaximisethe viewandthecontoursoftheland.

FindoutmoreabouthowGeneration Homesmakebuildingeasyat www.generation.co.nz

VynkaShortand Tony Watkins

Threeways to avoidheadboard heartbreaks

BYLAURAHEYNIKE,ONEROOF

Forget thenana five-piece suite andcreatea custom featurefor your bedroom.

Theysaythekitchenistheheartofthe home,butI'darguethatisactually yourmainbedroom.Andwhenyour headhitsthatpillowandyouissue asighofreliefI’dsayitismostdefinitelythe headboardisoneofthemostimportantpartsof makingyourbedcomfortable.

Manypeopleseeitasafunctionalaspect partofthebedconstruction,ratherthana designfeature.Itisalsoaconfusingfeatureto shopfor,sohereareafewthingstolookoutfor beforemakingyourpurchase:

Fabricorwood? Everyonewilldefinitelyhavetheirown preference,butIpersonallyamonteamfabric (eventhoughrightnowIhaveawoodenframe onmyownbed).

Awoodenframeissleekandclassic,and ifmadebyacontemporarymanufacturercan stylishlychannelaJapaneseminimaliststyle, butifyouwanttonestleinbedtowatchmovies oragoodbook,youneedtohavedecent featherdownEurocushionstoleanon.

Ontheplusside,woodhasagoodlonglife andshowsminimalwearandtear.Ifourclients choosewood,westeerthemfirmlyawayfrom thematchingfive-piecesuitebecauseitcan beverydenseandheavyvisually,anddated matchy-matchy,evennana.

Afabricheadboardcreatesaninstantcozy feelingasyouwalkintotheroomandavoids theneedtolinetheheadboardwithafortress ofpillows.Texturedorprintedfabricsoftensthe roomandstillworkswellwithotherwooden bedroomfurniture.

Besuretoselectafabricthatissealed withafabricprotectorlikeScotch-guardor, luxuriously,awipeablefabriclikeleather,as dailyrubbingfromhairdye,skinoilsandsweat candiscolourthefabricovertime.

Whatstyle?

Funnilyenough,thelackofheadboard selectioninNewZealanddoesmakeitabit easiertochooseastyle.

Moststandardin-stockheadboardsareeither awoodenslatorsolidwoodheadboard.Fora morecontemporarydesignkeepaneyeoutfor plywoodconstruction,oratrendthatwillstand thetestoftime,trywoodenframeswithwoven caneinsertsforamorerelaxedstyle.

LauraHeynike: "think aboutwhatwould really make theheadboard pop as adesign feature."

Fabric-coveredheadboardsaremostly plainwrapped,studtrimmedorwithaspecial upholsterystitchorfeature.Mostplainwrapped onesavailableinstoresarefairlybasic,butlook aroundforstyleswithabitmoreinterestsuch ascurvedendsoranarchshape.

Studdetailingaroundtheedgesworkswell forFrenchcountryorrusticstyle-decor.Fora moreupholsteredlook,verticalstitchingina channelpatternisasurewinnerasitwilldraw theeyeupwardsandmaketheroomseemtaller.

Customluxury

Foraroundhalfofourclientswecommission acustomisedheadboard,usuallybecausewe areusingaspecialluxuryfabric,acolourthat isnotastandardoptionoraddinganextra designfeature.

Forexample,weliketodesignlittlefinsthat wraparoundthesideoftheheadboard,abitlike anold-fashionedwingchair,tomakethebed feellikeacosyhug.Orwemightspecifyacustom heightthatmakestheroomappeartaller.

Otherstylishcustomoptionsinclude insertingawoodenpanelwithLEDlightingand inbuiltchargingpointsforphoneorlaptop–if youhavethebudget,therearelotsofexciting customthingsyoucankeepadding.

Tonarrowyourchoices,decideonthe overallinteriorstyleyouwant,whetheryou wanttheheadbaoardtoworkwiththelinenyou alreadyownandthenthinkaboutwhatwould reallymaketheheadboardpopasadesign feature,notjustautilitarianpieceoffurniture.

Fourhome renovation myths debunked

BYLAURAHEYNIKE,ONEROOF

Sometimes it pays to callinthe experts.

Ahomemakeovercanbehard,but itcanbeharderstillifyoutakethe wrongadvice.Herearethefourworst, andmostpersistent,mythsthat renovatorsarelikelytocomeacross:

1.Renovatingwilladdvalue

It’snotunheardofforpeopletohavetheir propertyvaluationdecreasesincedoingtheir renovations.Itisimportanttoknowthatnot everyrenovationisaprofitablemove,whichis whybankswanttoknowabitmoreaboutyour renovationbeforeadvancingyouthefunds.If yourrenovationisexecutedpoorly,theoverall standard-andvalue-ofyourhomewilldrop, evenifthelayoutmightworkbetter.

Anotherriskisover-capitalisingona renovationoroptingforahigh-endlookwhen therestofyourhouseisn’tanywherenearthat level.Astunningluxurykitcheniseveryone's dreambutitmaybringintofocustheareasthat doneedwork.

2.Doingityourselfwillsavemoney

Choosingtodoalltheworkyourselfcansave youmoney,butnotifyoulacktheskills-or time-todothejobproperly.I’veseenthe disastersthatcanhappenwhenimportant stepsareforgottenorignored.Forexample,one clientshadinstalledtheirowntoilettiles,but hadn’tsandedthefloorproperly,putdownthe rightamountofscreedorusespacers.

Theadhesiveliftedthetilesduetothe unevenfloorandthentheyhadtostartover withatilerandnewtiles.

Similarscenariotoabove,ifyouhave unfinishedworkorpoorqualityexecution youmayneedtopaysomeonetocomeinand re-doitforyouwhichwillcosttimeandmoney. Anotherclassicexampleiswhenpeoplebuyflat packkitchensandthenhavetohireabuilderto putittogetherbecausethecomponentryistoo complex.Mostkitchencompaniesincludethe installintheirpriceandyouknowyouwillgeta professionaloutcome.

3.Tradiesputlargemarginsonproducts

Thepriceofmaterialsdoesfluctuatefromtrade totradebutyoushouldexpecta10-20%margin onmostproducts.Remember,thattheprofiton alightbulborplumbingpipethattheysupply ispartoftheirlivelihoodandtoexpectthem torelysolelyonlabourastheirmainincomeis unrealistic.

Ifyousupplythematerialsyourself,you'll losethewarrantyyourtradieoffersasthey haven’tsuppliedtheproduct.Checkwith themfirstifyoudothis.Ifyouareconcerned withhowmuchmaterialsarecosting,havea discussionwiththemandtheymightbeable tofindanalternativesupplieroraproductthat sitsmoreinyourbudgetrange.

Mostpeoplewhohaven’tbeenthroughthe renovationprocesstendtooverlyfixateonthe quotesandexpectthattobethefinalpricefor thejob.

Professionalswillpricetotheirbestability andgenerallycomeprettyclose,butthere arecoststhatevolveon-sitethatmaynot beforeseen,suchasafloorthatneedstobe remedied,orawalltoofargoneitneedstobe skimmedbeforepaintingorjustsimpledelays withothertradespeople,whichmeansone trademightneedtocomeinmultipletimes.

Inthisinstance,makesureyouhavethe creditcapacitytofluctuateabout8%.Before acceptingaprofessional,haveatransparent conversationwiththemaboutextras.Ifthere isavariation,askthemtosubmitittoyouin writingwiththepriceinsteadofjustgetting themtodothework.Thatwaywhenthefinal billcomesinyouhavenosurprisesandyoucan maintainthatrelationshipforfuturework.

LauraHeynike: "It’snot unheardoffor peopletohave theirpropertyvaluation decrease since doingtheir renovations."

4.Aquoteisafixedprice

Fourcrucialquestions to ask whensearching fortheperfect chair

Purchasing anew pieceoffurniture requires morethanjustselectingthe right styleand colour.Ithas to suit your needs andlifestyletoo.

Haveyoueverspenttimesittingonachairandthen developedasoreback?Orhadtroublegettinginand outofarecliner?Yourheight,frameandhealthissues canmakeabigdifferencetoyourrequirements.Tall peoplecanfindsomechairstoolow,whileshorterpeoplemight findtheirfeetswingingintheair.

Reclinersarelikeshoes,looksareimportant,butcomfort iskey.Whenstartingyoursearch,gointothestore,spendtime sittingondifferentchairs,asktheveryknowledgeablesales assistantsforhelpandinvolvethefamilymemberswhowill spendthemosttimeinthechair.Thenaskyourselffourcrucial ergonomicquestions:

Ifyou’renotassprightlyasyouusedtobe,gettingthecorrect typeandright-sizedchairisespeciallyimportant,butyoucango onestepbetterwithareclinerliftchair.TheLa-Z-BoyPlatinum LiftChairwilleaseyououtofthechairatthetouchofabutton. You’lljusthavetofightthegrandkidsforitwhentheyarevisiting.

JustlikeinthepopularfairytaleGoldilocksandtheThree Bearsyoucanbuyfurnitureitemsindifferentsizes,justlike clothing,tobettersuityourframe.Forexample,theLa-Z-Boy EdenChaiseRockercomesinaregular,largeandextra-large. Knowingwhatfeaturestolookforandwhatyourmost importantrequirementinachairorloungesuitearecanhelp younarrowdownthesearchfortheperfectchair,couchor loungesuite.

La-Z-Boy –Setting theindustry standard

La-Z-Boyreclinersaresecondtononewhenit comestoqualityandstyle.

OnlygenuineLa-Z-Boyreclinersputyour comfortfirstwithqualitythat’sbuilttolast.Eachis exclusivelyengineeredwithourpatentedreclining mechanismsandcraftedusingonlythefinest materials.

1. Patentedfour-sidedunibodyframedesign that’squalityengineeredforlasting durability.

2.Providescompletesupporttotheentire bodyinallpositions,evenwhilereclining.

3.Offersachoiceofcomfortthatlocksinplace forsafetyandsupport.

4.Allowstheseatandbacktomovetogether fornaturalrecliningmovement.

5.Backandlegrestworktogetheroroperate independentlyfor16optimumlevelsof comfort.

6. Personalisestheeffortneededtoeaseintoa recliningpositionbasedonindividualbody support.

ContactFabersfurnishings–Northland’s largestLa-Z-Boygalleryandletthefriendlyteam helpyoulivelifecomfortably.

THEIDEALBEDROOMSETUP

Your bedroomshouldbefor sleep. Whilst this canbeachallenge in modernlivingspaces,if possible,yourbedroom shouldbethe room in your home that’s devoted to sleep.

It’sthe‘bed’roomandshould,ideally,not betheoffice,gamesroom,gymorcinema, buttheplaceforsleep.Insomelanguages, thewordfor‘bedroom,’likeinGerman ‘Schlafzimmer,’andDutch‘Slaapkamer’,make thisexplicit,bycallingitthe‘sleep’room.This makesitclearthattheroomshouldbedevoted primarilytogettingoptimalsleep.

Optimaltemp=optimalsleep Ifyourbedroomistoohot,oryou’retoo hotunderyourduvet,it’smoredifficultfor yourbodytoloseheatandthiswillcause disturbedsleep.

Thesameisalsotrueifyou’retoocold, asthismeansyourbodyhastoworkhard tomaintainitsoptimaltemperatureand,

again,thiscandisturbsleep.So,gettingthe besttemperatureforsleeprequirestheright combinationof:

•airtemperature

•bedclothes

•nightwear.

Ifthismeansyouwearbedsocksbuthave thewindowopen,sobeit.

Achievingtherighttemperaturecanbe additionallycomplicatedbyyourbedpartner asthey’llnodoubtneeddifferentconditions toyouinordertoachievetheircomfortable sleeptemperature.

Lightlevelsinyourbedroomcanaffectsleep

Thegeneraladviceisthatthebedroomneeds tobeasdarkaspossibleduringthenight.But howdarkisdark?

Ifduringthenight,youcanstandatoneside ofyourbedroomandseetheoppositewall, thenyourbedroomismuchtoobright.

Evensmallamountsoflight,forexample fromyouralarmclock,canhaveanimpact onyoursleep.Youcanreducelightinthe bedroomby: •usingthickcurtainsorblackoutblindsto blocklightfromoutside •removingorcoveringlight-producing devices—thisincludesbedroomclocks.

Ofcourse,we’realldifferentandsome peopledon’tmindsleepinginalightbedroom. Aslongasyousleepwellandfeelawakeand alertduringthedaythendon’tworry.

Ventilationisalsoimportant

Thebedroomshouldn’tbestuffyandfreshair isgoodforsleep.Openingthewindowlowers thelevelsofcarbondioxideintheairandthat’s beenshowntoimprovethequalityofsleep.

Investtimeandmoneyinmakingthebest bedchoice

Thebedisanimportantpartoflife.Ifyoulive untiltheageof70you’llspendapproximately 220,000hoursasleepandyou’llprobablydothe majorityofthisinabed.

Soinyourlifetime,you’llspendmoretime inbedthanyou’llspendinanyothersingle location.It’sundoubtedlycrucialthatyouhave therightbed,takingintoconsiderationyour weight,bodyshape,heightandmedicalstatus.

It’sunavoidablethatyouneedtoinvest

timeandmoneyinchoosingandbuyingabed.

Youwouldn’tbuyasofawithoutsittingonit andyouprobablywouldn’tbuyacarifitwas uncomfortabletodrive,sodon’tbetemptedto buybeforeyoutrywithabed.

Whenshouldyoubuyanewbed?

Generally,youshouldbuyanewbedwhenyou startnoticingyouroldbed.Forexample: •youwakeupstiff,numborwithachesand pains

•youdon’tsleepaswellasyoudid

•yourmattressfeelsuncomfortable

•yourmattresscreakswhenyoumove

•youandyourbedpartnerrolltowardsthe middleofthebed. Considerthateachnightyousweata significantamountofmoistureandshedagood amountofdeadskinintoyourmattressso,for

hygienereasonsalone,itwouldbesensibleto changeyourbedregularly.

Testingabed Sciencecannotmeasuremattresscomfort. Essentially,it’samatterofpersonalchoice. Mattressesdodifferinthecomfortandsupport theyclaimtoprovideandsotheonlywayto chooseonethat’srightforyouistogooutand lieonasmanyaspossible.

So,whenlookingforamattress,lieonitfor atleast10minutesandmoreifpossible.You naturallymove40-60timeseachnight,ofwhich 10-20aremajorpositionalchanges.

Testingamattressforalongertimemeans you’remorelikelytoassumemoreofthe positionsyou’lltakeduringyournight’ssleep. It’salsoimportanttofeelwhatit’slikewhen youtrytorollover.

Oneothertrickfortestingthebediswhen you’relyingonyourback,placeyourhand betweenyourbackandthemattress.

•Ifyoucanhardlygetyourhandin,thenit’s toosoft

•Ifthisiseasyanditfeelsasifyourhand’sina space,thenthemattressistoohard.

Findingtheperfectpillowandduvet Thepillowisforyourheadandneckwhat themattressisforyourbody.Soit’sessential thatthepillowworksinconjunctionwiththe mattresstoprovidethecorrectsupport. Again,theonlywayofjudgingifapillow willbecomfortableforyouistoactuallytryit outonabedinthesamewaythatyouwould useitathome.Havingtoothickortoothina duvetwillaffectbodytemperaturelossduring thenightandcanmakegettinggoodsleep moredifficult.

Alotofthesesuggestionsareaneasy changetomake,andhopefullywillgoalong waytowardshelpingyougetthebestbedroom setuppossible.