23 October, 2020
‘Copper Poppa’ See page 2
THE WEEKEND
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life+style The Weekend Sun ˜˝23 ˜˛˝˙ ˜°August, October October, , 2020 ˜˛˜˛
Copper Poppa Repurposed treasures As you walk up to Copper Poppa’s house, on a street nestled behind Ocean Beach road in Mount Maunganui, you’re greeted with a quirky smile from a recycled metal and timber face. In the corner is an old copper cylinder destined to be a water feature and as you walk through the courtyard you see dozens of beautiful copper pots filled with bromeliads and succulents. All of the pieces are the handiwork of Tony Barnett, aka the Copper Poppa, and he can tell you exactly where each upcycled piece originated from. The majority of the pots are made from the copper that once lined a hot water system, others are from Zip water heaters. The square ones are generally old linings from the wooden toilets of years gone by. His workshop is quite handily located across the road, and is a treasure trove of completed pieces, works in progress and items waiting to be repurposed. Tony pulls out an intact cylinder from pre1940 to show how his pieces started off. He’s staring at that one at the moment trying to decide what to do with it. He jokes that his wife calls him a hoarder but from the way he talks every item in the workshop will one day be something magnificent. Almost everything Tony creates is upcycled, with just a few pieces created from virgin copper
Tony Barnett, aka the Copper Poppa busy working on his latest creations.
Photos: Daniel Hines
and he’s eager to find more because the old cylinders and things are harder to come across these days. He finds joy in taking something old and making it into a lampshade, pot, or hand basin. “It’s better than getting it scrapped or getting destroyed. “It is rewarding. Copper’s lovely to work with, it’s malleable and a lot of people appreciate what happens to it. “They realise it’s a one-off product and if they want another one matching or the same, well, I’ll try it, but I can’t guarantee that.” A plumber by trade, Tony has the connections to get old cylinders, but they are getting harder to find and they are far more valuable to him than what someone would get if they took it to a metal recycler. He says a small copper cylinder would fetch about $10 as scrap metal and he’s happy to pay people for their items. The 63-year-old also heads to a scrap yard to salvage copper and will buy whatever he can including intact cables that he can strip the wire out of. Everything is useful and he’ll sell the small amount of waste he creates back to the recyclers. Chatting to people at the markets, where he sells his wares, is often a great way to get copper for his projects or commissions of work. “A lot of people buy stuff and they hang on to it for a while with an idea of doing something with it, and they get to a point where they’re having a tidy up and they look at it and go ‘oh Tony might
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“It is rewarding. Copper’s lovely to work with, it’s malleable and a lot of people appreciate what happens to it�
be able to do something with this’.â€? He’s currently creating two sinks made from small under-bench hot water cylinders with a virgin copper splashback. He’s in the process of creating a patina on the splashback to give it an aged effect. Tony will experiment with different products to create the patina, yoghurt will create streaks like candle wax drips, bleach turns it brown, ammonia and salt will blacken the copper. “Have a go and if it doesn’t quite work out, well, spray it with vinegar and a bit of elbow grease and you can get it back to copper.â€? Metalsmithing runs in his blood, Tony’s dad created aircraft instruments for warplanes in World War II and was later a woodwork and metalwork teacher after migrating from England to New Zealand. Tony still uses his father’s 70-year-old hammer and handmade anvil to make his creations and he’ll often reminisce about him as he works. “The tools you’re using that have been passed down from your father is just a friendly reminder.â€? He’ll think to himself “What do you think of that one Dad?â€?, when he ďŹ nishes something and has used his dad’s tools to panel beat, bend, fold and drill the items, giving them a new lease on life. When Tony started as an apprentice plumber in Whangamata he did typical plumbing jobs but also made corrugated metal water tanks, metal rooďŹ ng, spouting and galvanising ďŹ shing boat bow rails. “It was like a one-stop-shop for anything to do with the control of the water.â€? He says these skills have given him the knowledge
to make his Copper Poppa creations. Everything is done by hand with a little assistance from battery-operated power tools because the workshop, which was previously his neighbour’s garage, has no power. A current work-in-progress is a large water feature with a shiny copper backsplash, tarnished toilet inner for the pool, and wooden top that came from an outdoor lounger where the water will trickle down from. When you talk about those pieces individually it sounds like a strange mashup but as the Copper Poppa explains his vision you can see the beauty it will have. He also has trouble parting with his works saying the biggest problem is getting stuff out of the house. Tony’s love and excitement for copper is palpable and his long-term goal is to be able to do commission work as a main source of income. For now, his happy place is tinkering is his workshop and bringing his next creation to life.
Copper Poppa creations can be found in every nook and cranny, inside and out.
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˜°August, 23 October October, , 2020 ˜˛˜˛ life+style The Weekend Sun ˜˝ ˜˛˝˙
“We like to rock a 70s eclectic look in our clothes and art”
Marmalade Skies The music and the message Four-man band Marmalade Skies has a knack for turning everyday situations into catchy tunes. Sitting on the bus morphed into a song about breaking the back glass, and moving on to new things. A friend having the misfortune of dropping their phone in the ocean became a call to freedom about not being a slave to digital devices. Their lyrics and “wave rock” style is striking a chord with Bay audiences. Marmalade Skies’ very first gig at the Tauranga Jam Factory in February sold out, and a packed summer calendar filled with shows is to come. “We’re surprised and stoked with how quickly the band is gaining traction,” says bassist Ethan Robertson. “Our first gig wasn’t that long ago and now we have our first performance outside of the Bay coming up – we’re excited for what’s to come.” Marmalade Skies features lead singer Ethan Perkins, 20, drummer Jacob Gerritsen, 21, lead guitarist Calum Beatson-Blase, 19, and Ethan R., 20, on bass. They originally met through their churches, and it’s how they found their love of music. “We all met through our youth groups and had music in common,” says Ethan P. “Ethan R. and I played in the same worship band, and Jacob did the same at his church. It gave us experience playing to crowds and playing with other people.” Ethan R. says their faith drives the band.
“We don’t play worship music, but we see our musical abilities as gifts that God has given us, and using them is how we honour him.” The question of ‘what kind of music do you play’ is a tricky one for Marmalade Skies. “Our genre is a real mix … some songs are real punky, other are more chill – we’ve come up with ‘wave rock’ to try and define it,” says Ethan P. One thing they are clear about is their look. “We like to rock a 70s eclectic look in our clothes and art. “On our days off, we like going to second hand shops and finding clothes for the next gig.” They’re not afraid to stand out with their fashion choices – among their latest op-shop haul is an orange crop top, and a knee length leopard print jacket. Like their music, the seemingly simple concept of performing in old-school and eye-catching attire has a deeper message. “The fashion industry creates a lot of waste, so we really want to advocate wearing second hand clothing. “It’s fun, cheap, and great for the planet.” Fitting in gig prep, song writing and their different construction and retail work schedules is a juggling act. “We sometimes have to put other things second for the good of the band, but we believe in what we’re doing,” says Ethan R. “Even if nothing comes out of it, making music with your mates makes it all worth it.” MacKenzie Dyer
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˜° October 23 October, , 2020 ˜˛˜˛ ˜˝ August, ˜˛˝˙
life+style The Weekend Sun ˙
Diving on through Students swim through Covid interruptions Learning how to dive and observe life underwater is a key part of the marine courses offered at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology. Despite an eight week pause on recreational activity from March to May and the country’s second hit of Alert Level 2 from August to September, the students are still on track to complete their practical requirements for the year. The requirements vary for different courses, but include target diving hours and class boating trips. “We’ve had to catch up on some of the dive training that we couldn’t do during lockdown, but fortunately we managed to do this prior to the new Alert Level 2,” says Toi Ohomai academic leader in animal care, marine and environmental management, Dean Tully. “Fortunately the latest move to Level 2 came at a time when our students are naturally in smaller groups, so we’ve been able to carefully manage them.” The Marine courses have still required a bit of reshuffling, though. For the first year students’ surveying trip around Mercury Island this September, they had to take more trips in smaller numbers in order to safely accommodate students. “We had to significantly reduce the number of students that would usually go on the trip, so social distancing could be maintained on the boat – especially regarding the sleeping arrangements. “Students remained in a small bubble for the
duration of the trips. Luckily the boat is large, and obviously once under the water with masks and snorkels on, social distancing is not an issue. “We also follow Ministry of Health guidelines, so students are not allowed to attend trips if they are unwell or showing any signs of sickness.” Students apprehensively waited to see whether their trips would get the green light, as they received continual email updates from the Tech in the lead up to their planned voyages. First year student Fraser Mathis says he was stoked with the outcome. “Our class looked forward to the trip all year, so we were grateful that our lecturers managed to make it work. “Because the trip was shortened by a few days and we still had to do 13 dives, I was kind of worried about the workload going into it, but it was heaps of fun.” The trip trains students in subtidal monitoring, which includes underwater visual fish counts, bottom profiling and crayfish, paua, scallop and kina distribution and abundance surveys. “Getting to do surveying work that contributes to helping the ocean was really rewarding.” The time away from the physical classroom due to COVID hasn’t stopped marine students from completing their theory work, either. “We had to teach theory lessons via Screencastify video and Zoom during the first lockdown,” says Dean. “Despite that, the students have performed very MacKenzie Dyer well academically.”
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˜°August, October October, , 2020 ˜˛˜˛ life+style The Weekend Sun ˜˝23 ˜˛˝˙
No gym – no problem Keeping it real for busy mums The secret to success for one Tauranga start-up business is ‘keeping things simple’. While Marisha ‘Rish’ Wilson has joined the ranks of online gym trainers, you won’t find any glitzy gym backdrops in her videos. Key to her online popularity is the fact Rish delivers her gym classes from her kitchen at home. She’s all about ‘keeping it real’ for busy mums, because she lives that life herself. To emphasise the point, her own oneyear-old Ezekiel occasionally puts in a cameo appearance in the background of his mum’s videos Mum of two, Rish knows first-hand how important regular exercise is for physical and mental wellbeing, and now she’s doing all she can to help other people get on track too. The 29-year-old personal trainer and social worker experienced bouts of depression and anxiety after the birth of her six-year-old son Boston and found exercise was what helped her cope and get through it. She’s now putting that hard-won wisdom to good use.
Earlier this year, after feeling for a while that she needed a change of direction from her job as a social worker, she took the plunge into self-employment and launched an online exercise programme for women. “In April I ventured off from my usual nine-to-five and started a business called ‘Fitness for Females’, where I do online workouts for women every week-day at 9.30am,” Rish says. The mid-morning timing of her livestream workouts gives mums enough time to get the kids off to school, before meeting up online for group exercise sessions. At the same time she’s proving that you don’t need a flash exercise room or expensive equipment to achieve fitness goals and have fun. She inspires her growing number of followers with contagious energy, some catchy music and motivating talks. It’s a down-to-earth approach that seems to be working, judging by the views and followers on her website and Facebook pages. ‘No gym, no problem’ is her motto. The self-employment start-up journey has definitely been a learning curve and Rish is grateful for the support and advice she received from business mentors through the
˜° October 23 October, , 2020 ˜˛˜˛ ˜˝ August, ˜˛˝˙
life+style The Weekend Sun ˘
“Earlier this year, after feeling for a while that she needed a change of direction from her job as a social worker, she took the plunge into self-employment and launched an online exercise programme for women”
Manaaki.io website. She’s about to launch stage two of her business which is called Fit Box NZ. It came about following demand from Fitness for Females members for food and diet information. Launching on October 28, the Fit Box NZ kits contain meal and workout plans along with products from companies like Nibblish, NutraTech, Simply Kawakawa, New Zealand Apple Products and Dilmah teas. As the owner of a new and relatively unproven start-up, Rish says approaching companies with her Fit Box NZ plan was daunting at first. Her perseverance paid off and now a variety of local companies have joined the venture. Underlying everything Rish does is a desire to keep fitness and health affordable for clients. “Meal plans these days are very expensive - upward of $100. Personal workout plans can also be super expensive. So $35 for everything in one [kit] is very realistic and affordable. Something that it should be.” She feels part of the reason some people don’t invest in their health is because businesses like to over complicate it – and overprice it. “I guess that’s where my social work
comes into play,” she says. “It upsets me that some health professionals are just in the industry for the money or their own ego. It is hard to find a healthcare or fitness professional now days that does it for the people.” Initial profits from both Fitness for Females and Fit Box NZ will go towards the third – and philanthropic – side of Rish’s enterprise. She’s in the process of setting up ‘Wahine United’, a registered charity which helps school girls play the sports they enjoy, attend school camps, and pay for other extra-curricular activities that they would otherwise be unable to participate in due to financial hardship. A talented netballer from a young age, Rish says her own parents struggled to meet the costs of helping her go further in her chosen sport. Missing out wasn’t a nice experience and it was hard on her own and other families. Consequently, she’s determined that her business success will be shared with girls in the shoes she was once in by helping kids with potential to get the opportunities they deserve. ”I love ‘win-win’ situations,” Rish says. For more information, visit: www.rishfitpt.com Robyn Hayes
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