Rural Living August/September 2020 by Times Media

FR EE !

ruralliving.co.nz

August/September 2020

Voted

best

magazine CNA

Awards 2020

NZPD BREWS –

DUO’S ART OF CRAFT

LOCAL COUPLE’S

BOER-ING ‘KIDS’

LUCY’S ON THE BALL www.ruralliving.co.nz

POLLOK CO-OP —

MONSTER EFFORTS! Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 1

Brought to you by members of Franklin’s

Largest Rural/Lifestyle Sales Team Pukekohe | Tuakau | Pokeno PUKEKOHE 09 238 7019 | www.barfoot.co.nz/pukekohe

AUGUST 20

SEPTEMBER 20 PLEASE NOTE: due to the change in Auckland’s Covid-19 alert level, events may be postponed or cancelled; readers are advised to check events online for updates. Baby Show

■ HOME & GARDEN

evening of festivities. With the Papakura Pipe Band setting the tune, this event offers everything one would best expect during a celebration of Scottish culture, from dancing to delighting in a tipple or two and supping on such fare as the famous haggis. See papakurapipeband.co.nz or facebook. com/papakurapipeband.

The Auckland Home Show September 9-13, ASB Showgrounds, 217 Green Lane West, Epsom Paint it, paper it, build it, restore it, however you intend to DIY, this show is on hand to help. From product demonstrations to seminars and more, The Auckland Home Show is built on sound foundations of expert advice. See aucklandhomeshow.co.nz.

■ EXPOS & FESTIVALS Baby Show August 21-23, times vary, ASB Showgrounds, 217 Green Lane West, Epsom Baby love is back on the schedule as this popular show returns. Featuring everything from product displays and demonstrations to food, entertainment and more, this event seeks to ensure parents, and those expecting to be parents (who should expect the unexpected!), have everything they need – and they do need (practically) everything. See babyshow.co.nz. Papakura Pipe Band’s Ceilidh August 29, from 6.30pm, Karaka War Memorial Hall, 319 Linwood Rd, Karaka Those who favour all things highlands are expected to fling themselves into this

Craig

Jason

Trudy

Ashby Boyce 2 — Rural LivingTabrum — August/September 2020

021 998 605

022 567 9662

021 898 483

Spring Gift & Homeware Fair August 30-September 1, times vary, ASB Showgrounds, 217 Green Lane West, Epsom It might not be looking too much like Christmas at all just yet but, sure as the sun will come out, come summer, people will expect presents under the tree on December 25. Providing the perfect opportunity to make a start on gift shopping, this fair has plenty to suit a wide range of tastes and budgets. Details at giftfairs.co.nz. Toylectiblez August 30, 10am-3pm, Hamilton Gardens, Hungerford Cres, Hamilton Toying with the affections of collectors, the items available for sale during this event are sure to rekindle fond memories and spark many an imagination. From action figures and die cast vehicles to comics, movie memorabilia and more, there will be plenty on offer. Details via hamiltongardens.co.nz.

Brendon Moore

027 238 6660

Sue McCardle

027 527 0094

Steph Alderlieste 027 246 7911

■ MUSIC, MUSICALS & THEATRE Fabulous ‘50s August 20, from 11am, Pukekohe Town Hall, Cnr of Massey Ave & Edinburgh St, Pukekohe, and August 27, Hawkins Theatre, 13 Ray Small Dr, Papakura A rockin’, rollin’ experience is about to shake its way onto the local stage. A blast from the past, this concert highlights the hits from a decade that shook music to its foundations. See operatunity.co.nz. Opera Night August 22, 7.30-9.45pm, Vodafone Events Centre, 770 Great South Rd, Manukau From Beethoven and Mozart to Tchaikovsky and Verdi, some of the greatest composers of all time are set to live again thanks to the talents of the Manukau Symphony Orchestra. Details via manukausymphony.org.nz. Dennis Marsh and Country Blitz Show August 29, 1-4pm, and September 5, 7-11pm, Papakura RSA, 40 Elliot St, Papakura Papakura RSA is ready to raise the roof with ‘yee-hahs’ during a double bill of country music shows. Heading ‘em up will be Pukekohe’s own, Dennis Marsh (August 29) with a special fundraiser for Special Olympics Papakura. Then New Zealand’s ‘Queen of Country’, Jodi

Hunter

Hadley

027 482 2488

027 480 2741

Utatao

Pierce

Kevin

Darren

027 497 8223

021 676 004

Lim Szaszy www.ruralliving.co.nz

Community Calendar TUAKAU 09 237 8310 | www.barfoot.co.nz/tuakau

POKENO 09 232 6762 | www.barfoot.co.nz/pokeno

■SPORT, MOTORING & RACING

Vaughan (along with a veritable posse of fellow performers), will keep ‘em rollin’ (September 5) during the Country Blitz Show. For more information about both shows, visit papakurarsa.co.nz or facebook.com/DennisMarshMusic.

Toyota 86 Best Bars Championship September 4-6, Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, 20 Hampton Downs Rd, Te Kauwhata Despite an unexpected ‘pit stop’, this popular motorsport series is set to get back into gear again just in time for its final round at Hampton Downs. More information via hamptondowns.com or toyota.co.nz.

Community Classics: APO at the Movies August 29, from 3pm, Vodafone Events Centre, Manukau From Fantasia, to Pirates of the Caribbean and Gladiator, epic films are backed by epic music. As Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra heads to Manukau, it is on script to present a movie-ing experience during this free concert. See apo.co.nz.

■ FAMILY FUN

Tami Neilson

Back on the Boards September 3-20, times vary, ASB Waterfront Theatre, 138 Halsey St, Auckland City Auckland Theatre Company is returning to its home stage with a selection New Zealand works. Featuring the awardwinning Still Life with Chickens, the acclaimed Black Lover and a brand new play 48 Nights on Hope Street, this mini festival expects to prove why theatre is best experienced live.

awaits at Auckland’s Town Hall. Along with guest performers, Bach Musica NZ’s orchestra and choir will dedicate this concert to those who have suffered most from the pandemic. For further information, visit bachmusica.com.

Tami Neilson – Bass, Strings, Sing! September 5, The Civic, Cnr Queen St & Wellesley St West, Auckland City Canadian-born, New Zealand-based, Tami Neilson was practically raised on the road, performing throughout North America as part of her family’s popular singing group, The Neilsons. Years on, and an impressive collection of awards later, she’s about to take her unique country, soul and rockabilly sound to town on a tour of New Zealand’s main centres. Visit libertystage. com/tamineilson. Bach Musica NZ presents: Mozart’s Requiem, Rodrigo & Vivaldi September 20, from 5pm, Auckland Town Hall, Queen St, Auckland City An uplifting showcase of work by some of history’s most respected composers

Scott

Steve

Ball McElhinney www.ruralliving.co.nz 027 210 8887

021 966 332

Harold’s Disco August 29, from 4.45-8.45pm (times vary based on age), Papakura Netball Centre, Bruce Pulman Park, 90 Walters Rd, Takanini Harold the Giraffe is set to strut his stuff during this disco designed for children – years one to six. In addition, hot stuff is guaranteed (with a sausage sizzle on the menu) during this fundraiser for Life Education Trust and parents can show off their cool moves in the special chill out room. See facebook.com/ LifeEducationCountiesManukau for details.

Off Broadway Big Band September 26 & 27, times vary, Off Broadway Theatre, 41 Elliot St, Papakura No matter the cost, it’s likely the ‘Price’ will be right during a performance that’s right on key. Featuring vocalist Ron Price and the Off Broadway Big Band, these shows will take audiences back to a time when brass was as good as gold. More information via ptc.org.nz.

■ARTS Art of War September 1-November 1, Papakura Museum, 209 Great South Rd, Papakura War is an ugly business and yet, humanity, when at its worst, can reveal a deeper, truer beauty than pretty pictures ever could. Featuring paintings and sketches by war artists from the 19th-21st Centuries, this exhibition is sure to prove both heartwrenching and thought provoking.

Debbie

Nicola

Jane

Cindy

Luke

Courtney

McPherson

Donald

Guo

Jupp

020 438 5958

021 247 6472

027 389 2690

021 028 96198

Tu Meke Tui! – Live on Stage September 19-20, show times vary, Herald Theatre, 50 Mayoral Dr, Auckland A stage adaptation of the popular children’s book by Malcolm Clarke, this show is liable to have little Kiwis in quite the flap! A story of friendship, courage and discovering how our differences make us so special, this production is best suited to children aged 3-8 years. Details accessible via pannz.org.nz.

021 160 8005

Jack

Lea-Ann

Simon

Brown Higgie Macrae Rural Living — August/September 2020 —3 027 731 0897

021 497 517 Pokeno

027 420 2540 Tuakau

FROM THE EDITOR

ALL IN A MONTH’S WORK! of the Auckland NZ Upgrade Programme (NZUP) rail projects enabling works on the third main rail line at the Southdown rail terminal in Onehunga to begin. It is pertinent that the NZUP programme includes (among others) two major local projects: ◆ Extending overhead electrification from Papakura to Pukekohe – $371 million ◆ Building two new train stations, park and ride and bus connections in Drury – $247 million It seems that the electrification project will begin in November this year (hoorah!) and while a date for the railway stations hasn’t been confirmed, I’m advised it is likely to be sometime in 2023. Construction on NZUP projects was expected to finish in 2024. And, with that, I’m off so, grab a cuppa and enjoy the rest of this month’s Rural Living.

lively among my friends, other local happenings are not to be ignored. I’m delighted that tattoo artist, Steve Waugh has opened a home-based studio in Pukekohe (see page 28) – I just love his work and know his creativity and skill will be greatly appreciated by many people. By chance, I dined at three local clubs in just one week recently – the Franklin Club, Tuakau Cosmopolitan Club and Pukekohe Cosmopolitan Club. It was hat’s off to Franklin Club’s new extended menu, while birthday night at Puke’ Cossie Club and a Saturday buffet in Tuakau were too good to miss – busy restaurants confirmed their popularity. Our local clubs are to be commended for offering tasty bistro meals at such reasonable prices! Of course, we go for the company, too. It’s uplifting to be among folk with a happy outlook on life. If it hadn’t been for the warm welcome we received from Franklin Club members on our arrival here three years ago, we might still be eating alone! Instead we have been warmly gathered into a group of long-standing locals who have become wonderful friends. Finally, in early August, Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters and Transport Minister, Phil Twyford kicked off the start

0781

Waitakere Resvr

a k i

A TIMES MEDIA PUBLICATION Orakei Ward

D C

Omana Beach

Orapiu

k he nn ai h a C e

AUCKLAND

T a m

Mechanics Bay Mission Bay Saint Orakei 1052 Westmere Newton 1071 Heliers Parnell Glendowie Kohimarama Western 1021 Bucklands Beach Point Chevalier Springs Ranui Newmarket Eden Wai o Taiki 16 Terrace Western Kingsland Eastern Beach Bay Remuera Meadowbank Heights 1050 2012 1026 Waterview Glen Innes Saint Morningside Mount Henderson Eden J ohns Point Half Moon 1024 1025 Bay 1072 England Epsom Henderson Mount Albert Tamaki Glendene Greenlane Valley Mellons Bay Balmoral Owairaka Avondale Sunnyvale 1051 Farm Cove Kelston Sandringham Ellerslie McLaren Howick 2014 One Tree Hill Wesley Three Park Cockle Bay 1023 Kings 0602 Panmure Sunnyhills Highland New Windsor Mount 0612 Shelly Park Wellington Park Oranga 1041 New 2010 Botany Downs 1060 Pakuranga Glen Eden Royal Oak Lynn 0600 Penrose Mount 20 Oratia Pakuranga Roskill Onehunga 1061 Southdown Blockhouse Heights Bay North Te Papapa Waikowhai Hillsborough Titirangi Waiatarua Konini Green 1 Lynfield 1042 Bay Westfield Titirangi 2013 East Tamaki Waima 1062 Wood Bay Heights Ambury Park Mangere Otahuhu South Titirangi Whitford Bridge Favona Woodlands French Bay Park East Tamaki Lower

1022

Te Atatu South

COVERSHOT

0614

1011

Herne Bay

0610

Lincoln

Swanson

B ay

Waitemata Harbour

Waitakere

iv er i R

Helen Perry, Editor

ust as this month’s edition of Rural Living was heading to the printer, the Government announced Auckland’s three-day move to Covid-19 Alert Level 3 after a family was found to be infected with the virus. While it was devastating news, nevertheless we were hopeful a return to alert level one, or even two, would not be delayed for long. However, I do urge readers to check all dates for upcoming events which appear throughout the magazine before heading out or booking tickets just in case the city or the country’s alert status remains high. Other than that, we just have to carry on with an optimistic outlook and continue taking all precautions to remain safe. And now, to other things...with electioneering having started, I guess you could say, ‘the fun begins!’ The polls have certainly turned up some surprises and, perhaps, this year we might see Act with greater representation in Parliament. It’s also possible, NZ First will be on the outer and there have been a number of late runners join the campaign trail, too; I wonder if it isn’t too little too late for some? Only time will tell. While politics is keeping conversation

tr a

1010

Freephone: 0800 456 789 • www.ruralliving.co.nz 2018

Albert-Eden-Roskill Ward

Maraetai

Beachlands

2018

Waitemata and Gulf Ward

Howick Ward

D C

Whau Ward

Rural Living is a FREE monthly magazine aimed at the rural lifestyle market. Delivered to RD lifestyle addresses throughout Franklin, it is also available from pick-up boxes in the main townships including Pukekohe, Waiuku, Tuakau, Pokeno and Te Kauwhata.

0772

Huia Resvr

0604

Huia

Laingholm

Parau

Lower Huia Resvr

Karekare

2024

Nihotupu Resvr

2022

Mangere

Ihumatao

Kawakawa Bay

Wairoa Bay

Kawakawa Bay

Otara

Mangere East

Middlemore

2023

Papatoetoe 20 D C 2025 Puhinui

20A

Te Tau Bank

2571

D C

Upper Nihotupu Resvr

Piha

Waitakere Ward

Manukau Ward

Orere Point

2016

2576

Flat Bush

Orere

Brookby

Ness Valley

Clevedon

Wiri

Orua Bay

Wattle Bay

Editor: Helen Perry DDI 09 271 8036 editor@ruralliving.co.nz

Big Bay Orua Bay

Cosseys Reservoir

Awhitu Central

Seagrove

Clarks Beach

Opaheke

Publisher: Brian Neben 151 King Street, Pukekohe, Auckland PO Box 38 232 Howick, Auckland 2145

Photo Wayne Martin

4 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

Drury

2580

2122

Wairoa Resvr

2584

Runciman

2577

Kingseat

2583

Kohekohe

Waiau Pa

2579

Ramarama

Ararimu Paparimu

Glenbrook Beach

Paerata

Pukekohe

Sedgebrook Mauku

Glenbrook

2681

2675

Helvetia

Patumahoe

2678

2677

2675

Waiuku

Pukeoware

2471

Pokeno

Tuakau

Whiriwhiri

Otaua 2682 Maioro

Maramarua

Mercer

Aka Aka

Te Kohanga Tauranganui

Island Block

Meremere Onewhero Pukekawa

Port Waikato

2474

2693

2682

Kopuku

Kellyville

Whangarata

2694

2121

Rural Living Distribution Pick-up points in Pukekohe, Waiuku, Tuakau, Pokeno, Drury, Te Kauwhata, Ardmore, Clevedon

2472

Harrisville

2678

Karioitahi

Lake Otamatearoa

Mangatangi Mangatawhiri

2677

Puni

Taurangaruru

Lake Puketi

Bombay

Pukekohe East

Buckland

2683

Happy Valley

Paparata

2676

Mission Bush

Reservoir

2583

Ponga

2679

Lake Pokorua

Mangatangi

Moumoukai

2578

Waiau Beach

Te Toro

Upper Mangatawhiri Reservoir

Hunua

Matakawau

2684 Pollok

Riv er

Design: Claire Robertson media@ruralliving.co.nz

Papakura

Elletts Beach Karaka

i uk u

Art Director: Clare McGillivray DDI 09 271 8067 clare@ruralliving.co.nz

Wattle Downs

Hingaia

Waipipi

Jackie Underhill DDI 09 271 8092 jackie@ruralliving.co.nz

Ardmore

Takanini

Weymouth

Grahams Beach

Awhitu

WONDROUS EXHIBITION: There is no shortage of magnificent animals to be seen in our rural surrounds but, for sure, mythical beasts are best left to the imagination and one young artist, Becky Millett, has used hers to produce the magical, if fearsome, ‘sea monster’ entitled Undiscovered Ocean shown on this month’s cover, Hers is just one of the inspiring works, ranging from mixed media to paintings, sculpture to textile art, on display and for sale in the Pollok Arts & Crafts Co-operative’s, August exhibition aptly entitled, Imagine. See more page 27.

Alfriston Manurewa East

Big Bay

Te Hihi

Sales: Kate Ockelford-Green DDI 09 271 8090 kate@ruralliving.co.nz

Matingarahi

Manurewa

info@ruralliving.co.nz

Okaeria

2696

Whangamarino

Waerenga

Orton

Kai

2697 Wairamarama

Te Kauwhata

Opuatia

Taniwha Churchill

Rangiriri Rangiriri West

Glen Murray

Lake Waikare

Matahuru

Home delivery areas Waiterimu

Tikotiko Ohinewai

DISCLAIMER: Articles published in Rural Living do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers or editor. All material is provided as a general information service only. Mangawara Times Media Ltd does not assume or accept any responsibility for, and shall not be liableWoodleigh for, the accuracy or appropriate application of any information in this magazine. All the Ruawaro material in this magazine has the protection of international copyright. All rights reserved. No content may be reproduced without the prior written consent of Times Media Ltd.

design build Settling In SOUTH EAST | FRANKLIN

www.ruralliving.co.nz

ONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST RANGES OF MENSWEAR Specialising in an extensive range of boots for men and women

LEWIS’ FOR FASHION

41 King Street, Pukekohe • Phone 09 238 7885 petermarktabrum@msn.co.nz • www.lewisforfashion.co.nz

KAT6907-v7

Local stockists of

PETER TABRUM

Thinking of Selling?

Jason Tabrum

Mobile: 022 567 9662 Email: j.tabrum@barfoot.co.nz

www.ruralliving.co.nz

Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 5

FORMER TEACHER

still loves ‘kids’ Not far from the motorway at Drury is a small herd of boer goats, a rarely seen breed in our neck of the woods. They belong to Wayne and Eileen Cole who tells ANGELA KEMP what they love about them.

oer goats with their distinctive floppy-ears, and white bodies with brown heads have been part of the landscape on Wayne and Eileen Cole’s five-acre block for about 15 years. They replaced angoras which the couple had for more than 20 years. Eileen cared for them full-time while Wayne had a concrete contracting business to run. “Wayne supported me on top of his day job, providing shedding for kidding, doing foot trimming and organising shearing twice yearly. At one stage, we had 150 angoras; that number of goats requires a lot of input,” Eileen says. In New Zealand in 2007 angora goat farming produced more than double the profit of lamb production and there were about 20,000 animals across the country. More and more farmers switched from wool to mohair production as demand for the luxurious fibre soared internationally. At its height, Eileen recalls selling a fivemonth-old breeding doe for $6000 but, as is often the case, it was too good to last. “Mohair is very special but the market was becoming flooded and some people began breeding inferior goats,” she says. “Although it was a lot of hard work, we did quite well out of them before the market dropped.” The Coles decided to stop producing angoras commercially but kept a few does as beautiful grazers for the land. In 1997, Eileen opened the Beehive Montessori School in Drury, the only Montessori school in the south of Auckland at the time. She started with just three pupils but soon children were coming from as far away as Huntly. After building a successful business she decided to step down after 11 years, by 6 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

Boer goat.

which time she had seven grandchildren, and a new venture beckoned. Eileen sold the school, which is still operating today, and she and Wayne decided to breed boer goats. “We started the herd of boers from crossbreeding a boer buck with the few angoras we had kept. After selling the school we became hobby farmers on our land with the boer goats keeping us busy,” says Eileen. She says boers are the opposite to angoras and are easy animals to care for. “They have a completely different mannerism to angoras. They’re friendly but they don’t get quite as attached to you as angoras and they’re not escape artists either! Other than tending to their hooves and giving them a good diet, boers are

extremely easy to keep.” Having down-sized earlier this year on account of the drought, the Cole’s currently have a 19-strong herd including a handsome buck. Does are on sold or kept for breeding and the male goats are wethered before being processed in Bombay, returning to the farm as delicious sausages. Eileen says the goats produce around 60 kilos of sizzling goodness a year which is packed into the freezer and shared with family and friends. “We’ve always reared our own beef and try to be self-sustaining; I grow all our own vegetables and have heaps of fruit trees. We try to live off what we have here and supplement it with a few other things. “With goats you end up with a surplus which isn’t good enough quality to sell or they’re bucks and not all bucks are suitable for breeding. We wether the bucks so they grow bigger and our butcher makes us great goat sausages. “His recipe is five parts goat to one part mutton, sometimes garlic-flavoured, but I prefer them just plain. They are amazing and in great demand when we go to barbecues.” Eileen says she’s considering selling the sausages at the nearby Red Shed Sunday market in the future. The Coles have lived on their Drury property for 40 years and before that ran a successful strawberry farm in Aka Aka Road, Puni. However, Eileen says the dream of seeing out their days on the Jesmond Road land is now unlikely – “It’s in the way of a planned four lane highway linking the new Auranga development with the proposed Drury West train station,” she explains. “That means we expect to move some time in the future.” www.ruralliving.co.nz

“We’ve always reared our own beef and try to be selfsustaining; I grow all our own vegetables and have heaps of fruit trees. We try to live off what we have here and supplement it with a few other things.”

Photos Wayne Martin

BOERS – GENTLE GIANTS OF THE GOAT WORLD The South African boer goat is a large animal and is bred for its meat. It was developed in South Africa from an indigenous breed with the addition of some European, angora and Indian breeds. The name comes from the Dutch word ‘boer’ meaning farmer and was used to distinguish them from angora goats which were imported into South Africa during the 19th century. Boer goats were earmarked for meat and not dairy production due to the stocky bodies and the lean and moist www.ruralliving.co.nz

meat they produced. They also have a quick growth rate suited to meat production. Landcorp first imported embryos of the breed into New Zealand in 1989 but they didn’t become commercially available until the mid-1990s when they were released from quarantine. Commercial herds are mostly in the South Island but the boers’ friendly nature makes them popular companion pets. Boer goats are capable of breeding throughout the year. Both males and

females reach reproductive maturity when they are five months old. A boer nanny goat is pregnant for approximately five months and then nurses her kid for about three months, before she can either be milked or is scheduled for breeding again. They are attractive animals distinguished by almost always have a white body and a brown head, large lop ears, backwards curving thick horns and brown eyes. n Co Rural Living — August/September 2020 7 le. Eilee—

MISSING THE

chicken run! COUNTRY LAD

s most readers will be aware Reay and I became ‘townies’ some time ago and while we quite like living city-side we do miss special things about the country such as our animals. Yes, they required a lot of attention and we had to ensure they received the proper vet care and, importantly, the correct feed which we attended to every day. Our hens, for example, gathered each evening at about 5pm for their evening wheat and were then ready to be locked up in the chook house for the night. Now, after nearly 30 years of caring for hens, we have to buy eggs for the first time – that’s an adjustment! Our interest in poultry started more than three decades ago when we first shifted to the country after buying a one acre

property in Ormiston Rd (Flat Bush). At that time, Ormiston was rural farmland with just a narrow road and very few houses – a far cry from today! After living in our new house for a week, I discovered two hens roosting in a liquidamber tree on our front lawn. A few handfuls of wheat soon enticed them down and, from then on, they were always waiting, morning and night, for a feed. We believed them to be escapees from the chicken farm in Murphy’s Road. About a month later, a rooster arrived at our place having been let loose, we think, by an anti-rooster lover. Roosty, as we named him, was more than happy to have found a home with two hens and a twicedaily meal. We then called on builder son to build a coop and pen for the family and, not long after, the first hen went clucky. In no time we had our first batch of chickens! Things progressed quickly; we soon had more than a dozen chicks half of which were roosters. We advertised the roosters in the Howick and Pakuranga Times as being free to a good home and, soon after the Times was delivered, we received a

Keep Warm, Dry and Kick-Arse Cool!

Karaka $105.00

Check out the range of BOONIES Outdoor Footwear & Gumboots

8 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

Lifestyle Mid $125.00 Rosie Tall $140.00

Rosie Low $92.00

295 TUAKAU ROAD, PUKEKOHE • 09 238 9414 • info@hrfisken.co.nz • www.hrfisken.co.nz

number of calls. However, Reay was not pleased when the first man arrived carrying a sack to put them in. She made him promise to be kind to them and, perhaps he was – until they were served for dinner! Sadly, we lost Roosty when he was run over so, for a time we were rooster-free although we did give him a good burial. When we sold the Ormiston property, the new owners asked if we would leave them the hens which I reluctantly agreed to. Moving onto our lifestyle block in Runciman Rd Drury, our first purchases were six steers then some ewes followed by the first of our brood mares – a lovely horse called Eliza Doolittle. Anyway, back to the hens. Reay soon gifted me a chook house, which she saw advertised, plus six really nice chickens of mixed varieties. Over the next 25 years chickens came and went but their eggs were always appreciated by family and friends alike – it is something we do miss. And, now ... very disappointed in the Chiefs – roll on next year.

KAT5314-v24

Brian Neben publishes Rural Living and was a lifestyle farmer for many years

www.ruralliving.co.nz

ECONOMIC CONFIDENCE

SLUMPS F

armer confidence in economic conditions has slumped to the lowest level since 2009 with the outlook remaining grim. Federated Farmers’ July farm confidence survey showed that of the 1725 farmers who responded, 28.6% rated current economic conditions as bad, a 53-point drop on the January survey when 24.6% considered them to be good. Feds’ president and commerce spokesperson Andrew Hoggard said looking forward was also “pretty grim”, the lack confidence spurred by Covid-19 repercussions. He said 58.7% of farmers surveyed expected general economic conditions to worsen over the next 12 months, compared to six months ago when 41.5% expected them to worsen. “Clearly, concern about the global economy is weighing on sentiment. The disruption caused by the impact of the pandemic on trade, and fears of a lasting global recession, heightened

protectionism and trade wars, is likely to be a large factor in the negative forwardlooking expectations. “This fall in expectations echoes the fall in business and consumer confidence, and the fall in the domestic economy from Covid-19.” However, Mr Hoggard said one positive was that farmers were more confident about recruiting staff, perhaps because job options in other industries hit harder by Covid-19 fallout had narrowed. In the January 2020 survey, 41.3% of farmers surveyed reported it was harder to recruit staff whereas in the July survey only 28.1% of respondents said they were having difficulty recruiting skilled and motivated staff. But, that was about the only high point in the survey. All farming sector groups recorded worsening perceptions about current economic conditions with the 70-point slump for meat and wool farmers being particularly severe considering responses had been very positive in

January. While meat and dairy prices have been reasonable, fears about future market volatility and prices, were reflected in farmers’ answers about their own businesses. A net 46.7% reported currently making a profit, with more than a third expecting their profitability to worsen over the next 12 months. Only 2.7% expected their profitability to increase. In addition, 12.8% of respondents expected their spending to reduce over the next 12 months down on the Januaury survey, when 17.3% expected their spending to increase. The survey report, by Research First, also recorded farmers’ three greatest concerns as: the economic situation (chosen by 15.6% of respondents), regulation and compliance costs (15.3%), and farmgate and commodity prices (11.1%).

Andrew Bayly MP for Hunua Hunua Electorate Office 7 Wesley St, Pukekohe 09 238 5977 AndrewBaylyMP andrew@baylymp.co.nz

Funded by the Parliamentary Service. Authorised by Andrew Bayly MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington. KAT5218

www.ruralliving.co.nz

KAT7113

Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 9

WITH

Over

THE GATE

Sophia Egan-Reid (MARY EGAN PUBLISHING) Behind every good book there’s a good author, but without a top publisher, we may as well still be scrawling on cave walls! Recently, we posed a few questions to Sophia EganReid, the Pukekohe local (a wellread, eager reader) at the helm of Mary Egan Publishing. Are you a writer yourself? If not, would you like to write and publish your own books in future? I’m not a writer at all, I was never particularly good at English at school, and excelled in maths and arts instead, despite the fact my grandfather was a professor of English literature. It’s only in recent years that I’ve become much more comfortable with writing. But I yearn to write a children’s book, one day. I’d love to write one about my dog, Gus, who (conveniently enough!) looks like a bus.

Sophia Egan-Reid 10 —Wayne Rural Martin Living Photo

— August/September 2020

www.ruralliving.co.nz

What are your favourite books to publish and why? Children’s books are my favourites and we put in significant time and effort to ensure the language and message are important, correct and engaging. Children’s books are so important in starting conversations early and opening up their minds and worlds. I believe reading books to children, is one of the most important things in the world. I would read to my nieces and nephews all day, every day, if I could. During lockdown I even read to them over Zoom. The company produces e-books as well as printed books but, personally, which do you prefer and why? I, unequivocally, prefer printed books. There’s something so special about a tangible object, I like touching their covers, displaying them on my bookshelf like pieces of art, and I adore the smell of them (weird, I know). I really tried to get into e-books a few years ago but I just couldn’t do it, I was too easily distracted; one of the many joys of reading a physical book is that you’re not staring at a screen. The company publishes a wide variety of books. Is there any type of book you don’t publish? We have been asked to publish an erotic graphic novel... we drew the line there! Overall, though, our decision about what to publish is less about genre, and more about the author, the quality of the manuscript, and it’s viability as a book. Have you worked with some well-known authors? Parris Goebel is probably our most wellknown author. We published her book Young Queen. Parris and her team were fantastic to work with. That was fun. Ever worked with any ‘prima donnas’? If so, how have you negotiated such situations? Oh yes, this is a regular challenge. Authors are so attached to their manuscripts, and understandably so, which means we need to be sensitive to changes, while still ensuring the book is the best it can be. Sometimes, authors have been so outraged that they’ve pulled the book from publication, but that’s rare; most are very happy to work with us. Aside from any of the authors whose books you’ve published, who are your favourite authors of all time and why? www.ruralliving.co.nz

I’m a bit embarrassed to say, but it has to be JK Rowling. The first Harry Potter book came out when I was 10 and I became obsessed, I think it really started my infatuation with books. Dad used to wait in line whenever a new book was released and then surprise me with them, it was magic! I must have read them 20 times. Your parents started a publishing services company in 1991 and both drew on many years’ experience in the industry. How invaluable have they been to you with regards both to publishing and running a business? I can’t put into words how invaluable they’ve both been – I learnt so much from Dad and laugh at how much I’m like him when it comes to running the business; I certainly got my love of spreadsheets from him! I still have a lot of the original documents he wrote, some dating back to the nineties, and I use and reference these daily. So, he’s still teaching me, even 10 years after his passing. Mum is still involved. Although she’s stepped back from its day-to-day running, she does most of the page layouts and a bit of internal design, as well as manuscript assessments. She’s a workhorse, a fountain of knowledge, a force to be reckoned with – a legend! I still ring her a couple of times a day to ask for advice or help. You were ‘born into the publishing business’, you had to work your way through the ranks right up until the latest family venture, Mary Egan Publishing, was established, correct? I started as the cleaner at 16 before moving into admin, then office manager, then accountant, so I’ve done just about every role imaginable within a business. On Dad’s deathbed, he wrote a business plan and told me to start a new business and ‘look after your mother’. He passed away in April 2010 and I launched Mary Egan Publishing the following August, a few weeks before my 23rd birthday. Your sister, Anna, also works with you, handling graphic design. Does working so closely with family create extra or different challenges? My sister and I are best friends, and up until I moved to Pukekohe four years ago, we had (for the most part) lived with each other, or next door to each other. She knows what I’m thinking before I say it and vice versa, so it makes working together easy. It’s just been Anna, Mum and me for 10 years apart from freelancers. I can’t imagine working with non-family now. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses though! The first few years working together was tricky;

we were all grieving and trying to work out how to run a business without Dad. It was stressful and there was a lot of squawking. Aside from the overall running of the business, what other roles do you do? I do all of project management, sales and marketing as well as pricing, buying print, print and freight management, distribution and publicity management. I also built and manage the company’s website and social media sites, so I am extremely hands-on. I’m usually the first and last contact for all our authors. I don’t do the copy editing or proofreading, we leave that in the very capable hands of our dedicated team of freelance editors, although I regularly do the final read for our books before they go to print – a very important final step. You won the 2018 Booksellers Industry Young Publisher of the Year award. Any awards since? How important are awards in helping secure the confidence of your clients? Our book Tu Meke Tui, the Te Reo version, won the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2018, that was an incredible night. There are only a handful of book awards in New Zealand so to win anything in such a crowded industry is incredible. Winning awards is great, it’s self-validating, but the quality of our books and our excellent reputation give our authors all the confidence they need. If you could grow any crop or raise any animal, what and why? I adore animals, and I’ve always wanted a pig and a goat, a miniature donkey would be cool (I’ve seen them on Runciman Road, they are adorable!), but I daydream about having a sanctuary for rescue dogs. If you could be Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage for a day, what would you do first and why? I deal with artists and authors all day long and it’s a hard industry full of extremely talented people. One thing many of them have in common is that art doesn’t pay – well, it doesn’t pay very much! I think I’d provide a universal income for artists. As the saying goes, Earth without Art is just “eh”. If you could invite any three authors (living or dead) to dinner, who and why? Easy! Kate Tempest, Stephen Fry, Maya Angelou, imagine the dinner table conversation; it would be incredible! Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 11

WHAT’S UP

with D.O’C...

From protecting New Zealanders from a devastating disease – no, not that one! – to helping the primary sector take the lead in rebuilding our economy, and ensuring that the obvious is clearly stated, Damien O’Connor has had a hand in many a spending (sorry... investment!) plan of late, as these reports from his office indicate.

WANT? WASTE NOT! Certain viruses can be deadly but starvation is no picnic either. Thankfully, our Food Safety Minister has a plan to help ensure those of us who survive the pandemic can better cope with one of the world’s most insidious ‘illnesses’, poverty. “Covid-19 has seen an increasing number of families facing unprecedented financial pressure. Foodbanks and community food service providers are reporting two or three times their usual demand,” Mr O’Connor said in early August. “[We want] to ensure food keeps getting to the tables of hungry New Zealand families. Covid-19 has hit vulnerable communities the hardest.” From scaling up community and school programmes allocating fruit and vegetable boxes to children to additional funding for foodbanks, various initiatives are either underway or in the pipeline. In particular, the Government has focused on covering costs needed to ensure food which would otherwise be wasted goes to those most in need. “The global pandemic has disrupted food supply chains and food retailers, making it difficult for some New Zealander’s to access to affordable and healthy food and risking significant food waste,” Mr O’Connor added. “These initiatives have been addressing a shortterm, critical need. While they’ve been ticking along we’ve been looking for longer-term solutions.”

D.O’C – ON THE JOBS... New Zealand’s primary sector may prove crucial to economic recovery but people are crucial to ensure it can rise to the occasion. “[The primary] sector... accounts for nearly one in every seven jobs, but more Kiwi workers are needed to support its growth. We want to redeploy recently unemployed Kiwis to help fill the gap,” Mr O’Connor said during the recent launch of the Opportunity Grows Here campaign. “Many unemployed people are 12 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

talented and have skills that are readily transferrable; they just need to know that these opportunities exist.” Funded through Budget 2020, the campaign features a new website (opportunitygrowshere.nz) and is expected to help build awareness regarding the variety of roles available. “The site showcases the primary industries and the diverse range of jobs and careers available and directs people to where they can find out more about careers, training and jobs,” Mr O’Connor confirmed.

READY, SET... AGRITECH! A new report from Agritech NZ highlights key areas where businesses can encourage bright sparks to grow fresh ideas, Mr O’Connor believes. “Aotearoa Agritech Unleashed is a timely analysis of the agritech landscape in New Zealand’s post-Covid-19 economy, and the opportunities to ensure the success of the Agritech ITP.” Part of a raft of initiates under the broader Agritech Industry Transformation Plan (ITP), Aotearoa Agritech Unleashed is accessible via mbie.govt.nz. “New Zealand agritech companies are creating innovative technologies and solutions that support our farmers, growers, beekeepers and fishers to create more value, and achieve greater sustainability,” Mr O’Connor says. “Innovation and investment in agritech will play an important part in delivering the Covid-19 primary sector recovery roadmap, Fit for a Better World.”

M.BOVIS – ON WAY OUT Eradicating a disease from within New Zealand’s borders may come at a huge cost – in more ways than one – but, it appears, efforts to do so with regards to Mycoplasma bovis are still on track. “To date, 250 properties have been infected by the disease – with all but four now clear of it,” our Biosecurity and

Agriculture Minister said in late July. “The hard and early approach with which we responded to Covid-19 was the exact same approach we took early on in our term as a Government to eradicate M.bovis to protect our national herd, the economic base of our primary sector, and the social good of the country.” While the cost of eradication could prove fruitless if the disease should ever return, Mr O’Connor seems adamant that the alternative would have been far more costly. “Allowing the disease to spread would have caused lost productivity in our vital cattle sectors and affected the economy. Had we left M.bovis to run rampant, I’m not sure our dairy and beef sectors would have been able to weather the economic storm of Covid-19 and the challenges of drought conditions as well as they have.”

DIDN’T CATCH THAT! Investing $20 million into cleaning up waterways will not be akin to flushing it down the pan, Damien O’Connor says. “There is an opportunity to explore NZ based regenerative farming approaches that recognise the connection between the health of our land, and the health and resilience of our communities, waterways, biodiversity and climate,” Mr O’Connor said at the launch of a plan to improve the quality of our water catchments. Among objectives the plan which seeks to improve water conditions and generate employment at the same time.

PREGNANT? PAUSE! Mr O’Connor is advising people think before they drink. New mandatory labelling rules for alcohol will better ‘protect kiwi kids’, our Food Safety Minister believes. “While the alcohol industry has been voluntarily including warnings on some products since 2011 there is no consistency in the type, colour, size and design, reducing the effectiveness of the message.” www.ruralliving.co.nz

VET TALK

RAISING AG DAY CHAMPIONS

Dr Henry Yule BVSc (Dist.) offers advice on rearing animals for Calf Club, Ag Days and the like.

t this time of year, we see many lambs, calves and kids being raised in the hope of becoming an Ag Day champion. As vets, we love Ag Day as it is a great opportunity for children to learn all about caring responsibly for their pets. With the Covid-19 restrictions, this year may have been challenging for some families so here are some tips to help these young animals get the best possible start. n Selection: Ideally, a lamb, kid or calf should be five days old with an adequate intake of colostrum in the first 12 hours of life. Colostrum is extremely important for a healthy immune system so if you do get a day-old orphan, we strongly recommend giving Launchpad18 colostrum milk powder. The navel should be clean, dry and non-painful and inspected daily. The eyes should be bright and alert, and the young animal should be lively on its feet and very vocal. n Feeding: We recommend the whey-based Sprayfo lamb and calf milk replacer (which reduces the incidence of bloat) and the Anlamb, Ancalf & Ankid range. It is important to follow the instructions on the bag. Bloating is the most common cause of death in bottle-fed lambs, due to the higher volume being fed to what they would receive naturally. Feed smaller volumes more frequently, or yoghurtise

your milk. (See the lamb rearing page on www.franklinvets.co.nz) Clean teats and bottles thoroughly after each feed to prevent the spread of infection. Allow your pet to nibble grass or hay to encourage healthy rumen development, however, please be aware of any toxic plants in your gardens! n Housing: The house/pen should be warm and dry. Coats and woolover lamb covers will help keep the cold at bay. n Vaccinations: If your pet has had adequate colostrum in the first 12 hrs, from a mother which has had a vaccine within one month of lambing, it will have three months protection. It will then require a Clostridial vaccine at weaning (or three months), a booster shot one month later and once a year, thereafter. If the mother is not vaccinated, the lamb will need a Clostridial vaccine at two weeks of age and a booster at six weeks. If your lamb is unvaccinated at the time of

docking, it should also receive a pulpy kidney/antitetanus shot. n Procedures: Tail docking (lambs), castration (males) and disbudding for calves should be carried out at two to four weeks of age. Goat kid horn buds adhere to the skull VERY quickly, so we recommend disbudding between 7-14 days. Talk to your vet about these procedures. n Parasites/Scouring: Once nibbling at the grass, your pets will start to pick up parasites. Drench from six weeks of age and continue every four weeks. We can help with what is right for your animals. If you have any concerns along the way seek vet advice early as young animals can rapidly deteriorate. Check out the Franklin Vets website for more information and good luck with Ag Day!

CHECKLIST n Pets – A warm and cosy winter home provides the perfect environment for fleas to develop as eggs laid in summer and autumn can continue to develop through winter. Treat all the pets in your household for fleas – We recommend Bravecto.

We have got your Ag Day needs covered! Open 7 days at Pukekohe & Papakura. Bookings essential for in-clinic vaccinations, ringing and debudding.

PAPAKURA 365 GREAT SOUTH RD 09 298 8575 | PUKEKOHE 86 HARRIS ST 09 238 7486 KARAKA UNIT A1, 75 HINGAIA RD 09 298 7043 | WAIUKU 2 COURT ST 09 235 9101 BEACHLANDS 42 WAKELIN RD 09 538 0010 | TE KAUWHATA 91 WAERENGA RD 07 826 4838 WWW.FRANKLINVETS.CO.NZ

KAT5238-v25

www.ruralliving.co.nz

Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 13

LUCY AINSLEY –

ringer for polo! It was a long way to Tipperary Park for London-born Lucy Ainsley but the Pukekohe address is somewhere she’s more than happy to call home. It started when she set out to find a pony but got hitched instead. ANGELA KEMP reports.

s the executive director of the BMW NZ Polo Open, Lucy Ainsley lives and breathes horses both at work and play. She lives at Tipperary Park in Pukekohe East, headquarters of Ainsley Polo run by brothers Kel and Ross Ainsley. Lucy joined the family nine years ago when she married Kel and the couple now have three children, Oscar 7, Rafferty 5 and Indiana 4. Growing up, she lived between London and the country. Her family kept horses and Lucy enjoyed playing a bit of polo at Pony Club. After finishing university, aged 21, she decided to take up the sport more seriously and set to looking for some suitable, competitive horses. “A polo playing friend told me New Zealand was the best place to buy the best horses; I decided to look there and bring them back to the UK. It was then that I met my now husband, Kel, a polo player, who breeds, trains and sells horses with his brother Ross,” says Lucy. The Australian-born brothers have run Ainsley Polo for the past 20 years, building a successful business from Tipperary Park which is also home to Bombay Hills Polo Club. Lucy says it’s a great environment to raise a family and especially fun during polo season. “It is full of people and perfect for the kids to play and ride and have farm adventures. It’s a great lifestyle for the children as they have so much freedom with all this space and cousins across the crater that they can easily walk to. “Every day it’s polo, polo, polo; there’s no getting away from it. Polo was my hobby but is now in every aspect of my life, so my hobby is my work, I suppose.” Before moving to New Zealand, Lucy worked in events and marketing, including for the UK’s top polo event, the Cartier Queen’s Cup. After coming to New Zealand, she continued working in events including with the NZ V8s in Pukekohe. Her background made her a natural fit with NZ Polo and next year’s Open will be

14 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

Lucy’s third year running the event. “My family’s involvement in polo, and my experience within events, means it is the perfect job for me as I understand the polo side as well as the event side. I hope I successfully marry the two for that one special day of the year.” The Covid-19 pandemic has meant next year’s February Open will rely on home-grown talent but Lucy is confident the competition will not suffer as a result. In previous years it has attracted professional players from Australia, Argentina and England and although travel restrictions are currently in place Lucy says, it has meant that international players stayed in New Zealand after this year’s Open instead of jetting off to other countries and hemispheres for their seasons. “The standard of polo at the next Open will be as high as ever especially as we have more Kiwi players at our disposal, too. Of course, New Zealand is the best place to be in this current pandemic; we’re showcasing what a strong and team-player type country it is. Lucy is particularly delighted that all partners and sponsors of the Open have been positive and supportive in regards to the 2021 event, and she is excited at again having the Open partnered with BMW. “All discussions and planning sessions have been really positive with people wanting to showcase even more strongly how much New Zealand and their businesses have to offer,” she confirms. “With the rest of the world up and down in lockdowns and with high restrictions, it gives all my partners a fantastic platform to really showcase themselves on not only a national scale but a global one. The rest of the world really is looking towards us. “If anything, the Open will be more patriotic and better than ever. New Zealand is very strong on supporting its own and with a likely field of New Zealand’s top players pitting against each other, it really will make for a good home-grown game.”

TICKETS GO ON SALE The BMW NZ Polo Open, considered by some as the social and sporting event of the summer, takes place in February 2021 at the Auckland Polo Club in Clevedon. Lucy Ainsley is flat tack organising “everything and anything” to do with the event and has just seen the first tickets go on sale. Her role includes organising partnerships, marketing, sales, ordering, staffing, menus, layout – the list is endless. Hard work it may be, but she says it’s a job she loves, one in which every day is different. “I try to do different and new things every year to keep it fresh. The best part about the Open is that it’s for everyone. You can come in your shorts with a picnic and the children to watch from the hill, or you can dress up to the nines and wine and dine with friends in one of our VIP lounges or corporate hosting areas. Lucy adds there are very few events which cater for such a wide range of people and which have so much on offer. “Aside from the Polo there’s the BMW vs horse race, Fashion on the Field contest, various food and market stalls within the Polo village and the infamous George FM after party. It really is like nothing else,” she says. “I am excited for the 2021 event. While the world is in crisis New Zealand has really huddled together and I think, has become a stronger nation for it; buying locally, supporting local businesses and getting more involved with their own. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone out in force and supporting Auckland Polo Club on Sunday, February 21 at The BMW NZ Polo Open.” Tickets on sale now at Iticket www.iticket.co.nz/events/ 2021/feb/nz-polo-open www.ruralliving.co.nz

“It is full of people and perfect for the kids to play and ride and have farm adventures. It’s a great lifestyle for the children as they have so much freedom with all this space and cousins across the crater that they can easily walk to.”

Lucy & Indiana Ainsley. www.ruralliving.co.nz

Photo Wayne Martin

Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 15

CHAMPION EFFORTS

save species! L

pair hopes they, and their offspring, could be returned to their native home, when environmental conditions allow. “There are a few places which may be suitable, but we need to investigate things like water level fluctuations and the presence of non-native plants. It is also possible we could replant into areas of Omapere but there are many confounding factors.” Since the plants were collected, conditions at the lake have improved somewhat but there is more work to be done before this species can return home. “Thinking about the consequences of not collecting the plants when we did is quite satisfying, but also NIWA being the sole guardian is quite a concern,” Mr Champion adds. “I will be really happy when it finally gets back to its home in Omapere, hopefully sooner rather than later.”

ife for primitive aquatic relatives of ferns can be rather lonely, for some more so than others. Thankfully, a Champion has ensured some rare plants will no longer be as lonely as they once were. After decades nurtured at NIWA’s (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) Ruakura facility, three plants (from a rare species of the quillwort family) thought to be the last of their kind, are at last reproducing. “We decided we needed to act,” Hamiltonbased freshwater ecologist, Paul Champion, says. “If we hadn’t rescued these [three] plants then they would have been lost and it was important to get some material to propagate.” Along with his colleague, Mary de Winton, Mr Champion rescued the plants from Lake Omapere, Northland, in the late 1990s. The

Great homes, Amazing prices

Atlantic Express

From $505,885*

Choose NZ’s most trusted home builder

Alfresco

4 Dining Living

Bed 3

CAN WE HAVE PICS PLEASE?

Family

Bed 2

Bed 1

G.J. Gardner has an extensive range of customisable plans to suit all kinds of lifestyles and budgets. From a modern, stylish home at an affordable price to a sprawling country estate, every plan has been throughtfully designed to look at home in its surroundings.

Games

Bed 4

Study

Media Room Laundry

1 3

For free expert advice, call into one of our showhomes or have one of our local Sales Consultants visit your site.

0800 777 652 / gjgardner.co.nz

*Price for house only and excludes land. Site works and other costs not included. Some conditions may apply. Images are artist’s impression only. Atlantic Express Floor Plan © G.J. Gardner Homes 2020. KAT7072-v3

16 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

www.ruralliving.co.nz

MEAT, THE LOCALS...

FED’ WARMS TO ‘CAVALIER’ ATTITUDE

ederated Farmers has applauded Cavalier Corporation’s decision to return to its roots, the organisation’s Meat and Wool Chairperson, William Beetham, says. “[Concentrating] on New Zealandproduced natural wool, with its superior durability, warmth, sound-dampening and fire-retardant qualities is a smart decision for any company... Farmers look forward to working with Cavalier on its strategy to inform consumers why wool carpets are the right choice for their families, their homes, their businesses and for the New Zealand economy.” Thinner profit margins from its synthetic carpets of late have stood in contrast to rising demand for

wool carpets, Cavalier Corporation announced recently. Last year, the Government highlighted the benefits of woollen carpets through its Benefits of Wool in Construction information sheet. “The cross-sector Wool Industry Project Action Group concluded that we’re on the cusp of a natural fibre renaissance being led by more environmentally and socially conscious consumers,” Mr Beetham adds. “Cavalier’s transformation is perfectly timed to ride that trend... Customers will be demanding more sustainable carpet options. It makes sense for companies to move their woollen products from the back of the store to the front window.”

Kiwis prefer home-grown meat, Lincoln University research suggests. According to findings of the ‘Consumers use of quality cues for meat purchase’ study, country of origin is the number one characteristic consumers (both here and abroad) use when choosing meat. “New Zealand has an advantage here because of our natural, grass-fed farming systems,” one of the study’s authors, Dr Nic Lees, says. “There is an opportunity to take greater advantage of this... we need to provide consumers [in other countries] with a reason to choose our products rather than their locally produced beef or lamb.” The full study can be accessed via sciencedirect.com.

Efficient and Reliable WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM

BIOROCK Domestic        

Commercial

“Off-the-Grid”

No energy costs for treatment process Odourless Noise free Small footprint High quality eﬄuent Unique media – biodegradable and recyclable Long absence periods Trained installers in most regions, if we don’t have one, we will nd one!

Technical:

Steve Crockford 021 926 364

steve@biorock.co.nz

Sales:

Geoﬀ Jones‐Prichard 021 645 199

geoﬀ@biorock.co.nz

Email: info@biorock.co.nz

www.biorock.co.nz KAT7106-v3

www.ruralliving.co.nz

HELP US HELP US HELP US HELP NATURE HELP HELP NATURE NATURE

Photo: David Hallett

For the price of a couple of coffees each week, you Photo: canDavid Hallett For price&of a couple coffees each you Photo: canDavid Hallett helpthe Forest Bird protectofand restore of week, New Zealand’s help Forest Bird protect restore of week, New Zealand’s For the price&of a couple ofand coffees each you can unique wildlife and wild places. unique wildlife andprotect wild places. help Forest & Bird and restore of New Zealand’s Become a Nature’s voice member With so many of New Zealand’s unique wildlife and wild places. Become a Nature’s member With sonative many animals, of New Zealand’s and you will receivevoice complimentary unique plants and unique plants and habitats at riskanimals, weNew need your support With sonative many of Zealand’s habitats at riskanimals, needplants your support to give nature awe greater voice. unique native and to give nature awe greater voice. habitats riskare need your support Forest & at Bird an independent to give&nature a greater voice. Forest Birdt organisation. are an independent not-for-profi We have not-for-profi We natural have been protecting Zealand Forest & Birdt organisation. areNew an independent been protecting Newand Zealand environment land inWe thenatural sea, not-for-profi t on organisation. have environment land and in the sea, since 1923. Ason the governor general been protecting New Zealand natural since the governor general said in1923. 2009,As “It island diffi cult in tothe imagine environment on and sea, said 2009,As “It is diffi cult to general imagine New Zealand without the Royal sincein 1923. the governor New Zealand without the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.” said in 2009, “It is difficult to imagine Forest and Bird Protection Society.” New Zealand without the Royal

and you will receive complimentary membership of Forest & Bird, and Become a Nature’s voice member membership of Forest & Bird,you andwill with yourwill additional support and you receive complimentary with your additional support you be helping usofprotect and restore our membership Forest & Bird, andwill be us ensuring protect and our environment, thatrestore there will withhelping your additional support you will environment, ensuring thatrestore therefor will always be aus natural environment be helping protect and our always a natural environment you andbeyour children. environment, ensuring that therefor will you and your children. always be a natural environment for you and your children.

Forest and Bird Help Protection Society.” us help nature at www.forestandbird.org.nz/joinus Help us help nature at www.forestandbird.org.nz/joinus

Help us help nature at www.forestandbird.org.nz/joinus

Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 17

FIELDAYS’ BRAVE NEW WORLD – ‘NATION’ AND BEYOND

“To build this platform in just over three months is astronomical,” Mr Nation says. “An event of this size and scope usually takes over a year with a large dedicated team. [The] Satellite team went over and above to help us deliver Fieldays Online and it really paid off.” During the July event, viewers accessed content provided by 300 exhibitors as well as various competitions and exhibitions. And, it wasn’t just a case of younger

PUMPING

FILTRATION

SIGN

PPLY

TA L

RVICE

N TA I

IRRIGATION

ST E M SY

We’ve got you covered

viewers happy to engage with such new fangled technology as 40 percent of registered users were aged 50 or older. While the society hopes to return to its roots with a physical event next year, this year’s necessity is set to prove the mother of next year’s innovation; in 2021, Mr Nation expects audiences both close to the event’s usual home (at Hamilton’s Mystery Creek Events Centre) and far afield will be able to benefit from the best of both worlds. “This provides an opportunity for 2021 when we bring the two together,” he says. “The success of this years’ event was a testament to the strong collaboration with our exhibitors and our relationships with industry leaders who got behind it despite not having a benchmark... Fieldays Online is an extension of what we can offer in future; it’s about keeping Fieldays alive.”

othing can compare with the sights, sounds and overall experience of one of New Zealand’s premier rural events, but Fieldays Online certainly came close. As organisers have confirmed, this year’s edition proved quite the showcase of just how far virtual events have come. “The analytics show great viewership and engagement with the explosion of international visitors and, locally, a much higher regional spread beyond the traditional event,” NZ National Fieldays Society CEO, Peter Nation, asserts. Created in just under 108 days in partnership with Auckland-based Satellite Media, and as New Zealand went into lockdown, the online platform saw Fieldays (effectively) exported worldwide, reaching 90,455 ‘attendees’ from more 75 countries.

Think Water Pukekohe are your local water management experts. From irrigation to rainwater tanks and pool chemicals to pressure cleaners we are your one stop shop. Spray Irrigation

Pumping Systems

House Filtration

Rainwater Storage

Pop-up Sprinklers

Pool Chemicals & Equipment Pressure Cleaning

Water Features & Ponds

Watering Equipment

Drip Irrigation

148 Manukau Road, Pukekohe www.thinkwater.co.nz | 09 238 9588 KAT6944

18 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

www.ruralliving.co.nz

Next steps in agritech RECOGNISED AT FIELDAYS

‘Accident’ may be a name shared by the greatest of inventors (as Mark Twain claimed). However, whether they’re ‘by accident’, by design, or as a result of the ideal formula comprising both, some of the most important agritech inventions are showcased at New Zealand’s annual national Fieldays.

eld online for the first time, this year’s Fieldays Innovation Awards saw (among others) innovations from Pukekohebased Ecolibrium Biologicals, and Fleetpin, co-founded by a Beachlands’ local.

SIMPLY THE PEST! Very hungry caterpillars might delight young readers but Kiwi farmers are not so enamoured by them. While chemical solutions are often employed to stop such pest species in their tracks, a Pukekohe company has come up with an awardwinning alternative, known as Lateral, which is more than just a better mouse trap. “Moving towards biological replacements to synthetic chemistry is not all about warm fluffy ‘tree-huggery’. The movement towards biological pesticides has a genuine foundation in science,” says Priya Wallabh, strategic development manager at Ecolibrium Biologicals. Winning the Callaghan Innovation Partnership and Collaboration Award, Lateral is a bacteria-based bio-insecticide. At least as effective in thwarting pests as far more toxic pesticides, Lateral is designed to have less impact on the environment without harming cropfriendly insects, such as bees. Rather than rely on chemistry, which can result in pests becoming resistant to pesticides, Lateral draws on biology to target weaknesses in a more natural manner. “Biological pesticides are very good resistance-breakers... bacterial and fungal entomopathogens have co-evolved with insects for billions of years and have become very good in the dance of resistance and resistance-breaking,” Priya says. No overnight creation, Lateral is the result of countless hours of research and development, which has seen it claim other awards too. “We have been working very closely with Lincoln University and our founder and technical director, Stephen Ford, has been working on developing Lateral for www.ruralliving.co.nz

Above: Caterpillar to come ‘a cropper’ thanks to Ecolibrium Biologicals; Below: The nuts & bolts of Fleetpin.

Essentially, the company’s awardwinning Roll Over Safety System can gauge when vehicles (quad bikes and other types of farm vehicles) are close to rolling over. In addition to alerting the rider when a roll is detected, the system can initiate an SOS to ensure, should the worst happen, help will be on the way. Todd says winning the Innovations Award will help ensure Fleetpin’s life-saving system can be brought to market soon. “We put our best foot forward and we are pleased [about winning the award],” he adds. “But the main thing is that it will be a good system which will help farmers and prevent accidents.”

ALSO IN THE WINNERS’ CIRCLE:

more than 10 years, so it has been a long road.”

ON A ROLL... Quad bikes may not always be the safest pieces of farm equipment but they are among the most important. Thanks to Fleetpin (which secured the Amazon Web Services Innovation in Data Award), farmers traversing even the most demanding terrain can now do so on a (more or less) even keel. Co-founder of Fleetpin, Beachlands’ Todd McCormack says: “we grew up on a farm so we’ve known about the dangers of quad bikes rolling since we were young. In addition, I’m an ex crash investigator. “We were approached by a customer looking for a system suited to quad bikes and [other] ATVs, which didn’t give too many false alerts, so we decided to build one. We’re pretty inventive in general; when customers come to us with a problem, we’ll try and solve it.” Run by Todd and his brother, Justin, Christchurch-based Fleetpin specialises in GPS fleet management.

From a detector for leaks and blockages, to a system designed to protect bee hives from the deadly varroa mite, this year’s Innovation Award Winners showcased outside-the-box thinking for use down on the farm. In addition to Fleetpin (Amazon Web Services Innovation in Data Award), and Lateral (Callaghan Innovation Partnership and Collaboration Award), this year’s winners were: ◆ Young Inventor of the Year Award: Flash Flow, St Paul’s Collegiate School – James Barker, Thomas Glenn, William Cowan, and Curtly Harper ◆ Vodafone Digital Innovation Award: Waterwatch Live, Tussock Innovation ◆ James & Wells Innovation and Grassroots Prototype awards: Autonomous chemical-free Varroa Mite Treatment, Hivesite ◆ Established Prototype Award: BioactiveN, AgriSea NZ ◆ Innovation Launch Award: Trusti Colostrum Management System, Antahi Innovations Ltd ◆ Innovation International Award: MagGrow Further information about all of these inventions and details of runners-up are accessible via fieldaysonline.co.nz. Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 19

NOT SO ‘WELL’ – DRY SPRING AHEAD

ather than being caught out by drought, farmers and growers in the greater Auckland region may need to get used to dealing with dry conditions in spring, should ominous weather predictions prove accurate. “The latest forecasts continue to signal an extended run of well-belownormal rainfall between September and December,” MetService meteorologist Georgina Griffiths says. “The main culprit is expected to be frequent high pressure on our weather maps, meaning a lower turnout for the rain makers.” Heavy rain early next year may bring some relief. “There is the possibility of tropical storms providing a good dose of rain early next year, but it really is too early to tell, and even if they do arrive, we would need the rain to fall in the right places,” Ms Griffiths confirms. It may seem as though Watercare’s response to drought may be to simply request Aucklanders spend less time in the shower but, as the council-run organisation’s head of servicing and consents, Mark Bourne, asserts there are many other solutions in the ‘pipeline’.

“In September we will be returning the Hickey Springs Bore in Pukekohe to service. Construction is underway on a modular treatment plant that will provide up to five million litres a day,” he says. Completed in August, the Pukekohe East reservoir will also help ensure water flows as rates rise. This will soon allow the Waikato Water Treatment Plant to process 175 million litres of water a day (MLD), up from 165MLD, currently. “Meanwhile, we have demolished the old Papakura Water Treatment Plant to make way for a new plant which will treat water from Hays Creek Dam,” he says. “We will be treating up to six million litres a day from this dam by Christmas, and next year will be able to increase this to 18 million litres a day.” In addition, with water restrictions likely to remain in place over summer, homeowners keen to install rain tanks are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. “Auckland Council recently waived resource consent fees and streamlined the process around installing rain tanks, so if this is an option you’re considering, now is the time to do it,” Mr Bourne adds.

ASB BANKS ON SPEEDY SOLUTIONS With rural New Zealand set to play a major role in economic recovery, a man who’s fast rising through the ranks of the finance world is expected to prove invaluable, Tim Deane from ASB believes. As ASB’s new ‘General Manager, Rural’, Ben Speedy’s background combines extensive experience in agribusiness and banking. “Ben is extremely highly regarded within the banking sector and I know he will soon become a valuable member of our team,” he says. “Ben’s passion for banking and the rural sector clearly shone through in all of our interactions with him, as did his passion for leading transformational change and strong focus on customers and his team.”

ATTENTION SEPTIC TANK OWNERS

Septi-cureTM is: Septi-cureTM is:

 Cost Effective  Easy to use  Improves Soakage

• • • • • •

Cost Eﬀective Easy to useATTENTION SEPTIC TANK OWNERS Improves Soakage Reduces Solids and Scums Eliminates Nasty  Reduces SolidsOdours and Scums  Eliminates Odours Reduces CostlyNasty Pump-outs  Reduces Costly Pump-outs

Breakthrough Product Developed for your Septic Tank Breakthrough Product Developed for your Septic Tank

0800 109 202

Also Available at:

www.ecoworld.co.nz KAT6661

20 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

www.ruralliving.co.nz

Getting back into winter work…I think! By Ditch Keeling, Coastal Pest Solutions

idday folks, I’m finally back on the mainland and catching up with all our winter pest control ops. Last month’s Great Barrier trip was a nice surprise with just 633 rabbits shot. This was the fourth consecutive, annual operation on Okiwi Station and kills now total 6529. In year one of this project, I shot 3753 in just 18 nights so, to see the count continually decline with annual pressure has been hugely rewarding. Now, two years in a row numbers have been below 700 – just fantastic! While out there I was surprised at just how many females were heavily pregnant (err..rabbits, that is) as by June/July’, rabbit breeding should be at its lowest point of the year. This abnormality is a continuum of the drought effect we talked about a couple of months ago and it’s starting to really take its toll across the region. I’ve been flat out since arriving back and I’m seeing the same everywhere I go - surprisingly high numbers and far too many young for this time of the year.

It’s the ‘dry’ and, if you’ve put a spade in the ground recently, you’ll know what I mean; gassing burrows at Drury last night was wrist-shattering spade work! As long as burrows are dry, the numbers will keep increasing. We are still seeing possums out in veggie crops too, and pukeko are making a pain of themselves by removing row after row of new plants; everything is doing it just that much harder under the ongoing drought. The only upside to this is a marked decrease in the number of rodents inside buildings. It’s usually fairly busy at this time of year, but the low number of calls can only mean they are all still quite comfy out in the bush and paddocks. I’m presently working through our various possum bait station programmes. We missed the second annual fill due to lock-down so these all need a big freshen-up; those I have done so far were all completely empty. If you have bait stations, give them plenty of bait and lure now - hungry possums and rats await! In between catching up with bunnies and possums, I’m also back on the hunt for our group of six invasive parrots in

Auckland. These guys are presently doing a circuit of about 30km per day and were most recently seen actively exploring nest sites - ‘droughtishly’ early for them too. In addition, Canada geese are really mobbing up, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go into the moult early so, if you have Canada’s using your property, it’s highly likely you’ll want them gone. These guys have exploded across Auckland in the last decade and the need for control is very real, especially where grass growth is limited. The only time to cull them in a meaningful way is during the moult so, keep that in mind. Till next time, keep your bait stations full!

Engineering Supplies & Service

Rabbit Control is fast, efficient and achievable

• Bearings • Seals • Steel Sales • Tools • FASTENINGS – all types • V-Belts • Chains and Sprockets • Wire Rope • Galvanised and High Tensile Chain • Manufacture replacement machine parts • Total hydraulic service – make and repair hoses, services rams, pumps and hydraulic motors

Coastal Pest Solutions are working in your community – trapping, shooting, poisoning and dog work. Non toxic rabbit control is available. • Possums • Rabbits & Hares • Ferrets, Stoats & Weasels • Rats & Mice • Feral Cats • Goats • Pigs • Deer • Pest Bird Control • Wasps

Protect your land and environment from all animal pests, call us today!

Coastal Pest Solutions Wild Animal Control & Biosecurity Services 23 Years’ Professional Experience

Tel: 09 536 6020 Mob: 027 393 2125 Email: info@coastalpestsolutions.co.nz • www.coastalpestsolutions.co.nz KAT5292

Since 1957

www.ruralliving.co.nz

143-145 Manukau Rd, Pukekohe • Ph 09 238 3281 Fax 09 238 6019 • Email parts@wallaceheron.co.nz

KAT5294

Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 21

chool Calf Club Days and their ilk – Country Day, Pet Day, Ag Day – have been tested in recent years. First, there was the furore over Auckland Council’s new Animal Management Bylaw, then the discovery of Mycoplasma bovis in New Zealand dairy herds posed a new threat. This year the Covid-19 lockdown, with its subsequent social distancing and other tensions resulting from job losses as the economy received a hit from the virus, again saw some schools revaluating this long-standing rural school event. However, despite the winter sport season being extended by some codes and difficulty in raising farm animals for a number of families, most country schools, with the exception of a few, are going

ahead with some format of Calf Club Day, Pet Day, Ag Day or similar. While some events have been scaled down, in general children and staff have refused to let these ‘unprecedented times’ dent their enthusiasm for what has long been a calendar stalwart. Liz Williams, co-chairperson, Puni School Parent Teacher Association says like many local schools, Puni School has decided to go ahead with its Country Day this year, just a little delayed, on October 17. “This year happens to coincide with our Country Day’s 80th Anniversary and, after the mixed up year we have had, we are looking forward to celebrating our school and community. “Gumboot throws, tug of war, raffles, stalls and, most importantly, uplifting the

children’s hard work are all part of this popular day in the school calendar. We would love to see friends, neighbours and others coming along in support and for enjoyment!” Other schools are equally enthusiastic. When Rural Living did a email drop to more than 30 in its distribution area, almost all responded that they were having one event or another with only a handful advising they weren’t hosting a calf club day this year or it wasn’t a regular on their calendar anyway. Noticeably, not all these events will be held on the traditional Saturday; many are scheduled for a Friday and one or two for a Thursday so schools are relying heavily not just on parent support but on the local community too.

Counties Caravan Rentals

Quality Stock Feed

100 Stevenson Rd, Clarks Beach Phone 09 232 1788

755 Linwood Road, Karaka, RD1 Papakura

CR0201

18 Elliott St, Papakura. Ph 09 298 7767 Cnr Madill & George Sts, Tuakau. Ph 09 236 8228.

LAND SURVEYORS & LAND DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS Our scope of work encompass Rural, Residential and Commercial Properties. CR0204

22 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

• Accommodation needs • Ideal extra brm • Long/short term hire Ph Lynette & Jeff Millen 021 533 585 or 0800 235 3500 www.countiescaravanrentals.co.nz

HOLLIER GREIG LTD

YOUR ONE STOP SHOP

TE HIHI AUTOCOURT KAT6188

www.clarksbeachgolfclub.co.nz

Caravan Hire

CR0202

H.R. FISKEN AND SONS LTD 295 Tuakau Rd, Pukekohe Phone: 09 238 9414 www.hrfisken.co.nz PROUDLY MAKING STOCK FOOD SINCE 1957

KAT7204

Takanini Horse Feeds

CR0205

Animal Stuff supports more than 20 local school Ag Days www.animalstuff.co.nz THREE STORES: Drury | Karaka | Takanini

KAT6185

Locals supporting locals

09 292 7717

Darryn & Susie Hare KAT6218

13799

School calf club days!

Ph: 09 524 2723 | info@hgsurveyors.co.nz | hgsurveyors.co.nz

www.ruralliving.co.nz

Don’t miss: To date, schools known to Rural Living to be hosting Calf Club Day, Ag Day, Country Day, Pet Day or similar over September and October include: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020 ◆ Karaka Primary School ◆ Pukeoware Prmary School ◆ Ramarama Primary School

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2020 ◆ Brookby Primary School

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 ◆ Aka Aka Primary School ◆ Ardmore Prmary School ◆ Pukekohe Christian School

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 ◆ Clevedon Primary School ◆ Harrisville Primary School ◆ Te Hihi Primary School

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 ◆ Bombay Primary School ◆ Buckland Primary School ◆ Otaua Primary School ◆ Paparimu Primary School ◆ Pukekohe East School (art and craft day)

Send us your pics!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020 ◆ Sandspit Primary School

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020 ◆ Awhitu Primary School ◆ Mangatwhiri Primary School ◆ Pukekawa Primary School ◆ Waipipi Primary School ◆ Waikaretu Primary School

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2020 ◆ Glenbrook Primary School ◆ Hunua Primary School ◆ Maramarua Primary School ◆ Puni Primary School

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2020 ◆ Mangatangi Primary School www.ruralliving.co.nz

Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 23

ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT

design Your building & renovation magazine

FRANKLIN

build 2019-2020

BE IN EARLY

New Builds Renovation Interiors Outdoors Good Reads A Times Media publication

Franklin expands

• new subdivisions • infrastructure update • land grab battles • recreational options

Design and Build Franklin — 2019-2020 — 1 Cover: Light-filled, luxurious ambience – designed and built by DW Homes, 135 Manukau Road, Pukekohe

The region’s prime building and renovation magazine Design and Build Franklin 2019.indd 1

24/10/2019 4:28:39 PM

Phone 09 271 8090 24 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

www.ruralliving.co.nz

BOXER BEATS WEEDS!

HORT SUPPORTS ‘FRESH(WATER)’ THINKING

resh water is an essential resource but fresh food is rather important too. Ensuring vegetable growers can continue to feed a growing population without compromising water quality is a balancing act with which Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) is already familiar, the organisation’s chief executive, Mike Chapman, confirms. “HortNZ has worked with growers in Pukekohe and Horowhenua to demonstrate to central and local government that modern, vegetable growing techniques dramatically reduce environmental impact,” he says. “Over the past decade, growers have been taking practical steps to reduce environmental impact through precision irrigation and

fertiliser application, sediment traps and buffer zones, retiring land, and riparian planting.” Welcoming government plans for a 10-year time frame to implement new regulations related to protecting rivers, lakes and streams from pollution, Mr Chapman expects growers will step up to the mark. “Vegetable growers [will continue to] do their part to improve freshwater quality, while feeding New Zealanders and the world fresh, healthy and tasty vegetables,” he adds. HortNZ will work with the Government regarding freshwater reforms, helping to draft and support new regulations.

‘Going for gold’ could become common among those looking to hit big when fighting weeds. Boxer Gold , a new herbicide formulated to control potato weeds (including black nightshade), was recently sanctioned by the EPA (Environmental Protection Authority) for use in New Zealand. Benefits identified in the application process for this product include reduced resistance in weeds leading to bigger potato crops and more product choice for farmers. However, the EPA has insisted on controlled use for this herbicide – for example, it can only be applied once a year, only on non-windy days, and a buffer zone of five metres must be maintained to protect against spray drifting into waterways. In addition, while it has delivered favourable results abroad, it should be applied only by professional users via methods such as tractor-driven boom spray.

LIFESTYLE RANGE

Kubota Lifestyle range - Kubota’s lifestyle range is made for those who call the country

KUBOTA.CO.NZ

www.ruralliving.co.nz

85 Adams Drive, Pukekohe, Ph - (09) 237 0104 NORWOOD.CO.NZ Hamish Stone: Mobile – 027 4057 458

CR0141-v11

home, where open space means plenty of room to grow. Enhancing the range with the latest technology, Kubota supports this way of life, providing equipment that increases productivity while saving time and reducing costs. From mowers to compact tractors and utility vehicles, every Kubota machine is engineered to make light work of the day-to-day jobs that come with hobby farming and property maintenance.

Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 25

On the UP AND UP

Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa looking good

Reay Neben is the publisher of Rural Living

CITY LASS

ere we are a month after our disastrous move and I am happy to report that life is slowly returning to normal with Brian now able to walk again and nearly without a stick so, progress of a sort. This past weekend we met with our Karaka friends for lunch at the Red Shed – lovely! It was amazingly busy as the Sunday market was also on. However, as always the food was fabulous and it was wonderful to again be doing something together with friends. We know the menu there so well we don’t need to look at it – we just order! Brian loves lambs fry and bacon and because The Red Shed does it so well, it is always his choice. I once tried cooking lambs fry but it was like eating leather,

according to Brian, so best I leave it to the experts. This past month I have also had some issues with a couple of teeth which needed removing. With Brian not driving, the timing wasn’t great. Fortunately, daughter, Emma came to the rescue and it was off to visit Yvonne and her team at Sanctuary Dental in Pukekohe. I needed a couple of visits after the teeth were removed but the whole team was so caring it made a ‘not so nice’ appointment so much easier. Gosh, just reading this I sound such a misery! But life hasn’t been all trials and tribulations. After our Red Shed lunch on Sunday we drove down the end of Jesmond Road and looked over the new Karaka Park Estate (for over 65s) and it looked so amazing we continued down towards Drury along Bremner Road and nearly got lost. The subdivision there, with all its new roads, was an eye-opener. There were traffic lights in place and what had been farmland has, in just a short time, become a village. The Drury we left has certainly changed

and, of course, this is just the beginning of the huge changes still to come. Not quite the quiet, out of the way place we lived in for so long. Now that we are hopeful life will return to normal, I have decided we must start exploring our country and visiting holiday destinations. I know a lot of friends have headed to Queenstown or to Ruapehu to do a bit of skiing but that’s not our scene. However, a few days in Rotorua, with a revatilising hot pool, appeals enormously and it’s a nice, easy drive from Auckland. I confess to really enjoying the Polynesian Pools and their fabulous massages. Mmmm, the more I write, the more I want to go to Rotorua…soon. Covid-19 has certainly changed how we all do things. The thought of not travelling overseas for a while seems strange but at least we can travel locally and support some of our tourism industry. But, now as I write this, it is cold, windy and raining and we have just heard the news that Auckland is going into Alert Level 3 after cases of community transmitted Covid-19 was found. All I can say is, follow the rules and stay safe!

FREE DRAPE MAKING

ON SELECTED FABRIC SUPPLIERS

Majorelle by James Dunlop

22 Queen St, Pukekohe 26 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

20% OFF www.kevenscurtains.co.nz

ASPECT BLINDS

Conditions apply

KAT5593-V30

Conditions apply

Ph: 09 2389326 www.ruralliving.co.nz

IMAGINE – TAKING TIME TO APPRECIATE

local art! O

nion Pickers, an Enchanted Forest and A Very Big Dinosaur might seemingly have little in common but in this instance all three are entries in the Pollok Arts and Crafts Co-operative exhibition entitled, Imagine. What’s more, it takes very little imagination to see the appeal in these works which embrace oils, acrylics and watercolours through to textile art, photography, sculpture and various mixed media. Now in full swing, the exhibition continues until Friday, August 28 and is open for viewing during the gallery’s winter hours, 10am-4pm, Thursday through to Sunday. The theme, Imagine has offered plenty of scope for individual interpretation as can be seen from those works, (in some cases with their creators) photographed here by Rural Living photographer Wayne Martin. Judged on the exhibition’s opening night first prize of $300 was awarded to Lois Templeton for a textile piece, technically aquilt – Listen and two prizes of $100 each went to Kirsty Powell and Isaac Khasawneh.

The Pollok Arts & Crafts Co-op gallery and shop can be found at 2141 Awhitu Rd. For further information phone 09 235 225.

Mary Coleman – Where’s Prince Charming?

Kerry Collins with Life without pollution.

www.ruralliving.co.nz

Louis Templeton with Wigwam for a goose’s bridle.

Irmi Hastings with Imagine. Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 27

CALL THE EXPERTS

p Thumforbsnewutattoo studio G

KAT7193

573 Buckland Rd, Pukekohe Phone 09 238 2239 www.gingermane.co.nz

GIBBONS CIVIL ENGINEERING ➦ Civil and Structural Engineering Design ➦ Geotechnical Inspections and Reporting ➦ Wastewater Design/Stormwater Management/Flood Analysis ➦ Road Design and Driveways ➦ For Residential and Commercial – Private and Public ➦ (EPA) Design and Construction Monitoring ➦ Site Inspection – PS4 ➦ Engineering for both existing and new developments

info@gcelimited.co.nz | Waiuku Ph 09 600 2332 www.gcelimited.co.nz KAT7214

DENTURE SERVICES • • • • • •

Full Top and Bottom Sets Full Set (same day service)* Partial Acrylic Dentures Flexible Partial Dentures Metal Partial Dentures Denture Repairs

• Denture Relines • Denture Polishing & Cleaning • Hospital Visits • Home Visits • Denture Modifications • Custom Sport Mouthguards

PAPAKURA

257C Great South Rd, Papakura

BOMBAY

362 Hillview Rd, Bombay

JU1704

BOOK A FREE DENTURE CONSULTATION

ood news for Franklin! Highly skilled Pukekohe tattooist, Steve Waugh has finally bowed to pressure and opened a home-based studio – Steve Waugh Tattoo – taking clients by appointment only. What’s more he can thank the Covid-19 lockdown for setting him on this new path. A former partner at Ballistic Tattoo Studio in central Auckland, Steve sold his share 15 years ago but remained working for the team. However, on moving to Pukekohe two years ago, those in the know urged him to bring his considerable talents (and 30 years experience) to roost in Franklin but it wasn’t until in lockdown that he seriously considered the idea. “On seeing a niche in the market, it made sense to go for it and though I’m just starting here, I’m thrilled by the response.” With tattoos now a respected art form, their appeal has widened enormously with both men and women, from all walks of life, keen to ink their skin in some special way. “Of course, everyone is different,” Steve says. “Some want the big picture, others prefer something more discreet, perhaps even hidden, while some want ‘stand alone’ but ‘stand out’ too.” In particular, tribal tattoos remain popular but Steve makes it a policy to reserve authentic tribal tattoos for those whose heritage genuinely calls for them. “Trivialising such important and sensitive works of art is not on in my book,” he explains. “However, there are plenty of general ‘tribal’ designs without significant cultural connotations which can be offered and I’m happy to guide and accommodate such requests.” Steve’s artistry and skill is hard to fault and he says he is most content when customising designs for clients’ personal taste. “I do try to counsel people on designs which I think they may come to regret; fortunately, you don’t see so many folk making those mistakes; the skin as a canvas is taken much more seriously today.” While many clients start small, Steve says tattoos can be addictive. “It’s easy to get hooked and then become brave with style and colour. I love it when I can design and create something which is special and is beautifully executed. “But, at the end of the day it’s not about me; I’m just the instrument of my design. It’s about the bigger picture and getting it perfect.” Steve Waugh

28 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

www.ruralliving.co.nz

Win!

To enter the draw for any of these competitions visit ruralliving.co.nz and enter this month's code – RLSEP4112. One entry per person/email address; entries close September 30, 2020. Winner notified by phone or email.

WIN! YUMMY GUMMIES VITAMIN RANGE

WIN! CHANTAL ORGANICS HOT CEREALS SAMPLER PACKS

The kids are sure to love them; their parents, too. Healtheries’ new vitamin range of Gummies comes in two, delicioustasting variations. Check out Multi Gummies and Vit-C Gummies for adults (RRP $22.99), and Multi Gummy Bears and Vit-C Gummy Bears for kids (RRP $16.99, not suitable for children under the age of four years). Berry and tropical flavours make these a sweet winter supplement with dome shapes for adults and cute bear-shaped varieties for kids. What’s more, they’re not sugar-coated and are free from artificial flavours, colours, and sweeteners. The good news is we have a pack of all four Gummies up for grabs.

A hot, nutritious breakfast is the perfect way to warm the insides, especially when it’s cold outside. Designed to deliver nutrients by the bowlful (each box contains five pouches), Chantal Organics’ Cinnamon Roll and Blackcurrant & Flax hot cereals are organic, nutrient-dense, gluten-free, paleo and vegan-friendly and they are quick and easy to prepare. We have packs (including one box of each variety) to give away to THREE lucky readers.

WIN! A COPY OF TOUGH COUNTRY

WIN! GREEN RIVER RADIO DOUBLE PASSES

The term ‘salt of the earth’ may as well have been coined to describe Barry Bellamy. Considered to be the inspiration behind Barry Crump’s fictitious character, Sam Cash, Barry was an agricultural contractor who fenced, scrub-cut, and bulldozed his way across the back blocks of the North Island. This book (by Barry’s son, Mike) is a rip-roaring story, a quintessentially Kiwi tale about the roughest edges of rural life. Mile Bellamy: Tough Country | RRP $36.99 | HarperCollins

www.ruralliving.co.nz

When a small-time radio station must broadcast big or go bust, all hands must (ironically) go for broke before the clock runs out. For more details about this show (running October 1-17), see waiukutheatre. com. Meantime, we have THREE double passes to give away to the October 16 performance at Waiuku Backstage Theatre up for grabs.

Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 29

Kids books

OMELETTA HEN

Omeletta is a good chook but what will it take for her owner, Nelson, to encourage her to lay her eggs in the henhouse, rather than almost everywhere else? A fun tale of a free-spirited hen, this book explores the importance of being an individual but also realising that sometimes we have to play by the rules too. Janette Wilkey & Deborah Hinde (illustrator): Omeletta Hen | RRP $18.99 | Scholastic

FRIDAY THE REBEL DOG At the heart of heartland New Zealand (the Mackenzie Country) a statue of a black and white collie stands as a permanent reminder of a little outlaw and his rambunctious ways. Along with his human (James Mackenzie), Friday secretly herded a thousand stolen sheep through rugged, unmapped mountain passes more than 160 years ago; this book tells their story. Susan Brocker & Raymond McGrath (illustrator): Friday the Rebel Dog | RRP $18.99 | Scholastic

THE NATURE ACTIVITY BOOK Featuring a range of experiments, this book is designed for budding botanists in particular but is ideal for all children keen to understand the natural world around them. Accessible and inspiring for young, enquiring minds, The Nature Activity Book is sure to prove interesting to grownups too. Rachel Haydon and Pippa Keel (illustrator): The Nature Activity Book | RRP $35 | Te Papa Press

30 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

Helping OUR PLANET

Natasha Harris from Alberts Hair Salon talks about her pride in owning a sustainable planet salon and what that means in terms of being environmentally responsible.

o, you know that we are a hair salon, but do you realise that we are so much more? Alberts Hair Salon is all about the environment; the team here loves our planet and is aware of the damage metals, chemicals, plastic and the like can do. Therefore, I am very particular about the part we need to play in looking after our world. Subsequently, we are a CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE SALON on a mission. The positive impact we are making on the planet and our communities is big and real! Thanks to our valued clients, we aim to build a better future by recycling and saving valuable materials from going into landfills and, in turn, support the community. Alberts is part of the largest network of Ponytail Donations in the Southern Hemisphere – 90,700 plus ponytails have been donated towards charitable wigs for cancer patients and for alopecia areata sufferers. In addition, through KiwiHarvest & OzHarvest, we have helped towards the 118,000 meals provided to those in need. By recycling paper, metals and chemicals and keeping plastics in circulation rather than see them filling up landfills, we are proud we can do our bit to conserve and preserve. By sustaining beautiful hair for our clients, it is our privilege to also help sustain the planet in a viable way for the use of future generations. And, that’s something we can also thank you, our clients, for.

For enquiries and bookings contact: Alberts Hair Salon Shop 2/23 Hall St, Pukekohe Ph: 09 238 7576 Shop online at: www.alberts.co.nz

www.ruralliving.co.nz

KIWI NETS

bikinis! We know Kiwis can produce just about anything from No 8 wire but their innovation doesn’t stop there. Now one creative has designed a range of bikinis made from recycled fishing nets and reclaimed plastic bottles, which is make inroads into overseas markets.

ormer lifesaving champion Toni Burke turned to the sea for inspiration when she wanted to make an ethically manufactured swimwear range to meet the needs of sustainability-conscious customers. She came up with her Kalakoa range made from carvico vita – a material created from discarded fishnets salvaged from the ocean – and repreve lycra, which is made from plastic bottles and waste products reclaimed from landfills. The bikinis are handmade in Bali and arrive from the manufacturers in biodegradable gns Toni in her desi packaging. Orders are sent out in NZ-made compostable bags. “I am constantly trying to make “The next step in closing the loop is our brand as eco-friendly as possible and to allow customers to send back the will have more ideas on the horizon as we swimwear they no longer use so it can grow,” says Toni, who came up with the be up-cycled appropriately in exchange idea for the brand after finding it difficult for a credit towards new product. That to purchase the type of swimwear she way the material won’t go to waste and would like to wear herself. we also reward customers for positive “There was a limited range of stylish, sustainability practices.” colourful, reversible designs, which were Attracting keen interest from the USA, good for the environment and stayed on the UK and Australia as they begin to plan in the surf! Swimwear is a very saturated life beyond Covid-19 restrictions, Toni says market and I wanted to create a product these markets are well developed when that was beautiful, affordable and it comes to buying swimwear online and sustainable. www.ruralliving.co.nz

“I am constantly trying to make our brand as eco-friendly as possible and will have more ideas on the horizon as we grow,” says Toni who came up with the idea for the brand after finding it difficult to purchase the type of swimwear she would like to wear herself.

have a high level of demand for sustainable products. “I also think they are also a bit more daring with their swimwear choices in terms of pattern and design; in NZ we can be a bit conservative. That’s why I’ve made the swimwear reversible so there is block colour on one side for those who don’t want a swimsuit that makes such a bold or colourful statement.” Now, keen to expand the business and create a range for all family members, including trunks for men, maternity and children’s swimwear, she says talks on marketing the range through New Zealand retailers have just resumed after being disrupted by Covid-19. She expects local sales to accelerate ahead of the 2021 summer season. Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 31

“We brew 150 litres at a time, which would be about the volume some of the big boys would use just to clean their lines! Big breweries do produce craft beers but I wouldn’t say that’s really within the ‘spirit’ of craft brewing.”

Natalie Fraser and Chalky Chawner 32 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

Photo Wayne Martin

www.ruralliving.co.nz

‘Crafty’ cop – CHALKY’S CRACKING ‘CASES’! Some might argue that the police are more inclined to poop a party than be the life of one. However, as JON RAWLINSON discovered, a couple of former cops are set to become (quite literally) the toast of many a party.

here’s beer in there! In fact, thanks to the efforts of a couple of ‘crafty cops’, there’s a business brewing too. Since retiring from the New Zealand Police after 28 years of service, Marcus Chawner (aka Chalky) has taken a fresh approach to life as co-owner of Beachlands-based, Manaia Craft Brewers. “There’s a story on the side of each bottle. With Chalky’s Hill, for example, it’s that life’s full of hills, so when you get to the top of one you should slow down, relax, enjoy a beer and appreciate how far you’ve already come before you climb the next one. “I’m working through my mid-life crisis,” he jokes, “I used to make home brew, and we’ve always liked beer, so when we were looking for a change, buying a brewery was an obvious choice. We bought the equipment and the brand last year. Since then, we’ve adjusted the beers to suit our palates.” A long-time local – having lived in Papakura, Kingseat and Manukau prior to moving to Beachlands – this former Police dog handler is no stranger to challenges; neither is his wife, Natalie Fraser, (the other half of the venture’s workforce). “When we met when we were both in the police,” Natalie says. “We lived together in Manukau for more than five years but we had a boat at [Pine Harbour] so, pretty much, we moved to Beachlands to be closer to the boat. It made sense to us!” While Natalie continues to work a day job – a lawyer for the Police Association, effectively the police officers’ union – she is also heavily involved with the business, which is run from the couple’s home. “I call myself the ‘operations manager’,” Marcus confirms, “Natalie is ‘everything else!’. But we create the beer together – that’s the key part. It’s the different flavours and combinations of flavour that draws us to drinking beer as well as making it. “As with wine making, it’s partly an art and partly down to technical skill, making sure both work together is what makes a good brewer – I guess that does make us ‘winos’ as well as ‘beeros’! I think New Zealand palates have matured to see beer www.ruralliving.co.nz

as they do wine.” Similar to wine, or food for that matter, craft beer is intended to offer more than just a tipple to taste. The proof of the product may be in the drinking but the ‘how, where, why and with whom’ it is consumed is part of the package too. “As with wine, people don’t just have a beer to quench their thirst, they also want to have an experience,” Natalie explains. “We also love country music so most of our beers are based on country music themes and we have spent a fair bit of time at festivals here and in the USA in particular. Country music and beer go hand in hand.” Including IPAs (Indian pale ales), APAs (American pale ales) brown ales, pilsners, lagers and bitters, all 10 beers in Manaia’s range are unfiltered and unpasteurised, using only malt, hops, yeast and water. This couple’s creations are also more focused on malt than hops – a point of difference when compared to many other brewers. “Craft brewing is about taking beer back to the basics. You might add adjuncts to it but we start off with those pure, core ingredients,” Marcus confirms. “We use the hashtag, ‘malt matters’ because we believe the beer industry worldwide has gone ‘hopping mad’, relying too heavily on hops. Our philosophy is that beer is made from malt, with hops complimenting rather than dominating. Malt should be the champion.” Working within such parameters adds to the challenge, Marcus confirms. “We brew 150 litres at a time, which

would be about the volume some of the big boys would use just to clean their lines! Big breweries do produce craft beers but I wouldn’t say that’s really within the ‘spirit’ of craft brewing,” he smiles. “Some craft brewers contract out production but when we say we’ve made our beer, we’ve made our beer.” The latest addition to the range, an Irish red ale called Queen of Hearts, which turned (as opposed to cut off!) a few heads when the couple showcased their wares at a festival for the first time in March. “The Great Kiwi Beer Festival (Hamilton) was huge! The big, top-end breweries were there. We were so nervous; I said to Natalie, it was like playing for the Patumahoe Prems one day then getting a call up to the All Blacks the next!” Marcus says. “Personally, my favourite would Chalky’s Hill – which would be our most popular overall – but Queen of Hearts has been particularly well received.” The couple hopes to take part in further festivals when ‘regular service is resumed’. In the meantime, we’re drinking their beer here – Manaia craft beers are often available at the Clevedon Village Farmer’s Market (Sundays) and from retailers including (locally) Superliquor stores in Beachlands and Waiuku and Whitford Merchants. In addition, those looking to ‘tap’ into these brews can find them at selected bars, cafes and restaurants. “Locally, you’ll find us on tap at Pepperjacks (Pine Harbour), we’re on the guest tap at the Franklin Taphouse at times, and at Ambrosia [both in Beachlands]. And, we’re on the menu [on going] at Butcher’s Shop Cafe in Patumahoe, where we have a special food and beer matching night on August 22.” Looking ahead, Marcus and Natalie say they have no plans to expand, too quickly at least – with craft brewing, bigger does not, necessarily, mean better. “This is a lifestyle business for us; we’ve had enough stress in our lives,” Marcus adds. “These days, we just enjoy creating, talking and drinking beer, which is not a bad way to make a living, we think.” Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 33

World Iron Awareness WeeTSk – EVERY BITE COUN

n e of iron’ but lack of iro ad ‘m ’re ey th k in th le Some peop . So, with nt nutrient deficiency ale ev pr t os m ’s ld or w is the eness Week, being World Iron Awar , 20 20 0, -3 24 st gu Au oviding a out a few facts and pr Rural Living is trotting vels. lp prevent low iron le he ay m ch hi w o tw recipe or

Did you know: ◆ In New Zealand, studies suggest that about 10% of women and 1% of men have iron deficiency. ◆ Untreated iron deficiency can lead to iron deficiency anaemia. This occurs when the body lacks sufficent iron. ◆ An estimated two billion people are anaemic worldwide of which more than one billion live with iron deficiency anaemia ◆ A ‘healthy’ diet doesn’t necessarily guarantee good iron levels ◆ Taking supplements is not always

a good plan; you can usually get enough iron from the right diet ◆ Too vigorous a workout can lead to iron deficiency ◆ Pregnant women need to monitor their iron levels

COMMON SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE:

LESS COMMON SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE:

Feeling tired or weak, shortness of breath, headaches/dizziness, pale skin, heart palpitations, concentration difficulties, dry skin and hair.

Brittle or spoon-shaped fingernails, cold hands and feet, strange cravings for, and consumption of, substances with no nutritional value such as dirt, paint, paper.

Prevention: Reduce the risk of developing iron deficiency anaemia by including sufficient iron in your diet. For some, a low iron count may be rectified by making some easy tweaks to meals. There are two main types of dietary iron: haem iron and non-haem iron. ◆ Haem iron is readily absorbed by the body and is found in liver, red meat, chicken and fish. ◆ Non-haem iron is less easily absorbed and is found in whole grain cereals, vegetables (especially leafy green vegetables), fruits, nuts and legumes. To assist the body to absorb nonhaem iron more easily include a source of vitamin C with a meal; consume meat with non-haem iron food; avoid tea and coffee at meal times. This year, World Iron Awareness Week focuses on babies and toddlers whilst also sharing information for all vulnerable groups including women. Head of Nutrition at Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Fiona Windle says reducing the risk of iron deficiency, especially in young children, could reap huge benefits not only in their physical health, but in their brain development and cognitive abilities as well – by about seven months, a baby needs even more iron than its dad! A mum of two, Fiona says: “I know the struggles of having fussy eaters particularly in the toddler phase. Cooking something which tempts their taste buds whilst ticking all the nutritional boxes can be a challenge. I also know getting plenty of nutritious goodness into them will make a difference to their energy and immunity – it really is ‘every bite counts’.

Sunday Market

Back when textured wallpaper and the Beatles were the staples in every home, Felix Donovan struggles to keep his beloved radio station afloat. With the banks closing in, he must choose between risking it all to save the station, or cut his losses for good. Can his team of quirky radio workers help him keep his dream going?

WINNER RuRal CafE of thE YEaR Weddings - Birthdays or any special occasions

Palazzo

www.redshedpalazzo.co.nz

Breakfast/Lunch – licensed

OPEN 5 days 8.30am - 4.00pm

16 Jesmond Rd, Karaka Ph (09) 294 6687 Email: eat@redshedpalazzo.co.nz

34 — Rural Living — August/September 2020 Red Shed Palazzo large logo.indd 1

9/07/2015 10:26:36 a.m.

KAT6959-V3

Red Shed

Directed by Liam Hagenson WAIUKU WAR MEMORIAL HALL 1-17 OCTOBER THURS FRI SAT 8PM

Join Waiuku Theatre for a night of singing, dancing and nostalgia in this year’s Variety show. TICKETS $18 Available on Eventfinda Enquiries ph 020 4148 9219

KAT7131

www.ruralliving.co.nz

BALSAMIC & TOMATO

SLOW COOKER LAMB SHANKS Although the shank is one of the least tender parts of the lamb (meaning it has excellent flavour), when it’s slow cooked, it just falls off the bone. That’s why these balsamic and tomato slow cooker lamb shanks are a firm favourite. Make this beautiful dish to impress for a date night, or dinner party. The simple flavours marry together to give a rich and flavoursome sauce which will leave everyone wanting more.

Tips: ow the ◆ Oven method cooking: Foll an oveng usin and ve method as abo 140°C at k coo dish e erol cass proof l the fan bake for 3½-4 hours, or unti the from ng meat is tender and falli

Prep: 20 mins Cook: 8 hours Serves 4 Lamb: ◆ 4 Quality Mark lamb shanks ◆ ¼ cup flour ◆ 4 tbsp olive oil ◆ 2 brown onions, thinly sliced ◆ 3 cloves garlic, crushed ◆ 2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped ◆ 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar ◆ ¼ cup maple syrup ◆ 2 cans 400g tinned tomatoes ◆ 3 carrots, peeled and sliced ◆ Salt & pepper to taste To Serve: ◆ Parsley, to garnish ◆ Mashed potato ◆ Seasonal Greens www.ruralliving.co.nz

Recipe courtesy of Beef + Lamb New Zealand

Turn slow cooker to low. In a small bowl, mix the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. Next, coat the lamb shanks in flour, shaking off any excess. Heat frying pan to moderate-high heat on the stove-top and add half the olive oil. Brown the lamb shanks, turning often to brown all over. Set lamb aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion starts to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, tomatoes and carrots, season to taste. Stir well and bring to a gentle bubble then remove from the heat. Add the sauce to the slow cooker and the lamb shanks on top. It is best to have the bone sticking upwards to ensure the meat is covered by the sauce. Spoon the sauce over any exposed meat. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for approx 4 hours, or until meat is

bone. t depth of ◆ Browning creates the grea nks are flavour you get once lamb sha cooked. the slow ◆ This recipe can be made in low or on rs hou 8 nd arou for cooker 4 hours on high. enne ◆ Add a pinch of chilli or cay t. hea little a like pepper if you , zinc iron in rich are b lam ◆ Beef and immune and vitamin B12 helping your ails. ter system fight off win also go ◆ The lamb shanks and sauce . rice or ta pas with great ◆ Make these gluten free and use a gluten free flour.

tender and easily pulled from the bone. Once cooked you may need to thicken the sauce further. You can do this by removing the shanks from the sauce carefully and setting aside, then simmer the sauce rapidly in a saucepan to reduce it. Additionally, you can thicken with a water and flour paste over heat. Serve shanks and sauce on top of creamy potato or kumara mash with a generous side of seasonal greens. Garnish the lamb shanks with fresh parsley. Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 35

THE BEST

BEEF & LENTIL COTTAGE PIE A twist on your classic cottage pie, Beef + Lamb New Zealand uses a naturally sweet kumara topping and has added lentils, carrots & spinach to deliver a nutrient-packed mince mixture. It’s a delicious go-to recipe, perfect to make ahead of time and frozen then used within three months for a quick and easy meal.

Prep: 1 hour 15 mins Cook: 30 mins Serves 6-8 Beef Mixture ◆ 1kg Quality Mark beef mince ◆ 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped ◆ 2 tbsp olive oil ◆ 2 cloves garlic, crushed ◆ 2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and grated ◆ 150ml red wine (optional), or extra stock ◆ 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce ◆ 400g can chopped tomatoes in juice

Recipe courtesy of Beef + Lamb New Zealand 36 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Beef: Heat a dash of oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the beef mince and brown, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the mince as it browns. Remove and set aside. Reduce the heat to low, add another dash of oil and cook the onion and garlic for at least 5 minutes until soft. Increase heat and add carrot and cook for a further 5 minutes. Pour in the wine if using, and bring to the boil. Return beef mince to the saucepan with Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock and lentils. Season as required. Reduce heat, cover and cook

◆ 1 tbsp tomato paste ◆ 250ml beef stock ◆ 400g can lentils ◆ 1 cup well packed spinach ◆ 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped ◆ 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped Topping ◆ 1.2kg kumara, peeled and cubed ◆ 200ml milk ◆ 25g butter ◆ 1/2 cup grated cheese To Serve ◆ Seasonal greens

mince mixture at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens. 5 minutes before taking the mince off the heat, add the spinach and chopped herbs and stir through. Topping: Boil kumara in lightly salted water until tender. Drain and dry over the heat then mash well. Using a fork, whip in the milk and butter. To assemble: Spoon mince mixture into a large ovenproof dish (6 cup capacity), top with the kumara mash and sprinkle with grated cheese. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes until hot and bubbling. Serve cottage pie with your favourite seasonal greens. www.ruralliving.co.nz

HOT SPOTS

MAKING A FUSS OF

AVOCADOS

Papakura’s latest ‘hot spot’ has to be the Karaka Chocolate House specialising in fabulous, hand-made New Zealand chocolates found only in specialty stores – the perfect gift for that special person or an indulgent treat for oneself. Owner, Sharon Hogan’s exceptional range of confection is complemented by superb in-house coffee and locally-made, genuine French pastries, making this a real coffee stop and stay delight in the heart of the shops. And, for added enjoyment, why not try mouth-watering gelato – a palate pleaser all year round! Open 8am-3.30pm Mon-Sat. 145 Great South Rd, Papakura Phone 09 296 1222 www.karakachocolatehouse.co.nz

KAT7137

KARAKA CHOCOLATE HOUSE

Fully Licensed & BYOW only

LUNCH SPECIAL* ALL MAINS*

14 $14 7 DAYS

Curry, Rice, Naan

MON TUES WED

FUN FACTS:

Curry with Rice

*Conditions apply. Lunch special excludes seafood.

www.gingerpukekohe.co.nz

www.ruralliving.co.nz

KAT6590-v4

Treat Dad on FATHER’S DAY with his favourite curry! 10 King St, Pukekohe | Ph: 09 238 8338 or 09 238 7165

he recent National Avocado Day reminded foodies that there are many reasons to love this versatile fruit. Firstly, avocados are packed with good fats which can keep hearts healthy. They contain potassium to help keep blood pressure low, oleic acid for reducing inflammation, fibre to assist the metabolism and antioxidants which assist eye health. But, of course, they are delicious too and can be added to diets in a many imaginative ways – use them as a base for salad dressings, chilled soup, ice cream, pudding, pasta sauce, bread and more. However, the meaning of their original name might make some blush, others, laugh. Apart from a similarity of shape, the avocado has nothing to do with pears. It is from the laurel family and is native to Mexico and the Andean region of South America. The indigenous Nahua people called them ‘ahuacatl’, which, wait for it, meant “testicles’. It is thought this name arose because of the fruit’s suggestive shape. It is, perhaps, for this same reason, they were considered to be an aphrodisiac. When the Spanish conquistadors discovered the fruit (and possibly its meaning) they changed the name to aguacate and, later, marketers tried using names such as ‘avagato pear’ and ‘alligator pear’, in reference to its shape and rough, reptile-like outer skin. Eventually the ‘avocado’ name came about. Today, the avocado is appreciated globally for its culinary and health benefits. So, why not try these tips?: ◆ Party time: Guacamole – so easy to make. Peel and mash two avocados in a bowl, stir through one small, finely chopped red onion, one crushed clove of garlic, one chopped tomato, one tablespoon finely chopped coriander (optional), juice of one lime, salt and pepper to season. For a bit of heat, add one to two teaspoons of seeded, finely chopped jalapeno according to taste. Chill for minimum of 30 minutes to allow flavours to blend, serve with corn chips. ◆ Break the guacamole barrier: The avocado and the blender can be great friends. Blend an avocado with some bananas and cocoa powder and you have chocolate pudding. Blend it with some garlic, olive oil, salt and lemon juice and you have salad dressing. To make something with a fresh, healthy fat, reach for an avo! ◆ Have an avo-makeover: Mashed avocado with banana and olive oil make a great hair conditioning paste. Mash it up with some olive oil, honey and yogurt and you have an ideal facial mask. Dry up the pit and grind it up with some avocado flesh and salt to create an exfoliating foot scrub. Treat yourself!

million ◆ Football fans consume 53.5 of guacamole s) gram kilo 395 040 pounds (24, days. on the USA’s Super Bowl Sun hy fruit produced from fles a ◆ Berry good – because it’s ally a berry. actu is o cad avo a single ovary, an the most protein and tain con os cad avo – ◆ They’re No1 fibre of any fruit. 2 varieties of ◆ Count ‘em – there are 106 avocado. Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 37

THE LATEST ON REAL ESTATE

MAXIMISING SALES OPPORTUNTIES By Richard Gee, Geewiz! Business Mentor

M AGAINST ALL

predictions!

By Darren Szaszy, Barfoot & Thompson, Pukekohe

hile some forecasts suggested that July trading was going to be strong, the extent of activity will have caught most by surprise. The market built on the unexpected lift following pre-Covid-19 restrictions, and Barfoot & Thompson sold 1095 properties during the month. This is a level of sales usually seen only at the height of the summer and it was the first July since 2015 in which we sold that many properties. Demand was so strong that readers must go back to the height of the last property sales cycle to see turnover and values of equivalent levels. “In July, buyers put aside any apprehensions they may have had about future market values, and committed [to purchasing],” said Peter Thompson, managing director of Barfoot & Thompson. Sales numbers were strong across all price categories. Sales of homes under $500,000 accounted for 9.9% of all sales, those priced at more than $2 million accounted for 4.7%, and those priced at between $1 million and $2 million stood at 34.6%. Contributing to the high number of sales was the level of new listings – at 1518 this was the highest in a July for five years. At month end, Barfoot & Thompson had 3873 listings, which was down 3.2 % on those for the previous month but in line with where listings were at the same time last year. The lifestyle and rural market saw the same increase in activity as the urban market and experienced the highest volume of sales and value of sales for the month of July since 2016. Small lifestyle blocks in the south and north of Auckland were in big demand with many multi offers on properties. The first week of August saw 115 residential properties for sale by auction, and of those, 63 sales were achieved. That pushed the overall sales rate down slightly to 55% from 61% in the last week of July.

any businesses struggle to secure enough product and service sales due to lack of people skills and understanding the process of encouraging buyers to make a decision. Selling is about helping informed buyers make the decision to buy. It is not about discounting or deals. Decisions are the result of one of two choices – ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The value of benefits which come with the purchase of products, or service, helps buyers decide which way their decision will go. Benefits are advantages which come from purchasing a product or service; the more benefits the buyer understands, the better. For example, ‘New Zealand-made’ provides the benefit of supporting local, the NZ economy and jobs. It also suggests trust and the easy availability of repairs or parts. Then there’s ‘organically grown’, offering the benefit of no fertiliser used in growing so a more natural taste and a healthy product to eat. To create a benefit, apply the ‘so what’ test to your facts and the benefits quickly become apparent. Buyers buy benefits; price value is the understanding of those benefits. When planning your sales presentation use a sound formula structure such as S. P. E. N.D. S - Situation currently of the buyer P - Problems occurring with the current product or service E- Effect of no action; the cost of doing nothing in $$ N - Needs of the customer which your benefits will satisfy D - Decision to start, includes understanding the price, the benefits and the time for delivery To go from step to step, use open-ended questions starting with What, When, Why, Which, Where and How to gain information to help build to a ‘Yes’ decision! To glean more sales, get in front of your buyers face-to-face. Emails and text messages do not reap decisions. Facebook videos using the benefits of the S P E N D approach will help structure your decision for those online sellers. Measure your success by the number of face-to-face meetings held and decisions gained from the buyer’s understanding of the benefits. Take a walk-through business with a mentor/business coach at your side. New or existing business owners will benefit.

eewiz! BUSINESS MENTOR

Helping Your Decisions Phone 0274 720 410 richard@geewiz.co.nz KAT7110

38 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

www.ruralliving.co.nz

The Countryside Begins with Townsend... When change is the only constant

he period leading up to making a decision regarding buying or selling property is always a time flooded with competing and conflicting information and opinions being promoted by seemingly qualified individuals and outlets. Who is right and who is wrong and who do we believe, are questions we all ask. Put simply, especially in 2020, when we have even more information to assess or circumstances to consider than normal, our view is that facts are what should be relied on rather than opinions. The facts right now are simple. We have a typical winter market where listings are lower than buyer demand. This supply/demand imbalance is seeing good competition between buyers for available stock in almost every marketplace in New Zealand. The current and historically low mortgage interest rates available are adding to buyer confidence and competition. In addition, as a country we have a shortage of housing stock for our population. This is a population that loves to own their own home, and also to invest in property. These underlying facts all add up to a recipe for confidence in the future of the real estate market in New Zealand. In 2020 we can’t ignore the fact that the world is battling a pandemic, and on top of that in New Zealand we are facing a general election in the spring. So, what impact will be felt from this, and what should buyers and sellers of real estate consider in their decision making? Reality is that the pandemic response within New Zealand has put us in an envious position of almost normal life, (aside from missing our beloved overseas

FOR SALE with JO-ANN

travel), and is driving Kiwis with a need for somewhere to live and invest. The lockdown period has also led many of us to review the style of home we live in, thus encouraging further selling and buying decisions to be made. Election time can sometimes create a hesitation in the market while people wait and see what might happen post-election night. This year, given the supply/demand imbalance, any hesitation may be reduced. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has generated a let’s get on with life attitude across the world. Based on all the facts above, our advice is simple; if you’re considering a sale in the spring, we would strongly suggest you list right now. We know the market is strong and buyer demand is active so why wait to compete in a spring market when historically there has always been a flush of new listings to offer buyers choice? If you are looking to buy, do your sums well, consider your employment or business status and go to the market and secure your new piece of New Zealand with confidence. Put simply – this isn’t an opinion, just sound advice based on facts.

Bombay, 93A Kanuka Road

Te Kauwhata, 700 Taniwha Road

AUCTION: Sat, Aug 22, 2020 at 11am (unless sold prior)

Karioitahi, 1011 Kohekohe-Karioitahi Rd

Jo-Ann Day-Townsend

Port Realty Ltd Licensed Agent REAA 2008

www.ruralliving.co.nz

Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 39

KAT5307-v32

0800 TOWNSEND or 021 1696 056 jo-ann.day-townsend@harcourts.co.nz www.joanndaytownsend.co.nz

We dig organic fertilisers Give your plants a chemical-free boost this spring! Central Landscape Supplies Drury loves organic products and we’ve added this great liquid fertiliser to our extensive organic range. It’s packed full of nourishment for the plants and the soil, just not full of chemicals!

Central Landscape Supplies Drury

09 294 8410 • drury@centrallandscapes.co.nz

40 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

www.ruralliving.co.nz

www.centrallandscapes.co.nz • 141 Great South Rd, Drury, Auckland

KAT5290-v33

Central’s Tips September 2020

It’s getting warmer so it’s time to start planning for spring and summer planting. Feed fruit trees, lawns and new seedlings with fertiliser, plant edible flowers and make sure to get on top of those pesky snails and slugs.

In the Edible Garden • Fruit trees such as citrus, pip and stone fruit need plenty of sustenance now. Exclusive to Central Landscapes in Auckland, Fertco Organic Boost is a fertiliser you can topdress existing trees with

• It’s edible flower time too: calendulas, heartsease, carnations, nasturtiums are just a few

• Give all new seedlings a liquid feed as soon as they’re planted using our favourite Organic Garden Booster. It’s organic certified, so no chemicals here

• Pest control time: slug and snail colonies are in full action and will eat newly planted seedlings in one night! Try using pet and bird friendly pellets or this organic method: Leave a tilted jar of beer half buried in the soil overnight, near your lush seedlings. Attracted to the yeast they drown in it

The Lawn • Fertilise the lawn with Prolawn Turfmaster Gold. This is the fertiliser the turf experts use that will keep releasing through the growing period

The rest of the Garden • Flowers for summer: Lavender hedges, dalias, daisies in pots and gardenias at the door – these flowers are stalwarts of summer and available in garden centres from now on

• Remember to stake newly planted trees and shrubs because the force of spring winds can stop the roots establishing in the soil, leading to poor plant growth

KAT5290A-v33

www.ruralliving.co.nz

CAPSICUMS SAVOURING THE BELL (PEPPER)

apsicums, chillies, peppers – they’re one in the same, but different too! Yes, they come from the same family, but there are many different varieties and flavours offered by this popular plant. Originating in Central and South America, capsicums have become favoured fare the world over. While there are many varieties, Rural Living suggests those who prefer less heat should focus on the milder bell pepper, which is not as hot, or spicy as those known (perhaps ironically) as chillies. While capsicums thrive in the tropics, they also do well in subtropical climates and their growing season can be extended by planting indoors or under plastic. As they’re related to tomatoes, growing methods and requirements are similar and for those with limited garden space; they thrive in pots too. Generally planted in spring, capsicums can be started as early as August if grown in small seed trays in a warm, sheltered shed or greenhouse. However, if temperatures drop too low at night, seeds are less likely to geminate. If planting out early, be sure not to do so until the last frosts have past. Capsicums are frost tender and need warmth in order for the fruit to ripen. Sow at a depth roughly three times the diameter of the seed. Ideally, soil temperatures should be between 18 and 35 degrees Celsius. If purchasing young plants from a nursery, it’s best to wait until late September or early October (depending on local conditions). When ready, space plants approximately 50cm apart in sheltered area of the garden. Planting conditions are much the same for most other varieties of peppers as they are for capsicums. After approximately 70-90 days, the first capsicums will be ready. They’ll be green and can be used, but will not be as sweet as those left longer to ripen, becoming red, orange or yellow in colour. Pick a pepper or two to enjoy fresh in salads. They are also wonderful when roasted, perhaps with a filling of couscous. Add them to stir fries, too. Remember, capsicums freeze very well, so they can be sliced or diced and used when ready in anything from soups to stews and a whole lot more. Rural Living — August/September 2020 — 41

NTEERVOLUNTEER WITH TOTARA HOSPICE WITH TOTARA HOSPICE ELP MAKE HOSPICE HAPPEN! AND HELP MAKE HOSPICE HAPPEN! KAT5306

DIRECTORY ��

VOLUNTEER WITH TOTARA HOSPICE AND HELP MAKE HOSPICE HAPPEN! VOLUNTEER WITH TOTARA HOSPICE AND HELP MAKE HOSPICE HAPPEN!

FOR ALL YOUR WATER NEEDS CALL IN AND SEE US

• Service of all farm, industrial, agricultural irrigation and domestic pumps • Bore pumps • Drainage supplies • Water tanks • Deep well pumps • Water filter systems • Bulk sand and cement • Pool pumps – chemical supply • Galvanised, alkathene & pvc pipes and fittings

CHRIS JULIAN Freephone (0508) RURAL H20 (0508) 787 254

GUBB PUMP & WELL SERVICES DESIGN, SUPPLY, INSTALL

Water Tank Cleaning (While full or empty) Water Tank Maintenance Water Deliveries ~ Swimming Pools Filled

Grant Escott FENCING

CONTRACTOR

www.hospice.co.nz p: 09 640 0025

027 236 8753 • 09 236 8753 grant.kylie@xtra.co.nz

SEPTIC TANK

& trailers l D65 Bulldozer & scoop l Low loader l Grader l Excavations l Dams

l Tree Removal l Drainage l Roading

l Stopbanks

l Building sites l Demolition

l Horse arenas l Metal/sand/

slag supplied

Earthmoving & General Cartage

Phone 09 238 4047 or 021 987402 601 Buckland Rd, RD2, Pukekohe

VISIT US AT

www.trackworks.co.nz

ANd

GREASE TRAP Totara Hospice Volunteers ensure we are able to provide CLEANING palliative care services to those KAT5226-v3

FOR ALL YOUR UNDERCARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS... Workshop – Engineering – Onsite Welding and Mechanical services available Castrol Distributors: Agents for Fleet IIIIIIIII IIIII Guard Filters, Exide Batteries. IIII IIIIIIII IIII IIII III

0800 SUCKA1

Or:

0800 782 521

Alan Wilson Plumbing 235 9066

Certified Plumbers and Drainlayers p: 09 640 0025 www.hospice.co.nz

II III IIII IIIIII I

III III WE KNOW TRACKS, IT’S IN OUR IIII III IIII I I IIIIIII IIIIIII IIIIIIII I IIIIIIII NAME, MAKE TRACKS TO US IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Phone: 09 238 7168 Fax: 09 239 2605 Email: trackworks@xtra.co.nz Yard at 71 Adams Drive, Pukekohe KAT5287

SST living with aSERVICES life limiting illness.

21E Ryan Pl, Manukau e: john@drurytrucks.co.nz John: 0274 923 669 Robbie: 0274 967 430

• Rollers

l Tip trucks

Craig Nicholson

Free quotes – Competitive rates

www.hospice.co.nz

l 1.7 to 26 tonne diggers

Experienced Operator 35 years+

KAT5317

09 640 0025

24-Hour Callout Service

l General cartage

• Decks • Post Driving • Retaining Walls • Rural & Residential Fencing

living with a life limiting illness. us today to find day to find Contact out more Contact us today towww.hospice.co.nz find out more 09 640 0025 out morep:about a range of e of volunteer opportunities. about a range of volunteer opportunities. volunteer opportunities.

14 Constable Rd, Waiuku Phone 09 235 8268

KAT5289-V2

Totara Hospice Volunteers Totara Hospice ensure Volunteers ensure weable are able provide ce Volunteers we are to to provide Totara Hospice Volunteers palliative care services to those palliative care services e able to provide ensure are able totoprovide living with awe life limiting illness. those living with a life limiting services toContact those palliative care services us today to find out more to those illness. about a range of volunteer opportunities. fe limiting illness.

KAT6826

Chris mobile 021 765 629

KAT5318

Shop Eat P lay Stay

LOCAL

Proudly supporting local! 42 — Rural Living — August/September 2020

LOCAL 151 King Street, Pukekohe www.ruralliving.co.nz

��

Classic Roofing Solutions

WIN

WANTED $ PAID FOR

Call us for all your farming supply needs For the best advice and friendly service

with

Old advertising signs, early furniture, old bottles, old toys, cast iron farming implements, old tools, taxidermy, old car parts, oil bottles, advertising items, oil tins, ceramics, license plates, milk cans, military items, pottery, paintings and pictures – or anything old....

IN TWO GREAT LOCATIONS

PROFARM

• New COLORSTEEL® roofs and re-roofing – houses and barns • Senior discount

RURAL & LIFESTYLE

KAT6822

Cnr Madill & George St, Tuakau. Ph 09 236 8228. Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; Sat 8.30am-12noon

KAT5297

Nigel Wagstaff Phone 09 232 8287

www.ruralliving.co.nz

KAT7180

18 Elliot St, Papakura. Ph 09 298 7767. Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; Sat 8.30am-2.30pm

Over 37 years roofing experience