Verve. October 2022. Issue 191.

An uplifting monthly eclection of life, style and happenings.

This month we visit the Ligne Roset showroom and marvel at the legendary Togo. Plus, we promise to keep you wide awake with our killer coffee feature and a hangover cure that might just work.

OCTOBER '22

Toni Reclaimed Teak Round Outdoor Dining Table with James Outdoor Wicker & Reclaimed Teak Dining Armchairs

Stunningly curated outdoor furniture from Italy, Belgium, France, Indonesia and the Philippines. Before you purchase anywhere, you owe it to yourself to compare. Prices. Design. Quality. You will be so pleased you did. All products are in stock, fully assembled, and available for nationwide delivery. Sunbrella® cushions are included with the purchase of our deep seating pieces as shown on our website.

Weave Wicker and Aluminium Relaxing Chair

Dream High Back Relaxing Chair

Jimmy Outdoor Round Reclaimed Teak Dining Table with Olive Wicker Dining Side Chairs (stonewhite)

Zig, Sammy & Bee Bee Teak Side Tables

OUTDOOR COLLECTION

TRENZSEATER would like to introduce its first outdoor collection that we have designed and developed specifically for the New Zealand environment. The RIVIERA collection of outdoor furniture features a classic outdoor wicker fibre, solution dyed acrylic fabric and all made in sumptuous proportions, configuring modular pieces, sofas and armchairs.

AUCKLAND - 80 Parnell Rd, 09 303 4151

CHRISTCHURCH - 121 Blenheim Rd, 03 343 0876

QUEENSTOWN - 313 Hawthorne Dr, 03 441 2363 www.trenzseater.com

The Botanist: Keeping It Local

Twenty-two foraged botanicals are handpicked locally and sustainably across an entire growing season to craft The Botanist, an artisanal gin from the Isle of Islay in Scotland that has a deep connection to the terroir.

Ingredients are carefully dried and slow simmer distilled with pure Islay spring water in a unique Lomond Still, affectionately nicknamed Ugly Betty. The result is a smooth yet complex gin that speaks of Islay. Sustainability has been a vital part of The Botanist’s journey and why they have a longterm vision to continue to be more sustainable in everything they do. Becoming B Corp certified was a huge achievement, helping solidify the commitment towards a more sustainable future.

To raise awareness of sustainable growing practices this October, The Botanist is supporting community gardens in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to help them champion regenerative local food in their local communities. In Auckland, they’ll be supporting Kelmarna Gardens in Ponsonby. Kelmarna Gardens, an organic community farm has been providing the local community with delicious, healthy food for over 40 years.

To show your support, head along to the local, participating bars and order a Botanist Gin drink and $5 from each sale will be donated to the Kelmarna community gardens. Not only is this an opportunity to support your local community garden and raise awareness for sustainably grown food, it also supports our hospitality industry.

For more details and participating bars and garden head to hancocks.co.nz/botanistginnz

Editors-in-Chief Fran Ninow and Jude Mitchell

Sub-editor/Senior Writer Jamie Christian Desplaces

Head Graphic Designer Arna Martin

Junior Graphic Designer Yamin Cook

Social Media Yamin Cook

Contributors Manish Kumar Arora, Kelly Carmichael, Lucy Kennedy, Dennis Knill, Milly Nolan, Aimée Ralfini and Bella Sampson.

Subscriptions

online@vervemagazine.co.nz

Published by Verve Magazine Ltd 13 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1021

GST 90 378 074 ISSN 2253-1300 (print) ISSN 2253-1319 (online)

Editorial Enquiries

(+64) 9 520 5939

Fran Ninow: fran@vervemagazine.co.nz Jude Mitchell: jude@vervemagazine.co.nz

Advertising Enquiries

ashlee@vervemagazine.co.nz danielle@vervemagazine.co.nz fran@vervemagazine.co.nz jude@vervemagazine.co.nz pambrown@xtra.co.nz

Cover Photo Ligne Roset

Verve is published monthly (except in January) and has an estimated readership of 60,000. It is a free lifestyle magazine delivered to selected homes, cafés and businesses in Devonport, Epsom, Ellerslie, Herne Bay, Kohimarama, Meadowbank, Mission Bay, Newmarket, Parnell, Remuera, St Mary’s Bay and Takapuna. Verve is placed in magazine stands for free collection from locations in Auckland City, Devonport, Epsom, Grey Lynn, Herne Bay, Mairangi Bay, Milford, Mission Bay, Newmarket, Parnell, Ponsonby, Remuera, St. Heliers, Stonefields and Takapuna. Visit vervemagazine.co.nz for exact locations these magazine stands. Verve is also available from all popular cafés in its main distribution areas as well as in ebook format. Visit vervemagazine.co.nz to sign up for your free monthly ebook. Verve Verve is printed by Blue Star, 8 Collard Place, Henderson, Auckland. It is distributed by Verve, Erclabouring and Mailchimp.

The entire content of this publication is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission in writing of the copyright owner. Any material submitted for publication is at the owner’s risk. Neither Verve Magazine Ltd nor its agents accept any responsibility for loss or damage. Although every e ort has been made to ensure accuracy of information contained in this publication, the publisher cannot accept any liability for inaccuracies that may occur. The views and suggestions expressed in this magazine are those of individual contributors and are not necessarily supported by Verve Magazine Ltd.

now,

Real

help

sold by real

and

to the

A Timeless Icon

An ergonomic marvel, Ligne Roset’s Togo furniture line has been the ultimate in comfort and style for half a century.

When Togo was first created by designer Michel Ducaroy in 1973 for luxurious French furniture brand, Ligne Roset, it represented a way to sit that was in fact revolutionary. Imagined during an era when people wanted to sit differently, Togo was designed as a seat to be lived on – think afternoon siestas or lazy evenings wallowing in the greatest of comfort and pleasure. The modular and lightweight design of Togo includes a chair and several sizes of settee that can be easily joined together to form a sectional sofa, or separated and reconfigured with ease. There’s even a children’s version of the popular fireside chair, Les Minis.

While form usually follows function in the design world, in the case of Togo, in no way at all does the level of comfort replace style. It will be 50 years since its birth next year, and the seat is still as popular today as it was when it was first released. With 25,000 pieces sold globally each year, the crumpled design still continues to fascinate people.

Dominating Instagram feeds and the pages of designer magazines, the bold and creative Togo has been defined as a “social icon”. Instantly recognisable by its distinctive shape and absence of base or feet, and with no sharp edges or hard areas, Togo suits any interior, enticing you to sit and relax. It is informal yet classic – a design that continues to stand the test of time.

Another key characteristic of Togo is how light it is. While it appears solid under its pleated and padded cushioning, it is in fact constructed of multiple density foam meaning it’s incredibly light and therefore easily picked up. Its ability to be reconfigured and moved so fluidly is another reason for its popularity. A chameleonic sofa in every sense of the word, there are also countless fabric options, from leather upholstery to glamorous suede or velvet, and the thousands of colours give endless options.

Exclusively made by hand in the Ligne Roset workshop in France, each Togo piece is carefully constructed by highly skilled craftspeople dedicated to the art of furniture making. To produce just one Togo settee, six hours of work is required, one stitch at a time. In a world where automated machinery can do just about anything, Togo will continue to be made by hand – a requirement arising from the company’s clear conviction about the kind of furniture it wishes to offer.

It’s this ethos, coupled with the high global demand for Togo that contribute to lengthy wait times on the product. Since opening the doors to the New Zealand exclusive Ligne Roset showroom in Auckland last year, managing director Matt Dickson and marketing director Monica Tischler have been amazed, although not at all surprised, by the local demand for Togo. As proud owners of their own Togo fireside chair – in a fabulous 40th anniversary limited edition houndstooth print – the couple hasn’t needed to convince any customers of the seat’s merit. “The Togo sells itself,” says Matt. “Realising how popular they are, we have pre-ordered our stock from the Ligne Roset factory, so that we will always have regular shipments of Togo. Otherwise, if you order from scratch you

may be waiting up to two years. That’s a long time to wait for something you so desire.

“We’re both long-time admirers of Ligne Roset for its ability to make a piece timeless, yet also bold, creative, comfortable, and durable. While Togo still remains our most popular design, we also have a beautiful range of outdoor and dining furniture, lighting, rugs and accessories.”

With the 50th anniversary of Togo approaching next year, a muchanticipated limited edition fabric run is set to be released, which will no doubt heighten one’s desire to own a Togo even more.

Ligne Roset Auckland has various options of Togo in fabric and leather available for pre-Christmas delivery. Enquire now for more information or visit the showroom (open Monday to Saturday): 299 Great North Road, Grey Lynn 09 393 5636 ligne.nz/togo

To produce just one Togo settee, six hours of work is required, one stitch at a time.

Editors’ Notes

Fran Ninow Co-editor

Friday just past we witnessed another iteration of the SS4C (School Strike for Climate) with rallies happening in Wellington and Christchurch. I take my hat off to these young people, and so admire their awareness, their enthusiasm, and their energy. We need them to keep us oldies on our toes, forward looking, and ready to change. Their placards sporting slogans like “there is no planet B” and “no more coal, no more oil, keep your carbon in the soil” reminded me of a reel on my Instagram feed only a few days earlier: apparently in Singapore only 11% of the population owns a car*. And guess what – no new car can be added to this fleet until an existing vehicle is taken off the road. Tax on car purchases is scarily high, making buying a very ordinary model like a Toyota, for instance, well over $100,000. But Singapore has also invested billions of dollars in public transportation meaning there’s a bus, a train, and a taxi available every single minute. Less cars, cleaner air, and no traffic! Something certainly worth thinking about.

It’s as busy and dynamic as ever at Verve with this issue offering the perfect lifestyle mix of beautiful home and design, art and events, and a bit of travel. Our food and wine section includes a special tribute to coffee and an appreciation of the role it plays in our lives. With summer and its festivities on the horizon, we share some interesting wellness tips, like how to avoid debilitating hangovers, and for those with diabetes – the most stylish solution to carrying your medical equipment.

My personal favourite is Jamie Desplaces’s interview with Kyaria Warbrick who shares her journey to becoming a shepherdess. What a wonderful adventure, and such a refreshing way to live.

In closing – please feel free to send your comments, ideas and anything else to online@vervemagazine.co.nz Thanks for your continuing support.

Fran x

*In New Zealand over 60% of our population own 2 plus cars.

Jude Mitchell Co-editor

I don’t want my life to always be moving with mad momentum. I need to slow down and breathe.

Whenever our October issue comes around, I seem to get this feeling that I’m rushing to get the year over and done with. I know it’s absurd — to wish away the time — as it brings on that feeling that the year is nearly over. The reality is, however, that we have just two more issues of Verve before Christmas and I’m sure we can all attest to the way even thinking about that time of year summons the sensation to start rushing and moving frantically.

It takes a concentrated will to change a mindset; to tell myself that there’s no need to race to the finish line. The magazine is always on time – not to mention that life’s too short to look to rush to 2023!

We have a constant drive to publish Verve monthly – but it’s no mean feat. Our incredible team of dedicated people work diligently and tirelessly to bring new content to you every month. Without them, we couldn’t do it, and it’s testament to the trust that we have in each other that we meet this deadline every single time. As editors, we’ve also learned through 18 years’ experience in bringing Verve to you, to use our time wisely. To trust in the process.

Verve is thoughtfully, beautifully brought to you each month not only by our team, but thanks to the amazing advertisers who grace our pages. We know business has been difficult for many and we appreciate all those who advertise with us. We couldn’t do it without you!

Jude x

What’s Inside

Home & Design

Art 100

106

Journeys 126

Going Underground 130

Stirling: All Heart 134 Bella Amalfi 136 Being Herd

Auckland Foundation are here to help you give back to the causes you care about most.

in touch today to simplify and shape your giving.

Out of Sight

A cliffhanging family cabin near Montagu in South Africa balances bold lines with eco-sensitive choices to connect deeply with the remote landscape it’s embedded in.

“We had always wanted a pool hanging off a cliff,” says William Mellor. Both he and his wife Sam are keen hikers and couldn’t resist the tug of inspiration when they spotted a small recess in a cliff while on a walk, presenting the perfect recess for the pool’s position. “It was very important for us to disturb flora and fauna as little as possible,” says William. “The brief was for a house that looks like a spaceship had landed on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere, which challenged the architects to develop a modern interpretation of a traditional timber cabin.”

The location and exposure to the cabin elements challenged the team to consider energy efficiency and temperature control. The building and orientation design allow for natural ventilation and airflow for cooling to reduce energy consumption. The use of natural materials was vital for the design team.

Cocooned by timber and glass, the lounge (above) is home to generously proportioned low-slung leather sofas. The custom drinks cabinet lends a lighthearted touch to the space.

The main suite deck opens up to the north, taking in the koppie (hill) peak, giving a sense of the landscape pouring down into the suite itself.

With walls of glass, the cabin has a warmth to it thanks to the wooden structure, sun-drenched tones, and handpicked furnishings, including a Chesterfield sofa and Scandinavian retro chairs the couple had reupholstered. A suspended fireplace is central to the living space, its flared organic shape contributing to the constantly changing interplay of light and shadows in the room throughout the day.

They wanted to seat 12 people comfortably at the dining table which gives way to a raw edge table that dominates the kitchen. The design team wanted the kitchen counters to echo the landscape's natural stone, so they chose a Rio Blanco granite. They enhanced the visible natural grain in the stone with a leathered finish. The Plascon Dark Onyx colour was specifically chosen to contrast with the timber and is the closest shade to the aluminium door and windows' powder coating colour.

Get the look with Resene Resene Mercury Resene Colorwood Natural Resene Eternity

The main bedroom features an elegant, custom four-poster bed and a black freestanding bath with a thin rim style. Set alongside the window and deck, the space can be opened up to the surrounding landscape.

“We wanted to make the most of the views which are in all directions, create outdoor living spaces from which to enjoy them, whilst maintaining privacy from each suite or living area”.

The private deck off the main bedroom is one of the many refuges where the family can hang out to take in the views.

The cabin features multiple private spaces to relax and recharge, such as the outside shower.

A third bedroom (right) and bunk room are tucked into the site's natural gradient and are clad in dry-stacked natural stone hand-collected from the site to 'disappear' the mass of the building.

The roof has been carpeted with the indigenous renosterbos flora found naturally on the site, further ghosting the building and permitting beautiful unobstructed views from the main living area above.

Get the look with Resene

Resene Woodsman Whitewash Resene Freestyling

Resene Jimmy Dean

Dining under the star-filled desert skies is a highlight of the cabin. After dinner, the family can huddle around the firepit alongside it.

On the west, the pool terrace drops away steeply from the pool's edge to the valley below and looks out at the mountain peak rising beyond the valley. The couple has always had a passion for design,

and their love of raw, natural traditional Malawi cane furniture led to them sourcing and distributing the product globally. The raffia and cane items from the collection were ideal for this project, as the tones and textures are rooted in the landscape outside.

“To be in such comfort, on top of a mountain with nothing but endless views all around, is truly something to behold,” says Sam.

Summer Shade

This spring, Lahood® Window Furnishings can help you get your home summer-ready with their range of premium Luxaflex® awnings, blinds, shutters, shades, and automation.

From beautiful light control and shade to UV protection and insulation, inside and out, the Lahood team will pair you with the perfect customised solution to meet your needs while elevating your summer lifestyle. Here is just a taste of some of their options.

For the ultimate in insulating comfort, Duette® Shades’ unique honeycomb design will help keep your home cool and protected from the sun. Available in a wide range of colours, textures and fabrics, there’s something to complement every interior vision.

Do you want to blur the line between indoors and out? Then LumiShade is for you. Featuring individual chainless fabric

vanes, you can freely walk through LumiShade whether they’re open or closed – indoor-outdoor living at its best.

If you’re looking for a contemporary classic, Luxaflex Roller Blinds’ slim profile and versatility make them a perfect choice for almost any space. From screening the sun and filtering the light to creating darkness, they allow you to unify your home with one window covering style while giving every room the individual attention (and treatment) it deserves.

Lahood can also recommend automation options to enhance the benefits of window coverings. Whether through voice command, scheduling, or remote control, automation can make control effortless and convenient while improving performance and safety.

Visit our stunning showroom at 104 Mt Eden Road to experience the full Luxaflex range and arrange a free consultation with our team to start your spring refresh. From inspiration to installation, Lahood Window Furnishings have it all. Phone 0800 LAHOOD to book your design consultation.

For a limited time, get 15% off many of our Luxaflex window coverings, including automation. Very rarely do Luxaflex products go on sale – so this is not to be missed.

lahood.co.nz

Design of October

STYLING BELLA SAMPSON

Bianca Lorenne Garance Portrait

Soren Liv Sketch Sloopy Sofa

Soren Liv Vittoria Hampton Sofa in cement

The Design Depo Pillar Candle

Bauhaus Berba cushion

Muuto Framed mirror in rose

Ned Collections Florence vase

Floc Studio Sentrum Side Table

Resene Agathe Wallpaper Collection AGA403

Corporate Christmas

ALL BUT ONE GIFTS

Corporate and business gifting made easy for you

Elegant gift boxes for staff appreciation, client thank you, company end-of-year gifts, or for building and maintaining those all-important business relationships. With products sourced from around NZ, your gift is curated and sent with stylish, eco-friendly packaging. Choose from their wide range or opt for custom gift boxes or branded solutions such as box sleeves, printed ribbons and branded products. All orders over $1,200 placed before 8 Nov will receive a free pre-made gift box to use as you wish (RRP $120). Mention code ABVER22

allbutonegifts.co.nz

ESCAPE HQ

Auckland’s Best Escape Rooms & Team Building Events

Looking for a Christmas party idea that isn't boring, isn't bowling and won't break the budget? Get locked up and race your colleagues in a one-hour immersive escape room experience, then celebrate your win with drinks in the spacious Escape HQ licensed lounge bar in the heart of Takapuna.

escapehq.co.nz

CHUFFED GIFTS

Customised Experience Gift Boxes

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for key clients, customers, and staff? An experience gift that promises lifelong memories? Chuffed Experience gift boxes let recipients choose an incredible experience, with a range of activities and adventures to choose from, all over New Zealand. This gift lets them do something fun and new; plus you and your gift will always be remembered! You can even customise it with your branding and logo.

chuffedgifts.co.nz

TAKEN CARE OF

Taken Care's promise is no corporate swag. They curate gifts that are thoughtful, intentional, and creative while being professional and appropriate for for every occasion. From professionally printed cards filled with thoughtful messages and handpicked items to custom branded packaging options –they do the work for you while keeping in mind your budget and personal preferences.

takencareof.co.nz

The holiday season is fast approaching so it’s time to start planning Christmas gifts and celebrations with colleagues, staff and clients.

Colour Creeping In

WORDS

FRAN NINOW

While I am a protagonist of neutral-coloured walls when it comes to interior design, I must admit that it is wonderful to see a host of Mexican brights creeping into homes and onto our walls of late.

How joyful I find this vibrant palette cleanser of colour we’re witnessing – it brings such welcome energy to the neutral minimalism we’ve lived with for so long.

Just how to use colour in our homes baffles many – so as advised by Lucy Hamilton from @lucyhamiltonathome , why not choose a small room, like your laundry room or spare bedroom, and just go for it, remembering if you don’t like it, change it.

Nicola from @the_girl_with_the_green_sofa suggests that when going bold, tester pots are essential. For a teeny tiny outlay up front they will save you money, time and frustration in the long run.  I swear by Resene testpots prior to launching into any new paint project.

If going dark, think lighting, lighting, lighting.  Angie, from  @somethingbluehome has this advice: “You need to overdose on the lighting and aim to have at least eight different light sources as this will transform the space and create that soft and seductive mood. I recommend putting all lights on dimmers where possible. Oh, and lots of lamps too!”

Colour is such a personal thing, so be sure to listen to your own emotional response to the colours you like and those you’re not so keen on. Anna of @annalysejacobs says: “Listen closely to your own reaction to colour, as it might well contradict colour psychology and theory, and that’s okay.”

How to use colour in your home is an emotive and endless subject, but the essentials are starting small and doing what you love.

Three of the colours I’m loving right now:

Resene RivergumResene Sunbaked

DELIGHTS FOR HOME

IN STORE

THE RIALTO CENTRE 163 BROADWAY, NEWMARKET 09 524 5890 RETREATNZ.CO.NZ

Introducing SUTRAM…

An ode to the bed.

SUTRAM is a new Sydney-based textile house with a focus on organic cotton bedwear and accents for the home.

Founded by Rukaiya Daud and Kate Fowler, their approach to design is grounded in the interplay between colours and the tensions that occur between them. Rukaiya and Kate believe bedwear should not remain static. Instead, it can be a medium for selfexpression while also reflecting your constantly evolving states.

The name SUTRAM is a Sanskrit or Tamil word meaning overarching formula, plan, string, or thread. Sutras must be concise, meaningful and true. It’s a sentiment that holds much meaning for both Kate and Rukaiya, and one that echoes throughout both their ethos and the range of their collection. They created SUTRAM with the intent that pieces can be integrated into one’s life with ease - either piece by piece, or as a complete set. Their goal is to prompt people to incorporate

colour and comfort into their lives in an approachable and inviting way.

SUTRAM cotton percale is crisp, smooth, and cool to the touch. The 300 thread count sheets are made from 100% organic, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Fairtrade certified cotton. They are ethically made in India and use nontoxic dyes.

“Inventive use of colour has been, and continues to be, an endless source of inspiration for us, capturing our imaginations, lifting our mood, and being both an architectural element and medium for self-expression,” says Kate. “SUTRAM was born from our mutual love of colour, craft, and people,

and through it, we set upon a truly exciting exploration of the senses that we hope translates into our offering.”

“Ethical and environmentally conscious production was non-negotiable for Kate and I,” adds Rukaiya. “We are proud to work alongside suppliers who go over and above in both the execution of their ethical and environmental efforts. From inception, we are firmly committed to minimising our impact on the environment, and in our own – very –small way, continue to focus on ensuring meaningful long-term impact through our conscious production choices.”

SUTRAM is available from late September at studio-sutram.com and stocked at Simon James stores.

Heavenly Brøndby Haveby

The town of Brøndby Haveby proves the Danes know a thing or two about suburbia as well.

Imagined as a place to promote community spirit by visionary landscape architect Erik Mygind, Brøndby Haveby, also known as Brøndby Garden City and built in 1964, springs from sprawling, ripe fields and forestland around a half-hour drive west of downtown Copenhagen. What makes it so unique is that the community’s cluster of dwellings are arranged in circular patterns that need to be seen from the air to be truly appreciated – and believed!

Arial shots showcase interconnected collections of streets and houses with inward facing gardens fused around a central circular plaza, rooted together by single swirls of road. From above, the captivating designs look akin to a collection of giant snowflakes or crop circles or “an alien civilization” or “giant pizza with each slice a home” as described by photographer Henry Do whose drone images of Brøndby Haveby went viral a few years ago after he discovered the circular settlement by chance while on holiday with his wife. The place looks just as mind-bending when viewed on Google Earth, too, perhaps even reminiscent of koru before it begins to unfurl.

While seemingly futuristic, the philosophy behind the layout takes its cues from centuries-old Danish villages which would use their centres as focal points to socialise with neighbours. Hobbies are also encouraged. These areas are known as ‘Colony

Gardens’ owing to their designated allotments which allow locals to grow produce, and while each of the 284 houses have their own well-sized backyards, the communal gardens need to be rented, priced at €130 ($220) per month. Local zoning laws, however, means that residents may only stay for six months of the year (usually April-October), so plants and produce need to be planned accordingly.

Similar to baches here in Aotearoa New Zealand, Denmark has a cabin culture whereby more well-off city folk will often buy a bucolic bolthole for weekend and extended breaks – a culture that the utopian Brøndby Haveby perfectly taps into. However, those considering a second home in Scandinavia shouldn’t get too excited as the dwellings of Brøndby Garden City can only be purchased by those who live within a 20km radius of the village.

Through radical and progressive initiatives and policies like city-wide cycling systems, smart sewers, waste-to-energy plants, seawater abstraction for cooling, and green urban gathering spaces, Copenhagen has long been viewed as a paragon of urban design and planning.

Changing Perceptions

A Q&A with Curated Botanics’ family team of Abbey, Heather and John who are taking a fresh approach to faux flowers with the launch of their highly anticipated 2022 Christmas Collection.

PHOTOGRAPHS SAMUEL HARTNETT

Tell us how your faux flower business came about?

ABBEY: As an interior designer with Abbey Lang Home, I always see space for beautiful flowers in clients’ homes. I’m a big believer that botanicals are an important finishing touch in most spaces, helping houses feel like home. As much as we love fresh flowers, the downside is that after a week or so, they’ve finished their life and leave an empty space. Fortunately, I have the most incredibly talented sister, Heather, who’s an experienced florist with a fine arts degree in floral sculpture, while my husband John has a sales and marketing background. He was ready for a new challenge and had been keen to build a family business for a long time. So, we all created Curated Botanics.

Heather, you’ve worked as a florist for 20 years, how have you found the switch from working with fresh to faux?

HEATHER: Although I love fresh flowers, there are so many benefits to using faux stems, and the quality of the stems has come such a long way that most people assume our arrangements are real. My experience with fresh flowers does make me very picky in choosing what we work with, and I’m always naturally drawn to

the flowers or foliage that are most true to nature. I do get great satisfaction in being able to design our arrangements with the vases or vessels and knowing that these will get placed as is for a permanent art piece in someone’s home or workplace. I also love that when I have a specific brief for an arrangement in a home, for wedding flowers, or for corporate displays, I’m not restricted by what’s in season. I can source stems in various sizes, colours, and styles, which allows me to be quite particular. Faux also takes us beyond flowers and we make plenty of foliage-based arrangements and have potted indoor plants and trees as part of our offerings.

As a young business, how has covid impacted you? Have there been some benefits such as fresh flower prices becoming so high?

JOHN: We’re growing steadily since launching the business two-and-a-half years ago, which was just before the first lockdown in Auckland. Although there have been challenges – which most businesses have experienced –opportunities have also arisen which have certainly assisted us in building the business and brand. People have spent more time at home and have wanted to invest in a few special pieces that bring them joy through what has been a tough

few years. Being an online business, we’ve also benefited from the increased attention on social media which has provided the platform for people to discover and get to know us.

Tell us about your recently launched Christmas Collection?

A: Each year we design a limited range of wreaths, garlands and Christmas arrangements so that people can make their homes that extra bit special for the festive season. We aim to capture ‘Kiwi summer Christmas’ in our designs and this year’s collection consists of six ranges including: Jingle Bells of traditional red and green; White Christmas which comprises classical white and green; the beach house vibe of Coastal; Foraged, for a gathered garden feel; and Hot Summers Day – think hot pinks in a refined style.

How are these produced and how do they last?

H: Our small team make all wreaths and garlands by hand – meaning lots of cutting, tying and gluing – using many individual stem components that we spend most of the year sourcing. The handcrafted nature means that no two pieces are ever identical, but this adds to the charm. We include storage/gift boxes

with each piece so customers can store them and use for many Christmases ahead – we see them as heirloom pieces which customers can add to from year to year.

The Christmas tablescapes with the garlands and centrepieces look beautiful – are the supporting items also available for purchase?

A: Yes, we design the various styles of tablescapes with the goal of making it as easy as possible to recreate the look in your home for Christmas or dinner parties. So essential items like candlesticks, napkin rings, hurricane vases, brass bells, napkins, styling trays, tablecloths, and even the sprigs are all available for purchase.

Is there anything else exciting in the pipeline?

J: Beyond our website summer new releases, we look forward to growing our service offerings around bespoke work; in-home viewings allowing the arrangements to be brought into your home for testing in position; gift-box collections; and working with some partners on brand collaborations.

CLOTHINGGIRL DESIGNER RECYCLE

Clothinggirl Designer Recycle is based at Greenwood's Corner Epsom and open 7 days with free parking right outside.

We have an amazing range of designer labels from NZ and overseas and also stock samples and end of lines.

We cater for sizes 6 to 22 and offer free in-store styling.

553 Manukau Road Epsom, Auckland 09 623 0993

45 years of tailoring and making interesting shirts for men, this summer’s range packs a punch. 100% cotton, made in NZ. A wide range of accessories available.

19 O’Connell St, AKL CBD 09 309 0600 strangelynormal.com

1. Oscar De La Renta Gold-Tone Beaded Clip Earrings 2. Khaite Opal Open-Knit Maxi Dress 3. Charms Company Les Bonbons 14-Karat Gold, Enamel & Quartz Ring

Norma Kamali Elephant Pant In Blonde 5. Roxanne Assoulin Patchwork Set Of 12 Gold-Tone Beaded Bracelets

Completedworks GoldPlated Pearl & Resin Earrings

Alaïa Buckled Laser-Cut Leather Cuff 8. Paco Rabanne XL Link Silver-Tone & Resin Earrings

Roxanne Assoulin Alphabet Soup Enamel Bracelet 10. Oscar De La Renta Primavera Gold-Tone, Enamel, Crystal & Faux Pearl Necklace 11. Stella Mccartney The Beatles Get Back Cropped Embroidered Intarsia Cardigan 12. Loewe Patchwork HighRise Wide-Leg Jeans 13. Balmain Houndstooth Stretch-Knit Flared Pants 14. Stella Mccartney The Beatles Get Back Printed Cotton-Jersey Wide-Leg Track Pants

Roxanne Assoulin Set Of Three Enamel & Gold-Tone Bracelets

Mother The Back Road Denim Jacket

17. Begüm Khan Royal Crab Corsica Gold-Plated, Bead & Crystal Clip Earrings 18. Gabriela Hearst Annibale Crocheted Cashmere Sweater 19. Begüm Khan Elephant Gold-Plated, Bead And Crystal Clip Earrings 20. Roxanne Assoulin Mama Set Of Two Gold-Tone And Enamel Bracelets 21. Roxanne Assoulin Colour Therapy Set Of Eight Enamel & Gold-Tone Bracelets 22. Norma Kamali Elephant Pant In Black

New Jewel

lisahoskin.co.nz

She returned to New Zealand in 1993 and has continued to create since, opening her new studio, Lisa Hoskin Jewellery, in Osborne Street this year.

Was jewellery making a pathway you’d always envisioned for yourself?

I was performing and writing lyrics in the 80s Auckland music scene. When I moved to Siena in the early 90s, I had a different kind of cultural awakening. I became involved with making and selling jewellery through friends who made bigiotteria in Florence and they helped me with lessons to get started. Years later I found an old brochure about jewellery courses in Italy that I’d had since the 80s and had completely forgotten about. So, it felt like the idea was in my subconscious, pulling me along.

Does the inspiration you found in Siena continue to form part of your design aesthetic?

Living in Tuscany I was immersed in the Renaissance and medieval arts. My initial pieces were heavily influenced by this and still today I use Italian phrases or poetry cast into gold, silver or sandblasted onto glass. Before the pandemic I travelled back to Siena with my daughter and rekindled much of my inspiration. We met with old friends who have children my daughter now keeps in touch with. I also sourced new materials and products for the showroom, including a lovely range of handmade glass jewellery from Murano.

How has your style evolved over the years?

Initially I was making a Renaissance-influenced range using Italian miniatures but over the years this has progressed to sandblasted glass, silver and gold ranges. These days I also curate a collection of international brands unique to the LH showroom in Newmarket.

What is it about jewellery that creates such personal and sentimental value?

Jewellery often reminds us of loved ones or of a time and place. It could be gifted, inherited, or a thing of beauty we’ve chosen for ourselves. The tactile nature of a piece can be important. For example, a pendant that’s smooth and soothing to the touch – a touchstone or talisman can be a comfort to wear and easy to become attached to. Natural stones evoke sentiment as the amazing forms and colours are created over millennia and can be awe inspiring.

I particularly love seeing customers from the early days with their pieces that are still so treasured. I get to hear the wonderful stories attached to pieces that were special gifts, worn at weddings, and have played a part in their history.

How does the design of your new store reflect the aesthetic that you create in your jewellery pieces?

I love the character of the new showroom in Osborne Street. The high stud, brick, wood, and dappled light gives a boho luxe vibe that suits the collections and is inspiring to work in. The high wooden ceiling gives a feel similar to the 11th-century workspace I used in Italy years ago, and my original workroom in Emily Place in Auckland, which was built in 1901, had a similar feel.

Your favourite piece that you’ve created?

This is always changing but currently it’s the Wild at Heart Pendant in 14k gold or sterling silver.

Lisa Hoskin began designing jewellery in 1992 in the central Italian town of Siena.

Coffee O’Clock

WORDS JAMIE CHRISTIAN DESPLACES

Legend has it that coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi who noticed that his animals acted peculiarly energetic after eating the fruits from a certain tree.

Coffee almost certainly did originate in Ethiopia, possibly discovered by the nomadic Oromo people. It made its way north to the Arabia Peninsula sometime during the 13th century where it was first roasted to be used as a drink we’d recognise today and was especially popular for the purpose of alertness during lengthy prayers. By the 15th and 16th centuries, the crop was grown throughout the Middle East and North Africa. European traders soon discovered what became known as the “noble tree” (or “Satan’s drink” by some Christians, until it received papal approval from Clement VIII) and was exported to be grown in their new colonies in Asia and South and Central America.

Today, Europe accounts for most of the world’s top 10 coffee drinking nations per capita, and, according to some estimates, New Zealand isn’t far too behind. A study by Wild Bean found that more than 70 percent of Kiwis consume at least one coffee a day, with nearly a quarter consuming at least three; the most popular order of course being the flat white.

“Coffee wasn’t a big thing in New Zealand when filter was the only option, but when espresso bars started popping up in the early 90s, we managed to pair espresso with our amazing dairy industry to make – and possibly create – the flat white,” says Andrew Smart, owner of Espresso Workshop, one of Auckland’s first roasteries. “The flat white is an absolute phenomenon in New Zealand, and we take great pride in preparing it to the highest standard. New Zealanders love to brunch too. We’ve been pioneers in brunching, taking late-morning casual dining to a higher standard than you would see in many other prominent cities around the world.”

The backstory of the flat white is of course the cause of some beef between Aotearoa and Australia, perhaps even more contentious than who owns Russell Crowe, or pavlova. According to Aussie Alan Preston he coined the phrase at his Sydney café in 1985, inspired by the 1960s cafes of his home state Queensland that sold ‘White coffee – flat’. But former Wellington barista Frank McInnes claims he came up with the flat white by accident in 1989 when he messed up a cappuccino by not properly frothing the milk, telling the customer: “Sorry, it’s a flat white.” Throwing a spanner in the works (or a spoon in the flat white?!), coffee book author and founder of Sydney’s Belaroma Coffee, Ian Bersten, reckons the drink more likely originated in 1950s Britain.

Are there other coffee-related facts or stories that most are unaware of?

“People needlessly obsess about how how crema looks. There are things you can tell about an espresso shot by looking at crema, but here’s the kicker: crema tastes like crap! It’s dry and astringent, and if there’s lots of it, your espresso will not taste good. I always wait for the crema to dissipate before drinking espresso.”

Andrew also urges against the drinking of Indonesia's kopi luwak (known as weasel coffee in Vietnam) said to be the world’s most expensive and exclusive coffee owing to it being made from the partially digested – and fully excreted – beans of the palm civet, a small Southeast Asian mammal (often nicknamed civet or tree cats, but they’re not types of cats).

“Talk about overhyped and unethical. Most of the kopi luwak coffee out there tastes bad and is fake, and even if it’s not fake

“The flat white is an absolute phenomenon in New Zealand, and we take great pride in preparing it to the highest standard.”

then just think about how inhumane it is to process enough coffee cherries through those poor palm civets to produce a 60kg sack of green coffee. Horrible!”

With greater awareness of responsibly-made products and sustainable farming practices, there’s a growing number of people interested in the backstory of their coffee too.

“Many coffee consumers want to feel good about what they are drinking, whether that’s for quality, or social or ethical reasons,” adds Andrew. “There’s a segment of the coffee market who are very interested about the story of the coffee, the farm details, the processing method, the varietal of coffee, and so on – all of which will also indicate how the coffee will taste. It’s really down to the development of the industry, which I think is not just reflected in coffee but in many other products that are traded globally.”

Andrew emphasises that coffee shouldn’t be viewed as just a product, but an experience to be enjoyed like tastings at vineyard.

“Coffee is not just a cup of joe. It offers so much more than that. I’ve always used the analogy of comparing it to the wine market. People are very aware of the characteristics of certain wine regions, and coffee is no different – the terroir is a huge driver in coffee-taste characteristics. You can have some amazing flavour experiences with coffee, I’d recommend people google the coffee flavour wheel to see the amazing range of aroma and flavour descriptors. We want to offer the customer some insight into that world of flavour variation. I’ve always held the belief that our customers don’t mind change, so long as it tastes good.”

Bean There, Done That

Coffee trees only grow in sub-tropical and tropical regions in around 60 countries, with Brazil being by far the biggest producer accounting for nearly a third of the world’s coffee. Vietnam is next, producing around half of Brazil’s tally.

The Fairtrade Foundation estimate over 125 million people rely on coffee for their livelihoods, with 25 million smallholder farms producing 80% of the world’s supply.

Fairtrade coffee farmers produce around 560,900 tonnes of coffee a year - enough for nearly 60 billion single espressos.

It takes up to five years for a coffee tree to reach full maturity, producing fruit (called coffee berries or cherries) ready to be harvested, usually by hand.

A single tree averages 5-6kg of berries yearly, good for 2k g of coffee beans.

The trees can live for as long as a century, producing fruit for around 20 years.

The bean is the tree’s seed, protected by the pulp and husk of the berry that needs to be removed, either by hand or machine. Most berries contain two seeds pressed against each other, which is why one side of those roasted coffee beans is flat.

· The methods by which the seed is extracted then washed, dried, and treated is known as processing. This varies between regions and affects the flavour.

· Once dried, the green beans are ready to be packaged and shipped to be roasted (that takes only around 10 minutes), the final step before they’re ground to be brewed to be enjoyed by you.

Ground Coffee

Sam is the owner of Ground Coffee in Auckland CBD. His coffee experience stems back to 2012 learning from Altezano Coffee Roasters in Mt Eden before heading to London to soak up much industry experience working for the legends at Kaffeine in Fitzrovia and the then-brand-new Catalyst in Holborn. Having been fully immersed in the London coffee and hospitality scene inspired Sam to open Ground Coffee in March 2020.

Ground is a small coffee and brunch bar with an extremely high emphasis on coffee. Sam works closely with Ben and Matt from Be Specialty Coffee Roasters. The goal is to constantly introduce new and exciting single origin espresso and filter coffees served at the highest possible quality yet deliver a consistent house blend that’s rich and full bodied, making the ever-so-popular Kiwi flat white so delicious.

Win Your Cake and Eat It

The Caker's Espresso Dark Chocolate cake is smooth in texture and deep in coffee flavour.

The chunks of Callebaut 70% dark chocolate add an extra layer of luxury. Both cake and icing are made with only the best quality espresso extract from Coffee Supreme which is then dusted with a delicate blanket of the finest Dutch cocoa.

WIN One standard Espresso Dark Chocolate cake decorated with fresh flowers (10-12 serves), valued at $95. Winner must be Auckland based. See how to enter on page 138 .

205 Queen Street, Auckland CBD groundcoffee.shop

Altura Café & Roastery

23 Douglas Alexander Parade, Albany alturacoffee.co.nz

Altura Café & Roastery has recently launched a brand-new menu and express toast menu, both expertly put together by head chef Brad Allen. The menus focus on high-quality and locally sourced seasonal produce, all paired with specialty coffee offerings such as single origin soft brew, cold nitro brew, or a good old flat white – Altura Café hits all the brunchtime musts.

On your way out grab a bag of freshly roasted coffee, ground to your brew preference, or visit their website and use discount code VERVE15 to receive 15% off all coffee until 31 December.

ROASTING BLOODY GOOD COFFEE FOR

Chocolate & Zucchini Cake with Luscious Cream-Cheese Icing

I promise you can’t actually see, taste or smell the zucchini in this cake. Instead, the vegetable adds moisture and helps create a beautiful, classic chocolate cake that makes a perfect celebration centrepiece when loaded up with berries and slathered in the best icing ever. It’s easy to handle, including to

slice and fill with extra icing, and will keep fresh for days in the fridge. Coffee adds a depth of flavour and additional moisture to the batter, but you won’t taste it unless you make an extrastrong cup.

Ingredients Method

3 eggs

150g sour cream

250ml (1 cup) vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)

170ml (2/3 cup) black coffee, cooled

2 tsp vanilla extract

270g (2 cups) finely grated zucchini (courgette) (from 2–3 zucchini)

325g (1.6 cups) brown sugar

1 tsp salt

300g (2 cups) self-raising flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

90g (¾ cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

Cream-cheese icing

375g (3 cups) icing (confectioners’) sugar

85g (2/3 cup) good-quality cocoa powder

150g salted butter, at room temperature

375g cream cheese, at room temperature

To fill and top

250ml (1 cup) double-thickened (dollop) cream

400g cherries and mixed berries

Swaps

Cherries and berries – poached pears, or fresh plums or figs

Coffee – hot water

Wine

Serves: 10-12 Food

Recipe extracted from The Shared Kitchen by Clare Scrine

RRP $49.99, Smith Street Books Available 27 September 2022

Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced Line two 25–30 cm springform cake tins with baking paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, cooled coffee and vanilla until well combined and a little frothy. Add the zucchini and stir well to combine. In a separate large bowl, combine the sugar, salt, flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined, ensuring you scrape right to the bottom of the bowl to mix well. Distribute the mixture evenly between the two prepared tins, then transfer to the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out mostly clean. It’s important not to overcook the cakes, so keep a close eye on them. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes, then snap off the sides of the tins and leave to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the cream-cheese icing. Sift and combine the icing sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside. In a separate larger bowl, beat the butter with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat until incorporated and smooth. Add the icing sugar mixture in two batches, beating well to combine after each addition.

Place one of the cakes on a serving stand or plate. Top with a thin layer of icing, using the back of a spoon or a knife to spread and swirl the icing so that it’s flat and evenly distributed. Spread the cream over the top, then arrange about half the berries over that. Carefully add a thin layer of icing to the remaining cake, then place, icing side down, on top of the berries, pressing gently to ensure it sits flat. Top the cake generously with the remaining icing, spreading it all around the cake with a flat spatula or spreader. Top with the remaining berries and serve.

Beans and Quelites Tamales

Region: Central Mexico

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Preparation Time: 45 minutes, plus 20 minutes resting

Serves: 12

Ingredients Method

60g onion, sliced

2 tablespoons corn oil

500g quelites (wild greens), or spinach, watercress or any edible green leaf, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 cups (340g) cooked black beans, with some of their cooking liquid

3 large sprigs epazote, leaves finely chopped

1 cup (250ml) water, vegetable stock or bean broth

11/3 cups (300g) vegetable shortening

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon fine salt

8¾ cups (1kg) masa harina

2 bunches of dried corn husks, soaked in hot water until soft, then drained sea salt

Sauté the onion in a pan with some of the oil, add the chopped quelites (wild greens) and cook until any juices are released. Season with salt to taste and tip into a strainer (sieve). Using the back of a spoon, press the leaves against the strainer or squeeze them between your hands, to remove all excess liquid. Set aside.

In another pan, cook the black beans in the remaining oil, until they lose most of their liquid. Smash with a potato masher. Add the chopped epazote leaves and salt to taste. Set aside.

Beat the stock, shortening, baking powder and fine salt into the masa harina. If it’s too stiff, add more liquid a little at a time.

Take a corn husk and spread a generous spoonful of corn dough onto it. Next, add a tablespoon of beans at the centre of the corn husk and another of quelites. Close the tamal by folding the sides of the husk inwards and then the bottom tip back over to enclose that end.

Place the basket in a steamer and pour water into it – the water must not exceed the level of the basket. Line the basket with corn husks and place the tamales standing upright, with open ends up, just tightly enough to keep them standing. Lay a few soaked corn husks or a damp tea towel over the top of the tamales before adding the lid, to prevent steam from escaping.

Cook over high heat for 1 hour or until the dough comes off the corn husk easily when the tamale is unwrapped. Let the tamales rest, covered, for 20 minutes before serving.

Recipe extracted from The Mexican Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte RRP $90, Phaidon

Zucchini Flower Chileatole

Region: Oaxaca

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients Method

8 cups (1kg) tender fresh corn kernels

8 cups (2L) water or vegetable stock

2/3 cups (200g) masa harina

6 Oaxacan pasilla chiles, lightly dry-roasted, seeded, and soaked in hot water until soft 500g zucchini (courgette) flowers, cleaned and each cut into 2–3 pieces

30g fresh epazote leaves sea salt tortillas, to serve

Recipe extracted from The Mexican Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte

RRP $90, Phaidon

In a medium pan, boil the corn kernels in the water or stock, with salt added, until tender. Add the masa harina, first dissolved in a cup of the water or stock. Pour into the pan, stirring continuously.

In a food processor or blender, blend the chiles and pass through a strainer (sieve) into the pan. Season with salt and boil for 15 minutes, stirring to prevent it from sticking, until the mixture thickens. Add the zucchini (courgette) flowers and boil for 2 minutes.

Check the seasoning, stir through the epazote leaves and serve hot, with freshly made, warm tortillas.

Chef’s tip: If you cannot get Oaxacan pasilla chiles, use 3 ancho and 1–2 morita instead.

Fresh Fig Cake

Region: all Mexico

Preparation Time: 20 minutes, plus 5 hours chilling

Serves: 6

Ingredients Method

2kg ripe but firm, fresh figs

1/3 cup (75g) vanilla sugar

1 cup (250ml) whipping cream, plus extra to serve

7–8 individual meringues

½ cup (120ml) cognac or brandy (optional)

Recipe extracted from The Mexican Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte RRP $90, Phaidon

Peel the figs carefully, from the stem end downwards, then cut in half lengthwise.

Line a fluted ring mould with plastic wrap (cling film) and arrange the figs cut side down, layering them with the vanilla sugar and pressing them a little with your fingers and the palm of your hand. Continue until you have used up all the figs and sugar, and the layers reach 2cm below the top rim of the mould.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight with something heavy on top of the figs to keep them compressed, such as food cans.

A couple of hours before serving, whisk the whipping cream to firm peaks. Spread the cream over the figs, cover with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator to set.

Immediately before serving, remove the mould from the refrigerator and peel back the plastic wrap. Press the peaks of the meringues into the cream, so their flat bases are level with the surface of the cream, spacing them evenly around the ring mould. Flip the mould upside down onto a round serving platter. Using the plastic wrap lining to help you, lift off the ring mould.

If you like, heat the cognac or brandy carefully in a metal ladle over a direct flame and, using a long match, ignite and very carefully pour over the figs. Let the flames subside before serving, with whipped cream.

Granny Celia’s Flan

Region: all Mexico

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients Method

4 tablespoons superfine (caster) sugar

3 large eggs

1 x 397g can sweetened condensed milk

1 x 377g can evaporated milk

½ cup minus 2 tablespoons (90g) good-quality cream cheese

Heat the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it melts. Cook until it turns a deep golden brown colour, then pour the caramel into a flan mould and rotate the pan carefully, using a tea towel to protect your hands, so the insides are coated in caramel.

In a bowl, beat the eggs, then whisk in the milks, then the cream cheese. Whisk for 5 minutes until foamy, then pour into the flan mould. Cover with foil and place in a pressure cooker. Add water to come halfway up the sides of the mould, then place on the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes from the moment it starts to sound.

Let the pressure cooker cool, remove the lid and then the mould. Remove the foil and invert the flan onto a serving platter.

Chef’s tip: You can also cook this in individual ovenproof containers in a roasting tray of hot water, in an oven set to 160°C/Gas Mark 3 for 30 minutes.

Recipe extracted from The Mexican Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte RRP $90, Phaidon

KAI PASIFIKA, a celebration of Blue Pacific cuisine, is being held at Peter Gordon’s acclaimed Homeland restaurant at Westhaven, Auckland, in the week 3-6 October.

KAI PASIFIKA introduces unique ingredients from Pacific Island producers to New Zealand chefs, importers, distributors, food lovers, and media.

The festival includes 25 invited chefs (including five of the Blue Pacific’s finest chefs sponsored by the New Zealand government, alongside Kiwi locals) spontaneously creating new dishes from the mountain of specially-imported Blue Pacific Continent ingredients.

Vanilla

Although native to central America, vanilla plants find perfect growing conditions in the Blue Pacific Continent too. Vanilla tahitensis is the variety commercially grown here, having established itself securely after being introduced to Tahiti in 1848. Vanilla is the second-most expensive spice after saffron because growing the vanilla seed pods is so labour-intensive.

The Loska family managing Vanille du Pacific has been working with the best Tahitian vanilla growers over the years, supporting more than 200 of them in remote Polynesian islands. www.vanille-pacific.com

Venui Vanilla in Vanuatu has perfected a cultivation system plus processing and curing methods that represent the ultimate in vanilla production. Venui Vanilla works closely with local growers and their communities across six islands in Vanuatu. www.venuivanilla.com

Rums

Sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) originated in Papua New Guinea and Melanesia, and spread around the world from there. Naturally the islands of the Blue Pacific Continent are perfect for growing sugar cane - and for making rum.

83 Islands Distillery makes premium craft rum and spirits using Vanuatu ingredients. Their 2020 Rhum Agricole is made with wild sugar-cane. The South Pacific sub-tropical climate creates an exceptional environment for rum ageing. 83islands.com

The event is an initiative of Pacific Trade Invest NZ, which for more than 30 years has been the Pacific region’s lead trade promotion agency, the trade and investment arm of the Pacific Islands Forum. It is funded by MFAT.

KAI PASIFIKA will help strengthen relationships between Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific, and foster cultural exchange through food creativity. Importantly too, it will encourage export opportunities for fine foodstuffs from the Blue Pacific Continent.

KAI PASIFIKA introduces these products to New Zealand’s speciality food importers, fine restaurants and foodies.

The Distillerie Moux David has about 13ha of sugar cane plantation on Tahiti as well as fruit tree orchards. Their Tamure Dream is a rum with the scent of wild oranges from the mountains of Tahiti.

Terre du Sud rums are produced and distilled on rich and preserved land in New Caledonia by Distillerie du Soleil. Their sugar canes and local fruits, picked and peeled by hand, bring incomparable aromas. The white rum won the silver medal at the Concours Général Agricole of the Salon International de l’Agriculture 2019 edition.

www.facebook.com/distilleriedusoleil.nc

Seafood

Naturally, the Blue Pacific Continent is the world’s largest seafood resource. And with sustainable harvesting, it will continue to be so into the future. The unique New Caledonian blue prawns (Litopenaeus stylirostris), are produced by aquaculture company SOPAC. A survey by the University of Marine Science & Technology, Tokyo, revealed that the levels of some amino acids are particularly high in cristal blue prawns, giving them a special sweet flavour. sopac.nc/en/our-products

Golden Ocean Fish’s core business is sustainable tuna long-line fishing, processing and exporting of yellow fin, big eye and albacore tuna. Also other Blue Pacific deep sea fish - marlin, swordfish, mahimahi, wahoo, opah, escolar, sailfish and spearfish. All products carry SQF Code Edition 9.0 certifications. Golden Ocean Fish are listed in the EU list of exporters, and are USFDA approved.

Spices

Spices are synonymous with the Blue Pacific Continent too, with their heady fragrances spreading far and wide. Bora Bora Sea Salt is produced naturally on the French Polynesian Island of the same name. Bora Bora Sea Salt is offered as a pure product, or mixed with Tahitian vanilla, or ginger and curcuma, or coconut. www.boraboraseasalt.com

Fresh Produce

Think of the islands of the Blue Pacific Continent, and you immediately envisage the greenery of coconut palms, exotic fruit trees and taro plantations.

Tukai Fiji snap freezes its white and golden taro, and cassava produce within 24 hours of harvest to lock in all the flavour and goodness. The produce is organically grown on rich volcanic soil with abundant rainfall. Tuikai is developing a new vision for export focused commercial farming, creating opportunities for smallholder Fijian farmers who would otherwise be unable to access export markets. Taro is one of the worlds’s most ancient crops with cultivation in the Pacific Islands for over 20,000 years. www.tuikaifood.com

Fiji Fire Chilli Sauce is a blend of hand-picked native bongo chillies, local wild-harvest turmeric, naturally brewed vinegar, carrots and sea salt. It is all natural, has no additives, no extra flavouring, and no preservatives. Venui in Vanuatu has expanded to cultivating other spices including pepper, chilli, ginger and turmeric. Venui’s pepper undergoes curing and processing within a few hours of harvesting, in a purposely designed solar tunnel dryer.

Cacao and Chocolate

Like vanilla, cacao trees also originated in central America and the Amazon Basin: and find ideal growing conditions in the Blue Pacific Continent.

Honey

The Blue Pacific Continent is a haven for bees, with many islands remaining disease free. Niue Honey is certified organic and completely free from chemicals (including glyphosates), disease and parasites. Niue’s bees have never suffered from Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Niue Honey won two First-in-Class golds and was named Best International Honey at the UK’s 85th National Honey Show - the Oscars of world honey.

www.niuehoney.co

Coffee

Coffee production in the Blue Pacific Continent may well escape the huge hit that climate change will bring to many farmers elsewhere in the world. Banz Kofi is based in Papua New Guinea, roasting the freshest organic single origin Arabica coffee beans from the Waghi Valley. Complex flavours are developed that lack the acidity of many coffee brands.

www.banzkofi.com

KAI PASIFIKA will also feature the Pacific Island Wake Up blend from South Pacific Coffee Company, Fiji.

Gaston Chocolat is produced from pure single origin Vanuatu cocoa. The company is close to a network of farmers, and flies out to remote islands to visit them. Gaston Chocolat handles the whole harvest and post-harvest process, from the fruits on the trees to turning them into chocolate bars. www.gastonchocolat.com

The Cacao Ambassador

Cacao Butter, Cacao Nibs, and 100% Cacao Paste – three products from The Cacao Ambassador coming to New Zealand. Sourced from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, these products come from over 18 years of experience in the craft chocolate industry and experiencing the disconnect between chocolate and the farming communities who grow cacao. www.thecacaoambassador.com

Baking Ingredients

The Blue Pacific Continent can provide amazing root crops as staples, which also produce versatile gluten-free flours including cassava and breadfruit.

Friend Fiji adds to this with Seven Grains, a traditional Indian super food known as Satwa or seven toasted grains - maize, red rice, cowpeas, pigeon peas, green gram, black gram, chickpeas. It’s used for breakfast and various delicacies.

Turmeric powder harvested from the hills of Vanua Levu is 100% Organic. Also in the Friend Fiji range - desiccated coconut, cinnamon and lemon grass teas, and kava. friendfiji.com

For trade enquires please contact Aude Douyére aude.douyere@pacifictradeinvest.com

Fiji Fijiana produces a Japanese-style cacao curry mix, made from healthy ingredients. The best quality sourced from the Fijian hinterland.

Taste & Drink

Wine columnist and connoisseur DENNIS KNILL gives his views on two of the best wines for the month.

Renowned for its agriculture fruit bowls and combinations of good food and wine, Hawke’s Bay is the one of our oldest wine producers. While best known for its merlot, syrah, cabernet blends, and chardonnay, most grapes perform well here. There are over 70 wineries in the region, with one of the glamor estates being Church Road, made famous by legendary Tom McDonald who blazed a trail with his Bordeaux-style reds. Today, Chris Scott chief winemaker has taken over the mantle producing award-winning wines across a wide range of varietals.

’20 Church Road Single Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon $120

Game on. An exceptionally powerful fine tannin wine with intense colour and an abundance of concentrated flavour delivering great balance and texture on the palate. Will age well. Serve with venison, beef and lamb.

Slovenia’s Wine-Tasting Wonderland

The best country for wine tourism? Travel writer and winemaker Chris Boiling argues it’s Slovenia in Central Europe.

In the space of a few days and a few hundred miles, I have seen – and tasted – the world of wine, yet I’ve only been to one small, little-known country that is often overshadowed by those that surround it – Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. It’s divided into three incredible wine regions:

PODRAVJE

In the northeast, Podravje is best known for its aromatic dry white wines, from international grape varieties such as sauvignon blanc, riesling and traminer, and its regional flagship, furmint (Šipon locally).

In Podravje you will also find the country’s oldest sparkling wine producer, Radgonske Gorice, which has been making classic-method fizz since 1852. Its beautiful cellars include a waterfall and a Roman wheel.

POSAVJE

Posavje in the southeast is a hotspot for Modra Frankinja (Blaufränkish) and a strange light red, low-alcohol, highacid blend called Cviček. This is a blend of 70% reds and 30% whites, and is basically a mixture of the old varieties that survived phylloxera!

The repnice wine cellar is a must-see. The locals dug caves to store produce such as turnips – now they’re used to house wine and provide a great atmosphere for trying the local fare.

’20 Church Road Single Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay $100

A premium full bodied finely textured wine showcasing strong French oak aromas lifted with fresh citrus and great richness and a long soft acidity that cleanses the mouth. This is chardonnay at its best. Serve with seafood, chicken and pasta.

PRIMORJE

Primorje, to the west of Ljubljana, is Slovenia’s most productive wine region, producing about 25 million litres of wine a year.

The best-known wines are whites made from the regional flagship variety rebula (ribolla gialla), but there are also many well-made merlot-cabernet blends.

A Pill ‘n’ Tonic

WORDS JAMIE CHRISTIAN DESPLACES

Forget fixing climate change or ending world hunger, when you’re suffering a hangover, a cure for it feels like the representation of the absolute pinnacle of humankind, and certainly more sophisticated than two paracetamol and a Big Mac.

Little wonder that, according to Grande View Research Inc, the hangover cure industry will be worth US$4.67 billion within the next five years. If Myrkl has its way, it might be worth even more.

Myrkl is a first of its kind “ground-breaking supplement” from Swedish probiotics firm De Faire Medical, that has recently arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand having previously “taken the UK by storm”, selling out within 24 hours of its release. Rather than being a hangover cure, the all-natural and vegan-friendly probiotic pills promise to prevent you from even getting one in the first place. So, I thought it only right to put such grandiose claims to the test. Could there be a greater dream assignment? Who doesn’t want to get paid to get drunk (responsibly)?

However, adding a good dose of jeopardy to the proceedings, the packet of pills didn’t arrive until a few days before print day, when, though the occasional whisky can be of both calming and creative use, hangover-inducing sessions are best avoided. But, taking one (read: several) for the team, I pushed aside such concerns and embraced that famous quote wrongly attributed to Ernest Hemingway to “write drunk, edit sober”. (It does very much sound like something that good ol’ Papa would say, though.)

With no time to lose – and no beers in the fridge – I ‘borrowed’ a bottle of red from my partner’s stash. This didn’t go down well for two reasons. Firstly, because her stash consists of half-decent wines “too good to be drank for the sake of it”, and secondly – and most significantly – because my partner is seven months pregnant and understandably easily consumed with envy at the sight of me imbibing. Telling her that it’s a work assignment certainly didn’t help. Neither did pointing out that I’m surely owed some credit for having barely taken advantage of having a sober driver the past few months.

The Myrkl pills must be consumed at least two hours prior to drinking, and in the spirit of science and fairness I figured it best to start off relatively easy and build up the alcohol consumption over a few nights. So, I popped my first pair of pills and drank just half the bottle of wine. At the end of the (admittedly) small session, I felt strangely sober. This may be due to the fact that the pills work by supposedly breaking down up to 70% of alcohol after 60 minutes, essentially reducing how much enters both the bloodstream and the liver.

I awoke with zero hangover, and, at the risk of sounding like a gullible kook, strangely refreshed.

Night two I upped the ante, knocking back the rest of the red and several sizeable whiskies, certainly feeling the effects as I retired to bed.

The morning after, part two, I awoke with zero hangover and, at the risk of sounding like a gullible kook, strangely refreshed.

This can’t be real, it’s too good to be true.

Is there any worse feeling than waking with your tongue stuck to the roof of your mouth accompanied by that sinking dread, raging headache, and soul-sapping lethargy that – if you’re the wrong side of 30 (or in my case, 40) – will last for at least three days?

Night three, I was determined to get a bloody hangover.

There are few things to make you feel more of a degenerate than doing early evening, mid-week shots of tequila, on your own, at home, in front of your pregnant wife-to-be. Even if it is “for work”. We were also having quesadillas for dinner, so I convinced myself the tequila was fitting – and the six cans of beer I’d previously downed helped further take the edge off the guilt. Needless to say, I collapsed into bed and…

… awoke the morning after, part three, with a hangover. But you know what, it wasn’t a bad hangover.

I remember way back when reality TV was still an intriguing, slightly naïve social experiment, Big Brother contestants were given alcohol-free wine, but not told it was alcohol-free. Fascinatingly, it wasn’t long before they were slurring their words and flirting. The power of suggestion is a powerful thing, and we’re still only just learning about the mind’s ability to manage physical pain. There have been cases of monks meditating their way through surgery, not to mention motivational speaker and extreme athlete Wim Hoff climbing more than 7,000 metres up Mount Everest in his pants. Is that what could be happening here?

Proper scientific studies have been conducted for Myrkl, and the results are positive, while UK research found satisfaction rates to be around 70%. But critics argue that the experiments have so far been too small scale to yield satisfactory results. Further studies are underway.

Other writers have also expressed begrudging respect as to the efficacy of the pills, though falling short of outright endorsements, probably to not risk sounding like gullible kooks.

There’s also the issue of the pills encouraging excessive drinking habits. There’s certainly some weight to this, but then, it’s not often you hear of someone not drinking solely because they don’t want a hangover. It’s only once we have that hangover we promise to never drink again.

I won’t make a habit of ingesting the supplements every time I crack open a bottle, but I’ll certainly keep a packet in the cupboard for those nights out that you suspect have the potential to get messy. With the baby on the way, I’ll probably need them more than ever – that’s if I ever have time to socialise again.

The power of suggestion is a powerful thing, and we’re still only just learning about the mind’s ability to manage physical pain.

Is Reflux Causing Your Bad Teeth?

Reflux disease is a common condition with heartburn being the most recognisable symptom as the acid flows up from your upper stomach or lower chest towards your neck.

However, less known is that stomach acid can reach your mouth, causing a lot of damage to teeth. Below, Dr Andrea Shepperson, lead clinician at Lumino City Dental at Quay Park, writes about the relationship between reflux and dental health. She has a special interest in tooth wear, with her practice focused on its management.

From a dentist’s perspective, reflux causes a distinctive pattern of tooth wear.

You’re likely no stranger to dentists’ advice to lessen the intake of sugary drinks for your oral health – that’s partly because these drinks are often acidic. When teeth encounter something acidic, the enamel becomes softer for a while, increasing the risk of being eroded or dissolved away. Your saliva is protective and slowly cancels out this acidity until your mouth gets back to its natural balance. If acid attacks happen too often, or when the mouth is dry, your mouth doesn’t get time to repair itself, and over time you start to lose the surface of your teeth.

But acidic food and drinks aren’t the only source of acid in your mouth. Reflux brings up gastric acid and we may see hollows, pitting or craters in the back teeth of patients who look after their mouths well.

Other signs of reflux-induced erosion are sensitive grooves near the gumline,

thinning transparent front teeth, and wear of the palatal surfaces of the teeth, adjacent to the roof of the mouth.

It’s interesting to think that although reflux is defined as a digestive system problem, dentists are often the first healthcare professionals to notice the problem, especially for those patients with ‘silent reflux’, a term used to differentiate the less obvious reflux symptoms from the classic reflux symptoms such as heartburn.

Hidden, less obvious symptoms of reflux include:

• A hoarse, croaky voice or need to clear the throat.

Post-nasal drip.

• An acid taste in the mouth in the mornings.

• Bubbly, frothy saliva at the back of the tongue.

• Chronic cough, without asthma or a chest infection.

• Asthma that isn’t improving. A sore throat.

• A chronic lump in the throat.

Studies have also suggested silent reflux often affects us when we’re lying down or asleep. It’s surprising how far acid will reach, sitting at the back of the mouth creating a pooling of acid solution around the back teeth, or spreading around the mouth by tongue movements during sleep. Sometimes sleep problems can be associated with

reflux; snoring and waking gasping for air may also relate to reflux. We have cases where we refer patients to sleep apnea specialists when we suspect there is a connection.

That’s why I’m excited to be one of the first clinics in New Zealand to offer a saliva test called Peptest to help detect undiagnosed reflux in patients with no other obvious cause of damage to teeth.

About Peptest

Peptest is the world’s first non-invasive saliva test for reflux.

Ask your doctors if they provide Peptest in their clinics. If not, you can still book a test online at peptest.co.nz where all you need to do is to produce saliva samples as instructed and send them back for us to analyze.

citydental.co.nz

In the Bag

WORDS JAMIE CHRISTIAN DESPLACES

Research by Stanford University estimates around 180 extra health-related personal decisions need to be made each day to manage diabetes, decisions that require routines and equipment. Bridget Scanlan was 20 years old when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2010, and soon decided that there must be an easier, and more stylish, way to keep those routines and equipment – which may include blood test monitors, insulin pens, and emergency supplies for pumps – in check. Her solution was a “designer bag, designed for diabetes” which she christened KYT – an acronym for ‘keeping you together’.

“I’m quite a fashion-conscious person and consider bags to be a critical component of an outfit!” Bridget, who studied design in Wellington, tells Verve . “When I was diagnosed, I was just finishing uni and attending events, carting around the bulky equipment in this battered old nylon tote bag that was given to me by the hospital – it even came to the beach with me! I looked for something that would keep me feeling well organised and put together. But there was nothing.”

Like all great ideas, it seems so obvious, were you surprised to discover it hadn’t already been done?

“Yes, and I later learned that, following my diagnosis, friends and family members had searched for stylish diabetic bags as gift ideas.”

The KYT bag was debuted at a 2017 fashion show and “though the show wasn’t just targeted at the diabetes community, the idea still resonated”. The response was so overwhelming that it convinced Bridget that her idea “had legs”. Now, she’s about to launch her second range.

“Since then, the feedback has been so positive – and usually unprompted – that it’s given me the confidence to continue, rather than it just being some sort of pet project. It’s been so helpful because I tend to have that Kiwi mindset of perpetually doubting myself.”

Bridget is also keen to highlight the collaborative nature of her KYT bags, with “every zip, every angle, every equipment detail influenced by the insights gathered from the hundreds of incredible diabetics who’ve opened up and shared their diabetes stories – and gripes”. The new designs will be launched through a crowdfunding campaign.

Fashioned from ethically sourced leather, the bags boast blood-resistant linings (“that can be wiped down after the inevitable blood stains”) and features like medical ID slots and pockets for sharps and empties. Individual compartments allow you to “organise life essentials and medical equipment separately”.

The design and manufacturing processes involve mock-ups and meetings and video calls – often internationally – and reaching out to real life and online communities. Bridget has even undertaken a “research roadie” around the country to get further input: “Such collaboration is really helpful, rather than designing in a vacuum.”

I ask if a KYT community has now also blossomed.

“I think so. We have an established website and social media presence so when people reach out – especially those recently diagnosed – I’m able to put them in touch with

A staggering 422 million people around the world must deal with diabetes , with type 1 accounting for up 5-10% of cases. In Aotearoa New Zealand, around 30,000 Kiwis have type 1 diabetes, their routines involving the likes of finger prick tests and insulin injections several times daily.

people. I’ve heard of people being in the lift at work or walking along the street and seen someone else with a KYT bag and they’ve ended up talking and making friends. It was also the trigger for me to reach out and learn about so many cool communities out there which has definitely helped me with my own diabetes journey.”

Diabetes, Bridget adds, is often a “quiet condition”. When first diagnosed, she’d often feel uncomfortable to be open about it, in part because there’s so much misunderstanding out there. “You can get comments from people telling you what you should and shouldn’t be eating, or doing, which can be quite confronting in the moment. The bags are a way for people to be private. They don’t look like medical items and can be opened in a way to create a private “testing station” that can be used within the bag. But they can also encourage curious conversation, people are intrigued as to what it is which enables conversation to be approached and framed in a more positive way.”

How does the new range differ? “The first bag was just one size. We’ve learned that there is far more variety in how much people like to carry, some

like to carry all of their equipment and spares, while others take a more minimalist approach. So we’ve tried to accommodate everyone with three sizes, the smallest of which is around the size of a sunglasses case, which is likely to be more appealing to the men! And they all look very cool.”

So, do they appeal more to younger adults?

“We thought that would be the case, but we have customers well into their 90s!

“We’ve also had other health communities reach out about designing other bags. People from the ostomy communities, for example, who need stoma bags, as well as allergy and cancer communities who all require lots of equipment also. That’s really encouraging for the future, but our focus for the moment is around diabetes. Like it has for me, I hope KYT becomes a way for others to connect with the vibrant, supportive, empowering diabetes community out there, too.”

Find out more at kytbags.com

New KYTs at a Glance All three styles are all ethically crafted from consciously sourced premium leather and hardware. A portion of proceeds from every bag sold also goes to diabetes charities.

SideKYT: a contemporary crossbody bag that splits in two: life stuff up front, and diabetes stuff out back. Equipment is smartly organised, so you know you’ve got all you need at a glance. A testing station lets you test blood glucose levels straight from the bag. And a trash pouch snaps off to empty test-strips in a flash.

SideKYT+: for diabetics who want a bigger crossbody option to take more – more spares, more room for pump users (who depend on different equipment), and more peace of mind.

StarterKYT: made for all those who asked for a smarter way to take just the essentials. About the size of a sunglasses case, it smartly locks together with magnets. Unfolds completely flat to create a testing station, and folds back together in a snap.

Healthy Tradition

The Health Clinic opened in May 2021, and since then much has happened. Owners Stephen and Mary specialise in traditional Chinese medicine techniques such as acupuncture, cupping, moxa and Chinese herbal medicine. They’re thrilled to still be going after the pandemic and months of lockdowns, and still love meeting and welcoming new clients every day!

In 2021 there was a very exciting development for traditional Chinese medicine in NZ with the profession formally recognised as an Allied Health practice under the Ministry’s Health Practitioners Competency Assurance Act, and their new Chinese Medical Council will help regulate Chinese medicine training and practice in NZ. These important milestones recognise the healthcare benefits of Chinese medicine and the profession’s university degree level of training. It sees Chinese medicine placed on par with physiotherapy and osteopathy, for instance, and will ensure professional standards and safety for both patients and practitioners.

Stephen and Mary are highly qualified Chinese medicine practitioners. They are members of Acupuncture NZ and are ACC treatment providers, with extensive experience in male and female health and fertility, digestive and respiratory conditions, anxiety, stress, depression, sleep issues, joint pain, and other musculoskeletal injuries. If you’re considering trying acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine, please ensure your therapist is qualified in line with the new government guidelines.

Stephen and Mary feel super lucky to have the most rewarding job and amazing support from their clients. They look forward to working with all new and existing clients and supporting the local community. See thehealthclinic.co.nz for details.

: CUPPING : MOXA CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE : GUA SHA

INTEGRATING ANCIENT PRACTICE INTO A MODERN WORLD

reception@thehealthclinic.co.nz 09 360 0738 thehealthclinic.co.nz

2/571 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland, 1026

Smoother & More Confident You!

Finesse Face and Body Clinic is proud to be the first truSculpt iD provider in New Zealand, as part of an exclusive partnership with Cutera.

TruSculpt iD is the latest technology available to permanently and non-invasively remove body fat. “We have been leaders in non-invasive cellulite and body contouring treatments in Auckland for 20 years,” says Sue Crake, owner of the Remuera Salon.

How does truSculpt iD work?

truSculpt iD uses a unique form of monopolar radio frequency energy that penetrates evenly and deeply and is able to treat deep into the entire fat pad - from skin to muscle. Once the applicators have been placed on target fatty areas, heat is dispersed evenly, causing irreparable damage to the fat cell walls which the body metabolises and removes permanently over the next 12 weeks. Real-time temperature control and monitoring sensors ensure a constant and therapeutic temperature is maintained for 10 minutes ensuring maximum fat disruption, resulting in 24% fat reduction with every treatment. Patient comfort is ensured through the highly engineered skin adhesives and temperature control which keeps the skin cooler than the underlying fat.

How is truSculpt iD treatment performed?

The initial consultation is performed to assess and discuss your concerns and desired aesthetic goals, then a tailored and customised treatment plan will be created. A total of six handpieces can be used per 15-minute treatment, and multiple areas can be treated on the same day. Once medical consent is completed skin adhesives are attached to the skin overlying the fat pocket followed by the handsfree applicators. The treatment area is wrapped in a cummerbund to minimise movement of handpieces during treatment. After 15 minutes of warmth is distributed into the tissue, the adhesives, handpieces and cummerbund are removed and the patient can return to normal activities.

How do I know if I am a candidate?

truSculpt iD is the latest in non-invasive fat removal procedures in minimising treatment time, maximising results and comfort whilst reducing downtime (there is none!). truSculpt iD is a great treatment for targeting stubborn fat pockets that are resistant to diet and exercise, or for a more global debulking option. truSculpt iD is not restricted by BMI or skin laxity concerns, making it a great alternative to cryotherapies. To learn more about if you’re a suitable candidate, book a free consultation with Sue at Finesse.

How many treatments will I need?

Your initial assessment and personal goals will determine the best course of treatment tailored to you, however patients will only require one treatment. Whether one or two treatments are required, all patients will see an effect at 12 weeks.

Is the treatment painful?

No! Patients report the treatment feels like getting into a hot bath. The heat at first can be a little intense, but just like a bath you become accustomed to the feeling and adjust to the treatment. There is no pain, no downtime and no massage required. Patients can return to normal activities immediately after with most patients only experiences some mild redness on the treatment zone which subsides in a couple of hours.

How long before I see my results?

Clients will begin to see a change in their silhouette from 6 – 8 weeks post treatment, but maximum results are achieved at week 12. Changes in skin quality, tone and texture are usually seen earlier. Each area can be treated once per 12-weeks but other areas can be treated before then.

TruSculpt ID Benefits

NZ MedSafe approved for permanent reduction of up to 24% fat (*shown through ultrasound clinical trials)

15-minute treatment (half the time, and twice the treatment area vs cryotherapies largest applicator)

No discomfort & No Downtime – resume normal activities immediately after Customisable and flexible treatment opportunities depending your body and goals

No BMI restrictions

Male & Female suited

Skin tightening – post partum suitability Treatment areas: abdomen (upper, mid and lower), flanks (love handles), upper back fat, lower back fat, inner thighs, outer thighs, arms and under the chin.

Before 12 weeks after one treatment

Before 12 weeks after one treatment

We Know Skin

Now, let us get to know you.

With just under 100 years of knowledge between us, our team knows SKIN. And we get to know YOU before we start on any skin management journey.

Why?

Because of genetics, lifestyle, diet and environmental factors, no two skin types will react the same to a single treatment. We need to know your SKIN before we can map out your journey.

But how do we really do this?

Usually, you need a crystal ball to help you look into the future, but here at Louise Gray, we’re taking back the control, using tools that enable you to see the past, present and future. Then we guide you through a skin roadmap, to ensure we have you looking and feeling your best at any age. So how do we actually do this?

Digital skin imaging

This is your blueprint of where you sit now. They always say that the camera never lies, and this is your starting point. Using high-tech facial imagery, pigmentation, hydration, oil flow, skin laxity and surface structure are all accessed, analysed and recorded. Every aspect is examined in startling clarity. You can see exactly what we can see, and we then map out your requirements together.

DNA testing

We are driven by science when it comes to treating the skin. So, if you could find out what your skin is genetically predisposed to, find out exactly what your skin needs, and how it should be treated – why wouldn’t you?

A simple cheek-swab DNA test examines 16 genetic markers over five test categories. So, what are we looking at? Elasticity and firmness, wrinkling, sun damage and pigmentation, free radical damage, and finally sensitivity and inflammation. Having all your age markers covered, we can pre-empt and roadmap your programme accordingly.

We listen

Why? Because we need to know you. We need to understand your lifestyle, we need to understand how both internal and external factors are affecting you right now. Whether this is your diet, stress, medication, or something you’re using. We strip everything back to the basics with our in-depth consultation process and then put it back together.

Knowing skin and knowing you is why the team at Louise Gray Skin Care has restored confidence, taken back time and empowered so many people to look after the largest organ of their body.

The Louise Gray Difference, delivering you results for a lifetime.

Louise Gray Skin Care, Shop 2/224 Kepa Rd, Mission Bay 09 528 9010 louisegray.co.nz

Blotch Watch

The perils of blotchy skin, and what you can do to improve your complexion.

Uneven skin tone is something that will affect many of us at some point in our lives, and yet it is a beauty bug we can fix with careful attention.

The Effects

Sunspots

Any beauty buff knows that too much sun exposure can cause real problems for the skin, yet despite the knowledge that any kind of tan is a negative response to UV rays, that golden glow still proves hard to resist.

Sunspots are brown patches that almost look like a cluster of freckles, and while they aren’t dangerous, they aren’t great either.

Melasma

Though men can suffer from this condition, it is often caused by hormonal changes – specifically fluctuations in oestrogen – that occur during pregnancy or the use of birth control. Frequently forming on the forehead, cheeks, nose and upper lip, these swathes of brown or greyish pigmentation can be a real cause of distress due to their size and location on the face.

Dry Skin

Flaky or scaly patches of skin may be easier to fix than hyperpigmentation, but they are harder to conceal with makeup and can be exacerbated by too many products.

Pollution, dehydration, fatigue, or a general imbalance within your body can all cause skin to flare up in this manner.

The Fixes

1. Get serious about skincare

It is vital to adapt your skin routine as you age, and as a rule this means investing in products of increasing quality as the years go by.

Dry skin benefits from creams and serums which are rich in oils or lipids and contain ingredients such as hyaluronic acid or glycerine, whereas oily skin reacts better with water-based blends.

2. Exfoliate

Exfoliation is a vital tool in your fight against uneven skin as it sloughs away the dead, dry skin cells which cause a dull complexion and prevent creams and serums from reaching the deeper layers of the epidermis.

Beware exfoliating too aggressively and frequently though as this can upset the natural balance of your skin.

3. Use a dedicated pigmentation product

Hydroquinone, mulberry, kojic acid and glutathione are the ingredients to look out for when it comes to selecting a serum or cream to help tone the colour and lighten skin.

4. Eat your way even

Whether you want plumper, smoother, luminous, or more even skin, it always helps to boost from the inside out.

There are many things that can contribute to a glowing complexion. Green tea is high in antioxidants, citrus offers a vitamin C boost, green vegetables contain vitamins B and E, while oily fish boasts omega 3.

“FaceTime team are incredibly knowledgeable with

F treatments tailored to each individual. This place is life-chang ing, wouldn't go anywhere else!”

“I have been going to facetime for just over a year now and the service is amazing everytime! I feel well looked after and the result of my treatments exceeded my expectations everytime. Yesterday I got the TRIO eye brow shape, tint and eye lash tint with Charlotte and I am so happy with the service and result - she did an amazing job. I cant wait for my new appointment already!”

“I went to Facetime the other day to have my eyebrows shaped and tinted for the very first time! When I came in, I was greeted by the staff with warm smiles. My eyebrows were done by Olivia whose nice and friendly demeanor reassured me that my eyebrows were in good hands. I am very happy with the outcome. It wasn’t overdone at all, and it looked natural. 10/10 would come back.”

NOWMILFORDFACETIME OPEN

“I've been seeing Mellissa for around 8 years now - she is super lovely, has a wealth of skin knowl edge, and always offers you genu ine support and advice. When she moved to FaceTime, naturally I had to go with her, and I've never looked back! The girls at FaceTime are always very warm & welcoming whenever you arrive in clinic. They are all incredibly knowledgeable and are just delightful to deal with. I would highly recommend the girls at FaceTime Skin Clinic for anything from waxing & maintenance, R&R massages all the way through to advanced skin therapies.”

“I decided, after many years of putting it off due to anxiety, that I was going to get a massage...I got the 45 min back, neck and shoul der massage and can honestly say that it was the best 45 mins ever! All of the girls at FaceTime truly are just so warm and welcoming and always put you and your needs first and it was just an incredible experience and I'm so grateful for the care they gave me!”

“As a savy skincare consumer, I research, analyse and like to find the best of the best. Facetime Skin Clinic is my one stop shop, they stock highly effective products and even better, take the time to explain which product would be best for me and why (and I like to know the why!). I feel very com fortable with all the staff and Mel is super friendly and genuine. Some times these skincare places can be a bit intimidating (especially when they're good ones), but this clinic feels so comfortable and relaxing. Highly, highly, highly recommend.”

“I love coming to FaceTime for my regular facials and IPL treatments. I came just yesterday + was treat ed to their new Light Lounge as well - such a fantastic idea ! You can pop in for a quick brow touch up and Healite which leaves you feeling relaxed and glowing. A great midweek pick-me-up”

$50 OFF YOUR FIRST

“The lovely girls managed to squeeze me in for a new client assessment. Great knowledge and recommendations. Wonderful products, esp the heat lamp.What a treat!”

“I have been receiving various skin care treatments over the last 1.5 years. I look forward to this every month as Mel always makes sure I am given the most appropriate treatment for my current skin issues. I have lost a substantial amount of weight over the last 12 months and have experienced no facial skin deteriotion.

“Have been a client at FaceTime for many years and would not go anywhere else. Such amazing results with both treatments and product recommendations. The girls are all lovely and very knowl edgeable. Highly recommend”

DMK ENZYME FACIAL

“Had a massage tonight with Charlotte & she was WONDER FUL! Amazing pressure, amazing ambience, just all round an amaz ing experience & therapist. Defi nitely recommend & will be coming back when I can!”

“Face time is a clean, warm & welcoming clinic. All the staff effortlessly make you feel comfort able. Mel is my go-to therapist for getting my brows done, she's so lovely & does an amazing job!”

I am 55 years old so consider this a remarkable result. The salon is lovely and the equipment employed is state of the art. I recommend FaceTime Clinic to anyone serious about serious skin care improvements.”

“The best clinic in NZ! Amazing customer service, the most beauti ful staff with so much knowledge, and a stunning clinic.”

“Absolutely love Facetime and everyone that works there. Such a gorgeous space and the beauti cians talk you through what they’re doing and WHY. I don’t trust my skin with anyone else now, I can see why Facetime have won so many awards!”

“The most amazing souls work at this clinic. Knowledgeable and excellent at their job. Finally, a beauty clinic that is all about their customers and customers needs. They're not in it for a quick fix... It's a long term kind of relationship”

Verve's Beauty Picks

MW SKIN + BODY

Auckland’s new hidden gem where tranquillity and beauty come together. Renowned for exceptional levels of client service, indulging facials with award winning products that activate your inner glow, aromatherapy oil massages that melt away tension, precision brow shaping uniquely designed to enhance face features, and so much more. Receive 10% off any treatment of $100 or more when you book online. Use code: VERVE10

mwskinbody.co.nz

DERMABSOLU NIGHT BALM

An anti-ageing balm with a luxurious finish which rejuvenates an intensely nourishes the skin. Upon waking in the morning, features appear rested, and the skin in luminous and glowing with vitality. Thanks to a luminous blend of anti-ageing actives and the melt-on-contact balm texture, this is a genuinely versatile (and affordable) night care option.

eau-thermale-avene.co.nz

HIPPIESTICKS

Leave behind flowers, not waste! HippieSticks are nourishing lip colours packed with natural lip-loving ingredients. All HippieSticks are packaged in compostable tubes designed to grow flowers. Simply plant the empty tube after use and watch it grow into a “bee-friendly” flower.

hippiestick.co.nz

THE REFINERY

Makeup with permanence at its finest. Toss the pencils and embrace a life barefaced! The Refinery has the expertise to revive your colour and restore your sparkle with bespoke eyebrow microblading, ombre, powder or hybrid enhancements. We will introduce the much anticipated Angel Strokes machine technique to replace microblading in November so join the wait list now! Face Confidence with The Refinery. Get $50 credit when you book online, use code: VERVE

refinerynz.com

Fight Time

WORDS AMANDA WALKER

I mainly blended my skincare down my neck, as I was taught to blend my makeup, but that really isn’t the same as applying it properly and it barely reached my dec or my hands unless I had accidently squeezed too much out.

Hence, like so many patients we see at Clinic 42 my face, neck hands and dec could at this point be from separate individuals.

Both prevention and solution are relatively simple with a wide range of skincare and treatments being suitable for both face and body, particularly when addressing tone, texture and tightness.

Neck

The traditional causes of a sagging neck are sun damage, environmental stressors and diminishing facial tissue, collagen, and elastin.

However more recently ‘tech neck’ is commonly being sighted as responsible for younger patients concerned with skin laxity. Persistently looking down at devices puts the muscles into a constant state of contraction, causing them to shorten, becoming weaker, and eventually shrinking over time.

Décolletage

For women, the chest is often the first area to show signs of ageing, due to sun damage and the natural ageing process. This is caused by a decrease in collagen production, less elasticity, and as a result of breast tissue pulling the skin.

Hands

Considering the work our hands do it’s no wonder they seem to age faster than the rest of our bodies.

We expose our hands to the sun and other elements more than any other body part. And due to constant washing in hot water the natural oils that lubricate and keep our skin’s barrier intact are often stripped away.

As we age, the fat in the back of our hands diminishes and the reduced volume along with decreased elasticity produces translucent skin that wrinkles and shows pigment more easily.

IPL is ideal for addressing uneven skin tone not only on the face but also on the hands, neck and dec, and should ideally be done prior to your summer holidays when you’re able to avoid the sun for two weeks post treatment. You’ll also need to stop using any products that might irritate your skin 2-3 days before treatment, including any self-tanners.

There are also a wide range of hyaluronic acid and bio stimulatory dermal fillers such as Profhilo® that are suitable for use on the neck, dec and hands to restore hydration. These can be carried out at any time of year and your practitioner will discuss the benefits and potential side effects of whichever product they think will best suit your needs during your consultation.

If you’re interested in finding out more about any of the treatments available at Clinic 42 visit our website at clinic42.co.nz or contact reception on 09 638 4242 or reception@clinic42.co.nz .

Profhilo®, containing low & high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, is a Class III medical device for the treatment of the face and body for contours redefinition and laxity remodelling where skin laxity is a problem. Profhilo has risks and benefits. Do not use with treatments such a laser resurfacing or medium deep skin-peeling. Do not inject into inflamed areas or intravenously or intramuscularly. Possible side effects: pain and swelling at injection site. Accelagen Pty. Ltd. Whanganui.

Stop Putting Your Wildside Aside

WORDS MAX DAWSON

Grow some! Grow a beard. There are a lot of misconceptions about bearded men.

Here are a few of them.

They say we’re all bros, or a bunch of hippies. Or that we’re all professional athletes, and we’re all musicians, and love the outdoors a'la trampers/pig-hunters. Or we're computer nerds/wizards/lumberjacks (actually all these are not bad misconceptions that could possibly work in your favour) and that we get all the ladies – now that one is ridiculous.

Maybe you've tried to grow a beard and it hasn't gone all that well. If your growth is patchy and you're impatient you may be suffering from ‘Acute Baby Beard.’ Every year men suffer through slow-growing, patchy facial hair, but you don’t have to. Parkside Beard Oils are carefully designed to achieve the full, luscious beard of your dreams. If you’ve got a thin, itchy, or patchy beard, don’t give up. Parkside Beard Oils brim with essential oils and minerals crucial for growing longer, thicker facial hair and for keeping it nourished and healthy. It’s everything you need to accelerate your journey into the realm of bearded champions.

Possible side effects: high risk of an increase in selfconfidence and subsequently encounters that could under favourable circumstances lead to sexual activity, free drinks, and a heightened sense of purpose and fulfilment, not to mention new jobs, promotions and raises, general respect, and healthy admiration from other men. It could also lead to sudden interest in extreme sport, and a happier more successful life.

Find out for yourself. Start growing yours. Go wild. Keep it clean. And let us take care of the rest. Join the club today. Embrace your wild side with Parkside.

@onemannz

Get Summer Ready

ANTI – WRINKLE

Wrinkles are a natural part of the ageing process. With age, our skin gets thinner, drier and we lose elastin. The ability of our skin to protect itself is reduced as we age. Eventually, wrinkles, creases, and lines form on our skin. Laser Clinics is the largest aesthetic clinic company globally and our medical team of doctors and registered nurses will provide a tailored treatment plan to you.

COOL SCULPTING

CoolSculpting uses patented cooling technology to eliminate fat cells, without surgery, and with little to no downtime. Over time your body naturally eliminates these fat cells providing noticeable, and lasting results in the treated area for a more sculpted you. CoolSculpting® is supported by over 20 years of research and development and is a well-tolerated cryolipolysis procedure using technology that delivers controlled cooling to target fat cells.

DERMAL FILLERS

Unlike wrinkles which require muscle relaxants to soften them, facial volume and folds require a dermal filler to help re-volumise and hydrate the area. Made from a natural sugar already present in the human body – our dermal fillers are an affordable way to replicate the function of this naturally occurring substance and can restore fullness and volume in numerous facial areas.

HYDRAFACIAL

HydraFacial super serums are made with nourishing ingredients that create an instantly gratifying glow in just three steps: cleanse and peel, extract and hydrate, and fuse and protect. HydraFacial also delivers powerful antioxidants to counteract damage by free radicals – from pollution, sun, and stress – which can degrade the skin and accelerate the ageing process. Hydrafacial delivers instantly noticeable, long-lasting results that you can see and feel.

Laser Clinics New Zealand - Ponsonby

KLERESCA®

Kleresca® creates fluorescent light energy to heal your skin at a cellular level. This non-invasive, scientifically documented technology delivers long-lasting clinic results with little to no downtime. Kleresca® is a non-invasive, biophotonic treatment that uses fluorescent light energy (FLE) to stimulate the skin’s repair mechanisms by penetrating the different layers of the skin. The treatments reduce inflammation, increase the buildup of collagen, and normalise cellular activity with high safety and efficacy.

MICRODERMABRASION

Our 5-Step Custom Microdermabrasion is our entry-level professional skin treatment that provides gentle exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and encourage cell turnover. Our 5-Step Custom Microdermabrasion targets the epidermis which is made up of dead skin cells and is the layer of skin closest to the surface. At your complimentary consultation, our medical team will create a treatment plan that is best suited to achieving your skin goals.

SKIN NEEDLING

Skin Needling can be performed in two ways. Dermal rolling, using the cosmedical DNC derma roller or micro-needling, using the Wireless Tri-M Pen. Your skin therapist will advise which option is best for you and your skin goals. this treatment involves applying a small roller made of tiny needles to the surface of the skin. The roller creates tiny puncture channels that encourage an organic collagen renewal and regeneration response.

TEETH WHITENING

Lift the level of your smile and get an instant confidence boost with the premium Sparkling White Smile teeth whitening treatment. Sparkling White Smile is a natural whitening product that will get your teeth to their natural colour and the level of whitening depends entirely on the person’s physiology. Customers regularly achieve results of up to 14 shades whiter; the average improvement varies depending on the level of discolouration.

Magnificent Inside a Month

While pursuing a full-time healthy lifestyle takes time and no small amount of commitment, even within a month it’s possible to see and feel real changes to who you are, how you feel, and the way your body responds to life’s challenges.

Here are five tips for an instant health and wellbeing boost – you’ll feel the positive effects almost immediately!

1. BETTER DIET

Diet is probably the most obvious place to start. It goes without saying, the unhealthier the food you consume, the harder it’s going to be to make a full 180-degree turnaround.

Focus on replacing fatty foods with fruit and fibre, keep a check on your salt intake, cut down on alcohol, and make food preparation changes such as grilling rather than frying. Topping up the body with vitamins and supplements is a good idea, also.

2. WALKING OR LIGHT RUNNING Movement is vital to the human body, and you don’t have to become an Olympic athlete to see and feel the differences.

Daily walks and regular running can significantly improve your outlook over the course of a month, with recent research revealing that doing regular 60-second energetic activities broken down into three separate 20-second bursts will bring about noticeable benefits within four weeks. The endorphins created during exercise also make you feel great.

3. SLEEP

Getting at least seven hours a night is essential if you’re looking to enhance

your health – it will also help you hold off illnesses including run-of-the-mill colds and viruses, and more serious ailments including cancer, diabetes, and stress.

A consistent sleep pattern is also essential as regulation helps the body figure out the best way to recover from twinges, tweaks and other things that hold us back.

4. WATER

Water is absolutely vital for the human body, and arguably the easiest thing on this list to tick off, providing we can drink around two litres of the stuff a day.

What’s more, hydrating offers the body an instant and very noticeable boost, meaning instant gratification for your efforts.

5. FOCUS AND POSITIVITY

Yoga, pilates, Zumba and a variety of other exercise pastimes are perfect for people looking to become fitter, whilst also boosting happiness and mindfulness.

Not only will you feel reward for the effort put in, but your inspiration to keep at it and build further will become automatic because feeling good is addictive!

Eliminate Fat with Ease

If you’re looking for a way to shift stubborn fat for good and reach the results you want, CoolSculpting could be the answer.

With over 11 million CoolSculpting treatments performed worldwide, this is a popular and effective treatment to reduce unwanted fat.

CoolSculpting safely and effectively targets problem areas by cooling fat cells to the precise temperature at which they crystallise, so your body naturally metabolises the cells. Results start showing at six weeks post treatment, with the final result evident at around 12 weeks. The treated fat calls are gone for good.

There is minimal downtime with most people returning to their daily activity immediately after treatment. No surgery is required, and no needles. Whilst liposuction is the best form of fat reduction, CoolSculpting offers a choice in that it’s a highly effective and trusted way to reduce fat without surgery.

Prescription Skin Care was the first to bring CoolSculpting to New Zealand in 2013 and remains the most experienced CoolSculpting clinic in the country. The team is trained by plastic surgeons and CoolSculpting experts overseas.

To see if CoolSculpting is right for you, call 09 529 5784 (Remuera clinic) or 09 360 0400 (Ponsonby clinic) and book a free consultation.

Quote this article and your Coolscultping treatments are HALF PRICE in October 2022.

BEFORE

AFTER 24.5 weeks after first CoolSculpting® Session (16 weeks after second Session)

Patient received a total of 18 treatment cycles over 3 CoolSculpting® sessions on the lower abdomen, mid abdomen, flank, lower bra and mons pubis.

BEFORE

AFTER 27.5 weeks after first CoolSculpting® Session (18.5 weeks after second Session)

Patient received a total of 4 treatment cycles over 2 CoolSculpting® sessions on the submental area.

BEFORE

AFTER 20 weeks after first CoolSculpting® Session (18.5 weeks after second Session)

Patient received 6 treatment cycles over 1 CoolSculpting® session on the lower, mid and upper abdomen.

Photos courtesy of Allergan Aesthetics. Individual results may vary.

Art Collecting 101

Art Buying Collectives

Building an art collection can take many forms. One option is a buying collective, a great way to share a collecting journey with other like-minded people.

Collectives vary wildly in motivation, size, formality, and financial contribution. How and how often, as well as what is bought, and for how long purchased artwork will stay with a group member, are all important things to think through. Structures are flexible, essentially you set the rules, but there needs to be some rules. Tempted to set up or join one? For the inside track I asked a newly formed group and another approaching the end of their collecting journey for some insight into the support and challenges art collecting groups offer.

CoronArt has recently emerged in the Queenstown-Lakes region. Members contribute funds quarterly and the ownership of purchased art works remains with the group. The collective choses to follow the format of another art group, a model that proved successful over a long period. Bron Anderson, part of CoronArt's buying committee for the first year, reflected on the advantages: “It’s lovely to meet new people and great to be exposed to a variety of purchases as we all have different tastes and exposure to various art forms. One of our members wasn’t that keen on our first purchase, but since having it hanging in her house doesn’t want to see it go. With 15 of us contributing, the budget is generous, so we’re able to tap into some wonderful artworks that might not have been within individual reach.”

Auckland-based Palette Collective will wind up in 2023 after a decade of art collecting. Tracy Porteous shared their history. “Our convener nominated 16 female friends she wanted to stay connected to over the next 10 years in a cultural pursuit that would enrich everyone's world. Most members don’t have any formal art training, but four of us do. We have a set of rules outlining key objectives, group housekeeping, and clarifying priorities for acquiring art. Our autonomous buying committee has three people who are solely in charge of purchases each year. This has meant a high degree of success in selecting and committing to buying because discussion and compromise between three

subjective opinions is easier than 16. Every member has been able to have at least two experiences of being on the buying committee which has been nicely democratic.”

Sharing an image of a Yuki Kihara work purchased midway through their journey, before Kihara became New Zealand’s representative at the Venice Biennale, Tracy confessed: “This was our most expensive purchase and was a little controversial because we hadn't worked out our end strategy for artworks, but it has already gained substantially in terms of investment. More importantly it demonstrates how the progression of artists is dynamic and exciting to support and follow.”

Across a collection that also includes works by Chris Heaphy, Jack Trolove, Richard Killeen, and John Edgar, next year the group will hold a private members auction to mark Palette Collective’s conclusion and pieces not bought will go to public auction.

Art collectors know that it isn’t just about investment. It’s about connecting to, living with, and learning from art. Collecting as part of a group offers an alternative and often richly rewarding experience. For many it’s the discussions and interactions with members and galleries, as well as changes in perspective along the way, that make it so valuable.

“The uplift that art brings is personal but also collectively experienced when you are part of something bigger than yourself, and this subtly and positively permeates your life which you may not realise until you come towards the end,” writes Palette Collective’s Tracy Porteous, beautifully capturing her experience.

Kelly Carmichael is director of Starkwhite Queenstown, and a nominator and researcher for the International Award for Public Art.

Art collectors know that it isn’t just about investment. It’s about connecting to, living with, and learning from art.

The Art of October

This morning I caught a slivery sniff of summer. The back door was open, it opens onto the porch, and through the gently oscillating rainbow coloured fly curtain, I caught a glimpse of a hazy blue sky.

CURATED BY AIMÉE RALFINI

ARTWORK: RAYMOND SAGAPOLUTELE COURTESY OF BERGMAN GALLERY

Gow Langsford Gallery

Fragile Construction

Gregor Kregar

On until 15 October

It’s on its way art lovers, the hot, sticky, slow-motioned heat of the high season. Enjoy the cooler moments and frosty mornings of spring, because soon we will be daydreaming about living in a chiller. On that note, a place that is always temperature controlled is a gallery; here are this month's must-see shows.

Gregor Kregar works with an extensive range of media, from stainless and Corten steel, glazed porcelain, and cast glass through to bronze and fiberglass. In his body of new work, Fragile Construction, Kregar transforms a series of tools into fragile, cast leadcrystal counterparts. The familiar spade, hammer or construction hat take on an absurdity in glass. Stripped of their functionality, Kregar questions our progress by marking its fragility.

28-36 Wellesley Street East More info at gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz

Two Rooms Gallery

Dreaming House

Veronica Herber

On until 15 October

“Within a rigorous set of limitations –fields of heavy cotton rag paper, washi tape, and graphite powder – Veronica Herber explores infinite variables within the open-ended structure of the grid. Her visuality is one that eschews the easy entertainments of lavish gestures and thrumming colours, or the lure of narrative – instead she tends to and preserves those minute ruptures or tremors that trouble the ordered regularity of the grid”. Excerpt from Limitless Variables of the Same by Dr Julia Teale.

16 Putiki Street, Newton More info at tworooms.co.nz

Two Rooms Gallery

Māmā > < Whenua Peata Larkin

On until 15 October

Peata Larkin’s work operates in a space between binary constructions – Māori/Pākehā, past/present, art/ science, matter/spirit – weaving cultures and spheres of knowledge together into new hybrid forms. The artist exploits the physical properties of paint. Pushing it through cavities, then slicing the mesh and canvas from the back to create painterly ‘pixels’ on the surface of each work. Larkin’s paintings reside at the junction of diverse visual and conceptual traditions.

Cultural narratives from her Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and Ngāti Tuhourangi background are encoded in patterns that allude to digital information, binary opposites, and the gridlines of weaving.

16 Putiki Street, Newton

More info at tworooms.co.nz

Bergman Gallery Auckland

Aua e te fefe / Don't be afraid Raymond Sagapolutele

On until 22 October

“In my practice, the skulls are a key element in seeing beyond the dead, being about more than death. In the words of my grandmother, ‘aua e te fefe,’ don’t be afraid.” – Raymond Sagapolutele

Raymond Sagapolutele is a New Zealand-born Sāmoan artist with family ties to the villages of Fatuvalu in Savai'i and Saluafata in Upolu, Sāmoa. Sagapolutele presents skulls as timeless, holding space for ancestors to be part of a contemporary conversation, laying the groundwork for what is a possible future. The artist picked up the camera in 2003 and began a self-taught photography journey that would see him work with editorial publications Back to Basics and Rip It Up as a staff photographer as well as submissions to the NZ Herald and Metro magazine. Sagapolutele has exhibited images in a range of group and solo exhibitions both locally and internationally.

3/582 Karangahape Road (Entrance via 2 Newton Road), Grey Lynn More info at bergmangallery.com

Sanderson Contemporary Maumahara

Simon Kaan and Wi Taepa

On until 23 October

Maumahara brings together a selection of artworks that Kaan and Taepa have made in collaboration. Six new paintings and a selection of works on paper will feature by Kaan, alongside new ceramic works by Taepa. The title Maumahara , which translates to ‘to remember, to recall, to reminisce’, gestures to the notion of memory and how this can be rendered and manifest within one’s work. It also refers to TuakanaTeina and the idea of knowledge and experience being recalled and then shared and passed down.

Kaan is known for his serene and dreamlike paintings and prints where land, sea and sky dominate, and the waka is a regular motif. In his paintings the artist juxtaposes panels alongside one another in parallel forms, while washes of Chinese ink are applied in intricate and delicate layers.

Wi Taepa ONZM is known for shaping clay by hand to make his vessels and sculptures. Drawing from his cultural heritage, Taepa features traditional Māori designs or re-designs traditional patterns to decorate his vessels.

2 Kent Street, Osborne Lane, Newmarket

More info at sanderson.co.nz

Sunday Morning Michael Dell

6-26 October

Dell’s placid pastoral landscapes bisected with roads feel familiar, though they could also be anywhere or nowhere at all. Behind the worked and muted surfaces the landscape becomes detached from narrative, like a faded memory, unanchored in time. Dell’s works are at once intimate and distant, his paintings, with their softened focus often appear as grainy photographic negatives or worn slides from the middle of the last century. The paintings appear degraded but are in fact meticulously created and then eroded away by the artist.

455 Mt Eden Road, Mt Eden

More info at foenandergalleries.co.nz

Föenander Galleries

ARTWORK: SIMON KAAN AND WI TAEPA COURTESY OF SANDERSON CONTEMPORARY

Hitchcock Comes to Auckland

Simon Phillips directs.

The bold reimagining of the beloved Alfred Hitchcock classic North by Northwest for the stage has wowed audiences worldwide since its 2015 premiere in Melbourne.

With an all-Kiwi cast starring Antonia Prebble and Ryan O’Kane, director Simon Phillips s (Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Love Never Dies, Muriel’s Wedding), one of Aotearoa’s most successful theatrical exports, returns home to direct the New Zealand premiere at ASB Waterfront Theatre.

What was it about this particular story that compelled you to get involved?

Two things: the seeming impossibility of putting its famous ‘set piece’ scenes, like the crop-duster pursuing Cary Grant and the climb across Mt Rushmore, on stage; and the potential thrill of sweeping an audience along on that kind of rollercoaster comedy-thriller plot. And it was a great opportunity for Carolyn [Burns, playwright] and I to do something together.

What got you started in directing? Personal obsession combined with some golden opportunities. I started directing at school when I was nine years old.

What are you most looking forward about directing North by Northwest ?

The actors. And bringing my work back to where it all began for me. It’s a great celebration of the potential of live theatre. Even though it’s undeniably spectacular, at heart it’s about how much electricity can be created by an ensemble of actors working at the height of their powers. I’m also excited to put something into the beautiful Waterfront Theatre.

What advice would you give a young director? Be bloody bold and resolute.

What are you most proud of? Staying married.

Which play would you most like to see and where? North by Northwest at Auckland Theatre Company.

Simon Phillips directs Auckland Theatre Company’s NZ Premiere season of North by Northwest, Hitchcock’s cinematic masterpiece brought to the stage at ASB Waterfront Theatre, 25 October – 19 November. Tickets atc.co.nz

Hindsight

WORDS AIMÉE RALFINI

More often than not, those rituals are elemental in nature, be it personal: “I use water to cleanse”; or something more polemic: “Cleanliness is godliness.”

Working with the elemental materials we encounter in our daily lives, such as hair, blood, excrement, wood, clay, and beeswax, to communicate, can evoke quite a provocative experience.

Christchurch artist Julia Morison’s work intermixes the sacred and the profane. Witty and densely sexual, Morison explores existing systems of

ordering and systematising form and content through her practice.

The artist’s visual expression is deliciously elemental, constructed with viscous markings and the sinew of her surroundings. She moves between a variety of media: painting, photography, sculpture, and installation.

Stylistically, a Twin Peaks aesthetic springs to mind, with a colour palette resonant with sepia, tungsten, blood, coal, and ash. Morison’s surface

We make assumptions based on our lived experiences. Symbolism emerges from the taught rituals created from generations of assumptions.

textures are reassuringly solid; however, the delicate veins of heritage that are present in most of her works are hard to ignore, adding a connective depth to the artist’s expression.

“Morison’s use of her sources is creative, and wilfully idiosyncratic – she calls them ‘a skeleton you can spin off from’ – one of the pleasures offered by her art [over] decades, is watching her system mutate and ramify in unpredictable ways” –curator and writer Justin Paton.

Compositionally Morison draws from Euclidian geometry, the legacies of constructivism and formal abstraction, through to interrogation and reimagining of alchemy, number symbolism and in particular the Jewish mystical tradition called ‘Kabbalah’.

In everything she produces, we can find something of ourselves; a flickered memory of a fleeting moment, the hint of an imagined scent, the taste of a tongue… The elements will do this to you.

Julia Morison ONZM celebrates four decades of work with a mini survey of her oeuvre In hindsight at Trish Clark Gallery. On from 8 October until 19 November.

142 Great North Road, Grey Lynn. More info at trishclark.co.nz

The artist’s visual expression is deliciously elemental, constructed with viscous markings and the sinew of her surroundings.

Lucy's Corner

Moonage Daydream PG – 13

This film is a technicolour wonder following the life of David Bowie, narrated solely by him through carefully curated audio clips. Watching Moonage Daydream feels like glimpsing inside Bowie’s head, peering through his glittery personas, and seeing him as the artist he was. It shows how we idolise rock stars to the point of godliness, and how it feels to be the centre of such an insane amount of adoration and fan-hysteria while striving to be true to your own artistic vision. Uncovered footage from Bowie’s personal archive is accompanied by videos of his flamboyant concerts, interviews, excerpts from his acting career, and his own art… it truly is an homage to Bowie and his artistic range.

Moonage Daydream differs from other biopics, less heavy on storytelling and characterisation, and more a piece of art. Colourised clips of black and white films flash across the screen, a rumbling moon rolls through a sky littered with stars, thousands of cheering faces with hands stretched out as far as the eye can see, and at the centre of it all is David Bowie. But I do think you have to be a Bowie fan to really appreciate this film, as it goes in depth in its task of tracing his life, with a run-time of 140 minutes.

5/5 stars Instagram @lucykennedyreviews

Step into summer with the art of Graham Young, Artist.

PHOTO: MOONAGE DAYDREAM

This month Verve’s star teen reviewer LUCY KENNEDY takes a look at the Starman himself, David Bowie, as he narrates his life story in the movie Moonage Daydream

In a Rush

Rachel Rush is “one artist with two distinct styles of seeing the world”, a concept which manifests by way of her artistic alter ego, RUSH.

From 15-30 October, Limn Gallery will present a series of RUSH’s mixed media works called Urban Exposure. Verve sat down with the self-taught artist to find out more.

“One artist with two distinct styles of seeing the world”, what does this mean to you?

RUSH is my graffiti, more rebellious side. I love the freedom of the spray cans, and the voice I get to use. Rachel Rush shows the mature side of my work, representing my love of colour. It’s really important that RUSH and Rachel Rush are seen as two independent artists. I have completely different futures planned for both. I love them equally, but like your own children, see them as whole individuals not two halves of a whole picture.

What’s your creative process?

My RR works are multiple layers of coloured resin on canvas. I can only work on one colour every 24 hours or so, building them up until I feel the magic is there. My RUSH graffiti starts with the creation of a freestyle abstract colour creation with the cans, then assigning them a personality and layering up the stencils. Once that process is complete, they move to a separate studio and for some added sass and a layer of clear resin to make it all pop.

How do you know when a work is finished?

They almost physically release you. All the energy disappears and there’s a sense of them not allowing you to touch them. And a sense of satisfaction.

What have been career highlights so far?

The first time I was accepted both for RUSH and separately for RR for international fairs was incredibly exciting. But best has

been the amazing stories people tell me while in the process of selecting a piece of my work. Sometimes there are tears about what this particular piece means to them, and stories that give you goosebumps.

What can we expect from the upcoming show?

Limn Gallery and myself have come up with some pretty exciting elements that I’m super excited about getting my spray cans on! Several of these items will be unveiled during the show, so will stay secret for now! I have a couple of extra-size metal boards that look awesome together, exclusively for Limn, and some brand-new works.

Is the show themed? It’s called Urban Exposure and is about exposing the rawness of graffiti and a suggestion of the grittiness of the street, aimed to disturb the correctness of city and society.

Located at 119 Ponsonby Road, the renowned Limn Gallery is New Zealand’s largest contemporary art space with close to 180 works by over 70 artists from Aotearoa and around the world. In between quarterly solo shows, Sip & Spray workshops, and private events, Limn Gallery hosts SKETCH, an evening that allows members of the public to sit alongside artists and draw, chat, eat and drink. Find out more at limngallery.co.nz

IMAGE: ARTWORK FEATURED IN 'URBAN EXPOSURE' AT LIMN GALLERY TITLED 'GETTING UP TO SHADY SHIT'

Marilyn Murphy

Drawn from Life

October – 29 October 2022

Exhibition of the Month

There is a peculiar logic in Murphy’s drawings, one based on visual punning, a knowing exploitation of mid-century advertising for its sense of glamour, hope, and dreamy consumerism.

The perfect antidote for these times, they are exquisitely drawn in pencil as to be almost photographic. Her reimagined adverts play with notions of domestic bliss enhanced by the candyfloss clouds of new products. But there is ambiguity: are they to be read as symbolically or literally present?

Marilyn Murphy lives in Whangarei and Nashville, where she taught as a professor of art at Vanderbilt University for 37 years. She has been awarded multiple grants and residencies and her work is in many public and private collections including the Kemper Collection, Huntsville Museum of Art, the Boston Museum School, and the Prudential and Bridgestone Collections. This is her first New Zealand exhibition.

Framed size 660 x 860mm.

Ponsonby

Open Tue-Sat 11am-5pm

0212134449

PICTURED ARTWORK: RADIO WAVES, GRAPHITE ON PAPER

PICTURED ARTWORK: BRIGHTER DAYS , GRAPHITE ON PAPER

What's On in October

RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE

20 October

Spark Arena

The world's most famous drag queen is back, bringing the seasons one and two queens with her. Prepare for an extravagant evening bursting with charisma, uniqueness, nerve, talent, and behind-the-scenes secrets. Start your engines!

ticketmaster.co.nz

KINGS OF LEON

23-24 October Spark Arena

American rock legends Kings of Leon return to our shores doing two back-toback shows for the first time in 12 years. Expect an epic performance, including smash hit songs from all eight of the band's albums over Labour weekend.

ticketmaster.co.nz

THE PRINCESS BRIDE IN CONCERT

6 October

Aotea Centre

Experience one of the most beloved films of all time as never before with the power of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Performing Mark Knopfler’s unforgettable score live in sync with the movie.

ticketmaster.co.nz

BENEE AND THE APO 21-22 October Auckland Town Hall

WINETOPIA

28-29 October Shed 10

COCKTAILS

AND JAZZ

Thursdays and Sundays

Caretaker

WORDS BELLA SAMPSON

UR ZILA CARLSON: IT’S PERSONAL

21-22 October Bruce Mason Theatre

Superstar Benee will be joined by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra for two spectacular shows. No longer ‘Supalonely’, she’ll be joined by 66 members of the talented orchestral group. This collaboration will bring new twists to her platinum hits, organised by leading light in the composition scene, Claire Cowan.

apo.co.nz

The greatest celebration of New Zealand wine returns to Auckland's Shed 10 for two days! Featuring an action-packed line-up of personalities on stage alongside Aotearoa’s most celebrated wines; bottled, aged and ready for tasting. Over 60 prestigious wineries will showcase their wines this year.

winetopia.co.nz

Welcome to the days of mind your own business, and don’t comment on others’ business. Also, welcome to the days of oversharing every aspect of your life on social media. But, mind your own business. Urzila Carlson is back with a brand-new show, and this time; It’s Personal.

eventfinda.co.nz

Enjoy a personalised cocktail from the magical team at Caretaker as the collective band Pauchucos provide a live soundtrack from 9pm. The softly lit bar is the perfect spot for a romantic evening or a classy libation on a night out. Groups of six or less are welcome without a booking.

caretaker.net.nz

HOMES OF DEVONPORT

4 November

Step inside some of Auckland’s most beautiful houses on the Homes of Devonport tour. Grab some friends and enjoy this fun and fabulous day out in support of Dementia Auckland, Harbour Hospice and Devonport Rotary.

homesofdevonport.co.nz

Garden Design: Damian Wendelborn

On the Bookshelf

WORDS — MELANIE O'LOUGHLIN OF LAMPLIGHT BOOKS

SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE

Claire Keegan

In a small Irish town, in 1985, a snowy Christmas is just around the corner and Bill, the fuel and coal merchant, is making his rounds. Cushioned by the warmth of his lovely wife and daughters, a chance sighting at the convent haunts him and his bastard past. Colm Tóibín is a super-fan and so are we. A perfect Sunday night drama of a book.

TREACLE WALKER

Alan Garner

Alan Garner has lived a long time and this latest novel is testament to a life dedicated to the craft of writing. His loopy sentences, full of rural idioms, defy sense, and yet their meaning is perfectly clear. An English-folk novel so concise you can read it in an evening, but the story is so profound you’ll be teasing out the meaning for days to come.

THE SEVEN MOONS OF MAALI ALMEIDA

Shehan Karunatilaka

Long-listed for the Booker, this cracking novel follows Maali, a smart-talking war photographer and gay party boy, as he navigates his way around the Sri Lankan civil war. Trapped in the spirit world for seven moons, he blithely deals with the Goon squads who come for his posh-kid friends, annoys his weeping mother and hopes that his hidden cache of photos might just end the war. Thrillingly different.

GLORY

NoViolet Bulawayo

Somewhere in Africa, a crowd waits in the hot sun for their ailing dictator to arrive. They swipe on their phones and sway to the music, their good clothes are hot and sweaty, but what’s different? The crowd are made up of talking animals. Part parable, part nod to Animal Farm, this tale lifts the lid on the realities of living under fascism and how a groundswell of resistance can eventually make a difference.

The Booker Prize shortlist is out, and we’ve done the research for you – so, winning all round.

WELCOME HOME TO RANFURLY VILLAGE

Experience the relaxed elegance of our shared spaces; idyllic rooms where you can raise a glass or meet with friends, all while enjoying our attentive service and exquisite attention to detail.

Final apartments selling now To learn more, telephone Bev Dyson 09 625 3420, or visit ranfurlyvillage.co.nz

Box Office

DECISION TO LEAVE

27 October

A man falls from a mountain peak to his death. The detective in charge, Haejoon (Park Hae-il), comes to meet the dead man's wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei). Hae -joon interrogates Seo-rae and slowly develops an interest in her. A suspect who is hiding her true feelings. A detective who suspects and desires his suspect. Their Decision to Leave

Directed by Park Chan-Wook.

DAME VALERIE ADAMS: MORE THAN GOLD

20 October

This feature documentary is the candid and inspirational story of five-time Olympian, double-Olympic gold medallist, Tongan-New Zealander Dame Valerie Adams. Not only the story of one of the world’s most celebrated athletes, it’s also the story of a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a survivor. Many New Zealanders believe they know Dame Valerie Adams, but in a ‘sports’ documentary like no other she shares her story with honesty and vulnerability - exposing herself in a way few sports people dare.

Directed by Briar March.

THE WOMAN KING

27 October

The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for...

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood.

SHOW ME SHORTS Starts 8 October

Show Me Shorts, Aotearoa’s biggest short film festival, has unveiled a massive line-up of screenings with some of the best local and international shorts you’ll see this year. Returning for its 17th year, the Oscars-accredited film festival (recently hailed as one of the top 20 short film festivals globally) will screen its 2022 programme at 36 cinemas and community venues nationwide between 7-30 October. Special events will include opportunities to hear from visiting international filmmakers and a programmer from Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, which is this year’s country of focus.

showmeshorts.co.nz

ABOVE: DECISION TO LEAVE

Discover the luxury of abundance in our exquisitely designed villas, with a private beach.

Marvel at the stunning views of nature and the emerald sea.

Surplus rentals in a slow market

We must adapt. It’s not a recent occurrence, the market has been slow for more than six months.

There’s a smaller pool of tenants so we must make sure we’re presenting properties at a high standard and compliant with the Healthy Homes Act.

Tenants are looking for heat pumps as this is the most important chattel they require. A well-maintained home is essential. Gardens must be tidy and would be a good incentive to include the managing of the lawns and garden into the rent.

A few of our owners, in desperation, are offering one or two weeks’ free rent to entice tenants, but this has not always worked, and they are still on our rental list after weeks of marketing.

Allowing pets helps. We’re surprised by how many tenants have cats, but not so many dogs, and most tenant are responsible animal owners.

It may also be a good idea to lower the rent – it’s much better to have a property rented than standing empty for long periods.

How long this is going to continue, who knows. We need more people coming into the country. With over 20 years in the business, we’ve never experienced anything like this So, make sure everything is shipshape and you just might find the good tenant that you’ve been looking for.

Sylvia Lund

40 St Johns Rd, Meadowbank Sylvia Lund Areinz: 09 528 4818 or 0274 870 550 justrentals@xtra.co.nz

Spring Planting

Getting Started

Spring is well underway and there’s plenty to do in the garden. Labour Weekend is the turning point for summer crops and when Aucklanders traditionally spend the whole weekend in the garden, so you’ve got all month to plan a ceremonial planting!

Veggies

The soil is getting warmer and now is time to feed any empty garden beds with compost and organic fertiliser in preparation for spring planting. Your favourite summer veggie seedlings will be available this month, so make sure you grab your tomatoes, chillies, basil, beans, and eggplants!

Flowers

Add a splash of colour to your garden by planting petunias, lobelia, and alyssum in tall pots and hanging baskets! Plant now and you’ll be rewarded with cascades of brightly coloured flowers through late spring and summer. Fill gaps in the garden with taller annual colour, including snapdragons, marigolds, and gazanias. Feed flowers with liquid fertiliser to encourage stronger plants and blooms.

Fruit

Get your berries in now for a tasty summer harvest! Both strawberries and blueberries grow well in rich soil mixed with organic compost – if you’re

planting blueberries make sure to plant different varieties in the same garden for cross-pollination. Feed established fruit trees with a fruit tree fertiliser to enjoy bountiful harvests.

General Tasks

There are plenty of general gardening tasks to get up to through October. Add companion plants around your veggies and shrubs to naturally ward off pests. Keep an eye on laterals from your tomatoes and stake them with sturdy bamboo stakes. And don’t forget to weed those veggie beds!

For more spring gardening tips, pop into your local Kings, or visit kings.co.nz .

PLANT DOCTOR

in the house!

Got a plant problem you need help with? Our Plant Doctor is now offering personal consultations at your home from as little as $65. For all home consultation enquiries, email plantdoctor@kings.co.nz

Going

JAMIE CHRISTIAN DESPLACES

PHOTO: OKUNOIN, JAPAN

Sadly, a nine-year-old boy named William Mason was the first recorded burial at the graveyard which was operational from 1842-1886, Auckland’s – and perhaps the country’s – oldest urban burial site.

There is something strangely soothing about wandering such forgotten, final resting places. They often serve as oases of meditative calm encased within dense urban spaces, where birds’ chirps and trees’ rustles are finally able to drown out the distant city chatter. In his book, Cemeteries , Keith Eggener reveals that in the early 19th century, before there were public parks and galleries, graveyards were seen as a place to gather to socialise, picnic, hunt, and even race carriages. Such was their popularity, there were even guidebooks published about the best ones.

Now, we have ‘cemetery tourism’ an industry dedicated to those who like to wander graveyards – known as

taphophiles. Verve takes a look at some of the most magnificent burial grounds.

Okunoin, Japan

Japan’s largest cemetery, Okunion, sits in the Mount Kōya complex part of a Unesco World Heritage Site. Established in 816 AD, the atmospheric plot is buried within a cedar forest –and often a layer of mist – and houses more than 200,000 graves and 100 temples. The cemetery’s centrepiece is the mausoleum of Kōbō-Daishi, the 9th-century founder of Shingon Buddhism, illuminated by 10,000 lanterns (visitors usually attend to plots at night, adding another dimension to the spiritual landscape). Most other graves are marked more humbly by way of small stones or statues such as that of Jiko a deity said to protect women, children, and travellers. The cemetery is considered the spiritual home of the Kōyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism, with monks living on site since the early 800s.

There are around 10,000 people interred at Symonds Street Cemetery ‒ though around three quarters of the headstones have decayed owing to their often timber construction.

Cimetière du Père Lachaise, France

This Parisian burial ground is possibly the world’s most famous – and visited – cemetery, revered for its tree-lined cobblestone paths and handsome tombs. Napoleon declared that "every citizen has the right to be buried regardless of race or religion" when he established the site in 1804, which was first used to re-bury bodies from other parts of the city. In order to boost the plot’s prestige, the corpses of high-profile people were first moved there, and now Père Lachaise’s eternal residents list is often referred to as a ‘Who’s Who’ of the dearly departed with graves occupied by the likes of Édith Piaf, Frédéric Chopin, Honoré de Balzac, Marcel Proust, and Oscar Wilde. Jim Morrison’s is considered the rockstar grave of them all – literally, and figuratively – so often vandalised that it has its own security.

La Recoleta, Argentina

Another protected grave sits in Buenos Aires’s La Recoleta cemetery: that of former first lady of Argentina, Eva Perón whose body was once stolen and mutilated by enemies of her family. Another grim graveyard story concerns 19-year-old socialite Rufina Cambaceres who is known as “the girl who died twice” owing to her being buried prematurely due to cataplexy (a condition whereby someone is awake but cannot move). Her coffin was later opened to discover scratch marks on the lid and her face. Such macabre tales belie the beauty of this sprawling necropolis named the City of the Dead thanks to its extravagant tombs and monuments built in the styles of art nouveau, baroque, art deco, and neo gothic, and adorned with domed top and intricately carved statues. Free tours are available along its narrow laneways, and it’s considered among the city’s top attractions.

PHOTO: CIMETIÈRE DU PÈRE LACHAISE, FRANCE

Highgate Cemetery, UK

Not so fun fact: among the inhabitants of Highgate Cemetery is the poisoned Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko who had to be buried in a lead-lined coffin such were the levels of his body’s radioactivity. Other notable names among the 170,000 plots of this legendary London graveyard include the painter Lucien Freud, the novelist George Eliot, and, perhaps most famously, the philosopher Karl Mark. Considered almost as much a parkland, the Victorian necropolis is noted for the overgrown woodland and ivy that intrude upon and around many of its gothic graves, the green foliage contrasting against the Dickensian grey and providing shelter for wildlife such as foxes.

Mount of Olives, Jerusalem

This cemetery resting on the slopes of its eponymous mount is visually striking owing to its position and uniformness rather than for grandiose graves and groves. More than 100,000 terracotta tombs overlook desert and the walled city of Jerusalem, its hallowed grounds occupied by ancient kings, rabbis, prophets, and Nobel Peace Prizewinning prime minister Menachem Begin. In use since biblical times, Jesus is said to have walked the slope, and according to the Book of Zechariah, this 3,000-year-old final resting place will be the site of the second coming. The biggest and holiest cemetery in the Jewish world, Mount of Olives also contains Muslim and Christian burial grounds.

PHOTO: MOUNT OF OLIVES, JERUSALEM

Stirling: All Heart

Atop of Abbey Craig, a 100-metre hill to the north of Stirling in the heart of Scotland, stands the 67-metre National Wallace Monument, a muscular, Victorian gothic structure befitting the rebel leader whom it commemorates.

The stunning sandstone tower marks the spot from which William Wallace – the real-life hero immortalised by the blue-painted-face of Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart –watched the soon-to-be defeated English army approach before the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Completed in 1869, the National Wallace Monument is climbed via 246 stone steps. En route to the top (or ‘Crown’), floors serve as mini museums dedicated to William Wallace and other Scottish heroes scanning centuries, with exhibits like busts and weaponry including what is claimed to be Wallace’s real sword (there is some debate about its authenticity, but aside from its symbolism you can’t but admire whoever had to go into battle brandishing a blade that stands as tall as the average woman). The narrow, winding (and occasionally windy) staircase emerges to jaw-dropping views of Scotland’s legendary autumnal landscape punctuated by the ghostly grey city, including the historic Stirling Castle perched atop another gnarly crag on the horizon.

For good reason, Braveheart regularly features towards the top of ‘most historically inaccurate films ever’ lists, while in his book An Utterly Impartial History of Britain author John O’Farrell states that it couldn’t have been more off the mark if a plasticine dog was added to the cast and it was retitled William Wallace and Gromit.

Flaws and fallacies such as there being no bridge at the Battle of Stirling Bridge; kilts not yet having been invented (they arrived 300 years later); dodgy accents, and the film being almost entirely shot in Ireland, are relatively forgivable, but not so is the scandalous, slanderous treatment of Robert the Bruce – another bona fide real-life Scottish hero – who is depicted as betraying Gibson’s Braveheart. In the real world, not only did Robert the Bruce absolutely not turn traitor against Wallace, but the two men likely never even met, and, to add insult to injury, it was Robert the Bruce, not William Wallace, who was actually nicknamed Braveheart.

That’s not to detract from William Wallace who really did lead a rebel army to an unlikely victory against a seemingly superior English force to become the Guardian of Scotland before going into exile and ultimately suffering betrayal and an excruciating execution (supposedly even more brutal than the movie portrays). But the factual exploits of this icon of Scottish independence and those who followed him are so fascinating, so inspirational, that it can be infuriating to discover just how much Hollywood twisted their tales.

Not that the city complains. Last year, then-chief executive of the Scottish Tourist Board, Tom Buncle, told the BBC that “Braveheart did more for Scottish tourism than the Scottish Tourist Board could have done in 20 years”. It’s estimated that

the multi-Oscar-winning movie is responsible for generating more than £35 million ($67 million) for Stirling alone, including increasing visitor numbers to the National Wallace Monument from 80,000 in 1995 to nearly 200,000 in 1996 while drawing more than one million additional visitors to the city.

Stirling sits adjacent to the River Forth as the ‘gateway to the Highlands’, and history dictated that whoever held the realm of Scotland must first hold the river crossing and the castle. There have been at least eight sieges of Stirling Castle and three major battles within its vicinity, with most of the violence occurring during the Wars of Scottish Independence from the late-13th to mid-14th centuries. Building of the castle began in the early 1100s, though most of the current structures date from the 15th and 16th centuries. The North Gate, which dates from 1381, represents the oldest surviving section, part of the gatehouse built for King Robert II, the first Stewart monarch and grandson of Robert the Bruce.

A towering 19th-century statue of Robert the Bruce welcomes guests into the castle grounds where awaits exhibits of medieval life, regal bed chambers, the Grand Hall, museum, chapel, and palace vaults. The fragrance and floral displays of the restful Queen Anne Gardens contrast against the epic tales of bloody battle and castle defence tactics involving boiling oil and human waste poured over would-be marauders. Visitors may also wander sections of the lofty defensive walls which repay the favour with views back across to the Wallace Monument, and beyond.

Still in the shadow of the castle, Stirling Distillery is the city’s oldest (legal) one, positioned in a romantic stone cottage on a site that served as stables for the horses of King James VI in the 1500s. It now serves handcrafted local gins, liqueurs, and Sons of Scotland malt whisky.

The Church of Holy Rude is considered one of the country’s best examples of medieval architecture and one that witnessed the coronation of James VI in 1567. Though it has occupied the same site since the early 12th century, a fire in 1405 led to it being rebuilt over the following decades. The spectacular kaleidoscopic stained-glass windows for which it is most famed were fitted in the 1800s. Further down the road awaits gruesome accounts of murderers, hangmen, and torturers via both exhibits and live performances in the brooding Victorian building that’s Stirling Old Town Jail.

Paradoxically, considering its history, Stirling is Scotland’s youngest city, granted city rights in 2002 to replace the royal burgh status declared upon it by King David I in the year 1130. The former royal stronghold is often likened to a miniature Edinburgh and it’s not hard to see why as your footsteps echo through the cobbled streets beneath an ancient guardian castle and architecture of ashen stone.

Trip complete, I pour myself a wee dram (or two) of single malt and furiously rewatch Braveheart. But boy, it’s a rip-roaring film.

Building of the castle began in the early 1100s, though most of the current structures date from the 15th and 16th centuries.

Flying High

After 20 years with the RNZAF, and 10 years heading Property Venture Real Estate, investment property specialist and property podcast pioneer Mark Honeybone recently announced his merger with real estate giant, Harcourts.

Harcourts Property Ventures is set to launch onto the market early October and Mark is optimistic about the partnership’s potential.

“We’re joining forces with New Zealand’s biggest real estate firm. Between us we have unrivalled insider knowledge of the property market and a massive database of investors, buyers, and sellers.”

Mark and the Harcourts Property Ventures team are currently working with another real estate rockstar, Michael Boulgaris, selling the first stage of the nearby Parkview on Cornwall, 190 New

York-inspired apartments, ranging from studio suites to four-bedroom deluxe apartments.

“It’s sophisticated living, an urban masterpiece right here in New Zealand,” says Mark, “We’re excited to launch with such a prestigious property.”

For more information about Parkview on Cornwall contact Mark on 021 402 990, or email mark.honeybone@harcourts.co.nz or call in to GO2/223D Greenlane West, Epsom.

Great

“A journey isbest measured in friends, ratherthan miles”

Tim Cahill

Otago Central Rail Trail Roxburgh Gorge Trail Clutha Gold Trail Lake Dunstan Trail

Bella Amalfi

WORDS KATE COULING

JOURNEYS

Add in cafes, bars and boutiques tucked away in steep alleyways with bright bursts of bougainvillea on every corner, and I’m totally sold.

Positano sits on the Amalfi Coast, neatly between Sorrento and Amalfi. Notwithstanding a dark period of pirate raids, Saracen sacking and Pisa pillaging, the continuous sunshine and wonderful scenery has attracted artists and poets along with the rich and famous since Roman times. And now it was my turn.

You take your life in your hands to drive the wicked twists and turns along the snaking cliffside road all along the coast, but it’s worth it. Incomparable views across the Tyrrhenian Sea, glimpses of sparkling coves and beaches, tiny villages and craggy hills are just reward for the inevitable heart-stopping moments in oncoming traffic.

On a scorching afternoon with the pavement practically shimmering in the heat, I headed towards the brightest point of reference I could find, the tiled dome of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. The dark interior was almost as good as a cool shower so I took my time wandering past the arches and chapels up to the statue of Madonna and Child, my gaze drawn upwards into the dome that attracted me at first, with light filtering through onto the high altar.

The food of the region seems focussed on light flavours, zinging with lemon. Seafood is plentiful of course and the produce flavoursome and delicious. I am huge fan of Caprese,

a simple salad of ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and fat, glossy mozzarella and its fried cousin, the panzerotti, but I would be lying if I said I did not gorge myself on flaky cornetti, garlic laden clams, delicious risotto, and fresh pasta, generally followed by a crisp, chilled limoncello. Surely all part of the ultra-healthy Mediterranean diet?

A little conscious of the amount of food I was consuming, I decided on taking one of the hiking trails (or in my case, ambling trails). I elected to tackle the most famous of them all, the Path of the Gods, or Sentiero Degli Dei. An early morning ferry ride took me to Amalfi and, fortified with coffee, I jumped on a bus to Bomerano where the trail begins. This 8km walk along the edge of the Lattari mountains follows ancient mule paths and boasts unforgettable views across the Sorrentine Peninsula to Capri. I was able to ignore my heaving lungs as the constantly changing scenery from terraced orchards through to forests, hillsides and cliff faces all offered complete ‘wow’ moments. Thankfully I could legitimately stop (frequently) for photos. It is a relatively simple trail despite its challenges, so when I reached the village of Nocelle at the end of the trail, I forwent the offer of a bus back to Positano and chose the 1,500-step descent into Positano. My knees decided that was a very poor decision and let me know about it for a couple of days.

With further trails to explore, beaches to relax on, excursions to Capri and beyond, and more, I will know next time to allow much, much more time. I’m a sucker for Positano and would return tomorrow in a heartbeat.

I’m a sucker for quirky Italian hillside villages that look like they’re tumbling into the ocean.

Being Herd

WORDS

JAMIE CHRISTIAN DESPLACES

Now she works as a shepherdess at Pukekauri Farm in Bay of Plenty and took some time out from a “a rough wet week!” to share her story with Verve .

“I just fell in love with the work, gaining experience with how to handle dry stock,” says the infectiously affable 18-year-old. “They’re quite different to your friendly dairy heifers! As well as helping my family in the milking shed, my grandad had his own mob of dry stock, and you bet I was in there drenching, weaning, tagging yearlings, and even castrating bulls.”

The experience inspired the youngster to enrol in agricultural courses during her final school years.

“While studying, I took a liking to beef and lamb farming as it challenged my abilities every day. Since then, I’ve never gone back to dairy farming.”

Pukekauri is a 300-hectare bull beef farm in Katikati, with an approximately 300-strong flock of ewes (“which all have to be lambed”) and “a mob of dairy grazers”. With the farm running along the back of the Kaimai Range, Kyaria says that there’s “plenty of steep hill country to keep us fit”. I ask about people’s general reaction to her role.

“When I tell them I’m a shepherdess, most people say, ‘Aww cool! So, you milk cows?’ It makes me laugh every time. I then explain to them that most of my days consist of walking in the hills, moving sheep and cattle, fencing, and even planting. What I love most about my job are the amazing places it can take you, from the mountaintop views to the wide-open country to getting hands-on dirty in the yards.”

Are there any aspects of the work you’re not so keen on? “Not really. I like to give everything and anything a good try –you never know what could come up!”

Do you work with dogs too?

“Yes, we have five huntaways: two bitches, and three dogs. My two trusty boys, Blaze and Jock, accompany me most days to help round up the cattle and sheep – it’s just like having extra people, only faster! Our two pups, Jock and Rose, are now just over a year old and working really well out in the field.”

Kyaria says there have been numerous farmers and shepherds that have helped guide her, and two pieces of advice that stand out: “My boss reminds me every week that farming is like a game of chess, you have to think and plan out your moves. The second one is to have a try at everything that’s offered to you, no matter how it could look at the time, because you never know where paths could lead in the future.

Kyaria Warbrick (Ngāi Te Rangi) was the oldest of the grandchildren growing up on her grandparent’s Matakana Island dairy farm, “already helping out before I could even walk!”

“That’s also something I’d suggest to anyone looking to have a career in shepherding – as well as talking to people. Get your name out there, speak with farmers, ask to do relief work, because the next thing you know you could have a dream job!”

In June, the government announced that it was committing $473,261 to the Farming for the Future Leader’s Programme in order to “enable and empower women… to reach their farming leadership potential”.

Associate Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri says that the programme “aims to create more value, develop new practices and support our extremely capable rural women into the future” while ensuring “diversity in the primary sector leadership”.

Kyaria has been doing her bit to highlight the joys of working in the farming sector too with her regular Instagram posts.

“The main reason why I choose to share my journey on social media is because I just love my job so much. But also, for my friends and family and others who are considering a career in sheep and beef farming. The audience I really want my content to reach is those who don’t know or understand what it takes to end up with that piece of steak for dinner.”

Ever since signing up for social media, the shepherdess says she’s received feedback not just from those in the industry in Aotearoa New Zealand, but overseas as well. It has, she says, helped her develop new skills to take forward into her undoubtedly bright future, and I finish up by asking what she hopes that future holds.

“My dream is to shepherd down in the South Island,” she says. “With the open country, massive hilltop views, a good team of dogs, and potentially a horse. To live the country dream.”

Follow Kyaria on Instagram @sheepnbeef_forkai

Fruit World Give Away

In such inflationary times, most families are under increasing financial pressure. Fruit and vegetable prices increased 10% over the last year alone! Fruit World provides shoppers with true value, with much of their produce arriving on their shelves hours after it’s picked, rather than three days like many supermarkets. Along with delicious and nutritious produce, expect exceptional weekly specials. Fruit World also has an extensive range of other grocery items including fresh herbs, bread, dairy, honey, jams, preserves and oils, saving you an extra trip to the supermarket. Shop Fruit World first, it’s worth it.

WIN We have three prizes of a week’s worth of fresh produce from Fruit World to win.

Entering is simple. Visit VERVEMAGAZINE.CO.NZ and click WIN then follow the directions. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @vervemagazine . GOOD LUCK.

The Makers

From award-winning Mount Maunganui-based author and wellness advocate Monique Hemmingson, The Makers is a book that takes a deep dive into the realities of what’s required to be a creative today and why creativity is essential to our wellbeing. This gorgeous tome sets out to answer such questions through intimate, authentic conversations with a range of artists across various fields, including conversations with Kiwis like Joanna Gibbs, Rhianna May McCormick-Burns, and Oliver Le Noel.

WIN We have three copies of The Makers, up for grabs. Published by Beatnik Publishing; RRP $59.99.

Aotearoa Art Fair

Aotearoa Art Fair’s Opening Night is your chance to mingle with collectors, gallerists, curators, and artists. Don’t miss New Zealand’s premier showcase for contemporary art, taking place from 16-20 November at The Cloud on Queens Wharf. artfair.co.nz

WIN We have two Opening Night tickets to give away.

Curated Botanics ‘A White Christmas’ Large Wreath

For lovers of the classic green-and-white look, this large wreath honours that tradition with the inclusion of cypress and spruce pine foliage, while also being very much made for summer thanks to its cream-white viburnum 'snowball', bridal vine, sweet pea, and citrus foliage. Includes a wooden gift/storage box.

curatedbotanics.com

WIN We have one White Christmas Large Wreath, valued at $319, up for grabs.

Greenest Countries

The top eight countries doing their bit for the planet.

While so much attention is given to what more we can do to combat climate change (and rightly so!), Verve celebrates what is already being done.

1. Switzerland

The most environmentally friendly and greenest country in the world, Switzerland, achieves its status thanks to the way it’s led on hydroelectric power, solar energy, wind turbines and geothermal.

2. France

In their 2019 Energy and Climate Act, France gave themselves an ambitious aim of net zero emissions by 2050. In addition, they made it illegal for supermarkets to discard good quality, unsold produce, and they score particularly well on low air pollution too.

3. Denmark

With half of the electricity on Danish shores provided by solar and wind power and a very efficient policy on

greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), Denmark’s rating is boosted by extremely good air quality and rich biodiversity.

4. Malta

Biodiversity is also a big win for Malta, while water is as clean in the country as anywhere on the planet, due to excellent sanitation and resources. The country is further helped by great agritourism –local people hosting in rural areas.

5. Sweden

Another Scandinavian entry, Sweden has low CO2 emissions, and their utilisation of renewable energy sources mean they aim to be running at 100% sustainability by 2045.

6. United Kingdom

The UK ranks extremely highly on the purity of drinking water and general sanitation levels.

In addition, its eco rating is boosted by the 9,000 wind turbines scattered around the coastline which allow for clean and sustainable energy.

7. Luxembourg

In 2005, the diminutive country set itself a target of lowering GHG emissions by more than half by 2030, with a goal of net zero by 2050. Scoring highly for water and biodiversity and habitat, Luxembourg is succeeding.

8. Austria

With 40% of the country’s money set aside for green projects and 19% of agricultural land now organically farmed, Austria is doing well in the environmental stakes. In fact, the latter figure puts them top of the EU charts.

Horoscopes

LIBRA

September –

October

You may come across as more of a perfectionist, organised and anxious. You will work quickly, efficiently, and you won’t stop until you get everything done. You will be good with the details and can gather the facts you need. You may also feel stronger and more vital and decide to try to improve your health through diet, exercise, or some other lifestyle changes.

23 October –

November

You’re driven to pursue your dreams. You want to get closer to attaining them and can accomplish one of them during this time. You’re more open to things that are unusual, unconventional, innovative, inventive, and futuristic, and want to push the envelope. You have more mental energy than physical energy and can do a lot of investigating into subjects before pursuing any of them.

CAPRICORN

December –19 January

You’ll feel more ambitious, hardworking, and focused on success. You may seem more distant emotionally, too concerned with your goals and with where you want to be in your life. You have an easier time with travel, legal dealings, writing, and learning. You’ll have more passion for your dreams, be more focused on the future and may have a harder time living in the present.

22 November –

21 December

This isn’t a period to focus on the seriousness of life; it’s a time to joke about its kookiness and relish in its joy. You’re extremely optimistic and positive about life, feeling everything is going great. You want to expand your consciousness, and spend time learning something new, studying a philosophy or culture, or jet-setting to some foreign land.

AQUARIUS 20 January –18 February

You have a harder time till 17 October dealing with mental tasks with a group of people or by yourself, and work better when you have one partner. From the 17th is a good time to talk about your relationship with someone, or to form a new business partnership. You will have an easier time dealing with your loved ones than usual.

PISCES

19 February –

20 March

You’re interested in many things presently, more curious than usual, and want to learn more about them. You may not stick with anything for very long though, so you’ll pick up lots of new, random bits of information, but won’t become a master at anything. You can be more outgoing, wanting to be more socially engaged, and need a busier schedule.

CANCER

21 June –22 July

You may come across as more proud, warm, and friendly. Your creative self can come out, and you let your artistic side shine. There are no fences that can hold you in and no limit to how high you can fly. If you’re single, you’ll meet more people who pique your interest. If in a relationship, try to bring romance back into it.

ARIES

21 March –

19 April

You will come up with big ideas of what you want to do with your life. You can see the big picture more clearly, but the details are a little fuzzy. You can take an interest in something and want to study it further. You can become more interested in other cultures, and try to learn about other ways of living.

LEO 23 July –22 August

This is a good time for going back to a career you used to work in. You feel life isn’t expanding the way that you want it to, and this frustrates you. You’re stuck in the dark, dwelling on the issues that hold you back. You may experience power struggles with someone, especially over money, and have issues with other people’s money.

TAURUS

20 April –

20 May

You’re more defensive of your beliefs, and if you feel threatened, you’ll defend them strongly. You may question your dreams for your future, and feel that they’re too unrealistic and out of reach, but this may not be a good time to make any final decisions about what you should do. You can let your emotions run more freely and give your head a break.

VIRGO

23 August –22 September

Your mind will be active and sharp and you come up with lots of new ideas. This is a good time for any mental work that needs to be done, though you’re not good at sticking with any project for very long right now. Smaller projects will get done quickly. You will be louder and more boisterous and more social and engaging with others.

GEMINI

21 May –

20 June

You embrace what it is that makes you who you are, and want to be a unique, independent person. You may be more dramatic with your emotional displays, requiring more attention when you’re feeling insecure. You can finish a creative project, take a love relationship to the next level, or stop seeing someone entirely if you don’t feel it’s working out.

THE FIRST-EVER FULLY ELECTRIC BMW i4.

The thrilling BMW i4 heralds a new era of electric driving.

It imbues true sports heritage delivering electric performance that goes beyond feeling fast – to feeling alive.

It’s time to experience this ultimate electric driving machine. Find out more at Continental Cars BMW North Shore today.

Continental Cars BMW North Shore, 45-46 Wairau Road, Wairau Valley, North Shore. Ph (09) 488 2000. ccbmwauckland.co.nz