WildTomato January 2018

Nelson and Marlborough’s magazine /

ISSUE 138 / JANUARY 2018 / $8.95

100 PAGES

Summer loving Horse racing, home building, festivals and fashion

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Interview: Kerensa Johnston and Rachel Taulelei Mussel Inn Medical cannabis debate Building a house Summer festivals

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I want to walk outside and say “Wow!” No one knows your personality or aspirations better than you.

At Jennian Homes, we work alongside you to create your ideal way of living based simply on what you want. By combining your personality with our expertise, Jennian will craft a living space that reflects your individual needs and personality that is custom designed for your family.

Come on over to our brand new Display Home located at 408 Hill Street, Richmond, open daily 1- 4pm, to see how we can help you get the home you’ve always wanted.

Jennian Homes Nelson Bays 8 Champion Road, Richmond, Nelson P 03 544 4390 E nelson@jennian.co.nz jennian.co.nz

NEW HOMES

EXPERTS in transforming space kitchen remodel

T H E SE L L E R S R O OM Res i d ent i a l & Co m m er cial J o ine ry

Thinking new kitchen/residential project or even commercial?

Think THE SELLERS ROOM Design Team

Visit our Showroom at 9 Echodale Place

Myles & Margarette Sellers

Freephone 0800 469 537 Phone 03 547 7144 Email msellers@thesellersroom.co.nz Address 9 Echodale Place, Stoke

www.thesellersroom.co.nz

It’s what’s

inside

that counts

Successful real estate stories all begin and end with trust.

For Debbie, many of those success stories have led to lasting friendships and a strong network of referrals.

Debbie’s extensive knowledge, tenacity and steadfast commitment to the needs of her clients will leave you comfortable that you chose the right person for the job.

M: 021 0252 8294 debbie@debbiecooper.co.nz

4 Debbie Cooper Real Estate Ltd (Licensed under the REAA 2008)

Shining a Light on Inspired Nelson Women BEX DEVA

SARAH HEDGER

Studio Owner & Event Organiser

Yum.

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B

ummer is the season to enjoy fresh, delicious food and, to feel amazing!

YUM is a line of beautiful, artisanal, breakfast cereals we make fresh here in Nelson. We believe in using the best ingredients for everyone so only organic ingredients are used and local when possible.

YUM tastes amazing, while being nutrient dense with high fibre, healthy fats, low sugar content, good proteins and gluten-free. YUM fans thank us for making such a high quality product that leaves them feeling fuelled for their day.

ex has managed to integrate her passions – for wellness, dance, yoga and festivals – with business savvy, and for the past two decades has made her livelihood doing the things she loves.

Studio Evolve is a central oasis overlooking the waterfront. It offers a diverse schedule of yoga and Nia dance classes, beginners yoga/ meditation courses and is a registered Yoga Teacher Training School. studioevolve.co.nz

Evolve Festival – a weekend packed with live music, workshops and exhibitors, right in the heart of Nelson, 26-28 January 2018

yumnz.co.nz | @yumgranola

evolvefestival.co.nz

KRISTIN PATERSON

DOMINIQUE WHITE

Whole Lotta Life

Passion to a career

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support@wholelottalife.org wholelottalife.org

dominiquewhitephoto.com dominiquewhitephotography@gmail.com 021 086 07516

iagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at 26, Kristin faced the stark reality of living with cancer as a young adult. “I quickly recognised that the needs of young adults with cancer were unique, and that they faced challenges that were not being addressed. I felt called to fill that gap in support so that no other young adult in NZ would face a cancer diagnosis alone.”

In 2013, Kristin launched the Whole Lotta Life Foundation.

hotography has always been my passion and I’ve been very fortunate to turn my passion into a career.

I specialise in all aspects of real estate photography as well as event, food and landscape. I view every project, no matter the size, as an opportunity to capture it in the best light and ensure my clients’ expectations are exceeded. I am always looking to expand my business and would be keen to chat to see how I can bring your projects to life.

Visit www.yourtribe.net | Hook up with us on FB | Call Caron 021 145 7162 or email the team info@yourtribe.net Check out some of our members

Art, Food, Music

Choice Home Funerals

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Nelson and Marlborough’s magazine

Features Issue 138 / January 2018

28 The cannabis debate Helen Murdoch wades into the heated waters of using cannabis for medicinal use

32 A day at the races John Cohen-Du Four looks forward to the Nelson Harness Club’s summer meet while Tess Patrick describes the Fashion in the Field competition

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38 The Mussel Inn Josie Stanford meets the creative duo behind the popular Golden Bay music venue which has just celebrated its 25th anniversary

42 The Buskers Festival Nelson’s streets teem with life during this popular event and with acclaimed acts aimed at all ages there’s something for everyone says Sarah Wilson

44 Building your own home Brenda Webb gets to grips with the practicalities of the self-build process

INTERVIEWS

22 My Big Idea Annabel Kemplen talks to Stu Allan about bringing major outdoor events to Nelson

24 The interview Sadie Beckman talks to two women bringing family values to the boardroom: Wakatu Incorporation’s Kerensa Johnston and Kono NZ’s Rachel Taulelei 6

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Columns FASHION

54 Horsin' around Stylist Kelly Vercoe and photographer Ishna Jacobs spent a day at the Nelson Harness Racing Club to bring our summer fashion to life LIFE

62 My Home

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Josie Stanford visits an architectural masterpiece with a view to envy

70 Interiors Rebecca O’Fee has some inspiration for decorating your bach this summer

72 My Garden Sophie Preece interviews Jeanine Wardman, a florist in the Wairau Valley, and learns the simple joy of planting and picking flowers

74 My Health GP Ngaire Warner urges us to stay safe in the sun and tells us how to spot skin cancer

75 My History Tess Patrick delves into her family history and finds links to Nelson/ Tasman she never knew she had

78 My Kitchen If you’re unsure about cooking a whole fish on the bbq, check out this months’ recipe from Madame Lu’s

79 Dine Out Sarah La Touche reviews The Smoking Barrel

80 Wine Sophie Preece meets the viticulturists behind Ruby Bay Vineyard in the Moutere

81 Beer Mark Preece meets the couple behind the New Ways Brewing Company who recently launched a hoppy, malty alcohol-free beer

ACTIVE

91 Film Eddie Allnutt enjoys biopic Breathe from debut director Andy Serkis

82 Travel Brenda Webb takes an immersion course in Spanish before travelling in South America

92 Books Find your next favourite novel in our summer reading special

87 Motoring Geoff Moffett takes a test drive in Toyota’s new off-roader, the Prado CULTURE

88 Arts John Cohen-Du Four talks to Giles Burton, producer and director of Nelson’s Summer Shakespeare

90 Music Pete Rainey reviews the line-up of this year’s Nelson JazzFest

REGULARS

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Editorial

10 Noticeboard 11 Subscription offer 12 Events 14 Snapped 89 Gallery must-haves 94 Quiz & trivia 98 My Education 7

Editor's letter

F

irst I want to say a big hello to all of our readers. I’m very happy to be here.

I’ve moved down from Auckland so why wouldn’t I be delighted to find myself in such a beautiful region in summer! I must say, when I saw the role of editor at WildTomato advertised I immediately thought ‘that’s me!’ and the fact that it was based in Nelson was, if you’ll pardon the pun, the cherry tomato on top. It’s a beautiful magazine and I must thank my predecessor Lynda Papesch for all her hard work bringing it to where it is today. Now it’s my job to make sure we continue to deliver a quality magazine with all the content our readers have grown to love. To that end, I’d like to kick off by gathering your views. I hope you’ll take five minutes to fill in our online survey at wildtomato.co.nz/survey before February 28 so that I can learn what you love and what you’d like to see more of.

Each person who takes part in the survey will go in the draw to win a $50 voucher for Jellyfish Restaurant and Bar in Mapua and one of three one-year subscriptions to WildTomato.

This issue we welcome back designers Lisa and Annabelle who are previous designers of the magazine. Floor van Lierop has done a really good job of the design for the last two and a half years (thanks Floor!) and is taking a well-earned break.

We are again 100 pages with some interesting stories to delve into. Helen Murdoch gets to grips with the medical cannabis debate (page 28). John Cohen-Du Four looks forward to the Nelson races (page 32) and I take a trip to Golden Bay to interview the couple behind The Mussel Inn (page 38). It was my second time there; four years ago I did an epic road trip from Christchurch to Golden Bay with a golden harp in the car – my friend was playing a gig at the venue! Plus we have all the usual columns and a couple of new ones: My health and My history plus new food writers who I know will get your tastebuds fired up. We hope you’ll enjoy reading the issue as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together for you.

Love local P

lease support the local businesses who advertise in WildTomato. We depend on the $$ they give us to bring you all your favourite content.

Buying local and enjoying all the activities on our doorstep is the right thing to do in this age of minding our footprint on the planet. Besides, we have the best of everything don’t we, so why not! This month I’m loving on-street dining at the top of Trafalgar Street, reflective time in the Queens Gardens before work, swimming at Tahunanui in the evening and the Thursday market at Isel Park in Stoke.

J O S I E S TA N F O R D

Editor

Josie Stanford 021 024 60085 josie@wildtomato.co.nz

Manager

Laura Loghry 027 378 0008 laura@wildtomato.co.nz

Intern Cover photo by Ishna Jacobs

Tess Patrick tess@wildtomato.co.nz

Lead ad designer

Patrick Connor production@wildtomato. co.nz

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Design & art direction

Annabelle Archibald and Lisa Noble design@wildtomato.co.nz

Contributors

Eddie Allnutt, Sadie Beckman, Jessica Bay, Chelsea Chang, Elora Chang, John Cohen-du Four, Tom Davies, Ana Galloway, Ishna Jacobs, Annabel Kemplen, Sarah La Touche, Kay McQuire, Geoff Moffett, Helen Murdoch, Rebecca O’Fee, Mark Preece, Sophie Preece, Pete Rainey, Ray Salisbury, Kelly Vercoe,

Ngaire Warner, Brenda Webb, Sarah Wilson, Dominique White

Sales executives

Chrissie Sanders 027 540 2237 chrissie@wildtomato.co.nz Sara Booth 021 214 5219 sara@wildtomato.co.nz

Subscriptions

$75 for 12 issues wildtomato.co.nz/ subscribe

Readership: 29,000

Source: Nielsen Consumer and Media Insights Survey (Q4 2016 - Q3 2017)

Publisher

Jack Martin WildTomato Media Ltd 258 Hardy Street Nelson 7010 PO Box 1901 Nelson 7040 info@wildtomato.co.nz wildtomato.co.nz Find us on: WildTomato/ @wildtomatomagazine @wildtomato Read online at issuu.com/wildtomato

Helen Murdoch The Cannabis debate, page 28 “Interacting with people is my mental fuel. But I also relish the activity and solitude of organic gardening, tending land and animals and motorcycle riding. I immediately felt at home when I moved to the region over three decades ago and 20-plus years of local and regional news reporting has been the ticket to discover and uncover what makes Nelson-Tasman tick. This month’s cannabis feature gives voice to the community call for change.

The current laws on recreational use and medicinal access do not work. We need to put fear and inaction back in the box where they belong and stride forward.”

Selling your property?

Each week over 859,700* property hunters look for their next home in

Ngaire Warner

Property Press

My health, page 74 “Health education is really important to me as a GP – I aim to empower patients to take ownership of their health issues. I love that the name of my practice, Toi Toi Medical, means ‘to encourage, motivate and inspire’. I try to live by example and my patients all know that I prescribe regular doses of getting into the outdoors and getting active.”

Fish Where The Fish Are

Ask your real estate professional about Property Press Available online at www.propertypress.co.nz

Madame Lu’s My kitchen, page 78 “Hi there! We are Chels and Lu, the two sisters behind Madame Lu’s Kitchen, a bespoke cooking school opposite Haulashore Island. We love to reacquaint people with the kitchen – the heart of the home. We hope you’ll find our fresh and flavoursome recipes beautiful enough to try at home. We are oh so very lucky to live in Nelson with its abundance of gorgeous local producers and will be introducing you to our friends throughout the year.”

*Statistics from Horizon Research’s February 2017 survey, 2066 respondents aged 18+, weighted to represent the New Zealand national adult population. The survey has a maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level of +2.2% overall.

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N O T I C E B OA R D

The impact of zero fees at NMIT For students starting tertiary study at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) in 2018, the government’s new policy on zero fees for eligible first year tertiary students is good news, says Virginia Watson, Director of Marketing and International Development.

The key things that will be impacted at NMIT are:

• NMIT’s Half-a-degree-for-free scholarship just got better for degree students starting 2018. Those students will get the government fees free for the first year, and also get year two and year three at half price (under the existing NMIT Half-a-degree-for-free scholarship). This means an extra $3000 in their pocket.

• A review of NMIT’s Half-a-degree-for-free scholarship for 2019 intakes. The scholarship will be redesigned around the new rules to incentivise locals to study in the region.

• The 2017 $2000 school awards (awarded to 2017 school leavers) that NMIT has recently awarded, can be redeemed for study in 2019 instead of 2018.

• NMIT will work with scholarship partners to make any adjustments needed for 2018.

WHERE DO YOU READ YOURS?

Marilyn Andrews reading her WildTomato at the Oberoi Hotel in Kolkata, India with tv chef personality Peta Mathias.

ONLY JPG FILES ACCEPTED, MIN. 1MB

CALL FOR ENTRIES…

The best of us In early December, a select few in our region who go above and beyond were honoured at theKiwibank Local Hero Awards.

Medals were given to individuals who selflessly donate their time and give back to the community. Many of this year’s recipients volunteered in helping families and children in poverty, preserving historical places, endorsing the arts and protecting our conservation. Thank you!

Marlborough Heroes (above left) from L-R: Shirley Hocquard, Mark Rea, Jennifer Eatherley, Jason Walker, Liz Buttimore, Katheryn Webb, Louise Hyde, Tania Silcock, Kevin Moseley, Dean Marshall, Alison Ile, Walter Scott.

Nelson heroes, back row L-R: Councillor Gaile Noonan, Nigel Andrews, Rees Vinson, Murray Leaning, John-Paul Pochin, Paul Hampton, Regan Savage (Kiwibank). Front row L-R: Brian and Diane Ramsay, Debs Martin, Fiona Price and Glenn Bisdee.

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Are you a textile designer?

Entries are open for the Changing Threads Contemporary New Zealand Fibre Art Awards 2018, presented by Arts Council Nelson to encourage fibre and textile aritists to produce creative and boundary-pushing creations.

The Finalists Showcase will take place at the Refinery ArtSpace in Nelson from March 2-24.

Bernina Sewing Centre, Creative Journeys and MMP have continued their sponsorships for the 2018 event with some great prizes and prize money on offer. ​Entry to the 2018 celebratory showcase is free. However, artists selected for the final showcase will be charged an exhibition fee. Closing date for entries is February 9. Full details, terms and conditions and entry forms are available at acn.org.nz/changing-threads.html.

Do you dream of being published?

Start writing now and have 1500 words ready to enter the 2018 Page & Blackmore Short Story competition. Run by the Top of the South branch of NZ Society of Authors, it has a prize pool of $600 worth of book vouchers from the sponsor Page & Blackmore Booksellers of Nelson. These are shared between first, second and third prize winners. Entries open on January 1 and close on April 3, 2018 and entries will be restricted to 125 so don’t leave your entry to the last minute because last year was over-subscribed and you may miss out.

This year’s judge is award-winning author Catherine Chidgey and every entrant receives a written assessment of his or her story. Winning and short-listed stories are published in a biennial anthology.

Visit topwriters.co.nz for more info and to enter.

Nelson and Marlborough’s magazine

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Upsizing and evolving with the times

Nelson Arts Festival an ar tis

tion Lodge Accommoda rch Downsizing Plant & Food Resea er Gardening America Summ rant South Babagatto Restau

feast tic SUPER young &for FESTIVE old cocktail Mr Tourism Marlboroug &dinner h New Burger Cult Wines ure Going Nut recipes Skiing Mt s Cheesem

Awaroa Lodge Street Fashion

an

Festive decorating Subaru XV

Mark Rawson Interview

Paddle Steaming

Santa Movie

Brook Sanctuary Co-Housing

Fashion

The first 20 subscribers this month will receive a $50 voucher for the Cod & Lobster Brasserie, a seafood restaurant and cocktail bar in Trafalgar Street, Nelson. The restaurant serves the best seafood from around New Zealand and fresh regional fare including beef, lamb and venison. Or relax in the bar and choose from the list of cocktails by award-winning mixologist Nick Widley.

Farmers' Markets Magenta Outsider Art

Kaikoura

Goose Hunting

To receive a year’s worth of issues for $75 (retail price $107) head to wildtomato.co.nz/subscribe Terms and conditions: Subscriptions are $75 (including gst and postage) for 12 issues delivered in New Zealand only and are non-refundable.

Please allow 28 days for your first issue to arrive. Other conditions apply and are available on request.

This promotion is not in conjunction with any other WildTomato subscription offer and expires 31 Jan 2018. The $50 voucher is available to the first 20 subscribers.

11 The product offer in this promotion is non-transferrable for cash or other items.

EVENTS

January events NELSON/TASMAN

Thu 11 to Sat 20 Summer Shakespeare: Twelfth Night

Find out more details on Nelson/Tasman summer events at itson.co.nz

Mon 1 to Sun 14

Sat 6

Founders Summer Reads Book Fair

Out of the Blue

Kick off your summer reading season with the region’s mostloved second-hand books. New books are added each morning.

Open daily from 10-4.30.

FOUNDERS HERITAGE PARK

Tues 2 to Sun 21 Summer Movies Al Fresco Screening a variety of classics from 1935-1966, this summer’s movie sessions are the perfect excuse to share a picnic with family and friends. nelsonsummer.nz

A stellar line-up celebrating some of New Zealand’s best musical talent. What a way to salute summer. outoftheblue.nz TRAFALGAR PARK

Sat 6, 13, 20, 27 The Nelson Market The weekly bustling market transforms Montgomery Square into a vibrant showcase of regional art, crafts, fashion, jewellery and fresh local and organic produce.

MONTGOMERY SQUARE

VARIOUS VENUES

Sun 7, 14, 21, 28

Wed 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Motueka Market

Nelson Farmers’ Market Rain or shine, the Farmers’ Market brings fresh local produce and products from throughout the Top of the South. Enjoy the new venue.

Evolve Festival

Brighten your Motueka Sunday with this showcase of arts, crafts, food and drink, along with fresh local produce and entertainment.

‘If music be the food of love, play on.’ Shakespeare’s hilarious and heartbreaking tale of unrequited love performed in beautiful outdoor settings. facebook.com/ nelsonsummershakespeare VARIOUS VENUES

Fri 12 to Sun 14 Motueka Country Music Festival A family-friendly festival featuring all of your favourite local musicians and timeless country classics.

MARCHWOOD PARK

Fri 12, 19 Tahuna Summer Sounds

Wed 24 Richter City Rebels

The event for kids of all ages.

Summer Sounds returns with two stages set up by the beach featuring local music, and on the side, a plethora of havea-go beach sports, games and challenges.

Returning for another summer, this 10-piece blends RnB, soul, hip-hop, jazz and funk to create the finest in New Orleans-style brass band music.

TAHUNANUI RESERVE

Fri 26 to Sun 28

FAIRFIELD HOUSE, NELSON

Evolve Festival

DECKS RESERVE CARPARK

Fri 12, Sun 14

MAITAI BOULEVARD

Thu 11, Fri 12

Wed 3 to Sat 6

Gary McCormick `& Tim Shadbolt

Nelson Harness Summer the workshops, exhibitors and Races music designed to transform

Nelson Jazz Festival Get 2018 off to a funky start with a favourite summer event, bringing local and international jazz musicians to the forefront of the entertainment scene.

There’s more than enough music to please everyone. nelsonjazzfest.co.nz

Join the duo of New Zealand’s funniest mayor and well-known radio personality for a buffet dinner and evening of laughter.

Tickets for this are guaranteed to sell out.

THE PLAYHOUSE CAFÉ & THEATRE, MAPUA

Although racing is an important part of the weekend, it’s not just about the horses.

Entertainment all day, including live music, local food, and Fashion in the Field on Sunday. nhrc.co.nz

Teddy Bears' Picnic

Sun 14 The ultimate in children’s summer events. Bring your teddy, a picnic lunch, and relax while the kids enjoy performers, face-painting, bouncy castles and giveaways. Head along to the bears’ picnic in Motueka the following Sunday for twice the fun.

ISEL PARK, STOKE

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the wellbeing of individuals, the community and the earth.

Feed your mind, body and soul over the course of this feel-good weekend. evolvefestival.org.nz FOUNDERS HERITAGE PARK

RICHMOND A&P SHOWGROUNDS

Teddy Bears’ Picnic

VARIOUS VENUES

Now a biennial event. Explore

Sun 28 Sarau Festival Go back to your artisan roots and celebrate the self-sufficient and sustainably booming Moutere Valley and its people.

Browse the stalls, eat the food, listen to the music and meet the locals as you watch the sun go down over Mt Arthur Range. saraufestival.co.nz MOUTERE HILLS COMMUNITY CENTRE

Paul Ubana Jones

MARLBOROUGH Find out more details about Marlborough summer events at marlborough4fun.co.nz

Mon 1 to Sun 28

Sun 7, 14, 21, 28

JS Parker: The Poetry of Surfaces

Marlborough Farmers’ Market

A curation of the late JS Parker’s paintings and drawings themed around poems he wrote from 1963 to 2017. This Marlborough native is most commonly known for his abstract modernist works, and these pieces offer the viewer an insight into the creativity that inspired him. marlboroughart.org.nz

Enjoy the freshest seasonal fruit, vegetables and produce that Marlborough has to offer.

At the Farmers’ Market you meet the grower.

MILLENNIUM ART GALLERY,

Participate in (or watch from the shores) the largest keelboat regatta south of Auckland, with more than 50 yachts taking part. With five sections and the inclusion of the Flying Fifteen nationals, there’s something for every sailor. waikawaboatingclub.co.nz

BLENHEIM

Thur 4 Paul Ubana Jones: The Long Lunch Session An al fresco long lunch by chef Bradley Hornby, coupled with music by the legendary Paul Ubana Jones. Paul’s contemporary style, influenced by blues, rock, folk and jazz, is confirmed by his three New Zealand Music Awards. arbour.co.nz ARBOUR, RENWICK

Sat 6, 13, 20, 27 Marlborough Artisan Market The market is back for the summer with fresh vegetables, crafty items and a tasty brunch on offer.

A&P SHOWGROUNDS, BLENHEIM

Fri 12 to Sun 14 Lawson’s Dry Hills New Year’s Regatta

WAIKAWA BOATING CLUB, PICTON

Sat 13 King and Queen of the Withers Enjoy the view across town and over to Taylors Pass as you walk, run or attempt a hybrid of both in this popular 10km hill race. Suitable for social walkers and solitary sprinters alike. Entry is available online and on the day. harriers.net.nz WITHER HILLS FARM PARK

Sat 13, Sun 14 & Sat 20, Sun 21 Maud Island & Pelorus Sound Tour As part of the Department of Conservation’s Summer Explorer Programme, Pelorus Tours chaperones a memorable trip through the sound and to Maud Island. Visit mussel farms, gannet colonies; see nesting shags and endangered wildlife. Take a 40-minute walking tour. pelorustours.co.nz HAVELOCK MARINA

Wed 17, Sun 28 Wairau Lagoon Guided Mountain Bike Ride Stick to those New Year’s resolutions and join this Grade 1 ride from the lagoons to the Wairau River mouth, while taking in some of the richest biodiversity Marlborough has to offer. doc.govt.nz/news/events WAIRAU LAGOON

WYNEN ST POCKET PARK, BLENHEIM

Fri 19, Sun 21 Blenheim Trots Enjoy a summer’s evening with family and friends at the two Interislander Summer Festival Blenheim Trots. Racing action, music, free kids’ entertainment and the best, freshest local fare to be found in Marlborough.

Pack a picnic, sit back, relax and study the race-form. theraces.co.nz/events Lawson's Dry Hills New Year's Regatta

Fri 19 to Sun 21 Gourmet Paradise Country Music Awards Dust off your cowboy boots and come along to a weekend celebrating our up-and-coming country music artists. The weekend is full of fundraiser events, auditions, showcases and awards.

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH

Sat 20 Picton Maritime Festival A family-oriented event celebrating the unique maritime heritage of Picton and the Marlborough Sounds.

Strengthening community ties, providing a fun and educational experience for children, and supporting local organisations – all you could want in a day out.

PICTON FORESHORE

Sun 28 Cape Campbell Lighthouse Walk Join the Marlborough Tramping Club in checking out the changes since the 2016 earthquake on a 7km-eachway beach walk. Transport is provided at additional cost. freewebs.com/ marlboroughtrampingclub HORTON PARK, BLENHEIM

WATERLEA RACECOURSE

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Snapped

WildTomato goes out on the town‌

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Vintage Christmas Market Beacon Hill Estate, Hope PHOTOGRAPHY BY DOMINIQUE WHITE

1. Caroline Jouve 2. Owen Bartlett

6. Karen Ward, Dennis Smith & Helen Coombs

3. Eve Dunne & Steve Dunne

7. Carissa, Helen & Richard Holmes

4. Janette Redpath, Helen Weir, Sharon Thomson, Donna Madden & Sue Fallow

9. Kate Yolland

8. Gary Hooguliet & Randall Froude

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5. Joanne Bensemann

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Serving more than 50 wines on tap using our bespoke argon dispensing system.

We have an extensive range of premium Nelson region wines, along with select national and international labels.

Wine tastings and take-home bottle sales available.

Visit us at Mapua Wharf. Open 7 days. Phone 03 540 2580

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Rimu Wine Bar

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S NA P P E D

1 WOW exhibition opening WOW Museum, Nelson

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P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y A N A G A L L O WAY

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Soyun Park, Jeff Brown & Felicity Mountfort

5. Gisella Carr & Dame Suzie Moncrieff

2. Barbara Tanner & Susan Smallcombe

6. Andy Hamilton & Mieke van Dam

3. Stephanie Alderson, Larisse Hall, Sophia Swindells & Donna Allfrey

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4. Carol Hargardon, Sally Hetzel & Kathryn Orange

9. Kate Souness & Louise Neilson

Mel Courtney & Roger Taylor

8. Emma Senior, Lucy Forrester & Ket Sprowell

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We work for you

PROPERTY BUSINESS & ESTATES

Call Linda on 03 547 6050 | www.bamfordlaw.co.nz 15

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1 Ocean Vine Hop Churchill Glade, Blenheim PHOTOGRAPHY BY SUSIE WILLIAMS

1. Becky Andrell, Emma Henderson & Lousie Chapman 2. Heather and Martin Summerscales, Jax Hamilton & Jodie Ewens

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3. Kylie Herron, Haley Brabant & Joey Howe

5. Jo May & Gary Fisher 6. Kerry Blackmore, Vince Edwards, Kelly Taylor & Sarah-Jayne Atkinson 7. Jenny & Ian Snalam 8. Meridith & Stephen Crawford

4. Brittany Nixon & Jess Holdaway

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7 Sunday 28th January 2018 Starts 3pm, see you there!

What’s on this year at the Sarau Festival? $5 per adult, children free Moutere Hills Community Centre, Upper Moutere

FREE ONSITE PARKING 16

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S NA P P E D

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2 Contemporary Homes showhome VIP Night – Marsden Park, Nelson P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y R AY S A L I S B U R Y

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Andy Bunny & Vicky Carroll

2. Alastair Rodger with Ruth & Greg Freeman 3. Paul & Melissa Richards 4. Tania & Geoff Bostock 5. Jacques & Yolandie Vosloo

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Ezra Wilson, Wayne Morris, Jacques Vosloo & Craig Taylor

8. Yogi Unger with Graham & Wendy Cooper 9. Cayla Smith & Liam Gill

6. Bob Aitken & Bruce Stilwell

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27 TAPS POURING NELSON’S BEST CHOICE OF CRAFT

BEERS, CIDERS & LOCAL WINES

37 Tahunanui Drive, Nelson | 03 546 5521 | www.belairetavern.co.nz 17

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Signature homes showhome launch Richmond P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y A N A G A L L O WAY

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Jaime Young, Jade Bixley, Georgia Wells, Megan Tasker & Christie Gilbert

2. Chris Pyemont, Lisa Molnar & Jodie Bixley 3. Amanda Palmer & Jodie Bixley 4. Toni & Linda Bamford

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5. Chris & Nigel Barnett

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Simon Bixley & George Molnar

8. Mark Bidlake, Dom Mold & Eric Hall 9. Rochelle Krammer, Nicola Waters & Keri Inglis 10. Nicola & Grant Waters

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S NA P P E D

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Kiwi Christmas movie premiere State Cinema, Nelson

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P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y R AY S A L I S B U R Y

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Sam Clark (centre) with his mates Elan, Liam, Reuben, Cameron, Callum, Idris, Ali & Oblio

2. Luca Andrews, (actress) Tony Simpson (director) & Sam Clark (actor) 3. Sam Clark with his family

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5. Katie O’Donal & Vivian Escorsin 6. Ali & Freya High 7.

Freya, Tegan & Clare Fleming with Bonnie, Sarah & Jamie Haymes

8. Tony Simpson with Hugh Gully & Leah McKay 9. Stevenson Family

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Moxini Christmas Party Moxini Interiors, Richmond PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARINA KUSUMADARMA

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MY BIG IDEA

A dream realised In 2015 WildTomato interviewed Stu Allan about his Big Idea to stage world-class events in Nelson — events that capture the local community and bring both national and international visitors to the region. Since then he has set up events company Showcase Nelson, which is launching its first major gig, Out of the Blue, in Nelson’s Trafalgar Park this month. We catch up with Stu to find out what it’s like seeing his dream come to fruition.

BY ANNABEL KEMPLEN

What is your Big Idea in a nutshell?

I want to create a calendar of largescale outdoor events in Nelson-Tasman throughout the year. The plan is for Out of the Blue to become an annual event celebrating Kiwi artists on the first weekend of January every year, taking advantage of the extra 75,000 visitors who flock to the region.

It’s also about Nelson getting its share of big international acts – similar to what Mission Estate Winery has achieved for Hawkes Bay, attracting names like Rod Stewart, Neil Diamond and the Dixie Chicks. These international-star events will mostly be held in the shoulder or off-peak season to attract out-of-towners when we need them most. For example, Showcase Nelson is looking at options for a large outdoor rock concert in the middle of July, a multi-day country music festival, and themed events with female vocalists or keyboard sessions.

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How did your Big Idea come about?

It stems back to my days in radio in Wellington about 20 years ago. I was always involved in the city’s major events in some shape or form. I love live performances and I was always attracted to the business model for music events.

For some time I’ve been wanting to bring events to Nelson-Tasman that give people a really, really great time.

What has kept you motivated towards making this dream happen?

I’m really keen to give back to the Nelson community that’s been so good to me.

Like most concert promoters or festival organisers, I’m driven by a passion for bringing people together, to create special moments and enduring memories.

Events are not just measured by the acts on stage. It is a culmination of all the smaller aspects like fast-flowing queues and plenty of toilets. Success is measured by the detail.

How are you feeling in the lead-up to Showcase Nelson’s first big event?

The level of support we’ve received from the wider Nelson community has been seriously awesome. Everyone wants to see big events here on a regular basis – whether that’s because they run a business that will benefit from the economic injection or purely because they love the idea of going to something that wouldn’t ordinarily be held here. Of course, there are a few nerves leading up to the day, but we’ve got a solid team of event specialists working on Out of the Blue so I am sure it’s going to be superb.

Don’t miss Out of the Blue at Trafalgar Park on Saturday, January 6, from 1pm to 10pm. Grab your tickets from dashtickets.co.nz or on the gate. For details, go to outoftheblue.nz.

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I N T E RV I E W

Rachel Taulelei

Kerensa Johnston

FAMILY VALUES IN THE BOARDROOM Sadie Beckman meets two trailblazing women who have arrived, and are now focused on creating sustainable, happy workplaces for their employees.

W

ork-life balance is a hot topic, and an equilibrium many people feel they struggle to achieve and maintain. This can be especially so for women. True equality in the workplace still doesn’t exist in many cases, and societal pressure compels women to fulfil multiple roles, both in their personal and professional lives.

Imagine, though, a situation where the concepts of work and life blend into one, and mix seamlessly with other concepts such as family, integrity and passion.

This is the case for two women who are not only achieving at the top of their game, but have taken that game and completely redefined it.

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Kerensa Johnston Kerensa Johnston is the chief executive of Wakatū Incorporation, an international organisation based in Nelson with about 4000 shareholders, all of whom descend from the original Māori landowners of the Nelson, Tasman and Golden Bay regions.

Wakatū has three divisions: Kono, its food and beverage arm; Whenua, the property division; and Manaaki, which focuses on people, including via scholarship and development programmes.

Kerensa is a lawyer who has worked in the private sector and as a legal academic at Auckland University’s law faculty, where she specialised in Māori legal development, public law and land law. She has also worked as a barrister.

A graduate of Victoria University, where she was awarded a BA in History and a LLB (Bachelor of Laws), Kerensa holds a Masters in Laws in International Law with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland, and is a member of the International Association of Corporate Counsel, Corporate Lawyers New Zealand and Te Hunga Roia. Kerensa, who is of Ngāti Tama, Ngāruahine and Ngāti Whāwhakia descent, certainly holds some impressive credentials.

The academic powerhouse joined Wakatū in 2012 as incorporation secretary and a general counsel, a position she still holds. However, in addition, she now oversees the whole organisation as chief executive.

Despite Kerensa’s formidable academic and managerial talents, she feels that one of the most important things she brings to her role is a strong sense of whānau, or family.

Wakatū is valued at more than $300 million, so it is undoubtedly a large corporate, yet Kerensa says management, staff and shareholders alike still think of it as simply a Māori family business.

It is this approach, she says, that removes the need to think of work and life as two separate things.

“It’s about creating a workplace where people are actually happy and fulfilled, and feel like their whole self is recognised, rather than just the part of them they bring to work,” she says.

Every new employee arrives at the organisation to a traditional welcome, and Kerensa says they are encouraged to bring their families and friends along.

“We don’t see ourselves as just hiring the individual.,” she explains. “When we bring a person into the organisation, we’re actually bringing in everyone they care about and love. If you don’t understand all of that, you’re not dealing with people as people – they’re just employees.

“Here, we’re just a big family.”

One of the group’s core values, manaakitanga, encapsulates care and respect for people and relationships.

Inspired in her leadership style by people she has come across on her own journey, Kerensa is a firm believer in the strength of mentoring.

Kaumātua and other members of the Wakatū group have all guided her, as well as some ‘really smart and forward-thinking’ judges she worked for during a spell as a clerk in Wellington.

“If you’re exposed to those sorts of people, it has a positive effect,” she says.

Another huge source of positive influence comes from her family, particularly the women.

“In my family we’ve got really strong women.

“My mum and my grandmother, in particular, probably had the strongest influence on me. They were very proactive and committed to our communities.”

The presence of such women may have helped to shape Kerensa’s views on the gender bias that many experience both in the workplace and out of it.

While Wakatū has a supportive and diverse environment for both men and women, she says, that’s not always the case in society at large.

“I think it’s a much bigger question, and undoubtedly we’ve got a situation in our world where women are still physically at risk as we move about in the world,” she says.

“It’s not really a question of gender bias. There are some fundamental issues with how we’ve evolved as a society in the last couple of hundred years that impact adversely on women.

I don’t think any of us are immune to that myriad of things that happen on a daily basis to women, and that’s the case for every woman, including me.”

As chief executive, Kerensa says she tries to create environments that promote diversity and difference, and to encourage staff to see things from all kinds of perspectives.

“Generally, people underestimate women and our ability, and that can be compounded if you’re also Māori, or some other category that’s perceived to be less in some way. Part of my

“It’s about creating a workplace where people are actually happy and fulfilled …”

K E R E N S A J O H N S TO N , H E A D O F WA K AT Ū I N C O R P O R AT I O N .

philosophy is to make sure the environment is about diversity and doesn’t have those limitations.”

Rachel Taulelei Rachel Taulelei is also someone who challenges perceived limitations, and makes an effort to live the values she promotes in her leadership role.

She is the CEO of Kono NZ, which focuses on high-quality beverages and foodstuffs, including Tohu and Aronui wine, Tutū cider, Annies fruit bars, seafood products, pipfruit and hops.

Rachel met Kerensa two decades ago when they studied law together at Victoria University. The pair have forged an enduring and successful professional relationship and a friendship to boot.

After graduation, Rachel joined New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. She spent two years working in New Zealand before being posted to Los Angeles as a trade commissioner.

Definitely a multi-tasker, she was simultaneously a regional food-and-beverage manager for North America, taking care of Kiwi companies looking for ways into the U.S. market – big responsibilities that she carried out successfully for eight years.

In 2006, Rachel decided to return home to New Zealand. She set up the seafood company Yellow Brick Road, working with the fishing industry and promoting responsible harvesting of this valuable resource.

She says the provenance of the seafood was vital, and having that extra level of care meant the restaurants and buyers knew the exact origins of the fresh fish they bought.

Synchronicity kicked in for Rachel. At the same time she stepped out of Yellow Brick Road and into the top job at Kono, the latter bought the former, meaning she could keep an eye on something she had created from scratch, and which embodied her own personal philosophies, particularly those around quality and sustainability.

Rachel wasn’t a stranger to Wakatū though – she’s a 25

“I know that my priority is my family first and everything else thereafter.”

R A C H E L TAU L E L E I , C E O KO N O

shareholder. Her affiliation goes back many generations to her Ngāti Rārua great-great grandfather.

She is one of the many owners of the organisation, and feels a strong sense of family within it.

Perhaps this has something to do with the importance she places on whānau, and if asked to name the biggest influences on her life so far, she says her parents would take the top spot.

“My parents were real enablers. They raised me with the belief that anything is possible, and I’ve taken that into everything I’ve done afterwards.” Rachel reckons the example they set for her was crucial in her own success. Her parents have always owned businesses and been in what she terms ‘the entrepreneurial space’.

Other drivers to success, she says, have been her study of law, which ‘gives you great training of the mind and great ways to analyse and synthesise information’, plus the people who have supported her – something she hopes to do for others.

“I’ve been really fortunate to have had a number of those who’ve championed me. They may have even put me in positions I was not wholly qualified for, but I think they knew what was possible.”

Believing in what you can achieve is particularly important for women in the corporate world, Rachel says. She hopes to set an example for younger women.

“You almost have a responsibility to remain visible so that young women who are coming into a corporate environment can see people they might identify with,” she explains. “If there’s no one you can identify with, that’s pretty tough.”

This quiet visibility is possibly more important than people think, especially when you are ‘practically a unicorn’, she laughs. By this she means when she started out she was young, 26

female and Māori – a trifecta of rarity in the male-dominated corporate world.

“There are far fewer women operating in the primary sector, and when you go into fishing that number diminishes again,” Rachel says of her past experiences.

“But I think of it as ‘one of these things is not like the other’ because it can be an obstacle or it can be an opportunity to stand out, because you’re the thing that’s not like the other.

“You bring with you a new and diverse perspective and it’s incumbent on you to bring that to the table.

“Absolutely that is tough when you’re in a room full of men, and being Māori is different too.”

However, being ‘different’ in an environment doesn’t have to be a problem, and now Rachel works at making that environment more inclusive.

“You have to think about your inner strength, conviction and confidence to move forward,” she says.

“I do think about it, in the role I have – the responsibility you have to create environments where differences actually aren’t a problem and you are as inclusive as is humanly possible.”

And that elusive work-life balance?

“I think it’s an urban myth really,” says Rachel.

“It’s like water finding its level – it gets there and it’s different for everyone. I’m the kind of person who gets energy from energy, so there’s a lot of movement in my professional life, and yep, there are a number of roles in there that are additional to the CEO role, but they all contribute to it in different ways.

“You’ve got to make sure you know what your priorities are, and I think that’s what makes you know the balance is okay. I mean, I know that my priority is my family first and everything else thereafter.”

Rachel, who has a 12-year-old daughter, says the support of her husband is integral to her life.

“It’s very rare for people to be able to do the sort of jobs we do without mutual support. I’m really incredibly fortunate to have that.”

She makes sure she talks with her family about where she’s going and what she’s doing in her role, and if it feels like it’s mounting up too much, “we just stop”.

And Rachel says that’s exactly why she strives to create work environments where people feel comfortable to say if they need to go to their child’s recital, or if they’ve been away too much and want to spend a day reconnecting with their family.

“You need to know people well enough to know what they need to do their job well, and increasingly that’s not nine-to-five, five days a week, as rigorous as we do make it,” she says. “There’s lots of versions of productivity that I like to see. It’s about kindness and excellence.”

Wakatū’s focus on the future Wakatū Incorporation has, as one of its founding philosophies, the acknowledgement that its tūpuna, or ancestors, were ‘creative, astute and forward-thinking people’ who gifted their land, whakapapa and cultural identity.

“It is our responsibility to preserve and enhance this taonga, now and for future generations,” Kerensa says.

“We will achieve this through the sustainable use and development of our land and resources and by creating a community that our people are proud of.”

With leaders at the helm such as Kerensa Johnston and Rachel Taulelei, these valuable characteristics look certain to be embodied in the organisation for generations to come.

NELSON

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Medicinal Cannabis

PAIN RELIEF

AT A PAINFUL COST

Photo: Tom Davies

Imported cannabinoids are so expensive that the law change allowing their use has made little difference, say advocates of medical marijuana. Helen Murdoch looks at the pros and cons of legalising cannabis and creating a local industry.

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“We have been sneaking around whispering about cannabis for too long.”

Photo: Tom Davies

R O S E R E N TO N

R

ose Renton walks the talk on legalising medicinal cannabis. She has a cannabis leaf tattooed on one shoulder.

The logo on her car’s grille is the same in silver.

“I’m not hiding it,” says the self-employed mother-of-seven and Nelson ‘Green Fairy’, or cannabis growers and suppliers who help patients on compassionate grounds.

Rose’s determination to see medicinal cannabis (known as CBD) legalised and grown in New Zealand took root while watching her oldest son hospitalised and in an induced coma for three months after suffering constant and inexplicable seizures.

Alex Renton died in July 2015, at the tender age of 19, just two weeks after being given his first official dose of CBD oil. It was approved by then Health Minister Peter Dunne after the family petitioned the government.

“When you have lost your eldest son and best friend there is no fear any more,” says Rose.

It took an 18,000-signature petition for Alex to be given access to imported CBD oil.

Last June the government lifted restrictions on CBD so it can be prescribed by doctors – but it’s imported and expensive, Rose says. “One family was quoted between $40,000 and $100,000 a year for their child’s epilepsy. That’s not affordable, and certainly not funded by Pharmac.

“We are no further on today. That’s in part why people are Green Fairies. If the government is not going to do the job properly, we will.”

“People often wonder why a middle-aged woman would have a cannabis leaf tattooed on her arm. It’s my commitment to mainstreaming cannabis – and to Alex.

“We have been sneaking around whispering about cannabis for too long. Until you mainstream it, talk about it and have it out in the open, it will continue to be in the shadows.”

Alex would be concerned that change has taken too long, says Rose. “He would say, ‘If it was good enough for me, and I am equal to any other person, why can’t we just access it?’”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, in her inaugural speech, said

medicinal cannabis would be made available to those in chronic pain or with terminal illnesses.

What form this takes will be revealed at the end of February when the government’s first 100-day promises become clear.

Health Minister David Clark, when asked for details of the promises late in the year, said it was too soon to comment further on plans to introduce medicinal cannabis legislation.

He did not answer when asked if the planned legislation had any relationship with Green MP Julie Anne Genter’s private member’s bill. Lodged last year, Julie Anne’s Medicinal Cannabis and Other Matters Amendment Bill would allow users to grow, possess and use their cannabis with the support of a registered medical practitioner.

Rose says medicinal marijuana supporters do not want to see patients forced to fork out thousands of dollars for imported CBD oil, which can be grown and produced in New Zealand.

Non-euphoric cannabinoid CBD is a naturally occurring cannabinoid found in the Cannabis sativa plant. Another is THC, the plant’s main psycho-active ingredient. CBD makes up about 40 per cent of the plant’s resin extract. Unlike THC, it does not create a euphoric high.

It can be extracted from plant material using a solvent, such as grain alcohol, which is then evaporated off.

CBD crosses the blood-brain barrier and can be administered in relatively high doses. It works by bonding with receptors in the body’s neurotransmitter system – the endocannabinoid system.

The two primary receptors are found mainly in the brain and the immune system.

In an article written for last January’s edition of the US publication Huffington Post, Dr David Bearman, a California MD and medical director of drug treatment programmes, said CBD is a powerful anti-epileptic, anti-depressant, anti-inflammatory, anti-nauseate, sleep aid, muscle relaxant and sedative that also prevents or retards the spread of cells into surrounding tissue.

He was in New Zealand last year talking to doctors, 29

“Why should New Zealand have worse access to treatments than people in the rest of the world.”

S U E G R EY, P U B L I C R I G H T S L AW Y E R

Sue Grey

politicians, medical students and communities, encouraging them to treat cannabis as a medicine. Dr Bearman stopped in Nelson and Golden Bay on his tour.

Cannabis has been used as a medicine for more than 4000 years, he says.

“The drug war has been an abysmal failure at an awful cost to the taxpayer and an even greater cost to human life. And as a physician, I would say to human health.”

Rose says New Zealand has come a long way in the conversation about medicinal cannabis, but not in the legislation.

She is often asked what keeps her going.

“My heart; my gut instinct. That’s what I teach my children – don’t do half a job. There is no integrity.

“I think that is what I question with the governments. They have no integrity around this issue. New Zealand has some of the best cannabis growers in the world. When are they going to be given some power to show doctors, scientists and the government just how incredible is this herb, which brings balance to the body.

“It has been a medicine for thousands of years and prohibited for 90 – who is wrong?”

Rose faces charges of growing, possessing and supplying cannabis, laid late last year. She has pleaded not guilty and elected trial by jury. Her case is to be reviewed this month.

Support for home-grown Sue Grey, public rights lawyer and Rose’s legal representative, says a legislative nod to allow New Zealand-grown medicinal cannabis would save a lot of expense, keep local control of intellectual and economic development, plus provide jobs and investment opportunities.

“The problem we have now is that the people we least want using cannabis are anyway, and those who need medicinal cannabis are not, or are using it in unsafe forms because we have no affordable access.

30

“Anything we do has to be better than what we have now – Green Fairies trying to help sick people being prosecuted, an underground black-market and synthetic cannabis filled with nasties that you can’t have tested.”

One of Sue’s recent clients was prosecuted for growing cannabis as medicine.

“We put in an affidavit detailing the side-effects of the medication he was prescribed – one of them was death.

“The judge was sympathetic, but the law is the law, and it’s up to parliament to change it and change it urgently.”

Sue’s moral turning point came in 2012 when representing well-known Golden Bay identity Victoria Davis, who was caught growing cannabis plants to help her husband relieve his phantom pain after a double amputation.

Victoria was discharged without conviction.

Sue became a supporter after researching the plant.

“For me with knowledge comes responsibility and a sense of responsibility to my clients and to the public. Why should New Zealand have worse access to treatments than people in the rest of the world because of politics and men in grey suits who are too scared to take a stand for the people they represent?

“Medicinal cannabis is a symbol of a change of attitude.

People want more control over their own health. It’s a decision of informed consent between doctor and patient, not the doctor telling the patients what to do.”

Educating clinicians But do doctors and specialists know enough about medicinal cannabis to prescribe with confidence?

Speaking personally, NZ Medical Association president Dr Pippa MacKay says she does not.

“I have virtually no knowledge about what is around or the pharmacology.”

Doctors and specialists need to be thoroughly informed before prescribing, she adds.

“Our Primary Health Organisations are pretty good at keeping us informed on issues, so I imagine there will be meetings to upskill us. I hope this will happen.”

Most GPs are taking a wait-and-see approach to medicinal cannabis, says Pippa. Some GPs are enthusiastic and there is a patient contingent within the population, particularly in palliative care, interested in medicinal cannabis.

The NZMA 2017 position statement on cannabis as a medicine said there is moderate quality evidence supporting the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain and spasticity, and low-level evidence supporting its use for nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, in managing weight gain, sleep disorders and Tourette syndrome. Cannabidiol may significantly reduce seizure frequency in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (child-onset epilepsy).

West-Coast Tasman MP Damien O’Connor sees business opportunities in a medicinal cannabis industry, “but it’s important not to exaggerate it’s potential”.

“In the area of medical treatment we must be really careful about the raw material, processing and the safeguards,” says Damien, who is the Minister of both Agriculture and Food Safety.

“Ensuring that potential can be utilised is still a big challenge.” Technical issues will arise, but New Zealand could piggyback off international experience to develop a first-class system, he says.

Given our high use of recreational cannabis, Damien worries about potential abuse of medicinal production.

“We have to make sure we do not open up the door for more harmful recreational use. Obviously we are committed to a referendum on recreational use, but all these things need to be managed carefully.”

Author Colin Hogg says he doesn’t understand why New Zealand is frightened about Cannabis. In his book, published by HarperCollins, he describes his journey through the parts of the US where it has been legalised.

Drug use ‘a health issue’ New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell backs a legislative overhaul of recreational marijuana and medicinal cannabis use. He wants all drugs decriminalised and a new act that treats drug use as a health issue, not a criminal issue.

It would no longer be an offence to grow, use, possess or sell cannabis, under tight regulations. Sales would be restricted to those over 18 years.

Small-scale growers would be registered, and a taxed cannabis market, according to 2016 treasury estimates, could collect $150 million annually.

Ross says most people using drugs today do so without harming themselves or others. Prosecutions negatively impact on lives rather than changing drug use.

In 2014/15 New Zealand spent $258 million enforcing drug laws but only $78.3m on drug-related health interventions.

“We need a shift in the law and the resources going to treatment and education,” says Ross.

“We have to make sure we do not open up the door for more harmful recreational use.”

Photo: Tom Davies

M P DA M I E N O ’ C O N N O R

The government’s decision to hold a referendum on, or before, the 2020 election was not unexpected given its coalition make-up, he adds.

Ross hopes the lead-up to that poll will be used to study international examples, talk to communities, the treatment and health sectors and develop an example of what a new law will look like and how it will work.

New Zealand could follow Canada’s example, he says.

In July, Canada will become the first G7 nation permitting the use and possession of a certain amount of cannabis. Much of the finer legislative detail has been left to the provinces.

Canada legalised medicinal marijuana in 2001, with locally grown crops sold direct to patients.

Ross says New Zealand’s treatment sector sees drugs as a health issue, not a problem, “but [currently] we are trying to address it through a criminal justice approach – and it just does not work.”

Cannabis preferred to alcohol Author Colin Hogg would rather have a joint after work than a gin-and-tonic.

“I’m not a stoner,” and he doesn’t like the way the word slips out of some people’s mouths. People often put ‘stoner’ in the same basket as ‘alcoholic’, he says.

“You can be a functional citizen and a good parent and do your job and enjoy a gin-and-tonic after work – or a joint.”

Colin’s latest book, The High Road: A Journey to the New Frontier of Cannabis, recounts his trip as a marijuana tourist through some of the 29 US states where the use of cannabis and/ or medicinal cannabis is legal.

Writing the book felt like coming out, he says.

He does not understand why New Zealand is frightened about cannabis. “We have not been able to shift past it – it has never really been on the table.

“And I still can’t believe they introduced that synthetic stuff.

Now it’s out there on the black-market and people are smoking ground-up cardboard with fly spray on it. It would not be out there if those fools had not put it into dairies instead of just legalising the stuff that grows in the ground.”

Colin wants to see cannabis legalised. He thinks people should be allowed to grow their own and a medicinal cannabis industry should be developed.

“If we bring cannabis into the light we can deal with it.

Holding it back in the shadows is trouble.”

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Nelson Harness Racing

Race meeting always a winner Nelson’s summer celebration of trotting at Richmond Park Raceway draws huge numbers – many of whom are now part-owners of horses. John Cohen-du Four checks out the action.

P H O T O S : B R O O K WA I M A R A M A S A N C T U A R Y T R U S T

32

H

arness racing still knows how to please a crowd. The January races at Richmond, with a proud 126-year history, attract more than 7000 punters, making it one of the region’s largest events.

Kristie Hill, president of Nelson Harness Racing, knows that the key to success is providing a wide range of activities. “It’s a fantastic couple of days out, with so much going on. We like to think we cater for everyone,” she says.

“Being the time of year it is, and Nelson, we always get a lot of holidaymakers, who add even more colour to the wonderful mix of people you see on course. We know we’ve got the formula right because people keep coming back year after year.”

Local families appreciate the wide array of fun activities for children – two full-on days of entertainment on Saturday January 12 and Sunday 14, as part of the Interislander Summer Festival race meetings.

“It’s all free once they’re in the gate,” says Kristie. “We’re talking bouncy castles, face-painting, pony rides and heaps of Kids Go Racing activities provided by NZRB and MoreFM, like the Tip Top dash, Interislander Ferry race and tug-of-war, the MoreFM sack race, pin-the-tail on the horse, sugar cube relay, horse-shoe toss, lolly scramble and more.”

For adults there’s live music, food stalls, corporate hospitality and popular competitions like Friday’s Best Hat Day and Sunday’s Fashion in the Field. Throughout the day roving judges choose finalists who gather later in the afternoon for the official judging and prizegiving.

With so much going on it might be easy to forget that the event is a celebration of quality harness racing and the pure power, speed and beauty of the horses.

“We always get a wide selection of race entries, with a lot of trainers coming up from Canterbury,” Kristie says.

Many stay over for the Marlborough Harness Racing Club meeting in Blenheim the following weekend.

“With us they compete against trainers from Kaikoura, Marlborough, the West Coast and, of course, our locals, who’ve had more than their fair share of success over the years.”

Such trainers include Murray Pash, a past-president of the Nelson club who got into the industry when he was just eight years old. Today, in his 70s, Murray remains a stalwart of local harness racing.

“I’ve been lucky enough to handle some really nice horses over the years, like Eastburn Gee, owned by Skeet Barnett from Takaka,” he says. “In 2008, over three months, she won five

“Harness racing is enjoying a resurgence.”

KRISTIE HALL

races – an outstanding run. For Dave Neal of Motueka I broke in Telemecanique, who went over to America and won a lot of races there, before returning to NZ as a broodmare.”

Looking at the future of harness racing, Murray feels one exciting development is the ability for people to join an owners’ syndicate: “It allows them to be involved and have a lot of fun without great financial outlay.”

Kristie echoes that thought: “Group ownership is a great way to make new friends and enjoy a unique social scene. Quite a number of syndicates will be up for our meeting, some with as many as 50 syndicate members. It’s certainly a fun way to watch the racing.”

One particular crowd-pleasing event is the Kidz Kartz, where youngsters compete with ponies and miniature sulkies, displaying all of the dedicated focus and aplomb of their fullsized counterparts.

“This one’s close to my heart,” says Kristie. “I was the chairman of the Kidz Kartz Canterbury Trust when they held their first Nelson races up here 10 years ago. What originally began with just five ponies will this summer see five times that number competing.

“Apart from being a whole lot of fun, if you ever needed proof that it’s a great start for these kids, and good for the industry, just look at Sheree Tomlinson, winner of last month’s Dominion Handicap at Addington on Canterbury Show Day.” Sheree, 19, in only her second season as a junior reinswoman, notched her first Group 1 win with Amaretto Sun, storming through the field to create history by becoming the first female to win the time-honoured trotting feature which was first run in 1911.

“I love that Sheree had her first-ever race right here in Nelson in our very first Kidz Kartz,” says Kristie.

Historically, as well as supporting the industry, Nelson

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TOWN & COUNTRY VET

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RICHMOND PARK SHOWGROUNDS Fri 12 Jan & Sun 14 Jan ADULT S $10, UNDE R 18’S FRE E Proudly supported by

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Wednesday to Sunday – 4pm to late 145 Bridge Street, Nelson

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Harness Racing Club has always backed community causes.

During World War One, for example, they donated the net profits of their annual race meetings towards war funds, and in 1918 they allowed a collection to be taken at the races in aid of the St Mary’s orphanage. After the war, they gave free race admission to returned soldiers.

Kristie says that focus continues to this day: “We donate to a variety of local groups, like Riding for the Disabled, the Motueka Pony Club, the Scouts and Menzshed Nelson, and in turn utilise their members as race day volunteers. It’s a way for us to give back to really valuable community organisations.

“Harness racing is enjoying a resurgence,” she says. “The public are coming back to the track. While the heyday of the 50s and 60s might be gone – let’s face it, there’s a lot more competition for the consumer disposable dollar these days – the unique magic of horses will always remain.

“They’re just such lovely creatures to be around and enjoy.

It’s fantastic that we have such a popular annual opportunity – along with our June winter racing event – to expose the public to them.”

Marlborough set to go off next On the weekend following Nelson’s races, Blenheim hosts its own trotting revelry at Waterlea Racecourse.

“Just like Nelson’s event, our meet brings together visiting trainers, racing fans, fun-loving families and horse lovers for a fabulous few days in the Marlborough sun,” says Club Chairperson Petrina Shutkowski. A lot of trainers, particularly those from Canterbury, like to bring their families over a few days early for some holiday fun.”

The meeting’s premier race will be Sunday’s Yealands Wines Marlborough Cup, which Petrina points out will be extra special this year: “We’re running it on the bigger grass track and it’ll bring the racing incredibly close to the public. When you can practically reach out and touch the horses it’s quite a spectacle.”

2018 Interislander Summer Festival Nelson Harness Races, Richmond Park Raceway, Friday Jan 12 and Sunday Jan 14. // 2018 Interislander Summer Festival Marlborough, Waterlea Racecourse, Blenheim, Friday Jan 19 and Sunday Jan 21.

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Fashion in the Field

Trotting out your style Trackside couture is about to hit the spotlight.

Tess Patrick previews Fashion in the Field.

R

oyal Ascot, Belmont Stakes, Melbourne Cup, Nelson Harness Races – where the well-dressed converge to parade their take on trackside fashion. This year, Morrison Square and WildTomato are joining forces to sponsor Fashion in the Field, the region’s premier race-day fashion event.

The competition, taking place on the Sunday of this summer’s races, will see locals and visitors battle it out to win a coveted ‘Best Dressed’ title. Budding fashionistas haven’t been forgotten either, with prizes for the kids.

Morrison Square manager and style aficionado Angela Leonard sheds some light on this year’s event. Having competed in previous years, and as an avid attendee of her hometown Christchurch races, she has a clear vision about where she wants the event to go.

“We love the idea of making Fashion in the Field the best event it can be. We also have such a range of fashion available at Morrison Square, so we thought it would be good to get behind it and support the event.”

As Nelson grows, so do our summertime traditions. Fashion in the Field is set to be one of our memorable annual days, where families and friends can soak up the sunshine while participating in something different.

Nelson’s lucky in the sense that the hot trackside fashions have been showcased elsewhere in spring. Look to the recent Melbourne Cup for street-style inspiration. Stick to the monochromatic tones of Derby Day, or break out some fresh florals as a nod to Oaks Day. Perhaps a combination of the two sparks your imagination. There’s no dress code and no limits.

You don’t need to be wearing the most expensive garments to impress the judges. Let your personal style take the reins.

“I love seeing the women’s fashion and their different personalities, and people stepping outside their comfort zone and coming up with something creative,” says Angela.

“Creativity’s the big one here.”

Is the choice of headwear giving you nightmares? Do away with a traditional fascinator, and play with a laid-back intricacy.

Gold filigree headbands and floral headpieces have been known to capture the attention of the cameras. Why not break out the straw boater you might have bought last summer. This is the perfect ocassion. These accessories don’t have to break the bank either – pick up some pieces at a craft store and design your own with friends and family.

By comparison, gentlemen have it easy. While a traditional suit may be appealing, take the opportunity to get summery with linen jackets and a wide-brimmed fedora, or a newsboy cap.

Sounds like you? Head to the Fashion in the Field team on the day to register. You’ll find their booth set up at the infield tent. There’s no entry fee, and as for the prizes, Angela won’t give away any clues, but she can say they’ll be worth your while.

One final bit of advice from Angela: remember your sunnies and sunscreen.

“Oh, and bet on the horses.”

36

& PRESENT

H I O S N A F IN THE

FindField the egg with the egg

...take a selfie and be in to win!

SUNDAY 14 JANUARY 2018

RICHMOND PARK SHOWGROUNDS

e, enjoy...

Get your outfits from

gg and win!

DAY HOURS:

April

Closed 9am - 5pm

pril

Closed

pril

10am - 4pm

SHOPPING & DINING PRECINCT

www.morrisonsquare.co.nz

1 Find the (hidden a Morrison 2 Take a se with the 3 Upload y Square’s like our p Square .. one of t Square 37

CELEBRATE!

Mussel Inn

ROCK OF AGES With live bands, craft beer and a popular menu, the Mussel Inn is a must-do Golden Bay destination. On December 16 the venue celebrated 25 years at the heart of a creative community – a remarkable success story in the fickle hospitality business.

B Y J O S I E S TA N F O R D

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C

onsidering they’ve hosted a quarter of a century’s worth of events, Jane and Andrew Dixon look fresh and chipper when I join them on a sunny Sunday morning having breakfast with the previous night’s band. That’s just one of the perks that sets playing the Mussel apart for touring musicians – you get to stay over. Jane and Andrew move out of their log-house into ‘the love shack’ at the bottom of the garden and leave the performers to relax after their big night.

Stepping aside is something the couple seem to be good at, making it clear that the venue isn’t about them, or even for them.

“It’s about the locals,” says Jane. “It wouldn’t be possible without them. Right from the beginning we’ve had phenomenal support.”

It all began with the purchase of a half-hectare Onekaka section in 1981. The following year, with their first son Henry just three weeks old, they heard about a log-house building course and realised they could build their own. This led to a number of free-range years travelling the country building log-houses and helping out with the Whitecliffs music festival in Canterbury.

Second son Toby was born in 1985 and as the kids grew the couple yearned to settle and raise their family in Golden Bay. They moved back in 1990, finishing off the log-house they’d been adding to over the years. Needing to invent a way to support themselves, they took inspiration from a favourite Nelson haunt, Chez Eelco, a vibrant coffeehouse long before a café scene existed in New Zealand. Eelco’s had the type of ‘gathering place’ feel they wanted to bring to the bay.

As well as envisaging a pub and restaurant, the Dixons decided right from the outset to be a live music venue. “The locals were crying out for it and I’d long held a fantasy of being a rock star so I thought perhaps I’d build my own stage,” says Andrew.

“Reality is, when you’re behind a bar, you’re on stage anyway.”

Both are Bob Dylan fans so there have been more than a few Dylan nights. The last was for a 70th birthday party and featured 70 songs. Jane says it’s the only time she’s ever performed.

Another Dylan night produced a surprise performance of All Along the Watchtower by Opshop frontman Jason Kerrison. “I didn’t know who he was,” Andrew admits.

LEFT, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: There’s a great vibe in the Mussel Inn for Chimuka; Flora Knight and Archer; Delaney Davidson; The Nudge.

ABOVE LEFT: The outdoor dining areas have a relaxed ambience.

ABOVE RIGHT: Jane and Andrew on the tyre swing. Andrew’s stance is inspired by a picture they have of George Harrison in the same pose when he visited the Mussel Inn in 1999.

“I keep thinking of all the performers who are no longer with us. It’s quite a list. We’ve probably had about 2000 shows since we started.”

A N D R EW D I XO N

The couple are very open in terms of music styles but have an aversion to anything that sounds like a jukebox rather than homegrown. Andrew says most of their acts fall into the singersongwriter category, although they’ve also had big groups.

“For me, the best gigs are when everything comes together – the performers are on their game, the audience is creating a great atmosphere, the staff are onto it and all systems are working well – and you just get that special feeling.”

The Mussel, built to look as if it has always stood there with open rafters, rough-hewn walls and corrugated iron cladding, opened in December 1992 as it meant to continue – with a big party. One of the bands who played was the Gypsy Pickers, who fittingly came back for the 25th.

The first years were tough. They didn’t know if it would work so they didn’t have many staff, which meant long hours doing everything. Andrew says their years of housebuilding had “hardened us up” and with interest rates high they came in with the assumption they needed to be cautious about expenditure.

“Knowing the business inside out like that keeps us realistic,” he says. “We know what each job entails, what we’re requiring of our staff and we know the consequences of making changes.” The motto here has long been ‘keep it simple’ and the couple are now receiving feedback from customers who love that nothing much has changed. One of the favourite original features is the tyre swing in the garden. “They tell their kids, ‘I played on that swing when I was a kid’.”

Every year the Dixons think about things they could change and weigh up suggestions from their staff – but if they take so much as an apple crumble off the menu they receive complaints.

“We could have a bigger menu but we’ve got a small kitchen,” says Andrew. “We’ve invented what works best for us here. We’re not pretending to be anything in particular.”

Andrew built the brewery in 1995 as a natural progression.

He had learnt to brew in his mid to late teens. “At that time, it wasn’t about a passion for brewing, it was a way to get cheap 39

Wines with attitude crafted in sunny Nelson www.blackenbrook.co.nz

Proud suppliers to Mussel Inn

Contact us for all your food service requirements FreshChoice Takaka congratulates The Mussel Inn on 25 years of business in Golden Bay. We are proud to stock their products in our supermarket.

13 Willow Street, Takaka phone: (03) 525 9383 fax: (03) 525 7464 crowther.reynish@xtra.co.nz

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Phone: 03 547 5349 | order online: bidfood.co.nz

JANUARY AT THE MUSSEL INN TUES 2

OG, $5

THURS 4

Hobnail, $5

SAT 6

Tunes of I, $5

MON 8

Knights of the Dub Table, $10

WED 10

Terror of the Deep, $5

SAT 13

Horizone, $5

MON 15

Jas Josland, $5

WED 17

Richter City Rebels, $10

SAT 20

Bill Hickman and Billy Bones, $5

TUES 23 The East Pointers + Mel Parsons, $30/$35 WED 24 James Wilkinson & Jacquie Walters

+ Amiria Grennell & Monty Bevins, $10

alcohol, and I discovered if I made a nice dark beer I could safely take it to a party and no one would drink it.” Once again, it was a pragmatic decision: the Mussel sold beer, so why not make beer.

Andrew wanted the brewery to look traditional, and like the pub, it features corrugated iron, which Jane says they have a penchant for. Andrew says the set-up “is like an early Kiwi craft brewery, cobbled together with lots of different tanks. We’ve extended it and some of the tanks are new but it’s quite rumpty compared to most breweries these days.”

Needless to say, Andrew is something of an inventor.

In the bottling room, he points out a contraption featuring a cordless drill, which puts the bottle tops on. “Oh, I’ve invented lots of things,” he says matter-of-factly. When the freight costs of bringing plastic riggers from Auckland for their 1-litre and 1.5-litre supermarket stock became prohibitive, the couple decided to make the bottles on-site. Easy! When I ask Andrew, who designs all the labels and packaging, if he has a design background, he says simply: “I went to school.”

The couple have also found lots of ingenious ways to make the business as environmentally friendly as possible. The toilets are composting and the cardboard from the packaging is shredded to be used here and on the garden as mulch. Any glass bottles than cannot be reused are crushed into sand, which is available to locals as infill, and also gets spread as mulch.

Instead of importing ingredients like many breweries, the Dixons are committed to buying local where possible, sourcing New Zealand malt from Dunsandel and using 100 per cent Nelson hops. The garden yields lemons for the Lemming Aid, feijoas for the Freckled Frog and apples for the Apple Roughy.

The first beer was called First Light. “It was before we had an animal theme and it was pretty terrible but it all got drunk,” says Andrew. Dark Horse came next because it’s a bit of a mystery, followed by Golden Goose because the brewery had become a bit of a golden egg for the overall business.

Next came Captain Cooker. “The name was so apt because the pigs that Captain Cook brought to New Zealand were called Captain Cookers,” says Andrew. From then on, the animal theme was set and the range expanded. Captain Cooker, which features manuka, is different to any other beer in New Zealand and has

FRI 26

Bazurka, $5

SUN 28

Hopetoun Brown, $20.

become their main seller, Andrew says. I ask why the idea hasn’t been nabbed by another brewery? “I don’t know,” he marvels. “People say, ‘We couldn’t, it’s yours’.”

Their full-time brewer, Reuben, has been with them since 1997 and all four of his children have or do work at the Mussel Inn. Most of the staff are on to the second generation. “They keep breeding,” says Jane.

Andrew and Jane’s sons both work in the business.

Their oldest Henry, who “rebelled against his hippy parents and became an accountant”, does the books. Toby recently returned from living in Japan and is now getting involved. The couple are training their staff to operate independently and training themselves to take a step back.

It’s the music that keeps them here. “It’s quite an art to run a music venue within the setting of a pub and restaurant – to sort out a system that allows performers and customers to interface,” Andrew explains. Jane manages the bookings – “Every day we get emails from people wanting to play here,” she says – and Andrew manages the sound, with a set time for sound-check that won’t disturb people in the restaurant. As the sound-man he’s been to every gig. “I keep thinking of all the performers who are no longer with us,” he says. “It’s quite a list.

We’ve probably had about 2000 shows since we started.”

The couple are rightly proud of the history of their business and pleased to have been able to provide employment for many locals – the staff roster gets up to 30 in the summer. But they avoid claiming ownership of the entity that the Mussel has grown into.

“We’re facilitators,” says Andrew. “We’ve been able to make it happen but only because of the people: our staff, family, supporters, our locals, tourists, bands that play … it belongs to everyone.”

Their inspiration Chez Eelco was open for 40 years and now The Free House – owned by Eelco’s son – continues the ‘gathering place’ legacy in Nelson. So, 25 years on from its opening night, you could say the Mussel is just coming of age with plenty of story yet to unfold.

“We’re certainly looking forward to another 25 years,” says Andrew, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

41

NELSON BUSKERS FESTIVAL

One of our city’s most energetic and crowd-pleasing annual events is the Nelson Buskers Festival. With a backdrop of the cathedral, as well as some ticketed shows at The Boathouse, the best of the world’s street performers strut their tricks and antics – no one works harder than a busker. Sarah Wilson presents a few of this year’s acts.

Magic, danger

–and bubbles Mr Spin

Bubble Laboratory

AU S T R A L I A

AU S T R A L I A / R O M A N I A

Mr Spin is a highly skilled, comedic vaudevillian street performer. He somehow manages to mix traditional juggling, Chinese devil-sticking with baseball bats, oneball manipulation and an eight-ball juggle with madcap antics and an incredible sense of fun, not to mention a few hat tricks thrown in. Mr Spin has a background in classical dance, and it’s clear he’s inspired by the vaudeville greats – giving him the fluid body moves that accentuate his own quirky style of comedy. He is also one of Australia’s best jugglers.

Who doesn’t love a bit of bubble magic on a hot summer’s day?

Bubble Laboratory knows that bubbles bring out the best in kids, as well as the kids in all of us. These lab wizards have been touring the world since 2011, and along the way, more than half a million people have laughed, cried and gasped at the beauty of the bubble in its every conceivable shape, size and artistic sculpture.

Sport Suzie NEW ZEALAND

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Bust out those 80s moves when Sport Suzie hits the streets. Inspired by Jane Fonda workouts, Flashdance and the music of the 1980s, Suzie aims to get every audience member loose and limber so they feel all the benefits of a good bellylaugh. Sport Suzie is a total fanatic for aerobics, sport and circus, wowing any crowd with her tricks and amazing two-metre jump rope finale while balanced on a tall unicycle.

Her Majesty’s Secret Circus USA

Move over James Bond, Austin Powers and Agent 99, it’s time for Her Majesty’s Secret Circus to take control. Honeymoon and Butterfly are two highly trained operatives on a mission to save the planet from boredom – one show at a time. They shoot the world’s only bow and plunger-arrow high into the sky and catch it on a tiny target, on a giant stealth cycle, in ridiculous action suits.

Aided by moderately high IQs, sleeper agents in the audience, and all the elements of a spy thriller, Her Majesty’s Secret Circus is comic espionage at its finest.

NELSON BUSKERS FESTIVAL Thu 1 _ Sun 4 Feb FOUR DAYS OF ACTION-PACKED SHOWS!

Nathaniel Rankin CANADA

He’s suave and oh-so-quick with his sleight-of-hand, and best of all, he’s Canadian. Nathaniel Rankin’s show, Borderline Madness, combines state-of-the-art magic, circus skills, dangerous stunts, audience interaction, comedy and mind-reading. Borderline Madness has been performed more than 5000 times in 35 countries across five continents – he has to be one of the busiest magicians to make it to Nelson.

When and where…

Buskers on Trafalgar Thurs Feb 1 & Fri Feb 2, 11am-2.30pm Feb 3, 10.30am-2pm Koha

Buskers on the Church Steps Sat Feb 3 & Sun Feb 4, from 6pm (Coincides with Trafalgar St Market Day on Sat) Koha

Buskers at The Boathouse Thurs Feb 1, 8pm Fri Feb 2, 8.30pm Pre-sales $30 Door sales $37.50 ticketdirect.co.nz

nelson buskers festival www.nelsonsummer.nz

STOP PRESS – A LITTLE CHEEKY LATE ADDITION:

Lady Whistle

ROMANIA

Lady Whistle is more than a living statue – but she needs a little encouragement to reveal her daring secret. The fun part is watching the surprise of passers-by.

43

Building Prospective new home owners are faced with a glut of options. Brenda Webb offers a road-map, and meets first-timers who would do it all again.

HOME,

SWEET HOME-BUILD E

veryone dreams of building their own beautiful home – an abode that reflects their individuality; a house that really is a home because it was designed with passion and pride; a place to bring up children or to grow old in.

Whether it’s a multi-room mansion on a hill with spectacular views or a modest house on a small section in a subdivision, the dream is that your house will give lasting pleasure.

Building your own home does involve effort, and those contemplating such a project are faced with many decisions: Do I employ an architect or design it myself? Where do I find a good builder? What materials should I choose?

A myriad of styles, designs and products are available today, which can make the process overwhelming.

Generally speaking, there are three main ways to go about building; 1/ Employ an architect to design and oversee the entire project, from initial concept through to finished design.

2/ Design the house yourself and engage a draughtsperson to do the finished plans. 3/ Go to a specialist house-building company who have standard sets of plans which can be adapted.

Other options are available, of course. Many skilled builders have their own plans that they will happily tweak to achieve your dream. You can even download plans from the internet.

Architects are often seen as designing luxury projects, 44

but actually their workload varies and they can be tasked with something as simple as redesigning a laundry.

For house builds, the advantage of employing an architect is that you end up with a bespoke home designed to suit your every need. Architects are often involved in the entire project, co-ordinating builders and engineers, suggesting materials and ensuring a far more seamless process.

Anyone embarking on a building project – whichever option they choose – needs to be realistic and honest about their budget right at the start. With today’s move towards smaller houses, many people are demanding tiny houses to fit tiny budgets.

David Wallace, from Arthouse Architects, firmly believes that good design results in a better building that fits the site and works for the client.

“Naturally, employing an architect doesn’t suit everyone – there are people who are adamant they can design their own home,” he says. “And for others, going to a housing company offers low risk – they can go to a show home and pick a design and know exactly what they are going to get.

“With an architect you are less likely to know what you are getting, but in most cases expectations are exceeded and the result is better than ever. The flexibility is far greater.”

David’s advice to anyone embarking on a building project is

to think carefully at the start as a house is possibly the biggest investment they will make.

People also need to be open to different ideas rather than starting with a preconceived concept. Architects work within a broad range of budgets, from small, low-cost and innovative homes through to high-end, no-budget builds.

“There is an upfront cost but if we do our job well we believe we can add value to a project and save money in the long run,” says David. “Remember there is an inherent cost whichever way you choose to go.”

Skimping on the design phase is always a mistake, so if you don’t want to employ an architect then you can go to an architectural designer, who can also design but perhaps without the flair and skill of an architect.

If you feel you have the ability to design your own home, there is nothing to stop you – but you still need to have plans drawn up by a draughtsperson for the consents process.

Some builders and specialised building companies simplify the whole process by doing most of the decision-making, and many even offer house-and-land packages.

It can be as simple as visiting a show home and deciding what layout suits your family and lifestyle, then selecting from the range of building materials offered.

Generally speaking, housing companies operate on bulk-buying and therefore options can be limited . You may be restricted to a 2.4m ceiling and insulation to minimum New Zealand building standards. However, the upside is that prices are often lower and the process should be straightforward.

Choices around flooring, colours, interior furnishings, kitchen and bathroom style and fittings is usually kept to a minimum, which can suit people who are perhaps overwhelmed by the huge range of products available.

The first place to start any building project is the bank, to make sure it will provide the finance. Be realistic about what you can afford, and whichever option you choose, make sure you have a detailed quote for the work so there are no surprises.

As well as the building itself, you will have engineering requirements, sewerage or septic tank systems, plus water and landscaping, including driveways and gardens. These can add many thousands to the overall cost so be sure to include them in your budget.

Talk to as many people as possible who have built. Get ideas from them, ask for their advice, and don’t be scared to talk to more than one builder, architect or housing company to make sure you are completely comfortable with what they offer and their terms and conditions.

“In most cases expectations are exceeded and the result is better than ever.”

A R C H I T E C T DAV I D WA L L A C E

LEFT: The use of horizontal timber cladding, brick pillars and rocky landscaping elements helps this house fit unobtrusively within the landscape.

BELOW: This build combines the traditional weatherboard look with a slate tile roof and stone pillar bases. Solar panels on the roof make the most of the sunny location. Photos: Jennian Homes.

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When you are building your new home make sure your first call is to Ruby Bay Joinery.

FREE QUOTATION & DESIGN 8 Warren Place, Mapua, Nelson T: 03 540 2123 E: info@rubybayjoinery.co.nz

kitchens . wooden windows · wooden doors · stairs · balustrades vanities · entertainment units . wardrobes · interior cabinetry benchtops · custom-made furniture · commercial

You dream it. We create it. You live it.

• Nelson • Tasman • Marlborough Nelson - 03 548 8460 info@kennedyconstruction.co.nz www.kennedyconstruction.co.nz

46

ABOVE: For his own home, David Wallace of Arthouse Architects focused on maximising the joy of living by the sea. Large openings provide strong links to the deck areas and the beach beyond. The house is designed to maximise winter solar gain while deep overhangs control summer sun. Photo: Simon Devit. BELOW: Concept design is the initial planning phase where architects interpret the brief, site, budget and planning constraints and produce concept plans for discussion.

At the end of the day it’s your house, your dream, and you need to remain in control of the project.

LIMS AND PIMS Once you’ve found a section, head to the council to check their files. A LIM (Land Information Memorandum) gives details on rates, storm water, septic tanks and any restrictions on building.

You can request one online.

A PIM (Project Information Memorandum) is more comprehensive and contains council information that may affect your proposed project, including planning restrictions, the location of services, land details regarding stability and geological history. Such checks could become particularly important if you choose to build on a steep site or near the coast.

Once you are down the track towards buying a section, make an appointment to see a council planner and talk about your plans and see the files available (there may be a cost involved).

Aspects to take into consideration include zoning – i.e. what activities are allowed in the vicinity. You don’t want to buy a section and find industrial activities are permitted in the area, which mean you may be kept awake at night.

Check if there are any proposed roads or quarries nearby – your quiet street may be earmarked as a through-road.

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CR E AT IN G T HE

HEART OF THE HOME When you need a quality finish in your new home make sure you use a Master Joiner

Whether planning to build new or renovate, having a registered architect who can step into your shoes and see the project from your perspective is essential.

MODO Architects operates with a simple overriding desire to produce buildings of poetic beauty and place. We have a responsibility to create buildings that respond to and engage with people and landscape, both visually and sustainably.

www.modoarchitects.nz

Nelson Marlborough Master Joinery Federation represents some of the region’s best joinery manufacturers. We are passionate about improving our industry and investing in our workforce.

Trust your local registered Master Joiner Master Joiners Nelson Marlborough

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new homes • re-paints • roof spraying water blasting • wallpapering plasterboard stopping commercial moss spraying scheduled maintenance contracts Come and see us at 1 Echodale Place, Stoke.

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Visit friends and family and look with a keen eye at how their homes are constructed and laid out. Ask them what they do and don’t like.

You also need to know where the services are and whether you have access to sewerage systems or if a septic tank is required. Where are the storm water drains and the power?

Clarify the access – is the driveway yours or is it a right-ofway to which you have access?

BEFORE YOU START Be very clear about your budget from the outset. As a rough guide, building costs currently run at $1500 per square metre (low-end), $2500 (average) and $3000 (high-end). That means an average 250sq m house will set you back $625,000 – and that’s without the section price.

You’ll need plenty of ideas so build up a portfolio well before the design-and-build phase starts.

Prioritise what is important – we’d all love American oak flooring, but polished concrete can be just as effective.

Some important points to consider: How many rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms do we realistically need? It’s wonderful to have a fourth bedroom with its own en suite but how often will

ABOVE: Consider the site, sun direction and privacy carefully. This home by Jennian presents an aesthetically interesting front to the road with a mix of materials used. However, it is fairly private with the bigger windows looking out to the garden rather than the road.

it be used? Will you go single- or two-storey? What interior and exterior materials will be used? How about window joinery and placement (i.e. do I want lots of sliding or French doors?), flooring, kitchen style and joinery?

Visit friends and family and look with a keen eye at how their homes are constructed and laid out. Ask them what they do and don’t like and what does and doesn’t work. Visit open homes and show homes and look at websites and magazines.

Fill a clear file or scrapbook with your ideas.

Once you’ve decided whether to go with a building company, employ an architect or do it yourself, you need to get quotes.

A building company will come up with a detailed quote once you’ve chosen your design, or alternatively you can employ a quantity surveyor.

Architects will work within your budget, which is why this must be clarified right at the start.

Once the basic design is selected, you can start looking at interiors – kitchen design is key to the flow of living areas so consider if it’s worth employing someone to help you.

Likewise, colour schemes can make or break a house so if you aren’t confident, seek the advice of someone with expertise.

Lighting is crucial – the impact of good or bad lighting cannot be stressed enough so once again, don’t be scared to seek expert advice. Also vital is how to heat your home. Check out all heating options, from underfloor to log burners and heat pumps.

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180

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Nic Mitchell in the kitchen of the new home she and husband David Fissenden built.

PAINLESS BUILD FOR FIRST-TIMERS Blenheim’s Nic Mitchell found the building process so enjoyable and painless she says she would build again tomorrow.

Nic and husband David Fissenden bought a section in Marlborough’s new Omaka subdivision last year and chose local builder George Guthrie to build their dream house.

“We knew what we wanted – we were quite definite about design – and with a 500sq m section there is not a lot of choice: the house had to be long and narrow,” says Nic. “With young children we needed two living areas.”

George had plans that suited the site so with a few modifications, plenty of input from the couple and plans tweaked by a draughtsman, the five-and-a-half month building process began.

The Fissendens had gleaned ideas from magazines and were definite about some features from the start – a ply ceiling was non-negotiable.

The house itself is concrete block left to weather and black board and batten.

Other choices such as kitchen and bathroom joinery and hardware were made quickly – “I’m a fairly decisive person.”

The kitchen joinery is birch ply and Nic’s bright personality shows through in her choice of a bright orange benchtop.

Working to a strict budget helped when it came to making choices, and the project came in on budget.

“That’s the thing when you have a budget – it can’t go over because that’s why you have a budget,” says Nic.

Concrete blocks and black board and batten create a modern stylish finish.

The couple had previously lived in old villas, so going modern was a change but one Nic says she wouldn’t reverse.

The family love the practicality, style and warmth of a modern house, and while compromises were necessary – the large tiled shower at their old house couldn’t be replicated on their budget – everyone loves the new home.

Nic’s advice to others thinking about building is to choose a builder you gel with.

“You need to get on well with him and we were so lucky with George because he made the whole process very easy and helped us so much with ideas.

“We were on-site quite a lot so it was really important to us to get on with the person who was building.”

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52

, Horsin around MODEL ALESHA PYERS

P HO T O G R A P H Y I S H NA JAC OB S S T Y L I S T K E L LY V E R C O E MAKE-UP ASHER FROM ASHER ARTISTRY HAIR CHLOE FROM CARDELLS L O C AT I O N T H E N E L S O N H A R N E S S R A C I N G C L U B

Gestuz blazer, $389, and pants, $299, from Shine.

Jens Hansen sterling silver Legacy earrings, $749.

Top End shoes, $169, from Taylors…we love shoes.

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M.A. Dainty dress, $429, from Shine.

Lindberg glasses, $299, from Kuske.

Jens Hansen sterling silver Legacy bangle, $1399.

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Portmans dress, $129.95.

Jens Hansen sterling silver bangle, $1490, and sterling silver collar, $990.

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Julian Danger dress, $399, from Shine.

Lindberg glasses, $825, from Kuske.

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Gestuz dress, $299, from Shine.

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Coop dress, $199, from Trouble and Fox. Lindberg glasses, $825, from Kuske.

58

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Mahana Ridge – rural living in style

BY SADIE BECKMAN PHOTO ANDRE ISMAEL

H

ave you ever dreamed of living in the countryside, but a lifestyle block seems like a lot of work?

Perhaps you covet the peace and beauty of a country location but still want to be close and connected to urban living?

A new development in one of the most beautiful pieces of countryside you could imagine has solved these issues through insightful thinking, meticulous planning and ecologically sensitive design. In other words, re-imagining rural living.

Mahana Ridge is a place where luxury and country life meet. Nestled in the famous rolling green hills of the Moutere, one of New Zealand’s most sought-after lifestyle destinations, it is near everything you could want for a lifestyle of comfort and ease, yet far enough to feel like you are in your own peaceful paradise.

Imagine waking up to jaw-dropping views of Tasman Bay in a secluded, green country environment, with easy access to the quirky towns of Nelson and Tasman districts. And better still, you have total choice about the level of maintenance work you want to undertake on your spacious property. This is all set to become reality with the inception of Mahana Ridge.

“There is no such thing as an ordinary day in Mahana, and locals all 60

share a deep appreciation of what this fantastic community has to offer, whether that’s here in Mahana Ridge itself, or in the wider area,” says the developer Carsten Buschkuehle.

The vision Created through the progressive thinking of the developers, Mahana Ridge is a unique and innovative development.

The first four sections are available now. Ecological and lifestyle principles have been applied to the design of also available house-and-land packages that offer a high-quality ‘turn-key’ solution to

“There is no such thing as an ordinary day in Mahana, and locals all share a deep appreciation of what this fantastic community has to offer.”

D EV E LO P E R CARST E N B U S C H KU E H LE

getting your dream home built.

The developer has partnered with Arthouse Architects, a well-known and award-winning Nelson firm, to prepare a range of house designs in keeping with the aesthetic philosophy

of the development, ensuring seamless blending into the natural surrounds.

The aim, he explains, is a continuity of architectural design and quality throughout the development. And while the homes are house-and-land packages, the calibre of the designs, the rural flavour that sets them apart and the option of single- or double-storey houses all mean the inherent flexibility and individuality of a new-build still remains.

Low-maintenance rural living Carsten describes Mahana Ridge as exceptional, desirable and exclusive, plus it is designed to be easy-care. A clever maintenance contract structure has been created to share the cost of caring for the streams, native bush and grassed areas between properties, all of which will be extensively restored and regenerated.

This set-up also allows for flexible arrangements over individual property maintenance, so if you don’t fancy spending the weekend mowing, you can have this done for you.

This smart arrangement allows more time for indulgence in the things that matter rather than trying to keep up with the necessary maintenance of rural living, but if you’re partial to a Sunday cruise on the ride-on mower, don’t worry. How much or how little of your own property maintenance you want to take care of is entirely your choice.

W T + M A H A NA R I D G E

“You can combine a rural lifestyle and the quality of open spaces and a restored native environment without the hassle of maintaining it yourself,” says Carsten.

The lifestyle Mahana Ridge allows for a maximum of 30 homes, in three stages long-term.

The first two stages are being developed slowly over the next 24 months, with only four in the first stage available now.

This means the development will have a friendly, safe community feel, but will be spacious, private and exclusive too.

One section has been put aside to create a shared green space, tennis court or similar shared facility for the use of Mahana residents. The idea is to promote a happy, healthy living situation where people can choose to interact should they wish, with no obligation if they don’t.

This philosophy also means your property will be taken care of and looked after if you are away. “You can lock up your place and travel as you like. It will be taken care of,” says Carsten.

The services Mahana Ridge is all about choices, and the same applies when it comes to the services provided. The development will be set up with all the infrastructure and technology needed for modern living, including ultra-fast broadband and its own high-quality bore water supply.

However, if the idea of getting off the grid is appealing, you could easily do that here. House designs are entirely compatible with photovoltaic systems and other self-sufficiency innovations.

The setting When people think Mahana they think art galleries, wineries, roadside fruit

Scenic view of the Mahana Winery with its high-quality 4-star restaurant, one of the area's many desirable destinations.

stalls, produce growers and gourmet food producers. And they’re right. This is a place where many favourite indulgences come together, underpinned by a strong community spirit. Fruit and vegetable stalls on the roadsides operate with ‘honesty boxes’ for payment because that’s exactly what life is like here – relaxed and authentic.

The people of the Moutere area all have one thing in common – a love and appreciation of the lifestyle the area has to offer.

“People here love the land but are no strangers to a good espresso or an evening out,” says Carsten. “They make stunning wine, cheese and olive oils. They grow mushrooms and berries. They brew craft beer and cider. They preserve local plums, blackberries and boysenberries.

It’s a special place.”

Nearby Upper Moutere Village is a quirky settlement featuring New

AT A GLANCE • Rural living with comfort and ease • Clever maintenance solution • Emphasis on native bush restoration • High-quality architectural house packages available • Only four sections in stage one available now

Zealand’s oldest pub, while just a 10-minute drive away lies Motueka, with boutique local shopping offerings, popular eateries and all convenience and service utilities.

Richmond, 15 minutes away, is a fast-paced town with everything one could need in terms of convenience, and Mapua is another nearby hotspot, with its stunning wharf precinct featuring bars, restaurants, cafés, art galleries and shops.

Nelson city is just half an hour away, meaning Mahana Ridge is perfectly positioned for pretty much everything.

With such a winning combination of attributes, it's no surprise that the Moutere area is so sought-after. Properties don't become available often because people find they don't want to leave.

Contact Rebecca K, 021 229 8797 or hello@rebeccak.co.nz Visit: mahanaridge.nz

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MY HOME

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The view from the top B Y J O S I E S TA N F O R D P H O T O G R A P H Y A N A G A L L O WAY & J A S O N M A N N

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The Begbie’s have created a modern showstopper with an equally impressive view.

A

fter a fruitless search for a home to suit their requirements, John and Marie struck gold when they spotted an old house going to auction – sitting high on a hill, the site had potential for 270 degree views from Nelson city across the ocean to the Waimea Plains.

“Even before the build, it was important to us to support the businesses in the area, so we chose a Nelson-based architect and used local suppliers where possible,” says Marie.

They approached Jerram Tocker Barron Architects for advice on the potential of the site and architect Simon Hall drew up the concept plans for a threestory building within regulations to give his clients confidence to bid at auction. Having secured the house,

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The distinctive glass fins offer shade and privacy as well as a bold aesthetic.

The garden sculpture is by Adam Styles Creative Metal.

An aluminium cantilevered canopy provides shelter for the entrance steps.

The blue sails piece is by glass artist Emma Camden.

American white oak has been given a dark stain for the kitchen cabinetry. This island benchtop from Decra Art was installed as one piece and the sink was cut on site.

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MY HOME

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Exposed Takaka marble chip concrete walls in the stairwell.

Seamless glazing makes for an uninterrupted view.

LED tubes from Lightplan create a feature in the stairwell.

One of the guest bedrooms on the middle floor.

work began in earnest, with demolition ready for the new build by Justin Candish of Scott Construction.

“We had previously built in Christchurch so had some strong ideas on what we wanted,” says Marie. “We’ve been involved in the commercial building industry and some of the new-builds in Christchurch are really pushing glass to the limits – it’s a medium we really like.” The brief was for a retirement-ready home, within resource guidelines that made good use of concrete and glass, maximised the views and had a holiday feel. “I have to admit that the architect came up with a good plan,” says John. “We just added a deck on the back, on our neighbour’s advice because the front would be too hot in summer.”

With exposed Takaka marble chip concrete walls, coming from the outside to the inside of the stairwell, open-plan spaces that are whisper-quiet due to the double

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AWARD-WINNING RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

AWARD-WINNINGCongratulations RESIDENTIAL AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY to John and COMMERCIAL Marie on their new home and we are proud to have worked with Jerram Tocker Barron Architects.

Proud to be the main contractor of The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū

Proud to be the main contractor of The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū Congratulations to The Suter for its vision. Thank you to our staff, subcontractors and suppliers for their support in this project.

AWARD-WINNING RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

Congratulations to The Suter for its vision. Thank you to our staff, subcontractors and suppliers for their support in this project.

NEW BUILDS • RENOVATIONS • SEISMIC STRENGTHENING 11 Nayland Road, Stoke l info@scotts.nz l 03 547 9469

www.scottconstruction.nz

Proud to be the main contractor of The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū Congratulations to The Suter for its vision. Thank you to our staff, subcontractors and suppliers for their support in this project.

NEW BUILDS • RENOVATIONS • SEISMIC STRENGTHENING AN AWARD-WINNING ATTITUDE: Care and attention to detail drives NEW BUILDS • RENOVATIONS • SEISMIC STRENGTHENING Nayland Road, Road, Stoke l 03 547 9469 1111Nayland Stokel info@scotts.nz l 03 547 9469 exceptional quality. By embracing the challenges of modern building www.scottconstruction.nz www.scottconstruction.nz l info@scotts.nz practices we demonstrate smarter thinking and building excellence.

NEW BUILDS • RENOVATIONS • SEISMIC STRENGTHENING

11 Nayland Road, Stoke l info@scotts.nz l 03 547 9469

www.scottconstruction.nz

65

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supply and lay tiles TO THE BEGBIE HOME

S PA C E

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Exceptional Interiors From flooring to fabrics & everything in between...

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THE VINTAGE PUMP COLLECTION

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John has been working on his display of pumps and bowsers for almost 20 years and each is lovingly restored and sometimes almost rebuilt from scratch.

Sourcing them from all over the world, his passion extends to advertising signs, oil cans and bottles.

Many are from the 1920s making them almost 100 years old.

glazing and John’s clever wave-pattern sculpted acoustic ceiling panelling, every detail has been carefully crafted.

One design element that sets the house apart is the glass fins by Metro Glass. “Each fin weighs more than 200kg with 20mm thick glass and is hung from the roof to avoid bowing in the centre,” explains Simon. As well as creating a bold aesthetic – a pleasing contrast to the concrete structure – the fins provide shade and privacy while still allowing light and views.

And a bit like words unspoken, the magic happens in the subtle detail that you won’t notice but which allows the eye freedom. Things like the single-piece granite worktop in the kitchen with no upstand or lipped edge so that the eye

"We feel incredibly fortunate to have found somewhere so special with such magnificent views."

MARIE BEGBIE

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10. His and hers moulded sinks add a soft sculpted element.

11. The bath affords a great view across the bay.

floats uninterrupted to the outside. And the cantilevered concrete terraces tapered to raise the eye to the view.

What is very much on show is the view, a magnificent sweeping vista of open ocean.

They both love watching all the shipping coming in and of the cut. And all the other action on the water, including the wind- and kite-surfing. Yacht racing night is a favourite viewing time.

“We feel incredibly fortunate to have found somewhere so special with such magnificent views,” says Marie. “We’ll never take it for granted.”

Outside the site is landscaped with natives and features a distinctive stainless and corten steel sculpture made by local artist Adam Styles. It comes to life as it flexes in a wind.

Loving the lifestyle in Nelson, John especially enjoys the more relaxed pace of life, especially when he 'steps back in time' as he clearly likes to do, as when you descend the stairway from the couple’s living on the top floor, via the guest quarters on the middle floor, you are transported to the 1920s in his ground-floor workshop. The space is home to a collection of around 40 vintage petrol pumps – a beautiful contrast to the modernity of the house, although that too has been built to last.

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Diverse range of decorative metal products, from gates and balustrading to art and sculpture

Working with Scott Construction & the Begbies Since our inception, insite has been recognised as an industry leader. We have placed ourselves at the forefront of aluminium window and door design, resulting in a portfolio that reflects our pursuit of excellence.

22 Tokomaru Pl, Stoke 03 544 2989 | 027 433 2989 admin@creativemetal.co.nz | creativemetal.co.nz facebook.com/adamstylescreativemetal

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insite

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WT + ANGELA CHERUSEO

The key to success is sustainability

BY BRENDA WEBB

Financial psychology expert Angela Cheruseo.

P HO T O I S H NA JAC OB S

W

ealth empowerment coach Angela Cheruseo is passionate about helping busy and motivated people succeed in whatever field they choose.

The Nelson-based speaker, consultant and coach aims to help clients achieve and sustain their goals.

Being strategic and goal-focussed means she helps people get things moving instead of being stuck and frustrated.

While her niche experience is in finance and budgeting – she worked in the financial world for 12 years – Angela says wealth empowerment encompasses four areas: health and wellbeing, relationships, financial and job and career.

Being strategic and goalfocused means she helps people get things moving.

Right now she is excited to be part of the Evolved Leadership Organisation as an Evolved certified coach.

Evolved Leadership, founded by Kiwi Sally Anderson, is a global leadership development service provider specialising in sustainable transformation both personally and professionally.

Sally Anderson is at the forefront of sustainable human and organisation transformation and is a world renowned leadership coach, leadership retreat facilitator, inspirational keynote speaker, author and master coach trainer.

Angela turned to Evolved after discovering that setting up a business on her own and working alone was a challenge.

“I need to be part of a bigger support network so being under the Evolved Leadership umbrella is perfect. It means I have people to bounce ideas off, plenty of support and the best thing is that Evolved Leadership has high quality assurance standards in place and peer-review all of my coaching to an exemplary standard so my clients are getting the benefits,” she says.

Angela believes in helping her clients set goals that can be maintained. She is adamant that making a sustainable transition is often the missing link in people’s lives.

“I like dealing with the psychology of

it and giving people the tools to help them reach their full potential,” she says. “You can give anyone a budget but they don’t necessarily stick with it which is where the psychology comes in.

“It’s not necessarily what you earn but what you do with it that needs to be addressed. I liken it to dieting – anyone can lose weight but it is keeping it off that is important and the same can be applied to finances – it’s sustaining those goals.”

As well as writing blog posts and e-books, Angela runs courses with clients coaching them to have the life skills and tools essential for achieving balance and success in their lives.

She was inspired in her early life by her father who came from a small village in the south of Italy. Despite being brought

up in poverty with no education he went on to become head chef of a large hotel in Sorrento. His drive to improve his family’s fortune, despite being illiterate, made Angela realise the importance of money for the freedom and options it gives.

Angela has a certificate in brain-based coaching from the Neuroleadership Group, is a certified budget advisor by Kingdom Resources and a qualified member of the International Coaching Federation.

Contact Wealth Empowerment Coach angelacheruseo.nz 027 348 3207

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INTERIOR DESIGN

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Dress your

FRESHEN UP YOUR BACH

home for

summer

BY REBECCA O’FEE

As Kiwis we love our baches and over the summer break they are often at the heart of our celebrations. Here are a few tips to get your holiday home party-ready for the festive season.

Fill the fireplace You won’t be stoking the flames for many months (hopefully) so stack leftover wood or candles in the fireplace. Or switch it up and feature large shells or a hunk of coral to give it a coastal vibe.

Hang flowy curtains Change your heavy blackout curtains for flowy, light-and-breezy materials. These will still keep the strong New Zealand sun out while also letting you marvel at the view. You’ll also be using less power by taking advantage of the natural light from the long summer days.

Outdoor dining You will spend a lot of time eating and relaxing outside so invest in some good-quality, water-resistant cushions, chairs and loungers. Comfort is crucial on holiday but don’t compromise on style. Add florals and tropical patterns with block colours to freshen things up.

Other must-have items this summer are some large outdoor candle holders (such as those pictured opposite).

Place a few around your entertainment area and simply light the candles to set the mood for the night.

12 John Wesley Lane, Richmond (off Queen St, behind Avanti Plus)

Phone: 03 544 1515

www.moxini.co.nz

Decorating Ensure that the bach is cohesive with its surrounding natural environment. Choose colours that replicate the outdoors, and don’t go overboard with decorating. When your family and friends come to stay, you want them to feel like they can kick off their shoes and relax.

You don’t need a huge budget to spruce up your bach.

Try moving different pieces to another room or changing the layout of the furniture. You’ll be surprised how new everything looks once you mix it up. Finish off with some freshly picked flowers from the garden and you are ready for summer.

1. Lobster light, from Lighthouse Nelson, $198.

2. Candle holders from Moxini, $18 each.

3. Kimono from Moxini, $160.

4. Citta side table from Moxini, $440.

5. Cane chair from Moxini, $1180.

6. Citta bowls from Moxini, from $14.90 each.

7. Blue heart ethical cushion from Moxini, $107 and Voyage floral cushion from Moxini, $174.

8. Floral voyage book cover from Moxini, $92.

Rebecca O’Fee

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MY GARDEN

The pleasure of growing flowers A talk with Jeanine Wardman rapidly conjures up images of yellow daisies with green disc centres, dark-maroon pincushion blooms, and leggy pink-purple foxgloves leaning under the weight of their petals.

BY SOPHIE PREECE

S

he drifts from sages, perfect in the surge of spring growth, to North American prairie plants that thrive in the later months of summer and are an "effortless" partner for natives. There are small yellow balls of Craspedia globosa, their spindly stalks hard to see so the mini-suns appear to be suspended, and the bright blue thistles of Echinops ritro, in whimsical woolly spheres.

Jeanine, a farmer florist in the Wairau Valley, speaks a language of texture, shape and colour, flower and foliage, in Latin or common names. It’s a language as complex as ‘Hymenoxys hoopesi’ and as simple as ‘Sneezeweed’, borrowed from all corners of the world.

Her business, Verve, grows and creates organic flower bouquets, but recently extended into selling perennial seedlings, many of them heritage varieties that hark back to gardens of another era.

That’s partly because Jeanine wanted to try a different business model, having previously sold cut flowers to exclusive florists nationwide, and partly because she loves the notion of people growing their own flowers.

“Picking flowers from one’s own garden must be one of the simplest of pleasures yet greatest of joys,” she writes on her website. And she strongly believes in its therapy from the stress of our daily lives. “So many of our careers have something to do with our mind. When you pick something with your hands, it’s therapeutic and it’s amazing.”

THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: Jeanine Wardman believes picking fresh flowers invigorates the senses (the colourful bunch she is holding are zinnia elegans Benary's Giants); Craspedia globosa Billy Buttons; Achillea ptarmica The Pearl seedlings; Agrostemma githago (Corncockle).

OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM TOP: Zinnia elegans Green Envy; Late spring bouquet; Chantilly snapdragons.

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"So many of our careers have something to do with our mind.

When you pick something with your hands, it's therapeutic."

J E A N I N E WA R D M A N

Jeanine says the secret to being able to pick over a long season is to plant a diversified garden, with ornamental shrubs, bulbs, corms and tubers, flowering perennials, flowering natives, and fast-growing annuals, including those that will thrive in the heat, and others that enjoy the cooler autumn days. “If you have a garden like that you should be able to fill vases to your heart’s content all season long.”

When it comes to design, she quotes British gardener Fergus Garret (a guest of the recent Nelmac Garden Marlborough) in advising flower gardeners to look for a ‘catalyst’ in every ensemble. “We don’t make gardens to soothe anybody – we rather look for a dynamic reaction between plants.”

DYNAMIC PLANTING Tips from Jeanine Wardman September/October: Try matching the native cerise leptospermum (manuka) with its burnished, copper-red foliage, and viburnum opulus Snowball, offering its green pompom flowers. Consider adding astelia for its glittering sheen. Grey foliage is an excellent way to ‘calm’ a bold ensemble, Jeanine says.

Nov/Dec: Cornus greenvale, a flowering dogwood with lime-green flowers, will prove the perfect foil to a bronze smoke bush, coming into smoke at this time, says Jeanine. “I would weave Merton foxglove into the shade they create.”

January/February: For a native perspective, try Anemanthele lessoniana (Gossamer grass), which flowers during and after Christmas, paired with the gorgeous blue thistles of the Echinops ritro and with Rudbeckia hirta Prairie Sun (Black-eyed Susan) for their zing.

March/April: The time to start planting perennials and hardy annuals, rather than waiting for spring, says Jeanine. “The more you do in the autumn the better your season is when it finally comes.” Consider the Black Knight (pincushion flower), which is amazing with natives.

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M Y H E A LT H

Stay sun-smart this summer B Y N G A I R E WA R N E R

W

ith the promise of a long, hot summer ahead, those of us in the Top of the South can look forward to plenty of days spent outdoors.

Topping the charts with sunshine hours means we enjoy our fair share of UV radiation, and while that’s good for the soul, it can have serious consequences for our skin. You know it’s time to ‘Slip, slop, slap and wrap’, but do you know what to do when you see a new skin spot and when you should be concerned?

Skin cancer awareness You’ve probably read the grim statistics – New Zealand has the highest rates of melanoma worldwide. It is widely thought of as a disease affecting freckled, fair-skinned or older people, and those who suffered sunburn in childhood, but we are now seeing increasing numbers of younger, darker-skinned people with melanomas on parts of their body that haven’t had much sun exposure.

The good news – yes, there is some good news – is that the vast majority of skin cancers can be cured if detected early.

That’s also true of the non-melanoma skin cancers, commonly referred to as basal or squamous cell carcinomas (BCCs or SCCs.) These are generally less lethal but if left untreated can require extensive skin grafting and multiple surgeries.

So how do you detect a skin cancer early enough for it to be treatable? If you’ve noticed a change in the appearance of an existing mole or freckle or you notice a new one, get it checked. It might be larger, a different colour or shape. Maybe it’s a bit itchy, it bleeds or appears scaly.

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Don’t rely on your own powers of detection. I frequently have patients tell me their partner or friend noticed a change. Take any observations seriously.

In men the most common site for melanoma is on the back – not an easy place to see for yourself. More commonly, I see patients who have new rough, dry, scaly spots on the backs of their hands, arms and face. These may represent what we call pre-cancerous spots. They are caused by years of sun exposure, and if left untreated, could turn into a skin cancer. So getting these checked is a great way to ensure high-risk areas are treated before they even become cancer. I also take the opportunity to do a full head-totoe skin check whenever I see a patient with these pre-cancerous spots.

Who should check it? Ideally, any change or any new spot should be checked by a medical professional. Your GP will use a dermatoscope to look closely at the spot(s) and determine any features that warrant further treatment or monitoring.

If you are still concerned or have lots of

moles, you can see a dermatologist and get a full skin check. Any suspicious areas can usually be removed or a sample taken during the consultation – which is often no more costly than a mole-map service.

So what is the role of mole-map/ molemedic/moleman? All these services offer a photographic record of your skin and moles and are useful in the recognition of melanomas in the early stages. Clinicians are able to compare moles and freckles across time, and depending on your individual melanoma risk (family history, high UV radiation exposure, lots of moles), they might recommend more frequent imaging, usually four, six or 12 months. It comes at a cost, although some insurance providers may cover this.

Viligence is the key with melanoma, but it needn’t spoil your fun. So grab your hat and sunnies, apply sunscreen and go and enjoy the sunshine.

Ngaire Warner is a GP at Toi Toi Medical, 03-548 3109, toitoimedical.nz

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M Y H I S T O RY

A legacy unearthed Our new series traces the threads that weave us together as a community. Tess Patrick moved to Nelson as a child knowing nothing of the region – but her links to it go back to 1851.

I

was nine years old when I shifted to Nelson from Geraldine. I hadn’t heard of the city before, but I had that feeling you get when you’re about to go on a road trip and you’re so excited you want to squeal. It had always been just Mum and I, and this was our next adventure into the unknown. Neither of us had any idea that the history of this region would be so intertwined with our own family's.

Mum was adopted. Her mother Alison was just 21 when she gave birth to her in the last days of autumn, 1965. Mum knew this as she grew up among her incredible new family on a Canterbury farm. Then, 25 years on, she flew to Australia and met her birth mother, my Nan, for the first time.

Nan flew over to visit us five years later when I was born.

Alison was born in 1943 and grew up on a farm in Ngatimoti in the Upper Moutere. She was a Beatson; a descendant of farmers, builders and architects.

William Beatson sat at the top of the family tree, a man who had designed some of the first buildings in Nelson. William is believed to have studied at King’s College in London before immigrating to New

Zealand in 1851 to help build the region.

His wife Maria gave birth to seven sons and two daughters in the earliest days of Nelson’s settlement. This was where our history began.

I started at Nelson College for Girls Preparatory School in 2007. Generations of my family down south had attended Geraldine High School, and I expected my fate to be the same; ‘single-sex school’ was a foreign concept for a country girl.

The phone rang from Australia about the beginning of the school year, and as fate would have it, my Nan had been a Girls’ College boarder during her teenage years. I was able to tick the box on the enrolment form asking if I had any family who had previously attended, and I was assigned to the same house as Mum’s birth-mother had been, 51 years earlier.

On a trip to the canteen at the end of Year 13, a name on a plaque stood out to me. ‘This building was opened by Joan Beatson’ – my great-grandmother. I was following in my family footsteps, just not the family I'd imagined.

The strangest thing is how much of our story exists in the places we know so

well. Mum’s office is in the upper level of the old Edwards and Company building that her distant grandfather built. The original buildings for my high school were designed by his son, Charles.

The original façade of the beloved Morri Street cafe was another of William’s works. The country manor around the corner from our house that looked remarkably like the home from The Notebook movie, and that we would drive past and dream of owning, was built by family that we never knew we had.

Some names in family trees and old photographs resonate more than others.

Sorting through my research at 22 years old, I realise I am related to my childhood best friend who lives halfway around the world. Nelson can be scarily acquainted at times, but that’s only part of what makes our city so special.

Family is a strange idea if you think about it too much; I wouldn’t consider my Beatson family to be more legitimate than the family I grew up in, but now there are twice the number of people I can connect my history to.

Each time I drive through Bishopdale I pass Beatson Road. I now know why it’s a familiar name, and although we wouldn’t make the claim that we’re from around here, we’ve been a part of this area longer than we knew.

ABOVE: An archive photograph of Nelson College for Girls from 1888. INSET: Tess, age four, with her mum at Hanmer Springs.

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HÖGLUND GLASSBLOWING STUDIO Locally made by glass artists Ola and Marie Höglund and their family.

Makers of Nelson art glass and glass jewellery since 1982.

STOREY

VISITORS WELCOME – OPEN DAILY 10 TO 5 The glassblowing schedule is always subject to change - please ring us to find out when you can watch glassblowing in action. (closed 1 st January)

L

hby ome coll e cti on Lighthouse Nelson

52 Lansdowne Road, Appleby, Richmond Ph 03 544 6500

65 Collingwood St, Nelson | (03) 548 4945 www.storeycollection.co.nz | www.lighthouselighting.co.nz

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Wedding Hats – Evening Bags – Jewellery Possum Merino Poncho/Jackets & Fashion Accessories NZ Art & Ceramics – Nautical – Décor – Crystal – Outdoor Gifts

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6:30pm daily 11th - 20th Jan

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Wellington’s first & finest New Orleans brass band

7:30pm Weds 24th Jan - Courtyard Concert Adults - $20 Students - $10 Under 5yrs - Free

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The City of Nelson Highland Pipe Band

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4:00pm Sun 28th Jan

BAZURKA

7:30pm Thurs 1st Feb - Courtyard Concert Adults - $20

Students - $10

Enjoy the regular concerts and theatre or hire Fairfield for your very own celebration gather@fairfieldnelson.org.nz | www.fairfieldnelson.org.nz

W T + F E N DA LT O N E Y E C L I N I C

Dr David Kent and the team at Fendalton Eye Clinic

Laser eye surgery, more to smile about

S

hort-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism, these focusing errors need not hold you back from doing what you want to in life. Playing sport or swimming with glasses can be a challenge. Working outside can be difficult if you wear contact lenses.

Twenty-one years ago, eye surgeon Dr David Kent and optometrist Jane Patterson introduced laser eye surgery to the South Island, establishing Fendalton Eye in Christchurch in 1996.

In October 2017 Fendalton Eye Clinic installed a new Visumax femtosecond laser allowing Dr Kent to deliver the most advanced laser corrective procedures available in the world. The Visumax femtosecond laser allows Dr Kent to add SMILE treatments as an additional vision correction option. SMILE stands for SMall Incision Lenticule Extraction which represents the latest advance in laser eye surgery treatments, a painless minimally invasive laser procedure where the Visumax laser creates a lenticule inside the intact cornea, the lenticule is then removed from the edge

of the cornea. “SMILE provides the most benefit to patients who are moderately short-sighted and who may be involved in contact sports. LASIK is still the most precise treatment for lower short-sighted corrections, for treating significant astigmatism and for correcting longsightedness,” says Dr Kent Dr Kent has performed more LASIK procedures than any other eye surgeon in New Zealand and uses the Schwind Amaris 1050RS excimer laser, the fastest excimer laser available. The Schwind Amaris 1050RS is also the only laser on the market to provide the accuracy of eye tracking in seven dimensions, to ensure that each laser pulse is delivered exactly where it is intended, following all micro eye movements. The clinic has its own purpose-built laser eye surgery facility. Dr Kent has performed more than 25,000 laser surgeries. Recognised internationally by his colleagues Dr Kent is currently the New Zealand representative to the Australasian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Fendalton Clinic has a large team

of highly trained professionals and all of the clinical staff have tertiary optical qualifications. “To determine if you are a suitable candidate for laser surgery and to further discuss the best treatment option for your eyes, we offer free laser assessments with a member of our technical team,” says Jane. “Free laser assessments are available in clinics that we run in Invercargill, Queenstown, Dunedin, Nelson and Christchurch.”

Laser eye surgery may be an option for you if you are over 20 years of age, are long-sightedness, short-sightedness or have astigmatism.

“The overwhelming reward for the entire team, in carrying out laser treatments, is seeing the transformation in people’s lives,” says Jane. “For many people laser eye surgery is quite literally life-changing.”

Contact lasik.co.nz 0800 452 745

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MY KITCHEN

Summertime means sharing time with friends and family. Conversations, laughs, a beach towel and good, honest food. For us, sharing a freshly caught fish is the pinnacle of summer.

We like to serve it sharing-style, grabbing a lettuce cup each and piling it up with the fish, sauce and a handful of mango and cucumber.

Serves 4 1 fresh, whole snapper, scaled and gutted Marinade ½ tsp chilli powder 1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted 2 tsp shrimp paste, roasted (optional) 2 small red onions, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped Zest of 1 lime – reserve the lime for juice 1 stalk of lemongrass, white part finely chopped 2 large red chillies, chopped 1 tbsp coriander root, finely chopped 1 tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp sea-salt Laksa sauce ½ can of coconut cream 1 tsp fish sauce Remaining marinade 1 tsp coconut oil.

To serve 8 cos or iceberg lettuce cups 1 mango, cut into small batons 1 cucumber, cut into small batons Handful of roasted cashews Handful of mint and coriander

1. To make the marinade, grind the chilli powder

and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar. Add the remaining ingredients and pound until a smooth paste forms.

2. Slash the fish several times on each side and rub three-quarters of the marinade all over and into the incisions. Refrigerate for three hours.

3. To make the sauce, fry off the remaining marinade paste in a teaspoon of coconut oil. Once aromatic, add the coconut cream and heat through. Remove from heat and stir in the fish sauce.

4. Heat a barbecue to medium/high and lightly oil

the grill. Cook the fish until charred and just cooked through on one side (eight minutes). Turn over and repeat. Remove from barbecue, squeeze a little lime juice over, pour on a little sauce and garnish with the herbs and cashews.

5. Serve with lettuce cups, mango, cucumber and a bowl of the leftover laksa sauce.

madamelus.co.nz 78

Snapper with a laksa twist RECIPE BY MADAME LU’S

DINE OUT

The Smoking Barrel

BY SARAH LA TOUCHE

A

ccording to local rumour, The Smoking Barrel is hot, so I went along to find out what’s being dished up at this distinctly Americanflavoured eatery in downtown Motueka.

The long space provides plenty of casual, comfy tables throughout, including a garden at the back. An impressive American-style, barrel-smoking barbecue (hence the name) lives out there too. I’m told by the super-friendly and efficient wait staff that it’s fired up most days to produce their succulent range of signature sloe apple-smoked pork, beef and salmon.

That had me intrigued immediately.

Another point of interest – the bagels.

These are all made in-house, as are their popular doughnuts, in myriad flavours.

I have it on good authority from, of all things, a French doughnut aficionado that you need to be in quick before they sell out. So if you’re a doughnut lover (which sadly I’m not), head for the glass

"I have it on good authority from, of all things, a French doughnut aficionado that you need to be in quick before they sell out"

cabinet and drool. We decided to try lunch, although breakfast looks tasty too, and dinner is served Thursday through to Saturday. For me it had to be the classic Smoked Salmon Bagel ($17). I loved the sound of the barrel-smoked Mt Cook salmon with wild rocket (and plenty of it too), house pesto and crispy fried capers, which were gorgeous. All were expertly arranged on a bagel smeared with cream cheese, and seasoned with a generous squeeze of lemon. Scrumptious.

My lunch buddy went for the Grilled Cubano ($18); twelve-hour, sloe applesmoked, succulent pulled pork – you’re getting the picture, pork lovers – shaved ham, smoked cheese, mustard, aioli and pickles, on an attractively long, soft roll, also house-baked, topped off with a sprinkling of crispy crackling. What’s not to love?

The fries come in various sizes. We ordered an $8 bowl between us but, in

hindsight, should have gone for the smaller $5 serve. Generous portions are definitely a trademark at this establishment.

A pint of Hop Federation IPA ($10.50), a glass of Seifried chardonnay ($9), and two doughnuts later ($4.50 each) – you just have to try them, don’t you – we waddled out the door.

I love a café that focuses attention on quality ingredients, flavour and freshness, as well as great service, and The Smoking Barrel ticks the boxes.

The Smoking Barrel Cost: $72 for two mains, a bowl of fries to share, a beer, wine and two doughnuts.

Value for money: Food: Atmosphere: Service:

Prego & Comida - two of Nelson’s finest ingredients in one location. Buxton Square, Nelson Summer Entertaining Fresh Nelson mozzarella, capri tomatoes, fresh local basil - the best of summer salads in Nelson.

FOR THE GRILL: Stubbs Texas sauces, hot chilli sauces & liquid smoke ...

MEDITERRANEAN FOODS In the giant seal & squid building, Buxton Square, Nelson

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WINE

‘Hobby’ produces top results

BY SOPHIE PREECE

R

uby Bay Vineyard is a dream job for viticulturist John Selwood, with Moutere clay soils, a maritime microclimate and instructions to achieve modest quantities but exceptional quality.

The vines are lightly cropped, handtended and hand-picked on this beautiful site above Mapua, where a wetland at the base is home to geese and pukeko, while the ridgeline above offers expansive views of the sea and coastline.

The vineyard is owned by Andrew Tamplin and Ivy Valsalan, both of whom work in the airline industry and share their lives between homes here and in Hong Kong. The vineyard and wine are their passion, as is the accommodation they offer at the edge of their vines, says John, who runs contract viticulture company Elite Viticulture. “It’s a bit of a hobby. Andrew basically says, ‘Just do what you need to do’.”

The result is the likes of the 2016 Pinot Noir, which was awarded a trophy at the 2017 Bragato Wine Awards. That pinot is cropped at just 4.5 tonnes per hectare, as is its Captain’s Reserve counterpart, which won gold at the same event. The pinot noirs, along with a recently added rose, come from four Dijon clones that account for 2ha of the 5ha block.

The rest of the gentle slope is planted

in chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris and syrah, all cropped lightly and managed intensively. John says the sauvignon blanc that grows on the hill above the pinot noir has distinctive tropical flavours. However, it’s the syrah that has him the most excited right now, with the 2017 vintage looking good in the barrel, as the first crop from the four-yearold vines.

“Andy is really into heavier reds, so I said, ‘Right, let’s put some syrah at the top of the hill’.” The 10-row site is more sheltered than the rest of the vineyard and gets hotter, making it the perfect spot. They plan to try some different management techniques there, which may include using reflective cloth – often seen in nearby orchards – to increase the temperatures further.

John works on vineyards of varying sizes throughout the region, and says Ruby Bay is just one of the exciting pockets of Nelson’s wine industry. “We are doing our own thing and there are some fantastic wines coming out of Nelson.

There are so many varieties grown here that are achieving world-class results.”

Top: Viticulturist John Selwood with the Pinot Noir vines. Above: Guests at the Ruby Bay Vineyard Cottage have views down across the vines, planted on a gentle slope.

One to try 2016 Captain’s Reserve Pinot Noir, which won gold at the 2017 Romeo Bragato Wine Awards. John describes the wine: "Our Captain’s Reserve exhibits an elegant array of blackberry, cherries and ripened plums, with a hint of nutmeg. On the palate, it is generously flavoured with excellent fruit richness. A flamboyant wine with wonderful structure and length that will mature gracefully. It is hand-harvested and aged in French oak barrels."

Join us for a taste, half glass or full glass from a choice of twelve great wine bar selections!

214 HARDY ST, NELSON | 03 548 0088 | CASADELVINO.CO.NZ 80

BEER

Brews without booze

BY MARK PREECE

T

hey say necessity is the mother of all invention. So when pregnant Jo Wallace needed a flavoursome no-alcohol beer, her husband Jonty got to work inventing.

The couple behind the New Ways Brewing Company launched their GlassOfHops at the Nelson Market last month, tempting tasters with a hoppy, malty craft beer with all the alcohol removed through distillation.

Jonty says many low- or no-alcohol beers are quiet, simple and inoffensive – a world away from the punchy aromas and flavours exhibited in today's craft beers, so he and Jo set about ramping up the flavour profile.

The concept clearly struck a chord because they’d sold out before the morning market was through, and are already considering their next no-alcohol craft brews, including a sweet stout and a lighter wheat beer for those less enamoured with hops.

It’s a great start, but far from the beer business Jonty thought he’d be working on

when he decided to launch his own label after several years in the industry. His first brews were made in his student flat while studying at Victoria University, but he eventually dropped out, seeing more of a future in brewing than psychology.

His first job was as a bartender/assistant brewer at Golden Bear in Mapua, and he has worked his way up the beer world via breweries in Scotland (“thrown in the deep end” on the Isle of Skye), Wellington and Auckland.

By then he was ready to produce something of his own. “I had been brewing underneath a lot of people for quite a while and it was a great opportunity to get into it myself – to have my own recipes and have control over what was happening,” he says.

Alcohol was orginally part of the plan, until a pregnant Jo “threw a spanner in the works” when she found the alcoholfree beers available in New Zealand just didn’t stack up against those she’d been enjoying in Europe. “So we jumped into it,” says Jonty.

The concept clearly struck a chord because they'd sold out before the morning market was through.

Working at Garage Project in Wellington and Deep Creek in Auckland gave him an appetite for experimental brewing, which is why he has thrown complex malts and plenty of hops at GlassOfHops.

Here’s what they say you can expect: “GlassOfHops is a bold New Zealand pale ale using a trio of hops that fuel this beer with a powerful tropical-citrus aroma. We have put it through a gentle distillation process to remove alcohol, unleashing a huge amount of goodness while keeping in all the fresh flavours, making this a super drink to enjoy everywhere.”

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T R AV E L

Language opens doors and hearts Brenda Webb finds taking a full immersion course in Spanish greatly enriches her experience of Central America and the locals are hugely appreciative of her efforts.

‘Y

ou’re not in Guatemala now, Dr Ropata.’ The catchline from Shortland Street rings in my head. Problem is I’m very much in Guatemala having, somewhat foolishly, decided to throw myself into total immersion Spanish lessons.

As I desperately try to get my head around the incredibly confusing irregular verb tenses (of which there are far too many) and other complexities of the Spanish language, I realise just how rusty my capacity for such academic learning has become.

‘Hablar mas despacio, por favor’ (please speak more slowly) has become my go-to phrase as I struggle through three weeks of study in the spectacularly beautiful Spanish colonial city of Antigua, an hour’s bus ride and a world away from the seedy, crime-ridden capital of Guatemala City.

The impetus for such folly was our utter inability to communicate more than a few words during time spent in Spanish-speaking Venezuela and Colombia on our yacht Bandit.

With Mexico, Honduras and Cuba on the sailing itinerary, we were in serious need of brushing up on our Spanish. A week’s 82

one-on-one tuition, including accommodation and all meals, with a local family cost around $125 per person. How could we refuse?

Arriving in Antigua was like stepping into a mystical Mayan world. Indigenous (40 per cent of Guatemalans are indigenous) men and women thronged the cobbled streets in wonderfully bright and colourful local dress. Spanish buildings in gorgeous weathered hues of russet red, ochre, terracotta and classic white lined the narrow streets, which bustled with life – people selling textiles, cooking street food and playing music.

Guatemala has an incredibly chequered past, having been wracked by civil war, corruption, violence and natural disasters.

Tourism, while still a fledgling industry, is giving many locals an opportunity to improve their lives, especially with the flourishing language schools. Families who are able rent a room to students make a huge effort to ensure the total immersion experience is authentic.

School began at 8am each day, after a hearty Guatemalan breakfast of tropical fruits, followed by tortillas and beans. We’d opted for four hours a day, figuring that by midday our ageing brains would have had more than enough. (We were right.)

Afternoons would then be spent exploring Antigua’s beguiling streets and shops, sitting at outdoor cafés people-watching, studying Spanish, doing our homework and practising our newly acquired skills on the locals.

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Living with a Spanish-speaking family gave us the chance to constantly try out new-found words and phrases. The only way to learn a new language, in the words of our teacher Gaby, was ‘practica, practica, practica’. Our hosts Maria and Otto were incredibly patient as we consulted phrase-books, gesticulated madly and enlisted the help of a more advanced student living in the house to enable us to have stuttering conversations.

Unbelievably, things started falling into place. Frustration turned to excitement as our vocabulary expanded, and our tentative attempts at conversation with locals made every afternoon an absorbing adventure. We even learned that host Otto, a medic, had been captured by guerrillas during the civil war and taken to the mountains and forced to treat the injured – such an in-depth conversation would have simply been impossible for us a few days earlier.

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Putting our language skills to use After three weeks of intense learning courtesy of Gaby and our hosts, we felt adequately prepared for internal travel and headed into the Guatemalan Highlands to breathlessly beautiful Lago Atitlan, surrounded by a stunning landscape of razor-backed mountains and simmering volcanoes.

Market days in the local towns were astonishing as hundreds of locals congregated, selling everything from flowers and food to animals. Supplies are carried in and out on the heads of the local women. We couldn’t believe the amazing elegance and balance they demonstrated. We explored many towns using the local

The best holidays are created together. H O T. C O. N Z

The best holidays are created together.

H O U S E O F T R AV E L R I C H M O N D 2 24 Q U E E N STR E E T, R I C H M O N D I 0 3 5 4 3 9 76 0 I R I C H M O N D @ H OT.C O. NZ H O U S E O F T R AV E L N E L S O N 25 6 TR AFALG AR STR E E T, N E L S O N I 0 3 5 4 6 878 0 I N E L S O N @ H OT.C O. NZ

224 QUEEN ST, RICHMOND I 03 543 9760 256 TRAFALGAR ST, NELSON I 03 546 8780

LEFT PAGE: A Guatemalan woman and child from the highlands, dressed in colourful traditional clothing on one of the many beautiful streets in the Spanish colonial town of Antigua.

ABOVE: Traditionally dressed locals at market day in the village of Solala in The best holidays are created together. H O T. C O. N Z the Guatemalan Highlands.

H O U S E O F T R AV E L R I C H M O N D 2 24 Q U E E N STR E E T, R I C H M O N D I 0 3 5 4 3 9 76 0 I R I C H M O N D @ H OT.C O. N H O U S E O F T R AV E L N E L S O N 25 6 TR AFALG AR STR E E T, N E L S O N I 0 3 5 4 6 878 0 I N E L S O N @ H OT.C O. NZ

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“Our interaction was almost entirely in Spanish, often slow, probably badly pronounced and perhaps grammatically wrong... the people we met were overwhelmingly appreciative.”

‘chicken buses’ – old American school-buses brightly painted to reflect the Guatemalans’ love of colour and design. The market at Chichicastenango was an adventurous day trip away – driving slowly and carefully has never been a strongpoint for Guatemalans. The fascinating Mayan ruins at Tikal, which date back to 700BC, were another highlight.

During our three months in Guatemala and later, our month-long backpacking adventure through Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador and our six-week visit to Cuba, our interaction with locals was almost entirely in Spanish, often slow, probably badly pronounced and perhaps grammatically wrong. It certainly would not have been possible without language school, and the people we met were overwhelmingly appreciative of our humble efforts.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Local women selling fresh flowers at the Chichicastenango market; A Mayan woman selling textiles in the Spanish colonial city of Antigua; the spectacular Lake Atitlan in the Guatemalan Highlands a few hours north of Antigua.

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TREAT YOURSELF to the new Pure Wild range of beauty products, hand creams, body butters, salt scrubs and face masks in a tempting range of NZ inspired fragrances. These include: Manuka Honey and Rata, Ocean Kelp and Pohutukawa, Kiwifruit and Lime, and Rotorua Mud and Coconut. Perfect for Christmas gifts and to protect and nourish your skin over the busy summer season.

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MOTORING

Prado: posh with the rough

BY GEOFF MOFFETT

P

rado might be the cruiser-weight brother of the Land Cruiser 200, but you’ll need to be an All Black lock to polish the roof without a step-ladder. The latest iteration of the legendary Toyota off-roader is bigger than ever at nearly 1.9m tall but is packed with new technology that makes driving this imposing vehicle much easier than you think when first climbing up into its lofty cabin.

Starting at around $80,000, the Prado combines go-anywhere capability and lugging power to suit a high-country farmer, plus all the luxuries and comfort to go to town for a posh night out. With seven seats – the rear pair raise and lower at the push of a button – the leather-clad VX model I drove will cut it just as well carrying out after-school taxi duties as on fording rivers and climbing slippery slopes.

Most buyers will never experience or need the Prado’s mighty off-road performance, nor its ability to creep down mucky hillsides with goat-like steadiness – and more’s the pity.

However, city buyers with boats may experience Prado’s new towing trick – the Trailer Sway Control that deals with those scary moments in crosswinds or when a load shifts. The technology will detect the sway before you do, then automatically apply brake pressure to individual trailer wheels while easing engine torque. Towing a big boat or a

horse-float becomes a breeze.

With its ladder chassis, steel welded body and dual-ratio transfer box, the Prado is built for tough going and looks the part too, with running boards and nononsense styling that includes monster exterior mirrors. Equipment matches the off-road intent, with a creeper mode for feet-off-pedals driving down steep descents and active traction control to help prevent wheel-spin on slippery climbs. Most buyers will be more aware of internal comforts and safe-driving aids such as blind-spot monitor and rear cross alert for the mid-range VX, and precrash and dynamic radar for the top-spec Limited model.

The Prado’s new 2.8-litre, fourcylinder diesel replaces the old 3-litre unit and while smaller, it shaves nearly 10 per cent off fuel use. With its sixspeed transmission, the lazy-revving unit will have you highway cruising with commendable quiet, and towing a big boat of up to three tonnes (braked) is a snack with 450Nm of torque on tap.

The cabin is very civilised, with touch-screen display, Bluetooth and audio play connectivity that will read your text messages, voice activation controls, and ‘Suna’ satnav to find alternative routes if delays are detected ahead – very handy for big-city drivers.

Seating (leather in my VX, heated and cooled) is comfortable and a clever rear-vision mirror lets you see any

squabbling in the third row. For such a large vehicle, it’s surprisingly easy to drive once you get used to the large bonnet pointing like the bow of a land-yacht.

Camera aids, however, enable you to park this beast with impressive precision – the screen shows an overhead view of where you are and a bumper-bar fish-eye view of kerbs and objects.

Huge carrying capacity is a Prado forte, with 1833 litres available with all the seats down and 553 litres with just the rear seats electrically folded, and there’s even a 240v plug in the rear so you can pump up your airbed at the campground.

For multi-purpose, heavy-duty, luxury motoring and a renowned ability to hold its value, the Landcruiser Prado is going to be hard to beat.

Tech spec Price: Power:

Fuel:

GX ($79,490), VX ($81,990), VX Limited ($91,990).

Turbocharged diesel, 2.8-litre, four-cylinder, with intercooler and common rail direct injection and six-speed auto with sequential shift; 130kw @ 3400rpm, 450Nm @ 16002400 rpm.

8l/100km (combined cycle).

Vehicle courtesy of Bowater Toyota.

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ARTS

Summer Shakespeare joyfully rights old school wrongs

BY JOHN COHEN-DU FOUR

F

or many of us, our earliest experiences with Shakespeare were at high school where our English teachers’ doubtless wellintentioned efforts too often turned the Bard’s wonderful words and stirring stories into a dry and confusing slog.

If there’s one thing Giles Burton, producer and director of Nelson’s Summer Shakespeare, wants to avoid, it is confusion – for both the audience, and the actors.

“Comprehension is the first thing,” Giles says. “If you don’t understand what’s going on, you’ll think: ‘I hate this!’

“As a director I ask myself constantly, ‘if I were an outsider would I get this?’

Because clarity is crucial. The actors need to know acutely the meaning of ‘what’ they are saying, and ‘why’ in terms of the story. We really drill down during early rehearsals to come to grips with what the play is all about.”

The play, in this case, is

“As a director I ask myself constantly, ‘if I were an outsider, would I get this?’ Because clarity is crucial.”

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Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ – playing evenings January 11-20 at Fairfield House Meadow; Jan 24 at Raetihi Lodge, Marlborough Sounds; 25/26 at Washbourn Gardens, Richmond; and 27/28 at Riverside Community.

This is Summer Shakespeare’s second outing, its inaugural season being last year’s production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Giles was thrilled with the public’s response: “We received such great feedback afterwards – that’s really what it’s all about!”

He is convinced the language barrier is not as bad as some people make out.

“If the actors understand,” he says, “the audience will. They’ll definitely get the gist of what’s going on.

“With Shakespeare, whenever you first hear the language at the play’s start, it’s that bit different and it takes you a while to get your ‘ear’ in. That’s why we provide the audience with a synopsis of the first few scenes. Soon enough it just clicks, they stop thinking and start enjoying the ride.”

Why has Giles chosen Twelfth Night this year?

“It’s a great play. A lot of comedy, romance, a girl disguised as a boy, plenty of fun elements, and the action moves around a lot, so it works great outdoors.

“We’ve set it in the 1920s-30s – you can do that with Shakespeare, move his plays about in time – to a country house with the tea-and-croquet set, perfect for

Above: Summer Shakespeare is always a fun romp. Last year’s show starred Olivia (Tami Mansfield) and Malvolio (Dan Allan).

Photo: Ishna Jacobs

how the play explores class and standing.”

The cast are all local, including Nelsonians brought back from Wellington to perform.

How did a highly skilled English stage director find his way to Nelson?

“You know how it goes – I fell in love with a Kiwi. Amanda’s from Nelson. She’s also involved in the local performing arts scene, working on the Nelson Arts Festival for the past three years.”

While Giles has been kept busy with other theatrical projects, it’s clear where his heart lies: “At the end of the day Summer Shakespeare’s all about the audience having a really good time. My message to anyone who may have been put off by what they endured at school is this: Come along, give us a go, and discover what it’s really about. Because done correctly, it’s great theatre – utterly engaging. A great night out!”

Giles also hopes to establish a Winter Shakespeare offering: “I mean let’s face it,” he says grinning, “there’s no shortage of his plays.”

For further information on the season, see the Nelson Summer Shakespeare Facebook pageor email nelsonsummershakespeare@ gmail.com

In the Gallery If you’re a bit of an art collector you’re certainly living in the right place. This area is teeming with creative superstars. Check out this month’s pick of gallery must-haves.

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| 1. Bill Burke, Top of Trafalgar Street, Nelson, pastel, 540mm x 480mm, Bill Burke Gallery, 03 546 6793, billburke.co.nz | 2. OLE LYNGGAARD COPENHAGEN exclusive to Jens Hansen in Nelson, Silver Forest pendant in gold and silver, jenshansen.com, $345 (chain not included) | 3. Libby McColl, Wild Meadow, oil on canvas, Red Gallery, Nelson, 03 548 2170, redartgallery.com, $2200 | 4. Colin Wynn, Beacon Road Lower Wairau Marlborough, oil painting, Detour Gallery, Blenheim, detourgallery.nz, 021 2542489, $8700 | 5. Russel Papworth, recycled fish sculpture, Forest Fusion, Mapua Wharf, forestfusion.com, 03 540 2961 | 6. Roz Speirs, Into the Distance, fused glass platter, Art @ 203, Nelson, 027 5005528, $345 | 7. Nic Foster, Estuary, acrylic on board, $1850, 90 x 120cm, Atkins Gallery, Nelson, 03 545 6010, atkinsgallery.nz

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MUSIC

Lying around on the grass in the park listening to music is a great way to kick things off.

Hang loose with twilight jazz

BY PETE RAINEY

G

eorge Gershwin hit the nail on the head when he said: “Life is a lot like jazz – it’s best when you improvise.” Summertime offers us a great opportunity to break the routine, and just make things up as we go.

Lying around on the grass in a park listening to music is a great way to kick things off. The Nelson Jazz Festival Founders Park Twilight Concert, on Friday January 5, gives Nelsonians and visitors an opportunity to do just that.

The concert features some of the music acts appearing around the city during the festival. It starts at 4pm, with gate sales only.

The afternoon’s headline act is The Wellington City Shake-’Em-On-Downers, the capital’s most danceable yet offbeat New Orleans-style swing septet.

These guys have performed all over the country since their formation as a busking quartet of young musicians with questionable haircuts in 2011.

Performing energetic interpretations of standards from the New Orleans tradition and American songbook, as well as original compositions inspired by the era, they promise to serve up a spicy jambalaya full of mystery meat.

Sounds like fun.

The event line-up also includes the Nelson Big Band, local Dixie outfit T-Bone 90

Kate and the Sizzlers, local bluesman Steve Mitchell and his band, as well as The Craig Walters Quartet.

If you took in the late-night sessions at East Street Cafe last year you’ll know what a phenomenal saxophonist Walters is.

Festival director Paul Gilmour has invited him back with a star quartet featuring Dan Kennedy on drums, Daniel Yeabsley on bass, and Tom Rainey on keys.

Craig has studied with Jerry Coker and received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in 1983. He has performed with Bob Mintzer, Michael Bublé, Harry Connick Jr, James Morrison, Billy Cobham, Cleo Lane & John Dankworth, Bobby Shew, Buddy DeFranco, Joe Williams, The Four Tops and the Temptations, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Michael Bolton. His career has taken him from London to New York, and he has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival as well as the Wellington International Jazz Fest and Christchurch Festival of the Arts.

Jennine Bailey is another highlight with her show Lady Day: Jennine Bailey sings Billie Holiday, at the Boathouse on Thursday January 4.

Jennine’s name is synonymous with style and individuality in the New Zealand jazz scene.

She has headlined sold-out shows at the Tauranga, Christchurch, Nelson and

TOP LEFT: Wellington City Shake-’Em-OnDowners. ABOVE: Jennine Bailey.

Queenstown jazz and blues festivals.

She has also performed alongside such luminaries as Ray Woolf, Rodger Fox, Midge Marsden, Whirimako Black, Hollie Smith, Stu Buchanan, Tom Rainey and Doug Caldwell. Often compared with Eva Cassidy, Mahalia Jackson and Norah Jones, her performances have seen enthusiastic audiences respond with standing ovations.

There’s plenty more on offer, including Paul Ubana Jones and Darren Watson, Gary Starlight, the Brad Kang Trio, Polly and the Minstrel, Django Schmango, and the Nelson Youth Collective, at venues all round Nelson, including lunchtime gigs at 1903 Square and late-night jams at East St Cafe from 9pm each night.

For details go to nelsonjazzfest.co.nz or contact the festival director on mrpaulgilmour@gmail.com

FILM

Breathe Director: Andy Serkis Screenplay: William Nicholson Stars: Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Hugh Bonneville, Tom Hollander Genre: Biography, drama, romance Length: 1h 58min

Courage in adversity

BY EDDIE ALLNUT

T

his biopic focuses on the roller-coaster life of Englishman Robin Cavendish. He has it all until the age of 28, when his world implodes. He’s left a quadriplegic by polio, cannot even breathe for himself and is given less than a month to live.

Sound like a melancholic tale? Not quite. In fact, just the opposite as it radiates courage and a love that you can’t help but admire.

Thanks to the stubbornness of Robin’s wife, Diana BlackerCavendish (Claire Foy), and the groundbreaking innovations of Professor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville), Robin goes from a wheezing, iron-lunged sad-sack to a boundary-pushing ‘responaut’ and a pioneering advocate for helping others to be discharged from hospital confines to enjoy a more normal life.

Andrew Garfield as Cavendish totally escapes from his previous web of Spiderman and the foxhole of Hacksaw Ridge to play a middle-class gentleman. Much of his impressive acting is done via facial expression that highlights an infectious smile.

Garfield efficaciously captures the various stages of a voice that’s been affected by the disease and the constant use of a mechanical respirator. However, you won’t always notice the tube connected to the protagonist’s windpipe because he’s a dandy follower of fashion – especially cravats.

Although debut director Andy Serkis is best-known for his motion-capture (mo-cap) roles such as Gollum, he’s transferred his industry genius brilliantly to create a more old-fashioned type of film, after being enticed by the script.

Interestingly, Jonathan Cavendish, Robin’s only son, who was born in 1959 – soon after his dad fell ill – is a film producer whose notable work includes the sequel to Elizabeth and the Bridget Jones trilogy. While he was watching Peter Jackson’s King Kong he had an epiphany. He was so amazed by the mo-cap performance of the monster ape that he immediately googled it. Who was the person behind it all? Andy Serkis, of course.

The rest is history. They’ve even founded a business together, Imaginarium Studios.

Co-star Claire Foy (The Crown) plays her role with emotional eloquence. She’s Robin’s lifeline in more ways than one, and the intimacy and truthfulness of their relationship is special.

Tom Hollander, with the help of a little CGI, plays both of Diana’s twin brothers, Bloggs and David Blacker. Hollander’s acting between the characters is as smooth as aged single malt.

Breathe fittingly features the song Wandrin’ Star, which was in the 1969 western Paint Your Wagon.

While Breathe mightn’t be stark enough for some, with its emphasis on wine and song rather than tears and trauma, it deserves to do well.

* Eddie Allnutt has left the cinema, like a marionette, as his heartstrings have been tugged.

Summer Film Festival

Suter Theatre

2018

27 December 2017 – 06 February 2018 Selected Highlights:

MENASHE

PG | 1hr 22min | Dec 28 | Jan 6, 11, 25

FRANTZ

PG | 1hr 53min | Dec 30 | Jan 4, 15, 23 | Feb 1

THE GRADUATE

M | 1hr 46min | Jan 2, 14, 21 | Feb 2

GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT & BAMI TBC | 2hrs | Jan 26, 28, 31 | Feb 2, 4, 6

A full schedule of screening times for each day is listed online at statecinemas.co.nz (Suter Page).

208 Bridge Street, Nelson

www.statecinemas.co.nz 91

BOOKS

Your summer reading list

EXPERT’S PICK We asked Stella & Thomas at Volume bookstore for some extra inspiration.

No holiday is complete without a good book tucked into your beach bag so here are some captivating and thought-provoking contenders.

The Unseen

C O M P I L E D B Y T E S S PAT R I C K

by Roy Jacobsen

Children Of The Furnace

By Brin Murray Publisher, Beaudene Books

S

et in a unique world, with one of the greatest characters you’ll ever be afraid for, Children Of The Furnace is the debut novel

by Nelson author Brin Murray.

It earned a five star rating from Caitlin Lyle Farley, (Readers’ Favourite), who described it as “Amazing. Vivid and fascinating … nuanced and complex. An engrossing novel that changes the way you see the world.”

Children of The Furnace delivers readers to the iron rule of the Revelayshun, where one boy dares to discover the truth of his world. Wil discovers through savage inquisition that he’s marked as a Heater, one of the old-time heretics who burned up the world. But he also holds the key to a secret. Sekkerland’s Shame, the Atrocity, is a great lie – and the Revelayshun will use fire, blood and death to hide the truth.

Brin Murray, a graduate of NMIT’s creative writing class, teaches, writes and ‘pretends to farm a number of feral sheep in one of the most beautiful places on earth – the top of the South Island, New Zealand’. She has already crafted her next novel and had it longlisted for the Mslexia 2017 Novel Prize. (Review: Lynda Papesch)

Winter

By Ali Smith Publisher, Penguin Random House

A

nother critically acclaimed novelist, Ali Smith brings us the second instalment in her seasonal quartet, Winter. This book is a continuation of last year’s Autumn, but not in terms of plot and character, rather

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in the wisdom she imparts to the reader.

The story doesn’t continue the current trend of a post-apocalyptic universe, littered with death and disaster, but rather ‘a bright, sunny, post-millennial global-warming, Christmas Eve morning’.

Winter is the season of survival, and as her characters gather together they learn to do so through art, love and laughter.

In an Ali Smith novel, nothing appeals to our logical definition of making sense, but it simultaneously doesn’t not make sense. Full of quirks and quips, the eclectic Winter is your ideal summer companion.

(Review: Tess Patrick)

Lincoln in the Bardo

By George Saunders Publisher, Penguin Random House & Bloomsbury

I

t’s easy to see why George Saunders’ first novel has just won the Man Booker Prize. Lincoln in the Bardo is the perfect combination of literary flow and provoking thoughts, bundled together in a captivating story.

In a Civil War America, Saunders pivots his ideas around a moment of historical truth – the death of President Lincoln’s 11-year-old son Willie. He breaks the boundaries of our perception of life and death, and focuses on the supernatural – the younger Lincoln finds himself in a post-death purgatory; a transitional state the Tibetans have long called bardo. The loyalties and ties of Willie’s soul are caught, and Saunders takes the reader on a gut-wrenching tale of the way we live and love, despite knowing that eventually it must end.

Saunders is one of the most influential short-story authors of our generation, and his leap into penning a novel gives us the same instantaneous emotion we have become accustomed to finding in his work. (Review: Tess Patrick)

Life is hard on an isolated island off the coast of Norway but, as Ingrid discovers, life on the mainland has trials of its own.

Jacobsen’s writing is sinewy yet subtle, the focus narrow but the effect profound.

Manhattan Beach

by Jennifer Egan Opening in 1930s New York, this perceptive novel is built of a set of overlapping stories anchored upon Anna, a spirited young woman involved with gangsters, dock workers and elites in a time of economic and social turmoil.

The Beat of the Pendulum

by Catherine Chidgey This fascinating (and funny) new ‘documentary’ novel from the author of The Wish Child is sieved and assembled entirely from actual conversations overheard by Chidgey on each day of 2016.

Go Went Gone

by Jennifer Erpenback A retired German academic is quietly transformed by his growing involvement with a group of unaccommodated African refugees. This is a sparely written and humane book which addresses one of the most urgent issues of our time with great subtlety.

Olive Estate SHOWHOME OPEN!

Showhome times

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Vanessa Taylor, Sales Manager

SHOWHOME WENSLEY ROAD

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OLIVE ESTATE

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QUIZ

Crossword

Across 1. Tropical lizard 5. Footwear item 7. Put 8. Noisy 9. Slightly open 10. Australian gems 11. Cardboard box 13. Electrical resistance units 14. Inborn skill 18. Wish 21. Pigs 22. Surgeon 24. Under no circumstances 25. Temporary visitor document 26. Bowl 27. Infuriates 28. Sandal or boot 29. Saturated

Sudoku

Down 1. Illegal 2. Accounts check 3. Kitchen smock 4. Marched 5. Summer & winter 6. Beguiling person 12. Possess 15. Eliminate 16. Entrap 17. Journeys 19. Self-image 20. Made from clay 22. Frock 23. Encrypted

Every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: Each of the nine horizontal rows Each of the nine vertical columns Each of the nine 3x3 boxes

Wordfind F L A K E S E V O L G D V

Last month’s solutions CROSSWORD

Remember no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

SUDOKU

N A U G J L G N I T I B L

T E C M C I T C R A P A W

I H Z I Y P P A N S I I H

L C C O Y L L I H C N T B

I I E S R J D U A D H L L

G K K H E F A L S U A C I

H A C U T S G C N N O T Z

T E R D S T D D K O O C Z

N L I D U O E E L E O W A

I B S E L R T H O A T B R

N D P R B M I T T E N S D

G C H A P P I N G C O L D

ARCTIC

GLACIAL

BITING

GLOVES

BLANKET

HAIL

BLEAK

ICE

BLIZZARD

ICICLE

BLUSTERY

JACKET

CHAPPING

LIGHTNING

CHILLY

MITTENS

COAT

SHUDDER

COLD

SNAPPY

COOL

SNOW

CRISP

STORM

FLAKES

THUNDER

FROZEN

WIND

Find all the words listed hidden in the grid of letters. They can be found in straight lines up, down, forwards, backwards or even diagonally.

Theme: winter time

Anagram WORDFIND ANAGRAM Bengal, Siamese, Burmese, Ragdoll, Persian Mystery word: BIRMAN

H C O O R B S G X R L Q E

E E Z G Z P R T M R T L V

Y L I Z A J E A H J O A P

C H K N X N Z I C S B I Z

Z U G R A D N B A E V R E

K L N C A E O R N R L A N

E N R E S P I I K E N E O

T A I T C G S L L B A X T

C I O L V K N L E M G K S

U N C E W Z L I T A I E N

E U L M O R G A N I T E O

D L A R E M E N C P L K O

A M E T H Y S T R E W Q M

Unscramble the letters of the phrases to make five words relating to the theme, each starting with the given letter. The letters in the shaded squares will spell out another word relating to the theme. This is the mystery keyword.

MY ONE PICK LIST ASSESS LUNG ITS USES SUPER

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Theme: ITEMS IN A HANDBAG

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Give a man a bank and he can rob the whole world.

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D I R E C T O RY

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Relax and pamper yourself at Elliott Cottage Skin & Beauty Therapy

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CAFE

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RESTAURANT

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0800 54 55 15

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Advanced Electrical 270

curating new zealand’s creative visual arts

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M Y E D U C AT I O N

Masters qualification debuts Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology is taking an academic stride forward with the introduction of its first masters-level qualification. Dr Susannah Roddick is coordinator of the Master of Applied Management (MAM), starting in February 2018. Kay McQuire interviews her about her career and innovations in the Applied Business programme area at NMIT.

What led you to teach business studies at NMIT? It was serendipity. I’d had a career break to raise our boys, and was looking for a change. At the same time my partner got chatting to an NMIT Applied Business lecturer on the soccer sidelines of our kids’ game. I’d worked in education – having been with the Ministry of Education, universities and primary teaching – and being part of NMIT really appealed to me.

What do you enjoy most about teaching Applied Business students?

I love their practical and entrepreneurial mindset, and most have a reasonably clear idea of their business or career goals.

How does a Masters in Applied Management give a candidate the advantage in the employment market?

The courses give you current and in-depth knowledge about management. We also empower you to be a manager who leads and coaches.

How does the Master of Applied Management programme differ from other masters-level business courses on offer?

We’re thrilled to receive recent approval to be the only master’s degree provider in the Top of the South. Our degree is practical and applied, but also robust academically.

Students on our masters can start with a core suite of courses, then move into in-depth elective courses that suit their business and career aspirations.

What are the advantages for students doing an Applied Business degree in Nelson?

Our online teaching ‘classrooms’ are excellent, and we’re a leader in the sector for this. Also, NMIT is friendly and personal, but big enough to attract high-quality tutors with excellent teaching and research skills.

What qualities do you think employers want in Applied Business graduates these days?

Employers are looking for good communicators and team players. They expect them to be able to work independently, solve problems, act responsibly, be resilient and be able to reflect on their own performance.

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