Wild Tomato September2017

Nelson and Marlborough’s magazine /

ISSUE 134 / SEPTEMBER 2017 / $8.95

WOWING THE WORLD Three decades of wearable art

Home & Garden special with Heritage Homes Racing a Yak in Reno

Motoring in Europe

Garden Marlborough Travelling through Africa

CANOPY. AWARD-WINNING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

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LANDSCAPE PLANNING

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MASTER PLANNING

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RESIDENTIAL DESIGN

nelsonartsfestival.co.nz

What a line-up!

Nelson and Marlborough’s magazine

Features Issue 134 / September 2017

22 Wowing the world

F

rances Wilson takes a look at how WOW started, some of the people involved with it, and what makes it so unique

29 Heritage homes

S

aving heritage features in a home while adding contemporary style and comfort comes at a cost, Brenda Webb discovers

40 Home and garden

S

prucing up your home and garden means researching ideas and costs and finding someone on the same wavelength to bring the ideas to fruition. That’s where home and garden shows are full of bright ideas, says Lynda Papesch

40 4

“ The glitter, the sparkle, the glamour and the downright bemusing were all packed into a spectacular, two-hour world-class show.”

PA G E 2 2

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WHY NOT HAVE THE BEST …

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National recognition of excellence in workmanship & expertise

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Columns Issue 134 / September 2017

INTERVIEWS

20 My Big Idea Fighter Flight aviator Graeme Frew packed his Yak-3 and headed for the skies above Reno in Nevada to test his skills and its speed

82 My Education NMIT research professor and neurologist Dr Gareth Parry talks with Katie Hindle about his role

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FASHION

47 Fashion Styling by Kelly Vercoe Photography by Ishna Jacobs LIFE

56 My Garden Bees make a big difference in the garden, writes Sophie Preece

59 Interiors Ideas to brighten your home

60 My Kitchen Hazelnut & beetroot layer cake looks impressive, tastes good and is easy to make, says chef Nicola Galloway

61 Dine Out Reviewer Maxwell Flint checks out Mondrians Restaurant in Blenheim

62 Wine The 2017 new releases are about to hit the shelves so polish your glasses and start tasting, says Lynda Papesch

63 Beer Golden Mile is the new brew in Marlborough, writes Mark Preece ACTIVE

66 Travel The call of the wild in Africa beckons Amanda Radovanovich

68 Adventure Marlborough’s hills are alive with endorphins as cyclists gear up for a spring challenge, says Sophie Preece 6

62 69 Boating Tin boats will be around for a while yet, reckons Steve Thomas

70 Motoring Motoring writer Geoff Moffett says a word or two about driving in Europe

CULTURE

72 Arts John Cohen-du Four visits Forest Fusion at Mapua and finds it a family affair

74 Music Join the crowd, sing out loud, sing out long and be heard writes music guru Pete Rainey

75 Film The Dinner proves a bit unpalatable for film reviewer Michael Bortnick

73 REGULARS

8 Editorial 10 Bits & Pieces 12 Events 14 Snapped 73 Gallery Must-Haves 76 Quiz & Trivia

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Editorial

W

“The Top of the South also boasts fine examples of Federation style, art nouveau and art-deco stunners, and also future classics from more contemporary architects.”

OW, what an issue we have this month. Next year marks the thirtieth WOW show so in the lead-up, it’s a great time to look back at how it all began and at some of the local people involved in this magnificent event.

WOW is a remarkable achievement on so many levels and it is largely thanks to the passion and dedication of those who plan and execute not just the stage show but also the running of Nelson-based The World of WearableArt & Classic Cars Museum. Let’s not forget the audiences, too. By supporting the show we continue to make it happen.

I remember my first WOW show – in Nelson, of course – and to this day remain impressed with the theatrics, the level of sophistication and the creativity of entries in those early events. Wellington has taken it up another notch again. Read about it in this issue and take my advice: add it to your bucket list!

I’m also impressed with the number of beautiful old homes in Nelson and Marlborough and I think it is wonderful that there are people out there prepared to put the time, energy and money into saving these classics for future generations.

I’m not only talking colonial, Victorian and Edwardian beauties. The Top of the South also boasts fine examples of Federation style, art nouveau and art-deco stunners, and also future classics from more contemporary architects.

Salvaging the heritage features while updating the homes to today’s standards costs a bit more (or a lot more in some instances), but all those involved in this thriving industry agree it is well worth the effort. Check out some excellent examples on the following pages.

Still on the subject of homes (and gardens), spring is the time to get back out there and start new projects indoors and out. The Top of the South has a couple of spring events perfectly timed to help with ideas, products and services. The Nelson Home & Garden Show is at the end of September, while Nelmac Garden Marlborough runs from 9–12 November. Both are worthwhile for showcasing what’s available in our own backyard.

This issue our Snapped pages feature some of the recipients of the 2017 Aronui Dine Out Awards, proudly sponsored by WildTomato. Check out the ‘Tommies’ and start thinking about who you’ll nominate in next year’s awards. A big thank you to all those who nominated, voted and took part in the awards, and also to our readers and advertisers who continue to make WildTomato your magazine.

LY N D A PA P E S C H

Editor

Sales Executives

Manager

Thelma Sowman 021 371 880 thelma@wildtomato.co.nz

Lynda Papesch +61 421 471 759 editor@wildtomato.co.nz Laura Loghry 027 378 0008 laura@wildtomato.co.nz World of WearableArt, Princess Niwareka by Maria Tsopanaki & Dimitri Mavinis Photo by Victor Marvillet

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Design & art direction Floor van Lierop thisisthem.com

Chrissie Sanders 027 540 2237 chrissie@wildtomato.co.nz

Sara Booth 021 214 5219 sara@wildtomato.co.nz

Subscriptions

Readership: 34,000

$75 for 12 issues Source: Nielsen Consumer wildtomato.co.nz/subscribe and Media Insights Survey (Q3 2016 - Q1 2017)

Publisher

Jack Martin WildTomato Media Ltd Bridge St Collective 111 Bridge St Nelson 7010 PO Box 1901 Nelson 7040 info@wildtomato.co.nz wildtomato.co.nz

CONTRIBUTORS

Michael Bortnick Film

Klaasz Breukel Design

John Cohen -du Four Arts

Patrick Connor Ad design

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Katie Hindle My Education

Ishna Jacobs Photography

Floor van Lierop Geoff Moffett Design Motoring

Mark Preece Beer

Sophie Preece Adventure, My Garden

Amanda Radovanovich Travel

Pete Rainey Music

Ray Salisbury Photography

Todd Starr Photography

Steve Thomas Boating

Kelly Vercoe Fashion

Amber Watts Ad design

Alyssa Watson Brenda Webb Ad design Feature, Business Profile

Also available online at www.propertypress.co.nz

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The sample is weighted on age, gender, employment status, education status and ethnicity. The survey has a maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level of ±2.1% overall.

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BITS & PIECES

CONTEMPORARY DANCE

CONGRATULATIONS

Kono CEO awarded prestigious scholarship

R

The New Zealand Dance Company

C

ontemporary dance group The New Zealand Dance Company is bringing its production The Absurdity of Humanity to Blenheim on 9 September at the ASB Theatre.

The event promises to be a powerful double bill with works

by New Zealand choreographer Ross McCormack, and Australian choreographer Lina Limosani. NZDC has toured internationally three times in three years, although this is its first time to Marlborough.

EXPANDING BUSINESS

achel Taulelei (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Rarua, Ngāti Koata), CEO of Kono, is one of 13 recipients of a 2017 Prime Minister’s Business Scholarship. Aimed at managers and executives of New Zealand companies with an international focus, the scholarships help improve the international competitiveness of businesses by providing access to business programmes unavailable in New Zealand. Ms Taulelei (pictured) plans to take up her scholarship in 2018. She has been the CEO of Kono NZ since 2015. Kono is a Māori-owned, Top 100 New Zealand food and drinks company, employing over 400 staff, farming over 530 hectares of land and sea, and exporting to over 25 countries.

Its products include Tohu and Aronui wines, Kono mussels, Annies fruit bars and Tutū cider.

WHERE DO YOU READ YOURS?

New Originair service

O

riginair is adding 50-minute direct flights between Nelson and New Plymouth, starting 29 September.

Initially there will be eight flights a week between the two cities, with flexible schedules reflecting extra demand during school holidays and long weekends.

Since 2015 the airline has flown between Nelson and Palmerston North. It will use British Aerospace 18-seat Jetstream aircraft on the new route, adding another Jetstream to its operations to cover contracted charter flights, tours and maintenance coverage.

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Robin Eschenburg reads her WildTomato during a day out on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas.

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EVENTS

SEPTEMBER EVENTS NELSON/TASMAN Sat 2

Sun 3, 10, 17, 24

Fri 8

The Hard Core Troubadors

Motueka Market

Made In Bahia: Brazilian Axé Music

Playing country/rock and folk with a healthy dose of blues thrown into the mix. NZ legend Wayne Mason, Hobnail front man Rob Joass and Rob’s longtime collaborator and partner in crime Hamish Graham will be playing songs old, new, borrowed and blue.

FAIRFIELD HOUSE

Sat 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 The Nelson Market The bustling Nelson Market transforms Montgomery Square into a vibrant showcase of regional arts, crafts, fashion, jewellery and fresh local and organic produce.

MONTGOMERY SQUARE

Sat 2 Naked Harmony Workshop with Zeal Quartet.

The workshop offers an opportunity for women singers to learn from and sing with one of New Zealand’s top a cappella groups, Zeal. It includes vocal warm ups and a vocal skills session; sing pure a cappella four-part harmony in the barbershop style, and learn a four-part arrangement. 1–5pm GARIN COLLEGE

S Sharon O'Neill

Arts, crafts, food and drink, along with fresh local produce and entertainment, from 8am till 1pm.

DECKS RESERVE CAR PARK,

The first Axé Party in Nelson features live Brazilian band Made in Bahia with its highenergy music. Starts 8pm.

MOTUEKA

THE BOATHOUSE

Tues 26

Wed 6, 13, 20, 27

Sat 9

Nelson Farmers’ Market

Titans of Tune

Wine Nelson New Release Tasting

Rain or shine, the Farmers’ Market comes to Morrison Square bringing fresh local produce and products from throughout the Top of the South.

An original music competition, regardless of whether you fly solo or have an orchestra, love folk or stay true to metal. Three judges will decide the best original music composition for a $500 prize. Music starts 7pm.

MORRISON SQUARE

THE PLAYHOUSE

Wed 6

Wed 20

Michael Houstoun & Bella Hristova

Modern Māori Quartet and Annie Crummer

Seasoned musicians, Hristova and Houstoun will perform three of the 10 Beethoven sonatas for violin and piano.

Starts 7.30pm OLD ST JOHN’S

Thurs 7, 14, 21, 28 Isel Twilight Market Stallholders from throughout the region offer delicious street food, fresh produce, quality crafts and live music.

ISEL PARK

Take four good-looking, hip swaying, suave Māori guys crooning a mix of modern day and classic songs in Te Reo and English and you get: Modern Māori Quartet (MMQ).

THE BOATHOUSE

An opportunity to meet local, award-winning winemakers and taste the excellent wines from across the Nelson region.

A fantastic two hours starting at 5pm.

THE BOATHOUSE

Sun 24 Cherry Blossom Festival 2017 A programme of music, food and entertainment under the cherry blossom trees, the festival celebrates the Japanese culture and the 41-year Sister City connection between Nelson and Miyazu.

Starts 11.30am.

MIYAZU GARDENS

THE PLAYHOUSE

Wed 20 Tommy Emmanuel Aussie guitar-great Tommy Emmanuel brings his music to Nelson for the first time.

Emmanuel frequently threads three different parts simultaneously, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once.

Starts 8pm ANNESBROOK CHURCH

Sat 23

Sharon O’Neill New Zealand music legend Sharon O’Neill returns to her hometown Nelson with a concert aptly dubbed ‘Home 12

Again’. Sharon is joined by her partner Alan Mansfield, along with Dean and Ric Hetherington, plus local Nelson award-winning recording artist Aly Cook and Chrissie Small.

Sun 24 Tasman Makos vs Southland Get out there and support the Tasman Makos as they host the Southland Stags.

Starts 4.35pm. #FinzUp TRAFALGAR PARK

Fri 29, Sat 30, Sun Oct 1 Nelson Home & Garden Show 2017 From 10am to 5pm daily, the Nelson Home & Garden Show is packed with ideas and information, innovations and experts happy to give advice.

Massive show-only specials.

SAXTON STADIUM

The Hard Core Troubadours

The New Zealand Dance Company

MARLBOROUGH Fri 1

Sat 9

The Hard Core Troubadours

The Absurdity of Humanity

Country/rock and folk with a healthy dose of blues thrown into the mix. Wayne Mason, Rob Joass and Hamish Graham will be playing songs old, new, borrowed and blue.

The New Zealand Dance Company presents its most provocative and poetic season yet, The Absurdity of Humanity.

The work features a surreal world of poles, appearing as spear-like plinths forcing the space apart; a startling and powerful dystopian world.

Starts 7.30pm.

Sat 16

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH

WAITOHI DOMAIN, PICTON

Sun 10

Sun 17

Tasman Makos vs Wellington

Festival of Russian Ballet

The Tasman Makos host the Wellington Lions in the Mitre 10 Cup national provincial rugby competition. Starts 2:35pm. #FinzUp.

The Imperial Russian Ballet Company presents three aweinspiring acts in a three-hour eclectic ballet mix ranging from Don Quixote to Bolero.

Starts 8pm.

LE CAFE PICTON

Sat 2 Marlborough Artisan Winter Market Special Winter Artisan Markets highlighting the best of Marlborough art, crafts, food and produce. New location and open whatever the weather.

Starts 10.30am.

ALFRED STREET CAR PARK

Fri 8 St Marks Charity Dinner

LANSDOWNE PARK

Wed 13

MARLBOROUGH CONVENTION

The latest offering from local playwright, Rick Edmonds, Pelorus Jack Up features the race for the world’s oldest sporting trophy with the action taking place in the Marlborough Sounds. Starts 7.30pm.

Fri 8 Craigs Investment Partners Hospice Classic Golf Tournament A fun golf tournament to raise funds for Hospice Marlborough.

Starts 8am.

MARLBOROUGH GOLF CLUB

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH

Queen Charlotte Relay A five-person relay, for running and social walking teams, starting at Waitohi Domain and finishing in Havelock. All competitors must be aged 14 or over on race day. Entries close 5 September.

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH

An annual dinner to raise much-needed funds for St Marks. Starts at 7pm.

CENTRE

by local and national groups.

Starts 7.30pm.

Pelorus Jack Up

HAVELOCK TOWN HALL

Fri 15 A Capella Extravaganza The Westminster ChorusWorld Champion A capella singers are joined by world-famous quartet The LoveNotes on their inaugural New Zealand tour.

The evening will also feature a variety of other performances

Sun 17 Dangerous Liaisons – New Zealand String Quartet The 30th Anniversary tour concert explores themes of love and desire and will take you on an emotional journey from Romeo and Juliet to Beethoven, Bartok and Schumann. Starts 5pm.

CLOUDY BAY VINEYARD, JACKSONS ROAD

Tues 19 Pianomania with Freddy Kempf

with a new concert of piano favourites, featuring Handel, Mozart, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov and Gershwin.

Starts 7pm.

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH

Thurs 21 Modern Māori Quartet with Annie Crummer Songs that the heartland of Aotearoa can sing along to and the next generation enjoy.

Starts 7pm.

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH

Sun 24 The 7 Sopranos In their New Zealand debut, The 7 Sopranos will take you on an inspired journey singing arias and timeless contemporary anthems, from Carmen’s dark and sexy Habañera to the triumphant Toreador song and the soaring arias and ensembles of Puccini and Verdi. Starts 7.30pm.

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH

Fri 29 Bride of the Year Held annually in Marlborough and run by the Beavertown Blenheim Lions to raise funds for local charitable organisations, Bride of the Year is for all those married or residing in Marlborough between 23 July 2016 and 20 September 2017.

CLUBS OF MARLBOROUGH

London-born Freddy Kempf and the NZSO take to the stage 13

Snapped

WildTomato goes out on the town…

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1 Arts Festival programme launch Theatre Royal, Nelson P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y A N A G A L L O WAY

1. Judene Edgar, Kerry Jimson, Lucinda Blackley-Jimson & Richard Butler

4. Pic Picot, Kate Alexander & Grant Curnow

2. Melanie Gaskin & Stephan Gilberg

6. Jeremy Richards, Arnott Peter & Dagmar Felber

3. Mark Christenson & Maddy Hansen

5. Amanda Sears & Stu Dalton

3

7. Torrey Gilchrist

5 4

6

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S NA P P E D

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8. Paul McIntyre, Grant Kerr Michelle McIntyre & Al Columbus 9. Todd Emerson & Chris Parker

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10. Linda Ly, Emily Smith, Emma Edwards & Shekodi Fitzgerald

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11. Thorkild Hansen

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12. Giles Burton & Justin Eade 13. Karen Culley, Chris James & Sarah Hunt 14. Neil Hodgson 15. Charlie Unwin

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PSS PSS

(Switzerland)

Extraordinary multi award-winning blend of clowning, theatre and circus!

Theatre Royal, Sat 21 & Sun 22 Oct, 7pm Suitable for all from 9 years.

INFO & BOOKINGS: nelsonartsfestival.co.nz

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2

1 Marlborough book fair Various locations, Marlborough P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y J I M TA N N O C K

1. Tracey Slaughter & Nikki Macdonald

7. John Pickrell & Mike White

2. Catherine Chidgey

9. Sonia O’Regan

3. Brian Turner 4. Tracey Slaughter 5. CK Stead 6. Jane Forrest-Waghorn

8. Mike White & Brian Turner 10. Nikki Macdonald 11. Nikki Macdonald, Naomi Arnold & Charles Anderson

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Enter on the day &

BE IN TO WIN

The ultimate UK holiday Includes return airfares to the UK/Europe & a $2000 House of Travel Gift Card.

Prize value $8000

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S NA P P E D

2

1 International Film Festival launch The Suter Gallery, Nelson P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y A N A G A L L O WAY

1. Marita Hattersley, Ursula Schwarzenbach, Doug Hattersley & Daniel Schwarzenbach

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2. Derek Shaw, Claire McKenzie, Gaylene Preston & Anton Tennet 3. Rachel Wedderburn, Rachel Boyack & Claire McLean

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4. Ursula Schwarzenbach 5. Phillipa Pattison, Wendy Belcher & Christine Tzanetis 6. Marie Ciminiello & Sioned Winterton 7. Amanda Raine & Giles Burton 8. Jan Byres & John Baillie

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Moving to our new premises at: Unit 4, 203 Queen Street, Richmond

XERO AWARDS SOUTH 2016

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Aronui Wines DineOut awards Cod & Lobster Brasserie, Nelson P HO T O G R A P H Y BY I S H NA JAC OB S

1. Patrick Stowe

7. Antony Burke, Wanda Smith & Larry Smith

2. Matias Cacciavillani

8. Amie-Jo Trayes, Annie Henry & Ali Howard

3. Denise Booth 4. Nick Widley

9. Sandra & Graham Mead

5. Chrissie Sanders & Grant Maxwell 6. Antony Burke, Chrissie Sanders, Laura Loghry, Brandon Turnage & Kathryn Koopmanschap

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10. Chrissie Sanders, Laura Loghry, Nick & Kymberly Widley 11. Chrissie Sanders, Laura Loghry, Denise Booth & Lucy Broadhead

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S NA P P E D

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NMIT Dragon’s Den Theatre Royal, 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

3 4

1. Jacob Babb, Tracey Dalton & Emily Dalton

5. Corrine & Ryan Foster

2. Al Columbus, Noel Eichbaum, Chris Jack, Jax Myers, Colin Kennedy & Virginia Watson

7. Gary McCormick

3. Susannah Roddick, Kaye Odinot, Tony Gray & Carole Crawford

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10. Amelia Price, Kaylee Burnett & Callum Gregg

6 9

8. Jane Wood, Yvonne Trott & Lorraine Arnold 9. Trisha & Mo Krishnasamy

4. Barbara & Arthur Irving

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6. Paige, Richard & Fiona Gill

7 10

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MY BIG IDEA

OMAKA FIGHTER HEADS INTO BATTLE

Graeme Frew in Full Noise at Warbirds over Wanaka (Photo by Gavin Conroy)

H

ow did your big idea originate?

In 2015 a Yak-11 came third in the Reno Unlimited class, flying at 525km per hour. That got me thinking about how fast my Yak was at maximum continuous power, and the idea grew from there. As far as I am aware there has never been a Kiwi race team travel to Reno and I know there has never been a Kiwi in the Unlimited class. This class is open only to aircraft that are more than 2000kg, propellerdriven and piston-engine powered. In the Yak – named Full Noise for the race – I will join other World War II fighters, including Mustangs and Bearcats, as they tear through the skies above Nevada’s hills.

Graeme Frew runs Fighter Flights in Blenheim, where his Yak-3 classic fighter is based at Omaka Airfield. Last month he had it dismantled and shipped to the US for the National Championship Air Races in Reno, which is a first for New Zealand.

What is involved?

Flying through the air at 560km per hour, as part of the 54th National Championship Air Races. I will be pushing the classic fighter to extreme limits alongside some of the world’s most passionate aviators.

Why the Yak? The Yakovlev Yak-3 was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft. It was one of the smallest and lightest major combat fighters in the war and its high power-to-weight ratio gives it excellent performance.

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Why this race?

It’s something of a homage to Kiwi Burt Munro, who set a world speed record at Bonneville, Utah, in 1967. The Yak has the same race number as Burt Munro’s modified Indian motorbike, along with the same font and colour. Munro’s classic No.8-wire mentality is an inspiration.

He built that engine effectively in his shed and rocked up to Bonneville unknown and unannounced to take on the world.

And some of his records still stand.

Who else is involved?

The Full Noise Yak, which was wrecked in a take-off incident at Reno in 1999, has required the same kind of Burt Munro can-do mentality, with an awful lot of aeroplane missing. It involved manufacturing a lot of the componentry and we designed a lot of modifications to put a seat in the back. Marlborough aircraft engineer Jay McIntyre, who rebuilt the plane between 2008 and 2012 and is now part of the Reno race team, called on a great deal of ‘engi-cunning’ to get the Yak back in the air.

When is the event?

13–17 September. You can keep up to date with it via fighterflights.co.nz or follow us on Instagram/Facebook: #fullnoise35.

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WOW

The World of WearableArt show enthrals 50,000 fans in Wellington every year, yet WOW is a multi-faceted gem, involving people with many skills across the Top of the South.

At the core of the event is an annual international design competition that each year attracts entries from more than 40 countries.

The rules of the competition state that anything which is wearable can find a place on-stage, as long as it is original, innovative and well made. This month WildTomato explores several facets of this unique event.

WOW TO THE WORLD

World of WearableArt in Shanghai 2016, Princess Niwareka by Maria Tsopanaki & Dimitri Mavinis of Erevos Aether (UK).

Photographer: Victor Marvillet

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BY FRANCES WILSON

W

OW is a local story. Since its beginnings in 1987, Nelsonians were there for WOW, flocking to the Trafalgar Centre show in their thousands, and showing off the museum in Annesbrook to their out-of-town visitors. WOW can claim status alongside the likes of Newmans, Griffins and Pics as being distinctly Nelson.

WOW has this year opened offices in Wellington, and although many of the show’s creative team are based in Auckland, the heartland remains in Nelson. This is WOW HQ for the competition, administration and the permanent collection, as well as the National WOW Museum, which exhibits the competition garments after they have been seen on stage, attracting more than 40,000 visitors throughout the year. For many WOW aficionados, the exhibition is the perfect follow-on to the show, giving fans the chance to see the garments up close and appreciate the detailing.

The success of WOW in New Zealand has caught the attention of international designers – in 2017 there were entries from more than 40 countries, with designers from 14 countries at the awards.

These burgeoning networks of incoming designers have laid the groundwork, and it was only a matter of time before WOW set out on its own international adventures.

WOW Chief Executive Gisella Carr explains: “We’ve worked hard to achieve WOW’s status as an iconic brand. WOW’s international reach is becoming more and more evident, while at the same time retaining its uniquely New Zealand heart.

“Each year, WOW attracts designers from around the world, due to the high awareness of the WOW brand, designers’ own networks, and WOW’s work with tertiary institutions around the globe,” says Carr. “And like the competition itself, the travelling exhibition has proven to be in demand, with 2018 bringing us more venues in the US as well as our first exhibition in Europe.

“The exhibition is the perfect complement to the competition, not only showing off the phenomenal garments and inspiring new entrants, but also celebrating the huge diversity of the creative mind, from international fashion designers to artists from the creative and industrial sectors, alongside students and first-time enthusiasts.”

In 2015, after some initial minishows and exhibitions in Singapore, Hong

Kong and San Francisco, WOW took a major exhibition of 32 award-winning garments to Australia, and then on to three US museums – Bishop Museum Hawai’i, MoPoP in Seattle, and Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. Overall, the four venues attracted more than 600,000 new WOW devotees. In Salem, the exhibition stands as one of its ‘Top 10’.

Even though the exhibition stays the same, the museums vary in scale and audiences. For WOW International Projects Manager Ali Boswijk, it has been an interesting experience to hear new perspectives and reactions to the exhibition in different venues. “It’s nice to have it reincarnated each time; it always looks new. And although the garments and other elements are the same, each atmosphere is very different.”

One striking theme is that audiences everywhere appreciate right away one of WOW’s core messages – the enormous diversity of makers and designers.

“People see the value of WOW as the democratisation of creativity,” Boswijk says. “They like the idea that WOW is relatable and anyone can enter it; that we have the full spectrum of talent from Motueka boat-builder Peter Wakeman to New York’s Miodrag Guberinic, who’s made costumes for Scarlett Johansson to wear on Saturday Night Live.”

In fact, Guberinic visited the exhibition at Peabody Essex Museum with his co-designer Alexa Cache. “The selection of garments was impeccable and showed beautifully the variety of artisans who enter WOW.” In feedback from the US galleries, the pure inventiveness of the WOW garments seems to have struck a chord.

Bonnie Showers, Curator of Education and Interpretive Services at MoPop, was initially concerned about how some of their niche-interest visitors might respond, but was thrilled at the huge, heart-warming response. “Even the hardcore science-fiction fans delighted in the pure over-the-top imagination and extraordinary artistry represented through the WOW exhibition. In this context, WOW’s unlimited originality is truly inspiring.”

The exhibition also gained the attention of the wider fashion world, with the founder and executive director of Boston Fashion Week, Jay Calderin, discussing the exhibition and how the fashion industry could respond to WOW

TOP: 2016 Supreme Award Supernova by Gillian Saunders (NZ); MIDDLE: World of WearableArt Awards Show 2016; BOTTOM Brighter Side of Pail by Julie Brawley (NZ) Photos: Tim Cuff

23

on Boston’s public television channel, WGBH. “[The exhibition] is really important because it helps to educate the public, giving designers this laboratory for ideas,” he said. “It suggests that there’s no material that you can’t turn into clothing or fashion.

“When I first saw the pieces the exciting part for me was being able to go in so close and see the detail. There’s definitely a theatrical aspect in a live presentation, but to be able to see how they’re pieced together, what they’re made out of and to learn about that influences everything we do.

“The commerce [of fashion] can’t keep moving without new ideas, innovation and new ways of looking at it. Projects like these really allow the designer to explore new ways to decorate.

It’s incredibly important.”

Sometimes, the impact of a WOW exhibition does a round-the-world trip on its own – Swiss costume and textile designer Annina Gull was visiting Nelson over the summer and came along to the WOW museum. She was inspired to submit a garment, got through the selection process, and has now booked flights to return to New Zealand for the show. “WOW captures you in a special way. It gives you the spirit of ‘everything is possible – just try it out’,” says Gull.

“I felt like a big and fantastic world opened to me. I thought, ‘Yes, I want to be a part of it. That’s my world’.”

Miodrag Guberinic will also return to New Zealand this month, but as a judge for the more than 70 window displays in Wellington city stores. The admiration between WOW and Guberinic is mutual.

“I think WOW has a unique and rare position internationally,” he says. “It is true that there are more and more exhibits focusing on wearable art in general, however, I think WOW’s experience and dedicated selection of art on display is something that makes it significant.

I know the WOW team will always recognise the magic of creativity.”

WOW has always been ambitious, with Dame Suzie Moncrieff’s well-known “can do” attitude driving it forward. With 2018 bringing its thirtieth anniversary, the World of WOW is indeed taking on the world.

The National WOW Museum will change its exhibition later this year, displaying a selection of garments from the 2017 competition and show.

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Above: 2016 WOW Factor Award Incognita by Ian Bernhard (NZ) Below: World of WearableArt awards show 2016 (Photos: Tim Cuff)

Let the show begin!

For those considering a trip to Wellington to see the show event, Fiona Terry says it is well worth the effort.

I

’d never imagined when we planned a family trip to last year’s World of WearableArt show that visitors could get involved in helping the event to sparkle.

And yet there we were, inspired by the stunning experience the night before, creating our own wearable art for display in one of the organiser’s Treasure Box initiatives aligned with the 2016 show.

The specially glazed container, equipped with craft supplies and a display board on which to pin creations, was distracting quite a number of Cuba St pedestrians.

The initiatives thought up to coincide with WOW change every year, as the show does, but for us, infused with memories of the magnificent outfits in an intricately choreographed stage performance, it was a fun and unexpected chance to vent some inspired creativity.

The show itself lived up to its name.

The glitter, the sparkle, the glamour and the downright bemusing were all packed into a spectacular, two-hour world-class show.

We’d been to Wellington before but the buzz of WOW added an extra appeal – a festival-like atmosphere, embraced city-wide. Even the supermarket near our central accommodation was sporting mannequins decked out with elaborate art costumes – of an edible kind. The chocolate one looked especially delicious.

Other stores joined in, too, including David Jones, where the late Claire Prebble’s Swarovski crystal-encrusted ‘The Warrioress of Light’ costume was displayed with pride. More glittering costumes from previous shows were displayed outside the TSB Bank Arena on Queens Wharf. With the auditorium full, the lights lowered, and from the darkness came a low, vibrating hum. Jungle noises

Lord Maharaja & Star Bride (2016) by Liam Brandon Murray (UK). Photo: Tim Cuff

were followed by thunderclaps as flashes of lightning revealed a giant Bengal tiger, proudly perched on a tall rock centrestage. The twitch of its tail and movement of its head were quite unexpected, as was its singing and entertaining banter that took us through the incredible journey of WOW, beginning with a compliment to us all…

“I love what you’re doing with your hair,” purred the animatronic feline (built

by Wellington’s Weta Workshop) scanning the crowd. “Let’s get this show rocking.

Fasten your seatbelts – it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

We sat mesmerised by the costumes, as revolving floors onstage carried an ever-changing array of captivating designs, showcased to their best by clever choreography.

The Bizarre Bras were first, with kitchen sieves, car-parts and guitar pieces as you’ve never seen them before. In the Aotearoa section, inspired by New Zealand’s rich Māori and Pacific cultures, myths and legends, Punakaiki rocks turned punk in a creation using foamboard and rainbow-coloured Mohicans, and in another, used bike tyres and tubes dramatically formed a garment designed to highlight the effects of global oil use on aquatic ecosystems.

Throughout the show’s seven categories, the props continued to wow with their intricacy. In one, a mesmerising tree of golden scales filled the stage with cascading sparkles of red, blue and green, accompanied by music created for the event by musical director Don McGlashan, who commissioned the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra to contribute to the occasion.

And where I’d feared the show may have been too much for my 12- and 10year-olds, they were riveted. No wonder – who would have thought anyone could be so creative with plastic spoons, garden ties and biscuit-tray packaging?

To wrap up the evening, which is an awards show after all, we were treated to a reminder of which costumes had won the coveted titles.

Many designers spend years trying to get their garments accepted for WOW, but one Kiwi couple, Kelsey Roderick and Rhys Richards, were so inspired by their first visit to the show that they entered four creations the following year, all of which were selected. Stunning steelwork and a cheeky Fried Eggs bizarre bra were among their successful designs we saw featured on stage. It just goes to show – one visit is all it can take to lead you on a whole new journey.

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Mike and Craig Potton (photo: Daniel Allen)

“The difference between fashion photography and art photography is not as great as it is sometimes made out to be.”

– C R A I G P O T TO N

2009 International Award Saddle Up by Mary Wing To (UK). Photo Craig Potton

Magic captures father and son

BY JOHN COHEN-DU FOUR

As

the World of WearableArt kicks off its 2017 season in Wellington this month, many Nelsonians will reflect on their deep connection with the unique mash-up of fashion, art and theatre.

Looking back, 1987 was a year of firsts: New Zealand became nuclear-free, it won the inaugural Rugby World Cup, and the first Lotto was drawn. In Nelson, painter and sculptor Suzie Moncrieff had the fun idea of taking art off the walls and putting it on to moving bodies. Her show’s first audience of just 200 could never have dreamed the numbers would one day swell to the 50,000 New Zealanders and international visitors who flock annually to the extravaganza.

For one Nelson family, its WOW connection is not only of great personal value and meaning, it is also generational.

Photographer Craig Potton needs no 26

introduction – his stunning images are renowned for capturing NZ’s wild natural beauty. Somewhat surprisingly, he has also documented WOW’s unique beauty for many years.

“My original task was to take photos of the show itself, which I recognised was growing quickly,” he says. “I took the onstage shots every year, but I also decided to create a little booklet called Angels & Bacon, based on selected costumes, where the models were photographed in highly specific locales. I loved picking the sites, from natural settings to industrial.”

Craig understood that fashion styles have long used artifice. “The difference between fashion photography and art photography is not as great as it is sometimes made out to be. I found I was getting some good results matching the art of the crafted fashion pieces with the

art of the photograph. “I learned what worked and what didn’t over many years.

I really came to understand the medium, the situation, the angles. I ended up publishing three or four books inspired by and directly related to WOW.” In particular, Craig loved shooting show rehearsals. “Each was ordered and scripted – and yet always different.

I enjoyed the privileged permission to be there often enough that I ceased to be seen or worried about – which led to my favourite shots, like models on the floor, slumped, waiting for something to happen. It was not the happening itself that held the magic, it was the context, the preamble.”

Craig likens these experiences to the work of Lois Greenfield, a photographer who has spent many decades shooting the New York Ballet. “I love her behindthe-scenes work, capturing all the hidden magic; the unfolding drama. They illustrate how time and repetition make you better at your craft, like the celebrated images of Brian Brake, whose shots also beautifully capture life as it was lived – authentic and visceral.

“Most of my career photographs have been taken in the wilderness and are very structured,” he says. “The approach is formal and highly controlled. But my fifteen years with WOW gave me the opportunity to have less control; to focus at times on the spontaneous.”

In 2010, as professional photography fully embraced the digital platform, film-loving Craig felt it a good time to

take a break. “I decided to confine myself to publishing WOW books rather than shooting them, but someday I’d like to be active again,” he reflects. “I’d love to put on a show at the WOW Museum, exhibiting my pick of the best of my WOW photography. It would demonstrate how I extended – thanks to my involvement over time – the range of my seeing. Right now, let’s just say I’m on a big sabbatical.”

Craig’s son Mike also has a strong connection to WOW, starting first as a show model at just five years old. “I was so proud of him,” says Craig. “It’s something to put yourself on stage in front of several thousand people night after night – it sure builds confidence.”

Mike agrees: “WOW was so great; so creative. I only stopped performing when the show moved to Wellington.”

In 2007 he, too, ended up in Wellington, studying at Victoria University, where he majored in film and philosophy.

“I remember watching 2001 A Space Odyssey when I was 9 or 10. It gave me my first exposure to the artistic possibilities of the filmed art form. And Dad always had cameras around, including old Super-8 movie ones. So I started making my own little home movies. After that I just kind of fell into video.”

Mike found his way back to WOW in 2011, when he noticed the rise of social media – “and in particular after Stephen Fry tweeted to the world that seeing WOW was the greatest night of his life” – he discussed with the organisers how social media offered real opportunities for the event.

Mike’s freelance videographer skills came to the fore. “WOW today has some 50,000 to 60,000 Facebook followers, all wanting to be kept up with content throughout the year,” he says. “Online video has been the ideal way to keep the fan-base updated and involved.”

And Mike’s favourite time in the show’s production cycle has a generational echo. “A lot of what I produce is working to a year-round social media strategy, but it’s those two weeks of rehearsals, followed by the shows themselves, that I like best. The media team is ensconced in Wellington’s TSB Bank Arena and the buzz is tangible.

We have to be completely responsive to what’s going on. The hours are long and it’s full-on. It’s great.

“WOW continues to offer me so many creative opportunities: shooting the footage, editing it, packaging it – building up experiences that inform and improve my shooting techniques.”

Like father, like son.

Clockwise from left: The finished Warrioress of Light (photo: Alessandro Saponi); Claire working on the warrioress; Alex finishing Claire’s work

The Warrioress of Light All WOW creators stand out, for reasons of their own, yet one, the late Claire Prebble, especially touched the hearts of locals.

Claire (1985–2015) was born in Golden Bay and during her short life she was a WOW Supreme Award winner and a talented costume and jewellery designer, becoming Weta Workshop’s Head of Costumes, before tragically succumbing to melanoma at just 29.

The young designer set her sights on WOW early, entering her first work at the age of six. She would go on to create a signature lacy style using copper and silver plaiting and knitting. During her teens she entered 14 WOW garments, winning the Supreme Award in 2004 with her creation ‘Eos’, at 18.

A life-long fan of WOW, Claire was still working on her last design, the Swarovski crystal-encrusted ‘Warrioress of Light’ when she died, and it fell to long-

time friend Alexandra Denton to complete the work.

Describing the project, Claire’s own words were that it was the most personal piece she had created. “I first had the idea in Dubai at the age of 19. This piece has grown with me from being a girl to being a young woman. It represents the challenges and achievements I have had in my life and how they have shaped me to be who I am today. “Love. Loss. Caring. Betrayal.

Pain. Happiness. I have seen the dark and decided it was not for me, and I would go towards the light, love, caring. Elegant.

Enchanting. Feminine.”

Alexandra helped to nurse Claire during her last few months, and took it upon herself to complete the costume so it could initially be displayed at the WearableArts show in Wellington, the museum in Nelson and then at The Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

27

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Heritage Homes

Photo: Kate MacPherson

SALVAGING THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE

R

enovating heritage homes is about bringing them back to their former glory while adding the benefits of modern technology, says architect Simon Hall, from Jerram Tocker Barron Architects.

“Essentially we are caretakers of these houses. We need to regard them as multigenerational. Restoring heritage houses is about bringing them into the 21st century, but also retaining their character and preserving them for the next generation.”

Louise Laird, who runs Nelson specialist renovation company Renovate Me with her builder husband James, says there are pros and cons with renovating as opposed to building new.

While renovating can be costly, it is

Renovating a home, especially a listed heritage home, can be a long and costly process. Brenda Webb talks to some of the local experts about their special projects.

often impossible to find the large sections older homes occupy, and the houses themselves are generally spacious with plenty of history and character.

Most people undertaking renovations of Nelson’s heritage homes say they are attracted by the character and driven by a desire to recreate the past. Builder Matt Thomas, of You Build, is enthusiastic about renovating old homes and the challenges they present.

“You have to be switched on and be constantly problem-solving – ‘Where do you find this? Where do you match that?’,” he says. There is a lot of research involved.”

Nelson architect Justin Fletcher, of

Redbox Architects, says renovating old buildings is often more expensive than building new because there are many unknowns that can’t be identified or quantified before tackling the project.

“It’s often a labour of love. It can be a difficult process and you need to be very committed to it.”

Arthouse Architects director David Wallace says his team especially enjoys the challenge of renovating heritage houses, such as a recent project in Albert Road, and at the historic Te Puna Wai Lodge. “It’s a process of carefully adapting them to meet the needs of a modern lifestyle and seamlessly merging additions to match the existing character of the house.”

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Te Puna Wai Lodge Restoring the majestic Te Puna Wai Lodge in Britannia Heights to its former glory has been a 20-year project for Richard Hewetson, who fell in love with the 1850s homestead at first sight.

“I bought it in a heartbeat,” he says. “I was drawn to the quality architecture, the exterior detailing and the setting, which is perfect. It has a grand vista, with Haulashore Island being the centrepiece.”

Richard had the house totally gutted, reclad with new weatherboards, insulated, re-glazed, re-did ceilings and floors, replaced French doors and sash windows and even had new matai floorboards milled and dressed.

The restoration was sympathetic to the original character of the house while installing modern systems such as radiators throughout to ensure it is warm. Kitchens and bathrooms were also modernised but kept in character by clever use of fittings and hardware.

Arthouse Architects Ltd director David Wallace says it was a courageous project undertaken by Richard and James.

“The old house was in serious disrepair and the lower level was effectively rebuilt beautifully by Graham Snaddon and his team. Bathrooms and ensuites were carefully inserted into the house without impacting on the exterior. It is wonderful to see such an important heritage house restored and continue to be a well-loved home.”

Richard describes the renovation as taxing. “It was a hugely expensive and frustrating exercise – absolutely 30

exhausting at times. I had lots of meltdowns as things were so out of control and the financial pressures were huge,” he says.

“But in the end it was immensely satisfying.”

Richard’s partner James Taylor, who joined him in 2001, says many cans of worms were opened during the restoration, which was complicated because the couple wanted to remain sympathetic to the style and use materials that didn’t look out of place in old houses.

“It really has been a labour of love – it was very run-down when Richard bought it,” he says. “The initial restoration took seven years but work has been ongoing with repairs, refinements and additions.”

Richard says the 160-year-old house, with its colourful history, deserved to be brought back to life. “Now I am prepared to let it go and my hope is that it will carry on for another 160 years.”

“It can be a difficult process and you need to be very committed to it.”

– J U S T I N F L E TC H E R , A R C H I T E C T

Photos: Todd Starr

Wakefield Quay Architect Justin Fletcher first saw Nelson’s historic pilot’s house 15 years ago. The Wakefield Quay house, with its spectacular position right on the waterfront, caught his eye immediately.

“I really liked it when I first saw it, and when it came up for sale a few years ago I bought it,” he says.

Built in 1842, the weatherboard house was in a sad state of disrepair.

“My aim was to move in in the long-term but run it in the short-term as a rental property, so I had to get it to a liveable state,” he explains.

Given that the house had heritage status – it was the original pilot’s cottage for the port – funding was available to help move the project forward.

First up were basics such as foundations – which the house was lacking – and giving it structural integrity.

“That led to an extensive refurbishment from the ground up, including heating and glazing,” says Justin.

Preserving the quaint character of the cottage was paramount, particularly in the living and bedroom spaces.

“We retained the small size of them but increased the comfort level.” Justin is delighted with the finished result, especially from the perspective of being able to put a contemporary feel on an historic cottage yet retaining the heritage aspects.

He admits it takes a certain type of person to tackle such a project and says support from local councils and Heritage New Zealand helped him to maximise the potential.

“It’s a risk for anyone who moves forward with these projects, so people who consider tackling a heritage renovation need to be aware of that and be very committed,” he says.

31

Photos: Jason Mann

Bronte St Using modern technology and systems, sensitively integrating them into the historical fabric was key in the restoration of a house in Nelson’s prime heritage area near the Girls’ College.

Architect Simon Hall from Jerram Tocker Barron Architects, who drew up the plans, says restoring an old house is a romantic idea and those indulging in such a project need passion.

“When you have a 100-year-old house with a whole lot of character and history you can’t think about whether it would be cheaper to knock it down and rebuild,” he says. “You would lose so much by doing that. You could never replicate the old craftsmanship and character.”

The native timbers used in many of Nelson’s heritage houses are now unavailable, says Simon, and for that reason alone the heritage houses are worth preserving.

The house has an intriguing history, having once been owned by Nelson mayor Henry Baigent, who was also a forestry magnate, hence the widespread use of native timbers.

At one stage it was converted into four flats.

The current owners completed an extensive renovation “from the piles up” and are delighted with the result, saying it flows much better.

A new gas boiler system was installed and radiators throughout the house provide warmth.

Simon says the key to the restoration was enhancing its character and not detracting from it, while integrating modern systems such as heating.

“The house had been altered over time and not necessarily in a good way, so our brief was to bring it into the 21st century using modern technology such as heating, insulation and glazing without disturbing the character.”

Dealing with an older house can present unique challenges and Simon says there is a huge sense of satisfaction in seeing such a house reinstated to its former glory.

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“Dealing with an older house can present unique challenges, and there is a huge sense of satisfaction in seeing such a house reinstated to its former glory.”

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Photos: Todd Starr

Princes Drive One of Nelson’s first modern mansions, with commanding views over Waimea Estuary and Rabbit Island, has undergone a dramatic renovation. The three-storeyed ‘Colonel’s House’ on Princes Drive was built in the 1960s, with extensive use made of Takaka marble.

Louise Laird, of Renovate Me, says the landmark mansion stands on an acre of land with spectacular views.

“It’s not a heritage home like the ones in the Rutherglen area but it was built in the colonial era, has a lot of history and is very well-known,” she says.

The house was liveable, but in pretty bad condition when the renovation began.

While the character is retained, everything has been renewed or replaced, resulting in essentially a new house.

Restoration has been sympathetic, with any joinery being replaced with timber and brassware fittings in keeping with the house’s original style.

Internally, walls were removed to open up living areas.

Original rimu floors were sanded and sealed. Eye-catching features have been retained, including the striking iron balustrade, which was removed, resprayed and reinstalled.

Likewise, original chandeliers and brass lights were refurbished.

Kitchens and bathrooms were modernised, double-glazing installed, the walls were re-insulated and a new roof put on.

“Everything is brand new but it’s not extravagant. It has all been done extremely sympathetically to the character of the house,” says Louise.

The project has taken just over a year full-time, and such is the painstaking nature of the work that painters have been onsite for eight months. “There is just so much square metreage.” As is the case with most old houses, there were problems. The drainage caused headaches – a machine eventually had to dig down four metres to fix it.

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Photos: Kate MacPherson

Brown House The rebuild of an inner-city Nelson heritage building proved another challenging but exciting project for Justin Fletcher of Redbox Architects.

“The building was in a state of disrepair, with a lot of the finishing timber damaged or removed,” he says. “The client wanted to maintain the heritage character of the building so we prepared a design retaining the front façade but fully upgrading the rest.”

Typical of many older Nelson inner-city homes, the Brown House was long and narrow, and at one stage had been fitted out as a retail space at the front and residential at the back. With few original materials and features left, the house required a total renovation.

“We took it back to the framing,” says Justin. “Harris Builders did the work. The client had previously worked with them on another project.”

The client had been looking for an inner-city living space for 36

some time, according to Justin.

“He finally found this, which is classified with the Nelson City Council.”

Such classification meant certain features had to remain, including the front façade, which today sports a crisp and contemporary look with chocolate weatherboards, white window surrounds and shutters and an eye-catching, hot-pink panelled front door. Retaining the building’s historic references where possible was important and was done by painting wooden panelling and doors to give it a contemporary feel.

“Sadly there was very little of value left internally. It was more in the terms of detailing, so we picked up on that and gave it a contemporary spin with the reference back to the historic nature of the building.”

The house opens up to a courtyard at the back, with modern bifold doors allowing plenty of light in.

Inside, new timber floors are a nod to the home’s traditional past but the renovation puts it firmly in the 21st century.

redbox and Brown House: a colourful partnership

Photo by Kate MacPherson Photography

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Photos: David Chadwick

Albert Rd Renovating high-end villas is a dream come true for Matt Thomas, of You Build.

“It’s every New Zealander’s dream to fix up an old villa,” he says, adding that he grew up with his father renovating their house around him. Matt and his team certainly lived the dream with his sympathetic renovation of a 1906 villa in Albert Rd, and says there was a “real hum” when the project came together.

“We are in awe of this project. It’s been pretty special and the quality of the workmanship and of the fittings and finishing is quite amazing.”

The renovation consisted of a full interior upgrade, including double-glazing, installing radiators, a new kitchen and bathrooms.

“We brought it into the 21st century,” he says. “The clients and Arthouse, the architects, are incredibly happy with the result.”

Like all renovations, the project hit a few hiccups. The foundations were rotten in areas and piles needed to be replaced.

However, one up-side was that the native timber flooring was in top condition and was complemented by recycled rimu from an earthquake-damaged Christchurch house that matched the existing floor.

Matt says the finished house has a real English feel to it, helped by the clients’ use of top-quality fittings throughout, including tapware and a butler’s sink.

The property’s location was key, with spectacular views over Haulashore Island.

“It was wonderful working here, looking out to the sea every day.”

Matt’s company tends to do more renovations than newbuilds, despite the fact that they can be more complicated, costly and challenging.

“A new house is a lot more simple for sure, but we love villas and love renovating them.”

Arthouse Architects Ltd director David Wallace adds that 38

attention to detail in the project was superb and helped retain many heritage features. “Albert Road is a beautiful old house but it needed adapting to ensure it met the needs of a modern lifestyle. The kitchen was extended to enlarge the living areas, a new back door and laundry created, and a new ensuite fitted into an existing bedroom space.

“The kitchen has become an integral part of the living area, the joinery was carefully designed to match the character of the house and the additions have merged seamlessly into the existing house creating a very liveable house.”

BUSINESS PROFILE

Back row from left: Chris Overmeer, Reuben Cossey, Matt Thomas, Francis Wierzbicki, Caleb Madsen, Nathan Tonk, Paki Matangi Front row from left: Samuel Marshall, Allister Grew, Mitch Heywood

Rebuilding our housing heritage B Y M A I K E VA N D E R H E I D E P HO T O I S H NA JAC OB S

B

ringing Nelson’s oldest character homes back to life is a passion rather than a job for a team of Nelson builders, who spend their days saving and preserving the region’s rich European history.

You Build was established a year ago

by Nelson builder Matt Thomas, and has already completed a number of renovations on some of Nelson’s earliest buildings.

While You Build also completes quality high-end new builds, Matt says his team of 12, which includes five qualified builders, four apprentices, a labourer and an office worker, was handpicked specifically for their skills and experience with working on older homes.

“Our team has a really big passion for heritage homes. A couple of our staff members have their own villas as well so it’s not just a job, it’s a personal hobby for the guys.”

Matt, whose experience includes residential building and marine cabinetmaking on multi-million dollar superyachts, has fostered a love of

heritage buildings since childhood, when he watched his father renovate their family villa – a decade-long labour of love.

It’s a passion that becomes important when faced with the challenging nature of restoring older homes.

Matt says not only are the original building materials harder to source and match to the original profiles, but renovators learn to expect the unexpected, daily.

“You need builders who are really smart and can tackle problems all day long. You don’t know what you’re going to get, so having guys who are comfortable in that environment is key, they work in that element and have a love for it.”

With the local building industry currently booming, Matt says there are plenty of new home builders available but the skills required to work on homes from times gone by are becoming “a lost art”.

Yet because land is at a premium in Nelson, people are increasingly looking to renovate existing properties, he adds.

“People are seeing the value in

renovating properties and people are fixing up what they have – it’s a bit of a New Zealand dream.”

Modern building systems and solutions means older homes can now be brought up to current standards and be as warm and functional as any new home, he says.

“A lot of New Zealand homes are cold, wet and dark, and a lot of these villas are in that situation, so it’s good to improve the standard.”

Before work begins, a You Build team member will assess the home with a project manager and suggest a draftsman or architect.

“Then they’ll work together to refine their plans and dreams and come up with what they want. From that, we will work out a fixed price contract but, as with any old villa, we have to be really careful because there will always be variations.

That is why we recommend putting in place a contingency of 10 to 20 per cent.”

Matt says the extra effort of preserving any old house is always worth it.

“We really want to look after these character homes – we don’t have a long history, so we have to look after what we have.”

Contact www.youbuild.co.nz Phone: 03 548 6833

39

Home & Garden

REFRESH YOUR LIVING SPACE B Y LY N D A PA P E S C H PHOTOGRAPHY CANOPY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS NELSON

40

The arrival of warmer, longer days often sparks the impetus to transform homes and gardens. For some it may be a simple makeover, either indoors or out, while others use it as a catalyst for a major revamp.

N

ew Zealanders are known to be a nation of DIYers so often they’ll start with small projects themselves, leading into the bigger stuff with help from the experts.

The Top of the South has no shortage of such experts in industries such as building, interior design, landscaping, and all the associated tradies and subbies. Then there are the suppliers, from carpets to curtains, marble to metal, timber to towel rails and everything in between.

Good planning is essential. First, decide exactly what is wanted, what your budget will be, and then look at what’s available. That done, it’s time to start making choices. Wordof-mouth often plays an important role in decision-making, especially if a friend has had something similar done. Don’t be afraid to ask friends and colleagues about their experiences with builders, sparkies, painters, etc, and take a look at the work they have done.

If you’re short on ideas then an event such as the upcoming Nelson Home & Garden Show is worth attending. Even if you have plenty of ideas, shows such as these are a smorgasbord of options, some of which you might not have considered.

In sunny Marlborough the iconic Nelmac Garden Marlborough Show is an absolute must if you want to smarten up your outdoors.

The theme of this year’s Nelson Home & Garden Show is Transform Your Surroundings. From September 29 to October 1 at Saxton Stadium, the show is packed with all the ideas and information you need to turn your property into the space you’ve always dreamed of.

This year more than 180 exhibitors will showcase the latest trends and innovations to beautify your home. These include landscaping, plants, outdoor furniture, garden art and tools, outdoor fireplaces, pizza ovens, sheds, cabins and awnings.

For indoors, there are kitchens, bathrooms, home décor, solar energy and home security, not to mention some exclusive showonly bargains.

The show is not just about selling. Free daily Q&A sessions from industry professionals are another feature, and the on-site professionals are also open to giving advice on specific projects.

LANDSCAPING TIPS Luke Porter of Canopy Landscape Architects in Nelson, says people are always inspired by fabulous gardens on grand palatial scales – such as Stowe, Versailles, Sissinghurst, Villa Lante – but luxurious landscapes can come in all shapes and sizes. “They are intentional gardens, distinctively matched to people and place and crafted to last”. A luxury garden is: Matched to its people. ‘Whether your bliss is found in getting your hands dirty, a perfect spot to read a book or as a social hub for friends, you should be able to find it in your garden. Gardens can tell stories of the owners’ origins, experiences and dreams. Luxurious gardens should be beautiful to look at and to live in. Clever, flexible spaces organised around

A timeless landscape is sensitive to the local environment and context

who the owners are and what they do enable them to use and share the garden in ways they enjoy most.’

Grounded in its place. ‘A timeless landscape is sensitive to the local environment and context, working with the conditions and acknowledging its surroundings (even if through contrast).

Luxuriant planting comes from careful selection to match the soils, microclimate, light and temperature of your location.’

Well crafted. ‘Whether it is paving, decking, or a detail like a pot or a piece of furniture, well-made objects and carefully selected materials bring character and longevity to a landscape.

Colour, decoration and furnishings can tell the story of who you are and what has made you.’

A feast for the senses. ‘Fragrance, textures, colours, sounds and tastes that change with the seasons make being in the garden a rich experience and create wonderful memories.’

Doesn’t cost the earth. ‘A luxurious garden can be earthfriendly too. Taking time to ensure elements of luxury do not come at the expense of the environment, or other people’s welfare, creates a garden of integrity that can be fully enjoyed and appreciated.’

HOME & GARDEN SHOW 29 September - 1 October homeandgardenshow.co.nz

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Garden Marlborough

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO 50 SHADES OF GREEN B Y L U K E E LW O R T H Y

G

arden enthusiast Mary-Anne Webber was working at the Marlborough Marketing and Development Board in 1993 when she had a brainwave. She contacted Carolyn Ferraby, whose Awatere garden, Barewood, she knew well, to sound her out. Mary-Anne suggested putting together a tour of Barewood and other Marlborough gardens, and inviting one or two speakers to give talks on garden-related topics. The event would be a modest affair, on an intimate scale; visitors would be welcomed as if they were part of the family.

Carolyn loved the idea. She approached Richard and Sue Macfarlane, whose garden Winterhome at Kekerengu is, like Barewood, a New Zealand Gardens Trust ‘‘Garden of National Significance’’. They brought in Puddy and Tony Shield, with their garden Bankhouse, and together the group set about organising an inaugural garden event.

Soon, Tim Crawford, not long out of advertising agency Colenso in Auckland, and local restaurateur and hotelier Jeremy Jones added their skills, followed by David Robinson, a former parks manager at the Marlborough District Council, and Ralph Ballinger OBE, who brought his extensive horticultural experience to the role of chairman. Keren Mitchell completed the committee, also taking the role of event -coordinator, and so Garden Marlborough was born.

“Keren knew everybody,” says Jeremy. One of Keren’s first supporters was former Marlborough mayor Leo McKendry, who helped with early funding and administrative support.

The Marlborough District Council paid for posting the rustic, original programmes, featuring a garden plan-design drawn by

42

Jane Taylor. Tim Crawford later added hand-drawn tour buses.

Mitre 10 signed up as the first sponsor, with winemaker Jane Hunter bringing in Hunter’s Wines as the main sponsor in 1996. They were followed by Nelmac, who became principal sponsor in 2013.

The inaugural Garden Marlborough took place in November 1994, described as “a weekend of garden workshops, tours and social activities.” Nearly 25 years later the event has grown dramatically, yet in important ways little has changed.

In fact, Garden Marlborough today is perhaps something of a contradiction: a large-scale commercial event, selling close to 3000 tickets, whose very success depends on it retaining the sense of homespun intimacy that made the first 1994 weekend so successful.

The 2017 Nelmac Garden Marlborough will attract more than 1500 visitors from elsewhere in New Zealand and overseas, attending over four days, and will feature eight garden tours (including 26 gardens), with 45 buses, numerous workshops and international guest speakers. This scale means it is more important than ever to run a professional event, but one where visitors are still greeted as family. There are not many events of this size where guests enjoy fresh home-made scones at morning tea.

Apart from the scones, the special ingredient remains simple: volunteers. From committee members to garden-owners, registration staff, tour guides, workshop hosts, bus wardens, locals hosting speakers and guests, Fête Day staff, awards judges, and artists donating artworks, the voluntary effort is

Opposite and this page: Participants at Garden Marlborough make the most of tours throughout the region. (Photos: Garden Marlborough)

immense. Even today paid roles at Garden Marlborough are limited to two parttime marketing and event management positions. These are vital to ensure the successful running of the event, but none of Garden Marlborough would happen without volunteers.

The inaugural committee’s vision was clear: to promote the pleasures and benefits of gardening, and to enhance Marlborough’s environment in the process.

‘An event put together by gardeners for gardeners’ was the mantra, with everybody getting stuck in whenever and wherever there was a job to be done.

And there were plenty of those. Carolyn Ferraby remembers the groups arriving for the very first tour of the east coast and Awatere Valley, a perennial favourite that still anchors the tour programme today.

“After we’d finished loading everybody on the buses outside the Blenheim Club on Seymour Square, I’d go inside and check in with the office.

Minutes later I’d be in my car, making sure I overtook the bus before it started up Taylor Pass. Then I’d be home in time to check on any last-minute jobs, before the bus arrived and I’d be welcoming everyone at Barewood.”

Most of those visitors at the inaugural event were Marlburians, but the committee was pleasantly surprised by the strong support from Nelson. Organisers quickly realised their market was much broader than the Top of the South, with visitors soon coming from other parts of the country.

The decision to invite prominent overseas garden experts also came early, with two international speakers visiting in 1995. Expert international guests have been a feature of every event since.

Fergus Garrett, the head gardener at Great Dixter, the famous Sussex garden created

by Christopher Lloyd, came in 2003. He returns to Garden Marlborough this year, making two appearances, with hundreds of tickets sold already.

If the intimate scale and homespun vibe have been crucial to Garden Marlborough’s staying power, the social dimension is equally important. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who comes away from Garden Marlborough without having had a good time.

The inaugural event featured a fourcourse dinner complete with master of

“ We couldn’t do this without the community, and in return we help the community wherever we can.”

T I M C R AW F O R D , G A R D E N MARLBOROUG H

ceremonies, after-dinner speaker, and the saying of grace.

That celebratory evening has become the annual garden party, which now sees up to 400 people gather. Traditionally, the garden party had no artificial lighting, meaning the evening drew to a close with the early summer sunset a little before 9pm. At least that was the theory, but darkness did not always deter patrons, with celebrations often continuing into the night.

One year’s garden party at Timara Lodge saw members of the Renwick Volunteer Fire Brigade acting as event security, wearing their uniforms. The annual art auction had not long finished when the siren from the Renwick Station sounded and the firemen had to race off.

They could at least go direct to the station in their uniforms, and if there was a security threat in their absence it is not recorded.

Over the years Garden Marlborough has seen visits from governors-general, American and French ambassadors and many other VIPs, but it’s the small and simple touches that are often most remarked on: visitors being met by hosts at the airport; tour latecomers being driven down the east coast to catch up with their bus; presenters arriving at their motel or hotel room to find a fresh flower posy and handwritten welcome note.

Richard Macfarlane remembers how the tour timetables were scheduled around the local school-bus runs. “One year a Ritchies bus left a garden visit to do a school pick-up, departing the garden with a number of ladies’ handbags. The school run finished and the bus returned.

There was some chewing gum under the seats when the ladies re-boarded but their handbags were untouched.”

Under-promising and over-delivering is what makes the event different, Jeremy Jones suggests.

Like the volunteer firemen, many service and community groups make up Garden Marlborough’s volunteer recruits, raising funds for their various causes. In return, funds raised by the event have resulted in many plantings and other projects throughout the region: at the airport, at Blenheim’s Millennium Gallery, Marlborough hospital, the magnolia tree in Seymour Square, shade-planting at local schools, and many more.

“Proceeds from the festival helped with planting on the Wither Hills after the Boxing Day fire in 2000,” adds Tim Crawford, who has been Garden Marlborough president since 2015.

We couldn’t do this without the community, and in return we help the community wherever we can. It’s a healthy reciprocal relationship.”

Volunteer Pat Jones has staffed the

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Canopy Landscape Architects Nelson

event registration desk for decades. Former helpers Chris Beattie and Norma Robinson remember the innovation of the new nametag stands – hand-made in timber by a committee member – which replaced boxes laid out in alphabetical order. “It meant a bus-load could arrive at one time, and we could find all the nametags on one booking. It was a revolution,” says Norma.

Chris adds that generally Marlborough’s early summer weather is kind, but at least one downpour saw Sunday’s Fête Day drenched, with the busy Pimms bar at the nearby Blenheim Club doing especially brisk business. The next day, Seymour Square – the scene of the fête – was left looking like a ploughed field.

Tim remembers wondering quite why he was still involved in the event, after spending nearly a quarter-century on the committee. He was at the airport dropping off a guest at the time, and a local taxi-driver came up and shook his hand, thanking him profusely for his contribution to keeping the festival alive, and for benefitting many local businesses in the process.

One such business is local boutique department store Thomas’s, a Blenheim institution that hosts spectacular floral displays each year as part of Garden Marlborough. The store opens for extended hours during the event – one of their strongest retail weekends of the year.

Despite the national reputation now enjoyed by Garden Marlborough, organisers remain conscious of the need to keep the event fresh for locals and visitors alike, with new gardens and tours, and other innovations added. Recent and forthcoming workshops include practical demonstrations of the benefits of Māori medicine, using plants to enhance well-being, or the Japanese art of Kokedama – hanging plants as sculptural objects.

But whatever the mix of workshops, locals and visitors have always made repeat visits to many of the gardens, returning year after year to see changes brought by the gardens’ hardworking creators.

Each year Garden Marlborough decides on an event theme, giving the amateur artists a starting point for their amazing works, which are auctioned at the garden party, funding horticultural scholarships and other causes. An evening in 2015, with speakers giving audio-visual presentations themed ‘‘Broadly 44

Botanical’’, included a talk entitled Late Bloom: the joys of postmenopausal sex. This year the festival’s theme is 50 Shades of Green, so visitors are again advised to expect the unexpected.

Ticket sales in recent years have been so healthy that local gossip tells of festival organisers salting away small fortunes, or spending proceeds on lavish entertainment. The proposition caused much amusement as committee members met over a glass of wine recently.

“I heard somewhere that we were supposed to be going on an all-expenses-paid committee junket to Fiji,” someone commented. The truth is that the event is a close-run thing each year, and does well to cover its costs, with any excess going back into the community.

Garden Marlborough’s long-term future was also discussed at a recent committee meeting. “Is this event going to be sustainable for the next 25 years?” one of the committee posed. The challenge inherent in maintaining Garden Marlborough’s success is balancing the need to face commercial realities while retaining the feel of a grassroots regional event.

With the Ellerslie Flower Show an intermittent offering over the years, and other national and regional garden festivals coming and going, Garden Marlborough is now the longestestablished event of its kind in the country – as its slogan says, it’s “New Zealand’s premier garden event”. With other regional events continuing to face challenges – the Culverden Fête, for example, or, much earlier, Nelson’s original World of WearableArts – the business of maintaining distinctive regional events is a precarious one. Ensuring Garden Marlborough survives another 25 years will no doubt be a similar challenge, but it’s one that organisers and supporters are determined to meet – while having a lot of fun in the process.

NELMAC GARDEN MARLBOROUGH November 9th-12th 2017 gardenmarlborough.co.nz

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MY GARDEN

Helping our beloved bees

BY SOPHIE PREECE

M

aureen Conquer remembers plentiful bee stings when she was a child, with lawns and paddocks fair buzzing with pollinators.

But now ask a classroom of children which of them has experienced the sudden pain of a sharp sting on a summer’s day, and only a few will raise their hands, says this long-time bee protector, who will speak about “pollinator safe-havens” at November’s Nelmac Garden Marlborough.

Maureen has made bees her business for the past 20 years, starting out as a hobbyist with a second-hand hive and bees to help her heritage peach tree. She was immediately dazzled by the quantity and quality of the honey she harvested and went on to devour books on bees, as well as fresh honey. “That was back in the ‘90s – and I’m still learning about bees,” she says.

Maureen eventually became a commercial producer as well as an educator, advising farmers and gardeners of all the ways they can plant beebeneficial blooms. Bees are in trouble worldwide, with diseases and pests like varroa taking their toll, as well as fungicides and pesticides. Meanwhile, ever-shrinking habitats and nutrition sources mean bees don’t have the natural defences to withstand such dangers.

Maureen says New Zealand’s thriving honey industry means we are bucking that trend, and bee populations are increasing, but it’s vital to ensure there are plentiful nectar and pollen sources year-round. “Planting is definitely something you can do for the bees and for yourself. It’s a win-win situation.”

On farms this means riparian plantings and windbreaks that produce nectar and pollen, including cabbage trees, flax and pōhutukawa, while avoiding systemic sprays in clover, for 56

Bees are Maureen Conquer's business

example, which kill the foraging bees.

In home gardens it means having blooms throughout the year, with the likes of herbs and lavender to sustain the bees when most flowers are dormant.

Maureen manages the Bee Rescue Remedy Wildflower Fund for Apiculture New Zealand, and has also worked with Landcare to help produce the Trees For Bees resource (treesforbees.org.nz), which gives details for what to plant in various regions. “It’s nice to really explain to people how they can bring flowers into their gardens and bring the bees back,” she says.

The Birds and the Bees Nelmac Garden Marlborough workshop is on November 10 and 11 in Blenheim.

For more information or tickets go to gardenmarlborough.co.nz

TOP TIPS FOR BOUNTIFUL BEES Check out treesforbees.org.nz for information on what to plant in Nelson and Marlborough.

Open, simple flowers are much better than double flowers.

Plant in groups so the bees can find them easily.

Look for nectar and pollen sources throughout the year, not just a blooming garden over summer.

“With a little bit of thought that’s very easily achievable with garden herbs and lavender and things like that,” says Maureen.

Make sure you have fresh water available to the bees, perhaps with a bowl out in the garden.

If you need to spray in your garden, do it in the very early morning or late at night, when the bees are not around.

BUSINESS PROFILE

Julene and Matthew Cropp (Photo: Ana Galloway)

The brilliance of honey B Y M A I K E VA N D E R H E I D E

H

oney may be nature’s perfect moisturiser, with a long list of beneficial properties that revitalise and regenerate our skin, but it’s also rather sticky.

Yet a Brightwater fourth-generation beekeeper has successfully turned his family-produced liquid gold into a range of skincare products that bypasses synthetics altogether and uses “all the good things from the beehive”.

There’s not much Matthew Cropp, founder of Bees Brilliance, doesn’t know about honey, and he knew with certainty that he was onto something special when he formulated his first batch of honeybased skin cream.

“The key thing is, it’s all natural,” says Matthew.

“All honey is really good for your skin, obviously different types of honey

have different benefits.”

Those benefits include antibacterial properties, particularly in manuka honey, but honey is also an emollient, has approximately 18 amino acids - in particular proline which boosts collagen and high levels of a number of antioxidants.

Matthew and wife Julene established Bees Brilliance in 2014, after contract manufacturing skincare products for another company and being asked by a customer to produce a skin brightening range.

Matthew soon discovered he had a passion for the science behind honey’s health benefits, and expanded his formulas to include active ingredients from native plants.

“People are a lot more conscious about what they put on and into their

bodies, so if we can take something that’s full of chemicals and make the natural equivalent, it’s quite rewarding. We’re creating something that’s unique in that it’s natural and it works.”

Now, Bees Brilliance has grown to a team of nine - “it’s a team effort, a bit like the bees in the hive” - and has also started producing highly concentrated pollen oil for use in its skin hydration range.

Honey and bees have been central to Matthew’s whole life, with the family tradition of beekeeping in the Nelson district stretching back to the 1890s.

Matthew says Nelson is the perfect place for bees, with high sunshine hours and “very vibrant floral sources”, both natural and horticultural, that make honey a sustainable and pure product.

He grew up watching his family tend beehives where being in the bush and extracting honey became second nature - although he vividly remembers his first bee sting.

“It dimmed my interest for a few minutes.”

Despite this, Matthew learned the family trade, from painting the beehives to working the bees.

“It gave me a lot of knowledge and also it fostered my interest and passion about all things natural, and bees are a big part of that.”

Matthew’s career path hasn’t always been honey-related, but it has always been about a love for “things that fly”.

He trained and worked as an aircraft engineer before returning to his first love, bees and nature.

Although his focus is now on Bees Brilliance, Matthew uses honey from his family’s 5000 hives and still keeps “pet” bees, as much for his own enjoyment as to ensure the survival of bees in New Zealand.

Since the varroa mite arrived in New Zealand in 2000, the survival of New Zealand honey bees is totally reliant on beekeepers, he says.

“About 1/3 of the world’s farm produce has been pollinated by honey bees. We want bees that are healthy and strong.”

September is Bee Month and Matthew hopes to raise awareness “that we need bees, and they need us and they only survive or exist with human help and care.”

Contact beesbrilliance.co.nz Phone: 03 542 3898

57

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Interior designs

5

Baskin Bell pandant from Lighthouse Nelson: $ 499.00 Peony candle from Darby & Joan: $39.00 Flip clock from Darby & Joan: $385.00 French mustard metal-ring urn from Darby & Joan: $94.00 (large); $39.00 (small) 5. Terracotta cereal bowls from Darby & Joan: $18.50 (each) 6 Throw from Moxini: $195.00 7. Concrete table: $759.00; glass vase: $129.00 (small); $259.00 (large) from Moxini 8. Citta chair: $890.00; faux fur throw: $395.00 from Moxini 1.

2.

3.

4.

7

6 7

8

59

MY KITCHEN

1 1/2 cups white flour 1 cup ground hazelnuts or almonds 1 cup cocoa powder 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 6 free-range eggs 150ml mild olive oil or neutral vegetable oil 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 2 tsp vanilla essence 1/2 cup milk 1 cup finely grated beetroot Icing 250g good quality 70% chocolate 75g unsalted butter 250g cream cheese, cut into cubes 1 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly crushed

Directions Preheat the oven to 180C. Line and lightly grease 2 x 20cm round cake tins.

In a large bowl combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and baking powder.

Whisk together the eggs, oil, vinegar, vanilla, milk and finely grated beetroot.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry and fold together. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared tins and bake for 30–35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes in the tins then transfer to a cooling rack. Once completely cool, use a large sharp knife to trim off any domed surface to flatten the top of the cakes.

Icing: In a double boiler melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove from the heat. Add the cream cheese to the chocolate mix and use an electric whisk or stand mixer to combine until smooth and creamy.

Assemble: Place one of the cakes on a flat dish/cake stand. Using a butter knife, spread the top of the cake with 1/4 of the icing, about 6mm thick. Bring the icing right out to the edges, but not down the sides yet, creating a flat platform for the second cake. Arrange the second cake on top. Spoon the remaining icing on the cake and begin spreading the icing out and down the sides. Turning the cake as necessary, use the length of the knife to create an even cover and smooth finish.

The icing will set as it cools. Lastly press the crushed hazelnuts into the sides of the cake. Eat within three days.

Find more of Nicola’s recipe on her award-winning website homegrown-kitchen.co.nz 60

Hazelnut & beetroot layer cake B Y N I C O L A G A L L O WAY

Almost a decade of writing for this wonderful local publication calls for a decadent cake to say my farewell.

This is my final recipe contribution for WildTomato, a hard decision to make, but new opportunities await and it is time to hand over to another passionate local foodie to share their recipes. So let us finish with cake. Layer cakes are really not as difficult as they sound, and they look impressive! A few notes: it is important that the beetroot is finely grated so as to melt into the cake while cooking. Also ensure the cakes are completely cool before attempting to assemble and ice. Goodbye for now and happy cooking, dear WildTomato readers.

DINE OUT

Good craft rather than art

BY MAXWELL FLINT

P

iet Mondrian was a Dutch painter whose abstract paintings of white background, linear black lines and three primary colours are instantly recognisable. Mondrians Restaurant and Bar in the Scenic Circle Hotel in Blenheim uses Mondrian’s painting as inspiration for its interior décor. It’s a beautiful restaurant, with the most visually sophisticated ‘look’ in town.

Restaurants attached to hotels are often problematic and rarely turn a profit.

No doubt Mondrians Restaurant follows this pattern. When I arrived I was the only diner and it was like the Mary Celeste: tables set but no one in sight.

I ran into a manager who, while

surprised to see me, did his best to maintain a sense of professionalism and showed me to a table. I don’t think he was a restaurant fellow because his knowledge of food and wine was scant. When I ordered a Negroni, he enquired, “Which wine is that?” When I informed him a Negroni is a cocktail he told me they were unable to make cocktails.

I knew things weren’t quite as they should be when he recommended a syrah with the fish special. He was replaced by a very charming waitress, and had her English been a little better, things might have been slightly easier.

I think the menu here works on the lowest common denominator principle.

Two-for-one pizzas

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Two large eat-in pizzas for the price of one Made by Pizzaiolo Mauro Berri with Nelson’s own Viavio fresh mozzarella

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It covers all the food groups but the complexity of the dishes equals the ability of the least-trained staff. This is understandable considering the difficulty in hiring qualified staff.

I enquired about the scallop dish as a starter, asking where the scallops were from. As the waitress didn’t know, she went to the chef to find out. On her return, her reply left me mystified. It sounded like a Māori name but I had never heard of the place. It was only when I looked at the note written by the chef that I realised the scallops were Peruvian.

Really? Peruvian? Why bother?

I started with lamb koftas on baby spinach and lemon dill yoghurt ($16).

The three testicular-sized koftas were perfectly cooked but just sitting on baby spinach with dressing. Not exactly Mondrian-ish in terms of innovation. The main was venison strip loin with roast broccoli and parsnip ($33). The person who cooks the meat here knows what they are doing. The venison was cooked exactly as it should be, medium rare. The parsnip and broccoli were uninspiring.

It was nice to see that they catered for vegetarians with three options available. I was going to get the sundae special but when I enquired where the ice-cream was from and the reply was “the supermarket”, I thought otherwise.

This is not a bad restaurant. The food is cooked with skill, the wine list is good and the service friendly. It’s just that it’s like driving to work in the morning: You hop in the car, get to work and don’t remember anything about the journey.

Mondrian's Restaurant Cost: $49 for 2 dishes and 1 glass of wine Value for money: Food: Atmosphere: Service:

Restaurant

Pizza, Paella & Pasta - Refined

Menu & online orders at comida.co.nz or 03 546 7964

61

WINE

An aromatic new crop to try B Y LY N D A PA P E S C H

E

ach year around this time, wine aficionados eagerly await the release of their region’s newest offerings.

Across the Top of the South, winemakers vie to be the first to have their sauvignon blanc hit Wellington restaurants and retail outlets, especially in Marlborough, touted as the New Zealand ‘home’ of that varietal. Marlburians sail from Picton to Wellington in a keenly contested race to see who will be first to have their new releases in the capital’s trendy restaurants.

In the Nelson/Tasman region – highly regarded for its aromatics – Wine Nelson hosts an annual New Release Tasting event, to be held this year on Tuesday September 26 at The Boathouse on Wakefield Quay. Limited to 120 tickets, it’s a two-hour tasting of not just the 2017 vintage but also some older wines from the region.

This is because ‘new release’ doesn’t

necessarily mean the latest vintage.

Various wines are not released the year they are crafted, giving them more time to age and develop before letting consumers pass judgement. Examples are chardonnay and pinot noir, in particular. These varietals require a bit more TLC in the winery, and benefit from more time to mature.

Other varieties, such as rose, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris and gewürztraminer, are usually best drunk fresh, but there are always exceptions.

Attending a tasting is an excellent way to try the new wines, and even explore new varieties. This is the tenth year Nelson’s new-release wines have been offered at a tasting and more than 100 punters will front up to try offerings from about 20 wineries. It’s also a chance to talk with winemakers and meet local industry characters.

Don’t be put off attending by pretentious ‘wine wank’. Sure, some will be there trying to impress but in the wine

game a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

The bottom line with wine is that if you like it, then it’s a good wine for you.

Wine is entirely a personal taste, just like food is, and people’s preferences are all different. The fact is, with occasional exceptions that slip through, all wines that make it on to the market meet health and content regulations. Taste, aroma or bouquet and clarity are part of the package. From there it becomes personal preference.

Swirl, sip and even spit if you want to, but it is the tasting that it important and remembering what you like – or dislike – about a particular wine or variety. Take notes for future reference and find out where you can buy your favourites from.

And if you can’t make it to the tasting, remember that many local wine companies have cellar door outlets, perfect for visiting on a sunny summer’s day.

HOUSE OF

WINE

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 62

BEER

Brews to spin your wheels

BY MARK PREECE

“B

iking is a big part of what we do around here,” says Golden Mile Brewing owner Jeff Fulton, “so we thought we’d brew cyclists a beer to enjoy when they cross the finish line.”

Golden Mile is Marlborough’s newest beer and its micro-brewery will soon be situated in the heart of The Vines Village on Rapaura Rd, well positioned to sate wine-touring cyclists after a long day in the saddle.

“There’s not really a beer that’s themed around cycling,” says Jeff. “There’s a pilot brewery where the beer is made by a pilot in a hangar – so we thought we’d do a bike version.” And who could blame him, with about 6000 wine-cyclists touring Marlborough vineyards over the summer of 2017.

“Cyclists are a fantastic market as well,” Jeff says. “They enjoy food, wine and beer, they have money and, since we are surrounded by them with the wine tours, we thought let’s focus on these guys.”

Golden Mile Brewing has three beers in the range: a lager, pilsner and a dark ale, with plans afoot to release the odd seasonal brew as well. “But we’ll learn to walk before we run. There’s a nod to the classic French-style posters with the font on the label, with some small local touches – such as the little guy wearing a Makos jersey on leading a bunch of cyclists,” says Jeff, pointing to a figure in

the Peloton Pilsner label. “And each of the slopes on the labels is the same degree as the alcohol content.” The labels are designed to look somewhat reminiscent of the head badges from cycles in a bygone era.

Golden Mile Brewing will release its beers to commemorate the Tour de France. It will also be one of three local Marlborough breweries at the inaugural Marlborough Beer Festival held at The Vines Village during October this year.

So why not start your Saturday morning Grove Arm ride from The Vines Village and complete the morning with one of Golden Mile’s range below: Grand Tour Lager, 3.8% ABV. They say: ‘‘Fresh with balanced malt and hoppiness, Grand Tour is a smooth, sessionable and more-ish lager, perfect for sharing with hungry fellow riders. Some subtle malt sweetness balanced with

delicate hops gives this beer its classic lager drinkability. A wide-appealing beer for thirsty riders and explorers alike on your grand tour around New Zealand.’’

Peloton Pilsner, 4.6.0% ABV. They say: ‘‘A German-styled pilsner made with some earthy herbal German hops and New Zealand hops to give winey, grapey aroma and flavours. Balanced bitterness exemplifying nice bready malt and firm bitterness from hops. Embrace teamwork with our pilsner and plan your group’s next hilltop feat.’’

Crank Dark Ale, 4.0% ABV. They say: ‘‘A dark ale with chocolate notes and a smooth, rich, malty base, carefully brewed with a nod to porters from London in the 18th century. Traditional English style with UK Fuggle hops. Ideally matched with lamb shanks, pies and good hearty winter menus around the fire post-ride.”

IT’S CONFIRMED VOTED BY YOU - NELSON’S BEST BEER VENUE Open 6 days for pints, takeaway riggers, tasting trays, bottles, cans, whiskey – corporate tastings, events, live music, beer garden.

Come on down to your oasis in the CBD. 70 ACHILLES AVE, NELSON

craftbeerdepot.nz

63

BUSINESS PROFILE

Taking the pulse of change

BY SANDRINE MARRASSÉ

S

ometimes the significant shifts in an industry are best seen by looking at the way a particular role has changed over time. We spoke with Quality and Value Coordinator for Nelson Management Ltd (NML)* Joan Lang about the massive changes she has seen in her role over the past 10 years.

Joan’s work involves the management of 1.2 million m3 of log handling for NML annually. Her job is very much boots on the ground, as she oversees all of the harvesting crews and spends most days of the week out in the field.

“Basically I am involved with everything from when the tree hits the ground to when the logs get put onto a truck ready to go to our customers,” says Joan.

There are two forces at work when it comes to log management and value recovery – the company trying to get the maximum return on investment (ROI) for every tree that it grows and the end customer trying to get a specific quality and grade of timber product at the other end of the process. Maximising ROI increases value recovery and also minimises waste.

Recent technological advancements have transformed this area of forestry, including increased mechanisation, computerisation and software development.

When Joan started with NML ten years ago, the company had 15 manual harvesting crews and three mechanised crews. “Now we have two manual crews and 17 mechanised crews.

“We’ve reduced how many times we touch the log, as we have increased mechanisation on our landing sites. We have improved health and safety by reducing the number of people on the ground.

“Once the trees are felled they are extracted to a landing via a hauler or a skidder (ground-based crews use a skidder), and from here the stem goes through the mechanised processing head (which is attached to the boom of a 64

Joan Lang performs quality control work on a skid site

loader) and is cut into piles of logs.

“The loader operator then picks up that pile of logs and lays them on a quality control deck to be inspected and branded by a Quality Controller (QC), before the logs get stacked.

“When I started we had to check every single log because our machines weren’t measuring reliably. Now we’ve refined the process to the point that we only have to check 10 percent of our logs on average.

“We also randomly audit loads of logs by taking them to a scaling yard and check every log to ensure that the customer is getting the quality product that they’ve ordered. This process can also alert us to any problems regarding customer specification.

“What’s changed in my approach is that I want to fix any problems before they get to that point. Our business plan has been to address these kinds of issues at the crew site before they get to the final destination. To do this I work closely with the mechanised processor operators. My team check around 175 logs per day on any given crew site. By improving quality at the source we see the gains on the skid site and overall quality improves immeasurably. At the moment we have a five percent reject rate which would have been unheard of 10 years ago.”

All log data is uploaded daily from the mechanised processing machines to reporting software, aptly named STICKS. The data can then be accessed via the programme and used to monitor and

“It’s the integrity and calibre of the people I work with daily that makes me enjoy my job so much” J OAN LAN G , N E LS O N MANAG E M E N T LT D

plan for consistency. “We figure out from this which crews are working in which wood and how we can allocate the grade we need to various crews. The way that we analyse the data determines whether we’ve given the right cuts to the right crews. Using the technology was a bit of a learning curve, but now it’s the norm for all involved.

“We’re just starting to hook the contractors and mechanised processor operators up to the STICKS programme so they can access it themselves and look at what they’ve cut and what their grades are.”

Planning, and most importantly, good communication are crucial for log recovery. Orders come to Joan via the sales and supply chain team who work out the volume needed to fulfil the order and which crews in which areas will supply those logs. This information is supplied via ‘cut cards’ which outline the various grades of log required for each customer’s orders.

The factors that determine log quality are size, shape, and other external and internal features such as knots, which can affect the suitability for a particular end use.

“We communicate with each crew and make sure that they can achieve the grades on the cut card”, says Joan. “In other words we ensure that the wood

ABOVE Pete Henderson and Joe Janssen at work in a scaling yard BELOW The view from inside a mechanised processor showing the computerised screen and cutting head at work

form they have allows them to make the grade that’s needed out of their stems.

Secondly I check that when they do make the grade required it’s in spec to meet the customer order.

“We have such amazing contractors, machine operators and QCs (who monitor quality control), and that makes my job a lot easier. All of our mechanised crews now have optimising software. Most of our people have been with us for a long time. I know all of them individually and most of them have been here since I’ve been here.

We don’t have a lot of staff turnover which makes my job easier because I am not

always training new personnel and can focus on upskilling people. Our value recovery is better than it’s ever been – this was incredibly hard to achieve but we got there as a team.”

Joan gets a great deal of satisfaction from her work and particularly enjoys the people she works with in the field every day.

“We’ve got 19 crews with an average of 10 people in every crew and it’s really like a huge family. I’m really enjoying this part of my life because we’ve worked through the hard stuff and it’s more fun now and the crews enjoy telling me about things that they’ve tried and ways that they’ve strived to streamline processes. I can’t say it was always like that. It has been a huge learning curve for everyone but we have made it.

“If we have a headache these days, it’s usually because of a change in a customer order, or because a boat is coming in too soon or late.

“It’s the integrity and calibre of the people I work with daily that makes me enjoy my job so much. I love it.” *NML is the management company for Nelson Forests

Contact

nelsonforests.co.nz

65

T R AV E L

AFRICA

a feast for the senses

B Y A M A N D A R A D O VA N O V I C H

If

Africa is on your bucket list, you have so many choices.

Botswana is home to Africa’s most richly populated wildlife areas, with an unsurpassed variety of animals.

These provide the best concentrated safari experiences, and due to the country being largely roadless, it lends itself to the fly-in safari.

Botswana, which is about the size of France, is definitely at its best in the remote wilderness areas, including the Okavango Delta, Savute, the Kalahari and the Chobe National Park. The country is famed for its elephants. On game drives you might see waterbuck, lechwe, puku, giraffe, kudu, roan and sable, impala, warthog, bushbuck, monkeys and baboons, along with the accompanying predators – lion, leopard, hyena and jackal.

Game viewing can be enjoyed by both vehicle and boat cruising along the Chobe River.

Zimbabwe offers some of the most diverse landscapes and experiences, including, of course, the magical Victoria Falls. Known as the ‘smoke that thunders’, these are a spectacular sight.

South Africa lives up to its billing as ‘a world in one country’. Its incredible 66

diversity and beauty will delight you, from scenic wonders such as the Garden Route and Table Mountain, to great train journeys, and cultural experiences that range from the Zulu people to Shangaan further north, and everything in between.

My top picks include experiencing a luxury safari lodge in the Sabi Sands or Kruger National Park, several days to explore Cape Town and the stunning Winelands, topped off by a leisurely journey along the Garden Route.

Uganda is home to half the world’s population of gorillas and the experiences you can have with these incredible animals are once-in-a-lifetime. Staying in lodges and camps at night, you trek into the bush for anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours in search of the rare habituated gorilla families. The guides know where the families are at any given time and therefore spotting them and spending time watching them is almost guaranteed.

Between late June and October, with World Journeys you can see millions of wildebeest flooding the plains in East Africa as these great animals move in search of greener pastures.

The Great Migration is a nine-month

cycle of movement where wildebeest, accompanied by zebras, gazelles and impalas, are on the move, crossing rivers infested with hungry crocodiles. It is an exciting time to visit the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti – one of the best wildlife shows on Earth. The cycle of life and death is played out beneath the great East African skies, and is a spectacle you will never forget.

Richmond resident Sandy took a tour in April this year. “It was the most wonderful experience,” she says. “We saw so many animals up close, and the noise, smells and colours of Africa were just incredible. The best part was going out on safari daily and not knowing what you will see as every day was so different. We saw lionesses with their cubs, leopards and wildebeest, to name a few.

“I can highly recommend a trip with World Journeys – they were so professional. Everything was well organised and ran smoothly. The accommodation was five-star glamping and it was fabulous. Very comfortable with an ensuite. Extra touches like having a hotwater bottle in your bed at night made it so special. Everything was spotlessly clean and the food was truly incredible.”

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67

A DV E N T U R E

The hills are alive with endorphins

BY SOPHIE PREECE PHOTOGRAPHY SHUTTERSPORT

An

unusual call was heard in the otherwise quiet hills of Marlborough this winter. Had you stepped out into the Withers on a cool Sunday morning, or onto the sweeping tarmac of Queen Charlotte Drive, you might have caught the loud piping strains of a “Wa-hoooooo” on the air, followed by two echoed responses.

While brightly plumed and practically flying down a hillside, this is no exotic bird on the wing, but Nic Mitchell on her bike, crying out in celebration of a windy ridgeline, a sweeping view and an exhilarating ride down the steep slope.

Her happy holler has become the catchcry for my Spring Challenge team, with a salute to Mother Nature at least once on every mission, regardless of the weather she throws at us. And it’s just one of the many things I look forward to as we set out for a training adventure, perhaps mountain biking Redwood Pass, the Port Underwood road or the Link Pathway, walking up to a lofty trig and down again, up and down again, up and down again, or muddling our way through an orienteering course.

Flagging energy is revived with peanut butter-filled dates and constant conversation, despite a training plan that demands we work too hard to chatter.

And, as we climb a steep pitch to a distant summit, there’s the inevitable “Wahoo” to push us on and on.

Ours is one of 600 teams training for the Spring Challenge, an annual women’s team adventure race that will draw 1800 competitors to Geraldine this month.

The event began 11 years ago when Nathan and Jodie Fa’avae wondered why more women weren’t getting into adventure racing. Since then more than 5000 women have jumped in to tackle the three-, six- or nine-hour categories, including rafting, biking, hiking and rogaining.

Some teams comprise a trio of toughened athletes who’ll waste no breath on trail-talk and come in with a sharp placing, providing inspiration to the rest of us.

However, seasoned multisporters are a “tiny percentage” of the field, says Nathan.

“There are a lot of women out there who have decided they want to make a change in their life and the Spring Challenge is a catalyst to make that change. It’s really awesome to see that take place in the event.”

The other major “feel-good factor” is seeing people throughout the South Island training in the months leading up to the challenge – all too easy to pick out in their “three-pods of women on an adventure”, he says. For many of them, as with us, the event itself is just a fragment of the fun, with the dozens of adventures leading up to it all worthy of a whopping “Wahoo”.

For more information: springchallenge.co.nz 68

NATHAN’S TOP TIPS FOR THE 2017 SPRING CHALLENGE Climb – “There are a lot of steep hills around Geraldine, so get out and train on hills and see what it feels like being on them.”

Navigate – “We introduce more navigation challenges each year so we really encourage people to spend the time not only getting out and getting fit but bringing their skills up at the same time.”

Prepare – “We really encourage teams to get the loose ends (such as accommodation) tied up now, otherwise it can be a bit of a panic.”

B OAT I N G

Tin-can yachts

BY STEVE THOMAS

The

year 1974 sticks in my memory banks. Watching the Christchurch Commonwealth Games on a new colour TV: Dick Tayler winning the men’s 10,000 metres; weightlifter Graham May falling flat on his face at the James Hay Theatre then going on to win gold in the men’s 110kg. Prime Minister “Big Norm” Kirk passing away, to be replaced

by Motueka-born Bill Rowling. My first schoolboy crush … you get the picture.

It was also the year that saw a big change in America’s Cup boat design – aluminium construction was introduced for the first time. Designed by Olin Stephens, of Sparkman & Stephens’ fame, Courageous was the yacht to lead the pack. She went on to win the 1974 event and successfully defend the Cup three years later, only the third yacht to do so.

Why aluminium? Still an official 12-metre class boat, she weighed in almost 2 tonnes lighter than a wooden boat of the same design, allowing for extra ballast to be added to the keel.

Very light equals very fast, with material strength also a big plus.

Looking at the wide range of aluminium boats in use today – yachts, trailer boats, fishing and work vessels – it’s not hard to see why they’re so popular: durability. Aluminium offers the advantage of an incomparable longevity. Little maintenance is required and the structure doesn’t deteriorate over time, mostly.

A quick scan around Nelson’s marina shows up quite a few “tinnies”.

My personal favourite is a Dutch-built Van de Stadt 44 Madeira cruising yacht called Allone.

The Dutch sure know how to build quality boats. This one was originally commissioned by a Canadian couple to cruise down the west coast of the United States to South America and the Pacific.

The current owner, South African-born Howard Fairbank, purchased Allone in Tahiti three years ago with the intention of sailing single-handed down to Antarctica.

After a two-week recommissioning and handover, the boat was sailed to Opua, in the Bay of Islands. The passage was completed over a period of five months, and involved exploring most of the Pacific islands along the way.

Howard’s a very passionate, articulate guy and over the past few months we have enjoyed some animated discussions. You quickly get a sense he’s been deeply affected by what he

feels is the negative impact of Western society and culture on Pacific people.

He strongly believes his calling is to do something about the global spread of the consumption machine. Like his tin boat, Howard is rugged and determined.

Admirable qualities.

Back to Allone itself. If you’re into blue-water sailing this would have to be a dream boat. It is set up for shorthanded, minimal-maintenance sailing, which means you spend your time enjoying the experience, not polishing or repairing equipment.

There’s no diesel generator (solar and wind-power only), no powered winches, no mast or in-boom furling sails, and minimal complicated systems or equipment that require constant maintenance.

Boat design has come a long way since 1974 but I reckon tin boats will be around for a while yet – and wooden boats even longer.

Don’t miss a thing and subscribe to WildTomato Receive 30% off retail prices and have each issue posted to your door. For more info and to subscribe visit wildtomato.co.nz

69

MOTORING

Driving, the French way

BY GEOFF MOFFETT

T

he tan has long since faded and the buttery, crunchy bite of a boulangerie croissant is a hazy memory. First-world problems, I agree, and no sympathy expected for the loss, but if you’re planning a trip to the sunshine and foodie delights of France next summer and wondering about driving the countryside, I can remember enough to give you a thought or two.

One: the French country roads are a treat. Narrow, yes – no place for a big SUV – but a joy to meander along, en route to another picture-postcard village.

The avenues of plane trees form a green canopy and, to the sides, paddocks of sunflowers and grapevines.

Stick to the speed limit and some French drivers will tailgate, filling your mirrors until they suddenly pull out and blast past, swinging back right in front of you. No indicator light, naturellement.

They don’t mean to be rude, I’m sure. It’s just the French way.

Cyclists, I’d say, are given more grace than motorists. On country roads, cyclists will often be in a pack, a peloton, of fully lycra-ed, would-be Tour de France riders.

They’ll expect cars to patiently wait to get past them – and they do.

If you must use the motorways, the autoroutes – and they make a lot of sense if you are shifting camp every

70

few hundred kilometres – then French drivers show Kiwis how to behave, but don’t expect much lane-change indicating.

Lane-hogging is rare.

Mostly the French stay in lanes one and two, leaving the fast left-lane free for 130km/h-plus drivers. It’s just as likely to be taken up by a Toyota or an old Lancia as anything exotic. In two weeks with the odd foray onto toll roads, I saw one Ferrari, one Bentley and hardly any other luxury large cars like Mercs, Audis or BMWs. The French, like the Italians, see value in small, cheap-to-run and easy-topark small cars. Electric cars? Some, but still small numbers.

Toll-gate hint: You’ll suddenly emerge into a football-field expanse of perhaps ten lanes. Warning: Do not enter a gateway with a “T” indicated. These are reserved for vehicles equipped with pre-paid sensors that open the gates. Get into one of these and be prepared for a hold-up.

You will have to push a red emergency button for attention. Not good for those with a short fuse – in your car or the one behind.

On the toll roads, you’ll find pullover areas for fuel and food every 30 kilometres or so. Most of these stops provide decent French fast food – a classic baguette with ham and cheese, or a croissant. But, mon dieu, you’ll find

Burger King and Macca’s have infiltrated these stops. What a shame for French traditions – although where else in the world would you see a punter sitting down to his Big Mac lunch with a glass of wine.

Our transport was the all-new Peugeot 308 five-door. Brand new because it was a Peugeot Eurolease car.

For travellers needing a car for three weeks or more, this scheme (Renault and Citroën also do it), available only to non-Europeans, is good value. All paperwork is sorted before you leave; no nasty insurance add-ons or damage claim concerns. Everything is covered in the deal. For two people, the 308 was perfect – chic, comfortable and economical.

Tech spec Price: Power:

Fuel:

$37,990 (Allure), $49,990 (GT), $58,990 (GTi) 4-cylinder, turbo-charged petrol (110kw @ 5,000rpm; 240 Nm @ 1,400rpm (Allure); 133kw /400Nm (GT); 200kw (GTI) 6.5 l/100km (Allure, combined cycle)

Vehicle from Peugeot Eurolease

BUSINESS PROFILE

Dave Wilkins - Director of finished surfaces

Experts in lacquering

BY BRENDA WEBB P HO T O I S H NA JAC OB S

I

nspired design, leading-edge technology, knowledgeable advice and friendly service is what you will find at The Sellers Room in Stoke.

Whether it’s a new kitchen or bathroom or perhaps you just want to revive your existing one, Myles and Margarette Sellers come armed with years of experience, expertise and understanding.

Along with an experienced team of experts, they will help plan and complete your project.

A point of difference at The Sellers Room is their positive pressure or lacquering (spray painting) booth.

“It makes us unique from other joiners and gives us total control over the finished product,” says Margarette.

Lacquering is a specialised trade and those operating the booth have to be trained and fully qualified.

Dave Wilkins has been in the spraypainting industry for 24 years, working at The Sellers Room for the past six and is an integral part of the team.

“He gets amazing results,” says Margarette. “He is very talented and loves the challenge of providing a high quality, highly durable finish. At the moment he’s working on a high-gloss black finish

which is incredibly challenging – you can’t even have one speck of dust on it.”

Having a purpose-built facility on site means they can ensure the quality of the finish is always maintained, says Margarette. “We pride ourselves on our end product.”

The PU finish is 50% hardener and 50% lacquer so is durable and extremely hardwearing, which is important in high use areas such as kitchens.

A sunscreen formula can also be used on ply and veneer surfaces to help slow down the ageing process of the harsh Nelson sun.

The lacquering booth is low on solvent use and The Sellers Room have been vigilant to make sure the emissions meet environmental standards.

“We’re very careful about the products we use and what our emissions are as we care about our environment and work towards being a sustainable business,” says Margarette.

A number of finishes can be achieved by lacquering, ranging from a highly polished glossy look down to a textured or a silky look.

“Personally I love the variety of colour and the different finishes from matte right

through to gloss and then the clear silky and oily finish,” says Margarette.

Lacquering on site as opposed to a pre-finished product gives clients the option of being able to match any colour such as a wall or a bench top.

The interactive showroom at The Sellers Room features a number of in-house lacquered products in various finishes including glossy black, white and orange.

The Sellers Room offers a full service from consultation and design through to manufacture and installation of kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and even storage spaces for areas such as bedrooms and garages. They also do retail and restaurant and bar fit-outs, obtaining the special effects that are desired.

Myles, a qualified joiner, has been in the industry for more than 30-plus years and Margarette enjoys working alongside him, but is quick to acknowledge their back up team – an integral part of their business.

The team at The Sellers Room is consistently high performing and achieving, as is evident by their winning of five awards, including the supreme award, at this year’s Nelson/Marlborough Joinery and Design Awards.

Photo is shown for commericial use and does not reflect our work safety standards.

Contact thesellersroom.co.nz Phone: 03 547 7144

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ARTS

Kinetic Sculptures from Forest Fusion photo: Todd Starr

Moving sculptures in Mapua

BY JOHN COHEN-DU FOUR

K

iwis seem to have a fondness for kinetic sculpture, as evidenced in the renown enjoyed by the late Len Lye, and with the work by Nelson’s own Graham Bennett. Perhaps understandably, in a land governed by four-seasons-in-one-day weather, we like artwork that not only celebrates mutability but also comes to vibrant life with it.

Mapua sculptor Russel Papworth, of Forest Fusion, celebrates the dynamics of movement through a range of kinetic sculptures. His eye-catching stainless steel pieces spin and whirl, dynamically catching the dance of reflected light with every motion.

Russel’s journey into sculpture was unexpected – the result of a new life in a new land, combined with some inspired and pragmatic thinking.

“Charisse and I arrived here from South Africa in 2009 with the idea of maybe setting up a small gallery somewhere for casting zinc and pewter, which we’d been successfully working with back home,” he says. “Then we discovered an empty coolstore space on Mapua Wharf and thought: ‘What a great space’. So we took it on, not really being in a position to afford such a commitment.”

Charisse adds: “It was right at the start of the recession, so we really couldn’t have picked a worse time.”

Looking about their newly acquired, empty so-called gallery, they wondered what on earth they’d done, then Russel spotted, scattered on the dusty concrete floor, an old spade, a garden hoe and a rusty saw blade. “Something just clicked,” he says.

“I could see them as one piece – of all things, a fish. I got to work assembling the various bits, and sure enough, a funky fish 72

emerged. It sold within a few days.”

Russel and Charisse saw potential. Even today, their range of fun fishy sculptures are regular best-sellers. But finding old metal tools for recycling isn’t that easy, so in 2014 Russel turned to working with sheet metal, and in particular, marinegrade stainless steel. “The material is readily available, and it’s maintenance-free, so it’s ideal for being outdoors yearround.” Russel’s stainless steel explorations soon led to his first kinetic piece: ‘Autumn 1’. “I had in mind the helicopter spiral of sycamore seeds as they twirl their way to the ground.”

The sculpture sold immediately, and there’s been no looking back. “People just seem to love the movement, and the way the stainless steel reflects the natural light,” says Russel. “We now have a selection of pieces: Autumn 1, 2, 3 and 4. ‘Autumn 3’ is probably our most popular seller – it’s very cabbage tree-like.”

His pieces are shipped to Australia, Britain and the USA. The one problem with success, and keeping up with all the orders, is it leaves little time for exploring and devising new works. Luckily, every October Russel creates an original sculpture for the invitation-only Art In A Garden Festival in Hawarden, North Canterbury.

So what’s next on the cards? “Currently I’m exploring larger kinetic pieces, playing around with scale,” he says. Be it large or small, thanks to Russel, kinetic sculpture is alive and thriving in the Top of the South.

Forest Fusion Sculpture and Jewellery Gallery: Coolstore 3, Mapua Wharf. forestfusion.com.

G A L L E RY M U S T- H AV E S

1.

Bill Burke, Sprig & Fern, Hardy Street, Nelson, pastel, framed 560mm x 450mm, Bill Burke Gallery, 03 546 6793, billburke.co.nz

1

2. Walter Scott, Silence is Golden, oil on canvas, Detour Gallery, Blenheim, detourgallery.nz, 021 254 2489, $2,750 3. Russel Papworth, sailing sculpture, Forest Fusion, Mapua Wharf, 03 540 2961, forestfusion.com 4. Jane Smith, Squeak, digital painting, Chocolate Dog Studio, Mapua, chocolatedogstudio.nz, 03 540 2007 5. Ian Dalzell - Kotuku Pottery Lake Brunner, large salt glazed vase, Atkins Gallery, Nelson, 03 545 6010, atkinsgallery.nz

2

4

3

5 73

MUSIC

Full-throat in a throng

BY PETE RAINEY

We

all love to sing. We really love to sing in large occasion for lots of people to get together and sing. crowds. I was struck by an amazing YouTube This doesn’t happen often, especially in a small town like clip doing the rounds recently, of a crowd of Nelson. We don’t get the huge sporting occasions where crowds 65,000 people at a Green Day concert in Hyde Park in early July launch into established anthems. It was great to hear the of this year (youtu.be/cZnBNuqqz5g). The sound guys played Lions fans on the recent tour rip into their old favourites like Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ over the PA and the crowd joined ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’. This tradition is special – and some in to create a truly magical moment. It’s worth watching and countries do it better than us. completely reinforces that special feeling you get when you are The Welsh, especially, have no barriers when it comes to part of a large crowd of people singing together. launching into song, and I have fond memories of the tour of I’m sure we’ve all enjoyed heaps South Wales that the National Choir of of sing-along parties over the years – New Zealand undertook in 2000. I was “This doesn’t happen often, from what I can remember, I know I musical director, and revelled in the especially in a small town have. My extended family make a point opportunity to showcase the choir to like Nelson. We don’t get the of allowing most family gatherings to Welsh audiences, but more often than huge sporting occasions descend into a sing-along of gigantic not we were truly taken aback by the where crowds launch into proportions, with renditions of famous singing that occurred in the post-concert established anthems.” songs undoubtedly sounding better at ‘afterglow’ gatherings. the time than in reality.

It’s a real privilege to accompany My friend and neighbour Christine large groups of people singing. I’m no hosts an annual Christmas carol party at which, under the pianist, but I can keep a song (and crowd) going – and it’s a lot influence of Famous Grouse, I accompany the assembled of fun. I honed this ability as a schoolteacher, with many happy carolers on the keyboard. After a while we move on from carols memories of taking singing assemblies, especially at Nelson to a host of diverse songs ranging from Leonard Cohen to the College for Girls. great musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It’s a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to trying this out again at the Granary a much-anticipated annual gathering. sing-along as part of the Nelson Arts Festival. I’m putting The singing of Christmas carols does capture people’s hearts together a list of songs that’s got something for everyone. I’ll and minds, and the annual Carols by Candlelight on the Church supply the words, you bring your voice and I’m sure we’ll have Steps in Nelson is no exception, attracting a crowd of thousands. some fun.

Even though it’s a special time of year, the event is more than Granary Sing-Along, Free event, Founders Park Sun Oct 15, 6pm. just a chance to welcome and celebrate Christmas. It’s a rare 74

FILM

The Dinner Mystery, Drama Directed by Oren Moverman, starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan 120 minutes

The Dinner

BY MICHAEL BORTNICK

Y

ou know those 5-star restaurants where the staff are dressed better than you? White linen tablecloths, more forks than you know what to do with, a guy describing the victuals using words nobody ever says, and miniscule portions.

I am very uncomfortable in places like that, but I love watching films about them. So it was with grand anticipation that I came to view The Dinner, boasting a cast that includes accomplished actors Richard Gere, Laura Linney and Steve Coogan. Director Oren Moverman is an Israeli known for taking risks. The intriguing plot involves well-to-do parents gathering to formally discuss a horrible crime committed by their children.

I was drooling like Pavlov’s dog, but who knew this would be a supersized unhappy meal, difficult to digest.

The acts are divided up like menu items, which is kind of interesting. They had my attention at Aperitif with the pompous, smart-ass server describing each course like this: “The ladies are having our young winter roots. There are chioggia beets, Thumbelina carrots and purple radish, served with a goat cheese and smoked herring vinaigrette. There’s also a few charred leeks, radicchio, blood orange, and it’s sprinkled with a burnt pumpernickel soil.”

This hilarity all ensues while the families are trying to decide their parental responsibilities.

And thus comes the first flaw with the film: none of the characters are affable, and that is doubly the case for their stupid sons. Paul (Coogan) is a cynical history teacher harbouring a mental disorder that seems to gallop in his family. He has an obsession with the Civil War, especially Gettysburg, and relates everything to that period in history. Sometimes his thoughts are spot-on. Other times you want to toss him in the microwave.

His wife Claire (Linney) is an overprotective mum with a dollop of Lady Macbeth on the side.

Gere plays Stan, Paul’s older brother. These boys wear the thinnest of veils over their contempt for each other. They have history. Stan is a slick Alpha politician who has the wherewithal to pay for the elaborate dinner. His wife is also a shrew.

The script is a disjointed goulash of unnecessary subplots.

Too much time is spent in confusing flashbacks, unrelated side conversations and long scenes that could have been halved.

Toss in scenes with teens who do little but frustrate and test viewers’ patience. Add a dash of annoying background music.

And let us not forget the abrupt, disappointing conclusion.

If you decide to attend The Dinner come prepared to thoroughly enjoy ‘‘The Cheese Presentation’’, the most memorable and educational section in the film. For the rest, bring antacid. * Michael Bortnick has left the theatre to cleanse burnt pumpernickel soil from his palate.

Saxton Oval Pavilion enjoys stunning views, outdoor flow, and a light, modern space to style your way.

GET EVERYONE TOGETHER • Up to 169 guests • Commercial kitchen and bar • PA and projection equipment Available from: $344.00 business event $500.00 private function

CONTACT: 03 538 0072 stadium@sporttasman.org.nz nelson.govt.nz/venues

SPACE TO PLAY

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QUIZ

Crossword

Across 01. Desert illusion 05. Wound with dagger 07. Adjudicator 08. Confiscate 09. Male fowl 10. Seat 11. Shocked 13. Give off 14. Decrees 18. Lessening 21. Tinted 22. Colloquial sayings 24. Protect 25. Foundation 26. Travel cost 27. Shelf 28. Belonging to that girl 29. Ambulance warnings

Sudoku

Down 01. Natural gas 02. Sports ground 03. Oust 04. Move forward 05. Confidential matters 06. Sale by bids 12. Perched 15. Eddie Murphy comedy, Daddy ...

16. Truncheons 17. Threads 19. As well 20. Sealants 22. Lazes 23. Deduce

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 E T S H E L M E T B K R N

Last month’s solutions CROSSWORD

Remember no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

SUDOKU

H N R B L A Z E B L H E I

A M G U U H L U L A Y P W

Y A A I C D C C A N D T N

S P R I N K L E R K R E E

T K D A E E R E O E A K R

E D C T C G E W U T N C I

Q A F H Q H T H K C T A S

W W I D N A H E C D S J A

R E H S I U G N I T X E G

F E B G F S I Q I U A L R

S E K O M S L P F R B M F

D Q F P R E D D A L V Y R

BLANKET BLAZE BUCKET CANDLE CHIEF ENGINE EXTINGUISHER HELMET HYDRANT JACKET LADDER LIGHTER MATCH RESCUE SIREN SMOKE SPRINKLER TRUCK

Find all the words listed hidden in the grid of letters. They can be found in straight lines up, down, forwards, backwards or diagonally.

Theme: Fire fighters

Anagram WORDFIND ANAGRAM Cheesecake, Blancmange, Profiterole, Gelato, Semifreddo Mystery word: CANNOLI

76

E S G U Y Q M A A G H R D

L S O R T W Y W D P E A I

C C R H E M A F F H D E W

N W K E M A A E T D R I A

U E N U H M T A Y U K T G

C A M A I T F A B Q B N N

O Q M L N D O Q U N V U E

U P Y A N N K R M N R A P

S L I A M S A O B F T L H

I G R A N D M O T H E R E

N G F P O P P Y F H E Y W

S A D A E D D E C E I N F

A R E T S I S S D G P N R

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.

PLASTER

S

ECHO POP TRIO

P

ON THE PEEL

T

CURT POEM

C

CALL OUR CAT

C

Theme: OFFICE EQUIPMENT

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the -experience Guests will be guided along the timeline of gin and learn of its rise and fall and rise again to a worldwide drink of choice for so many.

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Learn about the botanicals and infusion techniques that makes each gin so unique.

Book your evening now at drinks@codandlobster.com

Home to one of New Zealand’s largest gin collections

300 Trafalgar Street, Nelson

www.codandlobster.com 77

HÖGLUND GLASSBLOWING STUDIO

Thai with a twist

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

Makers of Nelson art glass and glass jewellery since 1982.

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.

52 Lansdowne Road, Appleby, Richmond Ph 03 544 6500

NAHM.CO.NZ

www.hoglundartglass.com

MELROSE CAFE

If you are looking to sell call Andre Bezar today for a free no obligation market appraisal of your home.

Looking to buy in Marlborough? Contact Andre to help you find your dream home.

Andre Bezar BE MARLBOROUGH LTD, BAYLEYS. LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

78

RESIDENTIAL SALES CONSULTANT M: 022 601 7667 B: 03 578 8365 andre.bezar@bayleys.co.nz 33 Seymour Street, Blenheim

OPEN 7 DAYS 03 548 9179

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D I R E C T O RY

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YOUR INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICIANS sekaelectrical.co.nz | sean@seka.co.nz | kate@seka.co.nz

sean@seka.co.nz 027 4271006

kate@seka.co.nz 027 427 0011

118 Bridge Street, Nelson cardells.co.nz • 03 548 1505

Nelson-Tasman 104.8 • Nelson Central City 107.2 Takaka 95.0 • Blenheim 88.9

You’re the Boss-

Fresh FM Podcasts

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most of our shows are yours to download – either from our website or through iTunes

THE NEW BLAK HAIRSTYLIST | MAKE UP ARTIST | FASHION STYLIST kelly.v@hotmail.co.nz | 0279625126

www.freshfm.net

Phone 03 54 69 891 79

D I R E C T O RY

Christ

LET TH

mas is

co

ming.

Get u E COUNT .. st D Come o do your OWN BEG Christ see us mas g IN for: • Aw ifting ar • Bra ding your e nd m • Gift ed merch ployees an s • Win for corpora dise & app arel te c e & gift boxes lients Maree Boyce 021 685 919 Michelle Robinson 027 510 6488 graphic design motion graphics & art direction

recogniseandreward.co.nz

Rimu Wine Bar

Fine Wines, Great Food, Craft Beer Open Daily | Mapua Wharf | 03 540 2580

- EST 1863 -

205 Paton Road, Hope www.beaconhillestate.co.nz www.facebook.com/BeaconHillCountryStore

Relax and pamper yourself at Elliott Cottage Skin & Beauty Therapy

Spring Collection Available Now Store Hours: 10am - 4pm Thursday & Friday 10am - 2pm 1st & 2nd Saturday of the month or by appointment

Nelson-Tasman 104.8 • Nelson Central City 107.2 Takaka 95.0 • Blenheim 88.9

On Air and On Line The techs that make us tick Nelson-Tasman 104.8 • Nelson Central City 107.2 Takaka 95.0 • Blenheim 88.9

80

www.freshfm.net

D I R E C T O RY

Lydia’s Cafe

27 taps pouring Nelson’s best choice of craft beers, ciders and local wines Winner BEST BEER VENUE Nelson/Tasman

Nelson Folk!

Don’t let the Richmond roadworks put you off.

Come visit our cozy cafe. Serving all-day breakfast, scrumptious cabinet food and excellent coffee.

Licensed cafe | Parking at the rear | Open 6am - 3pm 265 Queen St, Richmond | Phone 03 544 1020

37 Tahunanui Drive, Nelson | Ph: 03 546 5521

belairetavern.co.nz

Anything but

ordinary

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

Phone: 03 544 1515

www.moxini.co.nz

Designed & made

by Oliver Höglund.

Cnr Champion & Salisbury Roads, Richmond Mon - Fri 8am - 6:30pm Sat/Sun 8am - 6pm

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Ph: 03 544 0824 raewardfresh.co.nz

Höglund Glassblowing Studio 52 Lansdowne Rd, Appleby

Detour Ahead.

discover a world of creative imagination in the heart of blenheim’s cbd

Art Gallery 67 Market St, Blenheim 7201 t: 021 254 2489 t: 021 120 1717 e: info@detourgallery.co.nz www.detourgallery.co.nz

curating new zealand’s creative visual arts

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81

M Y E D U C AT I O N

Who is in the team at NMIT? The research team is headed by Dr Matt Peacey, who has a background in microbiology and immunology.

He is supported by Dr Eric Buenz, a biomedical scientist from America, and myself, and by Sally Lattimore, our administrator.

How did it come about?

Academic institutions in New Zealand are encouraged to undertake research projects to inspire and engage their students so they will be better prepared for wider opportunities in the workplace when they graduate. This research enables NMIT to actively contribute to the local community, economy and environment.

Performance-based research funding is available from the government to encourage research in tertiary education institutions, which are evaluated every six years on the quality and quantity of their research outputs.

SHEDDING LIGHT WITH RESEARCH P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y A N A G A L L O WAY

What is the role of the research team at NMIT? The team is responsible for increasing and improving the research done at NMIT. We encourage, mentor and assist NMIT’s academic staff to develop and conduct research projects.

We have established a Research Trust with money from extramural grants. We receive funds through NMIT and will continue to seek funding from private foundations, industry and government sources.

We welcome funding from anyone interested in supporting local research at NMIT. We help with building research partnerships – an example being the relationship with Nelson Public Hospital.

What are the projects currently underway?

There are many exciting research projects happening at NMIT in the Arts, Business, IT, Nursing, Writing, Social Sciences, and Teaching and Learning. Eric and I are studying the New Zealand native stinging nettle, ongaonga, to identify the neurotoxin it contains, and examine its potential for use in pain management. We are investigating lead poisoning in hunters who eat meat shot with lead bullets. Along with Matt, we are trying to determine the most affordable treatment for auto-immune nerve diseases, such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, and the way these diseases affect Māori and Pacifica people. I’m supporting Nursing School tutors through the early stages of proposed research on the pharmaceutical properties of medical cannabis, potentially for the treatment of problems with bladder control.

And if the community wish to get in touch?

We’re very open to approaches from the public, to discuss possible projects. They should contact Matt Peacey on 03 548 2494.

82

Neurologist Dr Gareth Parry is a research professor in the NMIT Research Team. He is recognised for his contributions in treating auto-immune diseases of the nervous system, is an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and has decades of research experience. Gareth talks with Diploma in Writing for Creative Industries student Katie Hindle about the team and its role in supporting research at NMIT.

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