WildTomato June 2019

Nelson Tasman and Marlborough’s magazine /

ISSUE 155 / JUNE 2019 / $8.95

Here to help business - working collaboratively for the greater good

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Local Distilleries New Hospice Hanmer Springs Marlborough Book Festival Mountain Bike Club Arts Festival Trust Fashion Finery Golden Bear Brewing

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Features Issue 155 / June 2019

Nelson Tasman and Marlborough’s magazine

24 Chambers of commerce Helping businesses network and thrive is an important role for chambers of commerce. Lynda Papesch talks to members and executives to understand more about this apolitical organisation

30 Hanmer Springs An alpine wonderland awaits in and around Hanmer Springs, says Sadie Hooper

38 Global gin revival ‘Mother’s Ruin’ is enjoying a global revival, with craft distillers pushing creative boundaries.

Sophie Preece talks to some of the Top of the South distillers

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45 Caring to the end We all know we’ll die, yet few of us face the reality. Sarah Nottage shares her own loss, and meets the Nelson Tasman Hospice people who ease our last days INTERVIEWS

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My Big Idea The Nelson Mountain Bike Club plans to bring a round of the Enduro World Series to Nelson. Paul Jennings and Belinda Crisp expand

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18 The Interview – Brent Thawley Debbie Hannan talks to Brent Thawley who has been tasked with guiding the Nelson Arts Festival into the future

20 Local Connection Tiffany had reached a point of no return with drugs. Yoga helped her to step back, she tells Sarah Nottage

22 Event Showcase The sixth Marlborough Book Festival is sure to continue a history of charming writers and readers alike, says festival trustee Sophie Preece

102 My Education Olivia (Qin) Wang is in her final year of a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. She speaks with Hannah Dawson about life as an international student in Nelson 4

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Columns Issue 155 / June 2019

FASHION

57 Adding glitz to glamour Stylist Sonya Leusink Sladen and photographer Ishna Jacobs opt for style for a big night out

63 Shoe of the Month

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A fashionable boot in this case and knee-high too

64 Fashion Showcase When sustainable fashion makes perfect style sense,

by Sonya Leusink Sladen

LIFE

66 My Home When you can’t find a house to buy, then build. Brenda Webb talks to a Marlborough couple who took that option

72 My Garden As winter sets in, Brenda Webb decides it’s a good time for a cull

74 Dine Out Reviewer Hugo Sampson samples the fare at The Wooden Spoon in Richmond

75 Wellbeing Nutritionist Emily Hope offers some tips about hitting the trail with healthy energyboosting snacks

76 My Kitchen Check out this scrumptious shaved butternut and caramelized onion pizza from Madame Lu’s Kitchen

78 Wine Sophie Preece meets a pharmacist turned winemaker in Marlborough

79 Brews Golden Bear Brewing is moving on up with expansion at Mapua, writes Mark Preece 6

ACTIVE

94 Art John Cohen-Du Four pops into Atelier Gallery in Nelson to talk about life, drawing and art

80 Travel Yachtie Brian Tear tells a tale of adventure on the high seas

83 Adventure Phil Barnes takes a coaching lesson designed to instill confidence when mountain biking

96 Music Reviewer Pete Rainey looks at what’s on offer during June

81 Film Ciao movie lovers! Eddie Allnutt reviews this month’s Italian Film Festival on at Nelson’s Suter Theatre

86 Sports Phil Barnes catches up with mountain biker Zoe Nathan on her path to the top of her sport

88 Motoring Reviewer Geoff Moffett checks out Toyota’s new Rav4 hybrid, declaring it a ‘terrific car’

REGULARS

8 CULTURE

92 Books Renée Lang reviews some of the latest book releases

Editor’s letter & contributors 10 Noticeboard 12 Snapped 95 In the Gallery 98 Events

Designers of Specialty Kitchens DSK (Designer Specialty Kitchens) formerly Dave Spence Kitchens has been providing bespoke high-quality kitchens, laundries and bathrooms to Nelson Tasman clients for the past 35 years. Our team of qualified experienced joiners and designers will work with you to design, manufacture and install your dream kitchen.

DSK offers a full service from design and manufacture to the installation of your dream kitchen Look before you buy, come into our showroom and check out our stylish fully functional working displays At DSK we use 3D design software to show you how your new kitchen will look DSK is proud to be locally owned and operated Call into our showroom and check out our range of cook and kitchenware from European manufacturer WMF

DSK (Designer Specialty Kitchens) 104 Tahunanui Drive, Nelson 0800 677 005 or call Andy on 021 223 8155 info@dsknelson.co.nz

dsknelson.co.nz

G enratec M A S T E R

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Editor's letter

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elcome to another issue. As always it’s full of what we believe to be great reading about the amazing people and places in our stunning regions.

Deciding what to publish each month is not always easy as there are so many wonderful achievements and activities going on. While WildTomato does not have the immediacy of a daily or weekly publication, it has what is almost a luxury of time so our talented team can bring you properly researched, interesting and well-crafted features, columns and content.

Our team includes many experienced journalists, professional photographers and highly qualified graphic designers who take great pride in the quality of their work.

A huge thank you to all of you who contribute, read, advertise and give us ideas, and those who help put the magazine together.

Speaking of help, Nelson Tasman’s new purpose-built hospice is now open at Stoke, thanks to the assistance and generosity of hundreds of people. Turn the pages for a peek inside, and if you were involved in any way, pat yourself on the back. It’s a job well done and a facility that will care for people in our community for years to come.

This month’s issue looks at several different aspects of mountain biking, from coaching sessions to a brave young sportswoman achieving in the face of adversity. If you’re into mountain biking, you’ll be pleased to know that the Silvan Forest mountain bike trails in Richmond have just reopened after a long closure due to logging.

If travel is more your style, then you’ll find plenty to stimulate you. Imagine soaking away the winter cold at Hanmer Springs hot pools after an invigorating bush tramp or checking out the boutique shops in the Hanmer village. Hurunui – where Hanmer is based – is not that far from Nelson Tasman or Marlborough and great for a family holiday, a romantic getaway and even a guys’ or gals’ weekend away.

One of the pleasures of taking time out is relaxing with a good book or the latest issue of WildTomato. So don’t forget to slip it into your bag.

Editor Lynda Papesch 021 073 2786 lynda@wildtomato.co.nz

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

Design & art direction Hester Janssen design@wildtomato.co.nz

Contributors

Eddie Allnutt, Phil Barnes, Chelsea Chang, Elora Chang, John Cohen-Du Four, Belinda Crisp, Hannah Dawson, Maureen Dewar, Lisa Duncan, Debbie Hannan, Emily Hope, Sadie Hooper, Steve Hussey, Bob Irvine, Ishna Jacobs, Henry Jaine, Paul Jennings, Renée Lang, Sonya Leusink Sladen, Aimee Macquet, Brent McGilvary, Geoff Moffett, Frank Nelson, Sarah Nottage, Mark Preece, Sophie Preece, Pete Rainey, Ray Salisbury, Hugo Sampson, Brian Tear, Karaena Vincent, Brenda Webb, Dominique White

Advertising executives Chrissie Sanders 027 540 2237 chrissie@wildtomato.co.nz Kaleigh Armitage 027 233 4068 kaleigh@wildtomato.co.nz Jo Hender 021 264 7559 jo@wildtomato.co.nz

Lead ad designer Patrick Connor production@wildtomato.co.nz

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

Publisher LYNDA PAPESCH

Love local Thriving local business

Jack Martin WildTomato Media Ltd The Boiler Room, 204 Hardy St, Nelson 7010 PO Box 1901, Nelson 7040 info@wildtomato.co.nz wildtomato.co.nz

Find us on: WildTomato/ @wildtomatomagazine @_WildTomato Read online at issuu.com/wildtomato WildTomato magazine is subject to copyright in its entirety and its contents may not be reproduced in any form, either wholly or in part, without written permission. The opinions expressed in WildTomato magazine are not necessarily those of WildTomato Media Ltd or its principals.

Congratulations to Pete’s Natural low sugar drinks company which recently bought its factory in Hau Road, Motueka. The familyowned business has been bottling at the factory since December 2015 and now produces up to 12,000 bottles a day.

Pete’s Natural started out in 2009 with its first beverage being a lemonade using local lemons and local hops. Fast forward 10 years and its drinks are stocked in more than 400 outlets across New Zealand. The company has also started exporting to Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Co-owner Marleen and team member Lisa outside the factory

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Cover photography by Aimee Macquet of Hans Neilson and Ali Boswijk

Contributor spotlight SOPHIE PREECE

Wine (page 78) Distillery Feature (page 38) When I came to Marlborough in 2002, straight from a stint on the Phnom Penh Post, I expected my time at the local paper to be the classic stepping stone to a bigger masthead. Seventeen years on, having explored the Top of the South by boot, bike, yacht and ski, often with a salmon farmer and two kids in tow, I have no regrets about staying put. As well as writing for work and adventures for fun, the past six years have included developing the Marlborough Book Festival, a charitable trust driven by a committee of six volunteers. It’s on next month (www.marlboroughbookfest.co.nz) so I hope you have your tickets.

The acclaimed best seller.

Selling your home?

Each week, over 859,000* avid readers nationwide seek out the Property Press.

A true page turner with its standout gloss colours and ease to read, it’s no wonder Property Press is New Zealand’s favourite property magazine.

Be seen where buyers are looking.

Ask your Real Estate agent about Property Press.

S A R A H N OT TA G E

Local Connection (page 20) Hospice Feature (page 45) I have always had wanderlust and after university I was part of Helen Clark’s ‘Brain Drain’.

Living in big cities and crazy places gave me perspective.

Firstly, that Nelson is an utterly incredible place to visit and live.

Secondly, that it is very easy to become complacent about living in an utterly incredible place.

My partner Steve Hussey and I are raising four children together whilst growing our photography business and going on as many adventures as we can in order to explore. We are ready and willing to push our comfort levels and boundaries along the way!

I S H N A JA C O B S Photography

(Fashion 57) Photography has always been my thing; like some people with a good movie and Tim Tams on a Wednesday night, that’s me and photography. Possibly not the best analogy, but I’m racing deadline, my two teens are hormonally unhelpful and it’s 11:28pm … too late for Tim Tams. I started photographing in Christchurch 22 years ago, then for WildTomato about seven years ago while studying for my degree in art and design, meeting and photographing many interesting people, and fashion, every month. For me this is a forever ride; when I’m not photographing commercially I’m photographing artistically; it’s quite simply just who I am.

Also available online at www.propertypress.co.nz

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

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NOTICEBOARD

Top tipples from Lonely Planet

Third album for Tasman songbird

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asman singer Aly Cook has just finished recording her third album during 10 fullon days in Sydney. The album has been crowd-funded by fans from 16 different countries and she says it is her best yet on both a personal and spiritual level. Keep an ear open for it this September.

Local story hub

Photo: NRDA

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o you think Nelson Tasman is a great place to live, work and play? If so then how about submitting a tip, photo or video to the Locals Hub on the NRDA website: www. nelsontasman.nz/our-story/localshub/ and share your story.

Dig deep for Nelson Coastguard

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atron of Nelson Coastguard fundraising committee Pic Picot and Rosie Musters from Nelson Coastguard hope to top up the fundraising barometer to buy a new replacement rescue boat.

The organisation has to raise just under one million dollars by the end of this year to enable it to place an order for the $1.3 million vessel it needs.

The remainder of the money will be required in 2020. The hope is that staff can then be trained to operate the new vessel and it can be in the water by the end of next year.

Nelson Coastguard brought 88 people home safely in the past year, rescued from a wide range of circumstances, most of them getting into trouble while using craft such as inflatable toys, kayaks and small vessels.

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ight New Zealand distilleries, including one from Blenheim, one from Nelson and two from Golden Bay are featured in Lonely Planet’s latest guide to tasting whisky, gin, bourbon and more at the world’s best distilleries and bars. Global Distillery Tour lists: Puhoi Organic Distillery (Auckland), Prenzel (Blenheim), Cardrona Distillery (Cardrona), Lighthouse Gin (Martinborough), Liquid Alchemy (Nelson), New Zealand Whisky Collection (Oamaru), Dancing Sands (Takaka), and Kiwi Spirit Distillery (Motupipi) as being among the best in the world. Cheers!

Corrections

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ast month’s article about options for people with learning difficulties used the word ‘chronological’ when it should have read ‘phonological’. The sentence, quoting Tessa Whiteman, should have read: “... as the children begin to develop phonological awareness, they begin to unlock the meaning of sounds and symbols.

“Phonological means the awareness of the structure of the sound of language, and the patterns that they make. These sounds are linked to signals – some of us pick them up naturally while others don’t, and that’s key to what I do.”

Also sincere apologies to Rob Marshall at Marlborough Plumbing and Heating for getting his name wrong in our winter heating feature. He hasn’t changed his name to “north”; we inadvertently changed it for him.

MY BIG IDEA

Aiming for Enduro World Series round locally Paul Jennings and Belinda Crisp expand on an idea to bring worldclass mountain biking to Nelson.

PHOTO BY SVEN MARTIN

What is your big idea?

The Nelson Mountain Bike Club (NMTBC) wants to bring a round of the Enduro World Series (EWS) mountain biking world championships to Nelson, and introduce our smart little city to riders from around the globe. In partnership with Nelson City Council and the Nelson Regional Development Agency NMTBC will bid to host a round of the 2021 EWS. This is the same event that turned a $3.1m investment in mountain bike trails by the Australian Federal Government in the small town of Derby in Tasmania into an estimated $30m-a-year-return investment after they secured a round in 2017. Nelson already has a growing reputation for excellent trails and great riding weather, so hosting a round of the world championships would be the crowning glory.

Not only will the event firmly stamp Nelson on the international mountain biking map, it will create opportunities for the whole community for young riders, trail builders, tourism operators, retailers and many other supporting industries, and will bring an annual return of seven figures.

Using Tasmania’s success as a marker, there is no reason why Nelson can’t reap the same rewards. According to the Launceston Chamber of Commerce in Tasmania, “Cyclists are high-yield visitors who spend significantly more than the average tourist.”

Derby now receives over 30,000 mountain bike related visitors per year.

With international media focusing on the region during the event it is an opportunity for Nelson Tasman to show just how extraordinary it is. And the impacts will be long-lasting, as has been proven in many venues the series has visited.

is to go international. The next step is a round of the EWS world championships!

The one thing that has held this dream back is a lack of suitable infrastructure; things like car parking, toilets, trailhead signs and a desire to attract and nurture a relationship between our city’s commercial sector and mountain bike tourists. Over recent years the gap in this part of Nelson’s offering has started to be addressed and we are moving forward. Now is a great time to bid to host a NZ round of the EWS.

Who is involved?

How did it evolve?

NMTBC has been in existence for over 30 years and today is one of the world’s biggest mountain bike clubs. With an abundance of big hills very close to the CBD, and epic alpine backcountry within riding distance, we always had a geographic advantage, but the club’s army of volunteers turned that opportunity into an exceptional trail network through hard work and dedication. With awesome trails comes the opportunity to host races that capture the attention of local, national and international riders. Every year our region stages several races that attract a high calibre of rider and get covered by the world’s media. The natural progression from great national events

Right now, a small but keen team is working on the bid for the event. This same team worked on the Aorere Enduro event that was to be a test run. Unfortunately, the Aorere Enduro had to be cancelled due to high fire risk but luckily the EWS franchise saw enough from the planning to still be interested in Nelson for EWS 2021.

The hard work is only just beginning.

Funders need to be secured, infrastructure needs to be completed and a strong team needs to be assembled. NMTBC can punch above its weight when it comes to delivering but this will take it to another level and test all of its resources, plus require support from a wide range of backers, supporters and sponsors. The club is looking forward to the challenge!

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Snapped WildTomato goes out on the town…

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Saint Clair Vineyard Half Marathon Selmes Road, Marlborough PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISA DUNCAN

1. Sarah & Darrell Askew

5. Ollie Mandeno

2. Katie Revell & Chris Neame

6. Dagmar Movlisova & Mark Lukes

3. Megan Stephens, Louise Hodgson, Leah Cumpstone & Nicki Campion 4. Amanda Bailey, Rachel Thomas, Sharon Flintoft & Debbie O’Connor

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7. Sara Meij, Hayley McCairns & Char Dudley 8. Georgina Taylor & Diane Brunel 9. Sabine Harper & Sarah Lightfoot

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SNAPPED

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2 Feast Marlborough Friday Night Feast The Forum, Blenheim PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISA DUNCAN

1. Eliza Matthews, Georgia Murrin, Julia Andrews & Maree Van der Burgh

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2. Jenny & Mark Eyers & Helen Donald 3. Hannah Reeve, Amber Pulley & Johnny Andrews

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4. Janine Kydd & Lynda Butt 5. Deirdre & Luke Van Velthooven 6. Eugenia & Gonz Liberona 7. Sue & Trevor Voigt 8. Lauren McGuinness & Blaine O’Hara

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SNAPPED

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1 Jennian Homes Mother’s Day Fun Run Saxton Field Complex, Stoke P HO T O G R A P H Y BY H E N RY JA I N E

1. Liz Johnstone, Bronwyn Scott & Carol Singleton

4. Veronica Hippolite-A’Court & Jess Lagrutta

2. Penny Leach, Sandy McAllister, Indi Fallen & Kirsten Fallen

5. Holly, Stella & Donna Mcivor

3. Trish & Marie Lenting, Diane Couchman & Fiona Holmes

6. Rebecca Leslie & Marilyn Davis 7. Helen Taylor-Young & Rebecca Greig 8. Lisa Stanley & Sheryl Jarden

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8 Not much longer now...

Sample the exceptional vintage that is 2019

Save the date

New release tasting

winenelson.co.nz 14

September 24

The Boathouse Nelson

PHOTO BY CHOCOLATE DOG STUDIO

SNAPPED

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Heritage Tea Dance Boathouse, 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

1. Sue Simpson, Margeret Earney, Rachel Smith & Briar Haven 2. Lisa Richardson, Amie-Jo Trayes & Daisy Potter

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3. Elaine Barling, Ian Archibald & Ibolya Little 4. Judene Edgar & Deanne Kilpatrick

5. David McCormack, Nicki Everton & Anne-Maree Therkleson 6. Donald & Moira Thomson 7. Clare Sutherland & Annabel Hensley 8. Joanna Plows & Gwen Bray 9. Amie-Jo Trayes & Michelle McCree

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master planning commercial residential environmental management plans

olivia@obdesign.co.nz | 027 464 6694

www.obdesign.co.nz

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SNAPPED

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Living with Earthquakes book launch The Suter, 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

1. Hannah Martin, Judie Fanselow & Lucy Martin 2. Jude Watson, RenĂŠe Lang & Pauline Esposito 3. Alec Woods & Marina White 4. Lyn Russell & Stella Chrysostomou 5. Trudy & Marg Heine

6. Tracy Neal & Lynda Papesch 7. Robbie Burton & Rosie Belton 8. Leanne Davis & Belinda Fanselow-King 9. Mary Trayes & Pam Henson 10. Julie Meagher & Katie Sellars

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SNAPPED

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2 NTCoC luncheon with PM Jacinda Ardern Trafalgar Centre, Nelson P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y B R E N T M C G I LVA R Y

1. Hannah Norton, Donna Adlam, Phoebe Legge & Laura Duquemin

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2. Melisa Kappely, Paul Bell & Julie Baxendine 3. Nick Smith, Grant Kerr & Liam Sloan

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4. Kenn Butler & Megan Kitchener 5. Elina & Richard Ussher 6. Paul Bell & Murray Sturgeon 7. Reid Carnegie & Susannah Roddick 8. Yvonne Bowater & Ali Boswijk

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INTERVIEW

On song where it matters Nelson City Council transferred its Arts Festival operations to a new independent board late last year.

Brent Thawley, tasked with guiding our entertainment showcase into the future, talks to Debbie Hannan.

Photo: Dominique White

H

is roots are deep in the Mapua soil, yet Brent Thawley, chairman of the new Nelson Festivals Trust, took a long and interesting road home, lately straddling that tricky divide between sport and the arts.

“My great-grandfather was one of the first orchardists in the area and my dad and cousins still work on the land,” he says. “I loved my school years here, first at Mapua Primary, then at Motueka High and on to what was Nelson Polytech.”

By his own admission, Brent can’t sing a note. “Dad was a square-dance caller and we sang heaps – very badly – as kids on our holiday trips to Golden Bay ... my main arts interest when I was young was music, but I still can’t sing to save myself. I recall being asked to leave the Motueka High School choir because I was so off-key.”

He later worked in bars in Nelson “and was lucky enough to attend the first Wearable Arts show near Wakefield”.

The bright lights of Wellington beckoned. Brent eventually enrolled at Victoria University as an adult student and fell in with the university German and drama clubs. “The people were so welcoming that I started getting involved in theatre production and eventually took up the job of business manager at BATS Theatre.”

That led to a stint as finance manager at Downstage, then two years with Maori theatre company Taki Rua. Creative NZ was quick to spot his potential, and Brent progressed to the senior leadership team. “I also looked after the TSB Bowl of Brooklyn and showplace, as well as Yarrow Stadium, in New Plymouth.”

He led the Ministry for Culture and Heritage response in Canterbury post-earthquakes. “I’ve been on a number of arts

“I recall being asked to leave the Motueka High School choir because I was so off-key.” boards over the years, including the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards Trust, and I’m still on the Playmarket board.”

Bright lights indeed, yet Brent yearned to move back home.

“It was just a matter of finding the right work. I was lucky enough to be offered the role of Sport NZ’s South Island Partnership Manager.” That meant he could base himself in Nelson – and clock up the kilometres.

“I spend lots of time on the road, working mainly with councils and regional sports trusts and trying to improve the quality of play, active recreation and sport experiences, especially for our rangatahi [youth] and tamariki. Never a dull day and always rewarding.”

A call to serve

So with a busy workload on his plate, why take on the trust role? “My grandfather and dad instilled in me a strong spirit of community and public service … I also believe deeply in the power of sport, heritage and the arts to contribute to stronger communities.”

Brent says his trust board boasts vast experience in the arts, plus commercial, public policy, local government, central government and communications expertise. “Even more importantly, they all care deeply, and are ambitious, for our region.” (Brent also issues an invitation to other viewpoints in the boardroom, “especially iwi and the voice of youth”.)

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“… I also believe deeply in the power of sport, heritage and the arts to contribute to stronger communities.”

The transition from council control has been smooth, he says. “The mayor and councillors Noonan and Courtenay, in particular, have been approachable and supportive.” While the trust is independent, it obviously has to align with the council’s wider goals and work with staff to create events. Brent admits to a hectic first few months – “we’ve pretty much been setting up a new business from scratch.” A series of community workshops has given board members a better understanding of what Nelsonians want from their showcase event – ‘more visibility’ for the festival, particularly in the CBD, and more broadly, that it would be “unmissable to everyone in our community”.

On the back of this feedback, the trust has just launched its first strategy. “We’ve also begun talking to other funders and, of course, planning for this year’s festival.” Brent sees no sense in

Above: Clockwise - Brent trekking in Milford; Brent at the Centre of NZ with his family pet; Brent and his partner Felicity Connell; Brent and his father Graeme and grandfather Stanley Opposite page: Clockwise - Brent in front of previous Arts Festival posters; Brent with his father Graeme and his sisters at the family home in Mapua (early 1970s)

re-inventing the wheel. That said, he heeds the plea to make the festival “more engaging and relevant for the whole community”.

He’s building from what he calls a ‘fantastic’ performing arts scene. “Things like WOW, the arts festival, the music school, Bay Dreams and Rockquest were pretty much unimaginable when I was a kid … I’d still love to see more, especially the diversity.”

The warmth of home

Re-acquainting with his roots has been easy. Brent’s partner, Felicity Connell, works for Wakatu Corporation and “they have been such a warm and welcoming whanau for us both”. Felicity’s mother and Brent’s dad and step-mother are also local, “so being able to spend more time with them was a huge part of moving home,” he says.

Between work, board roles and family, Brent has little spare time, “but when we can, we take time out to reconnect with the sea, rivers and hills of the region.”

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LOCAL CONNECTION

Breathe, stretch, save Tiffany had reached a point of no return with drugs. Yoga helped her to step back, she tells Sarah Nottage.

PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE HUSSEY

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s a child, Tiffany Fleetwood-Bird spent a lot of time upside down. Whether it was doing handstands or somersaults, she was always on the move. At 17, having grown up with her brother as perfectly behaved children in the white, middleclass sailing town of Lymington on Britain’s south coast, with extremely strict parents, Tiffany cried, “Get me out of this”.

“I just wanted to annoy my parents, so I moved to London, started using heroin, completed a fashion degree, shaved my hair, grew dreadlocks, dyed them a variety of colours – my preference was purple – covered myself in piercings, and found groups of people who were totally out of control. I was right in there with them.”

Her parents would pick her up and take her home. She would run back to London. Eventually the gaps between running away lengthened when Tiffany began working at a residential home for non-verbal autistic children with severe, violent behaviours. She often needed medical treatment for broken fingers, bites and scratches, which are still visible on her hands.

“I didn’t care about me. I was disassociated from my own body, so didn’t mind the physical abuse.” What Tiffany quickly learned was how to communicate with the children by reading their subtle, non-verbal cues. “If you got it wrong you would receive a table in your face.”

Looking beyond herself

For the first time in her life, her focus shifted from her internal self to the external world. She began feeling compassion for

“I threw myself at yoga 120 percent because I had reached the point where I needed to do something.”

T I F FA N Y F L E E T W O O D - B I R D

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other human beings, an experience she relates to the Mysore (self-practice) approach she now uses to teach yoga. “I am able to get to know each of my students as individuals. I meet them where they are at in their lives.”

Tiffany started drifting around the world, deciding to try yoga 20 years ago at an ashram in Kathmandu, Nepal, which was run by a ‘tiny Indian dude’. Initially attracted to the physical aspect, she began reading about yoga, saying she realised there was “a whole lot more going on – a way of life that included an alternative world view, which was intriguing”.

Don’t just switch off

After visiting Australia and experiencing the more physical, funky side, Tiffany tried an Iyengar yoga class in her hometown, “full of retired old biddies in leotards and tights, all doing the most amazing poses using props”. She was blown away by the intensity of the physical experience, the knowledge that yoga could be for any age, body shape or fitness level, and an overwhelming feeling of peace. Although Tiffany was no longer using heroin, she describes a transitional period where she mixed ‘party’ drugs and booze with yoga practice. “You don’t just switch off. Some make it, some don’t. If I hadn’t made it, I wouldn’t be here at all, to be honest.

“I remember having a massive night and attempting to do headstands in yoga class the next morning. I felt so ill. I realised yoga was really important to me so I needed to stop partying.

I threw myself at yoga 120 percent because I had reached the point where I needed to do something.”

In those days, yoga had a reputation for being practised by ‘mung-bean, vegetarian weirdos’ – her mother was concerned she was going off to join a cult. Tiffany trained as a yoga teacher in Byron Bay, Australia (one of her favourite places in the world), where she stayed for a year of pure, healthy living. She would ride her pink bike to the Ashtanga Room to do yoga for half the day, then surf and read yoga books for the remainder.

“I felt a gradual reconnection to my physical body.” Tiffany then began to live a life true to her authentic self; surfing and

“People don’t realise how common it is – one-quarter of mothers lose their first pregnancy.” practising yoga for six months in Bali, teaching yoga for the remainder of the year in Britain. In 2007 she travelled to Java, Indonesia for a surfing trip with a Swiss friend, and she met Andy, a Kiwi travelling with five mates, also on a surfing trip.

Pregnancy forces a rethink

Having always led a fluid, unplanned life, it came as a surprise when Tiffany discovered she was pregnant with Andy’s baby, three weeks after they’d met. Although she liked children, she had never thought of herself as a mother. In fact, she thought that given her hard-out lifestyle, she may never be able to have a baby.

Discussing their relationship over the phone, Tiffany and Andy decided to ‘give it a go’, with Andy planning to leave his dodgy flat in New Zealand to join her in Britain. “I was so excited and happy.” Tiffany had made the mental shift from a life as an eternal yogi and traveller, to ‘having a bloke and a baby’.

All the scans were good – until 20 weeks, when it all went wrong. “Andy couldn’t get over in time for the scan. We had only spent five weeks together in the same location. We hardly knew each other. It was way too much for a new relationship.” Tiffany called him: “You don’t need to come anymore. The reason is gone.”

“Many women lose a child, but it isn’t often spoken about. I was that person. It was just too much. People don’t realise how common it is – one-quarter of mothers lose their first pregnancy.”

Tiffany and Andy were told that baby Jai had the worst strain of brittle bone disease, a genetic anomaly. If he had been born , his ribcage would have broken. He would never have been able to take his first breath.

“I was totally freaked out that I was going to take drugs again, but I was so drained I couldn’t get myself to the train station.”

Tiffany found there was one thing she could rely on – yoga.

Although she’d gone through so much, she realised that all she needed to do was get on her yoga mat and perform a set sequence. And breathe. If she couldn’t do something one day, that was okay. She would try again the next day.

The Ashtanga style worked for her – it was physically strenuous and repetitive enough to slow her thoughts down.

Above: Clockwise - Tiffany adjusting a student into a forward bend; Tiffany guiding a student through the vinyasa; Tiffany sitting in padmasana Opposite page: Tiffany practising the baddha konasana

Tiffany’s style of teaching is a mix of precision, perception, power and knowledge, with just the right dose of humour and laughter.

“I needed to find the space of stillness through movement.”

Although yoga didn’t get Tiffany off drugs, it helped her to stay off them, helped her deal with the loss of Jai and her father, and continues to help her manage life’s ups and downs.

Andy and Tiffany stayed together. They moved to Nelson a couple of years ago from Dunedin with their children Flynn and Oliver. Tiffany teaches self-practice (Mysore) Ashtanga and Vinyasa Krama classes at Wellness Movement and Fellworth House in Nelson, and runs regular yoga workshops throughout the country. Each student is taught individually within a group context, which enables both beginners and experienced students to do the same class.

Tiffany’s style of teaching is a mix of precision, perception, power and knowledge, with just the right dose of humour and laughter. She is vibrant, fun and intriguing – and she meets you where you are at.

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EVENT SHOWCASE

Dive into a literary feast

The sixth Marlborough Book Festival is sure to continue a history of charming writers and readers alike, Sophie Preece reports.

P H O T O G R A P H Y J I M TA N N O C K

S

cott McKenzie is something of a Marlborough Book Festival ‘yes-man’. When organisers asked the Marlborough Tour Company to be a sponsor five years ago, the general manager said, “Sure.” When they asked him if they could run a cruise in the Marlborough Sounds to showcase the region to authors and audience members, he said, “Let’s use the MV Odyssea,” and when they asked him to stand in cool Picton waters for a photo shoot with festival sponsor and photographer Jim Tannock, he stepped in trousers and all.

This year Scott is the festival ‘poster boy’, perfectly posed for the Immerse Yourself theme of 2019. That’s a great tagline for an event that has drenched the Marlborough community in fine New Zealand writing, he says. “We love this event because it’s a highlight for many in winter – arguably Marlborough’s most beautiful season.”

The sixth annual Marlborough Book Festival runs from Friday July 5 to Sunday July 7, with events across the region. Trustee Sonia O’Regan says venues such as the boat are a special feature of the festival, which celebrates Marlborough’s landscapes, community and hospitality while indulging in ‘a bounty of beautiful books’. The Treehouse at Cloudy Bay, Spy Valley’s cellar door, Dog Point Vineyards’ The Bell Tower, and Hunter’s Wines all provide a fantastic taste of wine country, she adds.

This year’s festival has the ASB Theatre Marlborough as its hub, which is a big change but a positive one, says Sonia. “That’s really a sign of us maturing as an event. It means easy parking and access, and the ability to set up a bookshop and coffee machine.”

The Blenheim hub has always been about accessibility for everyone, whether by price or location, she says. “The theatre really allows us to deliver on that. Plus we love the light-filled foyer and Whitehaven Room, and think the bookshop is going to add something pretty special this year.”

Services to the literary ecosystem

Kirsten McDougall, publicity manager for Victoria University Press (VUP), says readers and writers festivals are an important part of a book’s life cycle because the writer gets ‘to meet and connect with their readers in a real way’.

“It’s such a delight for an author when a reader tells them that a book touched them or helped them understand a different perspective, or made them feel seen,” she says. “Writing can feel like a lonesome business, but when you hear that you’ve made that connection with the reader, that’s a brilliant feeling.”

The Marlborough Book Festival is always popular with VUP writers, she says. “It’s such a welcoming and relaxed festival in a beautiful setting. Our authors always jump at the chance to go.”

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“It’s such a delight for an author when a reader tells them that a book touched them or helped them understand a different perspective, or made them feel seen.”

KIRSTEN MCDOUGALL , V I C TO R I A U N I V E R S I T Y P R E S S

Nelson writer Naomi Arnold agrees that books are created in isolation, and having 50, 100 or 200 people show up to a festival, ask good questions and share their appreciation ‘can be overwhelming and humbling’. Over recent months Naomi has been to several such events around the country with Headlands: New Stories of Anxiety, a collection of stories by Kiwis from all walks of life sharing their personal experiences.

As the book’s editor, Naomi feels like she is representing the 32 writers when she receives heartfelt response from audiences. “We’ve had a lot of tears, actually. People have come up afterwards and started telling me about their experiences or their children’s experiences. They say ‘Thank you for putting this out there. I didn’t realise there were others who felt this way’.”

Naomi will talk at the festival about Headlands with Blenheim clinical psychologist Molly Murphy Wittig, and will also be an interviewer over the weekend for conversations with novelist, poet and playwright Anne Kennedy and blogger Emily Writes. She loves the opportunity of a live event, which can feel like a ‘delicious free-fall’, with authors often revealing stories they had no idea they’d talk about.

Naomi is a ready audience member at festivals nationwide, seeing every ticket and book purchase as a ‘service to the literary ecosystem’.

That ecosystem is in good health these days, she says. “Readers know they have to fight for their books by buying, borrowing, sharing, and attending events with their favourite authors.”

Drawing on local talent

Most of the Marlborough Book Festival interviewers have local links, including multi-award-winning journalist Mike White. The senior writer at North & South magazine was once chief reporter at the Marlborough Express, “and we called on that link in our early years,” says Sonia. “He has been fantastic asset ever since. Mike helped us design the inaugural Living Room session last year, and will be back at The Bell Tower with Grahame Sydney this July.”

Mike will also talk with Kiwi music icon Shayne Carter about his recently released autobiography Dead People I Have

Above: Clockwise - Grant Rosewarne and Jemma McCowan from New Zealand King Salmon; Mike White (left) with Brian Turner at a previous festival Opposite page: Top - Scott McKenzie immerses himself in a good book Below: Interviewer Nikki Macdonald (right) with author Tracey Slaughter at the Treehouse at Cloudy Bay

Known, with the duo speaking at music venue The Plant, plus the ASB Theatre Marlborough.

“I first saw Shayne Carter nearly 30 years ago when he was in a wild and wonderful band, The Doublehappys, and I’ve loved and admired everything he’s done since,” says Mike. “But his book is still a revelation – funny and tragic and moving and wry. And to have fellow southerner Grahame Sydney at this year’s festival is a real coup as he’s such a fantastic writer and raconteur, as well as being one of the country’s great artists.”

Festival stalwart Claudia Small calls the event ‘a beacon during the depths of winter’. Her mother Helen has flown from Auckland for every festival, and the duo pack their weekend with an array of sessions and venues. “It’s inspiring and fun and always encourages me to read more,” Claudia says. “And now it’s about more than the festival weekend, because I kept running into the same acquaintances year after year and now we are a year into a fantastic monthly book group. I love this weekend in Marlborough.”

Jemma McCowan, of New Zealand King Salmon, a founding sponsor, says it’s an event that rewards the community. “Catching a session to a good non-fiction, especially matched with local food and wine, is an excellent way to spend a winter weekend.” * Sophie Preece is a trustee of the festival

When and where The sixth annual Marlborough Book Festival runs from Friday July 5 to Sunday July 7, with opening night at the ASB Theatre Marlborough on the Friday. Authors this year are Anne Kennedy, Chessie Henry, Eleanor Ozich, Emily Writes, Grahame Sydney, Kate De Goldi, Kate Duignan, Laurence Fearnley, Naomi Arnold, Owen Marshall, Pip Adam, Shayne Carter, Vincent O’Malley, Whiti Hereaka and Marlborough’s own Jane Vial and Steve Austin. For tickets or more information go to www.marlboroughbookfest.co.nz

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Chambers of Commerce

Helping businesses to thrive & network Business success in this day and age is not just providing a quality service.

Lynda Papesch expands on an apolitical group that helps its members network, keep up to date and thrive, whatever their industry.

PHOTOGRAPHY AIMEE MACQUET

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Business networking

Both chambers also want to be known as the first point of contact for business networking opportunities, developing close and effective working relationships with key businesses and running business After Fives, luncheons and seminars with a range of inspirational business-oriented speakers.

Ali and Hans both stress the chamber is a non-political, member-centric organisation; its every action driven by a desire to see its members succeed.

Dating back to 1858, NTCoC has approximately 513 members, and just as importantly a networking reach of over 8000 business people. Members spoken to see that networking as one of the biggest benefits for them.

Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter general manager Paula Muddle is a relatively new member of NTCoC, joining at the start of this year. “It’s a fantastic way to network and learn from others, and being a member also gives access to a lot of different businesses in the community.

“Our service wouldn’t exist if it didn’t have the support of the business community in Nelson Tasman and Marlborough so those connections are invaluable,” she says. “Businesses are an integral part of our funding whether they donate $50 a month or $50,000 a year.”

Paula recently attended a BA5 at The Brook Sanctuary in Nelson, and another at Pic’s Peanut Butter World in Stoke; on both occasions she found the networking ‘huge’.

Meeting and socialising at other people’s businesses adds yet another dimension, she feels. “We are often so caught up in our own businesses that we might miss opportunities. It’s good to step outside and see what everyone else is doing.”

Ali’s vision for NTCoC is to make it a place and organisation where anyone in business goes as a first port of call; a go-to place for business-related questions and answers.

Opposite page: Ali Boswijk and Hans Neilson

Photo: Karaena Vincent

G

etting the word out there, networking and even keeping up with technology and law changes can be daunting for businesses – small and large, long established or new.

That’s where chambers of commerce come to the fore. Most towns and cities have a chamber which fulfils a multiple role on behalf of its members; a role that includes advocacy, business development and training, and assisting. Across the Top of the South we have the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce (NTCoC) and the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce (MCoC), both with an active executive and membership.

Marlborough chamber general manager Hans Neilson took over his role in October last year, while NTCoC chief executive Ali Boswijk started in February this year. Many of their goals are the same, including a desire to position their respective organisations to take a strong lead in key issues facing their members.

Part of this is working productively with local and central government and their various agencies, building to keep up to date with issues affecting their members.

“We don’t want to be in a situation where we are at odds, so we work alongside the decision makers early and constructively,” explains Hans.

Paula Muddle

“It’s a fantastic way to network and learn from others, and being a member also gives us access to a lot of different businesses in the community.”

PAU L A M U D D L E , N E L S O N M A R L B O R O U G H RESCU E HELICOPTER

“The chamber sits at the heart of the business community, which is the heart of the wider community,” says Ali. “Business employs us, pays us and determines the look and feel of a community; it’s inherent in any community, and sets the tone or the atmosphere.” In that respect, Nelson Tasman is fortunate, she adds, to have a huge variety of low impact business operators.

Support, help and advice

She sees her role and that of the chamber as providing businesses and people with support, advice and help where needed, or pointing them in a direction where they will find the help they need.

The chamber is also a conduit for relating business information to the community from both central and local government. “It’s a two-way relationship; we receive and take information from members to local government and advocate for them, and vice versa.”

Advocacy and identifying key issues that affect businesses in the region are core roles for the chamber. “We use our strong positive voice to advocate on behalf of our members and in the interests of the region. We make submissions to both local and central government on business-related issues.”

Previously a member of the chamber before becoming its chief executive, Ali perceives it as an important part of the business eco-system. “Here – and elsewhere – there is a fragmented business environment, lots of small businesses working on their own. The chamber serves to bring those people together to work for the greater good.”

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Ali Boswijk

“The chamber sits at the heart of the business community, which is the heart of the wider community.”

A L I B O S W I J K , N TC O C C H I E F E X E C U T I V E

Now part of a partnership with Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and the Nelson Regional Development Agency, the chamber is based at the Mahitahi Colab at NMIT in Nelson.

Ali and the staff are often out and about in the community, working hard to make it better for local businesses. One of her ‘absolute goals’ is to make sure business benefits from central and local government initiatives. She also wants to help inspire people, hence a strong focus on the chamber’s upcoming Aspire conference in Nelson on June 13. Its focus is helping business people understand the need to pivot; that the status quo isn’t good enough any more.

“We’ve had so many disruptive elements in Nelson Tasman recently, such as drought, fire and changing legislation. Aspire includes a series of speakers who will set the scene as to what’s out there and then more speakers giving advice on what they have done to cope and move forward.”

The annual business awards – held by both Nelson Tasman and Marlborough chambers – are another opportunity for businesses to gain valuable help and insight via the chambers.

Entries for the Nelson awards opened mid-May, and the winners will be announced 1st November. Marlborough’s awards opened in early May and will be announced 18th October.

Hans was a chamber member for almost two years before taking over as general manager in Marlborough. One of his key priorities is to ensure the chamber engages and represents as broad a range of businesses as possible.

“Whether we are out talking to the micro business setting up a new consultancy in Blenheim, or sitting down to discuss people, culture and strategy with one of our region’s largest employers, being relevant and responsive to member needs is at the heart of what we do.”

He says businesses across Marlborough are ambitious. “Looking to future opportunities that might arise, it is up to the chamber to ensure that key projects and support for business remain at the heart of economic growth and development for the region.”

His glass is more full than empty. “I am always finding opportunities for development and improvement,” he says.

“Marlborough is so amazing with natural resources and limitless potential; if we had everyone marching together we could take over the world,” he laughs.

In business there is a great deal of duplication, he feels, and one of the best ways to achieve is to work collaboratively. “Again that is where the chamber has a valuable role to play.”

He cautions that it is not just about the small picture, but about the big picture.

“We look to long-term goals, and inherent in that is the need for a level of compromise. You may not get something the exact way you want it, but overall we will achieve a great end result that benefits business as a whole.”

The MCoC dates back to 1887 and currently has just over 350 members. Alignment is important for them, says Hans, along with showing the members a vision that aligns with their path.

“With such a talented team in Alice [marketing and office manager Alice Parkinson] and Kathryn [regional business advisor Kathryn Stewart], I feel like the stars have aligned for the chamber. We have an amazing active board from a cross section of industries and they are very capable. For many of our members, we are an extended part of their team; like an insurance policy.”

Valuable feedback

The chambers acknowledge that it takes time to enter the awards, but feel the benefits outweigh that. “Entering gives owners a chance to focus and work on their businesses. Support is there to assist people with their entries and the judges all have very strong business backgrounds. Afterwards there is very good feedback and advice, including areas to be improved on,” explains Ali. “Even if not successful, there’s so much value just in the feedback. You don’t have to be a member to enter and I would encourage any business to do so.”

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Hans Neilson

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A past member of the Marlborough chamber, current member of Nelson Tasman chamber and a contract worker at times for both, Jessie Creedmore is a big fan of chambers. A business development and marketing consultant, Jessie is currently working part-time with the Nelson Tasman chamber assisting with member acquisition.

Seeing both sides of the organisation is beneficial, she says, and complements her other part-time role with Wine Nelson, keeping her informed about anything affecting the business sector. Joining the chamber is a no brainer, she says.

“For what you pay – membership starts at just $250 plus GST per year – you get so much back, particularly if you look at how you can apply the membership benefits, such as discounts, to all staff.”

Her initial contact with the organisation was while living in Marlborough and helping with chamber membership and sponsorship there. “That’s one of the reasons I keep coming back to the Top of the South; the connections I make through the chambers bear fruit for many years after the initial contact.”

Jessie moved to Nelson in December 2014, and not long after that joined NTCoC to meet business people. “It is after all the largest membership organisation in the region.

“What I enjoy the most are the real tangible connections I make with people. Chamber events are always on the calendar (in both regions), highly regarded and well attended.

“For the cost of the membership you get so much; the chamber has worked for me as a member and so I am happy to promote it to others because I can see the value in returns – tangible and intangible – to both businesses and their staff.”

An added bonus, she says, is the consistency and quality of the services the chambers provide. One example of this is its human resources (HR) services available to all members; others include lobbying, advocacy, representation to local and central government, economic reporting to business and of course bringing business people together.

Members are encouraged to do business with, and support, other members. “We do not supply our email database but

Paul Brockie

“I highly recommend entering the business awards; it’s a good exercise to discover how your business really functions and learn how outside eyes view it too.”

PAU L B R O C K I E , A B S O LU T E E N E R GY

members can have news, events or offers posted on our website or Facebook page free of charge.”

“Members can also pay to have material included in our e-news or can use the members’ directory themselves to contact other members,” says Ali.

Photo: Karaena Vincent

Apolitical

Jessie Creedmoore

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Blenheim businessman Tony de Reeper, of Wallace Diack Chartered Accountants is a long-term Marlborough chamber member.

“Of course the discounts the chamber negotiates for the members are always welcome but really the biggest value we get from the chamber is from their role as advocates for the business community.

They are not a member of any political party, they are not dependent on funding from central or local government so they are totally free to speak out on the issues that are important to local business,” he says.

Across in Nelson, businessman Paul Brockie of Absolute Energy is a firm supporter of NTCoC, having individual memberships for each of his two companies. He finds it worthwhile attending the various chamber functions and seminars such as Aspire.

“I want to learn more and connect with more people. Nelson Tasman is home to so many good business people, who are already well connected, but keeping those connections through members is important.”

Paul is a fan of the annual business awards, having entered his companies a few times. “I highly recommend entering the business awards; it’s a good exercise to discover how your business really functions and learn how outside eyes view it too.”

For Ali and Hans, their leadership roles include creating connections and value for their members. They achieve this by raising awareness of the chamber and its activities, engaging their communities and being the glue that holds everyone together.

Photo: Ishna Jacobs

A no-brainer

W T + A S B T H E AT R E M A R L B O R O U G H

Popular Blenheim theatre comes into its own

BY BRENDA WEBB

M

Photo: Lisa Duncan

arlborough’s glittering ASB Theatre is the envy of many from outside the region, according to general manager Andrew Scott.

The Shand Sheldon-designed and Robinson Construction-built facility sits on the banks of Blenheim’s Taylor River, beside the Marlborough Convention Centre and Combined Clubs of Marlborough. The amenities complement one another, often combining to host conferences and share facilities.

Since construction finished in 2016 the theatre has hosted a wide array of events including local, national and international artists and shows as well as conferences and events.

And visitors to those shows – ranging from rock concerts to ballet – don’t just come from within Marlborough. Andrew says, as

Above: Clockwise - A purpose-built space for all events; ASB Theatre general manager Andrew Scott

months to reach 100,000 patrons attending performances. “It wasn’t a target but something I had been tracking and it actually came around a bit faster than I thought,” he adds.

Future success a rule, about a quarter of patrons come from outside the region, the bulk of those from Nelson. “We can easily tell which ones they are – they are the ones green with envy,” he says.

Generous donations The ASB Theatre took years to complete and its existence is mainly thanks to the fundraising efforts of a dedicated group – spearheaded by Ross Anderson, Robyn Cuddon and Kevin Moseley – alongside council funding and generous donations from key Marlborough people.

Whitehaven Wines sponsored the spacious Whitehaven Room which often hosts business functions, awards dinners and conferences. The main auditorium was recently named the McLauchlan Family Auditorium, thanks to a generous donation from Bruce and Anne McLauchlan.

Bruce’s parents Lyell and Ailsa began farming in Wratts Rd in the 1930s. Lyell was involved long-term with the Starborough Hunt and was chairman of the then Marlborough Catchment Board. Bruce was a keen polo player until recently and also involved with the Starborough Hunt.

The smaller intimate Anderson Theatre is named after staunch theatre supporter Rob Anderson who firmly believed a small region like Marlborough needed to have an arts centre/theatre like the ones that people in larger centres take for granted.

Andrew says the ASB Theatre has been well patronised since opening, taking just 30

The theatre is a facility eagerly sought out by promotors and performers such as the Royal New Zealand Ballet which is committed to holding an annual show there.

“We’re definitely the envy of other regions – we had the National Brass Band Championships here last year and the Barbershop Quartet,” says Andrew. “Such events bring a lot of people to our region.”

He believes the conference market is the key to future success, working closely with Destination Marlborough on this. “If you’re a business or organisation that holds a conference, talk to me and see what we can offer at the theatre.”

Currently a concerted effort is underway via the theatre’s Facebook page and email to engage with more than the existing 5000 people on their database.

“We have some great shows coming and people need to get in early for popular events.

If you join our Theatre Club you’ll receive advance notice via email about what shows are about to go on sale.”

Upcoming shows include the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company’s Black Swan, White Swan – a modern take on Swan Lake – and the colleges’ annual production of Young Frankenstein.

Contact www.asbtheatre.com

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Hanmer Springs

Soak up adventure then relax in

Hanmer Springs Hanmer Springs is a go-to destination for many Nelsonians, Marlburians and Cantabrians; renowned for its hot pools and increasingly a wide range of outdoor activities. Sadie Hooper takes a stroll through the Hurunui district to see what’s on offer.

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S

pectacular scenery, relaxing soaks in the hot pools, a fabulous spa and lots of outdoor adventures – think bungy jumping, mountain biking, tramping and jet boating to name a few. I found all that and more within easy reach of the small Hanmer Springs alpine village.

As a destination Hanmer Springs is not too far from our main Top of the South towns and cities; approx. 300km from Nelson, 356km from Takaka and 258km from Blenheim. Once there it’s a world away from the hustle and bustle of many other tourist hotspots.

What makes it an ideal rest, relaxation and rejuvenation destination is the range of activities to suit all ages and all types of inclinations. The people are genuine and friendly and very keen to induct others into their way of life.

Residents Duncan and Kellie MacKenzie moved to Hanmer seven years ago to ‘get out of Auckland’. They love their lifestyle change and the opportunities it provides them and their two daughters.

Duncan has been general manager at the Heritage Hanmer Springs hotel for the past five years and is regularly in touch with domestic and international visitors, along with the locals. Kellie also works at the hotel.

Moving to Hanmer was a spur-of-the-moment decision after an Auckland motorway crash meant it took hours for Duncan to arrive home one day. The Hanmer Forestry Camp needed a management couple so they packed their bags, loaded the girls – aged three and five – on board and headed south.

Time bubble

“We have never regretted our decision,” says Duncan. “The girls have learned to ride bikes, spend time in the outdoors and grow up in a safe environment.”

The old adage ‘first impressions count’ worked its magic on Duncan on his initial visit to Hanmer in 2012 and those impressions are still with him today. “I was born and raised in Dunedin, then worked in Auckland and had never been to Hanmer before. What I loved (and still do) is my first impression; as soon as we crossed the bridge coming into Hanmer it was as if time had slowed down. Driving in past the big redwood trees into the village was like going into a time bubble.”

The pace of life in Hanmer can be as fast or as slow as individuals wish, he says.

“… as soon as we crossed the bridge coming into Hanmer it was as if time had slowed down. Driving in past the big redwood trees into the village was like going into a time bubble.”

DU NCAN MACKENZ IE

Above: Sampling the village wares Opposite page: A relaxing soak in an alpine environment

The village has what he calls a transient population of around 950, of which roughly half regularly move on and are replaced by newcomers. On the other side are the domestic and international visitors, comprising two thirds New Zealanders and one third overseas tourists. They’re a mix of those seeking hot pools and relaxation and those wanting more active pursuits or combining both.

Many are unaware of the extent of what Hanmer has to offer, says Duncan. “The most frequent comment from visitors is: ‘I wish I’d known there was so much here to do; I would have stayed another day’.”

Outdoor enthusiast and Harcourts real estate agent Jackie Frame has lived in the Hanmer village for 15 years, reveling in the great outdoors. “People know about the hot pools, but not always about the forest walks, the mountain biking and the adventure experiences here,” she says.

“I enjoy all of that and especially the alpine feel of the area.”

Real estate micro-climate

The permanent population of Hanmer village has been growing steadily, she says, despite the fact that about 80 percent of the residences there are holiday homes.

“We have a real estate micro-climate with a combination of permanent residences and the holiday home market. Overall it’s a positive market, with steady growth and a significant rise in the average section price over the last 18 months. We currently have a new subdivision going in, with 57 sections.”

The average section price is currently around $204,000 for a section varying from 500 to 3000 square metres depending on location, compared with $160,000 18 months ago, she says.

Newcomer Lauren Woodford, who is the marketing manager at Hanmer Holiday Homes, has lived there just on four months, alongside her husband’s family who have lived there roughly 14 years. She and her husband moved from Australia to join his parents in the family business.

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“The village has lots of clothing shops and quality restaurants, and there is such a wide variety of outdoor activities in the most picturesque setting. It’s such a stress-free pace that you can’t help but chill out.”

JA S O N F L E TC H E R

“There’s just so much to do here,” she enthuses. “So many activities that are free too, like the forest walks, hiking and biking.

On top of those there are all the adventure type activities such as golf, bungy jumping, jet boating and clay target shooting.”

Her father-in-law Jason Fletcher moved his family to the area in 2005 seeking a lifestyle change. “We’d previously bought a holiday home there when passing through one day, managed that for a while and then decided it would be a good business.

“We have it all here,” he explains, “The rest and relaxation side of things and then all the activities. There’s such a variety; you can [bungy] jump off a bridge, hop on a motorbike – or a mountain bike, play golf or just take a walk, and at the same time you can relax with a soak in the hot pools, a spa treatment or read a good book. Most visitors do a combination of both activity and relaxation.”

Jason aka ‘Fletch’ says the biggest drawcard Hanmer has is that there really is something for everyone in the family to do.

“The village has lots of clothing shops and quality restaurants, and there is such a wide variety of outdoor activities in the most picturesque setting.

“It’s such a stress-free pace that you can’t help but chill out.”

Evolving attractions

Along with the tried-and-true attractions there are a few events evolving as Hanmer cements its reputation as a go-to destination.

One is the inaugural Hanmer Springs Fete on 1st November this year. Touted as North Canterbury’s finest shopping event, the fete will be held in the panoramic grounds of the historic Queen Mary Hospital, with a Christmas theme and more than 100 high-quality stalls from across New Zealand.

Other events showcasing the area include the well-known Hurunui Garden Tours, held the same weekend as the fete this year.

A member of the Hanmer Springs Community Board, Rosemary Ensor married a local farmer and moved there 55 years ago. “It’s a lot different now,” she laughs. “When I first arrived it was a small village centered around Queen Mary Hospital. Lots of services were available thanks to the hospital being there. The hot pools were there but not developed and there definitely wasn’t any bungy jumping or jetboating.”

Hurunui Tourism marketing manager Shane Adcock says Hanmer Springs’ reputation as New Zealand’s alpine spa village continues to grow.

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Above: Left - Hire a mountain bike and explore Right: The hot springs and spa offer a variety of relaxation options

“Surrounded by mountains, lush forests and a laid-back atmosphere, it’s a destination like no other.

“The charming main street is lined with giant redwood trees and an array of quality boutique shops. The smell of coffee wafts out of cafés and there’s a special relaxing buzz in the alpine air.

“The stunning natural landscape also provides the ideal backdrop to keep everyone entertained – including a golf course, jetboating and a large network of mountain biking and walking tracks.”

Thermal pools revamp

Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa is at the heart of the village and most people spoken to agree that it is absolutely the best place to relax and indulge. From its therapeutic natural thermal waters and award-winning spa to the crazy fun of the hydro-slides, the complex offers something for everyone.

Shane says this year is exciting, with new offerings including a new aquatic thrill ride. A $4.5m revamp is underway at the pool complex, including construction of five new pools at a cost of about $2.3m. The new area is expected to be open to the public by October.

“Hanmer Springs is the place where people come to relax and rejuvenate. Whether that’s soaking in our famous waters, indulging at one of the spas or hitting one of the walking or mountain bike trails.”

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The hot springs were judged to be one of seven exceptional visitor experiences at the inaugural Qualmark 100% Pure New Zealand Experience Awards last month. Judges looked for entries demonstrating excellence in visitor hosting and a commitment to Tiaki - Care for New Zealand, a tourism industry initiative to encourage travellers to care for people, place and culture while in New Zealand.

Adventure options

For the more adventurous, options are seemingly endless. A jet boat ride incudes spectacular scenery along the Waiau River as you blast through narrow gorges, white water rapids and braided shallows.

Bungy jumping from the historic Ferry Bridge with a freefall of 35m is a popular pastime, as is river rafting (grade 2) and canoe safaris. For the landlubbers out there, operators offer quad bike adventures, paintball and clay bird shooting along with other activities.

The Hanmer Springs Adventure Centre is a good place to

Above: Clockwise - The braided Waiau River, home to kayaking, jet boating and white water rafting adventures; spa treatments for the weary 34

“Hanmer Springs is the place where people come to relax and rejuvenate, whether that’s soaking in our famous waters, indulging at one of the spas or hitting one of the walking or mountain bike trails.”

SHANE ADCOCK

start, either via its website or calling to see what exciting thrills it offers. Spring, summer, autumn and winter, it has activities to suit all outdoor enthusiasts, regardless of age.

Mountain bike tours are popular, along with its clay bird shooting and archery adventures.

For something less challenging, visitors can go on a leisurely wine tour in North Canterbury, take a trip to historic Molesworth Station, do a scenic flight or go horse-trekking. Take your pick!

The scenery is spectacular, no matter what time of the year it is and it’s well worth taking the time to get out and explore, especially the network of trails around Hanmer Springs. Whether by foot, bike or even horse, there are plenty of options, ranging from child and family-friendly through to advanced mountain biking.

For two-wheeled adventures, take advantage of some of New Zealand’s best mountain biking, with exhilarating downhills, uphill challenges and undulating forest trails. The St James Conservation Area, for instance, offers thousands of hectares of diverse backcountry landscape – and recreational pursuits galore, including the 64km St James Cycle Trail.

Families just love this district – with forests, parks, rivers and hot pools, it’s like a massive outdoor playground. Check out the animals at Hanmer Springs Animal Park, or lunch with llamas after a game of pitch’n putt. Afterwards check out the village shopping precinct which is full of boutique shops, cafés and eateries.

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Mt Lyford, an alpine area with a skifield, small village and various types of accommodation.

On the way

Just 17km from the village is the Hanmer Springs Ski Area which, alongside skiing and snowboarding, affords spectacular views of the surrounding mountains of St James and Molesworth Stations and the distant peaks of the Nelson Lakes National Park.

The ski area boasts a variety of groomed runs and off-piste to choose from for all ages and stages of skill, making it ideal for the family or group of friends for a weekend away with fun-filled runs for everyone. The cosy mountain accommodation is backpackerstyle and is self-catering, so don’t forget to take supplies.

Also nearby in North Canterbury is Mt Lyford, an alpine area with a skifield, small village and various types of accommodation. Along the inland Kaikoura road, Mt Lyford is approximately 60km from Kaikoura.

Ross and Claudine Barnes own and operate Mt Lyford Holiday Homes including a number of eco-chalets, providing allyear-round unique accommodation for families, groups, couples and bigger events such as weddings and birthday parties.

The area is often a ‘target’ for film crews, using its beautiful natural setting for successful film shooting.

Another place worth a visit, and especially a stopover, is Maruia Hot Springs, in a peaceful bush setting on the banks of the Maruia River near Lewis Pass. New owners and management are breathing new life into the springs resort, working on creating a world-class bathing-centric wellness destination there.

With support from Australian investors, manager James White is rejuvenating the off-grid eco-resort into an ‘oasis of wellness’. Spa experiences include hot and cold pools, dry, infra-red and wet saunas, yoga and massage.

Above: Clockwise - Shushing down the slopes at Mt Lyford; Maruia Falls; the Maruia Hot Springs 36

New owners and management are breathing new life into the springs resort, working on creating a world-class bathing-centric wellness destination there.

Visitors to Maruia Hot Springs can immerse themselves in the ultimate outdoor experience; connecting with nature as they soak, sauna and bathe in mineral hot springs and take in the views of the river and surrounding mountains.

Part of a picturesque national reserve, options for exploring the area include several hiking trails around the property.

The waterfall hike is for more moderate walkers and fitness levels. A steep walk, it shows you the pipeline and mountain water story of Maruia Hot Springs and the waterfall at the top is truly a wonderful sight.

An easier walk is exploring the Maruia River bed, seeing the crystal clear water and maybe creating your own zen-style sculpture with smooth river stones, and taking in the spectacular views of nearby mountain ridges.

Another easy walk is the circuit trail which takes between 1-2 hours through picturesque forest, opening out to views of snowcapped mountaintops and the river’s edge.

WT + MARUIA HOT SPRINGS

Taking the waters

BY RENÉE LANG | PHOTO SUPPLIED

T

hose ancient Romans knew a thing or two about the healing properties of warm mineral springs. And a stunning location in which to enjoy them is surely an extra bonus.

So when New Zealand’s arguably most scenic springs can be found in a truly scenic part of the Lewis Pass National Park, on one of only three mountain highways through the Southern Alps, then a day trip – or perhaps a weekend – to experience a relaxing soak in Maruia Hot Springs’ blissfully natural thermal mineral water is surely a ‘must do’.

Although these springs have been visited for centuries, particularly by Maori who trekked through the region on their way to deliver precious pounamu to the east coast, and then later by early Pakeha settlers, they now bear little resemblance to how they looked and were used back then. In more recent times the springs were run along the principles of the Japanese-style onsen or hot spring resort, but several years ago James White, along with his partner and several co-investors, bought the property with the intention of refurbishing and extending it. Three years on, it is now part of a

sophisticated property that offers much more than the opportunity to lie back and soak in a thermal pool.

All natural

A significant point of difference between Maruia Hot Springs and other thermal properties in the South Island is that the water is 100 percent natural, and due to the sheer volume of it passing through the pools, nothing is added.

Then there are the facilities on offer.

A sheltered campground caters for around 50 families, but for those looking for more creature comforts there are several wellappointed rooms ranging from cosy through to positively luxurious.

All guests can choose from full spa services, too – imagine how good a massage would feel after a satisfying soak.

You might not want to spend too much time in your room, though, because the tariff includes 24-hour access to the indoor and outdoor hot pools. But wait, there’s more – there are three saunas and a steam room for guests to utilise, not to mention a satisfyingly

In 2018 the resort was recognised in the World Luxury Spa Awards as the best Eco Spa regional winner in Australasia and the same year was voted the Luxury Mineral Spring Spa winner of New Zealand.

Above: Soaking in the thermal pools

deep plunge pool for those who enjoy the contrast between being enjoyably overheated and icy cold. You might also wish to take a nature walk in the forest environs.

Such activity is bound to generate an appetite which can be satisfied in the café, where casual but good food is available seven days, or the more formal restaurant where every taste is catered for. Given the remoteness of the location, all food is prepared on the premises and the management team is particularly proud of the quality of the dishes on offer.

Day access too

The good news for those who don’t have time to stay overnight and sample the full range of facilities and just want to call in for a soak in one of the pools is that the tariff to use the pools also includes access to the steam rooms and saunas.

In 2018 the resort was recognised in the World Luxury Spa Awards as the best Eco Spa regional winner in Australasia and the same year was voted the Luxury Mineral Spring Spa winner of New Zealand. It has also been awarded silver Qualmark status.

Contact Ph 03 523 8840 www.maruiahotsprings.nz

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Distilleries

Gin & a business tonic

‘Mother’s Ruin’ is enjoying a global revival, with craft distillers pushing creative boundaries and inquisitive consumers caring about foraged botanicals, notes of cardamom or kawakawa, and the story behind the still. Sophie Preece explains more about some of the Top of the South distillers who are well and truly in with a gin.

S

ide by side with the Top of the South’s thriving boutique and gourmet food and wine ventures, are a select number of small distilleries, slowly but surely carving out a name for themselves.

Marlborough is home to one of the oldest and longest-surviving distillation companies while Motupipi in Golden Bay and Reefton on the neighbouring West Coast are home to some of the newest.

Prenzel in Marlborough has its origins in the long defunct Alsace New Zealand Distilling Company, registered in 1992 and New Zealand’s first commercial fruit brandy distillery. Using an artisanal still named Alouette, smuggled in from France (where they were outlawed) across the Swiss border then on to New Zealand, the company initially produced a range of fruit brandies and Waterloo gin.

Now under the ownership of Kiwi Flavour Infusions Limited, the Prenzel brand still includes gin, along with a wide range of fruit brandies, limited edition liqueurs, schnapps, infused rice bran oils and sea salts, gourmet vinegars and more.

TeKiwi 100% Blue Agave Spirit won the New Zealand Innovation Award at last month’s inaugural New Zealand Spirits Awards in Wellington.

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Some distance away in Golden Bay, distillation entrepreneur Terry Knight and his partner Rachel Raine recently established their Kiwi Spirit Distillery, after selling their initial Schnapp Dragon enterprise in Takaka.

Purpose-built, the new distillery sits on New Zealand’s only blue agave plantation, just outside of Takaka. Terry has developed a range of world class, award-winning, handcrafted products including several different gins, and New Zealand’s first blue agave spirit.

TeKiwi 100% Blue Agave Spirit won the New Zealand Innovation Award at last month’s inaugural New Zealand Spirits Awards in Wellington. The awards attracted 254 entries from both local and international distilleries.

Meanwhile a small, West Coast distillery is also gaining an international reputation especially for its gin. Reefton Distilling Co – based in the heritage town whose name it bears – recently won two medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, followed by four at the inaugural New Zealand Spirits Awards.

Medal-winning products include several of its Little Biddy gin range plus its Wild Rain Vodka and Tarberry Liqueur.

A unique difference at Reefton Distilling is that the company uses as many locally foraged and gathered ingredients as possible. Its gin, for instance, includes ingredients that they select from the forest on the morning that they distil.

Photo: David James

“It’s felt like this huge adventure that everyone’s riding along with us on.”

JA N E WA L K E N H O R S T

Riot & Rose off at a gallop

When Jane Walkenhorst launched Riot & Rose two years ago, the plan was to stay in the Marlborough market for the first year. “That lasted for about three weeks,” she says with a laugh, still bemused that Riot & Rose – two craft gins in two styles, named for a pair of gin-doused periods of history – struck such a chord with so many.

Within two months, the 1743 Riot and 1920 Rose were in bars across the country, and within three, Jane and her winemaker husband Anthony had contacted a Nelson distillery to help handle the demand. “With that has come a large amount of change in our business structure and systems, but it has been exceptionally exciting,” says Jane.

Plans for a two-day-a-week job were well and truly sunk last year after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern chose the 1920 Rose as a gift for Camilla Parker-Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, in a high-profile royal nod.

A ‘massive learning curve’ has included speaking at business gatherings, running tastings at big Marlborough events and hosting sold-out gin education evenings.

“It’s felt like this huge adventure that everyone’s riding along with us on,” says Jane, who represents the brand at every event, and writes a personal note with each gin

Above: Clockwise - Riot & Rose; Jane’s a gin gal who’s shaking things up; the branding is aimed at men and women Opposite page: Sun-kissed gin and soda

package sent out, determined to remain small enough to be hands-on.

“Everyone is so excited and you get amazing feedback. There’s a lovely community feel and I think we’re really fortunate to have that in our region.”

She credits a ‘fresh approach’ with helping Riot & Rose to gain traction, including having a ‘gin gal’ front up in a maledominated and traditional industry. Not many women own and run craft gin companies, and most branding is aimed towards men, she says. “People like the fact I’m real and doing things differently. It’s personal to me.”

Riot & Rose emerged out of Jane and Anthony’s desire to create a business, and her determination to think outside the box. “I wanted something that was a real challenge, and we certainly got that.”

Two years of trials and development followed, with the couple calling on the palates of winemaking friends for ‘boozy nights all in the name of research’. A ‘lot of fun and a lot of hard work’ led to the two signature gins, the 1743 Riot, named for a revolt against a tax on gin, and the 1920 Rose, recalling gin-drinking flappers and their dapper men. The Riot, herbaceous and savoury, is a modern take on the traditional style of gin, while the Rose is floral and delicate, with a cinnamon finish.

“We really wanted to make sure we had the finest gins we could possibly make, and also wanted to showcase that gin can be really adventurous,” Jane says. “Yes, it is a luxury, highquality product, but we can have some fun.”

39

“I have been moved by the generosity and the excitement.”

BEN LEGG ETT

Marlborough’s community spirit

Making gin is the easy part at Elemental, a home-grown distillery in the heart of Marlborough’s wine country. Apart from the wild Macedonian juniper he adores, Ben Leggett uses New Zealand-grown, seasonally sourced, hand-harvested and home-dehydrated ingredients for his Roots Dry Gin. “While this is a romantic dream, the truth is it’s also a ridiculously complicated way to set up a gin brand,” he says happily, from a new distillery and tasting room at the Vines Village. “Every single one of our ingredients, including our juniper, is seasonally dependent. We have to get it once a year and have to get our whole year’s supply.”

Elemental won the trophy for the best NZ botanical and other spirits category with its Grapefruit & Hops Bitters, at last months inaugural New Zealand Spirit Awards.

All the botanicals are traceable, from the ethanol made from North Island whey, a dairy by-product, to wild kawakawa berries harvested by a couple in Kaikoura. There’s coriander seed from Hawke’s Bay, wild gorse flower from Onamalutu (west of Blenheim), organic hops from Motueka, and Gisborne grapefruit.

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Above: Clockwise - Roots Negroni, a twist on Italy’s most iconic cocktail; the peel-a-thon; Roots Dry Gin

Ben has peeled plenty of grapefruit over three years of trials, drying the zest in a dehydrator in his home garage. But the distillery build meant stepping up the order to 2000 last October, motivating the ‘Great Annual Grapefruit A’Peel’, with 35 peelers, music and food, along with the odd G&T. More than twice as many people volunteered than he needed, and a gin-loving engineer at Marlborough business Cuddon – experts in freeze-drying – then dried the zest in a day, ensuring it was preserved while pungent.

“There is no end of people who have done us favours like that,” says Ben, who spent 14 years in the British spirits industry, where competition trumped community every time. “I have been moved by the generosity and the excitement.” The people who couldn’t make it to the grapefruit appeal came to the gorse-pick, he says. “We had beautiful weather, homemade sandwiches and scones, and gin-and-tonic aplenty.”

Ben grew up at Rarangi and went to Marlborough Boys’ College, before heading overseas to work as a bartender, then a brand ambassador in the spirits industry. He studied the UK’s ‘ridiculous beast’ of a gin industry, realised the power of brand New Zealand, and became inspired to ‘connect those two worlds’. When he returned to Marlborough with his English wife four years ago, Ben became a brand manager in the wine industry by day, while moonlighting as a distiller. He trialled concepts and recipes before launching Elemental Bitters with business partner Simon Kelly in November 2017. He also employed a small still named Alice to develop a London dry-style gin, 100% honest in its ingredients and ethos.

In February this year, after three years of picking, drying and distilling botanicals, forging friendships with growers, co-operatives and foragers, and refining his recipe, Ben took on Elemental full-time, overseeing the build of the new distillery.

Its gleaming 200-litre copper still, nicknamed Fanni Chanel, is small but feisty, and will allow Elemental to increase its domestic market and export ambitions, says Ben. The tougher task will be getting his hands on the berries and blooms that make Roots what it is. “The majority of our work is sourcing and processing our ingredients before we get anywhere near Fanni Chanel.”

Kiwi Spirit Distillery is proudly located in Golden Bay. From our cellar door you can sample our fantastic range of products including: • Waitui Single Malt, aged in honey mead barrels • Totara Gin • Award-winning Vodka • Lime and Tangelo Liqueurs

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41

A life both shaken and stirred

Ben and Sarah Bonoma fell in love over gin martinis in airport bars as they navigated a long-distance relationship, so it’s a nice twist that gin has remained a constant in their lives, while all else around them has changed.

In 2013, the couple left corporate jobs in London (her) and New York (him) and moved to Wellington with a handful of big boxes and big dreams. Roll on six years and they own a distillery in Golden Bay, have a successful gin business with domestic and export markets, and have added two children to the mix.

Dancing Sands Distillery is named for the pristine Te Waikoropupū Springs in Golden Bay, which are fed by the aquifer that also supplies the distillery. Waikoropupū also inspired the name of their gin range, Sacred Spring, first released in August 2016 as a contemporary dry gin with a difference.

The Bonomas had realised there was little room to move with citrus-led gins, so pulled that traditional botanical and focused on spice instead, using coriander seed, peppercorns and cardamom, cut with notes of liquorice and manuka leaves. The market loved it, and Ben and Sarah started looking at the ‘endless number of combinations and experimentations’ allowed for in gin.

They followed the dry gin with a barrel-aged drop, then saffron-infused, chocolate, and a wasabi gin, which posed plenty of challenges. “We discovered there was wasabi root being grown just down the road and Ben said, ‘We have to try to make a gin from that’,” Sarah laughs.

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Above: Clockwise - Wasabi Gin; Sacred Springs Negroni; Sarah and Ben Bonoma

“What we are doing is bottling our passion and our interest and our tastes – and if other people like it, that’s great.”

BEN BONOMA

She had her doubts, but they spent months working on the recipe, battling to retain the heat of the wasabi through the process. “Then it was about pulling in the other botanicals, like kelp for saltiness.”

Next they devised the Sacred Spring Sun-Kissed Gin, infused with rhubarb and strawberry after the distillation process. This is a subtle take on the pink gins on the market, which seemed too lurid to reflect nature.

“We thought ‘Maybe we can do it differently and bring our own twist’,” says Sarah of the rhubarb-hued spirit, which carries the sweet and sour of its natural botanicals. That was launched in November, and it’s been a battle to keep up with demand.

The company now turns out 400 bottles of gin a day, supplying hundreds of national retailers and eight export markets.

The latest project is Dancing Sands Labs, which reveals some of the ‘magic’ behind the scenes, says Ben. The smallbatch releases will allow cellar-door visitors to see and taste experiments that didn’t make it to market. “Ben’s extremely happy place is working in the lab we have set up at the distillery, trialling different ingredients and flavours,” says Sarah. “If he could do that all the time, he would be a very happy man.”

Testing and refining a new gin can take anywhere from six months to a year, with more than 50 iterations. They may begin with a fairly dreadful offering, which is tweaked, nudged and refined until they start “falling in love with it at the distillery,” says Sarah.

Ben adds: “What we are doing is bottling our passion and our interest and our tastes – and if other people like it, that’s great.”

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ENABLING SOLUTIONS ENHANCING PARTNERSHIPS

Proud to be the main contractor for the new Nelson Tasman Hospice.

From initial concept through to detailed design, Gibbons and Irving Smith Architects worked to understand the specific needs of this facility and the challenges faced by the nurses and wider Hospice staff.

19 Parere Street, Nelson | www.gibbons.co.nz | 03 548 3039

insite

Proud to support the Nelson Tasman Hospice 44

Nelson Tasman Hospice

Caring to the end

“A lot of my time is talking about what a normal death is like, and how gentle, graceful and peaceful it normally is.”

DR JU LIET FLEMING

We all know we’ll die, yet few of us face the reality.

Sarah Nottage shares her own loss, and meets the people who ease our last days.

modern hospice movement in Britain, summed it up: “How people die remains in the memories of those who live on.”

PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE HUSSEY

Why, in Western society, do we avoid talking about serious illness and death? Why are we fearful? Juliet Fleming, Nelson Tasman Hospice senior doctor, suggests that fear of death is natural, yet heightened, paradoxically, by advances in medicine over the past 100 years.

“Previously, death was just part of life – people died at home surrounded by family. These days, many of us haven’t witnessed death, apart from what we see on television and in films. It’s frightening partly because we don’t know what to expect.”

Despite rapid, transformative change in modern life, we tend to want ourselves and our relationships to stay the same, so we hold on to the present moment tightly and view change as negative. Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth KublerRoss wrote extensively on death and related subjects. In her book Death: The Final Stage of Growth, she states: “Although we may be able to postpone death, we can’t escape it, and it strikes without distinction. Death confronts us with our human vulnerability. It is inevitable and unpredictable.”

A

pril 12, 2013, 7am Sydney time. I receive a phone call from my Dad in Nelson. “Mum is dead. She’s had a heart attack.”

I drop to my knees and let out a strange, primal sound (I still don’t know where that came from). A day later I am in Nelson at the funeral parlour, staring at my mother, cold in an open casket. I knew she was a smoker. I knew she had asthma. I knew she had the biggest laugh and biggest blue eyes. I didn’t know she had emphysema.

Why did she hide her illness from her family? Knowing Mum, she wouldn’t have wanted us to worry. But I was angry.

We didn’t have enough time. She didn’t get to see her tiny grandchildren grow up. Dame Cicely Saunders, pioneer of the Above: Warm wooden hues and lots of windows at the stylish entrance to the new hospice

Unfamiliarity with death

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“Most people come in and go home again.”

JU LIET

Kubler-Ross herself did not have a smooth transition from life. A series of strokes in 1995 left her partly paralysed and in a wheelchair until she died in 2004. In a quote from the Los Angeles Times, she said: “I am like a plane that has left the gate and not taken off. I would rather go back to the gate or fly away.”

Thanks largely to her and other clinicians, the way we manage terminal illness is changing. Palliative medicine is a comparatively new speciality. It began only 50 years ago with the goal of enabling people to live as well as possible, for as long as possible. Initially for cancer sufferers and their families, palliative care is now available for all life-limiting illnesses.

A holistic approach

“The beauty of palliative care at Nelson Tasman Hospice is that we work very much as a team,” says Juliet. “Each team member has their own area of expertise, however the boundaries are a little blurred. Although I’m medically qualified, the proportion of my work that is purely medical is about 10 percent, because the majority of what we do is based around psychology and spirituality – a holistic approach. We support the patient and their family to find the right physical, emotional and spiritual space, with the right people, to ensure they have quality in the time they have left.

“A lot of my time is talking about what a normal death is like, and how gentle, graceful and peaceful it normally is,” Juliet adds.

“Often when you do that you take the fear out of it, so not only do patients feel better because they are not so frightened, but their symptoms often improve.

“It is always hard, it is always sad, but in the end, they are as accepting as they can be in body and mind. There are some beautiful moments – a connectedness when people really get together and are so open with each other.”

Juliet is keen to dispel the misconception that the hospice building exists only for people to die in. “Hospice is about caring for people with a life-limiting illness over potentially quite a long time, by offering specialist or end-stage care for patients with medical or emotional needs that cannot be met either at home or in hospital, including respite for themselves or family/whānau.

Most people come in and go home again.”

Above: Clockwise - Dr Juliet Fleming; serene garden setting; chaplain David Moynan; multi-cultural elements add to the aesthetics Below: Some of the caring staff at the new hospice

David Moynan, Nelson Tasman Hospice chaplain, says: “The lovely thing is we get a chance to journey with people here. Our job is to listen, and to hear. If I talk, I’ll break the listening, and that’s the key to the story.

“It takes time. Time to sit with; time to be with. Time to build a picture of who the patient was and is, what was and is important to them in life and death – for them to trust us and for us to be able to say there is nothing about this that we can’t get through together.

Even through the darkest time. They say that in the darkest time of night you still know dawn is coming.”

Which is why the concept of hospice is so brilliant. It’s not constrained to either time nor place. It’s not a building. It is a philosophy of care, and centred on the individual.

Reliant on donations

Nelson Tasman Hospice offers care free of charge for 160 to 180 patients at any one time, in their own homes, aged-care facilities and the inpatient unit. Mostly dependent on community donations to remain operational, and with the tagline ‘To Care Always’, the hospice musters a skilled, dedicated multidisciplinary team and more than 450 incredible volunteers, who support patients and their families in a myriad of ways, including writing life stories, gardening, massage and transporting patients to hospital appointments.

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“Our job is to listen, and to hear.”

DAV I D M OY N A N , C H A P L A I N

Suzanne Kirk, daughter of Robert (Bob) Aldrich, recalls her father being admitted to hospice one night with severe pain. He was very anxious. A volunteer stayed with him all night. “He knew someone was with him all the time, which helped him feel more comfortable.”

The new spacious 10-bed hospice in Stoke, opened in April this year, is delightful. It feels airy, calming and welcoming.

The gardens have been landscaped so that the view from every patient’s room will eventually be lush and colourful. Winding paths lead to a fountain at the back.

When people are dealing with serious health issues, having a beautiful, wheelchair-accessible outdoor environment is crucial in letting them ‘feed the senses’ – smell the flowers, hear the birds, feel the wind in their hair and the sun on their face. Other features include a room for those wanting a place to be quiet and to reflect, a day clinic for patients to come in for essential specialist short-term treatment, and enough space for family/whānau to stay overnight in the room with the patient.

David Moynan has already witnessed the benefit of the larger rooms in allowing a patient, when facing death, to be the person they’ve been throughout their life. “For example, if someone has been the heart of their family/whānau, it’s important that all their loved ones can be in the room with them, without it feeling overcrowded or overbearing.”

Six apartments behind the hospice can accommodate family from out of town. It is hoped that eventually both the café and education suite – which will be hired out to community groups – will bring locals to the new building, helping to integrate it into the wider community.

A good man

Bob Aldrich was a mechanic by trade. A quiet man, he was married to Muriel for 52 years. When I asked her what she liked Above: Clockwise - An ambient setting for respite care; Muriel Aldrich holding a photo of her granddaughter’s hands in Bob’s; a peaceful garden setting; Suzanne Kirk 48

“It takes such a special person to do what they do.”

S U Z Y A L D R I C H , PAT I E N T B O B ’ S DAU G H T E R

about her husband, she simply said, “Everything. We enjoyed each other’s company. We trusted each other.” They had three daughters: Christine, Karyn and Suzanne (Suzy).

A protective, loving father, Bob’s heart melted when granddaughters Lucy and Olivia were born. He attended every birthday party, every school event – still wearing his workshop overalls with grease under his fingernails.

In 2017 Bob fell from a ladder and broke several ribs.

Investigations revealed he had stage 3 myeloma (bone marrow cancer). Bob was part of a pilot study – which has since become standard procedure – aimed at strengthening the palliative care service by improving communication and integration between Nelson Hospital and Nelson Tasman Hospice. Daughter Suzy describes it as an amazing concept.

“Hospice began to be involved in Dad’s care prior to his being discharged from hospital, so we didn’t have to work out how to connect with the hospice team. It meant a smooth transition of care, which was a huge relief during such a stressful, emotional time. Dad’s health declined so quickly that no-one had their head around it.”

Suzy says the hospice team were so respectful, patient and caring of every family member and their needs during what was the most traumatic time of their lives.

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“It takes such a special person to do what they do. Dad felt comfortable enough with members of the hospice team to tell them that he was scared – and this is a man who didn’t talk much.

Hospice was a secure place for him.”

Wife Muriel feels she wouldn’t have coped without her family and the team at hospice. “The atmosphere was so great there. I used to go and sit with Bob for a while. He’d say, ‘Go home and have a rest,’ which I did.

“Sometimes he’d ask for something different as an evening meal. I’d prepare it at home, and we would eat together. When he was sitting in his armchair and I felt tired I’d climb up onto his bed and go to sleep. That’s how you felt there – just at home.”

Preparing for the end

How can we in Western society better prepare for and cope with terminal illness? David Moynan says there’s a big drive to have discussions with loved ones about end-of-life decisions before a medical crisis happens that may render us emotional and exhausted. He recommends filling out an Advance Care Plan when you are physically well and relatively young.

“Consider, what would I like for myself, for my family. How would I like to be treated if I had a life-limiting illness? Where would I like to die and what would I like to happen after I die? It can be changed as your needs change. It really opens up the channels of communication, whether your family live locally or abroad.”

Above: Clockwise - Muriel Aldrich; a great atmosphere; contemporary design for home away from home 50

“That’s how you felt there – just at home.”

MU RIEL ALDRICH, BOB’S WIFE

Suzy Aldrich adds: “Resolve family issues, as these may intensify when someone becomes seriously ill. Support each other. Bring your friends in close – they want to help. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your medical team. Make plans; have rituals; keep mementos.”

Peter Fox, co-author of Dying – A New Zealand Guide for the Journey, writes: “The experience of terminal illness turns our lives upside down and can demand physical, mental and spiritual resilience, frequently in excess of our ordinary resources and capacity to cope.” Suzy describes feeling “burned out at both ends – a year later I’m still tired.”

Thinking about death is scary and hard. It makes us feel vulnerable and puts us out of our comfort zone. However, reflecting upon our mortality, knowing our time on this earth with our loved ones is finite, may help us to live more intentional lives. We learn to treat each moment of every day as precious and manage our time consciously, but also to value every single one of our relationships and interactions with people and our environment, to ensure we strive for that sense of ‘connectedness’ Juliet Fleming describes when people really open up to each other.

Perhaps we could live by the hospice taglines of ‘To Care Always’ and ‘Live Every Moment’.

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An 18-month build

Situated in Suffolk Road, Stoke, the new $11.5m Nelson Tasman Hospice was officially opened on 2nd May this year by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Eighteen months under construction, the purpose-built hospice has been largely funded by community donations, and constructed with 10 private inpatient rooms, each with its own garden-view deck.

Hospice CEO Frans Dellebeke is full of praise for those involved with all stages of the project.

“The Nelson Tasman Hospice team is extremely fortunate to have been given such a great hospice facility by the Nelson Tasman community from where it will provide specialist palliative care and services.

“Every single dollar of this purpose-built facility has been contributed by the community; from the amazing $4.2 million

“We need to continue with our fundraising efforts to cover the $1.2 million operational shortfall that is needed to keep providing a great service.”

FRANS DELLEBEKE

bequest from Daniel O’Brien to the $2- coins received in our donation boxes in the Nelson Richmond area.”

He adds that the team members who led the project – Gibbons Construction Ltd, Irving Smith Architects, Canopy Landscape Architects, RLB Quantity Surveyors and project engineer, Josh Kenney – were all fantastic and delivered the project more or less on time and well under the original $14 million budget. “In addition, there was a whole group of subcontractors, all of whom played a huge role in getting us over the line; a truly amazing and humbling effort by all.”

Since the early May opening, hospice staff have been settling in and focusing on the services they provide.

More funding needed

Above: Clockwise - A work in progress as fundraising continues; the stunning new entrance 52

Fundraising is ongoing, says Frans. “We need to continue with our fundraising efforts to cover the $1.2 million operational shortfall that is needed to keep providing a great service. Therefore, please keep visiting the hospice shops, attend the various hospice fundraising events and if possible, make a donation through the Hospice, Days of Care initiative.

“Recently we agreed to provide a specialist palliative care service at the Nelson Hospital, and we are also reviewing how best we can support staff and residents in aged care facilities, across the region; all this while caring and supporting 180 patients and families on a day-to-day basis from our new and more central purpose-built facility.

“Thanks Nelson Tasman. Your support over our 32 years of service is greatly appreciated; we could not do so without your monetary donations, or your donation as a valued volunteer.”

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FA S H I O N S H OWC A S E

When sustainable fashion makes perfect style sense B Y S O N YA L E U S I N K S L A D E N

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ecently, I had a discussion with a good fashion friend about the sustainability movement in fashion.

We agreed it’s great to see initiatives such as the Fashion Revolution challenging the way we think about fashion, and shop for clothes. We also observed that as longtime lovers of great style, but with highly constrained budgets, we were already sustainable in our approach to fashion.

This is not to say that there is no room for improvement – there always is.

What we did however come to see clearly, is that the concept of ‘authentic style’ when combined with budget constraint actually results in highly sustainable shopping habits. Quality over quantity, and a fashion-independent personal style sense, results in inherently more sustainable fashion habits. Here is how that works.

1. Real style is fashion independent.

When you find, and develop, your own personal sense of style, keeping up with and buying into current trends is not a goal. While fashion will still influence and contribute to a stylish woman’s taste, it is not the motivator behind her purchases.

Cultivating an independent sense of style helps women to make choices that are fashion-independent, find treasures when second-hand shopping, and be more immune to slick marketing campaigns promoted by mainstream fashion media. In short, fast fashion doesn’t actually appeal when you’ve got a great individual sense of your own style.

2. Women with real style are armed with self-knowledge. A lot of waste, both financial and textile waste to landfill, occurs when women buy on-trend clothing that doesn’t suit them, or they impulse-buy at sales, based on the amount of discount.

Knowing how to dress in a way that makes a woman look her most wonderful self, 64

One beautiful, flattering and timeless piece that can be owned and worn over a lifetime grants us much more style at an overall reduced cost. and an understanding of the difference between a ‘bargain’ and real value, limits this kind of fashion waste. In short, fewer mistakes are made.

3. Women with real style know how to invest. When affordability drives shopping decisions, ‘fast and cheap’ can be a trap. However, a combination of a strong sense of knowing your own style (1 above), knowing what suits and fits (2 above), with a good dose of economic sense, enables women to take a long-term investment approach to what they buy. One beautiful, flattering and timeless piece that can be owned and worn over a lifetime grants us much more style at an overall reduced cost. Needless to say, this approach will also reduce the environmental footprint.

4. Resourcefulness and creativity emerge with economic constraints.

My hunger for great style has always exceeded my financial means. But this is a good thing, as it has driven me to find more creative ways of achieving my aspirations.

Second-hand shopping becomes a means

for achieving goals around more expensive items. Sewing skills are acquired to mend and alter pieces so that money is not wasted, or even make or copy designs for a lesser cost. Clothing care becomes essential for making things last longer and continue to look good. Thus, the ‘poor’ lover of great style may become a champion for environmental sustainability purely by accident.

5. Women with real style know that while money buys clothes, it can’t buy style. Taking the snobbery out of fashion is a personal crusade of mine. While money certainly helps, it’s a woman’s wit, knowledge, effort and heart that give her style. Understanding this can help women to diffuse the anxiety around wanting to keep up. No, you do not actually need to buy into any brand, label or the latest fashion trend to keep up with so-and-so! You do not need to buy more and more stuff to stay stylish.

You have all you need within you to have great style. Your own style. And this has no dollar value.

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MY HOME

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New-build delivers wish list

BY BRENDA WEBB | PHOTOGRAPHY SARAH ROWLANDS

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anet and Charlie Leith couldn’t find a house to fall in love with when they moved to Marlborough from Nelson more than three years ago.

Instead they opted to build in a new subdivision in ever-popular Springlands, working with Hamish Ryan Construction.

Given it was a house and land package meant the house was already at the concept stage but luckily the Leiths were early enough to be able to work with architect Jorgen Andersen from Arthouse Architects to make sure their needs were met.

Lots of light “We didn’t have a lot of demands but we wanted lots of light and sunlight,” says Janet.

And the 300sq m house, which runs east to west across the section, certainly delivers that in spades with sunlight flooding in from early morning until late in the day.

The huge open-plan kitchen and living area has sliding doors to the east and west, windows to the north and high ‘celestial’ windows running along the eastern wall above the kitchen, allowing ample light in.

1. Colour accents and light oak wooden floors in the open-plan kitchen 2. Lots of windows 3. A spacious lounge overlooking fields of green 4. Modern and sleek with a 6m-long central island 5 The walls are Rice Cake throughout 6. A bold pop of colour defines the front entrance 7. The light-filled kitchen/dining and lounge 8. Large decks built by Charlie

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“We didn’t have a lot of demands but we wanted lots of light and sunlight.”

JA N E T L E I T H

“The celestial windows work really well – we love them.

They open with the flick of a switch and we leave them open for five months of the year,” says Janet.

Janet’s kitchen is modern and sleek with a six-metre long central island. The benchtop is dark Caesarstone and cabinetry on the island is also dark, while opposing cabinetry against the east wall is white (Resene Rice Cake) … a contrast that works exceptionally well. All the interior joinery was done by TH Joinery, Blenheim.

A pop of colour comes with the bright splashback and that is reflected in the Pyroclassic orange log burner which sits in a sunny area to the north of the kitchen with polished concrete floors.

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Versatile flooring “The house has a concrete floor and initially we were going to have polished concrete throughout, but people said it could crack with earthquakes so we just left a small bit and went for light oak wooden floors in the rest of the kitchen and living areas,” says Janet.

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9. Clean lines and contemporary architecture 10. Sliding doors open up the indoors 11. Built for the sun 12. Dark Caesarstone for the massive central island in the kitchen 13. Dark stained cedar is a feature of the exterior

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The bedrooms are all light and sunny with the master having a large en suite with tiled shower and roomy dressing room.

Walls are Rice Cake throughout, providing a blank canvas for the couple’s art including some spectacular pieces of both the Marlborough and Central Otago landscape.

“We kept the colour scheme pretty simple throughout.

Donna (Ryan) was very helpful with that and any other interior fittings, especially when it came to the plumbing.”

The triple garage easily houses the couple’s two cars plus doubles as storage and leads to a large laundry that opens onto the vegetable area. An office, or fourth bedroom, is to the east of the kitchen.

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Built for the sun The exterior of the house is a mix of white plaster and cedar stained with Resene Crowshead, almost black.

Once the house was finished Charlie came into his own, building the large decks which run along the north side of the house, capturing all-day sun. The Leiths used purple heart, a hardwood which is purple to start with but has now bleached to a lovely silvery grey.

Charlie also built raised vegetable beds from macrocarpa in the eastern courtyard, following a landscape plan done by Den Aitken of Aitken Taylor of Blenheim. The whole eastern area is covered with light pebbles keeping weeds at bay and creating a microclimate in which the plants thrive.

Charlie and Janet were previously fruit growers in Central Otago so their garden contains a good selection of fruit including figs, plums, apricots and a feijoa hedge which runs along the north boundary.

The Leiths found the whole building process painless.

“Hamish took us to a few houses he’d built before we started so we knew we had a good builder and he took charge of everything, so it wasn’t stressful at all,” says Janet.

“We are thrilled with the house – it’s lovely to live in and everything works really well.”

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14. Dark stained cedar contrasts with white plaster on the exterior 15. A separate laundry runs off the garage 16. Black and white contrast in a bathroom 17. One of three bedrooms

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MY GARDEN

Take a lesson from the seasons

BY BRENDA WEBB

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s winter approaches, it’s a good time to take a hard look at your garden and decide how you want it to look next season.

For those with established gardens it may be that winter is simply a time to prune, clean up, then sit back and wait for spring to arrive in all its glory. My garden, however, is constantly evolving, and I like to use this time to decide what has worked and what hasn’t which translates into what I will keep, and what I will ditch.

Gardening guru Lynda Hallinan keeps a regular record of her successes and failures and in her Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough workshop last November she spoke about her system.

When she notes a failure she then looks for a reason – ie too wet, too dry, too sunny, too shady.

Once you acknowledge a problem you can set about dealing with it, she said. “It’s

an opportunity to be realistic about what you have in your garden – some things just aren’t worth the space.”

The same principle works in reverse – if something is thriving then grow more of it!

Of course, Lynda lives in west Auckland where too much rain is the issue, whereas here in Marlborough and Nelson this summer the serious problem has been a lack of rain. Gardens have suffered, especially in areas where water restrictions were in place.

Give it a go This is a good reason to follow Lynda’s philosophy and as I carried out my autumn cutback I found myself applying her principles.

The plants that had been fantastic for me over Marlborough’s hot, dry summer included stachys byzantine (lamb’s ear), salvia farinacea (which flowered non- stop from October until April), Iceberg, Margaret Merrill and Sally Holmes roses, perennial geraniums and penstemon.

New for me this year were alstroemeria and achillea and both were fantastic, providing colour and form all summer. In late spring I

Take the opportunity this winter to analyse your garden, cull what isn’t working and grow more of what is.

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scattered several packets of cottage garden seeds in my border which came into their own in late summer. As the geraniums were finishing, my beds became a riot of colour with blue cornflowers, soft pink hollyhocks, pink and blue larkspur and love-in-a-mist filling in the gaps.

For me this season the flops were my hydrangeas. I love hydrangeas and have masses of them planted in a semi-shady area along my driveway. Every spring I loved the show as my white hydrangeas burst into flower, their showy blooms contrasting beautifully with their green foliage while the dark green hostas beneath added texture and colour.

A rethink is in order But the heat this year was too much for my hydrangeas. Even though they are well-mulched, watered and wellestablished, they continually wilted.

Clearly a rethink is in order.

My peonies were another flop. I did get a few blooms but clearly I don’t give them the attention they deserve – despite having more than a dozen plants I didn’t get enough blooms to fill a vase. Luckily we have some amazing peony growers in Marlborough with roadside stalls.

Take the opportunity this winter to analyse your garden, cull what isn’t working and grow more of what is. And remember, the hot dry summer is a sign of things to come, so prepare.

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BY SA DI E HO OP E R | P HO T O I S H NA JAC OB S

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xpert in interior home design, Colourplus Richmond now has a new and unique computer programme designed to tailor clients’ design needs perfectly. Owners/operators Trish and John Gray are delighted to be selected as the first retailer in the world to have access to a cutting edge, virtual reality decorating tool called Patternsnap.

“Patternsnap helps find exactly what any client is looking for with access to an international library of the world’s most beautiful interior design samples,” says Trish.

“With a single click we can share our designs with our clients.”

The programme means that Colourplus Richmond can also create a personal design library, search, save and share amazing interior design samples from all over the world, and view the most up-to-date internationallysourced sample catalogues and brands.

An adjustable 3D house model will allow Trish to show clients exactly how their selected wallpapers, curtains, blinds, carpets, flooring and colour schemes will look in their homes, and enable her to work with them to create bespoke interiors for each and every client.

“We can show day and night views, all rooms, carpeting and flooring too. Everything a client wants and needs.”

Innovative services

Patternsnap is the latest in a long line of creative and innovative services offered

by Colourplus Richmond. Lead by Trish and John, the award-winning team offers the best in interior and exterior decorating and design from its spacious showroom at 4 McGlashen Ave. From new builds to renovations and updates, homes, baches and offices, Colourplus Richmond takes pride in designing and creating individual concepts from planning to completion.

An adjustable 3D house model will allow Trish to show clients exactly how their selected wallpapers, curtains, blinds, carpets, flooring and colour schemes will look in their homes, and enable her to work with them to create bespoke interiors for each and every client.

Above: Trish and John Gray in their Colourplus Richmond store

Trish and her highly trained team of consultants combine extensive backgrounds in the decorating industry with exceptional talent, working with colour, texture and design to enhance clients’ decorating projects. “Our consultants are available in-store or in your home, holiday home or office to discuss all your decorating requirements,” says Trish.

She is passionate about interior design, and has more than a few fashionable creations to her credit. Her interest in creative design started with a career in the fashion industry, working at Quinns. “I picked up a lot of style tips; tips about fashion, textures and fabrics; tips about pulling them altogether and having it look fabulous.

“Even in those days I loved interior design.

Now I use all that experience and put it to use creating bespoke interior looks. I love it; I get myself enthused for each and every customer.”

Colourplus Richmond stocks an extensive range of top quality brands including James Dunlop, Charles Parsons, Warwick, Textilla, Hoad, Unique, Nettex, Maurice Kain, Hemptech and Luxaflex. Add to that Patternsnap and it means it has unrivaled access to even more options, especially the latest international designs. What are you waiting for?

Contact Ph 03 544 6613 www.colourplusrichmond.co.nz

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DINE OUT

Combining enjoyable dining with a trip down memory lane

BY HUGO SAMPSON

Photo: Dominique White

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t’s a tall order combining the demands of café and restaurant these days; juggling menus and maintaining quality and staffing, not to mention the long hours. The Wooden Spoon in downtown Richmond does a sterling job of it though.

There aren’t many choices of where to get a good meal in Richmond unless you are after a curry or a kebab. But this tidy family bistro was welcomingly busy the Saturday night we chose to dine.

The food is created with care and attention, on the premises, and is fresh as. This is the place to go if you want a good piece of beef or fish cooked perfectly, a heady rich dessert, even a retro prawn cocktail, which is what I chose for my entrée, immediately sending us down memory lane and chattering about the old days of dining at Tony’s Steak House in Auckland. Ah, that baked potato with sour cream and coleslaw, those were the days.

I always chose the prawn cocktail with Thousand Island dressing when I ate there. My Wooden Spoon prawn cocktail was better I’m happy to report, especially as the dressing was made from scratch by someone who has honed their seasoning skills. None of the sauce bottle stuff here thank you very much!

My dining companion chose the sweet chilli prawns to start. Generous, juicy prawns, piping hot but not too spicy. Both

“This is the place to go if you want a good piece of beef or fish cooked perfectly, a heady rich dessert, even a retro prawn cocktail …” entrées were generously portioned, so much so that I didn’t think I’d finish mine. Wrong.

So delicious it was I ate the lot.

Mains are fairly classic – herb crusted lamb, scotch fillet of pork, chicken breast stuffed with camembert (another nod to days gone by), a whopping scotch fillet of beef, fish of the day, pasta of the day, and a couple of tasty vegetarian options.

Delicious cuisine It was fish for me, pan-fried with parsley butter, and freshly cooked vegetables.

Excellent. And for the lad, that whopping piece of beef topped with a dark jus, dauphinois potatoes, buttered carrots and green beans. A doggy bag was required so he could fit in one of their luscious desserts.

And luscious they were. I was tempted by the salted caramel cheesecake but realised the error of my

ways and enjoyed a very fine, lighter, tiramisu instead. Across the table a sticky date pudding, light as a feather and served with vanilla ice cream, was devoured with relish.

The wait staff are super friendly and helpful, there’s a reasonable, though not extensive, drinks list but plenty good enough to do. So all in all, a tasty dinner spot.

The Wooden Spoon Restaurant & Café 251 Queen St Richmond. Ph: 03 544 4314.

Café hours vary, visit www.facebook.com/ TheWoodenSpoonCafe/. Cost: $139.00 for two – two entrées, two mains, two desserts, a glass of wine and a beer.

Prego & Comida - two of Nelson’s finest ingredients in one location. Buxton Square, Nelson

Winter is Risotto Season Prego banner – Arborio rice, a good low-sodium stock and locked spot pungent porcini and Neudorf Mushrooms, mix through some creamy Gorgonzola cheese and top with tangy Parmigiano-Reggiano. Perfect!

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Nelson's Mediterranean Pantry In the giant seal & squid building, Buxton Square, Nelson

WELLBEING

Fuelling the Tasman trails …

B Y E M I LY H O P E

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e are so lucky in this region to be surrounded by picturesque mountain biking trails. To ensure you are properly fuelled to enjoy the scenery and ride (not to mention a fast and efficient recovery), read on for some key tips.

Firstly, carbohydrates provide the majority of the fuel your muscles and brain need throughout activity so it’s a good idea to include a wholesome source in your pre-ride meal, as well as in snacks throughout long rides to maintain energy levels. The carbohydrates in food converted into a fuel known as glycogen which is stored in the muscles and liver, which as mentioned above, give you energy!

For the brain, a carbohydrate called glucose is preferred and is important in reducing the perceived exertion of an activity. Put simply, this means you think the activity isn’t as hard which then means you are likely to enjoy it more!

Some wholesome carbohydrate sources are foods such as oats, brown rice, quinoa, starchy vegetables (potato and kumara), fresh and dried fruit and wholegrain/sourdough bread. Ideas as to how you can fit these into a pre-ride meal or snack include:

• Grainy/sourdough toast topped with eggs and greens • A baked potato filled with salad and tuna • Fresh fruit such as bananas or other seasonal fruit • Homemade nut/seed/oat or quinoabased muesli bars • Handful dried fruit/nuts • Peanut butter/honey sandwich • Chunks of roasted sweet potato/kumara • Bliss balls made with dates and nuts Along with food, carrying adequate fluid to ensure you remain hydrated throughout your ride and afterwards is highly important also. Water should be your first choice here, although electrolyte-containing fluids can be useful if your ride is of high-intensity and long-duration and if your sweat rate is relatively high.

Recovery following a ride is also of upmost importance. The immediate recovery period following any activity is known as ‘The window of opportunity’ and is when your body is primed to digest and utilise key nutrients to support an efficient recovery. This means making sure you eat enough food containing key nutrients as well as taking on board sufficient fluid to rehydrate.

Along with prior to activity,

“… protein foods are more effective at enhancing recovery when they are consumed with carbohydrates.”

carbohydrates are important following exercise so that muscle and liver glycogen levels can be restored. In addition, protein-rich foods are vital because following exercise our bodies tip in favour of muscle protein rebuilding which requires sufficient protein. It is therefore important that we provide our bodies with a good-quality source of protein immediately following exercise to provide the amino acids to support muscle protein rebuilding. Protein-rich foods are things such as eggs, nuts, seeds, nut-butters, lean meat, fish and chicken and legumes such as chickpeas. The interesting thing to note is that protein foods are more effective at enhancing recovery when they are consumed with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates stimulate the release of the hormone insulin which in turn stimulates the muscles to take up the amino acids more efficiently.

When looking at recovery snacks that provide carbohydrates and protein (as well as other vitamins and minerals), here are a few nutritious options: • Thick Greek yoghurt with fruit and nuts • Fruit smoothie made with fruit, vegetables, yoghurt and nuts/seeds • Peanut butter and banana wholegrain sandwich • Tuna and a colourful salad on wholegrain toast • Porridge made with milk and topped with seeds and fruit And remember … don’t forget the fluid! www.hopenutrition.org.nz

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MY KITCHEN

Shaved butternut wood-fired pizza with mozzarella and caramelised onions

Winter is here and it’s a great time to test a few new pumpkin recipes. Try this tasty pizza which is ideal for lunch, dinner or a delicious snack.

BY MADAME LU’S KITCHEN

Serves 2 Ingredients Pizza base 1/2 butternut pumpkin 1 large red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar Pitted Kalamata olives 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella Handful of parmesan 2 rosemary sprigs Salt and pepper, to taste Tomato paste Method

1. Preheat a pizza stone to 220c in your oven or hooded BBQ.

2. Place the sliced onion and balsamic vinegar in a

saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook for 10 minutes or until the onion begins to darken and caramelise and the vinegar has been absorbed.

3. Peel then shave the pumpkin into thin strips using a peeler or mandolin. Set aside.

4. To assemble the pizza, spoon a generous amount

of tomato paste on to your base followed by the caramelised onion, making sure it is evenly dispersed. Top with the pumpkin and olives followed by the mozzarella and lastly a sprinkle of parmesan, rosemary sprigs and salt and pepper.

5. Place on the pizza stone and cook for 10 minutes or until the base is cooked through and the toppings are looking golden and well-cooked.

6. Slice into pieces and serve immediately. madamelus.co.nz

DINE OUT

RIVER KITCHEN

FORD’S

HARDY ST EATERY

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e offer relaxed and tasteful dining in the heart of Nelson city. Come and enjoy the fresh autumn menu, created by our team of great chefs. Sit outside at our shady tables and soak up the atmosphere. Our breakfast, lunch and dinner menus have been lovingly crafted using fresh and locally sourced produce. Contemporary New Zealand cuisine at its best.

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81 Trafalgar Street, Nelson Find us behind the Information Centre next to the river 03 548 1180 www.riverkitchennelson.co.nz

276 Trafalgar St, Nelson 03 546 9400 www.fordsnelson.co.nz

136 Hardy Street, Nelson 03 391 0077 www.hardysteatery.co.nz

COD & LOBSTER BRASSERIE

CBD CAFÉ

CHOKDEE

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it in our sunny courtyard and enjoy the best seafood from around New Zealand.

Meticulously mixed cocktails and fresh regional fare — including beef, lamb and venison. Our attention to detail will make your visit to Cod & Lobster unforgettable. Open for brunch, lunch dinner and tapas.

S

ituated in the heart of Blenheim, we are open every day for breakfast and lunch.

We have a delicious range of chef-inspired cabinet food, breakfast and lunch menus.

Homemade pies, sweet treats and salads.

Delicious coffee. Recent winners of the Best Café 2018 - Marlborough.

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300 Trafalgar Street, Nelson 03 546 4300 www.codandlobster.com

The Forum, Queen Street, Blenheim 03 577 7300 www.cbdcafe.nz

109 High Street, Motueka - 03 528 0318 83 Hardy Street, Nelson - 03 539 0282 www.chokdee.co.nz

ituated in Nelson city centre but away from the hustle and bustle, on the banks of the Maitai River. Relax on the riverside terrace in the warm sun or find a seat in the shade. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and freshly baked treats with local wines, beers and locally roasted Sublime coffee. The perfect place to enjoy the Nelson summer.

ardy St Eatery is situated in the heart of the Nelson dining precinct. James and his small team bring many years of international hospitality experience together, delivering modern European food with personal service.

Open Tuesday – Saturday 8am to 3pm and Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 5.30pm. Also available for private functions.

xperience the exquisite and delicious flavours of Thailand. Our food is prepared from scratch, the traditional way, using only the freshest ingredients. We have something for everyone as we cater for a vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free diet, along with your choice of heat.

Takeaways available online at chokdee.co.nz

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Photo: Jim Tannock

WINE

Seriously sauvignon

BY SOPHIE PREECE

F

iona Turner was in the final stages of a Master of Chemistry when a ‘quarter life crisis’ derailed her plans.

She resolved to finish her thesis then travel the world, seeking a ‘lightbulb moment’ to inspire her future. The epiphany struck before she’d even left the country, when a lab manager position at Rapaura Vintners – intended to pay student debt and earn travel funds – turned into a stellar career in Marlborough’s wine industry.

Fast forward 24 years and Fiona is the founder, grower and winemaker behind Tinpot Hut Wines, in a world far removed from pharmaceuticals. She and her husband Hamish grow five varieties on their 20-hectare ‘Home Block’ vineyard at Blind River in the Awatere Valley, and buy in additional fruit from select Awatere and Wairau Valley growers, as well as Hawke’s Bay syrah.

She and Hamish have taken care to build a broad base for Tinpot Hut, with

sauvignon blanc well supported by eight other varieties, including their delicious grüner veltliner, riesling and pinot gris. They are all small projects compared to their sauvignon production, but provide tasty evidence that Marlborough is far more than a one-trick pony.

However, Fiona stresses that the region should never take its best trick – the ability to grow extraordinary sauvignon blanc – for granted. Fiona is on the committee of Appellation Marlborough Wine, an organisation working to promote high quality, 100 percent Marlborough-grown wine, and is frustrated by the proliferation of heavily cropped sauvignon blanc for the bulk market.

Finicky to grow She and Hamish take sauvignon ‘very seriously’, knowing it takes time and effort to make a great expression of the variety. “It is very easy to make poor sauvignon, but it is not easy to make great sauvignon,” she says. The lion’s share of the work is in the vineyard, with a variety that is quite ‘finicky’ to grow, she says. While some grapes are

“It is very easy to make poor sauvignon, but it is not easy to make great sauvignon.”

FIONA TURNER

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Above: Winemaker Fiona Turner

forgiving of vineyard slips, with sauvignon “you have nowhere to hide”.

Their dedication was rewarded in 2017, when the Tinpot Hut 2016 Sauvignon Blanc was awarded 98 out of 100 points in a Decanter tasting, the highest score ever achieved for the variety. It was a great result for the Turners and for Marlborough, with the region receiving several exceptional scores from that excellent vintage, she says.

If 2016 was a good year, 2019 is set to provide more of the same, says Fiona, predicting some ‘phenomenal’ sauvignons from a hot, dry and low yielding vintage. While we wait for those to hit the bottle, here are two of Fiona’s Tinpot Hut favourites:

2018 Riesling - “I am really enjoying this at the moment. It’s fresh and crisp, with lower alcohol. It’s off dry but has a natural acidity so finishes quite dry.”

Fiona prefers this as an aperitif, but it’s also good with the heat of South East Asian dishes.

2016 Grüner Veltliner - If you are a chardonnay drinker, you should try grüner, says Fiona, who loves the way the variety grows in Marlborough. “It’s a bit more complex than your average sauvignon blanc and is a great food wine.”

Photo: Denis La Touche

BREWS

Expansion under way at Mapua

BY MARK PREECE

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long hot spell on Tasman’s Great Taste Trail provided plenty of tourists to Mapua this summer, motivating Golden Bear’s owner and head brewer Jim Matranga to grow his beast. Last month he kick-started a long-planned expansion into a waterside building adjoining his original brewery, restaurant and music venue, marking a steep change for the business.

The bigger better space will take full advantage of its estuary outlook, with corrugated iron replaced by glass, and will allow for an indoor stage for the first time. “This will allow us to play during any type of weather event,” says Jim, who plans to bring bands from the United States to play in the small seaside village.

Above: Jim Matranga weighing grain for one of his many brews

Golden Bear has been a regular Friday and Sunday haunt for those wanting to listen to live music, enjoy craft beer and devour good Mexican food. An upgraded kitchen will up the ante on the variety of dishes served alongside the brewery’s range of beers, says Jim. He has brought in a team of professionals to help implement the change, from construction companies to lighting engineers, and there’s been plenty of input into what the final product will look like. A professional marketer will be recruited to assist with the transition, with everything from website upgrades to re-designing Golden Bear’s labels.

Jim hopes to deliver the final product in time for the brewery’s 11th anniversary at Labour Weekend. In the meantime, he has been busy brewing to ensure there’s enough beer to keep you happy while he focuses on the winter changes.

The bigger better space will take full advantage of its estuary outlook ...

2015 Brewers Guild of New Zealand silver medal winner American Wheat, 4.1% ABV. They say: an American-style wheat beer, dead clear and a pale straw colour. It’s mild on the palate and smooth drinking.

Body Czech Pils, 5% ABV. They say: a clean lager aroma that is crisp and bold on the palate finishing with lasting bitterness from Czech Saaz hops.

Bone Dry Brut IPA, 6.5% ABV.

Here’s a taste:

They say: a very dry, low carb beer from San Francisco. Because it’s dry, it has little ‘body’ and really goes down easily. There’s no bitterness as there are no hops added before the heat is turned on.

Cruise Control, 2.5% ABV. They

Kiwa Oyster Stout, 5.1% ABV. They

say: a fruity beer with pronounced hop flavour and light aroma. For a low alcohol beer this has plenty of flavour.

say: a rich, roast flavour with a finish of saltiness from the live oysters added before the end of the boil.

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T R AV E L

Lord Howe wow-factor

Nelsonians Brian and Hilary Tear have been sailing together for 31 years, recently returning from a four-year voyage around the South Pacific, including Australia.

Brian Tear expands on an island stopover aboard Taranui, a 13.3m New Zealand-designed Ganley.

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he silhouette of Lord Howe Island dominated the night skyline while Taranui lay ‘hove to’ after a three-day passage from Southport, Australia. At sunrise the distinct peaks of Mt Gower (875m) and Mt Lidgbird (777m), together with the off-lying and mystical ocean sea stack Balls Pyramid (551m), were visible.

Simon, the local policeman, directed our yacht by VHF radio through the reef and used his patrol vehicle’s flashing lights as an onshore beacon. It’s supposedly the only occasion these lights are used considering the population of 400 closeknit residents never lock anything. The maximum 400 visitors who feel liberated from such insecurities can relax and enjoy the island’s uniqueness.

After tying up to a pre-arranged mooring, our bikes were land-launched for the first exploration of Lord Howe. The island lies 600km east of Port Macquarie, NSW, and is renowned for its dramatic scenery, lush sub-tropical forest, rare flora and fauna, pristine beaches and abundant marine and seabird life.

In recognition for its scenic beauty and biodiversity, Lord Howe was declared a World Heritage site in 1982. The semi-protected lagoon is the southernmost coral reef in the Pacific.

Commuting on bikes is the main means of transport on the island. Bicycles are readily available for visitors to hire. With the low population, vehicles are few in number and are restricted to a maximum speed of 25km/h. Access is mainly by plane from Sydney or Brisbane, with accommodation available in small lodges well hidden amongst the bush.

Balls Pyramid, lying 20km south-east of Lord Howe, is the tallest volcanic sea stack in the world.

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Bad weather, good fortune Technically, after having checked out of Southport in Australia, visiting Lord Howe was to provision and refuel. However, the weather forecast wasn’t conducive to a Tasman Sea crossing to New Zealand until 13 days after our arrival, giving us ample opportunity to explore this extraordinary island.

One objective was to climb the iconic Mt Gower, which towered over Taranui with its awe-inspiring steep sides and regular orographic (mountain) cloud. The climb is regarded as one of Australia’s toughest but most spectacular day-walks and only accessible with a guide. Jack Schick, a fifth-generation islander, led us and 15 others up the gnarly mountain with hand-rope assisted climbing and impressive drop-offs.

At lower levels the views were stunning before approaching the summit’s cloud cover, which is responsible for the moist forest and unique, relatively untouched flora on the summit plateau.

Above: Clockwise - Mt Lidgbird and Mt Gower form the backdrop to Lagoon Beach; Hilary takes time out with the sooty terns at Blinky Beach Opposite page: Clockwise - Taranui moored inside Man O War passage, dominated by Mt Lidgbird and Mt Gower; Jack Shick safely guides the group down from Mt Gower

“It’s like living inside a David Attenborough documentary.”

I A N H U T TO N , L O C A L AU T H O R

Some of the flora and fauna cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.

Lord Howe boasts more than 170 land- and seabird species living on and visiting each year, hence our close encounters with birds were constant. Red-tailed tropic birds glided overhead in the thermals, while on the dunes behind the beaches noddies and sooty terns roosted in their hundreds.

In the small Lord Howe settlement white terns nest in the Norfolk pines, with the remarkable habit of laying a single egg on horizontal tree branches without a nest. The changing of the guard between parents is a delicate manoeuvre. The endemic Lord Howe woodhen is classified as endangered although a number were sighted, including at the summit of Mt Gower. It looks much like our weka but slightly smaller and darker.

An overlooked island Lord Howe was first sighted in 1788 by Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball, commander of one of the oldest First Fleet ships en-route from Botany Bay to Norfolk Island with a cargo of 15 convicts. Lord Howe was uninhabited and unknown to Polynesian voyagers.

A permanent settlement was established in 1834 as a supply station for the whaling vessels operating in an area known as The Middle Ground and noted for sperm and southern right whales. In 1855, under NSW government administration, a

north passage into the lagoon was dynamited, a school started and the native Kentia palm trade developed. Wild seeds are collected and germinated for export worldwide as an ornamental garden or house plant. Harvesters climb the palm by using a strap between their feet to press around the trunk, then jumping it upward. Visitors can try out the technique during the guided Mt Gower climb.

The pristine waters surrounding Lord Howe are brimming with vibrant and untouched coral reefs and an abundance of marine life, many species of which are unique to the area. The large lagoon on the western side and Neds Beach on the east are easy to access for snorkelling amidst bustling tropical marine life, including close encounters with friendly sea turtles.

Eradicating the ferals Lord Howe’s uniqueness has been studied extensively since the first scientific expedition in 1851 and conservation has been a high priority, with feral cats and pigs eradicated in the year 2000. Rats were accidentally introduced by a shipwreck in 1918 and have wiped out some unique species, previously thought to have included the Lord Howe stick-insect, the phasmid. In 1964, however, a Sydney rock-climber photographed a recently dead phasmid on the remote Balls Pyramid. A research trip in 2001 found 24 individuals surviving on a single melaleuca bush. Two pairs were taken to be bred in captivity. Numbers are now sufficient to release on the main island.

Currently a team led by New Zealand scientists is in the final stages of a rodent eradication project.

Balls Pyramid, lying 20km south-east of Lord Howe, is the tallest volcanic sea stack in the world. In 1964 a Sydney team, which included businessman/adventurer Dick Smith, tried to climb the sheer walls to the summit of the pyramid. They were forced back on the fifth day after running short of food and water.

The following year a team from the Sydney Rock Climbing Club finally made the summit.

Our Lord Howe experience is best summed up in the words of local author Ian Hutton: “It’s like living inside a David Attenborough documentary.” Thirteen days after our landfall a light breeze ghosted Taranui past the dramatic Balls Pyramid to begin a 1774km passage to Picton.

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COME & SEE

THE TEAM

Full workshop servicing all brands Expert advice from people who LIVE and BREATHE biking E-BIKE specialists Over 90 bikes in stock Open 7 days

Looking to improve your mountain biking skills and confidence?

WHEEL WOMAN specialise in coaching workshops for WOMAN beginners, intermediate and advanced riders across the Nelson region.

KRANKIN KIDS is Nelson’s legendary afterschool mountain bike programme for youth.

Also private groups, blokes, jump courses and MTB camps.

www.wheelwoman.co.nz

emma@wheelwoman.co.nz Ph 03 540 2678 027 624 5368

We are located opposite the mall on Queen Street, Richmond

Phone 03 544 5429

ACCOMMODATION Pools | Spas | Saunas | Spa treatments Vegetarian restaurant | Bike hire

e to come and relax A great plac after a day’s biking 99 Martin Farm Road, Kaiteriteri Ph: 03 527 8027 info@kimiora.com www.kimiora.com

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ADVENTURE

Taking up the challenge WildTomato sports columnist Phil Barnes hits the mountain biking trails around Nelson, with guidance from a specialised coach.

PHOTOGRAPHY ANNE KARSCHUNKE

I

enjoy mountain biking on safe trails and like to get into the back country but I was never one for taking on what to me were challenging downhill sections. The adrenalin buzz is great but the fear of crashing is even greater and the consequences too extreme.

To my mind, you could get the equivalent thrill from other sports without the risk. If you come off on a surfboard or on the snow on skis or a snowboard, you are unlikely to get hurt. Generally you just plough into the water or slide along the snow.

But with a mountain bike if you come off rocky trails at speed, you can get seriously hurt.

“Don’t hesitate – follow the line and just go for it,” people would say, whenever I took part in triathlons involving mountain bike sections.

That is easier said than done if you lack confidence and the necessary skills to ride off-road. And my confidence had been further dented after coming off a trail in Spain two years ago when being pressured to keep up with people far more experienced and skilled than myself.

Above: Coach and guide Skye Irwin and Phil Barnes head out on Tantragee Saddle

Help along the way So when Gravity Nelson offered to take me mountain biking in the Nelson back country I was hesitant. However, owner/ manager Alistair Matthew told me if I spent two or three hours with one of the company’s coaches, it would help me regain the confidence to start riding again.

So I met up with coach and guide Skye Irwin to ride on some of the Codgers tracks on Tantragee Saddle.

Skye was both patient and professional. She set me up with a Santa Cruz Nomad bike to suit my weight and height.

The bike was way in advance of anything I was used to and made riding in the hills easier and more pleasant.

Its features included front and back suspension, thick knobbly tyres, powerful hydraulic brakes and a dropper post enabling you to instantly adjust your seat’s height to suit the terrain you are riding on without needing to get off to adjust it manually.

However, despite these benefits you still need the skills to ride up there.

Safety checks Skye firstly took me through a thorough bike safety check. Some of this was basic common sense but not stuff you think to check each time on a road bike. She explained that when mountain biking there was a far greater chance components would get damaged or rattle loose.

So we checked there was no grinding or dirt in the components, checked the suspension and the tyre pressure, the spokes, the brakes and that the quick release levers for the wheels were still secure.

When we started riding the first thing I noticed was the power of the brakes.

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“Just massage them,” she said. “Think of it as if you’re squeezing a tube of toothpaste. You don’t squeeze it too hard or it goes everywhere.

“And only put one or two fingers on the brakes. The other fingers need to be on the handlebars for maximum control.”

We then practised a range of basic techniques on a series of bumps leading into what for me was a tight corner.

These included keeping the pedals level to give safe ground clearance and avoid clipping obstacles, and keeping the chin over the stem of the bike so that the body is over the centre.

Good advice “This gives you safe ground clearance and even weight distribution between the feet. It also makes it easier to make adjustments,” she said.

We covered getting the body into the ‘attack position’ and then going up and down with the bumps built into the track while pushing into the manoeuvre with the arms and legs. We also covered what was termed ‘pumping’ as a way to keep the tyres in contact with the ground and not lose control on the downhills.

I struggle taking tight corners but discovered through Skye there was one major reason for this. Instead of looking at where I wanted to go I was staring at the tight bank ahead of me.

“Look where you want to go and the bike will follow,” she said.

And it did! Just like on a surfboard or snowboard!

Canadian-born Skye has a genuine passion for the sport and her job as a coach and guide. She started mountain biking through her brother who has competed for Canada in downhill events.

In the 18 months she has been in New Zealand she has done several of the major trails including riding the Old Ghost Rd and Heaphy tracks alone, partially in the dark and in the snow.

Then in October she completed the 3000km Tour Aotearoa Trail from Cape Reinga to Bluff with her 64-year-old father.

“We took 33 days to do it and took just one day off. That was in Nelson so we could get our bikes serviced and repaired.”

She says she loves the lifestyle.

“All mountain bikers tend to be similar in terms of their values and lifestyle.”

“Look where you want to go and the bike will follow.”

S K Y E I RW I N

Death road Her boss, Alistair, has an even more colourful background. Before returning to New Zealand two years ago he spent nearly 20 years in Bolivia. He founded the first mountain bike company to start taking people down Bolivia’s world famous camino de la muerte, known as ‘death road’ in English.

The road starts high up in the Andes at 4950 metres and descends to the tropical jungle. Alistair estimates he has biked down it at least 1200 times. Several impressive videos can be viewed on the company’s website including television features on Australia’s ABC and 10 News networks showing him guiding thrillseeking tourists down the windy narrow road with massive drops over the edge and no safety barriers.

Skye and Alistair say the Nelson/Marlborough area has so many top-class mountain trails that it is a pity more people are not using them.

As a way to encourage more people into the sport, Gravity offers coaching for either groups or individuals covering such skills as cornering, jumping, drops and pumping.

It also hires out bikes, provides a shuttle service to the trails, does bike repairs and guides riding trips on many of the region’s tracks.

I undoubtedly picked up some useful riding tips and will certainly feel more confident riding in the hills in the future.

Above: Clockwise - Coach Skye Irwin guides Phil down one of the Codgers tracks on Tantragee Saddle; gaining confidence 84

Other options for hitting the trails

T

he Top of the South has several other businesses that offer mountain bike coaching, including some specialising in women’s coaching and children’s coaching.

Tasman-based Wheel Woman offers beginner, intermediate and advanced mountain bike coaching with workshops for women looking to improve their mountain biking skills and confidence in a supportive all woman environment.

Krankin’ Kids offers a youth coaching programme for after school and holidays for 7-15 year-olds. Visit www.krankinkids.co.nz

Other websites to check out include: • • • •

www.mtbskillsclinics.co.nz www.mtbtrailstrust.org.nz www.sporttasman.org.nz www.gravitynelson.co.nz/coaching-clinics/

NEW

STORE

G

OPENIN

In conjunction with Electrify NZ, we’re excited to be opening our new store at 82 Bridge Street on 1 June. With bikes to suit all styles - drop in to see the range and grab a test ride. www.revbikes.co.nz

RIDE

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155 Trafalgar Street, Nelson (Opposite Westpac) | 03 548 7655 info@suithire.co.nz | suithire.co.nz

03 544 7166 | www.villagecycles.co.nz 85

SPORTS

Pedaling her way through adversity

BY PHIL BARNES | PHOTOGRAPHY AIMEE MACQUET

N

elson mountain biker Zoe Nathan is continuing an amazing run of form since recovering from major spinal surgery which at one time threatened her ever riding a bike again.

In late March Zoe, 17, finished second in the under-21 section of the Crankworx event in Rotorua. The event was the first round of the eight-race Enduro World Series which attracts top mountain bikers from around the world.

Zoe had to qualify to take part in the series and did so by winning the Phoenix Enduro in Christchurch in February which was the final round of the Continental Series.

Also this summer, Zoe finished second in the under-19 section of the New Zealand cross country champs and won the under-19 South Island cross country champs.

Five years earlier she was diagnosed with severe scoliosis. Muscles on the side of her spine were being compressed into a lump as a result of her spine growing in an S shape.

86

Surgery only option

Torso brace

She was told if she did nothing about the condition, the curve in her spine would worsen and eventually compress other organs.

The only realistic option was to have major back surgery.

“Titanium rods and screws would be used to forcibly straighten the curve and hold my spine in place and donor bone would be used to fuse the spine,” she said.

She says she worried about how safe the operation would be and whether there was a possibility of being paralysed if it went wrong.

She was on the waiting list for a year and during that time her spine curvature increased from 52 degrees to 78 degrees.

Two surgeons eventually performed the operation in Wellington, fusing 10 of her vertebrae.

However, the outcome was not what she or the surgeons expected.

“My lumbar spine still had a significant curve which meant my tailbone was five centimetres off centre from the base of my skull. This meant a long, intense rehabilitation.”

Six weeks later she was back in Wellington having her torso coated in plaster to have a brace made in an effort to further straighten her spine.

“The brace was awful. It feels like it is crushing you, pressing in on your rib cage and squashing your lungs.” Even breathing was an effort.

She wore the brace for eight months, the first five of which she had to wear it 20 hours a day.

Zoe finished second in the under-19 section of the New Zealand cross country champs and won the under-19 South Island cross country champs.

She says even though she was on painkillers, she was still in considerable pain.

She had to relearn to walk as her spinal imbalance tipped her sideways.

When she returned home, she couldn’t get in or out of bed and needed help to get dressed.

She was unable to go to school for five weeks and then started going part-time.

However, she was back on her mountain bike after four months, promising the surgeons she wouldn’t go on tracks where she might crash. Riding was hard as she had lost so much fitness. So she started with small distances.

Back into it When she was finally allowed to take the brace off, Zoe was able to increase her training and compete in her first national mountain bike race – the New Zealand secondary schools champs in Dunedin.

She had no expectations.

“I was just going to do my best and see how I went.”

Incredibly, against all odds, she won.

She still remembers the feeling of disbelief that she hadn’t bombed out and all her hard work had paid off.

“How could I possibly have won?

“I finally realised that I deserved to do well, that I had put in the work, gone above and beyond to ensure that I could ride my bike again and ride it fast.”

The successes continued.

In 2017 she finished second in the under-17 New Zealand cross country champs and won both under-16 sections in the South Island downhill and cross country events at the secondary schools champs.

In 2018 she won both the NZ cross country champs and the under-17 UCI Oceania champs.

The following year, because her parents knew she would shortly have to undergo major back surgery, they hurriedly organised a family trip to mountain bike some of the world’s best mountain bike trails at Whistler and Lake Tahoe.

Training and exercise Inspirational message However, Zoe says the results didn’t matter so much as what she went through in being able to get back competing.

She has an inspiring message for others who may encounter similar challenges.

“I am not a super rare sort of person. I believe anyone can do what I have done.

With some effort, attitude and support, anyone can overcome their difficulties and succeed if they really want to.”

Zoe started mountain biking early as both her parents were keen mountain bikers, and began competing age 11. Six years ago she went mountain biking with her parents in the French Alps using ski field chairlifts to get up in the mountains.

She says there was a huge network of chairlifts leading to some ‘awesome tracks’.

It’s now three and a half years since her operation. Zoe says although she still has restricted upper back mobility, it doesn’t impact much on her riding.

It took a year for the fusion to take effect. She has been told that while there is a slightly higher risk of her suffering a bad injury if she crashed than with other riders, the medics do not consider this risk to be so high that they need to prevent her mountain biking.

“I think in life we have to take risks.

I took a risk in trying to normalise my situation, by getting back on the bike and pushing myself to succeed and it paid off.”

Zoe spends 12 to 15 hours a week training doing a combination of mountain biking and gym work. She also does yoga to help with her flexibility.

Above: Zoe Nathan in action Opposite page: Zoe is all smiles and back in winning form

While she may take part in the odd local race, she plans to spend the winter doing endurance training and building up for the next summer season to compete in national level enduro and cross country events.

Her coach, Andy Reid from Village Cycles in Richmond, wants her to improve her wet weather riding skills and to build her upper body strength.

To help meet the high costs of bike equipment, travel and accommodation while competing, she has a role as a brand ambassador for the biking company Specialized.

She says this support, along with the advice of Andy Reid, has helped her step up her racing.

Meanwhile, Zoe is in her final year at Nelson College for Girls and plans to study law at either Canterbury or Victoria University next year.

87

MOTORING

Hybrid SUV worth a rave

BY GEOFF MOFFETT

R

emember the first RAV4s of about 20 years ago? Stumpy, often threedoor and funky. As the first of the compact SUVs they were all the rage with people about town. Toyota hit on a winning formula, selling 40,000 in New Zealand.

But the RAV4 sure has changed. The fifth iteration of the model, launched last month, includes a plug-in hybrid and, having driven it, I can only ask: why buy a petrol? The new RAV is all grown-up and family-sized – and all for the better. The hybrid is a terrific car.

It looks good, it’s very good to drive, easy on fuel and carbon emissions and has all the tech you could want.

Only Mitsubishi (with the plug-in Outlander) has another SUV with partelectric drive and Toyota is claiming a towing first for a hybrid; rated for up to 1500kg braked, the same as the petrol model, you can take the caravan camping, or hitch up the trailer for weekend chores.

Surprisingly, perhaps, being electric – or part-electric – is nothing new for the RAV4. A plug-in all-electric version was produced from 1997 to 2003 for fleet lease, primarily for the US market.

But this latest model is set for the mainstream, underlining Toyota’s philosophy (Prius apart) of producing part-electric, part-fuel driven cars. It

makes sense in a marketplace where buyers want to reduce fuel use and embrace the latest technology but are worried about range with full electric cars and don’t want to pay Tesla and co prices. The RAV4 hybrid starts at $38,990 and tops out at $47,990 for the Limited all-wheel drive model with all the trimmings, $1k more than the top range petrol model, the Adventurer.

Environmentally friendly Both models have in-line four-cylinder engines, but the RAV hybrid has a trio of electric motors – two at the front and one at the rear axle – giving all-wheel drive via a continuously variable transmission.

The internal combustion engine produces 131kw, increasing to 163kw when combined with the hybrid system. Toyota claims combined fuel consumption for the hybrid of 4.8 litres per 100km and carbon emissions as low as 112 grams per kilometre.

While you can feel better about the environment from behind the wheel, you’ll also enjoy the ride. The RAV is impressive on the road, with a glued-tothe-tarmac feel thanks to 4WD and new multi-track rear suspension and wider front and rear tracks. It performs well, giving rapid passing power with a sports

The hybrid is a terrific car. It looks good, it’s very good to drive, easy on fuel and carbon emissions and has all the tech you could want.

88

mode (you also get EV, normal and sport modes) for particularly perky punch.

The 4WD system also has a selector for different road conditions.

Equipment is excellent, too, with a 9-speaker audio system in the Limited along with sunroof, 7-inch touchscreen, smart key entry, a wireless charger for your phone and power back door.The new RAV4 hybrid is one of the more impressive mid-size SUVs I’ve driven lately and it wouldn’t surprise if it makes it into the finals of car of the year for 2019.

Tech spec Price:

RAV4 hybrid Limited AWD $47,990. Hybrid GX, $38,990, Hybrid GXL, $42,490. Petrol variants start with GX 2.0 litre $34,990 to 2.5 litre Adventure $48,990.

Power:

RAV4 hybrid 163kw combined with 2.5 litre petrol and electric motors.

2 litre petrol 127kw, 2.5 petrol 152kw.

Fuel:

RAV4 hybrid, 4.8l/100km combined. 2.5 litre petrol 8.5l/100km combined.

Vehicle courtesy of Bowater Toyota

89

The proof is on the paper B Y C AT H I E B E L L | P H O T O G R A P H Y T I M C U F F

N

elson Forests Ltd contractor Rai Silviculture values its workers.

Owner and director David Koubek encourages all staff to continue to learn and supports them to gain qualifications.

Silviculture is hard, physically demanding work. Workers are out on the hillsides of the Top of the South, working in all conditions, planting trees, thinning, pruning and spraying, making the pine forests the best they can be for harvest.

But while they are working hard, the crewmen working for Nelson Forests Ltd contractors Rai Silviculture are also learning.

Last month, five Rai Silviculture workers were awarded level 3 certificates in different aspects of silviculture in a special ceremony in Renwick.

90

“… these are the guys setting the standard for forestry. They’re going to be the leaders.”

DAV I D KO U B E K , R A I S I LV I C U LT U R E

Rai Silviculture owner and director David Koubek is originally from the Czech Republic.

He has made a home and a business here, and he is passionate about the forestry industry and its benefits for people.

As part of that, he actively encourages his staff to continue learning and to study for qualifications to demonstrate their skills.

And the awards ceremony gives him an opportunity to demonstrate that, with

support from Nelson Forests Ltd and training provider Competenz.

Setting the standard

David says each of his workers has achieved something really special and that was worth celebrating.

“That’s what forestry is,” says David, “and these are the guys setting the standard for forestry. They’re going to be the leaders.”

Nelson Forests managing director Lees Seymour says forestry is a great industry.

“It trains people, and it provides opportunities for people to earn an income and to learn new things.”

He congratulated the five workers on their achievements, saying they should be proud of their hard work.

“It’s not easy work, this is a great achievement.”

Speaking at an event to celebrate the five workers, Lees said that he himself started in silviculture at 15 years old.

“My father encouraged me to get skills, to get the certificates I needed to do the job. He wanted me to do it well and to do it safely – like you guys today. This achievement is fantastic.”

Competenz’s Tom Snodgrass says he enjoys watching an employer like David developing his staff.

WT + NELSON FORESTS

“He’s developing a work environment that people want to be in, one that suits everyone in that environment, where it stays the same as people move in and out.”

Addressing the crew, Tom added, “There’s a challenge for you guys in that environment – follow in his footsteps, get in his slipstream, take opportunities.”

Impressive growth

Nelson Forests forestry planner Denis Parsons manages day-to-day silviculture operations, including planting, thinning and spot spraying. He works with Rai Silviculture and visits the crew once a week.

Denis says he’s impressed with how David has run his company, growing from three staff when he started to the multiple crews he now has.

David’s ability to recruit staff is a big positive for Nelson Forests, Denis says.

“Without David, we’d be struggling to achieve our work programmes. We set him personnel targets and he achieves them.

That’s a big thing.”

David encourages his staff to “aim for something”, Denis says.

“He encourages training. He likes to see them make it through. He likes to see this sort of thing happening.”

Another thing that David does which really benefits Nelson Forests is that his staff are all trained firefighters, Denis says.

“Almost all his guys were in Nelson with the recent fires. Silviculture guys are always sought-after at fires because of their physical capabilities.

“That’s a big plus for us, knowing we have good cover during incidents of that kind.”

Recognition

Two of the five men recognised at the recent event for their training achievements are foremen of crews with Rai Silviculture – Shane Grant and David Alifeo.

David Alifeo is from the Solomon Islands, and has been here 12 years, working for Rai Silviculture for the past six years.

He says that study wasn’t really a focus where he came from.

“You just do the thing and learn from experience. Here, they will recommend you do a certificate. It’s quite different. I’m really happy about it.”

He plans on doing more study.

“I’m keen to keep going till I know everything and qualify.”

Shane Grant says he has been in the forestry business for 20 years, but this is the first crew he’s been in that has encouraged him to get qualifications.

“They can tell other kids when going on school trips, my dad planted those trees.”

J O S E VA N AWA QAVO N O VO N O , R A I S I LV I C U LT U R E

“I’ve been here with David for three and a half years and I’ve finally got it. I’m pretty stoked really.”

It’s recognition of hard work and enjoyment of the job, Shane says. He plans to do more study towards other qualifications.

He says the study is on the job, but also takes a bit of time after work as well.

“I have three young kids at home, I’m trying to do the books – it takes a bit. My partner is a qualified early childhood teacher.

She puts the kids to bed and she helps me.”

He says the stuff he’s learnt over the years means he has been able to give the guys on his crew a hand.

Two of the crewmen – Michal Milotinsky and Ladislav Rehorek – are from the Czech Republic.

Michal says he came to Marlborough because a friend was working here.

“In the Czech Republic, I played ice hockey. I quit, thinking about what would be next, then he called me and I came here.”

The friend got him a meeting with Dave, and for the past four years he has been working at Rai Silviculture.

“At the beginning, it was hard, but with ice hockey, I had some fitness.”

Ladislav says language was a barrier for him, but the guys on his crew helped him a lot.

“The guys support me a lot, they taught me from the beginning.

“I started five years ago. The first month, I wanted to give up, I wasn’t fit. It was really hard. I was a prison guard in the Czech Republic, so working here was quite different.”

He has worked at Rai Silviculture for five years now, and says he is ‘so happy’ to get his qualification.

Above: At the award ceremony, from left to right, Rai Silviculture director David Koubek, crew members David Alifeo, Shane Grant, Michal Milotinsky, Ladislav Rehorek and Joseva Nawaqavonovono Opposite page: Clockwise - Out on a work site, crew members, from left to right, Brett Wratt, Adam Case, Jovesa Kasami, Shane Grant, Rex Debabaki and Josiah Waqanavalu; Shane Grant takes off his waist pack after a morning’s work

“I would like to do more study; I would like to carry on. The company is very supportive.”

Industry options

Joseva Nawaqavonovono says he loves working in the forestry industry.

It was hard when he started four years ago, when he didn’t know anything about the job, but he was helped by others.

“Now I get to help other people, now I’ve got experience. This gives me options to help others learn how our industry works.”

Joseva and Shane both cite providing examples for their children as key.

Shane says his ‘young fella’ is six years old and loves forestry and its tools.

Joseva says when he and his children drive to Nelson or Kaikoura, he shows them the forestry plantings.

“I show them the hills; show them all the trees I have planted. They can tell other kids when going on school trips, my dad planted those trees.”

Contact www.nelsonforests.co.nz

91

BOOKS

Books to curl up with This cooler weather is surely a great excuse to curl up with a good book. Suggestions compiled

by Renée Lang.

Frances Hodgkins:

European Journeys Mary Kisler & Catherine Hammond

Not just about the quakes

BY RENÉE LANG

A

lthough Rosie Belton left Nelson for the wider world back in 1968, her ties with the community here have remained strong. This was borne out by the impressive attendance at the launch of her latest book, Living with Earthquakes and Their Aftermath, at the Suter Gallery recently.

For the best part of the last four decades Rosie and her husband Mark have lived in Governors Bay, Christchurch.

Their property, comprising a house they designed themselves and an impressive garden, gives them great pleasure and was the catalyst for Rosie’s second book, Wild Blackberries: Recipes & memories from a New Zealand table (her first, Just a Bang on the Head, tells the story of her head injury and subsequent recovery).

Rosie’s habit of writing in a journal was the basis of her new book, which is a very personal account of life for her and her immediate family in Christchurch during and after the first earthquake in September 2010. Of this method of writing, she notes that she’s got journals dating back to when she was 14: “It’s obviously a method I use when my mind is full of things and I somehow get them down in written form to go back to later.”

After she’d been recording her thoughts and feelings about the quakes for about a year, it occurred to her that these entries could form the basis of a book. However, there were many more quakes and related events that she and her fellow Cantabrians had to endure before the book became a reality.

Initially concerned that ‘earthquake fatigue’ might affect sales, particularly so long after the initial quake, she has been delighted with the overall interest in the book, especially from those who have had no experience with earthquakes. As for those who did live through it, quite a number have already told her that the book has served as an affirmation for them.

... many more quakes … she and her fellow Cantabrians had to endure before the book became a reality.

Above: Author Rosie Belton 92

Available now, $75 Auckland University Press

D

id you miss Mother’s Day? Maybe you can make it up to her with this collection of glorious full-colour reproductions of Dunedin-born Hodgkin’s work during her time abroad. It’s a handsome and beautifully produced book, offering a rich visual chronology edited by two of New Zealand’s most experienced art curators.

The Note Through the Wire Doug Gold Available now, $36.99 Allen & Unwin

E

ven after all these years, life-changing World War II stories emerge from time to time and serve to keep these tales, often of great bravery and love, alive. Despite being told in novel form, this one is actually the true story of two people who, despite meeting in war-torn Europe when their futures looked so uncertain, later built a life here on the other side of the world.

The Gendered Brain Gina Rippon Available now, $40 Penguin Random House

D

oes your sex really determine your skills and preferences, from toys and colours to career choice and salaries?

Neuroscientist Professor Gina Rippon not only says it’s time to move beyond a binary view of our brains, but she goes on to demolish the idea of biology as destiny and the myth of the male or female brain. It’s an agenda-setting, myth-debunking book that makes fascinating reading.

Your eyes say it all You can regain your confidence with Eyelid Surgery or Blepharoplasty

HÖGLUND GLASS STUDIO & GALLERY

Before

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

Makers of Nelson art glass since 1982.

VISITORS WELCOME – OPEN DAILY 10 TO 5

52 Lansdowne Road, Appleby, Richmond Ph 03 544 6500

www.hoglundartglass.com

After

Eyelid surgery is a procedure in which excess upper eyelid skin is removed and excess fat in the upper and lower eyelids is reduced.

Excess eyelid skin makes the lids feel heavy and applying make-up difficult. In some cases it can effect peripheral vision.

Blepharoplasty nowadays is carried out with local anaesthetic supplemented by oral sedation. Most people find this very comfortable. The procedure is done as a day stay procedure at our day stay surgical facility. A return to work can be planned for 5 to 7 days.

We provide 24/7 post-op on call, and post-operative care indefinitely to ensure you’re well looked after.

CURRENT EXHIBITION

We also offer the following procedures: Facelift and necklift | Breast augmentation, breast lift or reduction | Otoplasty (ears) | Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) | Liposuction | Cosmetic/Medical tattooing; eyeliner, eyebrows, lips, areola/nipple

Level 2 - 105 Collingwood St (Collingwood Centre) Phone: 03 548 1909 Email: nelsonplasticsurgery@outlook.co.nz Visit nelsonplasticsurgery.co.nz for more information

ON DISPLY NOW UNTIL 30 JUNE 107 Harley Road, Tasman, Nelson

www.frostandfire.co.nz 93

ARTS

Art brings faith into focus

BY JOHN COHEN-DU FOUR

Traditional techniques From 2012-14 David was head of NMIT’s entire Creative Industries programme.

“But I had this growing need to create a specialised space – for exhibitions, but also for art learning focusing strongly on traditional technique.”

When the right building became available David made his move, setting up Atelier as a not-for-profit organisation to best ensure it would achieve its two main outcomes.

“The gallery’s purpose,” he explains, “is to provide opportunities for people to engage with contemporary visual art created by established and emerging artists of faith.”

David is quick to distance this from the kitsch, one dimensional ‘Christian art’ that serves an evangelical agenda.

Above: David James with Mine Eyes, 2019 (work in progress), graphite, ink, and shellac on Fabriano 300gsm paper 94

Photo: Dominique White

O

ne year ago this month David James opened Atelier on the corner of Trafalgar Square and Selwyn Place. The space features an everchanging gallery of exhibiting artists, and is also a busy learning studio.

David is no slouch when it comes to educating artists. He has served our region well since arriving in Nelson as a teenager in the ’90s to complete his Diploma in Visual Arts at NMIT. He worked as an NMIT technician and curator for its art collection, before becoming a tutor, teaching everything from drawing to painting, photography to video.

From 2005-2007, while still working full-time as a tutor, David earned his Master’s Degree with First Class Honours through Auckland’s AUT, creating a video installation entitled ‘Non-Space’. “It was about the spaces in life often considered devoid of meaning,” he recalls, “areas transitory by nature, like stairways or subways.”

An interesting choice given David’s attraction to art that serves to bring faith into focus.

“… currently overseas there’s this big upsurge in the Atelier approach, where students hone their essential art skills.”

DAV I D JA M E S

“Art is meant to nourish the soul,” he says. “Contemporary artists of faith offer a unique voice and authentic expression that engages and explores the diverse issues and themes of life informed by their individual experience and personal relationship to God. “It might be messy, emotional or political. It could be challenging, beautiful, highly personal. It may not sit easily with religious types, even upset the status quo, but it also offers moments of illumination.

Whatever narrative the artist explores, or responds to, is an essential and necessary perspective to engage with.

“And it allows conversation,” he adds.

Atelier’s other primary focus is its studio, where David’s teaching background comes to the fore.

Honing drawing skills “Modern learning establishments have tended to focus on art’s ‘creative process’ – the flow from idea to exploration to production,” he says. “But currently overseas there’s this big upsurge in the

Atelier approach, where students hone their essential art skills.

“This predominantly means drawing – developing awareness of modeling light and dark, understanding tonal planes, and the importance of accuracy and observation.”

The Studio offers mid-week art classes, arts mentoring, intensive Arts Incubator workshops and a collaborative space in which to create.

It is one of the few places in the region where students can regularly draw from the human figure – a rich tradition in the development of drawing technique.

David hopes to take things even further.

“I envisage providing a one-year ‘Academy Programme’ that grounds the teaching in practice, where students learn right alongside the tutor doing it with them.

After all, this was the standard vocational practice for European artists from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century.”

One thing seems certain – Atelier’s students have both David and history on their side.

IN THE GALLERY

June’s top creative picks If you’re looking for something special then check out these options from our local galleries and artisans.

1 1. Georgina Hoby Scutt, Maitai River Path, acrylic on linen, 100 x 120cm, Red Gallery, Nelson, 03 548 2170, www.redartgallery.com, POA 2. Jens Hansen, Legacy collection sterling silver ring with cabochon cut tiger eye, www.jenshansen.co.nz, $1190 3. Gaylene Barnes, Trinity Resonance 2019, gold & rose juice on paper, Origins Exhibition, ATELIER Studio Gallery, 329 Trafalgar Square, www.atelier.org.nz, 021 166 8327 4. Roz Speirs, Golden Glow, fused glass, Wall to Wall Art, 112 Bridge St, Nelson, 027 500 5528, www.clarityglass.co.nz, $245 5. Charisse Papworth, Fascination, acrylic inks, Forest Fusion, Mapua Wharf, 022 091 8380, www.forestfusion.com 6. Darryl Frost, Rustic Vase, 270mm h x 175mm w, 021 983 808, Frost and Fire Gallery, 107 Harley Rd, Tasman, www.frostandfire.co.nz, $450

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95

MUSIC

It’s a happening thing

BY PETE RAINEY

N

ow that NZ Music Month has been and gone, it’s interesting to see what June brings to the Top of the South music scene.

In a word it’s a pretty eclectic.

So here goes.

Why not kick off winter with a weekend at the Mussel Inn checking out the Wellington Sea Shanty Society on Saturday 1 June, and their alter egos indie popsters Vorn, and electro posters Lake South on Sunday 2 June. The Shanty Society has a great website – should be fun.

It’s a busy weekend with a burlesque cabaret on Saturday 2nd and Jordan Luck Band and Ekko Park on Sunday 3rd at The Playhouse in Mapua.

If you’re quick you can catch the last performances of Nelson College for Above: Wellington Sea Shanty Society on stage 96

Girls’ season of Witches of Eastwick at the Theatre Royal in Nelson till June 1st, and the wrap-up gig for the Ceol Aneas Irish Music Festival at the Nelson School of Music on Sunday the second.

The Theatre Royal continues its rather spooky June season with Dracula the Bloody Truth from 12 - 15 June, and the Aussie production of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Room on the Broom (my kids must know that word for word).

Penny Ashton returns to Nelson with her Jane Austen inspired Promise and Promiscuity on Saturday the 22nd, and popular Dunedin songwriter Mitch James performs two shows on 27th and 28th – but they’ve probably sold out by now.

The fabulous ASB theatre in Blenheim presents the Pink Floyd Experience on Sun June 2, the 7 Days team on a Winter Road Trip on Wednesday June 12, and the Marlborough Civic Orchestra with a great concert on Saturday June 22 (including Saint – Saens’ Carnival of the Animals).

If you’re hankering after a bit of jazz – take in the Nelson Jazz Club’s winter jazz sessions at the Waimea Club on Sunday June 2, 16, and 30 from 3.00 - 5.00 pm.

The NCMA continues its very busy

“… our fragile arts infrastructure needs ongoing support.” year with a jam-packed June featuring lunchtime concerts by local singer songwriter Bryce Wastney on June 6, combined Nelson Colleges chamber orchestra on June 20, and the two cello Schubert Quintet on June 27. The popular Sunday afternoon celebration series continues with Douglas Mews at the organ and harpsichord on June 9, a bevy of orchestras in the Orchestral Pathways concert on June 23, and an end of term Student Showcase on Sunday 30 June.

The Nelson City Council will be deliberating on Annual Plan submissions from the 4th to the 6th of June. Let’s hope they are true to their word and encourage city centre development by fully supporting our fabulous Theatre Royal and Nelson Centre for Musical Arts. The demise of the Ghost Light Theatre is a sobering reminder that our fragile arts infrastructure needs ongoing support.

We can all play our part by supporting concerts and shows – and this June it seems there is plenty of opportunity to do just that.

FILM

A feast of Italian films

BE WARM THIS WINTER WITH NZ-MADE POSSUM AND SUPERFINE MERINO

BY EDDIE ALLNUTT

Cinema Italiano Festival

C

iao movie lovers! A collection of Italian films will be projected at Nelson’s Suter Theatre between 14th and 28th June; twenty movies from contemporary to classic, crime to comedy, and yes, romance.

Italy has a rich cinematic history having won the most Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. It’s a country known as the birthplace of art cinema, producing avant-garde films and films that concentrate on the stylistic.

South Island’s top third has a strong relationship with Italy and watching these films will further immerse you in its culture, colour and history while being lighter on the wallet than a weekend in Rome.

All films are in Italian with English subtitles, so the lyrical beauty and acting quality aren’t lost in translation.

Here are just a few slices of this cinematic pizza to whet the appetite: There is no Place Like Home (2018) opens the festival. This comedy-drama-romance reunites a large family in an island villa.

All goes well until a storm forces them to hunker down, which brings out their true feelings and emotions for one another.

For something with bite, Dogman (2018) is R18 and is a revengedrama that’s set in Rome’s crime-ridden outskirts. A dog groomer gets mixed up with a neighbourhood menace and the results raise hackles. Directed by Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah), it’s been described as one of the best Italian films of recent times. Marcello Fonte as the protagonist won Best Actor at Cannes for his role.

Surrealist comedy-drama 8½ (1963) lets you into the mind of Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini and it’s revered as his finest work. It won Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards in 1964.

Essentially, it follows a film director embarking on his next project while close to having a nervous breakdown. Fellini cleverly uses the character, Marcello Mastroianni, to explore his own fantasy.

The Girl in the Fog (2017) bases itself on the eponymously titled best-selling novel by Donato Carrisi. Carrisi interestingly not only adapted the script for the film but directed it too. It’s in the crimethriller genre with a European cast including Toni Servillo, Galatea Ranzi and Frenchman Jean Reno. Anna Lou suddenly disappears from a small village in the Italian Alps and detective Vogel (Servillio) gets called in to investigate and things get complicated quickly when Vogel, against the clock, tries to find the truth in his enigmatic way.

My Big Gay Italian Wedding (2018) is a comedy set in an old, exquisite Italian village and immerses the moviegoer in Italian idiosyncrasies. In this movie of matrimony, Antonio brings his fiancé Paulo to meet his staunch parents and to open up about his sexuality. The question is, can Antonio’s family – founded on religious tradition – understand that love is love?

Finally, for those after an art house drama, Happy as Lazzaro (2018) focuses on two quite different young men who form a bond to orchestrate a kidnapping with a twist.

So raise a prosecco for the Dollars Trilogy, Morricone, giallos, Loren, Fellini, Pedersoli and the new generation on offer at Cinema Italiano. Cin cin!

Above: Still from Dogman

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EVENTS

Regular Markets

Nelson Tasman Wednesday 19 Wig Wednesday

Every Saturday morning The Nelson Market 8am to 1pm

Don a wig and show your support for the Child Cancer Foundation’s Wig Wednesday. A national event, it’s open to everyone, schools and organisations included, with participants being sponsored. Don’t mullet over!

Register for Wig Wednesday at www.wigwednesday.org. nz or call 0800 424 453 for more info.

MONTGOMERY SQUARE

Every Sunday Motueka Market 8am to 1pm DECKS RESERVE CAR PARK

Every Wednesday Nelson Farmers’ Market 8.30am to 1.30pm

VARIOUS VENUES

JUNE To Sunday 9

KIRBY LANE

Simpson (fiddle) and Pat Higgins (whistle). From 7pm to 9pm.

NELSON CENTRE OF MUSICAL ARTS, NELSON

Perception 6 A group exhibition by six new members of The Nelson Suter Art Society. Six different perceptions of life and the world around us from Bonnie Coad, Michael Doyle, Joanna Dudson-Scott, Ynes Guevara, Jane Hibbert and Dharan Longley. Open 9.30am to 4.30pm daily.

THE MCKEE GALLERY, NELSON

Wednesday 5 & Thursday 6 Creative Flax Weaving & Dyeing Workshops Weaving projects for beginners, intermediate and experienced weavers. Wednesday 12pm to 3pm, Thursday 9am to 4pm.

Venue may change.

TRAFALGAR HALL, NELSON

Saturday 1 to Sunday 9 Founders’ Annual Book Fair A huge variety of second-hand books, DVDs, vinyl records, puzzles and games at bargain prices. From 10am-4.30pm daily.

FOUNDERS HERITAGE PARK, NELSON

Sunday 2,9,16, 23 & 30 Archery Have a Go If you’ve always fancied having a go at archery, then this is your chance. Instruction and gear provided. Cancelled if wet. From 10am to 12.30pm.

ARCHERY PARK, CABLE BAY, NELSON

Sunday 2 Irish Music Festival The Festival Highlight Concert will feature Eileen O’Brien (fiddle), Mary McNamara (concertina), Angela Usher (banjo), Dougal Adams (flute), Caleb Chia (guitar), Declan 98

Thursday 6, 13, 20 & 27 Open mic night with Ron Valente Golden Bay’s cheery band of spontaneous musos — locals and travellers — perform in Takaka on Thursday nights, from 9pm.

THE BRIGAND CAFÉ & BAR, TAKAKA

Saturday 22 Promise and Promiscuity A new musical by comedienne Penny Ashton based on Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. In this hilarious, one-woman show, Penny tackles all of Austen’s characters with song, dance and appalling cross-stitching.

Starts 7.30pm.

THEATRE ROYAL NELSON

Thursday 6 & Sunday 9 Warren Miller Films Screening the Face of Winter, a tribute to the late Warren Miller who helped create and capture the magic of skiing. Thursday 6pm, Sunday 7pm.

STATE CINEMA, NELSON

Friday 14 Italian Film Festival Opening Night

of Sir Walter Buller’s iconic book A History of the Birds of New Zealand, coinciding with the current exhibition on the same topic at Nelson Provincial Museum.

9.30am to 4pm.

ELMA TURNER LIBRARY, NELSON

Thursday 20 Author Event: Getting Off The X by Jo Patti

Buller’s Birds-themed Wikipedia Edit-a-thon

Join American author, educator, explorer and New Zealand citizen, Jo Patti, as she returns to Aotearoa for a special book tour event.

Author of two books, Kismet, a volume of poetry, and Getting Off The X, a collection of non-fiction stories about risk-taking and getting out of danger — including her own personal story of tragedy — Jo has deep connections with Aotearoa.

An interactive workshop to improve Wikipedia’s coverage

PAGE & BLACKMORE BOOKSELLERS, NELSON

The opening night film is A Casa Tutti Bene (There is No Place Like Home). From 6.30pm to 9pm. Festival films will also screen Saturday 15, Wednesday 19 and Wednesday 26 at varying times.

THE SUTER THEATRE, NELSON

Saturday 15

EVENTS

Regular Markets

Marlborough

Every Sunday Marlborough Farmers’ Market 9am - 12pm

Tuesday 4 Marine Field Day

The Sunday Marlborough Farmers’ Market is based on supporting local, fresh and seasonal produce and products. Everything at the market has been picked, grown, farmed, fished, produced and made by the people selling it at the market.

See why Marlborough Girls’ College students won the Marine Category of the 2019 Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards. Hear about their campaign for special legislation to improve protection of the Marlborough Sounds and their plans for the future.

9.30am to 12pm.

A&P SHOWGROUNDS

MARLBOROUGH RESEARCH CENTRE, BLENHEIM

JUNE Saturday 1 to Monday 3 Havelock Craft Fair Arts, crafts, food and drink stalls at this popular three-day event.

Saturday 10am to 4pm, Sunday & Monday 10am to 3pm.

TOWN HALL, HAVELOCK

Sunday 9 Rarangi Beach clean-up Celebrate World Ocean Day with a beach clean at Rarangi Beach.

Meet new people, enjoy the beach and give back to our treasured ocean. Take solid footwear, gardening gloves, sunscreen, and water. 10am to 12pm.

COMMUNITY HALL, RARANGI

Saturday 8

Wednesday 12

Intro to using a printing press

7 Days - Winter Road Trip

An adults-only introduction to using a printing press, tutored

by Sudhir Duppati. Materials supplied. 10am to 4pm.

Be in the audience for the filming of 7 Days. See Jeremy Corbett do his best to control things as Paul Ego, Dai Henwood, Josh Thomson, Urzila Carlson and special

MARLBOROUGH ART SOCIETY ROOMS,BLENHEIM

Sunday 9 Mt Vernon Grand Traverse Run or walk and enjoy spectacular views at the same time. Registrations start at 9am. 10am to 11.45am.

WITHER HILLS MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK, BLENHEIM

guests, dissect the week’s news.

6pm to 8.30pm.

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH, BLENHEIM

Wednesday 12 to Saturday 22 Crazy Ladies

By Devon Williamson, this comedy showcases five women who meet up for a reunion in a motel. Add in a couple of men to complicate matters and the recipe for mayhem is complete. Sunday matinee 4pm, other shows 7.30pm start.

TOWN HALL, HAVELOCK

Saturday 15 Pink Ribbon brunch Enjoy a special lunch and help raise funds for the Breast Cancer

Foundation NZ. Bookings are essential and spaces limited.

11am to 3pm.

ARBOUR RESTAURANT, MARLBOROUGH

Saturday 22 Carnival - A Family Orchestra Festival See and hear the Marlborough Civic Orchestra performing the fabulous Carnival of the Animals and other orchestral treats.

Featuring guest soprano Olivia Sheat performing some fabulous classics. From 7pm to 9pm.

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH, BLENHEIM

Saturday 22 Latin Dance Party Dust off your dancing shoes and get ready to move ‘n’ groove the night away to the latest Latin music of salsa, bachata, cha-cha, merengue, rueda de casino, zouk and kizomba. 8pm to 11.55pm.

HARLEQUINS RUGBY CLUB, BLENHEIM

Sunday 23 Marlborough Wedding Fair Ideas galore for that special day with advice, tips and experts all in the one place. 11am to 3pm.

MARLBOROUGH CONVENTION CENTRE, BLENHEIM

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M Y E D U C AT I O N

Communication is key Olivia (Qin) Wang is in her final year of a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. She speaks with NMIT creative writing student Hannah Dawson about life as an international student in Nelson, and her plans for the future.

PHOTO BY DOMINIQUE WHITE

Why did you choose to study at NMIT? I did a lot of research. I have a couple of friends who study in Auckland and one friend in Wellington, and I talked with my family. Now, lots of Chinese study in Auckland and in big cities. If I studied in Auckland, most of my classmates would have been Chinese, so I wouldn’t have had much chance to speak English. I’m proud, I love my country and I like speaking Chinese, but when I come here (to New Zealand), I prefer to find a place where I can practise more and improve my spoken English.

What opportunities to work in your field of study have there been during your time at NMIT? I worked at Oxygen Skincare, a local skincare company. I was doing some Chinese marketing stuff and also some accounting jobs like creating invoices, payroll and pay runs using Xero. I worked for them for one year and I finished there in March this year. Now I work for Pic’s Peanut Butter World.

What is your role at Pic’s?

I’m a marketing assistant. Pic’s Peanut Butter World is a fun place to learn and work, and it has a good environment and business culture. I love to communicate with people, rather than sit in the office. I’m interested in marketing; that’s (partly) why I chose to study accounting. I hope I can have my own business in the future and if I learn more about accounting, I can manage and organise better for my business.

How do you think NMIT has prepared you for work?

I think the tutors helped me a lot. I’m the kind of person who likes to talk with the tutors, so I told them my plans for the future and asked them to give me some recommendations.

They told me the pros and cons of each career path that I’d like to take once I have graduated. SANITI (NMIT’s independent student association) also helped me to modify my CV when I was looking for a job.

What advice would you give to other international students?

Don’t be shy. We should communicate with classmates, and with tutors, more. That’s the first step, I think. Feel free to ask people any questions because it doesn’t matter. I recommend international students to stay in touch with more local people rather than staying with their own group. You have to be positive and active and talk with others, because no one knows what you are thinking.