WildTomato March 2021

Nelson Tasman and Marlborough’s magazine /

ISSUE 173 / MARCH 2021 / $8.95

Summer fun & sun - get out there and enjoy!

- BEST LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE APAC INSIDER BUSINESS AWARDS 2020 -

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Business Longevity Building Neighbourhoods Hopgoods’ Chef Destination Taranaki

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+ Scary Smartphones + Local Cricket

Everything was seamless “From the moment we sat down with Debbie, we knew she was the one that would sell our home.”

– Fiona & Nigel

Debbie Cooper

Jacqui Miller

Wendy Lindbom

021 0252 8294

027 327 3619

03 546 4706

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

HOMES FOR SALE Appleby Fields $765,000

Lot 488

Mapua $895,000

Lot 32

Vanessa Clark 027 733 1409 vclark@mikegreerhomes.co.nz

Jordan McConnochie 027 426 7951 jmcconnochie@mikegreerhomes.co.nz

Rose Manor $949,000

Hill Street $829,000 Lot 3

Lot 79

Dave Chambers 027 572 1958 dchambers@mikegreerhomes.co.nz

Emma McCashin 021 682 787 emccashin@mikegreerhomes.co.nz

SHOWHOMES: 1 Piwakawaka Drive, Stoke & 17 Rose Manor Drive, Blenheim

03 544 7873 mikegreerhomes.co.nz

Nelson Tasman and Marlborough’s magazine

Features Issue 173 / March 2021

26 Business longevity Editor Lynda Papesch takes a look at some of the longest surviving businesses across the Top of the South

38 Helping neighbours make strong bonds

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Taking a neighbourly interest often plays a major role in fighting mental health. Annabella Garwood reports

42 Scary smartphones Skirmante Akinyte explains how your smartphone knows so much about you and how to protect your data

INTERVIEWS

12 My Big Idea

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A contemporary jewellery event in Nelson’s CBD is the brainchild of Kay van Dyk. She tells us all about it

20 Local Connection A new Nelson Tasman charitable trust aims to assist motivated young people to make a significant difference to our world. Jacqui Walters explains what the Kāmahi Trust is about

22 Rising Star Amy McKinnon documents the rise of our local independent female filmmakers

24 Event Showcase The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Tutus on Tour comes to Nelson and Blenheim this month.

Siobhan Waterhouse reports 4

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Columns Issue 173 / March 2021

FASHION

45 Just beachy Stylist Amy McLeod and photographer Aimee Jules head to Cable Bay for inspirational sun, sand and surf

LIFE

52 My Home Lynda Papesch explores a home that blends its owners’ varied ethnicity into a colourful living environment

58 Interior Trends

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With winter fast approaching, Darren Watts comes up with some suggestions for creating a cosy living space

60 My Garden Bringing the outdoors in using plants adds instant appeal to interiors, writes Annabel Schuler

61 My Wellbeing Keeping healthy as you age means paying attention to what you eat and drink, says nutritionist Emily Hope

62 My Education Jonathon Carson meets a student upskilling her career in education with a management qualification from NMIT

64 My Kitchen Roasted summer vegetables with lentils and cider vinaigrette is a simple and quick salad to whip together, from Madame Lu’s Kitchen

65 Creative Chef Award-winning chef Aaron Ballantyne from Hopgood’s talks to Frank Nelson about keeping it fresh, local and seasonal

66 TOP Drops – Brews Mark Preece catches up with Funk Estate brewery, the latest label in the Brandhouse stable

70 Torque Talk WildTomato editor Lynda Papesch drives a quirky retro Italian classic car

71 Club Profile Tim Murdoch profiles the Nelson Cricket Association

72 Motoring

68 Destination Taranaki A trip to “the Naki” is worth every extra kilometre, writes Renée Lang 6

Renée Lang talks with author Rebecca Hayter about her latest book

77 Music Nelson band Sonoraw produces an awesome sweet sound, says reviewer Eddie Allnutt

Reviewer Kyle Cassidy takes a shine to the new Citroen C3, facelifted for 2021 REGULARS CULTURE

ACTIVE

76 Books

74 Art Writer John Du Four finds an artist who is introducing new sculpting opportunities to Nelson Tasman

8 Editorial 10 Opinion & Love Local 11 Noticeboard 14 Snapped 75 Galleries 78 Events

MARCH EVENTS FRIDAY 5 MARCH

RAS JUDAH & CULTURE EMBASSY 8pm till late - Tickets $15 FRIDAY 12 MARCH

FOOTLOOSE CEILIDH BAND

8pm till late - Tickets $15 adult/ $10 school aged/ $40 family FRIDAY 19 MARCH

THE DESOTOS

8pm till late - Tickets @ www.eventfinda.co.nz.

Pre-sales $15 (+bf) / door sales $20 SATURDAY 20 MARCH

SUNSET SOUNDS

3pm to 8pm - Tickets $30 includes a sangria or soft drink

www.nelsontickets.nz/products/sunset-sounds-at-the-boathouse

FRIDAY 26 MARCH

ANNA CODDINGTON

8pm till late - Tickets $44.54 ($41.50 + $3.04 fees) www.eventfinda.co.nz

www.theboathousenelson.co.nz 7

Editor's letter

Editor

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Design & art direction

arch is already here and for many the year is shaping up to be much better than 2020.

Talking with local business people, especially those in the hospitality industry, the buzz is that they’ve had a busy holiday season and it is continuing.

School-age children and teenagers are now back studying, so it is the turn of holiday makers with preschoolers and also the on-their-own boomers to have their holidays. Takaka in Golden Bay is one example of a town facing its second and third wave of visitors.

Not that people there are complaining. The steady influx is bringing much-needed revenue to bolster the local economy and as always across the Top of the South, the residents are only too happy to share and show off our wonderful regions.

For locals and visitors alike there is so much to see and do, so get out there while the days are still warm and sunny (usually).

The biodiversity of the regions is a major attraction. Marlborough, for instance, has been identified as one of five centres of biodiversity in Aotearoa New Zealand, due to the concentration of native species, some found only in that region.

Throughout Nelson Tasman and Marlborough, there is a new biodiversity energy with all manner of organisations starting projects or assisting with them. One such is Marlborough’s Working for Nature/Mahi Mō Te Taiao Fund which in its inaugural year has awarded environment grants to 20 projects across Marlborough to protect and restore native habitats.

The Marlborough District Council received applications from community groups and landowners from small-scale plantings in forgotten vineyard corners to wide-scale goat control in the Marlborough Sounds. Four projects were fully funded with the other 16 co-funded by other sources. Overall, more than $200,000 was requested which exceeded the $70,000 fund in its first year. The next round of applications will open in the second half of 2021 and see the fund increased to $90,000.

With climate change and its predicted effect on plants and animals, it is gratifying to see the expanded interest from the community to enhance and protect our natural environment, not just in Marlborough and across Nelson Tasman but also across the whole of New Zealand.

If we all play our part, big or small, surely it will make a difference.

LYNDA PAPESCH

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

Hester Janssen design@wildtomato.co.nz

Contributors

Skirmante Akinyte, Eddie Allnutt, Jonathan Carson, Kyle Cassidy, Chelsea Chang, Elora Chang, Olly Conway, Camille Countryman, Tim Cuff, Maureen Dewar, John Du Four, Vibeke Friis, Annabella Garwood, Emily Hope, Keegan Jeffries, Aimee Jules, Renée Lang, Michele Lines, Brent McGilvary, Amy McKinnon, Amy McLeod, Tim Murdoch, Stef Naldi, Frank Nelson, Anthony Phelps, Mark Preece, Mark Rawson, Ray Salisbury, Annabel Schuler, Jess Shirley, Kyla Tinetti, Kay van Dyk, Jacqui Walters, Dominique White, Darren Watts

Advertising manager Carrie Frew 021 190 7120 carrie@wildtomato.co.nz

Business development Marlborough Mark Brown 027 438 2388 mark@wildtomato.co.nz

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

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

Publisher

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 Read online at wildtomato.co.nz/read

Changing Threads Exhibition

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hanging Threads is an annual contemporary art award and exhibition that showcases fibre and textile art.

This year, the prize pool has been increased to $10K, making it New Zealand’s premiere textile award. Over the years, artists from all around the country have entered the award with works ranging from the spectacular to the sublime, often using materials not usually seen on art gallery walls – from woven plastic bags and twisted wires, cleverly used to make works ranging from traditional art-on-the-wall to sculpture.

The works in Changing Threads have an impressive range so that the exhibition itself has really broad appeal. It’s perfect for people who don’t usually go to art exhibitions, as well as being a definite favourite with regular gallery-lovers.

The exhibition is on at The Refinery ArtSpace until 20 March.

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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.

Cover photography at Cable Bay, Nelson, by Aimee Jules and styled by Amy McLeod

WildTomato magazine is printed by Blue Star Group (New Zealand) Limited using, vegetable based inks and environmentally responsible paper. Printed on Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified stocks, papers made of Mixed Source pulp from Responsible Sources.

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OPINION

Facing our challenges together B Y M A R K R AW S O N

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y the time you read this, I will have left the Nelson Regional Development Agency (NRDA) to take up a new role as Regional Director (Waikato) with Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities. This is an opportunity for me to share some reflections over the past four years of being at the helm of NRDA. When I first began this job, the NRDA was a new entity formed after the amalgamation of Nelson Tasman Tourism and the Economic Development Agency.

It was a new chapter for economic development in the region and a chance to build on the good work of others to create an agency that delivered for Nelson Tasman.

Collective power Economic development is about far more than marketing and storytelling – it’s about helping to create an environment that will support the improvement of the wellbeing of the community in which you serve. NRDA is a team of dedicated and hardworking people who are passionate about this place and its potential – they are in service of the collective power of this region and spend their days finding new

Love local Watch out for this

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pper Moutere free-range egg producer Willow Creek Farm will feature on TVNZ’s Country Calendar programme on Sunday 14 March.

Willow Creek has three chicken sheds for its laying girls; each with a large shed where the chickens lay their

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and innovative ways to collaborate with others to champion that while tackling the current challenges we are facing.

In terms of challenges, few rate as highly as the Covid-19 pandemic. In a region underpinned by the primary sector, tourism and many small businesses, we knew our risk profile going into the Covid-19 pandemic was high and that quick and considered action was essential to insulate ourselves against the worst impacts.

Optimism abounds As we now know, our country’s combined efforts meant our Covid-19 strategy is now the envy of many around the world.

The initial impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown were, and continue to be, very real for many – businesses are having to close and people in our community have lost their jobs.

But we have reason to be optimistic – the community stepped up to support local businesses, our domestic visitation has been stronger than ever, we saw a number of expats returning to live here and our primary sector has continued to perform well.

In amongst that, the housing market has continued to fire with skyrocketing house prices and soaring demand. This is a bittersweet situation – the activity and investment flowing around housing and construction is great news for building local demand in the economy, but housing supply and affordability is a major challenge that we are facing right now.

eggs, feed and drink. The sheds are open 24/7 for the girls to roam around their paddock and enjoy their free range life!

Not only do the hens have great accommodation, but there are also spectacular views from their paddocks in Wills Road.

Views from the farm include Mt Arthur in the Kahurangi National Park, which Willow Creek Farm has used on its egg packaging.

Willow Creek Farm is also home to WildTomato photographer

Mark Rawson

In good hands We are not alone in this challenge, but few realise that Nelson Tasman is one of the worst in the country when it comes to housing affordability – right behind Auckland in fact. It is undoubtedly one of the biggest handbrakes for the region in attracting talent and retaining young people who are suitable for the high paying jobs we desperately want to encourage here. This issue needs an urgent collective effort from the region; we can’t just say that it is too hard and leave it to someone else.

Nelson Tasman will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you to everyone who helped, assisted and supported me and my team at the NRDA throughout the last four years. The agency is in good hands and I have no doubt it will continue to go from strength to strength.

Hei konā mai!

Aimee Jules, who will feature in the Country Calendar documentary along with other family members.

Facebook: Willow-Creek-Farm

NOTICEBOARD

NZSO treats Blenheim to three special concerts

Breeding success for kākāriki parrots

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ive more rare and endangered yellow crowned kākāriki parrots have been successfully added to the wild population in the Marlborough Sounds.

EcoWorld Aquarium and Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre bred and participated in releasing the five kākāriki on to Pūangiangi Island in the Marlborough Sounds earlier this year.

Pūangiangi Island’s wildlife conservation consultant Peter Gaze

High altitude boat show delivers a fun day out

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iwis running short of “staycation” ideas should check out Nelson-Marlborough’s NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show on 6 and 7 March. Held annually since 1999 at Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park, the show delivers a fun day – just as you’d expect from a boating event 640m above sea level.

says the kākāriki seem to be settling well into their new home and their progress will continue to be monitored.

Boaties tow their prized originals, restorations and rebuilds from right around New Zealand, each boat with its own story to tell. The boat show, from 10am to 4pm both days, is at Kerr Bay, St Arnaud and features displays on land in the morning, a sail past, an afternoon of racing on the lake and an awards dinner on Saturday night. www.nzclassicboats.com

he New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Te Tira Pūoro o Aotearoa will perform three concerts to delight all ages in Blenheim on 12, 13 and 14 March. Internationally acclaimed conductor and NZSO Music Director Emeritus James Judd will lead the orchestra, first on 12 March with a daytime concert for Marlborough schools of Sergei Prokofiev’s enchanting Peter and the Wolf.

On 13 March, the NZSO presents a unique Relaxed Concert.

The grand finale, Town and Country on 14 March, is an exciting selection of music inspired by the serenity of the countryside and the bustle of towns and cities.

The concerts at ASB Theatre Marlborough are part of the NZSO’s national Setting Up Camp tour.

Tickets are available via nzso.co.nz or ASB Theatre Marlborough.

New Zealand’s largest mural unveiled

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t 150 metres long and eight metres high, the vast mural now spanning the entire western wall of the New Zealand Maritime Museum on Hobson Wharf in Auckland’s Viaduct is quite a feat for Napier artist, Cinzah Merkens.

Known for his work with Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, an international public art programme that features today’s most renowned contemporary artists creating large-scale public murals that address pressing environmental issues facing the oceans, Cinzah’s murals can be seen throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and the world.

“The ocean is incredibly important,” Cinzah says, “and creating this mural has given me a chance to highlight, on a grand scale, what’s so beautiful about it and what must be protected, and its relevance to our people and culture.”

A life-sized humpback whale and giant octopus along with marine life

found in our waters, such as hammerhead and mako sharks, kahawai, and snapper swim amongst sea grasses and other ocean habitats. Matariki and other significant celestial navigation markers fill the night sky, with Auckland’s iconic Rangitoto presiding majestically in the background.

The flowing waves representing the journeys our ancestors made to Aotearoa are enhanced by depictions of the waka hourua Haunui and the brigantine Breeze, two vessels that are berthed in the Maritime Museum marina where they educate visitors about voyaging skills from both Māori and Pākehā traditions.

Where do you read yours?

Victoria Wilks of Porirua (but originally a Marlburian) reads her copy of WildTomato as the sun is setting and her children are happily playing at Parapara Beach, Golden Bay. Send your image to editor@wildtomato.co.nz If your photograph is published, you will receive a 12-month subscription to our print magazine.

ONLY JPG FILES ACCEPTED, MIN 1MB

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MY BIG IDEA

A sparkling idea comes to fruition B Y K AY VA N D Y K | P H O T O S T E F N A L D I

What is your big idea?

Nelson Jewellery Week is an inaugural contemporary jewellery event that will be held in the Whakatu Nelson CBD from 26 March until 04 April 2021. NJW will showcase a broad range of innovative regional and national events including artist exhibitions, makers workshops, public talks, community workshops, interventions, and social events. The central idea and objective of the project is to situate current contemporary jewellery within the Nelson region, and to provide an opportunity for the community to experience and engage in this largely unrecognised field of art and design.

Where is it being held?

NJW’s events, to be held over 10 days, will take place across a number of venues including the Suter te Aratoi o Above: NJW project manager Kay van Dyk wearing Project 21’s necklace from its exhibition Exquisite Corpse 12

Whakatū, NMIT, Craig Potton Gallery, Make/Shift Spaces, Viewfinder, Nelson Regional Museum, Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith, and Shine.

emerging artists with professional practice, with mentors come from all over the world to collaborate with and support these artists.” (Deckers, 2021).

How did this event originate?

Who is involved?

In 2019, Refinery ArtSpace invited HANDSHAKE Project to produce a new exhibition for its annual gallery events programme. HANDSHAKE Project, initiated by jeweller and educator Peter Deckers and Hilda Gasgard, is a national contemporary jewellery project for emerging contemporary jewellers and their mentors.

In its 10th year, Deckers and Gasgard invited past and present HANDSHAKE jewellers and mentors to create handmade chain in an exhibition called CHAINReaction: HANDSHAKES at the Refinery. Fifty makers will participate, with each maker contributing between 1.5 to 3 metres of chain which will be interlinked to fill the gallery space.

HANDSHAKE can be described as “an experimental bridge that connects

NJW was initiated in response to this contemporary jewellery exhibition, with the goal of creating a broader context as well as wider participation in the field of New Zealand/Aotearoa jewellery.

Jewellery artists include Shelley Norton, Lisa Walker, Project 21, Jessica Winchcombe, Elfi Spiewick, Isaac Ibbotson, Victoria MacIntosh, Kelly McDonald, Warwick Freeman and Karl Fritsch.

Exhibitions and events can be found at www.nelsonjewelleryweek.nz, It’s On, and on Instagram and Facebook. A map of events can be found online, at the Refinery ArtSpace and participating galleries and venues.

For more information visit: www.nelsonjewelleryweek.nz or find us on Instagram and Facebook.

Join our executive chef

MICHAEL MCMEEKEN in a private cooking class at the chef’s table at Falcon Brae Villa.

Classes can be tailor-made to suit your interests.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 10.30am to 2.30pm Sundays: 1pm to 4pm

Nelson Property Press

Serious about property.

Min class size: 2, max 6 Cost $250 p/p

Pre-bookings essential Ph: 03 522 4479 | E: info@falconbraevilla.co.nz

www.falconbraevilla.co.nz

Available around town every Thursday and online at www.propertypress.co.nz

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Snapped WildTomato goes out on the town …

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Adam Chamber Music Nelson Centre of Musical Arts, 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. Jane & Richard Kempthorne

5. Brian Finch & Pat Love

2. Paul & Sheryl Baines

6. Roger & Catherine Taylor

3. Richard Carver, Michele & Helen Lloyd, Raphaella Carver & Chris Finlayson

7. Clare Russell & Russell Walmsley

4. Peter Ziegler, Gabrielle Samols & Ursula Ziegler

9. Helen Philpott & Ruth Proctor

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8. Jeremy & John Hall

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9 Enjoy Nelson’s iconic café 204 Hardy St, Nelson 03 545 8555

www.lambrettascafe.co.nz 14

SNAPPED

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2 Sika & Koffie Concert Fairfield House, 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. Grant Curtis, Annika Wagenhoff & Naoko Curtis 2. Jacky Abbott, Angelika Klotz & Fran Mitchell

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3. Maggie Apulu, Lynda Davenport, Catherine Brosnahan & Pujari Dickson

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4. Fred Archer & Sika 5. David & Claire Souter 6. Selene Mundle & Shane Ferguson 7. Sharma & Fern Campbell 8. Tom Soldan & Loren Pasquier

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CONTEMPORARY MEN’S JEWELLERY Designed with guys in mind but no reason why the ladies can’t join in!

Find our studio & workshop at 238a Queen St, Richmond | Ph 03 544 9293 | Visit www.rocs.co.nz | Follow us on 15

SNAPPED

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1 Tasman Asian Food Fair Washbourn Gardens, Richmond 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. Trisha Pyakurel, Om Maisuria & Resika Sapkota

5. Claudia Fortaleza & Garima Pakhrin

2. Charlie, Pete, Nicky & Polly Dowling

6. Ken Allcott & Jan Moore

3. Wendy Barrett, Lorraine & Luca Murdoch 4. Chelsea & Johnson Goodlet

7. Maria Busching & Tong Yupho 8. Nikita Puri & Priya Nimmagadda 9. Arif Matthee & Lynette Salisbury

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SNAPPED

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2 Blenheim CBD Summer Market Town Centre, Blenheim

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANK NELSON

1. Nicky McNabb, Vicky Phillips & Robyn Cahill 2. Colette Brick, Graham Barrell, Shirley Morrison & Victoria Barrell

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3. Amanda Clark, Winnie Pope & Beatrice Dimond 4. Kayla Stephens & Theresa Pollock

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5. Mary & Chris Bezant 6. Maegan Watson & Georgia Brydon 7. Hinewai Bell & Abbie Summerscales 8. Stefano Riela & Fiona Gilmour

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#TGIF THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY! Happy hour every Friday from 4pm to 7pm.

Poolside happiness at Quench Restaurant & Bar inside Chateau Marlborough Hotel.

• Specials on selected beers, wines, bubbles and • Great way to have end-of-week drinks with your cocktails. Live music by local legend ‘LITTLE T’. work colleagues, to catch up with friends or hang out with your family.

• Poolside BBQ menu every Friday – our chefs cook • Bring your bathers and sun hat! delicious local and seasonal casual-style plates.

Call 03 578 0064 to book your lounger, lilo or table!

#TGIF – thank God it’s Friday – every Friday.

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SNAPPED

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1 Rapaura Springs Bloom in the Boom Garden Fête Churchill Glade, Blenheim PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTHONY PHELPS

1. Louise Dunning, Anna Laugesen, Nadine Cross & Rachel Jackson

4. Carmen Gimpl & Brendan Kearney

2. Paul & Lesley Corbett, Sally Rax & Peter Bassett

6. Lee Cochran and Coralie Pinhal

3. Tracey & Denis Hammond, Isaac Allen & Laura Hammond

5. Kay Jenkinson & Sandy Inwood 7. Glenys & Vincent Twose 8. Dermot O’Connor & Michele Cox 9. Ian Henderson & Penny Cliffin

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SNAPPED

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2 Marine Expo Ackerman St, Port Nelson P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y R AY S A L I S B U R Y

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1. Pete Herrick, Annette Nistor & Wayne Harrison

5. Neville Shields, Phil Inn & Jo Kara

2. Kyle Turner, Amanda Kerr & David Delaney

6. Adrian Mullan & Graeme Richards

3. Jaryd Wilson, Ian Woolfe & Andi Waddington

7. Darren Cox & Pete Kara

4. Susan Chalmers & Paul Giles

9. Rosie Musters & Rosie Furniss

8. John Knox & Lisa Cooper

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Waterfront Location

At Bay Vista Waterfront Motel all our units are located right on the water’s edge overlooking Waikawa Bay and only a short walk to the nearby café/restaurant located at the marina.

Use our discount code “waterfront” to get $10 OFF per night when you book via our website.

Phone 0800 229 847 or visit www.bayvistapicton.co.nz 19

Photo: Tim Cuff

LOCAL CONNECTION

The Kāmahi Trust – nurturing young change-makers B Y J A C Q U I E WA LT E R S

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new charitable trust designed to support young people seeking to make a significant difference to our world has been launched by Nelson-based leadership and development coach, Rebecca Mason.

The Kāmahi Trust aims to provide monetary and mentoring support to individual recipients and projects that have a notable and positive environmental or social impact.

The events of 2019 were the catalyst for the formation of the Trust.

“For me, it was about witnessing young people around the world becoming active around climate change,” says Rebecca, “but their response wasn’t just about protesting, it was also about making positive steps in an area of passion.”

For more than 20 years Rebecca had regularly given coaching scholarships to young people, but now realised she wanted to leave more of a legacy. Rebecca also believes that having someone supporting a young person’s sense of purpose and desire to make a difference can and will have an enormous positive impact on the recipients of the Trust.

Rebecca grew up in a distinguished household. Her father was the playwright Bruce Mason and her mother the well-known gynaecologist and obstetrician, Diana Mason. The Kāmahi Trust continues a tradition of giving started by her parents.

Prior to becoming a Genratec (NZ) coach, Rebecca had a background in education, human resources management,

Above: From left, Rebecca Mason and Jessie Cross at Queen’s Gardens in Nelson Opposite page: From left, Jessie Cross and Rebecca Mason during a coaching session 20

The Kāmahi Trust aims to provide monetary and mentoring support to individual recipients and projects that have a notable and positive environmental or social impact. and general management. She worked for a crown-owned company for many years as a senior manager, human resources manager and acting CEO on occasion. In 2010, Rebecca and her husband moved to Nelson from Wellington.

“Throughout my life and different careers, my major focus has been to make the world a better place by making a difference to the people I work with and come across in my daily life,” says Rebecca.

“This has been through the values of kindness and courage, and a strong commitment to developing myself and others.”

Choosing the name Kāmahi for the Trust captures those values, says Rebecca.

“The Kāmahi is a quiet achiever. It’s a little-known tree that is thought to be the most abundant forest tree in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Kāmahi produces many seedlings; so it’s a metaphor for what’s possible through a Trust designed to support young people. It is a nursery species, meaning it creates the right environment for the taller tree species to grow – again, a perfect symbol for the Trust.”

An enriching journey

The Kāmahi Trust’s first recipient is Jessie Cross. After finishing university in 2015, Jessie worked as a lawyer, and travelled the world with an international education social enterprise. After she

“When you have a cause and a passion you can’t give everything to it all of the time without recharging your own batteries.”

lost her job due to Covid-19, Jessie built “The Not So Redundant Club” to support people who have lost their jobs or businesses due to Covid-19, completed a yoga teacher training course, and started working for the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum, before receiving the inaugural Kāmahi Trust coaching scholarship.

She is now the beneficiary of a full scholarship to the Genratec MasterLiving Coaching Programme and six months of coaching from Rebecca. Since the development of the MasterLiving Programme began 25 years ago, thousands of people in New Zealand and internationally have benefited from it and highly recommend its effectiveness. “The programme is an enriching journey designed to support people to create the future they want, through support, wisdom, and a unique methodology,” says Rebecca.

“I came across Kāmahi at a time when my career was at a crossroads,” says Jessie, “and I really wasn’t sure what direction to take. It’s difficult for young people with ideas to know where to take them when you have no or limited financial resource. Lack of funding is a massive barrier for people, and applying for funding can be very intimidating for people who have never been through the process before.”

Big shake-up

Jessie believes that the six months of coaching she is receiving will provide her with greater clarity, focus, and direction.

Jessie’s passion for making a difference was evident when she participated in the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) as a first year student at the University of Canterbury following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

“I saw all of the grassroots community activity in Christchurch after the earthquake. This planted a really strong seed for me about the importance and power of community. I’m passionate about the power of young people to create positive change, and the emergence of youth leadership, particularly when young leaders are given the resources and support to tap into that. It’s not something you’re taught at school.”

For Jessie Covid-19 provided another big shake-up and an opportunity for change.

“It gave us a chance to reflect on how we live and the impact it has on our environment, on us, and on our friends and families,” says Jessie.

She is currently thinking about how climate change policy can be translated into the day-to-day lives of ordinary people.

“Implementing policy doesn’t make those human changes happen. We have to look at and consider everyday practices and support change rather than imposing change.”

Jessie’s work with the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum, funded by the Nelson City Council, provides a focus for her thinking about where policy and community might meet equitably and powerfully.

“I would love to see a space here in Wakatū Nelson that is a ‘bumping space’ for people; something in the middle between home, work, and school, with curated activities such as classes or workshops. It would be there for everybody as a community space creating time and opportunity for conversation to happen. At the moment I’m trying to work out what there is out there already, if there’s a gap, and if there is something I can do to fill that gap.”

Jessie is going through this process mindfully, conscious that looking after herself and her wellbeing is an important part of being a sustainable force for change.

Photo: Keegan Jeffries

JESSIE CROSS

“I graduated from university and went straight into practising law at a commercial law firm and just went really hard because it was my first job and I was learning so much. You can get caught up in the ‘work hard, achieve great results’ ethos. But you don’t stop and ask ‘what am I doing this for?’ When I did stop and ask that question there was no satisfactory answer for me that was aligned with the values I have.

“When you have a cause and a passion you can’t give everything to it all of the time without recharging your own batteries.”

That’s an approach that her coach Rebecca fully supports. “I’ve observed a prevalent belief that in order to make a real difference in the world, we have to be extremely focused on only that. There’s no doubt that there are some people who do that and make an enormous difference. However, for most people, it’s important that we support ourselves as passionately as we support others, so we can lead the rich and full lives that we also want others to live.”

With the hard work of establishing the Kāmahi Trust now complete, Rebecca is looking for like-minded donors and potential recipients.

“While I am making a significant financial contribution to set the Trust up on a solid footing, my fellow founding trustees Sacha MacDonald and Richard Abel and I are hoping to attract other donors who share our vision for its objectives so that we can ensure the Trust has real longevity and is financially self-sustaining. We also want to hear from people and projects that fit our application criteria and would benefit from our support.”

Apply now

The Kāmahi Trust is welcoming applications from potential recipients around Aotearoa New Zealand, not only from those based in Nelson Tasman. Both people and projects are eligible for support in the form of monetary grants, mentoring, time, guidance and support.

Rebecca has a long-term vision for the Trust and is setting it up to endure well beyond her tenure as founder and chair.

“I want the Kāmahi Trust to endure beyond my lifetime and nurture future generations of individuals making a real impact,” says Rebecca.

For more details about the Kāmahi Trust go to www.kamahi.org 21

R I S I N G S TA R

The rise of independent female filmmakers

BY AMY MCKINNON | PHOTOS SUPPLIED

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istory shows that for decades key roles in filmmaking were dominated by men but during the last few years women have made strides, especially in the indie filmmaking world.

Although, for several years, many people have had a hand in filmmaking here in Marlborough, it wasn’t until the Random Directions Film Project was created that people started to gain the confidence to give it a go and make their own short films, with female filmmakers stepping up and taking the reins.

Within the first year of this local film project starting, 25 percent of the participants were female. Having recently completed the third year of the film project, female participants now stand at 55 percent.

“I love being a part of the Random Directions Film Project as they have really helped me grow as a filmmaker,” says Isabella Lee. With her creative interests including writing, reading and photography, Isabella finds it is a really safe and supportive environment in which to grow as a filmmaker. “The amount of help and support I receive is amazing.”

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Isabella has created several of her own short films during the last few years and recently passed ‘Lights Film School’ gaining her certificate in indie filmmaking.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed every film that I have made or been a part of, and have learned more about myself in the process. Since being involved with films and making my own, I have realised that I much prefer behind-the-camera roles such as writing, directing and editing,” she adds.

Living life and making movies

When it comes to creating a short film, patience and perseverance go a long way, especially when you have other commitments and priorities in life such as work, family, friends and other responsibilities and interests, as these ladies all do.

This Blenheim-based film group comprises a dynamic group of women with a variety of hobbies and employments, from students to teachers, retail workers, real estate agents, sign writers – mothers, daughters and even grandmothers – these everyday women all have one thing in common, they are all indie filmmakers.

“I think I have always wanted to do something in the film industry, but I really became involved in it at 14, so four years ago now. At first I wanted to be directing but quickly realised acting was more for me. Even if I’m just on set watching everything, I am happy being there,” says Amy Bain. “I would like to make sci-fi, action or teen drama films as that’s what I’m

“...these everyday women all have one thing in common, they are all indie filmmakers.”

A M Y BA I N

Each of the filmmakers is currently focused on creating a short film to screen at this year’s Random Directions Film Festival in August.

but it wasn’t too bad. I had a lot of fun once I overcame the fear and shyness of acting!” she laughs. “Getting to know the women in the group has been great; there’s a lot of support and empowerment, building each other up to achieve individual and group goals.”

For the love of film

Above: Clockwise - Claudia Dallarosa, Natasha Rangitihi and Tracy Bartlett; Isabella Lee and Nicky Bain

Not bound by Hollywood standards, the female indie filmmakers create their own rules and boundaries and pave their own paths in pursuit of their film careers. They do it their way, without worrying whether the finished films fit into specific categories or not.

Collectively these female filmmakers have made well over a dozen of their own short films and helped out as cast and crew on numerous others, ranging from comedy to fantasy, drama to thriller.

“Of all the films that I have made, the most common genre I am drawn to is drama. I have used film as a way to process emotions and events in my life,” says Isabella.

“Moving forward however, I am looking to experiment with a wider range of genres to see which one I gravitate to when telling stories unrelated to my life.”

Each of the filmmakers is currently focused on creating a short film to screen at this year’s Random Directions Film Festival in August. The festival will also showcase numerous other Marlborough-made movies.

The Random Directions Film Project is made up of a group of community-minded creative types who simply love to make films. The group has worked to create something where maleand female-directed films, as well as films from all walks of life, receive equal footing, encouraging everyone to join in, give it a go and get involved in the local film community.

“Take a chance. You have to back yourself first. The first step is the hardest but it’s definitely worth it,” advises Amy. “I would say keep it simple, ask for help when you need it – you don’t have to do everything – and trust people with your vision,” adds Isabella.

The locally based film festival is a great way to broaden your film perspective and see the other side of filmmaking, the grassroots, raw talent, practical side of filmmaking you don’t often see at larger, more mainstream film festivals or cinemas.

You can see these female filmmakers’ short films, along with a dozen other Marlborough-made movies, at Event Cinemas in Blenheim in August.

Opposite page: Amy Bain and Haidee Collins

For more information see @RandomDirectionsNZ on Facebook

drawn to when picking a new show to binge. At present though, the budget and accessibility to make sci-fi and action are a little out of reach for me.”

Amy made her first short film in 2017 and hasn’t looked back. She’s made several more films since and is currently working on her next short film as well as starting to work fulltime. Her goal is to save enough money to move to Wellington to pursue her filmmaking career.

“Being a female filmmaker I feel like an underdog in this industry, but I think we all have each other’s backs which is really wholesome. Everyone is so supportive of each other, especially of the younger people in the group and my friends and family have always been supportive of my dreams which has helped me become more ambitious and determined to achieve my large goals.”

Marlborough’s indie women filmmakers all juggle various roles on set from writing to directing, producing to acting.

Empowering

Among them is Natasha Rangitihi, an early childhood teacher and mother of two young boys, aged four and eight. Always quick to offer moral support to her colleagues, Natasha is an avid supporter of the film project. During the last few years she has taken on various roles in the locally made short films including acting, voice-over work and multiple behind-the-scenes tasks.

“I developed an interest in filmmaking through my husband and hanging out with other friends who were involved. Starting was easy once I began to know the awesome, supportive people in the group.

“The first film I acted in was a short film called October Fares. I was really nervous to watch myself on the big screen

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EVENT SHOWCASE

Tutus on Tour B Y S I O B H A N WAT E R H O U S E

Two new works

The famous ‘White Swan’ pas de deux from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake is achingly beautiful, tender and melancholic, and encapsulates the “poetry without words” that makes Swan Lake the ultimate ballet. As the restless Prince Siegfried meets a mysterious swan maiden beside the moonlit lake, their magnetic attraction sets in motion a timeless, iconic love story.

Delicacy, grace and charm abound in Jules Perrot’s Pas de Quatre (1845), a gorgeous showpiece that dates from the Romantic era of ballet and turns all the hallmarks of romantic ballet into a lilting waltz. Mário Radačovský’s beautiful, contemporary take on Romeo and Juliet’s “balcony’’ pas de deux captures the simple poetry of young lovers who have eyes only for each other. Two works originally planned for the cancelled Venus Rising season in 2020 complete the tour programme.

Andrea Schermoly’s Within Without is a beautiful, powerful and sentimental piece depicting the pain of unintended childlessness. Graceful movement represents the strong bonds that a couple maintains in the face of this hardship, and love prevails.

Respected New Zealand choreographer Sarah Foster-Sproull’s Ultra Folly lays bare the dancers’ secret desires and visions in this compelling chamber ballet, commissioned by Patricia Barker in 2020.

Above: Kate Kadow with Christian Renforth during rehearsals 24

Photo: Jeremy Brick

T

he Royal New Zealand Ballet’s much-loved Tutus on Tour returns to Nelson and Blenheim in March, and, according to reliable sources, we hear the historic Theatre Royal and the newer ASB Theatre Marlborough are two of the dancers’ favourite spaces to perform.

Picking up where the company left off when the country went into lockdown in March 2020, the RNZB is travelling at whistle-stop speed to perform the popular season as far across the country as possible.

For principal Kate Kadow, while the visits are fleeting, being able to deliver the beautiful and diverse production to so many audiences is a treat. “Nelson and Blenheim are two of my favorite theatres in New Zealand. The audiences are so warm and welcoming, and usually the weather is too,” Kadow says.

Dancer Joshua Guillemot-Rodgerson’s favourite place to travel to in New Zealand is his grandparents’ house in Blenheim.

“Whenever I visit Blenheim I’m reminded of how lucky I am to call it another home. The community is so loving and eager for the arts, and it feels special every time I perform in that epic theatre. I’m always keen for a Burleigh pie too, Gran’s shout,” he adds.

Tutus on Tour brings together two classical ballet favourites with two brilliant new works and, according to the Royal New Zealand Ballet Artistic Director Patricia Barker, the result is a stunning celebration of the enduring power of dance.

“We feel extremely fortunate to be performing exciting ballets for our audiences, unlike many ballet companies around the world.

To launch our 2021 season with such a spectacular Tutus on Tour line-up is truly a treat for the dancers and our audiences.

“The works which make up the Tutus on Tour production are powerful, moving and beautifully crafted, each a shining jewel on its own. Put them together and it becomes a totally stunning evening of dance,” Barker says.

Foster-Sproull’s choreography is obsessed with detail and craft, and draws from the emotional depths of the early baroque music La Folia to expose detailed choreographic interactions for this complex era we now live in.

School performances

Tutus on Tour is a chance for ballet lovers to indulge their passion.

Schools pupils too can experience the joy of dance through the free Tutus on Tour for Schools performances - Mayfield School, Riverlands School, Seddon School, Ward School and Whitney St School will attend in Blenheim, and Appleby School, Auckland Point School, Nayland Primary, Riwaka School, St Joseph’s School and Waimea College in Nelson will also enjoy the show.

Sponsor Ryman Healthcare’s CEO Gordon MacLeod says they are delighted to support the tour. “After a year of Covid it is wonderful to see the RNZB’s grassroots tour back on the bus again, and New Zealand is in for a treat with four wonderful works on show. Go the Tutus!’’

Essential information

T

utus on Tour, in association with Ryman Healthcare, is a chance for ballet lovers across the country to indulge their passion. This enchanting summer programme offers tickets at just $27 – $37 for adults and $12 – $22 for children. These special shows in small theatres sell fast, so it is recommended ticket buyers move quickly.

Free Tutus on Tour for Schools performances are also offered in most regions.

Nelson - Theatre Royal - 5 & 6 March Blenheim - ASB Theatre, Marlborough - 9 March

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Business Longevity

Standing the business test of time In decades past it was not unusual for businesses to stay in one family and be passed down through the generations. Lynda Papesch checks out some of the Nelson Tasman and Marlborough businesses that have survived through thick and thin.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED

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volution and sometimes even revolution are among the keys to business sustainability and longevity, according to the pundits. Change is inevitable so to succeed in business today you need to be flexible, have good planning and organisational skills and be prepared to embrace new ideas. These factors became readily apparent during last year’s Covid-19 lockdown and in the months that have followed.

Luckily across the Top of the South (Nelson Tasman, Golden Bay and Marlborough) there are many businesses that have survived all that time and circumstance have thrown at them, although often luck has had nothing to do with it. Hitting 30 years in business is considered remarkable by today’s standards, yet there are numerous examples of businesses celebrating 40, 50, 75 and even 100-plus years in the same family ownership.

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Photo: Keith Edwards

Counted among the success stories must be our regional chambers of commerce whose business is looking out for other businesses. In Nelson Tasman and Marlborough they play vital roles in supporting, encouraging and helping other businesses and have done so since the mid-1800s.

Chambers of commerce and industry are the oldest commercial organisations in New Zealand, dating back to the 1850s when the first groups were established. The umbrella group, the Association of New Zealand Chambers of Commerce, came into being in 1915. In the early days chambers of commerce provided services and a meeting place for businesses of all kinds within a particular area. They also lobbied local and central government for services and business-related legislation. In the mid-19th century, when local and central government were limited, the chambers sometimes organised services themselves.

22,000 members

The chambers strongly favoured development, including population growth, industrial and commercial development, and from the 1880s government support for business. Chambers were actively involved in the marketing of New Zealand goods and, from the 1930s, the promotion of New Zealand as a tourist destination.

Their desire for government involvement in business development was equalled by a dislike of government restriction.

They often expressed objections to increasing government regulation of labour and working conditions, particularly in the 1890s, when the newly formed Department of Labour was actively protective of workers and after the 1936 introduction of the 40-hour working week and compulsory trade unionism.

Times have changed, yet in many regions chambers are still strong business advocates, with significant numbers of members, and they remain apolitical. Today the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce is still the ultimate success network for

Above: Clockwise - Winemaker Heidi Seifried-Houghton gets a taste of harvest at age two (here she is along side father Hermann), 1977; Mycological laboratory at Cawthron Institute, where the identification of diseases affecting fruit, tobacco, hops and tomatoes is taking place, 1949-50 Opposite page: The Bowater Motor Group moving with the times

... the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce has been supporting businesses and commercial activity in the region since 1858. business; the 30 chambers in New Zealand support more than 22,000 members who are active in their business environments both nationally and internationally.

Each chamber’s role is to influence and inspire business and deliver success. As not-for-profit business membership associations, the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce promotes, supports and encourages sustainable, profitable business growth.

Part of the Southern Hub, the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce has been supporting businesses and commercial activity in the region since 1858. The Marlborough Chamber of Commerce has been the home and voice of business in its region since 1887. Both are affiliated to the NZ Chamber of Commerce which is part of the International Chamber of Commerce network, meaning members also have global business connections.

Business heart

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 business and running business After Fives, luncheons and seminars with a range of inspirational business-oriented speakers. Their every action is driven by a desire to see members succeed.

Nelson chamber chief executive Ali Boswijk believes that the organisation sits at the heart of the business community, which is in turn the heart of the wider community. “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 lowimpact business operators.

Advocacy and identifying key issues that affect businesses in the region are core roles for the chamber, which uses its strong positive voice to advocate on behalf of members and in the interests of the region on business-related issues.

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“As we move through these choppy economic times the need to collaborate, across all sectors, has become more essential ... ” HANS NEILSON

Collaborative approach

A key priority for outgoing Marlborough chamber general manager Hans Neilson, now more than ever, is to ensure the chamber engages and represents as broad a range of businesses as possible. He says businesses across Marlborough are ambitious and keen to embrace future opportunities that might arise.

Ali and Hans’ 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.

Ali is a firm believer that two (or more) heads are better than one, especially as businesses wend their way through the maze of Covid-19.

“Collaboration feels like a bit of a buzzword these day, but I think most of us understand the power of working together, particularly on difficult or complex situations – and let’s face it we have a few of those going on at the moment.

“As we move through these choppy economic times the need to collaborate, across all sectors, has become more essential.

This will help in our mission to secure government support and investment and to compete with other regions to attract the vitally important domestic tourist.”

While the Top of the South has a wide tourism and hospitalityrelated industry, in terms of business longevity it is in various other fields that there are the main survivors, or those who have moved with the changing needs of the business environment.

One example is the Marlborough-based DeLuxe Group.

A family business since 1926, it has gone through several reinventions, including from bus passenger transport and coach tours, and the hospitality/hotel industry. In 2003, the DeLuxe Group changed focus moving into property development (DeLuxe Property Group) and automotive sales (DeLuxe RV Group). The Smith family is still at the helm of both businesses 95 years after the company’s initial inception.

From top: Clockwise - Early days at Cuddon Ltd; one of the original DeLuxe buses 28

Another survivor is Blenheim engineering firm Cuddon Limited which dates back more than 90 years to 1928 and counting. Innovation in design, excellence in quality and efficiency in service are the hallmarks of the business.

Throughout New Zealand and around the world, equipment manufactured and constructed by Cuddon Ltd is known for its reliability and innovative design. Association with companies in the USA, Australia, UK and Europe ensures that Cuddon Ltd’s designers, engineers and manufacturers are recognised as being amongst the best in the world.

In particular, Cuddon specialises in implementing worldleading lyophilization technology in its freeze-dry machines and associated freeze-drying machine equipment.

From builders to developers

Former Marlborough building and construction giant TH Barnes & Co Ltd ensured its survival when it switched to commercial real estate. Also Blenheim-based, the company ceased to trade as builders and joiners in March 2014 after 67 years. It now concentrates on commercial property investments, as a result of several years of difficult trading conditions coupled with difficulties in getting a major development off the ground, and the Seddon earthquakes.

Many leading businesses in Marlborough’s wine industry trace their roots back to the early 1980s and some are still in original family ownership. Companies such as Allan Scott Wines, Hunters Wines and Daniel and Adele Le Brun of No 1 Family Estate have racked up 40-plus years in the wine industry since planting their first vines. To ensure business survival they and numerous others like them have since successfully added cellar doors and restaurants and run special functions – art exhibitions, marathons, music festivals, cycle events etc – to get their names out there and to help expand customer awareness.

Family roots run deep. Having the next generation of family join the businesses often helps. Having grown up with their parents’ companies operating around them, often the next generation is just as passionate and committed to company survival, and they bring with them new ideas, new ways of achieving the desired end result, and are not afraid to embrace new technology.

Nobody has more experience growing grapes in Marlborough than Allan Scott who planted some of the region’s most famous vineyards, including the very first, and has worked here every vintage since. Allan and wife Catherine oversee every aspect of the business and have entrusted the key operational elements to their children – Josh, who looks after winemaking, and Sara, the viticulturist.

Hunters Wines and No 1 Family Estate are among other Marlborough wine companies to have more than one generation involved.

It’s none of our business.

The Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce is never going to say that.

We’ve been the voice for businesses in the region for 163 years and have never stopped taking our business responsibilities seriously.

We believe the key to business vitality and longevity is relationships. Expanding your networks offers unlimited potential to hatch brilliant new plans and meet new customers.

Tapping into the Chamber’s wider industry connections provides access to practical, specialist training and inspiring business

speakers. And a collective voice is heard more clearly by local and central government.

The idea has never been, nor ever should be, to do it on your own. Being part of a local community includes connecting with business people and being successful together. We make it our business to help yours.

• Advocacy. Being heard.

• Member discounts. Buying power.

• Training. Reaching your potential.

• Guest speakers. Brilliant new ideas.

• Networking. Unlimited potential.

• Trade & export documentation. World domination.

• Advice & funding. Leveraging opportunities.

• Business development. Staying vital.

We can help unlock your business vitality.

Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce Mahitahi Colab, NMIT, 322 Hardy Street, Nelson 7010 info@commerce.org.nz 03 548 1363 29

1864 inception

The law is another industry area where the Top of the South has several long-lived companies. Pitt & Moore is a Nelson Tasman law and public notary firm dating back 157 years to 1864. The company name Pitt & Moore is believed to be one of the oldest unchanged legal brand names in New Zealand.

Today the firm offers its expertise across the full range of legal services from business and commercial contracts to personal legal matters. Core values include its commitment to being accessible, efficient and responsive; to find real solutions; to communicate clearly; and for team members to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity.

Another successful intergenerational family company is Matthews Eyewear Eyecare which is celebrating 64 years in business this year. Current owners Philip and Lynley Matthews took over the business in 1985, following in the footsteps of Phil’s father Bill Matthews who established Matthews Optometrists in 1957.

With branches in the Nelson CBD, Richmond, Motueka and Blenheim, the company’s commitment is to deliver unprecedented professional acumen through a customer-driven service setting new standards within the industry.

Numerous company branches operating in Nelson Tasman and Marlborough also boast a lengthy history. These include Australasian accounting firm Findex which is part of a 110-strong network of branches throughout New Zealand and Australia.

Focused on meeting the needs of businesses and the individuals within them through a collaborative approach to financial services, Findex prides itself on an integrated service offering, giving the peace of mind that comes with knowing financial and lifestyle goals are being worked on.

Leading advisory firm

Its story began over 30 years ago with a vision to provide an holistic offering to help clients achieve their financial and lifestyle goals, in one place. Now as one of Australasia’s leading integrated advisory firms, it offers a high touch, personalised approach to help clients achieve their financial, professional and life goals, working collaboratively with others from within Findex and broader marketplace.

Its scale allows Findex to offer competitive solutions from client-convenient locations.

From top: Clockwise - Matthews Optometrists established in 1957; NBS which dates back to 1862 30

Another successful intergenerational family company is Matthews Eyewear Eyecare which is celebrating 64 years in business this year.

NBS is another worth mentioning although its branches are all local and in regions with adjacent client catchments.

New Zealand’s oldest building society, NBS was founded in 1862 to provide housing and personal finance in the Nelson region. A building society registered under the Building Societies Act 1965, NBS has expanded into the Tasman, West Coast, Golden Bay and mid-Canterbury regions and continues to offer traditional banking services: loans, deposits and transactional banking to retail and SME customers.

The predominant lending activity remains the provision of owner-occupied home loans.

A mutual society which means it is owned by its clients, NBS returns all its profits to the community in the form of sponsorships and grants.

Locally owned and operated Nelson-based refrigeration and heat pump specialist Sturrock & Greenwood dates back to 1953. Specialising in the design, installation and servicing of equipment for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, it provides residential, commercial and industrial applications within the Nelson region. Over the decades it has developed strong links and good working connections within a variety of industries including the fishing, wine and aquaculture sectors.

Your trusted legal service

Partners for Success Pitt & Moore is the largest and longest-serving law firm in the Nelson and Tasman regions. Established in 1864, our depth of understanding of local business and local people is unrivalled, with many of the firm’s relationships now spanning several generations.

Nelson: 78 Selwyn Place, Nelson 7010 Phone: +64 3 548 8349 Richmond: 66 Oxford Street, Richmond 7020 Phone: +64 3 543 9090 www.pittandmoore.co.nz 31

Photo: Keith Edwards

Looking back the Cawthron Insitute has made a very tangible impact with its science supporting the sustainable development of New Zealand’s primary industries ...

Supporting industry

This year sees Nelson’s Cawthron Institute celebrating 100 years.

During the last 10 decades it has made huge contributions to numerous major industries, via research and development.

Looking back the Cawthron Insitute has made a very tangible impact with its science supporting the sustainable development of New Zealand’s primary industries, and well as protecting our environment, in both Te Tau Ihu and New Zealand.

Cawthron Institute was established in 1919 by the last will and testament of Nelson philanthropist Thomas Cawthron who had a vision – that science could contribute to the growth of a young New Zealand.

Following his death in 1915, Cawthron bequeathed the equivalent of over $100 million in today’s New Zealand dollars – the largest single bequest in New Zealand at the time – to establish and maintain a technical school, institute and museum; the forerunners of today’s Cawthron Institute.

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From top: Clockwise - First harvest team for Seifried Estate, 1976; Group from the first Entomological conference in the Cawthron Institute’s grounds, May 1952

Cawthron Institute was officially opened in Nelson in April 1921 following the establishment of the Cawthron Institute Trust Board. Still run by a trust board, it remains firmly focused on research that contributes to the economic growth of New Zealand and the preservation of its special environment.

Specific industry changes have led the way for its research and development programme. From the 1920s onwards, its scientists applied their expertise to agricultural research, and then helped support the pip fruit and hop growing industries. When timber exports took off, it progressed to forestry research, and today its science is strongly focused on protecting marine and freshwater environments and supporting sustainable development of the seafood and aquaculture sectors.

Wine pioneers

Having the next generation join the family business has also been a key factor for many long-term successes in Nelson Tasman and Marlborough. As with Marlborough, wine is one industry where this happens frequently. Two examples in Nelson Tasman are Seifried Estate and Neudorf Vineyards. Both now have second generation members of their families working in various aspects of their businesses.

The Seifried story started in 1973 when Austrian born Hermann Seifried and his New Zealand wife Agnes planted their first vines in the Upper Moutere. Today all three of their adult children have returned home to play their part in growing the family business.

At Neudorf Vineyards wine pioneers Tim and Judy Finn planted their first vines in 1978. Its lichen-covered winery started life as a 120-year-old stable. Their vision was to make wines of integrity and 43 years later they are still doing just that.

Following the quality-not-quantity path, Neudorf has retained its boutique winery status while at the same time fine-tuning its wine varieties to meet market needs, and looking for sustainable export partners. It currently exports to more than 16 countries.

Looking to the future, daughter Rosie Finn has joined the company and plays an active role in its continuing success.

Cawthron Institute celebrates 100 years of world-class science

O

fficially established in 1921 by the last will and testament of Nelson philanthropist Thomas Cawthron, the institute is New Zealand’s largest independent science organisation with 300 staff from 35 countries, working across multiple sites in Nelson.

Cawthron Institute Trust Board Chair John Palmer says Cawthron has always firmly focused on research that contributes to the economic growth of New Zealand and the preservation of our special environment.

“Thomas Cawthron had a vision that science could contribute to the growth of a young New Zealand, and his legacy is realised every day by our people who come from all over the world to explore and challenge the boundaries of new science.”

“For the past 100 years our scientists have been identifying emerging areas of research to assist industry, and New Zealand, to become sustainable and successful.”

“We see ourselves as a bridge between science and industry, connecting R&D to commercial application,” says Palmer.

In the early years Cawthron scientists applied their expertise to agricultural research, then progressed to forestry research before supporting the pipfruit and hop growing industries. Today Cawthron’s science is strongly focused on protecting marine and freshwater environments and assisting New Zealand’s economy through the sustainable development of the dairy, seafood and aquaculture sectors, as well as supporting the development of novel foods, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.

Cawthron Board Chair Meg Matthews says New Zealanders have benefitted from Cawthron’s research for decades.

“Cawthron has been a pioneer of impactful science, from protecting and growing our primary industries, helping to restore our waterways and oceans, right through to looking after consumer health through our food safety and water testing, and the sustainable development of aquaculture farming,” says Matthews.

“In addition, Cawthron has more than 30 years of expertise in algae research, and is one of few organisations worldwide to specialise in extracting highvalue bioactive compounds from microalgae for possible use in food or pharmaceutical products. Our macroalgae research exploring the value of different seaweed species could significantly contribute to achieving the Government’s target of aquaculture becoming a $3 billion industry by 2035.

“Globally Cawthron’s impact is being realised too. For example, a Cawthron method developed to detect seafood toxins has been internationally validated and is helping achieve a global industry standard.”

Matthews says Cawthron’s collaborative approach has enabled much of its success. “We are proud of the positive difference Cawthron’s work makes to New Zealand’s economy and environment, and we’d like to acknowledge our people, partners, clients, funders and community, both past and present, who share Cawthron’s values for building a better future and have contributed to our research outcomes.

“We are also looking ahead to the next 100 years and have recently made the exciting appointment of Volker Kuntzsch as Cawthron’s new chief executive. We are also making significant investment into new research infrastructure in Te Tau Ihu, including the National Algae Research Centre due to open in May, and upgraded laboratories,” adds Matthews.

As part of its centenary year, Cawthron will provide many opportunities for the community to join in its celebrations, from annual activities such as the Scitec Expo for primary and secondary schools, through to its free public Thomas Cawthron Memorial Lecture.

“This year we’ll be opening Cawthron’s doors to the public as part of our Open Day in April, as well as working closely with the Nelson Provincial Museum on a special Cawthron exhibition,” says Matthews. “We’re committed to making our science accessible to everyone.”

For more information about Cawthron Institute’s centenary activities, visit cawthron.org.nz/centenary, or follow Cawthron’s social media pages for upcoming events.

Tel: 03 548 2319 - info@cawthron.org.nz

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One aspect of its business ethos has been to deliver quality vehicles and vehicle servicing that is second to none, while moving with the times

Four generations

One of Nelson’s well-known business dynasties is the Bowater family, which owns the Bowater Motor Group (BMG). Times have certainly changed a lot since Raymond Bowater and his best mate Bill Clifford set up an automotive shop in Achilles Ave Nelson in 1945 upon returning from serving at Quadalcanal in World War 2. Now four generations deep, and with 75 years under their belt, they have a wealth of experience and a proud reputation worked hard for.

The BMG is certainly proud of their past but it is the future they are focused on. That is why they have invested so heavily into the modernisation of several showrooms and workshops. They recently completed a significant redevelopment of Richmond’s Bowater Toyota store, with sustainability at the heart of this project, and built-in futureproofing for the next 75 years!

They have the region covered with Bowater Toyota’s stores in Nelson, Richmond and Motueka, and Bowater Hyundai/Isuzu/ Renault in central Nelson.

While the technology of cars may have changed over the last 75 years, one thing has remained consistent and that is BMG’s ability to properly look after the region’s automotive needs, and the ability to service and repair all makes and models. The Bowater Motor Group prides itself on being a family business, with family values at its heart. After all, they have been driving the Nelson Tasman community forward since 1945.

From top: Clockwise - The Stoke branch of Bowater Motors Ltd in the 1950s; Talley’s take to the road in times gone by; Bowater Motors from the early 1980s in the building that now houses 4 Seasons on the corner of Rutherford St and Achilles Ave 34

Another well-known industry name is Talley’s, which operates business interests in Nelson Tasman and Marlborough.

Founded in 1936 by Ivan Peter Talijancich, what began as a small seafood business has expanded over more than 85 years to become a multi-division, international company. It specialises in seafood (including fish and shellfish), frozen vegetables, potato products (eg fries, wedges and hash browns), ice cream, meat (AFFCO), and dairy (Open Country Dairy).

Still family-owned and operated, Talley’s is invariably guided by the entrepreneurial spirit and integrity for quality of the man who started it all, founder Ivan Talley.

New Zealand is world famous for its clean, green image and the consistently high quality of its produce, and that is something the team at Talley’s ascribes to. It takes pride in delivering healthy, sustainable, premium-quality New Zealand primary produce and food products, harvested by its skilled, hardworking team.

The single significant point of difference for all Talley’s products, beyond impeccable quality, is that they are all grown, harvested and processed in New Zealand by its team.

Talley’s also controls its own distribution from New Zealand, which means that every product has a reassuringly traceable provenance back to the clean, natural seas and fields of New Zealand.

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The Saxton/Raine family still works the same land and while its members have been drinking fresh milk for generations, now others can have it delivered or buy it from special vending machines.

Reinvention

Among the qualities showing through in the regions’ longlived businesses is a hard-working ethic. History shows that to succeed in business, a person will almost certainly end up working harder for themselves than they would working for someone else.

Sacrifices have to be made, especially in personal lives when establishing a business, and evidence also shows that providing good service to customers is crucial to gaining their loyalty and retaining their business.

Yet providing a quality product or service is not necessarily enough in a day and age when there is plenty of competition. Often having a point of difference is what will make a difference Nelson Tasman’s Oaklands Farm has such a point of difference, producing and delivering A2 milk, and bringing back home milk deliveries! Bringing back glass milk bottles and making home deliveries across Nelson Tasman and Marlborough are both business decisions which have helped grow its markets.

Additionally, Oaklands Milk comes from A2-tested cows which has been shown to improve digestibility, especially for those who struggle with dairy intolerance, making it a go-to for many families which suffer a variety of health conditions.

Oaklands Farm has been part of the local community since it was purchased from the New Zealand Co in 1844.

Pioneer John Waring Saxton found his £150 investment ‘steep, hillish and swampy’ yet he and the eight generations of farmers who followed him worked hard to turn the ground into workable farmland.

The Saxton/Raine family still works the same land and while its members have been drinking fresh milk for generations, now others can have it delivered or buy it from special vending machines.

From top: Clockwise - Scott Construction; the Saxton/Raine homestead 36

Fine tuning

What started as a small residential home builder in the 1970s, Scott Construction Ltd is today one of the South Island’s largest locally owned construction companies with a portfolio of award winning projects. Based in Nelson Tasman and with teams in Marlborough and Central South Island, the company has a successful 50 year legacy, packed with challenges and solutions, ultimately resulting in substantial growth, industry awards, a stable workforce, and a robust succession plan. Thanks to innovation, flexibility and a quality team of 120 permanent staff, they are true survivors of what is typically a boom and bust industry.

Scott Construction Ltd was established in 1970 by Kevin Scott as Kevin L.A Scott Builders concentrating on residential construction in the Nelson region.

In 1980 Scott Home Builders Ltd was formed and staff levels rose, the company also entered the light commercial market at this time. In 1991 the company became Scott Construction Ltd. Scott Construction is proud of its successful track record and its ability to manage complex projects to a high standard, on time, and within budget.

Its team, which includes an efficient office structure, has built strong relationships with clients, consultants, subcontractors and suppliers.

Scotts has also worked with Nelson City and Tasman District Councils on several medium to large community based projects and carried out many design and build projects in the Nelson region.

Its growth has been the result of project performance and reputation with a large percentage of work coming from repeat clients and referrals.

Its site resources are made up from the core team of qualified employees accompanied by sub-contract labour as, and when, required. In addition to this Scott Construction has the facilities to fabricate many of the components off site including pre-cast concrete, steelwork and framing.

Significant experience in the residential and commercial construction sector and understanding the importance of clear communication with the design team, clients and contractors all contribute to its ongoing business success.

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Caring Neighbours

Sowing seeds of neighbourliness

BY ANNABELLA GARWOOD

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or many, the word “neighbour” can trigger memories made between yesterday and childhood. Whether it’s pet sitting, babysitting, backyard fun, over-the-fence catch- ups, sourcing last-minute baking supplies, giving or receiving a helping hand, the list goes on.

Some people may only have to think back to a year ago when the country went into Covid lockdown and streets turned into sanctuaries and gave “neighbourhoods” a new meaning.

Now there’s an opportunity to take this to the next level during Neighbours Day Aotearoa 2021. This national collaborative campaign organised and supported by groups including Lifewise, New Zealand Red Cross and Neighbourhood Support. is running with the theme “The Great Plant Swap”.

During March 20 – 30, neighbourhoods are encouraged to come together and kickstart a project such as growing and swapping produce, starting a communal garden and exchanging gardening tips.

It’s also a chance to give each other a healthy wellbeing boost.

Swapping seeds and good deeds

Finding innovative ways to connect as a neighbourhood is one of the brighter moments 2020 can be remembered for. Cissy Rock, national coordinator of Neighbours Day Aotearoa, says there was a resurgence in the want to belong to something.

“People were becoming aware of what was working in their streets, what wasn’t working, where support came from, where support was needed.

“When people are having interactions with others, it makes a big difference to how they feel about themselves.”

CISSY ROCK

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“In the end, all we have is our relationships.”

Cissy says “acts of neighbourliness” became common and as a result, she remembers people saying things such as, “Wow, I didn’t realise I lived in such a great neighbourhood” and “I’ve met my neighbours I’ve been living next to for five years and I didn’t know we had the same interests”.

Last year’s national Covid lockdown during March and April meant more people were communicating through social media and social distancing. Cissy says the 2021 Neighbours Day campaign, unlike the 2020 online event, is about communities swapping plants and mixing freely.

“We’re able to knock on each other’s doors, we can have seed or plant swaps in the local park or someone’s driveway, and if we’re in lockdown in the future, we can continue to nurture and grow plants.”

The national coordinator says it’s not just older adults but young parents home with their children who can bear the brunt of disconnect.

“When people are having interactions with others, it makes a big difference to how they feel about themselves.”

In Cissy’s book, committing to smaller, stress-free acts is the way to go in 2021. If neighbourhoods can’t do a plant swap, she encourages streets to collect contact details, create a neighbourhood Facebook group or simply knock on doors and introduce yourself.

Goodness in a greeting

The power of social connection can’t be overestimated according to counsellor and wellbeing practitioner Renee Hamilton.

“It might not be a big deal for you but it could be for someone else,” she says and explains that it can have a direct impact on both mental and physical health.

“If people aren’t as social, it can affect their mood, sleep and energy and that makes a person less likely to go out and see people.”

Mid-year there will be a wellbeing practitioner offering free half-hour sessions to people across the Nelson region. It is a pilot programme that is currently funded by Nelson Bays Primary

Wellness support is being taken to the next level thanks to artificial intelligence, a Kiwi company and Sir John Kirwan.

Health and there will be a wellbeing practitioner available in each general practice around October.

Renee will be one of the practitioners and says the initiative will help people who may not feel comfortable to go to a mental health or counselling service to open up.

“It could be a simple one-off visit for someone who, for example, needs help getting their sleep back on track.”

According to a 2017 city council report, more than a quarter of Nelson’s population will be 65 years or older by 2028.

Renee encourages people to look out for the elderly who live independently and people from different cultures who could be feeling lonely and isolated.

“Even if people can’t speak English, you can still interact.”

Nurturing the newbies

Making a new town or city “home” can be challenging but thanks to a pair of recent arrivals, proactiveness and social media, slotting into the fabric of the wider community has become a lot easier.

Lucy Barron and Holly Summer connected on the Nelson (New Zealand) Community Group Whakatu (Aotearoa) Hapori Roopu Facebook page a few months before they arrived in the country in early 2020.

Lucy created the Facebook group “Newbies to Nelson” because she noticed there wasn’t a Facebook group in the city for “new” people.

“With the anticipation of my move to Nelson from Australia, I started the group thinking ‘at least we have a hub to communicate through and a platform to make some new friends’,” she says.

With Holly also onboard as an administrator, 80 people joined the page in just two hours and now the page boasts more than 600 members.

“The purpose of the group is to combine like-minded people in a similar situation so you don’t feel alone when you move to a new place,” Lucy says.

After a short scroll, it’s clear many people are reaching out to one another and seeking out those who have similar interests.

“Perfect day for a beautiful hike up a mountain I had been itching to climb for a while, and so worth it!”

“Hi all, anyone want to join a bike ride to the Grape Escape Cafe tomorrow?”

“Who wants to go throw a frisbee at the beach around five today?”

“Does anyone know of a boot camp running in Tāhunanui?”

The page has even helped Lucy get to know her own neighbourhood in Atawhai.

“I know two newbies who live in the suburb who I now see at the shops and can wave to on my morning walks. Social media has created another way to knock on someone’s door and say ‘I’m new to the street’.”

Lucy and Holly are taking the group to the next level, bringing more administrators on board so more get-togethers can be created that cater for different interests.

“The more events we have, the more people will meet face-toface,” Lucy says.

Watching Newbies to Nelson grow has been a satisfying experience for Lucy and she says it’s incredibly rewarding to stumble across Facebook posts of members enjoying outings with each other.

“It’s quite emotional seeing people come up to you with their hands on their heart, thanking you for creating the group.”

Boost wellbeing with better sleep

Wellness support is being taken to the next level thanks to artificial intelligence, a Kiwi company and Sir John Kirwan.

The mental health advocate and former All Black is the face of Digital JK (DJK), a digital human mental health coach that is the first of its kind in the world.

Sir John (also known as JK) says the original idea of creating an AI version of himself was to have a widespread, positive impact on mental wellbeing.

“I can’t be in everyone’s workplace or living room every day but through the use of AI, that is now a real possibility, my digital twin can provide clinically sound, evidence-based advice.”

The idea was brought to life by global digital human company UneeQ, and the mental workplace wellbeing platform Mentemia that Sir John is co-founder of. DJK can be accessed on the Mentemia website as well as the Mentemia app.

A recent study by US Company Oracle found 82 percent of people surveyed believe robots can support their mental health better than humans.

Sir John says DJK will start off as a sleep coach with plans to become more interactive across a range of wellbeing areas.

“We can all relate to what a poor night’s sleep can do to us and how it can make us feel. DJK can craft an individualised sleep plan and I hope it will help people get a better night’s sleep, feel better, sharper and more well every day.”

He believes the focus is shifting from talking about mental health to “mental wellbeing” and although digital-first support is increasing, digital humans can’t replace real therapists and counsellors.

“With technology it’s looking at how to further complement the incredible work they are doing.”

DJK is available to employees at workplaces that subscribe to the Mentemia Premium plan. There are other options available for smaller businesses too.

The Mentemia app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store.

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“There’s a lot of knowledge about growing produce that can be swapped around, particularly from the older generation, otherwise it will be lost.”

M E G A N C O U RT N EY

Inspiring community innovation

Neighbours can wear many hats from friends, car-poolers, carers, vege sharers and everything in between. To Megan Courtney from Inspiring Communities, they’re also like an insurance policy.

“Knowing those around you is key. While you may not need your neighbours all the time, when something happens, they’re there ready to help out. We really saw this with the Nelson bushfires and during the Covid lockdown.”

Inspiring Communities is a virtual organisation that supports community-led change across the country and Megan, a founding coordinator, says the first steps to securing this “insurance” is as simple as smiling and saying hello. However, she’s noticed that people can forget the basics at times because society has become accustomed to professionalised help and people have become much busier.

“People come in and mow our lawns and do our groceries and that’s fine to a degree, but natural caring evidence up to the 50s and 60s has been lost to consumerism along the way.”

That’s why Megan sees a real opportunity for neighbourhoods to reap what they sow if they make an effort to get to know each other and build relationships. “Growing your own produce and sharing with your neighbours is one great way to do this.” She says Kiwis love their backyards and regardless whether people live on the once-typical quarter-acre section or in an apartment, you can still nurture plants and learn from each other.

“There’s a lot of knowledge about growing produce that can be swapped around, particularly from the older generation, otherwise it will be lost.”

Megan recounts some of the previous Neighbours Day events in her area that include afternoon teas in the nearby reserve, chalk drawing for local children on the public walkway and a neighbour donating a defibrillator for the street.

“We had St Johns come and do a demonstration so we all knew how to use it.

“People’s good deeds can trigger other people’s good deeds and ideas for their community. Seeing this as community ‘kindness’ takes the pressure off people. It doesn’t make it a big deal,” she says.

Megan believes there’s no time better than now to be intentional about making connections.

To those unsure if they can “inspire” their community, Megan encourages people to put aside any uncertainty that others won’t be interested and give it a go.

“Being part of a community and being a good person is smiling, waving, making sure people are being cared for. We can all do this. It’s not hard.”

Although she thinks the country is on the right track, she wants communities to extend their efforts beyond the 10-day campaign.

“I think we have a challenge nationally to make building connections our everyday business because there’s a lot of people who are living alone and are lonely.

“It doesn’t matter if you are 18 or 80, we all need some kind of interaction.”

For the love of food and social connection

Top of the South Neighbourhood Support is putting the spotlight on building more inclusive communities through food.

The newly formed regional charitable organisation covering Marlborough, Nelson and Waimea is putting on a kai and culture event. In collaboration with Multicultural Nelson Tasman, the event will be held during Neighbours Day Aotearoa and enable the public or members to learn how to make dishes from different cultures.

Last year was a big year for the newly established support group. Nearly 9,700 Neighbourhood Support volunteers were on the streets and enquiries about the service rose during the Covid-19 pandemic response by 138 percent across the country.

Aniquah Stevenson, Neighbourhood Support coordinator for Nelson and Waimea, says connected communities are resilient communities.

“We can stay home by ourselves but it takes a community to build that sense of safety.

“It’s about bringing people together on a neighbourhood level to connect, have conversations about who might be vulnerable, potential emergency situations, what resources people need and the ability to ask for help.”

For neighbourhoods wanting to put on a street event with food and in need of financial assistance, communities can contact Top of the South Neighbourhood Support to request food vouchers donated by local businesses.

Kai, Cooking and Culture will take place at 2pm, 27 March at the Victory Community Centre. To register, visit the Top of the South Neighbourhood Support website.

Time to nurture wellness and neighbours

Reflecting on the rollercoaster ride that 2020 took the country on, Sir John Kirwan says one of its silver linings can be found in opening up to conversations around mental wellbeing.

“More people are recognising they need to take care of it, nourish it and understand it,” he says.

The same can be said when sowing the seeds of neighbourliness this month.

Ten days to grow before the fruits of social connection can be enjoyed with the street.

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Smart Phone Savvy

Scary things your smartphone knows about you

BY SKIRMANTE AKINYTE

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our phone knows more about you than your computer does, but do you do enough to protect it? According to Statista, 70 percent of Internet users worldwide have been using their smartphones more as a direct result of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The significantly increased screen time raises not only health concerns like neck or eye problems, but also security and privacy issues.

“Today, we use smartphones for everything we would do on our computers – video chat, shop online, transfer money, send pictures, sign documents and much more,” explains Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at UK-based NordVPN. “However, many mobile users are still unaware of how risky some of the activities are, as our smart handsets lack strong protection against cybercrime.”

The expert points out seven crucial things your smartphone knows about you. But don’t panic just yet – read on for simple precautionary measures you can take to protect your device and the information it holds.

What does your smartphone know about you?

Location at a given point. Various apps like maps require access to the location services on your smartphone, so it tracks your location all the time.

Your passwords. Almost all apps on a smartphone need registration, not to mention the various online shops and services we often log in to from our handsets.

Your billing information, address and contact info when you shop on your smartphone.

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Download a password manager to generate unique passwords for different registrations and safely store them in an encrypted vault.

What you talk about. Virtual assistants, such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant, might be recording your private matters and even storing this information.

Your movements. Your smartphone is equipped with an accelerometer and gyroscope, which measure your physical movement, orientation and angular rotation to give health and sports apps a very accurate picture of your movements, such as sitting, standing, walking, bending etc.

Your unique physical biometrics. Your smartphone recognises your face and your fingerprint for identification and access control.

All the important info you give Google. The tech giant is using your searches and browsing history on its owned websites (like YouTube) to learn about your demographics and personal interests for advertising purposes.

Photo metadata. A photo you send to someone or upload online from your phone reveals your phone’s specific model as well as the precise location and time the photo was taken.

How should you protect your smartphone?

Even though you may feel vulnerable with your smartphone knowing almost everything about you, there are some simple

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MY HOME

Reflecting its owners’ origins B Y LY N D A PA P E S C H | P H O T O G R A P H Y D O M I N I Q U E W H I T E

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aving lived all over the world, when it came time to settle again one multi-national couple decided Tasman’s Ruby Bay was the place for them. Their new home is now complete and the couple are delighted how it reflects not only their personalities and taste, but also their varied ethnic origins.

The lady of the house had originally lived in New Zealand for five years before moving to Australia where she met her husband. Now married for 38 years and with six children, she enlisted her offspring’s help to persuade her husband to move to New Zealand.”

“We had often been to Nelson Tasman on holiday and were always drawn to the Tasman Bay, Mapua, and Ruby Bay area.”

“We had already designed the house we wanted, but we went to Simone Wenk [Architecture Studio Mapua] to work with our vision and make it a reality. Simone not only drew up the plans properly to New Zealand specs but she made quite a few great suggestions and she drew the plans to include seismic strengthening. We love the end result.”

1. Wooden trusses and lots of colour in the living area 2. A cosy nook 3. Metal and wood accents 4. Outside decking leads to the pond and garden 5 A roof shields the outside decking 6. Serene vignettes 7. A pressed metal backsplash and two cookers dominate the kitchen 8. Vibrant colour in the library nook

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“Within four minutes I had decided where we were going to live.”

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Finding their piece of paradise on which to build was the next step, with ocean views being of paramount importance. “We went to Wendy Perry of Harcourts in Mapua who took me to Ruby Bay and showed me some sections. Within four minutes I had decided where we were going to live,” she laughs.

12 month build That was Christmas Day 2016. The couple moved on to their new section in a luxury caravan they had brought with them, and building started in 2017. “Once the plans went in, it took almost a year to the day to complete the build. Because we lived on-site and had the most fantastic builder [Jerry Goodwin of Nelson Tasman Builders], it all went smoothly.”

With a degree in interior design plus some significant landscaping experience to her credit, the co-owner says much of the home’s inner sanctums were created as the house developed.

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Eclectic & ethnic The end result is a home that is eclectic, different and textural. “It’s a little bit French, Italian, Jewish, Australian and Chinese to reflect our combined ethnic origins.”

9. Long-run roofing, solar panels and a full frontal deck add to the practicality 10. Boudoir bliss in soft shades 11. A tiled feature wall dominates the shower 54

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Simone Wenk

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All rooms except for the study have views out across Tasman Bay ...

Large timber trusses are among the special features of the two-bedroom home, while others are a huge outside deck and a mega living area (9m x 11m). Two cookers in the kitchen (we both enjoy cooking) are an integral part of the setting, as is a myriad of art works done by creative friends.

15

Time to enjoy All rooms except for the study have views out across Tasman Bay and the spacious roofed deck was also designed to make the most of the sea views. The landscaping, featuring a large pond created by Mapua Landscapes, is now finished and the home complete for its owners to enjoy.

12. Clean lines in the exterior design 13. Oriental influences in the bathroom 14. Sliding doors open the master bedroom up to exterior decking 15. Country views 16. Outdoor living and entertaining 56

16

BUILDING IS WHAT WE DO

Experienced Local Builders From Design To Completion Proud to be the main building contractor for the Ruby Bay home.

Tel: 021 140 8077 ntconstruction@xtra.co.nz | www.nelsonandtasman.co.nz

We’ve got your back

True comfort, even when you’re on the edge of your seat. www.lynfords.co.nz

MARCH STOCKTAKE SALE

Backing business

43 Scott St, Blenheim – Ph: 03 577 9506 675a Main Rd, Stoke - Ph: 03 547 9842

57

INTERIOR TRENDS

Warm up your interior design with these autumn and winter trends B Y D A R R E N WAT T S | P H O T O S S U P P L I E D

W

ith winter almost here, it’s no surprise we tend to retreat indoors and create a safe and cosy haven. The kitchen is the hub of the home, so it’s important that it doesn’t get left out during your hibernation transformation.

We’ve rounded up the latest trends to warm up your kitchen space this winter.

Not only will they offer comfort to take the chill away, but they will also enhance your style, so you’re on point this season!

Read on to discover how to incorporate as much or as little as you want ...

... Wren’s “Elements” colour collection is a good example of a moody range of greys to suit industrial or glam-style kitchen designs.

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1) Grey as a texture Grey is an iconic and timeless kitchen colour; however, we’re talking about a new dynamic, textured shade.

This hue comes in the form of grey woods, stones, steels, concretes and aged metals. It offers a more energetic, vigorous finish to your kitchen space, rather than a flat, monotone look.

Embracing the wonders of the natural world, UK-based company Wren’s “Elements” colour collection is a good example of a moody range of greys to suit industrial or glam-style kitchen designs.

Grains and textures such as washed concrete, metallic slate and smoked oak offer this on-trend look, especially when paired with stainless steel units.

A mix of colours can bring this design to life such as rose reds, greens, blues, oaks and rich woods. Don’t forget you

can accessorise with concrete-coloured crockery or grey textured furnishings such as rugs or curtains to keep the cold at bay.

2) Standout feature units During festivities, we always need that extra space to serve up warming tipples or platters of food and the answer here is a bespoke dresser that can act as an extra station when you need more space!

Designed with plate racks, deep cupboards or feature glass shelving, it’s not only practical to house everything you need, but it also creates a real focal area in your kitchen.

On trend are metal-framed units with textured glass coloured in a contrasting shade so it stands out from your other units.

Lights in the cabinetry create a cosy atmosphere, so it’s perfect for when you wake up in the mornings and can’t bear the bright lights or are winding down on an evening.

3) Keeping it clean Now more than ever, it’s important to keep those bugs at bay and the kitchen is an essential space to keep sleek and clean.

As worktops make up a large proportion of your kitchen space,

Sleek, handleless kitchen designs which offer a sense of minimalism are easier to clean. it’s important to get it right. Non-porous designs create a hygienic surface.

For inspiration look at Wren’s Xena Quartz which is not only bang on trend, but it’s extremely dense and compact so it inhibits the growth of bacteria or its transfer on to foods and objects.

Sleek, handleless kitchen designs which offer a sense of minimalism are easier to clean. Without compromising on style, these clean-faced designs make housework effortless. There’s no need to clean around grooves and handles, as with one clean swoop you’re done!

Integrated appliances such as induction hobs and hidden extractors not only create a sleek look but are also much easier to clean as the flush design means you can wipe them down as easy as your worktop.

Don’t forget to create a dedicated area in your kitchen or utility to store your cleaning essentials.

brews, upgrading to a boiling hot water tap will be a life changer!

Not only are they more efficient in terms of energy, but they free up worktop space removing the need for a kettle and are perfect for saving precious time for those with busy lifestyles. Many leading brands offer stylish and practical options which are child-safe too.

5) The new moody blue Classic blue was the colour of the year for 2020 and is still a very popular kitchen option, however we’re loving the new blue; it’s deeper and darker with more of a focus on deep teal colours.

Strong blues create a sense of grandeur and calm in any space, and this colour palette is especially suitable for kitchen spaces as it offers a crisp and clean look.

Similar to green, blue works beautifully with a strong contrast of marbled quartz worktops and brass hardware such as taps and handles.

Bolder hues The bolder hues are perfect for classic kitchens, but we’re starting to see interesting mixes of blues with greys and concretes in industrial settings.

Grey units are the perfect backdrop for deep blue walls or splashbacks, and for the ultimate look, add a rustic brick feature wall.

Finishing touches such as luxe velour or velvet furnishings will add that extra warmth in your space.

You might also try bold coloured cushions, throws and rugs to add warmth and style.

4) Hot water on demand As the chilly mornings and dark evenings bring a sense of urgency for warming

Above: Clockwise from top - A rustic brick feature wall; boiling hot water taps; clean kitchen designs Opposite page: The new blue with a focus on teal colours 59

MY GARDEN

Indoor impact for interior beauty

BY ANNABEL SCHULER

T

he garden is past its summer best, so this is a good time to bring some beauty indoors.

Two spectacular plants will provide impact year after year if they are well looked after. The first is the Amaryllis Hippeastrum, which produces striking trumpet-shaped flowers grown on a long stem and complemented by strappy dark green leaves. These come in colour variations from bold reds, pinks and cerise through to pure white. You can buy them potted up ready to flower, or the bulbs are available from New Zealand bulb companies if you wish to grow your own.

Once your amaryllis has flowered do not discard the bulb. Cut the flower stem off about four centimetres from the tip of the bulb and continue to water sparingly and fertilise occasionally. Keep the plant Above: Tending to a Phalaenopsis orchid 60

in a warm position so it continues to develop by storing nutrients, and when temperatures cool allow the bulb to go into its dormant phase. Give it three months to rest and recuperate and then cut off any dead foliage, clean the bulb, replant it and water and fertilise as before – you will be rewarded.

Correct lighting The second indoor favourite is the Phalaenopsis or moth orchid. These orchids are hard to beat for simplicity and sophistication and can be found frequently in garden centres and florists. They produce graceful, arching stems of flowers which look like exquisite moths, but they do need some TLC. Light is important. Your plant should be placed in a well-lit area but not in direct sun. Sunlight can burn the leaves and cause the plant to dry out too rapidly. If you can, mimic tropical conditions. To generate some humidity, place small stones and a little water in a tray under the plant. Be very careful not to overwater or you will rot the roots. Purists also recommend you use rainwater to avoid a build-up of chemicals and other nasties from tap water. This is a good tip for your air plants and bromeliads too, they all enjoy the same naturally humid conditions.

Purists also recommend you use rainwater to avoid a build-up of chemicals and other nasties from tap water.

Apply well-diluted orchid fertiliser from time to time but follow the instructions very carefully. Too much of a good thing will overwhelm any plant.

Phalaenopsis care Moth orchids like to be tightly contained so do not rush to repot them into a larger container. If you are gifted a moth orchid, it will be in flower and the stem should last for months. But, once it drops all its “moths” you will want to encourage another flower stem. Many people find this stage daunting, but orchid growers have published a lot of advice on their websites so check these out. I have had most success by cutting the spent flower stalk just above the second node from the growing medium then maintaining the plant well. Important: do not give up on it, if you take care of it the Phalaenopsis moth orchid will flower season upon season earning you bragging rights among indoor plant enthusiasts.

MY WELLBEING

Keeping healthy as you age B Y E M I LY H O P E

T

Colourful fruits and vegetables Colourful fruits and vegetables provide so many wonderful nutrients to the body to support ageing well. Many are a great source of vitamin C which is needed to make collagen, which gives our skin strength and flexibility. Sadly, as we age, the collagen directly under our skin reduces, meaning our skin has less support leading to wrinkles being more apparent. Citrus fruits, capsicum, kiwifruit, strawberries and broccoli all provide plentiful vitamin C so be sure to enjoy plenty!

Fruits and vegetables are also rich sources of antioxidants which help to fight against free-radical damage within the body, which can accelerate ageing. The more colourful the fruit or vegetable, the more antioxidants it contains. So really aim to enjoy the rainbow each day. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and silver beet also contain two compounds called lutein and zeaxanthin which support optimal eye health.

Oily fish Oily fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These fats help to protect against inflammation in stiff joints that commonly occurs with ageing.

Interestingly, our body’s ability to metabolise alcohol diminishes as we age.

Photo: Supplied

hey say that you are only as old as you feel. While time may inevitably see us getting older, what we eat can help to prevent many age-related changes to our health and wellbeing. In fact, what we choose to nourish ourselves with each and every day is one of the best predictors of how well we age. Some research suggests that eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day can add three years to your life!

There are many nutritious and delicious foods that serve to support ageing well. Here are a few ideas:

Aim to include two-to-three portions of oily fish in meals and snacks across the week. Or if you don’t eat oily fish, perhaps consider a fish oil supplement, particularly if you suffer from stiff joints.

Milk, cheese and yoghurt Milk, cheese and yoghurt are dairy foods that provide a rich source of the mineral calcium.

As we age, the density of our bones starts to decline, particularly so for women following menopause. Brittle and weak bones are a risk factor for fractures and osteoporosis.

To protect yourself against weak bones and fractures, aim to eat quality sources of milk, cheese and yoghurt that provide a decent source of calcium each day. If your body is not receiving an adequate amount of calcium from the foods that you eat, it will then start to take calcium from your bone stores.

If you find that dairy products don’t agree with you or if you have an allergy, choose calcium-fortified milks such as almond milk and enjoy a range of other calcium-rich foods including Chinese cabbage, chickpeas, hummus and sesame seeds and perhaps look into the possibility of a calcium supplement if your intake of calcium-rich foods is low.

Nuts Nuts are a rich source of many long-chain healthy fats that provide valuable nutrients to our brains to keep them healthy. Indeed, many are also a source of vitamin E

Above: Broccoli and almonds

which has been shown to support memory. Walnuts have been shown to be particularly beneficial. One study found that just a handful each day could help to improve cognitive function. However, whatever nuts you choose to enjoy, aim for a handful or two each day whether as a snack or as part of a meal.

Interestingly, our body’s ability to metabolise alcohol diminishes as we age. This is because often our body composition changes to one of less muscle mass and more fat mass. It is the muscle within our bodies that metabolises alcohol so people with less muscle mass end up with more alcohol in their blood.

Alcohol dilates the blood vessels meaning more blood flows out to the peripheral areas of the body such as the skin.

As a result, the heart must beat faster to push this blood out to the periphery resulting in a flushed face and a faster heart rate.

Of course, staying active and undertaking some form of regular resistance exercise will help reduce any age-related losses in muscle mass that may normally occur.

Together, regular activity and a wholesome and nourishing intake will provide many tools to support you to age well! www.hopenutrition.org.nz

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M Y E D U C AT I O N

A pathway to management for all degree holders B Y J O N AT H A N C A R S O N

Above: Nelly Asmatullayeva

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Photo: Jess Shirley

N

elly Asmatullayeva says NMIT was an “attractive” option when she was looking to gear up her career in education with a management qualification.

She already had degrees in linguistics, education and teaching English as a foreign language, and 16 years’ experience working for educational institutions in her home country of Kazakhstan.

But she wanted to take her career in a new direction and study management in an English-speaking country.

Her research led her to the Master of Applied Management at NMIT, a comprehensive 15-month programme that prepares students, of all backgrounds, for management roles.

Nelly says she was attracted to NMIT because the programme didn’t require her to have a background in business or management.

The Master of Applied Management is “open entry” which means it caters to degree holders from all industry backgrounds.

“What I liked about it was that they were open to any background,” Nelly says.

“Usually there are prerequisites and it’s difficult to change the field, but here I could study management without having an undergraduate qualification in management.

That was very attractive to me.”

She had some leadership experience working as a dean of a university and project manager for Erasmus+, a European Union education programme.

But she was seeking a new challenge and wanted to formalise her experience with a management qualification.

The masters programme is well suited to all degree holders who want to progress into management.

Students can take specific courses to major in Applied Management, International Business, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Business Analytics and Healthcare Management.

Graduates will find career opportunities in a wide variety of sectors, including the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Role playing Nelly says she particularly enjoyed the Agile Management course in which students create a fictional business in a group and are required to overcome real-world challenges.

“It’s a really interesting course. We were involved in a mock project. We pretended to design a coffee cart business and did everything from creating the logo to how we were going to organise the business, the prices, the drinks we were going to offer; we even developed a mobile application and a chatbot, and we used the agile approach to manage that project,” Nelly says.

Several study options “That was exciting, partially because the team was amazing. We were six women from different backgrounds, and we complemented each other. That was a great course for me. I learned a lot.”

She says she had experience with “waterfall” project management in the education sector, but learning agile methodologies, like “scrum” and “kanban”, showed her new ways of working.

Students also have the freedom to choose which topics they focus on during the programme, so they can build upon the knowledge and skills they already have.

“I try to do all the assignments somehow related to the field of education,” she says.

“It’s very good that students can actually choose the topic, but apply what they’ve learned from the course in this topic.”

Nelly says she’s excited to apply the communication skills and management methodologies she’s learned during the programme in the education sector.

The masters programme can be studied fully online or face-to-face at the Nelson campus or a combination of both, and there are several intakes throughout the year. To learn more, visit nmit.ac.nz/business

r Sale

00

Montebello $799,000

Lot 2

000

Lot 64

completed 2020

Montebello $929,000

Our first project at 33 Huntaway Close will benefit their service directly and support them on their way to recovery. With over 500 missions flown annually, this vital service needs our help and community support to continue to save lives.

Lot 71

Mike Greer Homes has over 25 years of experience building homes that SPOT by design innovation and quality workmanship.

B&W are characterised T he value of our specialist knowledge and attention to detail is evident in every home that we build.

The

Hilltopsregion, If you're looking to buy or build a new home in the Nelson Tasman come home to more with Mike Greer Homes.

r Sale

es.co.nz

Our team at Mike Greer Homes is here to support our community.

The Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter service has been severely impacted by COVID-19 and we are responding to help them recover lost revenue in the top of the South Island.

Mike Greer Homes offers a great selection of Home and Land packages available throughout the Nelson Tasman and Marlborough region.

33 1409 vclark@mikegreerhomes.co.nz 3 1409 vclark@mikegreerhomes.co.nz 682787 787 emccashin@mikegreerhomes.co.nz emccashin@mikegreerhomes.co.nz 682 572 1409 1958 dchambers@mikegreerhomes.co.nz 733 vclark@mikegreerhomes.co.nz

21 682 787 7 572 1958

under construction

we have a plan.

re oice.

DIENT

Lot 57

emccashin@mikegreerhomes.co.nz dchambers@mikegreerhomes.co.nz

Showhomes Showhome 1 Piwakawaka Drive, Stoke 1 Piwakawaka Drive, Stoke Showhomes Rose Manor Drive, Blenheim Open17 daily, 1pm-4pm

1 Piwakawaka Drive, Stoke 17 Rose Manor Drive, Blenheim

rescuerecovery

Community Support

mike greer homes x nelson marlborough rescue helicopter

Showhome

3 1409 vclark@mikegreerhomes.co.nz 682 787 emccashin@mikegreerhomes.co.nz

1 Piwakawaka Drive, Stoke Open daily, 1pm-4pm

award winner!

03 544 7873 mikegreerhomes.co.nz

We entered our Nelson showhome into the Registered Master Builders House of the Year Awards 2020 and we are proud to announce we have won a Gold Award and Regional Award for this stunning home.

If you haven’t seen our showhome yet make sure you come in and see us.

SHOWHOMES

1 Piwakawaka Drive, Stoke 17 Rose Manor Drive, Blenheim

63

MY KITCHEN

Roasted Summer Veges with Lentils and Cider Vinaigrette A simple and quick salad to whip together for a lastminute summer barbecue with friends.

BY MADAME LU’S KITCHEN

Serves four as a side Salad Ingredients Large handful of baby carrots, tops trimmed off 1 capsicum, deseeded and chopped into 6 large strips 1 red onion, chopped into wedges 2 zucchini, chopped into rounds 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tin of brown lentils, rinsed 1/2 cup feta, crumbled 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped 1/2 cup tamari roasted seeds (store bought or home-made) Salt & pepper to taste Dressing Ingredients 1/4 cup good-quality olive oil 2 tbsp cider vinegar 1 clove of garlic 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp Dijon mustard Salt & pepper to taste Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. In a medium-size bowl toss the

carrots, capsicums, onions and zucchini with the olive oil until

well coated. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to the baking tray.

3. Roast for 45 minutes or until nicely coloured.

4. For the dressing, combine all the

ingredients in a jar and shake well to emulsify. Set aside.

5. To assemble the salad, combine the roasted vegetables, lentils, feta, parsley and toasted tamari seeds in a large bowl, pour over the dressing and toss together. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Serve warm or cold. www.madamelus.co.nz

C R E AT I V E C H E F

Hopgood’s awardwinning chef

BY FRANK NELSON

Above: Head chef Aaron Ballantyne

Photo: Vibeke Friis

L

ady Luck smiled on Aaron Ballantyne one day in 2005 when he walked past a new restaurant in Nelson and saw it was advertising for staff. He popped in to ask about some short-term work and basically never left!

In the 15 years since Aaron has become part of the fabric of Hopgood’s & Co, one of the city’s favourite eateries, where he’s now head chef and part-owner of the business started by Kevin Hopgood and his wife Jane.

“I’d just come back to Nelson from overseas and I was only going to be here for a couple of weeks … I saw them advertising and called in to say I’d be around for a wee while if they needed a hand. And I’m still here!”

That’s part of a fortuitous story which began much earlier when Aaron took a casual night job washing dishes in a hotel while at high school in Wellington. That lowly start gave him a taste of his future career.

“I really enjoyed the kitchen atmosphere and getting involved with the food,” says Aaron, who went on to complete a two-year cooking and hospitality course at Wellington Polytechnic.

He gained experience working at two or three Wellington restaurants in the late 1990s before heading to Japan where he taught English for a while and developed a lasting appreciation for Japanese cuisine.

Aaron’s wife Satomi is Japanese and also trained as a chef. For a few years she owned a restaurant in Singapore before switching to a career in the travel industry.

Back in New Zealand, Aaron moved to Queenstown to work at the prestigious

“We really utilise the local farmers’ markets and local products as best we can. There’s heaps of fantastic produce out there – you just need to go and find it.”

A ARON BALLANTYNE

Blanket Bay Lodge, then considered one of the country’s most exclusive luxury lodges.

Wonderful local produce For about three years Aaron found himself working under two leading chefs, Jason Dell and Mark Sycamore. With those two teaching him and pushing him to succeed – plus “awesome budgets and amazing ingredients” – Aaron developed a huge range of skills that he later brought to Nelson.

During his time at Hopgood’s the restaurant has carved out a reputation as one of the finest in the top of the South Island, its status underlined by a host of local, regional and national awards.

Aaron lists several factors behind that success, starting with the hard-working team at the heart of the Trafalgar Street eatery which is open for dinner every night

except Sunday. “The key is hard work and team work,” he says.

He also thinks a commitment to consistency builds a loyal customer base.

While the restaurant is always alive to new ideas and staying ahead of trends, “it all comes down to consistency,” says Aaron. “I think that’s what we’re known for in Nelson. It’s one thing we do right where a lot of places go wrong.”

And then, of course, there’s the food.

“We just try and keep it really simple and seasonal. We really utilise the local farmers’ markets and local products as best we can.

There’s heaps of fantastic produce out there – you just need to go and find it.

“I think we’re pretty lucky in the Top of the South where we’ve probably got some of the best vegetables in the country,” says Aaron, who also loves the easy access to the region’s wonderful fruit and seafood.

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Photo: Supplied

TOP DROPS - BREWS

A funky addition to brew stable

BY MARK PREECE

F

unk Estate brewery is the latest label in the Brandhouse stable, bringing a quirky edge to the company’s craft beer portfolio.

Brandhouse managing director Jason Dellaca says Funk Estate complements the Renaissance brand, which they bought three years ago and modernised with a rebrand, resulting in a product designed to meet the demands of sophisticated beer drinkers. The late 2020 purchase of Funk Estate provides opportunity to create a second brand that’s “more in your face, comical and quirky”, he says. During New Zealand’s first lockdown last year, Funk Estate was in discussions

with the liquidators. “We decided to purchase them and the advantages of having an existing brand which had an established following,” says Jason.

The stable expansion has meant a busy brewery at Renaissance in Blenheim with all the Funk Estate crafted there, and night shifts have been introduced to help manage the bottleneck. Going forward, Renaissance will stay in Blenheim but Funk Estate may find a new home in another region, with a little stand-alone brew bar “giving it provenance, which craft beer likes”.

Meanwhile, there’ve been changes afoot, including a change in the package distribution, says Jason. “Funk Estate was 50/50 keg and packaged, whereas we are more like 60 to 80-percent package.” They have also grown the company’s South Island distribution, “as in keeping with craft beer provenance, it was not well distributed down here”.

If you want to get down to Funky Town, here are some excellent options:

The late 2020 purchase of Funk Estate provides opportunity to create a second brand that’s “more ‘in your face’, comical and quirky”.

JA S O N D E L L A C A

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Above: Funk Estate’s newest brew, a hazy IPA

Sophisticuffs IPA, 6.0% ABV. They say: the result of ongoing flirtations between an aggressively fierce serving of Kiwi hops and a solid distinguished malt character is this love child. As the name suggests, she is beautiful, bold, balanced and banging, bringing together the quintessential elements of a funkalicious IPA. Give her a go, she’s a badass lass with a lot of class.

Mothership Grapefruit APA, 5.8% ABV. They say: a spin on our base APA that’s here to stay. A 5% APA hopped with some banging US hops, then spiked with some spritzy grapefruit. Super refreshing.

Parleyer Pilsner, 4.5% ABV. They say: Parleyer is a hop-forward pilsner with a pleasant light and spritzy character and a low-key citrus and pine aroma.

B-Boy Mango Tea Sour Ale, 5% ABV. They say: a collab with the Estate’s mate at Webster’s Tea. The latter is allegedly a “B-boy from way back” so we’ve given this one the moves with his popular rooibos and mango tea, and some kettle souring.

Brewed for GABS 2019.

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D E S T I NAT I O N TA R A NA K I

Take time out in Taranaki

after a wander along the driftwood-strewn beach, I head south to Tongapōrutu, famous for the rock formations known as the Three Sisters. You really need to visit this beach at low tide if you want to see these amazing 25-metre rocks that the sea is gradually reclaiming (there used to be four of them plus a formation known as Elephant Rock, which lost its trunk to erosion a few years ago).

BY RENÉE LANG

O

ne doesn’t usually just arrive in Taranaki; as a region it’s kind of removed from the main route north or south so a bit of extra time and effort is required. But take it from me – whichever direction you are approaching from, the trip is worth every extra kilometre.

I’ve come from Hamilton, a leisurely and scenic drive that takes me down through the Waikato and King Country. My first stop is Mokau, a tiny village situated at the mouth of the Mokau River on the North Taranaki Bight. Strictly speaking it’s still within the boundaries of the Waitomo District and Waikato region local government areas, but drive a couple of hundred metres down the road and hey presto – you’re officially in the ’Naki.

Famous for its whitebait during the season, Mokau is also a favourite holiday destination judging from the number of baches just above the foreshore. No McMansions to be seen anywhere – just a series of time-worn and suitably weathered little houses that overlook a starkly beautiful black sand beach with Mt Taranaki peeping through the clouds on the far side of the bight.

I’m in luck – the whitebait season has just started so my canine companion and I share a generously proportioned fritter before retiring to our dog-friendly motel unit perched on the hill with views to die for. The next morning dawns bright and clear and Above: Mount Taranaki Opposite page:Tongapōrutu, Three Sisters rock formations 68

Great outdoors My next stop is Waitara, just 15 kilometres north-east of the region’s main centre of New Plymouth, and the site of the outbreak of the Taranaki Wars back in the 1860s. Disputes over land that was subsequently confiscated by the government continue to this day.

Like many small towns in New Zealand, the closure of its meat processing plant in the 1990s dealt the local population a crushing blow, but over subsequent years the town has revived.

Then it’s on to New Plymouth, where my arrival coincides with lunchtime and after many online recommendations I head to the Federal Store where the dog and I receive a very friendly welcome. It’s clearly a popular eating place with a great menu including delicious all-day brunch options.

Now it’s time to find out what makes this metropolis of around 60,000 souls tick. First and foremost there’s the mountain that looms benignly over the region from its position in the Egmont National Park. If you enjoy being in the great outdoors there is no shortage of wonderfully scenic walks ranging from a couple of hours to full-on overnight tramps in this spectacular park. But if you’re short on time and suitable heavy-duty outdoor equipment, there are plenty of other options

... Mokau is also a favourite holiday destination judging from the number of baches just above the foreshore.

starting with a stroll along the city’s much-vaunted coastal walkway stretching from Bell Block to Port Taranaki. Along the way you’ll take in some dramatic sights including the spectacular Te Rewa Rewa Bridge.

Back in town I pay a quick visit to Puke Ariki, aka the i-Site on Saint Auburn Street, to arm myself with some information about the city. It’s a very modern building and once you’ve exhausted its possibilities, there’s a café right beside it where you can sit back and let it all soak in. After a restorative coffee, I decide that a dose of culture is in order and make my way to the famed Govett Brewster Art Gallery which also houses the Len Lye Centre. The building is pretty hard to miss, with its stainless steel façade comprising three 14-metre high panels and I spend a very enjoyable couple of hours absorbing various art works. My favourite has to be Len Lye’s “Do the Watusi”, a splendid kinetic sculpture that I could have watched all afternoon.

Garden Festival I’m fortunate enough to have family in the region so a bed for the next couple nights at my nephew’s home is guaranteed. “If only I’d come a few weeks later,” he and his wife cry on my arrival at Merleswood, “then you’d see the garden in its full spring glory.”

Their stunning 115-year-old property, just a few kilometres from Stratford, with its glorious garden and woodlands, is a popular choice for all the visitors who take part in the annual Taranaki Garden Festival which is scheduled for late October. It’s a 10-day event and well worth attending with more than 40 gardens on show, including at least six gardens of national significance.

Dinner that night is at Stratford’s Colonel Malone’s Restaurant & Bar, a local pub that’s very popular given the turn-out on a Tuesday night. Friendly service, good honest pub food washed down with the beverage of your choice – what’s not to like?

My last day starts off crisp and clear, making the drive back into New Plymouth especially enjoyable as there’s not a shred of cloud to be seen anywhere near the snow-capped mountain. First on the agenda is a visit to Pukekura Park, comprising 52 hectares of magnificent botanical gardens, often described by locals as the jewel in New Plymouth’s crown. The middle-of-the-city location is really quite marvellous as you’d normally expect to have to drive some distance out of town to see such a magnificent assortment of botanical treasures. Known for its outdoor sound stage that makes it a wonderful venue for all kind of events including WOMAD, the acclaimed TSB Bowl of Brooklands is part of the park. A word of advice: it’s possible to spend a whole day in this park and not see everything so don’t be in too much of a rush to look around.

A late lunch at Brougham Street’s Chaos Café, which belies its name, follows my very pleasant morning and then it’s time to hit the road south.

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Photo: Vibeke Friis

T O R Q U E TA L K

A quirky coffee pot classic WildTomato editor Lynda Papesch drives a classic European car that is so ugly it is cute. She explains more …

What type of vehicle do you own?

What makes it special for you?

A silver 2000 Fiat Multipla named Bubble.

This is an amazing car! Top Gear’s Richard Hammond once said that if you can get over the look of the vehicle it is “brilliant” and I totally agree with him.

The brainchild of Fiat’s chief designer Roberto Giolito, the Multipla is a quirky wee people-mover, manual, small in size and extremely economical. Add to that comfortable seating for six, amazing visibility and loads of interior space and it is super functional.

How did you come to own that particular make and model?

She was a gift to me for some voluntary work I did. The owners were relocating back to the USA and wanted a good home for their “Bubble”. At the time we (hubby Justin and myself ) were living in New South Wales temporarily and commuting backwards and forwards between there and Nelson Tasman.

I had regularly driven Bubble during a three-month stay and loved the feel, the quirky look and the practicality of the vehicle. We didn’t have a car here so Bubble became a valuable asset when we crossed the ditch for some time in Nelson Tasman.

Above: Lynda Papesch with her 2000 Fiat Multipla

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What’s under the bonnet?

The Multipla was produced from 1998 to 2013. Mine is the 2000 version, which is of super robust construction and weighs in at 1300kg.

A 1600cc five-door vehicle, it has a a front positioned engine powering the front wheels. The four cylinder double

overhead camshaft naturally aspirated engine has four valves per cylinder, producing power and torque figures of 102 bhp (103 PS/76 kW) at 5750 rpm and 145 Nm (107 lbft/14.8 kgm) at 4000 rpm respectively.

In Fiat circles it is called the “coffee pot” for the distinctive separation of the bottom and top halves, particularly when the car is seen from the rear. It starts wide at the bottom, narrows at the beltline, then widens again at the top.

How often do you drive it and where?

We drive Bubble every day, to work, to play, on road trips and day jaunts. Often we come back to find people walking around examining the car, peering in her windows, and taking selfies with her. At 21 years of age, she still attracts a crowd.

If you had another vehicle what would it be?

A vintage Royal Enfield motorcycle or a Vespa.

SPORTS CLUBS

Bringing cricket to Nelson Tasman

BY TIM MURDOCH

What is the purpose of your group?

Photo: Brent McGilvary

To manage, administer and promote cricket in the Nelson Tasman region. The strategic aim of Nelson Cricket is to be an outstanding cricket organisation by providing leadership, direction, guidance and support in developing, growing and promoting cricket.

What is the association’s history?

Nelson has a rich cricket history. Cricket was first reported in the Nelson Examiner as being played in Nelson in March 1844, in a match between the surveyors of the land company and Nelson.

As a representative team Nelson played interprovincial cricket as early as 1862, later playing first-class cricket in the 1873-74 season against Wellington, becoming the fifth team to play first-class cricket in New Zealand.

Nelson played 17 times in first-class cricket, winning nine and losing seven, and played their last first-class match in 1891.

In 1922 the Newman Shield was presented by Tom Newman of Newman Brothers for competition between Nelson City, Waimea, Tapawera, Midlands (Murchison), Motueka, Takaka, Marlborough Country and Marlborough Town.

Above: Hawke Cup action at Saxton Field

Today Nelson competes in the Hawke Cup, which is a trophy contested by the District Associations (DAs) in New Zealand. Nelson is one of seven DAs that feed into the Central Districts Major Association (MA).

Nelson has a rich Hawke Cup history, winning the cup several times, and holds the record for the longest period defending the title, a 28-match streak from December 1958 to February 1965.

In the 2018/19 season the Nelson Griffins successfully challenged Southland to bring the trophy back once again to the Top of the South.

How many members do you have?

Currently we have 985 registered junior and senior club players.

What age groups and levels are played locally?

Club cricket is for players from fiveyear-olds through to 75-year-olds, boys and girls, men and women. Nelson Cricket fields representative teams from primary school to age group and senior men’s level in various New Zealand Cricket approved tournaments.

What is the regular games venue and timing?

Saxton Oval is an accredited international cricket venue and a regular host of first-class cricket in New Zealand.

We are looking forward to hosting two women’s international T20 fixtures at Saxton Oval on 9th March 2021.

Visit nelsoncricket.org.nz or facebook@nelsoncricket.org.nz

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOU JOINING US IN OUR 2021 SEASON • GH Tournament - 10 April • 2021 Netball Season - starts first week of May • Registration open now - don’t miss out!

Saxton Stadium, 142 Saxton Rd. Ph: 03 547 4450

admin@nelsonnetball.co.nz • www.nelsonnetball.co.nz 71

MOTORING

Shine on Citroen

BY KYLE CASSIDY

I

t’s a pleasant surprise when a car maker chooses to go their own way.

You can always count on Citroen to do just that. That’s certainly what you get with the latest C3, facelifted for 2021, and available here as a single Shine variant, listing for $29,990. That includes nice alloys, a smart key, dual zone air and cruise control. There are a few catches.

Safety bits and bobs include speed limit recognition, rear parking sensors, reversing camera and lane departure warning but others you’d expect on a $30k car come as a $1500 upgrade. These include autonomous braking, blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning, high beam assist, front parking sensors and driver fatigue alert.

We guess the general idea was to keep the base price below $30k but making safety items a cost option? Effectively all cars will go out the door with the safety package and comfort seats (the latter being part of a $1000 design line option that adds special trim, a leather-bound wheel and upgraded pews with cloth and leatherette finish).

Therefore the bottom line cost is more

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accurately $32,500. There are further costs too to consider, like a three-year service plan ($1490) and metallic paint ($550).

And then there are the almost 100 different combinations of body and roof colours and interior “ambience” which add at least $500.

Still, pricing subtleties aside, we rather liked the C3; it charms in odd ways.

Doesn’t disappoint The 2021 facelift is literally that, with a cute new visage, though there are also underthe-skin updates. Cleverly the designers have used the two Chevrons as styling start points, linked them to the stacked headlights, as is the trend. It’s a good look.

We also like the Air Bumps, a unique Citroen concept that limits panel damage in supermarket car parks and when opening doors in confined garage spaces.

The 81kW/205Nm 1.2-litre turbocharged engine gives C3 forthcoming performance. The six-speed auto is not always the speediest of shifters as it is optimised to reduce fuel use. On this front, Citroen suggests an average of 5.2l/100km overall though 6.6 was the best we saw.

In town the torquey wee engine can appear to be labouring at times, but peak twist arrives by a claimed 1500rpm so it’s functioning as designed. The auto stopstart is a touch hyperactive but this can be switched out quite easily.

While it lopes along at low revs by default, this little five-door doesn’t mind a bit of a fang. Despite its soft underpinnings and rubber designed to last the distance, C3 will give any winding road a lash and it doesn’t disappoint.

But where it really shines is in the ride and refinement department. With Primacy 3 rubber there’s decorum over literally any surface, and we’re talking both what you hear and what you feel. Even huge ruts don’t seem to upset the comfort suspension.

And the added-cost comfort seats, despite having no lumbar adjustment, are cushy and supportive in the right places.

Finally, there’s a five-year/100,000km warranty so some peace of mind on the backup front. No, it’s not a sub$30k car, but the C3 charms in the way small fry seldom do.

Review supplied by NZAutocar

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ARTS

Artist introduces new sculpting opportunities to Nelson Tasman

BY JOHN DU FOUR

Painter becomes sculptor The penny dropped and Fiona’s life as an artist was under way. She went straight to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, the UK’s premier art school.

“I was offered a place because of my paintings, but once there I discovered sculpture and never looked back.” She laughs: “I remember feeling like skipping down the road after sculpture classes.”

Fiona’s focus was creating large figurative plaster works, including designing the supporting armature beneath the sculpted surface.

“The armature’s steel work was always made by technicians at the school,” she says. “So once I graduated I went to tech college and learned to weld, so I could do everything myself.”

Fiona describes her approach to the figurative as real, but stylised. “It needs to look and feel right, but stripped to its essence. I’m not after reality, but an emotional connection.”

Above: Fiona Sutherland with her human/ animal hybrid, Mona Rabbit 74

Photo: Supplied

F

iona Sutherland is one of Nelson’s pre-eminent sculptors. This year she is offering exciting new adult and student classes working with clay.

Fiona grew up in Dundee, Scotland, where her father David is still a cartoonist drawing for The Beano after 60 years. “He taught me my basic drawing skills,” Fiona says. “He was often telling me off for stealing his paintbrushes and ink.”

In high school Fiona’s A level subjects were totally geared towards a future in nursing. “But I still wanted to take art. My art teacher intervened and I was allowed to include art as an additional subject.”

Her art teacher knew what he was doing – Fiona did well. So well, in fact, that a seascape she painted that year ended up being chosen by local authorities for presentation to a visiting dignitary: Lord Snowdon.

Shifting to London, Fiona continued sculpting, while also working part-time as a studio artist at Madam Tussauds.

After a stint in Paris, she returned to Scotland, working in the Glasgow Sculpture Studios. Her reputation grew, and she exhibited in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London.

In 1992 Fiona went backpacking to Australia, working in Melbourne creating giant-sized puppet figures for community parades.

“I ended up staying 14 years,” she says, “married a Kiwi, had three children, two dogs and a cat.”

In 2007 her husband wanted to move back to New Zealand, and suggested Nelson as a place Fiona would like.

She did, right away.

“There are surprising similarities between Dundee and Nelson. Both are seaside cities surrounded by green.

Dundee has its own Grampian hills, and I was actually born in Collingwood Street!”

The joy of teaching Fiona became involved with art projects at Nelson College Prep.

She discovered she liked teaching, and completed her post-graduate training, ending up as art teacher at Nelson Intermediate.

“I teach because I love seeing people who think they aren’t creative discover they actually are.”

She also began winning commissions for Nelson public artworks, like her Goddess of Flight at Nelson Airport; Up the Creek Without a Paddle at Saxton Field; and Sanctuary, by the Maitai bridge opposite the Trafalgar Centre.

Late last year Fiona left Nelson Intermediate to run private clay sculpting and art classes for all ages. She’s enjoying the change.

“With smaller student numbers,” she says, “it’s a lot less about structure and more about taking individual leads.”

Fiona runs beginner courses at the Suter Gallery, while for intermediates and after-school student classes, she is using her newly opened Fiona Sutherland Studio Workshop in Founders Park.

“I teach because I love seeing people who think they aren’t creative discover they actually are.

“And I just love ‘making’. It’s my happy place.”

Sculpture and Art Class information: fsutherlandart@gmail.com

GALLERIES

Your local Gallery Showcase Your local Gallery Showcase is sponsored by WildTomato as our way to support and encourage local artisans and galleries. Contact info@wildtomato.co.nz to be featured.

DAVID TRUBRIDGE RARE CREATIONS

CRAIG POTTON GALLERY + STORE

THE DIVERSION GALLERY

152 Mapua Drive, RD1, Upper Moutere, Nelson 03 540 2225 | www.rarecreations.co.nz

255 Hardy Street, Nelson 03 548 9554 | www.craigpottongallery.co.nz

10 London Quay, Picton Waterfront 027 440 8121 | www.thediversion.co.nz

JANE SMITH CHOCOLATE DOG STUDIO

RENATE VON PETERDORFF CERAMICS BY RENATE

HAWKS VALLEY SCULPTURE GALLERY

9 Te Aroha Place, Mapua 027 695 4433 | www.chocolatedog.co.nz

810A Queen Charlotte Drive, RD1, Picton 021 124 1779 | www.ceramicsbyrenate.co.nz

190 Williams Road, Tasman 021 267 1127 | www.laurenkitts.co.nz

HÖGLUND ART GLASS GLASSBLOWING STUDIO

NIKKI ROMNEY SALIGIA ART GALLERY

MICHELLE BELLAMY BELLAMY GALLERY

52 Lansdowne Road, Appleby, Richmond 03 544 6500 | www.hoglundartglass.com

31 Trafalgar Street, Nelson 021 0824 6111 | www.saligia.org

03 548 0139 | www.bellamygallery.co.nz

THE GALLERY HAVELOCK

BERNARD CARROLL

60 Main Road, Havelock 03 574 2821 | www.thegalleryhavelock.com

RICHMOND MALL POP-UP GALLERY

JAN THOMSON KORIMAKO STUDIO

Richmond Mall, Richmond (opposite Farmers) 03 544 4332 | www.bernardcarroll.co.nz

10 Range View Road, St Arnaud 03 521 1999 | www.korimakostudio.com 75

BOOKS

New releases to check out

Reading is a great form of relaxation and every week there are plenty of new books published. Here are some compiled by Renée Lang ...

The Godmothers Monica McInerney

Captain of her own life

Available now, $37 Penguin Random House

BY RENÉE LANG

G

iven Rebecca Hayter’s father’s love of writing and sailing – his 1959 book, Sheila in the Wind, has long been a classic – it is not at all surprising that she has become a competent sailor and successful writer.

Born in Golden Bay, Rebecca attended Nelson College for Girls before heading away to study at the University of Auckland. After acquiring her degree, she knew she had a taste for writing but wasn’t sure of her career path until she won a short story competition in a national newspaper. Rebecca laughingly recalls that it was just like a big hand pointing out to her, “well, you can write”.

That success, combined with an inheritance from her beloved father, gave her the confidence to apply for a journalism course, which then led to a series of freelance writing assignments, including writing for Boating New Zealand, which kept her busy until 1995 when she accepted a job as associate editor with Boating World magazine. In the meantime she had taken up sailing, which she enjoyed enormously. In 1998, she became yachting editor, and a year later editor, of Boating New Zealand. So it was not surprising that within three years she was the yachting editor for the same magazine and a year later the overall editor.

Along the way Rebecca acquired her own yacht, a 7.9-metre keeler, which not only gave her valuable sailing experience but taught her some essential upkeep skills. She also managed to find time to write Endless Summer, a book about Penny Whiting, one of New Zealand’s best-known woman sailors. This was followed by Oceans Alone, which documented Chris Sayer’s international yachting successes.

In 2008 she left her position at Boating New Zealand, not just to take up freelance journalism again, but because she wanted time for her pet project, which was to build a dinghy. Everything went to plan so a few years later she re-joined the magazine where she stayed until 2013 at which point her desire to buy a lifestyle property in Golden Bay could no longer be ignored.

Now happily established just a few kilometres south of Collingwood, Rebecca has spent the last couple of years working on a book about her experience sailing to Greenland with established ocean racer Ross Field, which she has just published. The central part of the story is set in the chilling vastness of the Greenland fjords: icebergs, whales and as Rebecca herself says, “fishing boats that munch growlers for breakfast”.

Wild Seas to Greenland is available through selected bookshops and Rebecca’s website: www.rebeccahayter.co.nz

Above: Author Rebecca Hayter 76

I

f you’re looking for a light read, maybe something for the hammock, the beach or even the sofa, then this family drama ticks all the boxes. Set in Australia, Scotland, Ireland and England, it’s a moving story about love, loss, hope and sorrow about the families we’re born into and the families we make for ourselves.

Zen Heart Mark Vette Available now, $40 Penguin Random House

I

f you’re an animal lover, you’ll know about New Zealander Mark Vette – the animal behaviourist and trainer who has not only trained dogs to drive cars and fly planes, but he’s also worked with many other species to do some pretty amazing stuff.

Zen Heart isn’t just the story of a Kiwi boy made good, but also a heart-warming meditation on what we might be able to learn from animals.

Cook, Eat, Repeat Nigella Lawson Available now, $26 Penguin Random House

A

wonderful combination of food writing at its best, written in this much-loved British celebrity’s engaging and insightful prose, plus more than 100 tasty new recipes that make the most of her favourite ingredients. More than just a mantra, Cook, Eat Repeat is the story of her life. What’s not to love?

MUSIC

Sonorawesome

BY EDDIE ALLNUTT

T

he first time I heard Square One Again by Nelson band Sonoraw was live on Blair Kiddey’s morning radio show and I was simultaneously hooked. The ditty not only grabbed me by lyrics I could relate to, as relationships can be full of traps and tricks like Snakes and Ladders, but also by the powerful and dynamic vocal range of Betsy Hill who made my entire frame resemble a plucked bird. I quickly got dressed for work.

Betsy was accompanied by David Turnhout who played a Taylor acoustic in The Breeze’s studio and geez did it sound sweet. David and Betsy originally formed as a duet, however, soon after, a little serendipity struck and a further member; Amy Cunningham (keys and vocals) joined to create an even more vibrant and layered sound.

Although Sonoraw do pub and event gigs and play covers, their passion is writing, recording and performing their originals.

They are intending to release some singles or maybe even two sides of vinyl.

From Never Ending Highway, Holiday, Square One, Apathy and Disease, all members contribute. David says, “All of us write songs so it has been kind of nuts not to concentrate on originals,” and Amy adds, “I do enjoy playing covers but it doesn’t extend us.” Betsy shares the same sentiments to say, “We all add in our musicality to the song so it’s kind of exciting.” She also pays credit to David by saying he’s a good songwriter.

Betsy says that “something overtakes her body” when she sings and I can’t help to think that even Stevie Nicks would be envious when she’s in full flight. The band describe their lead vocalist as having the “power of Lady Gaga” while having her own unique sound. They also say she “really gets into the zone” and when she comes off the stage, “she’s exhausted”.

Expanding the seed Amy who has a Bachelor of Music and studied the classic piano is currently enjoying the creativity of Sonoraw. “I became frustrated with the whole process and what

Photo: Aimee Jules

Song writers

Sonoraw are performing at Marchfest so get ready to soak up their sound alongside a crafty.

I love about this now is that it’s so free.” She talks about songwriting too. “I have to be inspired by something, a stab in the heart or… I need quiet so usually I write my songs in my head when I’m waiting to catch a flight or driving around in the car. All it takes is a little riff or a line or a beat or something and that’s it. Then it’s like a huge stressful thing that’s in there so I usually stop and record it, just sing it into my phone so I’ve got it!”

Musical influences Above: Sonoraw takes centre stage

David has a sort of similar approach and

says, “It’s never like sitting down and trying to write a song, it always like you’ve got that inspiration. A guitar riff might come along or sometimes it’s like lyrics and melody and I record it on my phone. The band takes it to another level where I would never have expected it to go. It’s awesome to see it go to that next level. I believe we have the ambition to try to get one of our singles in the top 20 of the NZ charts.”

Sonoraw are performing at Marchfest so get ready to soak up their sound alongside a crafty.

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EVENTS

Nelson Tasman

Regular Markets

Friday 12 to Sunday 14

Every Saturday morning

Summer Challenge

The Nelson Market 8am to 1pm

Created for those who want to do an awesome adventure in summer! Teams of three women navigate their way through scenically rewarding natural environments either kayaking, mountain biking or hiking, with a map and compass in hand.

Fun, teamwork, exploration and adventure are the key elements the course design team has in mind when scheming up the event routes. 6.30am.

MONTGOMERY SQUARE

Every Sunday Motueka Market 8am to 1pm DECKS RESERVE CAR PARK

TRAFALGAR CENTRE, NELSON

Monty’s Market 8am to 1pm MARCH - APRIL Friday 5 and Saturday 6 Royal New Zealand Ballet – Tutus on Tour The Royal New Zealand Ballet returns in 2021 with their muchloved regional touring programme, Tutus on Tour, presenting an enchanting summer programme suitable for all ages. Fri 6.30pm, Sat 2pm and 6.30pm.

THEATRE ROYAL, NELSON

Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show Since 1999, the NZ Antique & Classic Boat Show at Lake Rotoiti has been a quirky annual event – just as you would expect from a boating event 640m above sea level. Boaties tow their prized originals, restorations and rebuilds from right around New Zealand, each boat with its own story to tell. 9am to 4pm.

KERR BAY, ST ARNAUD, TASMAN

Tuesday 9 Crowded House Neil Finn and Nick Seymour are energised and inspired to begin the next chapter in the Crowded House story. A new generation has grown up and connected with their songs and will now get to experience the band live as they perform legendary anthems from the band’s 35-year career, along with fresh new music. 6.30pm.

TRAFALGAR CENTRE, NELSON

Saturday 13 Urban Jungle Festival – Nelson Urban Jungle is a one-day minifestival that focuses on high-energy drum and bass. This event will be 78

the flagship of the hugely popular genre of electronic music in Nelson.

Come check out what all the hype is about and join the constantly growing culture around electronic live music. 3pm to 10pm.

display. There will be a barbecue and speakers will outline some features of the area. Boat available to bring walkers from the Cut back to Wakefield Quay. Buses leave 8.15am, 9am and 9.45am.

FOUNDERS HERITAGE PARK, NELSON

WAKEFIELD QUAY, NELSON

Saturday 13

Saturday 20

The Soldier’s Tale

Marchfest 2021

Written ‘to be read, played and danced’, The Soldier’s Tale tells the story of the titular Soldier who makes a deal with the Devil; in exchange for the Soldier’s magic violin, the Devil will grant his every wish. You’ll hear tango, waltz, ragtime, Jewish klezmer, church chorales and the Spanish paso doble all brought together in Stravinsky’s intoxicating score.

7.30pm.

Running successfully since 2008, the 14th Marchfest Craft Beer and Music Festival will be held again in New Zealand’s main hop growing region, the top of the South Island. Unlike ordinary beer festivals, all the beers available at MarchFest have been specially commissioned for the event and have never previously been tasted by the public. 12pm to 9.30pm.

THEATRE ROYAL, NELSON

Sunday 21

Sunday 14

Sport Tasman Muddy Buddy Adventure Run

Boulder Bank Walk 2021 This fundraiser walk for Nelson Coastguard and the Rotary Foundation is 8km long and takes up to three hours. Some bach owners may have their baches open to visit and the lighthouse will be open with its historic

FOUNDERS HERITAGE PARK, NELSON

Join us for the ultimate mud-packed adventure for all abilities. Grab a buddy or lots of buddies and slither, slide and run the fun mud-packed course. Be in to win a mountain bike plus loads of other spot prizes.

Delicious food and coffee, silent auction, white elephant stall, face

Sunday 28 Multicultural Festival We invite you to celebrate Nelson’s diversity! Be inspired by the kaleidoscope of delicious food and brilliant entertainment by our rich multicultural community. Food stalls, arts, crafts and community/ educational stalls. Enjoy the music, songs and dance from around the world. 11am to 4pm.

VICTORY SQUARE, NELSON

MONTGOMERY SQUARE

Every Wednesday Nelson Farmers’ Market 8.30am to 1.30pm KIRBY LANE

Every Thursday Isel Twilight Market 4.30pm to 8.30pm ISEL PARK

2nd Sunday of the month Cars & Coffee 9am to 12pm CLASSIC CAR MUSEUM CARPARK, CADILLAC WAY, NELSON

painting and a bouncy castle for the little ones. 11am.

TASMAN SCHOOL, TASMAN

Sunday 4 Mapua Easter Fair Over 220 stallholders made up of arts, crafts, garden, fairground and miscellaneous stalls, a schoolrun café, second-hand store and silent auction. 9am to 3pm.

MAPUA DOMAIN, TASMAN

EVENTS

Regular Markets

Marlborough Saturday 13

Every Saturday Artisan Market 9am to 2pm

Havelock Mussel and Seafood Festival The Havelock Mussel and Seafood Festival is the perfect blend of great music and entertainment to be enjoyed with delicious fresh food to tempt your tastebuds, all at a familyfriendly price. Excellent Marlborough wines and beer also available.

10am to 6pm.

QUAYS, BLENHEIM

Every Sunday Marlborough Farmers’ Market 9am to 12pm The Sunday Marlborough Farmers’ Market is based on supporting local, fresh and seasonal produce and products. Everything has been produced and made by the people selling it at the market.

HAVELOCK DOMAIN, HAVELOCK

A&P SHOWGROUNDS

MARCH

the dancers of the RNZB perform their favourite works. 6.30pm.

Thursday 4

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH, BLENHEIM

Heath Franklin’s Chopper: The Silencer The Silencer will not be silenced!

Panic, terror, stupidity; they can all form a queue and suck the wrinkles out of Chopper’s walnut wallet. Masks, lockdowns, Karens, climate change, American elections, cancel culture – the outrage is deafening. Everyone is crazy, everyone has an opinion, everyone is wrong. 7.30pm.

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH, BLENHEIM

Tuesday 9 Tutus on Tour The Royal New Zealand Ballet returns with their much-loved regional touring programme, Tutus on Tour, presenting an enchanting summer programme. Enjoy a family programme for all ages, watch

Saturday 13 In The Shallows – Debut Album Tour The Shallows is a Wellingtonbased acoustic folk-pop duo formed by Danni Parsons and Lance Shepherd. Described as diverse modern folk music with a silken and distinctive sound that weaves together soaring harmonies, mesmerising vocals and acoustic guitars with relatable lyrics about intricate tales of love, loss, connection, redemption and empowerment. 8pm.

get to leave. Scare you soon! 8pm.

OMAKA MAIZE MAZE, HAWKESBURY, BLENHEIM

Tuesday 23

contemporary Irish music and spectacular costumes. 7.30pm.

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH, BLENHEIM

American Refugees Comedy Show The spiciest American imports since Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, comedians Gavin Hews and Aaron Barber present the standup comedy show, American Refugees. Americans Gavin and Aaron share hilarious tales of experiencing the world as reluctant ambassadors of truth, justice and the ever-bewildering American Way. 7.30pm.

Thursday 25 World of Musicals The World of Musicals brings the very best of musical theatre to life. Colourful, inspiring and memorable musical classics, all performed by an international star-studded cast who will inspire in this musical whirlwind. 7.30pm.

FAIRWEATHERS, BLENHEIM

ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH, BLENHEIM

LE CAFE, PICTON

Tuesday 23

Friday 26

Saturday 20

Celtica – A New Era of Irish Heritage

LifeEd Charity Golf Tournament

Prepare to be mesmerised as you’re transported to the Emerald Isle. Witness firsthand some of the fastest taps in the world, awe-inspiring

Join in the inaugural LifeEd charity golf tournament to be held at Rarangi Golf Club. Enjoy a fun day out in the sun, dress up and get behind this excellent cause which will conclude with an evening auction and prizegiving. Starts 10.30am.

CarnEvil Horror Maze CarnEvil is coming to Blenheim!

Do you think you can make it all the way through? Remember ... it’s not how you enter, it’s if you

RARANGI GOLF CLUB, RARANGI, BLENHEIM

Friday 2 to Sunday 4 April Yealands Classic Fighters Airshow 2021

OMAKA AVIATION HERITAGE CENTRE, BLENHEIM

Saturday 27 Film + Feast: Yesterday

Photo: Andreas Zeitler

The Yealands Classic Fighters Airshow is Marlborough’s largest and most ambitious event and has been thrilling crowds since 2001. It’s a brilliant long weekend of over 100 spectacular flying machines, classic cars, award-winning Marlborough wine and food, music, fireworks, a kids’ fun zone and fantastic entertainment. 8am.

Bring your picnic blanket and cushions for a film night with a difference. It’s free, it’s themed, it’s family-friendly and there’s a variety of food vendors serving up culinary delights. The final film in the series is the romantic comedy Yesterday.

7.30pm feast, 8.30pm film.

LONDON QUAY, PICTON FORESHORE

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DIRECTORY

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

027 779 0235 aimeejules@gmail.com aimeejulesphotography

www.freshfm.net

www.aimeejules.com

MICHELE LINES Treat your family to the exquisite and delicious flavours of Thailand. Our food is prepared from scratch, the traditional EXPERIENCE THE TRUE TASTEWe OFhave THAILAND! way, using only the freshest ingredients. something for everyone as we cater for a vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free diet, along with your choice of heat.

HAIR DESIGNER

OrderTreat takeaways @ www.chokdee.co.nz your family to the exquisite and 83 Hardy Street, Nelson - 03 539 0282

hairdesigner75@gmail.com 021 339 231

MICHELE LINES HAIR DESIGNER

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 Nelson’s bespoke cater for a vegan, vegetarian or glutenvenue hire freeAndiet, along with your choice of heat. excellent venue for any event. Whether you are looking for a formal dinner, a lively birthday party or a tasteful wedding reception – our experienced team can help you achieve a successful, memorable event.

Book your next meal today or order takeaways online at www.chokdee.co.nz

03 528 0318 MOTUEKA | NELSON 03 539 0282 www.chokdee.co.nz

CELLAR DOOR MONDAY – SATURDAY

from 10am to 4pm

Located down the lane behind the Wholemeal Café, off Commercial Street in Takaka.

136 Hardy St, Nelson • 03 391 0077

hardysteatery.co.nz

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www.dancingsands.com

DIRECTORY

AIIRR S HA DH R RD SAA A A O LLO BO O

B

Customer name MARLBOROUGH PLUMBING & HEATING Directory MARLBOROUGH Classification Plumbers Date printed 12/11/2019 Ad size 4UHW

Cust. ID 211047068 Ad ID S-7740040/03

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HAIRLINER

CONTACT US TODAY

021 119 2239 Tasman Earthworks & Construction operate througout the greater Nelson Tasman region, offering a wide range of excavation and construction services.

Changes required? Please email Arthelp@yellow.co.nz (conditions above).

N

OMER F

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O O

NN

www.tasmanearthworks.co.nz

plumbing heating solar MARLBOROUGH

Plumbing&Heating

PLUMBING • HEATING • SOLAR

MARSHALL

5140 ands m 7241

 All aspects of plumbing  Underfloor heating  Repairs & maintenance  Heat pump hot water Underfloor heating aspects of plumbing AllRepairs New house plumbing  Solar Heat pump hot water & maintenance Tel: 03 577 9278 Solar New house plumbing Diesel boilers& repairs  Diesel boilers waterwater cylinder installs & repairs Fax: 03 577 9276 Hot Hot cylinder installs Gas Bathroom and kitchen renovations Mob: 027 218 2329 RELIABLE, EFFICIENT FRIENDLY renovations  Gas  Email: Bathroom &&kitchen plumbingandheating@xtra.co.nz EMERGENCY OUT OF HOURS SERVICE

03 577 9278 027 214 1366

www.marlboroughplumbing.co.nz

Boutique shopping at 191 Hardy St, Nelson. Ph: 03 970 0232 www.louisedouglas.com

COV E R E D BY T H E M A S T E R PLU M B E R S G UA R A N T E E

www.marlboroughplumbing.co.nz

CANDLES

Started on 12/11/2019 15:10:01

CYAN

Visit our cellar door!

Enjoy a glass of wine and local eats as you gaze at the majestic hills that give us our sense of place.

MAGENTA

YELLOW

BLACK

• 100% soy candles, diffusers, car diffusers and more in a variety of scents • Handmade in Nelson • Free delivery from Atawhai to Richmond • Free gift wrapping

Open Mon-Fri, 10am-4.30pm Closed on public holidays

238 Alabama Road, 03 5787674

THE CLOSEST WINERY TO BLENHEIM CENTRE

RARE C R E AT I O NS

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NZ

NATURE

PO BOX 98

DATE

FEILDING 4740

NEW ZEALAND

FREEPHONE

fisherprint@xtra.co.nz

1 5 2 M a p u a D r i v e • Te l : 0 3 5 4 0 2 2 2 5 w w w. r a re c re a t i o n s . c o . n z

0800 48 58 68 www.fisherprint.co.nz milliemoocandles@hotmail.com | 027 510 6488

www.milliemoocandles.com

81

New Zealand’s Premier Coastal Outdoor Recreation Destination

Experience Kaiteriteri

Mountain Bike Park | Kai Restaurant Store | Apartments | Camp Ground

www.experiencekaiteriteri.co.nz