Wild Tomato July 2015

TILES • BATHROOMWARE • STONE • TIMBER FLOORING

spaziocasa.co.nz | Wakatu Square Carpark | NELSON (03) 546 7832

Modernity & Simplicity

INDUSTRIALThis neutral and linear tile range surface is distinguished for being modern and simple, expressing itself through a mix of colours, sizes and decorations.INDUSTRIAL presents itself in the purest form, to be used across the board, efficiently and captivatingly, in every architectural project.The innovative 120 x 300cm size allows spaces to be conceived with a brand new vision that clearly displays its matrix of inspiration.

Exclusive to spazioCasa.

CARLTON RICHARDS & TRISH DRUMMOND

$49,990From

+ORC

All New

Now the journey is yours

Features 7 Seats Remote Keyless Entry Front & Rear Parking Sensors Reversing Camera LED Daytime Running Lights Tyre Pressure Monitoring Rain Sensing WipersThe all new Kia Sorento pictured above is the Kia Sorento Ltd 3.3P and is priced at $60,990+ORC

4

37

28

Nelson and Marlborough’s magazine

FeaturesIssue 108 / July 2015

22

32

22 Rainbow runs on passion

Established by its community, run by its community and loved by its

community – Rainbow Ski Area exists because of an army of determined volunteers. And that’s just the way they like it, Sophie Preece reports

28 Medics to goliaths in distress

February 2015 saw one of the biggest strandings of long-finned

pilot whales in recent years, when 198 came ashore along the inner beach of Farewell Spit. Intrigued by the passion of the volunteer rescuers, photo-journalist Tim Cuff enrolled in a course to train Marine Mammal Medics for Project Jonah

32 A gluttonous weekend in Welly

Cosmopolitan restaurants, an ever-changing bar scene,

cultural curiosities and the bright lights of the capital are a mere 40 minutes away. Just hop on a plane, says Justine Jamieson

37 Inner-city apartments kickstarting Nelson’s heart

Nelson hasn’t seen anything like it for 30 years, and now

the wait is over, with Quest Serviced Apartments’ new five-storey building opening its doors last month. By Nellie Tuck

5

Affordable Eco Homes:Passive solar design | Thermally broken construction | Energy and water efficient | Up-rated insulation | Natural, non-toxic building materials

CALL US TODAY

0800 435 6548 ekohome.co.nz

5 Questions with Kerin Parfitt

CREATING HOMES WITH MEANING

ekohomeAffordable Sustainable Homes

Kerin Parfitt is a long way from

the glitz and glam of her previous life in England working as a make-up artist for TV and movie stars. She now resides at Nelson’s Eco Village and has an uninterrupted view of a meadow and native bush on the Grampians from her modern, modest ekohome.

After much of her own research, she sat down with Jamie at Hybrid Homes to discuss building her personalised eco-friendly home; to make it fit snuggly into its natural surroundings. She hasn’t looked back to her years of living in cold, old homes. We asked Kerin some questions about her new house:

Why did you choose an eco-friendly home?

I believe that in this day and age it’s imperative that new-builds are eco-friendly. It was so important for me to live in a sunny, warm home. I am as close to going off the grid as possible, and I moved in December and haven’t yet had a power bill, thanks to my solar panels.

How was building with Hybrid Homes?

I found it easy. In my chat with Jamie he said what I didn’t want in the home was just as

important as the things that I did want. It was great that the build included my wants down to the smallest detail of a picture hook panel. I’ve lived in many old houses and although being hands-on myself, I was over the maintenance involved. I wanted to retire in peace and put all my effort into my vegetable garden.

What do you love about your home?

I love the symmetrical design of my house, with no wasted space – no silly things such as a hallway. I like the fact that when I have guests staying, their room opens straight onto the living area and the outside, as does my room. I love the design of my bathroom. Of course, due to my beauty background I bleach my own hair, so the mirrors had to be perfect for me to see the back of my head. Oh, and I love my soft carpet made from recycled plastic bottles.

What would you do differently if you could do it all over?

Just one tiny thing: put a sliding door on my wardrobe instead of a normal wardrobe door.

Has it lived up to your expectations?

Yes. In fact I said to Jamie that I would be hanging him on a spit if I got cold this winter, and so far I have used my fire once when I had visitors staying, because they were from Auckland and I thought they might feel the cold. The house is built to make the most of the sun, with it streaming on the polished concrete floors. I have stayed very warm.

6

4869

INTERVIEWS

20 My Big IdeaGive $1 a week to the Shortbread Trust and help Jimmy Griffith provide food, water, and shelter to those in need. By Matt Brophy

82 Up & ComingMarine biologist Elizabeth Jensen is making waves as an aquaculture tutor at NMIT. By Matt Brophy

STYLE FILE

Styled and written by Justine Jamieson

46 Style NewsFashion industry news

48 Women’s FashionComfortable looks for winter weekends. Photography by Ishna Jacobs

53 Trend: Eye SpyA look at the latest in eyewear

55 Men’s FashionBy Michelle Nalder

56 BeautyA look at permanent hair removal. By Justine Jamieson

58 Beauty ProfileBy Kate Donaldson & Connie Fleming

59 Beauty ProductsBy Kate Donaldson & Connie Fleming

LIFE

60 My HomeMarcel and Helen Rood’s elegant home. By Nellie Tuck

66 My GardenAn English cottage garden. By Christo Saggers

68 My KitchenNicola Galloway’s Pear & Earl Grey Tea Cake

78

69 Dine OutMaxwell Flint finds the service exemplary at Nahm

70 WinePhillip Reay becomes a disciple to Woollaston’s new winemaker, Michael Glover

71 BeerWhy Gary and Mark love craft beer.By Mark Preece

ACTIVE

72 Adventure How to prep for the ski season. By Sophie Preece

73 BoatingNelson’s local Sea Cadet unit provides adventure and education. By Steve Thomas

74 Motoring Kia comes out swinging in the medium to large SUV market. By Geoff Moffett

CULTURE

76 MusicPete Rainey advises hitting Deep in the Bleak to avoid midwinter blues

78 BooksThe second Marlborough Book Festival has a stellar line-up. By Jacquetta Bell

79 FilmGiovanni Tiso says Mad Max: Fury Road is the best action film since The Terminator

REGULARS

8 Editorial10 Letters10 Where do you read yours?12 Events14 Snapped80 Quiz & Trivia

ColumnsIssue 108 / July 2015

*Conditions: Price is based on per person, twin share departing Auckland or Christchurch flying Economy Class on the airline of World Journeys choice. Sales are valid until sold out. The Maldives extension is at an additional cost. Deposit conditions apply. Travel agent service fees & credit card fees are not included. Prices are correct as at time of printing & may be subject to change without notice. Product in this ad is supplied by reputable suppliers with their own terms and conditions, please ask for full terms & conditions. HWT4359

20 daysfrom $9735*

ppDeparts 3 Oct 15

India & Sri LankaPlus add on The Maldives

For this and more great tours, contact Tim, Rhonda or Vicky.

Harvey World Travel Richmond231 Queen StPh: (03) 544 6640

Combine the chaos and colour of wonderful Rajasthan with the potpourri of culture, religion and sheer natural beauty of Sri Lanka.

In India, visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise, amble up to the Amber Fort on elephant back, visit the Jain Temple complex of Ranakpur – one of the most beautiful temples in India. In Sri Lanka, take in the ancient fortress Lion Rock (Sigiriya) and travel by historic train deep into tea country.

If you wish, you can choose to extend your stay by relaxing on the sparkling white sands of a private island in The Maldives.

Includes: Economy class flights from Auckland or Christchurch, transfers, 4 or 5 star accommodation, sightseeing, some meals, taxes & a World Journeys host.

8

Editorial

EditorJack Martin 021 844 240 [email protected]

Fashion & Beauty EditorJustine Jamieson

Graphic DesignFloor van Lierop Klaasz Breukel thisisthem.com

Advertising DesignPatrick Connor Hester Janssen

Advertising ExecutivesNelson Advertising Justine Jamieson 027 529 1529 / 03 546 3387 [email protected]

Tasman Advertising Sally Russ 021 632 099 / 03 546 3387 [email protected]

Wellington Advertising Vivienne Brown 021 844 290 [email protected]

Subscriptions$75 for 12 issues 03 546 3384 wildtomato.co.nz/subscribe

Readership: 38,000 Source: Nielsen Consumer and Media Insights Survey (Q2 2014 –Q1 2015)

Publisher Jack Martin WildTomato Media Ltd First Floor 243 Trafalgar St Nelson 7010 PO Box 1901 Nelson 7040 03 546 3384

[email protected] wildtomato.co.nz

My daydreams are of hiking up a ridgeline

with a bunch of mates on a blue-sky day, then

carving epic turns through a couloir of

waist-deep champagnepowder.

A bout this time of year, when the frost lies heavy in the mornings, I start to gently froth at the mouth – ski season approaches. I find myself reading skiing magazines, researching adventures

online and lusting after a new pair of skis. My daydreams are of hiking up a ridgeline with a bunch of mates on a blue-sky day, then carving epic turns through a couloir of waist-deep champagne powder. That combination of adrenalin, exercise and epic scenery has had me completely addicted since I was a nipper. This year we’ve the annual boys’ ski trip to hit the club fields of Arthur’s Pass, where I can’t wait to re-acquaint myself with the delights of the nutcracker. And I’m hoping to get into ski touring for the first time this year, accessing vast acreages of untouched back-country powder. The family ski pass for Rainbow is organised. My prayers for a good dump of snow before opening day on July 4 seem to have been answered. This year we got onto it and went to the Hampden St ski sale to kit out the kids with skis and boots, so no need to rent on the field. I can’t wait to see my 4-year-old daughter caning it, having got her started last year. There really is no excuse not to get up to Rainbow – just 90 minutes’ drive from Nelson and you’re on the white stuff in pristine snow-capped mountains. I know nothing quite like it for giving you a new perspective on your humdrum week in the office. For those of you I can’t convert to skiing, it’s a crying shame that Light Nelson, Art Expo and the Winter Festival will not happen this winter. Last year, Nelson seemed to have cracked the winter conundrum. Still, I am assured that Light Nelson will be back next year, so fingers crossed. However, Uniquely Nelson have stepped up the plate with their Feast for the Senses celebration of winter in Nelson. And Old St John’s have their Deep in the Bleak weekend of festivities, including country singer Tami Neilson, DJ Grant Smithies and the Raise the Rafters organ recital. The sucking sound as Nelson empties still catches me unawares every year. First the tourists depart, then those cunning souls who spend six months in each hemisphere migrate, and finally the locals head to the Islands. But that’s all the more reason to get out and about and not give in to winter’s icy grip. Patronise your favourite hostelries and enjoy our region’s activities without tripping over hordes of tourists. If you take my advice, you’ll head for the mountains and make the most of the snow that only winter can provide. See you on the slopes at Rainbow.

J A C K M A RT I N

COVER: based on a 1930’s illustration by HR McBride for Liberty magazine

9

CONTRIBUTORS

Subscribe to and save.Receive 30% off retail prices and have each issue posted to your door.

Visit wildtomato.co.nz to subscribe

Jacquetta BellBooks

Klaasz BreukelDesign

Susi BaileyProofreader

Matt BrophyUp & Coming,My Big Idea

Justine Jamieson Fashion & Beauty

Ishna JacobsFashion, Photography

Maxwell FlintDine Out

Nicola GallowayMy Kitchen

Mic DoverBeer

Maureen DewarProofreader

Ana GallowayPhotographer

Phillip ReayWine

Christo SaggersMy Garden

Giovanni TisoFilm

Nellie TuckSnapped, Features

Steve ThomasBoating

Pete RaineyMusic

Mark PreeceBeer

Sophie PreeceAdventure, Features

Floor van Lierop Design

Geoff MoffettMotoring

Do you have missing teeth?Do you have loose dentures?

Have you lost teeth in an accident?

Dental Implants can restore your

smile, improve your bite and secure

your dentures.

ACC approved specialist provider

37 Manuka StreetPhone (03) 548 0838

Iain Wilson - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Bsc (Hons), MDS, MB.CHB, FRACDS, FDSRSC, FRACDS (OMS)

Wisdom tooth removal specialist

If your wisdom teeth have caused an episode

of pain, they are likely to cause further

problems.

Call us to make a time for a consultation.

Our opening hours are Monday – Friday from 9:30 – 5pm and Saturday & Sunday from 10 – 1pm

Sponsored by Nelson Oral Surgery

37 Manuka Street, Nelson | Phone (03) 548 0838

If you are looking for an animal to add to your family, please consider adopting from the SPCA and help out an animal in real need of a home.

Your support is grately appreciated

Time to warm upThe Nelson SPCA currently has lots of adorable teenage kittens. These young playful, cheeky girls and boys are

looking for their forever homes. They are litter trained, very social and would love a warm home to curl up in for the

winter. They will make wonderful companions.

that you and your family’s wisdom teeth removal can be covered by your health insurance.

We are an affiliated provider for Southern Cross Healthcare.

Did youKNOW?

10

Buy Local

Please do support the businesses who advertise in WildTomato. Without them

we simply wouldn’t have the dosh to craft this magazine for you every month.

If we don’t buy local we will wake up one morning and find that we live in a region

that has lost its mojo.

Georgina McGrath reads her WildTomato at Chunuk Bair, Gallipoli Send your image to [email protected]

ONLY .JPG FILES ACCEPTED, MAX. 1MB

Where do you read yours?

L E T T E R S

Letters

Write in and winDear reader, The best letter or “Where do you read yours?”

photo wins a wonderful case of Kaimira Estate wines, worth $200.

Email your letters to [email protected] Conditions apply

Who ya gonna call?New to Nelson. Recently retired. House in order. Section organised. What now? What indeed. A community activity, that’s what I thought.

And so I volunteered for the Nelson-Tasman Citizens Advice Bureau. What an inspired choice. In no time I learnt so much of the hundreds of activities and organisations thriving in Nelson-Tasman. Even new volunteers who are longtime Nelsonians were staggered by what they didn’t know about their own community.

Fortunately for my ageing grey matter, I didn’t have to memorise everything. CAB has an amazing database with local specifics, tied into an impressive national CABLINK – and pamphlets and brochures from every club, cause and Government department you can think of. There’s an answer for everything somewhere; the learning curve is finding where and how.

Each volunteer usually does one 3- to 4-hour shift a week, always with another volunteer. Each shift is like a lottery: what curly question or gnarly problem will come through the door or over the phone today? Not every query can have an instant answer, but after some research, discussion with your fellow volunteer, and checking websites, you can usually go back to the client and advise them of their rights – and obligations. So in most cases, armed with the correct information, the verifiable source of that information, and the right process to follow, the client has the tools and the confidence to sort the issue themselves. They’ve been given not just information, but education and empowerment. Where a special expertise is required the CAB can outline the options and point the client in the right direction. With CAB having 40 years or so serving the community with what, where and how, I’d have thought demand would be decreasing. Not so. The i-Sites now get the easy questions and CAB gets a growing number of complex queries. And don’t think CAB is a repository for well-intentioned ancient dodderers. Besides active retirees, it has young mums looking for variety in their week, people between careers looking to add scope and experience to their CVs, all sorts – a truly interesting cross-section of people whom you’d enjoy being partnered with on duty days.

For personal reasons I’m no longer an active volunteer but I highly recommend joining CAB to anyone, for getting to know Nelson-Tasman and getting to know a great bunch of positive people.

Richard ProsserNelson

winner

11

Award-winning, custom-made joinery for residential & commercial projects

2015 MASTER JOINER BEST KITCHEN AWARD

BAYSJOINERY.CO.NZ

» Kitchens » Custom wardrobes » Laundry & storage solutions » Timber windows and doors

» Staircases » Commercial fit- aouts » Bespoke joinery and furniture

Bays Joinery Marlborough25 Redwood Street, BlenheimShowroom on site

T: 03 579 2520F: 03 579 2523E: [email protected]

Bays Joinery Nelson6 Tokomaru Place, Wakatu Industrial Estate, Stoke, NelsonShowroom on site

T: 03 544 0087 F: 03 544 0084E: [email protected]

David Reid showhome

*Statistics from Horizon Research’s March 2014 Omnibus Survey, 2986 respondents ages 18+, weighted to represent the New Zealand national adult population. The survey has a maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level of ± 2 percent.

Also available online atwww.propertypress.co.nz

The acclaimed best seller.874,000 property hunting kiwis a week sit down with a cup of tea and a Property Press. Serious buyers agree, it is ahead of the rest because of its stand out colours and ease to read. No wonder it has real estate’s biggest audience.

12

EV E N T S

What to do in JulyGet out of the house and into this month’s top regional events.

Sat 4 Rainbow Ski Area Opening DayDon’t miss Rainbow’s opening day! Hunt out your warm winter gear and get out on the slopes.RAINBOW SKI AREA, ST ARNAUD

Sat 4Nelson Jazz Club Big Band, Americana NightJoin the Nelson Big Band for a night inspired by Glenn Miller and the big bands of old. Great night for dancing and listening to some old-time classics.THE PLAYHOUSE CAFÉ AND THEATRE, MAPUA

Sat 4 to Sat 25 The Nelson MarketThere is something for everyone at The Nelson Market. Gastronomic delights are matched by unique arts and crafts, local fashion, massage therapies and more.MONTGOMERY SQUARE, NELSON

Mon 6 to Fri 17School Holidays at Rainbow Ski Area School’s out! Your children will have a wicked time with fun instructors and friends as they improve skills, make new mates, have races, and do jumps and games in the snow.RAINBOW SKI FIELD, ST ARNAUD

Sat 11Anniversary Dance Party with Mojo FunkParty with us and celebrate the Theatre Royal’s post-restoration fifth anniversary with Nelson’s favourite dance band, a nine-piece ensemble that specialises in the true funk styles of the ’60s and ’70s.THEATRE ROYAL, NELSON

Wed 1 to Fri 31 Feast for the SensesBanish the blues and celebrate winter in Nelson City! Feast your senses with delicious tastes, colourful arts, beautiful music and quality time with friends.VARIOUS, NELSON CITY

Fri 3 LA Dance Troop NightSupport your local dance troop as they head to LA to compete in international competition.THE PLAYHOUSE CAFÉ AND THEATRE, MAPUA

Fri 3 to Sun 5 Marlborough Home & Garden ShowThese shows are packed with ideas, the hottest trends and information that will make transforming your house or garden a breeze. All under the one roof.MARLBOROUGH LINES STADIUM, BLENHEIM

13

Sat 11 The Choir of Christ’s College, CambridgeConducted by Professor David Rowland, the choir sings a selection of wonderful choral music from the English and European traditions from the 16th century to the present.OLD ST JOHN’S, NELSON

Sat 11Bookbinder Arts on Tour NZ presents award-winning company Trick of the Light Theatre with a story of mystery, magic and mayhem.THE PLAYHOUSE CAFÉ AND THEATRE, MAPUA

Thur 23 to Sat 25Slave to the RhythmWhat captures our interest when we hear a piece of music? We think it is the rhythm! So we aim to bring a variety of rhythms that have captured people’s hearts through the generations, making each of us … a Slave to the Rhythm.THEATRE ROYAL, NELSON

Fri 24 to Sun 26 The Marlborough Book Festival Nine authors and one documentary maker speak at 13 one-hour sessions at three venues over three days, with an additional session on board MV Odyssea travelling to Long Island. VARIOUS, MARLBOROUGH

Fri 24 to Sun 26Deep in the BleakIn the heart of winter, this line-up of excellent musicians will get you warmed up and lift your spirits. Local food and beverages will be on offer throughout the evenings. OLD ST JOHN’S, NELSON

Sat 25 to Sun 26 Matt Harris Live MusicMatt Harris has a laid-back bluesy style and on occasion has been known to crank it up a notch or two. Come and have a listen to this talented artist.MCCASHIN’S BREWERY - BAR & CAFÉ, STOKE

Sun 26 Summit Batty Rainbow Club ChampsThis event is open to everyone! Come up and give it a go through the gates. RAINBOW SKI FIELDS, ST ARNAUD

Fri 31 Jib Jam 2015Come along to the annual Jib Jam Snowboarding/Ski Competition. Great new set-up and massive ramp. Come and see the action and stick around for live DJs afterwards. THE PLAYHOUSE CAFÉ AND THEATRE, MAPUA

Dine your way around Nelson City’s restaurants & cafés,

collect stamps along the way and go in the draw to win

some great prizes.

Old St John’s 24 – 26 July

Every Wednesday in July (bookings open

early June)

City retail windows take on a creative life of their

own after dark

14

Jays & Ko with friends Jays & Ko, NelsonP H O T O G R A P H Y B Y N E L L I E T U C K

1. Benjamin Clark & Leanne Odey

2. Paulette Potter3. Leanne Odey

& Hilma Schieving

4. Christine Hatton & Karen Jordan

5. Alesha Pyers & Sian Robinson

6. Hazel Trethowen & Lauren Lewis

4

SnappedWildTomato goes out on the town…

1 2

65

3

15

S NA P P E D

7

11 1210

97. Victoria Sharpe, Pam

Gardiner, Michelle Johnson8. Kate Donaldson

& Melanie Potter9. Alesha Pyers, Stacey

Billingsley & Kayla Pyers

10. Cathy Madigan & Margot Wilson

11. Hazel Trethowen modeling Cooper coat

12. Erin Hartley & Rose Binnie

Locally

Owned

www.oliveestate.co.nz0800 825 565

Enjoy the freedom of living in a new home with YOUR lifestyle in mindOlive Estate offers a new way of living: freedom, an active lifestyle, community and security - with the leisure to live life how you choose. Visit the Olive Estate Info Centre or call 0800 TALK OLIVE. Secure your future at Olive Estate Lifestyle Village.

16

1. Julie Cockrell, Faye Reid, Maggie Horne, Janet Leith & Sharon McGuire

2. Rachel Reese & Jenny Black3. Faye Reid, Julie Cockrell,

Janet Leith & Maggie Horne4. Melanie McCuish & Tracey

Robinson

5. David Kerr, Olivia Van Vugt, Pip Bruce & Susan Piket

6. Jenny Black, Sharon McGuire & Katrina Kidson

7. Sharon McGuire

3

2

5

1

764

Pink Ribbon BreakfastThe Monaco KitchenP H O T O G R A P H Y B Y A N A G A L L O WAY

2

03 548 [email protected]

www.nahm.co.nz

17

8

12 13

11

10

98. Jenny Black9. Hollie Swan, Jat Olsen,

Jackson Fleming, Tahnee Takao, Paddy Sanders, Melissa Bennetts & Robert Rangiuia

10. Bev Hergreaves & Philippa Dawson

11. Nicky Grimes, Helen Ibbotson & Julie Baxendine

12. Lorraine Furstenburg, Heather King & Jason Templer

13. Jessica Fry, Sophie Brown & Jo Warren

S NA P P E D

0800 000 525

Craig Hamilton • P (03) 544 4634 • M 027 214 4851 • E [email protected]

Mike Pero Real Estate Ltd. Licensed REAA (2008)

www.mikepero.com

Winner Mike Pero Supreme Award 2014#1 NZ Top Sales Performance 2014

#1 NZ Top Financial Performance 2014#1 NZ Top Client Marketing 2014

Best Property MarketingBest Negotiation Skills

Best Results & Value

Craig & Kellie Hamilton

0800 000 525



www.mikepero.com






0800 000 525



www.mikepero.com






18

1. A crowd at Wholemeal Café2. Jo Baxendale, Steve Baxendale

& Karen Cooper3. Billy Kerrisk with Jenna and

Darla from Wholemeal Café

4, 5. Billy and Pulp Funkshun6. Narissa Cottle & Ben Cooper7. Doug & Vic Hamilton

3

21Ray White Golden Bay 5th BirthdayWholemeal Café, Takaka

2

Justine Jamieson FASHION EDITOR

NELSON & BLENHEIM ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

027 529 1529 | 03 546 3387 | [email protected]

Promote your Nelson or Blenheim business in WildTomato

“Call Justine to be seen!”

5

764

19

247 TRAFALGAR ST NELSON | 03 548 4011

10

8 9

8. Kate Sawyer and Billy Kerrisk9. Carey Smith speeches10. Ben Cooper, Darryl Kerrisk

& Steve Baxendale

11. Billy Kerrisk & Barry Purple Jenkins

12. Carey Smith & Tonia Allen13. Reg Harvey Smith14. Laura Webster

S NA P P E D

12

13 1411

20

M Y B IG I DE A

What is your big idea in a nutshell? A constant dripping wears away a stone. Just imagine what we could do and how much hardship could be alleviated if one million people gave $1 a week. The idea came from watching Gori Kulal breaking stone in Nepal for one dollar a day so she could support her son and daughter. I realised just how powerful one dollar can be. From this the ‘$1 magic’ idea was created. I set up a registered charity called The Shortbread Trust to help people with the basic essentials of life - water, food and shelter.

What could we achieve for our community if funding wasn’t a problem? We see community in terms of our global community. If funding wasn’t a problem we could provide the essentials of life for people in their time of need, regardless of where they were in the world.

What is the current situation? Of With the help of local businesses The Shortbread Trust is selling shortbread cookies for $1 each and greeting cards for $2.50 each. Money raised is supporting farming projects by providing seeds and tools so that communities can lift themselves out of poverty. The Trust is also providing water wells in schools in Nepal as 44,000 children around the world die as a result of bad water each year. We also support ShelterBox by funding the purchase of shelter boxes which are deployed following natural and humanitarian disasters. The boxes

contain a tent, blankets, mosquito nets, pots and a water filter to give the recipient family or group of people shelter, warmth, and dignity. I’ve also trained as an SRT Shelterbox Response Team member, which means I am deployed to natural and humanitarian disasters around the world. This year I have been to Malaysia following serious flooding there and Vanuatu in the aftermath of Cyclone Pam. I’m guessing when you are reading this I will probably be in Nepal helping out.

Who will it benefit? The Shortbread Trust has the potential to support many thousands of people around the world – the only limit on who will benefit is the level of backing we get from donors.

If you have any questions please call Jimmy Griffith 0274 764496 theshortbreadtrust.com

B Y M AT T B R O P H Y

The Shortbread Trust

How can our region get on board? People in our region can help by joining the $1 magic. This means donating $1 a week via automatic payment to the Shortbread Trust’s account 03 1354 0301921 00 at the Nelson Building Society. People can also help by spreading the word. If anyone knows of somewhere that has a large volume of foot traffic where we can sell the greeting cards or shortbread cookies I would love to hear from them. You can visit our website shortbreadtrust.com anytime to see where the money raised has been spent. The website mirrors our bank accounts so that everything is transparent.

http://www.theshortbreadtrust.com

http://www.shortbreadtrust.com

21

The Shortbread Trust

Transform your smile.

Prosthodontists are specialist dentists, trained to develop solutions for complex dental problems, and they are experts in replacing and restoring teeth to create a good-looking, functional smile.

After 20 years in specialist practice, Andrew welcomes Hamish Milmine to the team. Hamish, like Andrew, is a qualified Prosthodontist, having recently completed his doctorate.

Dr. Andrew CautleyBDS, MDS, MRACDS(Pros)

Dr. Hamish MilmineBDS (Otago), DClinDent (Otago)

If you are embarrassed about your teeth or avoid foods that need a decent bite, check us out. Nelson’s only fully qualified Prosthodontists. Phone 03 539 4255 • www.nelsonprosthodontics.co.nz

22

Rainbow Skifield

If he lived in a big city, and skied a big field, Jo Rainey wouldn’t have to spend big hours every week on snow business. “That’s one of the reasons we like to live here,” says the chairman of

Rainbow Sports Club Incorporated. “You can’t do things like this in large cities.”

If he skied a commercial field, Jo and his wife Jude wouldn’t be able to stand on Rainbow and see signs painted by their children, facilities built by friends and family, and terrain carved by companies keen to play their role.

“I look around and say, ‘Look at what’s happened today – 500 people have come up here in their cars on a remote and winding road. They’ve got their kids up here, managed to get them on the snow, had lunch, done everything, packed their cars and got back down the hill, and it’s all happened like a seamless system of big machines.’ I get a real kick out of going around Rainbow and seeing a great crowd of people and everything running so nicely.”

To make that happen in a provincial area with a combined population of just 120,000, you need “serious volunteer time”,

he says. That’s exactly what Rainbow gets, with an army of volunteers mobilised each summer to work on roads, terrain and buildings, such as the groomer shed that’s just been rebuilt after a storm in March tore off the roof and left the rest in tatters.

“I tell you, the network of people who came in behind that was absolutely huge,” says Jo, holding a long list of sponsors who provided machinery, expertise and products to help create a bigger, better facility.

Field manager Jono Hay has a Masters in architecture, so he designed the new shed and marshalled the required helpers. He agrees that the support from local companies for the rebuild was overwhelming. “The club wouldn’t be where it is now without the community support we’ve had over the years,” he says. “We are always looking for new sponsors and supporters, with exciting further development phases in the pipeline.”

Jo says the fact that more and more people respond to such calls for help proves that 30 years after Rainbow was established and 12 years after it was saved from closing (see sidebar), the

Rainbow running on passion

Established by its community, run by its community and loved by its community – Rainbow Ski Area exists because of an army of determined volunteers.

And that’s just the way they like it, Sophie Preece reports

23

non-profit, community-owned and club-run field is a sound proposition.

“The most interesting thing that’s going on here really is that Rainbow is clearly well-regarded as a sustainable community organisation. It consequently benefits from support when we need it – and a really deep, fundamental and important support.”

S C U L P T I NG T H E L A N D S C A P E

If Malcolm Edridge lived near a commercial ski-field, it’s unlikely his diggers, dozers, gravel trucks and graders would be called on to help for free, but for the past four years that’s exactly what’s happened, with a number of his staff volunteering their time to maintain the Rainbow road and create the lumps and bumps on the terrain park.

Malcolm’s father Mike was involved in building the road in the 1980s, and he recalls going up with him as a 5-year-old, “so we have some kind of affinity with it”.

He also wants to ensure his young family have Rainbow on their back doorstep, like he always has.

“If you want something like that in the region you have to put your hand up, or you can’t moan when it disappears.”

That thinking is reflected by the dozens of businesses who provide everything from timber and concrete to electrical and engineering services, vastly reducing the financial burden of keeping the field in shape, and keeping the lift prices affordable.

Jo says that over the past 12 years the club has learned to run the field with prudent financial management, putting money aside for bad seasons, while slowly expanding facilities.

These days they include a T-bar lift, a platter lift for intermediates, a beginners’ tow, a terrain park with its own lift, a popular café, ski and board hire, ski patrol, Club Lodge, and shuttle bus service.

About 15,000 skier visits per year put Rainbow on a sustainable financial footing, including a successful schools programme run during the week, making the seven-day operation possible. On top of that, they make their money on 15 to 20 really good days, Jo says.

He believes the numbers can be even better, with plenty of people who could have a crack at skiing but haven’t tried it, and others who want to return to it. “Skiing is a really good sport for 50-plus – like mountainbiking. How do we crank into that?”

Once the first-timers are there, he’s sure they’ll join Rainbow’s list of faithful skiers and boarders.

“On a beautiful day, nothing beats the drive up. Rainbow has an expansive basin with lots of varied terrain for all levels. It’s great for families, you catch up with friends and it’s a very easy field to use.”

In the old days, members and their kids would be called on to help over winter, but with the need for exceptionally high health-and-safety procedures on the road and field, there are now no volunteers during the season.

“Safety is our number one priority, and that can only be delivered by a professional staff,” says Jo.

Instead, Rainbow uses a “hybrid model”, with the operation run like a business over winter, employing 30 staff. Once the season stops, Rainbow is handed back to club members for maintenance and improvements.

“We have an annual summer maintenance and development budget, and work through that, but we depend a lot on volunteer labour and grants, including some input from the Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman Councils, as well as those in-kind sponsors who give materials and labour free of charge.”

TOP AND BELOW: Findlater Construction has taken machinery up over the past few summers to do work such as extending the snowmaking pipe network another 200m up the hill. That work is likely to enable skiing and riding the full length of the T-Bar during the July school holidays, which is bound to be good for business and for skiers

L E T T H E R E B E S NOW

If Colin Wilkin lived an hour from a commercial ski-field, he wouldn’t have spent the month leading up to his 80th birthday extending a snowmaking system for free.

But that’s the way with a club field – including Mt Robert, where he skied from the age of 18. Colin has spent the past 11 summers of his retirement volunteering at Rainbow, using a lifetime of engineering work to maintain and build structures on the field.

Every single one has been rewarding, says Colin, who was recently made a life member of the club. “It’s so satisfying to know things will work for the winter.”

He generally starts in November and tries to finish before the snow comes. When that happens, he’ll be skiing, enjoying his time all the more for knowing he’s played his part in making the ski-field viable. Along with the extended snowmaking system, including a new snowgun from Italy and the new groomer shed, volunteers also spent this summer working on maintenance of the access road, lifts and general machinery, and revamping the Snow Shop.

Jo Rainey says the work has plenty of rewards beyond ensuring a ski-field for the future.

“It’s a pretty special thing to get up high on the mountain at any time, and it gives people a lot of pleasure to see something they have built or repaired. We can look around the base area, as can our children and all the people who have been involved, and see the things we have done.”

24

From Mt Robert to Rainbow

For the past 50 years, Jo Rainey has been enthralled by the “smooth machinery” of a well-

tuned ski-field. Sophie Preece speaks to the chairman of Rainbow Sports Club Incorporated

about the power of community

It began with a long drive on a gravel road to the foot of a mountainside covered in bush, then a two-hour slog up a steep slope, carrying skis and “those fecking leather boots”.

Jo Rainey was 8 years old the first time his parents drove him from Nelson to St Arnaud, then walked up to Mt Robert Ski-field, a single bowl without a single groomer.

He caught the bug that very first day, and it’s been with him ever since.

Back then winter meant week-long ski-schools, during which he and 100 others could stay in the field’s clubhouse, and long day trips, when his family would leave Nelson at 6am, be on the field by 10am, ski until 3.30pm, then walk back down and drive home.

“I remember having 200cm skis and horrible leather boots. You have to love skiing to do that.”

As teenagers, he and his brother Pete ran the rentals on the field for a week, and because there wasn’t space to stay on the hill, walked up every day to do their work, and get in a few runs. “I look back now and think ‘Holy moly!’ We were very fit by the end of that week.”

Summers meant heading back up for maintenance – part of a community mobilised to fix and improve their field, cementing friendships and family bonds while they were about it.

“It was a real demonstration of the families involved – and a lot of those families are still involved at Rainbow, and

doing exactly the same thing again.”Mt Robert Ski-field “ticked along like a well-oiled

machine,” Jo says of his formative years skiing. It’s a fitting comparison, because part of the allure was the machinery itself.

He has a defining memory of watching a group of volunteers set up a generator they had lugged up the hill, and his young “engineer’s brain” kicking in.

He learned how every piece of machinery had to be put to good use, as they worked to transfer the waste heat from the engine to the lodge.

“I have done exactly that with a new generator at Rainbow, where it dries the boots in the rental store.”

Mt Robert Ski-field has passed into history but its legacy continues in the assistance its members gave to the neighbouring Rainbow Ski Area in 2003, when that field looked set to fail.

Rainbow Valley Ski Area Ltd was established in the 1980s by a locally owned company, bringing the luxury of a

road and more reliable snow cover than Mt Robert. It was later taken over by a small group of shareholders and Doppelmayr New Zealand, but in 2002 the chairlift was removed and the field put up

for sale. With no buyers in sight, Rainbow was shut down for the season.

Skiers determined to keep their field kicked off a rescue in 2004, attracting investors from all over Nelson, Marlborough and beyond to a non-profit, community-owned and run organisation.

Work parties toiled, a T-Bar and two surface lifts were purchased, and the Mt Robert club, suffering from a continued lack of snow, sacrificed itself for the younger field.

Its groomer was pulled to pieces and choppered over to Rainbow. Many of its members transferred their passionate enthusiasm as well, helping Rainbow to reopen in 2004.

The result is a facility on their doorstep that puts “a wonderful bright excitement into winter”, Jo says. “It makes winter weekends and bluebird days very, very special.”

“You can’t do things like this in large cities.”

J O R A I N EY, R A I N B OW S K I - F I E LD C H A I R M A N

25

ABOVE: Turnover at the Rainbow Snow Sale in May was up 20% on last year, with $60,000 of sales and $9000 made for Rainbow. The 300m-long queue, along with an increase in season pass sales this year, bodes well for the season

BELOW: Colin Wilkin has been volunteering at Rainbow for the past 12 years. He turned 80 at the end of the May, having just put in a new snowmaking diesel engine on the field

LEFT: Jo Rainey with the staff uniforms, which have to be washed and mended before the season begins

NEXT PAGE, LEFT: Findlater Construction works to put in new snowmaking pipe, taking the network another 200m up the hill

NEXT PAGE, RIGHT: a volunteer helps lay concrete for the new groomer shed

26

Rainbow’s marketing and events coordinator, Georgie Tudor-Jones, says that with new events and packages being finalised, and weather predictions looking good, it should be an “epic snow-filled 2015 season”. Here are some key dates for the diary:

July 3 Soft Opening Day (members only)

July 4 Opening Day

July 6-10 & 13-17 School Holiday Programme

July 25-26 Family Fun Days

Aug 12 Rainbow Harcourts Inter-Secondary School Champs

Aug 22-23 Rainbow Atomic Masters Races – SASRF

Aug 29-30 Family Fun Days

Sep 5-6 The Rainbow Slopestyle

Sep 16 Rainbow Harcourts Regional

Inter-Primary School Champs

Sep 19-20 Summit Batty Rainbow Club Champs

Sep 28 - Oct 2 School Holiday Programme

Sep 26-27 Family Fun Days

Oct 3 Bowater Motor Group’s Rainbow

Slush Challenge

Oct 5-9 School Holiday Programme

Oct 10-11 Family Fun Day closing

This year at Rainbow “It’s so satisfying to know things will work for the winter.”

C O LI N W I LK I N

27

We’re the only major brand that can showcase our clients’ properties on national TV.

That’s a huge advantage for us.

A national brand with a local focus

When Mike Pero Real Estate launched

in New Zealand just over four years

ago, Nelson real estate agents Craig

and Kellie Hamilton knew it would

be a winner.

Attracted by Mike Pero Mortgages’ powerful national brand, which has been synonymous with real estate for more than 20 years, the Hamiltons could see that by joining the Mike Pero team they’d be able to achieve more for their clients than through any other agency. Their hunch was right – the local franchises of Mike Pero Real Estate took off from day one, and have been going strong ever since.

There are now three franchises in the region, with the Hamiltons owning the Nelson and Richmond territories. Mike Pero Real Estate was the first major agency to introduce a lower, fairer fee for people selling their houses, retaining the reach of its national networks.

“We liked the brand, and it was a different model,” Craig says. “It suits more high-performing real estate agents. It’s not a bums-on-seats model and doesn’t suit every agent, but it suits us.

“Mike Pero was the first major brand to introduce a hugely successful model that is different to the rest. The Mike Pero Mortgages brand has been around 25 years, and we’re the only major brand that can showcase our

clients’ properties on national TV. That’s a huge advantage for us.”

Craig has 25 years’ experience in management and sales and more than a decade’s experience in property sales. He has sold more than $300 million of real estate and has won countless awards for sales excellence and sales success, as well as an international Elite Member Award for supreme sales, making him among the top 2 percent of agents in Australasia.

The local Mike Pero team supports numerous community groups, including the Tasman Swimming Club, Tasman Tennis Club, Nelson Giants basketball team, the Trolley Derby, Nelson Golf Club, local go-kart track, and young motorsports racers. They’re also involved with the Mike Pero Foundation, set up to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate or who are suffering from serious medical conditions.

Craig likes being involved with a company that helps so many people, and also one where a real person remains the face of the brand. “Our CEO is actively involved in the business on a daily basis,” he says. “I could ring Mike today and he would answer the phone, but with a lot of national brands you wouldn’t know who the CEO was. We have very good systems in place to make sure the firm is managed well.”

Call Craig directly for the results you deserve.

Phone: 027 214 4851 • DDI: 03 544 4634

Visit: 238 Queen St, Richmond

Email: [email protected]

Visit: mikepero.com/craig-hamilton

28

Project Jonah

Friday, February 13, 2015, saw one of the biggest strandings of long-finned pilot whales in recent years, when 198 came ashore along the inner beach of Farewell Spit. Intrigued by the passion of the volunteer rescuers, photo-journalist Tim Cuff enrolled in a course to train Marine Mammal Medics for Project Jonah.

As the evening tide began to recede, Department of Conservation ranger Mike Ogle waded through the shallows and stooped to touch a small carcass near an eye,

testing for signs of life. The foetal folds along its body and the soft dorsal fin indicated it had been born very recently.

Lying further along the inner beach, 6km into the Farewell Spit Nature Reserve, were the bodies of many more dead pilot whales. Higher on the dry sand, half a dozen DOC staff members were packing equipment into the back of two utes.

Volunteers, including many from environmental action group Project Jonah, had just been ferried off the Spit by Paddy Gillooly’s bright red Eco Tours bus, making the last of its 12 long runs up the beach that day. Well over a hundred people had helped to successfully refloat those creatures that had survived until the 5pm tide.

The pod were directed back to sea in the hope they’d make for deeper water, but all the rescuers knew very well that refloated whales frequently return overnight to strand again.

At 5.18am the next day, head-torches spotlighted a speaker as he outlined the plan for the morning to the group shuffling their cold feet in the grass. Some had just driven through the night to reach Triangle Flat at the base of the Spit. Others had slept in tents in the paddock or, like me, struggled to sleep in their cars.

Over to the east a pale glow was seeping into the sky. A brisk wind rustled the reeds at the top of the beach and somewhere out in the darkness the tide had refilled Golden Bay. Within 15 minutes it was light enough for the teams to head safely into the sea, wading for five minutes out into waist-deep water to a group of distressed whales, some thrashing and arcing their tails high into the air.

The scene was confused as volunteers, mostly clad in the distinctive hi-vis jackets of Project Jonah, reached the stranding site. Cries from the whales mingled with barked orders from the team leaders, moving quickly to allocate people to individual animals. High tide is a critical time when lives can be saved and lost.

As the daylight strengthened, DOC’s Incident Controller, Senior Ranger Hans Stoffregen, calmly assessed the stranding scene, his radio crackling with reports from the shore. The Department has complete authority during a stranding, but

Medics to goliaths in distress P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y T I M C U F F

29

Project Jonah members assume key roles and are consulted on decision-making.

“The safety of volunteers is absolutely paramount to us,” said Hans. “That is where we at times have to put our foot on the brakes and somewhat muster the enthusiasm — something that can give rise to debate. But Project Jonah really understand this now and are very supportive.”

In contrast to the quietly spoken Hans, Project Jonah’s Yuin Foong has a voice that carried clearly across the water, direct and to the point. The ever-engaging Yuin has been in this situation enough times to carry some authority. One of Jonah’s senior volunteers, he’s an accountant in the midst of a gap year working as a Marine Ranger for DOC.

After a cool night out of the water, the 60 surviving pilot whales faced the incoming tide, some on their sides and in danger of their blowholes being covered. Yuin was desperate to lift these creatures, but with barely enough rescuers to cope, the situation was not looking positive despite the volunteers’ strenuous efforts.

As each whale was brought upright and stabilised, a volunteer took up station alongside, knees wedged into the animal’s flank to stop it rolling over again. Despite weighing several tonnes and being four to six metres long, a stressed pilot whale can be placated by a single soothing human.

Eventually, after the initial first-aid had been administered, a peace settled over the stranding site. Blasts of breathing and the squeaks and chirps of juveniles punctuated the still of the morning. Staying close to adults, most seemed in good condition, and if the adults could be refloated, the babies would follow.

The chorus of whale chatter was easy to personify as beseeching cries for help, but whales communicate primarily by sound, whether audible or ultrasonic and way beyond human hearing. Water may be murky or dark, yet it has the ability to carry sound four times more efficiently than air.

For toothed whales and dolphins, I was later to learn, echo-location — a short broad-spectrum burst of soundwaves — is extremely accurate. It helps to distinguish the size, shape and even the density of objects around them. Baleen whales don’t use echo-location but still communicate with different sounds over many frequencies.

By 8am Project Jonah’s first responders were weary and in need of a break. Although short-handed, they had still helped to ensure the survival of the remaining 60 whales from the first huge pod that stranded the day before. With the creatures high and dry and at the mercy of the rising sun, Yuin assessed the situation. “We have a mission on our hands.”

And then, like the cavalry appearing over the hill, 70 colourful dots emerged from Triangle Flat and began marching across the draining sands. Members of the public had answered the call from DOC for helpers to swathe and water the whales for the day. They came with buckets, spades and old sheets, backpacks filled with sandwiches and hot drinks. More would follow as the day went on.

Most importantly, they brought energy and compassion. Overseas tourists, families with young children, older couples — they would labour until the evening’s high tide brought a chance to usher one of the planet’s most mysterious creatures back out to its home in deep water.

“A stranding site is chaotic. Be very aware of yourself,” says Daren Grover, Project Jonah’s general manager, the man who was standing in those head-torch beams in February for the pre-dawn briefing of volunteers. He’s been leading the organisation only since January 2013, but in that short time has attended several mass strandings.

Three weeks to the day since that gathering on the Spit, I’m settling into my seat in a small conference centre in Picton where Daren is preparing to address a multi-national group keen to help save whales. I sit next to New Zealander Ben, who I remembered photographing as he supported a stranded whale while the dawn rose behind him. Half a dozen Brits introduce themselves, along with others from France, Taiwan, the United States and the Netherlands.

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y T I M C U F F

“The safety of volunteers is absolutely paramount to us.”

H A N S S TO F F R E G E N O F D O C

LEFT Polish tourist Cyprian supports a pilot whale early on the second dayTOP RIGHT DOC Ranger Mike Ogle counting bodies at the end of day oneBOTTOM RIGHT Blistering from exposure to the sun

30

One of Project Jonah’s aims is to train volunteers in safe methods of response when faced with a stranding, whether it’s a single dolphin or hundreds of whales. Becoming a Marine Mammal Medic involves attending a one-day course split into a morning theory session, followed by an afternoon putting the new-found knowledge into practice, dealing with surprisingly realistic dummy animals.

As the rain hammers at the windows we are given a crash-course in marine mammals: dolphins, porpoises and whales are cetaceans. Cetaceans are split into two sub-orders: toothed (dolphins, porpoises and whales such as orca, pilot and sperm whales) and baleen (usually the larger species over 14m in length such as blue and humpback).

An anatomy lesson helps to explain where to hold, how to support and where to stand to stay safe. “Avoid the tail. Avoid the tail. Avoid the tail,” is Daren’s mantra. It’s the most powerful muscle in the animal kingdom, and poses the biggest risk in stranding situations.

Whales and dolphins are ‘conscious breathers’, unlike humans who breathe without thought, he tells us. The blowhole can open and expel a breath in about 1/19th of a second, but beware of that breath as the whale’s lungs can contain harmful bacteria.

I’m fascinated by a whale’s heat exchange system. In areas that lack insulating blubber, such as flippers, tail flukes and fin, there are two separate sets of veins to control the mammal’s temperature: one close to the surface of the skin to dump heat, and one that channels the blood further inside the animal to conserve heat.

Cetaceans have cylindrical bodies, which minimises their surface-area-to-volume ratio, limiting heat loss. Blubber is amazing stuff too — not just insulation, it’s a flotation device and a pantry rich in oily energy.

Unexpected movements and loud noises around beached creatures can add to their distress, so we’re schooled in our own behaviour on-site.

Courses to train volunteers developed in 1985, after 400 whales stranded on Great Barrier Island. In the subsequent 30

years many thousands have completed the course (including several hundred DOC staff ) and more than 2500 people are now on Project Jonah’s database, ready to be called into action when the need arises.

The role of co-ordinating the volunteers falls to Project Jonah’s only other full-time employee, Louisa Hawkes. The biology graduate is a self-confessed “admin nut” so has the perfect skill set for the complex task of marshalling an army of responders.

“Our trained medics are classified regionally, in line with the Department of Conservation regions,” she explains. “During a stranding we’ll select medics in the area then use our web-to-text system to compose a text to put them on standby.” Medics who reply YES go onto a second text list and will be sent details of the event, including a meeting time.

Trainees grab a bite to eat as we pull on wetsuits and high-vis jackets. On Picton’s rain-lashed foreshore our group huddle with Louisa around a rubber water-filled ‘dolphin’, while the other trainees contemplate 30 minutes in the water with a frighteningly realistic ‘whale’. Peter Schoni, owner of the waterfront Le Café, walks across the road to watch, such is the convincing nature of the scene.

Louisa takes a step back and observes as we put into practice the theory we’ve been learning. After a hesitant start we’re soon working together, five of us setting up a human chain to ferry buckets of water to the three trainees who have draped a sheet across the animal’s back, simulating a sunshade. Louisa smiles her approval and adds a few tips such as marking the no-go area around the tail with a couple of lines drawn in the sand.

With a happy dolphin secured, we turn to Yuin and his half-submerged whale, just visible in the shallows. He explains how to use a pontoon to raise the whale enough to control and manoeuvre it easily. As a team we slide a mat under the body. Inflatable hulls are clipped on either side of the mat. A diver’s compressed-air cylinder inflates each hull, elevating the huge creature sufficiently for a single person to rotate and move it.

Project Jonah developed the system and it is used around the world by other response organisations to return stranded whales to deeper water in a controlled manner. At $10,000 for

31

each kit, it’s a sizeable expense for the charity, and even the lifting mat we’d used for the dolphin comes in at $1000. With no Government funding, Project Jonah relies on donations as its main form of income.

The rain has stopped but the wind keeps the group chilled so we have a brief de-brief, deflate the pontoons, empty the dolphin and head for the changing-rooms of nearby Dolphin Watch.

I now have a grab-box ready in my garage for the next call. It contains my wetsuit and boots, a towel, my clean and crisp hi-vis emblazoned with Project Jonah, and my Marine Mammal Medic’s card — I’ll wear it with pride.

Why do whales need to be rescued when mass strandings have been going on forever, and are clearly an act of nature?

I’d been given the answer that first Friday when I walked with the ranger among the dead whales and came to the small body of the calf. There is a reason for whales to strand — maybe many reasons — but we can only speculate what those are. The death of that perfect calf seemed senseless, however, and was something worth trying to avoid. Helping is simply the right thing to do.

Project Jonah

More information on Project Jonah and upcoming marine mammal medic courses dates:projectjonah.org.nzfacebook.com/projectjonah

“Avoid the tail.”

P RO J E C T J O N A H ’ S DA R E N G ROV E R WA R N S T R A I N E E ‘ M E D I C S ’ A B O U T T H E M O S T P OW E R F U L

M U S C LE I N T H E A N I M A L K I N G D O M

LEFT PAGE An army of volunteers worked through the second day to protect the 60 surviving whalesLEFT Project Jonah medics and volunteers work to free a whale’s trapped finABOVE Dawn, day two, and two volunteers support a pilot whale

BELOW TOP Marine mammal medic trainees practise on Picton’s foreshore BELOW MIDDLE Yuin instructing trainees using a very realistic inflatable whaleBELOW BOTTOM The writer (right) with other trainees, using the pontoon mat

32

A gluttonous weekend in Welly

After checking the MetService severe storm warnings for the whole country, I walked hesitantly to check in for my Sounds Air flight to windy Wellington. I love flying Sounds

Air. It’s the kind of flight where nothing is a hassle. You walk up to the plane following the check-in attendant, and the pilot helps you to lift your suitcase into the storage compartment – all the staff seem to have numerous jobs.

Oh, and did I mention there’s always a good-looking, chilled-out pilot who leans over the back of his seat and says, “Hey folks. Welcome. It’s going to be a fun trip. Shouldn’t take us too long to get to Welly. You can leave your cellphones on, and buddy, can you please close the door at the back”. Whaaat? They are so chilled you expect them to wind down the window and put an elbow out as they fly.

My worst expectations of landing in a storm were vanquished by a smooth, bump-free landing. Then, of course, opening the door to the expected wind, but no severe flooding and gales were going to deter my eager soul from the waiting Wellington nightlife.

What I love about Wellington is the food and entertainment. A great place to go for a quiet pre-drink is the Library bar. When I say ‘quiet’, due to its library-themed interior and my childhood conditioning, I began to whisper in fear of someone telling me off for being too loud.

A winter pinot noir warmed my cockles, but there are also many beautiful cocktails on offer. You must try the lemon meringue cocktail with actual squirted homemade meringue on top. The service at Library is impeccable. The waiters are like English butlers, one arm behind their backs as they pour your drink. The atmosphere was so comfortable that I could easily have settled in for the evening. In fact it was hard to prise myself out. Luckily one of my favourite restaurants shared the same building.

Chow is fresh Asian cuisine at its finest, in a relaxed modern environment and with very reasonable prices. I had cumin-scented roast pumpkin salad with green beans, pumpkin seeds & coriander; free-range chicken dumplings with black bean and shiitake mushrooms; and Pekin duck lettuce cups with shiitake mushroom, garlic, lemongrass and spring onion. It was fresh and not too heavy before a night out. Of course, teamed with ‘2-for-1 Cocktails’, my friend and I got sucked into the whole two for me, two for you situation.

Next for some entertainment. We decided to go to the top end of Cuba St to Laundry bar, where we listened to a bit of reggae, then off to Havana Bar for some soul music and whisky. On the way home to the hotel we stopped in to a best-kept-secret (well, to South Islanders) Burger Fuel. Oh-my-golly-gosh, the best burger I have ever eaten.

The next day we woke to a beautiful, calm, sunny morning. First on the list – a hearty breakfast to cure our hangovers. Arthurs on Cuba does great breakfasts and it is set in a little old two-storey house with everything laid out like you are at Grandma’s house, including old-school crockery. I ordered

Top image: Chow, fresh Asian cuisine at its finest Below: Mexico, a new restaurant in town

Wellington

Cosmopolitan restaurants, an ever-changing bar scene, cultural curiosities and the bright lights of the capital are a mere 40 minutes away. Just hop on a plane, says Justine Jamieson

Phot

o by

Nic

k Se

rvia

n

33

A gluttonous weekend in Welly

Arthur’s Big Breakfast, with – get this – that old-school classic, bubble and squeak.

To make the most of the weather we headed around the coast to see the sights, stopping in for coffee and lunch at the Chocolate Fish Cafe, Maupuia. This place is so cool for kids. They dump a whole bunch of bikes, scooters and other random things with wheels on the large courtyard, and then go nuts playing while the adults chill out with friends. It is great, even for someone like me without kids, to just watch them having a blast. The food is to die for – the haloumi cheese and potato cake sandwich is a must, and of course the hot drinks come with a chocky fish for kids and the young at heart. We sat in the gazebo and looked out to a calm Wellington waterfront.

Te Papa is obviously a must when you go to Welly. The Gallipoli: The Scale of our War exhibition looks amazing. Unfortunately the line was very long, so I decided to catch the exhibit next time I’m up. All the other exhibitions, such as Contraception: Uncovering the Collection of Dame Margaret Sparrow and the Air New Zealand 75 Years, were first-class. What I love about going to this museum is that it is so interactive. You really do experience with all your senses, thanks to new technology. Trips to the museum as a kid were nothing on what people can experience nowadays, and all for free, which is a bonus.

I love art and a trip to the City Gallery Wellington is always on the cards. The exhibitions are changing regularly. On my list was the controversial Jono Rotman: Mongrel Mob Portraits that everyone was talking about. It was so raw for me that my friend and I spent an hour debating our different views of it over a coffee at Leeds Street Bakery – which has the yummiest salted caramel and choc cookies.

A slightly quieter night for the Saturday was needed and our tastebuds were crying out for some Mexican. Where better than

the new restaurant in the centre of town called Mexico. This has such a funky, bright interior and the waitresses were dressed like Mexican senoritas, complete with large rosettes in their hair. The food was yum. I went for the beef burritos – and ordered more because I couldn’t eat enough of them. The cocktails were beautiful, which put us in the mood to stay out and see a show. Word of advice: when you plan your trip, do it around one of the many shows on in the Capital. Even the beautifully restored movie theatres are a great choice for a rainy weekend.

Sunday was definitely a late start, and where better to do so than the Museum Art Hotel. As in the name, this hotel is a museum in itself, and the rooms are so lavish, my bathtub was more like a pool. We skipped over the road to the Sunday food market, which had yummy crepes and piles of fruit and veg to detox our systems. From there we went to my favourite little lunch spot, Sweet Mother’s Kitchen. The sign of a great restaurant is that it is always packed. This was worth the wait. The food has a Mexican flavour and the décor is bright and cheery – and the place is always full of hipsters.

Southern American soul food was needed this Sunday. Before I bid goodbye to Wellington, I had to try Five Boroughs. It’s one of the newer restaurants in town. I sat down to scan a mouth-watering array of comfort food on the menu. After I took too long to decide, the waitress recommended the bucket of chicken and potato and gravy. When I said, “Yeah okay, but I feel like greens”, she replied, “We ain’t that kind of place, gal”.

I know it sounded like KFC but it was by no means KFC. The chicken came with this sticky bourbon sauce that tasted like it had maple syrup in it. Whatever it was, it was heavenly, and in true southern style I ate my crispy chicken with my hands and drank the dregs of my sticky sauce from the jug, and thought, ‘Ah, what a great, gluttonous weekend”.

Left: City Gallery Wellington Top right: Wellington waterfront Bottom right: Museum Hotel

Phot

o by

Nic

k Se

rvia

n

34

BU S I N E S S P ROF I L E

O ur competitive global economy requires businesses to continually look for ways to improve

productivity. To achieve that goal, business leaders often focus on reducing direct costs, decreasing overheads, or using tools like new software to create better systems.

Implementing new business ideas that are people-focused or require a shift in philosophy is less common but, as Nelson Management Ltd (NML) is finding, it can be an exciting and challenging process that is ultimately rewarding for everyone involved.

Nigel Brabyn and Gerald Dysart of NML (the management company for Nelson Forests Ltd) have recently returned from an inspiring trip to Japan. The intention behind the trip was to learn more about the Lean Manufacturing System so that they could continue to implement Lean management principles within NML. What they saw and learned reinforced the importance of keeping things simple and focused on people.

Lean is based around the concept of eliminating waste (Muda), thereby improving value and quality, and ultimately increasing customer and employee satisfaction. Waste is seen as anything that decreases value; for example waiting time, over-production, over-processing and even unnecessary employee movement like bending and reaching.

The group learn Lean fundamentals from Junichi Suzaki, President of Suzaki Industries, a component supplier for Toyota

The goal is to continuously improve things (no matter how small) and to empower workers to be part of this improvement by submitting Kaizen ideas. Kaizen literally means change for the better, and employees are encouraged to submit ideas about anything they think will create an improvement in the workplace.

The Lean Manufacturing system has several origin points including The Ford System, but Lean as it is taught today is based on the Toyota Production System, the brainchild of Industrial Engineer Taiichi Ohno.

Nigel Brabyn has been with NML for the best part of 35 years, beginning as a cadet and building his way up through the company to his current role as Business Performance Analyst. Gerald Dysart manages domestic log sales for the company.

Nigel and Gerald are part of an eight-strong guidance team at NML tasked with championing the philosophy and spearheading the change to a more people-centric management system. “Lean is simple,” says Nigel. “It’s about working smarter, not harder.”

Japan trip an eye opener for forestry company

NML’s Gerald Dysart (front left) and the Lean tour group enjoy a Japanese meal, dressed in traditional yukata

B Y S A N D R I N E M A R R A S S ÉP H O T O G R A P H Y B Y J UA N VA N S TA D E N

35

B U S I N E S S P R OF I L E

Contact

nelsonforests.co.nzsimplylean.co.nzshinkamanagement.com

The inspiration for adopting this approach came after NML’s Managing Director Lees Seymour returned from a business trip last year. “Lees came back talking about Lean manufacturing and it struck a chord with me. These were some of the things I’d aspired to achieving but I’d never been able to put an exact name or philosophy to it.

“The management philosophy that people refer to as Lean comes from Toyota so it lends itself to a factory/manufacturing type system. The challenge for us is to adapt and apply the philosophy and processes to the forestry industry. If you drill down far enough we are a manufacturing business – manufacturing logs from our forest – our forest is really our warehouse and factory, so you have to really step back and look at what we do in an abstract way.”

Prior to their trip to Japan Nigel and Gerald were concerned that their understanding of the Lean Manufacturing System was possibly more of a Westernised construct of the Toyota Production System. They were keen to go to the origin point and learn from the Japanese themselves.

Nigel and Gerald spent ten days in Japan as part of a group tour hosted by Shinka Management and Simply Lean Business Solutions. The group received teaching from Akinori Hyodo, Shinka Management’s Senior Consultant and former Toyota Japan factory manager. As part of the tour they visited various businesses to see Kaizen principles in action, including a steel manufacturer, a flour-milling plant, a green tea and

coffee production company, and various automotive plants.

“The key thing we learned is that it’s not complicated,” says Gerald. “We overcomplicate things, and people don’t respond well to an overcomplicated approach.

“Right at the start we learned two main concepts. Firstly, if there’s a problem you stop. Secondly, you don’t make what you don’t need. Those are the two main guiding philosophies of Toyota that help them to become successful. If you do those two things well and if the businesses you deal with and align yourself with do it well also, then in theory you should be a very competitive, sustainable company.”

“As an example,” says Nigel, “Toyota do not quality control check deliveries from their suppliers. Approved suppliers are following the Toyota Production System, and so they are expected to have done these checks themselves. Re-checking would be seen as a form of Muda (waste).”

Their experience in Japan highlighted that one of the main challenges of implementing the new system in New Zealand is the psychological shift required to implement the Lean tools in our workplaces. Lean involves a new way of thinking and a shift from a blame culture to an ideas culture. It requires making workplaces spaces where people are not afraid to speak up if there is a problem. In an industry such as forestry, where the ability to speak up is crucial for the safety of all workers, there are huge benefits that come from creating an ideas culture.

“In Kiwi culture we have a feeling that we are letting others down if we interrupt

the process, whereas the Japanese have empowered people to stop immediately if they see something that isn’t right. And from what we saw there was no fear of doing just that. People were actively encouraged to speak up as soon as they saw a problem, and were not blamed in any way. The onus is on the supervisors to correctly train and develop the people working under them – apart from helping the people they are supervising to do a good job, the supervisors know that they can’t advance unless someone has been trained to replace them,” says Nigel.

Their experience in Japan also made it clear to Nigel and Gerald that Lean needs to be implemented from the top down and requires the full commitment of the business leadership team.

“We are fortunate that we do have that support,” says Gerald. “Now we need to take what we have learned and use it. We realise that calling it Lean is possibly not helpful because it’s not a system that is implemented and then left to take care of itself. It’s about continuous improve-ment and ongoing awareness.”

“Lean is simple. It’s about working

smarter, not harder.”

N I G E L B R A BY N , B U S I N E S S P E R F O R M A N C E

A N A LY S T - N M L

Nigel Brabyn (centre) standing next to Junichi Suzaki, President of Suzaki Industries

Nelson Forests Ltd owns 78,000 hectares of forest in the Nelson, Tasman, and Marlborough regions. More than 600 people are employed across the Nelson Forests business, and the company handles 55,000m3 of timber sales annually. Nelson Management Ltd is the management company for Nelson Forests Ltd and is owned by Global Forests Partners LP.

36

0800 210 310 NELSON

www.ColorBox.co.nz

Member of We use and recommend

For all your residential or commercial painting and decorating needs call us on:

Proud to have worked on the Quest apartments

Proud to deliver Nelson’s best nights sleep.Congratulations to Quest and all our construction partners on another outstanding project.

Build for SUCCESS�

If you have a building project in mind, contact our Central Region construction team on +64 4 384 5400 or visit our website: arrowinternational.co.nz

37

Nelson’s heartNelson hasn’t seen anything like it for 30 years, and now

the wait is over, with Quest Serviced Apartments’ new five-storey building opening its doors to visitors last

month. A large team, under the guidance of Arrow International, can take credit for bringing this project to fruition.

Local investors with a commitment to the city have worked with Arrow to design and build the complex. Quest also showed their enthusiasm for the region – this is their entrance into the Nelson market.

Quest describes the complex, situated on Collingwood St in the heart of the city, as a 4-star building with 4.5-star service. The 40 apartments offer a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units, along with the all-important location, location, location.

Robb Noble, Arrow International Senior Project Manager, says the project involved 200-300 people, mainly locals, working with Arrow throughout the course of the build.

“Nelson is full of good tradespeople with great work ethics. We have been well-supported by enthusiastic and helpful local subcontractors who have supported our team managing the delivery of the project,” he says.

Site Manager Clay Gallagher agrees, explaining that one of his highlights of this project has been working with great people.

“You meet so many people who have actually become really good friends. I’d say at our peak onsite there would have been around 70 here at one time. I tracked man-hours, which got up to 700 hours daily. It was intensive and a very impressive collaborative project,” Gallagher says as he shows me around the apartments with just one week before handover to Quest. He’s busy too, his phone ringing frequently as he organises the

final touches. Arrow handled everything, right down to the bedside tables

and lamps, he says. “We receive the brief and go ahead and sort everything, so what you’re seeing has taken into consideration a very specific brief and has been organised from here.”

There are 20 studio units, 18 one-bedroom and a couple of two-bedroom units. The studios and one-bedroom units are ‘dual key’ so they can be combined to become two-bedroom suites for families or larger groups. The fit-out has an industrial theme, provided by the exposed structural concrete walls that are a feature throughout the hallways and rooms.

And the feedback so far? “Extremely positive from everyone really,” says Noble, “from

adjoining business-owners, the general public passing by and, of course, the local construction community. We are pretty proud of it. It is a quality building and is a testament to what we can deliver in Nelson for our clients.”

With the Canterbury earthquakes lifting engineering standards, extra foundation and geotechnical engineering work was required in the apartment development. “People in this industry are extremely resourceful and can adapt very quickly to change, so the attitude that comes through is invariably, ’Let’s just get on and do it’,” says Noble. The team of people involved included ArcHaus Architects, Aurecon Structural Engineers and Holmes Fire Engineers.

“I am particularly proud of two things, really: the final engineering solution for the structure, which actually made the difference between the project being feasible or not; and the architectural design wrapped around that, which has produced

Quest

Inner-city apartments kickstarting

B Y N E L L I E T U C K

38

a great product. It takes a certain skill to balance those things whilst meeting or exceeding the client’s expectations. I think we have done that,” says Noble. “I have to say the weather has been great too, so no complains in that department.”

The final structure includes an engineered geo-grid sub-base (a layer of a specially designed, hard-plastic mesh on aggregate) and mass reinforced concrete ‘raft’ foundation; a load-bearing internal concrete panel wall system; double-glazed sliding aluminium windows and doors; glazed balustrades; and feature aluminium louvres – to name a few. “The result is an extremely strong and robust structure,” explains Noble.

At a total build cost of $5-6 million, it has taken under 12 months to construct. The apartment-style accommodation offers fully equipped kitchens and kitchenettes, private laundries and impressive spaciousness. It offers guests an excellent alternative to traditional motel or hotel accommodation in Nelson, and as always, what corporates are after is that close proximity to the city. Quest has this in spades, situated right in the heart of Nelson.

As New Zealand CEO Stephen Mansfield explains, Quest’s growth and expansion follows that of their business customers. “We have secured our presence in Central Business Districts to

Inside one of the brand new, modern apartments.

39

Proud suppliers of the glass and windows for the Quest Apartments

16 Nayland Road Stoke, NelsonPhone: 03 538 [email protected]

Designed for the way you livewww.nulooksolutions.co.nz0508 NULOOK (0508 685 665)

Unit 11, 20 Dakota CrescentWigram, ChristchurchPhone: 03 343 [email protected]

Phone 03 578 00301 Freswick St, [email protected]

HVAC SPECIALISTS

Proud to have worked with Arrow International & Quest Apartments

Proud to have provided the surveying services for the Quest Apartments

40

support the travel patterns of our corporate and Government clients.” Quest are “very proud to be investing in the Nelson region”, where there was significant interest in this type of accommodation.

“It is fantastic to be opening a Quest property within Nelson’s CBD. We are further cementing our position as the leading serviced apartment provider for business, corporate and leisure travellers who want to enjoy high-quality, affordable and spacious accommodation. With Quest Nelson we can offer guests a fresh, new approach to accommodation, and all in the heart of Nelson.”

This will be Quest’s 35th hotel in New Zealand, with over 150 across Australasia, including Fiji and Australia.

And as Noble says, “the owners have also had the courage and confidence to invest here and that’s fantastic”. He emphasises how so many integral players have been involved in Quest Nelson. “Projects like this don’t just happen. They are the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people.”

Partnership. Promise. Trust.

Each O� ce Is Independently Owned And Operated. Browns Real Estate Limited (licensed under the REAA 2008) MREINZ.

Known for getting the job done, Steve’s solid reputation precedes

him. His clients describe him as genuine and highly professional, while

his colleagues remark on his high level energy, tenacity and motivation.

His drive to take on exciting and new challenges has led to a collaboration

with an extraordinary brand where he now combines his vast property

experience with personal values of integrity and trust, to successfully

partner with clients and deliver outstanding results.

Steve [email protected]

D +64 3 539 0223 M+64 29 232 3229

“It is a pleasure to recommend Steve. He has always operated professionally and

with passion and integrity in all the work he has under taken for me. You

can trust Steve to get the job done well.” - Andrew Mckenzie

“Projects like this don’t just happen. They are the result of a lot

of hard work by a lot of people.”

RO B B N O B LE , A R ROW I N T E R N AT I O N A L

S E N I O R P RO J E C T M A N AG E R

41

B U S I N E S S P R OF I L E


“You have the vision. We’ll make it clearer.” That’s the goal at Johnston Associates South

and it’s something that its business advisory team particularly prides itself on. As Business Solutions Manager, Julian Stilwell explains, his role involves “assisting clients with many aspects of their business, over and above their bookkeeping and tax compliance requirements.”

Whether you’re a small start-up or have been in the game a while, “many business people require specialist support and expertise to help achieve their business objectives,” says Julian. “Having a specialist team enables us to provide that support to our clients. We offer a number of specialist services such as corporate governance advice, valuations, business merger and acquisition advice, accounting system evaluation, and cash flow management and business modelling; a 360-degree approach to business consulting.”

With the changing accounting landscape, particularly towards online, the team at Johnston Associates South can also assist their clients from anywhere, using cloud servers, for example. “We utilise the latest technology where possible to stay mobile, to fit our client’s needs. We also operate, as much as possible, a paperless office.”

Julian highlights two core values at Johnston Associates South; passion and fresh thinking. “We are passionate about what we do and strive to exceed expectations in terms of personal service, efficiency and value for money. We consistently look for ways in which we can streamline costs for our clients without compromising the quality of service we offer.”

It’s also about relationship building and ensuring a strong team ethic. “Our dedicated, highly trained team members

Making it clearer: Julian and Karla exceeding expectations at Johnston Associaties South

Contact

Level 1, 126 Trafalgar Street, NelsonPhone 03 548 7437jacalsouthisland.co.nz

“We are passionate about what we do and strive to

exceed expectations in terms of personal service, efficiency

and value for money.”

J U LI A N S T I LW E LL

have been specifically recruited for their valuable skill sets and previous experience,” says Julian.

Karla Lowrie, who has recently come on board with Johnston Associates South to work within the business advisory team, says the best part about the role is its diversity. “Being able to work within a diverse range of industries with a diverse range of clients is really rewarding. Each client has their own challenges making each day a little unique.”

As the newest team member, Karla is looking forward to working with the team at Johnston Associates South to assist local businesses achieve their targets. “Their approach to each client is on a more personal level, getting to know your business and what makes it work. I look forward to learning from the team and being able to use that knowledge to assist clients in reaching their business goals.”

Karla has made her foray into accounting after a successful international career which took her around the world. “A move into a management position in a sports based company reignited my love of working with numbers. On my return home to Nelson, I made the decision to change career.

“There is a lot more to accounting than just the bottom line at the end of the financial year. I enjoy finding out what those numbers mean, how they came to be that way and how they can be improved or sustained moving forward.”

Passion & fresh thinking

And what would she say to a business owner deciding whether to utilise business advisory services?

“Do what you enjoy doing! Many business owners are involved in what they do because they enjoy it, but they do not necessarily want to be analysing numbers and figuring out what they mean. That’s where business advisory services can provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions while you continue to enjoy doing the work you want to be doing.”

42

In good hands

Dr Greg Taylor has more than 30 years’ experience and is a member of the New

Zealand Association of Plastic Surgeons and Australian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He regularly attends international conferences, keeping himself well-informed of his profession, as well as being author of several articles for medical journals. He has a clinic in Auckland and with family in Motueka, he travels regularly to Nelson.

Greg specialises in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, along with the management of skin cancer surgery. He has a particular interest in local anaesthetic, day-stay facial surgery. This is a cosmetic surgery breakthrough he was largely responsible for over a decade ago.

Nelson Plastic Surgery will be moving in late July to a purpose-built clinic on the second level of the Collingwood Centre at 105 Collingwood St. There, Greg will lead

B U S I N E S S P ROF I L E

his strong team of highly qualified staff: Kathy Basalaj, medical/cosmetic tattoo specialist and practice manager; Stacey Power, registered aesthetic nurse and national trainer of the stem-cell treatment platelet-rich plasma; and registered nurse Rebecca Burman, who, along with Stacey offers a range of cosmetic injectables. Practice nurse Fiona Wilson assists Greg Taylor with local anaesthetic procedures in the clinic, as well caring for the patients post-surgery, and also manages the administration and reception.

Many of the procedures at the clinic make a huge difference to the lives of clients, Kathy says. One of the most common procedures is upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty, performed under local anaesthetic for both men and women.

From around the age of 50, many people are ideal candidates for the eyelid procedure. It not only takes years off their face, but the excess skin can inhibit peripheral vision and make driving a little more dangerous, as well as contributing to underlying tiredness and headaches as the forehead is constantly working to lift the eyelids.

Other procedures performed at the clinic under local anaesthetic, with oral

sedation, are minor liposuction, mole/skin cancer removals, scar revision, repairing stretched earlobes from removed piercings, and other minor reconstructions.

The procedures performed at Manuka St Hospital under general anaesthetic are tummy tucks, breast reduction/lifts and augmentation, rhinoplasty(nose) and otoplasty(ears). Face/neck lifts are under local with sedation.

Kathy says a highlight of their profession is seeing the before and after results. “It’s very rewarding,” she says. “We get to meet a lot of interesting people and are able to restore their self-confidence by improving issues that have become a problem to them over the years.

“Our new rooms will be comfortable and stylish for our clients to enjoy the relaxed and calm surroundings.”

‘A highlight of our profession is seeing the before and after results. It’s very rewarding.’

Contact

Nelson Plastic Surgery125 Collingwood Street, Nelson03 548 1909 or 03 547 2425 (a/h)drgregtaylor.co.nz

Nelson is fortunate to have one of the top plastic surgeons in the country offering his services locally.

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y I S H N A JA C O B S

43

Transform your smile.

Prosthodontists are specialist dentists, trained to develop solutions for complex dental problems, and they are experts in replacing and restoring teeth to create a good-looking, functional smile.

After 20 years in specialist practice, Andrew welcomes Hamish Milmine to the team. Hamish, like Andrew, is a qualified Prosthodontist, having recently completed his doctorate.

Dr. Andrew CautleyBDS, MDS, MRACDS(Pros)

Dr. Hamish MilmineBDS (Otago), DClinDent (Otago)

If you are embarrassed about your teeth or avoid foods that need a decent bite, check us out. Nelson’s only fully qualified Prosthodontists. Phone 03 539 4255 • www.nelsonprosthodontics.co.nz

44

SPANISH COMFORT

TWO GREAT LOCATIONS245 Trafalgar St, Nelson • 211 Queen St, Richmond

www.weloveshoes.co.nz

LYNDY

Black

Double zipped

$350.00

MACIE

Black with maroon trim

$265.00

ERICA


$330.00

Made with Love in Spain

TONY


$455.00

45

B Y J U S T I N E JA M I E S O N

Photography Ishna Jacobs Styling by Justine Jamieson

Make-up and assistant styling Michelle Nalder Hair by Lauren Lewis from Cardells

A special thanks to Karen and Murray Gill at Thackwood Cottage for the location

Diesel drop crotch jeans from Jays & Ko Kate Sylvester top from Thomas’s

Verge lace jacket from Jays & KoFate cape from No.4 Boutique

Gino Ventori boots from Taylors…we love shoes

Caroline Arram glasses from Kuske

J U LY 2 0 1 5

46

STYLENEWS

Winter is here and Rainbow is open. Winter weekends are

full of things to do and I’m always keen to get away on short weekend trips with my friends. A couple of weeks back I went for a much-needed girly trip to the Nelson lakes. It was brisk to say the least, but we kept toasty at the lodge in our woollies, with the help of some soul-warming red wine. The great thing about winter fashion is that it is designed to be comfy and casual, which is perfect for weekend getaway attire. In this month’s Style File we look at things to wear on the weekend, whether it be snuggling up with a loved one, or walking the hound. What’s even more exciting is the winter sales that are on. It’s your chance to grab a bargain coat or the boots that were previously just a little expensive for the budget. Also, I was a test dummy for you (you’re welcome) and went to see what all the fuzz ... I mean fuss is about with permanent hair removal.

Enjoy, J US T I N E JA M I E S ON

LOCAL DESIGNER Inspired by nature

For Nelson jeweller Louise Douglas the quieter season gives her the time to focus on creating new designs. This year she has outdone herself with two

brand new collections to add to the range ... Rock Pool with its baby starfish, pearl embellished kinas and crab claw motifs originates from Louise’s love for the miniature ocean treasures found in New Zealand’s natural tidal pools. Her new Garden Botanics line offers a delicate and pretty addition to her signature looks. Wings, leaves, flowers and bees capture the magic and mystery hiding in our very own backyard. If you want to see more stop by her cosy boutique studio or visit louisedouglas.com

Hidden heals?!

C onverse has looked after us shorties this year with their new inbuilt hidden wedge in some really funky distressed

fabrics. They really do look like you are wearing their signature high-tops when you team them with

a pair of skinny jeans. Available at Taylors … We Love Shoes.

Business at the front, party at the back

This Between Days pant is a fabric mixed trackie pant, featuring metal zips, elasticated waist with

draw cord and elastic leg cuffs. The front of the pant is made from a stretch twill cotton and the back in a fleece. They are super comfy, perfect for winter weekends, the first I’ve seen anywhere in this sort of design. Billabong pants available at Hogeys Surf

47

S T Y L E F I L E

O’Naturalle

M arlena Oil organic skincare products are the only thing

I use on my skin. Marlena Odgers is an aromatherapist, naturopath, medical herbalist, massage therapist and reflexologist. I discovered her products at the Evolve festival in summer and was really impressed how quickly my skin cleared up after using them. If you have any sensitivity or acne I strongly suggest the Sensitive or Signature face oil. The Signature face care really evens out the skin colour and has been great for my sun damaged pigment spots. This is made from organic/natural plant raw material, oils of rose hip, olive, safflower, lavender, cypress, sage, vetiver and other secret ingredients. All products contain natural/organic ingredients without parabens, artificial colours, petroleum products or synthetic fragrances. Available at Prices Pharmacy

European style

F inally rain coats with an edgy style. Rains creates jackets that

you can roll into a satchel. Rains coats are designed in Denmark, situated at the edge of the European continent, close to the seas and in the middle of the West Wind Belt. These factors contribute to a yearly average of 121 rain days – so who better to design these coats than the Danish.Available at Trouble & Fox, Side Car and Thomas’s.

Snuggle up

E veryone needs a robe in winter and Little Boutique has the best selection in town with many designer brands

from sexy to snuggly. Available at Little Boutique

48

Cheap Monday jacket from Trouble & Fox

troubleandfox.co.nz | 03 548 4303

S T Y L E F I L E

Billabong pants from HogeysTigerlily jacket from Trouble & Fox

Moa coat from BeeteesElk bag from Shine

Nyne beanie from Thomas’s

Ella Sanders cardi from No.4 Boutique no4.co.nz | 03 578 3004

Mollini shoes from Taylors…we love shoes weloveshoes.co.nz | 03 548 7863

Elk scarf from Shine 03 548 4848

Women’s fashionLazy weekend

49

Kate Sylvester dress from Thomas’s Noa Noa Cardi from No.4 Boutique

Bresley boots from Taylors…we love shoes Brixton hat from Trouble & Fox

Caroline Arram glasses from Kuske

Elk Necklace from Shine | 03 548 4848

Pol cardi from No.4 Boutique no4.co.nz | 03 578 3004

Bresley boots from Taylors…we love shoes weloveshoes.co.nz | 03 548 7863

Harry B tote from No.4 Boutique no4.co.nz | 03 578 3004

50

S T Y L E F I L E

Staple + Cloth dress from Trouble & Fox

Elliatt sweater from Trouble & Fox Nyne snood from Thomas’s

Brixton hat from Trouble & Fox Matt & Nat bag from Shine

Gino Ventori boots from Taylors…we love shoes

Brixton hat from Trouble & Fox troubleandfox.co.nz | 03 548 4303

EOS boots from Taylors…we love shoes weloveshoes.co.nz | 03 548 7863

Elwood jeans from No.4 Boutique no4.co.nz | 03 578 3004

Ricochet cardi from Jays & Ko jays&ko.co.nz | 03 548 3996

51

Vanishing Elephant dress from Trouble & Fox Lee jacket from Hogeys

Rains jacket from Thomas’s Matt & Nat bag from Shine

Oil & Co scarf from No.4 Boutique

Memo jeans from Beetees beetees.co.nz | 03 546 8700

Elk gloves from Shine 03 548484

Lilya skirt from Trouble & Fox weloveshoes.co.nz | 03 548 7863

Elk bag from Shine 03 548 4848

52

Boutique

53

S T Y L E F I L E

Caroline Arramglasses from Kuske,

Kate Sylvesterdress from Thomas’s

E yewear has become so trendy in the last few years that it’s actually made

me want an astigmatism just so I can wear some of the latest trends.

Colour is where it is at, with plenty of colour ribbons peeking through modern coloured acetates — even slightly mirrored lenses in reading glasses and bright pops of two-toned coloured frames are taking pride of place on our face this year.

High-end designers are drawing inspiration from the late 1950s to the ‘70s. Cats-eye glasses, with their feminine upswept temples, provide a perfect nod to that era and give automatic sophistication to any outfit.

Eye spy... colour

Glasses from Kuske

54

55

Swanndri jeans from Nelson Tailors Menswear03 548 7655 | suithire.co.nz

S T Y L E F I L ES T Y L E F I L E

Men’s fashion

100% Kaschmir scarf from Nelson Tailors Menswear03 548 7655 | suithire.co.nz

Billabong jacket fromhogeys.co.nz | 03 548 4011

Billabong beenie from hogeys.co.nz | 03 548 4011

Just Another Fisherman jumper from Sidecartroubleandfox.co.nz | 03 548 4303

Caterpillar shoes from Taylors…we love shoes

weloveshoes.co.nz | 03 548 7863

Merino Wool socks from Nelson Tailors Menswear03 548 7655 | suithire.co.nz

Scotch & Soda Menswear available from Sidecar

B Y M I C H E L L E N A L D E R

Duck and Cover shirt from Nelson Tailors Menswear03 548 7655 | suithire.co.nz

56

It may be how we are created but I don’t care – I don’t like hair. Well, unless it’s on the top of my head and on my

eyebrows. I consider myself lucky that I’m not very hairy, and some women have it a lot worse, which can affect their confidence. But for me monthly trips to be waxed (downstairs), plus shaving my legs and armpits every day, have made me look at permanent hair removal. Ah, what a dream that would be, not having to time your waxes perfectly around summer holidays and special events.

With the cold weather settling in, some people have the tendency to be a little neglectful in the hair department. Winter is the perfect time to start with permanent hair removal. There are actually three types of hair removal machines, which all use an intense pulsating beam of light: Laser Machines, IPL Machines and VPL Machines. While there are technical differences between these machines, for the sake of simplicity, Caci often use the term “laser” for them all. Caci uses the latest-generation VPL (variable pulsed light) in all clinics for laser hair removal. I went to talk to one of their expert nurses at Caci and experienced a course of laser and electrolysis treatments.

The laser works by beaming highly concentrated light into hair follicles. The pigment in the hair follicle absorbs the light, which destroys the hair. Laser removal will not work on blonde, grey or red hair and there are also some difficulties on darker skin. The darker the hair and the more pale the complexion, the more effective the treatment.

Each pulse of the laser takes a fraction of a second and can treat many hairs at the same time. The laser can treat an area about 5cm x 1cm every second. Small areas such as the upper lip can be treated in less than a minute, and large areas, such as the back or legs, may take up to an hour. You will walk out looking as you went in but within 1-2 weeks the treated hair will fall out, leaving you completely smooth. The next round of hairs come through around 10-20% less than before, at which stage you will be ready for your next treatment.

Because lasers kill the follicle, you are less likely to get ingrown hairs like you would with waxing or shaving. Most patients have permanent hair loss after an average of six to eight laser sessions. Caci suggests eight over a year to make sure you catch each hair at the very start of the growing process, but it will depend

No hair — forever

S T Y L E F I L E

57

Caci Nelson, 40A Halifax St

0800 458 458

EASY PAYMENT PLANS

FAT REDUCTION

on the individual – this is all discussed on consultation.

Electrolysis is great for all hair colours. It works by passing a small amount of energy (a current) into your hair follicle through a very fine probe. This then produces a chemical reaction that destroys the cells at the base of the hair. Each hair is probed individually and then removed using tweezers. The process takes around five seconds per hair. Electrolysis is best suited for small localised areas such as your upper lip, chin and eyebrows.

So to the questions everyone wants to know: how much did it hurt my body and my bank balance?

The laser felt like a flick with a rubber band, and a second later the pain went. Large areas can start to feel hot like sunburn and I’m told aloe-vera will soothe this. My test patch was trouble-free.

With electrolysis I didn’t feel the tiny probe, but the electrical current felt like a bee-sting for about 10 seconds. Numbing cream will be used on your face prior to treatment.

The cost for VPL laser and electrolysis at Caci varies depending on the amount of hair. Good news for people wanting laser treatment – Caci has a weekly payment plan with prices starting from $15 for an upper lip, or a Brazilian for $23-$50 a week, and you can pay if off over a year. So that is pretty good – I’ll be paying the same as my chai latte budget. There is no strict schedule with an electrolysis treatment, so you book in when you wish and it costs around $35 for 15 min. In this time you could treat around 30-40 hairs.

The cost pays for itself over time – for instance, a brazilian wax is about $60 a month at most places. I would hate to think how much I’ve spent on waxing over the years. I will definitely be doing my treatment at Caci as all laser is administered by experienced nurses and senior therapists, with the latest technology giving the best results.

Note I strongly suggest going to an experienced hair removal specialist, as there are risks involved and not everyone is a candidate for either of these treatments. All risks will be discussed on prior medical consultation. Contact Caci for a free consultation and see if it’s right for you.

Lynley Matthews

My name is Lynley Matthews, and I am 54 years old. I have

been married to Phil for nearly 30 years and we have four kids – three boys and a girl. Family is very important to me and we catch up as much as we can. Simon and Emma are currently in Wellington so I get to see them when I am working in the area. Julian is training in Europe, hoping to qualify for the World Athletics Champs in China, and Nick is at college here in Nelson.

I am a Director of the Matthews Eyewear Eyecare and work in the creative, fashion and financial side of the business. We have eight branches across the country. Work and family keep me very busy. I love working with

the fashion side of the business and get a lot of satisfaction in making our patients/customers feel and look good in their eyewear.

I do very little when it comes to my beauty – the normal cleansing and moisturising, and occasional exfoliating when time allows. My view is less is best. The natural look that enhances your features is what appeals to me, but I think the most important thing is to try to eat well and exercise when possible. One beauty item I can’t live without is tinted moisturiser with SPF. I use Clarins. I really like products that are as natural as possible.

I have a combination skin type and I combat ageing by eating as much unprocessed whole food as possible, plus

indulging myself with facials and massage when time allows. I also try to keep fit.

My mum always took pride in her appearance and always took time to carefully consider her outfit and accessories.

Beauty to me is a combination of qualities but is really about bringing the person you are on the inside, out.

A beautiful person is someone who makes you smile and is comfortable in their own skin.

My top tips would be to be yourself. Eat fresh organic food when possible and remember to take time to smell the roses. And, of course, I believe that to enhance your appearance you should wear acces-sories that complement your look.

S T Y L E F I L E

Beautyis how you make others feel

58

B Y K AT E D O N A L D S O N A N D C O N N I E F L E M I N G

P H O T O B Y I S H N A JA C O B S

59

Hair B Y C O N N I E F L E M I N G F R O M C A R D E L L S H A I R

After washing Lynley’s hair I used L’Oreal Tecni Art Pli to round brush blow- dry some volume into Lynley’s hair. Once blow-dried, I curled the top section of hair with ghd Eclipse alternating the way you curl for a natural effect. Finish by dressing out the hair with L’Oreal Density Material to give hold and texture to the look.

Make-up B Y K AT E D O N A L D S O N F R O M K O C O S M E T I C S

Lynley is a natural beauty, she doesn’t need a lot of make-up, nor does she wear a lot. So I opted to go for the ‘Tailored to you’ Age Rewind Foundation. This has a lovely light weight texture and, being water-based it feels like it is not even there. I then added a bit of Island Bronzer as contouring, to enhance her cheekbones. The lipstick is actually lip liner Molten, to match the colour of her beautiful jacket. The lip liner is a gel-like consistency, and is nice and soft, so can be used like a lipstick.

L’Oreal Density Material hairspray from Cardells Hair

L’Oreal Tecni Art Pli from Cardells Hair

ghd Eclipse white hair straighteners from Cardells Hair

ghd Radial Brush from Cardells Hair

Age Rewind Foundation from Ko Cosmetics

Molten Lip Liner from Ko Cosmetics

Island Bronzer from Ko Cosmetics

60

3

1. Views from the property overlooking the Wairau lagoons, Cloudy Bay and beyond to Kapiti Island

2. The architecturally designed home blends in with its environment

3. The exterior curves that mimic the rolling hills4. An inviting entrance to the acoustically designed home5. Entertain friends in one of the outdoor patio areas,

complete with an inbuilt pizza oven

1

3

4 5

M Y HOM E

61

Sometimes a house simply takes your breath away. Helen and Marcel Rood’s elegant home, set on an elevated 2.9ha site just 10 minutes from Blenheim, does just that. Its

uniqueness is what sets it apart. With curves that mimic the rolling hills behind and the ocean views in front, the four-year-old architecturally designed home blends beautifully with its environment. “I don’t think you’ll find anything like it anywhere,” says Helen. “It’s a piece of art. It’s just gorgeous and it’s so beautiful to live in.”

Completed in 2011, the home takes its inspiration from the moko, with its flows and curves. “My husband is Dutch and when his brother came to visit us and saw the land, he said he had an architect who owed him a project.” The rest is history.

Split across 11 levels, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a separate guest wing, this 646m2 home makes the word ‘grand’ an understatement. While it melts into the hinterland, that very environment is captured in an ever-changing panoramic view.

“What we really wanted to do was frame the views, rather than have expansive views, so every angle is different. It’s a little bit like a picture,” Helen says. The views take in the historically significant Wairau Lagoons, Cloudy Bay and right up to Kapiti Island. “It’s a unique part of the country. It’s always changing – it’s just stunning.”

There are just two straight walls in the house – roof included – and while it features expansive, open spaces, a warmth is retained throughout, plus effortless flow. Impressive bookcases separate the living areas, allowing an uninterrupted roofline and a sense of endless space. Moving with ease to four separate outdoor areas, including an in-ground pool at one end, this home invites you to enjoy every aspect of the beautiful Marlborough climate, and allows you to immerse yourself in established native bush.


2

Beautiful curves inspired by moko

62

Marcel, who is a chef, designed the state-of-the-art kitchen himself, complete with full scullery. “There have been some pretty amazing meals produced,” says Helen. “It has everything that he wanted in it as a chef, so it works really well. There’s a good vibe about it.”

Helen picks her bedroom as her favourite place. “I look out to a beautiful view. It’s just the nicest place to be. I love waking up in the morning to the view, and I love going to bed at night because of the beautiful colours.”This is a home designed and built with passion, and one that is truly unlike anything else. “It’s got a beautiful energy about it. When you arrive home it’s just peaceful, warm and simply serene.”

M Y HOM E

3

7

6

8

6. Enjoy the vista while relaxing in the lounge7. The main hallway, leading you to 11 different levels of the home8. Glass windows in the master bedroom let you enjoy the views from bed

63

Curtains, Blinds, Wallpaper and

Bedding

Nelson45 Vanguard St, 7010

PH: (03) 548 1114

FAX: (03) 548 9980

[email protected]

Motueka123 High St, 7120

PH: (03) 528 8986

FAX: (03) 528 8100

[email protected]

Free measure and quote.Free interior design.

64

9. The state-of-the-art chef’s kitchen10. The private outdoor courtyard11. One of the many living spaces, with doors opening

out to the in-ground pool area12. The open fire creates a sense of warmth and comfort in winter

M Y HOM E

9

10 11

12

65

66

M Y G A R DE N

I am certain that every avid reader of WildTomato has driven past Thackwood more times than they care

to remember but never knew it was there. So upon exploring Thackwood, with

its owners Karen and Murray Gill, I was immediately taken with this exquisite garden nestled on the hill above the highway.

Karen and Murray share history with Thackwood. Murray’s great grandfather bought the land in the 1890s. Karen and Murray have been Thackwood’s caretakers for 35 years and boy have they been busy!

If Doctor Who had been a gardener he would have felt at home here. What would appear, at first glance, to be a modest ‘house and surrounds’ garden quickly develops, with a very clever use of awkward hill country, into a very generous three acre English cottage garden that commands views to Golden Bay and Abel Tasman National Park.

Every time I visit established private traditional gardens in New Zealand I am reminded of how much work has gone into them.

We all like to tinker, and after a long day it sometimes feels that we have made no progress whatsoever – so give a big

An English cottage gardenround of applause to all those who have, like Karen and Murray, succeeded in creating an original living masterpiece.

The garden is not perfectly manicured as it is a real garden, a treasured space filled with delicate scents and fragrances from a huge variety of well- and lesser-known species that are sure to merrily intoxicate.

Karen is all too modest about her ability and her achievements at

Thackwood. She has passion, flair and taste. All this is clearly evident as I stroll along the meandering pathways past poignant garden art and compatible plantings, through a long symmetrical rose-clad steel arbour and on to a magnificent pond at the foot of the hill.

With deft brush strokes Karen has transformed this rocky grassy hillside into a fairytale setting – if only it was that easy! The years of hard labour have

obviously brought Karen and Murray huge fulfilment as only passionate gardeners can appreciate. The results make all the huge effort worthwhile.

I can appreciate how their backs and hands must have felt, as our own similarly contoured property is in its infancy. Having visited Thackwood I now have a real challenge to make our own site as successful as theirs. I’ll need luck in spades and significant resources to achieve anything as good as Thackwood.

The garden is scattered with idyllic micro gardens that have a mindful focal point amid clever plantings. Each micro garden is well thought out, balanced and entices one on toward the next.

Luckily enough for you, the reader, Thackwood is open by appointment and as a wedding venue, and it has perhaps the most tasteful B&B I’ve ever seen. It immediately took me back to a superbly renovated seaside holiday home I once used to frequent on the Suffolk coast – I’m tempted to stay just for a trip down memory lane.

Thackwook cottage is available for weddings visit: thackwoodcottage.co.nz

B Y C H R I S T O S A G G E R S

...delicate scents and fragrances from a huge

variety of well- and lesser- known species that are sure

to merrily intoxicate.

67

ENJO offers a 100% natural cleaning system that isfast, efficient and protects the environment.

ENJO.CO.NZ

Create a healthier,happier and saferhome with ENJO

FURNITURE COVERS SHOULDN’T BE BORING – USE YOUR IMAGINATION

CoverStatement

03 546 6809(

[email protected] tmcovers.co.nzTM Covers

TM COVERS

making a difference

Transport & Marine Covers Ltd 143 St. Vincent Street, Nelson

WE’VE MOVED

Kitchen, Bathroom, Living

NEW showroomNEW displays

NEW concepts

NELSON TILE & SLATE CENTRE

40 Vanguard Street, Nelson (Vanguard Street entrance of

Countdown car park)

Ph: 03 548 7733OPEN - MON to FRI - 8am to 5pm

SATURDAY from 10am to 2pm

2 hours FREE parking

68

Ingredients:1/2 cup dates1/4 cup raisins150ml strong brew Earl Grey tea*4 free-range eggs50g soft butter or coconut oil1 cup almond meal1 cup unbleached white flour1 teaspoon mixed spiced1 teaspoon baking soda2 pears, peeled and cut into 1 cm dice1 tablespoon muscovado sugar (optional)

Method:1. Preheat oven to 175C. Line the base of a 22cm cake tin

with baking paper and grease the sides.

2. Combine the dates and raisins in a jug, pour over the brewed tea. Set aside for 30 minutes to plump up the fruit. Place the tea-infused fruit, eggs and soft butter in a food processor and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

3. Combine the almond meal, flour, spice and baking soda in a large bowl. Mix through the chopped pear and pour over the egg mixture. Fold together until well combined, then pour into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the surface evenly with the sugar. Bake for 40 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from the tin and cool on a rack. Serve warm accompanied with natural yogurt.

M Y K I T C H E N

Pear & Earl Grey TeacakeB Y N I C O L A G A L L O WAY

This moist teacake is best enjoyed with hands wrapped around a hot mug of tea. The pear and Earl Grey tea is a

perfect match for this winter-inspired cake. However, if Earl Grey is not your choice of tea, any strong-brewed tea can be used.

69

Prego banner – locked spot

DI N E OU T

Cost: $109.00 for two with 4 beers

Value for money:Food:Atmosphere:Service:

Service is everything

Nahm

or car dealers accompanied by their rather porcine partners. All very jolly.

This restaurant has an appealing aspect. In the day time it has a fantastic view and the crisp white interior gives it a chic freshness. The charming maître d’ with the excellent telephone manner showed us to a table and in a flash orders were taken and drinks delivered. This was in a packed restaurant — no mucking about here.

Duck summer rolls $12 and larb moneybags $10 to start with. The duck rolls were freshly made, tasty but with only just a hint of duck rather than any extravagance of the bird. The moneybags were ok — enjoyable without being ecstatic.

However, the mains were more convincing. Salmon poached in a galangal coconut lemongrass broth $23 was delicious. Individual herbs and seasonings could be tasted yet this dish was melded and harmonious. The pork belly slow cooked in Japanese inspired stock $23 is one of those dishes that you know you shouldn’t eat. Thick layers of pork belly, fat slowly cooked and packed with flavour.

There must be thousands of Thai restaurants in Thailand and an almost equal amount outside of

Thailand. The world has fallen in love with Tom Yums, Larbs and Pad Thais. I too have fallen under the Thai spell and produce a Tom Yum as one of my show off dishes. I periodically bring it out to impress country folk and old people. But really, how many Thai restaurants does a town need? Nelson seems to be awash with them.

Nahm is the latest incarnation taking over from Relish in the Nelson Yacht Club building. I apprehensively invited an old foodie friend for dinner there. While I am a Thai food fan, the large majority of Thai restaurants are pretty stock standard and, frankly, boring.

Another reason for my reservations came when I read this restaurant served ‘Asian food with a twist’. ‘A twist’ sounds like fusion to me and fusion should only be used for nuclear power plants. It’s often used by chefs as a front to create a mishmash of dishes that no-one has a clue what they should taste like.

After leaving a message on the answer phone requesting a booking, I was quickly called back and offered alternative times as the restaurant was fully booked. The caller was very polite, very professional and, considering the number of people with inept telephone skills I regularly endure, very impressive.

The restaurant was humming when we got there with some large groups of what looked like either real estate agents

This was a really good example of this traditional dish. It was succulent, rich and indulgent.

Both of us were stonkered by the amount of food at this stage, so could only share a dessert together. The dessert was simply delicious — a panna cotta with coconut Asian influences.

I still don’t like ‘the twist’ but I do concede that the chef here has done a good job of introducing some western elements, chiefly presentation, into the dishes. The service is very good and that is complemented by the food. It is excellent value for money and the best Thai restaurant I have been to in Nelson. Well worth it.

B Y M A X W E L L F L I N T

70

the winethe cuisine

the artthe views

the destination

cellar door

I am not sure whether Penny or Dave Glover have a fatted calf but if they have it must have been a nervous

time for it. The Glovers, of Glover’s Wine, have welcomed home their prodigal son, Michael. He has been making quite a reputation for himself as a winemaker extraordinaire in Australia where he elevated Bannockburn Vineyard to the top echelon of Australian wineries. He has not come back to take over the family winery but has taken on the role of head winemaker at Mahana, the renamed Woollastons.

This New Zealander has been lauded as among Australia’s top 12 winemakers and terms such as ‘visionary’, ‘eccentric’ and ‘charismatic’ are bandied about when talking about Michael Glover. I spent a couple of hours with Michael discussing all things about wine and left not only a convert but possibly a disciple.

He has a wonderfully refreshing view of winemaking and our discussion on Sauvignon Blanc neatly encapsulated this. We were discussing the popularity of the Marlborough style Sauvignon Blancs. As Michael said, “It’s madness for wineries around the world to try to recreate Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs.” Wouldn’t

it be better to create Sauvignon Blanc in a style that best reflects the area in which the grapes were grown, and the winemaker’s taste? In short, don’t copy Marlborough because you are never going to get it exactly right and will always be compared to the original. ‘Don’t follow – lead’ would be a great motto for Michael.

Of course there is a commercial reality that obliges wineries to produce the Marlborough style to meet the commercial demands but that shouldn’t stop them producing their own Sauvignon Blanc.

We tasted from the barrel Michael’s 2015 Sauvignon Blanc. This was a Sauvignon Blanc like I have never tasted before. I’ve never been a great fan of Marlborough style Sauvignon Blancs - all green, ‘gripey’ and herbaceous - a destroyer of food. But this one was moreish, textured with tropical fruits. I can’t adequately compare it to other Sauvignon Blancs; it was unique and absolutely delicious. He broke all the rules when making this

wine - open fermentation, whole bunch fermentation, wild yeast, skin contact and acacia barrels.

His Pinot Noir, which we tasted in the barrel, has wonderful fruit qualities and depth without the usual Nelson Pinot over-extracted, stalk bitterness. Michael uses whole bunch fermentation and carbonic maceration, relying on natural yeasts to start the ferment inside the grape. It seems all very gentle and easy. No manic plunging of the cap, just the occasional pigeage, done, I understand, the traditional way by the winemaker himself climbing into the fermentation tanks.

Adrian Mann, the long serving cellar master at Woollastons, said it was one of the easiest vintages he has ever had. Adrian, along with the rest of the team, seems to be invigorated with the arrival of Michael. I don’t want to put the commentators’ curse on Michael, but I predict that he will create a wine style that will become synonymous with Nelson. He is a fabulous addition to the Nelson wine scene.

As a complete aside, this man can spit wine like a demon. He could take the fly off the back of a jumping kangaroo. He must have learned it in Australia.

W I N E

Woollaston /Mahana’s eccentric new winemakerB Y P H I L L I P R E AY

‘Don’t follow – lead’ would be a great motto

for Michael Glover. P H I LI P R E AY

71

C raft beer sales are hopping along at the Fresh Choice supermarkets in Nelson and Richmond. Little

breweries are proving big business for two Nelson supermarkets with taste for craft beer.

At Fresh Choice in Richmond Gary Watson has a range of approximately 500 beers in store, and since February this year he’s sold more than 700 different labels, and 80 per cent of them were produced in New Zealand. “We’ve got to the point now that the Monteith’s and Mac’s six-packs are all turned sideways, to make room in the chiller for more craft beers,” he says.

As a category, beer volume is decreasing, due to a rise in wine and RTD consumption, but alongside that decline is a stellar growth in the market for crafted brews from micro-breweries. The numbers speak for themselves, with more Harrington Rogue Hop 12 packs sold at the Richmond supermarket than Heineken and Steinlager combined, and craft sales making up nearly half of total beers sales. They’re not numbers enjoyed by everyone in the trade, with some supermarkets struggling to get five per cent of their total beer sales from craft, he says. “If you don’t allocate space and grow the category, it’s not going to come to you.” And it’s space he’s happy to give, including special craft beer evenings where they match the brews and food, inviting speciality brewers, such as Garage

Why Gary & Mark love craft beer

Project and Epic, to the store to meet and talk to customers.

Over at Nelson Fresh Choice Mark A’Court carries between 350 and 400 beers, but constantly changes the range, so people can move on to the ‘next new thing’. He’ll put in between 10 and 20 new

Mark A'Court

69 Collingwood St, Nelson

Gary Watson

Richmond Mall

The freshest selection of Craft Beers in Nelson &

Richmond.

Open 7 days - 7am to 9pmrichmondfreshchoice.co.nz - freshchoicenelson.co.nz

beers each month, taking out old ones. “For us the secret is about being able to change the range constantly.”

Mark believes the Nelson and Richmond stores play a slightly different role, given the different demographic they serve, and his store is largely preaching to the converted, with a clientele already enamoured with craft beer. “People know what’s coming out before we do... they know what Garage Project is putting out, and they come in after the Chocolate Cherry Porter from Garage Project and we’ll say ‘it’s coming any day’. They’re really onto it.” And while many might want to have their favourite on stock, they also want the opportunity to try something new, like chocolate or cherry, he says. “It’s about the next new thing rather than loyalty.”

Mark says Fresh Choice was an early adopter of craft beer with a ‘natural synergy’ between smaller supermarkets and micro-breweries, unlike bigger operations which can struggle to deal with brewers producing only 500 litres. However, he fears it’s now getting to the point where there could be label saturation with additional breweries, and a risk of losing the ‘wow factor’. While a year ago he would put new labels in, he’s now having to make a call on the ranges “and how many IPAs can we stock”. It’s an unexpected problem that speaks volumes of the shift in beer tastes in New Zealand in recent years.

“For us the secret is about being able to change the

range constantly.” M A R K A’ C O U RT

B Y M A R K P R E E C E

B E E R

72

A DV E N T U R E

Time to ski

I can still smell the mothballs that heralded a new ski season, as the big bottom drawer was opened and our

ski gear disgorged.The tang of camphor would rise as

my siblings and I pulled out scratchy woollen stockings and high-necked Turoa skivvies, along with black flared ski pants and billowing jackets.

We’d scramble into our gear to check it still fitted, then squeeze into boots, click into skis and walk around the lawn, watching Ruapehu on the skyline, and waiting for the first day of the season.

When it came, we’d be up early in our scratchy wool, eat a five am cooked breakfast, then sing our way to the field on a two-hour drive, before a seemingly endless walk up the road to the ticket booth and fields.

These were days of exhilarating runs, tired limbs, cold hands, occasional tears, warm cafés, healing hot chocolates and wonderful family memories.

Three decades on, mothballs are banned and silky merino sits soft on the skin, but whenever my children see a dusting of snow, they too plead to be taken skiing.

They’ll stomp around the wet grass in their ski boots, leaving an imprint of anticipation on the lawn. And by the time the dusting of snow has turned to white cover, they’ll have built up their skill level in their heads, barely remembering the slow snowploughs and tear-inducing tumbles of the previous season.

With Rainbow Ski Area just an hour’s drive away from Blenheim and Nelson, and a car park near the ticket booth a frequent find, this is the perfect family-friendly field. It’s free for under-7s, and you needn’t spend a bomb to kit yourself up for skiing. In fact you don’t need to ski at all. Dress up warm, catch the shuttle,

With predictions of plenty of snow heading Rainbow’s way this season, it’s time to get ready for skiing.

hire a toboggan and have a ball.Here are a few things to remember

if you’re heading to Rainbow.Google some pre-ski exercises now to

make sure you’re in shape for the slopes.Save up some leave and sweet talk

your boss, to enable midweek, blue-sky, fresh-snow bliss.

Snow chains must be carried at all times on the road, but you can catch a shuttle from the bottom if you don’t have them.

You’ll need plenty of warm clothes, including a hat and spare gloves and socks. Cold kids are no fun, so take more than you think you’ll need.

Ski lessons can make all the difference to learning or improving.

Stock up on chocolate bars for can’t-take-a-break-fuelling.

Check out second hand ski gear, because your kids are liable to grow out of it within a season. The Rainbow Ski Sale is on in Nelson each May, so diary it for next year.

Invest in good helmets for your kids. Don’t ski without gloves, even in great weather. Same goes for sunglasses and goggles.

Plan on a break at the café — where hot chocolate, espresso and Boris’s amazing soup awaits, ready to warm you up.

Make sure you have comfortable boots, as sore feet will ruin your day.

Consider renting a bach at St Arnaud, and perfecting your mulled wine recipe for post skiing happiness, or stay at the Alpine Lodge and try theirs.

Expect a few tears and tantrums on the road to wonderful memories.

B Y S O P H I E P R E E C E

73

Yacht, Launch and Commercial Vessel Sales. Free Phone 0508 4 BOATS (0508 4 26287) 56 Vickerman St, Port Nelson.

nzboatsales.com

Your first port of call!

B OAT I NG

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, along with their gang of fictional misfits,

have inspired generations of youth for over 100 years.

Twain, as well as being a note-worthy American writer, was also an accomplished Mississippi river boat pilot. If he were around today he would definitely enjoy watching the youthful exploits on display at Nelson’s local Sea Cadet unit, TS Talisman.

Founded in 1961, Nelson’s training ship Talisman is now the country’s largest maritime cadet unit with a crew of 50 boys and girls aged from 13-18.

Commanding Officer, NZCF Lieutenant Milo Coldren is the driving force, along with 10 volunteer support staff. Chatting with Milo you quickly sense a real passion for both his role and the unit’s mission. Milo, however, is very keen to point out that the whole community provides fantastic support and that’s why

A Talismanic effort

They fully embraced the history of the boat from

the moment they all stepped aboard. These

kids really get it.

the unit is thriving today. He’s a truly humble man.

It was Milo’s passion that convinced me to offer my 107-year-old launch Seabird to the unit as a support vessel. The kids absolutely blew me away on our first trip out. They fully embraced the history of the boat from the moment they all stepped aboard. These kids really get it.

On a recent sunny Saturday, Milo suggested we take the cadets out on the water as part of their education programme. Get this. First-year cadets, mostly 13-year-olds, train for their Marine VHF Radio licence. Second year it’s NZ Coastguard Day Skipper training and the third year finishes with a Boatmaster qualification. What’s so special I hear you say? Well, when I was 13 I was playing battleship board games. These kids are learning at an adult level on real boats — for real!

This year, Nelson Harbourmaster Dave Duncan is teaching both the Day

Skipper and Boatmaster components. These are lucky kids. Dave really brings the classroom alive. Our few hours spent on the water in a classic boat teach the cadets both modern and traditional maritime skills in a truly meaningful way. You should see the expressions on these young faces when they get to helm a true classic boat. Fear and exhilaration mixed together. Priceless.

It doesn’t stop there. After cadets pass their Boatmaster qualification, senior cadets train as Yachting NZ coaches then help to train the younger cadets. They also train for their Royal Yacht Association (RYA) Powerboat ticket. Milo says this has helped some cadets secure summer holiday jobs at yacht clubs, not to mention navy careers.

Milo’s and his team’s willingness to go the extra mile is extraordinary. In 2010 a team of senior cadets embarked on a big sailing adventure from Nelson to New Caledonia on Milo’s 51Ft ocean-going yacht. Wow.

Mark Twain sums it up well. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” The next intake of 13–14-year-olds takes place in August. Wish I could be 13 all over again!

B Y S T E V E T H O M A S

74

MO T OR I NG

Model reviewed: Kia Sorrento EXPrice: $61,990 (ranges from

$49,990 to $70,990)Power: 2.2-litre turbo diesel

engine; 147kw @ 3,800rpm,

441Nm @ 1,750- 2,750rpm;

six-speed automatic with sportshift

Fuel economy: 7.8 litres per 100km (combined cycle)

Vehicle courtesy of Nelson Kia

Tech spec

Kia’s big challengeB Y G E O F F M O F F E T T

With seven seats and its array of luxury fittings from front to rear, Kia has come out swinging

in the medium to large SUV market with its new Sorrento.

The ‘other’ South Korean manufacturer (Hyundai is Kia’s majority owner) is taking the challenge to better known rivals. And that includes the Santa Fe, produced by Hyundai which bought the then bankrupt Kia in 1998 and remains the majority shareholder.

It’s a curious situation because while the Sorrento and Santa Fe share the same new diesel engine and gearbox, each is proud of its own badge and is appealing to similar buyers. Some motor manufacturers would shy away from such potential cannibalisation. But not these two ‘cousins’. They’re going at it hammer and tongs.

The new Sorrento is anything but a re-badged Santa Fe, however. While the big new Sorrento shares the same 2.2 litre turbo charged diesel engine (producing almost identical power figures) and six speed auto gearbox, it has its own character.

The Santa Fe has a head start in the credibility stakes, having carved out a reputation as a quality high end SUV over several years. Kia – despite having a motor vehicle history longer than Hyundai — is a relatively late starter in this part of the SUV market.

There’s something reassuring about all-wheel drive, especially on a damp

day, and even though the Sorrento is a big car,

it handles well.

Its Sorrento seven seater range includes two petrol engined vehicles - a 2.4 litre four and a 3.3 litre V6 - and four 2.2 litre turbo power diesel variants, the LX, EX, LTD and Premium. Prices range from $49,990 to $70,990.

I drove the mid-range $61,990 EX model but its goodie bag is anything but median. For the money you get three rows of leather seats — heated in the front and with electric operation (including a nice lumbar control) for the driver - sat nav, an electric tailgate, automatic climate control air con, electric park brake and a whole lot more. That puts the Kia well in front of most competitors.

What the Sorrento (and Santa Fe) also offers that trumps rivals is its power. The 2.2 turbo diesel produces a very healthy 147kw (better than some V6 motors) and a stunning 441Nm of torque. That twisting power translates to bags of get up and go – especially using the Sport setting which ensures higher response from a prod on the right pedal when you’re overtaking.

Inside, the Sorrento is a pleasant enough place and offers bags of room, front and rear. Even those in the third row have decent leg room and head room is generous throughout. These two seats are a snack to pull up and let down and access is via the sliding second row of seats. Kids won’t mind this but you wouldn’t put granny there for a Sunday drive.

At anything but full throttle, the

Sorrento offers a quiet ride with subdued levels of noise intrusion. You should feel relatively fresh at the end of a long trip and Kia claims a combined fuel use of 7.8 litres per 100km which is good for a two tonne vehicle.

There’s something reassuring about all-wheel drive, especially on a damp day, and even though the Sorrento is a big car, it handles well. Kia has been making big strides in New Zealand with the quality of its offerings, particularly in the last couple of years, and the Sorrento can only add to the brand’s growing presence and credibility.

75

B U S I N E S S P ROF I L E

A natural choice B Y N A O M I A R N O L D

G rowing up in Thames, near the scenic beauty of the Coromandel Peninsula, Fiona McLeod

was always interested in the outside world. That, plus an in-built fondness for speech-making, made her career in environmental law a natural choice.

“It was part of growing up as a kid in New Zealand — you do spend time out there enjoying the natural environment, and I became aware of how important it is to be making good decisions about our use of resources and what we do where.”

After study at Auckland University, she took a job with a niche Auckland law firm specialising in Treaty of Waitangi issues, under mentor Joe Williams, now a High Court judge. She worked on the Hauraki Waitangi Tribunal claim, which was “really rewarding work”.

“It gave me insight into a whole different way of looking at that place and the environment that you don’t get unless you really become immersed in a Maori world view,” Fiona says. “I got to spend a lot of time on marae all around the Coromandel Peninsula, listening to stories about those places. My particular job was to gather tangata whenua evidence — the people’s stories about what they remember. It was a really privileged position.”

Then came a stint of OE working for an environmental regulatory authority, first in London and then in Bristol, where she worked managing litigation around discharges of radioactive material from nuclear missile plants. With no Environment Court in Britain, the arguments against the discharges had to be made on legal human rights grounds in the High Court, and it gave her a new appreciation for New Zealand’s system and its sometimes-maligned Resource Management Act.

Fiona returned home to work at a large corporate law firm in Auckland, but she felt there might be more to life than the big city. After moving to

Above: Fiona McLeod of Pitt & Moore

Contact

Pitt & Moore, 78 Selwyn Place, Nelson. Phone 03 548 8349 or visit pittandmoore.co.nz

Nelson for a job as an in-house lawyer with the Department of Conservation, which gave her in-depth knowledge of the environment in the Top of the South, and then working remotely from Nelson for a large South Island law firm, she’s spent the last two years at Pitt & Moore and is now the firm’s resource management specialist.

Nelson has proven a good move. Fiona and her husband and their two children love sailing, and she works as a community law volunteer and on a pro bono basis as well, advising people on legal matters when they might not otherwise be able to afford it.

In her day job, she helps people whenever they have an issue with resource management or local government processes. “I know this area of law and so I’m able to identify the issues and the best path forward,” she says. “It’s about listening and understanding what the client wants to achieve.”

Fiona might help a small business

with resource consents needed to expand, or a dairy farmer who is facing enforcement problems over effluent discharge. A developer may come to her over plans for a subdivision, or she might assist an individual or group unhappy with a new development in their neighbourhood. Or she may simply advise on how aspects of the RMA or local government requirements might affect an individual or business.

“For the big corporates, it’s satisfying providing them with the certainty of a clear pathway through resource management and local government processes and helping to deliver great outcomes,” Fiona says. “But the processes can be stressful and overwhelming for individuals or small businesses. I like being able to help people find their way through that maze and take away some of that stress.”

“I like being able to help people find their way through

[the] maze and take away some of that stress.”

75

76

M U S IC

Ali and Eelco Boswijk bought Old St John’s church in December 2012.

Ali tells me they had only one motivation – to stop it from being redeveloped into something less beautiful.

They’ve achieved that goal, with the central Nelson church reinventing itself as a venue for a host of events, from music to lectures – even the odd wedding.

”We are now over two years in and getting to grips with the joy, challenges, frustration and humour that is Old St John’s,” says Ali. “There is still a lot to learn but we do know that many people have enjoyed the venue and a good many have asked how they can help.”

The opportunity to do just that comes along in a few weeks when Ali and Eelco present Deep in the Bleak, a midwinter event that they intend to be the first in what will be a series of events intended solely to raise funds for the upkeep of the buildings – as Ali says, to keep them alive and kicking for another century. The buildings, that is.

Deep in the Bleak is a weekend of fabulous entertainment intended to brighten up those darkest of winter days (and nights).

On the afternoon of Sunday July 26 you’ll have an opportunity to raise the rafters in the church when Gabor Tolnay and friends bring the old pipe organ to life – as well as a few other instruments. Tea and cupcakes will be served, and knowing Gabor, there’ll be plenty of surprises.

”We are now...getting to grips with the joy,

challenges, frustration and humour

that is Old St John’s,” A LI B O SW I J K

Deep in the BleakB Y P E T E R A I N E Y

On Saturday the 25th of July the one and only Grant Smithies will hit the decks with a classic Disco in the Church Hall. With a bit of a focus on the ’80s, this will whisk you back to days of big hair, ra-ra skirts and carefree times. And if that doesn’t excite you enough, check out the website below for details on how you can become involved in devising the playlist.

The highlight of the weekend will undoubtedly be Tami Neilsen and her Trio playing the church on Friday July 24. A true NZ star with a quirky blend of contemporary and country, Tami has been receiving rave reviews for her live performances, as well as plenty of attention for her album Dynamite.

Singing her heart out along endless roads and stages, from her days as a young girl in Canada touring with the Neilson Family band, opening for the likes of Johnny Cash, to her full blossoming in New Zealand as a formidable talent in her own right, Tami has won the Tui Award for each of her past four albums.

In the past year she has performed at international festivals in New Zealand, Australia and North America, headlined six national tours, opened for both Emmylou Harris at the Vector Arena and Pokey LaFarge, plus was chosen to pay tribute at Dave Dobbyn’s induction into the Hall of Fame in a stunning performance at the prestigious Silver Scrolls.

In 2014, Tami was awarded the APRA Silver Scroll, New Zealand›s most prestigious music award for excellence in songwriting, for her song Walk (Back to Your Arms). She was also awarded Best Female Artist at the National Country Music Awards, and APRA’s Best Country Song at the NZ Country Music Awards. Dynamite! has been receiving rave reviews, and has been named one of the ‘Top 10 Country Music Albums of 2014’.

My advice is book early, folks, as this is one show that will sell out quickly.

Tami Neilson Fri July 24, 7:30pm Bar opens at 6:30pm Grant Smithies Sat July 25, 7:30pm Bar opens at 6:30pm Raise The Rafters Sun July 26, 2-4pmAn organ recital Tickets on sale from Theatre Royaldeepinthebleak.co.nz uniquelynelson.co.nz

Deep in the Bleak

Tami Neilsen Grant Smithies

http://www.deepinthebelak.co.nz/

77

LIFT THE PERFORMANCE

OF YOUR PEOPLE

• Business & HR Strategy/Planning

• Recruitment and Temps

• Talent & Workforce Planning

• Employment Agreements

• Remuneration

• Performance Management

• Learning & Development

• Workplace Culture

• Health & Safety

• Employment Relations

• Change Management

www.intepeople.co.nz

Call Blenheim 03 579 4794 Or Nelson 03 546 8649

Grant Smithies

78

B O OK S

Stellar line-up for Marlborough Book Festival

B Y JA C Q U E T TA B E L L

The programme reflects a growing confidence from the

organisers, with an increase in the number of guest speakers,

venues and sponsors…

They were off to a flying start last year, and have excelled themselves this time round: the second

Marlborough Book Festival will lighten up winter in Blenheim with ten top New Zealand writers.

The region grasped the concept of a book festival with enthusiasm – who wouldn’t with vineyards as sponsors and a glass of wine at every gig? This year’s programme reflects a growing confidence from the organisers, with an increase in the number of guest speakers, venues and sponsors, which is bound to translate into bigger audience numbers.

Heading the line-up is former Marlburian Joy Cowley, who now lives in the Wairarapa but lived in the Sounds for many years, still has a house there, and was named a Marlborough Living Treasure in 2013. Many people know her for her children’s books, especially the ubiquitous and endearing Greedy Cat, but she also pens books for young adults, general literature and spiritual reflections.

Marlborough journalist Tessa Nicholson will interview Cowley in the somewhat faded colonial splendour of the Blenheim Club, with the session billed as The Power of Story. The discussion will focus on us as story-making people who

document our lives through story, and ask what story means for children who are relatively powerless and whose lives are as yet unformed.

The author list goes on with a mix of fiction and non-fiction authors, including Patricia Grace, whose first novel in ten years came out in autumn. Chappy is the story of 21-year-old Daniel, who is uprooted from his privileged European life and sent to New Zealand to ‘sort himself out’. He begins to piece together the history of his Maori family and learns of the love story between his Maori grandmother Oriwia and his Japanese grandfather Chappy.

In the lovely setting of Cloudy Bay’s Treehouse, Patricia Grace will discuss the themes of the book - racial intolerance, cross-cultural conflicts and the universal desire to belong.

It’s a packed programme with Fiona Farrell on writing non-fiction, Joe Bennett on the ‘extraordinary business’ of writing a weekly column and hearing from the people who read it, Liam McIlvanney on what makes great crime fiction, Nicky Pellegrino on how her childhood in Italy influences her fiction, and investigative journalists Nicky Hager and Mike White aptly sited in the Waihopai to talk Dirty Politics at Spy Valley.

The festival also features sessions about Our Big Blue Backyard, a popular documentary series that screened on TV1 earlier this year. The producer, Judith Curran of Natural History New Zealand, is coming, along with Janet Hunt, who has written a coffee table book of the same name. The TV series and book explore New Zealand’s 38 marine reserves; those who got in early for tickets can join Curran and Hunt on the MV Odyssea to sail from Picton to Long Island Marine Reserve in the Queen Charlotte Sound, one of the reserves featured in the TV series.

Hats off to the festival trust and its hardworking trustees, Sonia O’Regan, Karen Walshe and Sophie Preece. For more information and to purchase tickets go to marlboroughbookfest.co.nz

79

F I L M

B Y G I O VA N N I T I S O

Mad Max: Fury RoadWith Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller may have achieved the perfect combination of cinema as art form and popular entertainment: an action film dealing with big existential themes and doing both things flawlessly. It is the feat that most contemporary blockbusters nominally aspire to but consistently fail to deliver. Yet Miller makes it look disarmingly simple: a matter of stripping cinema back to its basics.

Consider explanations, of which Fury Road has almost none. The film’s plot is not described in words but conveyed through images and action. This is an elementary good use of cinema, yet it is virtually unknown in popular genres such as the spy or the superhero movie. Films of this kind all share the same basic structure, interspersing four or five big set pieces with sequences devoted to character development and exposition. Few of them have any meaningful suspense or tension: not only will the heroes prevail, but they will do so according to a schedule that is familiar to most children by the time they reach school age.

Fury Road has no patience for this formula. Its single action scene lasts the entire film, therefore all character development must happen within it, including, if necessary during hand-to-hand combat. But it is the script’s strict observance of the fundamental principle of drama — that characters always be faced with choices — that makes the action enthralling, as opposed to merely impressive or spectacular. You might have heard that Fury Road consists of a single continuous high-speed chasing sequence, which is true. But what’s even more impressive is that it is dramatically always in motion.

The story is simple, but rich with symbolism and meaning.Themes include no less than the possibility of creating a society of women, but are never preached at the viewer. The script is sparse, while the digitally enhanced photography of the always-changing desert landscapes complements without jarring the real-life stunts of flying bodies and exploding machines. And still, with so many things going for it, Fury Road would be a much lesser film were it not for its dazzling invention. With porcupine cars, mysterious salt plains dwellers who move on quadrupedal stilts, ageing villains with names like the People Eater and the Bullet Farmer, and a flame-throwing guitarist, it’s a dieselpunk orgy that never descends into mannerism.

The end result is the best action film produced in America since The Terminator more than 30 years ago, but I have little faith that it will innovate the genre as much as its predecessor. This would require enough cinemagoers to finally tire of the usual safe, bankable fare.

Go to our website for more information www.statecinemas.co.nz

Ph: 03 548 3885 - 91 Trafalgar St, Nelson

NOW SHOWINGINSIDE OUT Disney/Pixar set this family animation comedy inside a little girl’s head, where five emotions try to guide her through life.

MINIONS (2D & 3D)Animated family comedy, following the history of the little minions from Despicable Me.

ANT MAN 16 JulyArmed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero & save the world.

PAPER TOWNS16 JulyA young man and his friends embark upon the road trip of their lives to find the missing girl next door.

Mad Max: Fury RoadAction, Adventure, Sci-FiDirected by George MillerStarring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas HoultDuration: 2 hours Rating: R16

80

QU I Z

SudokuCrossword

Anagram

SDNILBBSKOELL

EOKHKITCHENOS

LIRSWODNI

WTUR

IMOORSEMAGRNI

TLPSPANTRYYGA

PDININGROOMET

TIQIBYBLTPBRS

OYCAEEREIOEOD

IYTTDGPDRGROO

LHDRURADNEHMO

EOOUARRRYUETR

TOUCTAEOAQALS

MUDTWSFSDGMLS

Every number from 1 to 9 must appear in:Each of the nine horizontal rowsEach of the nine vertical columnsEach of the nine 3x3 boxes

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

Wordfind

Last month’s solutions

1. Jackie Thomas 2. Mikhail Lermontov3. Crusaders and Hurricanes4. Thriller 5. Kiwi

6. Fox 7. Peru 8. Neil Oliver9. Don Quixote10. Oxfordshire

R

U

N

N

E

R

S

F

O

I

S

T

E

D

E

I

E

A

X

P

E

N

O

N

C

O

M

H

B

A

L

T

I

C

D

H

I

M

A

G

O

A

R

I

N

D

E

N

T

W

A

T

T

L

E

N

I

O

C

F

C

N

E

E

G

L

A

C

I

A

L

A

V

E

R

R

E

D

R

S

O

E

R

M

R

C

H

I

C

O

R

Y

P

R

O

X

I

E

S

A

S

M

S

I

S

N

N

A

B

A

T

T

E

N

R

E

T

E

L

L

R

O

I

N

T

R

O

E

V

A

U

S

T

E

N

A

O

N

L

I

N

E

N

E

J

E

K

C

R

K

I

N

S

M

A

N

A

S

S

O

R

T

S

CROSSWORD SUDOKU

Across1. Sang in unison5. Tiny amount7. Small island8. Faintest9. Camera classes12. Jury finding15. Most pious19. Annul21. Kept steady22. Freezes, ... over23. Ore seam24. Esteems

Down 1. Cools 2. Smells strongly 3. Open wounds 4. Injure 5. Mean 6. Painter 10. Not binding11. Otherwise, or...12. Critically examine13. Talk excitedly14. Novel thought15. Of medicinal

plants16. Inherited17. UFO, flying ...18. Tightens (muscles)19. Plant stem lumps20. False appearance

BATHBEDROOMBLINDSCARPETCURTAINSDINING ROOMDOORSENTRYFOYERGAMES ROOMGARAGEKITCHENLAUNDRYLIGHTSLOUNGE ROOMPANTRYPICTURESSTAIRSSTUDYTILESTOILETWARDROBEWINDOWS

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

Unscramble the letters of the phrases to make five words relating to the theme, each starting with the given letter. Theletters in the shaded squares will spell out another word relating to the theme. This is the mystery keyword.QUIZ

WORDFIND: CAFFEE ESPRESSO

Theme: US STATESA FRAIL ICON

NO INMATES

OWNING HATS

GYM I OWN

WINS COINS

CMW W W

81

DI R E C T ORYDI R E C T ORY

Catch a ride on beat.co.nz with Richard Liddicoat...

Kiwi Music only Wed. 8pm and Fri. at Noon

LIVE AND LOCAL FROM NELSON

www.freshfm.netNelson-Tasman 104.8 • Nelson Central City 107.2

Takaka 95.0 • Blenheim 88.9

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

DI R E C T ORY

Support our regionalYoung Entrepreneurswhen they sell their products to the public on

Saturday 22 August 2015From 8am-1pm

At the Nelson Market, Montgomery Square, Nelson

Robert Panzer, Regional Coordinator 1637 Dovedale Road, Thorpe, RD 2 Wakefi eld - Nelson 7096 p: 03 543 3825 m: 027 543 3825 e: [email protected] w: youngenterprise.co.nz

Prinipal partner

118 Bridge Street, Nelsoncardells.co.nz • 03 548 1505

graphic designmotion graphics& art direction

82 Bridge Street, Nelson 03 548 3996 • jaysandko.co.nz

Kate Donaldson Makeup Artist

Now taking bookings for all special occasion

makeup.

Learn the basics of graphic design in18 weeks through NMIT’s online coursesBranding Design &Poster Design

For info & enrolment visit borntocreate.co.nzor call 03 5469175 ext 784

BRANDING DESIGN

POSTER DESIGN

ONLINE COURSES

82

U P & C OM I NG

Elizabeth JensenB Y M AT T B R O P H Y

Your interest in marine biology must go back quite far. When did you first see this as your calling?I’m originally from Brittany, France, (even though my family moved around to different places in Europe), but growing up I was never far from the sea and spent a lot of time on, in or by it. Then at high school I had an awesome biology teacher, so I just naturally fell into marine biology. I never actually questioned what I wanted to do. This was just it.

I understand you’re also a teacher of the subject. Where have you studied? And what qualifications have you received? I did my undergrad studies in Brittany, then I went to James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, where I got my Masters. I then did my PhD at the University of Auckland. As part of my current teaching role here at NMIT, I study part-time for a teaching qualification, the Diploma in Tertiary Learning & Teaching.

For those who don’t know, what does a career in aquaculture involve? There are a lot of different aspects to aquaculture. You could be working on a farm doing practical work, being involved with growing and caring for the fish, (or shellfish), or working the technical side of farming. You could be involved in the more scientific side of things; developing new aquaculture species, finding better ways to feed and keep the animals, or minimising the impacts on the environment. Or you could also be involved with marketing the farmed products.

I see you’ve published reports based on your research. What topic do you primarily cover? I work mostly on fish and more specifically I look at their growth, reproduction and age, so I ask questions like how fast do these fish grow? How long do they live? When do they

From France, via the Middle East to Nelson, marine biologist Elizabeth Jensen is making waves as an aquaculture tutor at NMIT.

reproduce? What are the best conditions for them to do all these things, and what are the factors that affect them?

What are the main differences in studying wild fish compared to farmed fish? Knowing about what species do in their natural environment is essential before you can understand what species are likely to need in a farmed environment. But equally, studying farmed fish can be very useful because it allows us to control factors like temperature or food, (for example), and even test different ideas. So you need both to understand them easier.

Before teaching at NMIT, where else had you worked, (in regards to aquaculture)?Before coming to NMIT in January this year, I was at Massey University in Albany, Auckland, for over four years where I was teaching courses in marine biology and animal biology and ecology. Before that, I was working for a university in Saudi Arabia at the Red Sea Research Centre, (at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), where I worked on Red Sea fish species and even got to do some of the most amazing sea diving!

What are the most interesting, or rewarding, aspects of your career? I love the teaching and research aspects of my work. They are rewarding for different reasons. The best thing about teaching is that we get to take students on a journey and to share a lot of interesting stuff, (and seeing them progress through it all is just as great!). You can get a real sense of achievement when you see your students doing well. The most rewarding aspect of research is to see a study come together and tell an interesting story.

Have there been any challenges, (big or small), along the way?Ask my husband and he’ll probably say the biggest challenge is living with a marine scientist! I guess some of the biggest challenges I’ve found along the way are more to do with finding a balance between work, personal life and family.

Where do you see yourself heading next?Nelson is an incredible place for marine science and aquaculture and I’m very happy to be a part of this here at NMIT, so, no plans to head anywhere else anytime soon!

An ocean of possibility awaits

Nau mai ki te whare o Tangaroa!

*Conditions apply

nmit.ac.nzSearch: ‘Aquaculture’

0800 422 733

Enrol now for NZ’s diploma, degree and postgraduate qualifications in Aquaculture.

Simone Henbrey

D +64 3 539 0217 | M +64 21 135 7339 | [email protected]

Level 1, 295 Trafalgar Street, Nelson

Second Place - National Top Performing Licensee 2014/2015

Each O� ce Is Independently Owned And Operated. Browns Real Estate Limited (licensed under the REAA 2008) MREINZ.

Date post:	22-Jul-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	wildtomato
View:	239 times
Download:	19 times

Wild Tomato July 2015

Documents