WildTomato November 2018 by WildTomato

Nelson Tasman and Marlboroughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s magazine /

ISSUE 148 / NOVEMBER 2018 / $8.95

The lure of

Golden Bay

What attracts people to visit and stay in the bay

+ +

NMIT CEO Liam Sloan Suffrage 125th Anniversary Coastguard Business Mentoring Blue Moon Movie Organic Wine Week Boom Town Brewing Endurance Cycling

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Features Issue 148 / November 2018

Nelson Tasman and Marlborough’s magazine

28 Golden Bay beckons Alistair Hughes explores what it is about Golden Bay that draws people from all over the world to live there

34 Women’s Suffrage 125th anniversary Modern suffragists continue to set new standards, writes Britt Coker, while Sophie Preece takes a look at some of those who first raised the bar

40 Business Mentoring Sadie Beckman delves into how mentoring can make a difference in today’s cut-throat business world

46 Coastguard Nelson and Marlborough Across the Top of the South, Coastguard provides a vital life-saving service, as John Cohen-Du Four and Maike van der Heide explain

INTERVIEWS

12 My Big Idea Serafin Dillon has plenty of advice to give when it comes to helping people and their relationships

20 The Interview Liam Sloan travelled many roads before landing in the CEO seat at NMIT. He talks to Maike van der Heide

24 Local Connection Marlburian Craig Harper will spend 12 days in June next year endurance cycling from the USA’s west to east coast. Sophie Preece finds out what’s ahead

26 Rising Star Aaron Falvey, a DIY Blenheim filmmaker, is poised to crack the big time. He talks to Frank Nelson

106 My Education Maria Briggs recently received the Tapuhi Kaitiaki Award, which acknowledges Māori nurses who add value to the health professional workforce. She spoke with Sarah Stewart 4

Columns Issue 148 / November 2018

FASHION

53 Adding a floral touch Flower power is back, styled by Sonya Leusink Sladen with photography by Ishna Jacobs

60 Fashion Showcase

Sonya Leusink Sladen salutes fashion with a bouquet

LIFE

63 My Home Making the most of the extensive views and the Tasman sunshine were key elements in the design of a spectacular new Kina Peninsula home. Brenda Webb tells us more

68 Interiors Pink is the new black writes interior designer Rebecca O’Fee, so consider it part of the ‘naturals’ range of hues

70 My Garden Peonies pop for Blenheim grower Jacqui Leslie who supplies the Auckland market with beautiful blooms, writes Brenda Webb

72 Wellbeing A wholesome lunch is essential for workers, says nutritionist Emily Hope

78 My Kitchen Edamame and avo smash with smoked salmon from Madame Lu’s kitchen make a delicious sandwich or an amazing dip

79 Dine Out Reviewer Hugo Sampson checks out the Chapel Café, finding it has breathed new life into an historic Nelson mission

80 Wine Organic wine producers are driven by environmental considerations and also the desire to make amazing wine, explains Sophie Preece

81 Brews Making craft beer in Marlborough is a boom industry, Mark Preece discovers 6

ACTIVE

92 Art Charlotte Squire talks to a jeweller who is taking recycling to a whole new level in Golden Bay

82 Travel You don’t have to travel far to enjoy the delights of Golden Bay, says resident Shelley Grell

86 Adventure

96 Film Written and produced by Motueka policeman Stef Harris, the film Blue Moon is like a farmers’ market, packed with local flavour and ingredients, says reviewer Eddie Allnutt

Marathons are taking local runner Tanya McMurtrie far and wide. Phil Barnes outlines a globetrotting mission

88 Motoring Hyundai’s new Kona EV just might start changing New Zealanders’ minds about battery-only motoring, says reviewer Geoff Moffett

98 Music Music reviewer Pete Rainey finds yet more former locals making their mark on the music scene

CULTURE

REGULARS

90 Author

Campaigner, author and former ‘spy’ Paul Bensemann is a staunch friend of the forests, Renée Lang reports

91 Books Some of the latest reads available, compiled by Renée Lang

Editor’s letter & contributors 10 Noticeboard 12 My Big Idea 13 Snapped 94 In the Gallery 100 Events

Summer is on the way!

9-5.30 Mon - Fri 10-4 Sat & Sun

FURNITURE

43 Scott St, Blenheim 675 Main Rd, Stoke, Nelson

www.lynfords.co.nz

Editor's letter

ost locals are familiar with Golden Bay and the spell it casts on visitors and residents alike. Unique it is, and with only one road into and out of the area, Golden Bay is definitely a destination rather than a Sunday drive. Its isolation is part of what makes it so special, although that same isolation can also lead to logistical problems. Notwithstanding, those who live in the bay love it, as do many visitors who return time and again to enjoy its scenic, artistic and creative delights. Indeed some are so taken with the area that they choose to make it their home. Read more in the following pages. Home is where the heart is and what tugs at the ticker’s strings differs for each and every one of us, yet there are constants such as the sea, the people, family and the weather that help us decide where we want to live. As we age and discover more about what we really want in life, some of those criteria change and opportunities open up, such as relocating to Golden Bay, or indeed other lifestyle options across the Top of the South. For some, business is also a determining criterion – we all need money to survive – and operating a successful business is a must to guaranteeing income. That’s where mentoring can help, from taking an idea and running with it, to taking the next step in an established business. Luckily Nelson Tasman and Marlborough have a number of business mentoring options and levels so there’s no excuse for not diving right in and seeking help if you need it. Even if you don’t think you need it, an occasional revision doesn’t hurt. This month’s issue is chock full of good reading so sit down, turn the pages and enjoy! LY N D A PA P E S C H

Love local

Congratulations to Hogarth Chocolate and Choco Loco

hat’s not to love about chocolate? And we have several awardwinning artisan chocolatiers in the top of the South Island, including Nelson’s Hogarth Chocolate and Takaka’s Choco Loco. The country’s top chocolates were named recently after judges tasted 135 New Zealand-made chocolates, many unique to this country because of ingredients such as manuka honey and Central Otago pinot noir. Judges awarded 15 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze medals. Hogarth Chocolate won the Supreme Award in the 2018 NZ Chocolate Awards for its Buttered Toast and Sea Salt Bean-to-Bar product. Judges described this chocolate as irresistible, exceptional, unique and flawless, unanimous in their decision to make it the supreme winner. Hogarth also won four gold medals and two best in class awards. Takaka’s Choco Loco won a gold medal for its A Currant Affair chocolate. Kath and Gay from Choco Loco love and live chocolate, handcrafting delicacies with zero preservatives, palm sugar or fake flavour additives. They use fresh ingredients – mostly local and some straight out of their own garden – all within a base of quality handdipped or moulded Belgian chocolate.

Editor

Lynda Papesch lynda@wildtomato.co.nz

Manager

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

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

Contributors

Eddie Allnutt, Phil Barnes, Sadie Beckman, Chelsea Chang, Elora Chang, Serafin Dillon, John Cohen-Du Four, Britt Coker, Ana Galloway, Shelley Grell, Kane Hartill, Emily Hope, Alistair Hughes, Ishna Jacobs, Renée Lang, Sonya Leusink Sladen, Kate Macpherson, Geoff Moffett, Cameron Murray, Frank Nelson, Rebecca O’Fee, Hayley Ottman, Anthony Phelps, Sophie Preece, Mark Preece, Pete Rainey, Ray Salisbury, Hugo Sampson, Charlotte Squire, Sarah Stewart, Maike van der Heide, Karaena Vincent, Jessica Walden, Brenda Webb, Dominique White.

Advertising executives Chrissie Sanders 027 540 2237 chrissie@wildtomato.co.nz Kara Manson 021 215 5260 kara@wildtomato.co.nz

Lead ad designer

Patrick Connor production@wildtomato.co.nz

Subscriptions

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

Publisher

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

Find us on:

WildTomato/ @wildtomatomagazine @_WildTomato

Read online at issuu.com/wildtomato

Cover photography by Kane Hartill for Golden Bay Kayaks, Tata Beach, Golden Bay

Contributor spotlight KARAENA VINCENT

Photography I live in Te Tai-o-Aorere with my five exuberant children and our endlessly patient, tech support, Indian chef, ridiculously handsome, Mr Navtej Dhillon. Photography is my medium to honour relationships between people, valued objects, passions and environment. Light is my friend, no less so is darkness. These elements allow me to catch fleeting moments, tell a story, convey emotion and provoke further contemplation. Sensitively, I find the uniqueness of my subject to catch a glimpse of their inner world. This can be a subtle glimmer of emotion or with full powerful expression. I admire designers. I am drawn to composition and how colour, texture, sound and shape paint and impact our culture.

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A L I S TA I R H U G H E S

Golden Bay feature (page 28) It has taken decades, but I’ve finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of moving to Golden Bay. Usually slightly better with deadlines, I’m a writer and graphic artist who spent many years with Fairfax Media, and am now a ‘pen for hire’. My love of words, graphics and classic film combined recently for my first book, Infogothic: An Unauthorised Graphic Guide to Hammer Horror, (Telos Publishing, UK). When not balancing a cat on my lap while at my keyboard, I’m usually out exploring, with adventurous new friends who’ve taken us under their wing. In this issue I talk to other locals who are fortunate enough to call this beautiful region home.

Your latest Property Press here!

Your coffee here!

S H E L L EY G R E L L

Travel, Business Profiles (pages 33, 82) Everything is still new and exciting since we moved up from Canterbury last year. The decades of renovating our last home are finally over and we’re now in Pohara looking out over paradise. In addition to running my PR and marketing business and managing our Beau Vista holiday studio, I’m loving writing for WildTomato and GB Weekly. I’m also president of GB swimming club and am on the Nelson ITP committee. There’s never a dull moment and I’m meeting so many interesting people. Spare time is filled with family, friends, walks on the beach and being creative. Life is good.

Also available online at www.propertypress.co.nz

NOTICEBOARD

FA C E B O O K G I V E AWAY

Commemorating Armistice Day

o mark the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day, the Marlborough Singers and members from the Marlborough District Brass Band will perform The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace at the ASB Theatre Marlborough on Sunday 11 November. A powerful modern work, commissioned to mark the 2000 millennium, the mass deals with the human cost of war – and hope towards a more peaceful future. While based on the Christian mass, it draws from other religions and cultures, including the Islamic call to prayer, a Sanskrit epic poem, prose by Rudyard Kipling and Alfred Lord Tennyson, and a poem by Japanese poet Sankichi Toge – a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing.

Win a Broil King BBQ package

ntertain in style this summer with Broil King’s Porta Chef 320 BBQ package. The package includes a Broil King Porta-Chef 320 BBQ plus a sturdy cart, hot plate, grill brush and premium cover. All you have to do to be in to win is follow these three simple steps:

The taste of success

elson’s Sprig & Fern Brewery is celebrating a remarkable night at the 2018 New Zealand Brewers Guild Awards, where it picked up 13 medals. These included awards for many of the recently released glass varieties including West Coast IPA, Tasman Reserve, Soiree and Doppelbock. Master brewer and owner Tracy Banner, celebrating her 35 years in the brewing industry, deservedly received the Morton Coutts Trophy for Innovation and Achievement in the Brewing Industry. Tracy Banner, far right, with ( from left) marketing manager Lee Brown and brewing team members Callum Duncan and Joe Latimer

Where do you read yours? John and Sharon Corbett read their WildTomato while dog-sledding in Skagway, Alaska. Send your image to editor@wildtomato.co.nz ONLY JPG FILES ACCEPTED, MIN 1MB

1. ‘Like’ the WildTomato Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WildTomato 2. ‘Like’ the Broil King NZ Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BroilKingNZ 3. Comment on the ‘Broil King BBQ Pacage Giveaway’ post on either page, telling us why you need a Broil King! It’s that simple. ... Good Luck!

The lucky winner will be randomly drawn on Monday 3 December 2018 and announced via Facebook. For more info about the Broil King BBQ visit: www.broilking.co.nz/ portable-bbq-nz/porta-chef-320

Community awards winners

ell done to all the winners at the 2018 Trustpower Community Awards. Beyond the Bridge Riwaka was named supreme winner in the awards, which recognise volunteers and voluntary groups from Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough districts. Beyond the Bridge Riwaka received a framed certificate, a trophy and $2,000 prize money. It will represent Tasman District at the 2018 Trustpower National Community Awards next March.

MY BIG IDEA

Taking classes at the Love School Psychotherapist Serafin Dillon wants to help ensure longlasting relationships, so she is taking her Love School on the road to provide some unique education. Read on.

Love School addresses this gap by providing: • High quality cutting-edge information and skills through presentations and workshops • Online dating profile writing and design • Individual and couple therapy

What is your big idea? Love School – a new service providing people skills for modern relationships. When you choose a life partner, you’re choosing a lot of things, including your eating companion for about 20,000 meals, your travel companion for about 100 holidays, your primary recreation time and retirement friend, and someone whose day you’ll hear about 18,000 times. So it’s pretty important that you like this person. There’s currently no space in New Zealand where folks can receive sound information about how to find and maintain a successful romantic relationship. 12

two-hour presentations of which we are running two; How to Find Love ($20) and How to Stay in Love ($20). Online dating bio/profile writing, design and coaching ($30). Date Night – a special bespoke date bundle curated just for you and your special someone aimed at developing intimacy ($30).

• Support and coaching

Who will it benefit and how?

• Date Night (bespoke curated bundle)

Anyone who has ever loved! Love School’s services provide benefits by way of knowledge, skills and support. Our presentations and workshops have been designed to provide skills in four key areas: How to find love, how to stay in love, how to avoid making the same mistakes and how to know when to stay or leave a relationship. Everyone is covered.

Who is Love School for? People who are curious, single, divorced, married, committed, in love, heart-broken, widowed, ambivalent, dating, loving, loved, lonely ... anyone who is interested in groundbreaking information and no-nonsense advice about the psychology of modern romantic relationships.

How do people become involved? How does it work? FREE love advice – message us on Facebook. Information and skills – Folks can come along to our introductory

SNAPPED

Snapped WildTomato goes out on the town …

1 HERStory event The Suter Art Gallery, Nelson PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARAENA VINCENT

1. Raewyn & Scott Dodd 2. Michelle Anderson & Karyn Stratford 3. Christine Johnston, Seamus Ryan & Sean Bennett 4. Roz Speirs, Caron Proctor & Kristin Paterson

5. Karen Heslop & Vanessa Downing 6. Charley Ainscough & Sharron Martin 7. Alison Macbeth & Derek Walker

8. Maria Ingram & Caron Proctor 9. Kim Rosser & Bea Pole-Bokor

6 5

7 9

I said yes! It’s a Jens Hansen. Have your ring hand-crafted by Nelson’s only internationally acclaimed artisan jewellery workshop.

www.jenshansen.co.nz

Moochi grand opening Morrison Square, Nelson PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARAENA VINCENT

1. Diane Cowman, Jann Gilden & Sarah Drummond

5. Marine Conrad

2. Roachelle Ingerson, Anna Seifried & Livia Healey

7. Kellie Taylor & Bec Callaghan

3. Laura Beleski & Maddi Tennant 4. Sally Shaw & Jordanne Grey

6. Kendyl Fouhy & Chris Taylor 8. Jo Bertenshaw & Nicky Reid 9. Brooke Stanger & Georgia Ryan

145 Bridge Street, Nelson Wednesday to Sunday 5pm to late

SNAPPED

2 Spring Show Parker Gallery, Nelson PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARAENA VINCENT

5. Amy-Rose & Flavia Goulding

2. Jane Winter, Kay Field & Himla Schieving

6. Leigh Smart & Amy Strange

3. Viv Butters, Loraine Kearns & Janine Lyall

7. Irene de Jong & Ruth Woodhouse

4. Catherine Russ & Susan Francis

8. Jo Menary

Photo: Martin de Ruyter

1. Andrea, Amy & Immy Dell

1 Linked In Local BNZ Partners Centre, Nelson PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARAENA VINCENT

1. Leanne Cook, Shelley Carppe & Victoria Hall

4. Ethan Williams & Roelof De Hann

2. Mel Courtney, Gina Munro, Bea Pole-Bokor & Matt Dodd

5. Jo Kitchen & Sharon McGuire

3. Mark Rawson, Evelyn O’Neill, Gina Munro, Jo Kitchen, Mel Cortney & Wayne Demsen

7. Evelyn O’Neill & Louise Staite

6. David Ross & Cassa Grant 8. Ross Alvey & Vincent Dickie

SNAPPED

2 125th celebration of first Marlborough suffragist Mary Ann Müller Marlborough Convention Centre, Blenheim PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTHONY PHELPS

1. Kim Hill & Raewyn Dalziel 2. Clare Pinder, Cathie Bell & Jeanine Wardman

3. Decendants: Anna, Xanthe, Richard, Isis, James & Ara Griffiths & Josephine Fulton 4. Sigrun Steinhagen, Keren Mitchell & Liz Nash

5. Anne Best, Steve Austin & John Leggett 6. James Wilson, Sky Davies & Isis Griffiths 7. Deborah Dalliessi, Pip Clere & Michele Saint-Alexis 8. Val Griffith-Jones & Marnie Campbell

Suffragists at Home Stitching and styles for a cause • Runs through until April 2019 The home was the heart and hub of many suffragists in nineteenth century New Zealand. Visit a suffragist home in situ 1893 at Broadgreen House. See women’s stitching crafts that supported change, and learn how clothing and accessories were used in the quest to help NZ women get the vote. At Broadgreen Historic House, 276 Nayland Road, Stoke, Nelson Open 10.30am - 4.30pm daily. Free for locals! P 03 547 0403

/BroadgreenHistoricHouse

Airport terminal - ‘End of an era’ Nelson Airport, Nelson P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y R AY S A L I S B U R Y

1. Richard Kempthorne & Judy Fanselow 2. Jaesen Sumner, Rob Evans & Paul Steere

5. Nick Smith & Roger Gibbons 6. Glenn Wilkinson, Jackie McKee & Mike Barker 7. Mike Fouhy & Jacob Johnson

3. Martin de Ruyter, Rachel Reese & Peter Brocklesby

8. Trudy van Booma, Simon Trillo & Donna Hartley

4. Paula Brocklesby & Rachel Boyack

9. Rachel Lawry, Sherry Whyte & Catherine Robertson

SNAPPED

2 Sprig & Fern 35th anniversary Milton St Sprig & Fern Tavern, Nelson P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y C A M E R O N M U R R AY

1. Brent Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Chris King & Ashlee Lusty

4. Sam Mills & Jessica Young

2. Warren Burgess, Kylie Osborne & Brendon Turner

6. John & Jill Aldridge

3. Tracy Banner & Karl Russo

8. Lorraine Mellors & Neil Taylor

5. Elizabeth & Steve Burton 7. Aaron & Jo Hunter

INTERVIEW

A driver for learners New NMIT Chief Executive Liam Sloan is striving for an ‘Excellent’ grade. He talks to Maike van der Heide. PHOTOGRAPHY KAERENA VINCENT

non-academic student who was close to being written off by the school system, Liam Sloan’s future was shaped by the unassuming words of one humble teacher. “You’ll go on to better and bigger things,” said Muriel Roxburgh, who had sat the faltering, rarely praised Scottish schoolboy down for a chat. Muriel’s words lit a spark in Liam that was just bright enough to ensure he did indeed go on to better things – Chief Executive of Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT). “I don’t think she realised it, but those words resonated and stayed with me,” says Liam, sipping peppermint tea on a couch at NMIT’s student social area at the heart of the Marlborough campus, as students begin trickling in for lunch. Liam’s entire career is now based solidly in the very sector that almost let him down. His experience as a student who didn’t enjoy the traditional approach to learning fired in him a passion for creating a system that works for students like him – those more suited to a vocational pathway than an academic one. Liam’s decision to enter the tertiary sector was cemented when, while training as a chef at Dumfries and Galloway College of Technology, he found his focus was less on the cooking and more on how his instructors imparted information. Changing tack to education, he completed his Higher National Diploma, then a degree and his postgraduate qualification at the University of Huddersfield. When he finally entered the classroom as a qualified teacher, Liam found he was able to develop strong professional relationships with his students because he could relate to them and the way they learned, based on his own experiences. This understanding, and an intuition of how things could improve and could be, is something that Liam has carried

“ … I didn’t want to step into Tony’s shoes – I’ve got my own shoes.” 20

with him throughout his career. It would become particularly important when he was faced with a significant rejection that could have spelled the end of his time in New Zealand had he not chosen to follow Muriel’s premonition.

Connections span the globe

Liam’s appointment as NMIT’s Director of Learning in February 2016 was the result of ‘being in the right place at the right time’. Working in Bristol as a vice-principal, his boss had connections who knew that former NMIT head Tony Gray was looking for a new staff member to join the directorate team. Liam’s name was put forward as someone to ‘explore’. “He contacted me one day and we had several conversations over a couple of months. Then we got to a point where I thought, ‘What the hell’. I was single, I hadn’t any ties apart from my family, my mum, so I thought I’d come out for an interview to see what it’s like – and the rest is history.” Liam settled into NMIT life. His role changed to Director of Learning and Teaching, and he filled in for Tony when he was away. When Tony announced his resignation to work at Ara Institute of Canterbury, Liam was thrilled to be asked by the NMIT Council to become interim chief executive. “I was privileged to be asked, but there was always uncertainty about, ‘Am I ready for this? Can I step into Tony’s shoes?’ But I didn’t want to step into Tony’s shoes – I’ve got my own shoes.” Liam agreed and the role was formally advertised. He was interviewed along with two others – and no appointment was made. It was disappointing not to be offered the permanent role but in some ways it was not surprising, he says. “I’m not bitter because if I was them I wouldn’t have offered me the role. “At that point I still didn’t have some of the belief that I could maybe do it, and had questions including, did I really want it? And that probably shone through. My motto is, things happen for a reason.” Without a chief executive, the council asked Liam if he would

“My motto is, things happen for a reason.” continue in the interim position. “A light switched on at that point and I thought, ‘Yes I’ll do it, as long as I can implement some of the things that NMIT needs, and for a minimum of a year’.” Liam’s insistence on this timeframe was not only to give himself time to get some “good impact measures under my belt”, but to provide certainty for the students and the whole NMIT team. The council agreed to the term, and in August 2017 Liam fired up for a huge 12 months. “I just thought, ‘Right, now is your chance to bloody prove you can do this; that you can be the man for the job’ and my performance just stepped up. I received some really valuable coaching from Andy Wotton of Ilume and believe that I blew the council away, and they saw something they’d never ever seen in me.” Liam restructured the directorate and made ‘key decisions’ to create a staff and systems that would be robust enough to support a new chief executive. He did not know then that the new head would be him and that, behind the scenes, people were writing to the council in his support. Before his year was up, Liam re-applied for the top job and was successful. “I really value the trust and the belief that the NMIT Council has shown in me in appointing me to this role.” The warm-up over, on May 1 this year, Liam finally took his place in the big chair.

A reformer’s zeal

Liam has completed enough psychometric and 360-degree tests during his career to know that, as a leader, he’s categorised as a reformer. “The reformer in me is someone who looks at something and cannot help making change to make it even better.” It’s an exhausting trait, he admits, but one that pays off. “I have a focus on continuous improvements, and I’m very learner-centric.” During Liam’s time at NMIT, when in the role of Director of Learning, Teaching and Quality, NZQA carried out an external evaluation and review and placed NMIT in the highest bracket, Category 1. He helped to drive a two-percent improvement in course completions, taking NMIT into the upper quartile of New Zealand’s 18 tertiary institutes and polytechnics. Qualification completion rates also improved six percent in a year, which places it in the same upper quartile. Liam attributes this success in part to the implementation of a performance system designed to throw open the channels of communication between staff and senior management. The system, where performance is visually mapped on an electronic ‘dashboard’ and regularly discussed at performance panels, is a concept Liam brought with him from a former job as Head of Department at Barnsley College in Yorkshire. When on the ‘receiving end’ of these dashboard discussions, Liam admits he was nervous but soon saw great value in the conversations and action plans that resulted. It created a missing link between two parties who had previously never held such discussions, despite having the common goal of improving outcomes. “That’s the essence of these performance panels and I think that’s what makes it successful.” Liam says the dashboards at NMIT have ‘ramped up’, evolving tenfold, and are now being implemented beyond academic teams into business support areas, including finance and people and organisation development. They are, he believes, a great tool for the empowerment that he has been pushing. “I’m someone who believes in empowering the team and

“I have a focus on continuous improvements, and I’m very learner-centric.” encouraging them to make measured decisions, and at the same time take some risks, but ultimately at the same time what comes with that is ensuring ownership and accountability. “Ultimately, because you’ve empowered your team to make decisions, they’re the people who should be celebrated and held on the pedestal and then recognised and praised. I consider myself very fortunate to work with a team of great people who are passionate about transforming lives. NMIT is a truly special place.”

Challenges ahead

A strong team and maintaining high morale will become even more important as the tertiary education sector faces significant challenges. Minister of Education Chris Hipkins has publicly questioned the financial sustainability of the sector, as student numbers drop and institutes around the country post deficits. Liam’s response is to push on regardless and continue his quest for improvements. On campus, he wants to create a hub that is not just for learning, but includes natural synergies between NMIT and the community. To this end, Liam has launched a search for strategic partnerships and is welcoming the co-location of the Nelson Regional Development Agency and Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce to the Hardy St campus. Marlborough can also expect significant changes, particularly as the campus is one of the possible locations for the New Zealand Winegrowers Research Centre. This is more than sharing physical 21

Below Left: Liam’s first communion 1980 Right: Dressage for England in 2008

space, says Liam, who is looking at such partnerships to improve the learner experience and develop economies of scale, plus reduce costs. With that in mind, Liam is about to launch a ‘big conversation’ with the Marlborough community to find out if NMIT is still relevant for them, whether employers are getting the graduates and skills they need and, if not, how he can make that happen. “We need to deliver surpluses to invest so we can ultimately get to a point where NMIT is a destination of choice for students, but also for the community to come onboard.” There is also a particular focus on Maori/Pasifika students, with Liam noting the worrying 10-percent achievement gap between this demographic and others – one he’s committed to reducing by two percent each year. At the same time NMIT is catering for a changing student demographic and online flexible and mobile learning requirements, which is blending with – and in some cases replacing – traditional face-to-face classroom time. He’s got a project on the go for that too, called Merging Futures, which is already in place for two courses in Nelson and Marlborough. NMIT is also part of TANZ eCampus, a group of institutes and polytechnics (ITPs) who share an online learning platform. To drive all this, Liam is investing heavily in his staff of 600 – not just teachers, but across the board – with professional development and his directorate restructure. “I want to have a team of people that’s envied by other ITPs.”

Recuperative bay views

After another day of driving changes and striving for improvement at the office, Liam feels quite comfortable in his own company in his Nelson home overlooking Tasman Bay. It’s a vista he feels ‘blessed’ to enjoy. He fills his limited spare time with cooking, watching tennis, skiing, badminton and movies, with the odd ‘city fix’ to Wellington, Auckland or the bright lights of Sydney. But ultimately, busy is what Liam thrives on. He credits his mother Betty Sloan for his work ethic. She provided her little 22

“We need to deliver surpluses to invest so we can ultimately get to a point where NMIT is a destination of choice for students …” Scottish son with every opportunity through sheer hard work. A single mum, Betty worked full-time, plus a second and sometimes third evening bar job to make ends meet, leaving Liam in the loving care of his grandparents. Betty put aside her earnings to make it possible for Liam to pursue horse riding and badminton, sports he took to international level. When Liam was old enough to realise the ‘passion and commitment’ Betty needed to give him what he describes as a really good upbringing, he was humbled. “She did without for me. It made me realise if you want to do something good for someone then you need to work hard at it, and to this day I’m grateful.” When Liam announced to his mother that her only child would be moving to the other side of the world, she wholeheartedly endorsed his decision. “My mum said, ‘You’d be crazy not to do it. Go for it; make yourself happy.’ She’s very proud. She posts on Facebook – it’s almost embarrassing,” he smiles. “My mum, accompanied by my Aunty Alice, has visited New Zealand twice already and next year I’ll be holidaying with them in China.” Liam credits Betty and Muriel Roxburgh for a lifelong passion and drive for high performance in everything he does. At the same time, he has now realised he also needs to stop and celebrate the small wins along the way, both for himself and for his teams at NMIT. “That’s been a big learning curve.” But Liam’s eyes are still on the big win – to make NMIT the best it can be – and when that’s done, it will be time to move on to the next challenge. “NMIT won’t need me forever. I envisage that I will do something outside of Nelson, in New Zealand or Australia, before returning to Nelson to retire. It depends on what the sector holds. We all have our strengths on where we can have an impact.”

LOCAL CONNECTION

Marlborough man tackles race across America The non-stop slog is a daunting test of human endurance, Sophie Preece reports.

PHOTOGRAPHY MARK GRAMMER

hen Craig Harper cycled 2100km from Cape Reinga to Bluff, breaking the record in four days, nine hours and 45 minutes, he had the nation impressed. But the length of New Zealand is dwarfed by the Marlborough man’s latest challenge, ‘SOLO’ – racing non-stop across America, via deserts, mountains and 4800km of road. Next June Craig will have up to 12 days to cycle from the west to east coast, competing against some of the best endurance racers in the world. The mammoth race starts at Oceanside in California and travels through 12 states, with about 52,000 vertical metres to climb along the way, including the Rocky, Sierra Nevada and Appalachian mountain ranges, to end at City Dock in Annapolis. Add to that a lack of sleep, low oxygen at high altitudes and the extreme weather of the deserts, and it’s easy to see why this is dubbed the toughest endurance race in the world. Unlike the Tour de France, The Race Across America (RAAM) – one of the longest-running endurance events in the world – is not a stage race, so that once the clock starts it runs until the cyclist finishes 24

“To meet the time cut-off of 12 days, you need to be biking a minimum of 20 hours a day.” or, more often than not, is forced to pull out. Plenty have tried over the past three decades, but only 250 have succeeded in making it solo or tandem to the finish line in the allocated time – fewer people than have summited Everest. The failure rate is down to extreme heat, altitude, emotional pressures and lack of sleep, Craig says. “To meet the time cut-off of 12 days, you need to be biking a minimum of 20 hours a day.”

Stamina from rowing

There’s no doubt it will be painful, but Craig reckons training as a rower in his youth set him up well for endurance events. “I developed a work ethic while I was rowing, like most rowers do. It involved repetition and I guess a form of suffering in the

way you are always tired, in order to be better.” Craig rowed at Westlake Boys in Auckland and was in New Zealand crews in juniors, the under 23s and elites before he retired in 2002, aged 25. Then came multisport, with more suffering, undertaking two Southern Traverses and a Coast to Coast, before endurance cycling became his focus. While many cyclists in the Forrest GrapeRide applaud their efforts on completing the 101km route, Craig did it 10 times in a row at the 2015 event. He went on to win the 640km Maxi Enduro at the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge that year. Craig then devised and completed the Long White Ride, his record-breaking journey down the length of New Zealand. That campaign saw him raise around $50,000 for the Graeme Dingle Foundation Marlborough, which runs Kiwi Can courses in local primary schools. While he self-funded that campaign, Craig says the American ride requires a lot more support and preparation, so he’s seeking sponsorship from businesses keen to get in on the buzz. His new campaign may be called SOLO, but Craig will require a support crew of nine to get across America, including a medical professional and bike mechanic. The crew will include his wife Kate – a sports massage therapist who has also been a successful rower and multisport athlete – and an English cyclist who has completed the RAAM four times and works in emotional intelligence. He is helping to prepare Craig mentally for the event and its preparation. “It’s about looking at ways to improve myself as a being, and not just limited to this campaign,” says Craig, acknowledging that one of the biggest challenges is looking at his weaknesses. Craig will put in five months of dedicated training in the lead-up to the Race Across America, putting his building business on hold to ensure he’s in the best possible condition when he reaches the start line. “The physical challenge is not easy to prepare for, but it’s pretty exact and pretty known,” he says. “I know what I will encounter and what I will be put through. To prepare for that is really quite easy – it’s a matter of ticking the boxes. The mental side of it is a lot trickier.” WildTomato readers can follow Craig’s training and race progress at www.solo.kiwi

“It’s about looking at ways to improve myself as a being, and not just limited to this campaign.” CRAIG HARPER

R I S I N G S TA R

Lights, camera, plenty of action Aaron Falvey, a DIY Blenheim film-maker, is poised to crack the big time. He talks to Frank Nelson.

aron Falvey’s sweetest dreams are other people’s nightmares. The 39-year-old Blenheim man loves a good bit of blood and gore, and if you throw in a few flesheating zombies he couldn’t be happier. Of course, we’re talking about Aaron’s life-long love affair with movies, which has featured roles as an actor, writer, editor, producer and, primarily, a director. Aaron grew up on a Rapaura Rd apple orchard, which he admits was probably the furthest away he could be from the business of making movies, yet he was smitten at an early age. “When I was about nine, my friends who lived down the road got an 8mm camcorder and we started making little home movies,” he recalls. “Basically, every weekend for a couple of years we were making movies that ranged from some dramas to a lot of action and martial arts films. “I found a real passion and love for that and didn’t want to stop doing it ... I’ve always had this desire inside me to keep making films.” And keep making them he did, building up a CV that recently caught the eye of an American production company which tapped him to direct a micro-budget feature film due to begin shooting in Marlborough early next year.

Juggling a busy life

Aaron has more than a dozen professionally made movies under his belt. That’s no small achievement considering he also holds down a full-time job at Woodbourne with the New Zealand Defence Force, while at home he and wife Tara have their hands full with four children under the age of eight. In his teens at Marlborough Boys’ College Aaron made a couple of films, and he added a few more in his early 20s, but the lack of any local film-making support infrastructure meant he was walking a tough and lonely road. His passion dimmed for a while and he spent about eight 26

years working at a photographic shop in Blenheim. In 2006 he started his current job as a video producer, mainly writing, filming and editing educational videos for defence force personnel. In 2012, with Aaron in his early 30s and already the father of two children, the drive to make movies was rekindled when a friend, Jose Walters-Rangitihi, moved to Blenheim and suggested the pair start a project together. The result was Bloodless, a 20-minute zombie horror film involving about 50 cast and crew. “We treated it like a community project and it really was the start of some big things here in Marlborough. It kick-started the film industry and what we have here now,” says Aaron. He has been behind the camera for a number of gory, postapocalyptic films – Alone, for example, was about one man surviving in the wilderness after a nuclear blast – and cheerfully admits to being hooked on zombies, a genre he grew to love watching the classic Walking Dead television series. All of which puts him in some illustrious company. Famed director Sir Peter Jackson launched his career with Bad Taste, a low-budget splatter movie that he wrote, produced, directed and appeared in while also providing the special effects and make-up. In 2014, while in Nelson working on a feature film called Bowie, Aaron crossed paths with Doug Brooks. The two realised they had a lot in common; they were both trying to breathe life into a film industry and build a critical mass of film-makers in the upper South Island. “That was when Top of the South Filmmakers was born, originally as a Facebook group that we used as a way to advertise film projects and get people involved,” says Aaron. Their first collaboration was Guardian Angels, a sniper actionthriller written by Doug, who was also the lead actor, and directed by Aaron. This was quickly followed by Outer Darkness, a horror flick about a small band of survivors in a world devastated by infection, with Doug again playing the lead.

“There’s no money in film-making unless you make feature films.” A A R O N FA LV EY

The following year the inaugural Top of the South Film Festival, cofounded by Aaron and fellow film-maker Phil McKinnon, attracted about 220 people to the Blenheim Civic Theatre. Meanwhile, Aaron and Doug also established Top of the South Film Productions, a society set up to nurture film-making in the region. The society creates a forum for camera operators, lighting and sound technicians, location scouts, make-up artists, actors, producers and directors. It also acts as a conduit for funding. For example, earlier this year the New Zealand Film Commission contributed about $21,000 towards two weekend directing workshops in Blenheim and Nelson. “It’s all about providing opportunities for local crew and actors,” says Aaron. He has also been lobbying Marlborough District Council to beef up its promotion of the region as a film-making destination, a campaign that has secured $70,000 council funding over three years to have Screen Wellington represent the province. In 2015 Aaron completed an online film-making course during which he co-directed and produced The Flame with Doug Brooks. This tense tale of a Gestapo interrogator and her former lover – who she may now have to torture – is set in Germany during World War 2, with half the dialogue in German and half in English. “That film has done exceptionally well,” he says. “We ended up winning Best Short Film at the Auckland International Film Festival last year, and we also took out the judges’ choice for Best Short Film at the 2016 Top of the South Film Festival.” That success was largely responsible for Aaron being approached from the United States to direct a sci-fi action film called Ascendance. This is a prequel to Downward (available on Amazon Prime) and the second in the planned Dragoon Universe series. Filming took place in Marlborough towards the end of 2016 and after recently completing post-production, the 28-minute movie was set to premiere at the Top of the South Film Festival in Nelson on September 15. It will screen in Blenheim on October 6. Last year Aaron and Doug co-directed Father Between, the story of a man facing difficult decisions concerning his daughter and his dog.

Photo: Matt Croad

Nurturing an industry

Opposite page: Aaron on a late night shoot for Ascendance This page: Above: Aaron and wife Tara at TOTS Film Festival 2016 Below: Aaron in front of NH90 Helicopter working for the New Zealand Defence Force

The movie was shown at the Sydney Lift-Off Film Festival in November and has been selected for this year’s Auckland International Film Festival as well as the upcoming Top of the South Film Festival. As a director, Aaron constantly battles two major issues: time and money. “Finance is the biggest hurdle we face as film-makers,” he says. “Most people starting out are going to self-fund, while crowd-funding is another option. They’re going to start small and build their way up until they’ve shown their ability to make films. “A lot of it’s about credibility – you’ve got to prove yourself. All my films, except Ascendance, have been self-funded.” For Ascendance the team used crowd-funding but Aaron says that was hard work and stressful, and they only limped over the line in the final days of the month-long campaign. “There’s no money in film-making unless you make feature films. We make short films to prove we can make feature films.”

Two movies in the wind

All the determined hard work and self-financing are starting to pay off. Aaron’s in negotiations with a studio in South Africa to direct a feature film in Johannesburg, plus he’ll be directing a fulllength feature film in Marlborough. “This is an action-thriller with the working title Battle Clearing. It’s a 90-minute, fully-funded movie,” with a private investor in Arizona putting up US$120,000 (almost NZ$180,000). “The producer behind the film, Tray Goodman, just loves New Zealand. He’s been here five times. And for him it’s all about collaborating with our team … though he’s also keen on showcasing New Zealand and wants to use that as a big part of marketing the film in the States.” Aaron admits this is a big commitment for him personally. He’s saved up three weeks’ annual leave to work on the film, which he expects to take 17 days’ shooting, on a private farm in Marlborough where the crew can build a cabin. He and the crew will have to work fast. “Film shoots can often last months,” he says. “Typically, a studio production would only shoot two pages of script a day – we’ll be shooting about seven. The difference between a studio film and an independent film is more money, more people working and more time to get it made.” Aaron is full of praise for the people he’s worked with and the role they’ve played in his personal success. “Film-making is hugely collaborative and for me that’s the most enjoyable part.” 27

Golden Bay beckons

Finding a pot of gold in the bay

Photo: Ray Salisbury, Hot Pixels Photography

Many find the lure of Golden Bay hard to resist for a holiday, while others totally succumb to its beauty and uniqueness and migrate there. Journalist Alistair Hughes is one of the latter and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s found that he is in good company.

Photo: Shelley Grell

n early 1976 my parents took us on a family holiday to the end of the Earth – or the Top of the South Island at least. For me, it was the beginning of a 40-year love affair with Golden Bay, before finally making it my home. I know my memories of that childhood adventure have become somewhat romanticised, because it rained one entire week out of the two we were here, but I only remember the perfect, sunny days. Looking back, I lost my heart to the Ruataniwha Inlet’s expanse of tide-sculpted sand and primordially-jagged range of hills, long before I ever understood that it’s possible to fall in love with a place. My own feeling is that people fortunate enough to live in Golden Bay must really want to be here. Unwittingly finding a way to add drama to the mundanity of moving house, my wife and I chose the ideal-seeming date of February 20th, this year. Who would ever have imagined that we would share our arrival with a tropical cyclone, and everyone else’s near-evacuation? As the only road connection with the rest of the country lay buried or swept away under tonnes of liquefied hillside, the reality of being so relatively isolated hit home. It requires effort, even at the best of times, to come here and a very special commitment to stay. Golden Bay is a frontier – not a mere passing-through point, and so has a uniquely stolid, yet vibrant, character, sentiments borne out by five other migrants who were attracted to make ‘the Bay’ home.

Life in a Bedford lane

Barb Hall is a semi-retired social worker who has a long association with Golden Bay. Like me, her first visit was on a family holiday, before she moved here from Christchurch in 1976. An alternative lifestyle community Barb had associations with had taken the opportunity to buy 500 acres of land together. “We arrived in Takaka in an old J Type Bedford air force truck and a bus called Stanley. We had no electricity, nothing – it was like pioneering and we built a community; a place to stand, and it gave me a sense of belonging, security …” As Barb and her community adapted, so did the already existing population. Above: Treasure Hunt mural, painted in 2006 by Nelson artist Monique Adelle Richards Opposite page: Cape Farewell at dusk

“Golden Bay gave us space to run and play … an isolation and a wonderland of opportunity.” BA R B H A L L

“The farming community was a bit edgy for a while but it didn’t take long for them to see that we got in and did the work. I think that there was a respect that developed over the years.” It has always been the sense of community which drew and kept Barb here. “There’s so much to do and all the time there’s a sense of belonging … social connections, environmental connections, spiritual connections – certainly not economic.” She’s pointed out a serpent in this garden of Eden: wellpaying employment is sparse on this side of the hill. Barb’s social work background makes her aware of the economic disparity and believes part of her journey is doing what she can to support local families and community. “I also co-ordinate musical groups that do performances that raise funds for the community, and just to enjoy making music and learning to be together.” Looking back, Barb is very happy to be labelled a hippie. “There were so many things I learned through the experience and through the good fortune of associations and connections with others. Golden Bay gave us space to run and play … an isolation and a wonderland of opportunity.”

Returning to her roots

Tullia Wilson is 21, and also very involved in the local community. In fact, she’s probably more dedicated than others far older. In her last year at Golden Bay High School, her passion for volunteering in her college and community was recognised with the Nelson Tasman Youth Spirit Award. Leaving in 2015 to begin university in Dunedin, the future seemed bright. But first, Tullia’s life took an unexpected turn. “My mental health went significantly downhill – and I was in hospital for a week. Mum and Dad came down, and we basically packed up my stuff and came home. The next few months were probably pretty hopeless … I was just milling about not really 29

Tullia Wilson

“It’s not just me, I’m supported. I’m learning how to delegate … nurturing young leadership keeps me here.”

Another active figure in the community is semi-retired investment banker, Tony Lawton. In the media recently for raising awareness and support for a Golden Bay local board, Tony followed a very methodical path in finding his way to Golden Bay. After growing up in Auckland, he lived and worked for over a decade in London, “Always with the idea that it was a way to further my career, and make some money, to come back to New Zealand.” When it reached the point for Tony that the money no longer compensated for the lifestyle, in 2005 he knew it was time to return. “The initial plan was to not go back to a big city, because that was a little like repeating the lifestyle I’d left. So the idea was, OK, the South Island had always called to me in terms of mountains and rivers and tramping, so let’s go there and find a nice area to live …” Briefly considering central Otago, Nelson won out for two reasons; proximity to the coast, and a surprising family connection. “On my mother’s side we relate back to a man called Ching, (an old Cornish name), who came out on one of the first vessels which founded Nelson in 1841.” However, Tony found that even Nelson had become too big for the small community feeling he was looking for. He considered the Marlborough Sounds, (too remote), before finally finding himself in Golden Bay. “I ended up in here for a number of good reasons – its natural beauty and small, eclectic community. It’s coastal – one of my objectives was sailing and sea kayaking. And good tramping, the big plus things I look for.” As with many others who’ve lived here for a while, it seems to be the community which attracts Tony the most. “There’s certain remoteness but also closeness. It’s got a very balanced offering, I think. There’s such a range of small-scale groups where you can meet people and merge into the community. Golden Bay is probably unique in New Zealand.”

TU LLIA WILSON

knowing what to do with myself.” It turned out that Tullia had returned to the best place she could be. “There’s something magical about the people who live here – they all genuinely care on some level, and I feel very thankful that I have a strong base in Golden Bay.” Her family connections stretch back two generations, and Tullia’s own parents chose to return here after extensive travelling overseas. Safely back home, Tullia gradually recovered her sense of purpose and passion for helping others. “I’ve meshed myself into this community, and taken on many roles that are meaningful to me … I live a purposeful life by being here. I am one of four young leaders creating the Youth Hub in town and I honestly wish I’d had that service when I was a teenager.” Providing a safe and supportive environment for local young people, the Youth Hub is a powerful force in Tullia’s life. She also serves as a consumer advisor for mental health services and is one of the leaders of the local Earth Guardians group, an organisation of young people passionate about caring for the planet. It sounds like a lot of commitment? “It’s not just me, I’m supported. I’m learning how to delegate … nurturing young leadership keeps me here.” Tullia has her own plans to eventually travel, in an ecologically responsible way, of course. But for now, it seems Golden Bay needs her. 30

Tony Lawton

Photo: Ishna Jacobs

A new start for all ages

Teahouse & Bakery We are the only 100% vegetarian cafe in Golden Bay with many GF/ vegan options including: • quiches

• breads

• buckwheat pancakes

• vegan, raw, gluten-free

• soups

• refined sugarfree sweets

• bowls of salad

We are passionate about natural food. Taste the difference. 30 Commercial Street, Takaka Phone: 03 525 7294

Open the windows, enjoy the sea breeze, sit back and experience!

0800 808 257 enquiries@farewellspit.co.nz www.farewellspit.co.nz

www.wholemealcafe.co.nz

Photo: Shelley Grell

Dipping into my own distant past, I contacted a school acquaintance, Fiona Balfour, who has lived in Golden Bay for almost two decades now. Fiona was easy to find as she has a high profile here as an experienced yoga instructor. After first discovering the Bay with friends from university, the life of the science degree graduate from Blenheim then took an unexpected direction. “I was with a sort of circus as a fire performer and juggler. And we actually started the first outdoor dance festivals in New Zealand, called Entrain.” Preceding The Gathering events, the first Entrain took place at the top of the Takaka Hill in 1992. Fiona found herself in this part of the world many times after that. “I kept coming back here, even though I wasn’t settled. When I did have kids, I decided this was where I wanted to raise them – and have the lifestyle.” Fiona was instantly struck by the natural beauty of this region, particularly in comparison with the rest of the country. “The Bay has incredible rivers, beautiful swimming holes, beaches and forest. The last time I went on a road trip up to the Coromandel, after being nestled here for a while, I was shocked. It’s all farmland, with pockets of pine and some willows. We’re quite spoilt here – it’s looking pretty barren out there.” As with many others, however, it’s more than Golden Bay’s physical attributes which keep her here. “Takaka is a small town, but with a bit of style, and funk – and it’s progressive. You can see all kinds of workshops and goings-on, so that was a bonus. Also, because I was into organic food, there’s easy access to food grown without toxins and that’s very important to me.” Fiona’s current focus is establishing her yoga retreat, with eco-accommodation and facilities. She was busy building a ‘deluxe’ communal composting toilet when I visited her. “After a year I dig out beautiful compost (for my fruit trees) – 6,000 litres of water a year is wasted with flushing toilets. I’m going to keep promoting my values and beliefs, so I’m attracting tourists who are ecologically-minded. This is a good place to be based.”

The Grove, Golden Bay

“Golden Bay feels like home now, because we know so many people, and they have been good to us.” VERA BALZER

Vera Balzer

An international community

The pull of Golden Bay draws in people from all around the world. Vera Balzer and her husband Reto are originally from Switzerland but have run Pohara’s Sans Souci Inn for almost 25 years. And it all began with an advertisement in a Swiss agricultural newspaper. “They were looking for a pig farmer in Taranaki and I had always wanted to leave Switzerland, so I said: ‘Yeah, let’s try it’.” Unfortunately, the New Zealand farm job didn’t work out but the couple turned sudden homelessness to their advantage: “We went travelling, worked in strawberry fields up north, and then south to work in Queenstown for the winter. Really cool – it was meant to be.” Their travelling continued through Australia and Asia but the friendliness and natural beauty they found in New Zealand had left an impression. “We went back to Switzerland with the aim of making as much money as we could, so we could come back.” Returning in 1991, rising prices put paid to their plans of buying their own farm, so Vera and Reto settled in Nelson where a different dream took form. “That’s where the idea came to build a restaurant and units. We made plans and models and were looking around for land. We got closer and closer to Golden Bay because it was quite busy in Nelson already, and we needed somewhere that was quiet and peaceful.” Sans Souci took two-and-a-half years to build and opened in 1994. “Golden Bay feels like home now, because we know so many people, and they have been good to us. We’ve been able to run a business, raise two children and it’s a really lovely lifestyle.” With their daughters now grown up, Vera and Reto have plans to enjoy more of Golden Bay for themselves. “We put Sans Souci on the market last November because we want more time to explore what we have here. In summer we have always been so busy. I’d love to stay, and the girls love it here too. “Golden Bay has grown; new people have come – and some people have gone, which I find interesting because why would you want to leave?”

Photo: Ishna Jacobs

More than physical attributes

WT+DANCING SANDS DISTILLERY

Ben and Sarah enjoying a martini

Enjoy a sun-kissed summer with Sacred Spring gins BY SHELLEY GRELL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARRIE DODDS

he world’s biggest little secret in Golden Bay is a spirited sensation that’s tickling its customers pink. Spiced with captivating infusions of cardamom, coriander seeds, peppercorns, liquorice and angelica root, Dancing Sands’ hot-selling Sacred Spring brands are challenging the gin category. “They say big things come in small packages and we can definitely vouch for that!” says master distiller Ben Bonoma. “Our Sacred Spring gins are now selling in eight countries from New Zealand and Australia to Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Philippines, the UK and Romania. We expect this number to double in the next year with our recent hiring of a head of European sales.” Handcrafted by Ben and his wife Sarah, Dancing Sands’ impressive range of tantalising brews are punching above their weight, beating big brand names at major award events and back bars of cocktail restaurants around the country. “Our gin is one of the few on the market that does not contain citrus, which gives it a unique flavour profile that has truly resonated with consumers around the world,” says Ben. Their dry gin won gold at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition – the largest spirits competition in the

world, a feat repeated by the saffron gin in 2018. And, just last month, after launching into the UK and establishing a warehouse in Europe to meet spiking European thirst, they released their sixth gin, ‘Sacred Spring Sun-Kissed Gin’, a unique take on the trendy pink gin category. “It is aromatic, fresh and smooth and dangerously drinkable. A perfect stockingfiller for summer!” says Sarah Bonoma. The new pink gin joins a proud brand family that include barrel-aged, dry, saffron, chocolate and wasabi strength gins. Dancing Sands’ impressive growth is a result of the Bonoma’s relentless passion for quality and innovation. At their Takaka distillery, the couple create, bottle and label everything by hand, foraging for local botanicals and developing new flavours and products. “We’re located in one of the most beautiful places in the world, sourcing water from the aquifer that feeds the clearest spring in the world. We are obligated to honour these gifts that have been bestowed upon us and craft the highest quality products using the best ingredients. We then take this obligation and challenge what a gin can be in really fun, colourful and innovative ways,” explains Ben. Their story began in a Manhattan cocktail bar when Ben and Sarah met

and fell in love over gin martinis with blue cheese olives. At the time Ben was working as an IT specialist in New York and Sarah as a business analyst in London. Keen to work for themselves the budding entrepreneurs hatched a plan to quit their corporate jobs and start a new life making gin in New Zealand. After acquiring existing distillery equipment, they launched the new Dancing Sands label in early 2016. Sarah is the director of operations and also the chair of the board of directors, while Ben leads the company as CEO as well as conjures his master distiller’s magic. “Sarah runs all aspects of the distillery and logistics and keeps me in check whilst balancing our two young children at home. She’s an impressive woman!” credits Ben. For a sun-kissed taste sensation, pop into the Dancing Sands tasting room and cellar door the next time you’re in Takaka at 46A Commercial Street. It’s open all year round.

Contact dancingsands.com

125 years of womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suffrage

Celebrating suffragists, survival and success

Photo: Marlborough Museum

Having finally won the right to vote, women in New Zealand actually went to the polls for the first time in November 125 years ago. Britt Coker takes a look at some of the original local suffragists, and those who continue the cause today.

Photo: Nelson Provincial Museum, Loan Collection

ary had endured enough. Married to an abusive husband in England, she took the unusual step at that time of not putting up with it. In 1849 she headed into the unknown, departing for a new life in Nelson with her two young sons. She became a teacher and married again two years later, to Stephen Müller . By 1869, the family were settled in Blenheim where Mary Ann Müller was to write a pamphlet that galvanised the suffrage movement in Godzone. Under the pseudonym, Fémmina, her pamphlet was entitled Appeal to the Men of New Zealand, and in it she outlined why women deserved the right to vote. While these days our families are usually our proudest supporters, Mary’s husband was a local politician who did not support women’s suffrage so was not party to her protests, in fact she didn’t publically reveal her identity until eight years after he died. Kate Sheppard later described this woman from the Top of the South as a ‘pioneer feminist’. It was another 24 years after Mary’s pamphlet before New Zealand women achieved the vote. Six weeks after the passing of The Electoral Act 1893, 109,461 women had registered to vote. At the first election held on the 28 November, 90,290 of them followed through on it. Overall, it was a voter turnout of 82% of New Zealand women and 70% of registered male voters. Above: Polling booth at Provincial Buildings, Nelson Opposite page: Mary Ann Müller, also known as Fémmina, considered a pioneering suffragist

‘… the pretty dresses of the ladies and their smiling faces lighted up the polling booths most wonderfully.’ C H R I S TC H U R C H N EW S PA P E R 1 8 9 3

Opponents had warned that lady voters might be harassed at polling booths, but election day ‘resembled a gay garden party’ in Christchurch streets, according to a local newspaper, and ‘the pretty dresses of the ladies and their smiling faces lighted up the polling booths most wonderfully’. In a country where ‘fair enough’ is a common response to an opinion different from our own, where a sense of fairness is woven into the fabric of our society, it’s logical to conclude that voting for all our citizens was an outcome we were always going to reach. It probably just didn’t feel like it at the time. In fact, the hard slog for legalised gender equity continued for many years. Although women gained the right to vote in 1893, they weren’t eligible to stand for parliament until 1919 and the first female member of parliament wasn’t elected until 1933. Kate Sheppard died the following year. 35

At a time when everything seems possible, it’s hard for this woman of influence to comprehend voting as a lofty goal New Zealand women once aspired to reach. “It’s amazing now how far we’ve come. I think we’ve still got a way to go but it seems pretty bizarre that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything that I can do now before women had the vote … so much has changed in not a huge amount of time.” As well as holding down a full-time job, Poppy is spending 30 to 40 hours a week working on the app as it’s ‘crunch time’, but she has a future plan for Collaborate befitting a young woman with big ambitions. “I’d love for people all over New Zealand to be able to access it and find value out of it and I just really just want to empower people, for them to see they really have skills that can make a difference.”

Working for women

Poppy Norton

Leading the way today

Just as Kate Sheppard was a woman of influence in 1893, it’s a title befitting Nelson woman, Poppy Norton. When she was 15, Poppy experienced her first bout of chronic depression. Suffering again as a student at Victoria University, she sought help from a counsellor who suggested she receive assistance with note-taking of her lectures. This help by a student volunteer was the inspiration for Poppy to, in turn, help others and ‘start connecting with the community’. For the last two years, Poppy has been a finalist in the New Zealand Woman of Influence Awards. At only 25 years of age, the young leader is manager and co-founder of Collaborate, an app designed to unite organisations that need volunteer help with people who can provide it. “We call it the Tinder for volunteering so what you do is create your profile and write about yourself and then you swipe through volunteer roles that are closest to you and match the skills that you’ve identified and it’s just a way to make it easier, faster and more fun. We’re trying to get more young people into volunteering but anyone can use Collaborate.” The app already has over 200 organisations using it to find volunteers. The larger charities will be familiar, but there are plenty of small entities using it too, resulting in an eclectic mix of requests that range from hands-on help with beach cleans to mentors and board members.

Bittersweet. That’s the way Nelson businesswoman and president, Nelson Branch of the National Council for Women, Pip Jamieson describes the milestone. “I think it’s absolutely fantastic that we can look back and acknowledge that great achievement of 125 years ago. And we have made some really cool steps forward and progress but there are certainly areas of concern that still exist and it’s a real shame that the aspirations of those suffragists way back then haven’t really been fully achieved. So, bittersweet is what I would say. “We have young women who see the world as their oyster, and they’re getting really good messages. It’s great that we’re calling out when we see inequality across the board ... however, you just need to look at our domestic violence statistics and look behind the scenes at some of those pay gaps of some significantly affected groups, young Maori women, Pacific women. “The number of women in key decision-making roles is still the minority across the board. Young girls are still picking quite genderstereotyped school subjects, so I think what we have left now is that really deep cultural stuff that is harder to shift.” Pip believes the way to change the culture is to continue talking, to keep raising awareness of the issues. She says the National Council of Women is developing a ‘gender dashboard’ designed to reflect signs of change and that results of a Gender Attitudes Survey the council undertook last year highlighted a discrepancy between what we say and what we really think.

“It’s amazing now how far we’ve come. I think we’ve still got a way to go but it seems pretty bizarre that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything that I can do now before women had the vote ...” P O P P Y N O RTO N

Pip Jamieson

“… but there are certainly areas of concern that still exist and it’s a real shame that the aspirations of those suffragists way back then haven’t really been fully achieved.”

Turning a negative into a positive

Reni Gargiulo’s story is one of those about good things coming from bad. In this case, being made redundant when she had three teenage children counting on her, left no time to waste. A month after losing her admin job she began a new business, making traditional Maori cuisine and selling it to enthusiastic foodies at the Nelson Market. “I pretty much didn’t want to work for anyone; I wanted to work for myself, so I started Kiwi Kai. I actually fare well under stress. I was redundant in September [2009] and four weeks later, I was set up at the market with a brand. It’s just like, you have to do this girl, turn this thing around.” Reni describes the journey as “absolutely fantastic. We’ve grown and traversed, grown and traversed.” She took her father’s favourite recipes, dishes she grew up with and away she went. But running a successful business isn’t enough. For Reni, previous work with Nelson Women’s Refuge had opened her eyes to the less than ideal lives that other people were living, especially women and children in Nelson. Then last year an opportunity presented itself that she couldn’t turn down. “We’ve always koha’d kai to whanau in need. When we came into our new premises last year, we had a lovely lawyer approach us and that person supports our koha system. Whatever we koha out, some of that is paid for by them.” The lawyer wished to contribute financially but remain anonymous. Women here may now have the vote, but Reni knows there are many in Nelson who are still being dictated to by their partners. When you’re told what to do and say, voting at an Right: Innovative Mary Watson with the mobile laundry service she started in 1938

Reni Gargiulo

election is probably low priority. For support and inspiration, irrespective of your circumstance, she says nothing tops connecting with a group of like-minded people. As a woman in business, she has been involved with three different networking groups but has found the one that works best for her. Called Tribe, the Nelson group is made up of women from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences. “It’s ‘fan-tastic’. There’s a real nurturing and a love there ... we get to hear others’ stories and my gosh, I often used to think I work really, really hard but when I listen to these other women, they all do it as well. And they have families and grandchildren and many are running a business at the same time. They absolutely inspire me. I feel spoilt to be part of it.”

Photo: Photo Marlborough Museum

Senior management roles need better balance too. “There’s that debate about quotas on boards. Do they work, do they not work? They’re a pretty harsh measure but in the absence of cultural change in those ratios of women to men then maybe quotas; we must look at that. There are still a lot of pay gap differences that need to be addressed too.” The National Council for Women was set up in 1896, viewing women’s right to vote not as the end goal, but the beginning. The main purpose of the organisation today is as it was then – to strive for a gender-equal New Zealand. Pip notes that on one hand it’s great we have a prime minister who is a mother of a young baby, but on the other, should this be seen as big news in the 21st century? And what does she think Kate Sheppard would make of women’s equality in New Zealand society, 2018? “I think she would be really disappointed. She would acknowledge and celebrate the successes, absolutely, and not dismiss them in any way or undermine them, but there is still a lot of work to do. If anyone is being disadvantaged because of gender, then [she would say] our work is not done.”

Photo: Karaena Vincent

P I P JA M I E S O N

Marlborough’s extraordinary women

“W

hy has a woman no power to vote, no right to vote, when she happens to possess all the requisites which legally qualify a man for that right?” So asked Marlborough woman Mary Ann Müller in 1869, 24 years before New Zealand’s government finally conceded the point. Mary Ann, who used the pseudonym Fémmina for more than three decades to write and fight for voting rights for women, is one of the remarkable people celebrated in the Marlborough Museum exhibition Strong Women Standing Tall, which marks Suffrage 125. The exhibition, on from November 3 until February 1, includes women who signed the suffrage petition in 1893. It also includes others who, despite the odds, “went on to make their way in the world”, says Marlborough Museum archivist Megan Ross, who has loved delving back in time to piece together the lives of women who have “stood tall and been extraordinary”. She knows that at least 204 women from Marlborough signed the New Zealand suffrage petition, although the number might be higher as some pages are missing. When it came to the vote in November 1893, about 1000 local women had enrolled to vote. They were women like Mary Mulvey, who was 71 when she signed the petition, voted into her 90s and lived more than 100 years. “Mrs Mulvey’s big sack apron did everything,” wrote Ivy Godsiff at the time. “She even used to collect wood in it. “As you passed her gate, Mrs Mulvey always hailed you in for a cup of tea. One could not refuse! All visitors would be served a thick slice of bread, handmade butter and cheese – each slice was brought in and handed out from her handy sack apron.”

A professional pioneer

Amy Isabella Johnston did not sign the petition, but certainly stood tall, says Megan. She was one of the few women to become a registered dentist in New Zealand in the 19th century, and in 1898 bought her own practice in Blenheim. Ada McDonald became the first woman councillor in the Blenheim borough in 1919, holding her own in the ‘rough and tumble of local politics’ until 1927, when she was 60 years old, the exhibition explains. In 1930, Pauline Bennett, aged 24, became the first woman with aero club training in New Zealand to gain a commercial pilot’s licence, the exhibition relates. “She often took passengers on sightseeing flights as well as attending air pageants all over the country.” The exhibition has several such firsts, with women breaking down barriers to follow a passion. They include the world’s first state-registered nurse, Ellen Dougherty, and Marlborough’s first woman motorcycle rider, Mary Watson, who set out to ease the 38

Above: Pauline Bennett became the first woman with aero club training in New Zealand to gain a commercial pilot’s licence in 1930.

hardships of rural women in the region. In 1938 she established The Happy Day Washer, with an electric washing machine and iron strapped to the side of her motorbike. Mary rode more than 100km a day for her business, posting parcels to far-flung farms along the way as part of her rural delivery contract. “As a rider of no mean ability it was a matter of course that, during the Second World War, Mrs Watson should become a dispatch rider in the Women’s War Service Auxiliary,” states the exhibitions. “While she regarded motorcycling as the sport of sports, her other pastimes included flying, rowing, fishing and shooting with a .303 rifle. As well she was a very accomplished needleworker.”

Suffrage Events Nelson Trailblazers On now until 25 November, Nelson Provincial Museum. Her Story On now until 31 December, Tasman Library. Display and events celebrating stories of local women settlers. Suffragists at Home On now until April, Broadgreen House. Stitching and styles for a cause. The Life and Work of Elizabeth Lissaman Tuesday 6 November - an evening discussion with Jane Vial and Steve Austin, authors of the new landmark publication Elizabeth Lissaman, New Zealand’s pioneer studio potter. Marlborough District Library Barbara Brookes talk Starts 7 November, Nelson Provincial Museum. Author of A History of NZ Women. Strong Women, Standing Tall Starts 5 November - 1 Feb 2019, Marlborough Museum. Selected stories of Marlborough women.

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Business Mentoring

Modern business mentoring for smart solutions Being in business can be a tough gig, yet there are lots of helping hands out there, if you know who to ask and where to look, writes Sadie Beckman.

hether you’re a newbie or have many years of experience under your belt, the ability to be flexible, adaptable and most of all to continue learning is vital. Often, humans work better with support networks in place and being in business is no different. But as a business owner, where do you turn when you need to talk to someone with an objective opinion, solid advice and the expertise to back it up? This is where business mentoring comes in. Nationally a wide range of organisations exists to support business. Economically-speaking, they could be considered a backbone behind the businesses that keep communities thriving. Nationally, organisations like the volunteer-run Business Mentors NZ provide support and advice to enterprises of different sizes, including small and medium businesses, start-ups and the notfor-profit sector. From helping at the planning and launch phase of a business through to offering networking with others and tips on how to tweak things later down the line, many business owners consider these services invaluable. In the Top of the South, we are lucky to have quality options for business mentoring, and the services on offer are broad, far-reaching and effective. Connecting with a business mentor doesn’t mean you don’t know what you’re doing either. The support of someone with different experience who can cast fresh eyes over a business makes it possible to evaluate and crystallise your goals and direction. After all, most people who get into business do it because they have some kind of vision, and it is undoubtedly a creative process. The day-to-day grind and reality of running the show though can sometimes mean it’s possible to lose sight of the 40

bigger picture. Accountability is important too, and working alongside a mentor or business coach means you keep yourself honest with progress towards goals. A mentor also relieves the potential loneliness of being in business, particularly for self-employed people and sole traders. It can be a relief to have someone else to bounce problems and ideas off, especially if they have the know-how to help you. Business mentors can usually also provide a valuable avenue into a network of business contacts. Communication is key, and connecting up with others is one of the most effective tools a business can have for opportunities, exposure and growth. And when this growth occurs, especially if it is rapid or perhaps unexpected, you might feel like the universe has thrown you a curveball, so having a business mentor to help you catch it is certainly a savvy move.

Nelson Tasman Business Trust

Catching curveballs and being savvy are definitely in the repertoire of the Nelson Tasman Business Trust (NTBT). The trust is an incorporated society originally set up in 1993 through Nelson City Council and community grant schemes, along with commercial sponsors. Manager Sarah Holmes oversees 100 businesses a year being matched with mentors and over 300 receiving free consultations. She says the organisation provides support to anyone starting a business, or already in one, with the ultimate goal of seeing them succeed. It is an independent, nonprofit organisation, to provide free assistance and advice to both start-up and existing businesses in the Nelson and Tasman regions.

“A business owner will have an idea of their issues, such as wanting to grow but being unsure how.”

Photo: Dominique White

With NTBT, an initial consultation is offered and business owners can decide if they would like to progress with mentorship. If they do, they are matched with someone from the organisation’s database who is skilled in the area the business needs, or with whom NTBT thinks the business owner will be able to build a good rapport. “A business owner will have an idea of their issues, such as wanting to grow but being unsure how,” she says. “We meet them, have a talk about the issues and what skills might be needed from a mentor, and also the type of person that would work. They’ve got to get on well.” Business owners are then matched with a mentor, and if the mentor agrees they have the skills to help, they will make contact and from there work out regular meetings. Part of the mentor’s job is to make sure the business owner is aware of and has access to all the resources available to them, such as information around banks, IRD, financial operations and any support that might be on offer to them in their specific circumstances. It costs $225 plus GST for 12 months of mentoring through NTBT which, for many businesses in the Top of the South, seems a pretty worthwhile and affordable investment. There’s no limit on the time frame either, and renewing or reapplying after the year is up is common. One of the main reasons for this is the relationship that has built up between a business and a mentor. “The mentor becomes invested, rapport established and it becomes a good connection,” Sarah says. She explains that all the mentors are volunteers, motivated by the importance of local businesses to the area and its economy as well as by the opportunity to help others. She says using NTBT also adds impartiality. “We always say the value of our mentoring is that people are more likely to get someone that they don’t know,” she says.

Sarah Holmes

Helen Barnett

Mentoring instils confidence

Last year, 104 businesses were matched with mentors through NTBT, and mentors reported back on more than 600 meetings. Many different kinds of businesses and people received mentoring, from the small traders to large businesses, and even those who are selfemployed and work alone. One of these was Complete Kitchens, a locally-owned business specialising in the design, manufacture and installation of custom kitchens and wardrobes. Co-owner Helen Barnett says the business experienced growth and some big financial decision-making was required, which was when the idea of an NTBT mentor was recommended to her. As one of a team of three business partners, Helen mainly looks after finances and marketing, while the other two partners are more hands-on in the manufacturing and installation side of things, so finding a sounding board for decisions in her area of the business was invaluable. “It gave me extra confidence,” she says. “We explained what we wanted from a business mentor and they matched us with someone they thought would be ideal, and it did work really well.” Now in their third year of mentoring with mentor Wayne Jackson, the Complete Kitchens team finds it really helpful to get someone else’s perspective on their business, Helen says. “We needed help with time set aside to do things,” she explains, probably identifying one of the main problems many business owners experience going through periods of growth. “He helped us with what should be done for the business to run successfully, and made sure we had a handle on the finances.” Initially, Helen and her business partners met Wayne every week to establish their relationship and method of working. After that they moved to monthly meetings, and now it is a little less frequently. He continues to assist with any issues the business may have. “He’s non-judgemental and not involved [in the business directly] so sometimes he pulls us all together,” Helen says. “Now the business is more settled after a big growth period.” Helen explains that when you are working hard in a business you are invested fully in, you forget to keep a wider perspective at times. “Sometimes you forget to lift your head up and look at the bigger picture,” she says. “The best thing about mentoring is making sure we stick to goals we’ve set and try not to stray too far away from them. Now we’ve worked out what our sweet spot is.” 41

Photo: Dominique White

SARAH HOLMES

“I’ve seen first-hand the benefits to both clients and the extended Marlborough community of a successful business mentor-client relationship.” B R I A N DAW S O N

Photo: Dominique White

Matching mentors and clients

Caleb Hill

Identifying strengths and weaknesses

Another ‘mentee’ is Caleb Hill of Nelson Shade Solutions – a manufacturer of shade sails, outdoor blinds and awnings. Caleb says connecting with a business mentor was seamless. “We had a plan and a vision but we needed to identify the skills we didn’t have,” he explains. “We’d figured out our weaknesses and needed someone who had the right skillset. [NTBT] did a good job of matching us up and asked us plenty of in-depth questions as part of our consultation.” Caleb also agrees with Helen that having an outsider’s perspective is vital to business success. Nelson Shade Solutions partnered with a mentor for two years, implementing strategies to bolster up any areas of weakness and plug any gaps in the business in terms of plans and goals. Caleb says a positive outcome of the mentoring experience was that he became friends with the mentor, who kept in touch voluntarily to check in from time to time, even after the completion of the agreed mentoring arrangement. “There wasn’t exactly one major highlight that stuck out [about the mentoring], it was more a combination of all the small things,” he says. “It was expertise you could tap into and a really positive result. “If you want to master something, you can read all the books you can find, but I feel the best thing is to talk to people who have experienced it.” He says having a mentor meant he was asked questions and challenged, which made him really think about his business decisions. “I’d always be open to mentoring and one hundred percent recommend it to other businesses,” he says. “You need a goal in place and an open mind.” This is something Sarah Holmes at NTBT agrees with wholeheartedly. She says business success is all about state of mind and that mentoring helps with this. “If the business owner has a good mindset, the business will thrive,” she says. 42

Assisting Marlborough businesses in a similar manner is Business Trust Marlborough. Manager and client advisor Brian Dawson welcomes the opportunity to meet with local business owners and anyone with a business idea they’d like to explore. “An important part of the service we provide is matching businesses with local volunteer business mentors through Business Mentors NZ and supporting both mentors and clients throughout these relationships. “I’ve seen first-hand the benefits to both clients and the extended Marlborough community of a successful business mentor-client relationship.” This service is backed by a diverse range of experienced Marlborough business people, appointed as trustees, who all want to see Marlborough businesses thrive. “We help with all manner of business advice and services including coaching, mentoring, training, resources and networking.” Speaking of mindset, another great way to boost business productivity and networks is through shared problem solving, and this is where <HACKNELSON> comes in. The second annual <HACKNELSON> was held in September and was even more successful than the 2017 inaugural event, due to the organisers’ innovative and progressive approach.

Brian Dawson

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“… it brings together groups of smart and passionate professionals for 48 hours, putting them in teams to share their expertise and solve practical business problems facing the Nelson Tasman region.” HACKNELSON

Participants in <HACKNELSON> 2018

Sharing expertise and practical solutions

Aimed at creatives, business people and developers, the event takes the idea of the traditional conference and throws it out of the window. Instead, it brings together groups of smart and passionate professionals for 48 hours, putting them in teams to share their expertise and solve practical business problems facing the Nelson and Tasman region. What makes the event so successful is how real it is. The problems, or indeed opportunities as they could be seen, actually exist in the local business community. Between five to 10 businesses from the region are given the opportunity to present their cases and problems for some of the best minds, with the best mindsets, to solve them. Solutions are honed during the course of the weekend event, and turned into a competitive pitch; adding yet another level of skill to the mix. Datacom Nelson business manager Matthew Dodd, part of the <HACKNELSON> organising team says the 2018 event was a good step up from last year with more people and businesses involved, greater feedback and a wider range of more senior business people taking part. “We had all sorts from scientists to students,” he adds. One of the key aspects of the weekend is diversity, and to help stimulate this up to a dozen mentors were on hand to help. These ranged from successful business people to entrepreneurs and creative designers; all adding to the mix to generate workable business solutions. 44

“<HACKNELSON> is about understanding business roadblocks and business opportunities, then designing new approaches to exploit those opportunities and leap-frog those roadblocks,” says Matthew. Planning is already underway for the 2019 event, and there is continuing ongoing discussion to ensure many of the solutions reached at the 2018 event are applied and possibly even extended. <HACKNELSON> calls itself a ‘roll-up-the-sleeves’ innovation event. Its focus on practicality ensures top levels of engagement and a wide appeal to those who learn better from a hands-on approach, instead of sitting and listening to lectures or talks. While <HACKNELSON> does have an information technology and software focus, one of the driving philosophies behind it is recognition that the ‘glue’ that holds together the creatives and the developers, both at the event itself and in wider life, is the need or problem of business people. If business didn’t create the need for the development or solution, there would be no need for the services provided by developers and creatives generally. This is, perhaps, where the similarities can be found to business mentoring in general. Participating in a mutual exchange with knowledgeable people and being free to express and learn are vital, not just in business but in life. It is no coincidence that, often, the most successful businesses are those that remember to maintain human connections and ongoing learning – two concepts that are key to business mentoring.

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An SOS from our sea saviours

Coastguard volunteers who come to our aid 24/7 now need our help in return. John Cohen-Du Four outlines the campaign for a bigger and better rescue boat.

young girl plays with her friend in the shallows at Rabbit Island, paddling and messing about in a fun inflatable dinghy. Her mum is watching out for the girls but becomes briefly distracted. When she next checks the dinghy has drifted alarmingly down the beach and is being blown out to sea. The girls, frightened and powerless to do anything, wet and cold in the strengthening wind, watch the shoreline shrinking into the distance. Their guardian is now just a small speck running terrified along the beach. Mark Howard, a Nelson Coastguard volunteer, will never forget that day in January 2016. “We were engaged in another rescue operation at the time off Motueka, towing five people, including children, in a boat that was taking on water. We received an urgent call that two little girls were drifting out of 46

Photo: Cameron Murray

Coastguard - Saving Lives

control out at sea. We had to ensure the occupants of the boat were safe, then leave them to immediately lay course for the bottom end of Rabbit Island.” Luckily, Christchurch man Wattie Mortimer was at Rabbit Island with his wife and two young daughters on the final day of their summer holiday. On a borrowed surfboard he paddled out to them and stayed with them until the Nelson Coastguard arrived. Had he not been there the panicked girls would probably have tried to swim for shore. They wouldn’t have made it. “It took us eight minutes to reach the party,” Mark continues. “All were absolutely exhausted. I’ll never forget how cold and frightened those girls were. It was a stressful day for the entire rescue boat crew – we had to leave a boat with children on board to save other children in even greater danger.”

“That’s what it’s all about, getting people home safe and sound.”

Photo: Nelson Coastguard

PETE KARA

Pete Kara, president of Nelson Coastguard and a volunteer since 2005, recalls Mark sitting on the deck of the rescue vessel comforting the blanket-wrapped girls. “He has children of his own who are the same age,” says Pete. “He wasn’t letting go of them until they were handed over to the next people. That was pretty heart-rending.”

Saviours all volunteers

Most people don’t know this but our local marine saviour, Coastguard Nelson, is a charity – an entirely non-profit organisation. It survives solely by donations from the community it serves. A small team of highly dedicated, professionally trained volunteers from all walks of life keep it going – there are no paid staff. Their driving determination is spelled out in the unit’s simple motto: Saving Lives at Sea. This they do, fronting up 24/7, every single day of the year. And they have many more stories. In April last year two men were out on the water for a day’s fishing. They failed to return and were reported missing by their worried families. The Nelson Coastguard, from their waterfront rescue centre in Port Nelson, immediately began plotting out a search-and-rescue operation, also rallying local surf lifesavers to scour the coastline. Night fell and the situation was dire. Based on a rough idea from a friend of the missing men as to where they might be, two vessels searched with radar and spotlights. The missing boat was finally found at 10pm, north of Nelson in Delaware Bay, drifting overturned in the water. Thankfully, clinging to the hull were the two exhausted men. They’d spent 11 hours in the water. A few nights afterwards one of the men dropped into the rescue centre, Pete Kara recalls. “He simply said, ‘Thanks – thanks again for getting me home to my family.’ And that’s what it’s all about, getting people home safe and sound; home to their loved ones. “It’s also why we critically need a new, better-purposed rescue boat so we can keep on bringing people home from the sea to their families.”

Opposite page: Coastguard Rescue Centre in Port Nelson This page: Left: Coastguard Nelson’s new “game changer” Rescue Vessel; right: Teenager Lilly-Joy Amos learns about volunteering with the Y.E.S. programme.

Rescue vessel stretched

Crucial to such happy outcomes is the Nelson Coastguard’s workhorse, the rescue boat, and it has a vast area to cover, stretching from Stephen’s Island, the most northerly point in the Marlborough Sounds, all the way around Farewell Spit and down the top of the West Coast into Whanganui Inlet. To put that into perspective, Auckland, covering the same area of sea as Coastguard Nelson, has eight different units on the go. With so large a scope of operations, it’s hardly surprising that the stats make for impressive reading. In the past year the Nelson team carried out 58 lifesaving rescues. They spent 335 hours out at sea and assisted 16 vessels with mechanical or fuel problems. In total, 85 boaties were brought home safely. And the local crew are good at what they do, according to the keenest of judges, their peers. At last year’s National Coastguard Awards in Taupo, Nelson won Unit of the Year, Rescue of the Year and Community Relations of the Year. Team members put in a remarkable 1180 hours over the past year training new recruits and upskilling longer-serving volunteers, while contributing 283 hours to boating education and providing safety information. Volunteers also spent a further 160 hours of their time maintaining that precious rescue vessel – and it’s now in serious need of replacement. Coastguard Nelson past-president Wayne Harrison says the boat is nearly 20 years old, “and sadly is becoming increasingly unreliable, requiring a lot of ongoing repair. She can only provide an operational range of 125 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 30 knots, which, given the large area we cover, is inadequate. She cannot go out in very rough weather, which often is when we are most critically needed.” The present craft also lacks warm shelter from the elements for both crew and survivors. It doesn’t have a first-aid booth, and being propeller-driven, it poses a risk to survivors in the water during rescue manoeuvres. 47

“She cannot go out in very rough weather, which often is when we are most critically needed.” WAY N E H A R R I S O N O U T L I N E S T H E C A S E

Photo: Nelson Coastguard

F O R A N EW R E S C U E B OAT

“The new boat we are asking the public and business to help us raise funds for will address all these issues and more,” says Wayne. “But there’s a catch: state-of-the-art vessels carry state-ofthe-art price tags.” The new rescue vessel will cost $1.3 million.

‘Gut-wrenching’ limitations

Pete Kara is quick to point out that $1.3 million is a small price to pay for such a fantastic addition to the region’s search-and-rescue arsenal. He says that with searches lasting 10-12 hours sometimes, having to leave the area to refuel or change crews is ‘gut-wrenching’. “You have to pull away and start again fresh the next day, knowing the likelihood of someone dying is increasing by every passing moment. So having extra range, with additional space for crew warmth and comfort, means the team can be out on the water much longer doing those searches.” It also means those rescued can be fully protected from the weather. “A lot of those we pick up come out of the water with hypothermia,” Pete says. “The last thing they need is to be in an open boat exposed to the ravages of wind as we bring them in. The new vessel will be a real game changer in that respect.” The new boat will be designed by Naiad NZ, market leaders in producing rigid-hull inflatable boats. Capable of standing up to New Zealand’s harshest sea conditions, Naiads are often chosen for police, coastguard and tourism duties. Aimex Service Group will do the build locally in Port Nelson. The 11.3m boat – nearly three metres longer than the present craft – will feature the latest navigation and communication technology, and have a dedicated first-aid medical station. Its operational range is 270 nautical miles at 30 knots. The boat, powered by twin jet drives, will have double the fuel tank capacity of the current vessel, allowing it to stay at sea much longer. Lack of propellers minimises the risk of injury to people in the water. The new vessel will also have a greater towing capacity.

A dedication to training

A well-equipped boat is only half the story. Coastguard Nelson’s volunteers ensure they are just as up-to-date when it comes to their on-water skills and first-aid training. Throughout the year they participate in a wide array of courses and certifications. Long-serving volunteer Rosie Musters has been the Regional Coastguard Training Instructor for the past four years. She spends many hours per week planning and delivering training sessions. “It’s so heart-warming seeing our experienced crews giving so freely of their time to help train new recruits,” she says. “When our pagers go off, our volunteers respond without hesitation and immediately head out to sea. Whether it’s a rescue on a stormy night or towing home a vessel that’s run out of fuel, they leave shore to ensure others make it back.” Apart from training its own, Coastguard Nelson is able to connect the public with a wide range of Coastguard New Zealand’s boating education courses. Most popular is the Day Skipper Course, which applies to a wide range of vessels, including yachts, launches, powerboats, jet skis, sea kayaks and even waka. It covers boat 48

handling, safety equipment, navigation, tides, weather, rules and regulations, and knots. One particular offering that’s been created in-house by Coastguard Nelson and is often over-subscribed is entitled Suddenly in Charge. It targets the wives and partners of boating blokes, showing them what to do should their other half suddenly become incapacitated out at sea. The unit also takes part in the Youth in Emergency Services (Y.E.S.) programme run by Volunteer Nelson. This gives 16- to 19-year-olds experience serving in local voluntary emergency services. Last year 16 youngsters were split into three groups, one on the rescue vessel, one on radios in the operations centre and one learning plotting and navigation in the training room. The groups rotated to give everyone a taste of each activity. Coastguard Nelson also conducts summer boat ramp surveys to collect data for Maritime NZ, plus runs an Old4New lifejacket upgrade programme.

A growing demand

The demands on Coastguard Nelson increase every year, says Wayne Harrison. “There are more people than ever in and on the water. We’re on call for them all – everyone from swimmers and kayakers to commercial fishing boats.” He underlines the crucial importance of public support in keeping Coastguard Nelson afloat. “We recognise only too well that our operation wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of local people and businesses. “As volunteers we can only do so much – we simply cannot run a fully fledged rescue service, fund its vessel, the clothing, the rescue gear, the specialised training, all that we offer the people in our region, without the community backing us. It’s brilliant, the assistance we receive. “But now, especially with summer coming on, we’re asking everyone throughout Nelson-Tasman to please, please, dig even deeper and respond to our funding campaign, Saving Lives at Sea,” he says. “This new rescue vessel will give us a totally on-point solution to the ever-increasing activity in our region’s beautiful waters. It will ceaselessly serve our volunteers and community for the next 20-plus years.” Wayne adds: “You know, it’s not all doom and gloom. We have a lot of laughs, like the time we raced out in response to a report of someone out at sea desperately waving their hands. Turned out they were fins – we’d been called out to rescue a seal.” Do your bit and help launch Coastguard Nelson’s all new replacement rescue vessel, visit: www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/ replacement-rescue-vessel-campaign. www.coastguardnelson.org.nz

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B Y M A I K E VA N D E R H E I D E

n elderly man lay on the floor of his house in the outer Marlborough Sounds. Unable to move after suffering a medical event, he’d been there for two or three days until eventually a neighbour found him. That evening in Picton, the man’s only hope of survival, New Zealand’s only marine ambulance, Coastguard Marlborough’s Bluebridge Rescue with St John personnel on board, was deployed into Queen Charlotte Sound. Bad weather had grounded the rescue helicopter. Capable of travelling at a maximum speed exceeding 50 knots, the custom-designed Naiad craft made short work of the journey to the wharf near the man’s house. The boat was tossed around in heavy seas as it nudged up to the wharf. The crew grabbed their medical gear and stretcher to lug it up what was barely a track on a steep, slick bush-clad hill. Another hour and the patient was secured on the stretcher and carried back down. He was taken to Wairau Hospital and had emergency surgery early the next morning. “Not every rescue is a life or death situation – but this one was,” recalls Dave St John, Coastguard Marlborough vice president and St John volunteer ambulance officer. A satisfying rescue for the crew, it was also one for which they were awarded Rescue of the Year 2017 by Coastguard Central Region. Other awards include Unit of the Year 2017 and the Community Relations Activity of the Year for raising coastguard awareness and supporting the local community through safe boating education workshops. This year, Dave was presented with a gold New Zealand Search and Rescue Award. But, Dave and Coastguard Marlborough president Jan Bisman, hasten to add, awards are not why they volunteer – it’s just the ‘icing on the cake’. They prefer to look at it a different way: In just a year after launching the Bluebridge Rescue in April 2016, “we returned 100 people safely back to their families,” says Jan. It’s a list that continues to grow.

Supportive volunteers

Dave and Jan are two of about 30 Coastguard Marlborough volunteers, of which 20 are active responding crew and 10 have supporting roles. Of those, about six are involved with both ambulance and coastguard. Based at the Picton Emergency Operations Centre, shared by coastguard and St John and the only facility of its kind in New Zealand, they cover the area from D’Urville Island to Clarence and the Marlborough half of Cook Strait – that’s 1600km of coastline, comprising 20 percent of New Zealand’s total coastline. 50

Photo: Marlborough Coastguard

Coastguard Marlborough there when needed

Most of their annual 70 to 80 callouts are in Queen Charlotte Sound, which has 600 homes and holiday homes. Most rescues happen in summer, when Marlborough swells with visitors. In winter call numbers drop, but not completely because unlike other coastguards, Marlborough’s calls are 80 percent medical evacuations. For Sounds residents, the coastguard is sometimes their only emergency lifeline. All that with 30 members; it’s enough to operate with, but it’s never enough. The coastguard has hugely experienced members, but experience comes with age and ‘fresh blood’ is always needed, which is challenging in a town of 4000 people, says Jan. “We struggle with succession. I’m a prime example, too many of our members are in my age group,” says Jan, of late 1940s vintage. “You do the maths.” Like Nelson, Coastguard Marlborough runs a Youth in Emergency Services (Y.E.S.) programme, safe boating programmes and, using its support vessel, has a high public presence at boat races, public events and the police Cactus youth programme. It all takes volunteer hours but Dave and Jan say in return, community support is immense. Generous donations means the service reaches its $60,000 annual operating costs and most recently, private donations provided for a new ute that can tow their smaller vessel to Kenepuru Sound. In 2010, the $1.4 million Picton Emergency Operations Centre opened after a massive 10-year fundraising effort. The $1.2 million Bluebridge Rescue, which replaced the 24-year-old Interislander Rescue, took five years of fundraising. The new marine ambulance, and the state-of-the-art navigational technology onboard, is faster, safer and has a far greater potential to save lives, and property, says Dave. Custom-designed by Naiad in Picton and built by Blenheim’s Cuddons Engineering, every small detail is a tribute to the experience and knowledge of those who use it. Speed is of the essence and the boat’s design is similar to chaser boats used at the America’s Cup, the automatic identification system (AIS) means plotting a route takes seconds, not precious minutes. The radar, which on the old boat lagged 50-100 metres behind its actual position, is accurate even at 50 knots. Already, this speed, and the boat’s high sides which can hold firefighters’ gear without spending time lashing it down, has helped save two burning houses in Queen Charlotte Sound. Not every job has such a great outcome. Like all emergency volunteers, Dave and Jan have faced searches that ended in tragedy and situations they simply don’t want to talk about. To cope, the crew takes great care to support and mentor all members.

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A bouquet to flowers Sonya Leusink Sladen hails the signature of spring.

pring and early summer always say ‘flowers’, and even though the spring theme of floral is a terrible cliché, I’m repeatedly drawn to it. As the weather warms and buds burst into colour, it seems a natural response to embrace colour and floral themes in how we dress. It’s timeless and classic, a fashion perennial, but it needn’t be predictable or safe. Here are some tips for embracing florals this spring.

Print on print: Mix your floral prints up a bit. Don’t be afraid to wear your floralprint blouse or dress with a different print accompaniment. Perhaps tartan or tweed, spots or stripes? Or even two different floral prints? The general rule-of-thumb when doing this is to ensure that at least two of the colours from within each print match. That way you’ll get coherence between the contrasting patterns.

Floral silk scarves: The humble silk scarf is a style constant, though few of us really embrace its potential. Why not pull out your scarf collection and have a play with how they can be added to your outfits for impact or effect. If you want to go Parisian, wear one at the neck with a striped or spotted top; with a patterned blouse or summer dress. But if wearing them around your neck or head feels too contrived, try one around your wrist like a cuff or tied to your handbag for decoration.

Consider the real thing: In days gone by real flowers were used as accessories, on hats, as brooches, in the hair or on the wrist. Today, we only wear flowers to occasions of the highest formality, such as being in a wedding party or as a ballgown corsage. Recently I made a bold move and wore a small real-flower corsage on my blazer lapel, attached with a vintage pearl and silver brooch. It drew multiple comments and compliments, and I asked myself, why do we not use real flowers more often? Perhaps a miniature rose on a jacket lapel? A twist of spring blooms on a 60

“After women, flowers are the most lovely thing God has given the world.” CHRISTIAN DIOR

sunhat, or discreetly pinned in your hair?

Layer your florals on the cooler days: It’s not always as hot as the sunshine would suggest during early spring. Indeed, the odd cool day reminds us we’re still in transition. Don’t let it stop you from wearing summer frocks or separates. Experiment with layers, under or over, using classic layering pieces like a fitted white T-shirt or a lightweight polo-neck jersey. Choose neutral or complementary colours that do not distract from the floral print.

Floral earrings: Statement earrings are the summer accessory trend of the moment. The bigger the better, and you’ll be spoilt for choice with bright, bold and adventurous

earrings. Pair oversized florally inspired earrings with plain, corporate separates, or wear big flowers in your ears to liven up an understated evening outfit. Throw on some bright-coloured pink or peach lippy and you’ll be good to go.

Invest in a floral dress: I’m not really into ‘must haves’, but to women who ask, I recommend looking for a perfect floral summer dress. It must be one tuned in to her, her lifestyle, individuality, personal style and body shape. The right one will make her feel like a million bucks. It will take her to a wedding or two, any number of family occasions, day-time dates with boyfriends, casual Fridays at work with trainers and a blazer, and to the market with a sunhat for early Christmas gift-shopping.

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“We love the view over the ever-changing tidal estuary and the snow-capped Mt Arthur range.” PAU L Z E A L A N D

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“We tried to take inspiration from the surroundings,” says Jane. “The focus was on shades of greys/blues of the sky and sea ‑ for example the swirling on the bathroom tiles is like the mud in the estuary.” One aspect of the house the Zealands particularly like is a cosy lounge with a gas fire for winter evenings where the curtains echo native vegetation. “Our architect was great to work with,” says Paul. “He came up with some clever ideas to enable us to close off the guest bedrooms and make the everyday areas of the house compact and easy to live in. The modern three dimensional tools were a great help in the process and let us visualise all aspects of the design with many tweaks to sizes and layout before we approved it.” Building a house was a new experience for the couple but Paul, being an engineer, loved it.

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INTERIOR

Pink is the new black BY REBECCA Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;FEE

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MY GARDEN

Peonies from heaven The spectacular blooms are a year-round commitment, Brenda Webb learns. P HO T O G R A P H Y JAC Q U I L E S L I E

ew things put a smile on Blenheim peony grower Jacqui Leslie’s face like clutching a big bunch of the extravagant, billowing blooms. She and husband Karl have been growing the beauties for 19 years, selling primarily to the Auckland auction market, with a sideline for locals at their Burleigh roadside stall. Jacqui’s venture into peonies was a way of becoming selfemployed, chosen because she enjoys being outside. She is also a sought-after marriage celebrant, and avoids taking any bookings for weddings during peak picking time of October and November. Jacqui and Karl started with about 3000 plants, which expanded to 7000, give or take a hundred or so. “It’s a lot of blooms and a lot of work and it goes on year-round … there is always something to do,” she says. Much of the work stems from the fact that Aysgarth Peonies aren’t sprayed 70

with pesticides and fungicides. For that reason they cannot be exported because to do so requires a strict spraying regime. “I just don’t like those sprays,” Jacqui says. Herbicide is used sparingly as she does a lot of weeding by hand. Right now, with the peony season in full swing, Jacqui is in her patch all day and every day – often up before dawn and working round-the-clock picking, grading, chilling and packing blooms. They are sent in refrigerated trucks to the Auckland market every second day. In the weeks before picking Jacqui de-buds to make sure only one flower blooms per selected stem. Picking requires precision as stems have to be cut at the right height (a 60cm stem length is preferred) and the right time, which means knowing when each variety is at its picking peak. Peonies love heat and on sunny days Jacqui swears she can see them growing, but at the same time a cool day will slow them right down.

Never short of work While the peony flowering season is short, the work isn’t. After a brief respite Jacqui returns to her patch, cutting back any remaining blooms and continuing the hand-weeding, mowing and mulching. In winter older plants are

“I just don’t like those sprays.” JA C Q U I L E S L I E

dug up and divided if they are still useful or discarded if they are past their peak. Jacqui’s advice to home growers is to make sure peonies are planted in full sun with space and plenty of airflow. “Don’t plant them under a tree or beside a house. They need plenty of air circulation and they need winter chill – the frost sets the flowers for next season. They don’t like competition and like a soil around 6.2 or 6.5ph. “When picked, change the water every day and keep them in a cool place. If you go out to work put them in the bathroom. If they sit in the sun they will explode.” As for her favourite type and colour, the former photographer has an artist’s eye and fills her house with carefully arranged blooms during the season, but is reluctant to name a winner. “It depends … whichever one I happen to be picking,” she laughs. Above: Clockwise: Peonies are picked while in bud, before they burst into beautiful life; Jacqui Leslie with a bunch of just opened peonies; Discarded buds – picking commercially means you have to be select.

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WELLBEING

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our overall health is greatly influenced by what you do most of the time. Given that many of us spend a substantial part of our lives in our place of work, taking a wholesome lunch with you can serve your health immensely. The food you prepare and take with you to work (or buy during your working day) provides much-needed nutrients for your body between breakfast and dinner, and powers not only your brain but your muscles and vital organs. A wholesome lunch should contain a variety of nutrients to provide long-lasting energy, so aim to include the following foods:

Vegetables and/or salad. These foods are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are highly protective of our bodies and immunity. They also provide valuable water and fibre for a healthy digestive system. Aim to eat a variety of colours across the week as each provides a different package of nutrients to the body.

A wholesome lunch should contain a variety of nutrients to provide long-lasting energy ... Leftover Buddha Bowl: Leftover

Fruit. A highly nutritious addition to

Carbohydrate foods. These are our

a workplace lunch/snack box, and like vegetables, fruit is high in fibre, water, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Follow the seasons and your body will be blessed with a varied intake of colourful and nutrient-dense fruit. Because it is naturally sweet, a serve of fruit can be a useful way to end lunch or a convenient snack midafternoon if your energy levels are fading.

energy sources and provide glucose to fuel our brain. They also provide crucial glycogen for our muscles for any activity we do throughout the day and before or after work. As we are all different, the amount of carbohydrate foods enjoyed by individuals can vary so find a balance that works for you and your body. Nutritious food sources include brown rice, quinoa, legumes, sourdough and wholegrain breads as well as starchy vegetables like potato, kumara and pumpkin.

cooked brown rice served with canned tuna, a handful of spinach, sliced cucumber, grated carrot, a dollop of hummus and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Snacks: One banana. A handful of walnuts and a bliss ball.

Nutritious fats. Wholesome sources

Roast Vegetable and Chickpea Salad: Leftover roasted vegetables such

Protein foods. These provide muchneeded amino acids for muscle health as well as being highly satiating â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which means they fill you up and keep you going. Protein-rich foods such as red meat, oysters and mussels also provide a valuable source of iron and zinc for immune support and optimal energy levels. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to have a highly functioning brain without obtaining enough iron. Other protein-rich foods include chicken, pork, fish, salmon, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds. 72

include foods like nuts, seeds, nut butters, oily fish, avocado, olive oil, pesto and hummus. Fat from these foods provides anti-inflammatory compounds as well as supporting our brain and heart health. Here are a few workplace lunch ideas that provide a range of nutrients. Just pack into a container and go.

Greens on Toast: Two slices of toasted sourdough topped with avocado, spinach and two boiled eggs. Snacks: Carrot sticks and hummus. Greek yoghurt mixed with fresh or frozen berries and pumpkin seeds.

as kumara and pumpkin mixed with spinach, cherry tomatoes, peppers, feta, walnuts and chickpeas. Snacks: Wholegrain crackers with pesto and cheese. Two kiwifruit. www.hopenutrition.co.nz

DINE OUT

RIVER KITCHEN

T.O.A.D HALL STORE & CAFÉ

MELROSE HOUSE CAFÉ

ituated in Nelson city centre but away from the hustle and bustle, on the banks of the Maitai River. Relax on the terrace or find a cosy seat inside. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and freshly baked treats with local wines, beers and locally roasted Sublime coffee. Fully licenced and available for events and functions.

here the food is genuinely paddock to plate. Fresh literally means picked this morning by their gardeners and chefs. Keep an eye out for seasonal menu specials and chef-inspired cabinet delights. Open every day for breakfast and lunch treats, great coffee and craft beers and ciders from the on-site Townshend brewery. Contact them for weddings, private parties and function details.

ituated in Nelson’s grandest historic home lies Melrose House Café. Boasting elegant yet uncomplicated cuisine the café caters to those with a notion for all things good in life. Open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and famous ‘High Tea’. A visit to Nelson’s enchanting Melrose House Café is a must!

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

502 High Street, Motueka 03 528 6456 toadhallmotueka.co.nz

Cnr of Brougham Street & Trafalgar Street, Nelson 03 548 9179 melrosecafe.co.nz

HARBOUR LIGHT BISTRO

CHOKDEE

CBD CAFÉ

arbour Light Bistro is a locally owned Nelson restaurant based on Wakefield Quay, one of Nelson’s beautiful waterfronts. Harbour Light offers a selection of locally and internationally inspired dishes. All dishes are freshly made using locally sourced produce where possible, with seasonal menu changes. Local and internationally sourced wines to complement the menu.

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

341 Wakefield Quay, Nelson 03 546 6685 harbourlightbistro.co.nz

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

The Forum, Queen Street Blenheim 03 577 7300

ituated in the heart of Blenheim, we are open every day for breakfast and lunch. We have a delicious range of chef-inspired cabinet food, breakfast and lunch menus. Homemade pies, and sweet treats and salads. Delicious coffee. Recent winners of the Best Café 2018 - Marlborough.

Plenty to celebrate as Nelson Forests ownership changes B Y J A C Q U I E WA LT E R S , J O H N C O H E N - D U F O U R A N D S A N D R I N E M A R R A S S É | P H O T O S B Y T I M C U F F A N D K A R A E N A V I N C E N T

elson Management Ltd (NML), the management company for Nelson Forests, has much to celebrate. Nelson Forests was recently acquired by Australian forest and timber processing company OneFortyOne (OFO) in a move that delighted NML’s management and the new owner alike and is already set to provide strong benefits to the Nelson Tasman and Marlborough communities. “It’s not a marriage but it feels like a match made in heaven,” says Lees Seymour, Managing Director of NML. “OFO understand our business and our culture and values are very alike.” Above: Linda Sewell, CEO of OneFortyOne and Lees Seymour, Managing Director of Nelson Management Ltd 74

Chair of the OFO Board of Directors John Gilleland was in Nelson and Blenheim in September to celebrate the purchase settlement with NML staff and community representatives. “We want to be part of the local community,” says Gilleland. “It’s a wonderful forest and a wonderful mill. The trees will grow but everything else that happens is about the people. These are people who are leading the industry in terms of health and safety and innovation. OFO’s leadership team are innovators as well and they believe in this industry. Our investors believe in the asset and the community and their focus is on people and their governance will be in support of this business and of Lees as Managing Director.” While OFO is an Australian company, its CEO Linda Sewell is a

New Zealander with extensive senior management experience in the forestry industry, both here and in Australia. Sewell says she quickly recognised that Nelson Forests coming up for sale was a compelling opportunity for her fast-growing company. “This asset came at the right time for us and we were perceptive enough to recognise it and young enough to be entrepreneurial enough to seize the opportunity.”

“We didn’t buy a business to fix, we bought a business to nurture and grow.” L I N DA S EW E L L , C E O O F O N E F O RT YO N E

WT + NML

Sewell maintains that the worst thing a new owner can do is to interfere with a company that’s already well managed and highly regarded. “The Nelson Forests brand is very strong here. We didn’t buy a business to fix, we bought a business to nurture and grow. So you won’t see much change on a day-to-day basis.” To mark the milestone of the purchase settlement in early September, NML announced two significant initiatives that are set to have a positive impact in Marlborough and Nelson Tasman. The first is a $500,000 research fund, with $100,000 allocated per year for five years. Research will focus on the issue of sedimentation. “We appreciate companies that want to invest in our district,” said Mayor of Blenheim John Leggett at the Blenheim event. “I understand the acquisition is OFO’s first outside Australia — we will certainly take that message out to the community. Timber and logging is a very, very important part of our local economy. As a council we’re very committed to working together to find best answers in terms of the environment. We pride ourselves on working constructively with this sector.” “We realise that there is a high level of interest in forestry’s role in sedimentation and that our community is looking to us to proactively address this issue,” says

Lees Seymour. “Research is crucial and will help us prevent, manage, and mitigate sedimentation. We need to be talking with our communities about how we build resilience to protect people’s structures and properties.”

Sedimentation research Estate Value Manager for NML, Andrew Karalus, says that initial sedimentation research projects supported by the fund will be in collaboration with Dr Joanne Clapcott and Mark Newton from Cawthron Institute and Dr Les Basher from Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. “Joanne is helping us design a monitoring strategy. We already do a lot of monitoring so Joanne’s research will be about ensuring we have information across the estate spatially and that the monitoring actually measures the condition of the values we want to protect and the effects we are having. Importantly, an additional part of her research will look at a long-term, ‘paired’ catchment monitoring strategy to see how effective our best practices are compared to not using them. This research will be conducted in Nelson and completed in adjoining catchments where soils and weather and topography are very similar so the results can be better

Above: Lees Seymour, Managing Director of Nelson Management Ltd, Linda Sewell, CEO of OneFortyOne, and Chair of the Board for OneFortyOne, John Gilleland

attributed to the “method” or practices we employ. Over the next five years we will bring in new skills to review engineering structures for downstream protection and also review our best practice. “Mark will help us work in communities to work out how we can minimise damage to downstream values, some of the work will be on our land and some will be downstream in other people’s land. Les’ initial work for us will identify relative risk both in terms of site potential or susceptibility for landslides and debris flow deposition zones, in other words, areas where land will fail and where the sediment and slash may end up.” “It is debris flows that typically cause all the damage that makes the news,” says

“We appreciate companies that want to invest in our district.” M AYO R O F B L E N H E I M , JOHN LEGG ETT

WT + NML

“This opportunity from Nelson Forests is a great boost.” JA M E S RYA N , A S S I S TA N T P R I N C I PA L , MARLBOROUG H B OY S ’ C O L L E G E

Dr Basher, “as they bring down not only the sediment, but also wood and logs. The risk analysis really starts with understanding the susceptibility to landslides, then bringing in the frequency of events that cause the erosion to occur, and then assessing the consequences. “We’ve just had the national environmental standard for plantation forestry come into effect on the first of May. There’s an erosion susceptibility classification (ESC) as part of that but it’s pretty broad brush – it’s a national classification based on the best approach we could take at the time, but it’s quite limited at operational scale for the forestry companies. What we’re trying to do here is much more quantitative so it’s driven by data, and effectively what Nelson Forests are doing is a much more detailed analysis of erosion susceptibility than what the national standard provides for. “We’ll collect information where landslides have occurred both historically

and recently. NML also recently acquired LiDAR (a surveying method that uses laser pulsing) for its whole forest estate which gives it a very detailed representation of the ground surface including a lot of the old erosion that’s occurred. Once we’ve done the mapping of the erosion we’ll then relate the occurrence of erosion to the factors that drive it like slope, shape of the land, and the underlying geology and soils. “NML is one of the few companies that’s starting to go down that route now but a lot of the forestry companies are going to have to probably. What we’re doing is something much more modern and more fit-for-purpose at operational scale than is available at national scale in the ESC.”

Apprenticeship programme NML has also announced a new school leaver programme that will provide trade apprenticeships at its Kaituna Sawmill near Blenheim. Starting from next year, NML expects to offer up to four trade apprenticeships at one time at Kaituna Sawmill in a diverse range of vocations including fitter turner, electrician, saw doctor, timber processor, boiler operator, PLC (electronic automation) engineer, and timber machinist. “We hope that this will provide a big step up for those school leavers keen to take up employment within the forest and

wood products industry,” says Kaituna Sawmill General Manager Tracy Goss. “This allows students to go into training straight away,” says James Ryan, Marlborough Boys’ College Assistant Principal, “enabling them to be brought into the workforce not as unskilled starters. They’ll have a lot of practical skills, theory, and knowledge they wouldn’t get any other way.” Ryan notes that although Blenheim is a bustling township, and only twenty minutes’ flight from Wellington, it is still a rural community amongst farms and vineyards. “So our students tend to focus more on practical based jobs,” he says. “Fewer will leave town to go to university – eighteen percent as opposed to the national average of thirty-six. Our region’s low unemployment rate has a lot to do with this.” Ryan says between ten and fifteen percent of Marlborough Boys’ College graduates move into forestry and forestryaligned jobs. “Forestry is a real growth industry in Marlborough. It’s always been here and there’s always a need for more people working in it. The increases in plantings has seen an equivalent increased need for keen, capable, effective labour. “We regularly have some fifty to sixty students in our high school forestry programmes, gaining on-the-job experience while still at school.” The new three-year apprenticeships

Tracy Goss

Kaituna Sawmill has a new General Manager. Feilding born Tracy Goss made the move back home from the USA, after realising, like so many expat families where one of the spouses is a New Zealander, that they wanted their children to grow up in New Zealand, in a beautiful part of the rural countryside where they’d enjoy the benefits of New Zealand schooling. With a number of months leading the Kaituna operation now under his belt, Tracy is delighted with where he and his family have landed. “Truthfully, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with,” he says. “They’re highly intelligent and keen to get on with it. My views and my particular take on things are really listened to. I’m working with a fantastic team.”

“It’s a wonderful forest and a wonderful mill. The trees will grow but everything else that happens is about the people.” JOHN GILLELAND, CHAIR OF ONEFORTYONE BOARD

will offer practical training during the days, alongside theoretical learning in the evenings. “Education is what underlies it,” Ryan says. “Once they’ve come to grips with the theory, the on-the-job work reinforces the learning, making it all much more concrete. “Our leavers can currently join a silvicultural crew and work their way up through the industry,” he says. “But these new apprenticeships allow them to move up through the ranks much faster. As long as they have Level 2 NCEA, and are seventeen or eighteen years of age, they can consider the apprenticeship option.” Ryan points out another plus with the apprenticeship scheme – it means there’s no gap between high school and further training. He believes that there’s less risk of distraction or loss of motivation when students make a seamless transition into workplace and training. Ryan’s view is that next year will serve as the establishment phase for the apprenticeship scheme but that

momentum will soon gather. “Soon enough word will get around that this is an exciting new opportunity for the kids,” he says. “It’s very much part of the industry upskilling its workers, investing in its growth, and ensuring future safety. This opportunity from NML is a great boost.” Mary-Jeanne Lynch, Principal/ Tumuaki of Marlborough Girls’ College agrees. “This is a great opportunity for our school leavers to continue their learning in the workplace and be mentored and supported through their transition from school to work,” says Lynch. “It also provides the opportunity for students to have long-term careers in our local community. “There are many different capabilities that girls can bring to the forestry industry. Our students have incredibly good skills in working with people, solving problems, leading teams … these are the skills that any employer, including the forestry industry, value and will support a young person to develop through their career pathway.” Lynch says that Marlborough Girls College students are exploring a wide range of opportunities for when they leave school. “Traditionally we have had about 30 percent of our students head to University study, this is above the national average. The greater proportion of students move into other tertiary study and employment in local industries. “Currently we are working with a number of local organisations to support our students to understand the wide range of workplace training and career opportunities in Marlborough.” Students from the college are involved in trades-based learning at school and Lynch says that this leads on to apprenticeships in a variety of sectors including hairdressing, tourism, the equestrian industry and hospitality. “We are working to ensure that girls understand there are really great work and career opportunities in areas that girls have not traditionally pursued. This includes the forestry industry.”

Above: Mary-Jeanne Lynch, Principal, Marlborough Girls’ College Below: James Ryan, Marlborough Boys’ College Assistant Principal

She adds that students meeting people from a particular industry, including women who work in that industry, and being shown their workplace and having different types of training and potential career pathways are important ways of changing the perception that an industry such as forestry and timber processing might not be for them. “This kind of mentoring is really effective in removing barriers for young women, especially in non-traditional careers such as forestry. We are also very keen to show our students that the forestry industry needs a wide range of skills and capabilities in their workforce, including project management, media and marketing, workforce management, and human resources.”

Contact nelsonforests.co.nz

MY KITCHEN

Edamame & avo smash with smoked salmon As the weather becomes warmer and summer starts to feel like it is finally here, there is nothing better than sitting outside in the morning sunshine on a Sunday with a fresh and healthy breakfast to keep you going for the rest of the day. This edamame smash offers so much versatility – delicious in a good ol’ sammy or with crackers as a dip. BY MADAME LU’S

Edamame Smash | Serves two with enough smash leftover to use as a dip Ingredients 1 avocado, ripe, roughly chopped 1 1/2 cups of shelled and cooked edamame beans 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed Zest and juice of a large lemon Salt and pepper to taste Half bunch of coriander, finely chopped 3 tbsp olive oil To Serve Toasted ciabatta bread, 4 slices Smoked salmon 4 eggs Micro sprouts Method:

1. In a high-speed blender, puree

the avocado, edamame beans, garlic, lemon juice and zest, coriander, olive oil and salt and pepper and blitz until well combined. It is nice to leave it a

little chunky for texture. Set aside.

2. To poach the eggs, fill a wide pan to

halfway with salted boiling water and bring to a light simmer. Crack one egg at a time into a small cup and gently pour into the pan of water in one, smooth movement. Repeat with remaining eggs. Cook for 2-4 minutes depending on how soft or firm you like your eggs.

3. Transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon and pat dry.

4. To serve, place a good dollop of the

smash onto each piece of ciabatta, place a handful of hot or cold smoked salmon on top, followed by a poached egg, a good crack of pepper, sprinkle of salt and some lovely micro herbs for the garnish. Repeat with remaining slices of bread. madamelus.co.nz

DINE OUT

Blessings in the Chapel BY HUGO SAMPSON

Favourites and treats For now, the menu is a simple mix of sandwiches, rolls, salads and hot savouries, plus locally made cakes and sweet treats such as lamingtons and lemon curd tart, various gluten-free options, and some tasty classic breakfast and lunch favourites. My friend chose grilled field mushrooms on dark German rye – a generous portion with a combination of Portobello and button mushrooms, some with a tasty nut stuffing.

Photo: Dominique White

tarting out life as a seafarers’ mission, Chapel Café has breathed new life into a bijoux building that dates back to Nelson’s early 1800s. After a long-term renovation project driven by Nelson photographer Jose Cano, the reins have been handed over to new owner Emily Balaam, whose family has a background as restaurateurs. This pretty building has undergone an extensive two-year refurbishment, which is evident in the detail and feel as you walk through the doors. This has been a labour of love, with newly reproduced wroughtiron gates, beautifully polished floors and pretty leadlight windows throughout, along with some fascinating photographs of the building’s history that are worth looking at between your main and dessert. Head chef Karl Marshall has plenty of ideas afoot, including private functions and catering to tourists exploring the area and passing motorists and bike riders. Good to note, by the way, is the ample offstreet parking available on busy Haven Rd, and an outdoor dining space for lapping up the Nelson sunshine.

… this part of town now provides a pretty lunch, morning and afternoon tea hub. Being by the wharf, I chose the fishand-chips with fresh fish of the day, which was served pan-fried (not battered, I’m happy to say) with fresh parsley, crispy shoestring fries, and a fresh salad. The coffee was excellent. They have chosen to support their Nelson neighbour Sublime, just along the road. And with Devonshire teas on offer, there are plenty of interesting teas to choose from. Our friendly and helpful waitress, who turned out to be the owner, was especially attentive, making sure there were no dietary or food allergy concerns. It’s early days for Chapel Café. A

pending liquor licence should ensure evening dining by the time you read this. Meanwhile, this part of town now provides a pretty lunch, morning and afternoon tea hub.

Chapel Café 235 Haven Rd, Stepneyville, Nelson. Ph: 03 539 4882. Open: Seven days a week 8am-4pm, breakfast and lunch. Open for dinner from early November. Cost: $45 for two mains and two coffees.

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

New Shop Products Feta-filled peppadews, blue-steel frying pans, Greek retsina, ouzo, spicy dolmades, tzatziki, Green Collective re-useable bags and more ...

Prego banner – locked spot Nelson's Mediterranean Pantry In the giant seal & squid building, Buxton Square, Nelson

WINE

Organic feast for the senses BY SOPHIE PREECE

hey say the proof is in the pudding, and I was certainly compelled by a strawberry sorbet with The Darling’s moscato-inspired sauvignon blanc. That was the fifth course in the recent organic winemaker dinner held at Marlborough’s Arbour Restaurant, as part of an Organic Wine Week packed with celebrations. Stephanie McIntyre, of Organic Winegrowers New Zealand (OWNZ), says the week, featuring restaurant and retail events throughout the country and abroad, was about opening eyes and palates to the huge range of organic wines made by some of New Zealand’s top producers. “We wanted to create a week that was approachable and fun and diverse in its style and offering, to draw consumers in for a wonderful experience,” she says. Stephanie loved watching people realise, in the midst of it all, that their favourite wine is actually organic. “In many cases it was not about introducing them to new wines but revealing the natural story behind the wines they already love.” The list of New Zealand’s organic winemakers is certainly something of a who’s who of premium wines – names like Greenhough, Churton, Neudorf, Dog Point, Clos Henri, Huia, Rockferry and Fromm. Some 65 companies produce organic wines that many of us already delight in, without perhaps knowing they’re grown chemical-free. Above: Left: Bio-Dynamic cow horns at TOSQ Vineyard Right: Te Whare Ra Syrah grapes 80

“Great wine speaks of its place, and organics is about taking that to the next level because you do nothing to your land that covers up its personality.” STEPHANIE MCINTYRE

Many of those companies are driven by environmental considerations, but all of them are motivated by the desire to make “amazing wine”, Stephanie says. “Great wine speaks of its place, and organics is about taking that to the next level because you do nothing to your land that covers up its personality.” Wine is about pleasure, she adds. “It’s not something you have to have, or need to have. It’s something you want to have, so why not have one that is really fantastic.”

Wine and dine nationwide As well as the Arbour dinners – entitled Tall Tales, Empty Bottles – Organic Wine Week included events at The Grove in Auckland, Shepherd in Wellington, Gatherings in Canterbury and Sherwood in Queenstown, with each taking a different approach to the wines and food, from a casual barbecue to oysters prepared a dozen ways, to a formal winemakers’ dinner. Organic winemakers also worked with Commonsense, Huckleberry’s and Glengarry to give consumers a taste of what organic winemaking is all about, while Master of Wine Stephen Wong and organic winemaker Clive Dougall did tastings through education hub Wine Sentience. Organic Wine Week will be held annually and globally from September 17 to 23, to encompass the spring equinox.

Australian, American and Asian supporters are already on board for next year’s event, says Stephanie. “There’s a growing appetite for organics here and around the world, with people a little more mindful of what they consume and the impact it has on the environment. That makes it a great time to reveal the stories of New Zealand’s wonderful organic producers.”

Riding a wave New Zealand’s organic wine exports have increased 13 percent since 2015, with a value of $46 million. The 2018 OANZ Organic Market Report notes that while only 4.6% of grapevine area in New Zealand was certified organic in 2017, more than 10% of the country’s wineries – 72 out of 677 – now hold organic certification. The sector also punches well above its weight in terms of accolades, making up 30% of the wines selected for the Fine Wines of New Zealand 2018 list, for example. “Although less than 5% of the nation’s vineyard area is organic, curated lists of top New Zealand wines routinely feature 30% or more organic content,” the report says.

BREWS

A bevvy to rival savvy BY MARK PREECE

arlborough might be sauvignon country, but Clive Macfarlane is carving out a space for Boom Town beer. Wearing the tagline ‘A beer for a town known for its wine’, this craft range is designed to be a crowd-pleaser, says Clive. “I really wanted a beer that anyone can drink. One that’s not too out-there. A product that’s still crafty, very palatable and, if you go to a pub, it’s ‘sessionable’ so you can have a few pints.” Clive is not a full-time brewer, so he got together with a few mates and came up with a recipe to make a quality beer. He wanted to create a ‘stable fleet of beers’, without the need to introduce new ones on a regular basis. The first was an American-style APA, and they have recently launched the Pelorus Pilsner, “which is going really well with pilsner-heads,” says Clive. “It takes about six weeks to make and is a really clean, summer drinking beer.” He’s looking at making an IPA before Christmas, and will also craft a design for a stout, which will be released next autumn. Boom Town (a Blenheim nickname) sells its beer in several Marlborough outlets, and Clive hopes to get it into the ‘visual spots’ of Marlborough where there are plenty of tourists to tempt. “Places like the Airport Café, ASB Theatre, Marlborough Tour Company and Winos.” he says.

Heading for the festival Boom Town will also showcase its brews at November’s Ocean, Vine, Hop Festival at Pollard Park in Blenheim on November 24. They’ll team up with Dion Brown’s Origin South Lamb for a food-beer match with a lamb shoulder hawker roll, prepared by MasterChef’s Kasey and Karena Bird. In the meantime, you’ll want to try:

Boom Town Alabama APA, 5.8% ABV. They say: ‘A blend of the finest American hops, Bravo, El Dorado and

Clive Macfarlane

“… if you go to a pub, it’s ‘sessionable’ so you can have a few pints.” C L I V E M A C FA R L A N E

Cascade, resulting in a smooth beer with hints of citrus and vanilla.’

Boom Town Pelorus Pilsner, 5.0% ABV. They say: ‘A clean and refreshing lager with hints of freshly cut honeydew melon and citrus. Serve chilled and enjoy often.’ Kickstart your summer at Ocean, Vine, Hop on Saturday November 24.

They say: ‘Marlborough’s only R18 festival will continue to dazzle you in 2018 with a gastronomic combination of seafood, wine and beer in beautiful Marlborough, at the stunning location of Churchill Glade, Pollard Park. We’ll be showcasing local brews from Renaissance, Moa, Golden Mile Brewing and, of course, Boom Town Brewery. 81

T R AV E L

Rediscovering Golden Bay Golden Bay was a holiday haunt for Shelley Grell on several occasions before she and her family moved there to live. Now she looks at it through different eyes. PHOTOGRAPHY SHELLEY GRELL

e’ve been holidaying in Golden Bay at various times since before the millennium, from autumn weekend escapes to longer camping summer holidays. We loved it so much we moved here last year and now run a small holiday studio in Pohara. Our guests always challenge me with questions to help them decide their itinerary. No two parties or holiday aspirations are the same, but the best memories are created when you’re prepared and forewarned. Golden Bay spans vast extremes from the wild and rugged West Coast and the long kiwi beak of the bird haven Farewell Spit, to the northern end of the Abel Tasman National Park. Whether you’re a hardy daredevil, a sandcastle maker or a helicopter tourist there’s something here for everyone.

Which is the best season? It’s quite remarkable the seasonal differences here. Over the peak Christmas and summer holidays the population almost quadruples in size, that is from 5000 to 20,000 people. The town and popular attractions are abuzz with happy campers and beachgoers everywhere. In late summer, the hot sizzling days and dulcet tones of native birds compete with the ear-piercing shrills of cicadas that decorate

This page: The world’s clearest waters at Te Waikoropupu Springs Opposite page: Clockwise: Pohara Beach at low tide looking across to Port Tarakohe; Tui love nectar from flax flowers; Take an icy dip in the emerald waters of the Aorere River by the Salisbury Falls. 82

the peaceful Clifton cemetery fence with their delicate origami skins. They cling like ghostly guards on old wood and anaemic moss-cloaked panels as if protecting the hallowed estuary grounds. Jaw-dropping sunsets cast rays of rose gold over the smooth mercury sea or splash a red horizon dazzle in the mirroring tidal pools. It’s not until autumn when our scourge that rivals Australia’s entire insect-dom, the sandfly and mosquito, stop tattooing skins with itchy red dots and welts. Retiring the insect repellent is a celebrated milestone on our annual calendar. In winter, Jack Frost’s hardened seagull footprints in the sand melt under lazy flops of the incoming glassy sea. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot sand sharks feasting within a toe’s nibble of the low Pohara tide. In early spring, the ponga fronds unfurl, and kereru play kamikaze with cars while flying low to land their gravity-defying rotundness upon voluptuous tree lupins. Before sunrise, you can see crowds of spotted shags regurgitating piles of pebbles on Tata beach. At lunch falcons patrol the skies, and bell bird and tui chimes echo across valleys. Just beware the territorial tui as they dive-bomb within an inch of your face to peck at the cheeky wekas. No matter the season, Golden Bay keeps giving in buckets. And like all beautiful destinations some spots are more popular and better serviced than others, so be prepared for an adventure.

Just beware the territorial tui as they dive-bomb within an inch of your face to peck at the cheeky wekas.

It is a one-way destination to ‘come, stay, play’ where the only way in or out by car is via State Highway 60.

locals and tourists bustle in all year round to enjoy craft beers brewed on site and served with a variety of mussel dishes including their popular mussel chowder.

Getting there

Time for an adventure From the minute you leave Cyclone Gita’s traffic lights at the Riwaka end of Takaka Hill you ascend and descend 30 minutes of twists and turns over the infamous mountain gateway that separates Golden Bay from the rest of New Zealand. It’s like Platform 9¾ to Hogwarts, an intrepid passage to a magical world. Families will love the many camping spots and safe beaches. The under two-hour walks are perfect for young legs. The ones to Te Waikoropupu Springs, Milnthorpe Park, the Grove Scenic Reserve and the Labyrinth Rocks are all a doddle. Even the famous Windows 10 image of the Archway Rocks at Wharariki Beach is a just short 20-minute stroll from the car park over farm paddocks and sand dunes. Taupo Point at low tide and the lush Wainui Falls offer longer more invigorating expeditions. All are easy walks, but none are paved, so if you do need a steady foot, take it slowly and bring a walking stick just in case. In fine dry weather, bigger youngsters will love the two-hour return walks up steeper tracks to either the enormous Rawhiti Cave entrance 10 minutes south east of Takaka, or the Pupu Hydro Walkway at the end of Pupu Valley Rd. This walkway is an amazing feat of engineering that follows an old hillside gold mining raceway. Make sure to fit in an olde-worlde cuppa at the quaintly fabulous Langfords store in Bainham followed by a refreshing dip in the icy emerald waters by the Salisbury Falls. The giant boulders miniaturise swimmers in the deep green gorge. After all the exertion, few can resist a stop at the worldfamous and rambunctious Mussel Inn in Onekaka. Here both

Golden Bay is not a place you pass by en route to anywhere. It is a one-way destination to ‘come, stay, play’ where the only way in or out by car is via State Highway 60. If you prefer you can fly direct to Takaka airport from Wellington or Nelson with Golden Bay Air. It’s such good value and well worth the exhilarating views and experience, if only for an hour’s scenic flight. If needed, car hire is available at both the airport and in Takaka. While the warm welcomes and stunning scenery intoxicate, it’s Mother Nature who sets the rules. So, it’s best to sketch a rough itinerary ahead that considers the weather forecast, tides, travel and walking distances and opening times.

Beware the tides A little-known salty fact is that the tidal range in Golden Bay is one of the widest in New Zealand. This means that in as little as a couple of hours hectares of sandy beaches and estuaries are submerged as quickly as they are revealed by a sea that ebbs and flows at an alarming speed – often at the peril of gambling tourists who don’t heed the signs.

Milnthorpe Park with sculptures hiding amongst trees is just 20kms north of Takaka and offers lots of winding paths through forest and along the beach. Wharariki Beach and the awesome two and a half hours’ walk from Totaranui to Awaroa are must-see natural landscapes that should also be respected. The strong currents at Wharariki can be treacherous, similarly the Awaroa Inlet can only be crossed at low tide. For a shorter walk, take a water taxi from Totaranui to Awaroa to have lunch at the lodge before making your way back to Totaranui via the inlet crossing. However, first check the Tarakohe tides either at the Totaranui camp office, in the local newspaper or on MetService.

Abel Tasman from Golden Bay

Above Clockwise: Significant phytokarst stalactites line one of the largest cave entrances in New Zealand at Rawhiti Cave; Archway Islands off Wharariki Beach

In the Abel Tasman National Park there’s a myriad of walks to enjoy from beach-to-beach hops to longer tramps over the hills and through native bush. The coastline track takes between three and five days to walk the entire 60 kilometres south from Wainui Bay to Marahau. If you’re pressed for time you can take shortcuts with the water taxis. To explore the less busy northern end of the Abel Tasman from Golden Bay, you must walk or go by private fishing charter, as Totaranui beach is the end of the water taxi line. It’s a stunning beach – perfect even for a day trip – and one of the best Department of Conservation (DOC) campsites in New Zealand. Literally generations of Kiwi families book months in advance to enjoy an increasingly rare slice of off-grid paradise. From Totaranui you can either walk all the way to Wainui Bay and catch a bus back to Takaka, or loop back via the Gibbs Hill track. The DOC website and the Golden Bay Visitors Centre will have all the information you need.

Tata beach at low tide reveals deep patterns carved in the golden sandy shore, with starfish, mussels and oysters clinging to rocks. At Collingwood you can walk for miles collecting cockles and shells. The Grove Reserve in Clifton is an awesome 20-minute walk that winds through a secret prehistoric world of massive rain-sculpted limestone rocks and nikau palms. This rock art continues at the Labyrinth Rocks near Takaka where children delight in finding the many little toys hidden amongst the nooks and crannies. Milnthorpe Park with sculptures hiding amongst trees is just 20kms north of Takaka and offers lots of winding paths through forest and along the beach. If you like fishing, then Anatoki Salmon Fishing and Café is an experience not to be missed. There are also tame eels and a petting zoo that all want to capture your attention.

Rain? Harden up!

Spoilt for choice

While inclement weather may restrict you to restaurants and cafés, there are several raincoat options that warrant the good old Kiwi ‘harden up’ attitude.

Admittedly, we’re all rather spoilt in the Bay with our character restaurants, craft shops and art galleries, and even a village theatre in Takaka. My personal favourites include the newly opened Kotare Sands restaurant in Pohara, and one of the best places for coffee and cakes in the Bay at Pohara’s Totally Roasted. In Takaka the Roots Bar, De-lish, Dangerous Kitchen, the Wholemeal Café and The Brigand all offer unique menus and settings, as do the Zatori Retreat, Mad Café and Courthouse Café in Collingwood. Come rain or shine, Takaka’s Saturday summer market lays on a spread of locally produced organics and delicacies that include splendid Kervella cheeses and Mad Café sourdough breads. And best of all, next to the market square is Choco Loco, home of the newest and most delicious handcrafted chocolates on the planet. Kath and Gay’s tantalising taste sensations are to die for! Don’t just take it from me; only a few weeks ago, one of their many heavenly perfections won gold at the NZ Chocolate Awards – the blackcurrant and licorice-filled ganache called A Currant Affair. If you need more incentive, from now until the 30th November Golden Bay is running a great Treasure Hunt competition. Just hop over the hill to the Visitor Centre to find out more or go to www.goldenbay.co.nz. We look forward to seeing you!

Café & outdoor pizzeria, locals welcome. Cruise & Lunch including return boat from Totaranui $75pp.

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ADVENTURE

Cold chapter in a hot quest Marathons are taking local runner Tanya McMurtrie far and wide. Phil Barnes outlines a globetrotting mission.

elson runner Tanya McMurtrie is planning some special training for the next stage in her quest to run a marathon on every continent. Tanya has entered the Antarctica Marathon, which takes place in March, and is keen to prepare by training in cold temperatures. The event is held on King George Island, which lies 120km off the Antarctic Peninsula. The course is a dirt road that runs between the international research stations on the island. “It’s basically a loop of about eight kilometres that we have to do several times and there’s quite a big hill in the middle,” she says. Just getting to the race is a challenge. Entries are limited to 200 for fear of damage to the environment, so the event sells out two years in advance. Runners have to travel to Ushuaia at the southernmost tip of South America and then sail for two days to Antarctica across the notoriously rough Southern Ocean. “Fortunately I’ve got good sea-legs.” Tania says that ideally she would like to train by running on a treadmill in a cool store. This would not only help her acclimatise but it would give her an opportunity to test the clothes she’ll need to wear for the race. Her outfit will have to ‘breathe’ so she is not running in icy cold temperatures in wet clothes. The event is held in late summer for its settled weather, however temperatures 86

will probably range between -10deg and zero. Although there will be plenty of snow and ice around, the dirt road is more likely to be muddy. Tanya has two close friends who did the event last year so they’ve given her a good idea of what to expect.

Late starter to running Tanya started running in her early 30s. She says she was working part-time as a fitness instructor when one day she put on a pair of gym shoes and ran for about 15 minutes. “The next week I ran for 20 minutes and then half an hour. Then a girlfriend asked me to run a 10k with her and from there it was a natural progression to run a half-marathon. “I ran quite a few half-marathons over the next two years before I committed to running a full marathon.” That was at Rotorua in 2010. She has now run seven marathons – four in New Zealand and three overseas. While running the New York Marathon in 2013, a fellow competitor gave her the idea of running a marathon on every continent. She says there was really good camaraderie at the New York event and the support from locals was amazing. “Kids wanted to high-five you, and at least 80 bands were playing alongside the course. One million people were estimated to be lined up watching along the four-mile stretch of First Avenue. “It was an incredible experience. I

was running with people 10 abreast and there were people lined up three or four deep on both sides of the road for miles.”

Great Wall a slog Tanya says the hardest marathon she has done was at the Great Wall of China. It was 31 degrees and very humid – Tanya drank between seven and eight litres of water during the race. Although much of the event went through relatively remote villages, it began with a five kilometre uphill section and competitors had to run two sections on the wall itself, which included running both up and down a section of 1000 steps. She says she is not out to run personal bests during the races. She prefers to enjoy the unique experience, and even stops to take quick photos along the way. Last year she joined more than 50,000 people to run the Paris Marathon. She says it was a great race for seeing the city’s main attractions. “Starting and finishing at the Arc de Triomphe, we ran past Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Princess Diana Memorial and along the River Seine.” Completing the race meant she has now run marathons in Europe, Asia, North America and Australasia. After the Antarctica race, Tanya plans to run the Big Five Marathon in South Africa in 2020 and the Rio de Janeiro race in Brazil in 2021, completing her quest.

W T + G E N R AT E C

anything else,” he explains. Richard, who was born in Canada, grew up in northern England and moved to New Zealand 16 years ago, says while there are other coaching businesses around, he has not found one with the same depth of training and strong scientific approach. “That rigorousness really appeals to me.” While some institutions may qualify a coach after as little as 40 hours’ training, Richard has completed 350 hours over the last two years; and the training is ongoing through supervision with a senior coach for at least an hour each week. “I never stop learning,” he says. Richard, one of about a dozen Genratec coaches in New Zealand, is working with clients who undertake a 22-week programme involving around an hour’s consultation each week and several assignments to be completed outside the coaching sessions.

“The people we work with tend to be those who recognise that where they are is not where they want to be; people who are yearning for something different.”

Professional human performance coaching at its best BY F R A N K N E L S ON | P HO T O G R A P H Y BY I S H NA JAC OB S

ichard Butler, well known in Nelson for such disparate roles as founder and director of successful technology company BlueBerryIT and bass player with popular local band The Immigrants, has added a new chapter to his varied career. He’s now working with Genratec, a professional coaching firm, as a human performance coach. “Our coaching is about helping people be the best version of themselves,” he says, “designing your future, looking at what’s getting in the way, and living your life on purpose.” Though this might seem a major change of direction, Richard believes it’s more an

extension of the coaching and mentoring he’s been doing for the last 10 years at BlueBerry and in previous roles. It was at BlueBerry that Richard worked with a Genratec coach to help improve his own leadership skills. He hugely enjoyed the experience and gained so much on a personal level, that when he came to consider his next career move, coaching with Genratec was the logical choice. “While BlueBerry remains a great business and I’m still involved strategically there, what I loved most about the coaching was how it moved the way I designed my life and I wanted to apply this outside myself and the business. It’s a progression as much as

RICHARD BUTLER

“The people we work with tend to be those who recognise that where they are is not where they want to be; people who are yearning for something different.” Richard spends time talking to clients about all aspects of their life – work and personal – before helping them design the future they want, taking into account where they are right now, what might get in the way, and how to handle those obstacles. “One of my long-term goals is to be coaching people in the music industry. I feel music is a real power for change in the world; I want to help musicians, and artists, to be the best version of themselves.” If you’d like to know more about what Richard does call him on 021 284 4064 or email at rbutler@genratec.com for a confidential discussion.

Contact genratec.com

MOTORING

Kona – EV breakthrough BY GEOFF MOFFETT

yundai has joined the very skinny ranks of electric cars with a driving range that might start changing New Zealander’s minds about battery-only motoring. The Kona EV can cover at least 400 kilometres on a charge, double that of most of the electric cars now available (although that will rapidly change in the next year or so). That’s not yet in Tesla’s 500km+ territory but it’s also not in Tesla’s price point of around $170,000 for the longrange 100Wh battery 100D model. The Kona breaks new ground for its range and for being the first compact SUV electric vehicle in the country. That sounds like the right formula: SUV – everyone seems to want one; and it’s not just another hybrid. Is it the everyman’s electric SUV then? Not quite, at a starting price of $73,990. But at half the price of the Tesla it is starting to make more sense for potential buyers of the fully electric car. Yes, it’s expensive compared to an internal combustion engine vehicle but you need to consider that the very low upkeep of the battery car will save you a lot of money through the years; no petrol, few mechanical moving parts, no regular servicing costs, no chance of an expensive engine drama. Hyundai is being deliberately conservative with its quoted 400km range. Overseas markets are rating it at more than 450km, but the NZ franchise wants to under-promise and, 88

possibly, over-deliver. Maybe, Top of the South owners could squeak in a trip to Christchurch if they drive it carefully. You do have the option of switching to Eco mode with the Kona (you also have the choice of comfort and sport). In my brief drive of the car, the range read-out showed a useful increase in Eco mode. But it’s going to be hard for new owners to resist using the full performance of this surprising small car. The instant torque – delivered in silence – is addictive with the Kona leaping from zero to the speed limit in 7.6 seconds – and overtaking is done in a flash. The Kona’s 64kwh lithium-ion polymer battery is rated at 150kw of power and a mighty 395Nm of torque. The battery can be re-charged to 80 percent in less than an hour using a 100kW fast charger. You could get a quick fast-charge top-up during a coffee break just to get you home. Or you can simply charge the car overnight at home with a standard AC plug. Apart from this marvellous electric power pack, what do you get for your money? Just about everything, it seems. The car is packed with equipment and all the comforts, down to wireless smart phone charging and a heated steering wheel and heated and cooled front seats in the Elite model. There’s a head-up display, perforated leather seats and a Krell eight-speaker, 45-watt sound system in the Elite.

More important is the array of passive and active safety equipment; forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, a lane-keeping device which will self-correct steering and adaptive cruise control. To overcome the problem for pedestrians of a silent car in the city, a speaker behind the front bumper plays a sound to warn walkers at speeds below 28km/h. It’s good news for pedestrians – but for motorists, who might have liked the idea of battery power but not without the long-range capability, Hyundai’s stunning new car is a trendsetter.

Tech spec Price:

$73,990-$79,990 (Elite 64kWh model)

Power:

Lithium-ion battery pack with permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), 64kWh (150kW/395Nm), direct drive, FWD (39.2kWh version to come, 100kW/395Nm)

Range:

400km (nominal)

Vehicle courtesy of Bowater Hyundai, Nelson

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AUTHOR PROFILE

Once an activist … Campaigner and former ‘spy’ Paul Bensemann is a staunch friend of the forests, Renée Lang reports.

fifth-generation Nelsonian, Paul Bensemann first started writing about the things that mattered to him way back in the 1970s when he, along with other like-minded people, dedicated their youthful energy to protesting against the Forest Service building a road through virgin forest in the Flora Valley in what is now Kahurangi National Park. He was also actively involved in the protest movement against government plans to raise the levels of Lake Manapouri. Paul went on to work with the national parks organisation down in Southland, but came north in the mid1970s to join the Forest Service head office in Wellington – with the intention of leaking information to the conservation movement that the government of the day was keeping secret. “I wasn’t the only one,” he hastens to add, “and I developed the beginnings of an ulcer out of it.” Deceiving his boss at the time never sat comfortably with him, however, and Paul recently made a special effort to track him down and apologise. “I needed to do that.” Several years later, in 1979, he did a journalism course in Wellington, which led to work with the Dominion and Evening Post as well as the New Zealand Press Association and, eventually, back home with the Nelson Evening Mail. A stint in the late 1990s with the Alliance and the Greens – and again with the Greens when they split from the Alliance – followed. “After a long period working as a journalist and staying away from campaigning, I was suddenly back into it again with the Greens,” he recalls.

Campaigning in print Paul is now a freelance writer with several books to his credit: Tragedy in Aramoana published in 1991, Lost Gold in 2013 and the recently launched Fight for the Forests, published locally by Potton & Burton, with a foreword by Helen Clark. Apparently the 90

“After a long period working as a journalist and staying away from campaigning, I was suddenly back into it again with the Greens.” PAU L B E N S E M A N N

former prime minister didn’t take much persuading to write it, given the impressive efforts made under her leadership to stop the pillaging of so much native forest on Crown land. Craig Potton and Robbie Burton have long been activists involved in protecting the environment. They knew Paul well and thus when they decided it was time to publish an accurate account of the forest conservation movement in New Zealand over the last 50- odd years, he was the logical choice to research and write it. Paul believes there was another important aspect to Craig and Robbie’s decision to

publish the history, which was that in the 1970s and ‘80s Nelson was perceived to be the conservation capital of New Zealand – in hindsight a serendipitous link indeed. As well as celebrating the release of his new book, Paul is involved in organising festivities attached to the 175th anniversary of the arrival of his German ancestors. They sailed from Europe in 1843 on the St Pauli, arriving at what was to become Nelson, and went on to establish the village of Sarau in the Upper Moutere. “Apparently I was named after that ship,” Paul laughs.

BOOKS

What to read in November COMPILED BY RENÉE LANG

Ajax the Kea Dog

Fashion Climbing

A Working Dog’s Life in the High Country

A New York Life Bill Cunningham

Corey Mosen

Available now, $40 Penguin Random House

nyone who saw the fabulous documentary a few years ago about Bill Cunningham, New York street style photographer extraordinaire, will love this book. Sadly, Bill has now gone to the great fashion salon in the sky, but his fans will appreciate this delightful memoir, illustrated with a smattering of photos, many of which have never been published before. Cunningham kept the fact that he was writing this memoir to himself, thus the manuscript wasn’t discovered until after his death. It brims with his infectious joy for the scenes he captured with his camera and will appeal to everyone who appreciates beauty, whatever their style or status.

Available now, $39.99 Allen & Unwin

veryone loves a book about a cute dog, right? And when that dog has been trained to sniff out the nests of endangered kea so his handler can take steps to protect them, then he’s even more worth reading about. Ajax is one of just a handful of dogs that has been specially trained for this purpose. In this heart-warming and generously illustrated account, trainer Corey Mosen, who is a wildlife biologist with DOC, describes how the pair work and relates some of their adventures in the remotest depths of the South Island, which sometimes necessitates being flown in on a chopper.

Down the Bay

Better than a Bought One

A Natural and Cultural History of Abel Tasman National Park

Clever Recipes and Ideas for Homegrown Celebrations Jo Seagar

Philip Simpson

Available now, $50 Penguin Random House

Available now, $79.99 Potton Burton

ward-winning writer and ecologist Philip Simpson is not one to rest on his laurels. He’s already well known for his books on New Zealand’s beloved native trees, but he’s now turned his attention to the Abel Tasman National Park. It’s much more than a collection of pretty photographs, too, in that he presents a comprehensive account of the distinctive landforms of Abel Tasman, overlaid with aspects of both Māori and European history. Down the Bay also records how Project Janszoon, a trust funded by a remarkable philanthropic gift, is working with DOC to transform the park by removing pests and reintroducing threatened birds.

f anyone knows how to throw a party with all the bells and whistles, without too much effort and well within budget, it’s bestselling author Jo Seagar. From a baby shower to a 21st, an office shout to a winter dinner party, from a high tea to a wedding, Better Than a Bought One is packed full of great recipes and tips so you can celebrate in style, without breaking the bank. There’s even a chapter on holding a winter bonfire party for Matariki. And no celebrations book would be complete without Christmas – but this one is a Kiwi Christmas at the beach!

ARTS

Taking recycling to a new level in Golden Bay BY CHARLOTTE SQUIRE | PHOTOS BY NICK FEINT

hen artist Nick Feint moved an old horse float to Tui Community to run his jewellery business from, he had no idea that 18 years later he’d end up selling thousands of pieces of his work each year, with the lightest of eco footprints, while living with his family of four in a cordwood house on a hill. Nick runs Stone Arrow Jewellery from Takaka, using recycled copper, silver and glass to create pieces inspired by New Zealand flora and fauna. He and his team are constantly dreaming up new designs and offer hundreds of different pieces online, via around a hundred outlets in New Zealand and from his gallery off Commercial Street. “Almost everything we use is recycled. We’ve managed to source recycled silver and copper and we do a lot of stuff out of glass bottles and old windows; we use recycled paper and recycle whatever we can really. “The aim is to produce designs that are so desirable aesthetically that the fact that they are created from recycled materials is Above: A unique home with a scenic view Opposite page: Clockwise: Outdoor bathing with a view; Nick at the Stone Arrow gallery in Takaka; Artistic touches throughout the home, even the bathroom is a work of art 92

a bonus rather than the main selling point.” Nick’s commitment to sustainability grew when he became a father and decided he didn’t want to ‘screw things up’ for future generations. Life changed when he needed to pay a mortgage and feed a family. “I found a win-win way to make money, enjoy doing it and employ people. I feel like I’m not making too much impact on the world at the same time.” A lot of the daily work at Nick’s gallery is grinding glass and cutting up bottles. The team use tools most would grind rocks with. “We’ve had to invent a lot of processes because we’re basically the only [jewellery] business in the world, as far as I can tell (I’ve done a lot of searches) who are doing this many things with glass and we’ve had to invent processes for sandblasting, fusing and melting things.” There’s also a lot of administration involved such as customer support, marketing and sending dispatch orders around the country.

A big move For some time Nick made and sold his jewellery from his gallery on the edge of the Abel Tasman National Park in Wainui Bay, where Tui Community is based. He

eventually learned his gallery was too far from Takaka for most people to visit. Two years ago he relocated to the Takaka township. There he runs an interactive gallery, selling his own and other artists’ work, and welcoming people to come in and make their own pendants. In the summer “it gets pretty mad” but that suits Nick as he likes the social interaction. “It’s quite insular living out in Wainui.” It’s a 30 minute drive from Wainui Bay to Takaka, so Nick recently bought an electric car, which he charges up at his gallery. This resolved the ‘slight drag on his conscience’ every time he drove in. “I just love having the car. It was a really good decision. It’s fully electric, and it’s really nice to drive, really powerful.” It hasn’t been all blue skies for Nick and his family. Soon after he and his wife Sybille met, they fell pregnant, and fiveand-a-half months after that their first son Theo was born prematurely. The family was still living in a bus at that time and had to live half in the Stone Arrow gallery workshop and half in the bus. “That was hard. We really needed to be somewhere warm and safe. He was born as early as it is possible to be and still live.”

Photo: Charlotte Squire

“I found a win-win way to make money, enjoy doing it and employ people. I feel like I’m not making too much impact on the world at the same time.”

“I don’t believe in a 40 hour week … but it’s quite hard to avoid it at some times of the year.” Next came second child Marty, and then the house, which takes up a 200sqm footprint, on a hill over looking Wainui Bay. Built with the help of teams of WWOOFers, usually seven on the go at once, it took over six months. The finished result was a cordwood house (firewood stacked up like bricks), plastered with cement on the sides. “There were all sorts of dynamics during the build, we had to have meetings. It was a lot of stress and kind of fun too. We made some really good connections with people. It seemed like it would never end but it did.”

Not a commune Nick says living at Tui is kind of like living in a village, “definitely not a commune, a

lot of people get that confused. “Our house is reasonably detached from other houses as it’s in the other valley. We have our own garden, but we connect once a week at the community meal, and obviously the kids roam the land.” When Nick himself was a child he found an old book about self-sufficiency. He says that ‘ignited something’ in him and planted the seeds for his decision to build a life at Tui. He forgot about that book and years later travelled the world, including spending time at the Scottish ecovillage Findhorn. After going to several men’s gatherings at Tui, he decided to move there. “I liked it so much I dropped everything and moved up here. It was a big, risky move; there wasn’t even a place for me at Tui at that time.” The Feint family has to contribute half a day’s ‘energy input’ to the community once a week. Nick takes one day off a week to work on his home and do his ‘energy

input’, by working on the land. In summer his gallery is open seven days a week, with six staff. “I don’t believe in a 40 hour week … but it’s quite hard to avoid it at some times of the year.” For Nick, time is the most valuable resource. “It’s been really hard, especially when the kids were small. I feel like we’re just coming out of that. The kids are a lot more able to take care of themselves. “It’s challenging. There’s the family, there are the kids, there’s the relationship and then there’s individual time … I’ve been doing a lot of music lately, that’s something I want to pursue a lot more, that’s been doing well. We have a lot of things we’re involved with such as Tracks and Tides. Life is very full.”

For further info about Stone Arrow Jewellery visit www.stonearrow.co.nz

IN THE GALLERY

November’s top art picks If you’re a bit of an art collector you’re certainly living in the right place. The Top of the South boasts a well of high-quality galleries featuring creative superstars. Check out this month’s pick of must-have artworks.

1. Brent Forbes, Low Tide, acrylic on canvas 1040 x 1540, Red Gallery, Nelson, 03 548 2170, redartgallery.com 2. Russel Papworth, Pod Light Shade, mild steel sculpture, Forest Fusion, Mapua Wharf, 03 540 2961, www.forestfusion.com 3. Jens Hansen, Archive Collection Piece, Jens Hansen, Nelson, jenshansen.co.nz, Image credit: Studio La Gonda 4. Roz Speirs, Sunflower Bowl, fused glass bowl, Art@203 Gallery, Nelson, 027 500 5528, clarityglass.co.nz, $245 5. Nick Feint, Recycled Sterling Silver Baby Paua Necklace, Stone Arrow, Takaka, 03 525 6232, stonearrow.co.nz, $109

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FILM

Movie made in Motueka BY EDDIE ALLNUTT

Blue Moon Crime, Thriller Directed and written by Stefen Harris Starring Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Doug Brooks and Olivia Hadlow 85 minutes Rated M

his film noir is like a farmers’ market, packed with local flavour and ingredients. It’s written and produced by a man some of us might have already met; Motueka-stationed police officer, Stef Harris. Rumour has it, the plot came to him one night when refuelling his patrol car. He’s actually created a doozy that builds tension right from the get-go and never pulls over. Blue Moon has a simple yet twisty concept and it’s almost in the genre of a set-in-one-room movie. Those of this ilk rely on acting, and Kiwis Mark Hadlow (Horace Jones) and Jed Brophy (Darren Cates) have delivered with raw, gutsy performances. Family man Horace Jones works the graveyard shift pumping gas. He’s no spring chicken, has the IRD breathing down his neck and believes in ‘happy dragon, happy castle’. It all seems quite desolate for Horace apart from a possible cash cow venture. He’s just got to keep the wolf from the door for a few more weeks until a certain date known as the ‘Blue Moon’. It’s an auspicious calendar day that has something to do with a pseudoscience from China. However, things go from bad to worse for Horace when a Chevy Impala pulls into the forecourt, and from horrible to terrible when a motorbike parks up and an old ‘friendship’ is rekindled. Brophy as drug lynchpin Darren Cates works his part with genius. He comes across as a loose cannon but with bittersweet humour, who won’t give you the luxury of settling into your cinema seat. Cates, aka Ratty, is aptly named. Hadlow, as the main protagonist Horace Jones, is chameleon-esque and leaves you guessing just how many hats he wears. He’s worked with Brophy before and the two of them gel in what seem to be quite ad-libbed roles. Some local constabulary perform cameos, which are done with ease. Hadlow’s daughter, Olivia, has acting in the blood and inherently plays Horace Jones’s daughter, Lucille. Then there’s Rueben (Doug Brooks), who’s a menacing hard nut turned apocalyptic zombie who got mixed up with the wrong rodent and bit off more than he could chew. The filming was done by an iPhone 7 Plus, which was quick and easy to use when time and budget were important. It’s proved to be a masterstroke since it’s created a slick flick. Apart from brief views of High Street in the wee small hours, along with a sunny stretch of coastal road, Blue Moon is set in or around the immediate proximity to BP Motueka. It’s in real time throughout an evening and flashes of the iconic clock tower, ticking down the minutes, will keep you informed as we near the crescendo of 6 am. Harris deserves plenty of credit for this homegrown movie. It’s not his first either with the acclaimed The Waimate Conspiracy (2006) and No Petrol, No Diesel (2009). Let’s hope everyone out there is behaving and our constable gets enough time for his passion. Blue Moon is screening at State Cinema Motueka during November. 96

91 Trafalgar Street, Nelson - Ph: 548 3885

Movies Screening in NOVEMBER BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

M | 2hrs 24min A foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet.

THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB

Rating TBC | Runtime TBC A first-time adaptation of the recent global bestseller, Lisbeth Salander will return to the screen in the cult figure and title character of the acclaimed Millennium book series created by Stieg Larsson.

FANTASTIC BEASTS 2

Rating TBC | Runtime TBC Gellert Grindelwald has escaped imprisonment and has begun gathering followers to his cause. The only one capable of putting a stop to him is the wizard he once called his closest friend, Albus Dumbledore.

ROBIN HOOD

M | 2hrs 6min Robin of Loxley a war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown in a thrilling action-adventure packed with gritty battlefield exploits and timeless romance.

For more information, go to our website:

www.statecinemas.co.nz

Photo: Mason Fairey

MUSIC

Musical homecoming not to be missed BY PETE RAINEY

uckland indie pop duo Alae formed in 2016 to give expression to the formidable musical talent of multi-instrumentalists Alex Farrell-Davey and Allister Meffan. Kicking off as a folk-inspired duo and working hard to establish themselves with plenty of solo, as well as support slots on nationwide tours, the duo selffunded a six-song debut EP recorded at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studio and released in November 2016. Alae quickly expanded to include drummer Jayden Lee and bassist Marika Hodgson, going on to perform with this fuller sound at Rhythm and Vines. I first experienced the talents of Alex and Allister when they were part of the Nelson College trio New Vinyl who, emulating fellow Nelsonians the Peasants in 2011, took out the national prizewinning spot in smokefreerockquest 2012. Along with bassist Ed Palmer, New Vinyl displayed strong musicianship, with a quirky mix of instrumental colours and always the evocative emotional strength of Farrell-Davey’s singing. 98

At the time Jeff Newton from NZ on Air commented, “New Vinyl gave a mature performance with solid vocals and melodies that were really well written and performed.” I’ve followed the fortunes of Alae closely given their Nelson and smokefreerockquest links and in doing so have had plenty of opportunity to listen to their tracks as they were rolled out over the last few years. Undoubtedly the songwriting and emotional depth of material has developed and strengthened, with Farrell-Davey commenting how their latest material has touched on a raw vein of emotion. This ability to create songs that are transformative is the mark of a band that is maturing and feeling more comfortable and at ease in their own skin. This has all culminated in the impending release of a new album Henry St, backed up with a five-date tour of New Zealand. Featuring the singles Too Strung Up, which has clocked over two million streams on Spotify, Stone Cold and the newly released All Gived Up, Henry St is a culmination of the last two years of songwriting and steady gigging. The band’s releases have gained significant international exposure with the single Too Strung Up being premiered by Rolling Stone Australia and launching straight into Spotify’s prestigious New Music Friday playlist in New Zealand, Australia and the United States where followers number over 2.3 million. Further high-profile international playlist additions across the platform

Undoubtedly the songwriting and emotional depth of material has developed and strengthened ... have helped expose Too Strung Up to over 1.4 million new listeners across the world, breaking NZ records for local independent artists on the Spotify service. The single Stone Cold traced the same steps with another debut through Spotify’s New Music Friday in Australia, New Zealand and the USA and featured on Apple Music’s ‘Best of the Week’ playlist after a Billboard.com video premiere. This year the band has achieved highprofile local live slots with the Blackbird Ensemble, and supporting the John Butler Trio, along with a national tour with Nomad. Nelsonians can experience these exciting musicians when they wrap up their national tour at the Boathouse on 8 December. This is a great opportunity to hear a well-polished ensemble, gaining momentum as songwriters and performers. It will be a fantastic homecoming of sorts, not to be missed. All Gived Up is out now through Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes. Alae’s debut album Henry St, featuring previous singles Too Strung Up and Stone Cold released on 26 October.

Tickets are on sale now through www.undertheradar.co.nz

Flamenco & Classical Guitar Festival Join us for an inspiring week of concerts, musical study and dance

13 January - 19 January 2019 Find out more and enrol at ncma.nz

Upcoming Concerts at NCMA Chroma Chamber Choir, Bach Magnificat Sunday 18th Nov, 2.00pm Nelson Symphony Orchestra, Romance Mystery Sat 24th Nov, 7.30pm

Locally made blown glass and jewellery by artists Ola & Marie Höglund and their family. Makers of Nelson art glass since 1982. VISITORS WELCOME – OPEN DAILY 10 TO 5

HÖGLUND GLASSBLOWING STUDIO

NCMA Student Concert Sunday 25th Nov, 2.00pm NCMA Orchestral Pathways Concert Friday 30th Nov, 6.00pm

Avid Opera Concert Saturday 1st Dec, 7.30pm NCMA Chamber Orchestra with Donald Armstrong Sunday 2nd Dec, 4.00pm Nelson Male Voice Choir Christmas Concert Saturday 8th Dec, 2.00pm Paul Mitchell & Flavio Villani – Piano and Cello Recital Sunday 9th Dec, 3.00pm

More information and tickets available at ticketdirect.co.nz or ncma.nz

52 Lansdowne Road, Appleby, Richmond Ph 03 544 6500

www.hoglundartglass.com

Cnr Champion & Salisbury Roads, Richmond OPEN 7 DAYS 8am–6.30pm Ph: 03 544 0824 | raewardfresh.co.nz

EVENTS

Regular Markets

Nelson Tasman

Every Saturday morning

Saturday 3

The Nelson Market

NZ Cider Festival

MONTGOMERY SQUARE

Now in its third year, The New Zealand Cider Festival will feature 20+ cider makers from all around NZ, over 80 different cider varieties and Gabe Cook AKA The Ciderlogist, along with food and entertainment.

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

Every Wednesday Nelson Farmers’ Market

FOUNDERS HERITAGE PARK

KIRBY LANE

NOVEMBER

Thursday 8 & Friday 9

Thursday 1 & Friday 2

A Roger Hall comedy that pits a group of female teachers together with a school counsellor and a reluctant daughter for a weekend of bushwalking, sparkling wine and sparkling comedy.

The Boathouse Welcome Back Bash Nelson’s award-winning heritage venue The Boathouse opens its doors again with Kiwi legends the Warratahs, supported by Nelson duet Dust and Gold, headlining the Welcome Back Bash. THE BOATHOUSE

Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 Show Me Shorts The 13th annual Show Me Shorts brings together the very best short films from across the globe, made by some of the world’s most talented filmmakers. Four Kiwi films will make their world premieres during the festival: One Day by Nicky Cameron, Twenty One Points by Pete Circuitt, Toilet by Simeon Duncombe and Delivery by Stephen Kang. SUTER THEATRE

Sunday 4 The Nelson Half Festival of Running Running and walking events over 2.5km, 5km, 10km and 21.1km cater for all levels of ability and fitness. Start times are staggered throughout the morning. thenelsonhalf.co.nz SAXTON FIELD

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Part of Social Climbers

Tauranga bluesman Mike Garner for a show of old-time and Chicago blues, featuring the phenomenal harmonica playing of Billington with Garner’s acoustic and slide guitars. DEVILLE CAFE & BAR

Sunday 18

Saturday 10

Bach Magnificat Chroma Chamber Choir

The storm damage of February 2018 provided the perfect opportunity for some major renovations and also some major celebrations, and the Boathouse is all set to ‘Swing and Sway’ as it did in the 1940s. Music by the Nelson Jazz Club Big Band.

A programme of Renaissance and Baroque choral music, conducted by Pete Rainey. This is a rare opportunity to hear Bach sung by a local choir and promises to be a real treat for lovers of Baroque music. NELSON CENTRE OF MUSICAL ARTS

THE BOATHOUSE

Friday 23 Friday 16 40 Below Blues Wellington’s harmonica virtuoso, Neil Billington, teams up with

Artisan Cheese-making An NMIT short course with Karen Trafford from Wangapeka Cheese, who will instruct on how to produce

Friday 9 Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman This world-renowned duo returns using blazing guitar and dancing harp to provide a sensational, contemporary sound with rich and deep traditional roots. One of the UK’s most influential acoustic guitarists in concert with ‘the doyenne of Irish harpers’. FAIRFIELD HOUSE

RATA ROOM KITCHEN, NMIT

Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 The Extravaganza Fair

THEATRE ROYAL

The Boathouse Benefit Ball

camembert and brie cheeses. Limited spaces.

A fun day out with something for everyone including market stalls, arts and craft, food, musical entertainment, circus shows, performers and unique-to-New Zealand solar-powered tiny homes. RUTHERFORD PARK

Saturday 24 ASB Nelson Sports Awards An annual event that recognises outstanding performance and service to sport by people in the Nelson region. Includes a three course dinner. Formal dress. ANNESBROOK CHURCH

EVENTS

Regular Markets

Marlborough Thursday 8 to Sunday 11

The third Sunday of every month

Rapaura Springs Garden Marlborough

Marlborough Artisan Market Summer hours 9am-1pm

A celebration of Marlborough’s stunning landscape, showcasing the best the region has to offer with garden tours, garden-themed workshops and social events. The festival culminates with the Stihl Shop Garden Fête held in Churchill Glade, Pollard Park, with over 200 stallholders offering the very best New Zealand produce.

THE QUAYS, HIGH STREET, BLENHEIM

Every Sunday Marlborough Farmers’ Market A&P SHOWGROUNDS

ASSORTED VENUES

NOVEMBER Saturday 3

Garden Fête November 11

of one in Double Trouble – The Andrew and Fiona Show. ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH

Ukulele Workshop

Sunday 4

A workshop for intermediate and advanced players, focusing on 60s and 70s hits, with international ukulele sensation Hugo Del Mar. Bookings essential. info@ marlboroughmuseum.org.nz.

Greg Johnson - Every Song Has a Story

MARLBOROUGH MUSEUM

Saturday 3 Double Trouble - Fiona Pears and Andrew London Andrew and Fiona are old mates who enjoy working together, so they have teamed up to return to their favourite theatre with a new programme – two for the price

Wellington-based Laura Collins and the Back Porch Blues Band are a combination of ‘old hands’ who have been making music a long time, absolutely revelling in the playing. LE CAFÉ, PICTON

Part of his eight-part NZ tour, Every Song Has a Story sees Greg Johnson presenting songs, tall stories and images to match, with guest guitarist Ben King (Goldenhorse).

Friday 9 & Saturday 10 Marlborough A & P Show

Laura Collins and The Back Porch Blues Band Dynamic, masterful and all about entertainment.

MARLBOROUGH A&P SHOWGROUNDS

Thursday 8

Based on Murray Ball’s iconic Kiwi cartoon strip Wal, Cooch, Cheeky, and of course Dog are brought to hilarious life in this production directed by Duncan Whiting.

Saturday 17 A Russian Triple Bill The Imperial Russian Ballet Company brings a stunning triple ballet treat to Blenheim with Sleeping Beauty (Act III), Les Sylphides and Carmen. ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH

Friday 23 to Thursday 29 Little Shop of Horrors An irresistible, madcap adventure ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is the longest running off-Broadway musical of all time, so whether you’re a die-hard fan or just a seedling, Audrey II and her team are ready to trap you with song.

Sunday 11 The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day, the Marlborough Singers and members from the Marlborough District Brass Band will perform ‘The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace’. The Marlborough Singers will also be joined by students from the Marlborough Boys’ and Marlborough Girls’ Colleges. ASB THEATRE MARLBOROUGH

Footrot Flats the Musical

BOATHOUSE THEATRE

A celebration of rural and urban communities in Marlborough with entertainment, competitions and displays plus trade sites offering a range of products and services, as well as food and display sites.

THE VINES VILLAGE

Wednesday 14 to Sunday 18

BLENHEIM MUSICAL THEATRE

Saturday 24 Ocean Vine Hop

Robert Tucker, Elin Tomos, Kevin Moseley

Enjoy the gastronomic combination of local seafood, wine and beer at this R18 festival in a stunning park-like setting in beautiful Marlborough. Celebrity chefs, tasty menus and a stellar line-up of musical entertainment. POLLARD PARK

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Nelson Tasman and Marlborough’s magazine

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The first 20 subscribers this month will receive $45 off a float session.

Nelson Tasman

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Nelson Tasman and Marlborough’s magazine /

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Aronui Wines

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Dove River Peonies Tiny Homes Garden Marlborough Tea versus Coffee Samoa Sojourn Kayaking at Cable Appellation Marlborough Clifftop Home

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To receive a year’s worth of issues for $75 (retail price $107) head to wildtomato.co.nz/subscribe Terms and conditions: Subscriptions are $75 (including gst and postage) for 12 issues delivered in New Zealand only and are non-refundable. Please allow 28 days for your first issue to arrive. Other conditions apply and are available on request. This promotion is not in conjunction with any other WildTomato subscription offer and expires 30 November 2018. The voucher is available to the first 20 subscribers. The product offer in this promotion is non-transferable for cash or other items.

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