14 minute read
ON:MURCHISON
NELSON CLASSIC CAR MUSEUM
Word is getting out that the Nelson Classic Car Museum has had a few changes over the last year.
One of the up-sides of Covid-19 is that the Museum used the time to re-park the 150+ cars – something that hadn’t been done for more than ten years. So rather than a haphazard mix of motors through the decades, there’s a lot more order to the collection. All the pre-1918 veterans and vintages are sitting together near the entrance, the roadsters are parked up beside the race cars, the 1930s flash luxury automobiles have been primped and primed, the 13 Jaguars have been cajoled into “The Cat Cage”, and the kiwiana cars are all hanging out the back.
As one of New Zealand’s top three private car collections, the Museum is more than a static display of cars. The cars get moved about for various reasons: the 1908 Model T recently returned after a thorough toothbrush clean, the pink Cadillac had its own little holiday at Nelson Airport, and a stunning 1930 Packard joined the collection. The Packard was the absolute luxury car of its day, costing between US $4,000-$5,000 as compared to the more accessible Model A sitting around US $400-$500. The Museum’s Packard was imported directly from Detroit, and fits well in the row of Cadillacs and Packards.
The more time spent in the Museum, the more the detailing comes to the fore – the curve of the fender, the line of the body, and of course, those hood ornaments. In the early twentieth century, car owners could order bespoke hood ornaments – it wasn’t just a case of staying with the make of their car, even though the collection of leaping jaguars, growling lions and poised archers were all desirable.
The Nelson Classic Car Museum is the perfect rainy day activity.
Elegance inside and out.
The Museum’s most impressive hood ornament is a stunning Lalique glass eagle. These mascots originally sat atop the radiator cap, front and centre on the bonnet. Lalique charged as little as $50 for a choice of 30 designs, ranging from foxes and owls to mermaids and figurines. Their value has since spiralled upwards to the tens of thousands. Hood ornaments were never meant for everyday use, but rather would have been swapped in for a special outing or car show.
At the back of the Museum is its engine room, Cartel Works. The workshop is a constant hive of activity. Alongside their remit to look after the collection, they have a thriving business of servicing, restoring and building classic cars. Owner Mike Wilson is passionate about the collection. It’s obviously quite a challenge maintaining such a wide variety of cars in the collection – especially when the majority of them are kept roadworthy.
The Museum is also home to rather wonderful cafe, the Little Engine Eatery, which is worth a visit in its own right.
Bloom Cafe in Motueka offers a range of goods from local artists.
RETAIL THERAPY
THE HIDDEN GEMS OF NELSON/TASMAN’S BOUTIQUE RETAIL SCENE
Words: Johny O’Donnell. When it comes to a bit of retail therapy in Nelson Tasman, you really are spoilt for choice. Amongst the options are some truly delightful local retailers bucking the big box trend and offering a boutique retail experience that is sure to please whether you’re a regular local or a visitor to the region.
This article is written in sequence as if you’re on an epic adventure from Nelson to the Abel Tasman (because if you’re not, you should be!) Below is a series of our top picks for places to nab a piece of Nelson Tasman on your way through.
LITTLE BEEHIVE CO-OP
Little Beehive Co-Op was founded in 2014 by two Nelson creatives, Paula Ossevoort & Rachael Brown and originally stood on Hardy Street. Today Little Beehive is situated on Bridge Street in Nelson and is a treasure trove of local goods.
The co-op is home to a range of local artists who share in the running of the shop meaning you get a great personal experience every time you visit.
The store hosts a range of special goods from skin care to ceramics. There is also a great range of kids and adult clothing. Mildly offensive mugs also seem to be a specialty for the co-op!
RED ART GALLERY
Red Art Gallery is situated in a stunning heritage building that dates back to the 1800s. Another space celebrating local Nelson artists, Red Art Gallery has grown to become a favourite on the Nelson retail scene.
As an added bonus, it is also home to one of Nelson’s best little cafes and the smell of coffee lingers in the air as you shop their range of local arts and crafts from the small and quirky to the stunning masterpieces that hang on the walls.
From recipe books to handbags - the range here is seriously impressive for a small space. If you’re looking for a gift to take home, you’ll find it hard to go wrong at Red Art Gallery.
GLOBAL SOAP
The Little Beehive Co-op is home to a range of local artists and their work.
Inside the Global Soap workshop. Global Soap is one of the originals on the Nelson retail scene and is home to a seriously impressive array of handcrafted soaps which they export all around the world. These guys were sustainable before it was trendy and despite their success, the prices have remained relatively modest which is great.
You won’t find any nasties in these products and you can even shop for your K-9 friend! Interestingly, they also make a range of other ‘not so soapy’ products such as whitening powder, furniture polish and stain remover to name a few!
VOLUME BOOKS
Nelson is actually spoiled for good book stores but I highlight Volume because it’s likely the most timid on the scene. Tucked away on the corner of Church Lane and Selwyn Place, this little gem has a range that is akin to the likes of Unity Books in Wellington.
It’s a great place to visit as from the outside you could be forgiven for thinking there was nothing to it, but step inside and it’s a book lover’s paradise. It’s not unusual to find someone tucked away in the corner with their head in a book that is too good to put down. The owners are clearly passionate about their literature so if you need advice on your holiday reads, this is the place to go.
COOL STORE GALLERY
Cool Store is an icon of the Māpua retail scene, nestled in between other great shops and galleries that are equally worthy of a mention.
But I’ve focused on Cool Store because its a longstanding gem and offers such a great variety of local arts and crafts. Their collection features over 150 artists!
THE OLD POST OFFICE
For those interested in artisan food, arts and homewares, the Old Post Office in Upper Moutere is a must visit. It is in the heart of the small village of Upper Moutere, along the road from New Zealand’s oldest pub (although I’m sure they’re not the first to claim this!).
The store was originally the home of Moutere Gold, a producer of traditional small batch preserves inspired by the beautiful countryside and amazing flavour of the fruits that grow nearby. Now it is an exploration and celebration of wonderful local things from cheeses to chocolate and stylish homemade arts and crafts.
Motueka art collective, Zappekin. For those heading over to Golden Bay, the Landford Store in Bainham is a fantastic place to pick up some classic kiwi memorabilia
ZAPPEKIN
Motueka art collective Zappekin is a tight knit crew of seven artists who run the working gallery out of a former apple storage shed which sits right on the estuary. It is accessible via the Coastal Highway as you come into Motueka.
The gallery opens during summer at selected times and they have recently launched into markets with guest artists from around the region.
They define Zappekin as “a group of artists and allies banding together, zapping things into existence and forming kinships”. Once you’ve been through this very special place, you’ll appreciate just how well they do justice to that definition.
GARDENHOUSE, KINA
The Gray family of Kina run the Gardenhouse on their property and whilst it requires going a bit off the main road, it is well and truly worth the effort. The family have created the most inviting and warm surrounding for people to truly relax and enjoy themselves in a park like setting.
Gardenhouse is a boutique farm store and market garden. They sell fresh produce grown on the farm which overlooks the Moutere Inlet. You can purchase a barista made coffee and enjoy it in their garden while taking the time (and I do recommend taking the time) exploring their range of goods including their own line of skincare products.
BLOOM CAFE
This cafe sneaks onto the list as it features an impressive range of goods from local artists from plants to knitwear to prints and ceramics. The whole vibe of the cafe expresses the best of Motueka and is well worth a visit.
You can purchase anything from stylish earrings to hand knitted colourful beanies. So grab a coffee and enjoy some of their delicious food while you browse the amazing array of crafts produced by talented locals.
GLENN BATHGATE
LOCAL MUSIC SCENE STALWART SPEAKS ABOUT A LIFE IN BANDS
Although he would be the last person to tell you this himself, Glenn Bathgate is a prominent figure in the local music scene. He plays in a number of bands, organises gigs and has taught hundreds of children in our area to play musical instruments. I sat down recently for a couple of pints with Glenn to get his take on all things musical.
The first time I bumped into Glenn was through his involvement with the Riwaka Primary School where he taught my youngest daughter how to play guitar. At a school concert, which he helped organise, I loved the way he was succeeding in getting so many kids up to perform.
Even though many of those kids had only just started out learning how to play an instrument, and might still be mastering a basic drum beat, Glenn would somehow have them up performing to a room packed full of their family and peers. Many of those kids would look petrified as they were called to the front of the room, but through a mix of self-effacing humour and gentle persuasion, Glenn would cajole them into playing either individually or as part of a group. Having then conquered their fear of performing, the looks of triumph on the faces of those kids was a wonderful thing to see.
A while later when I was at the annual primary school Bandquest competition in Nelson I wondered how it was that a small country school like Ngatimoti seemed to have more bands competing than any of the other schools in the area, most of which would have much larger student rolls. I was also wondering how it was that some of the kids in those bands seemed to be smaller than the instruments they were playing. It all became clear when I saw Glenn backstage with those kids and realised he is also the music teacher at Ngatimoti. Glenn has a simple philosophy when it comes to the participation of children in music. “If they are into it, then I will make it happen.” It’s all about being involved as far as Glenn is concerned; “I don’t care if the kid is eight years old or everybody wants to play guitar. If you want to be, then you’re in the band.” He reckons that for many of the kids the music itself is secondary to actually being in a band and doing something fun with their friends. At the same time he finds it “pretty special and satisfying” when those kids go from having no musical ability at all, to being able to perform a song.
Glenn grew up in Oamaru where the original music being performed at the legendary Penguin Club music venue provided plenty of inspiration. He went on to attend Teachers College in Dunedin, but as he says “music just took over.” Glenn was a founding member, guitarist and vocalist for Blistering Tongues, a punk band that released three studio albums, a live album and toured throughout the country between 1998 and 2006. Blistering Tongues celebrated its 25th anniversary last year with a reunion gig at the famous Crown Hotel in Dunedin. These days, Glenn is in three bands; punk three-piece Derailleur in which he plays guitar and sings, Serenity Now in which he plays drums, and in a duo called Gasm with his partner Lisa. Derailleur also features his son, Billy on drums who is studying music at Massey University in Wellington. Derailleur are well overdue to record their debut album and this will happen in Wellington as soon as Glenn can get it organised. Glenn also has his own solo act, The Chernobyl Kid, an R18 comedy performance that he reckons “isn’t everybody’s cup of tea!”
Having seen Glenn perform a number of times in various acts, most of which could be classified somewhere within the broad genre that is punk, I was surprised when he answered my question about his favourite musicians. “I like stuff you can sing along to. You know, stuff like Billy Joel, who I saw live and thought was amazing. The last performers I saw were Elton John and also Queen. It’s wonderful to see bands live that you’ve listened to all of your life.”
Glenn has never been inspired to play in a covers band, preferring instead to write and perform his own material. While playing songs an audience recognises and sticking to material in four-four timing that people find easy to dance to would be more financially rewarding, he doesn’t write and perform music for other people - he does it all for his own enjoyment. “I don’t really care if I’m playing to 30 people. But if those 30 people are standing around listening intently and maybe even singing along because they know and like the songs, well that’s the biggest compliment you can get I reckon.”
“There is a time, place and context for all musical styles” says Glenn. Around here, most of the venues are looking for acts that won’t offend people, something that is accessible and they can listen to while dining. That was quite different to the music scene down south that was more focused on original and edgy acts, all of which was driven by the types of venues that regularly hosted gigs. This is not to say there aren’t venues up this way that don’t have those types of gigs. Imagine Theatre is Glenn’s favourite venue in the area. Located in the centre of Motueka, Imagine Theatre has good acoustics, a great lighting setup and even a backstage area. It is also a place where the musicians themselves can organise their own multi-band gigs. There are also open mic nights at various places around the area including at the Ngatimoti Community Hall on the second Thursday of every month, and at the Park Cafe on Thursday nights during the summer.
Glenn has organised and performed with various bands at the annual Sunday afternoon Livestock event at the Moutere Inn every December for the past twelve years. He likes getting a good variety of performers playing different styles which mixes things up and makes it interesting for this mini music festival. He reckons the Livestock event last year was perhaps the best one so far and he will be looking to enlist another good variety of acts to perform this year.
There are also a number of venues that welcome left-ofcentre acts such as The Riwaka Hotel, TOAD Hall, Golden Bear in Mapua, the Roots Bar in Takaka and the Mussel Inn at Onekaka. But right now, Glenn isn’t out there actively looking to play gigs. Like everything in life, there are ebbs and flows to this music thing and while teaching music remains the focus, he really must get things organised to record that overdue Derailleur album.
