South Summer 2022

SUMMER 2022

www.southmagnz.co.nz

At the cutting edge

Butchers keeping the tradition alive

Green is good Liz Carlson's new houseplants guide. Bitter sweet Sean Donnelly on new album Sweetheart.

Life & style Boutique gin, music, fashion, events, people, and more.

PREMIUM DESIGN

Banbury Park Lifestyle Village, from the people who developed Alpine View and Burlington, is a modern, stylish village with premium services and state-of-the-art facilities. Offering a relaxing atmosphere and elegant architecture in a convenient location, Banbury Park is created for a fulfilling lifestyle.

Stand-alone houses with two or three bedroom options (with garages) have been designed by award winning MAP+ Architects providing an interesting and spacious village environment.

Banbury Park has a full spectrum of care under construction - including resthome/hospital and dementia care.

107 Milns Road, Halswell | www.banburypark.co.nz

FULFILLING LIFESTYLE

The Village will provide a wide range of activities and events that you can participate in.

Events such as cabarets, talks from celebrity guest speakers, gala nights, live music, cooking demonstrations and more will happen regularly. Residents will also be able to join any number of interesting and inspirational clubs, such as the Travel Club, TRILife Wellness Programme, or Wine & Food Club.

The directors of Banbury Park have industry leading experience in operating retirement villages across the country.

A subsidiary of

To find out more, call Kate on 027 408 6684 or Lynn on 027 430 4622.

Editor

Gavin Bertram

gavin.bertram@alliedpress.co.nz

Design

Mike D’Evereux

Contributors

Mike Houlahan, Gill Towle Advertising sales manager

Nic Dahl (03 479-3545) nic.dahl@alliedpress.co.nz

Marketing Charlotte Thompson

CONTACT

Email: south@alliedpress.co.nz Online: www.southmagnz.co.nz

Digital edition: issuu.com/alliedpress Facebook: @SOUTHMagNZ Instagram: @south_magazine_nz

General enquiries to South magazine, PO Box 517, Dunedin 9054. Phone (03) 477-4760. Published by Allied Press Ltd, 52 Stuart St, Dunedin 9016. © 2022. All rights reserved. Printed and distributed by Allied Press. ISSN 2815-7605 (Print); ISSN 2815-7613 (Online).

4 / FOREWORD: Editorial

Well seasoned

That summer feeling is gonna haunt you The rest of your life (Jonathan Richman)

There’s a quote that suggests “there is always that one summer that changes you”. Given the unreliability of memory it’s more likely a number of summers, but the premise rings true. Summer is the most romanticised of seasons, representing youth, optimism, freedom, positivity, hope, joy. No wonder then that summer is often the backdrop for coming of age tales, although the promise of the season is often tempered by adolescent angst.

The bittersweet part of getting older is an often overlooked aspect of nostalgia. The long lens of memory offers an imperfect view, planing away the details and diminishing the unhappy parts.

My most golden summer was, predictably, during my mid-teens. The enduring impression is of weeks spent living on the beach, with the odd concession to attending my first part-time job.

But a less well remembered detail of that summer is that a friend had returned from Australia for his father’s

funeral. It was no doubt a very different season for him.

Certainly that summer looms in my memory as a pivotal time, its implications continuing to echo in some vague way.

With kids of a similar age now, it’s nice to see them anticipating a long summer full of promise. Maybe it’ll be the one they remember best, maybe not.

But one thing’s for sure: the memories of summers well spent become more and more of a gift as time passes. Gavin Bertram, Editor.

Cover photo: Getty images

Big Picture 10 WHAT’S ON: Five things to do this spring. 15 BIG ASK: With Volunteer South CEO Sues Russell. 17 DRINK: Dunedin artisan gin producer Sandymount Distillery. 18 PREVIEW: Exhibition looks back on Otago Polytechnic’s history. 19 SPORT: Local All Black legend Ben Smith’s new book. 21 SHOPPING: A selection of great ideas for the home. 23 FASHION: Summer fashion from local retailers.

Cutting edge: New wave of butchers keeping the tradition alive.

Green is good: Wanaka’s Liz Carlson has written Houseplants and Design.

HOW YA GOING?

Dunedin expat Gabby Malpas writes home.

Heart on sleeve: Sean Donnelly on the new SJD album and Mozart Fellowship.

I WAS THERE: The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival in 1973.

ONCE UPON A TIME: Mike Houlahan on talking to Joe Strummer.

Loose ends.

No more pencils, no more books

No more teachers, dirty looks Out for summer, out 'til fall We might not come back at all School's Out, Alice Cooper

BIG PICTURE

Photo: Pam Jones

Above: wall in Resene Aspiring with paint effect in Resene FX Paint Effects medium mixed with Resene Moon Mist. Right wall, breeze blocks and vase in Resene Moon Mist. Bench seat in Resene Aspiring, deck in Resene Woodsman Uluru, table and large plant pot in Resene Teak, tray in Resene Flax, small plant pot in Resene Siam, and chair in Resene Yuma. Cushions from Allium Interiors and Shut the Front Door. (Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick)

BORN OF THE EARTH

Left: The terracotta ‘tiled’ floor in this entrance is complemented with light wood and a painted cabinet. Wall in Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta. ‘Tile’ floor painted in Resene Tuscany with grout in Resene Raven. Door in Resene Felix, cabinet in Resene Blank Canvas with doors in Resene Gold Coast and ‘cane’ in Resene Double Dutch White, and hook racks and shelf in Resene Double Dutch White. (Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton)

Earthy tones and materials suit New Zealand’s green interior and coastal fringe. Resene paint finishes can be used to achieve a range of finishes reminiscent of European architecture and the colour range includes lots of inspiration for a warm, nurturing born-of-the-earth theme.

Left: Bringing depth to the earthy theme is this wall and fireplace in Resene Midnight Moss. Deep green provides a complementary contrast to the floor, painted in Resene Half Fossil and folding screen in Resene Tequila with ‘leading’ in Resene Midnight Moss and coloured ‘stained glass’ in Resene Bandicoot, Resene Rob Roy, and Resene Lightning Yellow. Plant pot in Resene Black Forest, vases in Resene Leather, Resene Rob Roy, Resene Clover, Resene Sushi, Resene Lightning Yellow, and Resene Bandicoot, lidded dish in Resene Tequila, painted books in Resene Lightning Yellow, Resene Clover, and Resene Rob Roy, votive holder in Resene Lightning Yellow, tealight holder in Resene Rob Roy and coaster in Resene Half Fossil. Sofa, coffee table and side table, rug, table lamp from Freedom, throw from Citta. Eyewear chain from Karen Walker, mug by Fiona MacKay from Public Record, poster from Pictorem, tray and cushion from H&M Home. (Project by Laura Lynn Johnston, image by Wendy Fenwick)

Above; In this Tuscan-themed courtyard the wall is painted in Resene Half Canterbury Clay with Resene FX Paint Effects medium mixed with Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay and Resene Double Spanish White. Shutters and windowsill in Resene Kangaroo, cobbled patio floor in Resene Half Canterbury Clay, Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay, Resene Double Spanish White, Resene Blanc, Resene Paris White and Resene Half Spanish White and large amphora vase in Resene FX Faux Rust Effect. Other vases in Resene Soothe, Resene Pewter and Resene Alabaster. Table and chair from Jardin. (Project by Annick Larkin, image by Bryce Carleton)

The colours used in European destinations such as Tuscany, Spain, Portugal and the colonial architecture prevalent in places like Mexico can provide inspiration when creating an earthy palette. Try the yellowy-white Resene Double Dutch White and Resene Colorwood Whitewash for wood panelling. Liven things up with a muddy orange such as Resene Twisted Sister, tans like Resene Rose Gold and Resene Dapper, dark muted reds like Resene Raging Bull, the terracottatinged orange, Resene Jailbreak and the pinky brown of Resene Tuscany.

If you are blessed with plaster, stucco or mudbrick walls, you are halfway there. For a classic Mediterranean look on brick, stone, concrete or stucco walls, go for a flat finish such as Resene Sandtex as a gloss paint will highlight imperfections in uneven surfaces.

Terrific terracotta ‘Terracotta’ is Italian for ‘baked earth’ and describes unglazed earthenware ceramics or bricks. In home design, the term refers to the cosy ruddy brown-orange colour of the material itself. This colour combines well with other warm, nature-inspired tones like creamy white Resene Half Spanish White and Resene Quarter Spanish White, olive green Resene Nourish and Resene Green Smoke and tussock gold Resene Cleopatra and with natural materials such as wood from light pine to the golden hue of natives like rimu right through to dark mahogany. The wooden elements could be furniture pieces or wall panelling stained in Resene Colorwood.

To create a terracotta-style tiled floor, all you need to get started is Resene Walk-on, a general-purpose flooring and paving paint and painter masking tape. Paint on two coats of Resene Walk-on tinted to Resene Raven, to serve as the grout. Once dry, measure and mark out even 250mm increments along each wall. Carefully apply wide painter masking tape. When you are happy with your grid (try and be as precise as possible) roll on two coats of Resene Walk-on tinted to Resene Tuscany. Once touch dry remove the masking tape to reveal your painted tile floor.

Emulating limestone

To give your walls a textured, lime washed look baked with Mediterranean warmth, start with two basecoats of Resene Half Canterbury Clay. Once dry, use a wide, soft paintbrush to apply Resene FX Paint Effects medium mixed with Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay in loose, criss-cross strokes. Then, almost immediately, buff your brushstrokes with a clean, dry cloth to soften the effect and create a blended look. Work in small sections no more than 1-2m2 at a time to manipulate the effect before it sets.

Once your full surface has one layer of the paint effect applied, repeat the same process using Resene FX Paint Effects medium mixed with Resene Double Spanish White. If any areas of your paint effect look heavy-handed and stand out too much, dab and buff a small amount of Resene Half Canterbury Clay into those areas using a second clean, dry cloth to pull back the effect. You may decide to add one or more additional layers of your mixed Resene FX Paint Effects

medium to build up thin layers and enhance the effect.

This same method, in tonal terracotta shades can be used to replicate the uneven, handmade look of stucco, mudbrick or adobe. Resene Sandtex Mediterranean effect can be used to achieve a textured plaster-type finish on a flat exterior wall tinted to your chosen Resene colour or you can apply Resene FX Paint Effects medium over the top, using the same process as with the limestone effect described above.

Paving the way

A ‘cobblestone’ courtyard, reminiscent of the cobbled streets in European cities, can be emulated using Resene Walk-on paving paint. Start with two basecoats in Resene Half Canterbury Clay. Once dry, use a high-quality flat angled paint brush – available from your local Resene ColorShop – to hand paint random, rounded shapes using a variety of colours to replicate the shade differences in real stone. Try colours such as Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay, Resene Double Spanish White, Resene Blanc, Resene Paris White and Resene Half Spanish White. Create a mixture of large shapes and small shapes for authenticity and leave inconsistent gaps for the Resene Half Canterbury Clay ‘grout’ to show through.

Tips

• Keep things honest and simple with environmentally friendly products and natural materials such as plywood and recycled timber finished in Enviromental Choice approved Resene Aquaclear and concrete finished in Resene Concrete Clear (walls) or Resene Concrete Wax (floor).

• Accessorise your space with natural materials such as a jute rug, wooden or hessian pendant lights and wood and metal furniture.

• Add to the earthy feel of the room by displaying earthenware ceramics and dried flower arrangements or branches, flax seed pods or bullrushes.

• For plants, think about generous greenery like peace lily, ferns, monstera (cheese plant), or a twisted fig.

For more helpful advice and inspiration visit your local Resene ColorShop. Or Ask a Resene Paint Expert free online, for help with your project –www.resene.co.nz /paintexpert

Gifting you the joy of colour!

• Make a lamp stand with driftwood stained in Resene Colorwood wood stain or large river pebbles to complement your theme. Or use ceramic vases for the base. Choose a linen shade and be sure to use a warm toned lightbulb.

Regent Theatre, Dunedin 7.30pm, Tuesday, December 6

After his previous record breaking, sell-out World Tour, the rock star physicist returns. His new Horizons will take the audience on a dazzling cinematic journey, unraveling how we came to be, what we can become, and other questions of cosmic proportions. Cox is again joined by award-winning comedian Robin Ince.

OF THE BEST

Regent Theatre, Dunedin 8pm, Wednesday, January 18

The 8 Out of 10 Cats host had the most-streamed Netflix comedy special last year. This year, he’s back in Dunedin with a show called Terribly Funny, containing jokes about all kinds of terrible things. Fellow British comedian Sarah Millican is also coming to town on January 23.

Professor Brian Cox

Jimmy Carr

World of Musicals

Opera House, Oamaru 7.30pm, Tuesday, December 13

The World of Musicals debuts this side of the Tasman, after a sell-out tour of Australia. The world-class ensemble of performers will bring all the hit songs in one show, with classics, over-thetop ballads, movie anthems, and show tunes from The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, We Will Rock You, and more. Also in Dunedin on December 14 and Invercargill on December 15.

White Ferns vs Bangladesh

University Oval, Dunedin 2pm, Sunday, December 4

After taking home an emotional bronze medal at this year’s Commonwealth Games, the White Ferns have since been in the West Indies. Now they’re back on home shores for white ball series against Bangladesh. The T20s include matches in Dunedin and Queenstown, before ODIs in the North Island.

Omakau Trots

12 noon, Monday, January 2 Omakau Racecourse, Omakau

After the big festivities, wind down with a fun-filled family day at the annual Omakau Trots. The Central Otago Trotting Club has held races at Omakau Racecourse since 1965, and the event attracts some of the top pacers from around the South Island. There’s free entry for kids, entertainment, Fashion in the Field, and food and beverages available.

Rural treasures found in Gore

Southland, and especially Gore, is known for its warm ‘southern hospitality’ you can expect your experience in the South to include genuine locals, hearty meals, and stunning landscapes. Agriculture has been the backbone of the region’s economy as well as its heritage, and agritourism in particular, has been booming. Agritourism is more than farm tours, it also includes farmstays, paddock-to-plate meals and visitor experiences ranging from horse riding, dairy farm tours, cheese-making classes, alpaca feeding opportunities and more. Spend your days in the countryside and visit Embrace Equine for a horse trek ride or a woodland photoshoot opportunity. Alternatively, pop into DairyPryde for a tour of their working dairy

farm, where you can try your hand at milking cows and, depending on the season, even play with or hand-feed the wee calves.

When it comes to farmstays, you are spoilt for choice. Hokonui Bed and Breakfast near Gore is sure to make you relax into a slower pace of life. Waking up to birdsong, a cooked breakfast, and breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding farmland draped with mountains and hills will ensure you start the day in the best mood. Shona and Brian offer a warm welcome, the open challenge to a game of billiards or the opportunity to just unwind with a cuppa on the patio.

If you are traveling with kids or like to get ‘hands on’, The Reservation B&B, with its central location, has its very own petting zoo. Crosshill Fishing Lodge, a comfortable, spacious farmstead, is located just a stone’s skip away from various great brown trout fly-fishing streams. The Lodge also hosts cheesemaking classes using local organic A2 milk. Stay and attend a class to learn how to make cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese.

If all that hasn’t got you convinced, then perhaps this will. Southland’s book-end long summer days are packed with fantastic events. The Edendale Crank-up in January is a great opportunity to come and

put your two cents’ worth in for those who are interested in hulking vintage machinery, tractors and more. The event kicks off with the main street parade ushering in the weekend’s festivities of hundreds of lovingly restored vintage cars and machines, children’s entertainment, and food stalls.

Every two years in February, farmland near Gore transforms into a hub of rural activity, with thousands converging on paddocks showcasing ag machinery and innovations from around the world at the Southern Field Days.

If you want to plan a trip down south later in the year, then add Gore to the itinerary as the Home of Country Music in New Zealand puts on a spectacular ten-day event! Towards the end of May, country fans gather to join in the vibrant celebration of Kiwi culture, embracing music, heritage, classic vehicles and top-notch hospitality.

And from the Tussock Country Ute Muster to the Old Hokonui Whisky & Food Match, “there’s something for everyone” has never been truer than at the Tussock Country Music Festival!

• Find out more about why Southland is the home of Agritourism on southlandnz.com/ agritourism and start planning your visit.

Are you due for a wholesome weekend getting back to nature? Rural Southland is calling!

Waitak i

Pumpkin Point

Sues Russell

Volunteer South CEO Sues Russell has held various executive roles in social services and community organisations. She also creates art and jewellery as ReconnectNZ Creative Studio in Dunedin.

What inspires you?

Two things inspire me: People that embrace life, live it as authentically as possible, and engage in the joy of connection and giving. The ocean, the beach, and everything to do with what lives beside, above, on top of and under the ocean. The moods, the changes, the energy, and the endless metaphors it provides for our own lives.

And what annoys you?

Judgment, particularly where there is no understanding or context considered.

Can you recommend a book, a film, an album (or song)?

Many come to mind – however, I think two films probably stand out to me. One I saw when I was in my 20s called The Gods Must Be Crazy. It had a profound impact on me then. Although it was a comedy and cult film, it raised some really important questions for me about how people see things from their own world view and that one view is not necessarily right for another. It highlighted how

selfishness and ownership can break down trust and contentment.

The second I saw only last year – My Octopus Teacher. This film was so beautiful and showed through the relationship the diver had with the octopus how we can learn about other cultures and ways of living without judgment and how that can have a profound impact on our lives if we just opened up and accepted that connection for what it is. And of course, loved the scenery and the cinematography showing us the amazing under sea world the octopus lives in.

What’s the most important thing that you’ve learnt?

To love unconditionally. To give freely.

Who do you admire?

As a child I looked up to Martin Luther King, his courage and conviction to change what was wrong. Today, I admire anyone that stands up for what is right, that lives authentically and from their soul.

What do you love about where you live?

Many things. I love the access to the beaches and our amazing coastline. I love our wonderful big deck looking out over the neighbourhood. There is nothing better than sitting there on a sunny day with family and friends, chatting. I love the wonderful things people do to make Dunedin a great place to live. I love the care and support that surrounds us, even from strangers.

Where/when are you happiest?

Where – at the beach or in my studio creating jewellery and artwork that is inspired by the ocean. When – other than creating –volunteering my time to help others and the place I live to be great.

When (other than now) was the best time of your life?

Raising my amazing daughter – she has taught me so much and although it wasn’t all plain sailing I am a better person for having her in my life.

What are you looking forward to? More of a dream - travelling again. Being a gypsy, living with little impact and connecting.

I think everybody should… …volunteer their time, skills, and experience selflessly. It’s amazing the connections you make, the understandings you gain and the wonderful feeling of being a part of something bigger than yourself. You can also learn so much from the experience.

• International Volunteer Day 2022 is on December 5, with a theme of “solidarity through volunteering”.

An imaginative, inspired spirit

Otago

By Gill Towle

It is there in the natural spring water, used at the end of distilling. It is in the native botanicals found on the property that mean the gin is inspired by the outstanding beauty of the peninsula. And it is the award-winning gin itself, where every bottle is crafted by hand in small batches.

Richard Wilson, founder of this artisanal distillery, is passionate about his product. As Chairman of Distilled Spirits Aotearoa, he has seen a huge increase in new distilleries over the past three years.

“People call it a ‘ginaissance - gin keeps growing in popularity’,” Richard says.

“There’s imagination and craftsmanship in every one of our bottles. At Sandymount, we have generational distilling, which means each batch is produced by hand and has multiple still runs so that there’s a consistent product.”

UNHOLY SPIRITS

Crafting by hand ensures care and control, resulting in gin that is subtle and has a refined but complex flavour. The prestigious judges at The Junipers, New Zealand Gin Awards 2022, agreed. Sandymount’s Chapter Two won Best in Class and Gold for Contemporary Modern. The Tī Kōuka Forest Gin won Silver at the Australian Gin Awards this year.

Tī Kōuka uses six different native botanicals, including Kawakawa and Mānuka. Inspired by the Ti Kōuka tree, the symbol of Sandymount, 100% of proceeds from this gin goes back into replanting native species. Sustainability is also found in the newly installed solar panels that run the still.

Sandymount is opening a new distillery with a tasting room and retail outlet in early December, in time for summer festivities.

Over the last decade, a raft of boutique distilleries have emerged in the southern region.

Auld Farm Distillery

At Scott’s Gap in Southland, the Auld family have been growing grain for three generations. They’re producing whisky, and gins including Summits Reach and Endless Fields.

Broken Heart

With pure water sourced from Paradise and local organic fruit, Queenstown’s Broken Heart are producing a range of award-winning gins and other spirits.

Cardrona Distillery

With an impressive operation in the beautiful Cardrona Valley, the distillery that started in 2011 is now making single malt whiskies, and The Source single malt gin.

Dunedin Craft Distillers

Producing botanical spirits from surplus baking products, this Otago Farmers’ Market mainstay makes the Dunedin Dry and The Bay gins, and a delicious Cacao Vodka.

Humdinger

Geraldine’s Humdinger was born with a copper still in 2019, and are now making small batch botanical gins, including their signature citrus and dry varieties.

Lammermoor

On a family farm at Serpentine in the upper Taieri, the Lammermoor Whisky and Gin Distillery handcraft spirits from paddock to bottle, including their Gin and Bare It range.

No8 Distillery

On Hanover St in central Dunedin, Julien Delavoie creates medal winning gins with an historic still. Their range includes the Horopito, Dunners Dry, and Hibiscus gins.

Rifters Gin With pure ingredients from the surrounding landscape and a nod to local history, Arrowtown’s Rifters produce awardwinners including the Original Dry and Quartz gins.

The

Peninsula’s only gin distillery, Sandymount Distillery, has a very special spirit.

Richard Wilson’s Sandymount Distillery produces gin on the Otago Peninsula.

Exhibition explores Otago Polytechnic’s past and future

Ka Mua

Ka Muri: Walking Backwards into the Future, examines and illuminates Otago Polytechnic; its people, place, history and future, in a six-month exhibition at Tūhura Otago Museum.

From beekeeping to beauty, photography to food, and art to architectural studies, Otago Polytechnic has taught generations of New Zealanders, providing a launching pad for careers, skills, and hobbies.

Ka Mua Ka Muri: Walking Backwards into the Future explores these through hands-on interactive experiences, including a pop-up arcade, featuring video games developed by students this year; a sculpture station; and a selfie station where visitors can use props to create Instagramable backgrounds.

One of New Zealand’s most well-regarded vocational institutions, Otago Polytechnic has a long history, starting in 1870 as the Dunedin Art School. After many changes in names, locations, and qualifications taught, Otago Polytechnic is changing again. On November 1, 2022, Otago Polytechnic officially transitioned to Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology.

”The exhibition will play an important role to help with communicating the upcoming changes for the tertiary training sector, introducing Te Pūkenga, and the exciting opportunities it will bring to our wider community,” says Dr Megan Gibbons, Executive Director, Otago Polytechnic.

A series of community programmes and events will also be scheduled throughout the six-month exhibition, such as Master Classes, where consummate professionals teach workshops on skills from art to cookery.

Family-fun events are also planned with the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital, as well as the only public update on the hospital rebuild as part of the event programme.

Ka Mua Ka Muri: Walking Backwards into the Future is free and will be open from Friday 9 December 2022 until Sunday 14 May 2023. Also see page 42.

LIVING THE DREAM

From

Early in his career, Ben Smith was told that professional rugby players have an average shelf-life between three to five years.

Perhaps he was lucky, but the Dunedin raised back defied those odds to play for well over a decade at the pinnacle of the game.

Surprisingly, Smith was 22 when he broke into professional rugby in 2008, with Otago at provincial level. His ascent from there was rapid though, being selected the following year for both the Highlanders, and the All Blacks.

For the next decade he’d be a mainstay in both teams, ultimately playing 152 times for the franchise,

and 84 times for New Zealand.

And during an incredible 2015, he became both a Super Rugby and World Cup champion.

More Than a Game, written by Neal Wallace, relates Smith’s experiences across that glittering career, all the way from Green Island’s Miller Park to the stadiums of the world.

Documented for his kids, Smith says his career is best described as “living the dream”.

“I also want to inspire young people with a dream and goals, to go after and chase those dreams,” he notes in the foreword. “If a battler like me can do it, so can you. With the right attitude and application, you can achieve your goals so long as you

trust the process.”

But as the title suggests, the book is about more than just rugby. It’s about Smith’s life and how that’s wrapped around the game. While professional sport naturally presents a lot of challenges, he clearly benefited from a grounding that was instilled by parents Karen and Stu. And since the age of 15, he’s also had the unending support of partner Katie.

“People in my corner have set me up to be successful right from the get-go,” Smith says. “I had an upbringing where it was drilled into me to have a work ethic and to stay strong with my values. It set me up for my sport.”

•

Ben Smith: More Than a Game by Neal Wallace is published by the Otago Daily Times, and is available from the Star Shop at 52 Stuart St, Dunedin.

Green Island to winning the World Cup, Ben Smith did it all in rugby union. He relates his story in the new book More Than a Game.

Ben Smith and co-captain Nasi Manu after winning the 2015 Super Rugby competition with the Highlanders.

Smith pulled on the All Blacks jersey 84 times over his decade long career.

Scooby sandals in sparkle, available from Merchant 1948 in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin.

Pearl slide in olive leather, available from Merchant 1948 in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin.

Six

Summertime Dreams

wardrobe.

XL Flood jeans in dark black worn in, available from Levis in the Wall Street Mall, Dunedin.

Petra oversized shirt in white/blue stripe, available from Decjuba in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin.

Croc tote bag, available from Pagani in the Wall Street Mall, Dunedin.

Dad shirt, available from Cotton On in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin.

Ricochet Cali dress, available from Hype in Dunedin.

The

Moochi Circle Dress, available from Moochi Signal in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin.

& Seven Modes maxi, available from Moochi Signal in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin

Denim Shackett, available from Cotton On in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin.

Moochi Geo ombre sarong, available from Moochi Signal in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin.

Mila metal frame sunglasses by Rubi, available from Cotton On in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin.

1. High Society sunglasses from Reality Eyewear, available from Hype in Dunedin. 2. Strict Machine sunglasses from Reality Eyewear, available from Hype in Dunedin. 3. Hudson sunglasses from Reality Eyewear, available from Hype in Dunedin. 4. Eden Round sunglasses, available from Decjuba in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin. 5. Rosie rectangle sunglasses, available from Decjuba in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin. 6. Abby sunglasses by Rubi, available from Cotton On in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin. 7. Gilson oversized sunglasses, available from Decjuba in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin.

Annika angled sunglasses, available from Decjuba in the Meridian Mall.

Gigi square sunglasses by Rubi, available from Cotton On in the Meridian Mall, Dunedin.

LIVING IN THE GREEN ROOM

Young Adventuress

travel blogger Liz Carlson has published her first book, an engaging guide to houseplants specifically for New Zealanders.

By Gavin Bertram

Houseplants and Design author Liz Carlson says that houseplants saved her.

(Photos: Liz Carlson)

Award-winning blogger Liz Carlson has always traded in candidness and relatability - qualities also found in her new book, Houseplants and Design.

Subtitled A New Zealand Guide, it offers practical information for the hundreds of thousands in this country who live with indoor plants. But the book goes way beyond that, diving deep into the research around the many benefits of houseplants, while Carlson’s autobiographical approach offers an engaging personal aspect.

“I wrote that houseplants saved me, and I still feel that way,” she says. “It became this thing that helped me when I needed it, and I know a lot of people can relate to that. I would never have wanted to write a sterile guide; I want people to remember things. I tell people it’s a book about houseplants and happiness.”

The US native, who’s been resident in New Zealand for a decade, made her name internationally through her Young Adventuress brand. The most popular solo female travel blog, it’s seen Carlson traverse all seven continents, in front of an online audience of millions.

Her writing has also been featured by the

likes of Conde Nast, the New York Times, BBC, Time, and National Geographic.

But at its peak, the continual travel escapades saw Carlson on around 100 flights a year, and in serious danger of losing herself in a blur of transit lounges.

“I’m like, ‘how did I do that and not die?’” she now marvels. “I’d wake up and not know where I was, and was so depressed and anxious.”

As a consequence, her home in Wānaka’s Dublin Bay became an increasingly important refuge. It was there that houseplants began to touch Carlson’s life about six years ago - initially an orchid, then a peace lily, and eventually a Monstera Deliciosa. She recognises in the book that the purchase of the latter was “the exact moment my love and passion for houseplants took root in me, never to leave”.

Since then they have largely taken over her existence. Within three years Carlson had amassed over 350 plants, and then during the pandemic she opened the plant and design shop NODE in Lyttelton.

And now with Houseplants and Design she’s penned perhaps the definitive guide for the New Zealand market.

“There is so much simple joy that most people probably can’t really put a finger on that comes from nature and greenery and having that inside and around you.”

“NODE was supposed to be a side hustle during Covid, and it turned into this massive business with its own force behind it,” Carlson says. “And the houseplant market and community in New Zealand is huge; the Facebook groups around it have like 100,000 people; it’s just madness. But all the books I’d read weren’t super relevant to here.”

While already equipped with a wealth of knowledge about the houseplants available to New Zealanders, Carlson set about researching the topic in as much depth as possible.

This saw her speaking to scientists and other experts around the world to make Houseplants and Design as accurate as possible.

Because even over just the last five years the topic has evolved, with plants being reclassified, and new research emerging. That includes a lot about the real benefits of cohabitating with plants - something that Carlson has first-hand experience of. “I explore that a lot in the book because I’ve had mental health struggles and burnouts, and I found plants to be so

therapeutic,” she reflects. “There is so much simple joy that most people probably can’t really put a finger on that comes from nature and greenery and having that inside and around you.”

Among the scientific benefits covered in the book are that houseplants can help reduce stress, assist with better sleep, and even perform better at work.

And there is the inexplicable joy of nurturing something living, and watching it grow, but without the huge responsibility attached to being a parent or an animal owner.

That perhaps explains the spiraling popularity of houseplants, with sales seeing a massive uptick in New Zealand during the lockdowns of the last few years.

It was also this period that saw Carlson open NODE in a 150-year-old building in Lyttelton. With travel writing work all but disappearing overnight, she had to find something to temporarily fill the void.

Recognising that there was a lack of decent houseplants available in the South Island, NODE was initially devised as a pop-up store, stocked with plants she’d collected

and driven down from nurseries in the North Island. It was an instant success that quickly became a permanent proposition, with a community growing around it. “It’s the kind of place where I talk to everyone who comes in, and try to match them with the right plant,” Carlson says. “So trying to have those conversations and make it more personal. I’ve learned a lot from people like that, and we also have such a dedicated fanbase who will come back and it’s really like this collective experience. It’s awesome.”

With the book just published and NODE’s continued popularity, travel writing is also gradually reemerging.

But now having these other things to keep her grounded, it’s going to be on her own terms “I’m really happy now,” she reflects. “I’m going to strike a really nice balance between having the shop and just doing a few of the jobs that I really want to do, as opposed to having to say yes to everything.”

• Houseplants and Design: A New Zealand Guide by Liz Carlson is available now from Allen & Unwin.

BEN SMITH: MORE THAN A GAME

by Neal Wallace

More Than A Game tells the story of Ben Smith's journey from club rugby to achieving international recognition through skill, determination, an unbridled love for the game, a commitment to training and a thirst for hard work.

Ben's story, told in a mix of conventional biographical narrative and through Ben’s own reflections, is an intelligent and inspiring look into the people, events, his values and drive that led to a remarkable career.

Not long ago the ancient trade of butchery was dying, but a contemporary wave of artisan butchers are helping to keep the tradition alive.

By Gavin Bertram

ART BLADE

of the

Greg Egerton and James Biggs at Links Quality Meats Photo: Gregor Richardson

It’s a dull Thursday afternoon on Dunedin’s Princes Street, and Greg Egerton is serving a steady stream of customers.

The former New Zealand Butcher of the Year has a yarn with everyone coming through the door of Links Quality Meats, discussing what’s on offer or perhaps just the state of the union.

Meanwhile his business partner James Biggs is talking about a subtle shift occurring in the trade, with a return to its grand traditions. “The personal aspect has probably disappeared in a lot of places,” he notes. “We don’t mind having a chat over the counter for 10 minutes. We don’t need to hurry anybody along. As someone commented, it’s nice to come in here and not have to worry about someone behind you with a trolley in the meat section.”

It’s an apt observation, as the rise of supermarket butcheries over the last three decades has largely killed off the independents. Egerton has been witness to the massive changes in the industry over his 30 year career.

He’s come full circle over that time, having started off doing his apprenticeship at a traditional full carcass butchery, before working in supermarkets.

It was at New World Centre City that he and Biggs met, where the duo were able to indulge their more creative instincts on the gourmet serve. Although that was a few years ago, it was that experience that planted the seed for Links Quality Meats.

Essentially we’re not doing anything new, we’re just doing it how it used to be done

Inbetween, Biggs worked as head butcher at boutique Melbourne butcher Meatsmith for six years. Egerton made his mark by taking home the Alto Butcher of the Year Trophy in 2019, and as a member of the New Zealand Sharp Blacks team on the international stage.

After a period of planning, they launched Links in August this year, in a Princes Street block that looks like it will become a foodie destination.

While they’re still tweaking the offering, the aim is to be a full carcass butchery selling products from animals grown in Otago, Southland, and South Canterbury. In the shop’s cases they certainly have an impressive selection of excellent quality meat, with small goods, offal, traditional and more unusual cuts available.

“Essentially we’re not doing anything new, we’re just doing it how it used to be done,” Biggs reflects. “I’m not saying it’s an artform, but being able to rotate and work your way through the animal and know exactly how to get rid of things so you’re not sitting on old things all the time is what we’re offering. Everything is fresh every day, and creative and different I think.”

Another traditional aspect of butchery on offer is that a lot of the work is done in view of customers. Egerton admits to enjoying

the theatrical side of his trade, and putting on a show that serves to create a deeper connection between the clientele and where the product comes from.

The return to traditional, or what now might be referred to as artisan butchery, was widely noted in North American culinary media the better part of a decade ago. And as Biggs says, it never went away in Australia, where communities including the French, Italians, and Greeks meant the demand for nose-totail butchery remained buoyant.

In Melbourne he found there was a butchery on almost every street corner. That’s not likely to be the case this side of the Tasman any time soon, but there is a small groundswell of butchers around the country doing similar things to Links.

It’s not just individual customers who are appreciating the shift either. The Dunedin shop has good relationships with some of the city’s top chefs, including Moiety’s Sam Gasson and Emerson’s Taproom’s Andy Aitken.

Indeed, some of Links’ wares were on offer last month at the brewery’s 30th birthday celebrations, including ox tongue, chicken hearts, and their Emerson’s London Porter sausages.

“As a new business, it was nice to showcase what we have and who we are,” Biggs says.

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James Biggs says the new way is really a return to traditional butchery.

“We’re not searching for wholesale, but we are dealing with guys we look up to and respect. Like-minded people who have restaurants and cafes and want to use something that’s locally sourced and is a bit different. The synergy has been quite cool.”

While this has been a big year for the pair, 2023 is looking like being an even larger proposition. So far they’ve focused mainly on the basics, but next year Biggs says they’re planning on “drilling down on a bit more interesting stuff”.

There’s also the exciting addition to their team of the 2021 ANZCO Foods Butcher Apprentice of the Year Isaac Webster.

The Dunedin butcher has been on a rapid ascent, having competed in September this year at the 2022 World Champion Butcher Apprentice and Young Butcher Competition in the United States.

Webster’s been interested in the more creative side of butchery since becoming an apprentice at Gardens New World five years ago.

“When I think of butchery I think of being able to break something down and create as

many different products as possible,” he says. “The big thing with these smaller butcheries is adding value. Getting a product and adding value to it through flavourings and ingredients, and creating something that’s ready to go in the oven, and something really special.”

Witnessing first-hand the level on display in Sacramento earlier this year was amazing, with the skill and passion of the young European butchers being particularly impressive.

At Links he intends to spend the next six months developing his skills, and staying on the competition scene with a long view to following Egerton’s deft cuts to Sharp Blacks glory.

“Isaac is the new wave; guys who are coming up hungry for a little bit more creativity,” Biggs reflects. “It’s something that we really enjoy doing; the creative side of it comes out in our product. But at the end of the day sometimes the new wave is just the old wave. It’s respecting the old school and putting a twist on it.”

The 2021 Apprentice Butcher of the Year Isaac Webster is joining the team at Links.

You can’t fake real barbecue

within Texan barbecue the classic sees seasoned meat slowly cooked in an offset smoker, with indirect heat and wood smoke producing the desired result.

That includes fruitwoods sourced from a Central Otago orchard, and of course New Zealand meats from a number of sources.

The California-raised chef and brewer works in Arrowtown, where his Lake & Wood barbecue has been used for pop-ups and catering events. Barbecue culture in the United States is huge, with four prevalent styles - Texas, Memphis, Carolinas, and Kansas City.

California has its own Santa Maria style barbecue culture, but Sherwood learnt the intricacies of Texan barbecue from his college roommate. While there are many sub-styles

Key ingredients are experience, patience, and the specific qualities of the wood being used - including oak, hickory, pecan, and mesquite. ‘‘Wood that grows in particular areas kind of dictates what barbecue is being cooked,’’ Sherwood explains. ‘‘Like some of the native woods here - Manuka with the beautiful salmon, which is a specifically New Zealand flavour combination that is incredible.’’ with Lake & Wood in Arrowtown he is revelling in using quality local products with the Texas offset style barbecue that his engineer friend Johnno made.

‘‘For the classic barbecue meats, New Zealand products are just exceptional,’’ Sherwood says. ‘‘My favourite beef is the Wakanui brand, which is grass-fed but has a little bit of grain-finish. New Zealand lamb - I can’t think of any that would be better in the world.

And then the New Zealand pork, specifically what I get from Havoc in Dunedin.’’

He believes that the timehonoured traditions of barbecue are becoming a lost art, due to today’s time pressures.

‘‘Barbecue is such a labour of love, and it takes so much time and care,’’ Sherwood notes.

‘‘You can’t fake it.’’

Jay Sherwood’s five BBQ tips

1. Low and slow: ‘‘Never rush, start the barbecue early and embrace it. For me it’s a great time to be alone.’’

2. Get organised: ‘‘Have a plan, write things down, and be organised. Don’t expect your first cook to be perfection.’’

3. Knowledge is king: ‘‘Get to know your equipment, your fuel, and the products. Learn what is a good piece of wood to chuck on at a certain time.’’

4. Devil’s in the details: ‘‘Your fire should have a little flame, with grey almost bluish smoke, and good convection.’’

5. Less is more: ‘‘My rubs and seasonings are simple. For brisket it’s salt and pepper, and for pork it’s salt, pepper, paprika, a little bit of garlic powder and onion powder.’’

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Current Mozart Fellow at the University of Otago, Sean Donnelly has just released the superb Sweetheart album under his SJD moniker.

Bittersweet symphonies

By Gavin Bertram

Sean Donnelly has a persistent vision of what it’s like to launch his creations into the vast ocean of music.

With everything instantly available to listeners these days, it can feel like a bit of a futile exercise.

“The picture I’ve always had is that you’re drowning with your record in your hand, in a sea of arms with records held aloft,” he says. “It’s incredibly accessible, but the chances that anyone will know it’s there to access are very slim really.”

If there was any justice on the high seas, rather than struggling to be acknowledged, Donnelly's music would be elegantly hydrofoiling across the surface.

Though it’s not as if the musician who records and performs as SJD hasn’t had any recognition across a more than 20-year career. In 2013 he won the Taite Music Prize for the Elastic Wasteland album, and he’s currently halfway through a two year term as the University of Otago’s Mozart Fellow. Plus Donnelly is a trusted collaborator of some of this country’s most respected songwriters, including Neil Finn and Don McGlashan. Inarguably his own songwriting exists in the same rarefied air as those icons.

If that point wasn’t emphasised enough by previous SJD albums including 2007’s Songs From a Dictaphone and 2015’s Saint John Divine, then it’s boldly underlined by the new Sweetheart collection.

Created in Auckland and Dunedin before Donnelly began the Fellowship, his eighth album is a superbly crafted set of elegiac songs, often with surprising twists. And Sweetheart is an album in the truest tradition - best listened to in its entirety.

“I don’t listen to albums much,” Donnelly admits. “I fall into the playlist world as much as anybody. But I do miss that idea. It really is verging on nostalgia, but I also feel that nostalgia is a much maligned and underrated form of inspiration.”

As he elaborates, nostalgia is best deployed not as a pale facsimile, but filtered and transfigured through a personal lens, rendering something new and interesting.

While all his songs follow “their own little path to growth”, each of them begin with what Donnelly considers a seed. These tiny kernels can be anything from a riff, a sound, a sample, a melodic idea, but they’re quickly developed into something more fully formed.

This is the pure inspiration part of the SJD songwriting equation, when a large portion of the creating is done. But the more painful part is in the completion of the work, which can take months.

“After you’ve had the giddy whirlwind of excitement related to the creation of a song, then it’s down to finishing it off,” Donnelly explains. “And that’s that Pareto Principle thing, where 80% of the work goes into the 20% of finishing it. Or it might be even more extreme than that sometimes.”

And so the songs are gradually honed, through periods of becoming weary of them or figuring out parts that aren’t quite working. As the songwriter explains, if a verse or chorus isn’t working it’s not simply a case of replacing it, as they’ve often been developed in tandem. But while negotiating the complex mathematics of songs is challenging, the idiosyncratic turns that his songs take is something that comes naturally to Donnelly.

To the extent that at times he’s felt he should rein in the inclination to include elements that

Sean Donnelly’s eighth SJD album Sweetheart sees him situated among this country’s best songwriters.

I like songs that start one way, and then halfway through it’ll turn into a completely different track

“I enjoy it in other music,” he reflects. “I like songs that start one way, and then halfway through it’ll turn into a completely different track; little meddlys and symphonies in the space of three and a half minutes. Perhaps because a lot of people I know are musicians, but they enjoy being surprised where a track goes and enjoy the oddness.”

One of the hallmarks of his SJD work, alongside meticulously layered vocals and masterful arrangements, is the use of electronic textures, which are really integral facets of the songs.

On Sweetheart those sounds are more prevalent over the first half, while the remainder are more in the traditional guitar and drums realm. However, the two halves cohabitate in harmony.

Donnelly draws a comparison to pylons running through otherwise untouched countryside - the strange coexistence of technology and nature that can be both grotesque and beautiful.

Having been resident in Dunedin for over a year, the Auckland bred musician says the southern city’s influence is now coming to bear on his music.

While there’s no particular pressure to produce work while he’s the Mozart Fellow, Donnelly says he already has the makings of two albums. He’d planned to work on something akin to a rock opera, but soon realised that was something better suited to collaboration.

“And I really do just write much better songs if I’m not thinking too hard about what I’m writing,” he muses. “To get myself in the right space for it to flower unconsciously. Having been in and around Dunedin for a year and a half at least, it’s just starting to come out now. I love it. It’s a massively inspiring place.”

• Sweetheart is available now at Relics. SJD performs as part of a stellar line-up at Nadia Reid’s Xmas Show at the Port Chalmers, on December 16 and 17.

SOUTH

/

Dunedin. Queenstown.

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Nadia Reid’s Xmas Show

Port Chalmers Town Hall

6.30pm, December 16

Now an annual tradition, Port Chalmers’ musician Nadia Reid’s Xmas Show this year includes SJD, Flora Knight, DJ Tina Turntables, and of course Reid with Sam Taylor.

Rhythm & Alps

Robrosa Station, Wanaka December 29-31

Along with some of the best sound and lighting around, the festival returns with another outstanding line-up, including Andy C, Chase and Status, and DJ Marky.

A Summer’s Day

Queenstown Polo Fields, Queenstown 4.30pm, January 7

With stunning views just 15 minutes from Queenstown, the hits will keep coming all day long, thanks to the lineup of UB40, Jefferson Starship, and NZ’s own Dragon.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin 7pm, January 26

Now with guitarist John Frusciante back in the fold, RHCP will blow the mothballs away as the Stadium comes back to life after the pandemic. And Post Malone’s in support.

Sounds of the summer

As the taps get turned back on post-pandemic, this summer is promising to be an excellent one for live music around the region.

Marlon Williams

Regent Theatre, Dunedin 8pm, Saturday, January 28

Lyttleton raised/Melbourne based Williams is touring this year’s number one album My Boy, which sees him having fun and even embracing the ‘80s pop of the New Romantics.

Fatboy Slim

Gibbston Valley Winery, Queenstown 3pm, February 4

The big beat boss is back for a handful of New Zealand shows, including what promises to be a monster party at Gibbston, with big hits like Praise You and Right Here, Right Now.

Queenstown Summer Concert

Gibbston Valley Winery, Queenstown 11am, February 11

It’s another unbelievable line-up for this summer’s big Gibbston Valley show, with ZZ Top, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Stone Temple Pilots, and The Angels all appearing.

Six60 Saturdays

Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin 5pm, March 4

Once again returning to their original stomping ground, hit makers and record breakers Six60 are on New Zealand’s first ever nationwide stadium tour.

HOW YA GOING?

Gabby Malpas

So, how are you going?

Well today, not so great. I’ve got a pinched nerve in my neck that is affecting everything. I’ve not had that ever… but I know that sitting on a milk crate hunched over a low table to paint or leaning over a potter’s wheel is not great for posture so it’s been a while coming.

Where are you and how’s the weather?

Sydney, ‘Straya. After a warm weekend, the temperature’s dropped a bit so stepping out this morning was like a sunny Dunedin morning in November – keep that sweatshirt close at all times. After the devastating bushfires in recent years in Australia, I don’t mind a wet summer if it gives the land a chance to recover and renew.

What’s been keeping you busy recently?

Lots of potting and painting. In fact, that’s pretty much what I do every day: create stuff. I’ve worked towards this since leaving Art School in 1986, and I’m finally doing what I want to do – just make. I had a really busy October with a solo exhibition in Sydney, then in early November I was honoured to attend the Otago Polytechnic Distinguished Alumni awards. I’m still coming down from that huge event and high.

When you have visitors, where do you take them?

We live close to the centre of Sydney so there are lots of things within walking distance. Lately I’ve been taking visitors to the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville. It’s the next suburb to ours and a 15 minute walk up the road. It was made famous in the movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert as the pub they started out from… and it’s a fabulous venue. There are drag and dine nights, an open mic session on Sundays, and the ceiling artwork keeps me interested.

Otherwise we’ll take you out for a seafood meal… or put steaks on the barbie.

What do you miss about New Zealand?

I was reminded about just how cool us Kiwis are when I finally got back to Dunedin after an absence of more than 30 odd years this month. I have been living overseas for so long: first in the UK since 1989, and now in Australia since 2003… that I forget to just slow down, breathe, remember where I come from and what we stand for. The thing that stood out for me in Dunedin was that people were friendly, kind, and open to a chat whereas in many areas, people are still wary and guarded after covid. There was a sense of ‘coming home’ to Dunedin that I haven’t felt for years. It was very special.

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Gabby Malpas was in Dunedin recently for the Otago Polytechnic Distinguished Alumni awards. The artist has lived in Sydney since 2003.

In January it’ll be 50 years since The Great Ngāruawāhia Music Festival. The first big music festival in New Zealand was promoted by Dunedin born Barry Coburn, who was just 23 at the time.

“It was decided I’d go to Europe and the States and try to put together artists to come and do the festival for us.

I was trying to get a sense of how everyone did their festivals, and talked to the promoters. Even in the States everyone was still finding their way with big rock shows, so there were a lot of mistakes being made.

I’d ended up meeting with Don Arden, who managed Black Sabbath. He was a pretty heavy guy. He and I sort of bartered, and I didn’t think I came out of it too badly.

I walked into this building at 888 8th Avenue in New York, and this guy had a huge cigar and his

feet up on his desk. And he goes ‘Okay kid, Don Arden tells me you want to do this deal”. This guy was known as a hard agent. But I got the deal done, and we had Black Sabbath.

The days leading into the festival were chaos. The problems of getting anything done were enormous, and we didn’t have a big support team.

Half of it we didn’t know – how do you control people swimming across the river, what do you do for campsites, how do you build a backstage area that’s secure? It was endless.

There’s this infamous story about Black Sabbath. They were going on at midnight, and Ozzy said

“We want to have a huge burning cross on the hillside when we come on. And we don’t want anyone to know about it”.

Our carpenter built this wooden cross and wrapped it in cloth, doused in petrol, and at the moment Black Sabbath was introduced, set fire to it.

I was on stage, and I saw the fire start at the base of this thing and it seemed to go slower than I wanted it to. It’s the funniest thing when I look back on it.

It was a joyous way to learn. I’ve got nothing but good memories about it.”

• See page 41 for this summer’s music festivals

Heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath headlined the huge festival.

Renowned Kiwi artist Dick Frizzell designed the event’s poster.

.

ONCE APON A TIME

They say you should not meet your heroes to avoid disappointment.

..For 15 years or so, as an entertainment reporter, I did little else but meet my heroes, and they were a mixed bag.

Some were ghastly: a lifetime of being spoiled and having celebrity-endowed power can do that to you I suppose.

Most were professional: many entertainers like to do all their pre-tour interviews in one go, over an entire day: when you are interview 15 out of 25 you can forgive someone for being a little peremptory for being asked the 15th time what the inspiration for the latest work was.

Many, thankfully, were an absolute delight, being astonishingly generous with their time and in allowing access to their world.

Then there are those who were simply unforgettable. Spending an afternoon with Boston indie legends Throwing Muses was a thrill, playing darts with Flying Nun stalwarts the 3Ds in a South London pub was slightly surreal, being ushered in to interview Senegalese legend Youssou N’Dour, only to discover he did not speak

English and I did not speak French, was high comedy. But then there were those rare chances to interview the musicians who inspired me to write about music.

My all time heroes are Joy Division – not much chance of an Ian Curtis interview sadly, and it remains an eternal regret that despite seeing New Order live three times that I never got to interview them.

But I did get to interview a member of Mancunian punk pioneers The Fall, even if it wasn’t Mark E Smith, and three different members of The Go Betweens, for me the greatest Australian band ever.

Getting to know many of the Flying Nun musicians and befriending the Wellington bands which emerged in my time with the Evening Post and NZPA –Shihad, Head Like A Hole, Weta, Fat Freddy’s Drop – and seeing them succeed beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, was special. But then there was The Clash… whose comet had blazed across the music scene before I finished

high school, let alone before I became a journalist.

Punk was the first music that fired my imagination, but rather than obsess about the Pistols like my peers, I went out and ‘‘discovered’’ The Clash all by myself.

On top of Simonon and Headon’s whip sharp rhythm section sat the twin heroes Mick Jones and Joe Strummer.

Mick was all very well but it was Strummer’s charisma, his sneering menace and his heart on his sleeve lyrics which to me were The Clash and which beckoned enticingly towards a world far away from Wellington’s most middle class of suburbs, Tawa.

I interviewed Mick Jones first: in New Zealand with Big Audio Dynamite to support U2 in 1993, he was oddly nervy and blinked continually like a possum trapped in the headlights.

He was friendly and engaging, but ultimately a little disappointing.

It was a seven year wait to complete the second leg of The Clash double, via a Joe Strummer phone interview prior to his Big Day Out 2000 closing set with his

new band The Mescaleros. With jangling nerves the call rang through, to be answered by Mrs Strummer, who wandered off to put her husband on the phone.

‘‘‘ello mate,’’ boomed down the line. ‘‘Let me get me fags, a bottle of red wine, and we’ll sit down and ‘ave a natter.’’ How could it not be the interview of a lifetime after that?

It was scheduled for 20 minutes and I was meant to be doing other things at work, but we well and truly blew past the allotted time.

The boss kept waving at me but thankfully my explanation that ‘‘Joe f***ing Strummer is on the phone’’ was enough to let me off core duties.

During a freewheeling hour he was articulate, insightful, obliging and screamingly funny, answering anything and everything until the bottle was empty and the ashtray full.

Emboldened, I mentioned at some stage during the conversation that their cover of The Equals’ Police On My Back had always been my favourite Clash song.

‘‘I like that one too,’’ he said. Fast forward three months, I am in the main stand at Mt Smart Stadium, having just filed my review to NZPA head office in Wellington, and Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros in the back field playing the final set of the festival.

As I ambled over to see him pull down the shades, suddenly Strummer’s voice rang out: ‘‘Well I’m running, police on my back.’’

There has never been a more perfect end to a work day.

Joe Strummer was just 50 when he passed away before Christmas 20 years ago. Mike Houlahan interviewed the former Clash frontman in 1999.

Joe Strummer in April 2000. (Photo: Michael Putland/Getty Images)

EARTHQUAKES

That’s not earthquakes the seismic event, but Earthquakes the place, about 10 kilometres from Duntroon in the Waitaki Valley. As part of the array of geological wonders that makes up the Waitaki Whitestone Aspiring Global Geopark, it’s well worth a visit to see the unique limestone formations.

The dramatic cliffs expose sediments that have existed since much of the continent of Te Riu-a-Māui/Zealandia was under the ocean at least 23 million years ago.

Beneath the cliffs are house-sized blocks of Otekaike limestone where numerous fossils can be seen, including the form of a baleen whale from the Oligocene epoch. But then Earthquakes is relatively close to the Valley of the Whales, and the entire area around the Geopark makes up one of the most important cetacean fossil records on Earth.

If visiting the Earthquakes geosite be careful, as there are various potential hazards including uneven ground, rock fall, and hidden caves and sinkholes.

Which popular ski town in the United States is a sister city of Queenstown?

Who kicked over the stumps at Carisbrook during a fractious 1980 cricket test?

In what year did the internationally renowned Dunedin Longitudinal Study begin?

What is the name of the public art gallery in Ōamaru?

Dunedin-born Lee Norfolk was the first Kiwi to play in which major sports league?

Approximately how high is the transmitting station mast on Dunedin’s Mt Cargill?

A number of Invercargill streets are named after what in Scotland?

What are the Hokonui Hills infamous for?

Sir Āpirana Ngata became the first Māori lawyer in 1897. Which Dunedinite also made legal history that year?

French gold miner Jean Feraud was the pioneer of what in Central Otago?

What we think, we become. (Buddha) • God save your mad parade. (Sex Pistols) • Life changes in the instant. (Joan Didion) • Bad decisions make good stories. (Ellis Vidler) • The only truth is music. (Jack Kerouac)