Nelson Magazine - January 2022

JANUARY 2022

At home

sea by the

Summer

VIBES fashion

discovering

NELSON'S T R A I L S

PLUS: A day to remember | Nelson’s historic gardens

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January 2022

What’s inside Features 14 - 15

Pole position

17 - 21

Home by the sea

23 - 25 A fresh start for Asher 27 - 29 Thank you for the music, Colleen 31 - 33 Nelson’s historic gardens 34 - 36 Discovering Nelson’s trails 40 - 43 Fashion – summer vibes 50 - 59 Weddings

34-36 Regular 13

A Day in the Life of…

47

On the Street

84-91

63 - 65 My Home 71

Gardening

77

What’s On

79 - 83 Social pages 84 - 91 Food and drink 94 - 98 Harcourts Real Estate

50-59

27-29

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Editor’s Note

LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE IN 2022!

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COMPLIMENTARY,

There’s something alluring about a new year. As we close the page on one diary and open another, the first of 365 blank pages, full of opportunity and potential.

We never really know what is around the corner, but a new year is often a kickstart to trying to improve ourselves. A resolution to learn something new, take better care of ourselves, or set a new challenge or two.

It’s an exciting time of the year, full of possibilities.

NO OBLIGATION DOCTOR’S VEIN ASSESSMENT & SCAN

In our first issue of Nelson Magazine for 2022, we speak with Jane Hopgood who has found a passion in pole fitness and also interview Asher Gibbons who made the decision to take control of her weight and has since lost 47 kilos. Whether your change is big or small, we hope you find some form of inspiration in this month’s magazine and I hope you enjoy a restful break so you can put your best foot forward in 2022.

Happy New Year!

Sarah Board

If your veins are causing you discomfort, or stopping you from living the lifestyle you would like...

EDITOR Sarah Board | editor@nelsonmag.co.nz

WE CAN HELP!

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Tess Jaine | tess@topsouthmedia.co.nz JANUARY 2022

Dr David Orsbourn MBChB, Dip Obs, FRNZCGP, FACAM Fellow New Zealand Society of Cosmetic Medicine

At home

sea by the

Summer

VIBES fashion

discovering

NELSON'S

Procedural Phlebology

T R A I L S

DESIGN Patrick Connor and Kylie Owens CONTRIBUTORS Tracy Neal, Adrienne Matthews, Amy Russ, Peta Lewis..

ADVERTISING Sue Davies | sue@nelsonmag.co.nz Sally Russ | sally@topsouthmedia.co.nz

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PLUS: A day to remember | Nelson’s historic gardens

Home by the sea. A closer look at the Boulder Bank. Pages 17 – 21.

TESS JAINE

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Your Say What’s your favourite summer activity in Nelson?

Toby Wild

Monique Rehu

Jaeren Claus

Alice Snow

Definitely paddleboarding at Tāhuna.

Building sandcastles on the beach.

Mountain biking and camping in our roof top tent.

Camping in our van.

Letters to the Editor Please don’t see this as negative or personal. We are all on the same spectrum. Just on different parts of it and I’m pretty sure the consciousness that animates the stardust in you is the same consciousness animating the stardust in me. However. This magazine itself is a physical problem of stuff. This magazine is an example of cognitive dissonance. The prize is stuff. Every second page promotes stuff. Dysfunctionality is the norm and normal won’t cut it anymore. The means are the ends. Be brave. Print this. We can’t change without actually changing. Kia Kaha.

Love Steve Reply from the Editor Hi Steve, You’re right, we do have a lot of stuff in the magazine.

But the stuff we feature highlights the extraordinary talent we have in the region, not ‘fast fashion’ or cheap junk. We have creative art from talented artists, incredible workmanship from those in the building industry, food and drink produced locally and highquality fashion pieces that last. It’s a privilege to be able to publish stuff like that.

Love Sarah

Email your letters to editor@nelsonmag.co.nz The best letter this month will win a prize pack from Chia Sisters, full of their nutrient rich drinks, including a 12 mixed pack of Chia, 12 mixed pack of Superfood Smoothies and a 12 pack of Immunity Tonic. The perfect health kick to start 2022 off the right way.

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MOVEMENT THAT INSPIRES

Headliners What made news in our region

Mountain biking in the Maitai

Compostable meat bags a NZ first

Mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts will have something special to look forward to this year with the planned opening of the Maitai Recreation Hub at the Waahi Taakaro Golf Course in April. The hub will include mountain bike facilities such as a pump track, bike stands, wash down and repair station. As well as provision for a café and/or mobile stalls, new paths, water fountain, accessible toilet, new golf practice nets and additional parking.

Fresh Choice could become first choice for meat eaters who are serious about the environment.

Wakefield School to transition to full primary Wakefield School’s board of trustees has announced the school will transition to a full primary in 2024.

This means the school will retain its Year 7 and 8 students, returning to a model last seen at the school in the late 1950s, before the opening of Waimea Intermediate. The transition will begin with a Year 7 programme in 2024 and grow to Year 8 in 2025.

All of Fresh Choice’s butchery vacuum-packed meat will now be in compostable bags, including the labels. The supermarket is also going one step further and offering a drop-off bin for return of the bags for anyone who doesn’t compost at home. Fresh Choice Richmond owneroperator Gary Watson says it’s a New Zealand-first initiative. “I’ve recycled for years,” Gary says. “But this is a step further. I’m excited about this.”

Modellers Pond redevelopment on track Work on redeveloping the Tāhunanui Modellers Pond into a family-friendly park kicked off before Christmas.

The long-awaited solution to the weed and algae-plagued pond was confirmed by the Nelson City Council last year after more than

two decades of headaches for staff.

The new design allows for seating, picnic areas, trees, natural play areas, boardwalks, a sheltered lookout for birdwatching, and a proposed shunting yard that will complement the model train tracks. The development will be completed in 2022.

Virtual vacation Enjoy the countryside without leaving your couch, is this the future of tourism? Nelson man Michael Nees of Virtual Journeys NZ has developed virtual reality vacations of some of New Zealand’s most popular tourist attractions. The footage has a 360-degree aspect and can be watched online, although to get the best experience Michael recommends a virtual reality headset. Michael says, for people to achieve their dreams and aspirations of seeing different places, it’s quite clear that the only way to do it is digitally.

Thin gs we lo ve Calligraphic creativity Artist Kitiish Penketh is turning blank, often tagged walls, into eye-catching murals with lyrical abstraction, like this one at Tāhunanui Tennis Courts he spent a couple of days creating. His mandala-like artworks contain lyrics to songs he has written and the script he uses is an abstract version of the alphabet. Keep an eye out for them across Nelson!

MATT LAWREY

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“I feel better if I feel good about myself. It’s as good for me mentally as it is physically. I would encourage anyone considering trying something new in 2022 to take that first step and give it a go!”

Jane Hopgood pages 14 -15

11

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A Day in the Life Of Aaron Lyttle

After getting some lunch and snacks together, my daughter Isabel and I head off to the Sealord Marine Rescue Centre to prepare for this afternoon’s patrol.

12.00pm

8.15 - 11.00am

Only real chance today to get any jobs done around the house. Seeing as it’s a typical Nelson summers day I get the standard load of washing on while Sophie waters the vegetable garden. After which I tinker with a few projects in the shed, including repairing some damage on my son’s surfboard. I love listening to my old CD’s while out there.

This morning I’m playing a couple from Talking Heads.

12.45pm

8.00am

I get up, have some breakfast and have a more in depth look at the latest news, mostly all the sports results.

1 - 5.00pm

7.45am

I grab my phone and send out a reminder text message to my team that we’re rostered on patrol at the beach this afternoon. From the replies I see we will have seven surf lifeguards there today which is good news! We will hopefully have a chance to get some training in while on patrol.

As the old boy on the team, I seem to get the job of picking up and towing our patrol tower onto the beach.

We assess the beach conditions, then get the tower set up and ready to put up the patrol flags at 1pm.

Beach patrol was relatively quiet today. Just small waves with a tide that was going out. Talked with plenty of beach goers, with our only incident being a small shell cut on a young child’s foot which we gave some first aid. We try and get training done while on patrol but with the good weather there was lots of people down at the beach today so we kept vigilant, watching the people swimming.

5 - 6.00pm

7.00am

I deliver Sophie’s fresh coffee to her in bed. With the surf being flat in Nelson today (again!?) I jump back in bed and read my book for a while, which is Lee Child’s latest one ‘Better Off Dead’.

Meet the patrol team at the Rescue Centre. We make a plan for the afternoon ahead, and get the inflatable rescue boat (IRB), surf truck and other equipment ready to go then head to Tāhunanui beach.

Time to pack up patrol for the day. We let the remaining swimmers know our patrol is finished and to keep safe.

Then drop the flags, pack up the tower and return it to the compound and head back to the Rescue Centre to wash down the IRB, surf truck, and other equipment and pack it away ready for the next use.

6 -10.00pm

6.45am

Get woken up by our hungry cat Freddie. After five minutes I get up and have a stretch, then wander down to the kitchen, flick on the jug and proceed to feed Freddie and make my partner Sophie a cup of coffee while checking my messages, the news, the swell and weather conditions, as today my patrol team is rostered on to patrol Tāhunanui beach.

11.40am

Aaron Lyttle is a surf lifeguard and the club captain of the Nelson Surf Life Saving Club. He loves the ocean and gets out surfing whenever he can here in Tasman Bay, or does road trips with his son Jed, often down to Westport, chasing swell.

When he’s not chasing the surf or fishing, he is more often than not running around after his two teenagers or at his day job as an aircraft engineer for Air New Zealand.

After a busy day in the sun and sea breeze I head home for a shower and some tea and catch up on the sports news, then relax for the evening watching a bit of TV before getting stuff ready for work tomorrow. Then head off to bed and read a little more before going to sleep.

13

ELIZABETH ROSE O’CONNOR PHOTOGRAPHY

Pole position Nelson emergency doctor Jane Hopgood has found empowerment in turning 50, through getting off the floor and discovering the beauty of movement, she tells our writer Tracy Neal.

A

t first, it wasn’t easy; Exposing the legs she didn’t like to a roomful of people and then dropping to the floor at her first attempt at spinning around the pole.

“I was so embarrassed. I was among the older of the group and I felt really self-conscious about that, plus standing in front of a full-length mirror.

“I went to do a simple move – a spin around the pole and I just dropped to the ground like a stone while others in the class were achieving it.”

In pole you need bare legs to grip to the pole and a mirror to adjust your position, but this first attempt was Jane’s lightbulb moment. When she got up the next morning, she almost fell out of bed.

14

January 2022

“I couldn’t lift my arms above my head. It was terrible and for the next three lessons I couldn’t even climb the pole I was so sore. Despite the embarrassment it made me crushingly aware of how out of shape I was.”

The senior doctor at Nelson Hospital’s emergency department turned 50 last July and decided that the quality of the next half of her life was in her hands. She and husband Kevin, the owner of Hopgoods Restaurant in the central city, had already turned the first half into a great adventure. They moved their young family from London 17 years ago, where Jane worked as a GP and Kevin as head chef in a French restaurant in ritzy Soho.

“I turned 50 and realised my upper body strength was pretty terrible and my lower body strength wasn’t much better. I realised I was heading into the second part of my life with a decreasing ability to do things I enjoy, and I had a choice about it.”

Jane knew she needed a different approach to gaining fitness; something that would keep her engaged for the long run, unlike the gym where an annual membership was often retired at about three months.

I realised I was heading into the second part of my life with a decreasing ability to do things I enjoy, and I had a choice about it.

I feel better if I feel good about myself. It’s as good for me mentally as it is physically.

Jane says she does not possess any superpowers and had the flexibility of a brick when she started, but what she does possess is willpower. She came upon the Netflix documentary Strip Down, Rise Up, which explores the intersections of movement and meaning. It delves deep into how people learn to reconnect with their bodies, sometimes broken by abuse, through sensual movement.

“It is not about feeling pretty, it is about feeling powerful,” the women in the film explain.

Jane says it was enough to convince her to have a go, so she Googled it in Nelson and found Altitude Pole. She says the exercise is extremely gender empowering whatever you identify as, and the most “body positive environment” she has ever been in.

“The really lovely thing about pole is that pretty soon you realise that no one but yourself is judging you, and if you can stop doing that then you can finally start to move forward into a place of self-acceptance.

“I feel better if I feel good about myself. It’s as good for me mentally as it is physically. I would encourage anyone considering trying something new in 2022 to take that first step and give it a go!”

It has also offered an unexpected benefit to her often challenging role as a doctor who deals with trauma.

“I thought about things I enjoy and that includes a boogie at a party. When I was younger I would have liked to have learned to dance but my parents had no money; we never could have afforded it. I was always pushed academically but sport was not something my family did.”

“We see young people in the emergency department, where things maybe aren’t going right in their lives, and it’s so lovely seeing young people outside that setting, and to see the great choices they’re making.

“Some I’ve even learned from, and I think it’s helped me to become a better doctor.”

15

Home by the sea Words: Tracy Neal TESS JAINE

A warm breeze ruffling Tasman Bay turns it from blue to green. Gulls rise from the warm stones and begin to soar above forming white caps, screeching at the intrusion on their sacred nesting ground.

Lizards dart beneath lichen-covered rocks, delicate flowers sway from salt-laden cracks among the stones, while black Oyster Catchers sound the alarm as we scrunch our way carefully towards the only signs of human occupation on Nelson’s Boulder Bank, Te Tāhuna o Tama-i-ea.

To hear the hush of waves breaking on its rocky shore, is to know and love Whakatū/Nelson, for without the Boulder Bank, we are nothing, says the ferryman returning us from the rocky stretch of heritage wilderness so close to our city, yet so far away.

17

The Inkster family's little blue bach has been in the family since 1967.

The baches Huts made of flotsam and jetsam have survived storms and bureaucracy to become heritage treasures, although one recently succumbed to fire.

The Boulder Bank baches have been the domain of seafaring families for decades, although it’s said some originated as rough shelters built by fishermen in the late 1800s.

Heritage New Zealand/Pouhere Taonga accorded the baches heritage status several years ago, which protected them from a looming removal deadline. The baches sit on a portion of the Boulder Bank deemed recreation reserve, and which is managed by the Department of Conservation.

They are officially recognised for their special character, said to be exemplary of the traditional and increasingly rare New Zealand seaside bach.

The loss of one to fire in October last year took the number of baches from six to five. It was felt keenly by the owner, and the wider community. By late November, the charred remains had been bundled up for removal, leaving a burnedout bathtub as the centrepiece of the once treasured retreat.

Remnants of comics and books fluttered on the stones and a badly singed succulent, once a healthy plant, remained clinging to life.

The Inkster family’s little blue bach, with its pathway to the sea and curios adorning the weather-beaten exterior, has been in the family since 1967. It was purchased from Phil McConchie, who built it a decade earlier.

All that remains of the Cederman’s recently burnt down bach.

18

January 2022

It bears remnants of the Inkster family’s Shetland Island roots and is today shared by second and third-generation family members.

It has become what Erik Inkster describes as the family’s spiritual home. His niece, Anne-Lise married her partner Lindsay at a Valentine’s Day ceremony in February 2015. The ashes of his and Helen Inkster’s father, long-time seafarer Gilbert Inkster, were scattered to the wind at a ceremony at the bach after he died in 2016.

Erik, also a long-time seafarer, often heads there when home from sea. It’s a time for fishing with his sons, Tom and Alex and eating fresh kahawai for dinner.

“It is a kind of busman’s holiday, but I like that. It’s just the way it’s always been.”

The Boulder Bank feels a world away from the busy Nelson Port.

Erik says the heritage listing has given all owners a level of surety, and the impetus to keep safeguarding the baches for future generations.

DOC Motueka Operations Manager Mark Townsend says the bach owners have 10-year renewable licences to occupy the reserve, with most set to expire in 2023. Decisions on whether to grant renewed licences will be based on the legislation and policy which apply at the time of application.

Bach owners cannot sell a licence, but it can be transferred to a spouse or child.

DOC says the future of the baches is to be considered in the next review of the Nelson Marlborough Conservation Management Strategy, for which there is currently no date.

Erik Inkster at the family bach. Photo supplied.

Time and Tide The Boulder Bank Te Taero a Kereopa and Te Tāhuna a Tamai-ea extends a long, protective arm across Whakatu/Nelson.

the natural harbour created by the Boulder Bank, the town might well have been built on the other side of Tasman Bay.

It is a tangible link to the legend that surrounds iwi arrival in Whakatū and further back to the beginning of time. Nelson geologist Mike Johnston, who has written extensively on the region’s ancient past, describes the 13.5 kilometre “spit”, most of which is now scenic reserve, as a unique geological feature, created by eons of seismicity, erosion and coastal currents.

Today, Bruce Robertson is happy that didn’t occur. The grandson of a lighthouse keeper has forged a small business out of ferrying people around the harbour, to the Boulder Bank and Haulashore Island in his sparkling clean, little red boat named Waka-to-n-Fro.

Six iwi hold mana whenua status in the Nelson area - Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Te Āti Awa, and all have an ongoing relationship with the Boulder Bank. It was also a key determiner the settlers’ decision on where to locate Nelson. If the New Zealand Company preliminary expedition had not discovered

Bruce also spent time as a lighthouse keeper, drawn by the storms, the sea and the remoteness. He says the Boulder Bank is not only completely unique, but also a foundation of the city.

“Nelson wouldn’t exist without it. It changes, every day is different, and I just love it. Every day I go out there is just a treat.

19

The world’s best bird nursery Nelson is a gilded cage, a local musician once said when describing why so many of us return from places we once dreamed might be better. It turns out it’s also the view of the Variable Oyster Catcher, domiciled in Tasman Bay and the Boulder Bank.

The Ornithological Society of NZ (Birds NZ) has been running a marker programme of oyster catchers in Tasman Bay for about 15 years, mostly around Motueka and the Boulder Bank.

Nelson ornithologist David Melville says Tasman Bay is the most important site in the world for them, and the Boulder Bank probably has the highest density of nesting birds anywhere on the planet.”

“From that programme we’ve been able to get information that not only do we have resident birds here that stay their entire life but that Tasman Bay seems to act as a regional nursery for birds coming from elsewhere.”

David says they’re still trying to pinpoint what makes the area so special, for as well as being a regional nursery there’s a substantial resident population here.

“When the young fledge, the parents boot them out. One can envisage birds in Kaikoura getting thrown out of the parental territory and then moving along the coast trying to find somewhere to settle down.”

It sounds a bit like trying to find a space at Opera in the Park – you keep looking until you find a suitable square unoccupied, with enough room to roll out the rug and set up a picnic.

Nelson ornithologist David Melville visits the Boulder Bank to mark oyster catchers.

20

January 2022

“They end up in Tasman Bay where we’ve got a lot of breeding birds, but also some surplus space and clearly, very good feeding conditions for them, so they’re able to find a reasonably relaxed space in which to hang out for a few years.”

He says it’s not uncommon for the fiercely territorial birds, and the gulls to warn approaching humans with their screeching low passes.

“The oyster catchers are very territorial and they’ll hold their ground throughout the whole year, not just during the breeding season.

David says humans on the Boulder Bank are not a problem, so long as they don’t take their dogs, and they absolutely don’t collect birds’ eggs.

A beacon of heritage The remnant of a sentinel for early shipping is today a significant sculptural element in Nelson’s foreground.

The Nelson Lighthouse stands tall and white on the Boulder Bank, and at night, it pays homage to its once important role by beaming a light back at Nelson, where once it beamed out to sea.

The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1982, and in 2012 its light was switched back on as the decorative centrepiece of a four-year restoration project.

It is also a vestige of Nelson’s place among the first areas to be settled by the colonists. It was the second permanent lighthouse installed in New Zealand, and because it preceded the technology available here to build it, it was shipped from England in sections before taking its place on the Boulder Bank in 1862.

Records of its early years and photos of the houses and garden created by the keepers and their families remain as treasured artefacts inside the lighthouse. Lily Robertson was born in Nelson in 1878 and later lived with her family at the lighthouse until 1892. You can read her delightful story via this link: www. theprow.org.nz/yourstory/lily-robertson-and-the-lighthouse/#.

YaVex7rRWiM In 1915 the Nelson lighthouse was one of the first in New Zealand to become automated, which ended the generation of lighthouse keepers and their families on the Boulder Bank.

During the early years of World War 2, its lamp was extinguished due to the threat of a Japanese invasion and was not re-lit until May 1943. In 1982 former Nelson harbourmaster captain John Westbrooke decommissioned it, but 30 years later and in front of a large crowd gathered at the Nelson Yacht Club, its light was switched on again, 150 years to the day from when it was first lit on the Boulder Bank.

To step inside today is the reward for the small effort to get there. The lighthouse is accessible to the public, but a key must be gained from the gatehouse at Port Nelson.

The lighthouse took its place on the Boulder Bank in 1862.

21

Yelsa Real Estate Comes To Market

If there’s one thing Kiwi’s are pretty good at, it’s doing it ourselves.

T

hat’s why Yelsa is the quintessential home grown real estate company developed by Kiwi’s for Kiwi’s. Yelsa encourages you to be as involved as you want in the sale of your property. Want to manage it all yourself? With Yelsa DIY now you can literally ‘do it yourself’.

Yelsa provides you with all the tools and marketing you need to get the job done yourself, saving you those big commissions, or for a small commission (by comparison) you can enjoy Yelsa’s full agent service. All you need do is give the instructions and Yelsa gets the job done for you.

“When you’re selling your property, no one knows it better than you do, and it makes total sense that the custodians of that property, the owners, have the opportunity to be engaged and share their knowledge directly with the purchasers. That’s why we’ve created a system which gives property owners greater control of their property sale”.

Mike Harvey, founder, Yelsa Real Estate.

When you sign up with Yelsa DIY, you’ll get: • Access to motivated and active buyers.

• This includes their contact details and finance status.

• Important documents and tools included. Legal title (typically costs through a lawyer), expressions of interest forms, useful clauses for contracts, printing and scanning services.

• A free online property listing @ yelsa. co.nz. When real estate company websites are obviously not an option and commercial real estate platforms like TradeMe and OneRoof charge for their services, Yelsa Real Estate online represents the best free go-to site for DIY sellers and buyers of all types of properties.

• A managed social media campaign.

We initiate and nurture the organic promotion of social media posts, creating threads that weave through large networks being shared with contacts looking for properties.

• Personalized Interactive Street Sign.

Your Personalized QR Code on the sign connects buyers on the street instantly to your property’s selling profile, and you instantly receive that buyer’s profile, including their contact details.

Yelsa owner Mike Harvey says the company’s goal is to make selling real estate easier, with more money staying in the pockets of the owners.

“We are a collection of committed professionals who believe there is a better way to do real estate. It’s our view that the industry is overburdened with archaic processes that add cost to everyone, from property owners, buyers and even tenants right through to agents and salespeople”.

“We know some property owners will sell privately. Yelsa DIY is proud to give private sellers access to powerful marketing tools and full control of the process. For those people that prefer an agent, we also offer the best value full real estate agent service available, hands down.”

Mike Harvey CEO, Yelsa Real Estate, Nelson Bays

Check out how to register your property for FREE today and take control of your home sale at yelsa.co.nz

Licensed REAA 2008

A fresh start for Asher Nelson makeup artist has battled some mean demons to get where she is today, including desperate grief from the loss of her mother, and obesity brought on by a string of life events.

She talked to Tracy Neal about life, weight loss and recovery.

T

he professional makeup artist, who loved woodwork above all else at school, didn’t know then that her flair for sculpting would one day shape her life.

Asher is the energy and drive behind Nelson’s mobile makeup business, Asher Artistry, which works with commercial and private clients, from fashion shoots to weddings and makeup education clinics.

There are so many moving parts to Asher’s story, it’s hard to know where to begin. So, we’ll start in the kitchen of her beloved mother, Lorraine. The memory is where Asher goes for comfort from the yearning, and to piece together how her problems began.

The gradual decline from active teen, who enjoyed sport and was a star discus thrower, to what in clinical terms was morbidly obese, ran parallel to life crises which reached a peak upon the death of her mother from cancer in early 2020.

“Mum survived stage four breast cancer when I was 14. She had an enormous battle and survived that, and then she was diagnosed with lung cancer in November 2019. She was gone three months later.”

Asher says it was at the point, after years of battling to control her weight, that she gave up.

It was not until she made the link between her mental and physical condition that she resorted to surgery.

CLAIRE DEWSON

23

Her decision to go public is so she can control her own narrative and avoid gossip. She wants people to know what’s involved.

“People might still have their opinions, but I want to be honest, and I’ve also never wanted to glorify surgery in that it’s the easy option because that’s not the case. For me, it was the last resort.”

A little over a year after a mini gastric bypass surgery she is 47 kilograms lighter and brimming with vitality. Business is going well after she fought hard to achieve professional qualifications in her chosen field, which followed several years working in hospitality around the world.

I tried every bloody thing you could have, but I couldn’t remember a time when I stood on the scales and my weight wasn’t more than the previous time.

Asher before her mini gastric bypass surgery.

She’s always loved makeup and would often spend a lot of time getting ready for work.

Asher says she was distraught, but then set about to prove that tutor 100 per cent wrong.

“I loved how makeup made me feel. It made me feel confident, it made me feel fun. I loved the colours and I loved playing with them.

“I got there and won the end-of-year competition for best hair and makeup.”

“Once I realised I could merge my passion for makeup and people into one, I decided in 2014 to study fashion makeup artistry at Weltec in Wellington.”

Asher says it was intense and extremely demanding, with a high dropout rate, but she was determined.

“I wanted to work in film, on fashion photo shoots and with brides – it was my dream, and I was so driven.”

She put up her hand for every volunteer job going, studied all day, practised applying makeup most of the night and then, her tutor sat her down and told her: “I don’t think this is for you.”

Her fresh-scrubbed, makeup-free face during our interview is a lag-over from days at the MAC cosmetic counter when she learned how intimidated many customers were by the highly made-up staff.

After graduation, Asher worked at MAC Cosmetics in Wellington, then transferred with the company to Melbourne, where she was soon an assistant manager.

“I found that people talked to me differently if I wore a lot of makeup – they spoke to me like I was scary and intimidating which really upset me because I’m neither of those things.

“I was wearing a mask that portrayed somebody I’m not.”

Asher has used a natural bent for the human condition in the work she does today, and in the steps she has taken to improve, and maintain her health. Part of her weight loss surgery package included analysis and discussion to figure out why the weight had been piling on.

“I went back a few years to figure out why am I like this? We grew up in a house where there was no packet food; mum made everything from scratch.

She would spend hours in the kitchen, and I have strong memories of her singing along to Pink Floyd and cooking. Food had a huge importance in the family – everything revolved around it.”

Asher says the size of food portions play a large part in managing weight loss, but this is not widely understood. Her own analysis links it to the “reward” system many of us grew up with – having to eat everything on our plate before the treat of dessert.

Asher has made a career as a makeup artist.

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January 2022

“I think now, that’s just not right. It teaches you that even if you’re full, keep eating because you’re going to want this amazing dessert.

People might still have their opinions, but I want to be honest, and I’ve also never wanted to glorify surgery in that it’s the easy option because that’s not the case.

For me, it was the last resort.

“I would sit there for an hour, so full already, but really wanting that ice cream.”

Asher says as an active youngster who loved swimming and sport, she was trim, but after puberty she recalls becoming one of the larger in her group of friends.

“I put on lots of weight and then got to the point where I was like, right, I’ve got to do something about this.”

At the time she was in the throes of a move overseas, so joined a Weightwatcher’s programme and a gym. A year’s commitment saw the kilos drop away to a magic weight of 67 kilos, and in 2008 she took flight for Canada.

But winter struck, and Asher had to give up her job due to administrative reasons around her visa.

“I wasn’t able to work, it was the dead of winter in Canada, and despite my best efforts the weight began piling on again.”

Five years after heading to Canada, and after a brief time in the UK, Asher was back in New Zealand where she tried hypnotherapy, online nutrition appointments, joined the Noom weight loss app, and paid for advice from multiple personal trainers and psychologists.

“I tried every bloody thing you could have, but I couldn’t remember a time when I stood on the scales and my weight wasn’t more than the previous time. It was never the same, or never less, I was just growing and growing.”

Asher persisted, and in 2015 she completed her professional makeup qualifications, moved to Australia and then back to Nelson a couple of years later to launch Asher Artistry. It wasn’t too much later she lost her mother, and New Zealand went into Level Four lockdown.

“I was just…I couldn’t give a sh.. anymore. I had reached the point where I thought, ‘this is me now, and I need to accept that this is my life – I’m going to be a very overweight person’.

“I’d just given up.”

At age 32 she could not walk longer than two minutes without excruciating back pain, and couldn't tie her shoelaces, because bending down was so painful it felt like she was crushing her organs.

“I’d almost got to the point I was proud of myself for eating badly. I’d go buy fast food, eat it, and tell myself, ‘Yeah, go you’.”

Asher realises now that depression played a big part in what was a highly self-destructive habit. She was addicted to food and was eventually diagnosed with binge eating disorder.

She scraped together almost $30,000, helped by a personal loan after use of her Kiwisaver fund was denied, to have the surgery performed privately at the Christchurch Weight Loss Clinic. The surgery and recovery were painless, unlike that experienced by others she has spoken with.

“I know so many people who’ve had this, who’ve seriously struggled with the after-effects: Pain, massive amounts of nausea, all the stuff that goes on with having your tummy re-wired.

After losing 47kg, Asher says she’s healthier than she’s been in years.

“Most said if they knew how sick they would feel afterwards, they never would have done it, whereas I loved my recovery.”

She puts that down to the surgeon, who performed exquisite key-hole surgery and the after-care team at the clinic, including their reaction when she asked for lunch a day after the procedure, following a prescribed walk.

“I finished that, looked at them and said, ‘Um, I’m quite hungry’. They said I couldn’t be, even after I told them I hadn’t eaten in 36 hours.

“I mean, there’s never been a time in my life I’ve been sick enough I’ve never wanted food, ever. I’d have food poisoning and suddenly ask for cheese and crackers.”

Asher says the cup of beef Oxo she was given was close to the most amazing lunch she’s ever had. The liquid diet over following weeks was less impressive, but the noticeable weight loss made up for it.

“It’s rapid at the start, because of the very limited food – there’s a liquid stage, a puree stage and then soft food, for about two weeks at each stage.”

Asher did not want to lose weight too rapidly because of the toll it could take on her general health, and she was also worried about being left with a lot of loose skin.

A year on, Asher says she has developed a new approach, and love for food, cooking from scratch like her mother used to, with music blaring in the background.

“Even though I can’t really eat it, it’s the piecing together with love and enjoyment that is so important.”

If you’d like to know more about Asher’s journey, follow her on Instagram @asher.artistry For help with weight loss, talk to your doctor, or visit health.govt.nz

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TESS JAINE

Thank you for the music, Colleen Colleen Marshall is a central figure in the national celebration of chamber music in Nelson. She tells Tracy Neal they’re putting Covid on the backburner and tuning up once more for a short season of summer concerts in Nelson.

A

s the waves of Covid began to break on our shores almost two years ago, locking up audiences in their homes and cancelling multiple events, some managed to score a break in the weather.

The festival had its beginnings in the mid-1990s and has become what Colleen says is a highlight of her life. She says prior to Covid, surveys revealed it brought economic benefits to the region of around $5 million.

Last year’s Adam Summer Celebration - a mini version of the internationally renowned Adam Chamber Music Festival went ahead without a hitch, beating another lockdown. The trust which runs the event has been planning since then for this year’s celebration, scheduled to begin next month.

“It was an early, long-term ambition to turn it into an international festival, to be part of the international circuit and having the name Adam in the title was a great help.”

Colleen Marshall chairs the Nelson Adam Festival of Chamber Music. She says the support from competent and dedicated trustees has helped the event grow into a large and sophisticated festival, attracting musicians and audiences from around the world.

She says support from New Zealand audiences for last year’s trimmed down Adam Summer Celebration meant it maintained considerable momentum.

The Nelson City Council is the festival’s principal sponsor, with long-time supporters, the late Denis Adam and his wife Verna Adam as naming rights sponsors through the Adam Foundation.

Its reputation has been upheld through the work and dedication of the festival’s artistic directors, musicians Gillian Ansell and Helene Pohl who curate the programme.

“We were astounded. We sold 100 season tickets for the fourday festival within the first two days of the ticket launch.

Colleen, who was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2014 for her services to the arts, says preparation for the festival has helped ease the loneliness since the death of her husband, former Nelson Mayor Kerry Marshall in March 2020.

“This time around it’s even more spectacular. It tells us so much about the talent we have in New Zealand but also about the sophistication of music appreciation in Nelson.”

Colleen and Kerry were childhood sweethearts, having first met when she was aged 14. She says widowhood is a shock she never anticipated would be so tough.

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The change from being a married person to being a single person is huge, it’s a phenomena because society looks at you differently when you’re a single person, and there are many judgements around how you should behave when you become a widow.

Colleen says that in some ways it has also been liberating, opening up new connections she otherwise might not have made.

At the saddest times, she has turned to music.

“It has helped me so much. I have a piano I can thump away on; I’ve been part of the Cathedral Choir; patron of the Civic Choir and the festival keeps me absolutely inspired.”

Music has been Colleen’s lifeblood. She was born in Nelson in 1942, lived in Nile Street as a youngster and went to Nelson Central School, but it was her Aunt Gladys, a teacher at Nelson College for Girls and a pianist who got the ball rolling.

“She brought her piano when she came to stay with us. She’d play us off to sleep at night.

“She had a big influence on our family life.”

Colleen was taught to play the pipe organ and conducted a small choir at St John’s Methodist Church in Hardy Street.

“It’s been a very lonely time, and I say that straight from my heart, because I’ve really no business feeling lonely. I have my wonderful daughter and family nearby – two minutes away on my electric bike, and my darling son and his family nearby at the Lake (Rotoiti), who I see once a week.

“I’m very fortunate, but I miss Kerry so much because he was such a great friend.”

“It was a hugely supportive congregation. The people were always interested in what we (youngsters) were doing. It was always so affirming.”

St John’s is also where Colleen met Kerry, whose family were resolute members of the of the congregation. Kerry’s brother, the late Russell Marshall was a Methodist Minister before entering politics. He married Colleen’s older sister Barbara Watson.

“Kerry and I started going out when I was 16, which was all arranged by Barbara and Russell.”

They hadn’t liked the thought of Colleen sitting alone by herself on her birthday, so let Kerry have their car.

“It was a funny little old Morris 8 in which he took me off to a dance on my birthday, but I’m a little ashamed to say I was brought home by someone else, in his father’s Jag.” Two weeks later, there was another dance. The pair became an item, leading to a 56-year marriage, after Colleen’s time away at teacher training college in Christchurch. She had initially aimed for a career in radio, after gaining a cadetship with what was then Radio Nelson.

Colleen and Kerry Marshall at Mackinnon Pass, while hiking the Milford Track in the 1970s.

“I did a year of the four-year cadetship. I missed all my friends who had gone to Wellington or Christchurch, and by the end of that year I realised I really wanted to become a teacher.”

Colleen graduated to become a primary school teacher, completed music exams, and scored a part time job teaching at Nelson College for Girls.

Kerry Marshall, MBE, was a key figure in local government, which included his tenure as mayor across three territorial authorities: Richmond borough, Tasman District, and Nelson City.

“I finished a degree when I was there and eventually became the school’s Head of Music.”

Colleen says adapting to single life after so long as a couple has been much harder than she ever imagined.

“It expresses the human condition - it’s something I couldn’t live without. It’s the joy it provides, and it’s also an appreciation of what it takes to produce a beautiful sound; what it takes to write a beautiful composition.

“The change from being a married person to being a single person is huge, it’s a phenomena because society looks at you differently when you’re a single person, and there are many judgements around how you should behave when you become a widow.”

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Colleen says music is the one and only universal language, capable of touching everyone directly, without any intermediary.

“The architectural structure of a symphony is just phenomenal. All of that just captured my imagination and amazed me.”

JAMES DAVIES

This time around it’s even more spectacular. It tells us so much about the talent we have in New Zealand but also about the sophistication of music appreciation in Nelson.

NZTrio and preforming at this year's Adam Summer Celebration.

Colleen says it’s extraordinary how musical notes originated to translate the meaning of sound. For that, we have monks to thank, who sang plainsong (sacred chants) in monasteries many hundreds of years ago and devised a way to notate it so it could be interpreted by a reader.

“That’s how it evolved which is magic, really.”

Colleen says despite her devotion to classical music, she’s not above being moved by a modern tune, and has enjoyed directing a number of musicals.

Colleen says they’ve learned to build Covid into planning, with plenty of contingency, and just for a few days in February, they hope to be able to forget it, and just listen to the music.

“We’re so proud of this festival. We’re proud of the fact it’s Nelson, that we have the refurbished Nelson Centre for Musical Arts to accommodate it, that it generates an economic boost to the region; that we can introduce people to the beauty of Nelson, and we can give them this wonderful musical experience.”

“If it’s good, I’ll listen to it. If it’s repetitive, noisy and not well structured, well, I’m not interested.

“I’ve been called a musical snob, and I am, but that’s because I like quality. If you listen to the Beatles, that’s quality, because they knew about music.”

*Except during public events

Check out our website and facebook page for upcoming events

The Adam Summer Celebration takes place from 3-6 February at the Nelson Centre of Musical Arts

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TESS JAINE

Roses at the Queen's Gardens.

Nelson’s historic gardens The late poet and artist, Minnie Aumônier, wrote, “When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden”. Some of Nelson’s early settlers must have believed the same because, thanks to their efforts, the region has a rich heritage of public gardens that continue to provide solace and beauty in the heart of our communities today.

Words: Adrienne Matthews

W

e often take these special jewels in our local crown for granted and it can be a revelation taking time out to explore them.

There are few more tranquil places than the 1.7 hectare Queen’s Gardens, set around an offshoot of the Maitai River, once called the Eel Pond, that was a source of kai for local Tangata whenua. In the early days of Nelson’s settlement it became an important central recreational area used for numerous public activities such as military parades, fly fishing, exercise, “promenading” and was also where the Acclimatisation Society introduced many fish and bird species.

In 1887 the decision was taken to develop it as a public garden in honour of Queen Victoria’s fifty year jubilee. Several decades of work followed to establish the basis of the garden we enjoy today with more than 170 trees and shrubs planted on New Zealand’s first Arbour Day in 1892. These included, amongst others, a mixture of exotic and rare indigenous

trees such as Nikau palms, Cabbage trees, Magnolias, Rhododendrons and Azaleas. These large specimen trees now provide a glorious canopy below which intense under planting of flowers and shrubs add to a rich tapestry of texture and colour.

The character of the garden changes with the seasons and needs to be visited at different times of the year to truly be appreciated. In spring the vibrant orange clivias dazzle then the Roses and Hellebores begin their show.

Other first-rate performances come from banks of wellloved perennials, purple Scabiosa, golden Alstroemeria, Centaurea, Hydrangeas and Abutilons. There are persimmon coloured Lilies specked with burgundy, heritage Geraniums, Hollyhocks and Hostas. Bird of Paradise, swathes of Renga Renga lilies and even some shocking pink Epiphyllum add to the mix. Waterlilies decorate the waterways and the creamy dogwoods shimmer on the banks.

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As summer builds the leafy abundance of the tree canopy with all its great diversity becomes a haven from the heat.

Pathways through the ferns bring a cooling respite, a place to meet friends and enjoy a picnic.

With so many perennials on display, the gardens retain their beauty throughout autumn and winter. These months are a time to appreciate the play of light on water and the diversity of textures.

The addition in 2007 of the sister-city Huangshi Chinese Garden on the eastern side provides a quiet, contemplative space that should not be missed.

As such an important part of Nelson’s heritage, the Queens Gardens are managed according to a conservation plan to maintain their historical characteristics.

TESS JAINE

ABOVE: The Cupid Fountain at the Queen's Gardens was installed in 1894 by stonemason Johann Belcher who imported the mould, with its four lions' heads for £312. ABOVE RIGHT: The Queen's Gardens is a happy home for a number of hungry geese.

Samuel’s Rose Garden at Broadgreen If the Great Depression of the 1930s hadn’t occurred, Nelson may well not have ever had its popular rose garden at Broadgreen. Jim Samuels has just completed his apprenticeship as a nurseryman in Ashburton when the Great Depression hit. With work drying up he travelled to Nelson, keen to secure any seasonal horticultural jobs available.

Multi-skilled and eager to try anything, he set up the Nelson Pie Cart in 1935, meeting his wife-to-be, Rima, soon after.

Together they ran the family business for another twentythree years but, despite his busy life, Jim’s love of plants had never left him. The couple’s home collection of roses gradually took over their garden and in the mid-1950s they leased land in Stoke to raise more plants in the hope that it might become a commercial operation.

The rose garden today flourishes under the care of Nelmac and the Nelson Rose Society who assist with pruning. As an historical garden, the original varieties are retained wherever possible, many of them lasting over twenty years.

Deadheading is a major task during the busy flowering season and an early season pruning is carried out during humid weather to assist with the ongoing health of the plants.

With around 3000 roses and 560 named varieties, including a section of old-fashioned ones, there are plenty of blooms to admire during spring and summer, including ‘Rima’, a salmon pink hybrid tea grown by Jim Samuels, and named after his wife.

Not only did it flourish but they went on to achieve the status as New Zealand’s premier rose growers, even winning awards for their blooms across the Tasman.

Due to the Nelson City Council requiring the land for a motorway, the Samuels closed the nursery in 1967. Fortunately however the council purchased the historic Broadgreen property in 1965 (then called Langbein House after its then owners) with plans to create a public garden around it. Many people supported the idea of a rose garden and the Samuels donated all their rootstock and bud wood to help establish it.

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January 2022

ADRIENNE MATTHEWS

The Samuels Rose Gardens contain around 3000 plants and 560 named varieties.

ADRIENNE MATTHEWS

Isel Park is famous for its Rhododendrons and Azaleas, with blooms from late winter to early summer.

Isel Park An hour spent in Isel Park is true refreshment for the soul.

With its towering historic trees that provide shelter from prevailing breezes, its wide lawns for picnicking in front of the historic homestead and it’s wandering garden trails, it provides opportunities for recreation to all ages.

Early settlers Thomas and Mary Marsden arrived in Nelson from north-west England in 1842. A watchmaker and jeweller by trade, the couple lived in Nelson before moving out to their estate in Stoke in 1847 and calling it Isel after a small town in Cumbria.

Covering four hectares, the Marsden’s quickly set to work over the next two decades and planted numerous trees on the site, many of which still stand. Following Thomas’s death, son James continued his legacy, continually adding to the garden until his passing in 1926.

The house and gardens were purchased by the Nelson City Council in 1960.

Isel is a woodland English-type garden with trees planted in a random fashion allowing for surprises around every corner. The garden walks are arranged so as to appreciate their grandeur and the garden includes some of the oldest conifers and exotic trees in New Zealand, some of which are now classified as heritage trees. Species in the

park include over twenty English Oaks, Monterey Cypress, a Canary Island Pine, Corsican Pines and a giant Tulip tree amongst them.

Famous for its Rhododendrons and Azaleas, the park lights up with their blooms from late winter to early summer. They follow the rich yellows and blues of the spring bulbs that form carpets beneath the trees.

Late spring brings towering Lilies, Dahlias, Hydrangeas, Hostas, Japanese Anemone, Liriope and an assortment of other perennials. If you are lucky you will even spot a few Dracunculus vulgaris or Stink Lily.

These days Nelson’s public gardens are managed in a bioorganic way. A scientific approach is taken with the soils tested to determine exactly what the plants need. Pest and weed spraying is kept to the absolute minimum and companion planting where possible. In some places the gardeners are able to do eco-stacking, leaving branches and trees behind and chipping the timber to recycle it back into the ecosystem. It is an old-fashioned way of managing gardens that really works.

These gardens are treasures in our midst and taking time out to explore them is a continuous adventure.

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NELSONTASMAN.NZ

Hiking the Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park.

Discovering Nelson’s trails Jordan Miller has spent countless hours exploring the tracks around the Top of the South. He speaks with Nelson Magazine about some of his top picks and what led him to create one of the most comprehensive websites on walking and mountain-bike tracks in the area, Nelson Trails.

Words: Amy Russ

G

rowing up in the region as part of an active family Jordan was introduced to tramping at a very young age. This sparked a lifetime of love and appreciation for the outdoors and ultimately led him to create a goldmine of information about the tracks in the region.

“As a family, we went on lots of weekend walks and were taught to appreciate and respect the bush. I spent a lot of my time mountain-biking and tramping with mates, and discovering new places. For as long as I can remember, I have found physical geography and natural landscapes fascinating, so I guess it was a natural fit.”

Jordan's website has been a labour of love since 2015. It has progressed to being a leading online source of information for tracks and trails in the Nelson Tasman region and provides the most detailed, accurate, and informative resource for all trails in the region.

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January 2022

“In my teens, I used to contribute track descriptions to other tramping websites. I used to imagine that one day there would be a website that provided detailed information and maps for every track you could think of, irrespective of whether you were walking, running, or biking. One day, I was searching online for information on a particular track and couldn’t find anything. So that’s when I decided to do it myself. It seemed like a productive way to combine my interests in the outdoors, writing and maps, while at the same time learn a new skill.”

“The Top of the South is the most geographically diverse part of the country. We’re well-known for our National Parks and our popular trails like the Abel Tasman Coast Track, Heaphy Track and Coppermine Trail, but the Nelson Tasman region also has thousands of km’s of other lesser-known walking, biking and tramping tracks, many of which are easily accessed from the city.”

The website now has close to 100,000 visitors each year and as the database thrived Jordan naturally felt a growing responsibility to ensure the information that he supplies is correct. “The likelihood of someone having a terrible time or hurting themselves due to me underemphasizing the length or difficulty of a track became greater. Use of subjective terms like ‘steep’ and ‘easy’ required more care!”

For as long as I can remember, I have found physical geography and natural landscapes fascinating, so I guess it was a natural fit.

Jordans says his geospatial background helped immensely with creating the website but guidance from friends and family was also a big help. “I make maps for a living, so that side of things wasn’t a problem. Regarding learning the technical stuff, I had to start from scratch. I generally only add new tracks when I have my own photos for them; that’s been my main handbrake, as I’ve done many more walks, rides and tramps than what is currently on the website, but prior to making the website I never used to take photos. But this approach forces me to re-do tracks which means I can write about them more accurately. The hardest part is finding the time to do it. I’ve recently had the help of Martin Johnson, developer of the Nelson App, to make the website faster and more stable.”

Pupu Hydro Walkway is a just a short drive from Takaka and is a short walk through beautiful native bush.

NELSONTASMAN.NZ

TESS JAINE

Jordan Miller

Jordan lists Parapara Peak, in Kahurangi National Park, and Dun Mountain Circuit, in Mt Richmond Forest Park, as his favourite local day walks, rating both of them as physically challenging with amazing views. “Parapara Peak has an interesting variety of native bush and the best views of Golden Bay, in my opinion.” Dun Mountain’s “fascinating mineral belt landscape” and close proximity to central Nelson make it a perfect day walk for Jordan.

Fenella Hut in Kahurangi and the Heaphy Track are his top picks for multi-day tramps in the region. “Fenella Hut is an easy walk up the Cobb River valley with good views along the way and interesting geology. It is a good base for day walks to Lake Cobb and Kakapo Peak. The Heaphy Track is probably the most botanically diverse tramp in the country. It is the only place where you can hear, and sometimes see, kea, kaka, kiwi and takahe in one place. The coastal section from Heaphy Hut to Kohaihai is a brilliant way to finish a tramp.”

Taupo Point in Nelson’s stunning Abel Tasman National Park is a real gem on Jordan's short walk list. The historical significance and beautiful coastline, which is perfect for swimming, are the key factors in his top choices for those looking to get into beginner walks.

On the Nelson Trails website, short walks are defined as taking three hours or less to complete and are based on an average walking speed. Day walks are defined as taking more than three hours and multi-day trips are trips that span two days or more with overnight stays at DOC huts or campsites.

For site-creator, Jordan, his list of top walks to check out this summer are: Appletree Bay in the stunning Abel Tasman National Park. “A popular short walk, but for a reason,” says Jordan, “beautiful bush, trees and swimming spots to enjoy! A smooth, easy track with lots of places to stop, and the option to continue to Anchorage and catch the water taxi back.”

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NELSONTASMAN.NZ

Wainui Falls.

The Grampians in Nelson’s backyard is high on the list of short walks with a variety of possible loops to explore. “All tracks have a degree of uphill but it's not too difficult if you take your time. There are amazing views of the city and it is located right next to the city centre.”

At Wainui Falls, 20km northeast of Takaka, you will find one of the largest and most accessible waterfalls in Golden Bay. “It is an easy, smooth track with plenty of swimming spots.”

For family walks, he suggests the Maitai Cave and BrookWaimarama Sanctuary in Nelson are both well-worth looking at.

Located in Kahurangi National Park, Jordan says the Dry Rock Shelter walk via Flora Track and Gordon’s Pyramid showcases an amazing karst landscape of Horseshoe Basin and Tableland. “You can experience sleeping beneath a rock overhang at Dry Rock Shelter and if you’re lucky you will see Whio/Blue Duck on Flora Stream or one of its tributaries.”

You will be rewarded with excellent views of Nelson after a walk up The Grampians.

“Maitai Cave in the upper Maitai Valley is close to the city and as well the cave, has impressive ferns and beech-podocarp forest. It is a good introduction to a rougher grade of track.

Brook-Waimarama Sanctuary has native birds, pristine native bush, loops of varying length and difficulty to choose from, is educational and worth the cost of the admission.”

Pupu Hydro Walkway in Golden Bay is only a short drive from Takaka and is a short walk through beautiful native bush retracing an old gold mining water race. “The historic hydro scheme is an impressive and interesting piece of engineering and the water race is a real novelty. It is enough of a climb to provide a challenge but not too strenuous.”

Overnight tramps are a huge hit over the summer months and Jordan's recommendations cover all three of the region’s surrounding national parks. “Wharawharangi Hut from Totaranui via Gibbs Hill and Separation Point, in Abel Tasman National Park is a beautiful walk with beaches, seals and seabirds and the historic Wharawharangi Hut.” This is the northernmost hut on the Abel Tasman Track, built around 1896 the historic hut was restored in 1980.

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January 2022

JORDAN MILLER

Finally, Angelus Hut via Cascade Track and Robert Ridge located in the stunning Nelson Lakes National Park are a popular destination ‘in a spectacular and craggy alpine environment.’ “Cascade Track is a good challenge for trampers with a bit of experience, and you can climb Angelus Peak if conditions allow. Alternatively, you can take the Speargrass route if the conditions are unsafe for Robert Ridge.”

For more information on any of these tracks, and more, go to nelsontrails.co.nz and enjoy getting amongst nature’s playground in the beautiful Nelson Tasman region this summer.

On the couch

couch on the

WITH DAVID ROSS

This month we talked to David Ross, chief executive of Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve. The reserve employs up to 130 people servicing a peak of 7000 visitors per day in summer and incorporates the land and environment at Kaiteriteri, the mountain bike park and the commercial activities including the much-loved campground, apartments, Kaiteriteri Store, Gone Burgers and Waterfront restaurant.

Can you explain what the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve is?

What are the plans for the reserve over the next five years?

The reserve has been operating for 85 years and sits under the oversight of the Minister for Conservation. We are a Crown entity but are completely self-funding with all profits invested back into the reserve and community for social, economic, environmental and cultural prosperity. When someone visits and spends money here, we use the profit to preserve and improve the reserve for everyone to enjoy.

Our focus is to enhance our stunning natural environment, our rich culture and history and the quality of the services that we provide our guests. We are reminded every day just how special Kaiteriteri is, and we work hard to preserve and nurture that. We are in the process of undertaking significant spatial, destination and sustainability planning, which we are aiming to complete in 2022.

What area of land does the reserve cover?

The reserve covers 243 hectares of land but is not a nice, neat shape unfortunately. It includes the Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park, the tidal estuary, the hills surrounding the bay, Kaiteriteri Beach, parking and public amenities, retail, food and beverage services, apartments, campground, and the historically significant Kākā Island and Kākā Point to the North. We invest significant amounts into looking after the reserve including remediating the beach and moving sand.

You’d be surprised how much work it takes to move over 500 tons of sand, especially after big easterly storms.

Is accommodation still as popular as it used to be?

The reserve has been a huge drawcard for decades and grows in popularity every year. In terms of accommodation, we now have eight premium apartments, 17 cabins and over 400 powered campsites. While there has been a drop in overseas visitors due to Covid-19, any vacancies have been taken up by an increase in domestic visitors, which has been very encouraging to see. Historically over 70% of our visitors are from New Zealand and we pride ourselves on being a special destination for them.

What is the purpose of the Spatial and Destination Plan?

Planning will involve transformative large-scale landscaping, environmental and cultural restoration, business sustainability, climate change mitigation, energy, waste and civil defence components. The reserve has evolved over the years, and we feel now is the ideal time to further engage with our stakeholders and understand the opportunities and challenges that we will need to address in the coming decades. It is an exciting project that will help shape the future of the reserve and the communities we partner with.

How are things looking for summer?

Shoulder and winter season growth has been strong over the past few years, but from November to April the reserve transforms into an extremely busy and vibrant holiday destination. In addition to many new visitors, we welcome generations of guests who have been visiting us since they were children and who now bring their grandchildren. It is fantastic to see such a connection. Our permanent team of around 50 swells to upward of 130 to ensure we provide high levels of service, and more often than not the sun shines brightly. It is the perfect family holiday destination if you love the outdoors and recreation. We have had challenges as has everyone over the past 18 months, but our team have been superb and our guests patient and understanding. We look forward to the summer and year ahead.

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Want a premium price for your premium property?

Craig Hamilton selling beautiful properties across the region since 2004. EXPERIENCE COUNTS. Craig Hamilton

Licensed Real Estate Agent 027 214 4851 craig.hamilton@mikepero.com 237 Queen Street, Richmond Ph 03 544 4634

Over the years I have worked with different agents and it makes me appreciate someone like Craig. He’s awesome, he’s easy to deal with and works quietly in the back room to get the best results. He’s brilliant!

– Kathy Richardson

richmond.mikepero.com

REAL ESTATE Mike Pero Real Estate Ltd. Licensed REAA (2008)

Georgia Bird has started working at Abel Tasman Kayaks after studying a Diploma in Adventure Tourism and Guiding at NMIT.

Adventure into the outdoor industry A year out of school and recently returned from travelling, Georgia Bird was living with her parents and contemplating what to do next when her mother asked the question every teenager dreads, ‘What do you want to do with your life?

H

aving discovered the outdoors over summer thanks to a friend who introduced her to tramping, Georgia was looking for more adventures.

“I told Mum I wanted to keep going outside, so she suggested studying adventure tourism,” says Georgia, “I didn’t even know it was a thing, so I looked online and thought ‘that looks fun.’”

Georgia enrolled in the Level 4, Certificate in Adventure Tourism at NMIT and embarked on a path that has proved to be life-changing.

For those new to adventure tourism, the certificate is designed as a taster and includes disciplines such as kayaking, rafting, tramping, snowboarding and rock-climbing.

A combination of on-campus classes and overnight trips make up this mostly practical programme.

Hooked on the outdoors after her first year, Georgia enrolled in the Diploma in Adventure Tourism and Guiding (Level 5) to work towards becoming a professional guide. Graduates go on to obtain industry tickets and work as professionals within the industry, both in New Zealand and overseas.

Georgia has recently started working as a guide for Marahau based Abel Tasman Kayaks and is excited about guiding tourists in the Abel Tasman National Park. “The tutors were able to help me make connections and meet people in the industry,” say Georgia, “I wouldn’t have been able to work here without doing this course.”

Georgia says while the programme constantly pushed her, she felt well supported throughout.

“If you have a passion for the outdoors, this is for you.”

“Facing challenges and having tutors there to guide you through didn’t just teach me just to be successful in the outdoors, but also helped me grow to help others,” says Georgia.

Embark on a career in adventure tourism by learning in one of the best adventure tourism regions in the world, you might even be able to study the first year free as part of the government fees-free programme.

Located just a short distance from three national parks, rivers, and ski fields and renowned throughout the world by adventurers, Te Tauihu, the Top of the South is NMIT’s adventure tourism classroom.

Don’t miss out on taking part in your own adventure, apply now for 2022: nmit.ac.nz/adventure-tourism

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SUMMER

Vibes Models - Jeffrey Hunt and Maxine Noir

Make Up by Indi Welsh at Life Pharmacy Prices Hair by Leanne England at Vivo Hair Salon Buxton Square Stylist – Ange Leonard, Morrison Square Photographer - Virginia Woolf

Jeff wearing - Just Jeans & Rodd & Gunn & Sunglass Style

Maxine wearing - The Rockbox & Sunglass Style

Just Jeans Linen Plain Shortsleeve Navy Shirt $59.99

Hello Sunshine Sunhat Tan $49

Just Jeans White Tee $19.95

Lovelee Avna Nubuck Slides Tan $120

Just Jeans Stretch Chino Tobacco Shorts $49.99

Woven Belt Wood Natural $39.99

Rodd & Gunn Gordon Bay Boat Shoe Cognac $159

Bold Chain Multi-layer Gold Necklace $39

Sunglass Style Rayban Round Metal Gold Sunglasses $249

Gypsy Ditsy Floral Midi Dress Black $149.99

Roxy Attitude Change Picnic Blanket $104.99

Sunglass Style Levis Hexetate Sunnies $169.90

Maxine wearing - Flo & Frankie Whimsical Khaki Tie Waist Maxi Dress $179.90 Flo & Frankie - Brieleon Evie Small Cross Bodie Bag $249.90 Jeff wearing - Rodd & Gunn Long Sleeve Shell Pink Linen Shirt $179 Rodd & Gunn Slim Chinos Pebble $159 Rodd & Gunn Logan Terrace Boots $249 Sunglass Style Rayban Round Metal Gold Sunglasses $249

Maxine wearing - Roxy My Last Name Hat $52.99

Jeff wearing - Billabong Diamond Seaglass Tee $45.99

Tierz Print Ditsy Skirt $44.99

Nixon Kensington Black Watch $219.99

Double Dan Blue Haze Top $49.99

Kustom Whole Wide Blend Jandals $24.99

The Rock Box Lovelee Avna Nubuck Slides Tan $120

Quicksilver Surfsilk Tijuana Boardshorts $83.99 New Era Lakers Cap $60 iGlide Cruz Black/Neochrome Scooter $139.95 All from Amazon Surf Skate Denim

Maxine wearing - Portmans Denim for Days Jacket $129.99 Jacqui E Carla Geo Print Dress $179.99 Jeff wearing- Rodd & Gunn Resort Shorts Coconut $129 Rodd & Gunn Ermedale Short Sleeve Shirt Sky $179 Sunglass Style Rayban Justin Sunglasses $236

Your way to smooth, summer-ready skin All-natural body butters that are effective and gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin.

Get yours at the Nelson Market or online at threegems.co.nz

Sustainable by nature Asportuguesas is a new footwear concept which doesn’t leave the planet’s sustainability barefoot.

Soul by Mariposa 257 Hardy St, Nelson | 49 Commercial St, Takaka Ph: 0800 132 500 | mariposaclothing.co.nz

LUXURIOUS LINEN Noble Wilde’s 100% pure linen range of garments keep you cool and comfortable and they are proudly New Zealand made.

Cruellas 155 Hardy St, Nelson cruellas.co.nz

Go BLAK for summer Mount Maunganui-based label BLAK is getting us in the mood with their gorgeous new summer collection.

Love Nelson Tasman?

Made for Men’s range of iconic Nelson Tasman branded t-shirts have just arrived. Great for souvenirs, gifts, or if you just love our hometown.

Made for Men 219 Queen St, Richmond madeformen.nz

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January 2022

From balmy days to sultry nights - think bare shoulders, floaty dresses, fresh colours and fun prints to carry you through the festive season.

Available in-store and online now.

Trouble & Fox Bank Lane, Nelson (lane next to BNZ, through to Montgomery Sq) troubleandfox.co.nz

They’re back!

Looking for something different?

Last year this style sold out quickly. So, if you’ve been waiting… the Chrissie Doris is back! Available in white, silver, nude, navy and black.

Whether your style is classic or contemporary, RoCS studio can design and craft beautiful and unique pieces that are just right for you.

Tango’s Shoes 247 Queen St, Richmond tangosshoes.nz

RoCS 238a Queen St, Richmond rocs.co.nz

Beautiful lingerie Whether it’s something bold and adventurous, dainty and sweet, or wild and sexy, Be Adult promises that every piece in their collection is unique, beautiful and inspiring, just like the women who wear them.

Long hot summer, cool dresses Devotion Twins handmade in Greece and exclusive to Shine.

Shine 253 Hardy St, Nelson shinedesignstore.co.nz

Be Adult 117 Hardy St, Nelson (Montgomery Arcade) bkinky.co.nz

Light up the room

Feel amazing every day Jellicoe garments fit and flatter your body in the right way, showing off your best features and helping you walk out into the world feeling wonderful.

Jellicoe 4b Kotua Place, Stoke Jellicoe.co.nz

Jens Hansen 320 Trafalgar Square, Nelson jenshansen.co.nz

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Have a free consultation + try a skin conditioning facial + take home a skincare mini, for only $70* (usually up to $120) 40 Halifax St, Nelson

03 546 7462

caci.co.nz

ON THE STREET Minami Takashima’s style is a reflection of her life as a tantra teacher, spiritual life coach and jewellery maker.

Minami is influenced by her teachings as well as an appreciation of natural fabrics and sustainable living.

What are you wearing?

A handmade Batik (traditional Indonesian dye print method) tunic from Warriors of Divine. It has symbols of yoga and tantra teachings and I feel like I’m in my element when wearing it. This metallic head wrap scarf is from an op shop hunt, a nice and stretchy material. These earrings are my own, handmade (IG @danceofgoddessnz) - so in love with the long chain and the pale green quartz, giving me a good vibe.

What is your style?

Boho and elegant.

What is most of your wardrobe made up of?

Cotton/linen pants and tops, boho maxi tunics/dresses and yoga-wear.

What are you loving at the moment?

Head wraps (scarfs), A-line dresses and anything with a higher percentage of linen/cotton. I really believe that the natural material has a higher vibration/frequency. It matters to me a lot because I teach yoga, meditation and energy-work.

What are you dressed for today?

Nature walk and meditation.

Where do you buy most of your clothes from?

I find so many hidden gems from op shops. I am a petite person, but I sometimes find clothes that are double my size, and they drape so nicely! I wouldn’t have learnt this tip if it was not for op shop hunting. It is an eco-friendly option too - we have to wake up from materialism at some point and invest in our inner journey, don’t we?

What is your approach to shopping?

I try to buy things that represent and remind me of yoga and tantra teachings - something that brings out my inner divinity.

Not to compare myself with others but to really enjoy and embrace being in my own skin, as a radiant soul!

What is your all-time favourite purchase?

Moss green, long sleeved A-line dress I bought in Chaing Mai, Thailand. My A-line dress obsession probably started then…

What wardrobe item should everyone invest in?

Clothing that tells cultural stories that are important to you. I like to get to know the authentic culture and invest in learning – through real people (and fashion).

For me this is Yukata (Japanese Kimono-like summer dress) reminding me of home. You can educate yourself in a certain culture through fashion. I love seeing the living culture and human touch in fashion.

Do you have a style rule you always obey?

Less is more – just like yoga/zen teachings.

If you could raid one person’s wardrobe, who would it be?

Indigenous mystics and shamans of all cultures.

Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing…

UGG boots and crocs. Not my cup of tea…

TESS JAINE

My focus is to take the stress out of your next property sale, while helping you achieve the best possible result.

C o n t a c t m e f o r a g re a t c u s t o m e r ex p e r i e n c e a n d re s u l t .

Lisa Friis Lisa Friis 021 0879 4411 lisa@thecoopergroup.co.nz

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

Dr Kerri Mooney is offering consultations at Nelson Plastic Surgery.

Experienced surgeon joins specialist team

N

elson Plastic Surgery will soon be welcoming New Zealand-trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr Kerri Mooney, to their experienced team.

part of the team here. It is such a great opportunity,” she says.

Consults will take place in Nelson with procedures, recovery and initial post-op care taking place in Christchurch.

Based in Christchurch at The Naseby Street Clinic, Kerri says her passion for plastic surgery began when the opportunity arose for her to participate in a procedure early in her career.

“In medical school, most students don’t get a lot of exposure to plastic surgery. It wasn’t until I had a chance as a junior doctor that I fell in love with the specialised field. I love that it’s combining art with science.”

“As a surgeon, I am very aware of putting the patient’s interests first. I want to help to make them feel as comfortable as possible. I also think it is ideal for female patients to have the option of having a female surgeon, especially with breast surgery.”

With 10 years of experience in reconstructive and plastic surgery, Kerri has completed an Aesthetic and Breast Fellowship at the University of British Columbia and a Fellowship at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

Kerri offers a range of treatments in skin cancer, breast and aesthetic procedures. “Every patient is different and every case is challenging in its own way. But it is hugely rewarding.

I meet every type of person, from babies through to the elderly. Having a reconstruction done can completely change their lives and it is really special to be a part of that process.”

Working with the Nelson practice for the last few months getting processes in place, Kerri will be travelling to the region to offer monthly consultations at the Collingwood Street rooms from 17 February. “I am really excited to be a

Originally from Ireland, Kerri is married to a kiwi farmer and currently lives just outside of Christchurch. With an unbounded love for rural life, Kerri says she is here for the long haul. “I am absolutely in love with New Zealand and I am here to stay!”

Fiona Wilson, practice nurse for Nelson Plastic Surgery, says her team are excited to have Kerri on board. “Nelson Plastic Surgery are pleased to welcome Dr Kerri Mooney to our team. Her surgical expertise, knowledge and warm personality are a great addition to the Practice. Kerri will be offering consultations in Nelson with surgery performed in Christchurch and continued follow-up care in Nelson. With both Dr Greg Taylor and Dr Kerri Mooney, our practice is able to offer a wide range of reconstructive and plastic surgeries.”

Nelson Plastic Surgery Ph 03 548 1909 or 03 777 7810 nelsonplasticsurgery.co.nz

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Your wedding day will be one of the most memorable of your life, so picking the right venue, hairdresser, makeup, ring, dress, food, cake, entertainment and photographer are the final pieces to your perfect day. To help with the decisions this engagement season Nelson Magazine takes a look at some of the best local businesses in the region who can help bring your ideas to fruition and make your day one to remember.

Wedding of Phil Butler + Marlou Voss, photo taken on Mount Richmond.

SOPHIE MILSON

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January 2022

Wedding Feature

Choosing forever rings

Gourmet food from a truck

Once upon a time, choosing wedding rings was a quick decision, often made during the hustle-bustle of big day planning, and emotionally eclipsed by the spotlight-grabbing engagement ring.

Casual gourmet food is Beat Kitchen’s specialty. They cook with seasonal ingredients and global influence to create a wide range of menu options. Talk to Craig and his team about your favourite dishes and how they can incorporate them into your bespoke menu.

Not so now, says Halfdan Hansen, owner of Nelson-based Jens Hansen Jewellers, which handcrafts wedding and engagement rings for clients worldwide.

“Today, many couples want wedding rings that reflect the style of their custom engagement ring,” Hansen says. “This creates a ring set that’s unique to the couple and features a shared design sensibility. Essentially, the rings are made to be together.”

Wedding rings of the past were usually plain gold bands, but contemporary custom designs often include diamonds and other gems, says Hansen. Engravings are increasingly popular, allowing couples to celebrate their promise with meaningful words in their chosen language.

After all, your rings are highly symbolic. You’ll wear them forever, so it’s important you love them,” says Hansen.

Beat Kitchen built its food truck to be a self-sufficient commercial kitchen and bringing their own kitchen ensures that your meals are prepared onsite meaning they are fresh and get to you as the chefs intended, it also allows you the freedom to choose a venue from a long list of options, even if it doesn’t already have a kitchen facility.

Their unconventional serving style is not only efficient, requiring less staff than usual and minimising food waste, but it also encourages your guests to mingle and chat with others and adds some fun and interaction to your event. Pick a spectacular or unique venue, or a nice low-key spot and let them take care of your catering needs.

Visit beatkitchen.co.nz or @beatkitchennelson on social media for more information (including menu options).

A magical Nelson wedding venue Nestled in seven acres of beautiful woodlands and gardens, Fairfield House is one of Nelson’s most prestigious historic homes, which has gracefully overlooked the city since 1872. Fairfield’s beauty, character and warmth make it the ideal wedding venue, offering a diverse range of indoor and outdoor spaces. When couples book Fairfield, they have the entire place to themselves from 7.30am to midnight – including use of the meadow, courtyard, ballroom, and gallery. The home’s grandeur and stunning natural surroundings lends itself to any style of wedding, from rustic to formal – so you can celebrate your own uniqueness.

Whether you want a picnic, a barbeque or formal 5-course dinner, the choice of catering is yours, and you also have control over the alcohol you bring to the premises. “I so enjoy showing couples this beautiful venue and talking through their ideas to see how we can make them happen with ease,” says Catherine, manager of Fairfield House.

The longest marriage was 86 years and 290 days. Herbert and Zelmyra were married on 13 May 1924 in North Carolina, USA

Matt + Alex at The Glen PHOTOS BY FRANCESCA

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w w w. j e n s h a n s e n . c o . n z

03 548 0640

Fairfield HISTORIC HOUSE & GARDENS

Bridal

176 Bridge Street, Nelson 7010 · benjaminblack.co.nz

An event venue like no other.

Nestled in the heart of an iconic heritage museum is the West Coast’s largest wedding and events centre. Offering unique indoor and outdoor options, including the historic 1866 built Interdenominational Church.

On-site catering, fully licenced bar and a lush rainforest surrounding. All wrapped up with a touch of true West Coast hospitality!

Email: events@westcoasteventscentre.co.nz Web: www.westcoasteventscentre.co.nz Phone: (03) 762 6634 Rutherglen Road, Paroa Greymouth 7805

Get married at Shantytown

Dream it, create it, enjoy it

Popular heritage attraction and museum Shantytown Heritage Park is home to the West Coast Events Centre. With two large facilities, it’s suitable for small to large weddings and events. Their team is well versed in event planning, with over 500 successful events under their belt, including more than 50 conferences. The centre offers unique indoor and outdoor options, including an historic interdenominational church, which was built in 1866. The outdoor spaces feature a backdrop of native rainforest and pioneering history. You can even catch a heritage train ride up the line and utilise private paddock space beside their vintage sawmill. The saloon is a perfect reception venue, with fully licensed bar and standard or custom food and beverage packages available. Through bifold doors, the guests can step into a traditional style hall to enjoy a personalised buffet or drop plate meal, then ramp up the celebrations on the dance floor!

For your special day, you can celebrate with your dream wedding cake that uniquely reflects you as a couple.

Jenna, the owner of Cakes on College, says every couple is different, so each cake is tailored especially to them and their wedding. “I work with clients to bring out those special details that take their cake from being beautiful to something that’s truly special.” A council registered full-time decorator; Jenna is classically trained with over a decade of industry experience to draw on. Her cakes, fillings, and icings are all handmade using traditional quality ingredients, with a focus on her client’s personal tastes. All of her wedding clients are offered beautiful cake tasting boxes as well as a relaxed remote consultation session. You can view Jenna’s gorgeous creations on her Facebook and Instagram pages.

For a stunning bespoke wedding cake that tastes incredible, contact Cakes on College via social media or email cakesoncollege@outlook.co.nz.

Wedding rings to treasure forever Benjamin Black Goldsmiths can bring your dream rings to life.

Custom made for both the bride and groom, your rings will be designed and handcrafted exactly as you envisioned.

Be it wedding bands, a diamond solitaire, or a custom signet ring, your rings will be made by hand and made to last forever.

Benjamin Black Goldsmiths can design for you a unique monogram, entwining your initials, to engrave upon a signet ring as a stylish and meaningful wedding band.

Open right through the holidays (apart from statutory holidays), call in to their Bridge Street gallery and talk to the team about creating a unique design perfect for you. benjaminblack.co.nz | blackmatter.co.nz

The world record for the longest kiss is 50 hours, 35 minutes, and 58 seconds!

This was during the ‘Kissing Marathon’ held at Ripley’s Museum in Pattaya.

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January 2022

Ivy + Manny at Cable Bay PHOTOS BY FRANCESCA

Wedding Feature

Start your day at Mabin House It’s your wedding day! After all the planning, stressing and counting down the days, it’s finally here. So what is your plan for the morning of your wedding? The answer should be pamper yourself of course. Mabin House Skin and Body Sanctuary will treat you like you deserve to be treated on the biggest day of your life, and ensure you have the most wonderful wedding morning possible. Senior beauty therapist and owner, Tina, says she loves having brides and their wedding party visit. “We can do everything including wedding prep like helping your skin looks its best, tans and nails, and on the day makeup, and provide a relaxing place to hang out and enjoy getting ready.” Tina’s daughter Jess manages the business and says it’s a gorgeous place to visit. “It’s the perfect place to relax take some time out for yourself and let us pamper you. We enjoy taking care of brides and see them right through to their big day.” From natural day looks to evening glamour, the team at Mabin House listen to you and will deliver exactly the look you are after. Their beautiful boutique setting is perfect for group bookings and is also a great option for a hens party.

Queen Victoria is credited with starting the Western world’s white wedding dress trend in 1840 — before then, brides simply wore their best dress.

A personalised ceremony Emma is a young, fun and affordable celebrant and MC. Her background in radio means she’s no stranger to MCing and being in front of a crowd. Emma has MC’d events for smaller gatherings like the Kiwibank Local Hero Awards, to the Weetbix Kids Tryathalon, from atop a shipping container with more than 2000 people in attendance. Emma brings this wealth of experience into her weddings and will work alongside you to lend support or advice as you navigate your way through the incredibly fun, and sometimes stressful wedding planning phase. Emma takes a fresh, non-traditional approach towards your ceremony, working with you to craft the ceremony you desire. She’s also available for your wedding reception to control the timing (and drunk uncle) ensure the cake cutting isn’t forgotten and make sure speeches are organised and kept short. Contact her to have a yarn about your wedding day.

Tayla + Logan at Founders Heritage Park PHOTOS BY FRANCESCA

Your Perfect Match

Wedding cars in a class of their own

Let them eat cake!

Unforgettable, delicious and customdesigned cakes for your wedding.

Cakes for all Occasions cakesforall.co.nz P: 027 245 8633

Executive Limousines Nelson P: 03 545 1765 E: info@executivelimousines.co.nz W: executivelimousines.co.nz

Make your day glamorous

Beautiful skin without needles or pain

Laura’s makeup expertise and relaxed nature are the perfect additions to your wedding day. Laura loves to hear your vision over a coffee (her shout!).

Help your skin look its best with gentle light therapy for a wide range of skin conditions, including rosacea, fine lines, wrinkles and acne. The length of treatment depends on individual needs, and each session includes a facial and 20 min LED session.

Makeup Artistry with Laura P: 027 218 5632

Inspiring Beauty and Massage Phone Rose on 027 246 2449 W: Inspiringbeauty.nz

makeupartistrylaura

Celebrate your beautiful bond

Not your usual wedding photographer

Your enduring love deserves a symbol that’s just as beautiful.

From classic unadorned bands to something totally unexpected, their experts can help guide you through the process.

Guaranteed smiles and fun, Francesca’s photos will capture exactly how you felt in that moment.

Louise Douglas Jewellery A: 191 Hardy Street, Nelson W: louisedouglas.com

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Arrive in style with an experienced chauffeur in a luxury vehicle.

For the ‘Perfect Match’, a team member is available as a registered celebrant to complete the package.

January 2022

Photos by Francesca P: 027 479 5857 E: hello@photosbyfrancesca.co.nz W: photosbyfrancesca.co.nz photosbyfrancesca.nz

Photographer for humans in love

Personal and heart-warming ceremonies

This is your legacy, let me capture your story, your adventure.

Annie is an experienced, personable, and enthusiastic celebrant.

Annie is also well versed in cross cultural ceremonies.

Sophie Milson- Nelson Photographer E: sophiemilsonnz@gmail.com sophiemilson.com

Annie Leather Celebrant P: 027 212 1300 W: annieleathercelebrant.weebly.com

Unique bridal gowns

The perfect wedding day smile

Jill can design with you, your perfect wedding dress, from classic sophistication to ostentatious Steam Punk. Your first consultation is free.

On a day that will be full of smiles, make sure your teeth are looking their best. Current offer, $169 for your 60-minute treatment (RRP $599).

Bridal Wear by Jill Alexander A: Founders Park, Nelson W: madcatdesign.co.nz

Sparkle White Teeth P: 027 246 2449 W: sparklewhite.co.nz

Take the stress out of your wedding day

Add the finishing touches

Work with a qualified event coordinator to oversee all aspects of your vision for your special day.

Feel pampered on your wedding day with nails by Marie .

Pop Up Events P: 021 954 498 W: popupevents.co.nz

BeeDazzled Nails P: 027 823 4844

@beedazzlednails

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Tell him No ring, no entry Message brought to you by:

FOREVER WAITING

Wedding Feature

Phil + Marlou on Mount Richmond SOPHIE MILSON

No ring, no entry!

A romantic country garden wedding venue

We live in a world that is easy for us to get the things we want.

If we want a new car then we have tools in place that allow us to finance this. If we can’t be bothered cooking, then we have places where we can go and order a meal. If we don’t have a sheep out the back to eat or a cow to milk, we can buy that as well.

Whether you are planning a grand affair or something more intimate for your wedding, our region has the perfect setting to celebrate, entertain and relax. Set on six acres of spectacular scenery in Hope, Gardens of the World is NelsonTasman’s premier country garden wedding venue. Traditional and formal, or relaxed and casual, you can select from a wide variety of romantic gardens.

We have what we want and if we want something else then we can achieve this.

So why do so many males procrastinate over proposing?

Have they thought of getting married? Of course they have!

Are they afraid of commitment? Some might be. Are they in a relationship where they are getting what they want and if they were married it won’t change anything? Possibly yes. So that’s where things need to change. If we want something, then we can all achieve this. It works both ways…No ring, no entry.

Love at first bite

Gardens of the World also provides the ultimate backdrop for both professional and informal wedding photography with billowy blooms in the rose garden, the dappled light of the birch grove, the lilypond boardwalk and the wonder of the white garden at night. In between, you will find arbours, stone bridges, a herbarium, rose gardens, a native New Zealand forest, a rippling lake and formal fountains.

At Gardens of the World, they appreciate that attention to detail is essential to ensuring a perfect day and can help with planning around the ceremony, reception, and transport. They are happy to host your wedding ceremony, the signing of the register, your photos, and a toast/nibble post ceremony.

When you contact Viva la Vaca you can expect to receive a personal experience as the team like to work with their clients every step of the way so that the menu you have at your event is exactly what you want.

Viva la Vaca use premium products which are sourced locally, including freedom farmed and grass-fed meat, and work with seasonal produce so you can experience the flavours at their best. Whether you’re after a banquet, a two or three course meal or a street food menu, Viva la Vaca will work with you, sharing their passion, creativity and love of all things food by crafting flavoursome bespoke meals for your wedding.

weddings

catering

events

Contact us for enquiries at: hola@vivalavaca.co.nz or 021 155 6948 www.vivalavaca.co.nz vivalavaca.nz

vivlavacaadvert.indd 1

Rain on your wedding day is actually considered good luck, according to Hindu tradition.

WE BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD EXPERIENCE LOVE AT FIRST BITE WITH EVERY DISH AND THE EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE SOMETHING TO REMEMBER.

Viva la Vaca provides catering in the “top of the south”. We pride ourselves in providing a personal experience and like to work with our clients every step of the way to develop a bespoke menu full of the flavours you love.

7/12/20 6:28 PM

Summerset Richmond Ranges Memory Care Centre

Summerset Richmond Ranges Memory Care Centre provides modern apartment living enabling our residents to continue to lead active, positive lives in a safe and homely environment.

For the latest information on visiting our villages please call the sales manager or visit summerset.co.nz/covid-19

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January 2022

Our Memory Care Centre offers a range of spacious premium apartments. Each apartment has a double bedroom with ensuite bathroom, a spacious living area and kitchenette.

We are proud to help people living with dementia get the best out of life and have been accredited

by Alzheimers New Zealand as a Dementia Friendly organisation.

summerset.co.nz/richmond

Memory Care Centre features include: •

The design of our Memory Care Centre creates a connection with nature, in keeping with the latest biophilic principles. This holistic approach has many proven health benefits including stress reduction, improved cognitive performance and enhanced mood.

Every facet of our Memory Care Centre has been thought through to help stimulate memories and reduce confusion and anxiety.

dedicated, professionally trained staff who work closely with residents and their families to understand and support them through the changes they will be experiencing

•

a circular design so residents can move freely and securely

•

the sensory room which houses interactive activities to engage all senses

•

a central courtyard garden that allows residents to move freely between indoors and outdoors

To book your private appointment, give us a call on 03 744 3432 today!

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SUM3575_DPS

Our industry-leading Memory Care Centre design is based on world-class dementia living

love your

Local

At Oakleys we’re locals working for locals.

My Home

My

home

A home rich in history sits atop the Tasman Hills after being transported here from Motueka by Sue and Mark Spencer eight years ago. Two years of shed living was well worth it to renovate the villa into their dream home.

TESS JAINE

Who lives here?

What piece would you never part with?

My husband Mark and myself live here at Tasman View Road.

My father’s chair.

What four words would you use to describe your home?

What’s your favourite spot in the house?

Homely, cosy, character and comfortable.

Where do you shop for homewares?

What inspired this look?

Childhood books and English magazines inspired my love of old houses.

The day bed in the sun.

Marketplace.

What’s your decorating style?

Traditional.

ABOVE: Sue and Mark on the veranda of their character home.

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What’s next on your interiors list?

What’s your favourite room?

Wallpaper for the entry wall.

Our grandchildren’s room, it’s so cosy.

When it comes to homeware, do you save or splurge?

If money was no object what would you get for your home?

A bit of both.

I would build on a sunroom as we have coloured glass windows we would use.

Have you done any renovations?

The house was built in 1903 and moved onto the farm in two pieces from Motueka in 2013. We renovated the whole house after it arrived onsite. We are now doing lots of work in the garden to be able to use the property as a wedding venue in the future.

What should every home have?

An open fire and radiators. These things are also essential for us because we’re completely off the grid.

TOP: The garden is a work in progress as Sue and Mark hope to open their home as a wedding venue in the future.

ABOVE: A love of old English homes has inspired Sue’s decorating. Much of the house has been kept to it’s original style. Their grandchildren’s bedroom (middle) is Sue’s favourite room.

OPPOSITE PAGE: The kitchen is fitted with a wood stove that adds to the authenticity and character of the home and being off grid it is also essential.

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January 2022

What are you favourite pieces?

My favourite piece is the Carlton Ware tea set my dad gave my mum for their engagement. Our home is full of pieces given to us or that we inherited and are full of memories of family and friends.

Do you have any tips on how to keep your living area orderly?

I regularly have to go around and declutter some of the precious items that find themselves out on display.

If you had a day to refresh your home what would you do?

Declutter.

Best budget tip?

Be patient, the thing you are looking for will eventually appear for sale.

Did any of your purchases cause a debate?

The open fire we bought in from Melbourne did, but was well worth it.

What is one thing you would change about your home if you could?

We would add another bedroom.

Which items or fixtures did you splurge on and where did you save?

What do you love about the neighbourhood where you live?

Kitchen taps, a wood stove and an open fire were our splurge.

We saved by doing most of the work ourselves and our garden is from cuttings and plants given to us.

The open space, rolling hills and mountain and sea views.

Best money spent?

There are two; the morning the house arrived on site on the back of a truck and our first night in the house after living in a shed for two years while renovating.

Solar hot water and radiators.

Best memory in your house?

Learn more.

LumiShade ™ www.hubbers-flooring.co.nz 8D Champion Road, Richmond

Home Style

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1. High quality fabrics for your curtain, upholstery, outdoor and craft projects at excellent prices. Fabric Lane, Bank Lane, Trafalgar Street 2. Hinkley Archer 6 light medium pendant from Storey Home Collection. storeycollection.co.nz 3. Create your own outdoor oasis with Fermob’s ingenious folding bistro setting. A perfect touch of French charm for the garden, balcony, or deck. lynfords.co.nz 4. Kwila garden dining set with benches and a 1.6m wooden garden table. 4seasons.co.nz 5. Patina face planter, $99 from Moxini. moxini.co.nz 6. Rhode Island Armchair by Artwood. storeycollection.co.nz 7. Natural fabrics, handcrafted, and always a good dash of vintage. aninsidestory.co.nz 8. Living Light Candle’s Iconic icicle candles - handmade with natural plants and NZ Beeswax, in a delightful range of colours and bespoke fragrances. Nelson Central Arcade, 219 Trafalgar St, Nelson. livinglight.co.nz

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Our finishing touch to your home

Narellan Pools Nelson The team behind Narellan Pools Nelson have been installing fibreglass swimming pools since 2005, we are super experienced at transforming backyards. We pride ourselves in providing New Zealand made quality products with a lifetime structural in-ground warranty to our customers.

informed and secure decision, with no hidden costs and nasty surprises. From conception to completion, we are with you every step of your new swimming pool journey!

If you’re looking for a gorgeous pool and some fantastic fencing to compliment it, you can rely on Narellan Pools Nelson for a holistic service.

We at Narellan Pools will take you through the entire installation process, custom tailoring a solution that meets your needs, budget and we will provide you with all details right from the start, so you know you are making an After care pool maintenance is important and therefore we provide water testing, after hour services for faults as well as chemicals in-store.

58A Gladstone Road, Richmond | Phone: 03 547 3411

Add your personal touch

Keeping you in the loop Get creative with knitting and crochet this summer. Head to Cruellas for ideas, inspiration, helpful expert advice and of course, beautiful yarns.

Allwood’s attractive Oregon shiplap buildings are rustic styled, and blend into any environment either as a studio, a shed for the garden, or a lined and insulated sleep out.

Allwood Sheds 15 Gladstone Rd, Richmond 03 547 7026 allwoodsheds.co.nz

Packed lunches made simple

Cruellas 155 Hardy St, Nelson 03 548 4016 cruellas.co.nz

The highly recommended whole foods lunch box by b.box has a gel cooler pack to keep food fresher for longer, a unique flexi whole fruit holder, and leak proof silicone seals for wet foods.

Baby On The Move Nelson 4 Akersten St, Port Nelson babyonthemove.co.nz

Discover the power of vinegar Honeygar, kiwifruit vinegar, and apple cider vinegar are deliciously healthy, organic, and locally made. Use as a health tonic, and to create tasty salad dressings and marinades..

Goulter’s – The vinegar people 122 Tahunanui Dr, Nelson Order online at vinegarpower.co.nz

Sleep well Start 2022 off with a great night’s sleep!

Nelson’s local bed specialists custom make quality beds at prices you won’t believe!

Little Trip NZ Pale Ale Beautiful blown glass art Anthony’s glass art, utilitarian ware, neon sculptures and signs can be found at flamedaisy, his centrally located studio and gallery which is often open into the evenings. These Koru Goblets are $90 each.

Take the music with you flamedaisy

Trafalgar Square, Nelson Pulse Flex is a game-changing, 324 E: art.neon@icloud.com ultra-compact, all in one portable two-way speaker that offers true flexibility. Use indoors for full stereo sound or take it outside on a picnic.

RRP $649

Nelson Beds Beer for staying here.

Drawing on notes of berry, inspired by picking 59 Quarantine Rd, Nelson your own, our golden sands and lush 03 547 4567 national parks…With a backyard like Get a good night's sleep ours, whonelsonbeds.co.nz needs travel anyway?

Talk to Nelson Beds before you buy your next bed.

On tap in taverns and in retail outlets.

Quality beds made right here in Nelson at prices Sprig and Fern you won’t believe. sprigandfern.co.nz Nelson Beds

59 Quarantine Rd, Nelson | nelsonbeds.co.nz

Quality folding chairs Strong and secure, OZtrail’s RV solid arm camp chair has integrated adjustable lumbar support to fine tune your comfort level.

Beggs Music Works 264 Hardy St, Nelson beggsmusic.co.nz

Outpost Supplies 53 Quarantine Road, Nelson 0210 634 450 | outpostsupplies.co.nz

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New year, new you?

Hopefully everyone had a very merry Christmas and the new year is well underway, relaxing on a beach somewhere enjoying some sunshine.

It is well known that this time of year is the time for resolving to make some changes to yourself and often these are in the health and financial areas, which are proven to be interrelated.

Here are some key tips that you might want to consider if this is the year you want to get on top of your finances.

TRACK YOUR SPENDING The best way to control you spending is to understand where it all goes. I would suggest getting three months’ worth of bank statements to track spending, then categorizing expenditure into food, clothes, rent, entertainment etc. to get an understanding of how much you spend in an average month. Once understood, you can elect areas to focus on savings.

REVIEW YOUR COSTS The new year is a good time to review all your providers such as phone, electricity, car/house insurance, life insurances (a good insurance broker can assist on insurances) to make sure you’re getting the best bang for buck. Are there any new deals you can take advantage of?

PLAN YOUR MORTGAGE Get a handle on how much you owe to who, and at what rate. From here diarise when it’s time to re fix your mortgage. Prepare to shop around. Using a broker is a solid idea to come up with a strategy long term.

KIWISAVER AND SAVINGS Check your investment strategy (is it growth or balanced?) and make sure it coincides with your investment timeframe. Double check your tax rate and make sure your provider is doing the best job for you.

GET ADVICE Seek out independent advice, making sure financial decisions are all coordinated to your long-term financial objectives. By having everything working together you will achieve powerful longterm results.

Mark Sheehan is an award-winning Certified Financial Planner and Financial Advisor offering impartial advice in Nelson since 2008.

Ph 03 545 8928 sheehanfinancial.co.nz Advice is of a general nature and not intended as personalised advice.

PROMOTION

Gardening advice with Daltons Have a gardening question you need help with? The Daltons gardening experts are here to help with your gardening questions!

Send in your gardening question and you could win a Daltons gardening prize pack!

See entry details below.

Congratulations to Wendy Neame with a question about growing tackling thrips.

Do you have any ideas for stopping or reducing the number of thrips on plants such as Portuguese laurel and Rhododendrons?

Rhododendrons and all Portuguese Laurels are especially prone to thrips. They are tiny insects that attack plants en masse and suck the sap out of leaves. The symptoms of thrips are visible on the upper side of a leaf by a grey, silvery colouring, while on the underside of the leaf, a brown and sometimes-sticky appearance is very obvious.

Spray your trees regularly with a good quality horticultural oil, especially the undersides of leaves. While spraying can kill the thrips, the symptoms will remain on your leaf until they fall and are replaced in the growing season.

You can reduce the incidence of thrips infections by maintaining the plant’s optimum growth. Ensure they are well fertilised in spring /early summer – use Daltons Premium Tree and Shrub Fertiliser on your Portuguese Laurels, and Daltons Premium Acid Fertiliser on your Rhododendrons. Keep plants well mulched and watered over summer. The less vigorous the trees are growing, the more prone they are to thrips.

To avoid reinfection next growing season, ensure you remove and burn all infected leaves as they fall off the trees (even though the plant is evergreen).

Other products to try: Daltons Premium Mulch and Grow You may also find it helpful to read our free How To Grow Guides for more gardening advice: www.daltons.co.nz/how-to-guides.

Win a $70 Daltons Summer Care Pack Regular mulching is a must for your summer garden! It protects the soil from powerful sunlight, regulates soil temperatures, and helps keep moisture in and weeds out. Adding a thick layer of mulch or compost around your plants or garden. Help your garden survive summer with our Daltons Summer Care Pack. To enter, email your gardening question to nelsonmag@daltons.co.nz with Daltons prize pack in the subject heading. Giveaway entries must be received by Monday 17 January 2021.

The one-stop solution for the home gardener

World renowned goldsmith makes Nelson home “Jewellery by Christine is like no other you will ever wear”

Visit her central Nelson studio to experience for yourself the wonders of her creativity Appointments: David Wheeler 021 817 209 Display; commissions; remakes; repairs

Portrait: Marti Friedlander

www.TheArtistGoldsmith.com

Christine...The Artist Goldsmith Scan to watch film trailer

Höglund Glassblowing Studio a family affair

W

hen Ola and Marie of Höglund Glass met at boarding school in Sweden at the age of fifteen they had no idea that their meeting would eventually launch the brand for which they are now famous the world over.

Both worked at the Boda Glassworks before being accepted to study at the Orrefors Glass School in southern Sweden.

They then spent three years in Swaziland establishing a glass workshop, the beginning of their glass blowing adventures in other parts of the world.

Hearing about a glass business in Hokitika, they made the move to the West Coast of New Zealand, working there for three years before setting up a glass studio at Craft Habitat in Richmond.

In 1993 the couple moved to a brand-new glass blowing complex in Lansdowne Road, Appleby which has been the Höglund Glass home base ever since. For the last 12 years Marie and Ola have been making glass in Queensland, and then Central Otago during the winters, while their son Ossie and his wife Annie have maintained the Nelson studio. They are now back on home turf and enjoying the chance to be together as a family and creating glass work together. Their other son Oliver continues to make glass lampshades in the Queensland studio which are sold in the Nelson gallery as well.

Marie is conscious that not everyone can afford some of the highly complex large glass pieces they produce and has worked to establish a range of beautiful items priced under $100. These include exquisite blown glass birds, the popular vinegar and oil bottles, goblets and a wide range of exquisite dichroic glass jewellery that she and long-time staff member Mel produce. The pendants, earrings and cufflinks in rainbow-like colours have become extremely popular with people wanting a unique piece in their jewellery collection.

With so many years of packing glass items to travel all around the world behind them, the team at Höglund Glass Studio are expert packers and every day packages leave for all corners of the globe. Those purchasing from elsewhere however, don’t have the joy of being able to come and enjoy the extensive studio and on weekday mornings, watching the glassblowers magically blow molten glass into all manner of designs.

Höglund glass can be found in public and private collections around the world and Nelson is fortunate to have the heart of this highly successful glass making business on their doorstep.

With each piece individually made, you will find the perfect unique gift that can be wrapped beautifully and sent to any location, bringing pleasure for any occasion.

Ola and Marie Höglund at their glass studio.

Höglund Art Glass 52 Lansdowne Road, Appleby, Richmond Ph 03 544 6500 Visitors Welcome 10am – 4pm hoglundartglass.com

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Gallery Showcase

| Our region’s best creative talent

Nelson Classic Car Museum Museum Store

Höglund Art Glass Studio & Gallery

1 Cadillac Way, Annesbrook 03 547 4570

52 Lansdowne Road, Appleby, Nelson Open 7 days 10am – 4pm 03 544 6500 hoglundartglass.com

nelsonclassiccarmuseum.nz

Hawk’s Valley Sculpture Gallery

Chocolate Dog Studio See Jane’s work at chocolatedogillustration.co.nz Buy the Otter book online at copypress.co.nz/shop/mr-otter-river/

Belinda Wilson

ATELIER Studio | Gallery

190 Williams Road, Tasman Open most days. A call is appreciated.

021 267 1127

15 South Street, Nelson Open every Saturday 10am - 2pm and by appointment.

021 731 007

329 Trafalgar Square 021 166 8327 Tues - Fri 10am - 5pm, Sat 10am - 1pm

laurenkitts.co.nz

belindawilson.co.nz

atelier.org.nz

The Suter Art Gallery

Lynette Graham Fabric Design + Artist

Purpose Gallery

208 Bridge Street, Nelson Open 7 days 9.30am -4.30pm 03-548 4699 thesuter.org.nz

Michael MacMillan Sculptor & Country Homeware 252 Neudorf Rd, Upper Moutere Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon 10am – 4pm and Tues – Thurs by appt. 021 069 1401 michaelmacmillan.co.nz

125 Mapua Drive, Mapua.

021 731 737 or see online shop.

Lynettegraham.co.nz

The Artist Goldsmith Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler Central Nelson. By appointment

5 Iwa St, Mapua Thurs – Mon, 11am - 5pm, open to public.

Tues – Wed, by private appointment. purpose.gallery

Cathy Jones 4 Art 027 546 9499 1/47A Washington Rd. Open Wednesdays 12-5pm, and by appointment.

021 817 209 TheArtistGoldsmith.com

cathyjones4art.weebly.com

Michael MacMillan and Jackie Crow look forward to welcoming you at their Sculpture and Country Homeware store.

Creativity a way of life

T

he Upper Moutere has become a destination for locals and visitors to the Nelson region with its wealth of artists and artisan producers. Throughout the last fourteen years Michael MacMillan and partner Jackie Crow have created their own boutique destination, Sculpture & Country Homeware, a combination of two gallery spaces showcasing Michael’s exquisite sculpture along with items made from traditional French oak barrels, photography, painting, jewellery and country homewares.

Housed in a rusticated barn with beautiful bricked courtyard, it is a place where visitors can also enjoy a coffee while appreciating the surrounding views and outdoor sculpture.

Originally a potter, Michael discovered a love of sculpture early in his creative career and his pieces are made from wood, bronze, concrete and corten steel. They range in scale from indoor coffee table sized to large outdoor pieces and are making their artistic impression throughout New Zealand and overseas.

Most popular as gifts are the modern rustic barrel platters, cheeseboards and French-style rolling pins. Michael prefers using the timber from traditional French oak barrels because it has a tight and attractive grain and is extremely durable. The timber is harvested and left to age before being turned into wine barrels. After five to seven years of use it is retired and becomes the perfect resource for his creations. “By the time I get it the wine is infused in the wood, giving off a delicious aroma,” he says. The first layer is scraped off, popped into tins and sold as wine-infused woodchips, a perfect addition to BBQs or smokers.

The store and gallery walls are a backdrop for Jackie’s distinctive photography set in stylish contemporary ply frames along with art by several local artists including Helena Morris, Kerry Fenton-Johns, Candy Clarke and Sally Burton.

Other local artisans contribute mushrooms, black garlic, olive oil and honey to add to the local flavour.

Michael and Jackie particularly enjoy the interaction they have with visitors. “We love the reaction we get when people come for the first time,” says Jackie. “They are so surprised by all the things that are created here by our family, daughter Poppy included, along with the French feel. Some of them have heard of our famous grapevine Christmas trees and wreaths but have no idea of the variety of other things on offer”. “We are noticing increasingly that buyers are moving away from throwaway items”, adds Michael. “They want pieces that are going to last and have a story to them.”

Whether undertaking commissions, designing corporate awards, making sculpture or fashioning homewares, every single item is made to an exceptionally high standard with a whole lot of love added in. A relatively short and lovely drive from most places in the region, Michael and Jackie’s Gallery is a must to visit. You’ll be delighted you made the effort.

Michael MacMillan Sculptor & Country Homeware 252 Neudorf Road, Nelson 03 543 2252 michaelmacmillan.co.nz

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SALES T E K C I T D R I B EARLY RY EN D 31 JanUA

WHITE FERNS V INDIA 2ND ODI - MON 14 FEB 3RD ODI - WED 16 FEB SAXTON OVAL TICKETS.NZC.NZ

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Noon - 9:30p

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JANUARY | 22

Now - 31 Jan PANORAMA An exhibition by Steve Bellamy

WHAT’S ON For updated information visit itson.co.nz

Nelson City Framers and Gallery 42a Halifax St

Now - 6 Feb

Now - 28 Feb

NSAS SUMMER CASH AND CARRY

‘8 FOR 8’ EXHIBITION Celebrating eight years with new photography by Craig Potton and new works from eight New Zealand artists.

Great selection of smaller works by members, all for sale. Lovely range of styles and subjects which make ideal Christmas gifts.

Craig Potton Gallery + Store, 255 Hardy St

McKee Gallery, The Suter Art Gallery

15 Jan

15 Jan

TASTE TASMAN

ART IN THE PARK

Beer, cider and food festival with live music from Jordan Luck Band, Raw Collective, Knights of the Dub Table, Liam Poole + Friends, Toby, Ruby and NFX (DJ set).

Tickets at tastetasman.co.nz

Annual exhibition organised by volunteers of Art Group Nelson. Paintings, glass art, woodwork, garden art and more. 10am - 4.30pm

Rutherford Park, Nelson

Queens Gardens

26 - 29 Jan

28 - 31 Jan

INTO THE WOODS JR

BUSKERS FESTIVAL

“Be careful what you wish for” is the ongoing theme in this Broadway family-favourite musical fairytale world, presented by Nelson Youth Theatre Company. By the end of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, everyone will seem to have gotten their wish and will be preparing to live happily ever after. But will they…?

Daily full shows by performers, 11am-2.30pm and two evening variety shows on 29 and 30 at 6pm. Buskers at the Boathouse, Friday 28 Jan (R18, tickets at eventfinda)

Theatre Royal

Founders Heritage Village

Check out what’s happening in the region!

3-6 Feb 2022 | Nelson www.music.co.nz

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Equinox Group Luncheon Mama Cod

1.

Amy Cunningham and Benjamin Clarke

2.

Belinda Koloamatangi and Mitchell Wilson

3.

Ben Rodgers, Annabel Kemplen and Grant Rosewarne

4.

Richard Butler and Allan Innes-Walker

5.

Tony Downing and David Young

6.

Nick Widley and Mark Sheehan

7.

Tom Maling and Ryan Eddington

8.

James Sandstan, Amanda Burggraff and Jozette Welgemoed

9.

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Gilbert Roberston, Jason Craig and Karl Williscroft

10. Jason Park, Kipp O’Donnell

and Sarah Fitchett

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PETA LEWIS

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The Mapua Market Mapua Hall

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1.

Shaun Burton and Sophie Day

2.

Yuko Yamamoto, Ami Bruce and Erika Bruce

3.

Maisey Robinson, Ruby and Amy Burke

4.

Robyn Turnbull and Conner Williams

5.

Seamus Lyons and Susan Twomey

6.

Ryan Hooper and Sinead Liddicoat

7.

Neil, Zara, Mathew, and Aileen Hyndman

8.

Helen, Hannah and Lily Tufui

5

PETA LEWIS

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The Great Christmas Market Founders Market

1.

Brooke Helem, Billie Helal and Anahera Cross

2.

Bailee McConnon and Aimee McConnon

3.

Dominic Bloomfield and Mia Riddell

4.

Evelyn Lesser and Claudia Strang

5.

Johnny Davenport and Alice Snow

6.

Susan Collins, Sally Mallory and Alex Mallory

7.

Michell and Toni Robinson

8.

Mike McLaughlin, Samantha Malekar, Summer Phipps and Cooper Phipps

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Rachel Greig and Felicity Yates

5

10. Sophie Holt and Doreen Linder

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and Sarah Fitchett

7

PETA LEWIS

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Shine with Purpose Fashion Show Purpose Gallery

1.

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Tessa Jaine, Jo Menary and Laura Southward

2.

Suzi Stevens, Roisin King and Stu Fleming

3.

Heidi Stewart and Felicity Talley

4.

Jane Campion, Pam Stinton and Karin Lummis

5.

Logan Spurr and Jill Brown

6.

Rosie Bowie and Julie Walker

7.

Dinah Shearer and Andy Colley

8.

Emily Donaldson, Jo Menary and Lynley Donaldson

HENRY JAINE

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Nelson Suter Art Society Summer Exhibition McKee Gallery

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Roz Speirs and Jill Richards

2.

Trish Kennedy and Kate Coote

3.

Jacoba Roberts and Colleen Henderson

4.

Michael and Anne Doyle

5.

Jason Mills and Helena Fox

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Paul Deacon and Philippa Eberlein

7.

Gabriel Coote and Barbara Franklet

8.

Joanne Kouwenhoven, Margie Pope and Jill Richards

TESS JAINE

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Eat & Drink Local

The Junction Shop

Hop Federation

The Veggie Guy

Summer is all about picnics, platters and BBQ’s. Sharing food with family and friends and making memories.

Hop Federation’s dedication to producing seriously delicious awardwinning ales starts with the way their hops are farmed and it all happens right down the road in Riwaka. It’s quite literally their own team with their hands in the soil.

Nothing says summer quite like the delicious, sweet, juicy flavours of stone fruits.

The Junction at Old Factory Corner cuts cheese from the wheel, slices Pâté from the loaf, and sells antipasto products by the scoop. They also have a great range of local wine and craft beer.

Bring this advert in, spend $25 or more, excluding milk, bread and eggs, and receive a FREE Little River Estate Camembert.

Visit their tasting room for a range of beers, wines, and cider sales all year round.

Apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums and cherries are plentiful right now.

Perfect for lunchboxes, pop them in the picnic basket, or combine them for a heavenly fruit salad. And make sure you can enjoy them all year round by freezing, preserving or making some jam.

The Junction is your local one-stop shop to make this summer delicious.

thejunctionshop.co.nz

hopfederation.co.nz

theveggieguy.co.nz

Solander Gourmet Seafood

Atutahi

Sprig + Fern Brewing Co.

The very best seafood available in New Zealand and around the world is now easily accessible to you via online order and home delivery. Select from the finest seafood and other gourmet products on offer to ensure that your summer meals and dining experiences are healthy, delicious, and incredibly well priced.

Delivering gourmet seafood direct to your door.

Native leaf drinks made here in sunny Nelson. Kawakawa, Horopito and Kumarahou leaf combined with NZ’s premium fruit and berries, then lightly carbonated. The taste echoes across centuries. Made with deep respect for the land, through the strength of our whanau and the wellbeing of all. Sugar Free options available. See stockists online

It’s not summer in Nelson Tasman unless you’ve spent time at a local Sprig + Fern Tavern enjoying a pint of craft beer or cider. Real beer, real people, really local.

gourmetseafood.co.nz

atutahi.nz

sprigandfern.co.nz

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January 2022

Sprig + Fern Milton St, Sprig + Fern Hardy St, Sprig + Fern Tahuna, Sprig + Fern Upper Queen, Sprig + Fern The Meadows Sprig + Fern Brightwater, Sprig + Fern Mapua ,Sprig + Fern Motueka

The Drummond family - sixth generation hop growers on their hop farm, The Pines.

CHOCOLATE DOG STUDIO

Excitement builds as hops shoot up Master Growers for six generations

Can you hear the hops growing?

asman’s latitude of 41.5°S is perfect for growing hops, making it New Zealand’s prime growing region for over 150 years. High sunshine hours are necessary for the phenomenal growth experienced in our hop gardens over summer. Hops can grow 30cm each day, when growing conditions are optimal. By 21 December (summer solstice) the hop’s main bine will have reached the top wire.

One warm summer night when he was a child, Andy Drummond remembers lying beside his dad on the back of the farm truck amongst the hop bines.

“Listen. That soft rustling sound – can you hear it?” his father asked. “That’s the hops growing.”

T

Watching a hop garden grow is exciting, but the risk of freak summer hailstorms make any grower nervous. 2020’s Boxing Day hailstorm was devastating to hop gardens and other horticulture in Motueka and parts of the Moutere. Hailstones can strip the plants of leaves, flowers, or cones, reducing harvest outcomes and livelihoods considerably.

As the summer days get slightly shorter, the hop plants focus on growing flowers, then cones. The cones continue to develop until maturity at the end of February or March when they will be harvested.

Growers often plant several different hop varieties. The varying ratios of essential oils, and alpha and beta acids found in the lupulin glands of the hop cones give each variety distinct and unique properties. The higher the alpha acid level in the hop, the higher the bitter characteristic in the final beer.

The boom in the craft beer industry has increased demand for aroma hops which express fruity characteristics such as citrus and tropical flavours. MotuekaTM is an aroma hop with crushed citrus “Mojito” lime character. Nectaron® is NZ Hops new rockstar hop, released in 2020 with punchy aromas of pineapple, passionfruit, and peach. It is hugely popular both locally in New Zealand and internationally, especially with North American brewers.

As harvest time draws nearer, growers will be wandering their hop gardens, pulling off cones and breaking them open to inhale their unique aromas. Engineers will be busy ensuring the harvest machinery and kilns are ready to receive the hop bines.

Excitement and expectation are brewing for harvest to begin.

It is an amazing phenomenon that healthy hop plants can be heard growing. When the conditions are right – quiet, still, warm, evenings – during the hop’s fastest growing phase you can hear the bines stretching taller, and the leaves unfurling.

Andy remembers one morning marking a post with a marker-pen, alongside the top of a bine. “When we went back at seven o’clock that night it had grown 15 inches.”

Like many of NZ Hops’ Co-op of Master Growers, hop growing is said to ‘get into your blood’. Many hop gardens have been farmed for generations by the same family.

Andy’s son Matt is an engineer and lives on the property with his nineyear-old son, Toby. Matt works in the family business and Toby often helps during harvest.

The Pines farm is recognisable from the road. It is at the base of the Takaka Hill beside the turnoff to Marahau.

The land in this area has been used since 1862 to grow a wide variety of crops, including tobacco, peaches, boysenberries, and blackcurrants.

The property’s first hop garden was planted in 1890 using the very first variety to be commercially planted in New Zealand.

CHOCOLATE DOG STUDIO

Hinetai 2021 – hops at full height.

85

We’ve made it easy to find local wines you’ll love.

Look out for the green sticker in store today!

Experience Nelson Tasman’s premium wines from what we think, is New Zealand’s best kept wine secret – the Nelson Tasman region.

Discover the delights from our boutique, award-winning wineries, and taste the passion that is notable in every sip of our wine.

www.tastenelsonwines.nz/love-local

G

Gravity Winery Cellar Door and Gallery

ravity Winery, Cellar Door and Art Gallery in Old Coach Road Mahana is one of the most picturesque locations you’ll find. You can sit and enjoy their many varieties of world-class wine on offer, complemented by a delicious locally sourced platter, all while taking in the three-hundredand sixty-degree views across sweeping rows of vineyards to Kahurangi National Park, Tasman Bay and Mt Arthur.

In 2019 a group of successful family-owned wineries from around New Zealand joined forces to merge their businesses into the Booster Wine Group of which Gravity Winery is one.

Consequently, when you visit Gravity, you can also taste a range of superb offerings from Awatere River, Bannock Brae, Sileni, LV and Waimea Estate. This makes for fascinating wine tastings with twenty-five varieties on offer and wine tasters having the opportunity to compare similar wines from different regions.

Tours take an hour and include a visit to all aspects of the wine-making process along with the opportunity to see New Zealand’s only gravity fed winery and have the chance to taste wine out of the tanks and barrels. Wine Tours run seven days a week between 11am and 4pm and can be customised as well.

The locally sourced platters are a superb addition to the offerings at Gravity and perfect for a lunch date. They are put together entirely from local produce which includes the likes

of cheesemakers Thorvald and Little River, and The Sausage Press, as well as olive oil produced on the Gravity property.

Visiting the winery in person is highly recommended as some of the wines made are only produced in very small batches and you won’t find them anywhere else. It is also a way to be first on hand to taste new season’s wines as they are released. Speaking of which, the Waimea Pinot Noir Rose 2021 is proving a huge hit with customers currently with its watermelon and strawberry notes, perfect as a light, easydrinking summer tipple.

When visiting, be sure not to miss the Gravity Gallery on site, open from 12pm to 4pm daily. It is run by, and features, the work of local artisans with changing exhibitions throughout the year.

A short but pleasant drive from anywhere in the region, Gravity Winery, Cellar Door and Gallery is a must-visit destination for locals and visitors alike.

Gravity Winery Cellar Door- Open daily 11 – 5pm Gravity Gallery - Open daily 12 – 4.30pm (Bookings essential) Winery Tours - Open daily 11am – 4pm www.gravitywinery.co.nz • Ph 03 543 2817 @gravitycellardoor

87

Dining

McCashin’s Tap Room

Ambrosia Café

Anchor Restaurant and Bar

Calling all steak lovers! McCashin’s have extended their menu to share the very best and most flavoursome beef steaks.

As soon as you step inside, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the delicious daily fare sets your mouth watering.

Choose from dry aged Angus sirloin, T bone, ribeye or sirloin served with your choice of four delectable sauces and your favourite sides. Best served alongside one of their own locally made brews. Open breakfast until late seven days.

Ambrosia Café is licensed, so whether you want a quick coffee and something sweet, brunch, lunch with friends, a business lunch or a glass of wine and a snack, it’s all here. Open every day.

Top quality food is best served with amazing ocean views! Blessed with a fantastic spot on the water, you will feel welcomed and won’t want to leave.

660 Main Rd, Stoke 03 547 0329 mccashins.co.nz

226 Queen St, Richmond 03 544 0025 ambrosiacafe.co.nz

62 Vickerman St, Port Nelson 03 546 6614 anchorrestaurant.co.nz

The Indian Café

Mapua Village Bakery

Ratanui Lodge

With three great locations you can enjoy Indian Cafe’s delicious food no matter where you are. Head in and find out why Indian Café is the favourite choice for anyone looking for the highest quality food and a memorable cuisine experience.

No matter what you fancy, they’ve got you covered with a fantastic menu full of all your favourites — homestyle baking, a huge pie selection, the famous big breakfast that is available every day until 2pm, and delicious fresh salad rolls to take away and enjoy on your spring picnics.

All venues offer intimate restaurant dining and courtyard settings and takeaway options.

There’s a good gluten free range and a different gourmet pie flavour each month, all topped off with a supreme coffee to add a bounce to your day.

Fresh local produce and fantastic flavours are on the menu daily – with taste tempting dishes for everyone. Enjoy cocktails, beers and tapas from 4pm daily. In our sparkly, newly renovated lounge bar, or outside in the sunny courtyard which is open whenever the sun is shining and locals, groups and casual diners are always welcome. Open daily for breakfast and dinner, and brunch is served Friday to Sunday.

94 Collingwood St, Nelson | 03 548 4089 266 Queen St, Richmond | 03 544 8979 201 Songer St, Stoke | 03 547 0008 theindiancafe.co.nz

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January 2022

68 Aranui Rd, Mapua 03 540 3656 mapuavillagebakery.co.nz

Specialising in local seafood and steaks, there are also delectable choices for non-meat eaters, people with special dietary needs and kids.

818 Abel Tasman Drive, Pohara 03 525 7998 - ratanuilodge.com

MEET YOUR LOCAL SPRIG + FERN TAVERN OWNER Sprig + Fern Brewing Co. beers and ciders are well known around New Zealand, and Sprig + Fern Taverns are popular in their communities with eight in Nelson Tasman and 14 nationwide.

This month we get to know Karl Russ and Emma Topliss who are the owners of the Milton St and Upper Queen St Sprig + Fern Taverns.

Q. What do you do for fun if you ever have spare time between running your businesses?

Karl: I love to go fishing, and enjoy dinner out at local restaurants with my fiancé Emma, or just hanging out together with our dog Bruce.

Emma: I enjoy spending time doing house reno stuff, or going to the family bach in Marahau.

Q. You recently purchased Sprig + Fern Upper Queen. What made you decide to own a second Tavern in Richmond?

Karl: It represented an exciting new challenge for us to take on a second Sprig + Fern Tavern. We really like the beers and ciders and the brand, so it made sense when we wanted to take the next step in business that we take on another tavern.

Q. Favourite craft beer on tap currently?

Karl: Local Pinner NZ Pilsner Emma: Chasing Hazy Q. If you could only drink one style of beer for the rest of your life what would it be?

Karl: Dogtown WCIPA. Emma: It’s not a beer, but I would go with Grown Up Lemonade!

Q. What makes each of your taverns special?

Karl: Sprig + Fern Upper Queen and Sprig + Fern Milton St are both unique, but each has a really fun local vibe. They are both really family friendly, but I think what makes them special is that the staff and the regular local customers are part of the Sprig + Fern family.

Emma: The Taverns offer such a cool experience, whether you are a big fan of craft beer or fairly new to it, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Knowing the beers and ciders are hand-crafted, and made just up the road at the brewery is pretty cool.

We also really appreciate our locals, its cool to see local mountain bikers or Walking Footballers join us each week, as well as hosting fundraisers/quiz nights for local community groups.

Q. Favourite local sports team?

Karl: Tasman Mako!

Q. Favourite national sports team?

Emma: The All Blacks…

Q. What keeps you motivated to own businesses in Nelson Tasman?

Karl: We were born and bred here, we absolutely love the region and all that it has to offer. The weather, the people, the lifestyle. We also have a great relationship with the Sprig + Fern brewery. We are proud to be a Sprig + Fern craft beer destination.

Opening Hours: Sprig + Fern Upper Queen: Tuesday to Sunday 2pm till 10pm.

Sprig + Fern Milton: Monday to Friday 2pm till 10pm Saturday and Sunday 12 noon till 10pm Each Tavern has a food offering and 16 core beers and ciders on tap, plus Limited Release products.

Karl Russ outside Sprig + Fern Milton St, one of two Sprig + Fern Taverns he owns, the other being Sprig + Fern Upper Queen.

From hazys through to dark beers, hard seltzer and ciders and a tasty food menu created by Karl (ex-chef), there is something for everyone.

Manuka smoked mussels, with apple & radish gazpacho & nori This smokey, sustainable starter, shared by Awaroa Lodge Executive Chef Zane Heemi, combines Japanese flavours using a Spanish technique for a refreshing summer dish.

Serves 4 For the smoked mussels 400g freshly shucked mussels 500g apple cider 500g water 50g salt 50g sugar 50g

manuka wood chips

Apple and radish gazpacho 200g granny smith apple

(peeled, cored, diced) 200g daikon radish (peeled, diced) 100g almond meal 100g prepared horseradish 300g cold pressed apple juice 50ml extra virgin olive oil Pinch of xanthan Salt and sugar to taste

Method

To plate:

For the mussels:

Blitz nori until finely powdered.

Bring cider, sugar, salt and water to the boil and cool down to fridge temp. Brine mussels for 2-3 hours (brine can be reserved for other seafood).

Separately dice granny smith apple (about 3mm x 3mm) and slice radish on a mandolin or as finely as possible.

Drain mussels and dry on a cake rack in a fridge for 3 hours to remove excess moisture. In a smoker heat manuka chips and smoke for 3-4 mins or as long as desired. Dress in a small amount of olive oil and lemon zest and leave aside to cool.

For the gazpacho:

To garnish 2 radishes 1 granny smith apple 6 sheets of toasted nori

Blitz everything except xanthan, salt and sugar in a high-powered blender until smooth, strain and pass through a fine meshed sieve. Mix in xanthan to make desired consistency, and season to taste.

Using a jug, pour about 100-150ml of gazpacho onto the bottom of your bowl or plate.

Take room temperature mussels, and place them sporadically across the plate.

Place the apple and radish around the mussels, ensuring each bite gets some of each ingredient. Lastly finish with nori dusted over the top.

Slow braised BBQ beef short ribs Served with creamy mash and fresh asparagus Beef short ribs are the absolute best cut of beef for slow cooking!

Sticky and delicious, these tender beef short ribs are well worth the wait.

BBQ SHORT RIBS

BBQ SAUCE

Beef short ribs

1 onion finely diced

2 sprigs rosemary

2 cloves garlic crushed

1c red wine

½ tsp chilli flakes

2L beef stock

1 tsp fennel seeds

Salt and pepper

110g brown sugar 110ml soy sauce 600ml tomato sauce Salt and pepper

Sautee onion and garlic in a pot until translucent.

Toast fennel seeds on 180 degrees celsius for 4 minutes then add to onion and garlic.

Add chilli flakes and cook out. Add sugar, soy sauce and tomato sauce and bring to the boil, cook out until thick.

In a large frying pan/ flat top sear the seasoned beef ribs until nicely browned.

Place into a deep roasting dish, thick part down and cover with wine, stock and rosemary, season again. Cover with baking paper then tin foil and braise for 4 hours at 140 degrees celsius.

Once cooked portion ribs and brush generously with BBQ Sauce.

Serve with buttery mash potato and al dente fresh asparagus, or any vegetable which is in season at the time

Health

Social connection One of the biggest challenges Covid has brought is our ability to stay connected with friends and family. It’s brought the topic of social connection into the spotlight, and with good reason. Dr Marissa Kelaher explains.

S

ocial connection is a part of health we often take for granted, yet it’s one of the strongest predictors of health and longevity.

We are hardwired to be social creatures - the gene for kindness is one of the oldest genes in our DNA. Having social connection is having a life where other people play a vital part - for emotional, physical, and practical support.

It includes socialising, social support and sense of belonging.

Loneliness impacts on our physical and mental health studies show that people who are chronically lonely have a higher risk of early death, high blood pressure, insomnia, heart attacks and strokes, dementia, and poor mental health.

In contrast, having strong social connections reduces inflammation, improves immunity, switches on ‘anti-ageing’ genes, lowers blood pressure, and protects our brains.

A famous study from Harvard University followed a group of men over 75 years and found that the single most important predictor of health was having strong social connections.

When we are connected with others, we’re also more likely to look after ourselves when stressed, ie eat well, exercise, sleep, and avoid harmful substances. We also stay more focused and are less likely to give up.

One of the most important parts of social connection is not necessarily how many friends we have, but how close we feel to them, and knowing we can rely on them.

If you are feeling lonely or want to improve your social connections, try these tips.

• Be positive when with others • Make time with loved ones a priority and try new things together • Be interested in other people’s lives, and be supportive and trustworthy • Put digital devices away and focus on connecting and being truly present with others • Reach out to people you haven’t seen in a while • Volunteer

Connecting with others affects our health by buffering against the negative physical effects of stress via its effect on our nervous system.

• Find supportive online communities

It activates our parasympathetic (rest and digest) system, counteracting the fight or flight response we have to stress.

Even short positive interactions drop our blood pressure and heart rate and increase energy.

• Set yourself a challenge to perform a random act of kindness each day, or strike up conversation with people you come into contact with in public

• Join new groups with a common interest, or try new activities

Being kind and connecting with others releases several hormones from our brain: • Oxytocin (love hormone, protects the heart, helps blood pressure, and improves self-esteem and optimism).

• Serotonin (happy hormone, speeds healing from injuries, makes us feel calmer and happier).

• Endorphins (feel good hormone, reduces pain, improves energy and strength, and makes us feel positive).

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January 2022

Dr Marissa Kelaher is a Nelson based GP who runs lifestyle, nutritional medicine and plant-based health clinics. She is based at Nelson Family Medicine.

Check out Marissa’s blogs and health and wellness tips at thesimplicitydoctor.com or on Facebook and Instagram @thesimplicitydoctor

TIM CUFF

Members of the Sealord whānau who participated in the latest F45 challenge, with Pete Hampson and a medal-clad Doug Paulin at the front

Promoting health and wellbeing with competitive camaraderie

S

ealord is one of the best-known seafood brands in the country. Its name is synonymous with hard work, pride, and perseverance. So, it is quite fitting that the promotion of teamwork and the wellbeing of its employees is high on the list of priorities.

A health buzz taking the company by storm is F45 Training and leading the charge in Nelson is CEO Doug Paulin and the Sealord F45 team. Doug has lost more than 25kgs, won the last three F45 challenges for Nelson and has single-handedly recruited the majority of Sealord's 25-strong F45 team.

Annabel Kemplen, Sealord’s communications manager, says the company is focused on prioritising the wellbeing of its people and making sure everyone enjoys coming to work. “The camaraderie that the Sealord F45 team enjoys is very much an example of what takes place right across the company,” she says. “Everyone loves working together and Sealord fosters that spirit in a number of different ways with social events, fundraising initiatives and things like F45.”

Mitchell Wilson, F45 Nelson/Richmond owner, says the Sealord team is a fantastic group to have in the gym. “Sealord is one of our biggest corporate members and they bring a whole lot of fun and energy to our F45 team. It’s great to see a company supporting their people to achieve positive health and wellbeing. Lots of our members say doing F45 is about looking after their mental health and the fitness side is an added bonus.”

Doug encourages everyone to just ‘give it a go’. “It’s just 45 mins, come and try it out. For the Sealord F45 whanau in Nelson, we have a chat group which enables a bit of banter, and a celebratory drink is held at the end of each 45-day challenge.”

A member of the Nelson Sealord F45 team for six months, Annabel says the benefits of joining the growing community are huge. “It is such a great team-building exercise. There’s a super friendly vibe and people totally get into it! I think you can become a bit addicted. You always feel really good afterwards and it is a great way to stay in shape too.”

F45 is functional training in a team environment, with a mix of cardio and weights style 45-minute work outs.

“What helps to make it great is that it’s a lot of fun,” says Doug.

“It’s a crack up as well as being good for you. F45 offers a welcoming environment and there is a raft of support to help people achieve their goals.”

F45 Nelson / Richmond is offering a limited number of businesses a corporate rate for their employees in 2022. If you think your workplace would be interested, contact Mitchell at nelson@f45training.co.nz.

93

THE

HistoryOF HARCOURTS

For many, Harcourts is a name filled with history and yet for others it is a name synonymous with the future. This is the story of a great New Zealand company - where it came from and where it is headed.

This is the story of Harcourts.

John Bateman Harcourt was a visionary; a man who redefined the real estate industry and created a part of New Zealand history. Born in England and having lived in Melbourne since 1856, JB Harcourt arrived in, what had recently become New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington, at the ripe old age of 21. He worked for AP Stuart and Co before purchasing the soft goods business in 1879 and renaming it ‘Harcourt & Co.’ In 1888, JB transferred all his attention and energy (of which he had plenty) to an exciting new business in property services and so began the Harcourts that we all know and appreciate today.

not dissimilar to his father, but also, like his father, he was a prominent member of Wellington society. Stanton was the first of three Harcourts to serve as the President of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) followed by his brother Gordon and then his nephew Ted.

JB clearly had a sharp entrepreneurial instinct and driven by a boldness that enabled him to overcome obstacles and conventions alike, he quickly established Harcourt & Co as one of the best known businesses in the region. From day one of Harcourt & Co opening their doors as a land and estate agency, the company flourished. It quickly established itself as an expert in the sale of not only city property, but also country, seaside, mining, farms and station properties and was recognised as having a strong auction presence. With the introduction of “The Register and Property Investors Guide”, the equivalent of today’s BlueBook, Harcourt & Co published and circulated an impressive 4000 copies throughout Wellington on the last Saturday of each and every month. Its success and progress, as a company, grew in line with Wellington’s development.

JB Harcourt was a man well ahead of his time, who was generous with both his business acumen and money, and also a committed family man.

JB’s legacy continued within his children including his sons, Stanton and Gordon, who went on to join their father in the company. In 1905 Stanton joined the family business and Gordon, upon his return from war, also joined them as Harcourt & Co went from strength to strength.

In 1928 JB Harcourt passed away, but right to the very end he was recognised as one of Wellington’s best-known citizens and acknowledged for his part in the evolution of Wellington. His obituary refers to him as ‘one of the city’s pioneers’ and just one month before his passing, he was made a life member of the Chamber of Commerce, a prestigious honour recognising his influence in shaping the region’s infrastructure. Sadly, without JB around, Stanton and Gordon did not always see eye to eye and in 1929 Gordon ended up heading out on his own establishing Gordon Harcourt Ltd. Harcourt & Co still continued as a family run business, with Stanton at the helm ably assisted by his two sons. Neither remained with the company for long, leaving Stanton as the last of the Harcourt family to run the company. There is no doubt that Stanton had a stern disposition,

Shortly after going into partnership with Hec Fisher in the 1950’s, Stanton chose to retire. Hec had already been with the company for 30 or so years and had learnt to deal with Stanton’s somewhat rigid and uncompromising approach to business. Hec, who took sole charge of Harcourt & Co following Stanton’s retirement, was a large contributor to the establishment of the Real Estate Agents Act and was in charge until his son Robert took over as Managing Director in 1968. Roger Whyte, who had previously worked for Gordon Harcourt Ltd, then joined Robert and together they built upon both the residential and commercial sides of the real estate business.

Platinum Blue Harcourt & Co continued to be a proud Wellington company right up until 1980 when it expanded into Auckland amidst plans to list on the Stock Exchange. In 1985 Collins Real Estate, a company founded in 1972 with an emphasis on marketing, training and technology previously unseen in New Zealand real estate merged with Harcourt & Co to create Harcourts Real Estate Ltd. The new company quickly became the major force in Christchurch real estate and made the number one spot its own as ‘the house-sold name’. The merger effectively formed one of the largest real estate companies in the country and, according to Stephen Collins, then Managing Director, illustrated an increase in client expectations for a wider range of services at the time.

Tower Corporation took the plunge and purchased the shares from the National Bank. Stephen then, in 1992, conducted a management buyout with the aim of creating more of an industry-led company. After six extensive months of negotiation Stephen, together with his management group made up of Paul Wright, Bob Cooper and Jo-Anne Clifford, were the proud owners of Harcourts.

The management team went from strength to strength and Harcourts’ presence across New Zealand grew immeasurably. In 1993, Paul Wright was promoted from his role as South Island Regional Manager to General Manager and was instrumental in the growth and ethos of the company.

Harcourts continued to diligently set up branches across New Zealand, all the while having its sights firmly set on the Australian market as well.

In 1997, the dream became reality as Mike Green, former franchise owner, headed across the ditch to spearhead the ‘Harcourts-isation’ of Australia.

Over the course of a few years, the big blue signs went up in all six Australian states and Harcourts became the fastest growing real estate company in Australasia. With a background in all areas of the company to his current role as Managing Director Mike is, quite simply put, the past, the present and the future of Harcourts.

Since Mike and Paul took over the reins in 1999, Harcourts has expanded even further with more than 900 offices now in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, China, Hong Kong, South Africa, Indonesia, Canada and the United States.

In 1988, celebrating 100 years in business, Stephen introduced the current franchise model and then set Harcourts up as a publicly listed company.

One of the very first shareholders of substance was the National Bank of New Zealand, who continued to purchase shares within the company culminating in a return to private ownership. Just one short year later,

It’s not just people who make a difference in the real estate industry. At Harcourts, it’s also about the services and tools that are provided to each and every client. Harcourts takes pride in the fact that innovation and technology are a major focus- one of the very real points of difference.

In 1996 that innovation in technology led to Harcourts launching the very first public searchable property database on the internet. Since it was launched, www.harcourts.co.nz continues to be ranked as the most visited real estate group website in New Zealand.

Platinum Blue

MARKET UPDATE WITH

Chris

REINZ released the housing data for the month of November recently and the upcoming holiday break will now allow a lot of people to stop, take a breath and reassess what it is they want or need in the coming year. There is no doubt that this has been a fast-paced year in our property sector.

If you are reading this comment, you are obviously interested in the market and I’m sure you are aware that the Government and the Reserve Bank now have factors in play that are specifically designed to slow this market down. Recently pressure was applied in the banking sector that is specifically designed to restrict lending.

Talking with people involved in the finance and lending industry, there seem to be three main measures that have been recently introduced to curb buyer enthusiasm and restrict the banking sector’s lending.

1. High LVR lending (loan to value ratio) is restricted. Borrowers with less than 20% equity in a transaction are finding it increasingly difficult in the current environment. This aspect has hit the first home buyer market in particular over the last month.

2. The banks are also having an in depth look at what is classed as Prudent Lending. All lenders are required by law to ensure their lending is prudent and in the best interests of all parties. Further scrutiny is now being placed on everything a borrower has, does and spends their money on in the months preceding a loan application. Consequently, there are stories of the banks going line by line through applicants’ bank transactions to ensure that everything about them and their spending habits is known. This has had the effect of dramatically slowing down the processing time it takes to agree to a new loan.

Chris Harvey PRINCIPAL 3. There is also now a focus on an applicant’s debt to income ratio, in other words, more of a check that an applicant has a strong income stream available to them when applying for a loan. These three measures while all seemingly prudent in their application, will ultimately have unintended consequences (as most Government intervention in the market tends to do) when applied at the same time and not only to first home buyers but also the general population. The effects of these measures are already starting to show in the real world as we run through December, and there is definitely a feeling that they could well have an effect in the new year, especially for the first home buyer, which will no doubt mean the Bank of Mum and Dad will become even more important.

“Median prices in the Nelson and Tasman regions in November 2021 increased by 9.9%, and 14.9%, respectively, from the same time last year.

Nelson had an increase in stock levels and new listings. In Nelson, new listings have been more in the mid-to-high price range, with some of the higher asking prices of vendors are being fulfilled. Properties are selling relatively fast, with the median days to sell down by one day in Nelson from 28 days in November 2020 to 27 days in November 2021.

What can we expect in the new year? After reading this commentary, you will appreciate that there are now some forces in play that weren’t around during the November sales period. Already it is apparent that there is a mood change happening within the market and the much talked about ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO) is not as strong as it once was. No doubt the measures put in place by the Government are starting to have an effect.

On behalf of Harcourts across our city, we wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas. Have a great rest over the holiday and festive season.

What’s happening in your location?

Nelson

57

NUMBER OF SALES

$510,000 MEDIAN VALUATION (2018)

147%

$802,000

% DIFFERENCE SALE PRICE TO RV

MEDIAN SALE PRICE

33

MEDIAN DAYS TO SELL DATA SOURCED FROM REINZ

$52.3M TOTAL SALES

Platinum Blue

Ruby Bay 38 Korepo Road Unbeatable Position - Tasman Bay Views

1151m2

4

1

2

Price by Negotiation over $1,850,000 View www.harcourts.co.nz/RC5924

With spectacular views over Tasman Bay to D’urville Island, this extremely private property, with the most glorious garden and sun-drenched saltwater swimming pool, also boasts a pool-house with sauna, bathroom and a large guest room (or studio/gym).

Add a double garage, storage sheds, good sized workshop/cellar, and all just a leisurely 5 min stroll to the Ruby Bay beach, 3km to Mapua Village and 4km to the popular Mapua Wharf. An absolute must to view! Call Wendy for a private viewing.

Wendy Perry M 027 249 1701 P 03 544 4441 wendy.perry@harcourts.co.nz

Platinum Blue Limited Licensed Agent REAA 2008

Upper Moutere 20A Sunrise Valley Road

3

1502m2

2

1

1

1

View www.harcourts.co.nz/RC5868

Rare Opportunity!

This home is a replica Hop Kiln and is situated directly across from Heaphy Vineyards, where you can sit on the deck in the morning sun and enjoy this peaceful outlook.

There is a new kitchen and cosy living room which features a log burner for the cooler months. This space opens out onto a private courtyard covered with a louvered pergola ideal for entertaining, or just taking some time to relax.

Platinum Blue Limited Licensed Agent REAA 2008

Wendy Perry M 027 249 1701 P 03 544 4441 wendy.perry@harcourts.co.nz

Platinum Blue

Stepneyville

1

1

1

1

$640,000 View: harcourts.co.nz/NN25363

2/269 Wakefield Quay

Nelson

602m2

48 Shelbourne Street

3

3

3

2

Price by Negotiation over $2,300,000 View: harcourts.co.nz/NN25328

Waterfront Lifestyle

Luxe Living On Shelbourne

If you are looking for a simple and relaxing lifestyle with no worries of maintenance, this is what you have been waiting for! Situated in the popular Latitude 41 complex this stunning apartment provides the security of lock up and leave living or investment. Perfectly positioned close to top restaurants and Tahuna Beach with excellent sea and mountain views. Located on the first floor this one bedroom apartment offers open plan kitchen/dining and living that flows out via ranch sliders to your own private balcony. Perfect for enjoying the ever-changing action on the water and magnificent sunsets.

This is your dream home! From top to toe this beautiful Bungalow oozes luxury and attention to detail throughout. Position perfect just a short stroll along the Cathedral walkway down the church steps and you are in the hub of the city with its boutique shops, entertainment, cafes. Our owners had a vision for this 1920s family home on a prime piece of inner city real estate. Together with their architect and meticulous builder they undertook a massive renovation and extension creating the perfect couples retreat with a consented one bedroom garden apartment on the ground floor. (Apt. Virtual on Harcourts website).

Sarah Martin

Caroline Fletcher

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

caroline.fletcher@harcourts.co.nz

M 027 547 6629

Caroline Fletcher

M 027 453 5885 caroline.fletcher@harcourts.co.nz

M 027 453 5885

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

Licensed Agent REAA 2008

Help!

ALWAYS HERE TO

Richmond

40 Marino Grove

604m2

4

2

2

2

Price by Negotiation over $1,190,000 View: harcourts.co.nz/RC5895

Contemporary and Delightful

Beautifully nestled in a quiet and desirable pocket at the Richmond foothills, this 2016 G J Gardner designer home strikes the perfect balance, offering functional living with ease of entertaining. The open plan living features a kitchen, dining area, and two living areas (one with sliding doors for privacy), which flow seamlessly out to a completely private entertainment area. In addition to capturing all day sun, a high-end Rika pellet fire, as well as a heat pump, provide warmth, efficiency and comfort all year round. This home is a definite must-see!

Matt Goodman

M 027 456 7788 matt.goodman@harcourts.co.nz Licensed Agent REAA 2008

• • • •

Buying your first home Upgrading to a new home Downsizing to something smaller Looking at building

This is a free service to help you with your next move! Call Steve to discuss all of your financing options!

Steve Holbrook Mortgage Advisor 021 916 159 steve@mx.co.nz

Home Loans I Refinancing I Bridging Finance I Tops-Ups I Personal Loans

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From the simplest to the most elaborate of funerals, you can trust us NELSON & TASMAN WIDE, WE’RE PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY

69 Haven Road, Nelson | www.simplicity.co.nz

Phone 03 539 0066

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Ana Fierek

Client Care & Sales 021 241 0234 ana@susaguhl.co.nz

www.susaguhl.co.nz

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January 2022

Susa Guhl

Lead Agent 0274 969 008 susa@susaguhl.co.nz

Marc Steyn

Sales & Marketing 0274 887722 marc@susaguhl.co.nz

PO Box 1218 | Nelson 7040 | MyPlace Realty Limited | Licensed REA (2008)