Nelson Magazine - June 2023

Our favourite trusty stead, the mighty Toyota Hilux, has been given the Gazoo Racing treatment and now has a little bit more of everything. More grunt to go further with a 2.8 litre turbo diesel engine blending Dakar Rally capability with everyday durability, and delivering 165kW of power and 550Nm of torque for unrelenting potential. The kind of potential that will get you to where all the best adventures happen.

Inspired by the Dakar Rally utes, it is rugged in every way. It has had the local treatment though and been specifically tuned for New Zealand conditions. The Hilux GR Sport has been engineered to improve off-road dynamics: the redesigned bumper enhances off-road performance and newly developed over-fenders reduce drag. It’s also fifty shades of fearless, with five striking colours and three two-tone finish colours to bring out its Dakar-inspired detailing including Glacier White, Frosted White, Silver Sky, Eclipse, and Emotional Red. Think it’ll look beastier with an Eclipse Black roof ? That’s an option too. Inside it is filled with everything you need - you remain in control with an 8” Colour Touchscreen info-tainment unit within reach. Never miss a beat with 9 Speaker JBL Premium Audio system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, smart entry & push button start, a front cool box and dual zone climate control automatic air-con. Why be uncomfortable in the harshest of environments!

The best thing is that it is available for order right now at the Toyota Driveaway Price of just $74,990* You will need to get in quick and order yours asap as there is limited stock in the country right now, but this is advertised as a “short wait time product” so fill your boots and get in touch with us pronto

The regions best seller has just got even more exciting. S ay hello to the H ilu x GR Sport .

Stockists of Magnolia Pearl, La Bottega Di Brunella, Meg By Design & Beacon Hill’s Closet

I’ve always loved the ocean… and I love a sleep in… One thing I don’t love is the cold. But after reading Britt Coker’s article about a group who meet at Tāhunanui Beach at 6am every morning for a swim I was interested to see what all the fuss was about and try it for myself. For someone who spends five minutes standing in water up to my thighs procrastinating getting in, even in the middle of summer, this was a pretty big deal for me.

Yet when my alarm went off at 5.30am I felt excited and eager to get there. I was the first one to arrive at Tāhuna Beach but was shortly joined by other people from the ME vs ME group who were so welcoming and friendly. They spoke about how the morning swims made them feel uplifted, motivated and gave them mental clarity. After chatting for 10-15 minutes and sharing a karakia, around 12 of us walked into an ocean sparkling with luminescence underneath a dark, starry sky. The anticipation of how my body was going to react and the overwhelming connection with the natural environment was equal parts exhilarating and beautiful. We stayed in for about 10 minutes which seemed to go really fast.

I came out of the water at around 6.30am feeling energised, challenged, proud of myself and ready to take on anything thrown at me that day… not to mention a bit cold.

9/10. Would even do it again. Might see you down there!

EDITOR

Sarah Board | editor@nelsonmag.co.nz

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Tessa Jaine | tess@topsouthmedia.co.nz

DESIGN

Kara-Shay Manson, Patrick Connor and Kylie Owens

CONTRIBUTORS

Britt Coker, Alistair Hughes, Adrienne Matthews, Matt Lawrey, Amy Russ, Mackenzie Charleton

ADVERTISING

Kirsten Ammann | kirsten@topsouthmedia.co.nz

Kara-Shay Manson | kara@topsouthmedia.co.nz

PUBLISHER

Top South Media 563 Main Rd, Stoke topsouthmedia.co.nz

issuu.com/nelsonweekly

Commercial Vehicles

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Fine & Dandy source and share the highest quality tea, bringing you a collection that is pure, natural and uplifting. We have two tins of ethical, organic tea and a beautiful handwoven brass tea strainer to giveaway. Just email your best photo to editor@nelsonmag.co.nz for your chance to win.

Jackie Gibbs-Beaton

Coming to Stacey, for my staff and customers. It’s a second home.

Sophie Ann Greig

To enjoy life and connect with people.

Tyron Penno

Getting up in the morning and going for an e-bike ride along the railway and enjoying the day.

Tracy Lyall

My family. Everything I do, I do for them, to ensure they’re happy and healthy.

Indiana Bear

Congratulations to Indiana Beer who won a CalliWoods kitchen kit with her photo of daughter Emerson at the Mapua Easter Fair.

Strawberry-loving Kiwis

Headliners

What made news in our region...

Good news for strawberry lovers, there will soon be many more grown in the South Island. JS Ewers is developing a 4ha under-cover structure on the Waimea plains market garden, which will be planted later this year with strawberry plants in standing gutters. It means there will be more strawberries available for a longer period next season, regardless of the weather. The venture will predominantly service the South Island, and support other markets around the country when required.

Business at Berryfields

Last month saw further progress in the Lower Queen Street development, Berryfields Crossing, with two new restaurants opening for business, Joe’s Garage and Eat Italy. However, just days into opening, a gas explosion at Eat Italy resulted in their chef being blown across the kitchen when the wall exploded. The explosion was triggered after a contractor accidentally drilled a screw into an LPG pipe while putting a shelf on the wall. Owner, Cherif El Bakkali says the opening was “busy and successful and exciting” and while they needed to close for repair work, is happy to be reopen again.

Pack your bags, or your house

At 128 years old, Wakatu Lodge has moved to the country with its owners Melissa and Simon Floyd. Until recently, the historic two-storied villa stood above Waimea Road in Nelson. The Floyds wanted to shift to some land in the Moutere, and after 11 years of restoring the villa, they couldn’t just say goodbye. So, they cut it up and put it on trucks to haul it through the mud to its new site. Currently, the villa is sitting in several parts in a paddock waiting to be put back together – a project they are excited to work on together.

Closing the loop with compost

A partnership between a local landscaper and community composter is diverting food waste from landfill and seeing it utilised in gardens across the region. Tim’s Garden owner Tim Morozgalski and Community Compost Nelson founder Ben Bushell are currently processing two tonnes of local food scraps every week through bEartha – a special composting machine designed and built here in Nelson. The machine makes the hot composting process more automated and efficient while reducing emissions and odours. Ben says the process helps to ‘close the loop’ with compost going back to gardens, rather than scraps sitting in landfill. The compost is available from Tim’s Garden.

Mapua wharf makeover

Resource consent for a new community boat ramp and facilities building at Mapua wharf was filed last month. The development is a three-year project that will provide safe access to the sea for all users. Plans include a two-lane access ramp, turnaround area and a floating pontoon for users to tie up their vessels while launching and retrieving. Project coordinator Trevor Marshall says Tasman District Council has agreed to a partial funding of $700,000 for the $2.95 million project, with the remaining funds needing to be fundraised within the community and through grants.

Fall armyworm detected in Golden Bay

The destructive and unwanted Fall armyworn has been detected in Golden Bay with its arrival leaving arable and vegetable growers worried. The Ministry of Primary Industries is asking people to be on the lookout and report any sightings. In January the pest was detected for the first time in the South Island in maize paddocks in Hokitika. However, recently it has been discovered in Tākaka, with fears it will

Things we love

Congratulations to our local Nelson Farmers Market for taking out the runner-up award in the Organic Week NZ Awards for Organic Farmers Market of the Year. The Wednesday morning market, now at the Halifax Street site, has been running for nearly 20 years and is a favourite in the community for fresh and local produce.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

I feel like the whole purpose behind this is if you can start the morning and face it with potentially your hardest challenge for the day. If you really set that tone and mood, any other challenges that come your way during the day are so much more achievable.

Barney Aupa’au Pages 29 - 31

Create the future you want with Te Pūkenga NMIT

Booking a career chat is an engaging way to learn more about NMIT and have any questions answered. NMIT career advisors can even connect your goals with the right learning journey.

Following her career chat, Nina Barbezat, a Whanganui-based high school teacher, plans to enrol in the Graduate Certificate in Career Development at Te Pūkenga NMIT. Nina found she can study both remotely and in her own time, so she can continue working while she upskills. “I’m looking to future proof my later years.”

Nina already supports ākonga with career advice, but she believes it is time to put some accredited theory behind her conversations. “I’m looking forward to walking the walk, since I’m talking it.”

After discussing her work experience, Nina discovered she will be granted permission to enter the Level 7 graduate certificate, providing her with the learning experience she needs, rather than spending her time on concepts she is already familiar with.

Nina enjoyed the career chat as she was able to talk to a real person and accurately get her thoughts and questions out on the table. “I loved the chat— it felt like I was talking to an old friend. I’m old school, so I don’t want to talk to AI,” she said.

Book a phone conversation or a face-to-face meeting from our website homepage at either our Richmond, Nelson or Blenheim campuses. Conversations last 15-20 minutes with any follow-up information provided via email.

A free career conversation can put you on the right path to meet your career goals.

Getting to know... Ngaio Richards

Musician, tattooist and cat cuddler. Ngaio Richards talks to Nelson Magazine about what inspired her to become a musician and her hopes for the future.

At the weekend you’ll find me...

Jamming, performing or attending a gig. If I am not playing music myself, I like to go out and support other local musicians. After work you’ll find me...

With winter coming, and the sun going down earlier, at this time of year I tend to cook dinner and spend time cozied up on the couch with my partner and cats. I already miss the summer nights of swims and picnic dinners.

As a child I was really into...

Spending time with my older brother and cousins. They had wild imaginations and I would follow along into the worlds and stories they would create. Some of my favourite memories are of us all hanging out together.

Something I learned way later than I should have...

Is how to say no, and that it is ok to say no... I think I’m still learning this.

The most spontaneous thing I’ve ever done is...

Take off for a solo trip to Thailand. At the last minute, I decided to go over to meet up with one of my best friends. She lives in Norway and it had been a few years since I had last seen her. It was a really last minute decision - I think it took a week from finding out when she was going to be there, to arriving in Bangkok airport.

A family tradition I will never give up is...

Jamming and making music with my brother. He first inspired me to learn guitar – when I was young I wanted to do everything he was doing, and now it is a big part of how we spend our time when we are together.

The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was...

Deciding to start tattooing. The first time I tattooed myself I felt confident and ready, but looking back it was a big thing to do. I love my tattoos and love tattooing others, so I’m really glad I made that first step.

My biggest regret is...

I honestly don’t think that I have many regrets in my life. I feel my experiences have helped me learn about myself and made me who I am today. The only regret I really have is not telling people I cared for how I truly felt or how much I loved them while they were still here. But that regret has influenced me to be more emotionally honest with the people in my life now.

I am most passionate about...

Mental health awareness and de-stigmatising talking about our mental health; taking care of and looking after yourself; talking about how you feel and sharing that with loved ones; reflecting and reaching out for help when you need it.

In ten years I hope...

To just be happy, doing the things I love, whatever they end up being. Maybe I will have new interests and goals, but I do hope I am still making music, spending time with family and still living somewhere near the ocean.

My downtime...

My family tradition...

My travels...

We are delighted with the difference our beautifully made curtains have made to our home. We are very pleased with the finished result and want to thank Trish for her fabulous vision and excellent service.

- Glen and Trina

Trish Gray - Co-owner Guthrie Bowron, Richmond

Taking the plunge

What if the most difficult thing that you had to do today, you got out of the way before the sun came up? Then you did it all over again, tomorrow. Britt Coker talks with a guy who wanted to improve his mental health and ended up starting a group project where everyone involved in it is making waves.

January 1 last year, Barney Aupa’au rose at dawn and went to Tahunanui Beach. He was stuck in his head and he didn’t want to be. The water was cold, but he went in and under, and then out again. Day One. He was going to do it every day for a month, he reckoned. Up at dawn, down to the beach, in, under, and out again. But each day he did it, he became less in his head and more in his body. He felt so much better (“My mental health just skyrocketed”) and more prepared to face the challenges ahead. The month passed. And another. And another. Then one day, he wasn’t going into the water on his own.

“I was putting stories on my personal Instagram and a couple of people reached out to me asking, ‘What the heck are you doing, bro. It’s pitch black, it’s cold’. Other people were more curious, and some of the people said, ‘can I join or is this like a closed thing’ and once I had a couple of people join and people showed interest, I thought ‘I'm gonna make this a project and make it public’. So I made the project public in May last year on Instagram, and then people gravitated from that.”

This merry band of ocean plungers meet every day at Tahunanui Beach, 6.15 am weekdays, 7am weekends. Not everyone, every day, just whoever can make it. In April, weekend numbers ranged from 30 to 50 but it's June now, so enthusiasm may drop with the temperature. There is still a core group of between 6-12 that meet on the foreshore every day where, regardless of numbers, the beach gathering follows a simple format.

“Most people are there from about quarter to six, to six. Some people are anxious, some people don't like crowds, it's quite early, so just having that whanaungatanga, that forming of relationships with people as they arrive [is important]. We walk down to the beach and we share a karakia together and then I give a really brief explanation if there are new people, of what ME vs ME actually means and what it's about. Then we nominate somebody in that group to count us in. Then we all walk out together to a depth where we feel comfortable - everyone's different heightsand that person that we nominated, counts to three in either English or another language that they speak

Barney Aupa’au started swimming at Tahunanui Beach in January last year and since then more people have joined him, and other ME vs ME cold water immersions groups have formed in Christchurch, Wellington and Gisborne. Elliot Prentice

and then we all dip under the water together and we keep our shoulders under and try to stay under for at least a couple of minutes.”

So, ME vs ME, what is it all about?

“When I was going down to the beach daily, I kept saying to myself, ME vs ME, and what that means is I'm not competing against anybody else in life I'm only competing to be a better version of myself. A better version of myself today than what I was yesterday. And then when I broke it down, I thought, what does that actually mean? For me, it’s an acronym - mental exhaustion versus mental elevation, it's about finding that balance in life. I get quite mentally exhausted just with everything, life and work and just everything that goes on, and for me to go down to the beach and go for those dips I would get very mentally elevated and it was really noticeable, and it still is.”

Barney provides pastoral care as a youth worker. He says the job can be pretty challenging due to the nature of the work “and the complex situations that I have to face”. He says the dawn dips go a long way to helping him focus, remain level-headed and, “set a good energy”. Eighteen months on, he can’t always make it every day, but four times a week, at least. The wide appeal of an individual-led, mentallychallenging event seems the epitome of the current cultural zeitgeist. Getting people together in this day and age can be like herding cats and yet, here was Barney minding his own mindfulness and the personal challenge of it was so appealing to others that they wanted in. This resonance has extended to Christchurch, Wellington and Gisborne where friends of his have also started ME vs ME cold water immersions with similar popularity. Everybody wants to get out of their heads and feel something with their bodies, even if it’s unpleasant. In this instance, it’s also because when they get back into their brains, they’ll find a bunch of endorphins have gate crashed and are holding a party up there. For Barney, the colder the water, the better. Not because he is impervious to the cold, but because it represents a bigger challenge with more trepidation. The harder it is to face, the greater the reward. But nippy or not, the buzz of the early morning challenge sets him up for the day and stays until the end of it.

“I feel like the whole purpose behind this is if you can start the morning and face it with potentially your hardest challenge for the day. If you really set that tone and mood, any other challenges that come your way during the day are so much more achievable… You've physically put your body in this cold environment and you've overcome a mental hurdle straight away and it's really taught me to be comfortable being uncomfortable… I know that it has changed my life and that it is just part of my lifestyle now. Just waking up and doing that and just the after-effects of how I feel and my mood, my energy levels - it outweighs everything!”

A delightful additional benefit to ME vs ME is that at a moment in human civilization where everything but breathing seems to cost us money, this doesn’t. It is a community event, as free as the ocean you’re walking into. No obligation to show up, no duration to stay under, everyone is welcome. You can head off straight away, or head for a coffee together afterwards, but the only thing I should warn you about is that no one is wearing wetsuits to minimise the impact of the icy cold water (togs, yes please).

Cold water plunging is not new of course.

Scandinavians have been cutting swimming holes in frozen ponds for ages and even the ancient Greeks took time out from their toga parties and complicated algebra equations to go for cold dips. It’s been a pastime across the globe for so long, numerous studies have been undertaken to determine health benefits and risks. A 2021 study did find it helped people suffering from mental health issues. Other research extends the upsides to include immune system boosting, improving memory, reducing inflammation and - watch the stampede now - anti-aging. However, doctors may be more cautionary, especially for people with heart conditions and circulation problems. So (disclaimer alert) if you want to give it a go, don’t try and set a PB in your first week, and talk to your GP if you’ve got medical conditions that need factoring in.

It’s ironic that something that seems to be all about Me has become so much about We. You don’t actually need to go with a group of people if you want to embrace the sea at dawn, but we already do so much of facing life on our own. The thought of embracing a challenge as a collective, encouraging each other, succeeding together, will be what draws most people to be at the water’s edge alongside Barney.

“I think it was just timing as well, it was post-Covid and a lot was happening in the world and in the country and people were probably just looking for an alternative. Then I guess, just the accessibility of it and the connectivity with the community, and the relationships being formed which have been seen as above and beyond that.”

“A lot of the people that come down to the group we wouldn’t mix and mingle in the same circles of people. There are all walks of life, and all ages, and yet we’ve got this mutual kind of agreement that we’ve never spoken about, that we all kind of gravitate and we’re on the same journey. And it’s no judgement as well, people come for all different reasons, all things happening in their life and you kind of just know. You just know that we uplift and empower each other, one cold dip at a time. It’s quite special”.

Some might even say, heart warming.

Keeping it Fresh

While a career in radio appears out of reach for all but the most dulcettoned, community radio is accessible to everyone. Britt Coker hits play.

If commercial radio wants to lure in new listeners, perhaps it could take up piracy again. In 1966, Radio Hauraki began illegally bobbing around in the Hauraki Gulf, well away from marauding government officials and their anti-commercial radio sentiment. After four years the pirates got what they wanted – the right to play music as ordinary landlubbers – and other commercial stations quickly followed. It was a long and illustrious mix of music and chirpiness, until automation in the 1990s saw commercial radio begin to walk the plank while the real-time use of the ON AIR studio light became increasingly intermittent.

The economics of automation allowed for more and more stations to be established to cater for every musical taste, but the overwhelming choice did not get us any closer to precious local content as that plank walk has eventually found us staring at a sea state of out-of-town breakfast jocks, creative departments and recording studios.

Ironically, it is the [partly] government-funded, community access radio that is the enigmatic unconventional one now. Its strength lies in its focus on local people and by virtue of that fact, its eclecticism. Local station Fresh FM operates out of three studios with 70 programmes on its schedule and a listenership that extends across the Top of the South. To the world too, once all shows go online. Run by a charitable trust, Fresh is the 20th century merger of two community stations – Harvest Radio and Boulder Radio.

What our society is better at now is acknowledging the individualism of everyone and making sure that they are catered for, offered a voice, and welcomed. That’s not an awakening of consciousness for community radio though, more like a longterm modus operandi. Pania Walton, content and engagement director at Fresh FM, recognises what a valuable asset it is for people who aren’t catered for in mainstream, like new migrants, or people who just want to listen to specialist shows that cover subjects like personal wellbeing, wine, sustainability, art, food and death (rarely at the same time).

Pania says, “It means that people who don't normally hear their voice represented in mainstream media can have a voice on the radio, and also that the people in those communities can hear the people on the radio talking about things of interest to them.”

Together, Finn Smith and Warwick Jones present a show on mental health every Thursday at noon. Finn also works at Health Action Trust, which provides health promotion and mental health services. The duo talk to a mix of guests on the radio show from retired clinicians to people who are willing to talk about their own journeys. “The idea was to draw more normalisation of people who need help with their mental health.”

Finn says he wound up on the show partly due to his background in media studies, though that hasn’t prevented him from experiencing some anxiety as part of presenting the show. He acknowledges it gets easier the more he does it and the beauty of the shows being pre-recorded is the unlimited do-overs this option provides, should it be required. Overall, he enjoys the challenge and sees the bigger picture of helping other people as being worth the pre-show angst.

“I find it really rewarding and it's great involving other associate organisations so that we can be more connected in the community.”

Over the 13 years they’ve been on the air, the trio that present Viva LatinoAmerica! have amassed plenty of non-Spanish listeners to their Spanish-speaking

show. Originally from Chile, Jessica and Julio Díaz Rodríguez, alongside Luz Zúñiga Vega, present an hour of Latin American culture and interviews touching on current affairs in New Zealand and South America. But even if you don’t speak Spanish, there is always the music.

“South America is such a rich continent with all kinds of music and clubs, and people are so good at expressing that through the music so sometimes we get listeners just for that,” says Jessica.

Luz and Julio are both journalists and Jessica is a social worker. This combination of compassion, truth and integrity is expressed through the show format, Luz explains.

“When we started in 2010, we started on the 12th of October which was supposedly the day that Colombus got to America for the first time. So, from the start, our focus is linked to decolonisation. We reflect a lot about matters relating to indigenous people with their rights of the land and nature.”

Jessica adds, “We are analysing issues that are going on in South America regarding, for example, indigenous cultures, we are so far behind in (recognition of indigenous rights and autonomy) South America, it is a way of sharing the knowledge here as well.”

The three want their show to be ethical and have gone so far as to create their own ‘No Harm’ policy which means they have committed to saying nothing

on Viva LatinoAmerica that would be hurtful to anyone. Says Luz, “That’s a principle that keeps us busy because there is a lot to filter, but we do have that commitment, too.”

Why did they make this decision?

“Because we have reflected a lot on what happened here in New Zealand in 2019 with the mosque attacks. We reflected on being from another country but also being involved in producing programmes for the public using media. We thought it should be our responsibility to be conscious of our messages in terms of not hurting anyone in any way. So, we are very careful using our language, and when we talk about a subject that could be controversial we are really careful to be analysing it without using words that could attract the attention of people to the conflict, instead of the solution.”

Each fortnightly show takes about 10-15 hours of preparation, but Jessica thinks it’s worth it. “We have learned a lot, and that will continue. We have made friends through the programme, we know all the people and the people know us. It has been very rich, to be honest. Very, very rich.”

It’s hard to imagine that for today’s youth, radio is old school. A contributing factor to this will be the unrelatability of the announcers on commercial radio, as well as the modern phenomenon we call streaming services where podcast shows and YouTube channels are made by young people, for

Content and engagement director at Fresh FM, Pania Walton. Tessa Jaine.

young people. So Hazel Molloy is bucking the trend with her local radio show, The Jam, something she began when she was just 12 years old. She’s a seasoned professional now, with four years under her belt, offering music and interviews on Fresh FM every second Wednesday.

The Jam has been invaluable for increasing her confidence but it’s the connections that she’s made, and the people she gets to talk to, that Hazel loves most about her show.

“The biggest challenge is probably finding content. After Covid things got quite difficult and there weren’t as many events on, stuff like that, and also you get to the point – ‘are people listening, are they enjoying what I'm saying, are they engaging?’”

These are questions we should all ask ourselves when we’re talking to people, but they are particularly understandable if you operate a pre-recorded radio show as it is a lot like talking to yourself in a wellpadded room (acoustically speaking).

“I feel like a lot of my radio show is quite lighthearted. I feel like on a lot of shows – and the news – it’s quite intense and people are quite serious about things. I obviously take it seriously but there are elements of laughter I have on the show as well. My biggest goals are to spread positivity and make an impact on someone's life in a positive way… Not everyone wants to sit there and listen to someone talking serious about something for the whole hour.”

Yeah, life’s a bit heavy for all of us at the moment but it must be a real bummer for young people. The climate, the economy, war, floating plastic islands, the pipe dreams of home ownership, social media pressures - a constant mumble of impending doom that started well after most of us were teenagers. An urge to dance in our living rooms is not the only reason we all turn the music up occasionally.

Hazel’s show is unapologetically youth-focussed, but if you’re keen to understand and relate to teenagers,

The Jam may also be enlightening.

“Recently I've been talking about my experiences with something, for example stress in school, and I know that it won’t appeal to everyone, but I’ve had my parents say that they learn a lot of things from what I say. The events I talk about, and the interviews, it can be for everyone.”

Hazel sees herself continuing with her show for the next couple of years until she leaves for university. Hopefully there will be other teens who will fill the youth void she will create by her absence. Not that it’s ever too late to start a radio show.

“I feel like everyone has something to say in this world and I feel like everything is valued, so I feel like radio is a really great way to voice your own opinions and values and things like that. I honestly think that it could be for anyone.”

This is a view shared by Pania who would love to see more local people making the most of access radio.

“I think that the best person to go on the radio is someone who's passionate about something that they want to share. That passion and enthusiasm translates into beautiful radio that people want to listen to and it's a really great environment…It could be 15 minutes a week, it could be an hour, or it could be less or more often. There are lots of possibilities. It's a great way of getting the word out and it's fun. Coming in, learning new technology, talking to people, hanging out in the studio. It’s a really lovely community vibe with lots of support and super accessible. It’s unlike anything else.”

If you would like to support the valuable work FreshFM does in our community with a donation or sponsorship email pania@freshfm.net

1. Hazel Molloy started her radio show The Jam when she was just 12 years old. 2. The Viva Latinoamérica! team of community broadcasters, Julio Diaz Rodriguez, Luz Zuniga Vega and Jessica Diaz Rodriguez. 3. Finn Smith together with Warwick Jones present a show on mental health every Thursday at noon.

On the right track

Noticing a lack of gentle mountainbike tracks in Golden Bay, Beth Burdett and Phil Castle decided to do something about it. Their gift to the bay is creating a buzz with plenty of benefits.

Words: Alistair Hughes

Cradled between the ranges of Kahurangi, New Zealand’s second largest National Park, and the Tasman Sea, Golden Bay is a remarkably beautiful part of New Zealand. Sweeping northwards from the Abel Tasman National Park to Farewell Spit in an arc of unspoilt shoreline, this region has also long offered rich opportunities for outdoor activity. Tramping, rock climbing, sailing, kayaking and caving were all well catered for in this glorious setting-but there was a notable exception. The often winding, narrow and surprisingly busy roads, (particularly in the summer season), turned road cycling into a danger sport, while opportunities for mountain bikers were very limited.

When Wellington software developers Phil Castle and Beth Burdett moved to Takaka in 2002 they quickly became aware of this shortcoming.

“There were technical trails like the Rameka and Parapara, but for people who didn’t enjoy riding at that grade there was nothing, and the roads were not safe,” Phil recalls. Having seen recreational areas gradually disappear to housing in Wellington, the couple fostered a strong belief that ‘wild spaces’ needed to be preserved from development.

Setting up the Rata-Tui Restoration Trust, Beth and Phil bought a "chunk of land” in 2010, a 48 hectare tract of Takaka’s Motupipi Hill. They wanted to use the heavily-wooded terrain to demonstrate their strongly held belief that a conservation ethic can coexist with a recreational focus.

“Especially biking," maintains Beth. “At that point, the Department of Conservation (DOC) were opposed to mountainbike activity on DOC land. So we wanted to show that you could create sensibly ride-able trails and still have an unaffected conservation area. And now DOC fully supports mountainbiking, many DOC workers seem to have become cyclists themselves, and they’re working on good trails throughout the country.”

In contract to existing trails in Golden Bay, the couple envisaged a gentler, family-friendly network of tracks designed for lighter use. Buying land and spending many years of hard work creating trails, just to make it all available to everyone free of charge, seems like an incredibly altruistic gesture. But it is an observation which Beth and Phil quickly shrug off.

“We were wondering who to leave our inheritance money to, as we don’t have kids,” explains Phil. “We thought about a conservation charity, and then the

Motupipi Hill (foreground) in Takaka, where conservation co-exists with recreation on a series of unique cycle trails. Alistair Hughes

1. Beth Burdett and Phil Castle hacked their way through head height gorse to create tracks among stunning scenery.

2. Phil begins work on the very first cycle track, in May 2011. 3. A specially constructed boardwalk spans wetland at the centre of Motupipi Hill. 4. Young mountain bikers enjoy the loop track at the top of the hill. Alistair Hughes and Jonathan Kennett.

next step we took was deciding to not wait until we’re gone, but giving it now, and that way we can guide the use of that money.”

Beth provides an additional reason: “I believe a community is as strong as the commitment that people put into it. Developing Motupipi Hill was something that we were in a position to do, our business was going well, so we decided to do something good from that.”

Having purchased their hill, (protected in perpetuity in a charitable trust), the couple now had to literally start making tracks. There were existing logging roads, which at least gave Beth and Phil a starting point for their exploration. “We didn’t actually build the first track for about two years,” recalls Phil. “We felt we needed to get a feel for the terrain, so developed a few walking routes through to get an idea of the lie of the land.”

The first track to be created was ‘The Knoll' in 2012, an ascent through native forest to a headland which rewards with a spectacular panoramic view of the Motupipi estuary and the entire sweep of Golden Bay beyond. Cyclists pausing here would never realise that Phil had to bash his way through above head-height gorse to create this path. The conservation ethic which he and Beth hold to helped decide the route.

“We were planting of a whole lot of northern rata and needed a good track to bring a wheel barrow in. This is why a lot of conservation and recreation can be complementary: to get into an area and plant it out, you need good access.” The tracks created for planting can then be adapted into cycle trails, but this is no simple feat.

“People think we just charge through the bush with a spade, but an awful lot of planning is involved.”

A couple of years later, the next track established was the Grand Traverse (taking its name from a climbing route on Mount Cook). A need for a loop track saw the creation of La Rambla.

Phil consulted Top of the South aerial maps of the area. “I could see right away where the contours were the most easy and was able to plot a track. But

I also spent months walking back and forth with an inclinometer, placing tape around trees at eye height so that I could measure the distance and angle.”

Beth also emphasises the importance of preserving native trees, and due to an initial expensive digger experience, avoiding established pines as well. “So we’ve refined our technique as we’ve gone on.”

Another important element in planning the trails of Motupipi Hill was help from mountain-biking legend Jonathan Kennett, who pioneered the sport in New Zealand with his two brothers back in the 1980s. As well as spurring Beth and Phil on with his development of the nearby Rameka Valley mountain bike trails, he provided invaluable technical advice.

“Jonathan gave us this wonderful little A4 sheet with pictures and diagrams on gradients, and how to build a corner. This became our bible,” says Beth. Many ensuing years of hard work have resulted in fifteen cross-country trails ranging from grade 2 to 3, covering a distance of approximately 10 km through regenerating native bush.

“Building tracks is a lot of fun,” says Phil, “and I try to do as much of it myself as I can.”

Runners, walkers and cyclists, ranging from lycraclad devotees to families with young children in tow, regularly enjoy Beth and Phil’s gift to the community. And indeed, everyone who benefits from Motupipi Hill is given an opportunity to help, as Beth and Phil hold regular ‘planting days’. Volunteers can spend a happy few hours maintaining tracks, clearing ground and bedding in plants which will eventually become future forest as part of Motupipi Hill’s legacy. To date, over 4500 trees have been planted.

“I can’t imagine being part of a community and not contributing to it.” Beth explains.

“Also, seeing areas of land where forests are disappearing, we’re doing what we can to reverse that in a small way on Motupipi Hill,” Phil adds.

“And besides, we love riding there!”

Motupipi Hill Community Cycle Park NEED TO KNOW...

Parking is available at Cassidy’s Corner at the corner of Abel Tasman Drive and Rototai Road. Motupipi Hill access is approximately one kilometre along the Takaka cycle trail to Burnside Road, and along the farm track at the end.

Please respect the sections where you are asked to dismount; this is for your safety and the protection of the track. There is a route map at the entrance and multiple maps posted on trees throughout the hill.

1 3 5 6 4 2

The tracks are ideal for families and novice riders, as well as walkers and runners.

A rebel alliance

Every Friday a group of Nelsonians aim to make their voices heard outside Civic House. But they feel their pleas to address climate change aren't being addressed fast enough. Britt Coker speaks with some of its members about why they're so passionate about their cause.

It began in October 2018, when British activists assembled in London to announce a Declaration of Rebellion against the UK Government. People blocked major bridges across the Thames, superglued themselves to the gates of Buckingham Palace and dug a hole in Parliament Square to bury a coffin representing the future. But from that symbolic death, came life too. The beginning of Extension Rebellion. How did we get to a point where people all over the world are so desperate to save the planet that they protest regularly in front of local and central government buildings? Their answer is, of course, ineffective and/or non-existent action by their respective governments. Even on our shores many an archetypal No worries, mate New Zealander has turned in to a frustrated rebel. Extinction Rebellion (XR) now has over 1063 groups in 86 countries, 24 of them are in New Zealand. The rebellion has three demands. Tell the Truth. Act Now. Decide Together.

You’ll find members of the Nelson group every Friday outside Nelson City Council between 12-1.30pm. Their ‘Fridays for Future’ live action group clutch placards and engage with passers-by about the climate crisis and issues inextricably linked with it.

Ami Kennedy has been part of XR Nelson since 2019, restless for urgent action like everyone else involved. In addition to the climate crisis, she sees a link between it and cultural racism, and that we have become disconnected from the land, observing it as something separate from us in the same way that many of us see people of other cultures as separate from us.

“It is such a complex thing but I think it needs to be talked about, and especially in the climate at the moment where we've got conversations about anti co-governance and talking to people on the street on Fridays for the Future, the comments they come up with are just like out of this world, Victorian times, and we haven't moved on from a lot of our attitudes where people are seen as less because of their heritage.”

“Through land clearances in Europe and being marginalised off our land where we were able to sustain ourselves - and that's still happening today - we have trauma that separates us from that real deep connection to every living thing that’s on this planet…If we had our deep connection to our planet still, and the life-giving aspects of it, we wouldn't be able to do what we're doing.”

Members of the Fridays for Future group, Te Wehi Ratana, Ami Kennedy, Steve Browne and a visitor from Australia, outside the Nelson City Council.

“I don't want to belittle the trauma and the effect of people when they've had their livelihoods and houses destroyed and people have been killed, that’s very traumatic and horrific, however, we forget in between times. It appears there is no active consciousness of what is actually happening in our planet, and I want people to be outraged. It’s heartbreaking what's happening and it's really easy just to feel hopeless and just go into ourselves and just want to lick our wounds and be comfortable, I suppose. And for some people, they don't have the resource or the time to be out on the street, so for those of us that do have that privilege to do that, we should be out there demanding that our councils and our central government are actually constantly working on this and constantly talking about it and also learning and listening to each other as well, because there are huge divisions being caused and that comes into more focus during the national elections.”

While we are all encouraged to minimise our footprints, Ami feels it is big industry that could make the biggest difference and that we are often given the false impression that they are doing a lot when, in fact, they’re not doing much at all, (it’s so common, the phrase ‘green washing’ was coined to describe it). She feels a lot has been deflected toward consumers for us all to change our ways, rather than the producer taking responsibility. Having said that, doing something personally is still better than doing nothing at all.

She says Nelson City councillors and staff will occasionally come and talk to the XR group, though a changing of the guard with last year’s local election

has meant some new relationships need to be established. But XR is not going away anytime soon. Deputy mayor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens sees them.

“I appreciate the regular reminder of the scale and urgency of the climate crisis facing us. It’s a good reminder of the importance of the mahi we do, as well as the need to do more to reduce our emissions.”

Plenty of Nelsonians see them too, with decidedly more mixed reviews. Some may say it's admirable to willingly subject yourself to random acts of unkindness for something bigger than yourself. The average human prefers to avoid difficult conversations and rejection in any form. But for XR Nelson, the alternative is not an option.

Ami says, “We get people shouting out windows, we get people smiling and going ‘yes, well done and good on you’, and you know we get a whole range of responses. I think it is uncomfortable, we need to face the uncomfortable aspect of it and we need to seek community where we can actually work through the possible solutions together.”

Steve Browne is sitting in a canoe on the pavement outside the council building to make a point. He’s been part of XR Whakatu for just three months but is a long-time environmentalist who says he could see ‘we were polluting ourselves off the planet’. He has found his niche here and, like Ami, acknowledges the importance of community.

“The strange bit about the XR guys and what we are on about is that we don't want to make things harder

for you, but easier. Our motivation comes from trying to preserve the very things we all love about living in and around Nelson. They are about working and stressing less, and spending more time doing what's important. Getting to know your neighbours because that's where the real security lies, in the community. Feeling safe where you live because you know the people around you and that they will be there when they're needed. In the words of James Baldwin, “Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

Steve bestows the virtues of a meat-free diet. Vegans are still seen as society fringe dwellers, but I hear the inaugural ‘Earth is Round’ meeting had low attendee numbers, too. It’s quite possible that one day long after you’ve scoffed at this sentence, veganism will be the norm and omnivores will be the ones scanning the small print at the bottom of the restaurant menu, to see if ‘Meat dishes are available on request’.

If we like Earth so much, why are we not unanimously in support of XR, agreeing that mass consumerism is harming the planet, and for our part, taking steps to do less of it? Steve will tell you it’s because ‘we are filling a hole in our heart’ with material things, desperately seeking satisfaction from outside ourselves. I guess, to want things is just an extension of needing things. Food and shelter taken care of, the desire to have more, remains. To stave off boredom, to find some pleasure amongst the stress and tedium.

Yes, there are plenty of folks who don’t list shopping as a pastime, who shudder at the sight of plastic packaging, who love big, live small. But even if this is you, there are still demands that take you away from the big picture and into the day-to-day detail. Not just that roof over our heads, but work too, and personal tasks and obligations on a mental list that never goes away, titled Important Things To Do Before Bedtime Lest My Internal Hard Drive Crashes. Internal hard drives are crashing.

Government officials have a more formalised list. At the top of it right now is the cost of living crisis. Then there is the housing crisis, and healthcare crisis, education, employment, and yes, still on their list is the climate crisis. But they are so busy putting proverbial fires out, that except for those times, ‘putting out fires’ moves from a metaphorical to literal expression, the climate gets usurped by other crises.

There is passion and frustration in the voices of Steve and Ami. No time for ambivalence, no space for half-heartedness. Not for them. Meantime, the rest of us will focus on what’s in front of us. We’ll drive between the red cones and tidied skirts of last August’s slips while the wreckage of Hawkes Bay is not even in our periphery. We are empathetic to all the bad things happening, but that list of Important Things To Do before Bedtime is not going to shorten itself. Still, somehow we need to find a balance between the things that don’t really matter and the things that really do. Like this amazing, blue-green marble we call home.

The Lawrey Story

Nelson faces an increasing number of challenges when it comes to attracting people and businesses into its downtown area. With a number of significant projects falling over or stalling, Matt Lawrey thinks the time has come for the city to get innovative with its airspace.

If there’s one thing I’m hearing a lot these days, it’s that Nelson’s central city could do with a lift. The consensus seems to be that it’s not living up to its potential; that the place is looking a bit tired and feeling less buzzy than it did pre-Covid.

Internationally, one of the things that has made the biggest difference to cities’ fortunes has been the growth of inner-city populations. The welldocumented benefits include more people spending money in local businesses, places becoming safer at night, and more buzz, which attracts people who live in the burbs to come into town.

Tragically, just as our need for inner-city living has increased, the cost of building has gone through the roof. Of course, it’s not just the cost of materials and labour that’s putting developers off. The price of land is still a major challenge. What people miss, however, is that it should be possible to build apartments in central Nelson without having to front up for the cost of the land. That’s because the city owns vast quantities of prime real estate that would be perfect for medium-rise housing. I’m talking about our parking squares. Criminally under-utilised, the squares constitute some of the most valuable land in Te Tau Ihu and, with the exception of Montgomery Square on Saturdays, all we do with them is use them for the temporary storage of motor vehicles.

With this in mind, last year I collaborated with architect Pierre Hammond and landscape architect Ursula Bowman on a concept that retains the parking capacity of the squares while utilising the space above them for housing.

We called the idea Airspace Apartments and, as the cost of building puts the squeeze of development, I reckon it’s something the council should take a serious look at.

Essentially, we’re talking about creating covered public carparks with housing above. The council provides the land, developers provide the building, and together they share the benefits. The city

ends up with hundreds, potentially thousands, of inner-city residents, the developers get to build without having to pay for land, and the council potentially gets a new source of income in the form of leases. Not only that, but the city could score all these benefits while keeping its carparks. By incorporating plantings into the design, you could make the city greener. You could also build the apartments out of wood.

One of the nicest things about the concept was the positive reaction it got from a wide range of interesting people, including Mevo carshare company founder Erik Zydervelt. Erik loved the idea and could easily imagine a Mevo facility incorporated into the design for the building’s residents and nearby businesses.

"We need more projects such as this that are big, bold, and sometimes even a little scary, if we want our homes in New Zealand cities to be truly worldleading and not look like they are stuck in the 80s,” he said.

Bill McKay, Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland, also got behind the idea, telling Radio New Zealand: “the concept addresses the housing crisis and climate crisis and it’ll bring more money into the heart of the city, both in terms of the initial build and then the long term impact of having hundreds of people living in town and spending money in local shops. I think it’s an absolutely terrific idea that can be applied in a lot of places.”

With the new library on life support, the Science and Tech Precinct dead and buried, and the gondola apparently a goner, I can’t help thinking Airspace Apartments might be just the project the city needs. The future doesn’t have to be one where we watch the central city go into slow and inevitable decline. It could actually be really exciting, but we won’t get there if we keep doing things the way we’ve always done them.

Architect Pierre Hammond’s design for Airspace Apartments in Nelson’s Buxton Square that retain the ground level for public parking and make the city greener.

Client Care to the

We’re familiar, but we’re also new. But don’t mistake our newness for inexperience.

Core Legal Solutions emerged from the dissolution of Knapps Lawyers on 1st May, bringing with us a wealth of knowledge and a strong foundation. Our directors, Gary Stocker and Gerard Praat, are well known lawyers in the district and we have retained the entire commercial and litigation teams from the former Knapps’ Nelson office and the qualified legal staff from the former Knapps’ Motueka office.

At Core Legal Solutions, we don’t need to boast about how amazing we are or inundate you with self-promotion. Having a skilled team and being good at what you do is a given in our eyes. It’s what you as a client expect automatically when dealing with any reputable legal firm. We understand this and is why we don’t consider it something to hang our coat on.

What makes us different is the Core Client Experience. This is the foundation of every interaction you have with our firm, from your initial contact with us – whether by phone or through our website – to the moment we close your file. A huge part of this experience is actually how we make

you feel when interacting with us – it’s our informality and lack of hierarchy which you will most likely connect with first, right through to the way we actually speak to you – with care and attention and using language we can all understand.

The second part is about removing unnecessary and difficult barriers for you when interacting with us. New tools and technology are rapidly coming to market -all for your benefit. We hope you will enjoy joining us on our journey of continuous improvement.

Our Core Client Experience sits atop our core range of legal services. Individuals have access to the full range of legal services likely to be encountered in a lifetime. Those in business can receive solutions to common day to day issues right through to the more complex and challenging.

We understand that you are the ultimate judge of whether the Core Client Experience is one you’ll want to repeat....but by choosing us, you are embarking on a legal journey defined by your needs and your goals.

Chat with us: 03 548 2269 www.corelegalsolutions.co.nz

Craigs raises over $68,000 for regional rescue helicopters

In March, Craigs Investment Partners held a company-wide fundraiser for the fourth year running to raise funds for New Zealand’s regional rescue helicopters. Teams or individuals challenged themselves cycling, running, walking, or swimming to complete 50kms per day. The concept started in the Craigs’ Nelson office four years ago and was so successful that it’s become a nationwide initiative.

This year, Craigs’ employees raised $34,000. With the company generously matching donations dollar for dollar, total funds raised of over $68,000 will be donated to 10 Regional Rescue Helicopters throughout New Zealand.

Investment adviser Jason Craig participated as an individual, cycling 50km a day, totalling 1,551kms and raising over $5,000. “The Regional Rescue Helicopters are a crucial part of our communities; we all know someone who has needed their help. The Craigs 50km a day challenge is a one-month commitment to helping them, when they are there to help us every month,” says Jason.

Craigs Investment Partners is one of New Zealand’s largest investment advisory firms with 186 investment advisers across 19 branches. Craigs’ experienced investment advisers provide sound investment advice and build tailored investment portfolios for clients’ objectives and needs.

The advisers at the local Nelson branch take pride in being able to walk alongside their clients throughout their financial journey, providing advice and expertise to navigate different market conditions.

Investment advisor Karl Williscroft says that Craigs is committed to the region and the local community, whether it’s through educational seminars or active support for organisations such as Top of the South Community Foundation, Brook Waimarama Sanctuary Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Nelson, and the Tasman Regional Sports Trust and Track Cycling Nelson.

“Ultimately, we love to help people. It is very satisfying seeing someone develop an understanding of their financial life as we explain the options and help their investments grow to achieve their goal, whatever that might be.

“It’s also good to see people benefiting from having someone outside their immediate circle of family and friends taking an objective look at their financial situation and coming up with solutions and ideas they may not have thought of.”

Investment adviser Tanya McMurtrie leads the charge locally for Craigs’ Women’s Wealth programme, and runs regular seminars and events aimed at women interested in investing. “There is a growing interest from women wanting to improve their financial understanding and financial security. I’m passionate about empowering women with more knowledge and confidence to invest to achieve their goals,” says Tanya.

Whether you are ready to invest right now or are thinking you need some advice to help prepare for your financial future, the advisers at the Craigs Nelson branch are here to help.

Karl Williscroft, Tanya McMurtrie and Jason Craig from Craigs Investment Partners present a cheque to Paula Muddle and Dennis Christian, Prue Young and Zoe Farmer from the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter.

Sustainable and affordable community housing a natural fit for forestry company

It’s no secret that buying a home has become an unattainable reality for many New Zealanders, and in Nelson Tasman housing affordability has declined to the third worst in the country, with many people in the region spending more than half of their income on their mortgage. Jo Reilly, Head of Property and Projects for Habitat for Humanity Nelson sees the housing crisis in the region first hand, saying that with the increased cost of living, tough lending criteria, and increasing housing prices, it’s almost impossible for even middle-income families to afford their own home.

Habitat’s Progressive Home Ownership (PHO) programme is a rent-to-buy model which enables families who are not mortgage-ready to eventually buy their own home. Initially they rent from Habitat for five years and start to build their mortgage deposit. After the five-year rental period families may choose to enter a deferred sales and purchase agreement before final settlement with Habitat. In Nelson, many families are able to purchase the home from Habitat after the initial rental period, as they have saved enough to secure a mortgage on their own. For the Habitat team it’s been all hands-on deck with housing developments on the go in Victory, Stoke, Richmond, Wakefield and Blenheim. Funding from forestry company OneFortyOne has been a huge help in ramping up these developments, with the company coming on board as a sponsor in November 2022. OneFortyOne is a long-term investor in the Top of the South, with 80,000 hectares of forestry

Tracy is excited about the collaboration saying that local community housing is one of the biggest needs that has to be addressed. “What we love about the collaboration is that the timber used in the housing developments is grown locally, it is processed locally, produced in our local sawmill and then turned into a local sustainable home. For us as a forestry firm we feel that people forget that the product we produce helps to provide warm, dry healthy homes for those in need.”

OneFortyOne employees volunteering with Habitat for Humanity to build a fence at the Wakefield development. Fritz Buckendahl, Colin Gavin (Habitat for Humanity), Kylie Reeves, Nigel Brabyn, Matthew McCarthy, Brett Charlett.

and its Kaituna Sawmill in Marlborough. Tracy Goss, General Manager for OneFortyOne’s Kaituna Sawmill says supporting sustainable and affordable community housing is a natural fit for OneFortyOne.

Brett and Nigel from OneFortyOne helping on the project.

A group of OneFortyOne employees helped out at the Wakefield site to work on some of the hardscaping projects. “It is an honour to be a part of,” says Tracy. They are also putting their chainsaw and creative problem solving skills to good use, as they’re tasked with the construction of a children’s play area in the Stoke development, and our team feel very lucky having the opportunity to help out and to design and build the playground, they are really excited about this collaboration and feel a great connection to the projects and part of a large family working together for a better future.”

The barriers to homeownership are high, but with strong collaboration between community, government and businesses, key players like Habitat for Humanity Nelson are able to assist more people in need and provide them with a helping hand toward a better future.

Habitat’s collaboration with OneFortyOne makes a huge difference to their ability to build quality homes at a price that is affordable for families, says Jo. “Every dollar we save through this partnership is passed on to people in our community who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford a decent place to live. As a housing charity, we believe it is a very relevant partnership with OneFortyOne as they’re supporting us and we’re supporting them by building with a lot of timber – fencing, pergolas, building materials. The partnership between Habitat and OneFortyOne enables both organisations to directly benefit the local community by providing good quality, affordable housing.”

onefortyone.com

Projected Habitat for Humanity builds and projects in the region

Habitat has been delivering a PHO programme in New Zealand since 1993 and has supported 540 families into home ownership over this period. Habitat selects families for the programme based on their housing need, willingness to partner and potential to fulfil the requirements of the programme. The current suite of PHO homes Habitat is delivering has been made possible due to the government’s $400 million

PHO

interest free loan facility managed by Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Habitat developments are designed to foster a sense of community. In Nelson, Habitat has intentionally incorporated shared gardens and communal spaces to support programmes for families to give them the best possible start as neighbours on their homeownership journey.

PROGRESSIVE HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAMME

PROGRESSIVE HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAMME

Victory

Eight cabins for individuals in partnership with Housing First

Stoke

Stage 1 housing for twelve families (including 22 children), and two accessibility friendly units

Wakefield

Housing for three families

2024

Richmond

Housing for five families

Stoke

Stage 2 – Housing for seven families and one accessibility friendly unit

Blenheim

Housing for four families

Winter is the time to let your knitwear shine and enjoy the warmth of natural fibres.

We have lots of beautiful NZ made Merino Possum knitwear, and a superb range of yarns for you to knit your own too.

155 Hardy Street, Nelson. Ph 03 548 4016

www.cruellas.co.nz

OPEN: Monday to Friday 10-5pm, Saturday 10-2pm cruellas_spritzeryarns cruellasnaturalfibreboutique

Francesca Dowling doesn’t let the cold jeopardise her style, rocking this green suit from Kowtow.

Nelson Magazine talks to Francesca about her love of shoes, block colours and kiwi labels.

What are you wearing today?

My suit is from Kowtow and my shoes are Caranno Charm from Tango’s Shoes.

What is your style?

A little bit of everything really, but I like to make a statement and definitely tend to be drawn to grungy or classic styles mostly.

What is most of your wardrobe made up of?

Many, many pairs of shoes, boots and heels from Tango’s Shoes. I might actually have more shoes than I do clothes, to be honest…

What are you loving at the moment?

I’ve always loved a chunky platform and am currently obsessed with block colours - both make for a very striking look.

What are you dressed for today?

For myself! I have nowhere to be in particular, but I’m still dressed in my best, for my own satisfaction.

Where do you buy most of your fashion from?

I love unique, quality clothing and shoes, so you’ll catch me shopping in niche boutiques, small businesses and looking out for kiwi labels, as well as picking up quirky treasures in op-shops.

What is your approach to shopping?

Quality over quantity! I’d rather buy that one piece that I absolutely adore and is well-made, even if it is on the pricier side, rather than several cheaply-made items just to fill the void on what I actually wanted.

What is your all-time favourite purchase?

The shoes I’m wearing; they go with everything but are a statement on their own.

Do you have a style rule you always obey?

You don’t need an excuse to dress up, wear that outfit (you know the one I’m talking about) anyway, even if you’re just running errandsyour confidence will skyrocket.

What has been your worst clothing disaster?

When I decided to wear some cheapy stilettos out clubbing and snapped the heel off halfway through the night!

What wardrobe item should everyone invest in?

A good handbag.

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

Grace Jones, I love how bold she is.

Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing…

Tacky shoes.

Tessa Jaine

Live IN LAYERS THIS winter

Layering is essential for keeping you comfortable through the winter and adds interest and dimension to your outfit. Here are a few tips to ensure your wardrobe is both functional and fashionable.

1. Say it with a shirt

Start from the inside out

The first step in successful winter dressing is selecting a high-quality base layer. It needs to be breathable and non-irritating. Avoid polyesters and acrylics, rather opt for fine 100% merino, or bamboo. Roll necks are a great option for extra warmth. This is an investment piece that will see you through many seasons.

2. Know your knitwear

Layer your base with a shirt or blouse in a different, but complementing colour. Balloon sleeve styles are popular, as are anything with gathered or broderie detailing.

3..

Layer your jackets for ultimate winter style

Knitwear, or the ‘mid-layer’ is where it gets interesting. For warmth, choose a knit with a percentage of merino, possum, or cashmere. Choose a colour that contrasts with your shirt layer. Try different styles - cardigans and vests are great options for layering. Have fun with prints and textures, large floral prints and cable knits are fashionable options.

4. Pattern up!

Patterned leggings and tights are having a moment, as are patterned pants. Checks, stripes and florals are all in style, make sure one of the colours matches with your upper layers to tie your look together. Get more wear from your summer skirts and dresses by adding them to your layered look with warm tights underneath and knee-high boots.

5.

Let your shirt speak with sleeves on show

The finishing piece

Finally, your outer layer. When purchasing a blazer or jacket, think about what you’ll be wearing underneath, allow some extra room for your layers. Trenchcoats and oversized ‘boyfriend’ blazers are perfect styles for layering. A wool coat is an investment piece, choosing a more neutral colour will allow you to get many seasons of wear out of it – remember, you’ve got your other layers underneath for the pop of colour. For the ultimate in layering, try a short coat with a long coat over it.

Successful layering is about matching and contrasting in the right balance. You will find as you learn to layer you will get more wear from the pieces in your wardrobe by coordinating them with unexpected pieces to create many winter looks. Have fun with your fashion and thank yourself when you find you’re prepared for any weather that comes along!

Match and contrast for successful layering

Pretty IN PURPLE

Purple is the new pink. From casual to glam, light or dark. This colour is having a major moment.

Fashion

Be

1. Seven til Midnight 2pc black satin and mesh fly-away adjustable babydoll set, $69.90

Adult Boutique | bkinky co.nz 2. Not just clothes. Accessories galore from jewellery, scarfs, bags and shoes Jacqui’s Pre-loved & More | jacquisprelovedandmore

3. Rebecca pinafore, perfect for layering, $249 Robyn Reynolds | robynreynolds.co.nz 4. Donovan tie dress by Ruby, $289 Trouble and Fox troubleandfox.co.nz 5. Jagger cable jumper in lavender, $399 Shine | shinedesignstore.co.nz 6. Jens Hansen Signature Gemstone ring in sterling silver with a faceted oval-cut green peridot, from $549 Jens Hansen | jenshansen.co.nz

7. Chrissie Devina, available in 6 colours, $239 Tango’s Shoes | tangosshoes.co.nz

2.

3.

1.

5.

4.

7.

6.

Take care of yourself

Focusing on ourselves encourages a feeling of self-worth and balance within the psyche and promotes a sense of calm, important for navigating everyday stresses of life. It is vital to take some time out for yourself, whether it be in an emotional, spiritual or physical sense.

Coaching and Hypnotherapy

Coaching and Hypnotherapy can support you to resolve anxiety, stress, and sleep issues and overcome fears or unhelpful behaviours. Sarah can gently support you to consciously grow.

Wellness New Zealand 03 545 9911 | 027 545 9911

17 Collingwood Street, Nelson | sarahmcguire.nz

Full-body fitness in 20 minutes

Experience fullbody fitness in just 20 minutes with Bodywave’s EMS training. Get stronger and toned with expert trainers. Book now for effective and efficient workouts!

Bodywave Nelson 03 553 0739

05 Montgomery Square, Nelson | bodywave.co.nz

Reformer Pilates on common ground

Invest in your well-being and improve your strength, balance and flexibility with Common Ground studio. Move mindfully and have fun in a small class environment.

5

Common Ground Studio hello@commongroundstudio.nz

270 Queen Street, Richmond | commongroundstudio.nz

Reconnect with yourself in nature

Save 36% with a two nights all-inclusive stay, just $1250 for two people. Maruia River Retreat is a 500 acre private luxury nature and wellness resort, two hours from Nelson. maruia.co.nz/book Use code: NELSON

Maruia River Retreat 0275633143 | reservations@maruia.co.nz

2314 Shenandoah Highway, SH65 | maruia.co.nz

Enhance your natural beauty

1 2 3 4

Natural Beauty and Massage provides waxing, massage, shamanic healing, and spiritual counselling services for women. It is Rebecca’s aim to help you discover your own unique goddess identity.

Natural Beauty and Massage 022 505 7390 naturalbeautyandmassage.com

Nelsons newest clinic

You can’t pour from an empty cup, so take time to refill yours with a moment of Bliss at Nelson CBD’s newest beauty and wellness clinic.

Bliss Beauty and Wellness 027 911 2085

53 Halifax Street, Nelson |

6

Get up, stand up

With the cooler weather and shorter days upon us, sinking onto the couch to binge on Netflix or social media sounds pretty appealing. But while rest and relaxation are important, Dr Marissa Kellaher says sitting too long can have negative impacts on health and longevity.

Over recent years, adults (and kids) in industrialized countries have been spending more of their day sitting. A combination of technological advances, working from home, longer commutes, and screens, means many of us sit at a desk all day, sit in a car to drive home, then sit all evening, watching TV or looking at screens. It’s slowly killing us.

‘Sitting disease’ is a term coined to describe the negative health effects of sitting too much.

In the US, the average person can spend up to 15 hours per day sitting - and while we don’t have recent New Zealand data, we’re probably not far behind. And research shows that lack of movement during the day - even if we exercise during our leisure hours - takes a massive toll on our health.

Women who consistently sit for more than 6 hours per day have a 94% higher risk of early death than those who are more active, the risk to men is 48% higher. Sitting for more than 6-8 hours per day (or TV watching for more than 3-4 hours) increases the risk of over 30 diseases, including diabetes, cancer, dementia, obesity and mental illness.

The New Zealand Heart Foundation has even released a position statement on sitting, stating people who sit the most have an almost 30% higher risk of heart disease.

The health risks of sitting increase the longer we sit, with the highest risks in people who sit for 9.5 hours per day or more.

Getting 60-75 minutes of moderate exercise each day can help counteract the effects of sitting, but if we still spend most of our day sitting (especially if we sit more than 10 hours per day), the health risks unfortunately don’t just disappear.

So what can we do about it? Move!

Research shows that simply moving around for 5 minutes after every 30 minutes of sitting can almost completely counteract the effects of sitting. It reduces blood pressure by 4-5 points, improves blood sugar levels after meals by up to 60%, boosts our mood, and even reduces fatigue and brain fog. And the more we can stand and move during the day, the better. Even if you can’t get a walk in, just standing for 10 minutes every hour makes a big difference for health (ideally doing some stretches in this time, too.)

Short bursts of high intensity exercise such as squats, running on the spot, star jumps and lunges are also great.

Some other tips include:

• Get outside during breaks.

• Walk away from your desk or car to eat

• Keep comfortable shoes nearby for walking

• Use the stairs where possible, and toilets that are further away

• Park a few blocks from work, try an active commute, or use public transport

• Stand up for meetings or phone calls where possible, or try a walking meeting

• Walk over to chat to a colleague rather than sending an email

• Think of active ways to relax after work

• Get up regularly to use rubbish bins, printers and to fill your water bottle Apps and technology can also help - setting reminders to move on smart watches or apps, or timers to go off on your phone or computer (as well as setting screen time limits on your phone and social media.)

It’s still OK to curl up and watch a movie, catch up with social media, or read a book in the evenings - just don’t forget to move tooyour body will thank you for it.

Dr Marissa Kelaher is a GP and lifestyle medicine doctor. She runs health courses and offers one-on-one consults at yourlifestylemedics.com

Nelson

only private surgical hospital.

We provide our skilled surgeons with modern, state-of-the-art theatres and equipment so that Nelson Tasman residents can have access to the very best in surgical procedures. Contact us to find out more. 36 Manuka Street, Nelson Phone: 03 548 8566 www.manukastreet.org.nz

Celebrate Life Your Way

At our modern funeral home on Champion Road, Richmond, we have everything you need to celebrate the life of your loved one in their unique way. Reach out today to find out how we can help you.

Adjusting your skincare routine for autumn

The changing of the seasons can have a significant impact on your skin, and autumn is no exception. As the weather gets cooler and humidity levels drop, it’s important to adjust your skincare routine to keep your skin healthy and glowing. Autumn is also a great time to repair any damage your skin may have accumulated due to too much sun during summer. Kate Dyer, owner of Eunoia Beauty, says that by strengthening your skin now, you will be able to go into winter with your skin in its best possible condition.

Cleansing

As the weather gets cooler and drier, it’s important to switch to a gentler cleanser that won’t strip your skin of its natural oils. Look for a cleanser that’s free of harsh sulphates and fragrances, and that contains moisturizing ingredients like glycerine or hyaluronic acid. Oil cleansers are also very effective at soothing and hydrating your skin, while still removing dirt and make-up.

Exfoliation

Exfoliation is an important step in any skincare routine, but it’s important to be gentle when exfoliating in the autumn. Avoid using harsh physical exfoliants like scrubs, which can damage the skin’s barrier and lead to dryness and irritation. Instead, opt for chemical exfoliants like alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs), which can help brighten and smooth your skin without over-drying it.

Hydration

Cooler, drier weather can be tough on your skin, so it’s important to choose a richer moisturizer that will keep your skin soft and supple. Look for a moisturizer that contains nourishing ingredients like ceramides, shea butter, or jojoba oil, which can help lock in moisture and protect your skin’s barrier. If you have very dry skin, you may also want to try using a hydrating serum to give your skin an extra boost of hydration.

Nourishment

Autumn is a great time to incorporate facial oils and serums into your skincare routine. These products can help nourish your skin and protect it from environmental stressors like pollution and free radicals. Look for serums and facial oils that contain ingredients like prebiotics, jojoba oil, or hyaluronic acid, which can help hydrate and moisturize your skin.

Protection

In the autumn, your skin may be exposed to cold winds and UV rays from the sun, so it’s important to protect your skin from the elements. Make sure to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every day, even if it’s cloudy outside. You may also want to wear a hat and scarf to protect your face from cold winds, and avoid taking long, hot showers or baths, which can further dry out your skin.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year, but it can be a challenging time for your skin. By adjusting your skincare routine to suit the cooler, drier weather, you can keep your skin healthy and glowing all season long.

eunoiabeauty.com

Gallery Showcase

Our region’s best creative talent

Nelson Classic Car Museum Museum Store

1 Cadillac Way, Annesbrook Open 7 days, 10am-4pm 03 547 4570 nelsonclassiccarmuseum.nz

Christine Hafermalz-Wheeler

The Artist Goldsmith Central Nelson By appointment, come and play! 021 817 209 theartistgoldsmith.com

RED Art Gallery & Café

‘Harbour’ - A group show. Opening 9th June. Gallery open weekdays 8.30am-4:30pm, Sat 9am-3pm. 03 548 2170 redartgallery.com

Bill Burke Gallery

15B Ajax Avenue Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-12.30pm 027 847 0620

billburkeartist.com

The Coolstore Gallery

10 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf Open 7 days, 10am – 5pm 03 540 3778 info@coolstoregallery.co.nz thecoolstoregallery.co.nz

Flick & Co. Studio – Artist

3 Wood Loop, Mariri, Motueka Zappekin Artist’s & Allies By appointment 021 0885 9482 flickcostudio@gmail.com

Nicola Reif (IAPS-MC, MPANZ)

Private tuition available

View paintings at Wall to Wall Art Gallery 112 Bridge St nicolareifnz@gmail.com nicolareif.com

Jonty & Mike Ward

Studio Gallery and Store

3 Morrison St, Nelson 022 035 9175

mikewardofnelson@gmail.com

Protean Art Gallery

20 Tahunanui Drive Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm May-August by appointment only 027 548 5003

proteanart.co.nz

Lisa Grennell BVAD – Artist 13 Cheshire Place, Stoke Studio visits by appointment only grennell.lisa@yahoo.co.nz

lisagrennellartist.co.nz

The Suter Art Gallery

208 Bridge St, Nelson Open 7 days, 9.30am-4.30pm 03 548 4699

thesuter.org.nz

Cathy Jones 4 Art 1/47A Washington Rd. Open Wednesdays 12pm-5pm, and by appointment 027 546 9499 cathyjones4art.weebly.com

A cool store and gallery

Mapua’s popular Coolstore Gallery is a celebration of local and national artisan skill and imagination. New owners, wife and husband team Corene Gdanitz and Laszlo Ormay, are excited be at the helm of the gallery that has built a strong reputation over twenty years.

“I have been overseas for much of my adult life and Laszlo is from Hungary,” says Corene. “The onset of Covid brought us back to my homeland from London where we had been running our business. The experience of the pandemic in the UK was a lot different from here and much harder on children,” she explains. “We wanted to give our daughters the best life we could and the Coolstore Gallery becoming available was a wonderful opportunity for us to keep working together, which we really enjoy.”

“We love being part of the Mapua community, it is such an idyllic place,” adds Laszlo.

With a Master’s degree in Fine Art from Budapest, and scholarships that took him on art journeys throughout Europe, Laszlo has an extensive knowledge of creative and practical art processes and is keen to share that with visitors to the gallery.

“Art is not just decoration,” he says. “I remember all of the well-loved pieces in my grandparent’s home in Hungary. I like the idea of people coming here and buying a piece of art that they love that can then be passed onto future generations. This passes on not just the work and the stories of the art maker who

created it, but also the essence of the place where it resided and the people who loved it.”

“Our goal is to bring joy and positivity into people’s lives,” adds Corene. “Art shouldn’t just be for those who have a lot of disposable income. We purposely have beautiful pieces available for all budgets. We don’t want people to feel intimidated because they can’t afford a higher-priced item, so we offer a choice. We also want to celebrate the artisans that have their pieces here and give them every opportunity to make a living from what they love doing.”

The couple say the Mapua waterfront is a wonderful destination, and they are thrilled to be a part of it. Their abundant energy has given the gallery a fresh new look. “We are enjoying the process of getting to know the artisans we are representing and take a great deal of pleasure from displaying their work in the best way possible so that customers can appreciate the beauty of each piece and the attention to detail,” says Laszlo. “Also, sustainability is at the core of our business which includes re-packaging and re-purposing.”

The considerable range of items available from more than 150 artisans includes original art and prints, metalwork, woodware, ceramics, jewellery, sculpture, textile art, books and quirky giftware.

thecoolstoregallery.co.nz

Corene Gdanitz and Laszlo Ormay are the proud new owners of Mapua’s Coolstore Gallery.

Pounamu effect creates soothing artwork

Paula Campbell is a busy woman. As co-founder of Little Beehive Co-op, director of The Great Christmas Market and the designer behind the Solo clothing label, her life is full of art, colour and creative people. She talks to Matt Lawrey about her favourite artwork, her full schedule and her awesome mum.

Paula Campbell with her favourite artwork, a mixed media creation by contemporary Māori artist Natalie Kere.

Matt Lawrey

Paula Campbell’s favourite artwork could easily be mistaken for the biggest piece of pounamu jewellery you’ve ever seen.

A fusion of resin and paint framed in copper, the large untitled work was created by contemporary Māori artist Natalie Kere, who used spray cans to get the stone effect.

Paula bought it after painting a wall of the coop’s Bridge St store pink and deciding she wanted something really special to hang on it.

“I think the colours are amazing. It’s like she’s created a piece of pounamu with the resin but there’s movement in it as well. The colour evokes a feeling. I think it’s really soothing,” Paula said.

“I think everybody who looks at it probably feels something different, which is nice as well. We get lots of comments on it. People are drawn to it, so I’m sure Natalie will get lots of commission work from it being in the store.” Paula first discovered Natalie’s work through her jewellery.

“A mutual friend came into the Beehive and she was wearing one of Natalie’s pounamu, and I just thought it was stunning.”

That encounter led to the two women meeting, the co-op stocking Natalie’s creations, and Paula becoming a big fan of the full range of her work, which also includes carving and prints.

Paula says the home she shares with her husband Mitch and blended family is full of art, much of it by friends, including Nelson artists Fleur Woods, Jessica Lindblom-Brice, Soph’ Holt and Peter Geen.

“Everything has got a story and I love colour, I’m not afraid of colour on the walls. I have an eclectic collection from contemporary street style art to an antique still life handed down from my Oma,” she says. Paula’s love of colour will come as no surprise to anyone who has visited Little Beehive Co-op; the place is about as colourful as a space can get. Nine years after its launch, Paula remains excited about the co-op and its future.

“It kind of started on a whim and then it all fell into place. It just seems like it was meant to be. I still love the whole concept of being an incubator for smaller businesses, and having that outlet for them to sell, and connecting the artists with the customers.”

Paula, who was recognised at the 2019 Eelco Boswijk Civic Awards for her contribution to the city, also gets a huge amount of satisfaction from her other ventures, her clothing label Solo and the hugely popular Great Christmas Market.

A clothing designer for 20 years, Paula runs Solo out of her sewing room next to the Little Beehive.

“It’s all about slow fashion. I spend about 10 hours a week on it. I focus on every-day, easy-to-wear garments. A lot of what I make are one-offs or very small runs. Occasionally I collaborate with artists and screenprint their work on my designs,” she said.

If Paula wasn’t busy enough, she recently joined the board of Uniquely Nelson. She’s got a lot on her plate but that seems to be the way she likes it.

“It doesn’t always feel like work to me, which is such a nice feeling. I feel really lucky that I can say that. Mitch and I will tinker on our computers at night and do bits and pieces all the time, but I think I’ve got a pretty good balance. I don’t stress myself out too much. I can put things down and walk away and come back to it later.”

It’s not hard to trace Paula’s love of creativity to her childhood in Tauranga and the influence of her mother, mixed media artist Lu Ossevoort.

A talented landscape and portrait artist, and a former shop window dresser, Lu also made her kids’ clothes.

“I loved the clothes she made us. The whole neighbourhood did. We lived in a little cul-de-sac and I remember her making clothes for other girls in the neighbourhood as well.”

Paula was seven when her mum did something extraordinary.

After school one day, Paula and her two sisters came home to discover their mum had done a large mural of a fantasy scene, featuring elves and mushrooms, on a wall of their shared bedroom.

If that wasn’t magical enough, Lu had also made each of her daughters a stuffed toy based on the elves in the mural.

“We got an elf each. They were very well-made and she’d painted their faces. It was just the coolest day ever,” Paula says.

Creating the ultimate living experience for you starts from the floor up

Bridget

With a background in flooring, interior painting, and a diploma in interior design, Bridget has a natural eye for style and colour. Bridget embraces her love for midcentury furniture and quirky décor so you’ll find her spending her weekends perusing antique stores or rearranging the décor in her home.

What is your best styling tip?

I like to use rugs, cushions, and throws to tie areas together and put a ‘bow on top’ of the space. These elements offer layers and texture to your area that take it from furniture in a room, to a curated thoughtout corner of your home. I favour textiles comprised of natural fibres and surfaces made of raw timber and stones to achieve calm and nature-inspired spaces.

What’s trending in the world of flooring?

I believe as a result of the Covid hangover, people are spending more time at home. We’re entertaining more, and more inclined to invite friends over than go out. Simply, we have adjusted to staying in! Because of this swing, laminate flooring has become an increasingly requested option (in more open areas too) as it’s more resilient to the wear and tear of life and can sustain the foot traffic of a busy household.

Why do you think the trend is going to continue?

New builds especially are getting smaller but smarter. Homes are more diverse when the same type of flooring is used in open spaces to utilise the area. You have free reign to move your furniture from whichever corner of the house to wherever you wish.

What is the best hard flooring for your home?

I have two active dogs and a partner in trades, so my house is hectic to say the least! Laminate is my preferred product for our home as so far it has withstood claws, dirty boots and the sun through my floor to ceiling bi-fold doors.

The collection features a beautiful natural timber palette hand-picked by our team of New Zealand experts. OASIS colours have rich deep colour tones to perfectly imitate that of genuine timber but with the durability advantages of the aluminum oxide finish used on our laminates. OASIS, a perfect flooring to a home of any lifestyle, or a commercial space with a difference.

• Waterproof surface

• 4-sided pressed bevel

• Easy and quick installation with UNICLIC

• 20-year residential warranty, 7-year residential warranty and a 5-year wet warranty

• Available in 8 different colours

• Matching accessories – smart profiles

Environmentally conscious

• Low repeat pattern giving realism

• Low maintenance

• Compatible with most underfloor heating systems

Come in and see the team at HUBBERS to see the full selection, and discuss what will work best for your home

The best of both worlds

“I originally wanted a wooden floor, but when I spoke to the team at Hubbers, they talked to me about the benefits of the Oasis range, and I’m so pleased I went with their recommendation. It’s bullet proof, low maintenance and visitors think it is real wood!”

- Chris H

HUBBERS FLOORING

8D Champion Rd, Richmond 03 544 8484

hubbersflooring.co.nz |

Design Consultant for HUBBERS

OASIS - Medieval Brown Oak

My HOME

Artist Clare Wilcox and pilot Jules Forde are new to Nelson, having moved here from Rangiora last year. They fell in love with the views from Tresillian Avenue in Marybank and are now in the process of renovating their 1980s style home with a different wallpaper in each room, into a simple and modern apartment. Clare shares her home styling and renovating tips.

Where is your home and how long have you lived here?

We moved from North Canterbury to this home in Marybank last September. When we viewed it, we both immediately saw the potential of turning it into an apartment-style beach house with the amazing view it has across the bay. Being empty nesters, we didn’t need a large house and we still have room for our daughters when they come home to visit us.

What four words would you use to describe your home?

A work in progress.

What’s your decorating style?

Jules and I are keeping this house very simple. It is only small, so we want to keep it feeling as open as possible. I’m controlling my colour impulses to channel the apartment beach house – with a light pine and white colour scheme, complemented with pops of colour in plants, homewares, and art.

Where do you shop for homewares?

We have been very careful not to purchase any furniture until we have rooms completed, but we love local shops and will definitely purchase local.

ABOVE: Clare and Archie are enjoying life in Nelson after their recent move here from Rangiora.

Tessa Jaine

1. One of Clare’s pieces titled ‘Our world is listening’, hangs in the living room above other treasures. 2. Clare works in her studio, preparing a new piece to go to Protean Art Gallery, titled ‘My life my land’. 3. ‘The space between’ hangs above Clare’s daughter’s artwork; Sidney painted their family cat Loulou. 4. A treasured collection of hearts and suitcases in Clare’s studio.

What piece would you never part with?

Artwork painted by our daughters, Nohah and Sidney. Nohah painted a wonderful piece when she was five of her sister and our dog, and Sidney painted us a lovely piece of our cat Loulou when she passed away.

Have you done any renovations?

The whole house is a renovation at the moment!

What’s next on your interiors list?

Our kitchen has been ordered so we are looking forward to seeing it transform our open plan kitchen/ living area. Jules and I need to put our flooring down in the area first, but with every reno time is important with not wanting to pull out the existing kitchen until the last minute. Luckily, Ben our wonderful plumber, and Blair, our electrician, have been very accommodating.

What’s your favourite room?

I love spending time in my art studio downstairs. It is still to be renovated but it’s a great space for creating art.

Best seat in the house?

Any seat that looks at our view.

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

I think what we need that we haven’t budgeted on is a spa out the back.

What should every home have?

An outside shower, and a brother-in-law that’s a builder and always happy to share knowledge and help.

Best budget tip?

Sometimes the most expensive isn’t always the best.

The home has stunning views overlooking the Boulder Bank.

Best money spent?

In our garden, Jules worked for weeks moving dirt and building rock walls. All the plants have just taken off in this great growing climate.

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

Living in a reno brings its own challenges with chaos and order. We do try to keep the mess just to one room at a time and clean up as we go.

What do you love about the neighbourhood where you live?

We have great neighbours and it’s a lovely quiet street with stunning views of the bay.

Best memory in your home?

The best time in our new home is when our daughters come to stay, and we can cook a lovely meal together and share time with each other.

1. Clare and Archie enjoying the vegetable garden built into the retaining wall. 2. The outside nook is a favourite spot to enjoy a coffee.

Refresh makes renovating your home easy.

Refresh Renovations is a leading renovation company in Nelson that offers homeowners a stress-free renovation process. We begin with an initial consultation where we discuss your renovation goals and budget. We then create a customised plan that meets your specific requirements. Once we understand your goals, we begin the renovation process, providing you with a single point of contact to manage your project from start to finish.

“Our team handles all aspects of the renovation, from design to construction, including obtaining necessary consents and approvals, selecting materials, managing contractors, and overseeing the entire renovation process. We’re committed to ensuring that your renovation project runs smoothly and efficiently, with minimal disruption to your daily life.”

We pride ourselves on delivering highquality renovations that meet the needs and expectations of our clients. We're passionate about delivering exceptional customer service, quality workmanship, and ensuring that you are completely satisfied with your renovation project. If you're looking for a stress-free and exciting renovation process, Refresh Nelson Tasman is the perfect solution for you. Contact us today to get started on your renovation project in Nelson.

Minimalist style, maximum quality

Builder Jaeren Claus of Claus Built is an adventurer, just as comfortable tackling steep slopes on skis or trekking through the wilderness as he is constructing architecturallychallenging homes.

Jaeren has been fortunate to have had fantastic experience throughout his building career that has included working on a number of houses that have won awards. He takes pride in attention to detail, so when Glenn and Nicola Taplin showed him the plans for their new home in Māpua, and asked him to construct it for them, he was excited for the opportunity.

The owners wanted a minimalist, understated, low-maintenance exterior, so James Hardie Oblique Cladding, painted in Resene’s Half Marsala, was chosen for the cladding. “Made from fibre cement it is more durable than timber and comes in varying widths that can be used in ways to create extra interest, while the grooves add fluctuations of shadow and light. It is also easy to maintain,” says Jaeren.

The garage door structure, supplied by Nelson Garage Doors, is cleverly constructed so it appears flush with the rest of the wall, adding to the sleek industrial look. The contrasting softer grey blockwork at the entrance leads the way to a bright tangerine-coloured front door.

Contrasting overhead is the overhang above the entrance constructed from New Zealand-made

Abodo eco-timber. It is pine from certified renewable plantations, treated to a high standard of durability through a process of thermal modification. “It is exciting to see these types of eco-friendly products becoming available which can really enhance a project like this,” says Jaeren.

The hall is 1.5 metres wide, giving a welcoming introduction to the rest of the house while providing plenty of hanging space for art. “Our architectural designer Tony Karsten suggested the installation of uplighting here which creates beautiful effects at night,” says Glenn.

Glenn and Nicola wanted a simple interior with multi-use rooms. The second bedroom doubles as an office, and the space adjoining the main living area can be screened off and become the third bedroom, with a Tiltaway bed folding down from the wall for extra guests.

The kitchen flows around the corner into a brilliantly-designed hallway behind, complete with pantry cabinetry and shelving for the likes of small appliances. “It is wonderful to be able to have the main kitchen area uncluttered,” says Nicola. The hallway continues and contains laundry and mudroom areas before meeting the garage.

The tiles for the kitchen backsplash were purposely chosen to echo the wood tones throughout the house and the main bathroom has a wall of timber-look wood grain tiles, both procured from The Flooring Room.

: Tessa Jaine

Words: Adrienne Matthews

PROUD

2023 JADA WINNERS

The main living areas are filled with light and flow out seamlessly to embrace the outdoor living spaces. A sheltered courtyard provides the perfect space for a leisurely lunch or dinner.

Extending out from the rear of the house are a trio of steel extension posts in the same colour as the window joinery. They help to anchor the outdoors to the indoors while low gabion rock walls define the garden areas and provide a warm contrast that highlights the low-maintenance plantings.

A favourite feature of the main living space is the window seat with view straight out to the garden, which was Nicola’s idea. “It is a great place to sprawl out on and relax and Jaeren did a masterful job in building it wider at one end,” says Glenn. “It had to be constructed separately and we had to get the neighbours in because it took six to help us move it into place. I was impressed at how it fitted so exactly,” he laughs.

Glenn says it was very important for them to create a passive, energy efficient, living environment.

Constructed over a MaxRaft insulated concrete slab, with underfloor heating which maintains a comfortable ambient temperature around twenty-two degrees throughout the house, the concrete floor was polished to a ‘salt and pepper’ finish whereby a thin layer is taken off the surface when polishing, leaving a warm, durable, stain-resistant finish.

The timber framing is wider than the minimum required to allow for thicker insulation in the walls and airtight Intello building wrap was applied to both the exterior and interior framing for optimum

thermal insulation. Thermally broken windows and doors were installed to reduce heat loss, while a clean flow of air is provided by the mechanical ventilation heat-recovery system.

Glenn and Nicola are thrilled with the result. “I was interested in the building process and wanted to be actively involved in the build, which Jaeren was great about,” Glenn says. “I learnt so much and we love every aspect of living here.”

“I particularly enjoyed the attention to detail this high-performance build required,” says Jaeren. “It is ideal for my team where we are onsite the whole time and are constantly interacting with the owners to ensure they get the result they want.”

Family legacy continues

Celebrating 75 years of trading, Ray McKenzie and Son Ltd came from humble beginnings. The business was originally founded by Ray McKenzie from his home in Russell Street, using the family garage as a storeroom. Ray worked hard building up his clientele and a solid reputation for ‘doing it right the first time’. Respect rapidly grew and clients appreciated Ray’s honest way of doing business, where his word was his bond and a handshake meant something.

By 1972, both of Ray’s sons Glenn and Terry had followed in their father’s footsteps of learning the trade. Business was booming, they had outgrown the garage and a head office was set up at 43 Parkers Road. In 1986, Ray approached his sons about taking the business on, Ray retired that same year after nearly 40 years of dedicated hard work. As directors, the brothers continued to operate the business with the same ethos of loyalty, accountability, consistency, fairness, and quality that their father was renowned for. Using their vast knowledge and combined strengths in their fields, they were keen to expand the business and the installation of a specialised on-site spray-painting booth was created. The spray factory was a true stroke of genius for the business as it developed its own identity, and quickly cemented their reputation as leading contractors and opening up a vast spectrum of work.

Ten years after Ray’s passing his grandson Nathan Delany joined the management team in 2013 bringing with him years of building trade experience. “I take great pride in being a part of the continuation in

something that Ray started all those years ago, and we are keen to continue the strong reputation and high level of standard that the family before us provided.”

Continuing the family tradition, Glenn’s daughter Karin McKenzie, a fully qualified painter, has also earned her stripes with the company before stepping into a managerial role. “It was a huge step going from being on the tools into management. But preserving the family legacy and teaching the next lot of apprentices is what keeps my passion going.” Heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the business, Karin is not afraid to get stuck in when the need arises. “For me it is great getting into things and helping get the job done. It is good for a balance, and I think it goes a long way with staff if you work hard for them, they will work hard for you.” Glenn stepped back from the business last year and Karin says he is enjoying his retirement. “He deserves it after 47 years!”

Nathan and Karin both say that providing the personal touch is just as important as it was back when Ray set things up. “Everything is automated, nowadays,” says Nathan. “But we like to pop in for quality checks on our projects, make sure everyone is happy and things are ticking along. It all comes back to us being a family business, having those values and creating a great team culture and environment for our clients.”

mckenziepaint.co.nz

Cousins Karin McKenzie and Nathan Delany are the third generation of their family to manage Mckenzies Painting Contractors.

Coastal VIBES

Through use of natural light, soft tones, and the client’s vision of a clean aesthetic, The Custom Space were able to achieve the year round feel of summer in this new build in Richmond. Head designer Nic Smith shares some key colours, design elements and styling tips to keep in mind when building or transforming your own home, to get a coastal kitchen look.

1 2 3 4 5

Choose natural materials like wood and stone to ensure effortless style.

Let there be light. Larger windows and doors are key to creating an indoor/outdoor flow and making a room look more spacious and giving natural materials life. Skylights are perfect for allowing more natural light in.

Choose a colour palette which is light and airy, with pale chalky hues mimicking sea, sand and shells.

Accent these hues with beachy textures and fabrics such as a seagrass or jute rug, textured tiles, and sheer or linen curtains.

Style with minimalistic décor that reflects natural coastal vibes to say “summer getaway” all year round.

The Custom Space is locally owned by Jack and Meg who work with you along with their team to custom design, produce and install joinery and furniture for your home or business that fits your budget and is a reflection of ‘you’.

Their highly skilled, experienced team has a combination of traditional skills and modern techniques that are not only durable and high-quality but completely bespoke, which will help bring your vision to life.

They can design and manufacture anything from residential and commercial kitchens, joinery, bathroom cabinetry, wardrobes, home or commercial office fit-outs, and staircases. Their dedicated on-site spray booth provides exceptional quality finishes.

The Custom Space offer wood coating (resealing timber), spray painting (in literally any colour) and kitchen resprays.

Beautiful spaces are made to be lived in; the right finish will not only elevate your finished look but help your products stand the test of time.

The Custom Space are your one-stop store. They will handle everything in-house for you, from enquiry to installation, which makes the process of working together efficient and effortless. thecustomspace.co.nz

Kitchen designed by Nic Smith from The Custom Space, together with homeowner Samantha Gerard (stylist).

Gardening

Gardening advice with Daltons

Daltons gardening experts are here to help. Send in your gardening question and you could win a Daltons gardening prize pack! See entry details below.

Please tell me what is happening to my daphne bush leaves. They are being eaten and curling. What can I do to make my plant healthy once again?

From the photograph you sent in, it looks like an insect is seriously attacking the leaves of your daphne plant! This is rather unusual as the leaf of the daphne is quite thick and not as attractive to insects as many other plants.

Win a Daltons Rose Pack!

Roses add beauty to any garden with their magnificent blooms, diverse range of colours, and delectable scents. Our Rose Planting and Care prize pack valued at $90 will help you you’re your own beautiful blooms and includes a pair of gardening gloves.

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 24 June 2023. daltons.co.nz

To maintain healthy daphne bushes, add Garden Time™ Compost to the existing soil regularly and ensure that the plant is kept moist in summer, and not too wet in winter. When available, purchase daphne odora rubra, as opposed to daphne leucanthe, as the odora rubra plant has a better form and flowers more prolifically.

Congratulations to Jan Wood who has won a Daltons gardening pack with her question.

Home Style

ENHANCE YOUR LIVING

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

8.

9.

7.

1. Nouveau rattan log basket, large, $179, Mitre 10 Mega | 2. Brianna 6 light by Generation Lighting, a mid-century modern chandelier in an aged iron finish. $1,668, storeycollection.co.nz, 65 Collingwood St, Nelson | 3. Voluspa 100hr candle, $79, Karen Jordan Style, 151 Trafalgar Street, Nelson | 4. Blown glass tumbler by Flamedaisy, $69, troubleandfox.co.nz, Trouble and Fox | 5. Sthal Swedish large arabesque bowl - Old Rose, $359, Villarosa Maison, 62 Montgomery Square, Nelson | 6. ivoli Audio model one(R), a modern-day icon of acoustic and industrial design. The addition of Bluetooth allows you to stream your own music, $499, Beggs Musicworks, 264 Hardy St | 7. Dimplex Optiflame bari portable flame effect heater, 2kW black, $419, Mitre 10 Mega Nelson, 99 Quarantine Road, Nelson | 8. Milan 3-seater sofa in soft ivory bouclé style fabric. Was $2,799, special price $2,379. Rope weave throw $49, cushions from $65, lynfords.co.nz, 675a Main Rd, Stoke | 9. Night Bloom icicle candles, this mysterious and romantic bouquet will simply transport you to another world, Living Light, 219 Trafalgar St, Nelson Central Arcade

Townhouse living with a difference

Brent and Vivienne Liebezeit purchased land on Salisbury Road with the dream of creating classy, contemporary, lock-and-leave style dwellings that would enhance the area and provide the style of urban living they believe is the way forward. Thanks to their dogged determination to pursue the resource consent requirements required, the expertise of architectural designer David Todd and attention to detail of builders Cunningham Construction, there are now six exceptional, quality, family-sized townhouses in the space that once had one house on it.

“Instead of them feeling like traditional townhouses or apartments, we were determined to make them into classy homes large enough for families,” says Brent. “We also wanted them as low maintenance as possible.”

“Resene has diversified into the production of exterior claddings and we used one of their specialist plaster coatings which gives a contemporary smooth finish,” says David. The black-honed, stack bond block work was used as a contrast to the buildings’ cladding and to help anchor the design visually to the site.

Head of Cunningham Construction, Eddie Durbridge-Hunt, was delighted to be involved in the construction project. “We are very enthusiastic about contributing our skills to the improvement of urban living in the area,” he says. “This is such a great location within walking distance to schools, shopping, medical facilities and recreational areas and the design proposed was of a high standard.”

Cunningham Construction was established over forty years ago by Eddie’s parents-in-law John and Sue Cunningham. “I did my apprenticeship with them which was a tremendous experience,” says Eddie, who has been working in the business for thirteen years. “This project required a very high standard of construction and finishing, which is what we specialise in.”

The development required the developers, architect and builders to work very closely together. “We believe that relationships are vitally important to achieving the best result for clients and right throughout the project we regularly met to discuss progress and make sure the owner’s expectations were being met. It was a really enjoyable part of the building process,” says Eddie.

: George Guille - Exposure Media

Words: Adrienne Matthews

“We quickly realised that building two-storey homes would allow for fantastic views to the mountains and the sea,” says Vivienne. “It required considerable effort in design to get approval but it was definitely worth it.”

Permission to build was subject to keeping the existing trees along the roadside. “This turned into a real bonus, they are lovely to look out on,” she adds. “Not many new builds have the benefit of having mature trees on site.”

“Putting the central living areas and master bedroom with ensuite on the top floor of each dwelling has been enormously successful,” says Brent. “Everyone loves the open plan style that optimises the views and provides so much natural light and opens up to a balcony.”

The joinery was able to be done by Cunningham Construction thanks to the company having a joiner on their team, which helps keep all projects they do cohesive.

The kitchens are all of a high standard with soft-close drawers and garage-door style pantries. Contrasting wood tones provide a warm contrast to the light walls and kitchen joinery while strip lighting is placed effectively to provide excellent working light and a smart, contemporary feel.

The bathrooms are roomy and high-spec with demisting mirrors and Methven tapware, and there is abundant storage throughout each house.

Despite some delays and supply problems, Eddie and his team thoroughly enjoyed the project. “We had to order a number of materials well in advance to ensure we would get them in time but despite everything, the job was extremely satisfying. It was great working with the other professionals involved in such a forward-thinking project and a wonderful feeling to know that we have created homes that the people living in them really love.”

Marketed by Chris Davies of Harcourts, the reaction from viewers has been overwhelmingly positive. “People are really starting to appreciate the benefits of living close to town and their biggest surprise has been how spacious they are inside.”

Cunningham Construction is currently working on more townhouse-style projects and Brent and Vivienne would like to build more such properties in the future.

Everyone agrees Eddie and his team were great to work with and produced a high degree of workmanship. “I hope that more people consider the advantages of taking the challenge and looking at their properties in a new way, seeing what can be done on existing sections to create this type of highquality housing development,” says David.

World travel is TAKING OFF

Long established Nelson House of Travel and its corporate arm Orbit Travel are experiencing a wave of demand for overseas travel following the difficult years of the Covid pandemic. Owner Jason McKay reports that New Zealanders are embracing the opportunity to reconnect with loved ones abroad or treat themselves to long-dreamed-about holidays while business people are throwing Zoom meetings aside and jetting off again to conduct their activities overseas. We asked him some questions about travelling in 2023.

What was the effect of Covid on your business?

It came to a shuddering halt. Fortunately, we were able to retain most of our staff thanks to the Healthline phone line needing extra people to answer questions about Covid. The team switched from giving travel advice to providing information on Covid.

Is it safe to go back onto cruise ships?

The cruise industry is booming, in fact you now have to book well in advance to be able to secure a place. There are strict protocols to manage the risk of illness which are giving travellers confidence and there are a number of exciting new destinations available. There have even been some magnificent new cruise liners launched.

Why are travel agents still needed in this do-ityourself world?

We have so many years of expertise within our team and have dealt with thousands of travellers, building up an extensive knowledge that helps us to create the travel experiences of a lifetime. We work with each individual to find the very best options and prices available for the trip they want. If you book your itinerary with us, you can travel confident that if anything unexpected happens, we are only one phone call away to sort it out for you.

Who makes up your team of travel experts?

We are very fortunate to have years of travel experience within our team. Brendan Maguire has been sending clients to all corners of the globe for nearly thirty years, while highly experienced travel consultants Carmel Layton and Monique McKechie have travelled widely themselves. Harrie Van Den Berg, our resident Dutchman, joined us in July last year. He has travelled extensively throughout Europe and has detailed knowledge about train travel which he specialised in while working there.

What are the most popular holiday destinations at present?

With travel restrictions having been lifted in most countries, our clients are travelling anywhere and everywhere. The Pacific Islands have been popular for flop and drop beach holidays, while further afield, many people are looking for the security of a tour or cruise where everything is taken care of.

What does House of Travel offer that people may not be aware of?

You can now obtain all your Travelex foreign exchange requirements through us. With foreign currency no longer available through banks we are pleased to be able to offer anyone this service, regardless of whether they are a travel customer of ours or not.

A magical playground for all seasons

Few towns in New Zealand are as fortunate as Nelson to have an outdoor adventure playground in such close proximity. Only an hour’s drive from central Nelson, St Arnaud is nestled in a magical forest and alpine lake setting that offers an array of experiences for all to enjoy.

The view from the jetty extending out from the waterfront shows off the fortuitous result of a long-gone glacier that left piles of rubble at the northern end, damning the river to form Lake Rotoiti. Just over half an hour away is the equally picturesque Lake Rotoroa, formed in the same way.

Maori believe the two lakes are the eye-sockets of Muturangi, a great octopus which battled with Kupe in the Tory Channel to keep his fishing grounds safe. Kupe was thought to be the first Polynesian to set foot on New Zealand shores.

In 1860 geologist and explorer Julian Von Haast traversed the area searching for minerals and reported on his sightings of the native Kakapo, Kokako and Kiwi. He also named Mt Robert and Lake Rotoroa, among other places.

A few dwellings sprang up in St Arnaud, then called Rotoiti (meaning small lake), in the 1920s and for a time a row of boatsheds graced the waterfront. Gradually the village evolved as a destination to ‘get away from it all’ as more people discovered its opportunities for leisure and adventure.

Rather extraordinarily, the area was renamed St Arnaud after the French Marshal Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud (1798-1854) to avoid the confusion with the other Lake Rotoiti in the North Island.

The Nelson Lakes National Park was established in 1956 and the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project in 1997. This covers five thousand hectares of largely beech

forest where rigorous pest control programmes have been successful in reducing predators and bringing back abundant native bird life, which is always noticed by visitors to the area.

St Arnaud is at the northernmost tip of the South Island’s backbone, the Southern Alps, and is gateway to the Nelson Lakes recreational area with its vast opportunities for walking, fishing, skiing, canyoning, mountainbiking, occasional ice skating when it’s cold enough, or simply enjoying some the fresh mountain air beside the highly photogenic lake.

Hamish of Rotoiti Water Taxis loves the area with a passion. “St Arnaud is a quirky little village that feels like it has been transplanted from the middle of the European Alps to the South Pacific,” he says. “There is a friendly vibe here and visitors are very welcome. Nelsonians are very lucky. How often do you find a pristine alpine area only an hour from a beach,” he laughs.

He regularly delivers people to parts of the lake from which they can undertake some of the many bush walks. “Being dropped off at the head of the lake they can walk back through the magnificent honeydew beech forest,” he says. “There are many other walks too from those that are very easy to navigate to experience-required tramping tracks.”

The area is worth visiting at any time of the year but as the winter season arrives the snow begins to fall and Rainbow Ski Area draws in the snow lovers.

EAT PLAY STAY

Alpine Lodge

With a great range of accommodation options available, as well as a full bar, restaurant and playground for the children - there is everything you need to settle in for your Nelson Lakes experience. Join us for a glass of mulled wine by the fire.

75 Main Road, St Arnaud 03 521 1869 alpinelodge.co.nz |

Classic Boat Museum

View an inspiring collection of classic and antique race boats, jet boats, mahogany runabouts and more.

Open daily 10-4pm, entry by donation.

Beechnest Rd, St Arnaud classicboatmuseum.co.nz

Lake Rotiti Outdoor Education Centre

The Rotoiti Lodge Outdoor Education Centre provides a warm, friendly environment in the beautiful Nelson Lakes National Park. The pristine lake, Rainbow ski field nearby, tramping, mountain bike tracks and challenging on-site activities provide a variety of pursuits and opportunities for young people. The lodge is also available for tramping groups, and private events. Email us today.

Lodge Rd, St Arnaud info@rotoitilodge.co.nz 03 521 1820 rotoitilodge.co.nz

Jan Thomson

Artist Jan Thomson feels extremely lucky to live at St Arnaud, surrounded by inspiration for her art. Painting mainly landscapes, her work in both acrylic and watercolour is sought after. “Most years I go to one of the high-country stations to paint so am always finding wonderful new vistas,” she says. Particularly drawn by the different moods of light as it settles on alpine areas, she tries to paint plein air as much as she can. “Being outside with my paints and canvas in the landscape is very inspiring,” she says. Jan enjoys undertaking commissions which can include any subject matter from shearing gangs to birds or plants.” She also runs popular watercolour classes from her studio and shows her work at the Wall to Wall Gallery in Bridge Street and on her website. “Visitors are welcome to visit my studio from 10am to 4pm whenever I am home,” she says.

Tophouse

The Tophouse Inn is a heritage-listed boutique hotel just a short distance from St Arnaud, Lake Rotoiti and the Rainbow Ski Field. The main dwelling was constructed from thick cob in 1887 ensuring it is crammed full of character and history. With spectacular mountain views, antiques in keeping with the inn’s age and the smallest bar in New Zealand, it is regularly lauded for its unique ambience. Along with the accommodation available in the house there are also four self-contained cottages on site and space for up to ten motorhomes. Owners, Helen and Clint Brough, are well known for their warm and accommodating hospitality and offer breakfasts in the historic dining room complete with roaring log fire in the winter. In the evenings the room turns into the Prickly Vine Restaurant where experienced chef Sebastian Stasiak and wife Angelina serve delicious three course meals that can be prebooked by guests and visitors alike.

The Woodsman’s Den

The Woodsman’s Den at St Arnaud is gaining a reputation as the sanctuary you don’t want to leave. Secluded but close to all the activities the alpine village has to offer, the guesthouse is popular with couples, families and friends who want to spend quality time together. With two bedrooms it can sleep five and everything is provided for a blissful stay. A

handcrafted hot tub sits invitingly on the deck. “It is an absolute highlight for guests,” say owners Anna and Nick King. Luxuriating in it beneath the magic of the night sky or listening to the abundant bird life during the day provides complete relaxation and a sense of well-being. In winter a blazing fire in the living room adds to the ambience. Providing quality accommodation at the edge of Nelson Lakes National Park, the Woodsman’s Den is an opportunity to step off the treadmill and draw breath.

Rainbow Ski Area

The Rainbow Ski Area, serving local communities, has been enticing people to its slopes for forty years thanks to the efforts of many volunteers and sponsors who have put their heart and soul into creating an alpine experience that everyone can enjoy.

“We welcome skiers and snowboarders from complete beginners who have never seen snow before to those who are highly experienced, and this year we are excited to have an international team of instructors back with us who can provide coaching at all levels,” says mountain manager Andrew Malcolm. “There is no necessity to bring your own equipment because everything needed can be provided at our hire store on site,” says Andrew. Rainbow’s own café on site ensures hungry tummies are well catered for and there are a range of ski pass and package options available. There is also a shuttle hire available from the bottom car park if required.

Plates

to share

The perfect match

The Eight Plates concept is all about small plates and shared dining. One of those small plates this winter is our decadent Beef Cheek, perfectly paired with the Clayvin Syrah 2021, from 30+ year old vines, on a certified organic vineyard in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys.

The beef cheek is slowly braised for four hours, and the braising liquid is then reduced into gravy. Served with seasonal greens and soubise (a French onion sauce), it’s the perfect winter warmer to enjoy in the company of great friends. Head chef - Sarah Maunder

300 Trafalgar St, Nelson | Thurs-Mon, 10am - 10pmish | | eightplates.co.nz

Richmond’s delightful local cafe

Alioke Eatery is fast building a name for itself amongst locals. Located in the heart of The Meadows, Richmond, owners Ali Kerridge and Marc Hunter quickly saw the potential that location offered and the dream space that they could create within it. With daughter Brooke on board as project manager, their shared vision was born. Alioke is a play on both Ali and Brooke’s names, with Ali’s twenty-plus years as a qualified chef, and Brooke a self-proclaimed food critic, the brand encompasses the family and their shared love for food and creativity. Marc helps things run smoothly in the weekends, when not working his fulltime job, and is also the chief taste-tester.

Since opening seven months ago the business has been going extremely well. The Richmond couple say that with their children having left home it was time to move on to a new venture and to grow Ali’s grazing business, Kerridge and Ko. “The café sits well within the area, and we love the community feel. We have hosted loads of private functions and themed events, along with afternoon teas for the kids. We also hold ‘high tea’ and are looking forward to making this a regular event on the café calendar. At the moment we have our famous Boobie Cookies available, where $1 from every sale is donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation, and we look forward to hosting a Pink Ribbon Brunch.”

With gourmet bagels, Belgium waffles, and Big Breakfasts on the all-day menu along with their delicious range of cabinet food and sweet treats, visitors are spoilt for choice. Bringing the community into the fold is an important aspect for Ali and a key part of the welcoming environment at Alioke. “We have young ambassadors for the café, who have been very carefully nominated by the team. “We have Charlotte as our cookie ambassador, Blake is our ice cream ambassador and Louie, who is our

‘puppacino’ ambassador. This is a way for us to bring the community in and help them to feel a part of what we do. We worked in collaboration with a local business initiative and had t-shirts made up by them for the kids. The children get a real kick out of it, and it makes them feel a bit special.”

Creating a warm, family atmosphere is easy when you have great staff, says Ali. “We have 19 staff on board, and we are a good, friendly group with a real team atmosphere. If it wasn’t for our awesome staff, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do!” Looking forward, there will be some exciting additions to Alioke’s offerings, Ali says, so keep an eye on their social media for what’s to come!

Central Park Lane, The Meadows alioke.co.nz |

Marc Hunter and Ali Kerridge created Alioke based on a lifetime love for fantastic food.

Kerridge & Ko

The easiest and trendiest way for you to feed the people. Whether it’s a cute date night for two or you’re needing to cater for 200 people. Kerridge & Ko create delicious grazing tables, boxes and grazing trays in a range of different options and sizes.

Alberta’s Café

All day breakfast from 7.30 – 2.30pm, seven days a week. Exceptional coffee and views to match. Pop in and enjoy their delicious breakfast menu or a bite to eat from their tasty cabinet of house-made delights. Gluten free, dairy free and vegan options available, they cater for all. Dine in or takeaway.

027 6444 718 |

Shed 4, Mapua Wharf 03 540 3933

albertas.co.nz |

Eight Plates

Nelson’s newest dining experience! Delicious, seasonal small plates for brunch, lunch and dinner, cocktails, coffee, beer and wine.

Open Thu – Mon, 10am - 10pm.

Atom Café

Enjoy a selection of in-house baked delicacies and seasonal favourites including brownie cheesecake, vegan baguettes and our famous egg sandwiches. There is something for everyone, come and experience our Manaakitanga at Atom Café!

Open Mon - Fri, 8:30am - 4:00pm.

300 Trafalgar St, Nelson 03 546 4300

eightplates.co.nz |

Ground Floor, Rutherford Hotel Nelson 03 548 2299

rutherfordhotel.nz

Eat Italy

The warm and inviting atmosphere of Eat Italy in Richmond makes for the perfect gathering place with family and friends. From homemade pasta and woodfired pizzas to succulent meat dishes and fresh seafood, every dish is cooked with love and care to deliver an authentic Italian experience. Family-owned, the team at Eat Italy believe that good food is the foundation of a great meal, and they pride themselves on using only the finest and freshest ingredients in all of their dishes.

Berryfields Crossing, Lower Queen St 022 390 2305 eatitaly.co.nz

Solander Gourmet Seafood

For all your fresh fish and seafood favourites for nourishing winter chowders, paellas and your delicious fish curries, keep it local with Solander. The very best seafood available in Nelson and NZ, accessible to you via online order. Select from the finest seafood and other gourmet products, to ensure that your dining experiences are healthy, delicious, and incredibly well priced. gourmetseafood.co.nz

Chai-Yo Thai Restaurant

Chai-Yo is a Thai word meaning pleasure, gladness, success, unity, and happiness and that inspires everything you will find at Chai-Yo Restaurant.

Based on Thai and Chinese flavours, their meals are fresh and delicious, encompassing traditional flavours with their own popular twists. Open for lunch and dinner, they are fully licensed and offer BYO in their family friendly restaurant that seats 70. Dine in or takeaway.

276 Queen Street, Richmond 03 544 6489 chaiyo.co.nz

Mapua Village Bakery

Open for breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the day, choose from their fantastic menu full of all your favourites. Dinner is sorted with fabulous take home family pies ready to heat and enjoy or pop in the freezer, plus takeaway cakes for dessert.

A great place to have a work meeting or breakfast, then indulge in one of the many tempting treats. Their amazing coffee will add a bounce to your day too.

Open 8am to 3pm.

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

McCashin’s Tap Room

With great indoor/outdoor dining areas bring your friends, family or workmates along to enjoy their mouth-watering menu. Which includes their famous steak sandwiches, pizzas, platters and seasonal plates to savour. McCashin’s Tap Room is your local friendly meeting place with fine beverages made on site at the brewery. It’s your local.

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

The Junction Shop

Take a night off with our restaurant quality frozen meals, quick pasta or rice dinners, curry kits and platter fixings. We have everything you need for a fondue or raclette party with friends. For a sweet treat, grab some ice-cream or gelato, or how about chocolate or lemon tarts. Make winter entertaining a breeze with a visit to The Junction.

Old Factory Corner, Cnr McShane Rd & Appleby H/Way 03 544 1911 thejunctionshop.co.nz |

Anchor Restaurant and Bar

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.

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

Sprig + Fern Brewing Co.

It’s not winter in Nelson Tasman unless you’ve spent time at a local Sprig + Fern Tavern enjoying a pint of craft beer or cider.

Hogarth Chocolate

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

Real beer, real people, really local Sprig + Fern Milton St, Hardy St, Tahuna, Upper Queen, The Meadows, Brightwater, Mapua and Motueka. sprigandfern.co.nz |

Hogarth Chocolate Makers have been crafting some of the world’s best chocolate right here in Nelson for the past 8 years. Creativity and exploration of flavour are pillars of their philosophy. Check out their range at their new factory store and see why they are New Zealand’s most awarded chocolate maker.

Open Tues-Fri 10am – 4.30pm

Head to their factory shop to try their range of chocolate products for free.

10B Kotua Place, Stoke 03 544 8623

hogarthchocolate.co.nz |

River Kitchen

Situated on the banks of the Maitai River, at the heart of city centre of beautiful Nelson. You can sit back and relax, away from the hustle and bustle.

Specialising in delicious, seasonally inspired food, craft beers, wines from around New Zealand, and locally roasted coffee. We offer a full à la carte menu, serving breakfast and lunch all year round.

Open Tue-Fri 7:30am-4pm | Sat 8am-4pm Sun 8:30am-4pm.

81 Trafalgar St, Nelson 03 548 1180 riverkitchennelson.co.nz

The Indian Café

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.

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

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

Ben & Maxxi

Perfect for when everyone wants something different for dinner. Taking Asian fusion to all new levels, try their satay chicken pizza or satay chicken burger. Partnering with neighbouring restaurant The Lemongrass, both menus are on offer in each restaurant, giving you more choices than ever.

Dine inside or enjoy the summer sunshine in the al-fresco dining area.

294 Queen St, Richmond 03 541 0665 benandmaxxi.co.nz

This delicious, heart-warming, Thai-style curry will hit the spot on cold winter nights, and is ready to enjoy in just 20 minutes.

Serves four

Ingredients

• 480ml yellow curry sauce

• 2 carrots, thinly sliced

• 500g prawn cutlets

• 400g green veg stir-fry mix

• 200g fresh green beans, trimmed

• 450g white or brown rice

• 2 limes

• Thai basil leaves to garnish

Bringing the community together since 2015

Overlooking the bustling village in Mapua’s main street, Sprig + Fern Mapua is a familyfriendly destination for many locals and travellers alike. Part of the iconic building once served as a schoolhouse on Tasman Street and was then relocated some 40 years ago to its current site, before being renovated and reopened as Sprig + Fern Mapua in 2015 by Susan Bloomfield and Peter Fry. The local tavern is famous for its sunny beer garden, delectable food offerings, their renowned award-winning beers and ciders, and of course, the classic Kiwi Sunday Roast.

Susan and partner Peter were first drawn into the ethos of the Sprig + Fern brand in early 2010, with the opening of their Motueka tavern. Susan says the core values really resonated with her. “To be part of a business that is proudly independent, Kiwi, wholehearted, genuine and a real part of the community was a huge drawcard. We have created a wholly family and community-focused environment with no pokies, pool tables or screens, just a warm and welcoming atmosphere that is run by a passionate, honest and friendly team. I would like to acknowledge and thank my partner Peter for his stoic work ethic, the support of our family and friends and our fabulous team, many of whom have been with us for many years - thank you, you are appreciated!”

Taking pride in providing the full experience, Sprig + Fern Mapua offers nineteen award-winning, handcrafted, and locally brewed beers and ciders, along with a range of snacks, salads, mains, burgers, pizzas, and mouth-watering platters. “Currently we have Norty Porter back on tap, after it picked up a Top 30 medal in the New World Beer & Cider Awards – and I am personally enjoying the non-alcoholic range at the moment,” says Susan. In addition to the menu, the chef’s inspiration blackboard has a variety of options including soup and chowder.

The tavern’s strong community presence is a great source of pride for Susan, and she says it is the people who drive her passion for the business. “I enjoy living in the beautiful region of Tasman, with its local families, regular customers, and visitors now that overseas tourists are back. The community of Mapua is life-enriching and it is a vibrant, caring community.

“From March to December we host a weekly Wednesday quiz night where charities can collect and keep the entry fee and sell raffles. We also donate vouchers and support many local initiatives. Our business is rewarding on many levels!”

Sprig + Fern Mapua, 67 Aranui Road, Mapua Open Mon-Fri 2pm-late, Sat-Sun 12pm-late Rigger sales until 10pm

Owners Susan Bloomfield and Peter Fry enjoying a pint at the Sprig + Fern Mapua.

What’s On

For updated information visit itson.co.nz

1 – 15 June

MR & MRS MACBETH OF DODSON VALLEY RD

This is your chance to see the world premiere of a new play filled with calamity, chaos and comedy. With Mark Hadlow and Lara Macgregor sizzling at every line, it’ll be the talk of the town.

3 – 11 June

FOUNDERS BOOK FAIR

Founders Annual Book Fair is back! A staple on Nelson’s event calendar that runs for nine days, starting King’s Birthday Weekend. Bountiful books and more!

Founders Park

19 June

GUY MONTGOMERYMY BRAIN IS BLOWING ME CRAZY

I used to be a little boy and now I am a 34-year-old man. The world is a crazy place and I would like to tell you about it through the medium of standup comedy.

3 & 4 June

RUBY COAST ARTS TRAIL

Open studios for Kings Birthday, 10am – 4pm. Visit rubycoastarts.co.nz for map and information. Pictured: Lauren Kitts at her Hawks Valley Sculpture Gallery studio, 190 Williams Rd.

Various venues

On now – 18 June CONTRASTS EXHIBITION

Don’t miss the chance to witness a diverse group of talented artists captivating work on display. The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to purchase a variety of captivating pieces.

7 June JACKIE GOES PRIMA DIVA

Jackie Clarke turns her powerhouse vocals, wicked humour and maverick entertaining skills to a standout selection of showstoppers while playfully interacting with the audience about whatever takes her fancy.

19

June

FROM BROADWAY TO WEST END

Let Operatunity’s stars entertain you with numbers by Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Lerner & Loewe, and more! A singing, dancing, sparkling spectacular, this show is sure to thrill, delight, and stir your imagination.

Hope Community Church

Theatre Royal

Theatre Royal

McKee Gallery within the Suter Art Gallery

NCMA

Changing Threads

Refinery ArtSpace

1. Francie Heathfield and Dorothy Meharry

2. Lianne Edwards, Kyla Mackenzie and Jo Kinross

3. Graham Suadden and Jenny Burton

4. Michelle Austin and Emma Glintmeyer

5. Rose Griffin and Judith Ritchie

6. Sherril Jennings and Joy Fraser

7. Val Griffith-Jones and Viv Butcher

8. Mark and Stephen Brood-Paul

9. Zsmae Emerson and Simon Crase

Mackenzie Charleton

A Very Gay Cabaret

Studio One

1. Jessica D’Ath and Aurelia Torkington

2. Pru, Jade and Debbie Stevens

3. Joshua Martinsen and Sarah Wilkin

4. Joanna Millett and Lenny Wills

5. Sarai and Ocean Tuhua

6. Carla Zurne and Jules Pickering

7. Lynley Gilchrist and Kate Bevan

8. Maike Barteldres and Anu Cameron

9. Molly Wilkin and Aimee Borlase

Mackenzie Charleton

Trafalgar Centre

1. Pat Prasertsith, Sarah and Ruby Knowles

2. Kim, Denise and Robert Loftus

3. Julian, Amy and Anne Theobald

4. Craig and Chantal Gordon

5. Ged and Nadia Hay

6. Simon and Sonja Hamilton

7. Lauren Lesser, Karina Rako and Trish Sloan

8. Nicola, Daniel and Kerry Palmer

Mackenzie Charleton

Dancing for a Cause fundraising event

Stacey

1. Anne Lillico and Helen Lynch

2. Angela Miller, Jackie Gibbs-Beaton and Emma Silke-French

3. Gaylyn Hazelwood and Jenny Whitty

4. Paula Campbell and Jodie Lodge

5. Shireen Stringer and Jenna Collett

6. Sara Trowbridge and Angie Sharp

7. Cara Orr, Susan Walker-Tahana and Jessica Shrimpton

8. Tamara Allen and Tracee Barnes

Jo Kent

What people say...

“I feel I look younger now than I did 12 years ago when I first started having Dermapen and IPL with Rebecca at Sorrento Skin, Wellington. I feel she couldn’t be replaced so I fly down to see her and continue my skin routine at Skin Ethics, Nelson. She’s brilliant!”

- Jill Adamson

PRESENTING 4 CITY HEIGHTS, NELSON

This John Palmer designed masterpiece is perfectly elevated above Nelson City making it the perfect blend of convenience and luxury living.

From the moment you enter this stunning property, you will be captivated by the expansive use of glass, which maximises the views, flooding the interior with natural light. The open-plan living area is designed to be both spacious and cosy, with a gas fire providing gentle separation and warmth, while the library offers a peaceful retreat for quiet relaxation.

The bedrooms are generously proportioned, with a separate guest wing providing the ultimate in privacy and comfort, complete with its own living area, bathroom and kitchenette.

Debbie Cooper 021 0252 8294 debbie@thecoopergroup.co.nz

More information: Open your camera on your phone and scan the QR code.