Our Place Magazine Issue 43

Carved in Stone: Te Kaha Pounamu Watercliff Eco Retreat The Best Festive & Summer Events

Immerse yourself.

Homewares, Furniture & Art

Visit Our Showroom, 6a Mark Road, Mount Maunganui kayustudio.co.nz

See the Bay a different way.

Explore your big blue backyard with Bay Explorer

We’ve loved getting all your feedback this year. Thanks to everyone that has let us share their story in these pages, the amazing writers and photographers who bring the features to life, and the advertisers who’ve trusted us to promote their business. And to our local printer, Kale, that never quite knows if we’re going to meet deadline...

As the holiday season kicks off, there are plenty of brilliant activities and events. In Central Tauranga, The Floral Hub (45) is giving us the chance to get our hands on freshly picked, and often lesser-known, flowers. At the other end of the day, another cool event comes to life along The Strand — Shapes of Summer (52) is a collection of illuminated artworks, many of which are interactive. What’s Up (19) has the details for some exciting openings in the Mount and, as always, the Events Guide (116) is packed!

This issue, we were privileged to spend time with pounamu carver Te Kaha and his whānau at home in the Eastern Bay of Plenty (34). Te Kaha tells us how he draws on his ancestors when creating his beautiful designs and he shares what the powerful stone means to him.

Festive food on your mind? Turn to Seasonal Kitchen (90) for an easy edible gift and entertaining recipes, and check out the Christmas Meringues (100) from the fantastic local cookbook, Made by Mounties.

Have a happy, restful and safe holiday season, The Our Place team

It’s been a year, that’s for sure! So we want to start by saying a big THANK YOU for supporting our locally owned magazine.

papamoaorthodontist.co.nz

Dr Rachel Farrar BDS DClinDent (Ortho) MRACDS (Orth)

1G Tara Road, Pāpāmoa hello@papamoaorthodontist.co.nz

Love

the life you live

What’s Up

Down by the River

The River Sounds Festival is back on 11 February 2023 with a sharp musical line-up. Talent includes Sola Rosa Sound System, Strangely Arousing, Bbyfacekilla, Park Rd, Albi & the Wolves, and the Rvmes. The not-for-profit festival is all about raising awareness around mental health. Held at a KatiKati avocado orchard, there’s an array of activities designed to promote hauora (wellbeing), such as yoga, meditation, and interactive talks with mental health experts, plus you can swim in the river too. Run by the Everyone Hurts Foundation, ticket profits go to Te Puna Hauora — Bay of Plenty and Yellow Brick Road. Tickets are capped at 500!

→ @theriversoundsfestival everyonehurts.com events.humanitix.com

Seize the Day

After a stint as a nighttime bistro, Benny & Brew in Ōtūmoetai is back as a much-loved neighbourhood cafe. Owner and head chef Samuel Philip loves dreaming up creative dishes, continually adding new, lip-smacking items to the menu. He’s a champion of local produce, think Breadhead sourdough, Sea People plantbased ice cream, and The Hungarian Artisan Co sausages. We love the Avo-cuddle (that’s in no way stingy on the avo), Princess Fluffy — the fluffiest pancakes with vanilla mascarpone, banana, blueberries, maple syrup and cream, and the fried chicken on a cheesy potato waffle with chipotle hollandaise sauce. Look out for themed Friday night dinners — when Samuel might run with pizza, burgers or tapas, and the popular monthly Rika Rika Sushi pop-ups.

→ 100 Grange Rd, Ōtūmoetai @bennyandbrew

Fashionably Late

The party season is officially open and if you’re looking for a fun but decidedly grown-up vibe for late-night drinks in the Mount, Alpino is at your service. On Friday and Saturday nights, once the dining crowd has dwindled, Alpino kicks off the night shift, keeping patrons entertained until 1am. Expect Italian wines, spot-on cocktails (limoncello margarita is pictured), and sophisticated snacks, such as oysters with shallot mignonette, crumbed olives, platters of Italian cured meats with pickles and flatbread, and a lush salad of tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella.

→ 16 Pacific Ave, Mt Maunganui alpino.co.nz @alpinomount

Photograph by Dane Scott Creative

Words by Maddie Banks

Community Minded

John and Jackie Paine (pictured) have spearheaded many amazing community projects. Now, as founders of the Linkt Community Trust (and in collaboration with Ōtūmoetai Baptist Church), they’ve partnered with Foodstuffs to open Ōtūmoetai’s Social Supermarket. The idea is that people who are financially squeezed can pay a nominal amount, then shop with points (allotted on family size) in the supermarket-style environment. Jackie explains it’s not about cases of chronic need, which are serviced elsewhere, rather about “people at the top of the cliff” who need help for a certain period. The subsidised food allows people to re-direct funds into, say, fees for kids’ sports, tutors or school trips. Anyone can donate fresh produce and volunteer time. “The model is more pot luck than soup kitchen,” says Jackie. “It’s about everyone being in this together.”

Local New World and Pak’nSave branches are supporting the store.

→ 8 Claremont Tce, Ōtūmoetai Email: office@oss.org.nz

Bar Star

A fun new joint has launched in the Mount just in time for those long summer nights. Palace Burger has been shuttered, and Palace Tavern has opened just around the corner in the former Sunny’s site on Banks Ave. “We’ve taken inspo from American bars and classic New Zealand taverns,” says Samuel King (pictured on right, with business partner Brad Dellar). You can play a game of pool, then slide in a booth and order from Palace’s much-loved burger menu that’s on offer until late. There’ll be DJs and a focus on great live bands.

→ 217 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui @palacetavern

Life Lessons

Katoa offers delish smoothies, raw slices and healthy vego snacks, along with a retail area of respected brands such as Pepper & Me, Kalani candles and Alkeme Wholefoods. However, there’s more to this store than meets the eye... The Get Group teaches life skills workshops in schools (from horticulture to hospo), and helps students gain work experience. It also sets up side businesses to get them working: in Palmerston North they’ve trained youth to run a school holiday programme, and now Tauranga has Katoa. It’s a training store where students will run the show, and the retail area will showcase products from student entrepreneurs. It’s all about moving kids’ education forward outside of school. Little Heroes, a charity for young families, also supported by The Get Group, will operate out the back and will benefit from some of the proceeds.

→ 375 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui katoa.org.nz

The Little Big Markets

Photography by ilk Art direction by Maddie Banks

TLBM is a thriving community hub on a Saturday. In this regular feature, we meet a diverse range of local stallholders with an array of talents, from Māori jewellery design to preserving and sewing the cutest kids’ clothes.

Preservation

Samantha Burgess (pictured) grew up in a family that loved to cook. “I learnt to cook highly creative meals to avoid wasting food, to utilise the seasonal produce in the family garden and to forage — especially for summer berries!”

She’s since been a chef, restaurateur and professional cake maker, and she’s now chief preserver at her business, Preservation. “It’s all about traditionally made, small-batch products created from local, seasonal ingredients that might otherwise be wasted,” she says. “I rescue fresh fruit and veges from people with excess produce, and get top ups from local market gardeners and seasonal suppliers.”

All Preservation products are free of gluten, artificial preservatives, gels and thickeners. The superb line-up includes Pear, Apple & Saffron relish, Blackberry & Pinot Jam, and Triple Citrus Marmalade, along with Perfect Pickled Radishes. Keep an eye out for the new season’s Christmas Chutney too.

Samantha lives in the Mount with husband Mark and Charlie the cavoodle. Come to her TLBM stall to have a chat and taste her products.

linktr.ee/preservationjam

Ferns and More

Instant impact!” says Debbie Lindsey, referring to her large indoor/outdoor plants. “We grow plants for people who don’t want to wait for their small plants to grow.” Ferns and More offers a mixture of subtropical, cactus, coastal plants. ”They don’t need a lot of care, so are good for the average person to grow. We also offer a lot of information about them.”

Whakatāne based, Debbie (pictured holding a Blechnum gibbum/silver lady) has both a hot house and shade house, built by her husband, to propagate her plants. “We have a good climate, with no frost, so plants grow pretty fast. We propagate as much as we can, other plants are bought in and we grow them to a larger grade.”

This woman of many talents used to be a truck driver and has previously had her own businesses in both landscaping and plant hireage. Right now, she also manages her Airbnb and works part-time painting and wallpapering.

“We enjoy coming to the markets and it’s great we have repeat customers. I have family members putting their hands up to help, in fact one family member has started her own stand right beside me!”

@ferns_and_more

Words by Doris Neubauer

MISS MAIA

Māia means bold, vivacious in te reo Māori,” says Tracey Gardner (Ngāti Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau). “It’s my alter ego — I’m an introvert and shy. Miss Maia is the colourful and creative side of me.”

To use this alter ego for the bold and colourful earrings and accessories she creates was a nobrainer, but Tracey’s Miss Maia designs are, above all, a reflection of her passion for kaupapa Māori design. “It’s never just about shapes and forms,” the former campaign and marketing consultant explains. “Story telling is in everything I create. Everything comes from somewhere and has a whakapapa.”

When Tracey’s dad suddenly passed away in 2018, she struggled to deal with the grief. “We had lived in Melbourne for seven years and I had a very stressful, very corporate job,” she says. It was his passing that was the impetus to start her own business. “I had a huge shift in perspective and realised that I needed the creative outlet.”

When a friend told her about a laser cutting business in Brisbane, Tracey, who had studied design

at the University of Otago, knew what do to… She found her old designs, sent them to the laser cutter, and received the cut and etched parts a few days later. “It was love at first sight — I realised how much potential there was.”

Inspired, it only took her six weeks to set up a website and social media. “It was scary putting myself out there, but the reception was really positive. The first customer I had online was based in Whakatāne. I did not know her, even though I grew up there.”

In 2020, Tracey and her whānau returned to her home town of Whakatāne. The move was a huge opportunity for Miss Maia and the beloved side hustle became Tracey’s full-time business. The bold step has already paid off. Recently, her Baby Whai studs were named as one of Aotearoa Top 50 Māori products. “They were the tiniest thing in the competition,” Tracey says proudly. “It’s an acknowledgement of what I put into the business; that something I’m doing is right.”

linktr.ee/missmaiadesign @missmaiadesign

↑ Designer Tracey Gardner sporting her striking Tauhere earrings in Blush.

Inspired by Jett

It was around Christmas five years ago, when Kelly Stoddard, a new mum at the time, became slightly frustrated. “I was looking for my very first Christmas romper for Jett but there was nothing I liked, nothing that was different that I could see him in for his first Christmas.”

She then recalled a yellow gingham summer romper she wore as a baby, passed down from her older sister. “I can make this,” she thought, and set about creating Jett’s romper on her new sewing machine (an early gift from her husband). “People saw it and asked me if I could do one for them as well,” she says.

Her little business Inspired by Jett was born around six months later. Nowadays, Tauranga-based Kelly also creates upcycled woollen vests, booties and embroidery hoops but she says the vintageinspired rompers remain “where my heart is”.

“They are quite timeless now. That style romper with the cross-over back looks cute and it’s unisex.

A lot of people think it’s only for girls, but Jett wore his until he was almost two.”

Not all patterns come from her own childhood. Others Kelly gets online through small New Zealand businesses. “I also like to hack patterns,” she says referring to the fact she draws inspiration from patterns but makes her own modifications. Being creative and adaptive is also her approach to finding fabrics. She sources them from friends, small businesses and even imports some.

Currently Kelly’s turning a red gingham fabric into rompers for summer markets all over the country — TLBM included, where she has been a regular for the last four years. “I love the vibe, making friends with other marketeers.” And meeting customers like a little girl Quinn and her family. “Three years ago, I made this beautiful dress for her first Christmas and they have recommended me to others,” Kelly says. “When they see me, they say hello and little Quinn gives me a big hug.”

inspiredbyjett.co.nz @inspiredbyjett

↑ Kelly Stoddard (also on opener) with two of her adorable Inspired by Jett rompers.

Words by Doris Neubauer

Stay safe on the water this summer

Report maritime hazards, incidents and accidents to the Harbourmaster

When you buy local, it has a positive impact on the whole community. Check out these fantastic products from The Little Big Markets and see all the market dates on our Events Guide (p 116).

Green Tiger Interiors

Green Tiger Interiors is passionate about colour, texture and great design. It believes in fair trade and only sources exceptional quality, handmade items. Check out the range and support traditional arts. greentigerinteriors.co.nz @greentigerinteriors

Ruapuke

New colours of Ruapuke’s bestselling towel have arrived in time for summer! Orange, ocean, wine or pink, what’s your new favourite? All towels are 100% Turkish cotton, quick-dry and sand-free towels. ruapuke.com @ruapuke_

Tiny Seed

Meet Tiny Seed: treats so good, you’ll think they’re bad for you. With nourishing wholefood ingredients, they’re plant-based, refined sugar-free, and (mostly) gluten-free, with each batch handmade by the Tiny team.

@tinyseednz

Me & the Brave

Beautiful 100% wool, wide-brim fedoras, plus jewellery and apparel for all those brave, authentic and fearless souls. Showroom at 12b Kopukairoa Boulevard, Pāpāmoa. @meandthebrave meandthebrave.com

Enkindler

It’s time to up your shade game! Visit Enkindler at TLBM for beautifully handcrafted eyewear made from natural woods, carbon fibre and stainless steel. Plus a range of awesome hemp hats. enkindler.co.nz @enkindler @enkindler.eyewear

Small Batch

Small Batch’s beautifully presented Occasionally Nuts Christmas Pack pairs crafted spice blends with the freshest nuts. A perfect gift for the food lover in your life. Available at TLBM on 3 December or online. smallbatch.co.nz

@smallbatchnz

Noxen

100% cotton hooded poncho towels, surf accessories and custom apparel for everyone in the whānau, from groms to grandparents. Call in to the showroom at 12b Kopukairoa Boulevard, Pāpāmoa. noxen.co.nz @noxensurf

Creative Kiwi Girls

Creative Kiwi Girls was started by Tamryn, a mother to four creative girls, who wanted to start something that her daughters could be part of. Scrunchies, bags and headbands, with t-shirts to come. creativekiwigirls.com @creativekiwigirls

Mahāna

Quick-drying, sand-free beach towels made from post-consumer recycled plastic! With a lush waffle weave microfibre, Mahāna beach towels are designed in New Zealand and inspired by good times, beach vibes and sunny days. mahanasurf.com @mahanasurf

Heat Caravan

Six years operating and more than 500 successful events, from expos and concerts to markets and private catering. Pāpāmoa-based Heat Caravan specialises in woodfired pizzas and gourmet burgers; street food with lots of flavour!

@heatcaravan

Stick Hunters

Stick Hunters is clothing for adventurous kids. A local brand that’s focused on an outdoorsy lifestyle, from joyously jumping in a muddy puddle, to enjoying a sunny day at the beach. stickhunters.co.nz

@stick.hunters

Carved in Stone

Thirty one years ago, when Te Kaha was doing his final stint in rehab, he fell in love with pounamu and discovered his life’s work: learning about his whakapapa and telling those stories in the shapes of the stone. Te Kaha now creates taonga pounamu, including hei tiki, mere and hei matau, along with pieces that his wife Cristina, a silversmith from the Scottish Highlands, transforms into modern jewellery. They live on Tūhoe land and their business is a whānau affair with their three tamariki, who are homeschooled, all getting involved.

As told to Sarah Nicholson

Photography by Adrienne Pitts

Tell us about your home and whenua

Te Kaha We live in the Waiotahe Valley, between Ōpōtiki and Ōhope. When we met, we knew we wanted to have children and we wanted to raise them in the area that I am from, which is Tūhoe — well, I whakapapa to Tūhoe, Kahungunu and Porou, but we chose Tūhoe whenua. We found this place, managed to get a mortgage, and after a couple of years we were able to get a cabin that we helped build. We started living out here about seven years ago. We live off-grid, with solar panels and a generator for my machinery. We have two dogs, 11 ducks, three chickens, two cows and one borrowed from the neighbour. When we first got here, there was nothing — it was forestry land, it was desolate, an area full of tree stumps. Now we have big gardens, a citrus orchard, fruit orchard, trees that we have planted growing everywhere...

Cristina There’s 29 acres and we live right next to Waiotahe Reserve, with the Waiotahe River on our boundary. Our studio, which we call taiwhanga pounamu, is also here, separate from our house. It’s where we exclusively work the pounamu.

How did the two of you meet?

Cristina It must’ve been 20 years ago at a market. Te Kaha was looking for someone to do proper handmade earring hooks — I am self-taught and I was making a small range of one-off pieces. It’s been great because we’ve always connected in that workspace realm and we can collaborate together.

I feel like I married the stone because Te Kaha dedicated his life to pounamu. One of the first things he said was that pounamu is his whānau, an ancestor. At first I thought I didn’t want to infringe on doing anything traditional like Te Kaha, because that’s not who I am. I am a tauiwi [a foreigner] and my people have always worked in silver. So it’s been nice for me to feel that I’ve found my place with the pounamu. We can celebrate it and set it in a beautiful, contemporary way.

What led you to work with pounamu?

Te Kaha The way I came to pounamu was — I woke up. I was asleep for a long time. Being asleep means I was a drug addict and I was an alcoholic.

Te Kaha and his son Te Kaha with a mere pounamu (traditional weapon), alongside blocks yet to be shaped. His son is learning the craft, while also handling the photography, website and social media for the business. Previous page: Te Kaha at work in the taiwhanga pounamu (studio).

“I’d had five months of being ... sober, and my brain had started functioning. In other words, my ancestors, who I carry with me all the time, were finally able to let me see real beauty. I saw the pounamu and was instantly in love — I’ve never ever lost that connection.”

In 1991 I’d finally had enough and put myself into rehab — I did a series of them — and in September I was at Queen Mary Hospital in Hanmer Springs. I walked into a shop opposite the hospital and I saw the pounamu — instantly there was a connection. I said, “Hey, that’s beautiful!”

I’d had five months of being clean and sober, and my brain had started functioning. In other words, my ancestors, who I carry with me all the time, were finally able to let me see real beauty. I saw the pounamu and was instantly in love — I’ve never ever lost that connection.

Every week I would go to that shop to spend $10 to $25 dollars buying at least a couple of blocks of pounamu. When I finally left Queen Mary Hospital, I had all these blocks in my bag and I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but I was going to figure something out!

I’ve always been aware of my Tūhoe whakapapa and I was visiting home more and more, doing work, helping to get headstones finished and unveilings done for whānau members who have passed on. I just always knew I was going to go home and that’s when it started. Mid 90s I moved back to Tūhoe, and I have mostly been back here ever since.

How does your whakapapa and whenua inform your work?

Te Kaha Carvers who I met in the 90s and early 2000s were missing some of the most important aspects of pounamu carving — the whakapapa.

It’s not just about your technical skill — anyone can learn that — it is learning to articulate the connection that we have with Poutini [a guardian taniwha], with pounamu. When you begin to understand the oral histories of your people regarding pounamu, you truly enter into a world of rich understanding and you really gain the ability to share that culture with others. So for me, learning to carve was more about learning the oral histories regarding my ancestor Poutini, and that’s what I’ve been learning for the last 30 years.

These histories underpin all my work. That knowledge, that mātauranga, that is the tūāpapa, foundation, of what I do — it’s not my technical skill. My skill has improved over time — I would call

myself competent. I would not call myself a tohunga [expert].

The shapes that we create are examples of the thinking processes of my ancestors and those shapes have meanings to my people — I share those meanings with people who visit me.

Cristina That’s why markets are a good place for us. If we just wanted to put our work in galleries, we could, but it’s the relationships. Te Kaha is a storyteller and it’s about engaging people so they have an understanding of what they are wearing. We get that face-to-face connection. We see so many beautiful pounamu and we ask people what they mean, and most of the time they have no idea. It’s still a beautiful taonga but we’re trying to create that relationship with the wearer and pounamu so they have that relationship intact.

Te Kaha Anyone can wear pounamu. Pounamu comes from Papatūānuku, our mother — the earth. And anyone who comes from planet Earth can wear pounamu. You do not have to be Māori.

What’s the process for creating your taonga?

Cristina To begin with, we source our stone — we do go to the river but we also purchase it. You can not call it pounamu if the stone is not from Te Waipounamu — the South Island. Pounamu does not occur naturally in the North Island.

Te Kaha So many shops use the term ‘jade’ or ‘greenstone’ — because it’s not New Zealand sourced and they are not allowed to call it pounamu. To tell if it is New Zealand pounamu, you simply ask two questions: What is the name of the person who carved the piece? What is the river the stone comes from? If a shop person can not tell you the answers, there is a very high likelihood that the stone comes from overseas.

We usually first break the pounamu down and cut it into slabs so we can design what we’re going to make. We cut the shapes out with a saw, we grind them, polish them and do the weaving of the cord.

Clockwise, from top left: Cristina and Te Kaha in the taiwhanga pounamu; a gleaming hei tiki; Kiāia — “a piece that can represents compassion” in the process of being shaped; tangiwai pounamu silver ring.

Opposite: Cristina creating her beautiful silver settings.

Te Kaha shaping a cabochon for a ring.

Opposite: The whole whānau are able to help out when it comes to whiri (plaiting) the cord of a taonga.

Cristina

All of us, including the children, help with the plaiting, the binding of the stone. It’s very much a family run business — everyone is involved. We have three tamariki, Te Kaha (18), who is in training to work with the pounamu, as well as a 16-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son. Our workshop is like a tapu space because we don’t eat or drink there; there are cultural protocols we follow in that space that are different from our home. All our kids have grown up knowing that.

Te Kaha

A lot of people ask me if I bless my work. See, I don’t know what that word ‘blessed’ means. And every time I am asked that question, I ask the person what that word means to them and they stumble — they know the word but don’t really know what it means. You see, there is no translation of that word in Māori. None that I can work out. There is whakawātea, which is to clear something, and there is whakamana, which is to add energy to something. I say to people, I don’t bless my work but I ‘clear’ it.

When I spend hours or days putting a lot of energy into creating a shape, I then take the energy invested in the stone and clear it. I leave the mana of the stone, then I let the pounamu make a relationship with the next person who will carry it. I clear ‘me’ from it. And that, to me, is what a whakawātea is.

When I make a piece for my whānau, I leave me in the stone, but when I am making pieces to sell, for strangers, they don’t want me.

What happens at your wānanga?

Te Kaha Our wānanga [workshops] are where people come and awaken the pounamu.

I will shape and drill the pounamu, but they polish it. They do four wet polishes and five dry polishes and we do the whiri, the plaiting. People finish the wānanga wearing their pounamu.

During the five to six hours it takes them to polish up the stone, I share information. I start right from the beginning, from Hawaiki, where Poutini was born, and share the meanings of the different shapes and varieties of stone. Often one of our koroua will come with us and he will also share information. We will travel anywhere in the North Island to do these, and I often do these workshops overseas as well.

Tell us more about the mauri (life force) of pounamu

Te Kaha Pounamu is not an inanimate object — it is not a dead rock, it is a living stone, it has a mauri, it has energy. Every winter we have special pounamu that we put on our fireplace to heat up. We wrap them in old towels and put them in bed with our

children and ourselves — they are the most amazing foot warmers. They also radiate healing energy into us every night during winter.

One of the men who shared a lot of information with me about pounamu was Hohepa Delamere or ‘Papa Joe’, from Whānau a Apanui — he is amazing. He taught me a lot about the healing and protective properties of pounamu.

Cristina I am always amazed by its healing and protective properties. That’s one of the beautiful things about doing the market — if you don’t have people in your whānau that work pounamu, how do you get access to the stone? That’s why at our market stall, we often have mauri stones — they are not for sale and are usually polished on one side, natural on the other. It’s so lovely when people come along, not wanting to buy anything, and they can hold the stone and get a bit of energy. It makes their day.

Yes, we run as a business, but it’s way more than that. Ⓟ

@tekahapounamu @tekahapounamusilver tekahapounamu.com Te Kaha Pounamu is at The Little Big Markets. An interactive exhibition is planned for September 2023 at the Whakatāne Museum.

Made in New Zealand www.minaforher.com | @minaforher

W H E R E A R T I S C R E A T E D B Y D E S I G N

MORE JIV E

In Full Bloom

Photography by ilk

Want to fill your house with freshly picked, sweet smelling blooms and out-of-the-ordinary foliage that hasn’t been transported halfway around the world?

You’re in luck — Tauranga’s Floral Hub is back for the warmer months, at a new inner-city location, showcasing the best that local growers have to offer.

Each Thursday morning, at 7am outside the Holy Trinity Church, a group of 10 to 15 women gather, from small-time hobby growers through to serious amateurs and large-scale professionals. Local florists get the first pick, with the first 30 minutes dedicated to them, then the public are welcome from 7.30am to 8.30am.

“Some people wander through before work, taking their time, enjoying the experience of selecting flowers to make their own bunch. We’re doing a flyer drop, hoping to attract more people working at nearby businesses,” says Skye Wishart, who’s enjoying her second year as part of the market. “We also get dog walkers, exercisers and others who are passing by and want something nice for the house.

The market is in its third year. Its first iteration began in 2019 as a weekly event with five or six growers in the Bethlehem Hall. Post-Covid, Vanessa Pennington, from Thornberry Roses, was one of two women who were keen to keep going, so she found new recruits through Instagram and word of mouth, and the market ran at Our Place Tauranga.

Vanessa was already running a sizeable operation selling roses to florists (see profile, opposite), but just loved the idea of having a market. “The market is sustainable and local, connects growers to florists — rather than auctions, and it’s easy because you just sell what’s looking good in the garden the day before.”

For people like Skye, who’s a hobby grower, it’s about learning, and taking time out of her busy life of studying and parenting, to do something for herself. “I’m so small scale, often I take a few buckets and just join someone else’s table. I enjoy the meditative picking

process, and I love that exciting feeling of getting up in the dark and heading off with a boot-load of flowers, then seeing what amazing flowers others have grown.”

When chatting to the market growers, no matter what the size of their operation, the common theme that arises is the social aspect — being able to talk about their gardening successes and failures, to share and gain knowledge, and also to connect with florists and the public.

For florists, it offers a great opportunity to access flowers that are fresher, cheaper and more local than buying them from Auckland auctions. They’re also able to source different types of flowers rather than the usual selection from the big commercial growers.

“I use locally grown flowers and foliage from a range of talented growers in the Bay of Plenty throughout the year — I love that everything is hand-picked, fresh, seasonal and delivered in buckets with NO packaging,” says floral designer Kelly Scawin of Hand-Picked Flowers.

“When The Floral Hub starts up in October, I love feeling the sense of community it brings to the floral industry here in Tauranga. It’s a time for designers and growers to connect face to face on a weekly basis.”

Meet the growers

Below, a range of growers — from a relative beginner to a large-scale exporter — share some details about their love of growing flowers.

Anna Wilkins, Field Blooms

“I’ve loved gardening and flowers from a young age. Flowers have the ability to instantly make someone’s day better. They can also transport us back to a moment in time, keeping special memories alive. I was fortunate to spend time gardening with my grandmothers, soaking in the lessons

The Floral Hub is a weekly flower market in central Tauranga where florists and the flower-loving public can get their hands on blooms and foliage that are often unusual and always freshly picked.

they had to share from an era where gardening was commonplace.

I grow unique seasonal flowers in Pongakawa, 15 minutes out of Te Puke. I began with a bare paddock and eight beds, which I gradually increased this winter, with the help of my family. I believe in the slow flower movement, including reducing the amount of miles flowers travel, plus the impact of the chemicals on the environment and human health. I’m using different regenerative and organic methods.

I mostly grow annual flowers, and some foliage such as pink manuka. Favourites are roses, tulips and Australian native flowers that we can’t really get here! I love smokebush and all eucalyptus foliages.

My tip to new growers is to start small and go from there. Don’t get disheartened by failures. But it’s surprising how many hats you have to wear. You have to think about multiple crops at a time, irrigation, marketing your product and establishing good relationships with florists too. If you’re small scale, it can be hard figuring out whether you solely supply to florists or sell direct/retail. Also, since flowers are not my only job, it tends to fit in around what else is going on that week. The goal is for it to be full time one day!

I enjoy The Floral Hub for the friendly community of growers. I was sooo nervous at my first market but everyone was welcoming. It’s fun seeing the array of flowers, and to be able to discuss flowers with people and to get to know florists. It’s also great to be able to share the trials and tribulations of growing, and get advice from people more experienced than me.”

@fieldblooms

Left: From left to right, growers

Vanessa Pennington, Vania Riddington and Anna Wilkins.

Below: Striking Banksia coccinea. Opposite page: Enjoy a coffee while you peruse the blooms.

Opener: Pretty yellow Craspedia globosa is a native to Australia.

“Flower farming started for me when I didn’t want to go back to an office after having children. I had a big vege garden and was passionate about regenerative agriculture and the role of nutrients in plant health. The cut rose industry in New Zealand was dominated by large-scale commercial glasshouse operators and I saw a gap in the wedding market for locally grown organic garden roses.

I grow about 450 garden roses, including a number of David Austin roses, plus dahlias and some

Vanessa Pennington, Thornberry Roses

The Floral Hub information supplied by Skye Wishart

→ You can choose a variety of flowers and foliage from different stalls to make up your own bouquet.

annuals. The true garden rose is my favourite flower! Don’t give me the imported, scentless, thornless, stiff rose. There is just something about a field-grown garden rose that sets it apart. I love how it changes over time — you pick it in bud form and within a few days that bud unfurls to create an incredible mass of petals. And the scent transports you — there are many times when I have walked past a vase of roses in the house and the scent literally stops me in my tracks!” thornberryroses.co.nz

@thornberryroses

Vania Riddington, Mangrove Creek

“My parents grew flowers commercially so growing has always been a big part of my life. They tried to encourage me away from horticulture as a career so I followed my love of cooking and science, and became a food technologist. After five years, I was ready for a change and it coincided with my parents’ wish to retire. I took over the management of their business so they could stay on the property. Now my husband Darryl and I have our own business on our 4ha property on the harbour, just north of Ōmokoroa. Around half the property is flat, where we grow flowers and foliage, and the rest is made up of grazing paddocks, bush and an orchard. We grow over 20 different flower and foliage crops; most are perennials.

Our largest crop is hydrangeas, grown in bags to produce the pink/red tones. We grow a lot of fillers such as Phylica, Pieris and Erica, mostly due to the fact that they have a longer picking window than statement flowers and annuals. We export around 60 percent of our product, but we grow some crops specifically for the local market and have incorporated them into the landscaping of our property; for example, flowering manuka in our riparian plantings, banksia/grevillea on steep banks and magnolia for stock shade, so sometimes I have to run a gauntlet just to pick a bunch.

For the Floral Hub, I also raid my parents’ substantial garden and can often be found high in the copper beech tree with loppers over my shoulder. Fortunately I love climbing trees!

I love being a part of The Floral Hub, seeing customers with armloads of beautiful flowers — there’s such a feel-good factor. I really enjoy the social aspect too, getting to catch up with other growers regularly to commiserate/celebrate.”

@mangrove_creek

@thefloralhubtauranga The Floral Hub runs Thursdays, spring and summer, 215 Devonport Rd, Tauranga; 7am florists; 7.30-8.30am public.

Leading Lights

Story by Sue Hoffart Photography by Luke Foley-Martin

This festive season, downtown Tauranga’s waterfront strip is aglow with colour and light.

During daylight hours, visitors to the Shapes of Summer art installation will encounter flamboyant structures to clamber over or perch on or admire, alongside light tubes that emit sound when touched. As dusk descends, the same structures become illuminated sculptures.

“They just transform and become even better,” says project architect Angus Muir.

His Auckland-based company, Angus Muir Design, curates these kinds of light-filled events and artworks for clients around the globe, including Moscow, Amsterdam, Beijing, Iceland, Sweden, Singapore and Israel.

In Belgium, the Brussels by Light winter festival is currently hosting several of his designs. So Europeans are wrapping up warmly to ogle New Zealand-made artworks while their Tauranga counterparts don sunscreen to enjoy the same class of creativity along the Strand Reserve.

One of the Tauranga installations, Triangulum, has previously appeared in Sydney’s spectacular Vivid light festival. Another piece, Trilogy by South Island Light Orchestra, was scheduled to appear at the Australian event before Covid struck. This year’s works also include Bloom, a larger-than-life set of neon flowers by Angus & Harris Keenan as well as Flamboyance, a flock of digital flamingos.

In New Zealand, the Muir name is associated with major light, music and arts festivals, illuminating events such as fashion week or Splore. His company has strung a waharoa (gateway) across Auckland’s Queen Street for Matariki and lit up Tauranga’s own Bay Dreams music festival. Last summer, he managed to deliver a Christmas in the City event for Tauranga despite having to curate it remotely due to Covid. This year, he was able to visit the site and design pieces inspired by the harbour’s shapes and colours. The award-winning light artist shrugs off any kudos that might come with his international or higher profile commissions.

Shapes of Summer light exhibition, orchestrated by Angus Muir, has joyfully illuminated Tauranga’s waterfront. Head along with the whānau to experience the world-class installations.

← This page, clockwise from left: Flamboyance by Human Moth; Bloom by Harris Keenan; 3D Shape Seats by Angus Muir. Opposite: Arc by Human Moth Opener: Triangulum by Angus Muir.

“Coming down to Tauranga is kind of like a dream really,” he says. “To be able to create things on a large scale is pretty awesome; we brought three truckloads of equipment down from Auckland.

“We’re transforming an entire space, not just putting one piece in a show. That’s what I love doing. It’s something people can walk along the street and enjoy, or step off the footpath and walk through. We’re considering the whole environment and it’s such a stunning place, an amazing site.”

The project includes work by artists from around New Zealand, alongside pieces Angus’ team has built in their Auckland workshop.

“We have 40 beautiful flags, big colourful shapes you can play on, interactive things. We’ve thought about colourful shapes parents can sit on and watch their kids. There’s lots of audio, you can walk through and around everything and everything, it’s accessible, colourful. I think that’s what public art should be. And it has to be super robust to be able to withstand the public.”

Angus traces his interest in lighting back to intermediate schooling years. After dividing his early childhood between Whangarei and Dunedin, Invercargill and Melbourne, the Muir family eventually settled in Christchurch. It was the garden city that led him to theatre.

At age 12, the boy who liked to tinker and create was directed to a theatrical lighting course for children. From there, he found himself working on stage and lighting design in every school production. As a teen, weekends were spent working for a professional pyrotechnics company that designed fireworks shows for major public events and live music shows. “So I was thinking about the sky as a canvas, learning all about composition. And doing a lot of work for different theatres.

“I had two lives, really. My creative roots and this academic one my parents wanted me to do. So I did theatre, drama, art. But also stats and chemistry.”

Thanks to a love of both graphic and industrial design, Angus found himself enrolled in an architecture

→ Trilogy by South Island Light Orchestra has three large fully interactive light surfaces. Each pillar has its own unique sound and light elements and is responsive to touch.

degree. He was not, however, destined for a career designing buildings.

“It’s been a bit of a journey. I find houses not super-interesting. The architecture I liked was quite temporary and installation-based. My thesis was the architecture of events.”

The 33-year-old marvels at the way technology has dramatically transformed his chosen trade. In those high school production days, he was working with filament light bulbs and colour filters, using an overhead projector and a pen to transfer an image onto a wall. Though he still carts around a pen and sketchbook, computer driven machinery and increasingly advanced lighting technology are now the major tools of his trade. “I’m doing things now I couldn’t have dreamed of.”

Tauranga City Council arts and culture manager James Wilson says the installation helps draw people to the central city and reminds them there is plenty happening in the area, despite ongoing construction in the vicinity.

Shapes of Summer is walking distance from Tauranga Art Gallery and Baycourt theatre events, social gatherings on The Strand and Wharf Street as well as outdoor movie events or sunrise yoga sessions on the waterfront.“It’s a real joy to see families out exploring the waterfront and people of every age playing with the installations and taking selfies,” James says.

“Some of the interactive works respond to touch so you can create your own soundscape — I love the way light festivals and light artworks can connect with everyone. I’ve been a huge fan of Angus’s work since my time at Q Theatre and have seen it in various light festivals in Auckland. Since then, his work has been seen around the world.

“He is an artist in hot demand so I’m thrilled that Angus has curated a special collection of works specifically for Tauranga Moana.”

Shapes of Summer runs from 4 November until 7 February, on the seaward side of The Strand, between Wharf Street and Dive Crescent.

Seeds of Change

Story by Skye Wishart Photography by Katie Cox

Anne was cruising along a Waiheke Island gravel road on a 50cc Vespa when the first disaster struck. It was 2006 and life was good. During the week, she’d live in Auckland and work at Unitec, and on the weekends she and husband Geoff would head for their house at Onetangi Beach on Waiheke. She was on the way to visit a friend, when she steered her vespa onto the side of the road to let a car pass. Her speed was too much for the gravel, she skidded, flew over the handlebars and hit the road, sustaining a broken wrist and concussion.

Unfortunately for Anne, her concussion was not taken seriously enough — she was told to just rest if a headache came on. “The thing with concussion is you feel kind of wonky but you seem ok; it’s why the rugby players say ‘I’m fine’ and keep playing rugby.” She took time off work to heal the wrist, but her brain wasn’t healing. It felt full of cotton wool with persistent headaches. When she returned to work, the brain fog and pain never left and her dream job as director of institute relations was slowly becoming unfeasible.

“I absolutely loved that job and I loved my colleagues. But I was still struggling with the effects of my head injury after two years. Everything was hard. I also felt sad that I’d never be the person I was.” Anne reluctantly downsized her job to director of a music therapy centre.

Then disaster struck a second time — another head injury. “The one thing they say about head injuries, is that you mustn’t get another one,” says Anne. She was helping her husband hang a heavy glass door, when she fell and cracked her head impossibly hard on the door frame. The pain was not only in her head but now in her neck as well. That’s when the real problems started.

“I’d have an hour-long meeting with someone but if I met them a week later, I’d have no recollection of the meeting or who that person was. It was a horrible feeling and that happened to me all the time. Things got harder and harder, sometimes five days out of seven I was in pain.”

The situation was so bad Anne had suicidal thoughts — it was the only way that she could see to end the pain.

She resigned from her job in 2011, thinking her life was over, when a friend visiting from Wellington,

appalled at how bad Anne’s pain had become, took her to hospital. At last her condition was taken seriously. She was diagnosed as having neuropathic pain and the process of finding a drug that could help her began. She also enrolled in a pain management programme, which taught her how to live with her pain.

For Anne, going from earning a high income to zero overnight — without qualifying for ACC payments because they put the pain down to “pre-existing migraines” — was devastating. “My job was a huge loss — who was I now? I also had pain all the time and no work to distract from it... So I started making art.”

Andean adventure

Though it wasn’t clear at the time, this was a massive opportunity for Anne to finally live her alternative path.

Anne had always been creative as a child. As a young adult she had studied science and journalism and spent 10 years travelling and working as a copyeditor overseas, but a longing to make art was always in the background. Anne was visiting Peru in the 1990s when she signed up for a ceramics night class. She was good — so much so that her tutor told her she should go to art school. So Anne, never someone to do anything by halves, packed everything up and emigrated to Peru, enrolling in the Escuela de Bellas Artes (School of Fine Arts) in Cusco, in an intense seven-year course that introduced students to every art form, from sculpture to paint to printmaking.

Cusco was another world for Anne. Not only did Peru have cholera but it had the Maoist guerilla rebels, Shining Path, terrorising the country, so foreign tourists were scarce. She remembers seeing giant, flaming Shining Path acronyms, made from stacks of oil-filled cans, blazing on the hills above Cusco.

Without knowing a soul beforehand, she lived with a local family and learnt to speak Spanish: “My English actually got rusty.” She loved everything — the cobbled streets, the Andean culture, the flavours and colours, her studies. But her Peruvian life wasn’t to be.

Anne Bailey was living her dream career when two consecutive head injuries forced a change of course. She’s now found an alternative dream life as an artist, gardener and part-time folk musician.

Top to bottom: Anne in her artpacked house with her beloved dog, Aila: vibrant alstroemeria; Anne’s tranquil and colour-filled garden is her haven.

After one year she fell and broke her arm (which was masterfully fixed by a local shaman, but that’s a different story) and while recovering, she was violently mugged. It was time to go: armed with her wood-cuts from her student art exhibition, she headed back to London. And it was there she met architect Geoff, who became her husband.

Anne and Geoff went to live in Italy, where Anne would teach English, and draw landscapes and people. But New Zealand called and soon they were back home with Anne climbing the communications career ladder, over the years subediting for the Listener, the Herald and others, making television documentaries and finally joining West Auckland’s huge polytech, Unitec. She left art in her past — or so it seemed until the accidents.

An artistic distraction

As a distraction from the intense pain from her injuries, Anne started experimenting with collage art using her collection of quilting fabrics. After about a year, Anne and Geoff staged an exhibition, transforming their apartment in Auckland’s 1930s Dilworth building into a gallery. They removed all the furniture and hung about 40 works all over the white walls. She invited everyone she could think of and 100 people turned up. It sold out in about an hour.

“It was one of the most unbelievable experiences of my life — it just went off! I was in a taxi with my niece that night and I remember saying to her, I’ve always wanted to be an artist, and you know, maybe I am.”

Since then Anne has held three private exhibitions, and has been part of more than half a dozen art shows, selling virtually everything she makes.

Her method is her own, a collage technique using paper inlay and fabric. The tools she uses are scalpel, scissors and tweezers, the work painstakingly cut and assembled. Her fabric archive is huge, more than a hundred coat hangers packed along the wall of her studio, each one holding an eye-watering mashup of fabrics. “Sometimes I look at literally every scrap of fabric in my studio to find the right piece. I’m trying to put pattern on pattern and see how far I can push it while still making the image recognisable.”

It’s mostly cotton but there’s a large collection of men’s ties, some with chunks already cut out, all recycled from secondhand shops and friends. “Ties are beautiful to use — they’re traditionally the only statement on a man’s outfit, so they have a fabric that’s really rich and lustrous.”

The resulting artwork however, has an effect that’s minimalist, and while some works are refined and muted, others have pops of vibrancy.

Her artwork is often of birds because she’s a “conservationist with a degree in zoology and botany”. Kororā/little blue penguin, tūī, shag, gannet, wrybill, duck and kōtare/kingfisher are just some of the artworks on her studio wall right now.

One of her collections matches the dates of bird extinctions with inventions, for example, the extinction of Dieffenbach’s Rail and the introduction of postage stamps. “I like the idea of presenting the birds as art but also, like an ornithologist would,

Anne chooses fabric for her artwork from her huge collection, then painstakingly creates her artworks.

↑ For Anne, spending time in her gorgeous garden is a welcome distraction from her pain.

→ Hanmer Pottery bowls — Anne has a vast collection of these vintage classics.

“I remember saying we’ll just plant some lovely trees, not much garden, but my friends all laughed because they knew I’d go crazy.”

I always use the scientific name of the bird, say something about its behaviour or biology on the work, and then their threatened status. I’ve combined art with conservation. I think I had a crazy idea that someone would buy the art, love it, read it and think, ‘ooh, I’d better join Forest & Bird’.”

Rural life & music

After leaving Auckland, the couple realised that they love country living, and they now live in Apata, near Ōmokoroa. It’s hard to believe that just six years ago Anne’s lush, bloom-filled garden in Apata was a kikuyu-filled paddock dotted with some giant poplars and willows. It’s now a secret garden of native and exotic shrubs, fruit trees, drifts of marooncoloured hellebores, 400 hydrangeas, and paths through avenues of purple, pinks, white and red flower beds. There’s a picking garden of scabiosa and cosmos, and in the summer spectacular dahlias.

Anne sells blooms at Tauranga’s Floral Hub market (see page 45) and the garden features in the Garden & Art Festival, “I remember saying we’ll just plant some lovely trees, not much garden, but my friends all laughed because they knew I’d go crazy.”

Anne’s garden also serves another purpose. “Sometimes when the pain becomes too much, I just get out and garden — it’s the only thing that makes it bearable.”

Her 602m timber house has an artist vibe — Gary Nash glass sculptures glow on tables, philodendrons perch in luminous coloured glass pots and bowls, a Peruvian blanket on a red couch. Her vast collection of Hanmer pottery is scattered

throughout the house — a jug here, a plant pot and mug there, 42 Hanmer ball vases on a shelf. Crown Lynn china spreads across bookcases and walls. Oil paintings by Julian Hooper and Anne’s own woodcut prints she made in Peru hang in the lounge.

Outside, off the verandah, a dozen plump red goldfish glow in a circular farm trough, surrounded by vireyas, topiaried port wine magnolias and pittosporums. Birdsong rings from all sides, and you can see the Tauranga Harbour in one direction and the jagged Kaimai Ranges in another.

In the corner of her art studio is a keyboard and guitar. Anne’s family was always musical and although she says she’s had a lifelong dream to play bass guitar in a punk band, she’s found surprising happiness as one half of a folk music duo after joining the Katikati Folk Club. She and Ashley Smith performed monthly at the Bowentown Cafe for two years, and play at various local events.

A full life

A garden, music, art. Anne has turned the accidents into an opportunity to live a life that otherwise would never have been.

“I’m happy now. I didn’t want to spend my life fighting ACC or looking for some magic bullet to get rid of this condition. I moved on. The doctors tried a lot of drugs and finally found something that reduces the pain — so my condition is under control and I will be on those drugs for life. But it’s a good life.”

annebailey.co.nz @annebaileyartist

January

RimuFest Chamber Music Festival, founded by Amelia Taylor and Alejandro Larumbe, is a concert series and a 6-day summer programme for beginner to advanced string players. Rimufest, now in its fourth year, is dedicated to providing the Bay of Plenty community with performances of a wide variety of classical and contemporary music.

Music in the Garden

Saturday January 7th, 2023. From 5:30pm Charlemagne Lodge, Te Puna

A magical evening of socialising and entertainment in the beautiful garden setting of Charlemagne Lodge,Te Puna. Bring a picnic and enjoy a programme of evocative music performed by RimuFest’s collective of international artists.

RimuFest Student Concert

Monday January 9th, 2023. 1:30pm

Graham Young Youth Theatre, Tauranga Boys College

Support our talented students in their final concert following all their hard work through a week of rehearsals, coachings and masterclasses. They will perform world premieres including some fun music for the whole family to enjoy.

For more information about Rimufest and ticket sales go to www.rimufest.com

Email enquiries: rimufest@gmail.com

Violinist Chase Ward in Concert

Tuesday January 10th, 2023. 6:30pm

Graham Young Youth Theatre, Tauranga Boys College

United States violinist Chase Ward will make his NZ debut performing solo repertoire on the violin and will also be joined by Tauranga violinist Amelia Taylor. Chase is currently completing a doctorate in violin performance at The University of Michigan and has an active performance career performing with the Ann Arbor Orchestra and as a chamber musician at many US festivals.

Tread

Want new clothes that don’t cost the earth? Consider swapping with a friend or buying second hand. Make considered purchases not impulse buys, choose natural fabrics and learn to mend your clothes! Here is some pre-loved inspo for you...

Photography: Recycle Boutique recycleboutique.co.nz Store at Bayfair Shopping Centre See our second hand shopping guide on page 106.

Neufound ® is a contemporary and sustainable eyewear concept using biodegradable acetate. Designed here in Aotearoa.

TUESDAY. 4PM - LATE WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY. 12 NOON - LATE 1C/217 MAUNGANUI ROAD (NEXT DOOR TO MASTER KONG) @PALACETAVERN

Born, Bred & Brewed In The Bay Since Ninety Six.

Calm the Waters

Photography Clare Mossong

At Watercliff eco retreat on the banks of the Omanawa River, you can escape to an off-the-grid cabin (that has all mod cons), walk in native bush, swim in a river and laze around until calm is restored.

Escaping to a modern off-the-grid cabin in a river valley of lush native bush sounds appealing… but also like it’s a fair jaunt from Tauranga. But the new Watercliff eco retreat is just minutes away, nestled in a property in the lower Kaimai Ranges.

The retreat, consisting of four cabins on the banks of the crystal clear Omanawa River, has been five years in the making for Delia and Josh Harris, and although it’s been a massive undertaking for the couple, there are still more plans afoot.

A new life

Delia grew up in Tauranga and took ballet lessons from a young age at the Dance Education Centre in Matua. It was the start of what would end up being an illustrious international career. She was accepted into London’s prestigious Royal Ballet School at 15, then went on to the Birmingham Royal Ballet, where she danced for 12 years and was principal dancer.

Delia met Josh when he was visiting Birmingham one weekend. A qualified civil engineer, he worked in the project management side of large-scale civil engineering, and was overseeing the build of a $1 billion reservoir. Josh was living a few hours away, so after three years of commuting to see each other, he moved to Birmingham, with a plan to ultimately live in Aotearoa. “Moving back to New Zealand was just a matter of timing,” says Delia, who would end her career as a ballerina to return home. “It sounds weird retiring at 30,” she laughs. “But that’s the reality.”

And while Josh is British, coming to live in the Bay of Plenty wasn’t an altogether foreign proposition. “I grew up in a little town in Cornwall — a beach town, with a Mount vibe.” So the pair gradually put together their vision for a rural retreat and Delia’s Taurangabased parents, Sally and Tim Mathews, were asked to keep an eye out for a likely property.

Building the dream

The beautiful 18ha native bush-filled property was duly found and purchased (with Delia’s parents), and the couple started to plan Watercliff from afar. Plans were drawn up, meetings about designs and logistics were done over Zoom, and council meetings slotted in around holidays in New Zealand.

The project was around three years of planning, plus building an access road that winds downhill for 1.5km, then two years building the cabins in an idyllic spot with local company Way Builders.

Simply put, it was a huge undertaking and the couple throw out some impressive stats: 400 tonnes of hand-poured concrete road, 300 hours on a digger for Josh (no doubt a highlight for their toddler, Lowen). But that back-breaking part is over and the architecturally designed cabins have now had their first guests.

The cabins are off the grid, in a way you really don’t notice (well, you’ll notice the impressive bank of solar panels upon arrival). The chic bathroom most definitely has a regular toilet and even underfloor heating. There’s a heat pump and a well-equipped

This page, clockwise from top left: A well-equipped kitchenette; view up to a cabin from the river bank; the stylish interior of the family cabin; the river offers an opportunity for eel spotting, swimming, or just reading a book on the banks.

Opposite page: Verdant views across the property.

Opener: The crystal clear waters of the Omanawa River.

kitchenette with a fridge (although you’ll likely cook on the big barbecue) and remote control blinds.

Three of the cabins are designed for couples (one has a bath on the deck), and the fourth has a small room with a king bunk, perfect for a couple of kids. The interiors are all about timber and warm tones, with textures and patterns tastefully woven throughout to create a cushion-strewn, very comfortable vibe.

“We’ve used local products as much as possible,” says Josh. Ever-changing local goodness might include freshly ground Excelso coffee, farm eggs and cold Mount Brewing Co beer. “The artwork is by [Pāpāmoabased artist] Jasmine Kroeze, the sun loungers are from Tauriko’s Danish Furniture and Tauriko Sawmill supplied exterior cedar cladding,” says Delia.

At one with nature

The cabins bathe in a sun-soaked situation; you can laze on the deckchairs, play games on the lawn or maybe nap in the heat of the day. But you’ll want to explore the natural surroundings before any of that. Thousands of plants have been added to the property, including kōwhai, kauri, tōtara, and lots of ferns, such as ponga. Sally and Tim have been instrumental in much of this, and look after the property’s ecology.

“We’ve also added lots of ‘establishment plants’, like mānuka, kānuka and flaxes,” says Josh, explaining

this creates a safer environment for more endangered trees, making them less susceptible to pests. The birds will be happy about the additions — Watercliff is home to tūī, kererū, kāhu/hawks and kārearea/falcons, and you might hear ruru/morepork song at night too.

In front of the cabins, a track runs alongside the Omanawa River. Laze in the cooling swimming hole or wander to the small beach where, with some morsels of food (leftovers from the barbecue are ideal) and a little patience, you can tempt eels to feast in the shallows — they even wriggle upstream.

Late in the day, sit on the deck and watch as the sun’s rays filter through the ferns and trees, before it slips behind the soaring cliffs on the far-side of the river. After dark, a short walk uphill into the bush will reward you with a cluster of glow worms.

Plans afoot

Future plans include more cabins (the next one will be fully accessible, disabled friendly), and a range of retreats and intimate events with chefs, artists and musicians. “We’re looking at running a mens’ wellness retreat in 2023, as well as yoga retreats,” says Delia, who is a qualified yoga instructor.

For now, Watercliff offers a tranquil escape that feels far from the city, but is right on our doorstep. Ⓟ watercliffstay.com @watercliffstay

Clockwise from left: Delia, Josh and Lowen; take in the views from the deck; an outdoor bath awaits.

Tapping Potential

By Clarissa van Emmnes Photography by Ben Parry

When a first-time brewer takes out gold at the prestigious Brewers Guild New Zealand Beer Awards, the industry takes notice. When it’s a young woman, in a male-dominated industry, it’s even more impressive.

Despite the fact that she was born and bred in Germany, Leonie Hoenig didn’t just wake up one morning and decide she was going to become a brewer. In fact, she didn’t really have a particular idea of what she wanted to do, but she credits a series of serendipitous events with kickstarting her journey into brewing.

“Shortly after finishing school in Germany, I was on holiday in the Netherlands and made friends with a Kiwi. She suggested I look into travelling to New Zealand and I thought why not?” says Leonie. Twenty thousand kilometres down the line, Leonie started her first-ever job waitressing at an Italian restaurant in Mount Maunganui, and was enjoying everything the Bay life offered.

“I wasn’t planning on staying, but I met my partner and built a little community, to the point that now, this is home,” says Leonie. “In fact, I got my residency a few weeks ago, so I’m truly a local!”

Driven by curiosity

In New Zealand and Australia, only 2% of craft breweries are totally female-owned, with only 8% having female brewers. Leonie is quietly breaking this mould by following her curiosity and pushing the boundaries of her creativity. She notes that this curiosity is what made her take up her first role behind the bar at The Rising Tide.

“I’ve always been interested in how things worked. So while working behind the bar allowed me to broaden my skill set beyond waiting tables, I also became interested in how things worked behind the scenes of the tap room,” she says. “I hadn’t tried

much craft beer before, as it is such a different style to what we’re used to in Germany, where they follow very traditional methods and recipes.”

Leonie soon found herself running Mount Brewing Co. brewery tours and navigating her way around the technical aspects of brewing. “At first it seemed very hard to understand, but once the puzzle pieces started fitting together, it seemed much simpler and I was able to dive deeper.”

From bar to brew

Like her move to New Zealand, Leonie’s passion for craft beer has been fuelled by people, community and connection.

“I loved the initial brewery tours. While truthfully I didn’t know all that much, I was able to learn as I went along, talking to others, discovering the beers and the methods, and the intricacies of different styles.

After three years of getting to know the ins and outs of Mount Brewing Co. beers, including refining her brewer’s senses to recognise good flavour, texture and colour profile, Leonie decided to try brewing as a hobby. “Eventually, after asking enough questions and doing the tours, I decided to try making my own cider. I got a basic home kit and made a plum cider.”

Good as gold

on my journey, and especially appreciate the mentorship I’ve received from our Head Brewer Pawel.”

She recently passed her brewing exam, which is notoriously difficult. “I was honestly prepared to have to do a second exam, just because I knew it had such a low pass rate and I found it especially challenging with English not being my first language. But I think I was

Awards

2022 Brewers Guild New Zealand Beer Awards

Gold Lemongrass Pale Ale

Silver Blowhole Pale Ale, Crazy Hazy Days New England IPA, Golden Hour, Mermaid Mirth APA, Nectaron IPA, Nectaron XPA, Sea Beast NZ IPA Bronze Mr Jones New England IPA, Mannequin Pis Belgian APA, Yellowstone APA

New World Beer & Cider Awards 2022

Top 30 Golden Hour

Top 100 Green Gelato Pastry Sour, Rhubarb cider

Australian International Beer Awards

Gold Golden Hour

Leonie’s

passion

for craft beer and the industry has taken her from making that homemade plum cider to being one of the industry’s rising stars. She credits the success to her dedication to the process, as well as her team’s early and ongoing support for her development. “I’ve been very fortunate to have amazing support

Silver Kiwifruit Sour, Mermaid Mirth, Shortboard Pale Ale

Bronze Crazy Hazy, Mr Jones, Relax it’s only a Lager

Bay Hospitality Awards 2022 Outstanding Producer

Mount Brewing Co. Promotion

really committed. Once I was given the opportunity to learn craft brewing, I wanted to make the most of it and I felt really invested. It’s also amazing to have that sense of achievement afterwards, so that was also a motivator for me.”

Apart from her impressive exam pass, Leonie’s Lemongrass Pale Ale seasonal was awarded Gold in the 2022 Brewers Guild New Zealand Beer Awards.

“Even though I can call myself a brewer now, it’s still a learning process. I definitely see

myself in this industry for the foreseeable future. It’s very rewarding, and I love being able to combine my natural curiosity about how things work — the technicalities of it — with being creative, testing new things and coming up with new ideas.

“It feels very much like it’s still the beginning of my journey and there are so many more opportunities for me, and the industry as a whole, so I’m excited to stay the course.”

mountbrewingco.com

Did you know?

→ The brewing industry contributed $2.8 billion to the New Zealand economy in 2021.

→ The industry supports more than 6600 jobs.

→ New Zealand has more than 200 breweries.

→ New Zealand produces an average of 2.9 million hectoliters of beer per year.

Clockwise from above left: Leonie at work in the Mount-based brewery; the team sport their medals — Leonie with Brewer and Operations Manager Tom Ball (left) and Head Brewer Pawel Lewandowski. Opener: Leonie doing some quality control tasting from the fermenters.

Tis the Season

Words & Recipes by Holly McVicar Photography by ilk

Scenes from Holly’s late spring/early summer garden, clockwise from right: roses have started to bloom; the Dalmatian Bean is a heritage variety and the seeds have been passed down Holly’s family for four generations; thyme ready to be picked for the focaccia; butter beans and green beans starting to grow.

With the holiday season in full swing, I’m excited about a summer of long-overdue catch ups with those we’ve missed from around the world. And I also expect to be feeding a fair few people, so I’m all about food that’s not only easy to serve guests, but ideal to bring to drinks and barbecues. This chocolate bark is the perfect gift for teachers, coaches or to just to say thanks to your host, and a loaf of freshly baked focaccia is a welcome addition to any meal. My kids love helping me make both. I’m also a big fan of making labneh. It’s so versatile and once you try making it, a world of possibilities opens up — take a look at my ideas. For more recipes and local produce inspiration, follow @madebyhollys and visit ourplacemagazine.co.nz

Seasonal Kitchen

Chocolate Bark

This is quite possibly the easiest gift to make, it’s perfect to get the kids involved, and can be customised to taste (see ideas at end). Use good-quality chocolate in this recipe — not baking or compound chocolate.

MAKES 8 GIFT BAGS

250g Whittakers Milk Chocolate 100g Whittakers White Chocolate 100g roasted unsalted whole cashew nuts

50g dried pumpkin seeds 50g dried cranberries

Place chocolates in separate bowls and melt in the microwave in 20 second intervals, taking care not to overheat. Mix well after each heating. This slow melting prevents chocolate from blooming. Alternatively, use the double-boiler method.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the milk

chocolate to 4mm thickness. Dollop the white chocolate across the milk and swirl with a knife. Scatter over the nuts, seeds and berries. Allow to cool and when firm, snap into shards.

Suggested flavours

→ Dark chocolate, candied orange peel and toasted almonds

→ White chocolate with freeze-dried raspberries

→ Milk chocolate with crushed candy canes

Seasonal Kitchen

Labneh & Five Seed Crackers

Labneh is a simple, fresh yoghurtbased cheese you make a few days in advance. I love to serve it with these five seed crackers.

Labneh

Place 500g unsweetened Greek yoghurt and 1 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Place a clean cheesecloth (or muslin) over a mesh strainer and sit this over another bowl to catch the whey. Pour mixture into the cheesecloth, wrap in a ball and gently squeeze the whey from the yoghurt. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge, squeezing daily with clean hands for 2–3 days until the cheese is as firm as cream cheese.

Serving suggestions

Labneh is a great as a base for dips; rolled into a log and decorated with soft herbs and edible flowers; or rolled into balls and dusted with dukkah (as pictured), soft fresh herbs, finely chopped nuts, smoked paprika or cracked pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and let guests choose their flavour to spread on crackers.

Five Seed Crackers

Preheat oven to 170°C fan bake. In a small bowl, combine a tablespoon each of salt and water, and set aside to dissolve.

In a clean bowl, combine ½ cup sunflower seeds, ½ cup pumpkin

seeds, ⅓ cup chia seeds, ¼ cup sesame seeds, ¼ cup linseeds (flaxseed) and 1 cup water. Mix well and stand for 15 minutes to allow chia seeds to swell (this is the glue that holds your crackers together).

Spread mixture onto a lined baking tray to a thickness of about 2.5mm. Bake for 30 minutes then use a pastry brush to brush all over with your salt water. Return to oven and bake for a further 15 minutes until mixture makes a cracking sound when pressed (it depends on how thickly you spread your mixture). This is key. Cool on the tray and break into shards to serve. Store in an airtight container.

Turning up to a barbecue with a warm focaccia is always going to be a hit. With so many options for toppings, you can really get creative here.

MAKES 1 LOAF

500g plain flour

7g active dry yeast

1 tablespoon honey

2 garlic cloves, crushed ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)

To make the dough, combine flour, yeast, honey, garlic, olive oil, 1 teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground black pepper and 260ml

Quick Focaccia

lukewarm water. Bring all the ingredients together and knead until elastic — I use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.

Cover dough and allow to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. I like to let my focaccia almost over-proof. This gives it a deeper flavour and chewy texture as the gluten and yeast develop.

Preheat oven to 220°C fan bake. Line a shallow 25cm x 30cm tin with baking paper or scatter it with coarse semolina for a crunchy base. Place your dough on top and press until flat. Allow to rise once again until it’s doubled in size.

Drizzle dough with olive oil and create dimples deep into the dough with your fingers. Scatter over pitted green olives, fresh thyme leaves, lemon zest (or your flavours of choice — see below), and add a good grind of salt and pepper. Place into hot oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Enjoy warm or cold.

Suggested flavours

→ Green olive, thyme & lemon (pictured)

→ Fig, chevre, rosemary & honey

→ Caramelised onion & parmesan with coarse black pepper

→ Pesto & roasted cherry tomato

Hot Gig Summer

Words by Scott Yeoman

This is the summer of the festival. A hot gig summer, with live music events back to back to back — to back.

In the space of just one week, Trustpower Baypark in Mount Maunganui will have it all. There’ll be drum and bass, rap, reggae and rock. There’ll be R&B and hip-hop, house and disco, and pop. The 70s and 80s are covered. So are the 90s. There’ll be more than a few hit songs from the noughties as well, while Gen Zers born in that same decade will turn up in their thousands to hear current international superstar DJs and rappers.

“This will be one of the busiest summers Trustpower Baypark has ever had,” Jade Bosman, event operations manager at Bay Venues, says. “I think the main driver is just how exciting it is to be able to gather and to celebrate and to have events again.”

The summer playlist will go a little something like this…

On 31 December — New Year’s Eve — a brand new electronic dance music event, Famous Last Words, will be held at Trustpower Baypark. Headliners include 1991, A.M.C featuring Phantom, Bou, Fred V, Koven and V O E.

A few days later, on 3 January, Bay Dreams is back. American DJ and music producer Diplo will perform at this popular festival’s much-anticipated return. Rappers Denzel Curry and Freddie Gibbs will also be there, alongside other international acts like Hybrid Minds: Outline, SG Lewis, Sticky Fingers and Yung Lean.

The very next day, on 4 January, is A Summer’s Day Live with UB40, Jefferson Starship and Dragon. Think Red Red Wine, White Rabbit and April Sun in Cuba.

Then, on 6 January — Juicy Fest. This nostalgic R&B and hip-hop gig will feature Nelly, Ne-Yo, Ja Rule, Bow Wow, Xzibit, Chingy, Mýa and others. Memories will come flooding back as the crowd sings along to Hot in Herre and Miss Independent.

With such a star-studded and jam-packed schedule, it’s easy to forget the grim outlook of this time last year, when it was a quiet holiday season at Trustpower Baypark thanks to Covid. Several large festivals and events were cancelled over the summer, including Bay Dreams, and that was yet another setback in a couple of years of near-constant disruption and disappointment.

“It clearly demonstrates the resilience of our industry — events were the first thing to go and the last thing to come back, and yet we have regenerated so quickly,” Jade says. “You’ve only got to look at the number of people coming through the door.”

Or the number of festivals and events being announced right around the country, with something new just about every week. The bounce back has been truly remarkable since restrictions on all public gatherings were lifted just prior to Easter.

Trustpower Baypark has really been thriving for months thanks to this rolling wave of events, seemingly spurred on by an insatiable appetite for live entertainment. And there’s something out there for everybody this summer, families and petrol heads included.

Strap yourself in for some epic summer events at Trustpower Baypark, from the Bay Dreams music festival to Demo Der-Bay Smackdown. We find out how the Bay Venues team is gearing up for all the action...

On either side of the four music gigs in late December and early January are two Baypark Speedway events — Bay International Superstars 40 on 28 December, and the always popular Demo Der-Bay Smackdown and Fredrickson Stockcar Gold Cup on 7 January. This string of six big events in 11 days is a logistical tightrope

There’s traffic management to consider, and the building of various stages at different times, the packing down of those stages, security and first aid, fencing, liquor licensing and food vendors, green room facilities and catering for the performers, waste management and recycling, noise regulations — the list is extensive. Jade says teamwork

Especially when you are with your friends. That’s the number one perk of the job according to Jade’s right-hand woman, event coordinator Katie Board. She’s been in the event industry for about four years and clung on through Covid.

“There’ll be a lot of excitement with people coming back to these summer festivals,”

for Jade and her team. It has taken months of planning and manoeuvring, and working out what needs to happen when, for the next piece of the puzzle to slot into place.

Bay Venues is working closely with local police, Tauranga City Council, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Waka Kotahi — NZ Transport Agency, as well as all the different companies and contractors that promote and deliver the events.

is key: “You work with such an eclectic group of people who are all here to bring joy to those who are coming to the events.”

Jade’s been in the industry for 17 years now and says there’s a new youthful energy out there, and with this fresh start comes an opportunity to think big.

“We do it because events bring life into our communities. We do it because it’s fun. We get to have a great time, it doesn’t feel like work.”

Katie says. “As busy as we are, you can’t help but feel grateful to have these events again.”

And, Katie says, at the end of the day, while working hard alongside her mates, she’ll get to look out over the festival crowd and see everyone singing, dancing and laughing. That’s always the highlight.

“The impact of all the work you’ve put in, you get to actually see it on people’s faces.”

The hot gig summer is here.

← Jade Bosman (right) with Katie Board. Opener & opposite: Scenes from Bay Dreams music festival.

“There’ll be a lot of excitement with people coming back to these summer festivals,” says event coordinator Katie Board. “As busy as we are, you can’t help but feel grateful to have these events again.”

Portrait by Scott Yeoman

Local Smarts

Made by Mounties is a beautiful 300+ page hardback cookbook created by some very talented women. It was created as a Mount Maunganui Primary fundraiser, and the delicious recipes are from the likes of school families, the area’s cafes and well-known locals.

From

Christmas Meringues

Photography by Natalie Murdoch

SERVES 8

TIME TO PREPARE: 10–15 MINUTES. TIME TO COOK: 1 HOUR + OVERNIGHT

3 small–medium free range egg whites

Pinch salt 80g caster sugar 80g icing sugar

1 tsp natural vanilla essence ¼ cup freeze-dried strawberry powder ¼–½ cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Serving Suggestions

Fresh seasonal fruit, cream, yoghurt, fruit coulis, sweet sauces

— the possibilities are restricted only by your imagination!

Preheat the oven to 160–180°C fanbake (depending on your oven performance). Line an oven tray with baking paper.

In a very clean bowl, using an electric beater, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff.

Add the caster sugar and beat on a high speed for 10 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved — test this by rubbing a small amount of the mixture between your fingers, there should be no sugar grains.

Fold in the icing sugar and vanilla. Then fold in the strawberry powder and chocolate so it swirls through the mixture.

Gently spoon generous blobs onto the oven tray. Place in the oven and turn down to 100–120°C. Cook for one hour.

Turn the oven off without opening the door and leave the meringues to cool in the oven overnight, or for several hours.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container until you’re ready to dish.

Order online or grab a copy from a stockist below. madebymounties.co.nz @madebymounties

Local stockists: New World Mt Maunganui Cafe, Paper Plus Mount Maunganui, Tay Street Store, The Little Big Markets

the Innes family: these were invented one Christmas Eve at the eleventh hour when we didn’t have enough eggs for a pav and we’ve made them every Christmas since. Easy to whip up, delicious and festive.

Mindful water use. So hot right now. ary

The Tauranga water supply is drawn from spring-fed streams. Despite recent rain the Tautau stream hasn’t fully recovered after years of dry summers. We all need to be mindful about how we use our share. It’s simply a matter of balance - as a rapidly growing city we mustn’t consume water faster than the streams can replenish themselves.

Water restrictions are in place, check the WATER WATCHERS plan before you turn the tap

google ‘water watchers’

Tips and trics

A flourishing garden without water worries

Wanting a beautiful backyard and to do her bit for the environment too, Papamoa gardener and artist Jenny Coker has spent the past two years creating a garden that flourishes without much water.

“We all know that our seasons and climates are changing and that water restrictions are just a fact of life, pretty much everywhere around the world. So instead of wasting water in the garden, I wanted to create a garden that uses as little water as possible.”

Removing the top 10cm of turf from her beachside backyard, she replaced it with a layer of composted soil before planting two central weeping cherry trees to shade the rest of the garden. A layer of medium sized plants formed a second sun umbrella, followed by a carpet of ground cover.

“The trick is just to cover your ground so it keeps the moisture in and create these canopy layers so you don’t have to be watering the whole thing all the time.”

Adding mulch and improving the soil by adding good quality compost was the next big weapon in her water-free arsenal. Using mulch helps regulate the temperature of the soil and prevent water evaporation, while also controlling weeds.

Another rule of Jenny’s green thumb is to use plants native to your region, or those that are advertised as drought-tolerant, meaning they can withstand long periods of time without being watered. Although she admits she’s made a few exceptions for her favourite foliage.

Two years down the garden path from when she rst started planning her low water garden, Jenny’s backyard canvas is bursting with colour and she’s able to moderate the amount of water she’s using, which means she’s saving money on water bills too. But it’s about more than that.

“Of course I don’t want to pay for water, but it’s a wider view than that. I’m conscious that we’re not even going to have it to buy if we don’t look after it,” she says.

WE'VE GOT OUR FRIENDS BRING YOURS

Second Bite of the Cherry

Katikati

Babs

6c Main Rd Clothing

Good Life Opportunity Shop 6c Main Rd Clothing

Limited Edition on Main 10 Main Rd Clothing, crockery, tools

Waipuna Hospice Shop 17 Main Rd Clothing, furniture, books Mount Maunganui Galaxie Traders 6 Tawa St Furniture

Mount Maunganui Waipuna Hospice 2 Macdonald St Clothing, crockery, furniture

Nine Lives Unit 3/277 Maunganui Rd Clothing

Recycle Boutique

Bayfair Shopping Centre Clothing

Red Cross Op Shop 272 Maunganui Rd Clothing, crockery

Salvation Army Store 268 Maunganui Rd Clothing, crockery, furniture

Here are some local shops to peruse.

Savemart 16 Tawa St Clothing

Sisters Swap 206 Maunganui Rd Clothing

St Mary’s Op Shop 43 Taupō Ave Crockery, furniture

St Vincent de Paul 1 Dee St Clothing, crockery

The Good Opportunity Shop 3 Macville Rd Clothing, crockery

Pāpāmoa

The Dovecote Op Shop 1060 Pāpāmoa Beach Rd Clothing, crockery, furniture, books

Salvation Army Store 2/22 Gravatt Rd, Fashion Island Clothing, crockery, furniture, tools, books

Waipuna Hospice Shop 157 Domain Rd Clothing, crockery, furniture, books

Rotorua

Habitat for Humanity ReStore 50 Edmund Rd Clothing, crockery, furniture, books Hospice Shop 1134 Eruera St Clothing, books

Red Cross Shop Cnr Rangiuru and Lakes Rd Clothing Savemart 2 Gibson St Clothing

SPCA Op Shop 19 Fairy Springs Rd Clothing

St Barnabas Community Shop 264 Ngongotahā Rd Clothing, crockery

The Happy Ragdoll 262a Ngongatahā Rd Clothing

Tauranga Ave Antiques 560 Cameron Rd Clothing, crockery, tools

Basement Boutique St Colomba Presbyterian Church 502 Ōtūmoetai Rd Clothing, crockery

Bridge Community Store 321 Fraser St Clothing, crockery, furniture, books, tools

Centre Point 217 Chadwick Rd Clothing, crockery, books

Fraser Cove Waipuna Hospice 271 Fraser St Clothing, crockery, furniture, books

Buying second-hand clothes is a brilliant way to get new (old) threads while saving money and avoiding the temptation of fast-fashion purchases.

Greerton Waipuna Hospice 1267 Cameron Rd Clothing, crockery

Habitat for Humanity ReStore 52 Second Ave Clothing, furniture, books

James Place 217 Chadwick Rd Clothing

Red Cross Op Shop 351 Cameron Rd Clothing

Red Cross Op Shop 1307 Cameron Rd Clothing

Salvation Army Store 375 Cameron Rd Clothing, furniture

Salvation Army Store 140 Ōtūmoetai Rd Clothing, crockery, furniture, books

Savemart 2 Glenlyon Ave Clothing

193 Chadwick Rd Clothing, food

St John Op Shop 75 Bellevue Rd Clothing, crockery, furniture, tools, books

St Vincent de Paul 134 Chadwick Rd Clothing

St Vincent de Paul Shop 766 Cameron Rd Clothing, crockery, furniture

Te Puke

Anglican Community Care Shop 47 Jocelyn St Clothing, crockery

Salvation Army Store 38 Jocelyn St Clothing, crockery, books

Waipuna Hospice Shop 200 Jellicoe St Clothing, crockery, furniture

Hart Op shop 20 Rosemont Rd Clothing

SPCA Op Shop 66 Kenny St Clothing, crockery, books

St John Op Shop 3 Silverton Rd Clothing, food

Waihī Beach Op Shop 27 Wilson Rd Clothing

Vintage Style 92 Seddon St Clothing

Whakatāne

Hospice Eastern Bay of Plenty 37 Goulstone Rd Clothing, furniture

St Vincent de Paul Shop 78 Goulstone Rd Clothing, crockery, furniture, books

The Juicy Details

By Clarissa van Emmnes

Tauranga will enjoy a wave of nostalgia as Juicy Fest rings in New Years with nostalgic 90s R&B headliners. We meet the duo who are bringing the party to the regions this summer.

Juicy Fest’s star-studded line-up includes, from top to bottom: Lloyd, Xzibit and Chingy.

→ The owners of Juicy Fest, Matt Spratt (left) and Glenn Meikle (also on previous page), can’t wait to bring the event to New Zealand this summer.

There’s nothing quite like a nostalgic throwback to legendary 90s R&B and hip hop. For those who cut their party teeth on Ja Rule, Nelly, Bow Wow, Mya, Chingy and the likes at the turn of the century, Juicy Fest will hit “right thurr” when it comes to kicking off the summer of ‘23 and ringing in the new year.

Scheduled for nine shows across Australia and New Zealand, Juicy Fest boasts a star-studded lineup headlined by Nelly, Ne-yo and Ja Rule, followed by Bow Wow, Xzibit, Chingy, Pretty Ricky, Mya, Lloyd and Twista.

The festival is co-owned and organised by local brewing and hospo legend Glenn Meikle and well-respected businessman Matt Spratt — both born and bred in Te Puke and known for their entrepreneurial endeavours. Glenn has decades of experience in the hospitality industry and has been involved extensively in music festivals as a vendor. Matt has also made a name for himself with several successful businesses in the kiwifruit and logistics industries. Together they bring a wealth of business savvy, local and international networks, as well as a shared passion for the regions.

“We realised there was a real gap in music events catering to the 90s and early 2000s R&B listener base. When I bought One Love last year, which I had been involved in for a number of years, there was an opportunity to take on the Juicy brand and take advantage of the music industry networks that offered us,” says Glenn.

“I wanted to bring someone on board that I could trust, with the business savvy to negotiate with international names and management, and to stay true to our vision of bringing these acts to the regions. So Matt was a natural choice, as he never backs

away from a challenge and has decades of business experience under his belt,” says Glenn.

“We’re excited to be able to organise live events again and we’re meeting the crowds where they are during the holiday season — which is in our beautiful regions, enjoying the sunshine and good times,” says Matt. “What normally happens, is that these big acts hit the major Australian cities, and then come to New Zealand and do a show in Auckland or Wellington. But in reality, during summer, that’s not where the crowds are. So it actually makes a lot more business sense to host the shows around the regions.”

Matt says it’s a win-win strategy, as it promotes New Zealand’s regions as amazing destinations, while still meeting the artists’ needs, with venues like Trustpower Baypark that can handle the volume they need to be able to produce high-quality performances. Their strategy has paid off, with over 80% of tickets already sold out. “Our best-selling shows are already a testament to this regional strategy, with our most popular shows being in Palmerston North and Tauranga,” says Glenn.

The 90s and early 2000s resurgence is very much alive and well in fashion, decor and music. While the line-up will attract several generations of music lovers, the festival promises to bring a rush of nostalgia from an era that truly helped shape pop culture in New Zealand.

The New Zealand leg of the festival will kick off in Napier on Thursday 5 January, and the Tauranga show will follow on Friday 6 January. To make tickets more accessible Juicy Fest has set up a payment plan options to pay off your ticket for as little as $21 per week over 5 to 10 weeks.

Tickets & info juicyfest.co/tickets. @juicyfest.co

Portraits of Matt & Glenn by ilk

Learn with purpose

Get the right skills employers need!

You don’t need to move away to get a quality education with our campuses located across the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato rohe. With our range of study options to suit you, including online and part-time, you can study your way.

Our expert tutors are well connected with local employers and are here to empower your learning and guide you every step of the way. Now’s the time to enrol – apply now for courses starting in February. toiohomai.ac.nz