Our Place Magazine Issue 45

Insiders’ Guide to Tauranga’s Best Bites

The Wondrous Hemp Plant

Gloriously Messy Crayon Making

SUP lesson with Mauao Adventures

WAIKATO RIVER TRAILS

PĀPĀMOA’S BEST COSMETIC AND SKIN CLINIC

order on our Star ter Kits.

Use the c o de ‘OURPL ACE20’ ( Valid until July 31st).

Founders Rachelle & Christopher Duffy

Creative director Christopher Duffy Editor Sarah Nicholson sarah@ourplacemagazine.co.nz

Social media manager Millie Guest social@ourplacemagazine.co.nz

Advertising enquiries Rachelle Duffy 021 032 7873 rachelle@ourplacemagazine.co.nz

Contributors Jim Annear, Sue Hoffart, Holly McVicar, Clarissa van Emmenes, Skye Wishart

Photographers ilk, Adrienne Pitts

Pick up your copy from The Little Big Markets, plus at selected cafes, restaurants, shops and businesses.

Want to receive regular copies of Our Place for your business to distribute? Email rachelle@ourplacemagazine.co.nz

To tell us about anything happening in your area right now, email sarah@ourplacemagazine.co.nz

Cover & contents photography

Cover: Amanda Gilbertson (p 28) by Adrienne Pitts.

Contents: Sammi Strickland (p 57) by ilk.

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Ever wonder what goes on inside people’s sheds? From the small garden variety to larger rural versions, they’re often place where people dream up big ideas.

They may be places to create in solitude, or where those with a shared passion can gather to work together. For Amanda Gilbertson (page 28), having a shed on hand at her rural Pyes Pa property meant that she could hatch a plan to leave corporate life and set up a crayon making business, no less. We stop by to see her in action, coloured pigment flying, while making her vibrant Retsol and Spectrum Crayons.

For our photo essay (57), we got to see what goes on in the sheds of other Bay locals. We discovered people with diverse projects ranging from car building with the whānau to running art workshops.

Tauriko-based company Hemp New Zealand (45) gives us the lowdown on the versatile and sustainable hemp plant, from its ability to sequester carbon and its nutritional benefits, to potential in building houses. Hemp sounds like it holds many great possibilities for New Zealand but growers also face a range of challenges and restrictions.

When it comes to food recommendations, we like to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth (39). So we asked some of Tauranga’s best chefs, restaurateurs and food lovers where they spend their hard earned cash when eating out. From pastries and noodles to ice cream, it’ll definitely inspire you to try the dishes yourself, if you haven’t already. Happy eating!

The Our Place team

OPEN NOW

With free public events artgallery.org.nz/exhibitions

DREAM GIRLS ART COLLECTIVE SIMON WARD

TURUMEKE HARRINGTON

PAUL DARRAGH

5 ARTIST PROJECTS

WORk OUT

YVONNE TODD Dream Girls Collective, Toxic 2021

What’s Up

Get Your Fix

We all know about the effects of overconsumption and waste on the environment, and this awareness has fuelled the movement to repair and fix broken goods rather than chucking them ‘away’. Tauranga now has a Repair Café — it’s a pop-up event (part of a global movement) where people bring in broken items and volunteer experts try to repair them. Depending on the volunteers at the events, which are organised by Tinkd Makerspace, repairs might be made to bikes, clothes, toys, furniture, jewellery, small electrical appliances, computing devices and more. Next events: 9.30am on 29 April and 27 May. It’s free to bring an item, but best to pre-book online so there’s a volunteer there with relevant expertise.

→ tinkd.nz

Berry Boost

Real Strawberry Bone Broth Protein Powder is the latest release from local company Mitchells Nutrition. It’s a bit of a mouthful, so what exactly is it? For a start, there’s no broth taste and feel. Use it as you would a regular protein powder (in water, milk, a smoothie...). It has all nine essential amino acids, is naturally high in collagen, and has no added nasties. Great for everything from healthy gut lining and lush hair to muscle strength and recovery.

→ mitchellsnutrition.com mitchells.nz

To Market, To Market...

Been dreaming up a side hustle? Want to dip your toes in the retail space without big overheads? Like some honest and immediate feedback about your wares? A stall at The Little Big Markets could be your launch pad to greatness! Read this issue’s market story on page 18 and you’ll start to get the picture... It’s a community hub like no other; a welcoming, fun and supportive environment that’s perfect for meeting friendly locals and maybe making some moolah in the process! Applications are open for the winter season, so maybe now’s the time to join the market family?

→ thelittlebigmarkets.co.nz

thelittlebigmarkets

MIND THE GAP

The Little Big Markets

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, including beekeeping, candle making and pounamu carving.

Photography by ilk Art direction by Maddie Banks

Tildy & Co

Lance and Sam Tomalin made their first candles as wedding favours for guests at their 2020 wedding. They were so well received that family members planted the idea to sell candles at local markets.

They now have a Tildy & Co candle studio at home in rural Katikati and retail stockists across the country. Sam’s mostly involved, with Lance helping out at TLBM and pouring the beautiful soy candles when possible. The couple both work full time and have three children: Luccas, Nixon and Matilda (who the business is named after, pictured left with Sam).

“We’re very proud of our product: small batch, 100% soy, sustainable wooden wicks, lead- and zincfree cotton wicks and phthalate-free fragrances,” says Sam. They also offer lavender-scented magnesium products, to assist with sleep, stress and aches.

Tildy & Co offers a vast array of fragrances: “Avocado Mint has to be the top-selling soy candle,” says Sam. “Totally divine, so fresh.”

“We’re proud to be a part of TLBM community — such a welcoming space. It’s an amazing way to get brand recognition and to grow our small business, with a lot of customers visiting week after week.” tildyandco.com

The Cottage Gallery

Brian and Meg Claxton live and work in Judea, in their 1903 weatherboard cottage — an original farmhouse in the valley. It’s now home to their pounamu workshop and Meg’s lovely flower garden, where she sometimes picks posies to sell.

Brian was previously a residential builder, mainly in Tauranga and Auckland. “I had a sojourn in Matamata and learned the greenstone work with Meg’s Mum and Dad, Don and Mona Brooker, who were accomplished greenstone carvers for many years,” he explains. However, these pounamu skills weren’t used for many years, until after retirement, when they had the opportunity to take over the carving business.

“We both share the greenstone work, creating earrings, pendants and bracelets,” says Brian. Meg is also a florist, gardener and painter — her love of flowers reflected in her mixed media artworks.

“The Little Big Markets are a great way for a little business to get up and fly,” says Brian. “It has been good for us.”

329 Waihi Rd, Judea, Tauranga thecottagegallery.co.nz

Innerbloom

Oliver (Ollie) Puddick has built a career around a love of water, being active and living a healthy lifestyle. And as an ex-professional waterman, Ironman competitor and firefighter, performance has always been a top priority for him. It was that interest that inspired the launch of his company, Innerbloom Cold Brew Coffee.

Ollie grew up in Gisborne, has intermittently called the Mount home over the years and is currently working at Kawerau Fire station. But he was based abroad when he discovered the joys of cold brew.

“I was living and working in America from 2014–2016, when I fell in love with the performance and mood benefits of cold brew coffee,” he says. Upon return to New Zealand, Ollie struggled to find a local high-quality cold brew, and he saw an opportunity to develop his own recipes.

“I decided to experiment with my own brews, with a focus on producing something that was ‘more than just coffee’ and offered health or performance benefits too.” This led to the creation of Innerbloom’s signature cold brew coffee, which is made using a

blend of Fair Trade Organic coffee from the Lempira region in Honduras along with natural ingredients, including collagen protein, vanilla, cocoa and coconut. Ollie’s drinks are cold-brewed to ensure a smoother, more refreshing taste. “Cold brew coffee is up to 65% less acidic than regular coffee, making it easier to digest. What’s more, the actual process of cold brew coffee extraction is a lot more delicate, meaning you get more of the antioxidants and flavours from the coffee beans.”

The company has grown and production has shifted from Ollie’s kitchen to a larger facility — all three of the delicious ready-to-drink varieties are batch brewed right here in New Zealand. Despite his success, with over 60 stockists nationwide, Ollie remains a regular at TLBM, noting that he enjoys the community aspects and being at the coalface of the business, where he gets to interact with customers. “I find it valuable being able to test new flavours on customers and get some good (and honest) instant feedback. And we love seeing people enjoying our coffee!”

innerbloomandco.nz @innerbloom.nz

↑ Firefighter and athlete Ollie Puddick and his Innerbloom Cold Brew Coffee.

Words by Clarissa van Emmenes

Meraki Honey

When you buy Meraki Honey at the markets, you’ll also get to meet the enthusiastic beekeepers, partners Caitlin Young and Jim Kristensen.

“Jim started working for a honey company in 2017, then bought 12 hives of his own, which were supposed to be a part-time job but he loved it too much,” says Caitlin. “I was a personal trainer at the time, but I picked up a Beekeeping for Dummies book and thought, ‘hey this is pretty interesting’. So I started helping him.”

From those original dozen, Meraki has now grown to 400 hives, which the couple manage themselves — they’re able to trace every aspect, from the hive to the honey jar. “We loved it enough to practically make it our life,” Caitlin laughs.

Learning about beekeeping was their focus at first, but of course they were amassing a golden byproduct. “We needed to sell the honey we were making, so we started looking for packaging that fit our brand: something simple, affordable and smart looking.” Meraki was born.

Most of their hives are located in the Waikato. “We move them through the season to make different honey,” explains Caitlin. “We might travel up north, near Whangarei, or to Taranaki for mānuka,

and our bush honey usually comes from Waikato.” Meraki offers the sweeter blend of clover honey along with the bush honey (more bitter in flavour), and the multi-floral manuka that’s not as strong tasting as pure manuka. There’s always a seasonal honey too, such as kānuka — which is a lot sweeter than mānuka, with a milder aftertaste.

The goodness doesn’t stop at honey. “We were going to The Little Big Markets — our first market — and I thought I’d give some honey fudge a go,” says Caitlin. “From there, it took off. Everyone was like, ‘this stuff is amazing!’” She hints of more innovations to come. “We feel like we’re in a position to explore new avenues — how to use honey differently, not just on toast. We’re able to do some trial and error right now.”

Stop for a chat when they’re at TLBM. Caitlin and Jim love to share their knowledge about bees, honey and the industry. “It’s good to let people know about where their honey is from, who’s making it and how it’s made,” says Caitlin.

“Summer is when we’re busy collecting our honey, but we’re still at TLBM every winter. We have the same market customers — the people there are awesome.”

merakihoney.com @merakihoney

↑ Meraki Honey’s Caitlin Young and Jim Kristensen with some of their luscious honey.

We look forward to welcoming you to our new Tauranga store, opening Friday 5th May. Shop 16 and 17 Eleventh Ave Plaza, opposite Wendy’s.

Take a look at some of our most coveted local products for autumn. They’re all available on ourplacemagazine.co.nz for a limited time.

From left to right: Just landed for autumn is Neufound Eyewear’s classic Freyr sunnies in Olive; artist Milly Watson’s print Seasonal Fruit Planting: Autumn/Winter features her beautiful watercolour illustrations; represent the voice of our community in this Our Place navy tee with a fresh yellow print; Special Studio’s 3D-printed Lulu Stool doubles as a side table; Max & Louie’s brow offerings include a creamy pencil, tinted brow mascara and brow pomade, to encourage confidence and creativity; Cain & Abel’s two Santoku knives, The One and Handyman with a limited-edition lighter handle.

Colour Me Happy

Story by Clarissa van Emmenes

Photography by Adrienne Pitts

In the rolling hills of Pyes Pa, Amanda Gilbertson and husband Roger have transformed their property into a blooming flower emporium, bespoke event space and thriving crayon business.

If you look further afield, there are buzzing hubs in the nearby developing areas, but her home is a haven surrounded by kiwifruit and avocado orchards, and a gully of native trees.

Amanda’s rural life wasn’t always on the cards. “We lived in Pillans Point, where our boys went to school, in a house we painstakingly renovated. One day, I was just browsing Trademe and stumbled across this beautiful lifestyle property overlooking native trees with a nice house and cottage, which all seemed really idyllic; but what really got my attention was the shed, as I had a few old caravans that I had been wanting to restore, so the space was perfect for that,” she says.

“We moved in December 2019, renovated the cottage, had a party in February and then went into lockdown in March,” says Amanda. Faced with the ongoing restrictions of lockdown, she geared herself up to return to the corporate world, where she’d

previously built a successful career working for corporates as a growth and innovation advisor.

“I remember thinking about going back to work one morning as I was sitting in the spa, overlooking native forest, listening to the tūī, and I was reminded about the fact that so many people I’d worked with over the years had been working towards a point where they could buy a house on a big piece of land that overlooks a gully of trees… It was a lightbulb moment — I realised I had everything I’d worked really hard for, for so many years. So my mind went from dreading to go back and find a job, to thinking of ways that I could make this place work for us.”

The property had old orchid tunnels that served as the perfect place for Amanda’s first business, Miss Mandy’s Flower Emporium. For six weeks a year, from mid-December to end of January, the public is welcome to visit the farm and pick a bouquet of flowers (perhaps hydrangeas, callas, zinnas and even towering sunflowers) to enjoy fresh or to dry at home. The space also has a bespoke event area for hosting kitchen teas, kids’ parties or even small weddings, which Amanda can officiate as a certified celebrant.

Amanda Gilbertson sells gorgeous flowers from her Pyes Pa property in the warmer months, and year-round she whips up batches of colourful crayons in her shed, in a gloriously messy process.

↑ “Honestly, the blue powder goes everywhere, including up your nose and in your ears,” says Amanda. Opposite page: The last autumnal bloom of Miss Mandy’s flowers, before they’re chopped and composted. Opener: The melted lemon crayon mixture is poured to make a batch of crayons.

The seasons dictate the availability of fresh blooms of course, so after one growing season, the Gilbertsons decided to buy another business to run out of the large adjacent shed. “I found NZ Crayons for sale on Trademe and we bought it in 2021. I’m the crayon maker, head up the strategy and design, and Roger works part-time around his consulting business doing the logistics and admin,” says Amanda. “We now do wholesale educational and industrial crayons in the tens of thousands.”

The crayons are packaged under two brands, Retsol and Spectrum. Spectrum offers industrial crayons, generally in the giant size. The crayons are often found on building sites, roads, timber manufacturing plants and steel plants. “Due to their waterproof nature, our marking crayons have found different applications in timber and forestry, on plastic, glass, tyres, concrete, leather, steel and more,” says Amanda. The range is also available in fluorescent colours, offering high visibility and easy readability, making them suitable for sensor recognition in a timbermill grade reader.

The Retsol brand is an acronym of ‘RETurned SOLdiers’, as the disabled soldiers from World War II made them after returning home. “It’s a 60-year-old brand and I remember vividly using a green Retsol crayon as a kid. It has such a huge history and so we’re very proud to now be custodians of the brand.”

The Retsol crayons are a standard size and mainly go into schools and hardware stores. Since buying the business, the Gilbertsons have added their own stamp on the business by expanding to include a new retail range with a diverse colour palette, including shades inspired by New Zealand’s flora and fauna. They also recently released bundles of shorter, fatter hexagonal crayons that are perfect for little hands to grip on to. “Crayons are great to develop fine motor skills and to learn the right grip that’s needed to control the hand,“ Amanda says. “I would love to eventually start running kids’ crayon making workshops in our area too.”

The crayons are made from paraffin wax and food-grade pigments. The wax is sourced from

This spread, left to right: Amanda pours the melted wax into the crayon moulds where it spreads evenly across the mould, then after about 5–10 minutes, she scrapes off the set wax and returns it to the kettle to be melted for the next batch; the result — glossy, vibrant blue crayons.

China and Egypt as it offers a good medium for the pigment, meaning the crayon is more vibrant and long lasting. “This is an important factor in industrial applications, but also means we provide them at a competitive price point for schools and pre-schools who want to buy New Zealand-made products.”

NZ Crayons are hand-poured and often hand-wrapped, and recycled paper is used for packaging and labels. Amanda refers to “Betty”, one of the original machines that she uses to individually wrap crayons — Betty can wrap 1400 crayons an hour. “When she’s working,” clarifies Amanda. It seems that although there’s a beauty in artisanal crayon making, the challenges it throws up can also warrant an additional half hour spent calming down in the spa pool. “But we have about 25,000 crayons that go out every month, in different colours, so it’s pretty exciting.”

To help them meet the demand, Amanda says she has a few local working mothers who can help out during the week. “They’re able to come in around the kids’ school times or part-time so it’s a really good option for them to just be

able to take crayons to bundle up at home — it’s a bit more flexible.”

While it’s a mammoth task to take on the logistics of such a prolific business, Amanda says there are more plans to grow. A creative at heart, she enjoys playing with the machines and moulds to experiment with different shapes and sizes, and loves coming up with new ideas. “We found the first year a huge learning curve, especially as many of our raw material costs increased dramatically. However, we now have some lovely new packaging, a new retail range and plans to grow over the next two years into new markets and products. And all from a shed in Pyes Pa!”

At the heart of NZ Crayons is a love of art and a desire to inspire creativity. “Crayons are a tool for self-expression and exploration, and also an essential practical tool. It’s a pleasure to be able to share the magic and explore the possibilities to make it safe, more accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of age or ability.”

nzcrayons.co.nz

Left to right: Amanda makes crayons in 20 different shades, plus fluros and metallics; the Ngā Tae pack was her first retail pack — each crayon has a small photo of New Zealand flora and fauna, there’s even a silver crayon with a silver fern label.

The Experts’ Guide

TO TAURANGA’S BEST BITES

We ask Bay of Plenty’s chefs, hospo gurus and food lovers where they love to eat when they aren’t at their own venues, and the Our Place team throw in their faves too.

When I think of food recommendations, my thoughts instantly gravitate towards Mount Made. Glenn’s skills are seriously underrated — everything his hands touch turns to magic. There are two standouts for me. First, his cardamom buns, which are like a warm gentle cuddle in your mouth. Next would be his three cheese & onion toastie. I know he’s famous for his amazing ice cream creations but everything he makes blows my mind, every time.

Johney Zee, Johney’s Dumpling House

The burrata with heirloom tomato, basil and black olive crumb from Alpino is one of my faves. From Satori Lounge, I love the rainbow ceviche roll topped with diced salmon and prawns, red onion, capsicum, ginger and coriander. Also, The Nut Job smoothie from Sandbank — with a shot of coffee added!

Connie Richards, Elizabeth Cafe & Larder

The mortadella sandwich at Lloyd’s Deli — keep a keen eye on their socials for this one — it’s a special, but worth the wait. They have great choc chip cookies too. The Gonz Burger by the team at Special Mention, and anything and everything from

and cheese scones (with very generous butter portions) from Spongedrop.

Sarah Jackson,

No Biggie Food

My new favourite dish in Mount Maunganui is the flounder at Saltwater — the most delicate fish, drenched in butter with crispy capers. It’s not something I’ve seen much locally. The best croissant in the Bay of Plenty has to go to my local, Pocket bakery. And this is a bit left field, but go to Sugo, order the beef carpaccio, and the anchovies and pizza crust. Pop a slice of beef and an anchovy onto the pizza crust — and that, my friends, is the best bite in town.

Cherie Metcalfe, Pepper & Me

The Cubano sandwich from Lloyd’s Deli (hard choice as they’re all awesome), the beef short rib from Picnicka — so tender and tasty, and jalapeño kransky from Baked on Newton is a great cheap feed.

Jimmy Wheeler, Lantern

For something casual, I’d choose the pork belly taco at Mexico, Bayfair. It’s off-the-chain yum. Solera at the Mount has amazing food, like the barbecue oysters, and I love everything at Breadhead, especially the croissants.

Ian Harrison, Sugo

Our go-to at the moment is the chicken pho at Viet Lane, Bayfair. Their spring rolls are pretty good too.

Glenn

Stubbs, Mount Made

My favourite food would be eating a whole chicken with the extra hot sauce at Nando’s.

Miguel

Villalobos, El Cartel

We really enjoy Mudan restaurant — they do handmade tofu (we can’t find it anywhere else!), handmade noodles and dumplings. They make their own vegan kimchi as well (the traditional ones are not meant to be vegan). We recommend their Chinese Home Noodle if you are a fan of hot, saucy noodles.

Also, Rok’n Wok could be the most authentic Chinese Korean cuisine (Korean-made Chinese food, which means not authentic Chinese). The taste from them is very close or even better than what we taste in Korea! And Pacpac Japanese food truck would be the most authentic Japanese bento we can have here in New Zealand! Their tamagoyaki are awesome.

Brian Kim, Rika Rika Sushi

Thai2go — the pineapple fried rice has delicious, fresh flavours and is a generous portion, which always means there is some left over. For an afternoon pick me (especially when it’s hot!), Great Fresh Fruit [in Central Parade] has real fruit ice cream.

Dan Lockhart, Fife Lane

Places that we truly love: Mt Zion Coffee for the amazing oat milk coffee, Avenue Pizza’s roasted mushroom pizza and Mount Made ice cream.

Daria & Tomer Rooney, Falafel Metro

Elspeth Bakery are top-notch too. Other highlights: Lantern’s tiger prawn toast, Spicy Tantan Ramen from Chidori, and shout out to Umami in Pyes Pa for its excellent chicken karaage.

Sarah Nicholson, editor

Falafel Metro at Red Square is the best falafel in the Bay, and it’s super affordable for those trying to save. My pick is the Jerusalem, which comes with falafels, fresh tomatoes, Israeli pickles and white tahini sauce.

Maddie Banks, Social Media Manager

Soul Bowl has arguably the best smoothies you’ll ever have — I recommend Yellow Mellow. I’m also a fan of

especially the espresso brownie flavour.

Basti Todd, Event Manager

I absolutely love the vegan masala dosa from Food Point — their food is so full of flavour and satisfying. I also love Pluto Juice Bar for a quick lunch. The cabinet is always packed full of fresh salads (my fave is the Asian noodle); perfect to grab and go.

Millie Guest, Social Media Manager

Our ideal afternoon is heading to Alma on Ōmokoroa waterfront for what we think are the best pizzas in the Bay — we usually go for a Funghi or Calabria. It overlooks a next-level playground, so the kids can entertain themselves, while we enjoy our drinks.

Christopher & Rachelle Duffy, founders

?

Are some of our rivers, lakes or wetlands culturally or traditionally important to you? ?

Do you take water from a river, lake or groundwater for drinking or irrigation? ?

Do you swim, fish or gather kai in Bay of Plenty rivers, lakes, harbours or estuaries? ?

Do you farm, grow kiwifruit, avocados or other crops? ?

Do you want native fish ecosystems and wildlife in our freshwater to be abundant and healthy?

If you have answered YES to any of the above, head to boprc.govt.nz/freshwater to find out about the changes happening for land and freshwater management in the Bay of Plenty.

Me mahi tahi tātou mō te oranga tonutanga o te wai māori Let’s work together for the future of freshwater

Story by Skye Wishart

Hemp Sweet Hemp

Hemp is constrained by regulations that can make it hard for Kiwi growers, yet this plant can sequester carbon, is a nutritious food source, and has exciting potential for clothes, buildings and more...

Somewhere among the fresh, new buildings and streets of the Tauriko business estate, there’s a vast factory warehouse squashing hemp seeds into a lustrous oil. Forklifts whirr and workers in high-vis tinker with the cold press that sits right in the middle of the factory floor. This is the home of Hemp New Zealand, which receives truckloads of hemp from its South Island growers to create cold-pressed hemp oil, hemp seed cake, hemp hearts, and a slew of body oils and balms.

Hemp has shot onto the New Zealand wellness scene in recent years — since November 2018 to be exact, when the The Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Regulations 2006 and the Food Regulations 2015 were amended and the seeds could be sold as food. The seeds are from industrial hemp — not marijuana — and these little nuggets are packed with nutrients essential to human health.

And you’ll see it everywhere. At the time of writing, Countdown stocks 14 different hemp products from seeds and oil to brownies and burgers. Simon Gault and Jamie Oliver scatter hemp hearts liberally. There are protein powders, oils, hemp milks, butters, energy bars, soaps, body balms, textiles and even building products. We have a blossoming of producers in Aotearoa, including Hemp New Zealand right here in Tauranga.

Heart of gold

Inside Hemp New Zealand’s Tauriko factory, hundreds of enormous white canvas bales are stacked around the chilly factory floor, each stuffed with hauls of seed waiting their turn to be lab-checked for quality and then transformed into foods.

Some will be made into hemp hearts, their soft oily centres kept whole, and sold to consumers for sprinkling onto salads, breads, cereals or blended into smoothies. For this, they’re dehulled in an enormous, shaking machine that separates them from their outer shells.

The seeds destined for oil keep their shells and are poured whole from the giant bales into a hopper in the centre of the factory floor, which channels them down into a screw press. This German-imported machine squashes the seeds and two things emerge: the greeny-gold oil and the dry hemp cake.

The oil has a nutty, earthy flavour. It’s not meant for cooking because of its low smoke point, but is instead marketed like an extra virgin olive oil: for salad dressings, smoothies, hummus, dips and sauces — or taken as a daily spoonful or couple of capsules. Health-wise, it has the perfect ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids which is good for blood pressure, brain, hormones and more.

It’s also high in the rare y-linolenic acid (GLA), which has anti-inflammatory properties, a big help in warding off many diseases and syndromes. It has vitamins and minerals galore. Hemp New Zealand is supplying cosmetics companies that are interested in its inflammation-dampening ability and the fact it doesn’t block pores.

The crisp-looking hemp cake is milled into an ultra-fine powder, which becomes the hemp protein product. It’s at least 50% protein — and it’s complete protein, which means it has high amounts of the nine amino acids essential for human health. “The nutritional profile for what you get is impressive,” says Hemp New Zealand business manager Claire Edmonds. “It has more protein than beef and chicken.”

And just to be clear, these hemp seed products have none of the psychoactive THC nor therapeutic CBD (CBD oil is found in the flowers and leaves of industrial hemp — Hemp New Zealand is not licensed to handle these). The constant lab tests make doubly sure there is no trace of THC on the seed.

One of the company’s aims is to market the products as everyday pantry items, so Hemp New Zealand’s self-appointed recipe tester Fay McCormick is creating and adapting recipes to educate people on how to use them. She says the protein is great in breads and brownies, or in smoothies with banana or other fruit to balance the flavour — it tastes earthier than the hearts because it contains the shell of the seed. The website has countless recipes by Fay including Vegan Mushroom Hemp Burgers, Hemp Cross Buns, and protein balls that use both hemp hearts and protein powder.

And it’s also another dairy alternative: down in the Hemp New Zealand staff kitchen, a nut milk making machine sits pride of place on the kitchenette counter, delivering glassfuls of creamy — and relatively mild-tasting — hemp-heart milk to staff and visitors.

Growing challenges

Fragrant stalks of hemp are swaying in open fields around the country: Manawatu, Waikato, Hawkes Bay, Canterbury and Southland. In 2021 there were 192 farms growing 862 hectares. Hemp New Zealand’s 35 farmers are all in the Canterbury region. There are around 20 different types of industrial hemp currently allowed to be grown in New Zealand. Hemp has caught the attention of growers because it’s sustainable. It can remediate the soil, its deep roots removing toxins and preventing erosion. It doesn’t need herbicides or pesticides because it grows faster than the weeds and is attacked by no pests here. Studies have shown that because it grows so fast, industrial hemp can sequester more carbon over time than a forest on the same area of land.

↑ In Aotearoa, industrial hemp plantations are found in locations the length of the country. This is a Hemp New Zealand crop in Canterbury, where the company has 35 farmers.

But despite its many benefits to the environment and human health, the paperwork and logistics around hemp growing can be a bit of a handbrake in Aotearoa. Hemp New Zealand along with others, such as the New Zealand Hemp Industries Association, are working hard on getting legislation changed so it’s easier to grow.

Claire says there are grower requirements that can be off-putting — anyone who handles the whole seed (growers and retailers) must apply for an annual license that costs just over $500. Growers must also be police checked because hemp still sits under the Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Regulations 2006. The physical challenges are real too: the hemp crop must not be visible from a main road, be protected from wandering people and animals, and the police must be informed of plantings because, to the eye, high-THC varieties and industrial hemp are indistinguishable from each other.

This is all because industrial hemp is Cannabis — the same plant as marijuana, but a different

cultivar. To be called industrial hemp, the leaves and buds must have a THC content below 0.35%. To put it in perspective, the average joint is around 15%.

Fashion forward

While some varieties of hemp produce prolific seed, other varieties are tall and make great fibre — and some can do both. Hemp as a natural fibre is tough as well as sustainable. The fibres are made into a twine that’s exported and transformed into fine fibres for garments and textiles. Claire says roading company Fulton Hogan has used the hemp fibre as a locally sourced replacement for the coir matting on roadsides, to prevent erosion and help new plantings get established.

But because hemp fibre is so strong, to process it you need a decortication plant, a specialised machine that separates the tough fibres from the woody core or ‘hurd’. Hemp New Zealand joined forces with Carrfields Primary Wool to import and

Hemp is sustainable. It can remediate the soil, its deep roots removing toxins and preventing erosion. It doesn’t need herbicides or pesticides as it grows faster than weeds and isn’t attacked by pests.

Dehulled hemp seeds emerge as hearts at Hemp New Zealand’s Tauriko factory.

↙ Hemp seeds are put through a screw press and two products emerge: the oil, and this dry hemp cake that’s made into hemp protein powder.

Hemp protein powder is a complete protein.

Opposite page: Two of Hemp New Zealand’s nutritious products.

Photography by ilk

install one of these machines in the latter’s Christchurch factory in 2021, naming the new joint business New Zealand Natural Fibres. This makes it New Zealand’s only hemp fibre processing plant and is now opening up exciting possibilities for wool/hemp blends and using the hemp hurd.

Building sustainably

Buildings are responsible for up to 20% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions (including the building process, energy used while occupied and landscape design) — and hemp seems a good low-carbon and sustainable way to build. Hempbased concrete, or hempcrete, is starting to pop up in new-builds in Australia, USA and Europe. This textured green stuff is made from hemp hurd, mixed with a lime binder, water and a little sand. It’s packed into the spaces between timber framing and left to harden. It can replace plasterboard, fibreglass batts and plastic sheeting, and just needs a plaster coat over the top to keep it watertight. It leaves houses as warm as doubleglazed windows do, it absorbs sound and is fire resistant. It’s breathable, antibacterial and deals with humidity well.

It’s also a carbon-negative product. Firstly, the hemp sequesters carbon while it’s growing, which stays in the hempcrete for at least 100 years. Secondly, although making lime emits carbon, the lime can then absorb some of it back gradually after construction, because it absorbs carbon from the air to become limestone. And if the hemp is grown locally, there are less transport emissions to consider.

The builder of New Zealand’s first hempcrete house in Wānaka, Erkhart Construction, says you’d need just three acres of hemp for an average-sized house and only 4–6 months to grow the crop.

Hempcrete builds are still niche in New Zealand — not enough people know how to mix the hempcrete properly, and there’s not yet the demand to bring the costs down. So currently, most of the hurds from the Christchurch plant are sold by the Tauriko team by the bale-load and used as a mulch for the garden, bedding for horses and chickens, or for composting toilets.

Food for thought

Back at the Tauriko office adjoining the factory, glass of cool hemp milk in hand, Hemp New Zealand systems manager Anton van der Westhuizen is extolling the virtues of taking hemp oil daily — he says it’s cured his old rugby injuries. Just like Venita Campbell beside him, in customer services, who’s no longer suffering from netball niggles. They both speak of repeat customers that can’t get enough of the stuff and the website testimonial page echoes this: morning aches and pains gone using the oil, mobility issues improved…

Health stories and recipes aside, with New Zealand’s commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, our ‘Building for Climate Change’ programme, rising plant-based diets, and quest for sustainable land use, it seems the rise of the humble industrial hemp plant might be one worth supporting.

hempnz.co.nz

Making a Splash

Words by Scott Yeoman

Photography by Robbie Hunter

It is three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon and there’s a seventh birthday celebration in full swing at Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre. A pool party in the learners’ pool — inflatable toys and all. The place is buzzing.

Brooke Marks is playing in the water with her daughter Alia and says she can “see and hear joy” all around her. “Kids are smiling and laughing, splashing, and calling out for parents to watch them do handstands or count how long they can go underwater for,” Brooke says, taking in the scene.

She says Alia is having a great time. One of her favourite pool toys is the Octo Ring — an eight-sided floating donut that she can cling on to, her legs dangling in the water below as she bobs around the pool.

Meanwhile, some of the other kids are finding fun by jumping into the water with their arms outstretched, throwing up peace signs and making funny faces. Others are climbing over a floating horse and gecko, trying to keep their balance as more and more friends scramble onto the inflatable toys. Lifeguards and waving parents watch on closely.

Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre is somewhat of a hidden community gem, tucked away on a quiet suburban street in central Tauranga, down the road from the Carlisle Street Dairy, next to Morland Fox Park.

When you think of destination aquatic facilities in Tauranga, Baywave in Mount Maunganui is often the first port of call for many residents and

visitors. In the summertime, the outdoor pool at Memorial Park is also well used and recommended. Well, Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre is now giving those fellow Bay Venues facilities some serious competition.

After a series of recent upgrades and improvements, including a fresh lick of paint and brand new changing room facilities, Greerton is becoming an increasingly popular choice for not only lap swimmers, AquaFit attendees and Clubfit gym-goers, but also parents and families who want to enrol their kids in swimming lessons, or bring them along to play in the pool after school, on the weekend or over the school holidays.

The inflatable pool toys and obstacle course always draw a crowd when they come out for Friday Night Fun Night, and a new water-play feature is going to be installed over the learners’ pool later this year — bringing another attraction to this much-loved community facility. There is also a courtyard where people can have barbecues, eat their lunch or play outside after their swim.

For Eli Yoo, Greerton

Aquatic & Leisure Centre is “a blessing”. It’s just a short drive from his home in The Avenues and the 65-year-old has been a regular for the past 10 years. He swims laps at least four days a week, and then brings his three grandchildren to the pool several

The recently upgraded Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre is a hidden gem. There’s Clubfit gym and AquaFit classes, plus activities for children abound, including swimming lessons and Friday Night Fun Night.

more times a week on top of that for BaySwim lessons and free play.

Eli says taking his grandkids to the pool in Greerton is an easy and safe way to look after them, while also using up some of their energy. They always sleep well after a visit to the pool, he notes with a smile. “When we come to the swimming pool, they don’t want to leave. They’re asking me, ‘10 minutes more, 15 minutes more, Grandaddy, please, please,’” he adds with a laugh.

Eli says the sense of community he gets at Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre is also important to him. It gives him a “warm feeling” and sets the venue apart from others where there isn’t that same connection.

“I know most of the staff here and even the people who are swimming here,” he says.

“Whenever I come here, a minimum of five or six people call my name and say hello, smile, and that feels better. And then my exercise is better.”

Sarah O’Connor is a lifeguard at the Greerton pool

and she also has a special connection to the venue. It holds a lot of good memories for her.

“I would meet my buddies here when I was a kid. I’ve always liked the wooden features and its casual vibe.”

That vibe is created by the people who use the facility and those who work here, she says.

“There’s camaraderie, routine, space to do your thing. There’s a lot of banter and laughter.”

Sarah says the staff genuinely care about and enjoy the company of their customers. “Our hydrotherapy pool is a healing space where no one cares what you look like, we just have support and kindness for each other’s journey. The community shows respect to each other, and it is a safe and welcoming place.”

Abby Chung would agree. Her 9-year-old twin boys, Jun and Evan Kim, regularly walk the 600m or so between Greenpark School and Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre, leaving straight after the bell and meeting their mum at the pool.

They are enrolled in BaySwim learn to swim classes and Abby says the teachers are brilliant. The boys also enjoy Friday Night Fun Night and meeting friends at the pool over the weekend to play (access is free for BaySwim students).

“They have good times all the time here,” Abby says. “During the holidays, we came here nearly every day. The lifeguards are great, they’re very friendly and we come here so often that we have become friends with them. Today my boys gave lollies out to the lifeguards.”

As for Brooke and her daughter Alia, Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre is a relatively new discovery. Alia is in her first term of BaySwim lessons. “We live in The Lakes so it is very easy to get here,” Brooke says. “She looks forward to the lessons every week and is excited to get here, which is all a parent can ask for.”

Now Alia can also add a Greerton pool party to her list of experiences, as the popularity of this hidden community gem continues to climb.

Learn to swim!

BaySwim learn to swim lessons focus on swimming technique and water safety, catering for students from three months old, right up to adults. There are group and private lessons available. BaySwim also offers award-winning sensory lessons.

Enrol online at bayswim.co.nz or email bayswim@bayvenues.co.nz to book a free assessment.

← Eli Yoo is a regular at Greerton Aquatic & Leisure Centre. Opener & opposite page: The Centre is a kids’ paradise, with loads of fun activities.

Portrait by Scott Yeoman

Behind Closed Doors

Photography by ilk

We check out some of the Bay’s man/woman caves and find they comes in all shapes and sizes.

This page (and previous page): Sammi Strickland is a woman of many talents: makeup artist, Beach Hop beauty pageant winner and amateur mechanic. She’s been doing up cars with her dad since she was little, and now the pair, along with her nine-year-old daughter, are building a car in her garage.

This spread (and previous page): Not your average man cave, but this impressive workshop is indeed in Dave Earles’ backyard. He’s a designer, developer and prototype engineer.

This spread: Artist Jess Ellis has set up Waihi Beach’s Ranger Studio in an abandoned garage. She runs art workshops for young and old, all focused around sustainability and the creative journey.

Bask in the Glow

Story by Sue Hoffart

Photograph by Kendra Eden Photography

↑ Detail of the Inflorescence installation, a collaboration that kick-started Bobbie’s plastic-bottle flower concept.

Previous page: Bobbie in front of her work Wisteria Lane at Tauranga’s After Dark Urban Light Festival.

Artist Bobbie Gray credits a minor dishwasher disaster with inspiring her particular form of botanical sculpture.

When the former Tauranga resident discovered the melted remnants of her plastic eco cups in the dishwasher tray one morning, regret rapidly turned to fascination. Close examination revealed the misshapen drinking vessels looked a little like flowers. Fast forward four years and Bobbie is back in her hometown to finish Kōwhai Grove, a nine month public art project involving the creation of almost 3000 illuminated flowers. Each blossom has been handmade using six different carved, heated, painted, unwanted plastic bottles, then fitted with a LED device and suspended from the ceiling of Tauranga’s Grey Street Arcade.

About 16,000 bottles have been transformed with the help of local schoolchildren and others attending Bobbie’s kōwhai-making workshops. Every offcut has been saved for reuse or recycling, while the plastic vessels have been scavenged by workshop participants, a local café and Tauranga’s Envirohub, as well as the artist’s friends and family. “I literally pick up bottles from the gutter,” Bobbie says.

Kōwhai Grove is her fourth floral installation utilising this medium, which is designed to divert waste from landfill while crafting beauty and raising environmental awareness. “Personally, I’m really conscious of being an artist, a maker, and putting more things into the world when there are already so many things.

Sustainable artist Bobbie Gray is just about to install her latest project in Tauranga’s CBD.

Thousands of plastic bottles have been transformed into illuminated blooms for Kōwhai Grove, all with help from the wider community.

Photograph by Helen Foster

“I try to have the most sustainable practice possible. I don’t feel good about buying new materials. I reuse whatever I can, so the base of a painting might be plywood out of my old camper. It’s so much more inspiring than going to a shop and buying more stuff.”

Art has fascinated the Auckland resident since her Matua Primary School days, right through Ōtūmoetai Intermediate and Ōtūmoetai College. Despite stellar arts grades, the teenager was dissuaded from the obvious career choice and diverted into vet nursing. Even then, she sold paintings and hand stencilled vinyl records on the side.

Eventually, in the wake of an overseas superyacht stint, Bobbie succumbed to the inevitable and returned home to complete a fine arts degree at Whitecliffe College. “I was 30 when I started art school. It was such a big thing to start afresh, when a lot of my friends were very well established in their careers,” she says. “It was really hard; the deadlines, juggling multiple projects at once, having to work and put aside time for study. But it was the right thing to do, going with a bit of life experience.”

Whitecliffe was also where she tackled — and became fascinated by — her first serious sustainable art project. Having scoured Auckland streets for commonly discarded items, she found herself with a pile of deflated footballs from the city’s inorganic waste collections. The flattened balls were unpicked then sewn back together to create a sculpture

dubbed The Dirty Side of Football. Her Plastic Soup project saw discarded items strung into a net handwoven from plastic bags.

These days, Bobbie’s art spans photography, painting and digital mediums as well as sculptural pieces. Her installations have appeared in multiple art and light festivals across Auckland, as well as on city streets in Whakatāne and Tauranga. She has worked in France, exhibited in Iran and England, and her video installation, Digital Garden, was projected onto a World Heritage site in Tunisia. Another plastic bottle artwork, Wisteria Lane, featured in Tauranga’s After Dark Urban Light Festival in 2022.

Kōwhai Grove, commissioned by Tauranga City Council, is her first semi-permanent work and she chose the bloom largely for its widespread familiarity. “Everyone recognises the kōwhai flower and associates it with being a Kiwi. It’s New Zealand’s unofficial national flower.”

Once the last plastic yellow blossom has been hung, she is bound for Holland to live and work with her partner. “I have a couple of projects lined up there, one in Poland, one maybe in Amsterdam. I also want to take a break and get reinspired. There are amazing botanical gardens in Amsterdam, which is where I imagine I’ll be spending a lot of time.”

She laughs. Yes, it’s possible there will be plastic tulips in her future.

bobbiegray.com

@bobbiegrayartist

→ Left to right: Children help out at one of Kōwhai Grove’s community workshops; a render of the artwork that’s to be installed in Grey St Arcade in May.

Celebrating 16 years of being BLOWn away

Photography by ilk

The Bay’s favourite feelgood salon is celebrating 16 years of amazing hair.

Founded in 2007 and directed by dynamic duo Aarron Fenwick and Philip McKinnon, BLOW Hair Co consists of a team of highly talented professionals who, collaboratively, bring decades of international experience to the Bay.

BLOW Hair Co offers a unique, vibrant salon experience, with a diverse team of expert stylists who lovingly deliver great hair on the daily. From classic and tailored looks to the most fashionable 2023 balayage styles, BLOW is the go-to for beautifully shaped cuts and eye-catching colour, perfectly suited to your style and personality.

But what truly sets BLOW apart is the salon’s ongoing commitment to fostering emerging talent. As one of the only hair salons in the Bay still dedicated to apprentice training, Phil and Aarron believe in nurturing the next generation of stylists. They ensure that their apprentices bloom into leading

stylists who can continue to deliver exceptional results wherever their ambitions take them.

BLOW’s talented emerging stylists are being trained to provide the same level of care and attention to detail as their senior team, and they’re recommended to clients who are looking for more accessible haircare.

The team at BLOW Hair Co understand that a salon is more than just a place to get your hair done. It should be a place where you feel welcome and valued, where you can relax and unwind, and where you leave feeling happy, confident and beautiful. With that in mind, Phil and Aarron have built a salon with a heartbeat, and 16 years in business is a testament to their commitment to excellence.

Keen to experience the magic of BLOW Hair Co for yourself? Book your appointment today and discover why they’re one of the most trusted and beloved salons in the Bay of Plenty.

blowhairco.co.nz

6 Tawa St, Mt Maunganui, 07 574 7242

55 6th Ave, Tauranga, 07 578 0808

← Blow’s welcoming salon in Tauranga.

↓ Phil working his magic.

Opposite: Aarron Fenwick (left) and Philip McKinnon.

Make Yourself at Home

By Jim Annear Photography by ilk

Looking to grow food at a rental property? Jim has done just that so he shares how to organise it with your landlord, and which plants and trees are the most practical and high yielding.

Living off a piece of land you own is the dream. However, the reality for many — myself included — is renting. So, we make do with what we have, trying our best to make a temporary property feel like home by growing food in ways that sustain both ourselves and our relationship with the landlord.

On the dotted line

The Tenancy Agreement is signed by new tenants and the landlord. It includes, amongst other important things, the responsibilities of each party regarding the property as a whole. When we moved into our current property, the part of the agreement that most interested me was about property maintenance, more specifically the outside areas. I wondered whose responsibility it was to maintain these areas and, more importantly, was I allowed to implement changes?

The general rule is that tenants are responsible for maintaining the lawns and garden areas. Things that may require tradie skills, like pruning trees, shrubs and hedges, come under the responsibility of the landlord. There were no existing gardens when we moved in, only lawn, so my first thought was that I’d love to turn some of the grass into spaces for growing food!

Communication with your landlord is key. If you have the necessary skills and time, then taking over the responsibility of maintaining the whole property can potentially be used as a sweet little bargaining chip. All this can, and probably should be, written into the Tenancy Agreement so it’s clear who’s responsible for what. As it happened, our landlord was happy for me to rip up some lawn and get growing.

Implementing change

My thought after getting the go-ahead was, “Well what’s going to happen when we move out?” This was an important question that made me not only consider how long we’d likely be at this property but also influenced how I designed the spaces that I was so eager to establish.

There are so many different ways to grow stuff! Inside or outside, in pots and containers or directly into the ground, hydroponics, raised beds, living walls... I needed to decide how I could grow in a way that’ll benefit me without costing too much.

I ended up planting directly into the ground for two reasons. One, I didn’t want to spend the time and money on buying containers or building raised beds as much as I wanted to spend it on enriching the soil that my plants would pull nutrients from. Two, it would be far easier to delete the growing space and turn it back into grass, if and when the time came.

I started by picking a space that had adequate sunshine exposure for growing vegetables and herbs year round (six hours daily), and got stuck into removing all the kikuyu grass and its rambling roots until I had a patch of bare earth.

I drove some edging into the earth around the outside of the area to keep things looking tidy, contained and, most of all, keep the kikuyu grass from entering the space. This edging also really helped when mowing the lawns as I had something to run the mower against.

I started to enrich the soil by mixing the existing soil with good quality organic compost, screened topsoil (ie topsoil that’s been through a sieve or screen to remove large bits), worm castings and seaweed fertiliser, then I levelled it out. This is where I recommend you spend the bulk of your budget — whether you’re growing in pots or the ground, quality soil amendments are where your plants are going to get everything they need to grow strong and healthy. After that, I applied a 10cm top layer of straight compost to the area (you could use garden mix instead) to create a weed-free space.

I then seeded and planted as many of my favourite herbs and vegetables as I could cram in. I’d recommend starting small, sorting one space out

Clockwise from top: Banana trees are fast to fruit and also offer shade to small plants; herbs and leafy greens in front of newly planted banana pups; shredding foliage for compost.

Opposite page: Planting lemongrass.

Opener: Jim at home.

Grow Together

before getting another one going, as this helps you get acquainted with the lay of the land, the soil and how the natural elements like the sun, wind and rain influence growth throughout the year. It also helps keep things manageable and tidy, which keeps you in the landlord’s good books.

As we signed a one-year tenancy that gets renewed every year (fingers crossed), we figured we’d be living here for at least two years, so I thought about what would be worth growing in that time. Obviously annual vegetables and herbs, as they have a quick turnaround round from seed to harvest. I highly value growing leafy green vegetables and herbs, such as salad greens, spinach, basil and thyme. Fresh herbs are invaluable in the kitchen and most can even be grown in pots in a sunny spot inside.

As for fruit trees, many young trees take several years until you get a decent harvest. You can start them in pots and take them with you when you move — we decided to plant some dwarf varieties of stone fruit as they are easier to move than taller trees that need more pruning.

Bananas are a great choice of fruit tree when renting, as you can get a harvest in under two years!

Plants with great returns for renters

Fruiting plants you can harvest within 2 years Banana, blackberry, boysenberry, gooseberry, melon, passionfruit, pepino, raspberry, strawberry, tamarillo

High value crops

asparagus, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, capsicum, tomato, zucchini

Staples/everyday eating

Broccolini, corn, carrot, herbs, kale, lettuce, potato, rocket, salad greens, spinach, spring onion

← Jim with beloved pooch Narla in front of his strawberry patch. For renters, strawberries are great as they fruit relatively quickly and can be transplanted, if necessary.

And when it’s time to move you can chop the tree down, uproot the clump and bury it at your next residence. They self propagate by producing new plants from their base, which can be removed and replanted elsewhere. Strawberries produce fruit within a year, and can also be uprooted and divided into more plants. See the box above — this is a list of edibles I’d recommend growing at a rental. We’ve lived in our rental for almost a year now and I can honestly say that after creating these spaces, where we’ve replaced the lawn with lettuce, we feel at home, like it’s our place. It’s not about the money we spend on a property that isn’t technically ours, it’s about living the way we want to live. We feel connected to the land we live on. It feels good to go out and interact with the growth and take a fresh harvest back to the kitchen, then compost the leftovers. It’s convenient and satisfying to have the fresh produce aisle a few steps from our front door. It does make me wonder though, what else could I get away with? I feel a renovation coming on...

For more gardening content, follow Jim @gardennearsy @homefarm

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Interior Styling Services. Gifts.

The most wonderful collection of gifts and homewares just on the edge of Gizzy’s CBD.

Now with Atomic coffee and delicious cakes baked right in our kitchen!!

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The WorkShop 73 Carnarvon St GISBORNE 4010 021 851 829 @theworkshop_gizzy

Hidden Gems of Tauranga

Words by Casey Vassallo

Photography by Cam Neate

Let’s be frank — Tauranga’s CBD has long lived in the shadow of its more, shall we say, traditionally beautiful sibling (the Mount), but times are changing. It’s in the midst of a makeover, thanks to the city’s revitalisation plan and those behind the thriving list of eateries, shops, art activations and urban dwellings breathing life back into the place.

We share a few gems that are levelling up our CBD and making it the place to move to.

Eat

Since opening in early 2022, Picnicka has become a stand-out addition to the city for its grazing-style menu of Argentinian wood-fired barbecued meats, fresh seafood and cocktails like the ‘Cucumber’ with vodka, elderflower and prosecco. Owners Kim Smythe and Noel Cimadon (also behind the revered Clarence bistro, and Alpino in the Mount) upped the ante with this venue, complete with a mod European countryside fit-out. Open seven days, it’s hard not to make this one your local if you live close by — especially with the deli that’s part of their future plans.

For lunch, Falafel Metro has built a cult-like following among the business crowd. The crispy, handmade falafels come wrapped in a Jerusalem pita and topped with condiments like Israeli pickles,

eggplant chutney and a secret yoghurt sauce. We love the new spot on Red Square (next to CBK), with its former Grey Street venue now home to authentic Mexican taqueria, Tacos Tocayo.

Drink

On Durham Street, Folk is a petite coffee shop that roasts its own beans, makes a mean toastie and draws crowds throughout the day. Alternatively, walk to Excelso Coffee’s espresso bar on Third Avenue for a more immersive coffee experience or to sign up for barista lessons. Side note: be sure to pop across the road to Vetro, a specialty Mediterranean grocer, to replenish your pantry.

For drinks, it’s hard to go past Centrale at Clarence. It’s cosy and welcoming inside the 1905 Post Office building, but if it’s a sunny day, make the best of the outdoor area and order a classic aperitif and some Italian bar snacks (especially now the menu is overseen by high-profile chef Simon Wright). Or ask the excellent sommelier for his wine recommendations.

If you’re looking for something more upbeat after dark, Miss Gee’s has a fun list of cocktails. Tucked away just off The Strand, there’s a rotation of local, new and big-name DJs that spin tunes from 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights until late.

Amidst its imminent renaissance, Tauranga CBD has a growing number of drawcards to discover. Here are some amazing places where we can eat, drink, play and live in our evolving city.

The Floral Hub photograph by ilk

This page: Tauranga Harbour is a boatie’s paradise. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Relaxed fishing in the harbour; an architectural visualisation of Lighthouse Group’s Mission St project; The Floral Hub is a highlight on Thursdays; Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club sits pretty in the Domain. Page 2: Picnicka is one of the city’s hottest restaurants. Opener: Take a dip.

Play

Tauranga Art Gallery is a revolving door of diverse and intriguing exhibitions, and a walk through town is a feast for the senses in terms of street art. However, there are also smaller-scale makers and artisans to stumble across, such as Special Studio — a 3D printing and production studio known for creating objects like the Lulu stools and planters made from 98% recycled plastics.

When you’re ready to burn some energy, head to the Tauranga Lawn Tennis Club at the Domain for a hit on their faux turf. To cool off, make your way to the tidal steps in front of The Strand, or jump off the pier if you’re feeling game.

If you fancy yourself a florist at heart, hit The Floral Hub growers’ market on Thursday mornings for seasonal blooms and bunches en masse. Located at Holy Trinity Church on Devonport Road, the public can buy cut flowers and foliage directly from the growers between 8–9.30am.

Live

Living in the heart of any city might seem unattainable, but local developers Lighthouse Group specialise in creating homes that exceed expectations in aspirational locations that have a growing momentum.

Take the company’s sold-out Lumina development at 422 Devonport Road for example. Just weeks from completion, residents will be within walking distance to key amenities and all the best bars and restaurants, while living in a brand new, contemporary and low-maintenance home.

On the other side of town, Lighthouse’s Mission Street project will consist of six boutique townhouses across the road from The Elms / Te Papa Tauranga (one of the country’s oldest heritage sites). Designed by local architectural firm Archistudio, with interior design from Kathrine McDonald Design, each threebedroom home with open-plan living and a private courtyard has been expertly curated. Here, the commute is a thing of the past — it’s just a fiveminute walk to that aperitif at Centrale and another 15 minutes to peruse the shelves at Vetro.

For Lighthouse, it’s all about creating homes and communities with an enticing lifestyle to match. Whether you’re entertaining a group of friends over dinner or going on an impromptu date night around the corner, at Mission Street you’ll be living in a home you love in a thriving location — meaning you can have the best of both worlds.

Head to lighthousegroup.co.nz/ thegemsoftauranga or scan this QR code to discover more hotspots and hidden gems in Tauranga.

Create a Scene

Illuminated installations, sculptures to climb on, expansive murals, Māori carving… Public art is a joy to behold but it actually delivers more to the city than you might realise.

Public art can foster pride and a sense of belonging in the community, it can enhance the quality of life for residents, and also has economic benefits, such as the potential to drive tourism.

Tauranga is a city with a whole lot of changes afoot, and along with the new buildings, roads and precincts, there’ll also be changes in the way Tauranga City Council approaches public art.

The council’s new framework will guide the way it commissions and enables public works. We talk to James Wilson, TCC’s Manager: Arts & Culture about the new Public Art Fund — what it means for local artists, supporters of the arts and the community, and how Tauranga aims to become a destination for world-leading public art.

Why is public art important?

“Public art is the most accessible of artforms. Everyone can experience it, without having to enter a gallery or seek out an exhibition. Great public art humanises our environment, bringing colour, energy and stories to our streets. It gives our artists and storytellers space as the city changes and grows around us.

I love the way that public art can transform a space — whether that’s by creating safety through light and visibility, or to heighten our awareness of the history and heritage of a particular site.

The creative economy in Tauranga is strong, and growing

in confidence and size. Art is work — behind every artist there’s a team that helps to bring a project alive. For example, Sara Hughes’ installation on the former bus shelter on Willow St — she chose local contractors to work on the project with her: lighting designers, photographers, printers and signage installers. It created a sense of ownership and support from those involved.

an ability to ‘let go’ of a project as it becomes part of the surrounding environment”.

What’s the vision for Tauranga’s public art?

“Tauranga is undergoing incredible transformation, with public and private developments that’ll breathe new life into the central city and create spaces that are vibrant, well planned and safe. Our community has told us that they want a city centre that’s accessible and diverse, enhances our natural environment, and has more activities to enjoy.

We live in a very special place with a compelling history, and we know people want to see this reflected in the city’s design. The new public art framework will ensure that as we develop our public art collection, we do so in a way that supports local artists and tells Tauranga’s stories.

I want young and emerging artists from Tauranga to see a pathway here for careers in creative roles. I believe that public art can be a powerful marker of a vibrant creative sector, and a visible indication that Tauranga values art, culture and creativity. Public art can present cultural narratives in new, inspiring ways. It can help us to see our city from a new perspective — it can challenge, inspire, provoke and entertain. Once an artwork is in the public domain, people will form their own view of the work, positive or negative, and so to be an artist working on public commissions you need bravery and confidence, and

Our city’s art collection is already growing: contemporary lightworks, street art, sculpture and more, all created by leading talent. From Hairy Maclary & Friends and Kereama Taepa’s Pohutukawa, both on the waterfront, to the street art of Owen Dippie on the Elizabeth St car park, these are works that are cherished by the community and have helped to shape the city’s visual identity.”

What’s the story with the new Public Art Fund?

“The new Public Art Fund will enable more public art around the city, will support commissions of new work, and facilitate initiatives to help connect the community with the collection.

Tauranga has some brilliant public art already, and it’s only going to get better with Tauranga City Council’s new Public Art Fund. James Wilson tells us all about the exciting changes.

“Public art is the most accessible of artforms. Everyone can experience it, without having to enter a gallery or seek out an exhibition.”

Clockwise from left: Hairy Maclary himself, part of the much-loved Hairy Maclary & Friends sculpture on Tauranga waterfront; the stainless-steel work Pohutukawa by Kereama Taepa; Sara Hughes’ Midnight Sun has transformed the area around around Tauranga Art Gallery.

Photographs at top by Anne Shirley. Midnight Sun photograph by Sam Hartnett.

We’ve committed to growing the new public art fund, which will see a budget set at 1% of TCC’s above-ground, eligible capital expenditure. (This will be a phased approach, taking about four years to reach 1%.) With all the city’s development happening over the next ten years, we want to ensure our public art matches the expectations the community have for how our city will look and feel.

Allotting 1% for art isn’t a new idea — it’s been in use since the 1960s, originating in the US, as a way of local authorities investing in public art. Closer to home, we’ve looked at the 1% model that’s been successfully used in Rotorua and Auckland.

It will create a budget for public art, but it will also connect public art to capital development, and will encourage council teams and developers to consider public art at the beginning of projects, rather than it being an unbudgeted afterthought.”

Who will make the decisions?

“A public art advisory panel, which will be made up of leading local artists and practitioners. The panel will make recommendations on projects applying to the fund, but will also provide support for artists at each stage of the development of new artworks. The panel is there to champion public art.”

Who can apply to the fund?

“The fund will support a wide range of projects, from community murals and pop-up activations to major commissions for standalone artworks, and for integrated artworks that are features of council buildings.

Artists, arts organisations and community groups will all be able to apply to the fund — to help this process, we’ve developed a community toolkit, designed to give people all the knowledge

required when working on public art projects. The toolkit will include practical information, including templates for writing an artist’s brief, developing a project plan and writing a commissioning agreement.”

What’s the best way to discover our public art?

“City Art Walk is a great way to connect with our public art collection. The app is free to download, and is packed with stories and information about the city’s artworks. Follow the walking tour, or use the app to learn more about a particular artist or work. We’ll be adding heaps of new content over the coming months, so if you want to keep your finger on the pulse of Tauranga’s collection, City Art Walk is a must.”

tauranga.govt.nz/exploring/ public-art

Left: Triangulum by Angus Muir was part of Tauranga’s Shapes of Summer light exhibition. Below: Pieta by Owen Dippie (details also on opening page).

Pieta photograph by Anne Shirley

Doing Business in an Economic Downturn

The saying ‘never waste a good crisis’ sums up the strengths of small businesses when the economy cools and consumer wallets tighten.

When the good times are rolling, it can often be harder to grow and expand. You’re competing with many other businesses — often with more resources — trying to do the same. But during times of crisis, your competition is more likely to be cautious, creating new opportunities for your business in a less flooded market.

Yes, the strength of larger businesses is they can serve more customers at scale for a lower cost per unit. However, in a cooling economy, small businesses have the upper hand. Why? Because they can be nimble to the changing customer needs, whereas larger companies are held back with bureaucratic processes and shareholders to please.

If larger businesses retreat from less profitable areas, it creates a vacuum for small businesses to service those customers in new, innovative ways. Readers of Our Place will be familiar with The Little Big Markets, which started when directors Rachelle and Christopher Duffy saw an opportunity to support local businesses in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis. They discovered an unmet need for a gathering place for small businesses to connect with customers. People wanted a sense of community and family-friendly entertainment, as well as offerings that couldn’t be found in big-chain retailers.

While customers’ wallets are starting to tighten in this cost of living crisis, people still want to gather with friends and family. People are also spending more time at home — entertaining, working from home, growing their own veges — which creates a lot of new business opportunities.

Despite the current economic uncertainty, and contrary to what people might think, it’s never been easier to start a business. While there are so many amazing free resources on the internet to help you start a business, the volume of information can be overwhelming, hard to navigate and often not relevant to the New Zealand legal context. If you are looking to become self-employed, or start a side hustle, I’d recommend getting in touch with the Tauranga Business Chamber. We provide a free one-hour session with a business advisor, thanks to funding from Tauranga City Council.

These independent, one-on-one sessions support those who are looking to start a business, or have recently begun a business and need some help. Anyone can access this service, you don’t need to be a Chamber member.

As the Chamber is the Western Bay’s business hub and champion, we also help connect you with further resources. We keep up to date with the latest Government support for small businesses, such as the self-employment grants from the Ministry of Social Development. These grants assist eligible people, at risk of long-term benefit dependency, to start their own business.

If you’re an existing business, we have a range of other support available to help you grow, get better at cashflow forecasting, access leadership or other training opportunities, or simply connect with the wider business community.

Times are tough right now, but as another saying goes: ‘we’re all in this together’. If you’re seeking some extra help, I encourage you to reach out to our team and let’s see how we can help.

Visit: tauranga.org.nz

Email: chamber@tauranga.org.nz

Tauranga Business Chamber Promotion

If you think that starting a business when times are tight is a bad idea, think again. Matt Cowley of Tauranga Business Chamber says it may well be the perfect time to finally launch your idea.

Matt Cowley, Chief Executive of Tauranga Business Chamber

Soul Food

Words & Recipes by Holly McVicar

Autumn is... crisp mornings and sunny days, long-awaited feijoas, and preparing the garden for cooler months. Holly uses the season’s best ingredients in some moreish recipes.

Photography by ilk

After a summer that feels to have thrown everything our way, I’ve been busy rescuing seeds (now quite an obsession with uncertain times ahead), making pesto with herbs before they go to seed and poaching the last of the stone fruit for the freezer.

We’ve been enjoying the last of the chillies, corn and my third crop of beans are still producing well. I’ve been busy planting lettuces, celery, pak choy and silverbeet — when selectively harvested, they will see us through

to spring. Lemons and guavas are ripening and my recently planted finger lime is growing quickly. We’ve just passed a year in our house and bit by bit we’ve been replacing ornamental trees with edibles.

An early sign of autumn came in the form of a rogue butternut pumpkin vine that was destined for the family farm but somehow established itself. The kids are watching in interest as it snakes around the garden, following it like a treasure hunt

Clockwise from below: Holly in her burgeoning garden; short and sweet, the feijoa season always means searching for new recipes; luscious Packham pears ripening on the tree.

each afternoon to find where the “huge!” pumpkins are growing. For this issue, I was lucky enough to get some local Mārama’s Mushrooms from Billy, and Nicki’s Eggs from Nicki, who were both at the fantastic Tauranga Farmers Market. I’ve also used walnuts from Katikati, fresh feijoas, and of course my own produce. Keeping it local, JS Ceramics in Te Puna supplied pieces for our photo shoot, including the beautiful new Oatmeal clay collection.

For more recipes and local produce inspiration,

JS Ceramics: jsceramics.nz Mārama’s Mushrooms: maramasmushrooms.nz Nicki’s Eggs: nickis-egg.co.nz

follow @madebyhollys and visit ourplacemagazine.co.nz

Mushroom Tart with Parmesan & Walnut Pastry

SERVES 4–6

25g butter

2 shallots, finely sliced

300g fresh mushrooms (I used a mixed tray from Mārama’s Mushrooms, but use whatever you have available), sliced

2 tbs fresh chives, chopped (use garlic chives if you have them)

200ml creme fraiche

150ml thin cream

1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk

Parmesan & walnut pastry

200g wholemeal flour

100g ground walnuts

20g freshly grated parmesan

2 tbs fresh thyme leaves

100g cold butter, diced

2 large egg yolks

1–2 tbs iced water to bind (if required)

For the pastry, place flour, nuts, parmesan, thyme and butter in a food processor, then pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Season, add egg yolks and pulse until the mixture comes together in a single ball (if this doesn’t happen, slowly add the iced water until it binds). Wrap in cling film or beeswax wrap, and rest in fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Grease and flour a tart tin with removable base, tapping out extra flour (use a 26cm round tin or I used a 35cm x 10cm rectangular quiche tin). Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to 0.5cm thick and press into base and sides of tin. Trim excess pastry and return to fridge for at least 30 minutes (this prevents pastry from shrinking).

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line tart shell with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice (to

prevent pastry from rising). Blind bake for 15–20 minutes until edges start to turn golden. Remove beans and paper. Bake for 5 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

For the filling, melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat, then add shallots. Cook until they start to soften. Add mushrooms (stems first), gently shaking pan until well coated in butter. Season, then transfer to a bowl to cool. Place chives, creme fraiche, cream and egg in a bowl and whisk, then season. Gently stir mixture through mushroom filling. Pour into tart shell and bake for about 15 minutes or until filling is slightly puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing from tin. Serve as is, or with a side salad.

Oven-roasted Dijon Chicken Thighs

SERVES 4–6

2 tsp olive oil

6 boneless chicken thighs

1 large onion, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped Large sprig each of thyme, oregano and rosemary (tied together with string for easy removal before serving)

2 tsp smoked paprika

Sauce

1 cup chicken stock

2 tbs Dijon mustard

1/2 cup thin cream (optional)

400g can cherry tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place oil in a pan (ovenproof, if possible) over medium heat, add chicken and cook until golden brown all over. Remove from pan and set aside. Place pan back on heat, add onion, garlic, herbs and paprika.

Season and stir until onions are soft. Transfer to an ovenproof dish (if required) with chicken. For the sauce, combine ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook in oven, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked and sauce is reduced. Serve with steamed greens, and rice, quinoa (I used tri-colour), bread, barley or roast potatoes.

Feijoa Pudding

SERVES 6–8

8 large feijoas, halved, flesh scooped out (substitute for any stewed fruit)

1 tbs honey

1 vanilla pod, sliced lengthwise, seeds scraped out (substitute 1 tsp of vanilla paste)

125g salted butter, softened

125g caster sugar

2 large free-range eggs

125g self-raising flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced.

Place the feijoa, honey and vanilla seeds into a 2L ovenproof baking dish or individual ramekins (I used 8cm x 10cm soufflé dishes), then mix to coat well.

Using a stand mixer or hand beater, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour and vanilla and mix until just combined — be sure not to overwork the mixture.

Spoon the sponge mixture evenly over the fruit and smooth the top. Place in the oven and bake for around 45 minutes or until the sponge has risen and has a golden brown top.

Serve straight from oven (while sponge is airy and top is crunchy) with whipped cream, custard or vanilla ice cream.

Seasonal Kitchen

This rustic autumnal tart stars herbs from Holly’s garden, along with beautiful local Mārama’s Mushrooms and Nicki’s Eggs — both found at the Tauranga Farmers Market.

This feijoa pudding is a favourite in our house.

Opposite page: The oven gives the chicken a golden finish, but you can use a slow cooker.

Served in a JS Ceramics bowl in Sage, with small plates in Oatmeal (opening shot).

Health and Wellbeing owner and Nutritionist Jess Rose has used her own journey with weight loss to create Nutrition & Wellness plans that cater to individual needs. Jess is a mum of twins who grew up in the Bay.

If you’re struggling with your weight or have an unhealthy relationship with food, diet or exercise, Health and Wellbeing Discovery focuses on creating a sustainable and healthy lifestyle that is bigger than a number on a scale or yo-yo diet.

She also offers affordable meals plans and recipes that cater to budgets, allergies, foods you like and dislike, as well as unwavering support along the way. She offers one on one consultations and online monthly groups with payment plans available. To find

healthandwellbeingdiscovery@gmail.com.

Our Place Events Guide

Thur Dinner at Pāpāmoa

5–8.30pm, Pāpāmoa Pony Club, Pāpāmoa (until April 27th)

Sat Tauranga Farmers’ Market

7.45am–12pm, Tauranga Primary School, 5th Ave, Tauranga

Sun Dinner at Matua

5–8.30pm, Matua Park, Tauranga (until 23 April)

Mt Mainstreet Urban Farmers Market

8am–12pm, Te Papa o Ngā Manu Porotakataka, 137 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui

April 2O23

1–10. Port of Tauranga 60th National Jazz Festival Check all all events listings jazz.org.nz

5. Beats By Bingo

7.30pm, Mount Brewing Co, 109 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui

8. Generation Homes: The Mount Swim

7am–3pm, Main Beach, Mt Maunganui, oceanswim.co.nz

Journey of Whispers

3–5pm, Elizabeth St Community Hall, 169 Elizabeth St, Tauranga, eventfinda.co.nz

The Little Big Markets 9am–2pm, Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui

8–9. Downtown Carnival (Jazz Festival) 12–6pm, The Strand, Wharf St & Red Square, jazz.org.nz. Gold coin donation.

9. Black Comet

8–9.30pm, Baycourt Community & Arts Centre, Tauranga, ticketek.co.nz

Tauranga Big Band Showcase

1.30–3pm, Baycourt Community & Arts Centre, ticketek.co.nz

10. Jazz at the Mount 9.30am–5pm, 123–141 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui, jazz.org.nz. Free.

11. Triple Tribute Night: Bowie, U2, Rolling Stones 7–11.55pm, Totara St, Mt Maunganui, totara.flicket.co.nz

11– Sunny Side Up Children's Film Festival

12. Various times. The Historic Village, eventfinda.co.nz sunny-side-up-film-festival.com

12. Paintvine: Starry Night 6.30pm, The Pizza Library, Pāpāmoa, paintvine.co.nz

15. Kita Mean — Delightfully Camp 7pm, 16th Avenue Theatre, Tauranga, eventfinda.co.nz

The Little Big Markets 9am–2pm, Pāpāmoa Pony Club

We Run The Night

6.30pm, 5 & 10km, Mt Drury, Mount Main Beach, werunthenight.co.nz

16. Plant Fest 2023

9am–3pm, Tauranga Racecourse, 1383 Cameron Rd, Greerton, Tauranga, eventbrite.co.nz

20. Zephyr Love + Jennifer K Austin

7–9.30pm, The Jam Factory, The Historic Village, Tauranga, eventspronto.co.nz

22. Coast Presents AutoMatic80s

7.30pm, Totara St, Mt Maunganui, totara.flicket.co.nz

The Little Big Markets

9am–2pm, Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui

26. Paintvine: Monstera Pop Art

6.30pm, Cornerstone Bar, 107 The Strand, Tauranga, paintvine.co.nz

29. Ultimate Athlete Mt Maunganui

9am–2.30pm, Mt Maunganui Surf Club, 21 Adams Ave, Mt Maunganui, ultimateathlete.co.nz eventplus.net

29– Women's Street Smart Self Defence

30. 10.30am, The Gym Tauranga, 107 First Ave, Tauranga, eventfinda.co.nz

May 2O23

5–7. Tauranga Home Show

10am–5pm, Trustpower Baypark. Door sales only.

Tauranga Girls’ & Boys’ College present: The Addams Family Various times, Baycourt Community & Arts Centre, ticketek.co.nz

5. The Print Club

1–4pm, The Artery, The Historic Village, Tauranga, theincubator.co.nz

6. Comedy Improv with The Honest Liars

7.30pm, 16th Avenue Theatre, Tauranga, eventfinda.co.nz

Dead Favours

8pm, Totara St, Mt Maunganui, totara.flicket.co.nz

The Little Big Markets 9am–2pm, Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui

7. Ninja Knits

9.30–11.30am, The Incubator lounge, The Historic Village, Tauranga, theincubator.co.nz

Ring & Stone Setting Workshop to Celebrate Mother's Day

11am–4pm, Creative Community Campus, The Historic Village, eventspronto.co.nz

11. Fuse Drumming Showcase 6pm, Baycourt Community & Arts Centre, ticketek.co.nz

12– Valvoline D1NZ 2023 Grand Final

13. Baypark Speedway, ticketfairy.com

13. The Great Debate in the Bay 5–10pm, Classic Flyers Museum, Mt Maunganui, eventfinda.co.nz

14. Bleeders 4pm, Totara St, Mt Maunganui, totara.flicket.co.nz

It's Mother's Day!

16. Ed Byrne — If I'm Honest 7.30pm, Baycourt Community & Arts Centre, ticketek.co.nz

Quiz Night — World's End

7–9am, World's End Bar & Restaurant, 227 Fraser St, Tauranga

17. Chris Parker — Lots of Love 8pm, Baycourt Community & Arts Centre, ticketek.co.nz

18– Treasured Art

20. 1pm–6pm, Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club, Tauranga, allevents.in

19. Midwave Breaks NZ Tour 2023 8pm, Totara St, Mt Maunganui, totara.flicket.co.nz

20. Fight the Fight (Child Cancer Foundation) 5pm, Trustpower Baypark, eventbrite.co.nz

Public Roller Skating Session — Greerton Hall

2–4pm, Greerton Hall, 1263 Cameron Rd, Greerton, Tauranga. Door sales only.

The Little Big Markets 9am–2pm, Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui

23– The Spongebob Musical

27. Various times. Baycourt Community & Arts Centre, ticketek.co.nz

27. Double Tribute — Rage Against the Machine and Foo Fighters 6.30pm, Jam Factory, The Historic Village, Tauranga, eventspronto.co.nz

28. The Bay of Plenty Wedding Show 10am–3.30pm, Trustpower Baypark, Mt Maunganui. Door sales only.

29. The Greatest Love of All 8pm, Baycourt Community & Arts Centre, ticketek.co.nz

31. Winter Wellness Workshop lymphatics specialist Desiree De Spong

7-9pm, Trustpower Baypark Suites, eventfinda.co.nz

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.

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