Plenty 09 2017 nov web

Katee J Shanks hitches a ride with the Modern MÄ ori Quartet and Jennie Michie meets Lynley Dodd, Anton Steel builds it so they will come and Adrienne Whitewood has a design for life, while Plenty goes electric, turns Japanese, gets into hot water, and hits the beach in ĹŒhope.

culture :: media :: art :: food

FR E E M A GA Z IN E

ISSUE 09 plenty.co.nz

A Brush with the Bay The amazing technicolour dream scape that graces our cover - and all around what you are reading – is the work of the very talented Katrin Kadelke. Born in Gustrow in the former East Germany she grew up in Thuringia, which is just about as far away from the Eastern Bay as you can get. After initially studying architecture she moved into illustration and was considering a move to Sardinia in 2010 when “Neuseeland” beckoned. Now based in Ohiwa, which we like to think of as the Thuringia of Aotearoa, she has illustrated several children’s books and also found time to meet with best-selling author Helme Heine, who has described her work as powerful .

We describe her work as hard out bitchin’ and are honoured to feature it in our pages. Yah boo sucks to be you Sardinia, because your loss was our gain! katrinkadelke.de

03. Things we love 05. It’s Showtime!

10. Turning Japanese 14. An interview with Dame Lynley Dodd 19. Soak it up 22. A Design For Life 26. Let the good times roll

Rarangi Upoko

Contents Page

29. Making Movies 35. Common Ground 38. Life’s a Beach 43. The Little Big Markets 47. Home again

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plenty magazine IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME. At some point in the roller coaster ride of Plenty production – the pleading, the threats, the late night editorial brainstorming and the early morning photo calls, the meetings in car parks and the wondering why – a trend emerges, a theme or a common thread that seems to sum up the issue and what went in to making it. In the past it has been passion, it has been individuality and uniqueness, and it has been the realisation that you can’t actually put a magazine together by exchanging Grumpy Cat memes in FB Messenger.

This time around the guiding trend emerged quite early on, and only grew stronger as we pushed deeper into what we call – oh so creatively – Plenty 09. It’s hard to put one word on what that trend is, but if you said, “Do it or we’ll shoot the dog,” we’d go with ‘authenticity’.

november WHIRINGA-A-RANGI

From Adrienne Whitewood making Māoriana to Anton Steel making movies, the passionate people at at electrify.nz, Kiri Tahana bringing it home, Dame Lynley Dodd being, well, a legend, and the boys in the Modern Māori Quartet being, well, the bloody awesome Modern Māori Quartet, it’s clear that this issue has been all about keeping it real. Authenticity is, in 2017, going the way of the dodo moa friends and neighbours, and so as we leave behind the wettest winter we remember and head into what we hope is a long hot summer, lets hear it for these people who are actually doing it rather than just talking about it, who are creating something real rather than just a public profile, and who make this place we call home a genuinely better place to live in. They have great stories to share – our stories – and at Plenty we love telling them.

So here’s to the spring/summer of ‘17, lets all make some memories. And bring it on ‘18; we’re gonna keep bringing you the real deal, the real people and way, way more of this issue’s theme: authenticity.

And hey, don’t shoot the dog, you know the dog had nothing to do with this. It was the cat.

It was always the cat.

Got something to tell us?

Whakapā mai info@plenty.co.nz plenty.co.nz fb.com/plentyNZ ISSN 2463-7351 ANDY TAYLOR Editor/Kaiwhakatika Tuhinga SARAH TRAVERS Designer/Kaiwhakatauira

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Plenty

09 ISSUE.

MODERN MAORI QUARTET

win

SIGNED CD’S

WITH PLENTY HIVE HEALTH GIFT PACKS

HOT SPRINGS OF NEW ZEALAND SALLY JACKSON

If you haven’t already read our profile on the Modern Māori Quartet then flick a few pages and check it out – and if you haven’t already bought their awesome new CD then excuse us while we blow your mind: we have four (yes four – four – and they are a Quartet; see what we’ve done there?!) SIGNED copies of That’s Us! to giveaway, so go on get cracking.

We love a good bee story here at Plenty, and they don’t get much better than this.

Hive Health are a great little kiwi company that is stirring up quite a buzz, and for good reason: their great range of products are made with aroha in Waimana, with no nasty by-products just good ol’ fashioned bee products. Don’t believe us? Then get in to win and experience the Hive Health goodness yourself.

Now into its fourth edition, Sally Jackson’s guide to having a good soak deserves to be on the bookshelf of any hot spring lover and in the glove box for any New Zealand road trip. Hot Springs of New Zealand is packed with concise directions and reviews of hot springs throughout the whole of New Zealand, and we’ve got two copies to giveaway to readers so be in to win.

things we love plenty.co.nz/win-plenty

NGA MEA PAI

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WORDS KATEE J SHANKS PHOTOGRAPHY MICHELLE HYSLOP

IT’S SHOWTIME!

The Modern Māori Quartet have just completed a barnstorming tour of Aotearoa hot on the heels of a great reception at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the release of their latest album That’s Us! Ace photographer Michelle Hyslop bundled the boys into a car for a photo shoot, and then Plenty’s very own Katee J Shanks caught up with Maaka Pohatu, James Tito, Matariki Whatarau, Matu Ngaropo and Francis Kora (hang on a minute that’s five!) on the last night of the tour to talk about the show band legacy and about aunties heckling for some skin.

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Outside it’s a warm Sunday afternoon.

Traffic is slow, people are few and the birds are making more noise than humanity.

Inside noise comes in staccato bursts. It is laughter, a drum beat, a guitar solo, and banter amongst a bunch of people as familiar to each other as left is to right.

When Plenty sneaks through the side door and into the wings of Whakatāne’s Little Theatre, we are greeted with chaotic harmony. The Modern Māori Quartet are on the verge of a sound check but, as you’d expect, with four lads and an entourage of ten, it’s not a formal affair.

James strolls over and introduces himself. Please bear with us, he says. We’ll just get this stuff sorted and then we can have a chat. Obviously we’re okay with that, who wouldn’t be?

Local lad Fran is the first of the quartet on stage.

In awesome pants reminiscent of Drop Dead Killer days, he throws a few Brazilian Ju Jitsu moves into the mix before picking up a guitar.

Later Fran tells us the Little Theatre provided his first stage experience – it was Telethon and he was eight. You can always count on a hometown boy to pull out a pearler like that, “Thank you very much for your kind donation,” Maaka sings. “Thank you very, very much.”

The drummer drums and his sound is checked, the saxophone player blows and his sound is checked, Fran strums and he is checked too. The musos give the technical guys a fair bit of stick and it’s volleyed back from somewhere above and behind us.

Then the call goes out for vocals and James, Maaka, Fran and Matariki are behind microphones. So is the music director and guy-who-knows-pretty-mucheverything-quartet Matu Ngaropo. Excited – yes.

There’s a lot of check one two-ing, Maaka is enunciating words from a movie or a mini-series I should know, but don’t before he cracks a wry smile when asked by a techie for some sibilant-cy [sic].

Ever the performer, he obliges with a theatrical interpretation of a sibilant sound check and I’m laughing along with everyone else.

Perhaps now is the time to mention each member of the quartet has graduated from Toi Whakaari as an actor in his own right.

James, the man who founded the quartet, has acted in theatre productions including Awhi Tapu, The Māori Troilus and Cressida, Sydney Bridge Upside Down and on screen including Awhi Tapu, The Kick and Mahana.

Maaka made his film debut in the feature Two Little Boys and portrayed Dalvanius Prime in the Kiwi music biopic Poi E.

Matariki has appeared in various theatre productions including Awhi Tapu, Tu and Paper Sky. His screen credits include The Almighty Johnsons, Go Girls, Find Me a Māori Bride, The Pa Boys and Mahana.

While Fran, who is possibly best-known as a Kora from Kora, has his debut film role in The Pa Boys and was a presenter on Māori Television’s CODE. Matu has travelled internationally with his theatre performances including a two-year stint with The Lion King in Sydney and narrator of a New Zealand story called Secrets in Frankfurt.

“SOMETIMES YOU GET HECKLERS,

EVEN AUNTY HECKLERS WHO WANT YOU TO TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF.”

No surprises then that the stage floor lights of Whakatāne’s Little Theatre have brought out the theatrical in all of them. “These lights remind me of old-school gas lights – like real T-H-E-A-T-R-E,” Maaka says.

The Whakatāne show is the last stop of a 19-date tour covering the length of Aotearoa in September and October. The Quartet are weary, you can almost feel it emanating from them, but two months is a long time on the road.

Perhaps there is also a coming down from the high of the previous night’s concert at Auckland’s Powerstation where James went down on bended knee seeking confirmation of marriage. “Did she say yes,” we ask. “Fortunately she did,” he replies.

Maaka reckons touring is tiring, actually the travel is tiring. Getting up on stage is supposedly the mahi but, in reality, it’s the breather from the travel, he says. “When we’re up there we’re feeding off each other, off the audience, off the vibe.”

Watching them on stage, even if it’s only a sound check, you can see how connected these boys are – it’s in the way they pre-empt each other’s next move, it’s in the way they take the piss, but laugh at themselves and it’s in the smiles on their faces.

Under these bright lights, they’re there for each other and that – they assure me – is what makes the tiredness go away.

Up to this point it’s been about the lads, but now is the time to introduce the two “divas” of this tour. The first, and she’s been weaving her way on and off stage since we arrived, is the divine Ms Coco, daughter of Fran. Her familiarity with everyone is evident, as is how comfortable she is with her Dad’s show-biz surroundings. She walks up and down the stairs of the Little Theatre trying to balance a bottle on her head.

The second is Annie Crummer. The moment she starts belting out the words to What’s the Time Mr Wolf, I am transported back two decades in an instant and also left in no doubt how much this lady has impacted on the New Zealand music scene over the years.

More laughter at the end of the song and the sound check is done - it’s time to chat. Once more I receive an apology for having been made to wait and once more, I am left in awe at the lack of self-importance these guys possess. They tell me they’re happy the tour is almost at an end but, at the same time they tell me how much the show means to them.

“It’s real special,” Fran says. “I’ve done many tours over the years and this is my favourite. It’s a show that shares the love, and it’s a show with no ego. It’s a show you don’t just come to watch, but one you come to experience.”

The Modern Māori Quartet has been moulded in the vein of those show bands who have gone before, but the members confess to an eclectic array of influences. James says while it was old faithful show bands like The High-Marks, Prince Tui Teka and “all that stuff” that bought them together, Matu adds Shania Twain has also left an impression on them.

Soft rock and country also have an influence. “The Eagles with a strong hearty guitar and big drums and Engelbert Humperdinck as well, those kinds of music,” Matu says.

Through the music the most important thing for the Quartet is the connection they make with their audiences. However, audiences vary.

“Every audience is different, every venue is different, you pitch the show where it’s at,” Maaka says.

“Sometimes you get hecklers, even aunty hecklers who want you to take your clothes off.” We’re talking to five Māori boys and, as you’d expect, his comment is followed by big laughter.

He recalls a time they set up a gag. “We made out we were three and were waiting for our fourth member and a kaumatua kept screaming, ‘You’re not a quartet, you’re not a quartet – there’s supposed to be four.’ We were like, just taihoa matua.”

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“There’s all sorts but you invite it in, it’s about the relationship between us and the audience.”

Fran is looking forward to having whānau in the audience at the Whakatāne show but, as you’d imagine with Māori boys on tour in Aotearoa, there is often friends or family in the crowd.

“Maaka’s got the most,” Matariki reckons.

“Have I?” Maaka asks.

“Yeah, everywhere we go you’ve always got some cousins there,” Matariki says to more laughter.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Maaka says.

“They’re usually really close whānau too,” Matu says to even more laughter.

Jokes aside, audiences flock to watch the Modern Māori Quartet, including international audiences who have an expectation of the show.

Great food, excellent coffee, and the best sweet treats in the Bay. We also have plenty of gluten free options, and we do catering.

Café Coco Open Monday - Saturday 10 Richardson St, Whakatane P. 07 308 8337

Matu says early Kiwi show bands had travelled quite extensively which meant a history and an overseas awareness about the form of the Quartet.

“THERE’S ALL SORTS BUT YOU INVITE IT IN, IT’S ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US AND THE AUDIENCE.” “But I guess we’re spreading that a wee bit further.

They [earlier show bands] didn’t spend that much time in places like Europe or the UK, but what people connect to remains the same, and that’s the garage party. The garage party is about having and sharing the aroha and connecting with real music face-to-face over kai and a beer. We have this korero that, if at the end of the night the audience and us all feel like one whānau, then that is success.”

And that’s how the chat ends.

I reckon we’ve held them up long enough and they’re keen to get a feed of fish and chips before the show. They say their farewells and then they’re gone – leaving Yee Yang “Square” Lee, Modern Māori Quartet co-manager and self-described general counsel, to say a few words about his charges.

“Taking on these boys was the best thing the wife and I have ever done,” he tells us. “They have become our family and every day they do something that reminds us of how incredible they are.”

“You won’t meet a more humble, more hard-working and more honest band.”

Jazz up your cobs with a little Japanese inspired sauce

Turning WORDS RIKA FUKUSHIMA

PHOTOGRAPHY SARAH TRAVERS

Japanese IT SEEMS IT WAS ONLY A FEW YEARS AGO that if you wanted to eat Japanese food you had to pretty much go to Japan. Then Michelin stars rained down on Tokyo and suddenly you couldn’t turn a corner without tripping over some hipster joint with a menu influenced by the Land of the Rising Sun, and every other cooking show on TV was urging us to fill our larders with panko bread crumbs and sake. But we’re here to tell you something sunshine – you don’t have to sell the farm for wagyu beef or pay a fortune for imported wasabi to bring some Japanese flavours to your summer BBQ. Rika Fukushima, Tokyo native and Bay resident, is here to show you that getting Japanesey is actually easy peasy.

One of the biggest misconceptions about Japanese food is that it is complicated.

Yes, some of our dishes require ninja-level cooking skills to master – take fugu, or puffer fish, for example; mess that one up and your dinner guests die in agony from tetrodotoxin poisoning! – but for the most part Japanese cuisine is all about maximising the inherent flavours of seasonal ingredients. No super heavy cream sauces, no hefty seasoning, just good honest flavours making friends with one another and brought to life with a little help from the chef.

So first up for a summer Japanese BBQ is a super simple entrée that was a favourite of mine back home in Tokyo; it looks fantastic – and we all eat with our eyes as well as our mouths – anyone can make it, and it tastes great. Just cut a ripe avocado in half, remove the stone and fill the cavity with smoked salmon, a splash of soy sauce and garnish with a sprinkle of white sesame seeds. You can easily skip the sesame seeds, and substituting tinned salmon or tuna will make it popular with the kids, but you gotta have the soy sauce – that brings the salty tang to the creamy avo and the omega oil of the seafood. Eat it with a spoon straight from the skin and then you are ready to get down to the main event: yakitori.

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Top tip:

Soak the bamboo skewers in water so that they won’t burn on the barbie

Negima

To compliment the food,

the avocado entre and yakitori both go great with a crisp

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or spicy Pinot Gris

A pinch of salt goes a long way

Tsukune

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This is a traditional favourite in Japan and it’s great summer party food because you can prepare it in advance and keep it in the fridge to cook with your guests around the BBQ. The one thing you have to do in advance however, is soak the bamboo skewers in water – ideally for an hour – so that they won’t burn on the barbie. The recipes here are for classic yakitori styles, but you can mix things up with veggies like mushrooms, spring onions or capsicum, and diced beef or prawn for the carnivores.

The secret to great traditional yakitori – as opposed to just chicken on a stick! – is the tare sauce, but this is easy to master and in addition to being used on yakitori it does double duty as a teriyaki sauce for chicken, tofu, fish, vegetables, or simply use it as pizza sauce with lots of cheese and left over yakitori. It is essentially sweetened and thickened soy sauce, so the ingredients are simple, though many chefs have their own elaborate variations that they guard fiercely, so don’t be afraid to experiment – though I can assure you that adding some of that six month old tomato sauce in the back of your fridge won’t work!

And a quick word here about sauce: you don’t have to buy expensive boutique soy sauce, but you do want to buy a good quality Japanese brand because the flavour is deeper and completely different from those made elsewhere. The Kikkoman label offers a good reliable soy sauce and is available in any decent supermarket, and believe me you will taste the difference.

To make the sauce, pour two cups of cooking sake into a saucepan and boil for a couple of minutes to evaporate off the alcohol, then reduce heat to low and add two cups of sugar and stir till it begins to thicken a little. Once it is slightly syrupy, add two cups of soy sauce and continue to stir from the bottom of the pan till it has thickened nicely. This process is best done on the stovetop where you can control the heat better, and it takes a bit of time so you may want to have some non-cooking, but drinking sake on hand to help control the chief stirrer in the kitchen.

Now to make the skewers. As mentioned earlier, you can just use chicken pieces and veggies, but here are a couple of classic Japanese yakitori. First, tsukune, or chicken balls: combine the minced chicken with the juice squeezed from grated ginger (or if you like the tangy hotness, peel and use the grated roots), add a few teaspoons each of sake and soy sauce, a pinch of salt and sugar, and if desired, a little miso paste and finely chopped spring onions and then form them into balls about 3cm in diameter. Next, place them in small

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batches into a pot of boiling water for about 10 seconds till the outside turns white, but don’t leave them boiling too long as all the flavour and juice will get lost. This last step ensures the balls will hold together better and avoid sticking to your cooking surface when you put them on the skewers.

The next yakitori are even simpler and are the most common variation of the dish called negima: tightly pack skewers starting and ending with chunks of chicken (use thigh not breast) and with spring onions in between. And last but not least, ever-so-lightly blanch some shortly cut asparagus stems, wrap in bacon and mount on the pre-soaked skewers; same drill with cherry tomatoes and bacon, because as an old Japanese proverb says, everything is better wrapped in bacon. Actually I’ve never heard of such a proverb, but everything really is better with bacon.

Then everything goes on to the – preferably charcoal – BBQ, but you want to get the skewers up off the surface a little so use an oven rack or similar. The bacon-wrapped skewers won’t need any seasoning whatsoever, but you want to lightly grill the negima and tsukune to seal in the flavour so keep turning for a few minutes and then start brushing on the tare.

Keep brushing and turning till there is plenty of colour, and don’t worry about some of the tare dripping off into the flames – that just adds to the flavour as the smoke seeps into the meat.

And finally, with sweet corn season on us, here is a great way to jazz up your cobs after you’ve grown tired of the classic Kiwi boiled version with butter. Melt the butter a little and then combine the soy and sugar and mix well, then lightly grill the cobs on the BBQ before brushing on a few coats of the sauce and returning them to the grill. A few minutes of turning and you will see some colour on the cobs and they are ready to eat.

So there you have it, simple, tasty and also pretty healthy options for a Japanese twist to the Kiwi BBQ. To compliment the food, the avocado entrée and yakitori both go great with a crisp New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or spicy Pinot Gris, but if you drew the short straw and are working behind the BBQ then you deserve the perfect pairing of an ice cold Japanese lager like Asahi Super Dry, which you can get in most supermarkets here now.

And yeah, nah I know a lot of you Kiwis aren’t too sure about drinking beer from Japan, but hey – 40 years ago you weren’t too sure about our cars either.

Cherry tomatoes wrapped in bacon

Asparagus stems wrapped in bacon

焼き鳥

Yakitori

Chicken & grated ginger coated in tare sauce (Tsukune)

Chicken, spring onions & tare sauce (Negima)

Simple, tasty and also

召 し あ が れ

pretty healthy options for a

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- JENNY MICHIE INTERVIEWS DAME

For over 30 years we have loved her, we all know her name, Lynley Dodd is the author (she’s also a Dame) Hairy Maclary and Scarface and the rest of the crowd came alive in the books we all read aloud over and over, for hundreds of times So thank YOU Lynley Dodd for such excellent rhymes.

PLENTY I know you’ve done a slew of interviews to promote your new Scarface Claw book ‘Hold Tight’, which was published recently, but can we go back a bit, and start with your story?

LD I spent all my primary school years in Kaingaroa as my father was in the Forest Service. It was a oneroom school and there were never more than 15 pupils in the whole school the entire time I was there. The school roll got down to two at one point, and so we were under threat of closure until further families arrived, and then for high school I had to come across here (Tauranga) where there were 1,100 pupils, so that was a bit of a shock after going to such a tiny school.

PLENTY When you were in Kaingaroa did you spend much time by yourself?

LD I was an only child so yes at home I did, but then - depending on how many families were there at any one time - you had other children around, but a friend of my own age was a rarity.

PLENTY Was your childhood in Kaingaroa the genesis for any of your famous characters?

LD Yes, Scarface came from one of the cats we had at that time. We had a cat called Squib who was a big fat

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tabby, but he was a tom, a proper tom. People didn’t tend to have their animals doctored in those days. They were allowed to just be. And partly for us, out where we were, there wasn’t a vet within miles. But Squib fought everything in the neighbourhood, although he was quite a friendly and soppy cat at home.

(Here we took a slight detour as LD gently corrected my misunderstanding of what a squib is. Not an outdoor cushion, nor a fish, but a little firecracker. Certainly more apt as a name for a spitting, biting, fighting tom cat.)

LD But we didn’t name him. He was given to us when a family left the area. I don’t know why they didn’t want to take him with them, but he was a much-loved cat as he was a very soppy animal at home. He had notches in his ears from all the fighting he had done and he also had what looked like a wooden leg, because he had got it caught in a gin-trap which is horrible and that stiffened up his whole leg and he really did look very much like a battle scarred warrior. And I’m sure that’s where Scarface came from.

I was supposed to go to boarding school - my parents had decided probably one of the Napier ones - but I had read too many books about the horrors at boarding school so my parents thought the better of it. They sent me over here to live with friends of theirs, so I spent all my high school years in Tauranga except for one where I did my art prelim exam, to go to art school. I did this by correspondence so I could have a year at home before I took off for tertiary study.

PLENTY And ‘Scarface Claw Hold Tight’ is your new baby?

LD Yes, it’s literally just out. I started it last year about October and I didn’t finish the illustrations until April so it was quite a long journey. Of course being a double job (the writing and the illustrating) it takes longer.

Image by Bob Tulloch

PLENTY

PLENTY My parents used to threaten us with boarding school.

LD It’s not something that makes you enthusiastic is it? There were an awful lot of books about the bullies in the dorms and things. I couldn’t bear the thought of it. I just knew I’d probably be the one that got bullied and I didn’t fancy the thought at all! It was probably totally and utterly wrong, but however my parents took heed.

PLENTY You do the art work as well as the writing for all your books.

LD Yes, I majored in sculpture at art school, which you wouldn’t think was connected with illustrating, but it certainly gave me a very good basis for understanding form. I enjoyed sculpture, but I found it rather a difficult thing to do once I left art school, because of course you need to have all the materials and the room to work. It’s much easier to concentrate on illustrating, which is what I always wanted to do anyway.

What’s the story of Hold Tight?

LD Well it’s a story that’s happened in a number of places. I had heard a story similar to this in Lower Hutt when we lived there, and then there was one in Tauranga that I based most of this on. Somebody drove into town with his cat on the car and people were hooting and tooting and waving and yelling at him and he didn’t seem to notice. Obviously he was in a terrific hurry, and nothing happened until a police car caught sight of him on the other side of the road. And I pictured Cameron Road, but I’ve since heard that it was out towards Greerton.

And of course the police car turned and came back with siren going and, I believe, flashing lights and the driver of the offending vehicle came to a sudden halt and the cat went zoom down on to the bonnet! So in my case I had to have the usual rescuing person, Miss Plum had to come along.

PLENTY It’s infuriating when children’s books not only don’t rhyme, but they don’t even scan, and when you’re reading it for the fiftieth time clunk, clunk, clunk - it’s just awful to read aloud.

LD Yes, that’s the kind of book that a friend of mine says you push down the back of the sofa and hope that the kids don’t find it! My daughter had books like that, that she absolutely adored and they nearly drove me bananas, because the text didn’t even finish on the right spot on the page before it turned over. It had one of those awkward lines that you sort of got stuck in the middle of, trying to read on comfortably and it didn’t even work.

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PLENTY

ScarfaceHoldtight_TXT_FNL.indd 2

PLENTY My mother had a similar experience to Hold Tight when she drove into town with her cat asleep (but presumably not for long) on the engine of her car, under the bonnet. And another time the same cat was accidently sealed into a new false ceiling, and Mum only found out when the cat had clawed a hole large enough to poke its head through the plaster.

LD My father once put a wall up with the dog’s meat inside it. He built the place at the Mount as a holiday home for a while, and in those days we had Pinex for the walls. He put Pinex up all round and because they were holidaying in the place for ages before it was finished, all the noggings in the walls were very useful for storing things. So the dog’s meat was left on one of them.

19/06/2017 9:07 am

Why Perth?

LD Partly because I have had exhibitions going on now for the past six years. It started with a retrospective exhibition at the Tauranga Gallery. My friend Penny Jackson, who was the director of the gallery at the time, decided to stage an exhibition of my artwork, and other galleries heard about it and were interested in taking it. Australia wanted it as well so it has been to Rockhampton, Cairns, Goldburn, Sydney, Mornington, and Adelaide.

Following that a second exhibition went to Perth two years ago, as part of the Awesome Festival that they have over there for children.

PLENTY That is awesome. Did you write Hold Tight to coincide with the festival?

LD No, it just happened to coincide with it. I wrote it because it was the one I wanted to write next and once I did the book, Penny said, oh let’s have a Scarface exhibition which would showcase all the new artwork as well as the art from previous books.

There was a bit of a whiff for a while and they kept saying to each other, “What’s that smell?” And then slowly a greasy mark appeared on the Pinex and they realised it was the dog’s meat. So he had to take the whole panel off!

PLENTY Tell us some more about the book itself and what’s happening?

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Image by Bob Tulloch

LD I’ve just been over to Perth because all the artwork for Hold Tight is in an exhibition at the State Library.

It was huge fun going over there for both the launch of the book and the launch of the exhibition, which has all the Scarface pictures we could find. The exhibition is called The Life and Times of Scarface Claw and it’s been beautifully mounted with huge decals that are the size of a wall with great glowering faces of Scarface Claw. You’d think it would scare all the children away but no, they all want to feel him and touch his tongue.

PLENTY When I told people that I was going to be interviewing you, a sort of a poll emerged of its own accord, that Scarface Claw is the most popular character even though everyone loves Hairy Maclary.

It seems we really love the bad guys.

LD It says something about New Zealanders!

Some kids, maybe not so much now, but some kids were terrified of Scarface in the earlier years. I had one grandma saying that her 18-month old wouldn’t let you open that page at all, in the first Hairy Maclary book, because he was so ferocious, you had to skip those pages and move on.

PLENTY I wonder if they were over-acting the yeowl?

LD Well, I’m very good at it. I do a really humdinger one. I go….‘EEEEEOWWWFFTZ!’ And when there’s a microphone as well it’s quite good.

I nearly killed a cockatiel once with that. I was being interviewed in Melbourne by Jon Faine, whose very well known over there, and he asked me to read Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy. I had said to him before hand, I’m going to do the Scarface yowl, is that alright? And he said yes, and so I did. And someone rang up the station shortly after and said his cockatiel had been sitting on the radio and when I let fly it did too. It took off and did several circuits of the room and ended up on its back panting on the floor! And I pictured the item in the newspaper: “Author Kills Pet Bird”.

PLENTY Do people often approach you asking for advice on how to write or illustrate kids books?

LD Yes. I tend to send out a few pointers that I think might help, but I also stress that books are not written in a couple of days.

PLENTY Well good for you because what you do takes work.

LD It takes an enormous amount of work and nobody ever believes that a picture book, which after all has got just a few words, takes so much work. Even kids; when I tell them that I do 25 drafts or whatever it is that it takes, they look at me and think, you pathetic woman, I could do that in half the time. People just don’t understand that you can agonise over the dashed thing! And then sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night and you think, oh yes, that’s the word I could use. But oh my goodness, getting there is a huge amount of work.

PLENTY How many books have you published now?

LD Thirty-four now. There are 21 in the Hairy Maclary series, that’s counting Slinky Malinki and friends, and thirteen assorted others.

PLENTY Reading aloud can be so much fun, but that’s why kids books have to be GOOD and that’s why we thank you for writing really, really good kids books.

LD You’ve got to enjoy the reading of them because you’re going to read them over and over again. So you can sympathise with me and the book my daughter loved, although the pictures were very good I’ll admit, but it was very English; it had Mr Hedgehog and Mrs So and So. It’s a long time since you did that in books, surely he could have been called Bert or something. It was like that and it was filled with these awful clunky rhymes and honestly, if I had been able to hide it down the back of the sofa I would have done.

ScarfaceHoldtight_TXT_FNL.indd 14

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PLENTY Wow, Hairy Maclary’s a franchise!

Do you have to call him Sir?

Scarface Claw, Hold Tight by Lynley Dodd, published by Puffin. Illustrations courtesy of Lynley Dodd and Penguin Random House New Zealand.

LD He’d like to be. He thinks he ought to be. I had such fun when I was given an honorary doctorate by Waikato University, which was terribly kind of them and I was desperately trying to think of what I would say. And I was suffering from flu at the time so I had a voice like Paul Robeson and so I wrote a silly poem which was from Hairy himself whose nose was out of joint because I’d been honoured and he hadn’t been.

He thought I’m the one here who needs a doctorate, not you. So I wrote that, and I delivered it, and totally to my surprise the people at Waikato had thought the same and they had produced a Hairy Maclary stuffed toy wearing a doctorate gown and the whole works and a certificate for him. So he got an honorary ‘Dogterate’. And he was thrilled and placated at last.

Hairy Maclary and the Hairy Maclary and Friends logo are registered trademarks. © Lynley Dodd, 2017

Whakatāne’s Longest Established Independent Health Shop www.naturezonehealthshop.co.nz

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WORDS SALLY JACKSON PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

SUMMER TIME, and the living is easy, fish are jumping and the, er, sweetcorn is high. And though our thoughts usually turn to the beaches in summer, it is also a great time to soak away any remnants of the winter blues in one of the Bay’s very own little natural wonders of geothermal goodness. We all have our favourites, but we wanted to broaden our hot spring horizons, so who better to ask than Sally Jackson; as the author of Hot Springs of New Zealand, Sally has been getting into hot water for quite awhile and here is the selection she came up with.

The Bay of Plenty is blessed with a plethora of hot springs, some of which have been used by Māori for heating, cooking, bathing, therapy and rituals for at least 700 years. By the mid-nineteenth century, the beginning of commercialized bathing - which often consisted of little more than a natural pool, sometimes lined with timber, with a small changing shed nearby – was becoming popular, but it wasn’t until the end of the century that the government began building thermal resorts in the hope of turning New Zealand into a South Seas spa destination. The first of these was in Rotorua, in 1882, but the great spa boom never eventuated due

to a combination of factors, including maintenance costs, the Depression, the Second World War and the country’s geographical isolation – the tyranny of distance, as Geoffrey Blainey (and more popularly Split Enz) put it, was just too strong.

But fast-forward to today, and I’m happy to report that both commercial and free hot springs are experiencing something of a resurgence. Increasing numbers of both domestic and international visitors are seeking out these special, and often unique, locations, so here’s the skinny on five of the Bay’s hot spots.

FIVE OF THE BAY’S COOLEST HOT SPOTS Moutohorā (Whale Island)

Onepū or Sulphur Bay on Moutohorā (Whale Island) is one of the region’s least visited geothermal sites. Public access is restricted to this wildlife sanctuary because of two major threats – fire and the reintroduction of predators, so the only way to visit Whale Island is to go on a tour with a licensed operator (all passengers undergo a biosecurity check before boarding the boat). From Whakatāne, it’s a 15-minute boat ride to the island, and once ashore, you’re guaranteed to see endangered saddleback (tieke) and maybe tuatara and kiwi (we saw their footprints on the beach on a recent trip). Small springs seep out of the fine volcanic sand on Onepū Beach where shallow bathing pools can be dug out about two hours either side of low tide, and you’d be hard pressed to find a more scenic hot spring experience.

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Hells Gate

The Wairua Stream Hot Spring is a hot bathing stream tucked just a stone’s throw away from the shores of Lake Tarawera. Up until a few years ago it could only be reached by boat, but a recently constructed foot-track along the forested shores of Lake Tarawera now allows walkers to access both Hot Water Beach and Wairua Stream. The large, shaded pool at Wairua Stream usually hovers just above body temperature, but be aware that the last stretch of the scenic walk is on a faint, unmarked path off the main track, so detailed directions, including GPS coordinates and/or a map, are recommended. Or you can take the easy option and have the Totally Tarawera water taxi drop you at the springs, making it a more manageable 15km day hike back to the carpark from Hot Water Beach.

Hells Gate has long been known as a destination for experiencing the sights and sounds (not to mention the smells!) of one of New Zealand’s most active geothermal areas. Just over ten years ago, bathing pools were constructed and the complex was renamed ‘Hells Gate Geothermal Park and Mud Bath Spa’, where there are two separate bathing areas to choose from. The cheaper of the two is the Hells Gate Sulphur Spa, which features three large pools overlooking the steaming geothermal area, as well as several smaller pools for mud application. On the other side of reception is the NZ Sulphur Spa, which is more secluded, surrounded by a walled courtyard. It derives its name from the two large pools shaped like the North and South Islands. There are also three smaller private pools for mud application. These are some of the most sulphur-rich commercial springs in New Zealand – there are even special instructions on the changing walls on how to wash the smell from your swimsuit! The spa is located a 15-minute drive northeast of Rotorua on SH30.

Wairua Stream Hot Spring

Soda Springs

Waitangi Soda Springs is a hot soda stream located between Hells Gate and Kawerau. It’s been a popular bathing spot for generations and is now operated as an inexpensive therapeutic bath by a local Māori Trust. The huge gravel-bottom pool averages 90cm deep and 40˚C, but is considerably warmer if you snuggle up towards the water source at the head of the pool. The springs are located 36km from Rotorua – drive 20km east of Hell’s Gate on SH30, turn left down Manawahe Road and the entrance is 500m farther on the left (Whakatāne is about 60km to the east).

Hot and Cold

And last but by no means least, is the increasingly popular Bridge (Hot and Cold) at Waiotapu, located 20 minutes’ drive south of Rotorua. Bathing usually takes place at the sheltered junction of a hot and cool stream, which is surrounded by kānuka trees. There are four sets of wooden steps leading into the water on each side of the bridge, and you can scoot around within the large pool below the bridge to find your perfect soaking temperature. It’s the only bridge on the 3km Waiotapu Loop Road, located off SH5 (there’s limited parking nearby).

There are plenty more great hot spots to seek out in the Bay, and Sally’s recently revised fourth edition of Hot Springs of New Zealand is the best place to start. It has information on over 100 thermal springs (half of them free) throughout New Zealand and it’s available from www.hotspringsofnz.nz as well as selected bookstores.

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a design for life words Bob Sacamano photography supplied

With a family that has

been involved in the rag trade in one form or another for three generations, it’s not surprising that Adrienne Whitewood wound up as a designer. But few would have predicted that ever since her grandmother taught her to sew at the age of eight, she would have set her sights firmly on a career path that has now seen her running a successful label and retail business and hold her first solo show at New Zealand Fashion Week. And while meteoric rises in the fashion world are nothing new - and often followed by equally swift shifts to obscurity - there are good reasons to believe that Adrienne Whitewood is a name we will be hearing a lot more of for a lot longer.

The first of these is that family history. “My grandmother was a seamstress and my grandfather worked at the wellknown Rotorua drycleaner Allan McNaughton,” she says.

“Even my father knows how to sew. He was a button-hole machinist which is how he met my mother. And when my grandmother taught me to sew it was a family connection, but it was also something that I was good at and so I loved it. Prior to that I’d never really been good at anything else so when I found this was something I could do well, it became a passion for me. I knew then what I wanted to do – I didn’t know that the job had a name – but I was making my own clothing, and drawing clothing designs constantly. It was

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just a snowball effect and my love for it just kept growing.”

Allied with that passion, however, is a firm founding in the mechanics of how the industry works. After formal studies at AUT she was approached by several designers, but chose an entirely different direction.

“The offers were great in that it let me know that I had worth, but I’m kind of an old soul and I knew what I wanted to do and that was work for myself, so when I came back to Rotorua I started working in retail to get that background, that understanding of how that side of the business works.”

After a few brief forays into two of Rotorua’s collective environments, Whitewood took the next logical step in 2013 and opened her own store: Ahu Boutique.

Ahu is a new reo word (or kupu hou) meaning fashion and the store has gone from strength to strength, bucking the trend that has been withering fashion retail for several years as shoppers turn to cheap online suppliers. “The experience I gained in retail has been really valuable, because it taught me that many people don’t buy the ‘thing’, they buy the idea behind it. So if you can make a connection to an idea or ethos, then you have authenticity and that is what people are really looking for right now. Women in particular want an emotional connection, and my ethos is about making an emotional connection to indigenous design.”

And that may very well be the main reason that Adrienne is going to remain on our radar. In what may well be looked back on as the new wave of New Zealand fashion, designers like her are going beyond the koru and creating a new aesthetic. Adrienne calls this reboot of the classic Kiwiana concept ‘Māoriana’ – and you heard it here first, folks.

"...many people don’t buy the ‘thing’,

they buy the idea behind it.”

“The Māoriana concept came about from growing up in Rotorua,” she says, “from looking to figures like Hinemoa or Pania, strong female figures like that, and incorporating references from those things into my designs. So many young people grow up looking to people like the Kardashians for inspiration when instead they should be looking to our own people for someone to identify with; so I want my design to make those connections, make those references.

“The over-riding ethos for everything I do, and my inspiration for the business, is to create for my buyers an emotional connection to indigenous design – it’s simple but it’s true.”

“So many young people grow up looking to people like the Kardashians for inspiration when instead they should be looking to our own people for someone to identify with” The public seems to agree, and her recent solo show at Fashion Week has helped cement her position among the next generation of local designers. Though she will be returning to Fashion Week next year, she intends to spend the next 12 months focusing on strengthening her Adrienne Whitewood

brand and pulling back from the day-to-day management of her store.

“I feel like there is an opening in the tourism market for a high-end product line that features Māori design, something to go beyond the t-shirts and prints, and I’m looking at that as it seems that no one is touching on that level of quality. But it’s something that has to be done right, and be genuine and relevant. Otherwise there is no point.”

Remaining relevant and keeping it real; that is why you are going to be hearing a lot more from Adrienne Whitewood.

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Everything under the sun Native ConnectionNZ We don’t just think Whakatāne is a great place to live. We also think it’s a great place to do business, and to prove it we are highlighting three new businesses that call Whakatāne home.

Wishing to avoid a long STUART CROSS commute, Stuart Cross fell in love with Whakatāne on a weekend visit from Auckland. He purchased a house the following weekend and set about putting his at-home business, Winstar, in motion.

Winstar

Having always wanted to run his own business, moving to Whakatāne was the catalyst for Stuart and being a web developer meant he could be based anywhere. Stuart said his speciality was to help start-up businesses.

“I’ve put together a specific package to help start-ups, particularly those who are not web-savvy. I can help with how to use the web, accessing free channels and how to achieve higher rankings with Google.

I also develop software such as mobile apps.”

Stuart has been in business for 18 months and says there are pros and cons of going it alone.

He said leaving a regular, consistent salary is nerve wracking, but being his own boss and having total control over the direction of the business is the real benefit.

He said a great first step would be to attend the free Te Wānanga o Aotearoa course on setting up a business.

Stuart said "ultimately you just have to take the step, do it and see where it takes you."

JUSTINE COVENTRY

The Crafty Chook

"When something’s broken, don’t throw it away." These words sum up the motivation behind Justine Coventry’s business, The Crafty Chook, which sells upcycled handcrafted furniture, home décor and unique gifts.

Find out more about Winstar at winstar.co.nz

Combining her love of interior design and a belief that anything can be "revived, re-loved and re-homed" led Justine to launch her business in June this year.

"We’ve lived in Whakatāne for 16 years, Ōhope for 4.5 years and I grew up on a farm, so my products combine the beachy and rustic, farmhouse style. Each piece is a one-off and unique, which other retailers don’t offer,” she said.

Justine clearly has creativity in spades, with items such as bicycle rims transformed into stylish wall candle holders.

Starting in winter allowed Justine to get a feel for running a business and dealing with customers.

Her next step is to raise the profile of The Crafty Chook to ensure she comes to mind when someone needs to buy a gift.

With no regrets to date, Justine advises those looking at launching a business to go with their gut and if it’s something they love to go for it.

Visit The Crafty Chook at 189 Commerce St, Whakatāne whakatane.info/business/crafty-chook

CHLOÉ LAGNEAUX AND GUILHEM SALVY

L’Epicerie Larder Following on from the success of their café L’Epicerie, Chloé Lagneaux and Guilhem Salvy launched their new venture, The Larder, in mid-2016.

Needing a bigger kitchen, Chloé and Guilhem found a former bakery which suited perfectly. Seeing a gap in the Whakatāne market for a specialist deli they converted the shop front to a deli and café.

Chloé said timing was everything with the launch of The Larder.

“The Vetro chain of delis was popping up throughout New Zealand. We were lucky they hadn’t yet come to Whakatāne, so we filled that gap.

Chloé and Guilhem decided to move to Whakatāne after spending holidays here.

The Larder has proved very popular and is a great complementary business to L’Epicerie. As well as a café menu, we have a range of specialist deli items and takeaway options. We've recently added an outdoor courtyard and kids playground.” They love the small community and decided it was the best place to raise their two children, Alice and Marius.

Chloé said they’ve seen many positive changes to the town since moving here, with other new retail and café businesses starting out. Admitting launching and running a business was hard work, she said the sacrifice was worth it.

“We have a great team and have learnt a lot along the way. It’s important to keep your feet on the ground and stay humble. Treating staff like your customers is important and don’t give away too many secrets!”

Sharing culture, knowledge and the love of food are the key drivers behind Chloé and Guilhem’s success story. They certainly seem to have the right recipe so far.

Visit the L'Epicerie Larder at 128 Commerce St, Whakatāne lepicerie.co.nz

KELLY THORN

Business Development Advisor Whakatāne District Council welcomes Kelly Thorn into the newly created role of Business Development Advisor. Kelly can help new or expanding businesses navigate Council processes.

If you’re thinking about starting up or growing your business in Whakatāne, get in touch with Kelly today.

Kelly.Thorn@whakatane.govt.nz

We would like to hear about your new business!

whakatane.com whakatane.govt.nz

e-bikes have arrived. In the last two years, improvements in battery power and longevity, styling and new enhanced features have seen e-bikes reach critical mass in public perception, and as our cities get more crowded and our daily lives more stressful, the concept of jumping on a bike to commute or just meander has never made more sense.

But like any new technology, there is the good, the bad, and the ugly, so we pedaled over to electrify.nz (at their new Durham St store in Tauranga) to get the good oil on going electric. And who better to ask: electrify.nz was started with one mission in mind – to rapidly grow the number of people around New Zealand using electric bikes. To do this, they chose a handful of top international brands backed by solid warranties, predominantly from Europe as this is the centre of e-bike R&D (and also has the biggest budgets) so naturally that’s where the most cutting-edge design and technology is coming from.

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY ANDY TAYLOR

Image supplied

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It seems that just a few years ago e-bikes (or electrically assisted bikes, to give them their proper moniker) were the preserve of a few early adopters at the (b)leeding edge of the technology.

The bikes were expensive, often hideous, and had limited usability and lifespans. Things have come a long way since then however, with established manufacturers like Bosch entering the market with proven and reliable drivetrains, and styling that tries less to glamorize the technology and instead to just create drop-dead gorgeous bikes.

The latter is the first thing that strikes you at electrify.nz: these bikes are sleek, futuristic and sexy, with an understated, undeniably European design sense. “In addition to the developments in technology,” says Lauren Te Pairi, one half of the dynamic duo that run electrify.nz, “I think the big shift has been in design.

Just a few years ago e-bikes were kinda clunky, ungainly things, but now they actually look better than standard bikes.”

Image supplied

For proof of this look no further than bikes like Bottecchia, hand built Italian thoroughbreds with huge torque and beefy looks to match, or Gepida, another high-quality and good looking Hungarian machine that has been developed using a Bosch drive train. But to populate the Plenty stable it would have to be Stromer – “the Swiss driving experience” – or the US/German Magnum that has been getting rave review around the world. “All of these bikes have proven technology, the Magnum has been quality tested by TUV Rheinland - the pinnacle of German quality testing,” says Lauren, “and just as importantly, parts for them are all in stock in New Zealand, not on order weeks away. We are so confident in these bikes, we have 15 rental bikes, which we need to be super reliable - as we run our business with them.”

There are a lot of cheap knock offs entering the market, but in addition to the fact that they will be unreliable and probably unserviceable, they are also quite possibly dangerous, and contributing to landfill with one of these horrors really defeats the whole purpose of riding an e-bike.

But these new generation wonders also have a lot of features you’ll never see on standard bikes, and we’re not just talking about electric assist. Models like the Stromer have built in anti-theft mechanisms that lock all wheels, and even if someone does chop down the tree you chained it to then you can track the bike’s location via an app on your phone.

95% of us can ride a bike, but only 5% do – so e-bikes are just about mitigating those things that put us off cycling and turning those figures around.

But the biggest positives are in their usability. “There has been a real shift in thinking,” partner Keith Silkstone says, “and people are realizing that e-bikes make a lot of sense. For a start, with an e-bike you can commute to work and not arrive sweaty and in need of a shower – save the workout for your return ride – and you don’t have to worry about hills or headwinds. So you can commute without having to have a change of clothes, but they also mean that you can cover more ground than before and consider biking to place that might have been a bit far before.”

“They also put the fun back into cycling,” Lauren says. “With an e-bike cycling can be a means of transport and recreation, getting you where you want to go, with built in exercise. So instead of being a weekend warrior that hits the trails once a month, you can incorporate cycling into your daily life: get some exercise, get some cars off our roads and help get things a little greener. 95% of us can ride a bike, but only 5% do – so e-bikes are just about mitigating those things that put us off cycling and turning those figures around.”

And just as e-bike technology has reached maturity, so too has the infrastructure around it. Tauranga and Rotorua both have advanced cycleway schemes underway, making it easier than ever before to get out there and get about, and the AA has just announced that it has extended roadside service to e-bikes as well as cars and motorbikes. “There are some really passionate groups in the Bay who have embraced a whole new cycling ethos, and we have had a number of enthusiasts come and talk to us about how e-bikes are making cycling more accessible to a wider audience,” Lauren says.

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The current Tauranga urban cycle network comprises 10 commuter routes totalling 150km, and a wider network of recreational connections and routes throughout the Western Bay of Plenty sub-region. There are also a number of exciting trails coming in over the next year or so, like the 19km Omokoroa to Tauranga trail; this route is expected to attract 130-200 commuter cyclists a day, with a higher estimate for recreational users.

As traffic worsens and people seek alternative, greener transport and tourism options, the Bay is poised to become one of the foremost cyclefriendly regions in the country, and the technology is here to make it happen.

Don’t believe us? Well then talk to electrify.nz – they have 15 rental e-bikes at the Mount for you to try (Dec/Jan/Feb 2017), and if you mention Plenty Magazine you’ll get 20% off in the month of November (in store only). So go on, get on yer bike. www.electrify.nz/tauranga or visit 3/162 Durham Street, Tauranga. P: 07 925 9920

Why use an e-bike? A survey has shown that...

There are multiple reasons behind the e-bike revolution. Traffic congestion, the cost and hassle of parking, unavailability or cost of public transport, the desire for some activity (but not too much), and the sheer fun factor of feeling the wind in your hair without getting sweaty. An e-bike is inexpensive transport which is enjoyable and great for the planet, all at once. By overcoming barriers to cycling such as distance, age and disability, e-bikes help more people cycle and help people cycle more.

60%

55%

93%

of people rode bikes at least weekly before getting an e-bike.

...did after.

of respondents indicated that one of the main reasons was because they live or work in a hilly area.

59% People with disabilities rode e-bikes even though 59% had reduced ability to ride a standard bike.

100

0

67% said they need a shower after a standard bike trip, but...

28

73%

65%

rode an e-bike to a different destination than a standard bike.

said replacing car trips was a main reason to get an e-bike.

Source: “E-Bikes in North America: Results from an online survey,” John MacArthur, http://otrec.us/project/564

74% didn’t need a shower after an e-bike trip.

Image supplied

Making

Movies

A

WORDS BOB SACAMANO DESIGN NICOLA DOBSON

nton Steel is a man on a mission

and he blames George Lucas. As an impressionable fouryear-old sitting in Auckland’s Civic Theatre marvelling at the stars on the ceiling and then at Stars Wars on the big screen, he – and we’re talking about Anton here not George – was well and truly hooked. Film has featured large in his life ever since, with directorial and production credits to his name for both domestic and international productions, and now, with BOP Film, he is making it his goal to put our neck of the woods into the picture.

Plenty first meets Anton Steel on a hilltop overlooking the Matatā straights, in a suitably cinematic setting: with not much around except green hills and horizon, Anton and his family are building a house here, and the scene is heavy with metaphor because Anton is also aiming to build an industry.

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Image supplied

Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown have traditionally taken the lion’s share of production work in New Zealand’s growing film industry, but Steel plans to change that, aiming to first attract television commercial work to the Bay, then the even more lucrative international TV series work that saw productions like Xena Warrior Princess virtually sustain a creative industry single-handedly.

Ultimately however, he sees fostering local talent as the real holygrail. “Someone said to me that rather than focusing on the next big American TV show, if we can get a few more Taika Waititi’s based here in the Bay then in the long run that will be better for everybody, and I really believe that’s true.”

Having worked his way up through the industry and being involved in projects as varied as the locally shot and widely acclaimed The Z-Nail Gang, to the sequel to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Steel is only too aware of the importance of cultivating our local talent. And the roll call at BOP Film is just that: it’s Board members include award-winning producers Kim Webby and Paula Jones (Paula also ran South Seas Film School for 10 years) and on the ground, making things happen, are key members of the BOP film “Crew” like Production Designer Janine Bishop (who Anton has worked with in the industry since 1997) and Tanya Horo, who runs the successful TMH Management acting agency.

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The idea for BOP Film came from what Steel calls “a communal effect” that grew from his involvement with the Tauranga Film Collective, and with inspiration from groups like the Steambox Film Collective in Rotorua. “They are a really talented bunch of filmmakers and we wanted to tap into a similar kind of energy to what they had going on,” Steel says. “By community vote we came up with the name Bay of Plenty Film, and launched on 4th May.” Which, incase you didn’t know, is International Star Wars Day. “Yup. May the forth be with you,” Steel adds, with his inner four-year-old unable to contain himself.

They are a really talented bunch of filmmakers and we wanted to tap into a similar kind of energy Just two weeks after that launch Steel was contacted by the Regional Film Offices of New Zealand to see if he wanted to attend a conference in Wellington. Having spent all his working life on set his response was, “What’s a Film Office?”, but when he went to Wellington he discovered that there was an established pathway for BOP Film to achieve its goals. Regional Film Offices or commissions operate worldwide with key focuses of attracting screen business and growing their local industry, and the collaborative support that BOP Film has received from the other Regional Film offices like Screen Auckland has been invaluable in the journey so far.

Though they are just a few months into the three-year plan that Steel and his team hope will see the establishment of a larger industry here, their labours have already borne fruit, with three enquires from international producers being received. “And that means we basically need to get back to them with great imagery – and I mean really great imagery – within 24 to 48 hours,” he says as we shelter from a rain shower in the onsite caravan that is obligatory to a rural build project in the BOP. “We need to show them that we have the locations that they are looking for, but also the skills here that will allow them to save production costs by using local crew. So that is part one of our strategy – marketing our points of difference, attracting New Zealand productions here, and build up a functional crew directory and see what gaps we need to fill.”

You don’t have to have travelled far or wide in the Bay to know that the first part of the equation – great locations – is already in the bag. In fact you don’t even have to have been here at all, thanks to BOP Film’s stunning online show reel (which you can check out on the BOP Film website). It is a tour de force of cinematography, all sweeping vistas and vivid colours, but it also highlights the incredible breadth of landscapes we are surrounded by; from the ominous moonscape of Whakaari (White Island) to windswept coastlines, rolling fields, towering forests, beaches and urban landscapes, there is very little that the Bay can’t do on screen.

“We felt a lot of pressure doing that show reel,” Anton laughs.

“We’d been given funding to make it look fantastic, and we really wanted it to be something that would just make people stop in their tracks. And it was funny because we showed it to some of those organizations that had funded it and even they thought we’d gone outside the Bay, to the Coromandel for example, to get the footage. And we had to say, no, no, that’s Ōpōtiki! I actually think what we have here is unparalleled – we’ve essentially got what everybody else has, plus a bit more!”

From the ominous moonscape of Whakaari (White Island) to windswept coastlines, rolling fields, towering forests, beaches and urban landscapes Steel is aiming high, but he has no doubts about there being a lot of work still to be done. Like his house on the hill, there is a solid framework in place, but BOP Film remains a work in progress.

It’s all about

building momentum “Probably the biggest obstacle we have is getting producers to realise it’s not going to cost them extra money to come to the Bay,” Steel says. “So that is part of the next journey – costing out that aspect so that when a producer says that they will have to bring 200 crew here and house them, we can say no you only have to bring half that because we can supply local crew. So it’s about getting people to realise this is a viable option. We have some great partners on board too like the region’s councils, TECT and Baytrust, but we have a great skill base here, some really talented and creative people, and so we really do have something different and unique to offer.

A classic example of this is the team at Digital Basecamp in Rotorua who we are collaborating with on an international co-production web series called Fierce Girls. This is a multi-platform trans-media project that will be going into production shortly and tells the story of Kisik and Anika, two indigenous teenage girls with super powers from opposite sides of the planet.”

Other projects on the horizon include a proof of concept for a feature film with Paul Innes (who recently created the amazing projections at Zoetica) and collaboration with local short film superstar Rose McMahan on her strategy for world domination. And Steel is also being dragged out of assistant directing retirement to run the set on “Māori Time”, a Tim Worrall-directed, Cliff Curtis-produced short film starring Manu Bennett that will start shooting in December.

Anton Steel with Potaua and Nikolasa Biasiny-Tule at Digital Basecamp in Rotorua Anton Steel with his other project - a family home overlooking the Matatā Straights.

“It’s all about building momentum,” Steel says, but judging by the people involved and the progress made so far, BOP Film is already on a firm foundation.

Though there is of course the small matter of putting a roof on his house.

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DESIGN SIGNS WEB PRINT

Faces behind water work Nick Doney (left) and Larry Wetting standing in front of the Rangitāiki River

For more than a year, 70 Bay of Plenty people from all walks of life have been working through the challenges of freshwater management in their catchments.

“We’re helping Regional Council to identify community values for freshwater and test their thinking as they work towards implementing central government’s National Policy Statement for Freshwater,” said local dairy farmer and keen water-skier, Larry Wetting who chairs the Rangitāiki group.

Group members include tangata whenua, fishermen, farmers, growers, local residents, kayakers, councillors, environmental advocates, and community volunteers.

Most live and/or work within the catchment (also called a Water Management Area) that they’ve been discussing.

“The Rangitāiki catchment is huge, it’s the largest in the Bay of Plenty, and the interactions between land use and water quality are much more complex than most of us realised. One surprise for me was just how good the water quality actually still is in the Rangitāiki – that’s something the community group has all agreed we want to maintain and improve,” said Mr Wetting.

“I rely on good water supply for my home and business, and in my downtime I’m often swimming or water-skiing on Lake Aniwhenua. Lots of people around here enjoy fishing, swimming or boating in the lake and rivers like the Whirinaki and Horomanga. We’ve got fishing, tramping, rafting guides and other tourism based businesses that rely on the local rivers for their income. So it’s up to all of us to also take care of or waterways,” Larry said.

Larry said that he’s looking forward to presenting a set of recommendations from his group to the Regional Council next year.

“There’s also a growing awareness in the Rangitāiki community that everyone will need to step up and take responsibility for protecting and improving our waterways.

“We know that nutrient limits, water metering, and tighter restrictions on water uses and are probably coming for farmers and other users. The group has also raised concerns about urban sewerage schemes, eel passage across the dams, and flood management; those concerns will take a mix of public and private investment to resolve. Another thing to think about is the future of forestry in the catchment; around half of the land area is currently in production pine forest, if that’s converted to something else in future then water demands and impacts are likely to change as well,” he said.

For more information about the Freshwater Futures community groups and to subscribe to Freshwater Flash email updates, visit www.boprc.govt.nz/freshwaterfutures

E nga maunga korero, e nga awa tupuna, e nga ngahere nui, e nga moana roa, tena koutou katoa

COMMON GOALS WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY ANDY TAYLOR

N

OT MANY OF US really knew what we wanted to be at thirteen; even fewer of us actually stuck to the game plan that we

etched in a school exercise book all those years ago. And fewer still – oh so fewer still – not only achieved that goal but excelled at it. Kiri Tahana is one of those people, and what is even more remarkable is that her chosen career was Law, one of the toughest and demanding that there is.

It is a career that has taken her to Sydney, London and Dubai, and which now sees her as a Partner at Kahui Legal in Rotorua, a law firm which represents a diverse range of Māori entities across the country and which will be instrumental in growing the Māori economy that in the coming years will shape the future of the Bay of Plenty. So no pressure then! But what made a thirteen-year-old from Ngāti Pikiao, Rotoiti choose Law with a capital L.

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“Like a lot of Kiwis living overseas, you one day realise it’s time to come home....

“You realise you have travelled to Kiri Tahana, left, with client Kiriwaitangi Rei, CE of Māori Investments

“I grew up in a very political family,” she says. “My father was a founding member of the Mana Motuhake political party, and when we were children he would take us to all their hui. We were raised to be aware of the injustices of the past and to understand why it is important to seek redress and to use your education to build a better future for Māori. I grew up in west Auckland until I was 13, close to our cousins with these amazing Pākehā mothers and two very political Māori fathers who spent the evenings debating politics and talking about institutional racism and privilege, which are issues that are only now part of mainstream discussion.

Coming from that background, Law seemed to make perfect sense because I really wanted to do something to help Māori and it helped that I enjoyed debating and public speaking.”

After completing her degree she worked at Bell Gully, a large national law firm in Wellington, and while working there came into contact with a talented group of like-minded professionals who would go on to form the nucleus of what would become Kahui Legal. While at Bell Gully, this team worked with nowJustice Joe Williams (High Court judge) and Kiri joined Matanuku Mahuika and Jamie Ferguson (the two founding partners of Kahui Legal) to form the Wellington office of Walters Williams & Co in 1999.

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gain these skills and experiences for a reason, and that reason lies back home.”

But for Kiri Tahana, the big wide world beckoned. “Beyond the professional development aspect,” she says, “I was excited about seeing the world, and my husband shared that; we’d always had this strong desire to go out and travel the world. We now have three sons, each born in a different country (Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates).” Though she would work in commercial litigation in large corporate law firms in Sydney and London, it was Dubai that the family called home the longest, with Kiri working as Senior Director Legal Counsel for du, a large telecommunications company with approximately 1600 employees and turnover in excess of $NZ3 billion. At du, she was responsible for the team of lawyers who provided legal support to the company’s commercial functions.

The lawyers were from different countries and backgrounds and the legal team was twice awarded the best in-house legal team in the Middle East.

“It was a privilege to work in a Muslim country amongst people from over 150 different countries,” she says, “and I got to see first hand an emerging economy grow and develop in a uniquely Emirati way. In Dubai, difference was the norm, so you had to connect across cultures and for me, that was an invaluable experience.”

But then, as often happens, the straight line her life seemed to be following began to arc, then curve and finally turn full circle as she returned to her roots, New Zealand and the Bay. “Like a lot of Kiwis living overseas, you one day realise it’s time to come home,” she says.

“You realise you have travelled to gain these skills and experiences for a reason, and that reason lies back home.” In Kiri’s case home is Rotoiti, the lake country.

While Kiri had worked overseas for 15 years, the team she had worked with back in the early days in New Zealand had gone on to form Kahui Legal – kahui meaning ‘a group with a common goal’ – which was founded in Wellington in 2003, and Kiri soon found that Kahui was the perfect fit. “It’s a great team who believe in what they do, believe in helping Māori, and believe in bringing positive change to the people we work with,” she says.

“Our clients have access to our full legal team in both Rotorua and Wellington. Kahui represents Māori organisations across the country from large iwi groups to small Māori land trusts. The Bay of Plenty has always been an important area for Kahui Legal as many of our clients are located across the Bay. We also have lawyers who are from this area so it’s important to provide opportunities for our lawyers to return home and be close to their tribal rohe.”

“In a recent client survey, clients identified ‘quality’ and ‘good value’ as two of the key attributes of our firm, which is very humbling as the firm was established with those two objectives in mind, to provide high quality cost effective services to Māori. We take quality seriously and are very fortunate to attract talented lawyers who are amongst the best. We have a number of lawyers with masters degrees from Ivy League universities such as Harvard and lawyers with experience from top-tier New Zealand and international law firms.

We want Māori to have access to the best legal talent that is not only expert in the law but also understands te reo, tikanga and the multi-faceted objectives of tribal organisations.”

Kahui’s lawyers are experts in issues impacting Māori development, including commercial law, natural resources, Māori land and Treaty of Waitangi matters.

Kahui provide legal advice on a wide range of issues affecting Māori, from small company compliance issues to more complex matters such as structuring multiparty joint ventures or utilising Māori land blocks for horticulture or farming projects, as well as advising on legal issues involving natural resources such as fisheries, water, the foreshore and seabed, forestry and minerals.

undertaken feasibility studies and are now at the stage where they have attracted a significant nonMāori investor and are ready to proceed with the project. “That is exciting to me because this project demonstrates the strength of Māori collaboration and how this can create opportunities which would not be there if each organisation had tried to act alone”.

Kiriwaitingi Rei (pictured right) is the Chief Executive Officer of Māori Invesments Limited, which is one of the investors in the project, and for her Kahui Legal was the clear choice. “I use Kahui Legal because they understand the nuances of our orgnaisation, which I find other mainstream providers don’t fully comprehend.

The commercial advice they provide is always sound and delivered in a timely manner, and their partners are always accessible and go the extra mile.

I’m particularly impressed with Kiri and her international expertise.

I have found her advice to be invaluable.”

“It’s a great team who believe in what they do, believe in helping Māori, and believe in bringing positive change to the people we work with” “For Māori, education has been one way to change the future.

My father started as a teacher, and he taught us the power of education and told us that education was not for us, it was for our people. We were to get educated to help others not to focus on ourselves alone. It is that message that brought me from the deserts of Arabia to the lakes of Te Arawa and it is that ethos that I see in so many talented Māori in so many different fields.

It’s inspiring and having travelled the world, I know how unique that is.”

Some of the team at Kahui Legal: (Left to right) Damian Stone, Kiri Tahana, Horiana Irwin-Easthope, Aperahama Hurihanganui and Jamie Ferguson

While Kiri has a dual disputes and commercial law background, the legal work she is most excited about is commercial ventures because she sees these as helping to create a different future where Māori grow their economic assets, provide employment and use the returns to help sustain our people.

That has to be positive not just for Māori but for the Bay of Plenty. One project Kiri is currently working on involves a group of 11 Māori owned investors who have collectively P L E N T Y. C O . N Z // N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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LATITUDE: -37.963759 LONGITUDE: 177.034228

Life’s a Beach WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY ANDY TAYLOR

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Cafe culture MOXI CAFE

Ohope, Ohope, Ohope, how do we love you?

Ever since this iconic piece of coastline picked up the top gong in the AA’s Most Loved Beach poll, even more Kiwis and overseas visitors have been counting the ways. Is it that 11km-long sweep of

Moxi Café is the newest addition to the Ōhope strip and it has already established itself as the perfect place to grab an early coffee, lunch like a local or an alfresco afternoon tipple. Centrally located, Moxi’s trained baristas make the best cup of joe in Ōhope and their new menu has old favourites like eggs bene, pulled pork sliders and avocado smash, as well as some funky twists like truffle fries and ricotta hotcakes. Their kitchen is open from 7am with their Wake Me Up Menu - great for an early brekkie. They are pet friendly with free parking for your pooch. moxicafe.co.nz | 23 Pohutukawa Ave, Ōhope Open 7 days, 7am to 4pm (kitchen open till 3pm)

white sand beach? Is it the pōhutukawa-clad hills that frame it? Is it the hidden jewel of Ōtarawairere? Or the fact that it is the kiwi capital of the world, with the largest population of brown kiwis anywhere in New Zealand living in the hills behind Ōhope’s main drag.

Perhaps. Or perhaps it is just because Ōhope still manages to turn on the kind of classic beach getaway that generations of us have come to love: ice creams and jandals, sand castles and beach cricket, swimming in the surf and a touch of sunburn.

Far from the maddening crowds of so many top holiday spots, Ōhope still retains that laid back, easy vibe – and of course regularly scoring some of the country’s highest sunshine hours doesn’t hurt!

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ŌHOPE BEACH

So where do you start your Ohope staycation?

Well hit the beach obviously. Ōhope has a good swimming beach and the local Surf Life Saving club on duty by Mahy Reserve at

Distinctly Different

the bottom of the hill, but there is also a good break at West End for surfers. With

D i STi NCT

11kms of sand

stretching east, A getaway isn’t great unless it includes some many visitors prefer shopping, and the retail therapy is outstanding at DiSTiNCT. This boutiques’ key focus is collaborating to just take a long stroll and revel in the with companies that trade, produce and design with a sublime feeling that you have the place to yourself, conscious spirit to human kind and nature, so this is the though if you really do want seclusion then head up place to go for top quality and unique homeware, clothing, and over the trail from West End to the Ōtarawairere: fashion accessories, skincare and general gifts. They are this little piece of paradise really is a hidden jewel, stockists of HELGA MAY & KEYSHA - Italian clothing made with white sand and rock pools to explore. And from natural fibres such as linen, cotton and silk. NOOSAif you are feeling energetic you can make it a Amsterdam, a beautiful meaningful interchangeable Fashion Accessory concept, Wonki Ware, Ashley & Co. etc. There is part of your hike along Ngā Tapuwae o Toi (The something at DiSTiNCT for all tastes and budgets, so come Footsteps of Toi), a great scenic trail that carries along and take home some treasures. you back into the Whakatāne CBD. Named after

distinct.co.nz | 19 Pohutuakawa Ave, Ōhope Mon - Fri: 10am to 4:30pm (till 6pm on Thursday) Saturday & Sunday till 4pm

the local Mātaatua chief Toi and taking in his pa Kapu-te-Rangi (Pā of Gentle Breezes). The track is a 16km trail featuring some stunning scenery and historic pā sites, but it is quite a decent workout and part of the trail is not accessible at high tide, so be prepared and check tide times.

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Let’s taco ‘bout it

CADERA - MEXICAN BAR AND RESTAURANT What’s the best way to end the day and start a great evening in Ōhope? With fantastic Mexican food right by the beach. Check out Cadera’s authentic flavours and enjoy tacos, burritos, and other classic favourites together with Mexican beer and cocktails. Friday to Sunday their sunny outside deck also beckons with an awesome lunch menu and sea breezes. Summer lasts a little longer in Ōhope, and at Cadera Mexican Bar & Restaurant you’ll never want it to end. facebook.com/Cadera.ohope 19 Pohutukawa Ave, Ōhope Tue - Thu: 4pm till late Fri - Sun: 11am till late

Another great pā site that is well worth a visit when you get tired of sun and sand is Tauwhare Pā that overlooks the western arm of Ōhiwa Harbour.

This site is one of the

(Boxing Day onwards, Open 7 days from 11am)

earliest pā’s in the country and is strategic because it lies between two tribal territories – Ngāti Awa in the west and Whakatōhea in the

east – so not surprisingly Tauwhare was fought over a number of times. The walk around Tauwhare is not as strenuous as Ngā Tapuwae o Toi and has great brilliant views over the harbour to Ohakana Island, Port Ōhope and the East Cape and access to the walkway is approximately 300 metres on the left, past the start of Wainui Road, Ōhope; there is a large carved entranceway – you can’t miss it.

But hey, don’t feel bad if another lazy beach walk, wander round the shops, or a coffee – or something a little stronger – beckons. It’s Ōhope, so relax. Watch the sun go down and the world go by, there’s always tomorrow.

Wake up to Paradise DRIFTSAND BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION You’re here for the beach, so why not get the best seats in town. At Driftsand Boutique Accommodation the all-day sun enters stage right and exits stage left, while the beach beckons you from your room. Handily located to Toi’s Track and close to the kiwis, Driftsand lets you escape the hustle and bustle of the world and relax in tranquillity. Wake up to the best view in the Bay at Driftsand – the perfect base for your Ōhope escape. driftsand.co.nz | 31 West End Rd, Ōhope

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ŌHOPE // WHAKATĀNE

Life’s a beach,

and the beach is David Marshall’s life. Ōhope Beach has been home to David nearly all his life and for the last 25-plus years he’s been helping others make it their home too. No one has sold more properties in Ōhope than David. He is passionate about the great lifestyle the beach has to offer. He’s pretty serious about fishing too, but that’s another story...

If you’re a local looking to relocate, or from out of the district and planning on making a move to this little piece of paradise then David is the man to talk to.

David’s relaxed nature puts clients at ease and he gets a huge amount of pleasure in being a part of people’s lives. For him it’s about the relationship, not just the sale.

So if you are planning a move to Ōhope Beach get in touch with David - he’s the local in the know.

David Marshall

ETB REALTY LTD., LICENSED AGENT REAA 2008

M 027 499 8481 A/H 07 312 5045 davidsohope@gmail.com etbrealty.co.nz

WORDS JENNIE MICHIE

RICHARD ROBINSON PHOTOGRAPHY

THE LITTLE BIG MARKETS LAUNCHED IN THE SUMMER OF 2009 AND THEY HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK.

THEY HAD A VISION TO CREATE A PLACE THAT WOULD BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AND GIVE THEM SOMEWHERE TO ENJOY GREAT MUSIC, GOOD FOOD AND THE WORK OF ARTISAN AND PRODUCERS, AND BOY THEY HAVE DONE THAT AND MORE! JENNIE MICHIE CAUGHT UP WITH THE FOUNDERS TO FIND OUT ALL ABOUT IT AND SEE WHERE TO FROM HERE.

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Chris and Rachelle

A SPACE WHERE

ideas are born

AND NEW BUSINESSES FLOURISH

TEN YEARS AGO Rachelle Duffy and husband Chris returned home to New Zealand from the UK, where they had gotten used to spending many happy hours wandering round the local markets eating fantastically fresh street food, listening to first-class live music, buying quality arts and crafts and clothing and generally enjoying the buzz of being part of a defined community.

In Tauranga Rachelle discovered a vibrant, fast growing city filled with cool people doing cool things, but without a central outlet for all that creativity. Seeing an obvious gap in the market (geddit) which would also fill her desire to be selfemployed, the then 27-year-old empire-builder set about doing just that. Initially corralling in about 20 family and friends, and employing the website and design skills of Chris, she set up the Little Big Market with its emphasis on New Zealand made arts, crafts, music, food and design, which quickly became a by-word for quality and creativity. A space where ideas are born and new businesses flourish.

Today the Little Big Markets (held on the first Saturday of each month at the Mount and the second Saturday in Papamoa’s Pony Club) attract 120 stall holders, employ four full time

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staff, including Rachelle and Chris, and has developed into a full-on events business with a wide range of festivals, markets and events (The Tauranga Coffee Festival, Vegan Vibes, Beast of the Feast, and Dinner in the Domain to name a few) with its newest and biggest off-shoot about to be launched later this year, the container city in Tauranga’s CBD – Our Place.

Rachelle says Our Place will be like an extension of the Little Big Market, but set up semi-permanently on the land formerly occupied by Tauranga City Council on the corner of Willow and Hamilton Streets. Rachelle and Chris pitched the idea of a container city right in the heart of the CBD to the Council and they quickly came on board, so come December, we’re going to see a mini city comprising 50 twenty-foot-long containers, two stories high, housing shops, food outlets, workshops, yoga classes and “lots of free stuff for the community”, complete with a community garden and full time gardener.

WE’RE GOING TO SEE A

mini city

COMPRISING 50 TWENTY-FOOT-LONG CONTAINERS, TWO STORIES HIGH, HOUSING SHOPS, FOOD OUTLETS, WORKSHOPS, YOGA CLASSES AND

lots of free stuff for the community", COMPLETE WITH A COMMUNITY GARDEN

Another venture Rachelle and her crew are deeply committed to is Tauranga’s Christmas in the Park.

Now in its 7th year the event is notfor-profit, everyone’s a volunteer and all the proceeds go to local charities. With about 10,000 people attending each year, it’s a biggie for the community.

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Rachelle sees the work they do (and boy do they work!) as something of an incubator for small businesses and entrepreneurs, where eventually the business owners can quit their day jobs and make a living doing what they love.

“I’m a facilitator for all these beautiful and talented people, it’s like being a match-maker.”

Having been around now for a decade, all those beautiful and talented people have become like an extended family. “They’ve seen the arrival of my two children and I’ve been around to watch their families grow too. It’s hard work, but we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t love it.”

HOME AGAIN MĀtaatua Wharenui Words & photography Andy Taylor Historical images courtesy of Mātaatua

THE RETURN OF THE MĀTAATUA WHARENUI to its Whakatāne home – after a century-long journey around the world – marked the closing of an important chapter for eastern Bay iwi. But as Andy Taylor finds out, the House That Came Home is now poised to play a pivotal role in a whole new narrative.

This is a story in two parts. The first begins nearly 150 years ago and draws to a close in 2011; the second is happening as we speak, and will quite possibly never end. Let’s begin at the beginning of them both.

When the Mātaatua wharenui was constructed around 1870 it was one of the largest of its kind in New Zealand and it stood as a symbol of strength and unity for Ngāti Awa and the Mātaatua confederation of tribes still reeling from the effects of colonization and land confiscation. Bizarrely, just five years later the wharenui was gone.

And not just gone from its original footprint in Whakatāne, but from Aotearoa entirely; dismantled and crated-up by the Government, it was sent first to Sydney for the remarkably titled ‘Inter-Colonial Exhibition’, then on to London. When it finally returned to these shores, instead of coming home it went to Dunedin – and there it stayed for another 70 years.

To say that this was not how it was supposed to be is a notable understatement. Mātaatua was, up until the mid 1860s, a confederation of tribes that reigned over the Eastern Bay of Plenty; Ngāti Awa around what is today Whakatāne, Ōhope and the Rangitāiki Plains, Tūhoe inland in Te Urewera, Ngāti Manawa and Ngāti Whare around Murupara and Te Whāiti respectively, Te Whakatōhea in Ōpōtiki and Te Whānau a Apanui stretching along the east coast from Hāwai to Cape Runaway. With the coming of the New Zealand Wars however, all of that was to change; given the quaint – yet in reality quite sinister – label of ‘rebellious’ by the government, Ngāti Awa alone saw its lands reduced through confiscations from 250,000 acres to just 5,000 acres and its people essentially made homeless in just a few short years. Other iwi suffered similar fates, and to add insult to injury, much of the confiscated land was handed to traditional adversaries.

The Mātaatua wharenui was conceived by Wepiha Apanui and Hohaia Matatehokia, prominent Ngāti Awa leaders, as a response to this; it was to be a symbol of inspiration, a work of such grandeur that it would inspire new optimism, unity and hope, and refocus the creativity of the associated iwi. Its construction took nearly five years and was a tour de force of traditional artisanship; measuring 24 metres long and nearly eight metres wide it was colossal by the standards of the day (so much so that the ship that later took it to Sydney would have fitted inside), and rare in that two sets of twins are represented on the upright ‘amo’ supports on its frontage.

It was a remarkable achievement and it’s opening, attended by Sir Donald Maclean, the then Native Minister, was a gala affair that drew huge crowds.

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existing errors. Repeated requests from Ngāti Awa for the wharenui’s return fell largely on deaf ears and its next stop was Dunedin in 1925; closer to home certainly, but still not home by a long-shot.

Quite how the wharenui’s status blurred from shortterm loan for exhibition to Crown asset that could be dispatched around the world at whim is unclear; but then bureaucracy is good at blurring things like ownership, and colonial bureaucracy was better at it than most.

In fact, it would not be until 1996 that there is finally light at the end of the tunnel in this story. As part of its Treaty settlement, Ngāti Awa negotiates an apology from the Crown, financial redress, and – crucially – the return of the wharenui and assistance in relocating it to it s original site. And so begins a painstaking project to repair the damage that time, travel and disdain have wrought.

Top: Mātaatua in Sydney, Australia (inside out panels) Bottom: Mātaatua in Otago Museum Unfortunately, in addition to admiring glances, the wharenui was also drawing covetous designs. Soon after its opening, the New Zealand government approached Ngāti Awa in regard to exhibiting it in the Inter-Colonial Exhibition and a deal was struck that in exchange for £200 the building would be part of the New Zealand pavilion before being returned to Whakatāne. As a symbol of a new era of cooperation, Ngāti Awa elders agreed.

And thereafter, of course, things began to go wrong.

Arriving in Sydney, the building was incorrectly reassembled (either through ignorance or cost-cutting), so that the interior panels – featuring the intricately carved depictions of the famous ancestors of Ngāti Awa and beyond – were used externally and thus exposed to the elements. It had already suffered damage in transit, and it suffered more in another move – this time to Melbourne – following a somewhat unscripted decision that it was to go on exhibition there as well. And as if the Australian climate and its notorious creepy crawlies weren’t bad enough, the wharenui was then dispatched to the damp of London; another round of dismantling, another journey by sea, and yet another rebuild that only helped to compound the

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It will take fifteen years – as long as it took to build it in its original form – for the House That Came Home to once again stand tall in its proper place, looking out across the Whakatāne River and to Ōpihiwhanaungakore - the Piripai cemetery where Ngāti Awa’s ancestors lie.

To stand before it and walk through that towering interior is to appreciate just what a work of art it is, but also just how precious it must be to the descendants of those who created it.

And there the story might well end. Except, well, nearly 150 years since it was first envisioned, the wharenui is not just home, it is poised to fulfil its original mission of reinvigorating the Mātaatua confederation, in a way that Wepiha Apanui and Hohaia Matatehokia could never have foreseen, but would certainly approve of.

ARRIVING IN SYDNEY, THE BUILDING WAS INCORRECTLY REASSEMBLED (EITHER THROUGH IGNORANCE OR COST-CUTTING), SO THAT THE INTERIOR PANELS – FEATURING THE INTRICATELY CARVED DEPICTIONS OF THE FAMOUS ANCESTORS OF NGĀTI AWA AND BEYOND – WERE USED EXTERNALLY AND THUS EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS.

ON A BLINDINGLY BRIGHT SPRING DAY AT THE WHARENUI, Mātaatua’s Tame Hōtene is guiding a group of visitors through the grounds – and the story – of The House That Came Home.

There are Kiwis, Germans, Swiss and North Americans in the party and as the traditional welcome begins there is an almost tactile sense of nervousness in the air. As the haka pōwhiri ends and the group move off towards the main building everyone falls silent, but once inside the wharenui, faces turn up to the ceiling, and there are audible gasps as the nervousness gives way to awe and the visitors try to take it all in. A welcoming whaikorero (speech) and waiata (song) follows, and by the time the tour ends all nerves have gone and there is an odd sense of belonging in the group; people linger, not quite ready to break the spell and go back out into the blinding light. “People arrive as strangers, and leave as friends,” says Mātaatua Sales and Marketing Consultant William Stewart, “and it’s that ability to connect to people on an emotional level that makes an experience at Mātaatua so special – we’ve even had Aussies shed a tear!” That’s no mean feat. And this is where the second part of the story begins.

“Once the wharenui was home,” Stewart continues, “once that had been celebrated, our leaders were keen for the house to once more inspire and unite Ngāti Awa and our relations from the Mātaatua confederation. They recogonised the potential of cultural tourism to provide jobs for our rangatahi, but there was strong reluctance to see a commercial model of the type made famous elsewhere in the Bay be applied to Mātaatua: the sacredness of the wharenui was paramount – there was no way that we could compromise the tikanga and kawa of the marae because above all else, it is a living, breathing marae and tribal treasure of the iwi, not a tourist attraction.”

Stewart has extensive experience in tourism – he is the owner of Mauriora Marketing and PR, the specialist marketing and tourism consultancy engaged by Te Rūnanga in 2010 to manage the development and delivery of the tourism installation at Mātaatua wharenui, and he is also the co-founder of NATIVConnectioNZ an Eastern Bay cultural tourism company – and the unique opportunity he refers to is to offer visitors a genuine insight into not only a piece of history but a piece of the present. Visitors to any country want a glimpse of what makes it unique and special, and at a time when most cultural tourism seems to exist solely in the glass cases of museum exhibits or the plastic facades of tourist ‘experiences’, Mātaatua offers something very real and yet very accessible.

really unique opportunity with Mātaatua. We realised that the depth, authenticity and sacredness of the Mātaatua wharenui – and its amazing international story – was the compelling point of difference that would set it apart from more commercial operations,” Stewart says. “We don’t deviate from kawa and tikanga because we can’t.

If the wharenui was custom built for tourism like others have been, we would be able to bend a few of the rules, but when we are operating from what is among the tribe’s most revered ancestral houses, compromise is out of the question.”

AT A TIME WHEN MOST CULTURAL TOURISM SEEMS TO EXIST SOLELY IN THE GLASS CASES OF MUSEUM EXHIBITS OR THE PLASTIC FACADES OF TOURIST ‘EXPERIENCES’, MĀTAATUA OFFERS SOMETHING VERY REAL AND YET VERY ACCESSIBLE.

Te Urupiki Paul (left) Tame Hotene (right) deliver the haka pōwhiri, an integral part of the Mātaatua ritual of welcome

Digital carvings - Tradition meets technology in Hiko: Legends in Light, the award-winning Mātaatua digital projection spectacle

“I was fortunate enough to work alongside a team of visitor experience development experts, such as Wellington’s Leuthart and Co and Click Suite, and from the outset we knew we had a

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“The Mātaatua experience is all the things the conventional and foster the development of tourism throughout Mātaatua, ‘hangi and show’ model is not,” Stewart says, “so once we especially in the post-settlement environment. Because repositioned it and started promoting these aspects of the ultimately we can be the cultural heartland of New Zealand. I Mātaatua brand, we got some real traction. In the last 12 don’t think that any other region in New Zealand can compete months we’ve secured the first international inbound travel with the authenticity we have here in Mātaatua rohe.” trade booking Mātaatua has had, and have since gone on to Stewart says the ever-strengthening success of the wharenui pick up two more significant deals for the 2018/19 season. as a tourism product and the recent acquisition of White Island The discussion has always been, ‘Does commerce come first Tours presents an opportunity for the iwi to lead and enable a or does culture come first.’ There is an idea that they cannot unified approach to tourism, to unite and inspire Mātaatua, just coexist, but my thinking is that at Mātaatua we’ll prove they as Hohaia and Wepiha had aspired to in can not only coexist, but that they are their time. complementary. We have to remain ‘DOES COMMERCE COME FIRST OR true to the mana of our whare and who “I believe Ngāti Awa is the first iwi DOES CULTURE COME FIRST.’ we are as a people – but that refusal within the confederation to seriously THERE IS AN IDEA THAT THEY to compromise is the authenticity that commit to tourism, and the opportunity visitors want to experience.”

CANNOT COEXIST, BUT MY THINKING we have is to leverage the significant IS THAT AT MĀTAATUA WE’LL PROVE existing infrastructure we now have to The vision goes well beyond the roof THEY CAN NOT ONLY COEXIST, BUT support the development of a suite of of the Mātaatua wharenui however.

THAT THEY ARE COMPLEMENTARY. authentically Mātaatua experiences from “Although led by Ngāti Awa, the Ngāti Awa and beyond, but all based on construction of the wharenui was the uniqueness of those individual tribal contributed to by all the tribes of territories and the whānau and hapū living there. Once we can Mātaatua – much of the timber came from Tūhoe, carvers and work together it is better for everybody. One of the main things weavers from throughout the Mātaatua confederation gave their about the wharenui was to unite us; now I think we can do this, time and expertise – and reunification of the tribes of Mātaatua now we have a chance to once again work together to create was another key reason the house was constructed. So if we something very special that could ultimately change the face of were to remain true to that purpose, the wharenui seems the Māori cultural tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand”. perfect foundation and starting point from which to support

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