Cityscape Spring 19

CHRISTCHURCH CURATED | SPRING 19 The blossom’s out and it’s time to celebrate with a fresh palette courtesy of NZ’s top designers.

Looking for a laugh? We check in with Christchurch’s funny bunch of comics. And we look at how the businesses returning to the city are bringing lunchtime streets alive, plus what’s hot in beauty, cuisine, home and events.

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CHRISTCHURCH CURATED FOR LOVERS OF STYLE, FOOD, MUSIC,

IMAGE: STEFAN GOSATTI/GETTY IMAGES

LIFESTYLE, TRAVEL, BEAUTY AND CULTURE

CONTENTS Spring 19 38 Community 24 Brilliant Biketober Take to the streets to celebrate cycling.

26 Stand-Up Central Your guide to the city’s funny bunch.

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08 Spring Edit This season’s essentials.

12 Word on the Street Tip-offs, trends and more.

33 You, Me and the Universe Comedian Dylan Moran is bringing ‘everything’ to his show.

34 Feet First Offices bring life to lunchtime streets.

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36 Front & Centre Returning to the central city has given property firm CBRE a boost.

38 Space-Men The team behind Qb Studios like finding buried treasure.

16 Meet the Local Self-starting event organiser Johnny Gibson.

18 The Season’s Hot List Events that need to be on your radar.

42 Bottom-Up Design Europlan’s Helen Dennis explains the science behind modern office design.

20 Tech It Out Hot offerings from the tech world.

45 Courthouse to Castle Childcare returns to the central city.

22 Kicking into Gear How to survive the Rugby World Cup.

46 Joining the Dots Architect Tobin Smith asks where small businesses fit in the rebuild.

12 Word on the Street

16 Community

47 Home & Lifestyle

61 Fashion

79 Wellbeing

91 Food & Drink

111 Culture

128 The Last Word

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Contents continued

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Home & Lifestyle 48 Future Perfect The key to a happy retirement is good planning.

51 Creating Connections Bill McDonald of retirement village operator Arvida Group.

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52 Anchored in History Colab Architecture’s Blair Paterson and Tobin Smith transform a ruin.

54 Home Styling Brighten your abode.

55 Hot Property With Mary Turnbull.

58 Sunny Outlook Canopy Landscape Architects’ Julie Greenslade and Paul Roper-Gee.

Fashion 62 Vision, Craft, Fashion Designer Kate Sylvester spills her secrets.

64 Looking for the ‘WOW’ Ballantynes’ Georgie Mears shops for a living.

68 Bold, Gold & Broody The hits and highlights of NZ Fashion Week.

72 Fashion Edit The new season’s styles.

74 Linen & Lux Fashion for the boys.

76 Style Counsel Stylist Josie Pasane loves what she does.

Wellbeing 80 The Good Life With Dr Libby.

82 Mind over Matter Hypnotherapist Lyn Davis.

64 Food & Drink 92 Happy Endings Chef Shafeeq Ismail of Story restaurant.

94 National Treasure Sam Brown makes gin from sheep’s milk.

96 Silver Linings Beer guru Ralph Bungard on New England IPAs.

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Culture 112 Keeping It Real Aubrey Logan on the secret of Postmodern Jukebox.

114 Wining & Smiling Irish comic Dara Ó Briain is bringing his Voice of Reason to Christchurch.

116 Art in the Wild Your guide to SCAPE Public Art 2019.

121 What’s On Calendar The city’s hottest tickets.

83 Beauty Edit Top 10 must-haves for spring.

124 Entertain Me Film, podcasts, music, books, games & TV.

84 Well Treated We review two advanced skin treatments.

127 Fresh Cuts Local musicians we can’t get enough of.

86 Training Body and Mind Muay Thai with Titan Training Ground.

128 The Last Word Welsh mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins.

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CITYSCAPE

CI TYSCAP E

CHRISTCHURCH CURATED | SPRING 19 CHRISTCHURCH CURATED | SPRING 19

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CITYSCAPE MAGAZINE Spring 19 PUBLISHER

Andrea Rickerby EDITOR

Mark Wilson DEPUTY EDITOR

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Kate Robertson EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Jessica Allen CREATIVE

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Tristan Brehaut ACCOUNT MANAGERS

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C

hristchurch bursts into colour in spring. Blossom explodes from the trees and verdant greens replace the muted tones of winter. What is true for nature is true for our wardrobes as well, and the season sure looks bright judging from the hues on show at New Zealand Fashion Week and in the lookbooks of our favourite designers. We report on the catwalk trends that are coming to a boutique or department store near you, and lift the lid on what goes into making Ballantynes Fashion Week the primo event it is. Ever dreamt of shopping for a living? We talk to someone who does just that – Ballantynes fashion buyer Georgie Mears. And we find out how Kate Sylvester keeps ahead of the curve both in work and in life. Continuing our series on Christchurch after dark, we explore the city’s comedy scene and tell you where you can get your giggle on.

We also look at what’s happening during the day as the city’s centre comes to life with office workers. These cityscape.co.nz

new workspaces aren’t the same as the ones the city used to have, with flexibility and collaboration now central to everything from furniture design to business philosophy. Speaking of work, retirement can be fun if you’ve put some good plans in place. We find out what is on offer and where to turn for advice, whether for yourself or older family members. Spring is the season of hope and rebirth. Time to emerge from your winter cocoon and spread your wings with colour and a fresh outlook on life.

Ctyscape can help with all that.

Michelle Dixon Jacqui Moorfield ACCOUNTS ADMINISTRATOR

Claire Ross ON THE COVER

Paris Georgia's runway debut at NZFW 19 was relaxed and elegant with bursts of colour against a neutral palette. Image: Hannah Peters/Getty Images NEED TO GET IN TOUCH? Editorial & Advertising Enquiries: 03 366 3340 info@somocreative.co.nz cityscape.co.nz PUBLISHED BY

SOMO Creative Ltd PO Box 13 717 Christchurch

Mark

Mark Wilson editor@somocreative.co.nz

cityscape.christchurch

cityscapemagazine_chch

Cityscape is a division of SOMO Creative Ltd. Cityscape is subject to copyright in its entirety. Opinions expressed in Cityscape are not necessarily those of Cityscape. Editorial contributions welcome. No responsibility taken for unsolicited submissions. Prizewinners will be notified by phone and email. If Cityscape is unable to contact the winner within 14 days, Cityscape reserves the right to draw another winner. Cityscape reserves the right to use image/name of competition entrants for publicity purposes.

ISSN 2324-4879 print | ISSN 2324-4887 online

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We take sustainability seriously Our printing partners are Enviro-Mark Diamond certified and exceed the requirements of ISO 14001, one of the World’s best known environmental standards. PAPER: Cityscape is printed on paper sourced from sustainable forestry which is covered by PEFC1 and FSC2 certifications. PEFC and FSC are not-for-profit organisations promoting sustainable and responsible forest management. PEFC and FSC certifications cover over 500 million hectares of forest globally (roughly 18.5 x the area of New Zealand). INKS: Cityscape is printed with inks based on vegetable oil and fatty acid alkyl-esters (modified vegetable oils) containing less than 1% non-renewable mineral oil. WASTE: Any waste water coming from the production process is treated and remains well within New Zealand’s strict environmental requirements. All waste paper, right down to the smallest offcut, is captured through extraction systems for recycling.

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PROGRAMME FOR THE ENDORSEMENT OF FOREST CERTIFICATION (WWW.PEFC.ORG) 2 FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL© (WWW.FSC.ORG)

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SPRING EDIT This season’s essentials

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1 Freya Love Note High Apex Bra (RRP $79.99) & Brief (RRP $39.99) in Sapphire from The Fitting Room 2 White Sheep Co Sheep Milk and Honey Gin (RRP $72) from Ballantynes 3 Petite Grand Spanish Dancer Earrings, Gold (RRP $225) from Ballantynes 4 RES REI Tommaso ($645) from Matthews Eyewear Eyecare 5 Velettà Facial Cleansing Oil (RRP $75) from Velettà Skincare 6 Wacaco Nanopresso Portable Espresso Machine (RRP $139) from Ballantynes 7 Saben Tilly's Big Sis Lemon (RRP $359) from Issimo 8 KATHRYN WILSON Maile Heel Canary Check (RRP $329) from Issimo 9 Herschel Tour Hip Medium (RRP $85) from Infinite Definite 10 hülsta hs.480 Armchair (POA) from Frobisher Interiors

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SPRING EDIT

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11 Simple Merino Vee (RRP $299) from Untouched World 12 BLUEMLY Queen Bee Gold - Mixed Pink Bon Bon Earrings (RRP $280) from Infinite Definite 13 Saben Tabbie Orange Leather Bag (RRP $399) from Issimo 14 Gin & Tonic Marmalade (RRP $10) from Ballantynes 15 Xanthe dress (RRP $579) and Nova top (RRP $179) from Kate Sylvester 16 Mini Vase in Orange (RRP $49) from Bolt of Cloth 17 Karhu Aria Sneakers (RRP $230) from Indigo & Provisions 18 Twilight Bamboo Arc Clutch - Natural (RRP $79) from Katamama 19 Kōaka Healing Balm 15ml (RRP $33.50) from Kōaka 20 Cozy Living Luisa Platters, set of 3 (RRP $199) from Ballantynes

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Word on the Street TIP-OFFS, TRENDS & MORE

CINEMA

DATE WITH DECO

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER Shopping precinct

The ice-cream counter at the flicks has come a long way, judging by the swishy surrounds at new central-city cinema Lumière. Art Deco rules throughout this stylish addition to Christchurch’s entertainment options, both in the foyer and the Bijou Bar. Perfect for a date night with a dash of panache. lumierecinemas.co.nz

Riverside Market will open its doors to eager shoppers this spring.

The multi-level, seven-day-a-week market space by the Bridge of Remembrance will house some of Christchurch’s most adored eateries, artisan suppliers and boutique retailers. There’s a cooking school, butcher, delicatessen, bakery and fishmonger. Among the 30 independent food outlets and 40 market stalls are city favourites Pedro’s Kitchen, El Quincho, Bohemian Bakery and Fritz’s Wieners. The rooftop venues overlook the pumping area where Oxford Terrace, Lichfield Street and Durham Street South come together. Best of all, for us and the environment, you’ll be able to buy fresh, seasonal, locally grown fruit and veges any day of the week.

Riverside Market is the brainchild of property developers Richard Peebles, Kris Inglis and Mike Percasky. They’ve even got plans to host festivals and events over the coming years, to which we say – bring it on! riverside.nz

WIN! Cityscape has a copy of Michelle

Sullivan's inspirational book A Celebration of Spring in Christchurch to give away. To go in the draw, email us at info@somocreative.co.nz with ‘Celebration of Spring’ in the subject line and tell us what you love most about the season. Entries close October 31.

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RETAIL HOTSPOT

LUX LICHFIELD On October 18, Ballantynes will reopen its Lichfield Street entrance.

The new homewares department includes exclusive concept stores Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and West Elm. The Florist will have you sorted for any occasion, while the sweet offerings at the new Chocolate Library are a great excuse to treat yourself! ballantynes.co.nz

#CHCHDAILYPHOTO

Colours of spring

The natural beauty of Christchurch goes beyond spectacular in springtime, with the city becoming a photographer’s playground.

Cherry blossoms line the avenues, daffodils take over the central-city woodlands, and magnificent magnolias commandeer the sightlines in public parks and private gardens. Michelle Sullivan of Christchurch Daily Photo has published A Celebration of Spring in Christchurch, her record of the best of the season. If these photos from her book whet your appetite for more, look out for it from mid-September online. michellesullivan.co.nz

Magnolia, Botanic Gardens

Tulips, Peacock Fountain

Blossom, Harper Avenue

Tulips, Botanic Gardens

Blossom, Hagley Park

Tulips, Peacock Fountain

Bluebells, Little Hagley Park

Daffodils, Hagley Park

Bluebells, Botanic Gardens

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WORD ON THE STREET

SUSTAINABILITY

COMMUNITY

TOOLS FORGE FRIENDSHIPS

RECYCLE UP

Take a bow, Cityscapers – it’s the support of conscious Christchurch consumers that has led second-hand consignment chain Recycle Boutique to open a second store in the city. First there was its store in The Tannery; now there is also a store in Little High Lanes in the SALT District. The deal’s the same – bring in the high-quality clothing and accessories that no longer spark joy in your life and give them a chance to find a new forever home that’s not the landfill. You’ll get 50 percent of the sale price and a dose of good karma as well. That’s one side of it; the other, of course, are the canny fashionistas who come in and shop at Recycle Boutique. For prices on a par with fast fashion, they get to buy designer pieces instead. The team at Recycle Boutique are also pleased that their new store is itself an example of upcycling – its SALT District location puts it bang in the middle of a post-quake transformation of former industrial sites. So dive into the depths of your wardrobe and start making Yes, No and Maybe piles. recycleboutique.co.nz #URBANLIFE

ON A MISH Looking for a bike ride and a good deed to start your day? Join Michele Hollis and other volunteers as they cycle around cafés collecting left-over food, which they then drop at the City Mission in Hereford Street. The scheme is called The Mish and Michele joined it 2½ years ago after spotting a flyer at Boat Shed Café, which is one of the eateries that donate.

Michele now regularly adds an early morning sweep around cafés and bakeries to her commute. themish.org.nz

FOLLOW US

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From the people who brought you the central-city pump track, basketball court and forest of hammocks comes the Tool Lendery.

The latest collab between Fletcher Living and Gap Filler is nailing it (geddit!).

Since it opened in August at 178 Cashel Street, local residents have been dropping in to hire tools they would otherwise have to buy, and while there they are sharing skills, learning new ones, and making friends. The Tool Lendery is open Wednesdays 4 – 6pm and Saturdays 1 – 3pm. fletcherliving.co.nz

cityscapemagazine_chch

COMMUNITY

MEET THE LOCAL Through his

CHRISTCHURCH NEEDS RESIDENTS CHAMPIONING THE CITY

work with lifestyle website Neat Places and street festival Nostalgia, Johnny Gibson has been a big influence in getting Christchurch people out and about after the earthquakes. Cityscape puts the questions to Johnny and finds out a secret or two.

The annual Nostalgia festival you founded has struck a chord with audiences – why do you think that is? A big part is that it’s a festival for all ages. Different aspects attract different people. Really it’s a street festival – people just love spending the day wandering the streets exploring and maybe catching the steam train too! Neat Places is another of your projects – what motivated you there? For myself and my business partner, it’s about celebrating and promoting the quality places and people that put so much into their businesses.

These places build unique experiences that come from their personality, passion and what the community demand. You’ve got an enviable track record – are you just lucky or is it all about hard work? Hard work and persistency

in my case. Nostalgia has been running for six years, so it hasn’t come out of nowhere. We’ve got true values and are constantly trying to evolve and improve the event, which I think comes through.

What do you think Christchurch needs the most? Residents championing the city. Tell us a secret about yourself? I have a thing for fried noodles. What’s your favourite material possession? My laptop, although the relationship alternates between good and bad. Bad being its representation of work; good being the ability to explore and educate

IMAGE: NETF

LIX

IMAGE: GAUM

ONT

I HAVE A THING FOR FRIED NOODLES

IMAGE: CHRISTCHURCHNZ.COM

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yourself on anything! What are you listening to/reading/bingewatching at the moment? The Netflix series Chef’s Table. What’s your favourite movie? The Big Blue. What excites you about Christchurch in the spring? The start of more missions to Banks Peninsula bays. Anything coming to Christchurch that you are particularly looking forward to?

More central-city residents, and more visitors through the likes of the convention centre. How do you relax? Cooking and walking.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? Don’t burn your bridges. If you weren’t doing what you are now, what would you want to do? Urban designer.

You’ve got friends coming from out of town. Where do you go and what would you do to show off the city in – two hours: Visit the Arts Centre and Christchurch Art Gallery. A half-day: Hit New Regent Street, Caffeine Lab for coffee, check out some street and urban art at Fiksate, then walk through to High Street and take a look at some of the independent retailers before heading over to the Arts Centre. 24 hours? Everything above, finished off with heading to Lyttelton for some quality hospitality. Where do you go to – Wine and dine with friends: Gatherings to dine. Civil & Naval, or Cassels & Sons for quality pints and pizza. Morning coffee: Lyttelton Coffee Co. Blow off some steam: Wander down the road from the house in Sumner for a surf.

THE SEASON'S HOT LIST

Events that need to be on your radar this spring.

What you practise... grows stronger Need a holistic health check-up? The Body Mind Spirit – Health Expo is your opportunity to rejuvenate your body, unwind your mind and reconnect with your spirit. The two-day expo, at the Addington Raceway & Events Centre (Oct 12/13), will bring you the full A – Z of holistic health products and services, in fact everything you need for a more soul-centred lifestyle.

There’s a wide selection of local, national and international exhibitors, as well as free, inspiring workshops that have proved very popular in previous years. bodymindspirit.co.nz

BIKETOBER

CELEBRATE CYCLING The city’s festival of cycling, Biketober, is rolling into town. It’s for anyone who rides a bike for any reason – transport, recreation, competition, skill development or social interaction. The month full of guided and self-guided rides, social activities, workshops and more is all about having fun on a bike!

Supported by Piko Wholefoods. biketoberchch.nz

CONCERT

STAN OUR MAN

PHOTO: DANA LYNN PLEASANT

Stan Walker is embarking on his nationwide Springboard tour.

Walker’s pitch-perfect vocals and cheeky sense of humour always make for a mighty fine night out, so grab yourself a ticket to his September 28 Town Hall show. premier.ticketek.co.nz

CONCERT

EXHIBITION

TURN BACK TIME

ROCK; PAPER; SCISSORS

Captivating collective Postmodern Jukebox earned themselves a passionate global following for the way they reinterpret pop hits including Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ and Lorde’s ‘Royals’ to give them a classic edge. Get some nu-retro!

October 19, Isaac Theatre Royal. postmodernjukebox.com

Take a stroll around the city from October 5 and you’ll see some incredible pieces of art. SCAPE Public Art has brought their biggest lineup yet – this year their theme is Rock; Paper; Scissors and all these three words evoke. scapepublicart.org.nz

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TECH IT OUT

Hot offerings from the world of cool technology DRIVE

GADGET

SOUND AND SHADE Bose Frames are seriously cool. The experts in audio have combined timeless sunglass frames with their world-class tech and it is epic.

Goodbye earbuds, hello fashion!

The sweet sunnies have an integrated microphone, connect via Bluetooth and offer augmented reality and open-ear sound. The lenses are also interchangeable. bose.co.nz NEW

IT’S ELECTRIFYING! Car designer

Alec Issigonis reinvented everyone’s wheels 60 years ago when he created the MINI, a car that perfectly captured the spirit of the times.

Not only did it look cool, the MINI’s technical design gave it that famous ‘go-kart feeling’ beloved by drivers ever since. And it looks like BMW, the car maker that gave the world the new MINI in 2001, is going to repeat Issigonis’ success with its reinvented MINI Cooper SE. Sure, we’ve seen electric cars before but here’s one that doesn’t look like nana’s shopping cart, are we right? It’s MINI cool with modern technology.

There’s the now familiar subtly muscular good looks of the conventionally powered MINI Cooper S but underneath, everything is different. The new MINI Cooper SE will be the first purely electric premium small car, sustainable and at the same time lots of fun to drive. The go-kart feeling is still there, even more so given the powerful and light electric motor under the hood – there’s no lag when you put your foot down and no gears to change so it’s up and away! The new MINI Cooper SE accelerates from standing to 60km/h in just 3.9 seconds, and over the first 60 metres it effortlessly keeps pace with conventionally powered sports cars.

The best bit of all, though, about the electric MINI Cooper SE is that you will never again be at the mercy of petrol prices. That’s really cool! christchurchminigarage.co.nz

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TRAVEL

CROSSING BORDERS Tackle international travel with confidence thanks to iFLYTEK’s Jarvisen Translator. The brainy handheld device can translate 60 languages and responds in under a second. Save yourself the trouble of learning a new language and treat yourself to the world’s most powerful translator. iflytek.co.nz

TECH IT OUT

When Coffee is King

The Barisieur Coffee Brewing Alarm Clock will have you jumping out of bed with a caffeinated spring in your step. The genius clock gets to work brewing your coffee or loose-leaf tea the second the alarm goes off, quickly filling the room with the ritualistic aroma of a fresh brew. The glassware sits on a trendy walnut tray with a white or black plastic base. Set everything up the night before and you’ll wake up to a fresh cup of Joe. The clock even keeps your milk cold in a teeny tiny refrigerator drawer! barisieur.com RIDE

HOME AND AWAY

READ

If you’re after an e-bike that can handle the demands of commuting and holiday adventures such as rail trails, check out the Cube Touring Hybrid. Its great combination of features and functionality is hard to beat. A full set of accessories ensures you will be ready for anything. actionbicycleclub.com

OASIS OF BOOKS

TALK

The Amazon Kindle Oasis delivers the most authentic e-reader experience yet. The nifty new addition to the Kindle family is lighter than the 2017 model of the same name and sets out to tackle the nasty blue light we’re all trying to avoid. It does this by warming the tone of the screen as the sun goes down. The warmer tone resembles an actual book more closely than any other Kindle. amazon.com

SQUEAKY CLEAN We’ve all heard the gnarly stats about the kinds of bacteria that lurk on our phones, but how many of us are actually giving them a regular wipe-down? This is where PhoneSoap comes in. The small case-like device kills bacteria with powerful UV-C light – the kind that’s long been used to sterilise medical equipment. phonesoap.com

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IMAGE: © WORLD RUGBY / GETTY IMAGES

LET'S DO IT AGAIN

Kicking into Gear Rugby World Cup fever is sweeping the nation as we get into the 2019 tournament. Here’s what you need to know to survive the full-noise six weeks of sport.

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he mighty All Blacks are gunning for a three-peat at this year’s Rugby World Cup (RWC). They won the Webb Ellis Cup in 2011 (on home soil no less!), they took it home from England four years later, and now we’re crossing our fingers that they’ll bring it home from Japan.

The opening ceremony and match for the RWC kicks off at 10:45pm on September 20 (NZ time) at Tokyo Stadium – the same venue Japan hosted the All Blacks in last year. From there, the six-week tournament will see the All Blacks touch down in Yokohama, Oita City, Tokyo and Toyota – and that’s just for the pool games!

There are various ways to watch the games. A selection of free matches will air on TVNZ 1 and Spark Sport’s free-to-air accounts

(some of which will have a one-hour delay). If you fancy tuning into all 48 games live, you’ll have to buy Spark Sport’s Rugby World Cup Pass and stream it on your device of choice. If you don’t fancy the delay and don’t want to purchase a pass, you can still head out into the streets where a number of pubs across town will be airing the games, which conveniently go down in the evening, our time.

Here in New Zealand we assume everyone was raised on the rugby field – or at least had a sibling who was – but there’s no shame in never having picked up the game’s finer details. Rugby rules can be a mystery even to the biggest rugby fans, but here are the basics. Each team has 15 players and a game is played out in two 40-minute

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halves. Players can kick and carry the ball, but must never throw it forward. Points are scored by tries (touchdown, 5 points), conversions (tries can be converted by kicking the ball between the goal posts, 2 points), penalties (3 points) and drop goals (ball is kicked between goal posts, 3 points). Infractions usually result in a scrum, where the forwards bunch together and try to take possession of the ball.

When it comes to star players worth noting – for when you’re throwing your weight around in the living-room commentary – you’ve got star first five-eighth Beauden Barrett, reliable lock Sam Whitelock, speedy try-scorer Rieko Ioane, the eternally dynamic Richie Mo’unga and All Blacks captain/certified legend Kieran Read. Then there’s rising star Jack Goodhue, who studied at Lincoln University and cut his teeth playing for Canterbury, the New Zealand U20 Sevens team and later on, the Crusaders.

With all of that information tucked away in your back pocket, you’re just about ready to go! All you need now is a sweet-as jersey, the essential fixtures and some ideas on how to pass the time if you really aren’t a rugby fan...

KICKING INTO GEAR

KITTED OUT

IMAGE: © WORLD RUGBY

Keep up with the play on a new TV and look the part with some RWC merch.

KEY GAMES Lock these into your calendar to make sure you never

miss an important match. The All Blacks are calling Pool B home this time around, along with the powerful South African Springboks. The cheeky Aussies are in Pool D, the French heartbreakers are in Pool C and host nation Japan are in Pool A. Here’s when the big pool games are going down.

NZ v. South Africa 9:45pm on Saturday September 21 Ireland v. Scotland 7:45pm on Sunday September 22 Australia v. Wales 8:45pm on Sunday September 29 NZ v. Canada 11:15pm on Wednesday October 2 NZ v. Namibia 5:45pm on Sunday October 6 NZ v. Italy 5:45pm on Saturday October 12 England v. France 9:15pm on Saturday October 12 Quarter- and semi-finals are determined by whether or not a team wins or is the runner-up in their pool. These games will take place on October 19, 20, 26 and 27. The grand final is scheduled for 10pm on Saturday November 2 at International Stadium Yokohama (pictured above).

OR YOU CAN ... If you’re not

much of a rugby fan, that’s OK. Dive head first into our list of ways to spend your free time now that your loved ones are all glued to the telly.

• Learn to cook like Ottolenghi.

• Read The Luminaries (finally).

• Host a Keanu Reeves movie marathon for one (on the TV in the bedroom).

• Throw yourself into a 30-day yoga challenge.

• Set up a Bumble BFF profile.

Make it clear in your bio that you’re specifically seeking friends who also don’t care about sport.

• Meditate for exactly 80 minutes.

• Head out to wine bars Not Without You and Kin for a TV-free gals’ night out – you might even have the place to yourself!

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Looking to upgrade your TV for the games but feel like you’re swimming in a soup of OLEDs, 4Ks and UHDs? Cityscape turned to Harvey Norman Commercial’s Craig Shaw for help cracking the code.

The short answer is that organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels and ultra-high definition (UHD, or 4K) are replacing the old 1080p screen resolution. 1080p screens have just over 2 million pixels, whereas 4K has 8 million and is now the standard for larger televisions.

8K is here but won’t be affordable for most consumers for several years yet. Most modern TVs will let you use the Spark app for viewing the Rugby World Cup. If you’re a sucker for a bit of merch, now’s the time to buy.

Champions of the World has you sorted with RWC All Blacks jerseys, pins and rugby balls. Adidas NZ – the creators of the jerseys – have them too, as well as an assortment of classic ABs merch – scarves, zip-up jackets and the like. If – heaven forbid – you support one of the other 19 teams, the official RWC store has your back. The online store has supporter T-shirts and/or replica jerseys available for all 20 teams.

If you are looking for a bit more adventure, check out the 11km Te Ara Ōtākaro Avon River Trail, from New Brighton through the residential red zone and along the Avon River to Fitzgerald Avenue.

EVENTS TO CATCH

BRILLIANT BIKETOBER October is all about the bike. It’s the month we take to the streets to celebrate the city’s annual festival of cycling.

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hose of us who love a challenge will lap up the destinations on this year’s Biketober Passport Challenge, which encourages people to cycle to more than 40 destinations across the city, using a unique code to check in at each location.

Destinations for the challenge (Oct 1 - 25) can be viewed on Biketober’s website. Share in the spirit of the event on social media, where riders are encouraged to post about their adventures using the hashtag #biketoberchchpassport. Believe us when we say it’s some of the best fun you’ll have on a bike!

A score of epic events will run alongside the Biketober Passport Challenge, allowing people to pick and choose the times and places that suit them. Of course, this is on top of the cycling action the city offers 365 days of the year.

Christchurch now boasts over 40

kilometres of dedicated cycleways, meaning there’s a path into town from most parts of the city. The popular Quarryman’s Trail from Sparks Road to the city centre has been extended over the past 12 months. The final stage – from Victors Road to Te Hāpua and Halswell Domain – is due to be completed this year. The Heathcote Expressway has also grown and is now rideable from The Tannery in Woolston all the way into the city.

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COFFEE OUTSIDE CHRISTCHURCH Action Bicycle Club and Prima Roastery are joining the Biketober fun with a special outing in their Coffee Outside series. Fri Oct 18, 6.45am. For venue, check biketoberchch.nz BIKES, BEER AND BANTER Cycle down to The Fermentist to share tales of your cycling adventures (and misadventures) with fellow pedal pushers. Snacks will be provided but don’t forget to bring some dosh for your drinks. The Fermentist, Thu Oct 3 and Thu Oct 17.

RAINBOW RAVE – CLIMAX Rally your cycle gang and get down to Smash Palace for a night of cranking tunes and dance floor fun. Christchurch’s beloved outdoor bar is hosting the R18 event alongside the good people at RDU, who will be spinning tunes well into the night.

Smash Palace, Sat Oct 5.

POST-QUAKE HERITAGE BUILDING CYCLE TOUR Cruise the city’s lesser known heritage listed buildings on this guided cycle tour. The easy ride will get under way at Margaret Mahy Playground before heading to various locations in the central city.

Please bring along some koha.

Margaret Mahy Playground, Fri Oct 11 and Sat Oct 26.

HALLOWEEN RIDE Bid Biketober farewell with the spookiest event of all – the Halloween Ride! The 7km night-ride follows the Beckenham Loop, well-known for houses decorated in ghouls, ghosts and goblins, and ends at a mystery bar. Cnr Sandwich Road and Eastern Terrace, Thu Oct 31.

BRILLIANT BIKETOBER

ON YA BIKE! Stuck for reasons

to start cycling? Here’s six guaranteed to get you pushing the pedals.

1 – WIND BACK THE CLOCK Regular cycling can protect skin against UV radiation and reduce the signs of ageing by optimising collagen production – essentially ironing out the appearance of wrinkles from the inside! Just don’t forget to slap on the 30+ or it’ll all be for naught!

BEHIND THE BIKES

Check out Action Bicycle Club’s funky Walker Street digs for all things bikes and their specialty, e-bikes. Action have been making cycling fresh, modern and exciting for the past three years and owner Ken has been working in the bike business for more than 18 – he has pedal-pushed his way around the world and wants to influence everyone to give cycling a go.

Action have more gear than you could ever imagine – they curate an international collection of parts and accessories, so you’ll always roll away looking stylish. If you’re looking for a healthier and fun alternative to driving then look no further, there are daily rides, electric bikes and adventure bikes for those adrenalin junkies out

there – for sale or hire. If you’re thinking about an e-bike, it’s definitely worth trying before you buy to find the perfect fit, and the good folks at Action can help you out there. E-bikes are great for commuting and recreation – some of the banging new models coming out are geared towards recreation and others for just getting around.

Either way there’s plenty of ways to personalise your bike. Action are all over the next big trend in bikes too – the niche market of cargo bikes is expected to grow in popularity for their practicality and sustainability.

The friendly team can help you out with workshops and advice, just in case you’re not too sure what you’re looking for. Action Bicycle Club are certainly stirring up the action for all things cycling around town. actionbicycleclub.com

2 – GET SMART Cycling helps build new brain cells in the hippocampus – the area responsible for memory which, FYI, starts deteriorating once you hit the big 3-0.

3 – BEAT THE RAT-RACE Breezing past gridlocked traffic come 5pm is one of cycling’s greatest joys. Lap up drivers’ jealousy as you smugly move from one green light to the next.

4 – SAVE THE PLANET It takes around 5 percent of the materials and energy to build a bike than it does to knock out a car, bikes produce zero pollution and then there’s that whole peak oil thing.

5 – SEX IT UP Cranking up your vascular health will, if you’re a man, help crank up your boudoir performance and, if you’re a woman, help stave off menopause.

6 – LIVE THE HIGH LIFE Cycling helps release feel-good hormones (endorphins) into the frontal and limbic regions of the brain (aka the storage area for emotional baggage).

HIGH SPEC The city’s sleek new cycleways are the

perfect place to take a custom-built single-speed bike for a spin. Cue Bespoked Cycles, the Christchurch-based business turning your commuter dreams into a reality.

The team at Bespoked pride themselves on putting quality first, utilising Factory Five components including chainrings, Pista cranksets, carbon-fibre forks, and alloy and steel frames. You can design, build and spec your bike from scratch, right down to the colour – they’ve got hundreds to choose from! The highly customisable nature of the bikes means there is a massive number of build options – there truly is a ‘fixie’ for everyone. bespokedcycles.co.nz

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PHOTO: CAITLAN MITCHELL

ELI MATTHEWSON IS ONE OF MANY LEADING COMEDIANS TO LAUNCH HIS CAREER IN CHRISTCHURCH.

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If you’re looking for a laugh, you’re in the right place. Cityscape has the inside scoop on the booming local comedy scene and we’re dishing it out for you.

A

fter dark, the streets of Christchurch come alive as venues across the city fill with laughter and show how our local comedy scene is a hotbed of talent. With one of the biggest comedy scenes in New Zealand per capita, we Cityscapers are spoilt for choice and are able to get our comedy fix seven nights a week. If you’re new to the scene, here’s where you’ll find the funnies.

The art of improv is always entertaining. If you love watching performers think on their feet as they come up with all kinds of wacky scenarios, Scared Scriptless is a must-see. It has run continuously for the past 28 years and is sure to have you in stitches.

The show goes down every Friday and Saturday night from 10:15pm at the Court Theatre, where you’ll find the Court Jesters ready for whatever’s thrown at them. Get thinking before you arrive as this one has plenty of interactive moments, too. Make a night of it and grab a pre-show feed from one of the many stellar dining establishments in the area including Town Tonic, The Miller Bar & Café, Touch Indian Restaurant or Kumo Japanese Restaurant.

If you’re looking for a pick-meup come Monday, get on your bike and head to The Pedal Pusher in Addington, where you can have a chuckle each fortnight while you fill up on tapas and escape the rat race. On the last Monday of the month you can also dine at Dux Central in the intimate Emerald Room and enjoy the open mic night on offer. While the floor is open to all performers, it’s mostly

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comedians you’ll find up on the Dux stage (and they’re sure to keep you on your toes!). Indulge in some pizza and enjoy one of more than 70 choices of wine on offer while lol-ing along with the crowd.

On Tuesday, pull up a pew at the Kensington Fun House open mic night. Here you can tuck into their bar menu, have a beverage or two and if you’re brave enough, sign up and give it a go. Across town, have a laugh at The Carlton, where they host both new talent and seasoned professionals. Grab a bite from their tempting snack menu and don’t forget to order a cheeky craft beer to wash down all those gags.

Hump-day Wednesday is always cause for celebration! Treat yourself to a snicker at the buzzing Strange & Co, where they open the floor and allow the night to take strange – and sometimes awkward – turns. The bar took home Best Regular Show at the Christchurch

Comedy Awards in 2017 and 2018, so you know you’re in for a wild ride.

On the last Thursday of the month, you can pop out of town and take in the fresh sea air at the weird and fabulous Wunderbar in Lyttelton. The funky atmosphere is a great environment for brewing comedy, and with plenty of disco balls you can have a boogie at the same time. Your sides will be splitting in New Brighton every second Thursday where Level One Craft Beer and Coffee Bar serves up classy beach vibes with a side of humour. Sip on a coffee, wine or craft beer in the ‘laxed environment while the comedians entertain you.

Let off some steam on Friday and pop back to Kensington Fun House for their stand-up showcase.

This one is run by people who love to laugh for people who love to laugh. You’ll find the best local comedians performing alongside national and international guests.

‘You can still tickle your funny bone – multiple times a week if you’d like’

Q&A: ELI TAKES OFF

my first year of university. It was there that I honed the skills to help me get where I am today (right now in Edinburgh, still in bed at 1pm, preparing for an 11pm show).

Tell us about your first performance in Christchurch. My first ever stage performance was playing a marching boy in The Elves and the Shoemaker with Southern Ballet. I'd been to see my older sister's ballet show and after it finished I snuck up onstage and started dancing by myself. I got caught, and so they put me in one of their shows. What does your crystal ball tell you about the future of the Christchurch comedy scene? So many of the best comedians come from Christchurch! Justine Smith, Chris Parker, Guy Montgomery, Jarred Christmas, Rhys Darby, Brynley Stent, Ray Shipley, Emma Cusdin – I just think it will never stop pouring out the talent. Something in the water down in Christchurch!

Which comedians are making you laugh at the moment? I just

mentioned them but Ray Shipley is absolutely terrific – a true breath of fresh air! Check out Ray as soon as you can! I've just seen Catherine Cohen in Edinburgh and her show is magic – you can check out her set on Late Night with Seth Meyers on YouTube for a taster. Funniest moment on stage? One time me, Hamish Parkinson and Alice Canton performed on New Year’s Day for a nudist colony in Rolleston – the gig was amazing! They say it helps to imagine the audience naked, but all of them were and they were more confident than us. We did get made fun of for staying clothed though.

What are you working on at the moment? Right now I'm finishing up my season in Edinburgh for the Festival Fringe, performing my solo stand-up show and my improv show Snort every night. Soon I'll be heading back to NZ to work on Have You Been Paying Attention? and later in the year I'll be down in Christchurch doing some shows at Little Andromeda – see you there! elimatthewson.com

Christchurch has launched some hilarious Kiwi comics, including the sharp-witted and oh-soentertaining Eli Matthewson.

You may know Eli Matthewson from 7 Days, Short Poppies, AotearoHA: Rising Stars or any one of his many stand-up shows, but what you may not know about Eli is that he got his start in the 03. We caught up with him while he was living his best life in Scotland and taking on Edinburgh Festival Fringe. How did Christchurch help you get your start? I first got into comedy by doing the High School Theatresports competition – I was obsessed! My team would practise way too much and we went to watch Scared Scriptless almost every week, and were constantly in awe of the legends of the Court Jesters that performed there. I was lucky enough – or maybe just persistent enough with my emails – to get a place in their company in

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Your cheeks will be aching by the end of the comedy week, so feel free to take Sunday night off. While there aren’t any regular comedy shows running on a Sunday, you can still tickle your funny bone – multiple times a week if you’d like – when the Comedy Carnival rolls into town from September 7 – 21.

The biggest and world's most southern festival of comedy will take over city venues with more than 15 comedians performing.

And on Saturday 28 September, you can get your fix at Laugh at the International Comedy Night at the Lincoln Event Centre.

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FUNNY BUNCH

Cityscape checks in with some of the local and international talent you can see on Christchurch stages and at the Comedy Carnival.

The niche profession of comedy requires a thick skin, a receptive attitude and the ability to wear many hats. A commitment to this is what has shaped the thriving and supportive comedy scene we have in Christchurch today. It’s through this encouraging scene that we have seen countless talented comedians grow beyond the city. There’s Cal Wilson, who co-founded the infamous Court Jester improv group in 1990, Rhys Darby (aka Murray Hewitt in Flight of the Conchords) and Eli

Matthewson, who was part of the writing team for Funny Girls and has made appearances on 7 Days.

If you think stand-up is just a hobby, think again. In a city flourishing with emerging comedic talent, many of those that Cityscape spoke to had comedy as their top priority, and in some cases their full-time job. The consensus among aspiring comedians is to immerse yourself in the scene, record your shows to play back, and listen to your audience.

PHOTO: CALLUM PARSONS

‘A lot of comedy is contextual, with a story or set-up behind it, and is more than just one line’

Q&A: JONTY BENNETT Jonty Bennett is fresh on the scene.

He made his comedy debut in 2017 when he was runner-up for the Best Newcomer award and won Spirit of the Festival at the Comedy Carnival.

Since then he has produced his own show, taken it down to Dunedin and found his feet in the world of dry, cynical humour. How did you stumble into comedy? I've been comedy-adjacent for a long time,

with some friends involved in the scene egging me on to give it a crack. I eventually entered the inaugural Fresh Comedy Competition in 2017, where I forgot my closing bit and was hooked immediately. What’s your day job and how does that fit in with your comedy? I currently work in retail, which has offered some flexibility when it comes to performing out of town. It can be a good source of material in some ways. What words

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of advice do you have for aspiring comics out there? Record your sets and perform frequently. You never know when you'll have an off-the-cuff line or comment that kills and you can't remember afterwards – and repetition breeds comfort. Audiences relate and react much quicker when you're comfortable and look like you belong on that stage. Do you have a pre- or post-show ritual?

Pre-show for me is usually a Red Bull and a high-energy playlist on Spotify – a lot of punk rock and hardcore. I like to get to the venue with time to spare to settle in and have a beer, and if it’s my first time at a venue I like to check out the stage area before the audience arrives (so I know where they'll be, possible sources of noise, how the lighting is etc). What’s the comedy scene like in Christchurch? The Christchurch comedy scene is pretty friendly and down to earth, and there's always advice as well as banter floating about. We've had our growing pains over the last couple of years but the scene has handled them reasonably well and has managed to keep quite a

PHOTO: HENRIETTA READ

diverse mix of acts and performers active through those. What or who do you find funny? I like dry, cynical humour the best – that's the kind of style that I go for.

What’s the most common misconception about comedians?

That we'll tell you a joke when you ask us to. A lot of comedy is contextual, with a story or set-up behind it and is more than just one line. Most of us are naturally funny in conversation, but come to a gig if you want the best stuff! Highlight of your time as a comedian so far?

Taking a show to the Dunedin Fringe Festival in 2018, just after the one-year anniversary of my first gig. It was the first show I self-produced and managed. I took a couple of other acts that started at the same time as me and did a three-night run in a 25 to 30-seat venue (Inch Bar). With a full house for the last two nights and a koha entry fee, we made enough to cover costs and take home a bit of pocket money each. The show was titled Same-Same but Different. It was based on the three different styles of comedy we had and has continued in a slightly different format since – highlighting a different mix of acts, styles and energies than you'd typically see booked together. The next one is coming up during the Comedy Carnival in September at darkroom.

Funniest moment on stage?

Performing in my home town of Timaru for the first time, in the back room of a family restaurant, standing on a shipping pallet and just riffing with the crowd at the start. Great fun. What’s something that only your mother knows about you? How much I hated school growing up. How do you relax and unwind? Music. Loud Music. If you could invite any three people living or dead to a dinner party, who would they be and why? Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. I bingewatched Blackadder recently.

Q&A: GEORGIE SIVIER Witty queen Georgie Sivier runs The PlaySpace Theatre Company, which focuses on making accessible, innovative and honest theatre. She’s started dabbling in the world of drag artistry, and her alter ego, Tony Chestnut, will have you chuckling along with his scandalous and sexy performances.

How did you stumble into comedy? I studied at the New Zealand College of Performing Arts in Wellington and after I finished I worked on a pilot TV show. While I was working on that I was dared to try stand-up. What’s your day job and how does that fit in with your comedy? Comedy is actually my day job. I’m very lucky I run a theatre company called The PlaySpace Theatre Company. What words of advice do you have for aspiring comics out there? Your audience is so important – it doesn’t matter how funny you think your joke is, listen to the audience, they’ll tell you. Do you have a pre- or post-show ritual?

I like to write out my set on a piece of paper while slurping on a beer – it’s not really very poetic but that’s my ritual. What’s the comedy scene like in Christchurch? The comedy scene, like any industry, has its road bumps, but the real pros of the comedy scene look out for others around them because they know we are all in this together. What or

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‘The real pros of the comedy scene look out for others around them because they know we are all in this together’

who do you find funny? My mum is hilarious, she often tells me something that will make me laugh uncontrollably and then say ‘You can’t use that in your comedy!’

What’s the most common misconception about comedians?

I think the most common misconception is that local comedy isn’t good. There are some incredible performers in Christchurch. Highlight of your time as a comedian so far? A real highlight has been creating my drag character, Tony Chestnut, and joining with other drag artists to create the show Tony Chestnut and the Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

Funniest moment on stage? I think it has to be when I went up to Auckland and bombed on stage in a shark costume in front of 400 people – embarrassing! How do you relax and unwind? I love my Shakti Mat – I get really bad back pain so that mat is a lifesaver. If you could invite any three people living or dead to a dinner party, who would they be and why?

Shakespeare (theatre hero, cliché I know!), Katherine Ryan (she’s so funny!) and Alan Rickman.

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MC extraordinaire and funny guy Snap (aka Grandpa Figs) spends his time doing stand-up, managing comedians, organising tours and orchestrating the Comedy Carnival for its fourth year. His life is comedy and he’s passionate about retaining talent in Christchurch, not just incubating it. How did you stumble into comedy? When I was about 16, a promoter told me I was witty and should try comedy, so I waited almost 10 years till I had built up enough confidence hosting radio, and then a friend said we should both sign up. I did, she didn’t, and three months later I was touring the country. What’s your day job and how does that fit in with your comedy? My day job is running lots of shows around Christchurch, managing comedians, organising tours and orchestrating the GoMedia Comedy Carnival through my company, Grandpa Figs. My life is comedy. I seriously need a hobby.

‘There is so much talent here at the moment. The real key ... is going to be retaining it’

What words of advice do you have for aspiring comics out there? Constantly be super critical of your performance but still celebrate when you genuinely crush it. I think a lot of new comics think they’re doing better than they are because they’re doing a lot better than they were a couple of months before. It’s important to record your sets and actually listen back and be critical about whether you’re getting the laughs you want.

What’s the comedy scene like in Christchurch? It’s the greatest scene in the world! Everyone is super supportive of each other, and I think that’s been one of the key factors of the growth we’ve seen over the past few years. We now have the biggest scene per capita in the country, and second biggest outright. There is so much talent here at the moment. The real key over the next few years is going to be retaining that talent. It’s time we became more than just an incubator. What or who do you find funny? Most things. When I was in radio I learnt that just allowing yourself to laugh at basically everything an interviewee says stops there being awkward silences. Eventually that leaked in to real life, and now I’ll laugh at basically anything that isn’t Michael McIntyre. What’s the most

PHOTO: TONI LARRY

Q&A: SNAP

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common misconception about comedians? That we want to hear your shitty, recycled, probably problematic joke. Or just people taking things we say on stage and running with it. I had a guy assume I do meth because I made one crappy joke about it in like a 30-minute set. Highlight of your time as a comedian so far? I don’t know if I have one highlight to be honest. There’s a couple of tours with really good people that have definitely been unforgettable.

Performing at the opening showcase of the Dunedin Fringe Festival was super fun. Winning Best MC at the Christchurch Comedy Awards for the third time almost brought a tear to my eye.

I think it’s just generally the connections I’ve made though.

Pretty much all my closest friends are people I’ve met through comedy. Funniest moment on stage? There’s been a lot.

Audiences are crazy. I recently had a really tall old dude sitting in the front row of a show I was MCing.

Just as I was about to bring the final act on he got up, walked on stage and gave me a big hug.

I nestled into his bosom, he kissed me on the head and said, “I love you, you’re very good, I’ve had such a good time, but I have to go now.” It was super bizarre, but so very, very wholesome. How do you relax and unwind? I was gonna ask you the same question buddy!

With Trump, Putin, Boris, Jinping, climate change, pending economic collapse, late-stage capitalism in general and people still buying Crocs, how do any of us relax?

If you could invite any three people living or dead to a dinner party, who would they be and why? Keanu Reeves, just such a lovely chap. Katherine Ryan, because you always need a gal pal to get sneaky drunk on wine with.

And George Bush Snr, he’s dead now so nothing matters to him and he can tell me where the aliens are.

Funny English chap Simon Kingsley-Holmes made the move from Dunedin to Christchurch this year, in pursuit of fresh opportunities in the abundant Garden City. His deadpan, observational humour and quick-wittedness will have you laughing for days. How did you stumble into comedy? I was doing very poorly in film and television and had screwed my life up on quite a big scale. I was stuck on the other side of the world – poor, fat and lonely, and emotionally and creatively unfulfilled. I was creating short films that were inching towards some sort of personal artistic goal and picking up any filming jobs I could whilst working at some godforsaken social club full of old bigots. After three years of doing the same one-day live filming gig for a yacht race, I said I wanted to be paid and this very well-off man begrudgingly gave me £40 for a 17-hour day. That was the nail in the coffin, but I needed something to fill that creative void and I’d stumbled upon alternative comedy in the UK. Left-wing cult acts like Simon Munnery and Wil Hodgson, who did weird or difficult comedy to few people, made me think, ‘I can do that!’ So I came back to NZ and was very briefly in a double act called Teflon Jacksie with my brilliant mate Alex Wolken before I struck out on my own.

What’s your day job and how does that fit with your comedy?

I’m a shelf-stacker at JB Hi-Fi three days a week where I just chose the days I’d be least likely to gig, or to have to go far to gig. I have the occasional day off – if we’ve gone to Dunedin, Akaroa or such-like.

Otherwise it’s finish work, go to the gig, perform, wish you had money for beer and go home. What words of advice do you have for aspiring comics out there? Just do what you think is funny. That’s all. To do so requires a degree of honesty

PHOTO: CALLUM PARSONS

Q&A: SIMON KINGSLEY-HOLMES

‘If you can’t make yourself laugh then how do you expect anyone else to follow suit?’ with yourself but otherwise, start with that and don’t worry about audiences because you literally don’t know who they are. If you can’t make yourself laugh then how do you expect anyone else to follow suit? Do you have a pre- or post-show ritual? Mostly drinking, although that may be as a result of being in a bar where I have to do comedy. Otherwise, worrying helps. If I’m not worried, that’s a problem. That would seem to contradict my previous answer but I worry for me, not them. I won’t pretend comedy is a selfless impulse. What or who do you find funny? I like anything if it’s good.

Slapstick, satire, puns, surrealism, observational, controversial, deadpan, witty, broad, whatever. In

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fact, my two favourite comedy films of the last few years have been The Death of Stalin and Minions. My great inspiration is a guy called Richard Herring, whose podcasts I got obsessed by and then I moved onto his stand-up and I didn’t really get it at first, but I liked him and I liked the challenge of getting it – I liked that he was thinking two steps ahead of me.

However my favourite sitcom Bottom I got straight away. Rik Mayall cutting his own finger off is still one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. My favourite podcasts are Do the Right Thing, which is a fantastic panel show, and We Hope It’s Chips, which is about obscure pop culture from the 80s and 90s presented by two grumpy, ultra-PC, West Country blokes.

Brendon Burns is a searingly smart Aussie stand-up I love as well. I get irritated with myself that I don’t watch more American comedy but then so much of it looks depressingly mainstream, which isn’t particularly appealing to me.

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PHOTO: DAVE MUNN

What’s the most common misconception about comedians?

That we’re all out to offend everybody or that we’re all super nice. There’s usually a reversal of personality off-stage is all I’m saying. Highlight of your time as a comedian so far? Dunedin Fringe!

Meeting and hanging out with circuit comics, annoying students at McDonald’s at three in the morning, terrible diet leading to heart palpitations, flyering, doing whatever type of comedy you want (knowing that squares don’t like it and cool people do) and failing to get off with girls. Great days!

Funniest moment onstage? Not funny necessarily but one time I accidentally shoulder-barged a hole into a wall. I was doing a routine about the MGM lion and I used to throw myself onto stage (for no reason at all). This one time, at Zanzibar in Dunedin, it was a full

Q&A: BEC SANDYS Bec Sandys likes the darker side of comedy and will have you laughing with her zany humour. She recently opened for Urzila Carlson at the Christchurch Town Hall, and in 2017 she started her own production company, Pop Up Comedy. How did you stumble into comedy?

I was filming a movie in Wellington back in 2016 that was based in a comedy club – it was a natural progression from there. What’s your day job and how does that fit in with your comedy? I wear

house and quite a small stage and I figured so as not to brain myself on an amp, it’d be safer to bounce off the back wall onto the floor but I hadn’t considered the idea that the wall might have less substance than myself, and there was this terrible crashing noise as my arm went right through it. Amazingly the owner of Zanzibar, Jonas, walked past as it happened. Any other owner in any other bar in the world would’ve been apoplectic, but not him! I went to apologise after the gig and he goes "Oh, I heard the crash and I looked round and saw you on the floor and the hole in the wall and I thought to myself, Hah! That’s comedy!" He was a great guy! Unlike the audience – they lost interest 30 seconds later, miserable f***ers!

What’s something only your mother knows about you? That I once spoke to her over the phone

whilst I was having a shit. She really was not impressed and in retrospect, rightly so. How do you relax and unwind? I’m English and middle class. I don’t. If you could invite any three people living or dead to a dinner party, who would they be and why? If it’s a dinner party then one of them would have to be a world-renowned cook. Or Albie, who used to run the Castle View Cafe in Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight. He and his wife Jean used to make these enormous, full English breakfasts but I was too little – never had one. So, I’d use this fantasy situation to rectify that.

Secondly, I’d invite Jack the Ripper or some other famously unidentified serial killer and see if I could catch them out by inviting them to a well-catered dinner.

Thirdly, having invited the serial killer, I’d invite Ed Sheeran and keep my fingers crossed.

many hats – I don’t have a day job but have lots of things going on. I am on the hunt for a job though, so if anyone’s looking for a content creator/events manager that can work from home or from anywhere in NZ – call me! What words of advice do you have for aspiring comics out there? Just do it. Write, watch, experience and perform it as much as you can! Do you have a pre- or post-show ritual? Other than shushing the anxiety in my head – not really. What’s the comedy scene like in Christchurch – is it competitive or do you all help each other out? Christchurch has a lot of stage time on offer for comics, not like Auckland where there’s more comics competing for stage time. What or who do you find funny? Most things. I love dark comedy – the darker the better – and love nothing more than people hurting themselves. And farts! Farts will always be funny.

What’s the most common misconception about comedians?

That we smell and that we’re rich!

Highlight of your time as a

‘Christchurch has a lot of stage time on offer for comics’

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comedian so far? Opening for Urzila Carlson at Christchurch Town Hall a couple of weeks ago.

Funniest moment on stage?

Confessing to my dad that I’d crashed his car a day previous to the front wheel falling off it when my step-mum was driving. It had been 25 years and they had no idea. What’s something that only your mother knows about you?

Geez, um… I sucked my thumb till I was 14. How do you relax and unwind? Watching comedy or shredding up Mount Hutt. If you could invite any three people living or dead to a dinner party, who would they be and why?

David Bowie, Bob Marley and Joan Rivers. Bowie is the most amazing person to have ever lived, Joan would keep it very real and funny, and Bob would keep the positive vibrations flowing.

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YOU, ME AND THE UNIVERSE Comedian Dylan Moran has moved on from Black Books to riffing on ‘everything’ in his new show, Dr Cosmos. He tells Cityscape he’s planning some sightseeing when he hits town in October.

You’ve become a regular visitor to New Zealand over the years – what keeps bringing you back?

You don’t think about it when you first start out, you know, you just go somewhere. I’ve been bouncing up and down the road now for a while, one way or another, without much of a plan. It’s a funny thing – some places and some countries you go to and you get them straight away and then there’s other ones where you go back and they’re very elusive. New Zealand’s one of the most enigmatic places there is, actually. Are we a bit hard to work out? Yes, I think so. You’re not like anywhere else. You have echoes of lots of places but you are absolutely yourself. But the echoes are funny – what makes you laugh are remixes of sensibilities or societies.

So we’re something of a hybrid?

Yes, New Zealand’s got a really interesting match-up of qualities I think – adventurous but introspective, quietly progressive.

A lot of paradoxes is what comes to mind most. Do you have any plans for while you are in the country?

I think what I would like to do is see the country a bit more, the actual landscape, because it is so beautiful and I have seen a lot of towns.

That’s what I would like to try and do when and where I can. Black Books is now on Netflix – has it spawned a whole new legion of fans? Is it still on there? Yes, all that

‘I’m talking about everything that has gone on and the way the wind tastes’

stuff is weird because the net wasn’t around when we started all this stuff but now that it’s there it creates this orbit or a belt of space junk, you know. That’s how I think of it – you name it, if you want to see an episode of Magnum P.I. you hit a button. Or some other cultural bygone like Black Books or Happy Days – whatever it is, there it is. That means your memories, the interaction between your neurons and the real world, is like bang, instant connection. We used to spend whole Saturday afternoons going looking for a record, you know. It just changes the way you think. Everything is forever from now on, that’s what it feels like anyway. Any pressure to reprise the role? Shit no, I’m busy writing something else. What do you have in store for New Zealand audiences with Dr Cosmos? Well, I’m talking about everything that has gone on and the way the wind tastes. How we’re living now, from the obvious stuff to the politics, whatever crap is on your television to what you’re talking about in your

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kitchen to how you feel inside to your family and everybody around you. I never set out to cover such a broad sweep of stuff but that’s what’s happened, it seems to be what I talk about now. It would be hard to be broader than the cosmos? The joke of that is that I have the answers to everything.

That’s the stupidity of that, because we live in a time of a lot of snake-oil salesmen, people telling you they do have the answer. Whether it’s Trump or Boris Johnson or whoever – people who are really all about themselves, and everything they’re offering comes down to a package that is indivisible from them as a person. It’s just the idea that you can elect this or that man or woman and they’re going to fix the stuff. It’s the nonsense of that. You’re off to Australia next – have you tuned in to our love/hate relationship yet?

Well that’s a biggie, isn’t it? It’s a huge bit of your emotional weather it seems to me all the time because it’s just there, it’s a big part of your landscape. There’s definitely a sensitivity there. What seems weird to me I suppose is that there’s something parallel in Ireland and Britain but the thing that always strikes me is that it comes down to a choice as well – you can fight to feel inferior or embittered or edgy or whatever it is about the other or you can just not give a toss, you know. You’ve performed the world over, including Ukraine and Kazakhstan – does it ever surprise you how far your comedy travels?

Yes but those questions tend to come from the outside and if I ask too many of them it inhibits me so much that I can’t scratch my nose, let alone do a show. I have to have a high heart and a hugely inflated sense of optimism to carry on to the next place I know nothing about in the hope that I’ll be able to connect with other people for a purpose that permanently eludes me.

Dylan Moran – Dr Cosmos, Christchurch Town Hall, October 15 dylanmoran.com

IMAGE: NANCY ZHOU, CHRISTCHURCHNZ.COM

FEET FIRST

What’s a city without people? It’s empty, like Christchurch after the quakes. All that is changing as businesses and their teams head back inside the Four Avenues and bring life to lunchtime streets.

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irst up, let’s celebrate how far we’ve come. It’s six years since the last central-city cordon came down in June 2013 and since then growth has been phenomenal. Hundreds of office staff from the BNZ Centre and ANZ Centre bring life to the surrounding streets every lunchtime. Thousands of public servants log on and off every workday in the Justice and Emergency Services or Health precincts. And all those shiny new office blocks between the Avon River and Hagley Park are now filled with lawyers and accountants.

That’s a lot of people who need to meet, eat and stay caffeinated.

There are now 40,000 people working inside the Four Avenues during the week, more than 16,000 of whom work in an office. The rest are mainly in retail or hospitality, giving the central city a warm, welcoming face. ChristchurchNZ, the city’s economic development

agency, wants to get the total to 60,000 over the next 10 years, up 10,000 on pre-earthquake levels.

Many of the slick new offices don’t look much like the old ones.

Developers, designers and managers have been inspired to not just replace but to reinvent the spaces. No longer is the boss in a box in the corner; instead a new workplace culture of less hierarchy and more collaboration has become the norm, backed up by a change in furniture and layout to hot desks, bean bags and breakout spaces.

Smaller spaces are beginning to emerge between the big corporate footprints. Some of the more exciting ones are in former industrial buildings that have had a modern makeover. The trio behind shared workspace developer Qb Studios – Alex Brennan, Mike Fisher and Tom Harding – have an impressive track record of repurposing the old for the new,

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turning outdated commercial or industrial buildings into vibrant, flexible office environments.

They see their spaces as new “town squares” where businesses and people work side by side. The shared reception areas, meeting rooms and kitchens are facilities small businesses could not afford on their own.

Europlan is another company that has been heavily involved in popularising the concept of co-working spaces through its collab with industry trailblazer BizDojo Christchurch. Helen Dennis, Europlan’s Christchurchbased national workplace strategy manager, sees a bright future for the co-working industry. Why? “People love community and they love connection,” she says.

Europlan uses the same recipe for co-working spaces as it does for corporate clients – “People want to socialise, they want to create and

FEET FIRST

‘It has given us the ability to build a new city’

which will only add to the renewed sense of community.

Meanwhile, the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce is doing its bit, helping those members ready to make the move by hooking them up with business owners who have already done so, as well as providing direct advice and support.

Chamber chief executive Leeann Watson (pictured above) says the main feedback from businesses

IMAGE: STEPHEN GOODENOUGH

be collaborative, and they need to be able to focus on specific tasks,” Helen says.

Both the Christchurch City Council and development agency ChristchurchNZ are working hard to get people to return to the central city to “live, work and play”. Carolyn Ingles, head of Urban Regeneration, Urban Design and Heritage at the city council, says those who work in offices are a big part of this as they head out for lunch or meet up for a drink at day’s end.

It’s not only lunch bars and watering holes either. There’s no clearer sign of a community re-emerging in the city than the opening of childcare centres catering for the mums and dads in those offices. Millie’s House Early Learning Centre is one of the first.

It has set up in the old Family Courts building on Armagh Street after the Peebles Group transformed one of the city’s few surviving Gothic wonders into a modern, purpose-built facility.

Fletcher Living’s One Central residential development is also bringing a big boost to the number of people living in the central city,

THINKING SMALL While the kind of shared

developments championed by Qb Studios and Europlan provide spaces for some small businesses, critics point to a dearth of small-scale buildings that give a business a chance to establish its own identity and branding. Tobin Smith, of CoLab Architecture, says that before the earthquakes, many Christchurch streets, including Colombo, Manchester and High Street, were lined with two- and three-storey Victorian buildings that were home to many tenants that needed only a small workspace. “This finer grain of

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that have returned is that they are finally able to move forward as an organisation, with a fresh focus on growing the business and attracting customers.

Property management and leasing agency CBRE hasn’t looked back since it moved into a new build on the former Stewart Dawson site on the corner of Cashel and High streets. Managing director Tim Rookes says one of the big changes is the way the team has been invigorated by the “genuine energy” that comes from being in the heart of the city again.

The daily routine of getting a coffee has spawned impromptu client meetings, and the new premises have given the team a renewed sense of pride that Tim is sure will lift business performance.

The Chamber’s Leeann applauds the way developers have made the most of the opportunity to do more than just rebuild the old. New design ideas, building methods and smart technology ensure these buildings are future-proofed. “It has given us the ability to build a new city.” she says.

development gave tenants a strong individual identity,” he says. Photographer Stephen Goodenough is just that kind of business. Before the quakes he was living the dream – 9 Liverpool Street, a two-storey Art Deco former warehouse, was his studio and home. Not only that but he and his wife owned the building. On the ground floor was car parking and his photographic studio; upstairs was a massive, New York-style loft apartment (pictured). At the weekend their children would ride their bikes through Cashel Mall in their Spider-Man costumes. The building held up well enough to the quakes but not to the bureaucrats, who put it on the list for compulsory acquisition. The Goodenoughs are back in the suburbs now and Stephen shares a studio in Addington. He’s looked at moving his business back into the central city but has found the rents prohibitive. The council is aware that a big corporate office space is not the answer for all businesses. It points to an emerging range of smaller business premises around the fringes of the central city’s core. and sees the upper floors of premises along High Street, Manchester Street, the South Frame and Colombo Street offering further potential.

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19

IMAGE: PAUL LONSDALE, CCBA

Front & Centre Tim Rookes, managing director of CBRE, tells Cityscape how returning to the central city has given his team’s energy levels a real boost.

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ow did you approach moving from out of town back to the central city?

We moved back in mid-August. It was always the master plan to move back but location and profile were key. What process did you follow? There were limited locations to fit the bill that aligned with our lease expiry. Tim Glasson spoke to us about his planned building on the former Stewart Dawsons corner – fantastic location, great aspect down Cashel

and High with great presence and signage available. The floor plates were irregular but we saw an opportunity for a focused working floor and a dedicated client suite on the top floor with a balcony and unimpeded views to the Port Hills and evening sun. Perfect. What factors were important for you in a new space? It was all about a central location in the CBD and the opportunity to align our premises with our brand. We wanted a work environment that

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motivated and inspired, reinforced by a community of activity and vibrance – this is what the CBD is delivering for us. It was important for us to show our commitment to the city and return to the new CBD. It was never about move back or not, it was about the right opportunity. Any tips for others contemplating doing the same?

You need to make the right decision for your business, your team and your clients. If the CBD meets your objectives you will

FEET FIRST

‘The daily routine of getting a coffee has led to impromptu meetings with clients’

not regret it – new premium space, a refreshed vibrancy and amenity aplenty. How willing did you find building owners were to negotiate on price and terms? There was a principle of reasonableness in our project. Our landlord, Tim Glasson, was very clear on his vision for the building, and our global brand aligned with the tenant profile he was looking to achieve. The outcome was a great deal for both parties. Some small businesses are delaying their return because of what they see as prohibitive rents in the new developments – any thoughts on that? Will rents get cheaper as more buildings go up?

Landlords are willing to negotiate – there is a direct correlation between the location, the lease term you offer and rent levels.

Landlords are motivated to see their tenants succeed and the CBD thrive. What difference has it made to your business and the team being back in the central city? There is a genuine energy from being in the heart of the CBD again – this invigorates the team.

The change opportunity that new premises create has improved engagement and instilled a sense of pride in the team that I am sure will translate into business

performance. Also, the daily routine of getting a coffee has led to impromptu meetings with clients.

We can see it will improve doing business; relationships will become more constant. Have you changed your culture and working style as part of the shift? We have adopted an agile work environment – creating ‘places’ to work, not just the typical desk. It will be an adjustment, but the team are up for it and it will improve collaboration.

Being over two floors has intensified our work environment while also sending a message to our clients with our dedicated client floor that we value their engagement. Is the new space all hot desks and breakout spaces?

Are rubbish bins still allowed? Hot desks are old-school, we are about being agile. Our support teams have permanent locations and our valuation team have a more conventional working environment but they are embracing the ‘places’ to work that we have created. The prime frontage belongs to no one but can be used by all. And rubbish bins are out. Any resistance? Two challenging conversations and we are all on board. As one of the city’s leading leasing agents, what trends are you seeing as

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businesses return to the central city? Over the last 18 months the tenants have had a great deal of sway; now the balance of power is more in equilibrium. The space is being absorbed and large tenancies are harder to find, but the larger requirements are few and far between. Great buildings like ours will continue to emerge but the obvious infilling will take time.

Tenants in the suburbs will still be courted to relocate into the CBD, but lease expiries will influence the likelihood of a move – as always, proactive landlords will be most likely to retain tenants. For those for whom the CBD is the right fit, none will regret it, and we all benefit from a more vibrant CBD. Do you have any thoughts on any of the developments going up in the city? We have thoughts on them all – bring on the Riverside Market; imagine the positive impact the Convention Centre is going to have, and a completed Arts Centre and Performing Arts Precinct, a new stadium, a Metro Sports facility. We will have them all eventually and we will be a city amongst cities – a ‘build it and they will come’ adage I am sure will be true for our great city! cbre.co.nz

Space-men

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he trio behind shared workspace developer Qb Studios – Alex Brennan, Mike Fisher and Tom Harding – have an impressive track record of repurposing the old for the new, turning outdated commercial or industrial buildings into modern, flexible office environments.

Alex tells Cityscape it’s like finding buried treasure.

What developments have Qb Studios already completed? It’s been a busy 4½ years. We have opened six locations since we started in Christchurch in 2014. In Christchurch we have opened in Southwark Street, St Asaph Street and Addington, and in Auckland we are in Ponsonby, Herne Bay and Newmarket. In the last year we have more than doubled in size, expanding our flagship locations in Auckland and Christchurch and opening a new, more intimate location in Newmarket. What is in the pipeline? After a busy year we are

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looking forward to strengthening and nurturing the community of businesses that we already have in the Qb network. Growth will come naturally and organically from that.

At the same time, we are planning some further expansion in Ponsonby in Auckland and also have some other opportunities in Christchurch and Queenstown, so there will be room to bring new businesses into the community. Is there a single vision that lies behind the various developments? If so, what is the inspiration for that? We try to create workspaces that feel more like boutique hotels than offices. Our vision is to create environments that allow the people and businesses in them to flourish. We call them 'Curated workspaces', which means that, as managers, we have a light but careful touch. The businesses inside our developments are the real stars of the show – a wine glass should be clear and elegant because its real job is to bring out the best in the wine that it holds. Do the various

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19

FEET FIRST

‘We particularly enjoy finding the hidden or forgotten character in old industrial buildings’

Opposite page: Mike Fisher (left), Alex Brennan and Tom Harding.

Below and right: Meeting rooms and shared spaces in Qb Christchurch.

projects tie together in any way? We think a lot about the design of our spaces and I think that is a common thread that runs through all of our locations. While each building has a very different feeling, they have a unifying and unmistakably 'Qb' aesthetic. We also pay attention to all of the sensory aspects of our spaces – things like the music, artwork, plants and of course the smells – all with a view to making people feel good when they are in our locations. Members of one location can also make use of the facilities in our other spaces, which for some businesses can be a real benefit. How do you see the developments fitting in to the vibe of the new Christchurch? Spaces like ours are like new 'town squares' where business and people work side by side. I think the idea of that is very appealing to people in Christchurch. A city that is being reborn has opportunity to be fresh, modern and stylish. I would hope that we contribute to that in our own way. How did you all meet and get Qb Studios started? What are your backgrounds? We all come from quite different backgrounds. I was a barrister, Tom was a professional rugby player and Mike has a background as an art dealer. We met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, playing rugby after Mike and Tom had moved away from Christchurch post earthquake. We started out by developing a modular construction system with the aspiration to be able to build beautiful buildings, fast. We brought that system back to Christchurch to help with the rebuild and built a showcase in an old warehouse just outside the city. That was our first Qb Studios and was conceived as a place for businesses that were displaced after the quake to come back together in a village-like community environment. This coincided with a huge global shift in the way people work and a movement towards co-working style developments. We have been surfing that wave ever since. What do you look for in a location? We like to find

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FEET FIRST

buried treasure. We particularly enjoy finding the hidden or forgotten character in old industrial buildings and revealing it by bringing them to life using designs that had never been imagined for them. What type of tenant and culture are you aiming for?

There is no one 'type' of business in Qb, but we find that the owners of the companies who move in tend to be forward-thinking and open to new ideas. Like any healthy village, we like to have a diverse range of companies in our communities. We have all sorts of businesses from the most earthy – geotechnical engineers – to the most abstract – businesses designing virtual reality products for Google. From trendy Kiwi popcorn companies to the largest beverage company in the world. We like our culture to be friendly and welcoming and we do what we can to create an environment where this manifests organically. Our aim is to bring out the best in the people and businesses in our spaces. Your focus seems to be on renovating and repurposing old commercial and industrial buildings in areas in need of a bit of love – what is the

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Qb Christchurch hosts a diverse range of businesses.

FEET FIRST

‘One of the challenges is magnetising more people back into the city’

motivation for that? The best things come from properly balancing the old and the new.

Too much of one and things become stale and too much of the other and they become chaotic. We find beauty that has been forgotten, undervalued or not properly revealed and we add new energy and creative energy to invigorate it and bring it to life. In our Christchurch location on St Asaph Street we have developed this idea by joining a complete new building onto an older industrial warehouse building. Yin and yang!

Do you have any thoughts or views on the future of office working spaces? Is flexibility the most important goal now?

I think that is certainly getting more important. We are living in a time of fast change, so businesses and people need to be able to adapt quickly. Simplicity is another important factor. Life is increasingly complex so it is very appealing to move into a fully furnished space and reduce the hassle involved in running your own office by driving all of the property management into a single monthly bill. It frees up time and allows poeple to concentrate on their core

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business – or whatever else they enjoy doing!

Finally, technology has the ability to both connect and to isolate, so bringing companies back together in a village-like environment can be like cold water to a thirsty soul. What are the challenges/ opportunities for development within the city? One of the challenges is magnetising more people back into the city. The delay in the completion of some of the anchor projects hasn’t helped the key developers, who have been the driving force behind the rebuild of the CBD. Once we see the completion of the remaining anchor projects, particularly the stadium, then Christchurch will have an exciting inner-city footprint to organically build around. What does the future of the inner city look like to you?

There are people doing some really exciting developments and pockets of the city bursting to life in innovative blooms. I think that over time these dots will join together to create a more coherent centre. This will take time, but that’s part of the fun! qbstudios.co.nz

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Bottom-up Design

Office design has come a long way from the boss in a box in the corner, with a whole science springing up around how layout influences workplace culture and productivity.

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elen Dennis, national workplace strategy manager at Europlan Ltd, has been in the commercial office furniture industry for 14 years and in that time has seen a big shift in workspace design, away from a hierarchical approach to a culture of increased collaboration. Technology has been a key driver of that change. In response, Europlan partners with their clients right at the start of the office design process in order to shape a new culture as well as a new floor layout.

Through workshops for a business’s leaders and team members, Helen and her team build an understanding of work styles and long-term goals. This then enables them to create a space that reflects the culture and brand as well as one where people have choice, feel productive and happy, and are empowered to do their minds' best work.

Europlan has also been heavily involved in popularising the concept of co-working spaces through its collab with BizDojo, which has a network of shared office spaces in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.

To find out more, Cityscape spoke to Helen, who is based in Christchurch, about her role with Europlan and how she sees the future of our commercial office spaces and

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the central city in general. The broad sweep of Europlan’s services is in itself an expression of how everything – culture, strategy and design – is interlinked. How do you see these elements fitting together?

We focus on combining three key elements – people, technology and space. Today we have five generations in our workplaces, soon to be six, and they all have different needs and expectations. Research suggests over 50 percent of the workforce are millennials and they have all been born connected and mobile. Through thoughtful design we can cater to a variety of needs by providing platforms that offer users a choice about how and where they work, giving them control of their own environment.

Technology is developing at an incredibly fast rate and the truth is we don’t know what is coming, so we create agile and organic spaces that ensure businesses can easily adapt to change. Now more than ever, organisations want more out of their spaces.

They need multifunctional floor plates that can be used in a variety of ways and easily reconfigured. Our experience in workplace strategy gives us insight into the key elements that support a thriving workspace and allows us to provide a package that

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Above, right and below left: People need space to socialise, create and collaborate.

Below right: Europlan's Helen Dennis.

FEET FIRST

‘It has been incredible to see the changes in the city and the opportunities that have risen from the rebuild’

supports businesses now and into the future.

Acoustics seem particularly important and often overlooked – is that your experience?

Yes! They can be overlooked but it’s often because people are unsure of how to tackle it. Two of the first concerns users have with a change in their office space is an increase in noise and a decrease in privacy. Both concerns are easily addressed.

A noisy office and a workspace that is too quiet are both undesirable. If it’s too noisy people will become fatigued, and if it’s too quiet every single noise is amplified due to lack of sound masking. A general buzz of people doing business, light music in social spaces and carefully curated acoustic solutions all blend together to support the challenges of noise in a workplace. We

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approach it from three angles – absorb, block and cover. Our solutions depend on the area we are treating and the requirements of the space. Through its partnership with BizDojo, Europlan has been key to the rise of co-working spaces in New Zealand – any insights into what is happening there?

The co-working industry is only going to continue to grow. People love community and they love connection. We’ve been involved in co-working from its early stages and it’s been great to see how it’s evolved.

When co-working started out it was about lone workers and dynamic duos; now we’re seeing larger businesses adopt co-working as a sustainable floor plate model. We use the same recipe for co-working spaces that we do with our corporate clients. There is no

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19

FEET FIRST

one size fits all, copy and paste option.

People want to socialise, they want to create and be collaborative, and they need to be able to focus on specific tasks. We are big on wellness so providing spaces where people can recharge and re-energise throughout the day is a must. We work out of BizDojo here in Christchurch and it enables us to test products in high-use environments, experiment with different pieces, get feedback and see what is working and what isn’t. It allows our clients to see our furniture being heavily used and enjoyed in a live environment. Do you have any thoughts or views on the future of office working spaces? Is flexibility the most important goal now? Flexibility is important but that doesn’t necessarily mean every piece of furniture needs to move. It’s also about how, where and when we work. Furniture should continue to support the goals of the organisation and the activities that are going on in the space. We want to provide platforms that can be repurposed, redeployed or reconfigured to meet changing needs. We are seeing clients choosing leasing options to deliver all or parts of their fitout. This nimble approach allows for an easy refresh and the ability to respond quickly to changes if required.

Does Christchurch have any unique challenges and/or opportunities in rebuilding its commercial office spaces?

It has been incredible to see the changes in the city and the opportunities that have risen from the rebuild. The approach to change and how Cantabrians easily adapt and embrace new ways of working is definitely leading the charge. Businesses are naturally taking a more agile approach because we know all too well that things can change quickly. There are some incredible office fitouts in Christchurch and it is great to see more customer and employee-focused spaces that are facilitating a flexible work/life blend.

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What does the future of the central city look like to you? Post-earthquake the city seemed disconnected. I love how this is changing. The laneways and open spaces where people can come together and enjoy the sunshine and a cocktail or two is probably my favourite part. The city is already buzzing so I’m excited to see what the future holds once the centre feels more complete. How do you see Europlan’s projects fitting in or contributing to the vibe of the new Christchurch? We love working with businesses that are futurefocused and have the wellbeing of their employees front of mind. We create inspiring spaces that perform and support the goals of an organisation and we do that by supplying thoughtful furniture solutions that encourage productivity, collaboration and healthy working environments. We have some clever and intuitive solutions that can support a business and their success. europlan.nz

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Above: Europlan is able to test furniture products in its own high-use environments.

Courthouse to Castle A childcare centre is the perfect new use for the Gothic splendour of the old Family Courts building, with history, a central location and a modern, purpose-built interior ticking all the right boxes.

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s businesses and their teams head back to the inner city and into the flash new office spaces being built for them, it’s good to know someone’s thinking about where the children can go.

When developer Richard Peebles bought the old Family Courts building on Armagh Street in 2018, he already had in mind that an inner-city childcare facility would be a great future for the building.

You can see the attraction – the Gothic architecture evokes images of castles, princes, princesses and magical goings-on; there’s a view over the River Avon; and in the grounds there are 100-year-old horse chestnut trees to play under.

The idea led to the Peebles Group and childcare operator Millie’s House working together to transform the building into an early learning centre that meets all Ministry of Education and health and safety requirements. Millie’s House Early Learning Centre was born and is now open.

It’s a perfect fit that has given a new lease of life to the old

courthouse, which was built in 1880.

It’s the oldest purpose-built court building remaining in Christchurch and the only part of the original court complex still standing. The redevelopment preserved the stunning exterior and many of the enchanting interior features of stone, wood panelling, beautiful ceilings, fixtures and fittings, while also bringing everything up to date with fun, comfort and safety in mind.

The central location means the children have the courthouse as a base and their teachers can easily take them out and about in the

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exciting, ever-changing central city, visiting places such as new central library Tūranga, the Canterbury Museum, the Christchurch Art Gallery, Margaret Mahy Playground and the Botanic Gardens. The fact that the centre is close to many city office blocks also enables nursing mothers to pop in during the day and make use of the private breastfeeding facilities.

Within the building’s large stone walls is ample space for the children to play and learn. There are eight play areas plus two large communal areas for fostering creativity with art and craft activities, science and exploration, story times and messy play. There are also separate sleep areas for daytime naps and very impressive bathroom spaces, offering child-sized cubicles for privacy and independence. All areas are set out according to age and stage of development. The indoor areas boast separate milk kitchens for each room and separate change areas. Nutritious home-cooked meals and snacks are provided throughout the day to keep the children nourished. All dietary needs are catered for.

Millie’s House Early Learning Centre 85 Armagh Street 03 365 0095 millieshouse.co.nz

FEET FIRST

Joining the Dots

Tobin Smith of CoLab Architecture reflects on the emerging central city and champions the need for more small-scale developments to ‘join the dots’ between the big glass boxes.

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s the city rebuilds and vacant lots are replaced by large-scale developments and precincts, it is important to remember that we need small buildings as well as big ones. While it is good to see these large developments – the Justice Precinct, the Convention Centre and the like – give the city a sense of permanence, smaller tenancies get a little lost within the branding of the major tenant.

Before the earthquakes, many Christchurch streets, including Colombo, Manchester and High Street, were lined with two and three-storey Victorian buildings that were home to many tenants that needed only a small workspace. This finer grain of development gave tenants a strong individual identity, allowing them to build their brand. If all that is available to them in the rebuild is space in a large building where the tenancy list is dominated by the nameplates of big corporates, it will be much harder for them to establish their own identity. By providing space for local retailers or artisans, finer-grain buildings also create connections between the larger city-block developments.

The other thing we need is more buildings with windows. We’re in danger of becoming the glass box city as the rebuild delivers a lot of new glass buildings with some sort of screening device to control light and articulate the façade. We have lost the solidity of our old Victorian or Mid Century Brutalist buildings.

It’s easy to over-romanticise the pre-quake city. The reality is that

‘Victorian buildings were home to many tenants that needed only a small workspace’ among the heritage gems that were lost, we also lost a lot of rubbish. Retail was not in a great place pre-quakes – Cashel Street for example was in a pretty sad state – and now retail is bouncing back, with strong brands committing to the central city. Not every new building will be to everyone’s taste, and it’s important to have diversity in the rebuild.

Helping that diversity is the restoration of some large-scale

pre-quake buildings. Peter Beaven’s former Canterbury Terminating Building Society building on Manchester Street, which illustrates Christchurch’s Mid Century Modernist architecture, is getting a new lease of life, with developers Box 112 doing a stellar job there.

And talk of the former Design and Arts College building on Worcester Street being restored is also music to my ears – the building is a stunning example of the Art Deco era. Our streetscapes need these references.

The central-city residential developments are another welcome sign but it’s the apartments with the $500,000 price tag, rather than $1.5 million, that we need first. It’s all about bums on seats – attracting a younger population to live in the city by delivering good quality, affordable housing. There will always be a market for higherpriced housing stock in the inner city, but this portion of the market won’t dramatically grow the central-city population. This is only possible by reducing the scale and increasing density. Grow the population in the city to stimulate local businesses, then look to increase the scale and price. colabarch.co.nz

LOST SPACE: MANCHESTER STREET AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2010. PHOTO: STEPHEN GOODENOUGH

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Home & Lifestyle

SUBTLE TONES This setting is a showcase for Resene colours. The tabletop is Resene Cararra, the wall is Resene Tacao, the containers are Resene Just Dance and Resene Route 66, and the gorgeous blue of the plate is Resene Wet N Wild. resene.co.nz/colorshops

ANCHORED IN HISTORY Colab Architecture’s Blair Paterson and Tobin Smith transform a ruin. P52 IMAGE: BRYCE CARLETON

HOT PROPERTY With Mary Turnbull. P55 SUNNY OUTLOOK Canopy Landscape Architects’ Julie Greenslade and Paul Roper-Gee. P58 47

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Future Perfect

When it comes to the future, it’s never too early to start planning. Whether you are part of the ‘sandwich generation’ dealing with the demands of parenting as well as caring for ageing parents, or are just keen to make the most of your own retirement, it’s all about knowing the options.

BEDFORD TERRACES, FLETCHER LIVING

T

o help, Cityscape has canvassed what empty nesters need to think about before downsizing to a city pad, and what those considering independent living in a gated community or lifestyle village need to know.

DOWNSIZING For those rattling around in the suburban family home with beds still made up for offspring who have long since sprung, downsizing to a smaller address closer to all those central-city attractions like great cafés and restaurants, art galleries, parks and other urban

delights is a logical next step. In fact, research shows that living in medium-density developments in the city is healthier than living in the suburbs. Being able to easily walk everywhere is what makes the biggest difference, and social interaction and physical activity thrive best in compact communities, helping to ward off loneliness.

But while that cute inner-city worker’s cottage or similar may tug at your heart strings, there are some much more practical things to consider if your new home is going to serve you well as you age, such as how warm is it? Is it low maintenance? Is there flat access to

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the main entrance? Are the walkways and doorways wide enough for mobility scooters to easily pass through? Do toilets and bathrooms have grab rails, or can they easily be fitted?

These and similar questions need to be answered if a new home is to get a Homestar or Lifemark rating. Homestar is a comprehensive, independent national rating tool run by the Green Building Council. It measures the health, warmth and efficiency of New Zealand houses. A home is rated on a scale from 6 to 10.

A Homestar 6 rating or higher provides assurance that a house

will be better quality – warmer, drier, healthier and cost less to run – than a typical new house built to building code. Homestar assesses a house, apartment or multi-unit development against several categories including energy, health and comfort, water, waste and materials.

Lifemark ratings cover the main areas in a home and ensure it is designed and built to be adaptable, accessible, usable, safe and offer lifetime value. A rating of either 3, 4 or 5 stars can be awarded depending on how many of the Lifemark standards the home meets.

Lifemark started out as a lobby group launched by CSS Disability Action, asking government to make these housing modifications mandatory. It has since morphed into a voluntary scheme and educational organisation.

If you are looking to downsize, then, it is important to future-proof your decision by checking whether your potential new home meets these standards. For example, in Fletcher Living’s One Central residential development in the central city, all homes have been designed and built to meet the Homestar 6 standards and many also have a Lifemark 3 or 4 rating.

For those wanting an extra level of security, gated communities are an option, and not just for the rich and famous. Controls over who can gain access to the community and its shared facilities provide residents with considerable peace of mind and a sense of belonging but without the limitations that can come with buying into a retirement village.

One example of this is Hagley Mews, a community of timeless townhouses being built on the site of the demolished Heatherlea apartments, on the corner of Deans Avenue and Ayr Street. Access to the internal courtyard that in turn gives access to most of the townhouses is controlled by an electronically locked gate linked to a videophone in each dwelling.

PARK LANE RETIREMENT VILLAGE, ARVIDA GROUP

RETIREMENT VILLAGES Today’s retirement villages are a long way from the rest homes of old, where residents were likely to be in need of a high level of care and face limits on their independence as a result.

Retirement villages are all about supporting residents to live as independently as possible, able to come and go as they please, and able to opt in or out of village activities as well. Villages enable residents to kick back, relax and enjoy their retirement by providing a low-maintenance home and lots of opportunity to enjoy activities and socialising.

The other important thing villages provide is some certainty around care for the future. Many villages offer a range of accommodation and care options and enable residents to move when they need to from independent living in villas and apartments to supported living in serviced apartments or studios, all the way through to hospital and dementia care, without facing the disruption of another big shift.

Not all retirement villages are the same though, with important differences in ownership structures and such things as the level of weekly or monthly fees and what they cover, whether beloved furry friends are allowed, whether you

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Villages enable residents to kick back, relax and enjoy their retirement

can have your buddies or relatives stay, and whether any extra assistance such as nurse visits can come from community-based providers or must be contracted from the village operator.

Here are some key questions you should ask when checking out retirement villages, drawn from a very comprehensive checklist compiled by Eldernet (eldernet.co.nz): • Is the village a registered retirement village? You can check this on retirementvillages. govt.nz. Some village-type units do not have to be registered, so you should clarify this with the village management.

• Does the village belong to the Retirement Villages Association, a providers’ organisation for villages? Check this on retirementvillages.org.nz.

• Is the village completely finished? Are there plans for expansion? If so, where is it expanding to and how long until completion? How disruptive would construction be?

FUTURE PERFECT

• Is there a care facility onsite? Can residents receive high-level care in their home, or would they need to move to the care facility?

What happens if a resident needs to move to the care facility and there are no vacancies?

It is also important to ensure the location suits you and those who will visit you, and that the village is friendly and welcoming. Legal advice is all part of the process of buying into a retirement village, to make sure you know what is and isn’t included in the contract.

Villages vary in the number of

ELECTRIC AVENUE Natalie Gallagher loves “the Beemer”. The Park Lane Retirement Village resident moved in to her Living Well apartment early this year and brought her trusty Honda Jazz with her. But that’s gathering dust now that she can take one of the retirement village’s electric cars for a spin instead. There’s four to choose from – two Hyundai Ioniqs, a Mitsubishi Outlander hybrid, and Natalie’s favourite, the BMW i3.

It’s a long way from the Holden sedan of her parents. She got her licence in that in 1957, not long after turning 15. She already knew the basics, having learned to drive her dad’s tractor on their farm near Lincoln.

units they have, whether they are all the same or a mix of sizes and styles, and what community facilities are available – some offer a glam resort lifestyle with swimming pools, cinemas, bowling greens and cafés, while others may have more basic amenities. One village operator, Arvida, is even giving residents access to a fleet of zippy electric vehicles, meaning they can save money on car ownership and running costs and the village gets to turn space for car parks into space for more community facilities.

Natalie even took it as far as Diamond Harbour for a tramping club outing

Park Lane’s EV fleet is part of a push by parent company Arvida to reduce its carbon footprint and also that of its residents. Benefits go beyond that, though – access to the vehicles allows residents to save the considerable costs of owning and running their own car.

It also frees up space in the village that would otherwise go to parking for up to 100 cars.

To ensure residents can still access vehicles suitable for longer journeys such as holidays or ski

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WHERE TO TURN Cityscape found some great advice online that will help anyone thinking about downsizing or moving into a village. Eldernet (eldernet.co.nz) is an excellent place to start, with information on home help services that can allow somebody to keep living in their own home and also on what to look for when weighing up a village choice. Age Concern (ageconcern. org.nz) is another good resource, with lots of information as well as links to relevant government and industry organisations.

trips, Park Lane has the Mitsubishi hybrid. The EV fleet will grow as more and more of the residents follow Natalie and go electric.

Natalie admits she never thought she would be driving around in an electric vehicle and that she was a bit apprehensive at first. That apprehension disappeared on her first drive. No noise, no changing gear, just foot down and you’re off.

Natalie even took it as far as Diamond Harbour for a tramping club outing and found it quite peppy. The open road was no trouble at all.

Natalie was also a bit apprehensive about making the big move from the family home to a retirement village. Location was the No. 1 priority for her as she wanted to still be close to her old Halswell neighbourhood.

Now, four months after moving in to Park Lane, she loves her warm and sunny apartment and has no regrets at all about her choice. She likes that the village has a mix of building design, rather than the series of “little boxes” she saw elsewhere, and that it is on a smaller scale than some of the other options she looked at.

Making it all easier was relocation firm Senior Move Managers, who specialise in assisting with the emotional and physical aspects of shifting out of what has probably been the family home.

FUTURE PERFECT

Q&A: CREATING CONNECTIONS Remaining engaged, active and happy is the key to enjoying retirement, Bill McDonald, CEO of Arvida Group, tells Cityscape.

Why should people consider moving into one of your villages?

At Arvida we believe remaining engaged, active and happy is the key to enjoying retirement. We strive to help every one of our residents stay active for longer by understanding their lives and how we can encourage and facilitate their continued engagement with what is important to them. We call this “the Arvida attitude of living well”. What is the most common misconception people have about retirement villages? A common misconception is that a retirement village is only a rest home, when really there is so much more to a retirement village than just aged care. Do you specialise in a

particular type of village? Every Arvida community has the same philosophy. Each village is unique in format, but all offer great levels of service, support and care. We offer a range of accommodation and care options throughout the country including independent living in villas and apartments, supported living in serviced apartments and studios, and care including rest-home, hospital and dementia care. What do you offer in the way of outings and social occasions? Activities and events are different everywhere based on the likes and interests of residents.

A team member works with residents to put together a monthly activities calendar that will have regular activities and events as well as one-off outings. What are the points of difference in your offerings? Apart from each village being unique and integrated into its local community, we want residents to feel younger for longer and actively engaged in life. This holistic approach to health and

‘Really there is so much more to a retirement village than just aged care’

general wellbeing is underpinned by five wellness pillars – eating well, moving well, resting well, thinking well and engaging well. Are you seeing any trends in the industry and in what clients want? We’re finding that while people want lifestyle living to be safe and secure, they also want to feel connected to the wider community.

To support this, Arvida’s new communities won’t be typical gated retirement villages. We are focused on developing amenities that can be used by the local community to create connections and foster friendships across generations. arvida.co.nz

ARVIDA GROUP Addington’s Park Lane Retirement Village is part of the Arvida Group, which has 32 communities throughout New Zealand. Park Lane has independent living villas and apartments, serviced apartments and studios, and rest-home and hospital-level care. Dementia care is offered at other Arvida villages in Christchurch, such as St Allisa’s in Upper Riccarton.

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ANCHORED IN HISTORY

Old stone walls underpin a modern family home in this post-quake transformation by Blair Paterson and Tobin Smith of CoLab Architecture.

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ith so many post-quake Christchurch building projects presenting a choice between the old or the new, the brief to build a new home on the historic basement walls of a 100-year-old Hurst Seager house was an exciting challenge for CoLab’s Blair Paterson and Tobin Smith.

Nicknamed ‘The House on a Ruin’, the result is a modern, two-storey family home that integrates seamlessly with what remains of the stone basement and retaining walls of the old house, which was destroyed in the February 2011 Canterbury earthquake.

Meticulously repaired, the stonework has become the hero of the whole project. Blair and Tobin are certain that renowned architect Samuel Hurst Seager would approve of the transformation, given he championed New Zealand finding its own style, and using modern technology to improve, not simply imitate.

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Orientated to follow the footprint and alignment of its predecessor, the house extends towards the west and perches upon a series of steel stilts as it leaves its stone base, floating lightly over the ground below.

From the east, the house is a solid cedar-clad form, confidently anchored to the ground. A timber deck extends the depth of the elevation, curving around an existing flowering cherry tree at the centre of the site. colabarch.co.nz

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19

ANCHORED IN HISTORY

‘Meticulously repaired, the stonework has become the hero of the whole project’

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HOME & LIFESTYLE

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Home Styling 8

10 things we are coveting this spring.

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1 Areaware – Bank in the Form of a Pig (RRP $565) from Corso Merivale 2 Nomon Reina Barcelona clock (POA) from Matisse 3 Ball pendant (RRP $199) from BoConcept 4 Alpaca throw (RRP $245) from The Mohair Store 5 Contour vase (RRP $85) from BoConcept 6 Taupe Marbling Artwork (RRP $2800) from Frobisher Interiors 7 Sustainable Home by Christine Liu (RRP $33) from Ballantynes 8 Tom Dixon Bone Bowl Small brass (RRP $235) from ECC 9 Andrew Martin Jasper sofa (POA) from Frobisher Interiors 10 Main floor lamp (RRP $1129) from BoConcept

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MARY TURNBULL

HOT PROPERTY

Spring welcomes fresh growth in the housing market. Here’s how to make the most of it.

The warmer months are more than just a great time to clean out the garage.

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ardens are coming into bloom and the birds are chirping, which can only mean one thing – spring is here.

The warmer months are more than just a great time to clean out the garage. They’re also the best time to put your house on the market. Why? Because the sooner you can get a “For Sale” sign out the front, the greater advantage you’re going to have over other prospective buyers and sellers. You see, when you list early you’re more likely to sell early, which will set you up as a desirable cash buyer when

the October/November rush really kicks into gear. You’ll have the pick of the market and the thing so many sellers desire - cold hard cash.

Then there’s the fact potential buyers will have spent the winter months pouring over interior design magazines and researching the market. By the time spring rolls around they’re absolutely itching to get going. Purchasing in spring gives them an opportunity to map out any renovations they want to make over summer, and from the minute they move in, they can get their hands dirty and muck into the DIY, a luxury the winter months don’t always allow for.

Competition also heats up, which creates a sense of urgency that’s great for sellers. In the spring and summer months buyers cannot

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afford to dilly dally about and mull over their options for extended periods of time. The pressure to place an offer is real because if they don’t, someone else will. If you’re looking to buy, you can prepare for this by walking into each open home with a clear idea of what you do want, what you don’t want, what you can afford to compromise on and what you can’t. Keep a clear head and make sure you carry out all the proper checks on your non-negotiables (sun orientation, school zones, garaging etc.).

If you’re thinking of selling, spring into action and get it listed as soon as possible. You certainly won’t regret it! maryturnbull.harcourts.co.nz

HOME & LIFESTYLE

Lush Lines

Sofas that make you happy for a long time – hülsta designers not only create modern sofas but timelessly modern sofas, and they are available exclusively at Frobisher Interiors. The hülsta hs.480 Armchair features flowing lines like an organic structure from nature that slowly expands until it has found its perfect shape, and comes to rest in the living room.

Featuring a lush shape yet a simple design, they are meticulously crafted, which is reflected in the high-quality piped seam. The sofa was awarded the ‘Blue Angel’, an eco-label in Germany since 1978 that sets high standards for environmentally friendly product design. The Blue Angel award has proven itself over the past 40 years as a reliable guide for more sustainable consumption. Frobisher Interiors offer exclusive furniture brands in their stunning showroom alongside full interior design services plus their own Espressory serving Lyttelton Coffee and fresh, daily-baked goods. Open Monday to Friday 9-5 and Saturday 10-3; come and find your unique design, inspired together! frobisher.co.nz

INNER CITY LIVING

THE GRASS IS GREENER Cityscape checks out the latest addition to Fletcher Living’s Bedford Terraces and Bedford Apartments, where the grass is down and the decking is ready for al fresco dining.

Now this is somewhere we can see ourselves relaxing with a good book or a G&T on a warm spring evening – in a quiet, sheltered courtyard in Fletcher Living’s One Central inner-city residential development. Bedford Terraces and the adjacent Bedford Apartments, a mix of one-, twoand three-bedroom residences, put you right at the heart of the city, and yet ensconced in the green and pleasant surrounds of the community’s courtyard areas, you could be miles away. The courtyards, the work of Rough and Milne Landscape Architects and lead architects Architectus, are

bordered by a mix of native plantings, fruit trees and seating. To make sure residents aren’t disturbed by someone wandering in uninvited, access from the street is secured with a PIN number. The courtyards are part of the wider One Central development, adjacent to the new inner-city Rauora Park, and it’s easy to see how the whole area will become a vibrant, connected urban community. Shared spaces such as

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the courtyards will encourage residents to get to know their neighbours and begin building their own community around the homes they live in. Bedford Terraces and Bedford Apartments are set within a range of laneways linking residents to some of the city’s trendiest local restaurants, bars and entertainment options, making for an enviable lifestyle. fletcherliving.co.nz

HOME & LIFESTYLE POOL TIME

MAKING A SPLASH

RESENE ALABASTER

RESENE GET REDDY

RESENE CHATEAU GREEN

Been thinking about putting in a pool this summer? Because if you have, that bit of sun we’ve been enjoying lately is a green light for the seasonal rush, say the good people at Lagoon Pools. The Christchurch company are the South Island dealers for leading Australian pool maker Leisure Pools, and they know what they are talking about. Working with Leisure Pools gives them access to a big range of innovative pools that can incorporate fountains, water jets, lighting and concealed covers. In fact, if you find a photo of what you want, Lagoon Pools can make it happen. lagoonpools.co.nz

RESENE FAMILY TREE

RESENE NOIR

Going Green

RESENE SWISS CARAMEL

The menagerie-themed designs of Resene’s Khroma Glasshouse Wallpaper series (pictured) are an ideal backdrop for flora and fauna accents, which are making a strong return to interior colourways. Today’s looks are all about layering on natural textures and graphic patterns, which makes it easy to add some ‘wild’ style to almost any room when you start with warm colours such as Resene Swiss Caramel, Resene Chateau Green and Resene Family Tree. Dusty greens are in – we saw lots of those on the catwalk at New Zealand Fashion Week as well – and sage, mint, olive, jade and emerald lead the way this season. Complement with reds ranging from burgundy hues to something brighter like Resene Get Reddy and you will not only be on trend but also have a look that will last the test of time. resene.co.nz/colorshops

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SUNNY OUTLOOK Stuck for how to turn your backyard into an urban oasis? Canopy

Landscape Architects’ Julie Greenslade and Paul Roper-Gee have some ideas.

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he days are getting longer and the sap is rising, so this is a great time to get stuck into the garden and make the most of your outdoor areas. If your yard needs a makeover, there are some important things to consider. Your outdoor space may be separate but it will still need to form a strong relationship with the house. In planning your garden, consider sun, shade, shelter and creating well-proportioned spaces, and remember that all gardens mature and change over time so try to visualise just how big those new plants will become.

With these principles in place, you can personalise the spaces to suit your lifestyle and complement your house. Here’s three design ideas to help make the most of your garden:

Birds and bees Even on a small scale you can attract birds, bees, bugs and lizards to your garden by planting to provide food, shelter and nesting space. Get online to find out what native plants originally grew in your part of the city. Your garden can look good year round and you will also be doing your bit to increase biodiversity in Christchurch.

Inside out We all love the long evenings during the spring and summer months – why not create an outdoor dining and entertainment area as an extension of your indoor living space? A covered deck or paved area will provide shelter from the elements and together with an outdoor fireplace or fire pit creates a cosy space extending the time spent outside. Outdoor kitchens let those

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‘We all love the long evenings during the spring and summer months’ cooking enjoy the sunshine and be part of the social atmosphere.

Eat your garden Growing and harvesting fresh, healthy food from your own garden is very rewarding and provides great learning opportunities for children.

If space is a constraint, there are still many ways to integrate edibles, with espaliered fruit trees, pots and planters. canopy.co.nz

HOME & LIFESTYLE

QB STUDIOS

Modern Workspaces | Central City

Qb Studios offers a refreshing blend of intimate and independent office suites in surroundings that are calm, creative and welcoming.

Blending the old and new, their St Asaph Street location offers private offices with access to boardrooms, members’ lounges and an espresso bar. A vibrant community of small and medium businesses as well as artful surroundings to appreciate and inspire. Get in touch, they’d love to show you around.

248 St Asaph Street/19 Southwark Street 03 421 7484 qbstudios.co.nz

LAGOON POOLS

Pools/Landscaping | Christchurch

If you’re after more than just a pool, Leisure Pool dealers Lagoon Pools offer superior products with the latest technology and lifetime warranties. Shipped from Australia, they have stock yards throughout New Zealand, so the pools are readily available. Offering packages that can include the surrounds, they also work closely with landscapers and architects to ensure you achieve a stunning and practical outcome.

PO Box 16329, Christchurch 0800 927 282 lagoonpools.co.nz

ACTION BICYCLE CLUB Bikes | Central City

Enjoy getting out and about like you never have before. Action Bicycle Club in the central city curates a wonderful range of products that make cycling fresh, modern and exciting again. From the latest in electric bike tech to simple elegant city classics, and all the bike accessories you could ever need – Action offers each client a bespoke and fascinating way to experience riding a bike.

8 Walker Street 03 261 9197 actionbicycleclub.com

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HOME & LIFESTYLE

KATAMAMA

Homeware/Gifts | Woolston

Banish your ugly dog bed and upstyle your pooch with one of these uber cool rattan dog beds from Katamama at The Tannery. Your destination store for modern islandinspired homewares and furniture – featuring their best-selling bedheads, rattan lighting, brassware, hand painted artworks and more. Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift or a statement piece for the home or office, you’ll find it at Katamama at The Tannery or shop online!

Shop 15, The Tannery, 3 Garlands Road 021 073 0065 katamama.co.nz

THE MOHAIR STORE

NZ-Made Homeware | Beckenham

The Mohair Store is here to brighten up your world with their luxurious range of 100% NZ-made Mohair and Alpaca throws. Snuggle up in their super soft Alpaca scarf range and keep warm with hand-picked Possum and Merino accessories. If you love NZ-made natural fibres, then you will be spoilt for choice at The Mohair Store. Use their local’s discount code ‘goat’ to shop online at their special prices and enjoy free shipping anywhere in New Zealand.

140 Colombo Street 03 943 1639 themohairstore.co.nz

MOFFATT’S FLOWER CO. Florist | Halswell

Moffatt’s has been supplying flowers for over 30 years. Their shop is nestled between the greenhouses where their beautiful roses are cut daily. They also stock an extensive range of cut flowers including lilies, peonies, freesias, orchids and gerberas as well as a large range of gifts and plants. Their florists create stunning bouquets for any price range or occasion, and can deliver overnight New Zealand-wide.

Open 7 days. See website for hours.

1 Candys Road 03 322 7975 moffatts.co.nz

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Fashion OH DEFINITELY Penny Sage’s Yrsa Top (RRP $240) in Two Tone Tartan is among the hot new looks on the racks at Infinite Definite, home to one of the best brand lineups in the city.

LOOKING FOR THE ‘WOW’ Ballantynes’ Georgie Mears shops for a living. P64 BOLD, GOLD & BROODY The hits and highlights of NZ Fashion Week. P68 STYLE COUNSEL Stylist Josie Pasane loves what she does. P76

WHAT I’M ...

Wearing: The perfect red

Listening to: Purple Pilgrims – Perfumed Earth

VISION, CRAFT, FASHION.

Inspired by: Coco Chanel

A new collection, a new collab and a new store – there’s no slowing down for Kate Sylvester.

She tells Cityscape that staying true to her vision is key to her brand’s longevity.

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Reading: The Overstory – Richard Powers

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hat inspires your designs? My collections always tell a story. I look to books, art, films, music – all the things I love. What is your favourite collection of all time? It’s hard to choose a favourite, it’s like choosing your favourite child. Tartt Winter 2015 comes to mind, especially the show we did at New Zealand Fashion Week, where the pages of books fell like confetti from the sky. How would you describe the Kate Sylvester SS19 collection? Kraftwork honours the craft of fashion. The signature prints in the collection evolved from a personal tapestry project of mine and I incorporated beautiful craft techniques throughout the collection, including blanket stitching, cross stitch and intarsia. How has your brand evolved since its inception? A lot has changed in the 26 years we’ve been in business, but I think our ability to evolve without compromising our aesthetic and brand values is integral to our longevity. How do you ensure you stay on-trend in a changing fashion world? I’m more focused on style than following fashion.

I love that our pieces transcend trends and I love seeing women wearing a piece that’s five, 10 or even 15 years old. That’s such a great part of my job. Who would you love to do a collab with? This year I had the exciting opportunity to collaborate with Te Papa and realised a number of Frances Hodgkins’ textile designs as finished prints to create my collection Frances. It was an incredible

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19

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privilege and an incredibly exciting project to work on. Where do you think fashion will go next year?

I hope that sustainability will continue to grow as part of the fashion conversation. Sustainability is very important to Kate Sylvester. Tell us about what you are working on at the moment? In August we launched Kate Sylvester Reloved, an online marketplace where our customers can on-sell their pre-loved Kate Sylvester garments. I believe in the integrity and longevity of my product and am committed to stopping my garments ending up in landfill or at the back of people’s closets. I’m really excited to hear some of the stories of our customers’ preloved KS garments. Describe the Kate Sylvester woman? She is intelligent and creative – her own person. I design for myself and my friends.

What is your one essential fashion piece? A tailored suit. What is your favourite lipstick brand or shade?

YSL does the perfect red. What made you decide to open a store in Christchurch’s CBD? There is so much excitement happening in Christchurch city right now and we can’t wait to be part of it. What are your must-haves from the SS19 collection? Our intarsia knit Winnie jumper stitched with big floral roses. Our polka dot Maeve dress – I just love this shape – and our Kraft T-shirt printed with a pixelated world from the videogame Minecraft. What are three essential things in your handbag? Red lipstick, my phone and a pencil.

What are you listening to at the moment? Purple Pilgrims, beautiful ethereal music made in New Zealand. What’s your favourite way to spend a Sunday afternoon?

Read, read and read some more. My last book was Richard Powers’ The Overstory. What’s your go-to spot in Christchurch? I love Christchurch’s Botanic Gardens.

Who is your favourite fashion icon?

The irreverent Coco Chanel. Style is… whatever makes you feel good. katesylvester.com

4 KATE'S TOP 5 FOR SS19

1 Winnie jumper (RRP $299) 2 Nan dress (RRP $579) and Bee bag (RRP $79) 3 Tobacco suit – Lynne jacket (RRP $549) and Lorna trouser (RRP $429) 4 Conor dress (RRP $599) 5 Kraft T-shirt (RRP $129)

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Looking for the

‘WOW’ Ever wondered what guides a fashion buyer’s decisions?

Ballantynes’ Georgie Mears tells Cityscape it’s a blend of instinct and data.

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eorgie Mears began her career as a buyer 3½ years ago at Ballantynes, working under the senior buyer.

Six months on she was buying for the Contemporary Lounge on her own, and then later started buying for the women’s footwear department. About a year ago she took on the Designer Atrium as well and now buys for all three departments. Were you in fashion before your role at Ballantynes?

I completed my Bachelor of Design majoring in fashion as well as a business diploma at Otago Polytechnic. Determined to get a head start I moved straight to Melbourne, where all major fashion head offices are for the Australasian market. I started in retail on the shop floor and worked my way up into management, then to visual merchandising, while juggling a production role one day a week – just to get myself through the door at a head office. How did you come to know Ballantynes? I’m an Ashburton girl. My mum, auntie, nana and grandma have shopped at

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LOOKING FOR THE 'WOW'

Ballantynes for as long as I can remember, so I definitely knew it pretty well before I started with Ballantynes. From the outside your job looks very glamorous but it’s probably quite stressful as well? It can be very glamorous meeting leading New Zealand and international designers, but a lot of extra hours come with the role. Early morning flights and then into showrooms where brand managers take you through the collection style by style. All brands vary, from Huffer for example with a 200-piece collection to a 50-piece collection from one of our smaller brands. Meanwhile you’re juggling the many customer profiles at Ballantynes that you envision buying into the piece. They all vary, but the brand manager’s role is to give you market insight to how their brand is performing locally and globally. Then they’ll give you insight to where the designer took inspiration from and who they anticipate the collection being purchased by. We then return back to the office to map out which collection drops in which month that season.

How far offshore does that take you? I travel to Sydney and Melbourne on average every two months and Auckland regularly. Recently I returned from a London and Paris buying trip. At Ballantynes we want to source exclusive products for our customers on a global scale so I am one of five buyers that travel overseas twice a year. How much work went into planning that trip? Buying trips are a blend of instinct and data. So you go in with the gut feeling of a brand or collection before viewing, and you hope that you have the ability to visualise the customer wearing it. There’s definitely times where you rein in your own excitement when you see certain brands before placing objective orders, but it’s all part of the fun of the job. Was there a highlight of the Paris/London trip for you?

The feeling of landing in Europe where the seasonality you’ve been working in flips in a day – heading from our Canterbury winter and jumping into the Paris heatwave and the instant inspiration of Parisians in all new Spring/Summer fashion. European men and women have incredible, effortless style. They are always so polished. Also, the guilt-free pleasure of coffee and croissants every morning! Do you still have fun shopping for yourself or does it feel like work now?

Never! If a fashion buyer is over shopping they are in the wrong role. In buying you are constantly on watch; market research and trend forecasting is a large part of the job.

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Whether that’s scoping out the amazing in-store and window displays at Harrods or Selfridges – they’re world-class department stores. Some may think a buying position is shopping – if that’s the case I love shopping for Canterbury. What new brands are you most excited about? Ballantynes is proud to be launching AllSaints (UK), A.P.C. (Paris), Self-Portrait (US) and Mulberry footwear in February 2020. These brands will be exclusive to Ballantynes in the South Island and we welcome these brands to our Designer Atrium. I can’t wait to see our customers’ reaction to our new international offering. In the Spring Edit are there some trends you really love? In our Spring/ Summer 2019 we did a capsule on glam.

There were some stunning satin and silk pieces. When I say glam, it’s just showing that Christchurch is back up and running – there have been a lot of events and we’re coming into wedding season. We just wanted to show that Ballantynes is the place to find all of those event pieces that you’re after.

Although we saw 70s- and 60s-inspired dressing happening last winter, it’s still going in spring. So we’ve got a vintage edit, too.

That’s florals and linen, and some vintage colourways and palettes. It’s quite varied.

Have you snapped up any new pieces for yourself? Ballantynes launched new brands Rebecca Taylor NYC, ACLER and Viktoria & Woods this Spring/Summer. My personal favourite is the ACLER trench coat – we all know a Canterbury spring well enough to know there could be a snowfall due. This ACLER coat is perfect for trans-seasonal dressing at this time of year. Are there any sites or magazines that you trawl religiously?

I still love picking up magazines. I don’t want that to ever die. Print is so important to us. I love Fashion Quarterly. It’s always so exciting to pick those up because I see Fashion Quarterly as a leading fashion magazine in New Zealand. I love seeing our pieces from our New Zealand designers that have been put in trends or certain photoshoots and editorials. That’s always really exciting to see.

Vogue Australia is another one we watch quite closely with emerging Australian designers as well. I love flicking through all the editorial pieces. It’s super exciting. What things do you take into account when prospecting new brands? When they’re new brands you want to be buying into the highlight pieces of the collection. That’s a good example of when data may tell you not to invest but the ‘wow’

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factor speaks louder than numbers. With these pieces we look into what might be picked up by PR and editorial, which work well for awareness and positioning in the market, so customers will go online or come in and look for them and will often buy into the brand for the first time for a more wearable or commercial item. What’s the best part of your job? Because I work with over 100 brands I get to see first-hand before anybody else what trends are coming through and I get to work with so many New Zealand and Australian designers. The amount of people I get to work with is really exciting and seeing things first-hand is definitely the best part of the job – getting that insight before others. And the travel.

The glamorous and the not so glamorous parts of it! ballantynes.co.nz R.M. WILLIAMS MILLICENT BOOT (RRP $645)

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19

LOOKING FOR THE 'WOW'

ACLER – ARBOUR TRENCH COAT (RRP $595)

BLAK – THE DREAMER ROMPER (RRP $279)

‘Some may think a buying position is shopping – if that’s the case I love shopping for Canterbury’

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Dedicated fashionista Vanessa Ortynsky reviews the hits and highlights of New Zealand Fashion Week 2019.

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rom Kate Sylvester’s heartfelt tribute to her parents, Paris Georgia’s flawlessly sleek runway debut and Stolen Girlfriends Club’s immersive, jaw-dropping show, New Zealand Fashion Week 2019 was the perfect time to celebrate our talented designers here in Aotearoa and take note of future trends. NZFW 19 returned to its roots at Auckland Town Hall with a full takeover of Aotea Square. With sustainability and inclusion at the forefront this year, we saw more diverse casting as well as responsibly made collections from our favourite designers new and old.

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19

IMAGE: SNAPPER ONLINE

BOLD, GOLD & BROODY

IMAGE: SNAPPER ONLINE

IMAGE: STEFAN GOSATTI/GETTY IMAGES

STOLEN GIRLFRIENDS CLUB

KATE SYLVESTER Things kicked off with Kate Sylvester’s truly romantic AW 2020 collection. The runway was filled with love letters, which I later learned would be reused as garment packaging. The collection embodied Kate’s poetic side, featuring plenty of lace, as well as heritage suiting paired with Barbour Wellingtons, a nod to her outdoorsy side. Pre-loved garments were pulled from the archives just days after Kate announced her new online marketplace, Reloved.

Kate doesn’t shy away from bold colour and it was abundant in this collection. Two pieces we can’t wait to get our hands on? A beautiful canary yellow silk dress and a feminine yet powerful lilac skirt suit.

The highlight of every NZFW is the Stolen Girlfriends Club show, which took place outdoors at the Avondale Racecourse this year, transformed into what felt like a Berlin nightclub with a techno soundtrack, barrels of fire lining the runway, and an army of brooding models. The collection was filled with fire-engine red, plenty of studded leather details and even a few chunky lavender knits thrown into the mix. The models wore the highest waisted denim I’ve ever seen, with bold red lips and messy, tousled hair. Everyday, wearable pieces ruled the runway, with a selection of branded hoodies and T-shirts in the designer’s typical fashion. There’s no doubt we’ll be seeing plenty of pastels next winter when even SGC features lavender on the runway. Given the industry’s sustainability challenges, it’s fantastic to see entire collections made from recycled and sustainable materials, as well as pre-loved pieces being given a new life on the runway. NZFW is finally beginning to embrace more diverse casting, with discussions and panels on representation and inclusion a key priority for everyone in the industry.

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IMAGE: STEFAN GOSATTI/GETTY IMAGES

BOLD, GOLD & BROODY

PARIS GEORGIA Upbeat and powerful, there was an exciting energy to Paris Georgia’s runway debut. Held at the tent in Aotea Square, the catwalk was adorned with a gold art sculpture hanging over the runway while club music mixed by Graz (including an obscure version of Blondie’s ‘Heart of Glass’) pumped through the space. As is customary for the design duo, the show featured plenty of sculpted silhouettes made with firm, high-quality fabrics, and body-hugging skirts, sleeveless dresses and voluminous sleeves. The contemporary neutral palette was accentuated with golds and muted sage, but styled up to the nines in a way that felt both relaxed and elegant.

Big, bold hats ruled the runway (and the streets) at NZFW this year and we saw everything from bucket hats, berets at Benjamin Alexander, and gorgeous hats made from tablecloths at newcomer Olli’s show. At Paris Georgia, most looks were styled with dramatic, gigantic (sunsmart) beach hats.

FASHION

Setting the Stage

Fashionistas rejoice – September brings Ballantynes Fashion Week. The stylish central-city department store will show why they are the most on-trend hangout in town as they host the South Island’s biggest fashion event from Thursday September 19's opening show. Among the must-see events are appearances by three of New Zealand’s leading fashion icons – Kathryn Wilson, Paula Ryan and Karen Walker – all offering a variety of events. Once it's all over, you can take any of the items you’ve seen from the runway to reality the day after the show. ballantynes.co.nz

Elegance Defined Eswardutt oozes subtle elegance and sophistication courtesy of creative director Elishah Eswardutt.

Every garment is designed and constructed in New Zealand. Exclusive design, opulent fabrication and chic details define the brand and its vision. eswardutt.com

YES TO THE DRESS Karen Walker has launched a spectacular collection of bespoke bridal wear and eye-catching engagement rings and bands.

These can be purchased from Karen Walker Atelier Auckland. The selection of dresses is based on some of Walker’s most iconic pieces. They range from $1,450 to $4,250 and will be made in Karen Walker’s Grey Lynn studio. The jewellery collection is equally diverse, offering everything from dramatic geometric settings to simple gold wedding bands. karenwalker.co.nz

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FASHION

RECYCLE BOUTIQUE

Fashion | Woolston, Central City

It pays to recycle at Recycle Boutique. They sell quality second-hand clothing and accessories, and they sell the items on your behalf. You get 50% of the sale price, simple as that!

A lot of clothing is ending up in landfills throughout New Zealand. By recycling used clothing, you can help to reduce this textile waste. Recycle Boutique aims to help minimise the environmental impacts of fashion by providing you with an easy way to recycle your wardrobe, whilst also providing people with an affordable way to access designer fashion.

They now have two stores in Christchurch – the original store in The Tannery and a new store in the city centre. There’s no need to make an appointment, simply drop in anytime with five-plus good condition items and they’ll take you through the process. Check out their website for selling guidelines, or give your local store a call if you have any questions. They can’t wait to see you there!

The Tannery, 3 Garlands Road 03 389 5896 & SALT District, 255 St Asaph Street 03 925 9165 recycleboutique.co.nz

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FASHION EDIT

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Soften your palette and enhance your style with this season's whites.

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1 Zoe coat (RRP $499) Amelia dress (RRP $429) Nova Top (RRP $179) from Kate Sylvester 2 Viktoria & Woods Split T (RRP $139) from Ballantynes 3 Helen Cherry Patch Pocket Blazer (RRP $749) and Felicity Blouse (RRP $489) from Workshop 4 ACLER Dalisay Dress (RRP $495) from Ballantynes 5 Stretch Linen Tie Pant ($229) from Untouched World 6 Penny Sage Flâneur Trouser (RRP $340) from Infinite Definite 7 Veja Rio Branco Hexamesh (RRP $219) from Infinite Definite 8 Zoe Kratzmann Gesture Heel (RRP $329) from Ballantynes 9 Saben Walker White bag (RRP $319) from Issimo

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FASHION

The Eyes Have It! If you wear glasses, there are few things more daunting than switching from the tried-andtrue pair to a new style, yet at the same time it’s probably the easiest way to take on a whole new look. If you have been putting off an update, visit Matthews Eyewear Eyecare.

They pride themselves on ensuring that every client leaves confident they are seeing better, looking better and feeling better. Attention to detail and personalised service have been good for business, and the family firm has grown a lot since opening its doors in 1957.

It now operates a nationwide chain of independent optometry practices. In Christchurch, Matthews Eyewear Eyecare’s practice, previously Buchanan Optometrists, has moved to modern, stylish premises in Riccarton. They have an exclusive relationship with world-leading lens manufacturers Zeiss.

Matthews can help you find a new favourite pair and a style you will love. Its international range of frames and sunglasses are handpicked for their colour and bold aesthetic. Whether you want a classic look or a look with attitude, they have a style to suit. matthews.co.nz

PERFECT IMPERFECTION The Mahsa label is imbued with values of simplicity, authenticity and strength, making the brand timeless and sustaining. The Bow Blouse (RRP $435) is an imperfect play on the prim and classic pussy-bow blouse. mahsa.co.nz

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FASHION

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LINEN & LUX Ballantynes menswear buyer Jack O’Halloran shares his style tips for a sartorial spring.

All things linen are a spring/summer must. From linen shirts to suits (1), it’s the ideal option for the warmer months while maintaining a fashionable, semi-formal appearance. Pastel colours of light blue, pink and beige are an easy way for men to achieve soft touches of style in their wardrobe. Combine with a pair of loafers (6) or white sneakers (4) to complete the look. If you are seeking inspo from the celebs, Lewis Hamilton and David Beckham would have to be my favourites right now. Lewis Hamilton, who in 2018 launched a collab with Tommy Hilfiger, isn’t afraid to go bold, and always sports a pop of colour (3). He is often seen wearing a cross-body bag and large script branding, a trend that will continue into summer. David Beckham knows how to wear the staple fashion of a two-piece suit. Additions such as a tie, tie clip and/or a pocket square are accessories he uses to lift the overall look. This is always subtle, though, to ensure the emphasis stays on the suit. ballantynes.co.nz

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JACK’S SPRING PICKS Casual suiting with a bold print shirt: wear it to work and to drinks after (2). Sports lux: for everyday style (3). Shoe musts: the Monk Buckle (5) and Loafer (6).

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HOW TO BREAK THE MOULD ACCESSORISE Complete your look with a belt, hat or bag for an easy fashion upgrade. GO BOLD Whether it’s a printed shirt with your suit or a smaller touch such as a pocket square, take a risk with one of our many brands from the suiting department, including Gibson, Uber Stone, Joe Black, Cambridge, Rembrandt, TM Lewin and Ted Baker. MIX IT UP Invest in a pair of sneakers and pair these with your shorts, jeans or suit for a mix of looks.

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1 Joe Black linen suit – Jacket (RRP $545), Trousers (RRP $225) 2 Ted Baker Floral Leopard Shirt (RRP $299) 3 Mons Royale Vapour T, Rebel Blue (RRP $100) 4 Ted Baker Sneaker (RRP $229) 5 J Ballantyne & Co Robinson Shoe (RRP $339) 6 J Ballantyne & Co Parker Shoe (RRP $329)

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FASHION

INDIGO AND PROVISIONS

Fashion & Homeware | Central City

Fresh new spring styles have landed in store at Indigo & Provisions.

Work-wear inspired fashion, premium denim, sneakers, boots and accessories from exclusive global and local brands. Drop by for a free cup of coffee and let the team get you ready for the warmer days!

The Arts Centre, 28 Worcester Boulevard 03 925 9434 indigoandprovisions.com

INFINITE DEFINITE Fashion | Central City

Founded in 2008, Infinite Definite is an independent high-end streetwear, fashion and lifestyle store. Owneroperators Jono and Sarah Moran curate an eclectic mix of designers and products hand sourced by them from New Zealand, Australia and around the world.

246 High Street 03 371 7465 infinitedefinite.com

UNTOUCHED WORLD™

Fashion/Accessories | Burnside

NZ lifestyle fashion brand Untouched World believes you don’t have to give up great design to be good to the planet. They specialise in timeless, multi-tasking pieces for men and women, in beautiful fabrics and fibres that are easy on the earth.

Famous for their exquisite knitwear, each piece is designed and created in their Christchurch workrooms.

They are the first and only fashion company to be recognised by the UN for sustainability.

Flagship Store & Café, 155 Roydvale Avenue 03 357 9399 untouchedworld.com

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Style Counsel

Fashion stylist Josie Pasane tells Cityscape why she loves what she does, and her favourite misconceptions about it as well.

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hat’s the best part about styling for a living? I have so much love and passion for what I do. I am extremely thankful for the career I’ve created for myself – it has always come naturally to me. The most fun part of styling for a living is seeing my clients get excited for looks that I create for them. I was always fascinated by the idea and knew deep down in my heart I could do it, but I was so scared because I had no idea where to start. It's such a blessing to be able to do what I love every day and work with clients who inspire me. How did you get your start in the fashion industry? I started in the fashion industry in 2007. At the time I was living in Europe and had been working in retail for so many years that I needed a change. I did everything I possibly could, from management to opening stores, training sales associates and working with stylists. I would help clients organise their closets and do anything creative and productive to challenge myself. I just loved working one-on-one with clients on exciting style projects. Your job has you styling an editorial shoot one day, overhauling someone’s wardrobe the next and heading away on personal shopping trips with people – is it all as glamorous as it sounds?

I can understand the perception. When people hear that you work as a stylist, their first thought is most likely that my job is extremely glamorous. Although many parts of my job are glamorous, many things that I do on a daily basis are far from what you see on social media platforms such as Instagram.

What no one really talks about are the ‘not so glamorous’ parts of being a stylist, like packing and unpacking boxes or lugging garment bags. In my line of work, it’s all about being organised because so much of your success is based on organisation and client satisfaction. However, as most would come to expect, my job also has amazing perks, and it’s a job where I get to be creative and work with beautiful clothing. Although being a stylist is not what many people expect (and each day can be completely different to the next), I love my work and thrive on being creative and pleasing my clients every day. What’s the biggest misconception people not working in your field have about your job? Ha-ha, I love this question! Here are a few common misconceptions about my job: If you work in fashion, then you must know how to make clothes. When I tell somebody I’m a stylist,

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WHAT ARE YOU… Reading:

Slay In Your Lane by two amazing female authors, Elizabeth Uviebinené and Yomi Adegoke – it is a book that celebrates the role of powerful women and examines how they achieved success and how you can do it too in your field.

Listening to:

Taylor Swift – ‘You Need to Calm Down’ (it’s on repeat!) I’m also obsessing about Lizzo’s ‘Good As Hell’ plus ‘Truth Hurts’ – these songs are unapologetic fun anthems.

Bingewatching:

The Letdown on Netflix. It’s hilarious. I am patiently waiting on the next season.

‘I love my work and thrive on being creative and pleasing my clients every day’ the first response is always, "Oh, you're a designer?! I can't wait to wear your clothes!" I take it as a compliment but as I have an eye for detail, I am happy being an expert in pulling amazing looks together. Everyone only wears expensive, head-to-toe designers: If anyone can appreciate the thrill of a good find at H&M or Zara, it's people in the fashion industry. We spend all day shopping: For most of us, shopping doesn't make up a fraction of what our job entails. Unless your title is only of a personal shopper, you really don't spend your day in a store. You'll never spot a fashion person in flats: When it comes to working in the office, a lot of us turn to booties, flats, or even sneakers for running around – I like to save my statement heels for after-work events. I spend most of my time at parties, dinners and events: I often make appearances on the social scene, Instagramming all the fun events I attend, but that's just a small portion of my job. Plus, I work around the clock – meaning I’m still plugged in at these after-hours events.

Miranda Priestly (From The Devil Wears Prada) is every fashion boss, ever: The myth that everyone working in fashion is a complete b*tch has stood the test of time.

Like any other industry, there will always be catty people, but just because we're well-heeled doesn't mean we automatically have a nasty attitude to go along with it. The industry is small so there’s no room for clawing each other's eyes out. I want to give everyone a fashion makeover: I don't really have the desire to transform everyone in to

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19

STYLE COUNSEL

brands you know you can rely on to consistently deliver collections you adore?

Yes, Maggie Marilyn. She is a celebration of hyper-femininity without environmental compromise, beckoning women to dress up even if they have no occasion. Her inclusive SS19 collection with a hint of prints and bias-cut dresses mean there is an offering available for every woman. At the heart of it, this brand empowers a woman and tells her that it’s OK to want to buy a beautiful new dress and still feel like she can go out there and change her world. I’m so in love with that! If you could give people in Christchurch one style/fashion tip, what would it be? Wear less black and embrace colour. For many of us it's not uncommon to find our wardrobe is suddenly a combination

some definition of ‘style’. I am in the age of assisting clients who seek to embracing personal style and individualism. Fashion people don't eat: While I’m a fan of healthy eating, I also know the importance of carbs.

A good pizza and dessert always outweighs a salad for me! Plus, I am always on the hunt for the chicest spots to eat. Tell us about the hottest trends for SS19 The lust-worthy hottest trends for you to add on your shopping list are shades from the lavender family – bright without drowning you out, it's one of spring's breakout colours. Proving once and for all that the minimal trend is over, this season you will soon see bold ruffles and oversized silhouettes in statement puff shoulders on dresses, blouses and jackets. My favourite piece so far is the ‘Sleevie Wonder Coat’ by Trelise Cooper, if you’re after a powerful and fashionable style.

Just be sure to keep the rest of your look subdued, so you don’t appear over-the-top.

Then complete your look with the shrunkdown, to fit no more than a phone and lipstick (if you’re lucky), must-have SS19 handbag. This season’s ‘It bag’ is also the smallest. So if you value style over function, be sure to invest in a miniature version of your favourite handbag. As a bonus, you definitely won’t have a sore shoulder from toting around this style all day. Are there any

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FAVOURITE PLACE FOR… A coffee: Bohemian Bakery.

It’s a very neat bakery in town with a bird's eye view of their bakery. Their homemade generous-sized ginger cookies are my favourite.

Drinks with friends: Without a doubt, Christchurch’s best bar, O.G.B. A nice dinner out: Chillingworth Road – if you have an appreciation for great food and cocktails, this place is a must-visit.

of varying shades of black, grey, navy and white. I get it, it's very easy to shy away from the bright yellow dress in favour of a quieter navy, and this can easily become the default.

It's time to take on colour, and if you're not yet ready to embrace the rainbow through your clothes, my top stylist tip for those who are fearful of anything but neutrals: look to your accessories to liven things up instead.

Tell us about an item you picked up in your travels that you couldn’t live without?

When I went to visit my sister in Vietnam, she took me to Hoi An, a beautiful, ancient and charming town with the best tailors in the country. One item I truly cherish is my custom-made emerald green blazer with shiny gold buttons. I love a good blazer.

What essentials do you keep in your handbag? I am what you call a ‘just-in-case girl’ so in my handbag you will find anything from a portable phone battery charger, business cards, wet wipes with sanitizer, a mini makeup bag and sunglasses to match the outfit for the day. josiepasane.com

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For the serious gym junkies out there, Ballantynes has a new brand just for you.

REC GEN is a functional sport and lifestyle brand designed in Sydney and tested under the most rigorous conditions, so you know its meticulously constructed fabrics will last the distance, workout after workout. And as you might expect, REC GEN’s commitment to environmental sustainability and non-impactful processes is at the core of everything they do. ballantynes.co.nz

Wellbeing

GET SPORTY!

THE GOOD LIFE With Dr Libby. P80 MIND OVER MATTER Hypnotherapist Lyn Davis. P82 WELL TREATED We review two advanced skin treatments. P84

The Good Life

Dr Libby’s book The Invisible Load takes a new approach to understanding stress by delving into where the stress is coming from. She tells Cityscape she wants people to know they can have a full and busy life without pushing themselves to breaking point.

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any people would agree with you that our stress levels are rising – why do you think that is? In one respect, I think there’s now a sense of normalcy around it. We just expect and accept that our life is supposed to feel stressful and overwhelming because we can’t see any other way. When we look around us, we see everyone in our lives doing exactly what we’re doing – or we perceive they’re doing even more

– and so we think there is no other option but to push ourselves near to breaking point to do what we need to do and to get where we want to go. This is part of it, but I think there’s much more to it than just the speed and intensity of our modern lives. We can’t control what happens in our day, but with awareness and practice we can begin to catch a glimpse of how we’re thinking. This is the ribbon we need to grab hold of in order to

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unravel our stress once and for all.

It’s catching these perceptions, thoughts and beliefs that will ultimately alter our biochemistry, transform our health and our experience of stress, as well as how we live. As with all your wellness work, you focus in your new book on practical steps people can take to improve their lives – how important is that to you? This is why I do what I do. I want people to have great knowledge and to feel empowered to make decisions that support their health and to realise that, more often than not, it doesn’t take massive changes to make a wonderful difference. It’s the smaller changes that begin to add up. Do you feel there is a lack of that practical advice in some of the other literature on these topics? Not at all. There is some wonderful help and information out there. Have you had your own moments of feeling overwhelmed?

What helped with that? Of course!

There are times in everyone’s life where it feels as though everything changes direction or comes at us all at once and it can feel a little overwhelming. Overwhelm starts to get problematic when it’s something we experience on a daily or regular basis and in response to everyday living. My lovely mum realised early on that I was a worrier and gave me the Serenity Prayer. The essence of it – may you have the serenity to accept the things you cannot change and the courage to change the things you can – has been a guiding force for me through these times and beyond them. How do you relax? For me the ultimate relaxation is curling up on the

THE GOOD LIFE

couch with a good book. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? As mentioned above, my dear mum gave me the Serenity Prayer when I was a child and this was the best advice/ guidance I’ve ever received. You are holding a series of ‘Overcoming Overwhelm’ events coinciding with the release of the book – what are you hoping to achieve with these? There’s no doubt that stress detracts from our health and our quality of life. I want people to know that they don’t have to push themselves to breaking point, that it is possible to have a full and busy life that is not jam-packed with stress or sending them towards burnout or more

trying to communicate. Your body is your best barometer for your levels of stress and overwhelm – pay attention to what it’s telling you and learn to decipher its messages. Twelve books – you’ll need your own shelf at the library soon? Hahaha, perhaps! It’s always such a thrill for me to see my books on library and bookshop shelves.

And for some reason I get extra excited when I see them at airports.

Anything on the cards for when you’re in Christchurch?

Christchurch is such a beautiful city and very dear to me. I love a big walk through Hagley Park as often as I can, as I love seeing the seasons change in the trees and gardens. One day soon I’ll… Have

‘Your body is your best barometer for your levels of stress and overwhelm – pay attention to what it’s telling you’ serious health complaints. It must be a special moment when you see or hear of people being helped through your work? It touches my heart very deeply.

What’s one thing people can do to help lower their stress levels?

Listen to your body’s messages. It’s likely that when you suffer with symptoms such as exhaustion, weight gain, digestive complaints like bloating, uncomfortable periods or menopausal transitions, frequent headaches, or even sugar cravings and restless sleep, this is your body’s overwhelm or stress in action (as long as diseases have been ruled out). Yet many people get frustrated with these symptoms instead of bringing their attention to what they might be

chickens in my backyard. If you could invite any three people living or dead to a dinner party, who would they be? Three of my favourite humans (friends!) – I travel so much for work so I really cherish the time I get to spend with my dearest friends. What’s your favourite way to spend a Sunday afternoon? My ultimate Sunday afternoon has no plans. I do whatever spins my tyres at the time. It might involve a game of tennis, pottering in my vege garden, a long, slow cooking session creating something for Sunday dinner, a chat with my mum, or curling up on the couch with my book or journal. Who’s your personal hero? The many people I’ve met who have faced

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immense adversity and transformed it into learnings and care that they then share with others. What’s your favourite guilty pleasure? I love to have my hair blow-dried. I can’t leave the house without … Music for the drive and a book for when I get there. What has been the most surprising moment in your career to date? Being invited to speak on Necker Island for Sir Richard Branson. What advice would you give to your younger self? To always remember that life happens for you, not to you.

Dr Libby is a nutritional biochemist, best-selling author, speaker and founder of the plant-based supplement range Bio Blends. She has just released her new book, The Invisible Load: a guide to overcoming stress and overwhelm, and is speaking on the subject throughout New Zealand. Details at drlibby.com.

WIN! Cityscape has two copies of

Dr Libby’s new book, The Invisible Load: a guide to overcoming stress and overwhelm, to give away. To go in the lucky draw, send an email with ‘The Invisible Load’ in the subject line to info@somocreative.co.nz and tell us your favourite way of dealing with stress. Entries close October 31.

WELLBEING

Mind over matter Lyn Davis learned first-hand from renowned hypnotherapist Andrew Newton how to help people with everything from anxiety to weight loss. She tells Cityscape what’s involved.

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ow did you come to be a hypnotherapist? What did you do before that? When I left school I went to work in a bank, and one evening I went to see hypnotist Andrew Newton and we got talking at his show. We kept in touch and a year later, when he was back in New Zealand, he asked me to do some work for him, and I’ve never looked back. What inspires you to do what you do? I’ve always been a people person. I take after my mother, I love helping people – it seems natural – and I thought that hypnotherapy would be a good way of helping people. I read in the UK news about gastric band hypnosis and that really caught my interest. So having spoken to Andrew, I put my own programme together and I could hardly believe it worked so well. So with Andrew’s guidance, I started seeing individual clients and within a year I was totally booked out as people came to see me mainly on recommendation. Now I’m a member of the International Institute of Clinical Hypnosis. What have been some of the highlights of your practice? I get to travel a lot in New Zealand and I’m now starting to work in Australia. I fly to Brisbane maybe four or five times a year, which is great because it

means I catch up with my bestie of 49 years and can always grab a few days in the sun while I’m there. The main thing is that I get to meet a lot of people and hear their stories.

How can hypnotherapy help with personal wellness? There’s a whole list of things hypnotherapy can help with, including stress, anxiety, eating disorders, weight loss, smoking cessation, motivation, fears and phobias, self-esteem, depression, confidence, addiction, panic attacks – the list goes on. You studied under Andrew Newton – how was that experience?

If you’ve seen Andrew on stage, you will see he’s a very dynamic person with a really sharp sense of humour, but he’s totally the opposite in real life. He’s very quiet and hates doing interviews especially, he goes out of his way to avoid the limelight. When I toured with him, I found out he knows a lot of stuff about all sorts of things and he’s done some amazing things in his life and accomplished a huge amount.

The main thing is that I’ve watched him work with groups of people over 100 times now and that’s where I’ve really learned – you can’t buy that sort of training. Many would know Andrew only from his stage shows. How much of his work is in therapy? In London, Andrew has a hypnotherapy practice in Harley Street and

employs another hypnotherapist and a psychotherapist. Andrew is actually very highly qualified – he is a member of the Royal Society of Medicine and travels all over the world lecturing at psychology conferences and universities on hypnosis and hypnotherapy. You specialise in gastric band weight loss hypnosis – how does that work? Under hypnosis, we take clients through the whole procedure as if it was happening for real. Along the way, we implant certain ideas in the mind that change the way people think about how much they eat, what they eat and why they eat, so they automatically become more mindful. Is it all about mind over matter? Most things in life are about mind over matter. The mind doesn’t work on logic or reason or common sense, the mind works on imagination and feelings and emotions. That’s what we’re tapping into when we do hypnotherapy. What’s the most common misconception about hypnotherapy? That people actually go to sleep, which they don’t. Clients have to remain conscious otherwise they won’t be able to hear what I’m saying.

Hypnosis is just a very relaxed, dreamy state which helps focus the attention and therefore the mind for a short time so new and more positive ideas can be introduced.

What is your response to sceptics? My successes speak for themselves; I’ve had lots of successful clients, which equates to literally tons of weight lost. The results are what matters – the proof is in the pudding, if you’ll pardon the pun. What’s one thing people probably don’t know about you? More than anything else, I enjoy a simple life. lyndavishypnotherapy.com

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WELLBEING

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Glowy foundation – Tom Ford Traceless Touch Foundation Cushion Compact, Refill (RRP $98), Empty Compact (RRP $65)

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Full spectrum – La Prairie Cellular Swiss UV Protection Veil Sunscreen SPF50 (RRP $302)

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Uplifting new scent – Jo Malone London Poppy & Barley, 30ml (RRP $120)

BEAUTY EDIT

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New colour – OPI Nail Lacquer Suzi Shops & Island Hops (RRP $19.95)

Ballantynes’ Caroline Fallow drops the deets on her Top 10 beauty must-haves for spring.

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Bronzer – Benefit Hoola Lite (RRP $56)

Self tan – Bondi Sands 1 Hour Express Self Tanning Foam 225ml (RRP $32)

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Great mask for radiant skin – Pixi Glow Mud Mask (RRP $44)

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Anything with Vitamin C! I love KORA Organics Noni Bright Vitamin C Serum (RRP $102)

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A supplement for internal health – QT Bellē (RRP $109)

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Body scrub – Evolu Body Scrub (RRP $38)

THREE LIPSTICKS I’M LOVING — 1 M.A.C. Brave Lipstick (RRP $41). Looks amazing on everyone; a beauty-office favourite.

2 Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tint in Bare Pink (RRP $67). Nourishing and adds a perfect sheer wash of colour; great for applying on the go without a mirror. 3 Estee Lauder Pure Color Desire in Shoutout (RRP $73) ballantynes.co.nz

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WELLBEING

Well Treated The Cityscape team test the Dermal Planning Peel and Dermapen 4 and come away convinced of the benefits of personalised advanced skin treatment plans.

O COSMEDICS DERMAL PLANNING PEEL If you’d uttered the words ‘chemical peel’ to me last week, my mind would’ve run to the episode of Sex and the City where Samantha emerges from the spa post-peel looking like she’s suffered serious burns. Much to my delight, the horrors of the 90s couldn’t be further from the blissful peels on offer in 2019.

After arriving at Nicola Quinn Beauty & Day Spa’s Merivale premises I was asked about the state of my skin by specialist Bernice. The fact that my skin is eczema-prone means the O Cosmedics Pomegranate Enzyme Peel is going to be the one for me.

After I’ve slipped under the covers of the heated massage table, Bernice gets to work. The aim is to break down the top layer of skin to diminish the appearance

of wrinkles, fine lines and uneven skin tone. She tells me the entry-level peel is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive.

I spend the next half-hour on the massage table in an absolute state of bliss as Bernice paints my face with a deep cleanser, exfoliator, the peel and an alginate rubber mask (the best part in my opinion – very calming). The peel itself stings only a little – a sensation more intriguing than it is uncomfortable.

When I leave the clinic 45 minutes later, I feel drunk on my own vanity. The Dermal Planning Peel is a great introduction to the treatment. If you love it (like I did!) there’s also an opportunity to progress onto more powerful peels.

After bidding adieu to my crusty winter skin, you can bet I’ll be back for more of this rejuvenating magic.

O Cosmedics Dermal Planning Peel, $149 at Nicola Quinn Beauty & Day Spa. quinnbeautyspa.co.nz

DERMAPEN 4 By the time I walk through the doors of the day spa, my hands are growing increasingly clammy as my needle-related anxiety builds. But the spa’s treatment experts are Dermapen Gold Providers, which means I’m not just in

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good hands, I’m in the best.

Brenna explains that the all-powerful Dermapen 4 promises to minimise signs of ageing and reduce fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars and pigmentation, among other things. The nifty little device uses microneedling to achieve said magic. Tiny needles lightly puncture the skin’s top layer, stimulating collagen and elastin and leaving you with plump and rejuvenated skin.

I try to relax into the dreamy massage bed as Brenna preps my skin. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Much to my surprise, from the moment the pen punctures my skin I feel completely at ease. There really was nothing to worry about.

When the Dermapen 4 is in action, it feels like it’s scratching your face. Each area of skin is needled vertically, horizontally and diagonally – it’s uncomfortable but certainly not painful. Before I have a chance to process what’s happening, Brenna tells me it’s over. Just like that, two weeks of anxiety are put to rest. Brenna applies a protective lotion to reduce redness, cool the skin and protect it from the sun.

Parked up on the couch that night I conclude that the warm sensation mimics sunburn – tender but manageable. Will I go back for the recommended three to six treatments? Abso-bloody-lutely.

To find your Dermapen Authorised Gold Treatment Provider, visit dermapenworld.co.nz/stockists Read our full review at cityscape.co.nz

WELLBEING

WELLNESS

BE YOUR BEST YOU At Grassroots Yoga and Health, experienced teachers take you on a journey to be the best version of yourself through yoga, wellbeing and by belonging to a friendly and heart-felt yoga community.

The studio, which was established six years ago, is inside the beautiful Tannery building in Woolston. It is open seven days a week and has free and convenient parking on-site. Each class has a dedicated teacher, so you’ll experience yoga as it was traditionally intended – with a teacher that knows you

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and encourages your physical and spiritual growth. Yoga is a healing practice that is accessible to all.

Grassroots lives up to this by offering specialised classes for different life stages including prenatal yoga, mums & bubs, seniors classes, gentle and therapeutic yoga, and 1-on-1 sessions. The studio’s general hatha yoga classes are divided into Yoga 1, 2 and 3 so people can join in at the right level for them. Studio owner Veronica King is passionate about yoga being more than just exercise. She believes it can be a way of living well and having meaningful engagement in today’s complex world. Discover for yourself how Grassroots can support, nourish and improve your wellbeing through yoga. grassrootsyoga.co.nz

Who doesn’t love to work out and de-stress at the same time?

TRAINING BODY AND MIND There’s more to Muay Thai than fighting – Cityscape caught up with the good folks at Titan Training Ground to learn the health benefits and why you should give it a go.

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e stopped by Titan Training Ground to check out their spacious Sydenham studio and were blown away by what they can do to help you achieve great things on your training journey. The health and fitness centre is built on the concept of balance.

They practise what they preach and offer a multitude of high-energy Muay Thai (Thai boxing) classes as well as advanced master classes, where leading professionals in their chosen sports share techniques, experiences and knowledge. Muay Thai is not all about fighting, it’s about helping to develop your mind, body and soul. So much more than just a great workout, it offers an assortment of health and fitness benefits. It’s a great way to work on core and leg strength, promote increased hip mobility, let off some steam and relieve stress. TitanTG is different because of its supportive and progressive atmosphere and its classes, which are engineered to work together or separately. They’re not into quick fixes, beach bodies or fad diets; instead they aim to enhance people’s lives

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through a foundation of great health and fitness while building strong, mobile, and agile bodies. Once you’ve got your heart rate elevated from a Muay Thai class, you are more than welcome to relax in TitanTG’s comfortable surroundings or to continue training on the quality equipment in the open studio. The team can also help to streamline your progress with a one-on-one session. Make sure you check out TitanTG’s ProStore as well, for all the best equipment. Education is key at TitanTG, which is why they host regular seminars, or master classes, hosted by leading sports professionals.

These are full-participation events, rather than a sit-down seminar, and will give your training a real boost. You don’t need to know it all to give it a go, that’s what the professionals at TitanTG are there for. So why wouldn’t you try a class – you have nothing to lose and a great community, supportive environment and a whole lot of fun to gain! titantrainingground.com

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19

WELLBEING

CHAMPS-ELYSÉES DAY SPA Health/Beauty | Merivale

Your destination for all things luxurious and pampering, Christchurch’s premier day spa has designed a range of glorious spa experiences designed to take you on a journey of relaxation. You are welcome to book a luxury spa service or purchase a gift voucher online.

Ask about their famous Corporate Spa Retreats, Wedding Packages and the Champs-Elysées Diamond Club.

Mention Cityscape when making your booking!

110 Papanui Road 03 365 3630 champs-elysees.co.nz

NAILS BY TOMO

Nail Salon | Merivale

Nails By Tomo is helmed by leading nail professional Tomoko Tsuji who has over two decades of Japanese nail art experience. She caters to all your nail needs including manicures, gel polish and gel, acrylic, pedicures and stunning nail art using only the finest quality products from Japan that not only look amazing but also improve nail health and strength.

Open Monday and Wednesday to Saturday, and until 8pm onThursday.

Bookings are recommended.

9/121 Papanui Road 022 194 6055 nailsbytomo.co.nz

TRUE GRIT

Hair/Makeup | Central City

True Grit is an award-winning salon.

Visit True Grit’s exquisite salon and experience the creative, skilful professionalism of their dynamic team of Masters, Style Directors and New Generation Stylists! Take your pick from their extensive services such as ‘Party Hair’ and peruse their range of natural mineral Young Blood makeup. Contact them for a consult with their style and makeup experts. True Innovation, True Passion, True Hair!

87 Manchester Street 03 377 7889 truegrit.co.nz

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WELLBEING

SKINCARE

BEAUTY

Take your skincare regime up a notch with the divine natural collection from the pros at Velettà Skincare. Mix equal parts nature and luxury and you get the results-driven range – packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients. All that goodness will have your skin feeling soft, nourished and hydrated, and help to improve its texture while fighting those nasty free radicals. Treat yourself and indulge in healthy and glowing skin – who doesn’t want that! velettaskincare.com

NZ’s premier laser tattoo removal and lightening specialists, Sacred Laser, have brought the best laser removal tools to town – the Medlite C6 and Picosure.

Using these machines, the team can target all colours and ensure the best possible results using the correct wavelengths. The qualified technicians have been tattooed and had removal – they consider each project with the understanding and expertise gained from 20 years of experience in the tattoo industry. sacredlaser.co.nz

NATURE MEETS LUXURY

DIVINE INTERVENTION

NEW PRODUCT

POWDER POWER

FITNESS

HUMAN TOUCH Koha Fitness is a state of the art club, but it’s the people – He tāngata! He tāngata! He tāngata! – that make it so special. At Koha Fitness, you’re family, which means they care about your wellness journey and help you to stay on track. With the latest equipment on offer, get in touch with the friendly team for a free one-week trial. kohafitness.co.nz/free

This nutrient-dense powder from Kiki Health will have your body looking and feeling radiant. The 100 percent organic Alkaline Infusion Powder uses Vitamin C from lemon juice and acerola cherry, inulin from chicory root, calcium, magnesium and potassium. This supplement works to reduce fatigue, support your immune system, build collagen, improve your skin and aid digestion. kiki-health.co.nz

WIN! Koha Fitness is expanding

and to celebrate, they have three one-month memberships to give away.

To go in the draw for a premium experience at our city’s friendliest club, email info@somocreative.co.nz with ‘Koha Fitness’ in the subject line and tell us how winning will help your fitness journey. Entries close October 31.

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WELLBEING

NICOLA QUINN BEAUTY & DAY SPA Health/Beauty | Merivale

Knowledgeable experts, personalised treatments and powerful products come together, helping you put your best self forward. Their skin therapists specialise in premium anti-aging treatments including Dermapen microneedling, LED and advanced facials alongside classic relaxing spa treatments. Indulge in the opulence of The Hush Lounge before or after your treatment and experience only the best at Nicola Quinn.

209/211 Papanui Road 03 355 6400 quinnbeautyspa.co.nz

HEADSPACE

Hair | Central City

Headspace is a long-established and contemporary inner city hair salon offering a full range of professional services within a stylish and sophisticated environment. Clients enjoy a comfortable atmosphere, surrounded by beautifully appointed decor. Every effort is made to make clients feel as relaxed as possible, resulting in a wonderful experience that’s still very affordable. Keep an eye out for when they launch their Dapper brand and barber service.

7/245 St Asaph Street 03 366 1896 headspacehair.co.nz

THE GALLERY FITNESS Gym | Central City

The Gallery Fitness is a contemporary family-run gym where owners, elite athletes and personal trainers Jamil Rehman and Kristy Thomson pride themselves on offering a welcoming, supportive and non-judgmental gym environment.

State-of-the-art gym equipment, including Hammer Strength, Cybex and Life Fitness, are available and their slick and effortlessly cool Montreal Street gym is open 24/7.

190 Montreal Street 03 925 9417 thegalleryfitness.co.nz

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WELLBEING

BEAUTY BY RHIANNE

Health/Beauty | Central City

Beauty By Rhianne is owned and operated by Rhianne Danielsen who has over four years experience in the beauty industry.

Rhianne caters to all of your beauty needs such as waxing, tinting and massages with a particular focus on facials and skincare.

All treatments are fully customised to each client’s needs to ensure that they get the results they are after.

Open Monday to Friday, 5:30pm – 9pm and Saturday, 10am – 4pm.

Level 2, 4/245 St Asaph Street 027 867 7080 FB/beautybyrhiannenz

EARTH ORGANIC HAIRDRESSING Hair | Central City

Fabulous for you. Fantastic for the planet. Earth Organic is the central city’s first vegan and sustainability focused salon. Their products are 100% plant-based and no products are tested on animals, so you can sit back and relax whilst knowledgeable and creative senior stylists carry out your fabulous hair edit. Their stylists have over 30 years of experience and are committed and passionate about all things hair!

181 High Street 03 365 7393 earthorganichairdressing.co.nz

LOVOIR SKIN BODY & BEAUTY Beauty | Avonhead

This warm and friendly beauty spa is your oasis from the outside world.

The knowledgeable therapists cater to your every need. Whether you require maintenance treatments or want to address skin concerns, they have a specialist who can advise and implement the right course of action to have you looking and feeling your best! Located in Avonhead, it’s easy to find with ample parking. Book online or simply swing by and say hi!

45 – 47 Merrin Street 03 358 8410 lovoirbeauty.com

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Food & Drink HAPPY ENDINGS Chef Shafeeq Ismail of Story restaurant. P92 TWENTY SEVEN STEPS Delicious desserts and succulent entrées and mains have made New Regent Street’s Twenty Seven Steps one of the city’s top restaurants and a consistent award winner. twentysevensteps.co.nz

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NATIONAL TREASURE Sam Brown makes gin from sheep’s milk. P94 SILVER LININGS Beer guru Ralph Bungard on New England IPAs. P96

FOOD & DRINK

Happy Endings

At his restaurant, Story, chef Shafeeq Ismail blends Indian flavours and local ingredients to create dishes that diners love to love. He tells Cityscape where he gets his inspiration, and how cricket helps him relax.

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ow would you describe the cuisine you create? We create progressive international cuisine using local artisan produce and New Zealand ingredients with definite Indian flavours. All our wine and beer are handpicked to match the food and sourced locally and internationally from the best in the industry. How did you get started on your career as a chef? Way back in India I was always amazed by our street food vendors and chefs, who fascinated me with their technique and flavours. I have always been a foodie and felt the happiness in eating tasty food, and so I wanted to give the same happiness to others. What has been your path to where you are now? I started my career in India at a five-star hotel, where I was a trainee. I then moved to Dubai and worked with some world-class chefs. I had an opportunity to work in local restaurants in Spain, then finally after marriage we decided to move to beautiful New Zealand. What is the best thing about your job?

The best thing is the smiling face walking down the stairs and thanking us for a great meal.

What’s new at your restaurant, Story? I’m experimenting and developing the menu there with more emphasis on Indian spices, which is close to my heart. How do you ensure your cuisine stays relevant to current food trends?

By using seasonal produce, minimal components and maximum flavour. What advice would you give to your younger self? Hard work and patience is the mantra for achieving your dreams.

‘Hard work and patience is the mantra for achieving your dreams’

What has been the most surreal moment in your career to date?

Owning a restaurant and getting nominated as a finalist for Restaurant of the Year in the Christchurch Hospitality Awards 2019, only 10 months after we opened. Who are your culinary heroes? All the street food chefs who do not have any professional qualifications or world-class facilities but they are consistent in delivering tasty food. Who would you most like to cook for? I would like to cook for people who cannot afford to go to restaurants or eateries. What would be your dream job as a chef? To cook for Jiro Ono, a renowned sushi chef from Japan. Who would you most love to collaborate with? I would love to collaborate with chef Niyati R. Rao, who is a top female chef in India. What do you see as the most important trends in food and dining? Customers are now aware of what they are eating and

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where the ingredients are sourced from and if they are ethical.

Accordingly, chefs are using local produce and indigenous ingredients, cheap cuts of meat and offal parts to create dishes.

What has been the oddest food fad? The Keto diet. If you could invite any three people living or dead to a dinner party, who would they be? Nelson Mandela, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Frank Sinatra.

Food should always be … Simple and tasty. What’s your favourite thing to do to unwind? Go camping with my wife and friends.

What’s your go-to meal to whip up when you are not working?

Egg omelette. If you weren’t doing what you are now, what would you want to be doing? Cricketer.

You’ve got friends coming from out of town. Where would you go to show off the city? I would take them to New Regent Street, the Cardboard Cathedral, and to the top of the Port Hills just before sunset to get a beautiful panoramic view of our city. Where do you go to – Wine and dine with friends: Rangoon Ruby. Take a date: Story.

Morning coffee: She Universe. See the sunrise: Port Hills. Blow off some steam: Bowl in a cricket match. Get away from it all: Long drives and long walks. storynz.com

FOOD & DRINK

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FOOD & DRINK

H

ow did you come up with such an interesting product?

I was living overseas at the time and out having a few drinks with friends. We were all from different countries and decided to have a drink for each of our nationalities. We had some tequila for Mexico, brandy for France, whisky for Scotland and bourbon for USA. When it got to me, I drew a blank – there wasn’t a spirit that was truly unique to New Zealand. It was this night that put the spark in my mind to create something truly different that could represent New Zealand on the global stage. It took around three years of research and development while working full-time but The White Sheep Co finally launched at the beginning of 2019. Did you have a background in spirits or was it completely new to you? I always had an interest in home brewing but outside of a few attempts when I was younger – with varying degrees of success –

NATIONAL TREASURE

When Kiwi entrepreneur Sam Brown realised we didn’t have a national drink, he set about making one – and so The White Sheep Co came to life.

I had no formal experience. It has been a great learning process and the science behind things is very interesting. How do people react when you tell them you produce spirits with sheep milk? People are quite surprised when they find out and want to know more, how they’re made and of course what they taste like. What hurdles did you face? Turning sheep milk into

alcohol is quite unique and it took a long time to perfect the science behind it. It is a bit more involved than a conventional spirit made from grain or wheat, and a lot of work goes into each batch. Has interest in the product exceeded your expectations? The public response has been really great and we want to continue building on that both domestically and abroad.

We are now stocked at a number of liquor stores and bars/restaurants.

People could be quite apprehensive about trying The White Sheep Co products – what’s the reaction? Sheep milk is a new thing to most people so there is a natural curiosity about what we’ve created. What are your favourite ways to drink the gin and vodka?

I would definitely recommend people try our spirits sipped neat.

The subtle honey and notes of sheep milk make the gin perfect for sipping. thewhitesheepco.com

JUST OPENED

KIN, the elegant new café, deli and wine bar opening in Ballantynes this spring, is bound to become a hot favourite. Be sure to get along soon for lunch, a drink or a weekend brunch – it’s all about sharing experiences and taking time out. ballantynes.co.nz

BAKERY

MAKEOVER

BOHEMIAN BLISS

CURIOUS CATS

Believe us when we say Bohemian Bakery is somewhere you need to visit! Starting out in Sumner, the bakery now has a second home in the central city’s trendy SALT District. The new location also has a wicked space for dining in, making it the perfect spot to tuck into a melt-in-your-mouth pastry and share a coffee with friends.

Find them on Facebook

Our good friends at Curiosity Gin have undergone an extreme (branding) makeover.

Their sleek new 700ml bottles of locally distilled gin are sporting a bold new logo. We already know their gin stands out from the crowd and now, with the fresh new branding, their bottles will too. The Sydenham-based distillery is well worth a visit if you’ve never been, if only to embark on one of their tours. You’ll get a peek at where the magic happens. thespiritsworkshop.co.nz

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FOOD & DRINK

DINING LANE

WORLD OF VARIETY If you are still to check out the world of variety at the city’s freshest new dining lane, Eats on Oxford, make sure you get along soon and take advantage of the launch promotions. There’s Happy Hour Monday and Tuesday (50% off selected items, 3 – 6pm) and the Early Bird special Wednesday to Friday (25% off selected items, 10am – noon). Dine in or take away, brunch, afternoon tea or dinner – Eats on Oxford has you covered.

FB/eatsonoxford

NEW

HEALTHY SNACK

C’MON, GET HEMPY The Hempy Bar is a brand new snack from Christchurchbased hemp food company The Brothers Green and it is packed with nature’s most nutrient-rich seed. Hemp seeds are a natural protein containing all 20 amino acids and are a great source of Omega 3, making Hempy Bars a healthy alternative snack for children and adults. The Brothers Green won FoodStuffs’ FoodStarter competition last year with the bar, and that put it into South Island New Worlds. To cap the good vibes, the Hempy Bar comes in a compostable pouch and wrap. thebrothersgreen.co

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THE WINE LIST

Silver linings

Three Boys brewer Ralph Bungard looks into a cloudy glass and finds much to like about a good New England IPA. Craft brewers have been at the forefront of exposing consumers to what seems like an ever-expanding range of beer styles. It was not that long ago in New Zealand where, to paraphrase Henry Ford, you could have any beer style you liked – as long as it was brown NZ draft!

That was pretty much New Zealand beer in a nutshell up until the late 1990s and early 2000s, before the appearance of new-wave craft brewers. Rather than compete with cheap “factory” brews, these pioneers tapped into the market of those who were looking for something different.

Just like here in New Zealand, craft breweries worldwide became the go-to for new and exciting beer styles and it triggered what could be seen as a brewing “arms race” – who could make the most outrageous style?

One of the most recent introductions to the brewers’ arsenal is New England IPA (or NEIPAs to those in the know). Born in the New England states of the USA, these beers are packed full of

hops that bring flavours of pine, citrus and tropical fruits. However, by far their defining characteristic is their cloudiness. We are not just talking hazy, like in a well-made Belgian wheat (Wit) beer, we are talking milkshake cloudy!

The cloudiness is created by using high-protein, high-starch grains combined with haze-forming compounds that naturally occur in hops, and then leaving out all the steps that brewers normally take to create a clear beer. It gives big, mouth-filling flavours matched with full-noise hop aroma!

At Three Boys Brewery, our take on the NEIPA style is our Alpha Juice. At 6.3% alcohol, its big and bold hop aroma and flavour are matched to the rich, mouth-filling characteristics that the protein haze brings.

It certainly requires a mindset adjustment for those used to seeing beer as crystal-clear, but I’d recommend you give it a try. threeboysbrewery.co.nz

FOLLOW US

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FIDDLER’S GREEN VINEYARD & BISTRO GEWURZTRAMINER 2019 The aromatic gewurztraminer grape is finding itself in ideal terroir in the Waipara Valley, leading to some wonderful expressions of the wine style. It is also catching on with diners seeking an ideal companion to spicy Asian dishes. This example from Fiddler’s Green exhibits aromas of pear, Turkish delight, rose water and almond nougat, while the palate shows a silky rounded texture blending into a savoury finish. Drink now or cellar up to 10 years. fiddlersgreenbistro.co.nz MAIN DIVIDE ROSÉ 2019 Spring is in the air – time to switch from those big reds to something a little lighter.

Enter Main Divide’s 2019 Rosé, an assemblage of varieties including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The wine pours salmon pink, with fragrant aromas of strawberries, red currants and cranberry. On the palate it is dry and finely textured, with fresh and vibrant minerality. The influence of the Pinot Noir ensures the wine remains fleshy and supple, while the two Cabernets contribute aroma and structure. maindivide.com

cityscapemagazine_chch

FOOD & DRINK

PLANT BASED NZ

Hemp products | Various Locations

Plant Based NZ aims to provide consumers in Aotearoa with a range of natural products from their three brands – The Brothers Green (hemp food), Kōaka (hemp skincare) and Original Canvas (hemp apparel).

All products are made through a sustainable growing system – hemp is one of the most versatile, sustainable and nutritious plants around. Regenerative for people and the environment, why wouldn’t you try some of Plant Based’s products? thebrothersgreen.co koaka.co originalcanvas.co.nz

TASTE @ TWENTY

Gourmet Food Store/Catering | Cashmere

taste@twenty stocks a tempting array of fresh produce, Vic’s breads, Hummingbird espresso to go and beans, preserves and pickles, vinegars and olive oils, free-range eggs and milk. They also offer their own range of pestos, hummus, aioli and delicious ‘real’ food... and some say the best coffee in Christchurch, all made with love and a smile.

Catering is also available, from finger food for your function to tasty ‘man food’ for your work shout.

20 Colombo Street 03 982 1399 tasteattwenty.co.nz

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FOOD & DRINK

CASHMERE CUISINE

Gourmet Meats | Cashmere

Cashmere Cuisine is an award-winning boutique butchery specialising in top quality cuts, roasts and small goods. All their meat is free-farmed and sourced locally.

Their highly qualified butchers are passionate, and treat customer service as of paramount importance.

With a balance of traditional and modern techniques, they keep up with the latest food trends and seasons.

18 Colombo Street 03 332 6071 or 021 224 4590 cashmerecuisine.co.nz

CURIOSITY GIN

Spirits/Distillery | Sydenham

Curiosity Gin has a gin for everyone at their Sydenham distillery shop and tasting room. Curiosity’s gins are all unique and shine in a classic G&T or primo cocktail – Negroni Special, for example, makes a fabulous Negroni!

Take a tour of their distillery to learn how the gins are made, sample them all to find the perfect bottle for your favourite drink or take home the delicious range with their Four Gin Tasting Pack.

11 Sandyford Street 021 336 416 thespiritsworkshop.co.nz

LINKS FUNCTIONS AND EVENTS

Functions & Events | Shirley

Links Functions and Events, at the prestigious Christchurch Golf Club, is Christchurch’s newest, most modern and refreshing venue for weddings, business conferences, celebrations, presentations and cocktail events.

Located only 10 minutes from the city centre, Links boasts top-class catering, attentive service, modern bar facilities and stunning views of the greens from every point. Café now open daily to the public!

45 Horseshoe Lake Road 03 385 9506 linksfunctions.co.nz

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5TH STREET

International | Sydenham

5th Street, brought to you by the team behind Christchurch’s iconic café Hello Sunday, present a bespoke lounge-style restaurant with a constantly evolving menu that allows you to explore the pleasure of shared dining, matched by a well-crafted and eclectic range of boutique, natural and family-owned wines.

Expect the same customer service people have come to enjoy from Hello Sunday, only in a night dining experience.

5 Elgin Street 03 365 9667 5thstreet.co.nz

50 BISTRO

New Zealand | Central City

50 Bistro offers inspired bistro food with modern flavours, excellent wines and a great bar. Executive Chef Antony Page leads the kitchen team, designing seasonal menus that utilise the best local produce. The menu at 50 Bistro offers a large variety of dishes, featuring classics twisted with their own 50 flair.

The George, 50 Park Terrace 03 371 0250 50bistro.co.nz

BLOODY MARY’S

Steakhouse/Swishy Bar | Central City

A popular New York style steakhouse known for premium, local produce, seasonal menus and delicious cuisine. Check out Hugh’s Whisky Library for a nightcap or perhaps The Terrace for one of their famous cocktails and delicious platters. For the full Bloody Mary’s experience you can’t go past their flagship Prime Rib carved at your table every Wednesday and Saturday.

30 Latimer Square 03 943 5937 bloodymarys.co.nz

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THE CAFFEINE LABORATORY Café | Central City

This small, unique 2-storey space in New Regent Street serves fresh, seasonal and healthy food daily, all made with local produce. They offer cabinet goodies, the best burgers and fresh food prepared on the spot, and a small selection of NZ wines, craft beers and beverages – not to mention amazing coffee! The menu changes seasonally to ensure you get vibrant flavours and fresh produce. New seating area now open. Book now!

1 New Regent Street caffeinelab.co.nz

COOK ‘N’ WITH GAS

New Zealand / Central City

Cook ‘N’ With Gas is a classic old-school bistro that explores modern New Zealand cuisine.

They dazzle your senses with amazing flavour profiles and cutting-edge cuisine and their dedicated team have created a destination that has become a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike.

Experience one of Christchurch’s most well-known restaurants and enjoy the atmosphere which is Cook ‘N’ With Gas. 23 Worcester Boulevard 03 377 9166 cooknwithgas.co.nz

COOKAI JAPANESE RESTAURANT Japanese | Central City

Fine Japanese cuisine has returned to the heart of the city with Cookai Japanese Restaurant open at The Crossing. Their sushi train is a hit with the kids and loaded with more than 60 delicious dishes including vegetarian and vegan options. You can also order a Cookai classic like Soft Shell Crab or Tempura Sushi and wash it down with a traditional sake or wine. Available for functions.

Open 7 days.

Level 1, The Crossing, 166 Cashel Street 03 343 2860 cookai.co.nz

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EARL

Restaurant | Central City

With its buzzing, local vibe, Earl captures the essence of the city lifestyle while still delivering an around-the-clock sense of occasion.

The friendly all-day venue brings fine but casual dining to Christchurch and focuses on doing simple things well with its menu inspired by the flavours, energy and relaxed vibe synonymous of the coastal European culture. Your inner-city local bistro that’s all about good food, good wine and good times!

128 Lichfield Street 03 365 1147 earl.co.nz

FIDDLESTICKS RESTAURANT & BAR

New Zealand | Central City

Sophisticated, sociable and relaxed, Fiddlesticks is one of the city’s best retreats. This distinctive restaurant and bar provides an inviting atmosphere for whiling away some time. Dine al fresco and watch the street-side activity from their sheltered courtyard, or join friends in one of the intimate dining spaces.

The talented kitchen crew provide sensational in-season and local fare.

48 Worcester Boulevard 03 365 0533 fiddlesticksbar.co.nz

THE FLAMING RABBIT Bar/Restaurant | Lincoln

The Flaming Rabbit is a slick eatery located in Lincoln that owes its name to the dark tale of blazing bunnies that were said to have spread a fire across the scorched lands of the Selwyn District. Head in for breakfast, opt for a light meal or sink your teeth into the perfectly aged South Devon beef – courtesy of the onsite dry aging cabinet. Check out the weekly specials such as Thursday curry night and dry-aged steak on Fridays and Saturdays.

3 Vernon Drive 03 321 7265 flamingrabbit.nz

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HELLO SUNDAY Café | Sydenham

Hello Sunday is a delightful piece of reclaimed Christchurch. One of the city’s best brunch restaurants, they emphasise creative, fresh flavours, great service and excellent coffee.

Enjoy a little bit of Sunday – each and every day!

6 Elgin Street 03 260 1566 Find them on Facebook

KUMO JAPANESE CUISINE Japanese | Addington

Renowned for their authentic and delicious Japanese cuisine and for being the first Japanese restaurant to boast a sushi train in the city, KUMO is at the forefront of Japanese dining in Christchurch. With an assortment of dishes on their menu, you can dine on traditional sushi or take your pick from their selection of main dishes as well as highly tempting desserts.

351 Lincoln Road 03 339 0886 kumo-cuisine.co.nz

LEMON TREE CAFÉ Café | Central City

Take your café experience to new heights down at Lemon Tree Café, a boutique and contemporary space that offers an array of sweet and savoury treats. Sip on a killer coffee in their quirky fitout – the perfect spot to pull up a pew, relax and catch up with friends. Treat yourself to one of their brunch specials or indulge in one of their high teas packages.

Lemon Tree Café can also host your next special event!

234 St Asaph Street 03 379 0949 Find them on Instagram

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MERRIN STREET BREWERY BAR

Cosy Pub/New Zealand | Avonhead

Enjoy the legendary hospitality of the West Coast in a relaxed, fun and friendly venue that serves exceptional gastropub fare alongside Monteith’s famous range of craft beers. Perfect for any occasion, this classic Kiwi ‘local’ has specials 7 days a week and supplies their own premium South Devon beef with their exclusive paddock-toplate operation. Your friendly local on the corner!

Avonhead Mall, 210 Withells Road 03 358 8184 mbbmerrinst.co.nz

MIRO

Café/Restaurant | Central City

Located in the stunning refurbished Midland Building, previously home to Christchurch favourite Caffe Roma, is Miro – Best Café winner at the 2018 Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence. Their menu offers restaurant-style brunch and lunch with a contemporary twist, as well as barista-made Allpress coffee, a selection of teas and breakfast cocktails for that extra morning pick-me-up.

176 Oxford Terrace 03 925 9909 miro.nz

MOMENT

Café | Central City

Moment is situated in the heart of the CBD, with a clean minimalistic atmosphere drenched in sunlight.

Their menu sets the bar high with a kaleidoscope of colour and flavours your taste buds won’t forget. You’ll find twists on café classics, including their famous pancakes. Offering an abundance of gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options, which will leave you spoilt for choice.

85 Manchester Street 03 261 4141 momentcafe.co.nz

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FOOD & DRINK

NO.4 BAR & RESTAURANT

New Zealand/Cosy Pub | Merivale

No.4 Bar & Restaurant has a lively atmosphere every day of the week.

Take a seat in a candlelit corner, pull up the couch in the library, or celebrate with friends in one of the covered outdoor courtyards. When you’re comfortable, check out your dining options. Brimming with fresh, seasonal and locally sourced delights, the menu has earned No.4 an exceedingly good reputation.

Drop in for exceptionally good beer, food and stories.

4 Mansfield Avenue 03 355 3720 no4bar.co.nz

NOM NOM KITCHEN

South East Asian Cuisine | Strowan/Rangiora/Lyttelton

Experience tasty South East Asian cuisine at any of Nom Nom Kitchen’s three cosy and fully licensed locations. They offer an array of sensational dishes and are also gluten free, vegan and vegetarian friendly. With a great range of cocktails, wine and beer on tap also available, Nom Nom Kitchen are perfect for your next family catch-up or special occasion. Their Strowan location is open 7 days.

7 Normans Road 03 355 3909, 257 High Street, Rangiora 03 313 4276 & 47 London Street, Lyttelton 03 925 9335 nomnomkitchen.co.nz

OTTO DELICATESSEN

Sandwich Bar / Central City

Otto Delicatessen is the best thing since sliced bread, elevating the hole in the wall sandwich bar to the next level. Featuring a rotational selection of European style sandwiches, fresh seasonal salads and other worker inspired lunch items, this inner city lunch bar is located at The Yard Eatery, making it ideal for those looking for something healthy and tasty on the go.

Open Monday – Friday, 11am – 3pm.

173 St Asaph Street Find them on Facebook theyardchch.nz

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PESCATORE

Seafood | Central City

Awarded Two Hats by the Cuisine Good Food Awards 2018 and a Beef and Lamb Excellence Award 2019, Pescatore is your divine destination for spectacular fare.

Pescatore delivers innovative and contemporary dishes designed to delight the senses. This passionate team, which has gained outstanding recognition, matches an ingredientdriven menu with professional, friendly service. Seasonal menus are curated from premium local, sustainable and organic ingredients and paired with top vintages from Pescatore’s comprehensive wine list. Honoured by Wine Spectator magazine as having one of the most outstanding restaurant lists in the world, Pescatore received a Two Glasses Best of Excellence Award in 2019. Pescatore offers à la carte and degustation dining (5-, 7- and 10-course degustation options are available) as well as private group dining options.

The George, Level 1, 50 Park Terrace 03 371 0257 pescatore.co.nz

PEGASUS BAY WINERY

Winery/International | Amberley

Named New Zealand’s best winery restaurant 8 times in the past 11 years in the Cuisine NZ Good Food Awards, Pegasus Bay offers an unforgettable experience. The menu is influenced by the best of local produce, and changes to take advantage of seasonal offerings. Start things off with a free tasting and discover the breathtaking gardens.

263 Stockgrove Road 03 314 6869 Bookings recommended pegasusbay.com

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FOOD & DRINK

SISTER KONG

Modern Chinese | Central City

Up your spring eats at inner city bao and dumpling bar Sister Kong.

Inspired by Hong Kong eats and latenight Chinatown cocktail bars in New York, Sister Kong has revolutionised the city dining scene. Serving up slick cocktails and thirst-quenching craft beers that accompany their mouth-watering menu, Sister Kong combines premium ingredients with fresh, locally sourced produce to create highly tempting dishes including the Bao Mac, feisty CheeseBurger Dumplings and next level Wings. Wrap your mouth around their new winter Housemade Dumpling menu or lunch time Danbury Bowls. What’s more, practically every choice can be made gluten- free, with a number of vegan and vegetarian options also available.

Just follow the waving neon cat down the lane at 123 Victoria Street to enter into paradise!

123 Victoria Street 03 421 6494 sisterkong.co.nz

POLO BAR

Argentinian | Central City

The Polo Bar is the perfect setting for breakfast, afternoon aperitifs, or to enjoy delicious shared plates from late afternoon. Inspired by Argentinian cuisine, they offer a menu of various sharing plates of selected meats smoked and chargrilled for a unique flavour.

Delicious vegetarian dishes are also on the menu, which changes regularly so they can use the freshest local ingredients to create their mouth-watering dishes.

351 Montreal Street 03 943 8555 hotelmontreal.co.nz

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FOOD & DRINK

SPAGALIMIS PIZZERIA & BAR

Pizza/Swishy Bar | Central City

Spagalimis Pizzeria and Bar is the oldest restaurant in Christchurch.

Visit them for a meal or just a drink in the historic Ironside House, built in 1899. With their menu of 39 delicious pizzas and a full bar and cocktails available, there’s something for everyone! Enjoy outdoor dining on the deck area or book their private dining room for your next function.

Open Mon – Tue 4pm – late, Wed – Sun 11am – late.

32 Salisbury Street 03 379 7159 spagalimis.co.nz

STORY

Located on Christchurch’s famous Spanish Mission architecturally styled New Regent Street is Story, a small social hub offering exquisite culinary fare by way of chefs Shafeeq Ismail and Jamie Bennett. Open seven evenings a week from 5pm, dine in the light and classic space, pull up a pew and take your pick from their premium beer and wine range or keep it relaxed with a coffee and tasty bar snacks.

8 New Regent Street 03 261 9441 storynz.com

STRAWBERRY FARE European | Merivale

Located near the city and with stunning views of Hagley Park, Strawberry Fare offers something for everyone. They open early with delicious breakfasts and their own roasted coffee; a perfect place to start the day. Lunch and dinner are served 7 days, and their famous desserts are available any time you fancy. Free-range and organic produce is used whenever available.

Enjoy a friendly, relaxed service that also caters to all dietary needs.

15 Bealey Avenue 03 365 4897 strawberryfare.com

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Images: @thesocialproject_agency

Restaurant / Central City

FOOD & DRINK

SUPER RESTAURANT Japanese / Lyttelton

Bringing Oriental flair to the portside town of Lyttelton is SUPER Restaurant. Located in a beautifully restored heritage building, SUPER is a popular haunt to tuck into delectable fare. Their range of dishes is influenced by Japanese flavours using only the freshest local and organic ingredients. Go for a meal or indulge in their range of Japanese whiskey, sake and gin as well as their highly tempting cocktails in the sweet, freshly renovated lounge bar.

5 Norwich Quay 021 0862 2632 super.restaurant

TOMI JAPANESE RESTAURANT Japanese | St Albans

Immerse yourself in some culture from the Tomi family as you dine on traditional Japanese cuisine.

Tomi has a wide range of Japanese sake and a comprehensive wine list, and offers a delicious selection of authentic specialty Japanese dishes.

76 Edgeware Road 03 377 8028 tomi.co.nz

TOWN TONIC

Images: @thesocialproject_agency

Restaurant / Addington

Using only the freshest produce from local growers, Town Tonic’s constantly evolving menu can cater to all dietary requirements and boasts exceptional plant-based dishes. Situated conveniently close to Horncastle Arena and The Court Theatre, Town Tonic is the perfect place for pre- and post-show drinks and dining. Book online via their website and keep up to date with their latest events on their Instagram @towntonic_ 335 Lincoln Road 03 338 1150 towntonic.com

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FOOD & DRINK

TWENTY SEVEN STEPS European | Central City

“Cantabrians should feel proud that on Christchurch’s showcase tourist street, 27 Steps is serving our visitors – and us lucky locals – the best produce of the province with confidence, panache and unpretentious sophistication.”

The Press. Pop in for a drink at the Tiny Bar downstairs or visit their restaurant for dinner, which is open seven nights a week from 5pm.

Private functions and lunches are available on request.

16 New Regent Street 03 366 2727 Find them on Facebook twentysevensteps.co.nz

UNIVERSO BRASSERIE & BAR European | Central City

Equal parts edgy Euro-chic and sun-drenched tropical escape, Universo Brasserie & Bar sets the scene for a gourmand experience you’ll be hard pressed to forget.

Choose one of their sensational cocktails and peruse their expertly crafted seasonal menu that offers a raft of tempting dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tasty cabinet fare is also available to take away. Open seven days from 9am.

Cnr Worcester Boulevard and Montreal Street 03 379 5214 universo.co.nz

UNTOUCHED WORLD™ KITCHEN Café | Burnside

A favourite with locals, and now with a fresh new look, Untouched World Kitchen is the perfect oasis away from the hustle for a delicious breakfast, brunch or lunch. Dine al fresco in the peaceful garden setting, or cosy up by the fire with a coffee and tasty treat from the cabinet. Located just 5 minutes from Christchurch Airport with plenty of off-street parking.

Enquire about catering options and private functions.

155 Roydvale Avenue 03 357 9499 untouchedworldkitchen.com

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Homegrown hip-hop trailblazer JessB performs at Blue Smoke on September 14.

Culture

NEW VIEWS

WINING & SMILING Irish comic Dara Ó Briain is bringing his Voice of Reason to Christchurch. P114 ART IN THE WILD Your guide to SCAPE Public Art’s 2019 lineup. P116 WHAT’S ON The season in culture. P121

Postmodern Jukebox have won a world of fans with their old-skool approach – human beings singing and playing real instruments. Vocalist Aubrey Logan tells Cityscape why she loves getting to join in, and her delight at getting to visit Christchurch with the band.

Y

ou’ve performed with so many artists across a wide range of genres yet you seem to have a particular affinity with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox – why is that? Postmodern Jukebox is really a family. When you go to a Postmodern Jukebox show, you may or may not see the same people most of the time because the cast is so large and there are different casts in different shows around the world. So for me I really have Scott Bradlee to thank for introducing me to his audience a few years ago when I first met him. And then every time I have been on a tour with them it’s like we’ve developed this little family and so it’s like a reunion. It’s actually been a couple of years since I’ve been on tour with Postmodern Jukebox, this will be like a return for me. There’s certainly something timeless about swing and jazz, and through YouTube it’s reached a whole new audience – it must be exciting to be part of that? It is. I grew up listening to so many different types of music, and I still do, and jazz obviously is a tradition that will never die but even if it’s rock, even if it’s pop – there are major artists doing electronic music

everywhere but there’s just something about a real instrument playing a real song by a real human being that I will never be able to get away from no matter what the genre. So jazz obviously is a big deal because there are elements of improvisation, which requires a human being. There’s nothing like a real drummer rather than a drum machine.

And I think people want that, maybe they didn’t know it until they saw Postmodern Jukebox. Real human beings playing instruments – what a concept! It’s not new but it is certainly touching hearts.

What are your favourites among the places you’ve performed with Postmodern Jukebox? When we’ve been in Europe we’ve loved playing London, the Hammersmith, and then in LA I’ve got the opportunity to play the Greek Theatre with them, which was really memorable. And then my first ever appearance at Radio City Music Hall was with Postmodern Jukebox. I had pneumonia that night. I didn’t know it and I did the show, I did my song and then I collapsed off-stage afterwards.

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I got backstage and I fell down, and the whole Postmodern Jukebox cast were helping me. I got through the show – there’s those moments you’ll never forget. Like so many you headed to LA for fame and fortune and unlike so many you made a career there for yourself – just how hard was that? You know, it’s still hard but the difference now is that I expect it to be. I wrote my album Where the Sunshine Is Expensive about that journey. The truth is, it’s an illusion that everything is peachy here, that everything is nice and wonderful, and especially becoming an artist in the public eye it’s an illusion that everything is so great. Really, it is hard and you fail 10 times and you succeed once if that, and that’s more normal than people realise.

Although people are starting to realise, and that’s what I wrote about, not in a dark way but in a hopeful way. But there’s obviously some dark moments before the sun shines. Tell us about your first gig in LA. I think it was at Room 5.

It’s on Route 66, actually Nat King Cole played there back in the day.

And for my very first show I got a band together and we played for like 10 people up in this room. And then we played again and there were 30 people the next time. And then we played again and there were like 75 people. And that’s just how it worked, you know – I probably paid people to come the first time. And then they liked it enough to bring two of their friends the next time and then two more the next time. That’s the reality of it. But thankfully people did come back and they came back with an army. And that’s why I have a career. And now you love the place? What exactly? I think it’s the empathy I have for all the other artists around here and the empathy that they truly have for me. You hear about people being fake and people being disingenuous around here, which it looks like from the outside because really, everyone is trying to be an

IMAGE: DANA LYNN PLEASANT

CULTURE

actor, be famous or whatever, and these are such fleeting dreams, such volatile dreams, and truly once you get it are you even happy? But I have really learned there’s a better way. You can enjoy your life and make beautiful art and whoever likes it joins you. There’s a surrendered way and I really think a lot of people in LA, even if on the outside you might find them silly or overly glamorous or too fake, on the inside they are real. And I’ve grown to love my peers in that way, in a way I didn’t quite before I had dealt with the heartbreak that this town can really bring. Will this be your first visit to New Zealand and Christchurch? It sure will be, I cannot wait. I’m really looking forward to seeing the natural beauty everywhere I go. I was born and raised in Seattle and there’s a lot of mountains and greenery and lush nature and I know that that’s what New Zealand is known for. So in a way I feel it’s going to make me feel a little bit like home. And I’m going to go visit the Shire, I’m going to go to Hobbiton. I’m about the height of a hobbit so it’ll be perfect. What do you hope punters will take away from your performances? I think they’re just going to like the variety of the people that are in this particular cast. There’s going to be Robyn Adele Anderson, me, Casey Abrams, Hannah Gill. Every different singer in Postmodern Jukebox seems to have some

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superpower, their own little thing, and they’re going to enjoy that.

And I’m going to enjoy them because gosh, we dress up in Postmodern Jukebox but let me tell you the fans dress up better than us. We feel like, oh man, we gotta step up our game. I’ve slowly pulled Postmodern Jukebox into the 60s myself but they’ve got the 20s down – they got the feathers, the sequins, the gowns. What’s one item from your wardrobe that you can’t leave behind when you are on tour? I have a leather jacket with a bunch of fringe on it and I cannot leave the house without that leather jacket, I cannot. What album/song do you have on high rotation at the moment? Today I listened to Missy Elliott and I listened to Frank Sinatra, so if that helps people narrow down my musical taste … Finally, what are you most looking forward to about getting back home? I really like cooking. I like cooking for myself and I like cooking for my husband, and it’s the first thing I do when I get home, for sure. And your go-to dish? Rib-eyes on the grill – simple but perfect, simple but perfect.

Postmodern Jukebox, Isaac Theatre Royal, October 19 postmodernjukebox.com

WINING & SMILING Forget bungy jumping – Irish comic Dara Ó Briain has much more refined plans for what to do during his first visit to New Zealand.

Cityscape taps into the ‘Voice of Reason’ before his Christchurch show.

Y

our tour is called Voice of Reason and in the poster for it we see you bellowing into a megaphone – that’s an image for the age right there, isn’t it?

Voice of Reason seemed like a good general expression of the kind of stuff I normally do, and we had a very angry looking poster. It turns out later it’s subconsciously very similar to classic Soviet art of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. There’s one particular picture of a brave peasant woman shouting her support of the Soviet project, which this mimics exactly, and I’m not sure how we stumbled across that because there wasn’t a hidden message at all. It’s a weird echo, that poster.

This isn’t a problem but we use a screen behind us on stage and occasionally you go to theatres and they say we’ve only got our own screen but this is normally a cinema so you have to perform in front of a 100-foot tall version of your own face in an angry, shouting pose, and it looks like a fascist rally if you just took a snapshot of it. I’m standing in front of this giant image of myself – I don’t see it but I can see the fear in the audience’s face as I loom over them. You do make for an imposing presence.

It is useful in comedy to have a physical presence on stage. You learn to stand in a particular way to dominate the audience. There is an element of wanting to be the person that all eyes are on. And it helps if you have an air of threat and menace, like a bouncer addressing the audience. It’s useful sometimes.

This is your first time in New Zealand – what have they told you about us? Oh you know, it’s all orcs and rings being thrown into volcanoes and rugby balls and Cricket World Cup heroics. But I’d like to get past that, past the Lord of the Rings and the rugby. I’m a very good friend of Ed Byrne, who has been coming to New Zealand for 20 years and adores it and speaks nothing but highly of you.

Ed has always said to me ‘you’ve got to go to New Zealand because they’ll bring you out bungy jumping

‘As long as my trip features the word ‘Marlborough’ at some stage I’ll be very happy’

and make you walk up a mountain’ and I’m like, whoa, I’m never going there. I’ve waited till I am too old to go bungy jumping, that has been a deliberate policy of mine to counteract your bizarre enthusiasm to bring people bungy jumping. So now at 47 I can justifiably say, no bungy jumping for me, thank you very much, can I please just enjoy the scenery like a normal tourist without you attaching some elasticated rope to my feet. So that’s my hope for New Zealand, that you don’t actually do that. We do have some other things going on here, we have some fine wine

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and food. As long as my trip features the word ‘Marlborough’ at some stage I’ll be very happy.

Cloudy Bay would be delightful as well. There’s rather a number of really nice pinot noirs that I would like to work my way through that you are doing an excellent job on at the moment. I’m going to have a much more refined trip.

I’m looking forward to it enormously, it’s a new place to go.

This year the new places I’ll go to are Estonia, Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland and Cologne. And I’m expecting the New Zealand gigs to be more enjoyable than the gig in Cologne and the gig in Estonia. We’ll have no language difficulties and no cultural things to overcome, I can just go straight in there and start telling jokes. Any cities or venues that you particularly enjoy performing in? Yes, I have a weird love affair with Norway and get on very well there. Not even just in Oslo but even up in Tromsø, which is in the Arctic Circle. I did my second show there earlier this year and we went especially early to see the Northern Lights and then do a gig and it’s just great to go up there when it’s under like four feet of snow. Scandinavia generally has been very, very nice. I can recommend Copenhagen as a place to go. But one of the great things about being a comedian is that you get to be curious about things, you get to want to find out something about places. So going to new places has kept this fresh. This is why I do places like Australia and

CULTURE

New Zealand at the end of the tour, because it’s payoff for having done Finland and Dorking and Woking and Blackburn. Britain’s a lovely country but my God there’s a lot of it and there’s a lot of towns there and there’s a lot of time on the road. So I’ve got a little bit of Copenhagen to look forward to, a little bit of Christchurch and the promise of finding a new great place – that will make the journey down the M4 a lot more enjoyable.

What do you do to relax? Any hobbies? I’m a huge sports fan, definitely soccer in particular and the Irish sport of hurling. I like attending the match, I like the sound of the crowd and people shouting, shouting at people far younger and fitter than I am, I find that very enjoyable. So in that regard I think myself and New Zealand will get on very well. But broadly I’ve got a young family so I can say movies and games and things like that but with kids you don’t get quite the amount of time to keep across stuff. Gaming I quite enjoy now and again, I quite enjoy a good video game. Do you play those with the kids? Yes we do.

They’re quite young so the difficulty is getting the time to play one of the ones that Dad does, like God of War or one of the grown-up games, where you’re firing an axe at somebody. It’s a very small part of the day to do something as mammoth as that. There’s a lot of Mario in there – there’s a ton of Mario in there and a bit of FIFA and even a bit of Fortnite every now and again. They really have an endless supply of video games, which I am very in favour of. You’ve written two children’s books that aim to popularise science – it seems like a cause close to your heart? Is science under attack? These aren’t sceptics books, these aren’t books to arm kids with information to fight anti-vaxxers, this is just exciting, just fun and exciting things. First I did a book on space, and then the microscopic world around us. Just for its wonder, and

because it tickled my brain and the hope is that it will tickle other people’s brains. There was a point where I was doing a lot of fighting fights against psychics and astrologers and these kind of kooks but actually the hunger, the fire to do that sort of fight I don’t have it. It’s more the sheer beauty of the stuff, the science, rather than using it as a way to develop a cultural war. But yes I do think it is under threat, misinformation travels pretty fast these days and it’s a thing worth keeping, to get them early with rational thought and hope like hell it sticks. Today I found out my first book has been translated into Chinese, I’ve just got a copy of it in my hand, which is bizarre.

When it was sold here it came out with a big picture of my face on it but they removed that for China, it would have been weird. What is one thing you hope audiences take away from your performances? That they’ll get 80 percent of it, 70 percent of it – I talk very quickly and that is unlikely to change so I need them to come with me partly on this and then I will make some effort to slow it down for them. But frankly I’m a busy man. I’ve got stuff to do and there’s a lot of information I need to download into their heads in a period of time. At this stage it will literally be shows 170, 171 and 172, the shows I’m doing in New Zealand, so if it is not working by now, lads, then things have gone terribly wrong. It’s been road tested to within an inch of its life by this

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stage so frankly just enjoy me doing it because I’ll be enjoying it myself.

Dara Ó Briain – Voice of Reason, Christchurch Town Hall, September 23 ticketek.co.nz

SCAPE 2019

ART IN THE WILD

SCAPE Public Art has delivered its biggest lineup ever. Get ready to be surprised by artworks inspired by the theme Rock : Paper : Scissors – everything from sculpture and photography to audio installations and stunning neon lights. The six-week season starts on October 5.

KA MUA KA MURI, 2019 – KAZU NAKAGAWA Tokyo-born sculptor Kazu Nakagawa – who calls Waiheke Island home – will wow when one of his works takes up residence in Market Square at the Arts Centre. Ka Mua Ka Muri links Mother Nature’s architecture to art. Nakagawa’s practice is informed by his philosophical beliefs.

HYBRID ENCOUNTERS, 2019 – CHIARA CORBELLETTO Italian-Kiwi artist Chiara Corbelleto’s works will be suspended inside the conservatories at the Botanic Gardens. The project details how complexity can arise from simplicity, and how small modifications can lead to evolutionary adaptations.

THE POOL, 2018-2019 – NATALIE GUY Kiwi Natalie Guy’s diving board installation, which is heading for the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Hereford Street, is sure to stop passers-by in their tracks.

Stripped of its core business as a launching pad, Guy says the diving board “becomes a surreal, redundant and inaccessible object”.

MADE IN CHINA, 2010 – SUI JIANGUO This year’s Celebrated International Artist is sure to stun with his eye-catching, large-scale installation. Sui Jianguo’s Made in China series forces people to think about China’s role as a production giant and economic leader.

Absorb the work in all its glory on the corner of Worcester Boulevard and Oxford Terrace.

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UNCHAINED MELODY, 2018 – CONOR CLARKE Observational photographer Conor Clarke is set to have her work Unchained Melody shown inside CoCA. Her photos delve into the ruptures that form between European Romantic fantasies of nature and the often confronting realities.

HOT EVENTS SCAPE Season Opening: Hellers Family Fun Day A day full of free art activities. Margaret Mahy Playground, 10am – 2pm Sat 5 Oct. RE:ACTIVATE Winners’ Unveiling Celebrate the launch of the five winning artworks from RE:ACTIVATE 2019. Hack Circle, cnr Cashel and High streets, 2pm Sat 5 Oct. scapepublicart.org.nz

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THE ORDER OF THINGS, 2019 – NEIL PARDINGTON Mammoth billboards are going up in Hagley Park and outside Canterbury Museum, showing blown-up images from Pardington’s The Order of Things exhibition. The show pulled inspiration from museum wet rooms and examined the raw beauty of specimens squished into jars for preservation purposes.

VAKA ‘A HINA, 2019 – SĒMISI FETOKAI POTAUAINE Auckland-based artist Sēmisi Fetokai Potauaine is having his captivating sculpture installed in Rauora Park. The towering piece of art was inspired by the legend of Polynesian goddess Hina and her many voyages to the moon. The sculpture has been two years in the making and promises to transport you to another world.

JUST NINE SHORT WORDS MAKE UP ONE LONG LINE, TRULY RURAL, DON’T LET IT GET YOU, ALWAYS AND CLOSER, 2009 – MARY-LOUISE BROWNE These captivating neon installations will have you torn between posting them straight to the ‘gram and wanting to stand in front of them for hours. Keep an eye out for her pieces around The Crossing.

PRINCESS XL (FOUNTAIN #1 AND #2), 2015 – SCOTT EADY With an assortment of sculptures permanently housed around New Zealand, Kiwi sculptor Scott Eady is no stranger to eye-catching and thought-provoking pieces.

Marvel at Princess XL (fountain #1 and #2) from both of its locations. You’ll find the sculptures at the Arts Centre and outside the Art Gallery.

MODULATING MONOLITH, 2019 – TYLER JACKSON Christchurch Casino is getting a burst of colour thanks to emerging Kiwi sculptor Tyler Jackson. Jackson’s work ventures deep into the intrinsic relationship between industrial minimalist materiality and the immateriality of colour and light. He says the enlightening work can be used to “arrive at countless optical illusions”.

SPOOKY ACTION AT A DISTANCE, 2019 – CIARAN BEGLEY Amateur physicist and sculptor Ciaran Begley brings together conceptual art and engineering in his works, which commonly invite enjoyable public participation.

A viewing point at the corner of High and Cashel streets will allow people to move his sculpture with a hand crank.

FLOW MY TEARS, 2010 – SUSAN PHILIPSZ If you’re not careful, Susan Philipsz’s Flow My Tears will catch you off guard. The haunting single-channel audio work is designed to get inside the body of passers-by. A PA system at the James Hay Bridge in Victoria Square will enchant those nearby with Philipsz’s vocals 8am – 8pm throughout the season.

A (VERY) BRIEF HISTORY OF AOTEAROA, 2017 – KEREAMA TAEPA Christ’s College is set to be the new home of Kereama Taepa’s thought-provoking and interactive 2017 sculpture. The work shows a Māori meeting house (wharenui), a mitre, a crown and a beehive – slyly modelled on space invaders – sitting upon four plinths. The wharenui acts as our protector.

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CULTURE CONCERT

A STAR RETURNS

CONCERT

CONCERT

‘Working Class Man’ Jimmy Barnes is not one to be missed! Barnsey’s Shutting Down Your Town tour comes in the wake of his new album My Criminal Record, his first solo release in nine years. Expect an assortment of old hits, new hits and classic Cold Chisel hits when Barnes takes over the Christchurch Town Hall stage on September 26. jimmybarnes.com

Tiny Ruins (led by Hollie Fullbrook) will delight fans when they return to Christchurch on September 12 to perform songs from their album Olympic Girls. The band took four years between albums but Olympic Girls proves it was worth the wait.

The album moves from warm and charming to dark and unsettling.

It’s bold, daring and oh so beautiful. tinyruins.com

OLYMPIC GOLD

SHUT IT DOWN

EXPO

RED, RED WINE Pinot Palooza is the world’s biggest pinot noir party! The wine-filled fun will be going down at The Foundry on September 14 and will showcase the finest pinot noir from Australia, New Zealand and beyond. Pegasus Bay, The Bone Line, Brew Moon and Black Estate are in the lineup. pinotpalooza.com.au

EXHIBITION

HAMMOND’S HISTORY Art fans, rejoice! More than 40 rarely seen works by local artist Bill Hammond will be showing at Christchurch Art Gallery until January 2020. Hammond is most well-known for his half-human, half-bird creatures that commonly adopt human-like stances. christchurchartgallery.org.nz

BILL HAMMOND THE FALL OF ICARUS 1995 (DETAIL). ACRYLIC ON CANVAS. COLLECTION OF CHRISTCHURCH ART GALLERY TE PUNA O WAIWHETŪ. PURCHASED 1996

Country music royalty Kris Kristofferson is bringing his emotive songs and sweet Southern drawl back to Christchurch on October 9. Me and Bobby McGee, Help Me Make It Through The Night, Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down – you name it, he’ll be singing it.

Kristofferson will take to the Town Hall stage with The Strangers. kriskristofferson.com

DOWNLOAD THE FREE CITYSCAPE APP AND VISIT CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ CHRISTCHURCH CURATED FOR LOVERS OF STYLE, FOOD, MUSIC, LIFESTYLE, TRAVEL, BEAUTY AND CULTURE

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IMAGE: ADDINGTON CUP WEEK

JOIN OUR DIGITAL COMMUNITY

CULTURE

COMEDY

FUNNY FUNCTIONS A good night out might be the only thing that stops your staff from quitting. We’re not saying they’ll definitely quit if you don’t book Grandpa Figs, but is it really worth the risk? As the South Island’s biggest promoter of comedy, Grandpa Figs have years of experience making people laugh. They have a huge range of performers and venues, and options include stand-up, quizzes, games nights and custom events.

Grandpa Figs is your home of comedy in Christchurch.

FB/GrandpaFigs

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FILLIES & FASCINATORS Time to mark your diary and book the milliner – Addington Cup Week, the season’s hottest social event, is coming. Join the city’s crème de la crème at Addington Raceway & Events Centre. The action kicks off on Tuesday November 12 with Christchurch Casino NZ Trotting Cup Day and continues on the Friday with Show Day Races. Cup Day will be a toast to Christchurch Casino’s 25th anniversary. Punters can dress to the nines and participate in a high-octane day of racing and revelry. A full card of 11 races culminates in the 116th running of the Christchurch Casino NZ Trotting Cup. In between the trotting excitement, there’s fabulous fashions on the catwalk, with The Crossing Fashion Starts Here Best Dressed Competition. Tickets are on sale now. General admission will get you to the heart of the action, or you can treat yourself to the Lindauer Lawn, where you’ll gain access to the rooftop and some extra goodies. The week’s excitement continues at Addington’s Show Day Races on Friday November 15, with more great racing, live entertainment and a free kids’ zone and petting zoo. Entry by gold coin donation. addington.co.nz

HALLOWEEN

CONCERT

CONCERT

Get your spook on at the first annual Fiddler’s Green Halloween Masquerade. The winery will be turned into a trick-or-treaters dream with carnival games for the kids and a hauntingly good band when the sun goes down. A shuttle to and from Christchurch will run on the night and get a $10 food and drink coupon if you arrive in costume. fiddlersgreen.nz

Just two months after performing alongside local icon Delaney Davidson as part of the Christchurch Arts Festival, Tami Neilson is returning. Neilson is bringing her This Is Tami Neilson! tour down to the 03, where she’ll delight fans with her unique blend of soul, country and rockabilly. See her at The Piano on October 19. thepiano.nz

Grammy-nominated singer and blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa is returning to New Zealand and we couldn’t be happier. The guitarist has released 15 solo albums and secured his reputation as one of the best blues players alive. Rock out with Bonamassa at the Christchurch Town Hall on September 25. jbonamassa.com

GHOULS ON THE GREEN

GET SASSAFRASSY

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EMBRACE THE BLUES

CULTURE

What’s on THE SEASON IN CULTURE

WHERIKO: BRILLIANT

around New Zealand play with shadow and light transforming the familiar into the extraordinary.

Christchurch Art Gallery, Until Sun 16 Feb 2020, christchurchartgallery.org.nz

BILL HAMMOND: PLAYING THE DRUMS

EXHIBITION Works by Ōtautahi

artist Bill Hammond will be on display at Christchurch Art Gallery for the remainder of the year.

Christchurch Art Gallery, Until Sun 19 Jan, christchurchartgallery.org.nz

SEPTEMBER COMEDY CARNIVAL

COMEDY/FESTIVAL You’ll be in

stitches when some of the best local and international acts perform throughout various venues in the city. More than 35 shows will run across 10 days.

Various venues, Sat 7 – Sat 21 Sep, comedycarnival.co.nz

THE PINK HAMMER

THEATRE The Pink Hammer is a

hilarious, heart-warming and quirky Kiwi comedy about four women looking to learn carpentry skills from a disgruntled builder.

Court Theatre, Sat 7 Sep – Sat 5 Oct, courttheatre.org.nz

CSO STUDIO SERIES: JOURNEYING INWARD

TINY RUINS

members of the orchestra and their musical inspiration in a programme that has been curated by the players. Christchurch Town Hall, Thu 12 Sep, cso.co.nz

TINY RUINS: OLYMPIC GIRLS SPRING TOUR

MUSIC Tiny Ruins is bringing their

indie-folk music to the stage with support from Jen Cloher. Blue Smoke, Thu 12 Sep, tinyruins.com

AU KO TUVALU

THEATRE Follow a family’s journey

to Aotearoa after they flee their Pacific Island home that was destroyed, making them the world’s first environmental refugees. The Court Theatre, Thu 12 – Sat 21 Sep, courttheatre.org.nz

SPIROGRAPH STUDIES: KINDNESS, NOT COURTESY ALBUM LAUNCH

MUSIC Spirograph Studies deliver

cinematic sound when performing their improvised music. This tour celebrates the launch of their debut album, Kindness, Not Courtesy, in New Zealand. Orange Studios, Fri 13 Sep, tamaramurphy. com/spirograph-studies

MUSIC Gain some insight into the

FOLLOW US

Image: Ebony Lamb

EXHIBITION Acclaimed artists from

JESSB NEW VIEWS EP TOUR MUSIC Homegrown hip-hop

trailblazer JessB is bringing her good vibes and even better music back to the 03. The tour is in support of her fresh EP New Views, which boasts collabs with the likes of Church Leon, Abdul Kay and Paige, among others. Blue Smoke, Sat 14 Sep, bluesmoke.co.nz

NZSO: TRANSFIGURATION MUSIC Experience the sound of

three great Romantic composers, conducted by Asher Fisch, the principal conductor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

Christchurch Town Hall, Sat 14 Sep, nzso.co.nz

PINOT PALOOZA

EXPO Try some rocking wine with a

lineup of some of the best Pinot producers from Australia, New Zealand and beyond. There will be more than 100 wines, 30 wineries, beer and food on offer.

The Foundry, Sat 14 Sep, pinotpalooza.com.au

CMNZ: VIKTORIA MULLOVA TRIO

MUSIC Don’t miss your chance to

hear renowned violinist Viktoria

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Mullova when she takes to the stage for an exquisite evening of classical music. The Piano, Sun 15 Sep, chambermusic.co.nz

BALLANTYNES FASHION WEEK OPENING SHOW

FASHION The opening show will

bring stylish and exclusive fashion looks to centre stage. Dedicated buyers have curated cutting-edge trends from New Zealand and around the globe for this fabulous night out. Ballantynes, Thu 19 Sep, ballantynes.co.nz

JON TOOGOOD

COMEDY Phoebe Hurst brings

JIMMY BARNES: SHUTTING DOWN YOUR TOWN TOUR

WORM to the stage in this one-woman show. You're sure to leave feeling equally delighted and disturbed. The Piano, Fri 20 – Sat 21 Sep, thepiano.nz

MUSIC Rock legend Jimmy Barnes

will shut down the city as part of his Shutting Down Your Town tour.

Christchurch Town Hall, Thu 26 Sep, jimmybarnes.com

CSO MASTERWORKS: THE PLANETS

LAUGH AT THE

through sound the distinct astrological characteristics of each of the seven planets in this other-worldly performance.

Christchurch Town Hall, Sat 21 Sep, cso.co.nz

Dai Henwood take to the stage alongside other hilarious comedy acts. Lincoln Event Centre, Sat 28 Sep, find it on Facebook

ZED: 20 YEARS OF SILENCER

their spin on one of the most daring musicals. Isaac Theatre Royal, Fri 27 Sep – Sun 6 Oct, showbiz.org.nz

WORM

MUSIC The orchestra will capture

MUSIC Zed are celebrating 20 years

since their debut studio album Silencer by playing an intimate show. Blue Smoke, Sat 21 Sep, bluesmoke.co.nz

DARA Ó BRIAIN: VOICE OF REASON

COMEDY Irish comedian Dara Ó

Briain is bringing his new show, Voice of Reason, to town.

Christchurch Town Hall, Mon 23 Sep, daraobriain.com

JOE BONAMASSA

MUSIC Grammy-nominated

blues-rocker Joe Bonamassa is heading to the city for the first time since 2016. Christchurch Town Hall, Wed 25 Sep, jbonamassa.com

INTERNATIONAL COMEDY NIGHT COMEDY See funny man

release of their latest single, ‘Inappropriate Behaviour’. Mrs O’s, Thu 3 Oct, limecordiale.com

WOMEN’S LIFESTYLE EXPO EXPO One of the city’s largest

expos is back for 2019 and will have a range of stalls focusing on health, beauty, jewellery, crafts, fitness and more. Horncastle Arena, Sat 5 – Sun 6 Oct, womenslifestyleexpo.co.nz

JON TOOGOOD: ACOUSTIC SHOWS

MUSIC Jon Toogood is picking up

MISS SAIGON

THEATRE Showbiz Christchurch put

STAN WALKER: SPRINGBOARD TOUR

MUSIC Kiwi muso Stan Walker is

tapped to perform hits from his back catalogue when he embarks on his spring tour. Christchurch Town Hall, Sat 28 Sep, premier.ticketek.co.nz

OCTOBER LIME CORDIALE: ROBBERY TOUR

MUSIC Sydney-based alt-rockers

Lime Cordiale are bringing their show to town off the back of the

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his acoustic guitar for two intimate shows in Christchurch, after a busy year pulling together LIVE RUST, a series of shows celebrating 40 years of the iconic Neil Young album. Blue Smoke, Fri 4 Oct and Prebbleton Tavern, Sat 5 Oct jontoogood.live

ONWARD: A DECADE OF DEVILSKIN

MUSIC Hamilton-based rockers

Devilskin are celebrating their 10th birthday on the stage. This one is sure to be an explosive live show.

Christchurch Town Hall, Sat 5 Oct, devilskin.co.nz

SCAPE PUBLIC ART SEASON 2019

EXHIBITION This year SCAPE

includes a curated exhibition, art education, family-friendly events, a public programme, the popular SCAPE Public Art Walkway,

CULTURE

pop-up exhibitions at Studio 125 Gallery and Re:ACTIVATE. Central City, Sat 5 Oct – Sat 16 Nov, scapepublicart.org.nz

CMNZ: TAONGA MOANA

MUSIC Voices New Zealand are

tapped to perform alongside a landscape of projected moving images. The Piano, Sun 6 Oct, chambermusic.co.nz

BECA CHRISTCHURCH HERITAGE FESTIVAL

FESTIVAL The annual Heritage

Week has grown and this year will run over three weeks. There’s more than 80 events, all celebrating significant NZ milestones. Various venues, Mon 7 – Mon 28 Oct, ccc.govt.nz

MOUSEY

PINK STAR WALK

and her six-piece band are hitting the road and bringing her signature melodic and raw tunes.

In her first-ever nationwide tour, you’ll be grooving along to songs from her debut album Lemon Law. Blue Smoke, Fri 11 Oct, mouseymusic.com

awareness and funds towards breast cancer. Dress in pink and enjoy some pre-event entertainment. North Hagley Park, Sat 19 Oct, pinkstarwalk.co.nz

MUSIC Serena Close (aka Mousey)

BODY MIND SPIRIT – HEALTH EXPO EXPO Revitalise your body

and mind while learning about the latest information to help you lead a happier and healthier lifestyle at the Body Mind Spirit – Health Expo.

Addington Raceway, Sat 12 – Sun 13 Oct, bodymindspirit.co.nz

DYLAN MORAN

COMEDY Catch legendary comedian

DR LIBBY: OVERCOMING OVERWHELM – GETTING TO THE HEART OF STRESS TALK Dr Libby will share a brand

new perspective on overwhelm and stress. Charles Luney Auditorium, Tue 8 Oct, drlibby.com

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

MUSIC Country music legend Kris

Kristofferson will hit the Town Hall stage, accompanied by The Strangers. Christchurch Town Hall, Wed 9 Oct, kriskristofferson.com

Dylan Moran, aka “the Oscar Wilde of comedy”, when he takes to the stage in October.

Christchurch Town Hall, Tue 15 Oct, dylanmoran.com

COCKNEY REJECTS

MUSIC Get a bit of punk in ya when

the Cockney Rejects bring the noise at their October gig.

Churchills Live, Thu 17 Oct, find it on Facebook

FITNESS A fun walk raising

THIS IS TAMI NEILSON!

MUSIC One of New Zealand’s most

beloved artists, Tami Neilson will bring her signature high-octane performances to The Piano, alongside special guest Jay Neilson. The Piano, Sat 19 Oct, thepiano.nz

TINY HOUSE AND ALTERNATIVE LIVING CONFERENCE EXPO This one’s

not just about tiny homes, it’s a window into a more innovative and forward-thinking lifestyle. La Vida Centre, Sat 19 Oct, tinyhouseconference.nz

POSTMODERN JUKEBOX MUSIC Multi-talented collective

Postmodern Jukebox have set their sights on the city and will perform an epic set as part of their Welcome to the Twenties 2.0 show.

Isaac Theatre Royal, Sat 19 Oct, postmodernjukebox.com

THE RICCARTON MARKET Market | Sockburn

Riccarton Market is Canterbury’s most established, vibrant market.

The market has over 200 stalls covering fresh fruit and veges, certified organic produce, flowers, plants, antiques, clothing, arts and crafts, books and much more. The market also offers a food court, and features local talent performing on stage each week.

165 Racecourse Road 03 339 0011 Open: Sun 9am – 2pm riccartonmarket.co.nz

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ENTERTAIN ME

Watching

Our picks of the best flicks, podcasts, music, books, games and TV for this season.

IMAGE: KIMBERLEY FRENCH

Four years after the series called it quits, the highly anticipated Downton Abbey film is finally here. The film picks up in 1927, when the Crawley family find out King George V and Queen Mary are coming to visit. The occasion is so great that beloved former head butler Carson comes out of retirement to chip in. Most of the cast are reprising their roles, including Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith and Michelle Dockery. Catch the regal drama in cinemas from September 12.

TOP PICK

IMAGE: JAAP BUITENDIJK

DOWNTON ABBEY

JOJO RABBIT

HUSTLERS What do Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Lizzo and Lili Reinhart all have in common? They star in knockout crime-comedy Hustlers. The film follows a group of former strip club employees as they get revenge on the Wall Street men who did them wrong. Hustlers delivers on laughs and drama and feeds into pop culture’s current obsession with scam artists. Oh, and it’s based on a true story that played out in the mid-00s. See the con-artistry for yourself from October 10.

Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit follows a lonely German boy named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) as he grapples with the news his mum (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic during World War II. In the satirical comedy Waititi plays Adolf Hitler, young Jojo’s imaginary friend. If the trailer is anything to go by, expect the dark comedy to have you in stitches. Jojo Rabbit is out October 24.

PODCASTS SECOND LIFE

This insightful podcast spotlights successful women who have undergone major career changes – and come out the other end as winners.

It features guests such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Mandy Moore.

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THE DROPOUT

Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of university, then convinced some of America’s wealthiest men to invest in her medical tech business, Theranos, which was riddled with lies. This follows its dramatic unravelling.

ENTERTAIN ME PLAY LIST

The killer tracks on high rotation in the Cityscape office.

JESSB ‘Mood’ New Views

LEISURE ‘Feeling Free’ Twister

Listening BON IVER – I,I Creative genius Bon

Christine and the Queens. Other notable collabs on the record include songs with Troye Sivan, HAIM and alternative darling Clairo. Charli XCX is known for pushing the bounds of pop music with her tight production and skilled songwriting. This one is sure to be a banger.

Iver has returned with his fourth studio album, I,I. It dials down the electronic sound Justin Vernon (the man behind the moniker) rode with for his last record 22, A Million, hitting an absolute sweet spot. I,I, which Vernon says is his “most complete” work to date, boasts contributions from equally respected names James Blake, Moses Sumney, Francis Starlite and Aaron Dessner of The National. It’s a masterpiece, worthy of your undivided attention.

THE NEXTMEN ‘Join the Dots’ Join the Dots

ANGEL OLSEN – ALL MIRRORS

October is looking mighty fine with adored singer-songwriter Angel Olsen set to release her fourth record. Not one to do anything by halves, the album’s title track was recorded alongside a 14-piece orchestra, adding a moody depth to the piece. The genreleading musician said the album is about “owning up to your darkest side” and “finding the capacity for new love”.

All Mirrors is due to land October 4.

CHARLI XCX – CHARLI Hardcore

pop-heads will be happy to learn Charli XCX’s new album is due out September 13. The edgy, innovative star kicked things off with a fierce Lizzo collab, which she followed up with an equally headstrong number, ‘Gone’, featuring

TAME IMPALA ‘Patience’ Single

NAVVY ‘If I Can’t Have You’ The Breakup EP

READING GRAND UNION, ZADIE SMITH Literary powerhouse

Zadie Smith is releasing a collection of short fiction on October 8. Grand Union, a collection of old and new pieces, will touch on the ideas of time and place, identity and rebirth, and the push-pull between our past and future selves.

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MĀORI AT WORK, SCOTTY MORRISON In Māori at Work,

broadcaster and te reo Māori educator Scotty Morrison sets out how to incorporate our indigenous language into emails, speeches, social media, retail and hospitality, among other things. The guide is accessible to all and a workplace must-have.

ENTERTAIN ME

Playing

THE OUTER WORLDS

THE SURGE 2

The Outer Worlds isn’t due for release until October 25, but we promise it will be worth the wait. The first-person sci-fi game unfolds in a post-apocalyptic future you’re required to navigate. Character arcs are complex and companions will offer opinions on your journey as you go. Fans of Fallout: New Vegas, which also came from Obsidian Entertainment, will find a lot of parallels between the two games, making it a sure-fire winner. outerworlds.obsidian.net

Two years on from The Surge’s release, Focus Home Interactive and Deck13 Interactive have followed it up with The Surge 2. The thrilling sequel is set amongst a sprawling, devastated city, which offers even more space for players to explore. The combat is grislier and a new arsenal of weapons, implants and drones give people a host of new tools to overcome enemies with.

The Surge 2 drops on September 24. deck13.com/games/the-surge

BINGEWATCHING

IMAGE: HULU

01

IMAGE: FOXTEL

What we’re hoovering up on the small screen.

02

03

IMAGE: NETFLIX

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01 – WENTWORTH If you’re struggling with the fact Orange Is the New Black has wrapped up, you need to get started on Aussie prison drama Wentworth. The series starts out following Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack) as she climbs to the top of the prison hierarchy. As seasons run on, the focus widens to other characters’ trials and tribulations. Stream it at TVNZ OnDemand.

02 – VERONICA MARS Remember Veronica Mars? The teen drama that saw high school student Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) moonlight as a private investigator? Well, 12 years on from the show’s initial end, a brand new season has been made. The reboot picks up in 2019 when Mars is hired to investigate the murder of spring-breakers in her home town. She quickly finds herself caught up in a class battle that has the wealthy elites and working class going head-to-head. All four seasons of the hit show can be streamed on NEON. 03 – QUEER EYE There ain’t no makeover like a Queer Eye makeover! If you’re a Netflix subscriber and you’re yet to give the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy reboot a try, now is the time. Each episode sees the Fab Five take over someone’s life, helping them gain confidence in fashion, beauty, cooking, their home and their sense of self. Even staunch patriarchs have been known to fall for the heart-warming series. YAASS QUEEN!

CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19

OUT & ABOUT

FRESH CUTS The local musicians we can’t get enough of.

ADAM HATTAWAY AND THE HAUNTERS Adam Hattaway and the Haunters have jumped from strength to strength with their second album Crying Lessons. They say the album is – “as cliched as it sounds” – about “break-ups and relationships going to shit, but also trying to look at that in a positive way – it’s OK when it’s over”. Frontman Hattaway says they’re particularly proud of the fact that some of the takes that made it onto the album are really “raw, live and organic”. The album was recorded at Auckland’s Lab Studios, where it was engineered

by Jol Mulholland and produced by Lyttelton legend Delaney Davidson.

Hattaway promised the band’s album release show at Space Academy on September 13 will be full of “horns, high kicks and playing the full album back to back!” These men love a ballad as much as they love a laugh, and who knows? You might even shed a tear or two!

MOUSEY

RUSE

If you enjoy catchy alt-pop – woven together with confronting, raw and beautiful lyrics – Mousey needs to be on your radar. She was one of RDU’s July picks for the Singles Club, and earlier this year her single ‘Extreme Highs’ earned a Top 20 nomination for the prestigious Silver Scroll Award – alongside the likes of Aldous Harding and Anika Moa. On October 4 Mousey will release her album Lemon Law, a “very special” piece of work that’s been five years in the making. “[It’s about] my struggles, growth, disappointments and pushing through from being a traumatised, self-righteous 18-year-old to being a somewhat functioning adult. In one sentence it really is about being let down by the people around you but also feeling like ‘a let-down’ at the same time,” she says. Catch Mousey when she performs at Blue Smoke on October 11.

Having his song ‘Bring the Bomb Squad’ chosen for the RDU Singles Club was another win off the back of a series of highs for local producer Ruse. He’s performed at some of Aotearoa’s biggest music festivals (Bay Dreams, Rhythm & Alps), represented New Zealand on the world stage in renowned turntable competitions and opened for his heroes. More recently, he released his EP Fragments. Ruse says he’s most proud of the way Fragments highlights his “progress and direction as a producer”.

Releasing it on one of his favourite labels – Saturate Records – is something he won’t get over any time soon, either. “It still blows my mind,” he says. Gear limitations allowed him to explore his equipment more and in his words, trying to get as much as you can out of a single source “forces experimentation and creativity”.

SMALL-STAGE ACTION

Cityscape puts the spotlight on six gigs guaranteed to broaden your musical taste-buds.

Katie Thompson Country/Folk/American – Pegasus Arms, Fri 6 Sep JessB Rap/Hip-Hop – Blue Smoke, Sat 14 Sep Sex Beard Rock/Punk, darkroom, Sat 21 Sep Blue River Baby Rock/Soul/Funk – Wunderbar, Sat 28 Sep Mako Road Indie Pop-Rock – The Slate Room, Sat 5 Oct Cockney Rejects Punk – Churchills Live, Thu 17 Oct

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HAPPY RETURNS

PHOTO: DAVID VENNI

Welsh mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins is returning to Christchurch, where she last performed in 2011 in a post-earthquake charity concert with Plácido Domingo. She tells Cityscape she’s looking forward to checking in on the rebuild.

Y

ou have performed for the Queen and for the Pope, at the Rugby World Cup and in Afghanistan for British troops – has there been a favourite? It’s really hard to pick a favourite. So many were on my bucket list, like singing for the Welsh rugby team or at the Sydney Opera House. Being asked to sing for Her Majesty the Queen is just totally surreal and doing the war zones – which definitely wasn’t something I dreamed of as a child – have been some of my best and proudest memories. What piqued your interest in a career in opera? I come from a very normal background in Wales. My parents never played classical music at home, I didn’t

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‘I PUT MY RIGHT SHOE ON BEFORE MY LEFT AND I ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER AND HAVE A LITTLE WORD WITH MY LATE FATHER BEFORE I WALK OUT ON STAGE’

see an orchestra or an opera till my teens and it was really down to my love of singing in the church choir that sent me on this path. As a chorister I had been training my voice in that pure, lyrical way from the age of seven and so when I started having lessons the teacher recommended we try some Italian classical songs and it just felt right. I think I fell in love with the style there and then. You last performed in Christchurch in 2011 after the earthquakes, with Plácido Domingo. Are you looking forward to seeing what we’ve done with the place since? I remember the trip and the concert in Christchurch with Plácido Domingo like it was yesterday. We always vowed that we would return to see the rebuild and to meet again the wonderful people we met. I’m very much looking forward to returning and I am sure it will be an emotional experience for me. What is your favourite operatic role or aria to perform? Being a mezzo soprano it has to be Carmen. The music is incredible, every aria is a hit that people recognise and I love that Carmen is such a minx! What are your pre- and post-performance rituals? I think all performers have rituals and are quite superstitious. I need to do my dinner, sound check, hair and makeup all in a certain order. I put my right shoe on before my left and I always say a prayer and have a little word with my late father before I walk out on stage.

You have a busy career and now two children under five – do you get to relax and unwind? Ha no! Relax?? I think I have forgotten what that words means with my two little ones! Becoming a mum is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m obsessed with them both and they inspire me daily to be the best version of myself, on and off stage. I think they have given me a new emotion to my music.

Katherine Jenkins, Isaac Theatre Royal, Nov 12 katherinejenkins.co.uk CITYSCAPE.CO.NZ Spring 19