WOOD IT BE WONDERFUL — CARVING OUT A LIFE RESIDENTS ON HEIR — OUR 'LIVE LIKE A KING' TV STARS
Whangārei
Milldale
Hobsonville
Ellerslie
Karaka
Rototuna
Warkworth
Half Moon Bay
Flat Bush
Katikati
Parnell
St Johns
Papamoa Beach
More than New Zealanders call
Hamilton
7,500
Cambridge
Nelson
Richmond
Bell Block
New Plymouth
Whanganui
Waikanae Levin
Paraparaumu
Trentham
Lower Hutt
Aotea
Rotorua
Taupō
Napier
Te Awa
Hastings
Havelock North
Palmerston North
Kelvin Grove
Masterton
Avonhead
Wigram
Prebbleton
Dunedin
Blenheim Rangiora
Casebrook
Kenepuru
KEY
= Summerset village
= Proposed village
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COVER Megan Godfrey at work on her carvings. Photo credits: Emma Steiner PhotographySummerset down the Lane is also home to the indomitable Doris Ratcliffe, who, as she enters her 105th year, continues not only to attend but also to run the fitness programme in the care centre. Read Doris’ story on page 15.
crossword or one of our book recommendations. Wherever you are in the country, I wish you a dry and comfortable winter, and I look forward to seeing you all in the spring!
I have spent a lot of time traversing the country in the past few weeks and, it seems, dodging rainstorms on a massive scale everywhere I go. It has been said it is in a Brit’s DNA to be obsessed with the weather, and I am no different. But Auckland’s rain this year has been almost ceaseless, and so I have been grateful for the chance to leave the region every opportunity I get!
My travels included visiting the Waikato, where I enjoyed meeting several residents who feature in this issue of Summerset Scene . Our cover star, Megan Godfrey, has been a resident of Summerset down the Lane in Hamilton for eight years, and the décor in her apartment is a testament to her exceptional carving talent. Read Megan’s story – and admire her work – on page 4.
Over at Summerset Rototuna I met Allan Hawkey, a prolific cartoonist whose entertaining drawings provide social commentary on current affairs both in New Zealand and internationally. Read his story on page 10.
To celebrate the crowning of King Charles III, Summerset put on a light-hearted TV advert, which aired up to Coronation Day. The ad features Suzanne Paul alongside our residents, and it was a pleasure to meet some of the stars who hail from Summerset Heritage Park. They share their story of behind the scenes on page 40.
This issue also has lots of ideas to keep you toasty this winter, including winter warmer recipes from Jan Bilton, cosy slippers in our Style page, and fingerless gloves to make in our Crafts section. Or rug up with the
Ellie Clifford SUMMERSET SCENE EDITOR
Within the Hamilton Gardens Pavilion there is a huge, exquisite carving depicting wood nymphs and mythical creatures, carved from a fallen camphor laurel tree. It took two artists more than 7,000 hours to carve the piece, and it delights visitors from all over the world who come and marvel at the craftmanship. For one of the artists, Megan Godfrey, learning to carve was a natural extension of the skills she learned as a young widow, building furniture and sewing clothes for her three small children.
“When my husband died, I had to learn how to make everything we needed. Once the children were older, I needed something to occupy my mind and keep me social. In 1973, I enrolled in a woodworking course at night school,” says Megan, who lives at Summerset down the Lane.
Derek Kirkwood, the other artist of the Hamilton Gardens panel, was Megan’s tutor at night school. “I turned up to the first class expecting to carve instantly, but he taught us how to sharpen the tools instead!” When it came to
the Hamilton carving, the pair worked in their own separate workshops, occasionally meeting up to compare panels and ensure the detailing matched up.
Megan’s first carving was a duck, with simple lines and sparse details. It lives on a shelf above her kitchen. Glancing around her serviced apartment you can see how her skills have grown and developed over the years. Every surface has some form of carving on it. There are boxes made from acacia – “sap wood and heart wood make a beautiful contrast, light and dark wood,” comments Megan – kōwhai and pōhutukawa flowers, tūī, woodland animals, faces on walls carved from tawa nodules, and a fabulous Jack-in-the-box that lives on top of the fridge. Next to her armchair is a large snail with an intricately patterned shell. “All the babies in the family have ridden on that!” Megan laughs.
Megan is fascinated by mythical creatures and loves the Lord of the Rings films; aged 80, she took herself off to Wellington to see the
Top left: This duck is Megan's first carving.
Top centre: Hedgehog. Top right: Gandalf.
Bottom left: Daffodil. Bottom centre: Argillite stone mouse.
second film in the cinema. “I flew down and stayed in a motel. The films are wonderful.” A carved Gandalf, made from a piece of linden tree and holding a piece of crystal in his staff, stands guard on her counter. Sir Richard Taylor, the creative director of the prop and special effects company Wētā Workshop – which made the Lord of the Rings trilogy – was once shown a photo of her Gandalf. He admired it, saying, “It is fantastic to see such wonderful artistry and creativity. I can entirely respect and appreciate the significant challenge of working in a medium where you can only subtract the material, which is the reality of woodcarving. At Wētā Workshop we are nowhere near as brave and use plasticine so we can remove and add to our sculptures. Megan, you are truly talented, and your carving is wonderful and inspirational!”
Back when she first started to carve, a man in Ashburton with a timber yard would send her wood to carve with. “He would pop a hunk of wood in the post. It was cheap to send back then!” Megan says. Wood is not the only medium she carves with, although it is her
Wood is not the only medium she carves with, although it is her favourite. Bone, rock and tagua nut (known as ‘vegetable ivory’ for its resemblance, both in colour and density, to animal ivory) all feature in her collection.
favourite. Bone, rock and tagua nut (known as ‘vegetable ivory’ for its resemblance, both in colour and density, to animal ivory) all feature in her collection.
“I was a rockhound before I started carving. I would fossick and collect them.” Megan has a green mouse carved from argillite stone and other carvings in obsidian that she collected in the USA, where she showed her work as her daughter Rosemarie lived there. Inhaling dust from carving obsidian can cause lung problems, but Megan discovered how to carve the stones in water or while wearing a respirator.
So, how does she get the detailing and perspective so accurate on some of her work? Megan holds up a hedgehog curled into itself. “I need to see what I am carving, and a neighbour had hit one. So, I studied roadkill! I have plenty of experts come and critique my work, though, and say I haven’t got this right or that right!” Megan shrugs when asked how long it takes to make her pieces. She doesn’t really keep track; she carves only for the joy of it, and
not to sell. “I don’t do it for money, I don’t like parting with my pieces. I miss them.”
In the corner of Megan’s home stands a large woodworking table housing all her tools and the beginning of a carved bird. Now aged 100, Megan repairs pieces but doesn’t carve as much as she used to due to neuropathy. A keen gardener, flowers continue to inspire her –in fact it was the blooms at Summerset down the Lane that cemented her decision to move to the village. The flowers outside may be seasonal, but in her home, they bloom all year round.
Top left: Snail. Top right: A Jack-in-the-box. Bottom left: Carving tools.
The aim of the First Foundation Scholarship is to help bright young Kiwis achieve their potential at university. We’re delighted to announce that Diana Uelese is the 2023 recipient. Currently a Year 13 student at St Catherine's College, Wellington, Diana is looking forward to joining the Bachelor of Nursing Pacific programme taught at Whitireia NZ.
“As the first person in my family to go to university, the First Foundation Scholarship is a huge support for me," Diana says. “I feel very excited and grateful – thank you Summerset for the opportunity!”
Diana will join Summerset for 4–5 weeks of paid work experience each year, for three years, and will based at our stunning new village –Summerset on the Landing, Kenepuru. She’ll be involved in a range of work complementing her studies, including clinical care, personal care and operations.
“I am so proud to be chosen for the First Foundation Scholarship — it honours my family name."
Diana will be mentored by Summerset on the Landing’s Village Manager and the Care Centre Manager. Also supporting her will be the Kenepuru care centre and village team.
First Foundation believes in the simplicity of a 'hand up' through partnering with organisations like Summerset, to make an incredible difference to an individual. As well as paid work experience, students receive financial assistance and dedicated mentorship to help them in their learning journey.
At Summerset, we’re happy to lend a hand in that journey as we continue supporting communities and the next generation of clinical leaders.
We are pleased to report that once again Summerset has won the Reader’s Digest ‘Highly Commended’ Trusted Brand Award, the fifth year running we have won this award. CEO Scott Scoullar says, “We are always working to innovate and advance our retirement village offerings for our residents. We believe in bring the best of life to our residents, and it is a testament to the hard work
of our staff across our villages that we are continually recognised and trusted to deliver.”
Reader’s Digest clearly agrees, with editor-in-chief Louise Waterson saying, “Retirement should be a time of heightened enjoyment and by continually listening to their residents, Summerset Retirement Villages have ensured the care model available to all residents
across their communities is worldclass. In being voted a Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand eight times since 2015, Summerset have shown that their continual improvement and innovative approach to retirement living is a winning formula that enriches the lives of their residents. Congratulations to all the team at Summerset on this outstanding achievement.”
Our lovely residents, their families and our office staff did a great job in making our village staff feel so special on Frontliner Day, which we celebrate on March 24.
A big thank you to all who took the time to celebrate our frontliners. Our village teams loved reading your kind words of thanks and thoroughly enjoyed their day of celebration.
Our hardworking frontline staff are the beating heart of Summerset and we are so grateful for
them – it's wonderful to see that our residents and residents’ families think so too. A shared brunch on Summerset was enjoyed by our frontliners, and members of our Executive and Operations Leadership teams put their hands up to do the mahi by being a frontliner for the day.
The team took on different roles that ranged from caregiving to being property assistants and kaitiaki and were tasked with dressing residents, tidying rooms, assisting with mealtimes, washing dishes, maintaining the property and more. The day was a resounding success and a great way to bring together members of our One Team from across the company.
Staff at Summerset at the Course on Frontliner Day.
This year we have been able to return to inperson Village Annual General Meetings (AGMs) following what has been a challenging few years with COVID-19. There were 31 village AGMs throughout the month of May. The AGMs provide an opportunity for residents to raise any questions pertaining to their specific villages with village management staff and the Group Operations Manager.
Allan stopped submitting cartoons to the newspaper when he got a bank transfer to Suva, Fiji. “The logistics were awkward and looking after a team of 200 over there seemed to be enough of a focus,” says Allan. “I retired from banking in Hamilton and became the daily editorial cartoonist for the Waikato Times for ten years and also did quite a bit of illustration work in that time.”
Allan's sketches depicting current events have appeared in newspapers across New Zealand as well as in international magazines such as The Spectator, Private Eye and The Oldie. Allan has also produced two books of his cartoons and has illustrated several books by New Zealand authors.
“I was always doodling in the margins of my textbooks at school,” says Allan. “Art was not considered a suitable career subject then, so my only formal training was a few brief art lessons in the third form. I did find I had a certain proficiency for accountancy, and while still studying I joined the ANZ Bank at age 17. I stayed until until retiring in my late fifties.”
So how did cartooning come about? “When I was a bank manager in Timaru I saw some of the editorial cartoons in the Timaru Herald and thought, ‘I could do better than that.’ I drew some up and submitted them to the editor, and it went from there. I was their editorial cartoonist for 12 years despite having moved to Oamaru. In those days I submitted cartoons in hard copy form by snail mail. An arduous process.”
So, did any of his bank clients know what he did outside of ANZ? “Some of them knew, and understandably not all agreed with the cartoon’s stance on various topics. Editorial cartoons by nature tend to be provocative, but I try to be even-handed and give all an equal opportunity when handing out the barbs. Perhaps I subconsciously may have reined in some of my messages, given my role as a local banker. Some political cartoons – particularly in the UK – can be quite brutal, but I tend to infuse the work with humour, provided it doesn’t dilute the message.”
Despite the walls of his home featuring his own oils and watercolours, Allan doesn’t regard himself as a skilled draughtsman, but he says that for cartooning this is not a necessary attribute. “The idea or concept is all-important. Many great gag and topical cartoonists are very average at drawing, but their humour and ideas are brilliant. Indeed, dreaming up the cartoon idea is the difficult part of the process. Some days it is a hard grind while at other times the ideas just roll out. I do not have any single process and call it ‘controlled mind wandering’. It gives the right side of my brain some exercise!”
It could be the description of a superhero: mild-mannered banker by day, satirical cartoonist by night. But for years this was the life of Summerset Rototuna resident Allan Hawkey.
These days Allan has swapped his paper, pen and ink for a digital art software programme and graphics tablet. “I am self-taught on Corel Painter. It took me months to get my head around drawing on a plastic tablet and seeing the image on a computer screen rather than on paper. However, it’s easier now and I would never revert to the old method. With the software, alterations can be made at any time. Another plus is the saving on paper and Indian ink. It is easier to store too. I used to have scores of boxes of cartoons, now it’s all on the computer backed up in the cloud. Cartoons are now not posted by mail but created in my home office and sent by email. Instant to the other side of the world!”
Apart from submitting cartoons offshore, he occasionally draws for his village publications. He also creates his own calendars for family and friends – “they make unique Christmas gifts.”
Born in Invercargill and raised in Timaru, Allan decided to retire in Hamilton as it was his last place of work. “I enjoy life in the Summerset Rototuna village – it runs well, and the units are sunny, easy to maintain and have all the mod cons. There are lots of different personalities here and from diverse backgrounds – a great mix as we age, relax and enjoy one another’s company.”
Above: Allan at work on his computer. Right: Some of Allan's cartoons.
This is the perfect spot for a relaxed coastal retirement lifestyle. The first delivery of homes will be ready in late 2023, with pre-sales starting in June.
Perfectly positioned next to Boulcott’s Farm Heritage Golf Course, the first delivery of homes at this Lower Hutt village is scheduled to be ready in August, and pre-sales are already underway.
Summerset Milldale offers easy access to everything on the Hibiscus Coast that a busy retirement life demands. The first delivery of homes will be ready in early 2024, with pre-sales starting in late 2023.
On the edge of Auckland’s Eastern Bays, Summerset St Johns is the address for a luxurious retirement experience. The first delivery of homes will be ready in mid-2024, with pre-sales already underway.
Boulcott, Wellington
Waikanae, Wellington
Milldale, Auckland
St Johns, Auckland
Blenheim
Half Moon Bay, Auckland
Rangiora, Canterbury
Masterton, Wellington
Rotorua, Bay of Plenty
Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North
SUMMERSET WAIKANAE SUMMERSET BOULCOTT SUMMERSET MILLDALE NEW ZEALAND LAND BANK DESIGN CONSENT CONSTRUCTION SUMMERSET ST JOHNSConstruction is well underway for four of our future villages in both the Auckland and Greater Wellington regions.
There was much pomp and ceremony in the UK on May 6 as King Charles III was formally crowned in Westminster Abbey. The world tuned in, and residents in our villages celebrated across the country, with King and Queen competitions, afternoon teas, music, dancing and, of course, a serving of Coronation Quiche!
This beautiful dog is Moose visiting a friend at Summerset by the Park.
Moose is a regular at the care centre there, and his calm and friendly demeanour brings so much joy to our residents. Moose is a Hato Hone St John therapy pet, a programme which Summerset is a proud partner of.
The Hato Hone St John’s charity also has a youth division – and we are so fortunate that these youth volunteers will soon be heading into our villages across the country, taking part in a wide range of activities with our residents. From painting nails to putting on skits or typing up memory books with residents, Hato Hone St John’s youth volunteers demonstrate that Hato
As well as funding ambulances and community health services, this June Hato Hone St John are also asking New Zealanders to fundraise towards:
• a new Major Incident Support Team (MIST) vehicle to be based in Hawke’s Bay to support our emergency teams to reach people during extreme weather conditions
• twelve power supply generators for ambulance stations throughout Aotearoa New Zealand to provide continuity of service no matter the challenge
Hone St John is there to support our community in so many ways.
The Hato Hone St John’s Annual Appeal runs throughout June, and this year the theme is Light the way, your way.
Every day the Hato Hone St John teams light the way in communities across New Zealand in response to urgent and long-term health challenges. From paramedics to health shuttle services and community events, the teams are ready to
As we have seen recently, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent across New Zealand, and the pressure on Hato Hone St John’s services continues to increase.
Get involved in the Hato Hone St John Annual Appeal this June .
You can:
• get involved with the other residents and enjoy a fluro themed quiz
• showcase your fluro fashion flair
• get mouths watering with a fluro bake sale or morning tea
Donate via our Summerset page. Simply scan the QR code on your smartphone or tablet.
Ask Doris Ratcliffe what her secret is for a long and healthy life, and she will reply, “Keep moving!” Doris should know, for as she approaches the formidable age of 105, she remains flexible enough to touch her toes, and continues to assist in the daily exercise class held at the care centre at Summerset down the Lane, where she lives.
“It is a popular class. There are about 20 of us who come,” says Doris. “We have it every day at 10:30am after morning tea.” The class is a form of chair-based fitness, especially suitable for those in wheelchairs or who might be unsteady on their feet. “It is about 45 minutes long. I assist the kaitiaki and the diversional therapists, and stand in to run the class if needed. By demonstrating the moves, I think it encourages the others to have a go.”
The exercise programme focuses on the upper body and the legs, and uses aids such as medicine balls and spiky massage balls. “We do all sorts – leg lifts, hamstring stretches, heel to toe taps, hip flexor exercises,” says Doris, demonstrating. “We do between 5 to 10 reps of each. I don’t push. I just say, ‘Try it, and do what you can.’” she recommends.
Doris has lived at the Hamilton village since 2019. “When I turned 100 I was told by the health people in my area that I was too old to live on my own! I looked at a few places but I really liked Summerset. I chose my room to be near the lift. Not so that I can take it but so that I can be sociable with other people who live here as they head to or from it.”
Cheerful and quick to laugh, Doris thinks seeing the funny side of life helps her longevity. “A sense of humour, an active body if you are able, and an active mind,”
Top: Doris demonstrates heel lifts. Below: A model of a Lancaster bomber.
It was Doris’s active mind that saw her, as a young woman growing up in England’s Sheffield, recruited by the Ministry of Defence in World War II and winning an award for her service. “I worked in the AID – the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate. I was sent to lead a factory that made the shell of Lancaster bombers. I knew about wiring – well, what positive, negative and earth was – and so I inspected the wiring for the pilots and the gunners.” She laughs again. “That wouldn’t be something that you’d want to get wrong!”
Mementos of that time in her life decorate her room, with miniature Lancaster bombers featuring heavily. “Funnily enough, I had met my husband, Edward, before the war. He was from Lancashire, and he was in the air force! It was appropriate that was my wartime role!”
The pair, along with their daughter, embarked on a maritime adventure in 1967, taking passage on an Italian ship and eventually washing up on New Zealand’s shores. They settled first in Palmerston North and then relocated several times around the country and back to the UK before eventually calling Hamilton home.
“We liked to travel and explore. I had a few jobs. A particularly interesting one was when I worked for the Ministry of Māori Affairs in the 1980s. At the time the voice for Māori rights was gaining momentum.”
Before she moved into the village, Doris was active with Age Concern, who have awarded her a certificate of appreciation for her involvement. Now she relishes attending weekly outings with Summerset friends and staff. “It’s great. We get to go off in the van and explore the country. I get my nails done every Friday too. We only have so long to live – let’s enjoy it!”
"I assist the kaitiaki and the diversional therapists, and stand in to run the class if needed. By demonstrating the moves, I think it encourages the others to have a go.”
Top: Doris uses fitness aids in the exercise classes.
One of the world’s oldest national symphony orchestras, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) has enthralled audiences with memorable concert experiences featuring exciting guest artists and recordings since 1947. Today, it is recognised as an outstanding orchestra of international stature, and a jewel in Aotearoa’s crown. The NZSO's reputation for artistic excellence attracts many of the world’s leading musicians, conductors and soloists each year, while also celebrating homegrown artistic talent.
(*some exclusions apply)
Summerset residents can enjoy 25% off most concerts* using the discount code SUMMERSET25.
To find out more about forthcoming concert visits www.nzso.co.nz/
Sign up to NZSO+ for behind-the-scenes content and concerts: www.nzso.co.nz/plus
The NZSO and Summerset are proud to continue a thriving partnership in 2023, which includes exclusive offers for Summerset residents.
Some very fortunate residents from Summerset on the Landing, Summerset at the Course and Summerset at Aotea attended an open rehearsal opportunity recently with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO).
This exclusive behind-the-scenes experience was held at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington in April during day two of rehearsals with legendary Scottish conductor Donald Runnicles and German–French cellist Nicolas Altstaedt.
Seated above the string section, the residents were fortunate to enjoy the orchestra rehearsing aspects from the forthcoming programme Bloch & Shostakovich – Enduring Spirit, which went on to be be performed in Wellington on 28 April and Auckland on 29 April.
Aaron Jay Kernis Musica Celestis
Bloch Schelomo
Shostakovich Symphony No. 10
Listening to Maestro Runnicles explain to the players the exact emotion and setting he was
drawing from the various parts of the music was fascinating. At one point it was the peace of dawn, at another a crescendo of anger.
And it really was a behind-the-scenes experience, with residents also treated to a meet and greet with some of the viola section players at morning tea.
Attendees ranged from seasoned classical music lovers to those who had never heard a live orchestra before, but all enjoyed this exclusive opportunity that Summerset’s partnership with NZSO provided. As they were leaving, they all wanted to know when the next one would be!
Left: Residents Noeline Alexander (left) and Sharyn Evans (right) from Summerset at Aotea talk to NZSO viola player Lisa Boyes. Top: Conductor Runnicles and members of the NZSO.
As I write this, I have just spent 48 hours with friends I met when I was 23. I am 56, so it is a friendship that has covered a huge chunk of my life. Although we lived in the same neighbourhood for the first two or three years of our friendship in New Zealand, for the past 20 years this couple has lived in all sorts of countries thanks to a career in the Royal Air Force. My husband and I have often used wherever their current country of residence was as an excuse to go and visit them and see a country we’d not experienced before, through their eyes.
While we may not have seen each other for years, the four of us could always just pick up where we left off. That is the value and strength of old friends. This time the catch-up was in England, and as I pack my weekend bag to head back on a train to London from their lovely country home, I am again reminded that old friends are like gold. You know each other’s histories and each other’s families, and you’ve been through quite a few life events. You can laugh and cry together.
Old friends are easy – like a comfy old shoe. You can slip them on and keep walking a new journey, knowing you’ve done quite a few track miles with them already. Getting to see the babies we all had – we had three kids and they had four – all grow up into interesting adults is such a treat. The chats about how they are doing at school morph into how they are getting on at university and the challenges of getting a foot into the job market. This weekend a lot of the chat was about the first wedding of that
generation. It was such a pleasure to be able to meet the bride-to-be and hear the excitement about their wedding plans. She heard a bunch of stories about her husband-to-be as young fella as we reminisced about times spent together.
The good times in life are to be treasured, because the sad and challenging parts are always going to be there along the way. We would connect with our friends during Covid-19 lockdowns and compare experiences across the globe. Covid-19 turned life upside down for all of us and provided challenges none of us foresaw on the work and personal front. While over two decades of friendship we have had the best of times together, we have all personally experienced difficult times too. While the hard times like the death of a parent or sibling, health scares or career wobbles are very much personally dealt with, they are challenges that are acknowledged. Good friends of similar vintage have often experienced much the same thing in their lives and are an easy and supportive listening ear. You don’t need to put up any pretence.
Our children now have friendships with our friends' children, quite independent of our relationship with their parents, and that provides another level of generational connection. It makes my heart sing to see the little pre-schoolers who used to have to be fed dinner at 5pm and in bed at 8pm with a glass of milk now at the dinner table (some joining on a video call from a different country) discussing world affairs and sharing conversations about life till the wee small hours over a good bottle of wine.
The next time we connect will probably be at a wedding next year. The four people who became friends in 1990, will now be a party of eleven in 2024 with all our children there to celebrate a milestone moment. Friends and family are the glue of life.
Our hugely popular series An Interview With… hosted by Jude Dobson, continued in June with marketing maven and TV personality Suzanne Paul, interviewed live and in-person in our Summerset Richmond Ranges village on 7 June. A great time was had by all! The interview will be available to view nationwide on our website from Mon 26 June, visit summerset. co.nz/an-interview-with/
Our next guest will be the adventurer and documentary host Jamie Fitzgerald. The world record holder for rowing across the Atlantic, Jamie has also walked unaided (dragging his supplies) to the South Pole and is known for recreating the expeditions of the superhero explorers of the past – even down to the old-fashioned dress! Jamie’s inspiring and insightful stories means this interview is one not to be missed. Join Jude as she talks to Jamie live on Zoom July 31, 2pm. Zoom code 829 6392 9288.
After much talk about this handy gadget in our previous Chat with the Chef sessions, our Cooking with a MasterChef host Brett McGregor finally gave into peer pressure and bought an air fryer (much to his family’s delight, they had been campaigning for one for a while). He’s now in love with it, as many of us at Summerset are, and in his Magic of the Airfryer episode he whips up some delicious dishes including crispy cauliflower bites and the ultimate chicken schwarma! Episode released on June 23rd. Visit www. summerset.co.nz/cooking-with-a-masterchef/ Live Chat with the Chef: Fri 30th June, 2pm. Use Zoom code 813 5296 770.
Winter Warmers. Filmed live at Summerset by the Dunes, Brett will be cooking up some delicious wintery fare for our residents and guests at our Papamoa village. The episode will be available to view by all from July 21st.
Live Chat with the Chef: Fri 28th July, 2pm.
The Big Quiz
The Big Quiz series hosted by Summerset friend and ambassador Jude Dobson is every second Thursday of the month at 4pm.
A great excuse to get together with friends online or at home, for some light-hearted testing of the grey matter! Your next quiz is July 13th. Use Zoom 875 6609 0726
Summerset Sings
Following the phenomenal success of Summerset Sings in Auckland at Christmas and Wellington for Mother’s Day, In July Will Martin will be taking his beloved Summerset Sings show on a mini-tour of Hawke’s Bay for a mid-winter concert special. Will is performing in all four villages and residents will be in for a wonderful event full of songs and his signature charm and story telling.
A Summerset World
A Summerset World is coming soon to a screen near you! Host William Kircher headed to Hawke’s Bay to film two more episodes of our new variety TV show. Summerset in the Orchard in Hastings – which had a glamorous Hollywoodthemed premiere for their episode - and Summerset in the Bay in Napier were our starring villages. New locations are coming up – watch this space!
Our exciting calendar of events continues through the winter months, we look forward to you joining us!
Summerset favourite Will Martin was back in front of a live audience made up of six different lower North Island Summerset villages for a special Summerset Sings concert recently. Filmed with Mother's Day in mind, the concert was dedicated to all the wonderful mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts at Summerset.
Residents from Summerset on the Landing, Summerset by the Ranges, Summerset at the Course, Summerset on the Coast, Summerset at Aotea and Summerset on Summerhill enjoyed a bus trip into Lower Hutt and were welcomed at the convention centre with a complimentary drink to enjoy, before experiencing the live concert by Will Martin and guest star Anna Hawkins.
Acclaimed Kiwi recording artist and live entertainer Will Martin has achieved phenomenal success in his home country of New Zealand, as well as in Europe. When his debut album
“A New World” launched in the United Kingdom at number 1, he became the youngest man in history
to top the classical charts. By no means a strictly classical singer, Will is renowned for his engaging performance style, alluring personality, and expressive voice across multiple musical genres. He is internationally sought after as an entertainer and vocalist.
To enjoy the voice of Will Martin, please visit www. summerset.co.nz/summerset-sings/
As part of our commitment to caring for the environment, Summerset sponsored two Kiwi eggs at the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa, the neighbours to our proposed Fairy Springs village in Rotorua.
Summerset residents were given the unique opportunity to name two gorgeous brown kiwi chicks when they hatched in November 2022.
The two favourites were Raumati (summer) and Manuora (bird life). Several lucky residents from Summerset by the Dunes in Papamoa enjoyed a tour of the hatchery and got to see our little guys in action.
Fast forward a few months and both the chicks have done so well they have been microchipped and released into the wild! Manuora has gone
to Maungataniwha Forest and Raumati (pictured) to Ngatapa Station.
With brown kiwis, it is the male which incubates eggs. They do that by keeping the egg close to their body, using their long beak to hold it against them. It takes a long time to incubate a kiwi egg – between 70 and 80 days which more than twice as long as most other birds. That’s an intense game of egg and spoon!
Both Manuora and Raumati have had their feathers DNA tested and it turns out they are both male. The hope is that one day the hatchery will receive kiwi eggs incubated by them, to help the hatchery raise and rebuild Aotearoa New Zealand’s kiwi population in the wild. We wish them both well!
“Thank you for organizing such a wonderful afternoon.”
ANITA DEKKER, SUMMERSET ON THE LANDING – KENEPURU
John Harrison has lived at Summerset on the Coast for 18 months, since he and his wife, Ann, moved from Arrowtown. A retired architect, John is also a keen photographer. His photo of Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu features in Summerset’s 2023 calendar for the month of March.
What is the most adventurous thing you have done?
Ann and I travelled to Italy, Ireland, Spain and Japan, learning about the very different histories and cultures of the countries. As I used to be an architect, seeing the ancient buildings in Italy and in Spain – the Alhambra in Grenada – was especially of great interest. I liked Venice the most but seeing Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel in Rome was a close second. I climbed the stairs inside the dome of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. The view from the top was spectacular.
What skill or talent would you most like to learn?
I can only type with two fingers, so I wish I had learned how to touch type. It would have been extremely useful to have been able to when I had to write up building specs when I was working, and a lot faster too. I also have a Samsung smart phone, and I would really like to learn how to use it properly. I would especially like to know how to connect the satnav from my phone to the car!
What is your ideal way to spend a weekend?
Every day is a weekend when you are retired! I enjoy spending time with the family. Ann and I have two
daughters; one lives in Wellington the other in Christchurch. I have been practicing photography since I was a pupil at John McGlashan College in Dunedin. I had a box Brownie camera then and I used to develop my own films in the dark room at school. Now I have a digital Canon. I like macro photography – extreme close-ups – and I also take a lot of landscape and panoramic pictures. My camera comes with me wherever I go. I also built model ships for fifty years. When we moved, I donated most of my collection to the Port Chalmers Maritime Museum. My favourite, the Endeavour, is on a shelf at home. It took me a year to build; six months to build the timber hull and another six months to do all the rigging!
What advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
To follow my dream of becoming a pilot. When I did my compulsory military training, I went into the air force. I wanted to get my wings, but my father didn’t want me to fly. The war hadn’t been over long and he thought being a pilot was too dangerous. I finished up as ground crew. I was good at drawing at school and dad steered me towards architecture.
What is your favourite book and why?
Any Vince Flynn with Mitch Rapp as the central character. They are very gripping – all about spies and the CIA. Clive Cussler’s Oregon Files are a close second. I also like reading non-fiction, especially about ships and naval history, and books about photography.
Photo 1: Birthday wishes to Rob at Summerset at Wigram! 100 years young!
Photo 2: Residents from Summerset on the Landing and Summerset at Aotea gather for an ANZAC service at Summerset at Aotea.
Photo 3: Summerset on Summerhill residents had an Art Deco fundraiser to raise funds for the Hawke’s Bay relief effort.
Regional Food Lead Dean Leuty became the face of Summerset’s relief efforts when Cyclone Gabrielle hit Hawke’s Bay. Dean, and his second-in-command Shrey Kamerkar, were responsible for ensuring residents and the wider community were fed at a time when power and phone lines were down and roads impassable.
With a career spanning more than three decades in the food industry, there is little Dean doesn’t know about food and dining. His experience as both a catering director and as an executive chef has ensured he is ideally placed to manage the demands of the busy kitchens at Summerset. Dean is based in Auckland, where he lives with his wife and four children. “I work across five different Auckland villages, from Warkworth in North Auckland to Karaka in the south, so I usually spend four days on the road,” says Dean. “Every day is different; I could be training staff in food safety and the differing nutritional needs in aged care, working with apprentice chefs, liaising with our food suppliers, or tweaking the menus based on resident feedback.”
Dean has worked at Summerset for two and a half years and was instrumental in bringing the catering and kitchen staff in-house. “It was a big project, but so worth it as we can be sure that we are offering a consistent quality offering across all our villages, and expose staff to the benefits of working at Summerset.”
When Cyclone Gabrielle hit the upper North Island, Summerset Falls in Warkworth was
affected first, losing power and phone lines for several days. “We had a portable generator but power for the care centre, emergency lighting and medical essentials took top priority, so we aimed for minimal power to the kitchen,” says Dean. “The main challenge was to provide a menu that could be implemented with gas hobs and a BBQ. We ended up planning a five-day menu that could be done without the use of ovens. As we also had a huge amount of frozen food in our walk-in freezer, I reached out to Gilmours. They provided us with a truck and took the frozen stock to their North Shore base, returning it once power had been restored. This meant no food spoiled, fortunately! We also struggled with ordering from suppliers as phone lines and the internet were down, so this had to be done off site.”
These disruptions ultimately stood Dean and Shrey in good stead for dealing with the aftermath of the cyclone in Hawke’s Bay a few days later. Dean says, “We flew down as soon as we could, and took with us lots of texture modified food for residents with dysphagia. We provided meals for two villages – Summerset in the Bay and Summerset Palms, our Te Awa
village. We calculated enough food for 500 residents, initially for the first three days.”
It became a team effort to get supplies, with Dean’s colleague Gina Collin-Smith in the South Island racing round Gilmours with eight trolleys in time to make the delivery truck. Dean and Shrey arrived in Napier at the same time as the food stock arrived and bought all the milk and cream on the truck too. “Fortunately,” says Dean, “as the bridge into Napier was then closed, along with three other roads, so we essentially became an island for the next three days. We helicoptered in four large gas ring burners along with loads of fresh linen, as we couldn’t use the washing machines.” Despite many Summerset employees affected in varying ways, lots of staff came from other areas to help. “There was a great sense of camaraderie, with everyone pitching in.” As the days passed and the situation became more manageable, Dean and Shrey weren’t just feeding Summerset residents, but the local community too. “A colleague in the kitchen at Napier knew the manager of the local Mainfreight, and they kindly supplied us with a large trailer BBQ. I reached out to Foodstuffs and asked if they would be keen to help us with some
volunteering. They instantly donated enough food and drink for 1,000 people. We went to the local food bank in Napier and served up so much fish pie. There were people who had lost everything, so being able to make them smile with a hot meal was a good feeling.”
Dean says he is proud to be part of Summerset. “Having the ability to provide and care for our residents in the way we do, in a crisis or not, is incredibly rewarding.”
I LOVE WINTER – IT’S THE SEASON WHEN I ENJOY COSY DINING AND WINING, ESPECIALLY WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
It’s a time for comforting, fragrancepacked curries and casseroles. And my yummy, super simple curry sauce – made in a blender – can be used as the base for hard-boiled eggs, cooked meats, seafood, steamed vegetables and tofu. Slow cooker or crockpot meals offer the added advantage of filling the kitchen with tantalising aromas while using minimal electricity and transforming cheaper, tougher cuts of meat into ones that are very tender and tasty.
And if you want more enticing fragrances, then crank up the oven and bake cookies and cakes to satisfy your sweet tooth. Many bakes can be frozen, so there’s always something to serve with coffee when your Summerset friends pop in.
“The winter weather may be frightful but your homemade bakes will be delightful!”
Here’s to the warming comforts of winter.
1 ¼ cups coconut milk
1 small onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon flour or cornflour
1–3 teaspoons curry powder or Thai green curry paste
finely grated rind and juice of
1 lemon
pinch salt
4 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and halved; or 210g can wild caught salmon, drained and broken into chunks; or 300g white fish, skinned and boned; or 150g firm tofu, cubed.
Place the coconut milk, onion, garlic, flour or cornflour, curry powder or paste, lemon rind and juice, and salt and in a blender. Process until smooth.
Pour into a medium saucepan and heat until reduced slightly. Add your chosen option and heat through.
Can be served on rice or noodles ‘as is’, or with blanched chopped spinach or bok choy and garnished with chopped spring onions.
8 skinned chicken thigh cutlets, bone in
30g packet taco seasoning mix
400g can Mexican style tomatoes
1 cup fresh or frozen whole kernel corn
¼ cup lime or lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped coriander leaves and stalks
Easy to prepare and delicious served on rice or in tacos. Choose the chilli strength of the taco seasoning to suit your taste. Can also be cooked in a covered casserole in a 160°C oven for 1½ hours.
Sprinkle the chicken thighs evenly with the taco seasoning. Place in a slow cooker. Cover with the tomatoes, corn, and lime or lemon juice. Season.
Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours until the chicken falls from the bones. Add the coriander and cook until it is limp.
Serve the chicken cutlets whole on rice.
Or, if serving in tacos, shred the chicken with two forks and add about ¾ cup of the cooking liquid. Fill warmed tacos with additions such as shredded lettuce or cabbage, topped with the chicken. Then add your choice of finely grated cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, sour cream and coriander.
MAKES ABOUT 24
125g butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 ½ cups plain flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Just like rolling a pav – a little fiddly – but these delights will win compliments from one and all.
Cream the butter and sugar until light. Slowly beat in the egg, then the vanilla.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually beat into the butter mixture.
Divide the mixture in half. Mix the cocoa powder and cinnamon into one half. Chill both mixtures for about 30 minutes.
Press the plain mixture evenly into a 23cm x 20cm rectangle, using a baking paper-lined slice tray as a mould. This keeps the shape even.
Lift out onto the bench. Press the chocolate half evenly into the lined tray. Lift out and place evenly on top of the plain half. With the help of the baking paper, roll up tightly. Cover and chill or freeze.
To bake, preheat the oven to 190°C. Cut the roll into about 5mm thick rounds and place on a baking paper-lined baking tray. Bake for 10–15 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
The humble pair of slippers is usually a style ‘dead zone’. There’s usually no place for cosiness as well as comfort in the fashion world, especially not with a pair of indoor shoes usually paired with a cuddly dressing gown. But there are signs that things are changing. Once upon a time a celebrity who ventured out of the house in their slippers was mocked for not making enough effort. Now they’re snapped wearing highly coveted slippers that cost a small fortune. When Akshata Murty, former fashion designer, tech heiress and wife of British PM Rishi Sunak, was spotted doing the school run in her slippers recently, admiring fashion commentators noted that they cost around $1,000 a pair. Is this a sign that the slipper’s time has come? As a late convert to slipper wearing myself, I’m all for it.
One of the most coveted slipper styles in the northern hemisphere this year has been a sheepskin-lined backless mule style with a whopping great platform sole. This might be great if you’re 21, but it looks very much like an ankle-breaker for the rest of us. Like any footwear, a good pair of slippers needs to be fit for purpose.
If you’re after a pair that will solely be worn inside, then there’s no need for an all-terrain sole. Leather-soled slippers might seem a luxury, but I can confirm from personal experience that they’re perfectly safe and non-slip on indoor surfaces (and can be worn on wooden decking without coming to any harm, though I try to keep mine off rough concrete unless absolutely necessary). For an all-purpose indoor-occasionally-outdoor slipper, a soft rubber sole will stand up to most outdoor surfaces and provide some support. Where possible, though, keep your slippers for indoor use only.
Look for a pair of slippers that fit well (factoring in whether you plan to wear them with socks or not is a good idea here) and feel secure. Bear in mind that you may need to size up, especially in styles with lots of thick lining. Don’t go too big, though –you don’t want to slide out of them. Slippers should be effortless to take on and off, so while boot-style slippers may look very supportive and warm, you’ll regret buying them if they’re a struggle to remove at the end of the day.
It’s easy to be charmed by fun slippers in crazy prints and colours, but bear in mind that slippers in synthetic fabrics can leave you with stinky feet. If your slippers are enclosed or boot-style, look for natural fibres (ideally, wool) that will help keep your feet warm in winter and cool in summer.
Cosy toes are where it’s at this winter.ARTICLE BY LYNDA HALLINAN
In the chilly depths of winter I'm reminded of a Japanese proverb: "One kind word can warm three winter months." For me, that word is marmalade. No, make that two kind words: homemade marmalade. My grandmothers were marmalade mavens who competed for Women's Institute preserving prizes. Indeed, when my mother married my father her new mother-in-law gave her a handwritten copy of her tried-and-true marmalade recipe as a wedding present.
Marmalade, according to the esteemed British food writer Nigel Slater, a "the taste of sun on toast" — and what better way to spread a little sunshine around in winter than to plant dwarf citrus trees for a crop of Vitamin C in pots?
From ornamental kumquats to sour lemons and sweet mandarins, citrus trees grafted on dwarfing 'Flying Dragon' rootstock are pretty as well as productive in pots on a patio. 'Meyer' lemons and Tahitian limes are both highly recommended for small gardens, and I love my weeping standard 'Cipo' oranges (pictured).
The trick to keeping citrus trees happy in large pots is to feed them twice a year with a slow-release granular citrus fertiliser designed for containers.
If they get hungry, their need for
nitrogen shows up as yellowing in the foliage. Water frequently in summer. On a hot courtyard, a daily soak and a thick layer of mulch keeps those surface roots cool too. All citrus trees are subtropical, and benefit from protection in frosty climates.
Although we think of citrus as winter fruit, it's possible to grow mandarins almost year-round. The season begins in autumn with early, easy-peel mandarins such as ‘Miho’ and ‘Aoshima’, followed by sweet, seedless ‘Satsuma’ which ripen in May and June. After that comes popular ‘Clementine’, which can hang on until August at least but is a devil to peel, and ‘Corsica No.2’, which has larger fruit with fewer pips. In spring, ‘Burgess Scarlet’ fruits in September and October, with ‘Encore’ hanging on from November until the end of February.
Halve and deseed 500g citrus (use oranges, lemons, mandarins or grapefruit) and roughly chop by pulsing in a food processor.
Sow dwarf and climbing peas. My favourite variety is 'Sugarsnap', which has large pods filled with plump peas.
Sow sweet peas now too, for fragrant spring blooms.
Sow broad beans. Try the compact variety ‘Dwarf Early Green’ in containers. Plant garlic, shallots and leeks. Feed weekly with liquid fertiliser.
Put in brassicas for spring. Broccoli, cabbages and cauliflowers take up to 120 days to mature
Place the chopped citrus in a large pot with two cups of boiling water. Bring to a simmer, then add 1kg Chelsea Jam Setting Sugar and stir until dissolved. Turn up the heat and boil hard for 5 minutes, without stirring. Take off the stove and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then add 1 tablespoon whiskey or Cointreau (optional). Pour into small glass jars and seal.
We know that the residents of Summerset are a green fingered lot, so we went on the hunt to find Summerset's best garden', as judged by top landscape designer and TV and radio host, Tony Murrell!
The competition was stiff, and Tony had a tough job choosing, but here are our winning entries! Congratulations to our winners – you have each won a $250 gift voucher!
The entries for this season’s garden and plant competition has been varied and a good example that gardening will never go out of fashion. The stories that accompanied the entries were heart-warming and it was lovely to hear about residents’ journeys with their plants into the next stages of their lives at Summerset.
The four categories were:
• Prized potted indoor plant
• Best garden
• Best vegetable and herb gardens – in ground
• Best vegetable and herb garden – in a container/ planter
Elizabeth:, “When we moved into Summerset nearly 4 years ago, our aim was to have a garden full of variety and colour to share with everyone. We added 3 scoops of soil and compost and have now filled it with many cuttings from our old garden and plants given us by friends. We have now continued the garden right around our villa, filled with a mix of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees.”
Tony: “Elizabeth has worked very hard in not only designing a garden that has a rich tapestry of plant varieties but she also understood from the get-go that plants require good healthy soil. The addition of compost is always a winner. Cuttings are a cost effective and historical way of bringing memories with us – such a lovely touch in this garden. Sharing a garden with others is the mantra of gardeners worldwide and it's so good to hear that visitors are always welcome to her place. There’s a generosity to her garden and the results make her garden really stand out.”
Pat: "My Syngonium is about 30 years old. Summerset is its second home and it appear to like it."
Tony: “Pat's Syngonium is one of the best I have seen. The challenge of growing plants indoors is maintaining correct water levels along with natural light, fertilising and of course keeping the bugs at bay. They say "practice makes perfect" and here’s a fabulous example of a happy plant in a happy house!”
Margaret: “The garden is intensively cultivated with staggered planting for continuous picking. Plants currently include parsley, rhubarb, kale, leeks, perpetual spinach, cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, and carrots. It feels good to garden in an environmentally friendly way and recycling my own kitchen waste. It is a creative, on-going, manageable interest.”
Tony: I really enjoyed exploring the range of seasonal veg in this raised garden. The challenge of growing herbs, vegetables and plants in raised beds is maintaining good health soil and available moisture, this example demonstrates a very good understanding of what’s required and when. Congratulations Margaret, your dedication and love of gardening is shining very bright!
Peter: “Coming from a farming background, I have had a garden as a teenager and all through my married life. There is nothing more than satisfying to harvest fresh vegies straight from your own garden and at a much-reduced cost than buying from a supermarket.”
Tony: “Peter's entry is impressive, it has good plant spacing and the garden is in a sunny sheltered position. I liked that he has removable covers to cool plants in the summer and protect from winter frosts –inventive and effective at the same time. Irrespective of the season, Peter’s garden is good to go and I’m sure that with the beautifully nurtured soil the plants will again thrive this season.”
WINNER OF BEST INDOOR PLANT PAT NELLER SUMMERSET PALMS 3. WINNER OF BEST VEGETABLE AND HERB GARDEN IN A CONTAINER MARGARET RUSHBROOK SUMMERSET ON THE LANDINGA knitting project is a perfect companion as the days get cooler. If you haven’t knitted in a while, a simple pair of fingerless gloves might be just the ticket to renewing your interest in this very handy craft (see what I did there?).
I’ve included two of my own designs for fingerless mitts here. The first pattern is simple enough for beginner knitters and made up in a double-knit yarn. You’ll find them to be a quick and fun project to make for yourself or for family members.
The second pattern calls for finer yarn and circular needles. The resulting mitts are light and comfortable to wear. Pick your pair and happy knitting!
• 1 ball 50g ball of DK (double-knitting) weight wool
• 1 pair of 4.5mm straight knitting needles
• Darning needle and scissors
01. Loosely cast on 34 stitches.
02. Work K2, P2 rib for 10 rows.
03. Change to stocking stitch, and work 22 rows (or more, for a larger size).
04. Then work another 10 rows in rib.
05. Cast off in rib to maintain a stretchy edge
06. Sew up the sides of each piece, leaving a gap underneath the top band of ribbing that comfortably fits your thumb (you might want to pin the seam in place before sewing it up).
07. Now make a second mitt to match.
• 1 ball 4-ply or fingering weight yarn (I used a sock yarn called Regia Tweed Colour in the ''frost'' colourway, #07491 and used approx. 35g of the ball)
• 2.25mm needles (either a set of DPNs or a long circular to work Magic Loop)
• Darning needle and scissors
01. Cast on 64 stitches using the German Twisted Cast On or another stretchy method.
02. Place the marker and join to knit in the round (I used a long circular and the Magic Loop method).
03. Knit 1 x 1 rib for around 4cms.
04. Knit in stocking stitch until work measures 13 cm (or longer, if you prefer them to cover more of your arm).
05. Now begin to work back and forth (not in the round) by working to the marker, then turning back and purling until you reach the marker again. Work in this way (forming a split in the tube of knitting) until the split portion measures 4.5 cm.
Now continue in the round again, thereby closing up the split section. Knit 4 rows in stocking stitch.
Work 1 x 1 rib in the round for 4cm (or until the desired length).
Rejoin the yarn to the right side of the mitten, at the base of the thumbhole. Working around the hole, pick up 30 stitches around (this might be easier to do with double-pointed needles).
Work 1 x 1 rib for three rows.
Cast off in rib.
Weave in ends and make a second mitt in the same way. Block gently in warm water.
4-ply fingerless mitts (knitted in the round)REVIEWS BY KAREN MCMILLAN
GORDON COLLIER
This beautiful hardback is a visual delight – from the cover to all the content. It celebrates three gardens created by one of New Zealand’s most extraordinary gardeners, Gordon Collier.
The first garden is Titoki Point, near Taihape, which Gordon worked on from 1965 to 1999. Through hard work and a grand dream, Gordon spent 30 years turning a clay-ridden, sunny hillside into a garden that attracted international attention and was featured in more than one TV programme and magazine.
From 2000 to 2019, Gordon created the next garden, Anacapri, on a flat site with pumice soil near Lake Taupō. This garden encapsulates several gardening styles in a small area. The New Zealand Gardens Trust awarded Anacapri six stars.
Moving back to Taihape, Gordon has been working on the White House garden since 2020, showing again his remarkable skill in sourcing unusual plants and placing them together in creative and visually appealing ways, together with pots, artefacts, seats, arches and sculptures.
Howling in the Wilderness is a historical novel that follows the story of Henry and Marianne Williams, early missionaries to New Zealand, who first arrived in 1823. They are full of optimism about being able to share the Gospel with the Māori people, and committed to introducing peace rather than utu to the local people. The opening chapter captures the dangerous time the novel is set in, with Henry keeping outwardly calm but inwardly panicking while one of the chiefs is swinging a long spear directly at him. All this happens while his wife and young children watch the scene from their window in horror.
Later in the book Henry is called on to translate the Treaty of Waitangi at incredibly short notice from English to Māori. The novel writes about this historical time from the missionaries’ point of view, bringing a new dimension to the signing of the Treaty.
Howling in the Wilderness is a superb read, bringing to life Henry and Marianne’s lives, as well as those of many other historical figures of the time. The author spent almost a decade researching and writing, and she’s created a novel that is an engaging and thought-provoking read.
Many people in New Zealand have Irish and Scottish heritage, and for Southern Celts, author Celine Kearney interviewed a host of New Zealanders about their Celtic connections. It makes for a fascinating read as people discuss a wide range of issues, including speaking and teaching Scottish and Irish Gaelic, playing music and singing, writing poetry and fiction, and things like running businesses, playing sports, spirituality and religion.
These personal narratives make for a genuinely interesting read. The people interviewed include Michael Fraser Milne, owner of Whisky Galore; Erin Hogan, who runs The Scottish Shop in Dunedin; Evey McAuliffe, an Irish singer; Coral Atkinson, a fiction writer, and John Hunt, a Presbyterian minister.
Southern Celts is a rich book bursting with a variety of different voices. This will be a particularly rewarding read for anyone with Scottish or Irish ancestry, but it’s also of interest to anyone interested in other’s stories. The narrators also reflect on the passage of time, which brings constant change, and the interviews cross hemispheres and different geographic and cultural communities. Celine Kearney has done a superb job creating this book.
Investigative journalist Grace Marks and former US agent Marla Simmons join forces in The Democracy Game, a thought-provoking political thriller with just the right blend of action, unforgettable characters, and a riveting plot that examines a multitude of societal issues.
Grace is investigating two stories that seem unrelated. The first is New Zealand’s alt-right. The second is a new political party, ProtectNZ, that is emerging, with its slogan of ‘protecting the lives of ordinary New Zealanders’. Their leader is charismatic, but when he is the target of an assassination attempt, interest in his party soars.
When threats towards Grace escalate, including a ‘dead man’s hand’ nailed to her front door with a knife, Grace is concerned about her family’s safety. But she is determined to keep investigating these two stories, despite the danger, and starts to wonder if the two stories might be connected.
Marla has been living a quiet life under the radar in a remote part of the country, but when she hears about the threats to Grace’s safety, she decides to use her secret agent skills to help Grace. But then a body is found, and the stakes are even higher as Grace and Marla join forces to uncover the truth.
A first-rate thriller for the thinking person!
Summerset at Karaka is the latest village to go solar. In March, 46 solar panels were added to the south Auckland village’s pool house.
Karaka was chosen because they have a standalone building with an ideal roofing structure that is also easily accessible for installation. They have also had over 2,000 hours of sunlight over the last 12 months.
In the three weeks the panels were up in March, 2.47 MWh of electricity was generated. That's enough to make the pool house self-sufficient for its electricity use (while the sun is shining).
Karaka’s electricity per square metre of main building is at 9.3kWh/sqm, a 3.6% kWh/sqm improvement on the 2022 full year result!
At Summerset we are continually striving to reduce our environmental footprint. We have a future target of installing solar panels on top of our village centres, intending to begin with a trial at Summerset Richmond Ranges.
There the village centre will have installed between 350–360 solar modules, covering a total area of around 700–720 square metres. In peak sun the system will produce in the region of 120kW per hour. Because the solar panels face sun from various directions – north-west, north-east and south-west, the generation of power is spread out during the day.
The addition of solar power will also help to strengthen our resilience to power outages as we face more extreme weather events.
Residents at Summerset on Cavendish enjoyed a recent guided tour of the Kate Valley Landfill to see how their waste is being turned into something useable. Kate Valley is the most comprehensively engineered waste management facility in the South Island. Kate Valley is a landfill but is also referred to as an energy park - the waste that goes to the 37-hectare site is turned into energy and is used to provide power back into the local grid.
Landfill gases are captured into a collection system to later produce electricity. The Kate Valley Landfill
supplies electricity via high-voltage power lines into the national electricity grid at Waipara in North Canterbury.
Kate Valley produces enough renewable electricity from this general waste to power approximately 4,000 NZ homes!
Summerset utilises a number of energy parks for landfill disposal around New Zealand as part of our national contract with Waste Management for waste/recycling removal.
Winter can be a challenging season for many, as the cold weather can take a toll on our health and wellbeing. It’s important to stay warm, keep moving and look after yourself.
Here are five ways for seniors to stay warm, active and healthy during winter:
01. Choose an indoor exercise option: either as a backup or as a regular routine, having an indoor option for your exercise all but guarantees that you’ll keep up your weekly habits of moving.
02. Stay hydrated: it's important to stay hydrated during winter, even if you don't feel thirsty. Drinking enough water helps to flush out toxins from your body and keeps your skin hydrated. You can also drink warm beverages like tea, coffee, or hot chocolate to stay warm and cosy.
03. Drop everything and get the sun when you can: exposing our skin to the sun in small amounts helps us to get enough vitamin D. As we age, our skin becomes less efficient at
producing vitamin D. It is also worth noting that many regular glass windows block most of the UVB rays responsible for vitamin D production. This means that even if you spend time near a window indoors, you are unlikely to get adequate vitamin D from sunlight exposure.
04. Take small movement breaks to keep your core temperature up. Even a minute or two of brisk walking can help to keep you warm. This also helps to keep circulation of blood throughout your body.
Whilst winter can be a wonderful time to move indoors, stay warm and hibernate, it is also a beautiful time to get outside (when the weather allows), move your body, dose up on some nature and enjoy the change of seasons.
If you watched TV in the lead-up to King Charles’ coronation recently, chances are you saw the ‘Like a King’ series of adverts featuring five well-known brands, a corgi and the inimitable Suzanne Paul. Eight residents from Summerset at Heritage Park gamely took part in the ‘Retire Like a King’ advert for Summerset. We caught up with some of them to find out more about their TV appearance and if the adage about never working with animals is true. “Sales approached the village ambassadors to fulfil a request from Summerset to take part,” explains Clare Roberts. Clare, Jan Hart, Rose Boyle, Rex Shuker, Linda and Grant Thompson, and Lynne and Phil Bradley signed up. The brief was to wear what you would wear to the opera, ideally in Summerset colours, and head to the TVNZ studios. “We all know one another well,” says Jan, “so we borrowed bits from one another. There were a lot of ‘What are you going to wear?’ messages going back and forth.”
An Uber van whisked the group there for a 9:30am arrival, only for them to discover the shoot was running behind, so they settled in for a coffee and muffins to do a spot of people watching. Several presenters came by, including Pippa Wetzel and John Campbell. TVNZ’s CEO
Simon Power, Simon Mercep and Daniel Faitaua had a good natter with the group. “We were very well looked after,” says Jan.
Working on a television set was a new experience for most of the group, who found it quite different from how they had imagined. The studio was dark, with the lights only shining on the participants. “We had to be careful where we stood, as there were cables all over the floor! But once we got into the right position, filming was very fast,” said Phil. “The whole thing only took about five takes.” His wife, Lynne, agrees. “Not having any lines to remember made it easier. We raised our glasses and said ‘Cheers!’” And were the group able to imbibe the glass of champagne they raised? Sadly not, with Rex confirming it was only soda water and food colouring.
The sheer number of staff working on the ad was surprising, “There must have been at least 30 people. Camera operators, sound technicians and a lot looking at monitors. It was fascinating to see how it worked,” says Phil.
The group were up close and personal with Suzanne Paul as she played her queenly role, clustered around her on a wooden platform. There were no airs or graces on display, though. “She was
very nice, very welcoming, and had incredible skin,” laughs Jan. A corgi dog, Charlie, was in the ad as a nod to the late Queen and was brought onto the set by his trainer. “We were standing all close together,” says Clare, “and he was big, as you can see from when he sits on Suzanne’s lap. Big, but he was so well behaved and did everything on cue.”
Thanks to the time difference, our Summerset stars, like most New Zealanders, watched the coronation from the comfort of their own homes, with the Summerset at Heritage Park village holding a Residents’ Night function beforehand to celebrate. “We had a Best Dressed King and Queen competition and raffles and a right royal time was had by all.” says Lynne, who had met the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip whilst living in Dubai.
Like other village events, this one was well attended. “Social connections are just as important to your health as diet and exercise,” says Clare. The others agree. “It’s a great place to live.”
Above: Our Ellerslie stars on set with Suzanne Paul.
Bottom Right: L-R Clare, Phil, Rex, Lynne and Jan watch the ad for the first time.
“We had to be careful where we stood, as there were cables all over the floor! But once we got into the right position, filming was very fast,” said Phil.
“The whole thing only took about five takes.”
With its spectacular sea views, stunning alpine backdrop and busy central city, it’s no surprise that there is heaps to see and do in New Plymouth. Whether you’re into arts and culture, walking and hiking, beautiful outdoor spaces or delicious food experiences, this bustling city in the beautiful Taranaki region will tick all of your holiday boxes.
New Plymouth’s only boutique hotel – the Nice Hotel – is a stone’s throw from some of the city’s key attractions and is a sumptuous accommodation option. A wonderful mix of historic and contemporary, the Nice Hotel is filled with an eclectic mix of art and features as well as all the comforts you could possibly ask for. Enjoy the on-site bar and restaurant, or wander out the front door to discover the city literally on your doorstep.
Another centrally-located accommodation option is the gorgeous Hosking House. This boutique B&B is housed within a renovated villa and offers three luxury suites, two lounges, a bar and extensive gardens for you to enjoy. Enjoy a full breakfast each morning as you chat to your hosts and get all the local tips and suggestions to get the most out of your holiday.
If you’re heading to Taranaki for a peaceful getaway, check out the Tui Cabin at Mangorei Heights. This beautiful Airbnb is located on a lifestyle property just 15 minutes’ drive from central New Plymouth, yet the views, isolation and fresh alpine air make it feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. Enjoy expansive views of Mount Taranaki, your own private, contemporary cabin accommodation and all the bells and whistles such as excellent heating, an outdoor bath, an optional in-house massage service and easy access to local walking tracks.
Get up and out early to grab yourself a sensational breakfast at Tartan Rose. This wee
café on the edge of the CBD is always full of locals, so you know it’s a must-visit. Although it describes itself as a ‘cakery and deli’, Tartan Rose has a full and delicious breakfast/brunch menu, Monday to Saturday, with a simple yet delectable list of options served alongside excellent coffee, and, of course, a cabinet bursting with the city’s best cakes.
If you’re out and about in the city come lunchtime, take a detour out to the suburb of Strandon to find The Federal Store (or ‘The Fed’ to locals). This upbeat little retro-style treasure is known for its abundant brunch and lunch options, including huge burgers, whopping sandwiches, bagels, salads, quiches and sweet treats, all made fresh daily on site. Finish off with a fantastic coffee (The Fed has its own in-house blend) or a classic milkshake followed by a stroll along the nearby New Plymouth Coastal Walkway.
For a special evening dining experience, head 10 minutes out of town to The Vineyard Bistro at Okurukuru. Located in a coastal vineyard, this restaurant could easily be all about the spectacular west coast views. Luckily, the
sensational menu and wine list are just as note-worthy, making the whole experience one to remember. The European-inspired menu focuses on local, seasonal ingredients and includes a tasting platter for two, which can be washed down perfectly with an Okurukuru wine. Take the time to wander the stunning grounds and soak up those views after your meal.
A visit to New Plymouth isn’t complete without a stroll through Pukekura Park. An official Garden of National Significance, the 52ha park is a garden-lover’s dream with exceptional plant collections, exotic specimen trees and native bush interspersed with features and structures of historical and cultural interest.
Region: Taranaki
Airport: New Plymouth
Main road: Devon Street
Population: 58,500
As the coffee brews, a group of people who embody the description of ‘unsung heroes’ gather for connection and support, in their role of carer for a person with dementia. The idea of using respite harbours such conflicting emotions, and many people will find it difficult to accept that it is not only OK to take a break, but it actually benefits the person they are caring for by looking after their own wellbeing.
When this message comes from other carers, there is the acknowledgement that they matter. Not only does their spouse or parent matter, but they matter too. And they have to put their own oxygen mask on first.
At dementia support groups, sometimes advice is given, other times the best therapeutic tool is to normalise and validate what someone is going through, to be heard and empathised with.
Some members of support groups have been coming for years and have formed strong friendships. They advocate for each other, socialise with each other and go through all stages of the journey together. They mourn each other’s losses, and collectively start
learning a new way of living when their spouses’ journey comes to its final end.
New members are always welcomed, they gain infinite wisdom from those who are further ahead on the timeline and can also bring their own fresh contributions to the group.
It is a space to laugh or cry with no judgement – sometimes you would be forgiven for thinking this is a laughing yoga group, not one that is dealing with such unimaginable issues.
A whole myriad of tips that help navigate this path are offered, whether it be new products that make life easier, activities someone has found to help occupy and stimulate their partner, helping each other to understand the complexities of financial assistance, or the ones of a more light-hearted nature: did you know that if your husband is using a urine bottle at night, you can tip this out over your lemon tree to make it grow with abundance?
Above all, it is a nurturing space; one that helps one another.
DementiaNZ runs a number of support groups for the carers of someone with dementia. If you would like to connect with a support groups visit www.dementia.nz or call 0800 444 776.
A problem shared is a problem halved
Our village put on a Mother's Day Brunch, too late for breakfast, too early for lunch.
Pancakes, bacon, syrup and cream
what more could you wish for? a Mother's Day dream!
So, dressing gown, slippers and rollers in hair, I looked more like a nightmare – give a scarecrow a scare!
There were lots of dressing gowns, pink, blue and green such a wonderful sight, a sight to be seen.
But oops, hold on, I forgot to tell there were quite a few village men there as well.
Serving the meals, clearing the dishes
and pretty much taking care of our wishes.
I'll finish by saying a Thank You to staff,
'Twas a really good morning, I had many a laugh!
Fay Tuffin, Summerset Rototun a
Charles the Great, our newly crowned king With Prince William his son and heir And grandson George, his page – a king-in-waiting.
Together for the coronation watched on by the world – the bells did ring!
Our allegiance pledged without favour or fear.
The dawn of a new era – no more procrastination.
For over seventy years he has waited for this day.
When past, present, and future fuse with eternity
Our moment in time – hear the loud hurray.
From assembled Commonwealth troops displaying their unity.
Led by the Guards, with their royal colonels on display.
Epitomising the blending of state, military, and church amity.
Pageantry and tradition celebrated by a people at play.
We recognise this special time for our commonwealth of nations.
And give praise to our king a man of peace and passion.
Long may he reign and rule over our realm.
With the hope for the future, that a peaceful world will dream.
Resolving past hurts and going to where aroha and goodwill prevails.
Secure that in our time the House of Windsor will not fail!
Alan Martin Summerset on SummerhillIf you would like to submit a poem for consideration in Poet’s Corner, send it to magazine@summerset.co.nz
Daisy the longhaired dachshund is small but mighty. She might stand only two inches above the ground, but she has an incredible pull on her when she sees a dog or cat pal at her Summerset at Heritage Park village. “Dachshunds are known for being stubborn,” says owner Raewyn Francis. “She will stop suddenly or choose to go the opposite way I am walking. When she is tired of standing around when I am talking to people she will bark (which is loud) and pull to go. Like, ‘Come on, let’s get going!’”
“She is really fond of the older dogs, and also two of the village cats,” says Raewyn. “If we are out walking and she sees them, we must go over. And when she is home she likes to sit in her raised basket – her watchtower – looking out over the village to see everyone.”
Seven-year-old Daisy is one of the earliest residents to live in Summerset at Heritage Park, as Raewyn and her late husband, Chris, moved into their newly built villa in 2017. In fact, Daisy graced the cover of the first-ever Summerset Scene . A long-time resident, she is well known around the village. “She loves people,” confirms Raewyn.
She is placid and patient, especially now she has got older. Daisy may have little legs, but she loves to walk and usually has four walks around
the village a day. In the mornings, often some of the care centre residents walk the same route around the lake as Daisy. “They enjoy petting her, so I often lift her up or place her on their laps so they can pet her. It’s lovely to see their faces, and they share about the dogs they have owned,” says Raewyn. “Before we moved to the village, Chris would walk her daily from St Heliers to Mission Bay – the vet nearly had a coronary when we told him! We all know that Chris carried her a lot of the way. They looked so funny together; he was then a big, tall man and she was this tiny little thing.”
Along with walking, Daisy also has an appetite for fruit and veges. “She loves carrots, and she has apples for lunch. She is like a clock – she knows exactly what time mealtimes are, and she likes to let me know too by shoving a wet nose on my leg in case I forget!” laughs Raewyn.
Raewyn and Chris were visiting their friends at Summerset at the Course in Trentham when they got a call from a breeder to say she had a puppy returned to her. “We met the breeder at a dog show in Kawerau and I instantly fell in love with Daisy. Chris wasn’t a dog person, more into cats. But Daisy won him over while sitting on his lap travelling back to Auckland. By the time we got home, they were firm friends!”
Raewyn and Daisy at home at Summerset at Heritage Park
Summerset Mount Denby
7 Par Lane, Tikipunga, Whangārei 0112
Phone (09) 470 0282
Summerset Falls
31 Mansel Drive, Warkworth 0910
Phone (09) 425 1200
Summerset at Monterey Park
1 Squadron Drive, Hobsonville, Auckland 0618
Phone (09) 951 8920
Summerset at Heritage Park
8 Harrison Road, Ellerslie, Auckland 1060
Phone (09) 950 7960
Summerset by the Park
7 Flat Bush School Road, Manukau 2019
Phone (09) 272 3950
Summerset at Karaka
49 Pararekau Road, Karaka 2580
Phone (09) 951 8900
Summerset St Johns
180 St Johns Road, St Johns 1072
Phone (09) 950 7980
Summerset Parnell*
23 Cheshire Street, Parnell 1052
Phone (09) 950 8212
Summerset Half Moon Bay*
25 Thurston Place, Half Moon Bay, Auckland 2012
Phone (09) 306 1422
Summerset Milldale*
Argent Lane, Milldale, Wainui 0992
Phone 0800 786 637
WAIKATO
Summerset down the Lane
206 Dixon Road, Hamilton 3206
Phone (07) 843 0157
Summerset Rototuna
39 Kimbrae Drive, Rototuna North 3210
Phone (07) 981 7820
Summerset by the Lake
2 Wharewaka Road, Wharewaka, Taupō 3330
Phone (07) 376 9470
Summerset Cambridge
1 Mary Ann Drive, Cambridge 3493
Phone (07) 839 9482
Summerset Rotorua*
171–193 Fairy Springs Road
Rotorua 3010
Phone (07) 343 5132
Summerset by the Sea
181 Park Road, Katikati 3129
Phone (07) 985 6890
Summerset by the Dunes
35 Manawa Road, Papamoa Beach, Tauranga 3118
Phone (07) 542 9082
HAWKE’S BAY
Summerset in the Bay
79 Merlot Drive, Greenmeadows, Napier 4112
Phone (06) 845 2840
Summerset in the Orchard
1228 Ada Street, Parkvale, Hastings 4122
Phone (06) 974 1310
Summerset Palms
136 Eriksen Road, Te Awa, Napier 4110
Phone (06) 833 5850
Summerset in the Vines
249 Te Mata Road, Havelock North 4130
Phone (06) 877 1185
TARANAKI
Summerset Mountain View
35 Fernbrook Drive, Vogeltown, New Plymouth 4310
Phone (06) 824 8900
Summerset at Pohutukawa Place
70 Pohutukawa Place, Bell Block, New Plymouth 4371
Phone (06) 824 8530
MANAWATU–WHANGANUI
Summerset in the River City
40 Burton Avenue, Whanganui 4500
Phone (06) 343 3133
Summerset on Summerhill
180 Ruapehu Drive, Fitzherbert, Palmerston North 4410
Phone (06) 354 4964
Summerset Kelvin Grove*
Stoney Creek Road, Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North 4470
Phone (06) 825 6530
Summerset by the Ranges
104 Liverpool Street, Levin 5510
Phone (06) 367 0337
WELLINGTON
Summerset on the Coast
104 Realm Drive, Paraparaumu 5032
Phone (04) 298 3540
Summerset on the Landing
1–3 Bluff Road, Kenepuru, Porirua 5022
Phone (04) 230 6722
Summerset at Aotea
15 Aotea Drive, Aotea, Porirua 5024
Phone (04) 235 0011
Summerset at the Course
20 Racecourse Road, Trentham, Upper Hutt 5018
Phone (04) 527 2980
Summerset Waikanae
28 Park Avenue, Waikanae 5036
Phone (04) 293 0002
Summerset Boulcott
1A Boulcott Street, Lower Hutt 5010
Phone (04) 568 1442
Summerset Masterton*
Lansdowne, Masterton 5871
Phone (06) 370 1792
Summerset in the Sun
16 Sargeson Street, Stoke, Nelson 7011
Phone (03) 538 0000
Summerset Richmond Ranges
1 Hill Street North, Richmond 7020
Phone (03) 744 3432
Summerset Blenheim*
183 Old Renwick Road, Blenheim 7272
Phone (03) 520 6042
CANTERBURY
Summerset at Wigram
135 Awatea Road, Wigram, Christchurch 8025
Phone (03) 741 0870
Summerset at Avonhead
120 Hawthornden Road, Avonhead, Christchurch 8042
Phone (03) 357 3202
Summerset on Cavendish
147 Cavendish Road, Casebrook, Christchurch 8051
Phone (03) 741 3340
Summerset Rangiora*
141 South Belt, Waimakariri, Rangiora 7400
Phone (03) 364 1312
Summerset Prebbleton
578 Springs Road, Prebbleton 7604
Phone (03) 353 6312
OTAGO
Summerset at Bishopscourt
36 Shetland Street, Wakari, Dunedin 9010
Phone (03) 950 3100