Life + Style 1 September 2017

21 August, 2015

life+style The Weekend Sun 1

Design capabilities Page 2

THE WEEKEND

Tui and daffodils

The art of cheese

Previs artist

Flying high

Silks and satins

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life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 20152017 1 September,

Bespoke plans for each section It’s all about design with Fowler Homes It’s your home, you spend plenty of time in it, and you want it to work for you.

Tony O’Brien

If you’re building from scratch, it’s easy to get swept up in quick turn-around spec houses, but will that be the best home for you?

Fowler Homes specialises in bespoke builds – planning from the ground up – so customers can get the best house to call a home.

“Fowler Homes has always been a design and build company, and that’s not to say it has to be an expensive design and build; we can work with any budget,” says Fowler Homes local owner Tony O’Brien.

“It just takes sitting down with the client and taking a brief and getting something that is really going to work for the site, for them, and for their budget.”

And it’s not about how quickly they can get a home on a patch of land for you, it’s about how the home looks and feels – how it works for you.

“It’s all around good design – there are a lot of good builders out there but when you go into some houses it’s the design and the quality of the finish that makes the real difference,” says Tony.

Fowler Homes have just opened its new show home in The Lakes and Tony says it was well received by all who set foot inside.

“The feedback we’ve had for the home over the weekend has just been outstanding.

“People absolutely love it; they haven’t seen anything like it; it’s really different.

“It’s a 208sqm home; it has a central courtyard in it with an open fire – it’s just amazing.

“It’s come up really stunning and it’s interesting – people come up and look at it and from the outside they don’t get too excited but when they come

through they just go ‘Wow!’.”

Customers feel like they are getting exactly what they want when they build with Fowler Homes, says Tony.

“We don’t do cut-and-paste plans. We look at what’s best for the site.

“We’re putting plans in front of people and they just love it. Everybody out there is looking for a plan, but people have got to take the opportunity for us to draw one for them to suit their site, because most sections can have a plan plonked on there but they may not fit,” says Tony.

“We start with a fresh approach for every customer and every site, and we find it works so much nicer.

People get an individual plan, not one that has been copied from someone else.”

And if you’re really starting from scratch, Fowler Homes can help you find the perfect house and land package.

“With the house and land packages we’ve put a plan on there to set a general price with everything included,” says Tony.

“But we sit down with people and ask them what they want, and we can modify and change those plans around. There’s no ‘box’ for us, we’re happy to work with what people want.

“Then we take that to the designers and they fit in the special requirements such as specific sized furniture or an extra garage. Not long after that we present the plan back to the people and from there we get into it and get on to build it.”

It’s the individual nature and the attention to detail that sets Fowler Homes apart from the rest.

“We’re very aware of what a difference having sun coming into the house at certain times of the day, and the layout of the house can have.”

Visit our New Showhome Open 1pm–4pm Daily For more information, call us or check out our website

p. 07 57 99 200 www.fowlerhomes.co.nz

1 September, 2017

Greg Straight

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Greg Straight

A unique kiwi style Greg Straight is an Aucklandbased artist and illustrator who spent his childhood drawing, surfing and spending his summer holidays with his family in Papamoa.

“My aunty and uncle used to live on Papamoa Beach Rd and I have so many great memories from those days. Papamoa is truly a magical place; it’s where I first started surfing back when I was about 12 and I’ve been visiting regularly ever since.”

Greg has a signature style that sets him apart with a confident ‘Kiwi cool’ aesthetic and a laid-back vibe.

He creates bold, colourful graphic prints with a cheeky take on Kiwi culture. He often takes inspiration from New Zealand’s native bush, the beach and summers gone by, resulting in a modern, relevant body of work.

Two years ago Greg’s mum Angela and her partner Brian decided to leave Auckland and move to Papamoa to live out their twilight years walking along the beach and traveling the country in their campervan. Only 10 months later Angela was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was taken into the Waipuna Hospice a few weeks before Christmas 2016 after a nasty turn. Greg and his family spent many weeks visiting and

comforting her there. Sadly she passed away in March this year.

“The Waipuna Hospice staff made us all feel so welcome,” says Greg. “And although it was a very difficult time the kind people working there did everything they could for mum. All the family are eternally grateful.

“I wanted to help in some way and when I was asked to donate an artwork to a charity auction here in the Bay of Plenty I jumped at the chance and donated three.

“I was stoked that they raised $9000 for Waipuna Hospice, a homeless shelter and meth education in BOP schools.”

Back in Auckland Greg spoke to iconic t-shirt company Mr Vintage and said he’d like to help and create something special for Daffodil Day. He designed two t-shirt prints with 25 per cent of all sales going to The Cancer Society.

“I know first-hand how painful and upsetting it can be to see a loved one with cancer.

“I spoke to Rob at Mr Vintage and he couriered me 16 tees, so on my way to Papamoa I visited Waipuna Hospice and gave the staff the box of t-shirts as a small way of saying thank you.”

Greg’s Daffodil Day t-shirt focuses on a tui sitting on a koru and is available on the Mr Vintage website www.mrvintage.co.nz search ‘cancer’.

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

The Waipuna Hospice team with the daffodil t-shirt.

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1 September, 2017 life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015

Spreading your wings The Bay like you’ve never seen it In life you are either a passenger or a pilot.

Which one will it be?

David Yeo and Cayla-Fay Saunders

Photos: Tracy Hardy

If you’re leaning towards having more control, then take the plunge and really learn to soar with Solo Wings Aviation Centre in Tauranga.

There’s a knot of nerves settling in the bottom of my stomach as I walk up to the smallest two-seater plane I’ve ever seen. Weighing in at a meagre 288kg before adding fuel and humans, the Pipistrel Alpha Trainer is the perfect aircraft for your first flight.

Or so I’m told. But once we’re buckled in, head-set intact and humming along, the excitement kicks in.

This tiny craft will take us soaring through the air.

It’s an experience that is almost indescribable.

The control column only needs the slightest hint of movement and the tiny craft responds, swinging through the open skies with deft agility.

Thankfully flight instructor David Yeo has the flight under control with his own set of controls on his side of the Pipistrel.

Good thing too because when we level off in the air at 1000ft I am taken by the view.

The mid-afternoon sun bouncing off the waves of Mount Maunganui beach, the teenyness of cars and people on the ground below, the mightiness of Mauao seemingly so close I could touch it, and just the startling realisation that I am, in fact, flying a plane.

David expected this would happen; he knows firsttimers are often stunned at the views you can get on a clear day. Which is why he left me to marvel for a bit while he took control.

But the awe didn’t last long when David tells me through the in-flight comms that it is my turn to fly.

After a slightly shaky handover, David holds his hands up as high as he can in the tiny aircraft.

“You’re flying a plane,” he says, and I laugh.

We landed back at the Solo Wings Aviation Centre at 15 Dakota Way, near the Tauranga City Airport, and there was part of me that was yearning to get back up into the clouds.

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The mid-afternoon sun bouncing off the waves of Mount Maunganui beach, the teenyness of cars and people on the ground below, the mightiness of Mauao seemingly so close I could touch it, and just the startling realisation that I am, in fact, flying a plane.

So whether you’re interested in flying a gyrocopter, a Cessna or a microlight, Solo Wings can help.

The company offers a range of services to suit any interested would-be pilot, from an introduction to flight course that runs for 50 minutes, to a flight training service that will see you trained for however many hours your type of licence requires.

Solo Wings provides the facilities and the aircraft to teach for microlight pilot certifications for both aeroplanes and gyros, and private and commercial pilot licenses for aeroplanes.

Instructors aim to mold and educate pilots to be safe in all ways.

“By making something safer you make it easier,” says David.

Pilots from around the country bring their aircraft to Solo Wings for maintenance and there is a dedicated motel-style unit available for visiting pilots, complete with the use of a car.

And if you’re after something just a little more grounded, The Aviator Experience – a virtual-reality combat flight simulation for people who want the thrill of the flight while keeping their feet firmly on the ground and is available in the Solo Wings hangar.

But Solo Wings doesn’t just train people to fly; it can also help selfconfessed aviophobes conquer their

fears and the skies.

So whether you’re thinking of taking the plunge and sending yourself into the skies, or you want to send a friend or family member on the flight of a lifetime, talk to Solo Wings.

And with Fathers’ Day coming up, there’s no better gift for your Dad than the open skies.

Get in touch with the team at Solo Wings to book a flight – real or simulation – for Dad, for yourself, or for anyone you think would enjoy the experience.

It’s almost indescribable.

Cayla-Fay Saunders

Norma Kelly and Colin Alexander.

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September, life+style The Weekend Sun 211 August, 20152017

Silks, satins and magic eyes Fifty years of Langtons Silks, satins, merino, nightwear, swimwear and lingerie. And a dressing gown heaven.

Bonnie Zinsli

Delys Williams

It’s 50 years since Langtons Lingerie opened in Grey St. Delys Williams has owned Langtons, a specialist lingerie and swimwear store, for 10 years. Before that the Watsons bought it off Lois and Bruce Langton who originally set it up.

These days Delys finds herself fitting generations of women who have all had the Langtons’ experience.

“I really like people and making a difference in their lives,” says Delys.

“I love the fact that people can come in here and go away feeling really confident and happy with themselves.”

On asking how they fit bras for their customers, Delys’s eyes twinkle.

“I have magic eyes, we don’t need a measuring tape. The reality is I know our stock and how the product fits.”

It’s more than just having a finelytuned and instinctive ability to size women. “I take pride in thinking I find the right product for the right person,” explains Delys.

“We are always problem-solving. I get to know my customers really well, so it’s really personal. I believe my business is successful because it’s about mutual trust and respect.”

The customer base goes beyond Tauranga, with women coming from the far north to the deep south.

A strong loyalty programme enables a recorded reference point for easy referral to check previous fittings, sizes and styles. “Shapewear is popular,” says senior shop assistant Bonnie Zinsli.

“They may be going to a wedding, so we give them something to wear underneath that smooths them out.

They bring in their outfits and we shape it from there.”

Delys agrees.

“A good fitting bra and shapewear

makes a huge difference to the silhouette of an outfit.”

Specialising in swimwear is another key point of difference for Langtons, says Delys.

“One-pieces, tankinis and bikinis go out the door so fast, even in winter.”

“A lot more people are travelling overseas in our winter months,” says Bonnie. “Our clientele have figured out it’s best to get their swimwear before they go rather than spend time looking while on holiday.”

The travel habits of their customers also means Langtons stock winter and summer sleepwear across both seasons.

Delys feels humbled by the people she meets daily.

“We form strong personal connections with our clientele. They bare their body and they bare their soul and form a deep trust with us. We do our best to help.”

Approachable and real, supportive and trusted. Amid a dressing gown heaven.

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

Photo Tracy Hardy

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Polenta - great anytime Sick of potatoes and pasta? Why not try adding polenta into your family meals?

This delicious corn-based dish is traditionally Italian, however is often used in Mexican cuisine among others. A perfect base for so many dishes, it lends itself to both meat and vegetables. So, whenever you do a slow-cook, make a rich stew or those wonderful roasted vegetables with gravy, think polenta and add a taste of Italian to your kitchen.

Ingredients

MOISTURE-BOOST NATURAL LIPSTICKS

750ml (3 cups) cold water 170g (1 cup) coarse polenta (cornmeal) 125ml (1/2 cup) thin cream 20g (1/4 cup) finely grated grana Padano parmesan 40g butter Salt Finely ground white pepper

Method

Bring the water to the boil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Using a wire whisk gradually add the polenta in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly until all the polenta is incorporated into the water. Don’t add the polenta too quickly or it will turn lumpy.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and the polenta is soft. (To test whether the polenta is soft, take a little out and let it cool slightly. Rub between fingers – if grains are still firm continue cooking until grains are soft) Remove from heat. Add the cream, parmesan and butter, and stir until well combined.

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

MOISTURE-BOOST NATURAL LIPSTICKS Serving options

1. Use as an alternative side dish for any meal.

2. Pile slow-cooked meats, a meaty ragu or your favourite vegetables with lashings of sauce on top of a large spoonful for a complete meal.

3. Replace the water with stock and make chips. Once cooked pour into a lightly oiled dish and spread. Let set hard then slice into ‘chips’. Brush with a little olive oil and bake for yummy polenta chips.

4. In summer, instead of making chips, cut into smaller cubes, fry and use as you would croutons, sprinkled over a salad.

MOISTURE-BOOST NATURAL LIPSTICKS

MOISTURE-BOOST MOISTURE-BOOST NATURAL LIPSTICKS NATURAL LIPSTICKS

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Recipe from Vetro

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life+style The Weekend Sun 211August, 20152017 September,

Kyle Ashley An animator with an overactive imagination As a previsualisation or previs artist, Omokoroa resident Kyle Ashley works in a part of the modern film industry that many people don’t know exists.

Kyle Ashley.

“Your favourite action scene may have started out as some ideas in the mind of a previs artist, based on the film director’s needs,” says Kyle.

“As action and special effects scenes got more complicated and computer based, it was necessary to go one dimension further than storyboards, which are, however, still very much in use.”

The advantage of previsualisation is that it allows a director, cinematographer or VFX Supervisor to experiment with different staging and art direction options—such as lighting, camera placement and movement, stage direction and editing—without having to incur the costs of actual production.

Based in Tauranga and travelling between Wellington and Sydney for work, Kyle has worked on major feature films such as ‘Lord of the Ring’s and ‘The Hobbit’ and more recently ‘Ghost in the Shell’ and the ‘Lego Ninjago’ film, which is due out soon.

“The first previs was probably the ‘speeder bike chase’ from ‘Return of the Jedi’,” says Kyle, “where toys were filmed with a video camera to work out ideas, timing and camera moves. Now it’s done on computer with animation software.”

A good knowledge of camera moves and an understanding of animation are required.

An overactive imagination helps.

Growing up, Kyle wanted any job that involved monsters. His interest in fantasy films started early

when his father took him to ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’, ‘2001- A Space Odyssey’ and the films of visual effects creator Ray Harryhausen.

He was hooked.

“I would listen to audio cassette tape movies from television, listening to the films over and over like music. I guess it was good training for picturing scenes in my mind.”

Kyle is a long-time user of Maya, with other tools of the trade being After FX for live action, stunt Pre-Vis and shot edits, 3DEqualizer for Post-Vis level work, ZBrush for texture creation and intermediate sculpting, and Unity.

“I was very lucky that Peter Jackson built his production company in New Zealand, instead of leaving for Hollywood like most New Zealand directors. The opportunities opened up from ‘Lord of the Rings’ gave many of us our break to learn new crafts on a film filled with monsters and heroes.”

“I met some of my heroes too, like Ray Harryhausen and Christopher Lee, and worked under heroes behind the camera, who I had read about in Starlog magazine like Randall William Cook, Alex Funke, Alan Lee and Sword Master Bob Anderson.”

Kyle’s previs supervisor, Christian Rivers, passed on his knowledge from many years drawing thousands of storyboard pages at Weta, and was a patient, generous teacher. Christian is currently directing ‘Mortal Engines’ in Wellington.

“Reviewing our previs with director Peter Jackson was a highlight.

He was always encouraging and pushing the boundaries to craft memorable epic scenes.

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“I was very lucky that Peter Jackson built his production company in New Zealand, instead of leaving for Hollywood like most New Zealand directors”

Sometimes we needed to go on location to get direct feedback. It was magic to step inside the real Bag End, Rivendell, Lake-town and Helm’s Deep, after so many months helping craft the shots on the computer.”

Kyle offers advice for the budding animator.

“The skills I gained can be learned online if you can’t afford to go to a teaching institute. Join an online school and try a number of skills.

“The internet is a bottomless pit of distraction, so it requires discipline to work online. You could form a little group of like-minded people and meet in a cafe, library or shared space.

“For ideas, which are the raw material you will need to be original and interesting, you must become a library adventurer. Pick out books at random from all sections – you don’t need to read the whole book. Take notes and pictures too. New worlds will open up as interconnections start to form in your brain, which will grow and be available to pick like magic hybrid fruit. Internet searches are for specific answers, are not random and lack the tactile, multisensory quality essential for learning.”

With the Bay of Plenty poised to become the third major film-making location in New Zealand, Kyle is looking forward to seeing more work undertaken here.

BOP Film CEO Anton Steel believes the previs work that Kyle and others do is an essential tool on many levels of the film-making process, saving time and money.

“Pre-visualisation has been an integral part of many of the big budget shoots that I have worked on from ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’ through

to more recently ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2’,” says Anton. “When you are working with complicated stunt sequences and/or visual effectheavy sequences, it is a great way to communicate the vision to the technical crew on the multiple units that have to shoot all the different pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that are later put together to make movie magic.

“The work that Kyle does is integral to making the onset juggernaut flow smoothly and ensure that you are shooting exactly what is needed for the final cut.”

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

Photo: Warren Mahy

Photo: Warren Mahy

Photo: Bruce Barnard

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September, life+style The Weekend Sun 211 August, 20152017

Cheesemaking From ricotta to mascarpone I heard that Carolie de Koster was running her cooking classes from her new kitchen in Omokoroa so I went along and joined in with the cheesemaking class.

It was the coldest day in July but possibly the warmest-hearted kitchen in the Bay. The previous week she had been teaching children how to make Italian breakfast tarts with filo pastry.

Today we were going to be learning how to make ricotta, mozzarella, feta, halloumi and mascarpone cheese.

Carolie brought her culinary skills with her when she came to New Zealand from South Africa, becoming a resident in 2011 and just recently a citizen.

She and husband Adri have settled into the Western Bay of Plenty, with Adri designing their home to

Carolie and Adri de Koster

Photos: Rosalie Liddle Crawford

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provide ample space for a training kitchen.

Previously a businessman, software designer and consultant, Adri has taken up cheesemaking.

And it appears, kitchen design.

“In New Zealand kitchens, often the microwave is above the oven,” says Adri. “So if you have something hot you are reaching up to get out of the microwave, you could spill it.” It made total sense. So did his methodical approach to cheesemaking.

Step by step, he and Carolie took us through heating milk using a thermometer, adding citric acid to make curds and whey, draining the curds and then stretching them gently into smooth-shaped mozzarella balls.

We start with full fat un-homogenised milk, and learn texture, heating, stirring and draining.

It seems surprisingly simple.

Ricotta means ‘re-cooked’, and consists of slightly uneven, moist yet crumbly curds, separated from the whey. Carolie says it’s the simplest cheese, easy and quick to make, and delicious for sweet or savoury use.

Carolie stretches the curds for mozzarella into two ‘ropes’ of cheese and proceeds to plait them before plunging them into ice cold water. Small portions of mozzarella are pinched off into small balls called bocconcini. She presents me with baby tomatoes and the bocconcini skewered with fresh basil and sprinkled with dressing. So delicious.

I didn’t know feta can be made with cow’s milk.

Four litres of milk make about 800g of feta. It’s made in baskets, draining overnight. The next day, it’s salted by submerging in a deep container of brine.

Carolie has cheese kits available, including a vegan cheese kit. She also directs us to check out Mad

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“We stop to sample the various cheeses, with the dozen participants enjoying the warm winter sunshine and a coffee on the patio. Carolie has prepared extra dishes featuring the cheeses with roast vegetables, ciabatta bread and a simply scrumptious mocha-choc chip ricotta cheesecake”

Millie, the New Zealand website that has all the tools of the trade available.

Adri jokes about needing ‘cheesesitters’ if hard cheeses are made when he and Carolie want to go away for a few days.

Someone needs to babysit the cheeses, turning them daily while they’re drying and maturing.

They’ve been running many cooking classes since arriving in New Zealand. The most popular so far have been Middle Eastern Marvels, Moroccan Cuisine, Winning Ways without Wheat and Gluten, Thai Temptations, Global Yeast Baking, Fun with Filo Pastry, and for juniors – three-day Holiday Cooking and Festive Biscuit Baking classes.

Carolie has written many recipe books over the years, including the ‘Art of Cooking’, a 1001 page cookery manual, published by Van Schaiks in 1998.

This book is a cooking bible, used for training in cookery schools, colleges and universities. She has also developed recipes for food columns in magazines, and for advertising for food companies.

Her magazine work has included writing articles on all aspects of running a guest house and doing demonstrations to improve the quality of catering in a guest house. As a lecturer at universities she taught event management and presented modules on ‘food service in a guest house or lodge’ for many years and wrote these sections in the hospitality books used for training. The information included design and lay-out of the kitchen, personal and kitchen hygiene, menu planning, food preparation, staff training and the presentation of meals. She’s also designed menus for new restaurants and cafes.

There are many stories about the origin of cheese,

and while we can’t be certain about who made the first cheese, it appears that it came about by accident.

Legend has it that nomadic tribes carried milk in animal skin bags, possibly made from the stomach which contains the coagulating enzyme known as rennin. The galloping motion of their horses caused churning, separating the milk into curds.

Lightly salting the curds would have made a tasty, nourishing high protein meal.

The afternoon has warmed up. We stop to sample the various cheeses, with the dozen participants enjoying the warm winter sunshine and a coffee on the patio. Carolie has prepared extra dishes featuring the cheeses with roast vegetables, ciabatta bread and a simply scrumptious mocha-choc chip ricotta cheesecake.

Some in the class have come on their own, others have come with a friend, and it’s clear there’s a high

level of enjoyment and interest.

Next it’s on to mascarpone and halloumi. Halloumi cheese originates from Cyprus and can be made from cow’s milk. This time we add only rennet to form the curds. It’s ideal for grilling or frying to serve at breakfast or with salads and stir-fries.

One litre of cream yields approximately 625ml of mascarpone.

It’s creamy and perfect for desserts and sauces.

I can’t believe how easy it is to make cheese. It’s a timeless art brought to life in our modern kitchens, fun Rosalie Liddle Crawford and delicious.

EXCELLENCE IN DERMATOLOGY

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life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015