Life+Style 8 July 2016

Boutique web design, no sting with Nettl.

See page 2.

THE WEEKEND

Featuring

Art & creativity | Home & living | Travel

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life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015 8 July, 2016

Beautiful responsive websites They may be called Nettl but they don’t sting Nettl of Tauranga is a boutique web design and marketing studio, situated at 801 Cameron Rd. Nettl Tauranga’s business consultant and director Michelle Beaumont says the business provides customers with a onestop shop, not just specialising in all things ‘web’.

“Our additional services include branding, logo design, business printing, promotional products, signwriting and exhibition displays.”

Part of what sets Nettl aside from existing web design companies is their ability to provide clients with a beautifully designed, responsive website in a fraction of the time it can traditionally take, says Michelle.

“Because of our uniquely tailored system and clever operating procedures we can also offer our clients better value for money – put simply, we may be called Nettl, but we don’t sting!”

In keeping with this theme, Nettl will give the first ten customers who purchase a website a $500 grant towards the total cost of their website build.

And the first customers to purchase a new branding package will also receive 250 free business cards.

Nettl of Tauranga is proud to be studio number four in NZ with more branches opening soon.

“Being part of a network of studios and hosting locally means our clients are assured their website will be in good hands, removing lengthy delays that can occur when a server crashes, or when a client requires changes to their site,” says Michelle.

Nettl believes people want to deal with people. That is why they have two local and experienced marketing, design and web developers on-board.

Local business woman Michelle, has more than 12 years’ experience dealing with Tauranga businesses in her roles at Publicity Printing and setting up Printing.com – a reputable NZ company renowned for value for money and service.

“My passion is helping businesses grow. As a marketer it is my job to help my customer’s get the best return on investment for their budget.

“If I can help them get the basics right from the start, we can rule out that two-to-three year blimp in the road that happens to companies when it becomes apparent that the poorly executed logo they have just isn’t doing them justice anymore.

By starting on the right track, their marketing should continue to present them correctly for at least seven years.”

Joel Crump is Nettl of Tauranga’s lead creative. Joel has a Bachelor in Computer Graphic Design and has owned his own web company.

With a natural creative talent, designing beautiful websites with punchy branding and strong content, Joel also has an eye for photography and skills in Search Engine Optimisation and social media.

“An integral part of any design process is the ability to take a good brief, key to that is listening to your client.”

Nettl of Tauranga doesn’t believe in just selling a website, they also offer their customers a guiding hand.

“We like to make our customers feel cared for and appreciated, with free training and ongoing services designed to help continue their online growth strategies,” says Michelle.

To register for Nettl of Tauranga’s launch party on July 15, visit www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/ nettl-of-tauranga-opening-night-launch-partytickets-26274419496

“We like to make our customers feel cared for and appreciated”

E Embarrassing w website?

Get one that works on mobiles G Call us on 0800 2 NETTL (263 885) or visit us at Suite 2/801 Cameron Rd Tauranga (Same block as Avanti).

NOW OPEN!

Websites Ecommerce Design Brand Styling ...basically everything!

responsive websites

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Finding her true song Tauranga songwriter debuts album Local singer/songwriter, Kathryn Overall, shares the story behind her inspiring debut album infused with depth, beauty and spirituality.

If you told a teenage Kathryn Overall she would be 34 years old before she released her first album, she probably would have been horrified. “I certainly would have wondered what on earth I could have been doing all that time,” says Kathryn. She laughs as she tucks her short, curly brown hair behind her ear, pausing to take a sip of green tea at Nourish Cafe in Te Puna.

Best-known locally for her writing and social marketing talents, Kathryn, of Engage Communications, is just weeks away from releasing her debut singer/ songwriter album ‘Not All the Leaves Are Falling’ on July 28. Kathryn began learning piano at four years old, wrote her first song at age 12 and moved to Sydney at age 19 to study songwriting.

“I’ve been utterly enchanted with the creative process of songwriting all of my life,” says Kathryn.

“I have a sense of homecoming in finally sharing this part of myself with people.”

A folk-inspired collection of melodicallydriven, storytelling songs with a peaceful blend of emotional honesty and contemplative spirituality, ‘Not All the Leaves are Falling’ took three years to make and

includes songs from the last seven years of Kathryn’s life. “This project has been incubating for a long time,” says Kathryn.

“The autumnal theme of the album art and lyrics captures a sense of hope in the face of loss, which is at heart of this collection.” Returning to Tauranga from Sydney in 2008 in the throes of a personal and professional crisis marked the beginning point of this creative project.

“I was in debt, burnt out, broken-hearted and had no idea what I was going to do next,” says Kathryn.

“The songs from this album capture something of that turning point and the spiritual and emotional journey of finding a new path over the last seven years.

“My song, ‘The Year the Birds Came Back,’ tells this story in a nutshell – the story of finding my true song again.”

But not all of the leaves are falling and not all of the songs are sad. ‘Sunset Road’, a cheerful, folksy song about homecoming, is currently available as a free download from Kathryn’s website.

“I have been so encouraged by people’s warm response to this song,” says Kathryn.

“I’m launching the music clip on Facebook, which captures my work commute from Tauranga to my family farm in Maketu.

“Through a happy coincidence of timing we managed to capture some magical footage of me looking up at the winter solstice

“I’ve been utterly enchanted with the creative process of songwriting all of my life”

moon at sunset at the top of the Papamoa hills.

“The contemplative enchantment of the scene reflects something of the soul of the album.”

Although life’s twists and turns mean that she’s releasing her first album later in life than she would have anticipated, Kathryn says she has no regrets. “I think it has taken time for me to have the courage to own my musical style, my sincerity and the spiritual themes of my songs.

“I am more comfortable in my own skin in my mid-30s – more willing to stand on my own little piece of ground and cultivate whatever

beauty I find there.” And her hopes for the album? “I have this philosophy that songs which are emotionally honest create a kind of sacred space, not just for the writer but for the listener,” says Kathryn.

“I hope that people will hear echoes of their own story inside my lyrics and find their own sense of hope within my melodies.”

A free song download of ‘Sunset Road’ is available at www.notalltheleavesarefalling.com To see the music clip, visit: facebook.com/ songsbykathryn

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8 July, 2016 life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015

Papamoa and Te Puke treasures Whether your interests lie in French antiquities, souvenirs, or surf and skate, Papamoa and Te Puke are housing some really neat shopping spots.

Offering beautiful vintage-style cabinetry and furniture, paua for overseas friends, or new decks for your board, Te Puke and Papamoa are the places to be for a myriad of different shoppers.

Gift Rapt brings you a huge variety of beautiful gifts ranging from NZ souvenir products, wedding gifts, children’s gifts, the list goes on.

Every purchase is gift wrapped for free.

Curation, your local, independent, surferowned store showcasing a great selection of fine goods and great coffee. We’ve got all your surf, skate and fashion needs covered.

Lower garments are classic, easy to wear silhouettes with detailed trims and fabrication. This monochromatic collection features elements of the Japanese Calligraphy ‘Kanji’. Its inspiration is evident throughout the the custom fabric and prints. Check out the range at Thanks.

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With an extensive and unique range of homeware, bags, apothecary, jewellery, scarves, hats and 1930’s French antique homewares, finding that special someone something special will be made easy at Pacifica Home & Garden Store, Tara Rd, Papamoa.

An extensive range of fine furniture, homeware and giftware available from Molly’s Place – The General Store at the Beach, 1074 Papamoa Beach Rd, Papamoa.

Find us on Facebook!

Search: Mollys Place Papamoa

Pamper your dog with a gorgeous groom, enjoy a fun filled day of day care, or choose from a range of treats and toys from The Dog House in Papamoa.

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July, 2016 life+style The Weekend Sun 218 August, 2015

Baby steps towards eco-living The Nappy Lady’s lifestyle makeover Kate Meads was a petrol head, still is. The rumble of the V8 is in her blood and family – her husband, Vaughan, is a mechanic.

So it’s ironic that today, we’re talking sustainability, ways to protect the environment and reduce our waste – and the irony is not lost of the Katikati mum.

In fact, 11 years ago, when she launched her eco-parent business, she never imagined she’d be travelling around the country to discuss reusing, recycling, reducing waste, cloth nappies and even sustainable menstrual products.

“When I do workshops, it’s about how we have changed and saying, ‘Look, we’re not perfect still – we love V8 cars, love fishing in our boat’, but it’s not about judgement, it’s about everyone doing something. The big things will work out in the end.”

It started with nappies. Kate had just had her son, Daniel, in 2005, and had been approached by a friend to start a cloth nappy business.

But when the friend pulled out, due to having another baby not long after her first, Kate threw herself into the project wholeheartedly.

“That was the game changer, and as a business, if you are preaching sustainability, you begin to look at all aspects of your lives.

“So we just started bit by bit – first it was recycling, then it was reducing and then it was growing our own fruits and vegetables.”

It’s a complete U-turn, says Kate, who calls herself and her husband the “ultimate wasters”.

“We were shocking – that’s why we can talk about it. We both worked, we went away all the time, so we bought everything convenient.

“When you put rubbish in rubbish bin, you don’t think where it goes and you don’t care, you pay to get rid of it. We were ignorant to it, until we had a kid and thought, ‘Hang on…’”

As her passion for eco-living grew, so did her business as the ‘Nappy Lady’ took on more than just nappies in her seminars.

She co-ordinates and runs International Cloth Nappy Week here in New Zealand and has gained a massive following of supportive parents who are ready and willing to assist other parents in using cloth nappies.

She also works for 35 councils around the country, travelling to different locations to give workshops and talks about how parents can live a

little bit more sustainably.

Using humour and life experience, Kate takes a realistic approach to saving the planet.

“My message isn’t all parents need to use cloth nappies – even if you use them at home or simply just one cloth nappy per day, that is still 365 disposable nappies that don’t go to landfill. And if every family who had a baby in nappies used just one a day, a million nappies wouldn’t go to landfill per week.

“We all think it’s too hard for me to do my thing – but you can. Just worry about doing one thing that could help the planet and if we all did that, think where we would be.”

Her change of heart has also rubbed off on mechanic Vaughan and son Daniel, 11, who both take measures to ensure they are doing their part too. “Daniel has decided that he could do my job when he gets older.

“And my husband used to throw car filters out and didn’t think about it, so now he’s into recycling all of packaging and always looks for ways to recycle parts without throwing it away to landfill,” says Kate.

“You don’t have to leave your job to get sustainable, or spend a whole lot of money. It’s about education and Laura Weaser eco-consciousness.”

EXCELLENCE IN DERMATOLOGY

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Island in the sun Escaping to Samoa I dip my ‘winter-tanned’ toes into the crystal clear waters of the Pacific Ocean, expecting to be shocked by a refreshing pinch of cool water – as we are accustomed to in New Zealand.

Instead, the bath-like temperatures of the Samoan inlet greeted my toes and without hesitation I plunged headfirst into the gentle waves that lapped against the shore.

This is what spring feels like when you’re on a tropical island.

After a headache-inducing early morning, but relatively painless fourhour flight from Auckland, my friends and I finally shed our Kiwi skins and transformed into maidens of the sea – sans coconut bras – on the white sandy shores of Sinalei Resort in Samoa.

In the island country for a five-day getaway to attend a close-friend’s wedding, Samoa provided the perfect balance of culture, adventure, and relaxation – with most major locations no more than a 30-minute drive away from one another.

Despite travelling as a threesome, the girls and I had very different ideas about how we wanted to spend our holiday (around the wedding day). One was there for pure relaxation, I was there for experience and adventure, and the third was a mix in between. The great thing is, everyone’s needs are catered to.

As it is swelteringly hot – particularly for a Kiwi coming out of winter – the best way to see the island is with a morning mission out of the resort, to return in time for beach, pool, and snorkelling in the afternoon when the sun gets a bit much for the fairer skin.

For those looking for a cultural experience, a trip to Apia is a must. I took the resort shuttle (most offer this service) and spent a half day soaking in the sights and sounds of the capital.

By foot is a great way to explore the waterfront and the shopping hub, the Flea Market. Taxis are a dime a dozen, and they aren’t shy about getting your attention if they see a tourist wandering the streets. For those wanting to travel as the locals do, grab a windowless bus – they’re a real experience.

Outdoor explorers can head east to the famous To Sua Ocean Trench, a huge swimming hole by the eastern coast. Brave the vertical trek down a slippery wooden ladder to the swimming platform

below, and bathe in the water that’s as clear as glass.

It’s quite a marvel. Plus, the area is surrounded by fascinating rock pools and lush tropical gardens to walk about in.

Another option in Samoa is a bush walk (note: take bug spray and apply liberally). Near our resort, a mere 10 minute drive, was the O le Pupu-Pue National Park. As well as a longer walk to the Pe’ape’a Cave, there was also an easy stroll to a gorgeous waterfall – complete with picnic spot.

But the highlight of the trip was unanimous: snorkelling. With water this warm and clear, you can’t help but want to spend all your time in this lagoon of an ocean. From the resort, we paid

for a lovely American guide to take us across the island to an enormous reef that resembled dinner plates stacked on top of each other. At 80 tala (about 60 NZD), we were allowed to stay as long as we liked, and it was well worth the spend to swim casually through a real-life ‘Finding Nemo’ for the afternoon.

As an aforementioned adventurer, five days was just enough time for me to tick the three Rs: Rest, Relaxation, and Recreation.

But whether you want to spend your days sipping cocktails and sunbathing by the pool, or getting out and about and seeing how the locals live, Samoa offers a plethora of both in equal measure.

Laura Weaser

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life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015

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