Life + Style 9 June 2017

21 August, 2015

life+style The Weekend Sun 1

Think bold, think bright, think beautiful Page 2

THE WEEKEND

Mangatawa Tari

Stephen Wilson

Black Garlic

Buddy Mikaere

James Atutahi

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Bold, bright, beautiful Livening up your home Your home is your place to express your style and personality.

It tells visitors a story of who you are and what you love.

and materials,” says Dana.

“We’re here for people that come in and want a bit of a ‘Wow!’ factor in their home, because our pieces are really unique,” says Dana.

“Nobody else will have that fabric on that particular piece of furniture because we choose it, and redesigned it right down to the buttons and or piping.

“When people walk in, we hear: ‘Wow, it’s really bright and colourful… it’s gorgeous, well done’.”

So for people who want their home to pop, visit Kowhai Interiors.

Cayla-Fay Saunders

Photos: Bruce Barnard

Kowhai Interiors in the Eleventh Avenue Plaza focus on expressing yourself through your home furnishings.

Sisters Dana Lawrence and Vanessa Harmens co-own the interior design store with a difference.

“Our range is really eclectic, with exclusive furniture pieces and bright, bold statement décor,” says Vanessa.

“Our store is for people that want to let their personality shine in their home.

Their home is a reflection of them and their inner creative self.”

They sell distinctive pieces – huge mirrors, restored furniture, and brave, bright pieces to colour your home.

“Colour inspires creativity and flair so you will find lots of colour in our store.”

Their exclusive furniture items are one offs that won’t be found anywhere else and are of exceptional style and quality.

“Each periodic piece is chosen by us for their framework and style,” says Vanessa.

“We then bring them back to life with new foam, new springs and top quality vibrant fabrics.”

The bright, vivacious store branches out from traditional furniture and has tendrils spreading across homeware and gifts, paintings, and even art from the streets.

“We love art in all forms but have big pull for street art,” says Vanessa. “Our feature store piece was painted by local artist Mr G and it encompasses our style to a tee.”

They also stock original canvas artworks, paintings, and prints done by artists local and abroad.

“We have a few artists that are exclusive to Kowhai – New Zealand and Australian artists. We also have lots of tasteful Kiwi décor including foil prints and art spots.”

And there’s even a lovely story behind

the store’s name.

“Our nana was a very special woman who played a hugely important role in our lives,” says Vanessa. “The Kowhai was her favourite tree so it’s in her memory that we came up with the idea of naming our store Kowhai Interiors.”

The sisters have families of their own, and owning the interior design store allows them the freedom to work around their little ones.

“I have a one-year-old and a two-year-old and Dana has a seven-year-old at school as well as two adult daughters and this allows us to work around our families which is really important,” says Vanessa.

The family-orientated business is expecting to expand in the coming years.

Kowhai Interiors is one to watch.

“While we currently source from manufacturers the business will eventually grow into creating our own products and sourcing our own fabrics

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James Atutahi Surf, life and carving Lovers of James Atutahi’s carvings are in for a treat when Dry Dock Cafe shows a new exhibition of his work this month.

ily’ s BEAUTIFUL THINGS

begin here

Photos: Tracy Hardy

Growing up in Maketu, James’s family also originates from Northland, as his mother is of Nga Puhi and Ngati Hine, from Pipiwai. At the age of 12, James learned to surf, and his love of the ocean features predominantly in his carvings.

His work comprises paint on carved wood. His early pieces were inspired by surf designs and traditional Maori art. Over time his ideas have evolved and more recent designs are an eclectic mix that owes much to his love of the ocean and the spiritual beauty of contemporary Maori art.

James carves with native timbers, and has been inspired by artists Todd and Dan Couper, Tawhai and Tania Rickard, James Tapiata and Jason Porter.

James first started carving while serving a prison sentence in his early 20s. The only materials available to him to learn with were MDF and shoe polish. He has continued using these through his life and created portraits carved into the board, blackened them with a variety of shoe polish colours to create unique effects.

He has been working solely as a carver since 2004 and finds living at Mount Maunganui a great source of inspiration with the beach nearby. He works from his garage studio and provides stock for 11 galleries throughout New Zealand. His carvings have been exhibited in the Miles Art Award, the Rotorua Museum Art Award and the Mazda Art Award.

Recently he travelled to South America where he was

inspired by a flute, reminding him of the Maori koauau.

He bought it, as it reminds him of early links between Maori and South America, from where the kumara originated. He also spends time in Bali but finds his greatest source of ideas from his own heritage and culture.

James’s latest kopapa (surfboard) works feature a combination of koru and harakeke symbols and designs synonymous with his earlier works. All pieces are individually hand carved and have a rich textured surface enhanced by the use of different timbers and chisel types. Each harakeke weave is meticulously finished and represents hours of work. Most are finished with an acrylic painted detail and sealed with an oil and beeswax mixture.

Due to the nature of timber not all pieces can be recreated exactly the same. Though similar, each piece has its own identity. The exhibition runs at Dry Dock Cafe during June.

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

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9 June, 2017 life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015 “This is more than just a building, as it embraces the essence of the Maori culture and its importance to their people”

Form Building leads winning team The recent awards won by Mangatawa Tari exemplify how a good ‘design and build’ project works, with a strong collaborative approach with our client, design team and sub-contractors.

Left: Shannon Moyle, Andy Dew and Dean Ewing from Form Building & Developments; Paula Werohia and Kevin Haua from First Principles Architects & Interiors; Kate Price, Graham Price and Ray Atkins from First Principles Architects & Interiors.

Right: Master carver James Tapiata.

After the sheep shearer’s building which housed the Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks Incorporation office burned down in 2015, chairperson of the trust Kevin Haua and general manager Paula Werohia knew their new administration building needed to be something special.

They engaged Form Building & Developments to facilitate the complete design and build of a new building. After receiving the initial brief, Andy Dew from Form invited First Principles Architects & Interiors’s architect Graham Price to go for a drive to the top of Mangatawa Maunga.

While gazing at the stunning view, Kevin narrated the Legend of Mangatawa.

“Long ago,” says Kevin, “a whale and her baby swam into the Tauranga Harbour, past Mauao and Te Moutere o Matakana to Te Papa, past Matapihi and on towards Maungatapu.

“They found the water getting shallower, so decided to return to the deep. However, they went in the wrong direction, heading into the Rangataua arm of the harbour between Matapihi and Maungatapu.

“Hearing waves pounding on the Omanu and Papamoa beaches, they struggled to find their way to the open sea over the mudflats. Tired and thirsty, they stopped to drink from a spring. Not

knowing it was magic they turned to stone.

“The mother whale became fixed, gazing northward with the baby nestled beside her. The father whale came in search of his family and found them turned to stone. He too drank from the spring, became fixed behind the mother and baby whale, and is known as ‘Kopukairoa’. The mother whale, ‘Mangatawa’, lies at the southern end of Rangataua Bay with the baby whale, ‘Hikurangi’, nestled beside her.

“At the base of ‘Mangatawa’ is a spring.

Sometimes the water flowing from it appears whitish, and is said to be the milk of the mother whale or ‘Te Wai o te tohora’.”

Graham was inspired by Kevin’s depiction, which laid the path for the creative process and the initial presentation of with imagery and ideas.

Andy knew working closely with the architect would be able to assist Form in capturing and bringing to life vision and brief from Mangatawa.

Graham drafted some sketches of the whale family, which he simplified into his concept of the “ baby whale’s tail’. Kevin and Paula immediately responded. “That’s it!”

“The time spent at the front of this project is vital,” says Andy. “Ensuring all parties involved were correctly positioned and held the necessary skillset to deliver what would be one of Tauranga’s leading commercial projects for 2016.”

“We have a strong pool of contractors and consultants and often negotiate where possible, moving away from the typical tender method, particularly when the contractors are required to

Three whales, three partners, three awards provide their design input. There is good open communication and high level of trust required with the team and sub-contractors, because they also take on risk by providing a fixed sum up front based on building areas and concept designs. “ Based on these initial sketches, Form provided a Design and Build Lump Sum Price and pulled the entire team together including the architect, consultants and contractors.

Master carver James Tapiata was engaged directly by Mangatawa, with the Form project team involving him from early on, as the three whale Pou were embodied in the concept and needed to be integrated into the building.

During the excavation numerous archaeological features were identified including postholes, fire scoops, hangi and kumara pits. These features suggest the area was utilised for cooking and storage.

The building, while representing a whale’s tail with the roof line, also incorporates the concept of a whale’s skeleton in the structure with exposed glulam beams representing a whale’s ribs, and the skin in the cladding.

The opening of the building was a proud moment and significant achievement for Form and their team.

Mangatawa Tari was successful in winning three top NZ Commercial Project Awards at the national awards ceremony, held in Auckland in May. Set up by the Registered Master Builders the Awards have been designed by a group of

life+style The Weekend Sun 5 Photo: Amanda Aitken

9 June, 2017 21 August, 2015

commercial contractors who are committed to celebrating excellence in their craft.

They aim to promote and encourage excellent building processes and practices, celebrate the craftsmanship required in delivering a superior commercial project while promoting the wider team, and promote the contractors’ contribution to the construction relationship.

Form Building was praised for delivering a landmark building and representing the true essence of NZ design and construction. The project won a Gold Award-NZ Commercial, the Value

14 Grey Street Tauranga

Award-NZ Commercial Under $2 million and a National Commercial Special Award.

The judges’ comments acknowledged the inspiration for the building stating “This legend drove a design in the shape of a whale tail, with a tall sweeping wall of glass facing the spectacular view across the Bay of Plenty. The project took the legend to heart, never allowing practical considerations to water down the concept.

The result is a striking building which is a great source of pride to the community it serves.”

07 578 8707

“The positioning and shape of the building gives a sense of wrapping around the landscape and a transparent and welcoming feel for the community, as though it is now their guardian,” says Graham.

“This is more than just a building, as it embraces the essence of the Maori culture and its importance to their people.”

Paula says the new office has certainly lifted the spirits of Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks Incorporation shareholders, committee, staff and especially the administration personnel that work there daily.

Incorporating the story into the building has brought a sense of this being a legacy for many generations to come.

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

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June, 2017 life+style The Weekend Sun 219 August, 2015

Garlic is the new black If cooking was fashion, garlic would be the new black.

Photos: Marlborough Garlic Ltd

Black Garlic, that is. The humble bulb is the new darling of chefs and home cooks everywhere.

It’s become a pantry staple for Kiwi kitchens; a regular garlic bulb transformed via a fermenting process, when it is slow roasted over a long period, of a month or two. The process has been around for thousands of years, but westerners have only cottoned to it recently.

Asians foodies have long treasured black garlic for its health benefits, but it became widely available in Western markets just a few years ago.

The experts tell us the black bulb is created by fermenting raw garlic through prolonged exposure to heat and humidity. This results in the sweet, mellow flavour and an inky hue,

according to Julie on the Rediscover website.

In addition to the sulfuric compounds that provide garlic with its heart-healthy and anticancer benefits, the fermented cloves are a source of important probiotics. Fermented foods help stabilize our intestinal flora. When the intestine is in good shape, it strengthens our immune system. Black Garlic has been increasingly sought-after in high-end cuisine.

Black garlic occurs naturally as the sugars and amino acids are drawn out of the garlic during the slow roasting. The elements produce melanoidin, a dark-coloured substance that is responsible for the blackness.

Garlic is already high in antioxidants but black garlic has been found to have double the antioxidant properties of conventional garlic.

The result is soft and chewy texture with a juxtaposition of ‘is it sweet or is it savoury’ with its caramelised/balsamic flavour profile, with lingering garlic undertones.

How do you use black garlic?

From a delicious colourful addition to an antipasto platter, pasta or seafood, to a gourmet pizza topping, it’s very versatile. I love it as a snack! It is great pureed and drizzled on top of dishes such as potato salad. Use it as a condiment to add to liven up all sorts of dishes, as it does not need to be cooked.

If you are feeling really decadent, dip large cloves of black garlic into melted dark Ghana chocolate, chill to set and serve with a coffee!

Black Garlic is available from Vetro Mediterranean Foods on 3rd Avenue. You can also try it out at the Seriously Good Food Show Tauranga on July 1-2 at stand number 217.

Claire Rogers

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Garlic Noir, Ginger & Teriyaki Marinade for Duck 1 tbsp fresh ginger minced (use a garlic press) 1 tbsp fresh garlic minced (use a garlic press) 3 to 4 cloves Garlic Noir (*mash to a paste) 2 tbsp Teriyaki sauce 2 tbsp Orange juice Finely grated zest of 1 orange ¼ cup light oil ¼ tbsp Dijon mustard Salt & pepper to season Gently mash Garlic Noir with the back of a teaspoon on a saucer adding a little oil and orange juice to create a smooth, somewhat runny paste.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, add the runny paste and lightly whisk till blended. Store marinade in a glass jar in the fridge, shake gently prior to each use.

For salad dressing just emulsify with stick blender till thoroughly mixed and creamy. Salad dressing can be used as is or mix with a little aioli for a creamier dressing on steamed veggies or add a few drops of sesame oil for an Asian influence. Will last 2 weeks in fridge.

How to cook Duck Breasts - A step-by-step guide Preheated your oven to 220°C, Fan 200°C Remove Duck from refrigerator at least 45 minutes before cooking.

Duck must be room temperature before you start.

1. Pat the skin of the duck breast with a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture.

2. Score the skin with a sharp knife.

3. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

4. Place skin-side down on a cold pan then turn on to a medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Pour off the fat regularly and seal the other side for 30 seconds.

5. Place skin-side up on a rack in a roasting tin in the middle of the oven.

Note: All ovens vary in performance, this is a guide only. Approximate cooking times 8 to 10 minutes Rare, 15 minutes Medium, 18 minutes Well Done.

6. When the duck is cooked to your liking rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.

Recipe from Kathrin Chappell Lavish Foods Kitchen.

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June, 2017 life+style The Weekend Sun 219August, 2015

Photos: Bruce Barnard

The chef and the onion Bringing out the local flavour At the heart of Tauranga’s emergency housing programme are some superb street food cooking classes.

“Stephen Wilson is coming in regularly,” says Te Tuinga Whanau social worker Jena Young at one of the Cameron Rd houses.

Chef Stephen lived in France for 26 years, co-founding Kiwizine restaurant in Paris.

On his return with his family to New Zealand he shares his passion for the best of French cuisine and culture through cooking classes, team-building chef challenge events and weddings.

He starts with an introduction.

“My name’s Stephen, I was born in Tauranga Moana, I was the 11th child. I was the baby. My parents had a restaurant at the Mount where the Social Club now is. My job was to peel two bins of

Social worker Tracy Cousins, chef Stephen Wilson and housing coordinator Jena Young..

onions. That onion took me from New Zealand to France.”

The group of mums gather around. There’s laughter. Rosemary sticks. A chance to cook, eat and share new memories.

“What we want is for our whanau to learn to cook delicious healthy kai,” says Jena. “And to give them cheaper ideas but also something fun to do.”

People enter the 12-week emergency housing programme through a Ministry of Social Development referral. Te Tuinga Whanau assesses the family’s need and works alongside them.

Some families just need moral support and others need help getting a house.

Stephen shows the group how to cut an onion. All the time telling stories.

“You’ve got the French with their onion soup, you’ve got the Spanish who make their red onion into a beautiful caramelised onion. In Italy they do it with their pasta to make their sauces. In Indian they do it with their curries, and then the Asians with their stir fries… ” He explains how to cut an onion correctly.

“If you cut it all different sizes, then some is overcooked and some is undercooked. I work a lot with kids from difficult situations and they can do it! They can cut the onion.

“One of my boys was accepted for cheffing at the polytech!”

Stephen often finds herbs growing on roadsides or places where he can gather it at no cost. Wild fennel. Rosemary.

“I teach them that you can flavour food without using lots of salt. You can use zesting lemons and

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“I teach people to use what is in their backyard, to put it together and start creating. That’s what it is all about”

limes, freshly dried herbs, spices, garlic, onion, – that’s what’s important in kai. Good food brings people around the table.

“I learned the art of eating through the French.

When life around the table thrives, you have community. We don’t want bigger walls, we want longer tables.”

Stephen is also on the committee for the Merivale Gardens where he teaches children about herbs and the basics of growing food.

“The most important thing is the taste. You learn to season, and not to have a heavy hand. I was in a Mount cafe yesterday, and they have what I call RAG cooking – Rough As Guts cooking because they use a heavy hand. You’ve got to have a light hand with seasoning. It shows focus and care to enhance and not to overpower the dish.

“When you’re at the table in France, you have to add the salt yourself. We’ve got too much sugar and salt in our food, and before you know it obesity and diabetes comes knocking at our door.”

“We’ve got to get away from carbs and fatty mince. Mince sold in some of NZ’s supermarkets is 30 per cent fat. That’s illegal in France.

“I get angry because people without enough money see mince on promotion but they don’t realise that one third of it is pure white fat.”

Stephen teaches diabetes courses, having worked for the Green Prescription for Sport Bay of Plenty in Bay of Plenty maraes.

“I see that there’s a growing awareness – when I talk to the young kids I ask them what their favourite food is. Their second is sushi. You wouldn’t have heard that 10 years ago. In the

maraes I’m noticing more salads, the ship is going in the right direction.” This month two more emergency houses will open.

“For the opening we’ll make our own flat breads.

We’ll do a tzatziki – that’s Greek, with low-fat Greek yoghurt, garlic, mint and cucumber. Then we’ll do hummus - that’s Lebanese. And we’ll do the chicken on rosemary sticks as a marriage of Mediterranean and Asian dishes. Look at all those cultures together. Fantastic.

“Celebrating life, people and food!

“In NZ we don’t put enough value on what we grow here, kiwifruit, the avocado, manuka honey.

I want chefs to be putting it into our dishes so that tourists come and see what our kai is.

“I teach people to use what is in their backyard, to put it together and start creating. That’s what it is all about.”

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE ENRICH YOURSELF

SUPPORT OTHERS A GOOD CAUSE HELP SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE ENRICH YOURSELF

STAYENRICH ACTIVE YOURSELF HELPHELP OTHERS MEET PEOPLE OTHERS

STAY ACTIVE STAY ACTIVE GAIN EXPERIENCE MEET PEOPLE MEET PEOPLE SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE EXPERIENCE GAIN GAIN EXPERIENCE SHAREKNOWLEDGE YOUR KNOWLEDGE SHARE YOUR

There is a place for you to volunteer

is a place for you to volunteer There is aThere place for you to volunteer

VOLUNTEERING BAY OF PLENTY

www.volbop.org.nz Village on 17th Ave. www.volbop.org.nz Village on 17th Ave. 07 571 3714 07 571 3714 Tauranga Tauranga www.volbop.org.nz 07 571 3714

Village on 17th Ave. Tauranga

Jessica Te Amo and Kelly Tai

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2017 life+style The Weekend Sun 921June, August, 2015 “You come across opportunities where you can help people or organisations. It doesn’t always take much.”

Who is Buddy Mikaere?

The story of a cultural connector.

For six years Buddy Mikaere has been closely involved with the aftermath of the Rena disaster as spokesperson for Ngai Te Hapu of Motiti Island, which appealed last year’s decision to abandon the Rena on Astrolabe Reef.

“It’s been really draining. I hope to put that behind me very soon.”

Resource consents and the Environment Court take up a fair bit of his time.

“I help provide the capabilities that people don’t have,” says Buddy. “Many don’t know how to go about preparing a case or marshalling their information. Others aren’t familiar with the various processes or procedures either. ” In 2011 on returning to Tauranga from Auckland, Buddy helped form the Tauranga Maori Business Association. The second time I met him he was bathing Carl, his pet bearded dragon, in his kitchen sink. I’ve since met him strolling the Mount boardwalk with Mitzi, his Pomeranian/Papillion cross, tucked under his arm and at my Pilot Bay barbecue. His posts often pop up in my Facebook newsfeed.

Who is Buddy Mikaere? What does he do? I was curious. He has a BA (First Class Honours) from Canterbury University and a Diploma in Industrial Psychology from Victoria University.

“My real work is resource consents,” says Buddy.

“I have a national base of clients that I service, and

help them through issues.”

All he does comes from a sense of wanting to live in a good community.

“You come across opportunities where you can help people or organisations.

“It doesn’t always take much. A lot of people don’t have the contacts, confidence or the initial knowledge of how to get something underway.

“Much of what I do comes out of that and the obligation I have as a Maori person to the wider whanau and hapu. Sometimes they just need someone to stitch it together and get it happening.”

Of Ngati Pukenga and Ngati Ranginui descent, Buddy attended Matapihi Primary School and Mount Maunganui College.

After leaving college, he wanted to be a jet pilot.

“I was under 18 and my father wouldn’t sign my papers, so I left home in a huff with my t-shirts and surfboard and went to Wellington,” says Buddy.

He went on to train as a radio operator for the Post Office, tracking ships and taking telegrams.

It was the late 60s, the job required learning Morse code and spending at least six months on the Chatham Islands. He flew down on the last flight of the old flying boat.

“I liked it so much I stayed there. I was the only person with a surfboard, had the whole place to myself, it was awesome.”

On returning from the Chathams, Buddy went to work in Wellington’s International Telegraph Office.

“My job was to look after wire photos. The photos were transmitted by sound down the telephone from overseas and were translated into a photo.”

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Buddy and Carl

The photos were sent to TV News and to Auckland and Wellington newspapers.

Most communications with the Pacific Islands was by Morse code in those days and the huge job on Friday nights was sending money orders from Samoans in New Zealand to their families back home.

The post office work stood him in good stead for moving into human resources, industrial relations and union negotiations in the corporate world.

“On the day I started at Firestone in Christchurch, I was sitting at my new desk feeling quite pleased with myself when the union delegate from the Rubber Workers Union came in. He jumped up onto my desk in his filthy work boots and shouted ‘Listen Maori boy, if there’s not more sugar in the sugar bowls in the cafeteria in ten minutes, we’re outa here’ and jumped down, walked out, slammed the door. I went to the cafeteria and said ‘is there a problem here?’ and they said ‘no’. It was just an intimidation tactic.”

While in Christchurch he also tutored parttime at Paparua Prison.

“I found that a lot of the inmates couldn’t read and had spent their whole life pretending that they could, and avoiding situations where their illiteracy would be exposed.

“No one had taken time to find and help them so that’s what I did.”

Buddy became Human Resources Manager at Associated British Cables, continuing with representing Christchurch major employers in their union negotiations. It was certainly a different world from the polite exchanges in the public service but he learned fast and continued with this work until beginning a new job as Director with the Waitangi Tribunal in 1990.

He had been writing extensively on Maori history, so he was able to provide a combination of two strengths for the Tribunal – solid research and writing skills, and a corporate management background.

“When I came to the Tribunal, I saw that it

needed a major overhaul in how we collected and published historical information. My job was to get the research programme really moving along. It was the biggest ever research programme in the country and I began by recruiting the best graduate historians I could find out of the universities and computerising the whole set up.”

One of his closest friends was Michael King.

They met about 1980 when Michael was planning to write about a topic that Buddy was already researching, a biography of the South Island Maori prophet Hipa Te Maiharoa.

“When he found out I was writing it he stepped aside and said ‘no you do it’. We became good mates after that and the book went on to become a book awards finalist.”

Helping people ‘get to that point’ seems to be Buddy’s catchphrase, underpinning his facilitation and consultancy work. He has major corporate clients, many in the energy field such as Transpower, Genesis Energy,

TrustPower, Mercury Energy, Northpower and Origin Energy in Australia. Other clients include Fulton Hogan, Metrowater, Telecom NZ, Watercare and many councils and regional councils around the country.

“I enjoy that work but I also think we have an obligation to give back to our community,” he reflects. “This community has been really good to me so I don’t mind getting involved in local issues and representing the iwi and hapu that I whakapapa to in environmental and development forums.”

What’s next for Buddy?

“There is lots to do. The new Museum project for Tauranga is one that I am particularly keen on, as is development of the Heart of the City project.”

He’s enrolled to do a PhD in Maori history at Massey University, Auckland.

“After that I intend to win Powerball or Lotto and think about settling down to write some more.”

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

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life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015

21 August, 2015

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Think bold, think bright, think beautiful Page 2

THE WEEKEND

Mangatawa Tari

Stephen Wilson

Black Garlic

Buddy Mikaere

James Atutahi

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life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015 9 June, 2017

Bold, bright, beautiful Livening up your home Your home is your place to express your style and personality.

It tells visitors a story of who you are and what you love.

and materials,” says Dana.

“We’re here for people that come in and want a bit of a ‘Wow!’ factor in their home, because our pieces are really unique,” says Dana.

“Nobody else will have that fabric on that particular piece of furniture because we choose it, and redesigned it right down to the buttons and or piping.

“When people walk in, we hear: ‘Wow, it’s really bright and colourful… it’s gorgeous, well done’.”

So for people who want their home to pop, visit Kowhai Interiors.

Cayla-Fay Saunders

Photos: Bruce Barnard

Kowhai Interiors in the Eleventh Avenue Plaza focus on expressing yourself through your home furnishings.

Sisters Dana Lawrence and Vanessa Harmens co-own the interior design store with a difference.

“Our range is really eclectic, with exclusive furniture pieces and bright, bold statement décor,” says Vanessa.

“Our store is for people that want to let their personality shine in their home.

Their home is a reflection of them and their inner creative self.”

They sell distinctive pieces – huge mirrors, restored furniture, and brave, bright pieces to colour your home.

“Colour inspires creativity and flair so you will find lots of colour in our store.”

Their exclusive furniture items are one offs that won’t be found anywhere else and are of exceptional style and quality.

“Each periodic piece is chosen by us for their framework and style,” says Vanessa.

“We then bring them back to life with new foam, new springs and top quality vibrant fabrics.”

The bright, vivacious store branches out from traditional furniture and has tendrils spreading across homeware and gifts, paintings, and even art from the streets.

“We love art in all forms but have big pull for street art,” says Vanessa. “Our feature store piece was painted by local artist Mr G and it encompasses our style to a tee.”

They also stock original canvas artworks, paintings, and prints done by artists local and abroad.

“We have a few artists that are exclusive to Kowhai – New Zealand and Australian artists. We also have lots of tasteful Kiwi décor including foil prints and art spots.”

And there’s even a lovely story behind

the store’s name.

“Our nana was a very special woman who played a hugely important role in our lives,” says Vanessa. “The Kowhai was her favourite tree so it’s in her memory that we came up with the idea of naming our store Kowhai Interiors.”

The sisters have families of their own, and owning the interior design store allows them the freedom to work around their little ones.

“I have a one-year-old and a two-year-old and Dana has a seven-year-old at school as well as two adult daughters and this allows us to work around our families which is really important,” says Vanessa.

The family-orientated business is expecting to expand in the coming years.

Kowhai Interiors is one to watch.

“While we currently source from manufacturers the business will eventually grow into creating our own products and sourcing our own fabrics

9 June, 2017

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James Atutahi Surf, life and carving Lovers of James Atutahi’s carvings are in for a treat when Dry Dock Cafe shows a new exhibition of his work this month.

ily’ s BEAUTIFUL THINGS

begin here

Photos: Tracy Hardy

Growing up in Maketu, James’s family also originates from Northland, as his mother is of Nga Puhi and Ngati Hine, from Pipiwai. At the age of 12, James learned to surf, and his love of the ocean features predominantly in his carvings.

His work comprises paint on carved wood. His early pieces were inspired by surf designs and traditional Maori art. Over time his ideas have evolved and more recent designs are an eclectic mix that owes much to his love of the ocean and the spiritual beauty of contemporary Maori art.

James carves with native timbers, and has been inspired by artists Todd and Dan Couper, Tawhai and Tania Rickard, James Tapiata and Jason Porter.

James first started carving while serving a prison sentence in his early 20s. The only materials available to him to learn with were MDF and shoe polish. He has continued using these through his life and created portraits carved into the board, blackened them with a variety of shoe polish colours to create unique effects.

He has been working solely as a carver since 2004 and finds living at Mount Maunganui a great source of inspiration with the beach nearby. He works from his garage studio and provides stock for 11 galleries throughout New Zealand. His carvings have been exhibited in the Miles Art Award, the Rotorua Museum Art Award and the Mazda Art Award.

Recently he travelled to South America where he was

inspired by a flute, reminding him of the Maori koauau.

He bought it, as it reminds him of early links between Maori and South America, from where the kumara originated. He also spends time in Bali but finds his greatest source of ideas from his own heritage and culture.

James’s latest kopapa (surfboard) works feature a combination of koru and harakeke symbols and designs synonymous with his earlier works. All pieces are individually hand carved and have a rich textured surface enhanced by the use of different timbers and chisel types. Each harakeke weave is meticulously finished and represents hours of work. Most are finished with an acrylic painted detail and sealed with an oil and beeswax mixture.

Due to the nature of timber not all pieces can be recreated exactly the same. Though similar, each piece has its own identity. The exhibition runs at Dry Dock Cafe during June.

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

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9 June, 2017 life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015 “This is more than just a building, as it embraces the essence of the Maori culture and its importance to their people”

Form Building leads winning team The recent awards won by Mangatawa Tari exemplify how a good ‘design and build’ project works, with a strong collaborative approach with our client, design team and sub-contractors.

Left: Shannon Moyle, Andy Dew and Dean Ewing from Form Building & Developments; Paula Werohia and Kevin Haua from First Principles Architects & Interiors; Kate Price, Graham Price and Ray Atkins from First Principles Architects & Interiors.

Right: Master carver James Tapiata.

After the sheep shearer’s building which housed the Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks Incorporation office burned down in 2015, chairperson of the trust Kevin Haua and general manager Paula Werohia knew their new administration building needed to be something special.

They engaged Form Building & Developments to facilitate the complete design and build of a new building. After receiving the initial brief, Andy Dew from Form invited First Principles Architects & Interiors’s architect Graham Price to go for a drive to the top of Mangatawa Maunga.

While gazing at the stunning view, Kevin narrated the Legend of Mangatawa.

“Long ago,” says Kevin, “a whale and her baby swam into the Tauranga Harbour, past Mauao and Te Moutere o Matakana to Te Papa, past Matapihi and on towards Maungatapu.

“They found the water getting shallower, so decided to return to the deep. However, they went in the wrong direction, heading into the Rangataua arm of the harbour between Matapihi and Maungatapu.

“Hearing waves pounding on the Omanu and Papamoa beaches, they struggled to find their way to the open sea over the mudflats. Tired and thirsty, they stopped to drink from a spring. Not

knowing it was magic they turned to stone.

“The mother whale became fixed, gazing northward with the baby nestled beside her. The father whale came in search of his family and found them turned to stone. He too drank from the spring, became fixed behind the mother and baby whale, and is known as ‘Kopukairoa’. The mother whale, ‘Mangatawa’, lies at the southern end of Rangataua Bay with the baby whale, ‘Hikurangi’, nestled beside her.

“At the base of ‘Mangatawa’ is a spring.

Sometimes the water flowing from it appears whitish, and is said to be the milk of the mother whale or ‘Te Wai o te tohora’.”

Graham was inspired by Kevin’s depiction, which laid the path for the creative process and the initial presentation of with imagery and ideas.

Andy knew working closely with the architect would be able to assist Form in capturing and bringing to life vision and brief from Mangatawa.

Graham drafted some sketches of the whale family, which he simplified into his concept of the “ baby whale’s tail’. Kevin and Paula immediately responded. “That’s it!”

“The time spent at the front of this project is vital,” says Andy. “Ensuring all parties involved were correctly positioned and held the necessary skillset to deliver what would be one of Tauranga’s leading commercial projects for 2016.”

“We have a strong pool of contractors and consultants and often negotiate where possible, moving away from the typical tender method, particularly when the contractors are required to

Three whales, three partners, three awards provide their design input. There is good open communication and high level of trust required with the team and sub-contractors, because they also take on risk by providing a fixed sum up front based on building areas and concept designs. “ Based on these initial sketches, Form provided a Design and Build Lump Sum Price and pulled the entire team together including the architect, consultants and contractors.

Master carver James Tapiata was engaged directly by Mangatawa, with the Form project team involving him from early on, as the three whale Pou were embodied in the concept and needed to be integrated into the building.

During the excavation numerous archaeological features were identified including postholes, fire scoops, hangi and kumara pits. These features suggest the area was utilised for cooking and storage.

The building, while representing a whale’s tail with the roof line, also incorporates the concept of a whale’s skeleton in the structure with exposed glulam beams representing a whale’s ribs, and the skin in the cladding.

The opening of the building was a proud moment and significant achievement for Form and their team.

Mangatawa Tari was successful in winning three top NZ Commercial Project Awards at the national awards ceremony, held in Auckland in May. Set up by the Registered Master Builders the Awards have been designed by a group of

life+style The Weekend Sun 5 Photo: Amanda Aitken

9 June, 2017 21 August, 2015

commercial contractors who are committed to celebrating excellence in their craft.

They aim to promote and encourage excellent building processes and practices, celebrate the craftsmanship required in delivering a superior commercial project while promoting the wider team, and promote the contractors’ contribution to the construction relationship.

Form Building was praised for delivering a landmark building and representing the true essence of NZ design and construction. The project won a Gold Award-NZ Commercial, the Value

14 Grey Street Tauranga

Award-NZ Commercial Under $2 million and a National Commercial Special Award.

The judges’ comments acknowledged the inspiration for the building stating “This legend drove a design in the shape of a whale tail, with a tall sweeping wall of glass facing the spectacular view across the Bay of Plenty. The project took the legend to heart, never allowing practical considerations to water down the concept.

The result is a striking building which is a great source of pride to the community it serves.”

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“The positioning and shape of the building gives a sense of wrapping around the landscape and a transparent and welcoming feel for the community, as though it is now their guardian,” says Graham.

“This is more than just a building, as it embraces the essence of the Maori culture and its importance to their people.”

Paula says the new office has certainly lifted the spirits of Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks Incorporation shareholders, committee, staff and especially the administration personnel that work there daily.

Incorporating the story into the building has brought a sense of this being a legacy for many generations to come.

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

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June, 2017 life+style The Weekend Sun 219 August, 2015

Garlic is the new black If cooking was fashion, garlic would be the new black.

Photos: Marlborough Garlic Ltd

Black Garlic, that is. The humble bulb is the new darling of chefs and home cooks everywhere.

It’s become a pantry staple for Kiwi kitchens; a regular garlic bulb transformed via a fermenting process, when it is slow roasted over a long period, of a month or two. The process has been around for thousands of years, but westerners have only cottoned to it recently.

Asians foodies have long treasured black garlic for its health benefits, but it became widely available in Western markets just a few years ago.

The experts tell us the black bulb is created by fermenting raw garlic through prolonged exposure to heat and humidity. This results in the sweet, mellow flavour and an inky hue,

according to Julie on the Rediscover website.

In addition to the sulfuric compounds that provide garlic with its heart-healthy and anticancer benefits, the fermented cloves are a source of important probiotics. Fermented foods help stabilize our intestinal flora. When the intestine is in good shape, it strengthens our immune system. Black Garlic has been increasingly sought-after in high-end cuisine.

Black garlic occurs naturally as the sugars and amino acids are drawn out of the garlic during the slow roasting. The elements produce melanoidin, a dark-coloured substance that is responsible for the blackness.

Garlic is already high in antioxidants but black garlic has been found to have double the antioxidant properties of conventional garlic.

The result is soft and chewy texture with a juxtaposition of ‘is it sweet or is it savoury’ with its caramelised/balsamic flavour profile, with lingering garlic undertones.

How do you use black garlic?

From a delicious colourful addition to an antipasto platter, pasta or seafood, to a gourmet pizza topping, it’s very versatile. I love it as a snack! It is great pureed and drizzled on top of dishes such as potato salad. Use it as a condiment to add to liven up all sorts of dishes, as it does not need to be cooked.

If you are feeling really decadent, dip large cloves of black garlic into melted dark Ghana chocolate, chill to set and serve with a coffee!

Black Garlic is available from Vetro Mediterranean Foods on 3rd Avenue. You can also try it out at the Seriously Good Food Show Tauranga on July 1-2 at stand number 217.

Claire Rogers

June, 2017 219 August, 2015

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Garlic Noir, Ginger & Teriyaki Marinade for Duck 1 tbsp fresh ginger minced (use a garlic press) 1 tbsp fresh garlic minced (use a garlic press) 3 to 4 cloves Garlic Noir (*mash to a paste) 2 tbsp Teriyaki sauce 2 tbsp Orange juice Finely grated zest of 1 orange ¼ cup light oil ¼ tbsp Dijon mustard Salt & pepper to season Gently mash Garlic Noir with the back of a teaspoon on a saucer adding a little oil and orange juice to create a smooth, somewhat runny paste.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, add the runny paste and lightly whisk till blended. Store marinade in a glass jar in the fridge, shake gently prior to each use.

For salad dressing just emulsify with stick blender till thoroughly mixed and creamy. Salad dressing can be used as is or mix with a little aioli for a creamier dressing on steamed veggies or add a few drops of sesame oil for an Asian influence. Will last 2 weeks in fridge.

How to cook Duck Breasts - A step-by-step guide Preheated your oven to 220°C, Fan 200°C Remove Duck from refrigerator at least 45 minutes before cooking.

Duck must be room temperature before you start.

1. Pat the skin of the duck breast with a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture.

2. Score the skin with a sharp knife.

3. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

4. Place skin-side down on a cold pan then turn on to a medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Pour off the fat regularly and seal the other side for 30 seconds.

5. Place skin-side up on a rack in a roasting tin in the middle of the oven.

Note: All ovens vary in performance, this is a guide only. Approximate cooking times 8 to 10 minutes Rare, 15 minutes Medium, 18 minutes Well Done.

6. When the duck is cooked to your liking rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.

Recipe from Kathrin Chappell Lavish Foods Kitchen.

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June, 2017 life+style The Weekend Sun 219August, 2015

Photos: Bruce Barnard

The chef and the onion Bringing out the local flavour At the heart of Tauranga’s emergency housing programme are some superb street food cooking classes.

“Stephen Wilson is coming in regularly,” says Te Tuinga Whanau social worker Jena Young at one of the Cameron Rd houses.

Chef Stephen lived in France for 26 years, co-founding Kiwizine restaurant in Paris.

On his return with his family to New Zealand he shares his passion for the best of French cuisine and culture through cooking classes, team-building chef challenge events and weddings.

He starts with an introduction.

“My name’s Stephen, I was born in Tauranga Moana, I was the 11th child. I was the baby. My parents had a restaurant at the Mount where the Social Club now is. My job was to peel two bins of

Social worker Tracy Cousins, chef Stephen Wilson and housing coordinator Jena Young..

onions. That onion took me from New Zealand to France.”

The group of mums gather around. There’s laughter. Rosemary sticks. A chance to cook, eat and share new memories.

“What we want is for our whanau to learn to cook delicious healthy kai,” says Jena. “And to give them cheaper ideas but also something fun to do.”

People enter the 12-week emergency housing programme through a Ministry of Social Development referral. Te Tuinga Whanau assesses the family’s need and works alongside them.

Some families just need moral support and others need help getting a house.

Stephen shows the group how to cut an onion. All the time telling stories.

“You’ve got the French with their onion soup, you’ve got the Spanish who make their red onion into a beautiful caramelised onion. In Italy they do it with their pasta to make their sauces. In Indian they do it with their curries, and then the Asians with their stir fries… ” He explains how to cut an onion correctly.

“If you cut it all different sizes, then some is overcooked and some is undercooked. I work a lot with kids from difficult situations and they can do it! They can cut the onion.

“One of my boys was accepted for cheffing at the polytech!”

Stephen often finds herbs growing on roadsides or places where he can gather it at no cost. Wild fennel. Rosemary.

“I teach them that you can flavour food without using lots of salt. You can use zesting lemons and

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“I teach people to use what is in their backyard, to put it together and start creating. That’s what it is all about”

limes, freshly dried herbs, spices, garlic, onion, – that’s what’s important in kai. Good food brings people around the table.

“I learned the art of eating through the French.

When life around the table thrives, you have community. We don’t want bigger walls, we want longer tables.”

Stephen is also on the committee for the Merivale Gardens where he teaches children about herbs and the basics of growing food.

“The most important thing is the taste. You learn to season, and not to have a heavy hand. I was in a Mount cafe yesterday, and they have what I call RAG cooking – Rough As Guts cooking because they use a heavy hand. You’ve got to have a light hand with seasoning. It shows focus and care to enhance and not to overpower the dish.

“When you’re at the table in France, you have to add the salt yourself. We’ve got too much sugar and salt in our food, and before you know it obesity and diabetes comes knocking at our door.”

“We’ve got to get away from carbs and fatty mince. Mince sold in some of NZ’s supermarkets is 30 per cent fat. That’s illegal in France.

“I get angry because people without enough money see mince on promotion but they don’t realise that one third of it is pure white fat.”

Stephen teaches diabetes courses, having worked for the Green Prescription for Sport Bay of Plenty in Bay of Plenty maraes.

“I see that there’s a growing awareness – when I talk to the young kids I ask them what their favourite food is. Their second is sushi. You wouldn’t have heard that 10 years ago. In the

maraes I’m noticing more salads, the ship is going in the right direction.” This month two more emergency houses will open.

“For the opening we’ll make our own flat breads.

We’ll do a tzatziki – that’s Greek, with low-fat Greek yoghurt, garlic, mint and cucumber. Then we’ll do hummus - that’s Lebanese. And we’ll do the chicken on rosemary sticks as a marriage of Mediterranean and Asian dishes. Look at all those cultures together. Fantastic.

“Celebrating life, people and food!

“In NZ we don’t put enough value on what we grow here, kiwifruit, the avocado, manuka honey.

I want chefs to be putting it into our dishes so that tourists come and see what our kai is.

“I teach people to use what is in their backyard, to put it together and start creating. That’s what it is all about.”

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE ENRICH YOURSELF

SUPPORT OTHERS A GOOD CAUSE HELP SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE ENRICH YOURSELF

STAYENRICH ACTIVE YOURSELF HELPHELP OTHERS MEET PEOPLE OTHERS

STAY ACTIVE STAY ACTIVE GAIN EXPERIENCE MEET PEOPLE MEET PEOPLE SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE EXPERIENCE GAIN GAIN EXPERIENCE SHAREKNOWLEDGE YOUR KNOWLEDGE SHARE YOUR

There is a place for you to volunteer

is a place for you to volunteer There is aThere place for you to volunteer

VOLUNTEERING BAY OF PLENTY

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Village on 17th Ave. Tauranga

Jessica Te Amo and Kelly Tai

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2017 life+style The Weekend Sun 921June, August, 2015 “You come across opportunities where you can help people or organisations. It doesn’t always take much.”

Who is Buddy Mikaere?

The story of a cultural connector.

For six years Buddy Mikaere has been closely involved with the aftermath of the Rena disaster as spokesperson for Ngai Te Hapu of Motiti Island, which appealed last year’s decision to abandon the Rena on Astrolabe Reef.

“It’s been really draining. I hope to put that behind me very soon.”

Resource consents and the Environment Court take up a fair bit of his time.

“I help provide the capabilities that people don’t have,” says Buddy. “Many don’t know how to go about preparing a case or marshalling their information. Others aren’t familiar with the various processes or procedures either. ” In 2011 on returning to Tauranga from Auckland, Buddy helped form the Tauranga Maori Business Association. The second time I met him he was bathing Carl, his pet bearded dragon, in his kitchen sink. I’ve since met him strolling the Mount boardwalk with Mitzi, his Pomeranian/Papillion cross, tucked under his arm and at my Pilot Bay barbecue. His posts often pop up in my Facebook newsfeed.

Who is Buddy Mikaere? What does he do? I was curious. He has a BA (First Class Honours) from Canterbury University and a Diploma in Industrial Psychology from Victoria University.

“My real work is resource consents,” says Buddy.

“I have a national base of clients that I service, and

help them through issues.”

All he does comes from a sense of wanting to live in a good community.

“You come across opportunities where you can help people or organisations.

“It doesn’t always take much. A lot of people don’t have the contacts, confidence or the initial knowledge of how to get something underway.

“Much of what I do comes out of that and the obligation I have as a Maori person to the wider whanau and hapu. Sometimes they just need someone to stitch it together and get it happening.”

Of Ngati Pukenga and Ngati Ranginui descent, Buddy attended Matapihi Primary School and Mount Maunganui College.

After leaving college, he wanted to be a jet pilot.

“I was under 18 and my father wouldn’t sign my papers, so I left home in a huff with my t-shirts and surfboard and went to Wellington,” says Buddy.

He went on to train as a radio operator for the Post Office, tracking ships and taking telegrams.

It was the late 60s, the job required learning Morse code and spending at least six months on the Chatham Islands. He flew down on the last flight of the old flying boat.

“I liked it so much I stayed there. I was the only person with a surfboard, had the whole place to myself, it was awesome.”

On returning from the Chathams, Buddy went to work in Wellington’s International Telegraph Office.

“My job was to look after wire photos. The photos were transmitted by sound down the telephone from overseas and were translated into a photo.”

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Buddy and Carl

The photos were sent to TV News and to Auckland and Wellington newspapers.

Most communications with the Pacific Islands was by Morse code in those days and the huge job on Friday nights was sending money orders from Samoans in New Zealand to their families back home.

The post office work stood him in good stead for moving into human resources, industrial relations and union negotiations in the corporate world.

“On the day I started at Firestone in Christchurch, I was sitting at my new desk feeling quite pleased with myself when the union delegate from the Rubber Workers Union came in. He jumped up onto my desk in his filthy work boots and shouted ‘Listen Maori boy, if there’s not more sugar in the sugar bowls in the cafeteria in ten minutes, we’re outa here’ and jumped down, walked out, slammed the door. I went to the cafeteria and said ‘is there a problem here?’ and they said ‘no’. It was just an intimidation tactic.”

While in Christchurch he also tutored parttime at Paparua Prison.

“I found that a lot of the inmates couldn’t read and had spent their whole life pretending that they could, and avoiding situations where their illiteracy would be exposed.

“No one had taken time to find and help them so that’s what I did.”

Buddy became Human Resources Manager at Associated British Cables, continuing with representing Christchurch major employers in their union negotiations. It was certainly a different world from the polite exchanges in the public service but he learned fast and continued with this work until beginning a new job as Director with the Waitangi Tribunal in 1990.

He had been writing extensively on Maori history, so he was able to provide a combination of two strengths for the Tribunal – solid research and writing skills, and a corporate management background.

“When I came to the Tribunal, I saw that it

needed a major overhaul in how we collected and published historical information. My job was to get the research programme really moving along. It was the biggest ever research programme in the country and I began by recruiting the best graduate historians I could find out of the universities and computerising the whole set up.”

One of his closest friends was Michael King.

They met about 1980 when Michael was planning to write about a topic that Buddy was already researching, a biography of the South Island Maori prophet Hipa Te Maiharoa.

“When he found out I was writing it he stepped aside and said ‘no you do it’. We became good mates after that and the book went on to become a book awards finalist.”

Helping people ‘get to that point’ seems to be Buddy’s catchphrase, underpinning his facilitation and consultancy work. He has major corporate clients, many in the energy field such as Transpower, Genesis Energy,

TrustPower, Mercury Energy, Northpower and Origin Energy in Australia. Other clients include Fulton Hogan, Metrowater, Telecom NZ, Watercare and many councils and regional councils around the country.

“I enjoy that work but I also think we have an obligation to give back to our community,” he reflects. “This community has been really good to me so I don’t mind getting involved in local issues and representing the iwi and hapu that I whakapapa to in environmental and development forums.”

What’s next for Buddy?

“There is lots to do. The new Museum project for Tauranga is one that I am particularly keen on, as is development of the Heart of the City project.”

He’s enrolled to do a PhD in Maori history at Massey University, Auckland.

“After that I intend to win Powerball or Lotto and think about settling down to write some more.”

Rosalie Liddle Crawford

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life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015