Issuu

Issue 38 Feb / Mar 22

Flavours of Plenty Festival Lineup

Take Me

Lara Bui’s Cool Plants

Insider’s Guide to Waihī Beach

7 - 10 APRIL 2022

TAKE YOUR PLACE AT THE

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Founders Rachelle & Christopher Duffy Creative director Christopher Duffy Editor Sarah Nicholson sarah@ourplacemagazine.co.nz Social manager Maddie Banks social@ourplacemagazine.co.nz Advertising enquiries Rachelle Duffy 021 032 7873 rachelle@ourplacemagazine.co.nz Contributors Cindy Clare, Elric James, Sue Hoffart, Home Farm

PLANNING & MONITORING

Photographers Katie Cox, ilk Pick up your copy from The Little Big Markets, plus at selected cafes, restaurants, shops and businesses.

BUSINESS A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

Want to receive monthly copies of Our Place for your business to distribute? Email rachelle@ourplacemagazine.co.nz To tell us about anything happening in your area right now, email sarah@ourplacemagazine.co.nz

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS & TA X AT I O N 37 MONMOUTH STREET, TAURANGA, 3110 PO BOX 305, TAURANGA P. 07 571 8081

W W W . R E A L C A . C O . N Z

Cover & contents Cover photography of Lara Bui of Cool Plants by ilk. Contents photography of Te Puna Deli by Katie Cox Follow us @ourplacemagazine ourplacemagazine.co.nz

It’s time for us to tell you about the birds and the bees... It’s a story about attraction, pollination and reproduction, and it’s all going on right under your very nose. According to the Home Farm team, you should be encouraging it and even getting involved yourself. See page 72 to find out how. House plants, (still) so hot right now. They continue to be on sale in all manner of shops, but there are numerous advantages to buying them from a dedicated plant specialist. At Cool Plants (43), Lara Bui not only gives locals access to good quality indoor plants, but actively helps them to keep their plants alive. Bonus! We chat to Lara about her business and get some solid advice about how to care for the plant babies you already have at home. The first-ever Flavours of Plenty Festival (78) is on 7–9 April at venues across the Bay. The fun events range from brewery tours, hāngī and wild food events, to mastering sourdough, truffle tours and the Vegan Vibes festival. Lots of your favourite restaurants will also be running out-of-the-ordinary menus to showcase the incredible kai of our rohe. If you’re looking to take some summer jaunts around the region, read our story on the exhilarating Rotorua Canopy Tours (93), which we reckon is one of the most brilliant activities in the country. We also head to laid-back Waīhi Beach to get an insider’s guide to the best things to eat, buy and do, in and around the village. We know it’s an uncertain time but we hope you all look after yourselves and take time to enjoy the rest of your raumati (summer). The Our Place team

Contents

Beachside Idyll

Welcome

What’s Up

Our Place Tauranga

Guide to Waihī Beach

TLBM Shopping Guide

Grow Together

Growing blooms for the pollinators

The Hungarian Artisan Co & Te Puna Deli

Flavours of Plenty Festival

Made from Sc ratc h Plenty to Celebrate The Green House

Sacred Springs

Lara Bui’s Cool Plants

Mount Maunganui’s new artwork 93

The Long View

Great Minds Quotes to inspire

Rotorua Canopy Tours

100

A Pretty Pic kle

Delicious But First Dessert

New local company, Pickled

To Love & Be Loved By Elric James

104

Events Guide

B R I N G I N G S M I L E S TO T H E B AY S I N C E 2 0 0 1

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T O O T H F A I R Y D E N TA L . C O . N Z

What’s Up Deep Breaths The much-loved Little Big Markets will continue to operate in the red light traffic system, so you can still get your regular fix of local street food and support other great local businesses at this time. And now, you could also get there early to stretch your limbs and do some downward dogs to kick off the day, as the amazing folk from Tauranga’s Pilates Fix will be there as part of their Mindful Movement Summer Series doing pilates, yoga and meditation. The classes start at 8am on the following Saturdays: 26 February, 26 March and 23 April, 50-minutes long, BYO mat and water, and koha donation for charity. All levels are welcome, so come along, give it a try and breeeeeeeeathe... → @thepilatesfixofficial

A Sweet Idea We know some of you go straight to a restaurant’s dessert menu before you peruse the mains, so this new addition to the Tauranga CBD dining scene is probably right up your alley... But First Dessert has a big cabinet selection of desserts as well as more intricate creations from the menu. There’re also dessert platters, DIY kids’ sundaes and Sunday high tea (bubbles optional), plus Excelso Coffee, cocktails, beer and wine, and espresso martini happy hours. → 6/109 Devonport Rd, Tauranga. butfirstdessert.co.nz @butfirstdessertnz

History in the Making Pop-up dining experiences that differ completely each time, secret venues, innovative tasting menus, fully immersive experiences where you’re bound to meet new friends... Stacey Jones’ Kitchen Takeover events have been breaking the mould of dining out in Tauranga. The theme for her latest dinner is The Edible Exhibition, which will look at New Zealand’s culinary history and celebrate just how far we’ve come. The six-course menu will run through decades from the ‘50s, and uncover stories of people, produce and places that changed the way we now cook and dine A wide range of dietaries are catered for (see online). → Tickets available throughout February and March, kitchentakeover.co.nz See page 78 for details on Kitchen Takeover’s Hāngī With Kārena & Kasey. 19

What’s Up New Kid on the Block A freshly painted yellow exterior has signaled the arrival of Special Mention at the former OBR site in Arataki. Lex and Hollie Mawson (pictured right, with daughter Maggie) are the team behind the new venture. Lex already has a legion of fans from his BBL (Burger By Lex) pop-ups, and Special Mention will now be the site for all further BBL action. The initial daytime menu features a kicking Japanese-influenced avo on toast with soured cucumber; pistachio, seaweed and sesame crumb, and ramen egg with ponzu sauce, but you can just order a classic B&E along with your Supreme coffee. The welcoming room has timber tables, blue banquettes and colours of peach, red and brick. Evening openings are coming soon. 399 Oceanbeach Rd, Arataki @specialmention_atk

Natural Beauty New Zealand brand Daily Wellness has smart new branding as well as new products that are packed with powerful natural ingredients. The immune-supporting Essential Radiance Spirulina Capsules are all about antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action, and the moisturising Nourish Greens Hydrating Mask with spirulina, and almond, olive and jojoba oils, gives the skin a nutrient boost and helps brighten the complexion. Use the Regenerating Power Serum to work on skin texture and tone. They’re uncomplicated, natural yet effective formulas and Sisters & Co is a local stockist. Daily Wellness is vegan and never tested on animals. → daily-wellness.co @dailywellness__

Share the Love Lantern is a new Southeast Asian restaurant and bar that’s been garnering great reviews. Chef William Dang from Vietnam has designed the appealing sharing menu, which has lots of seafood and numerous vegan options. There are familiar faves, such as summer rolls, curries, and prawn and papaya salad, but also wok-tossed tuatua with Thai basil butter sauce and banh mi; and roasted duck stuffed with pork sausage and served with hoisin, umeboshi créme fraîche, jalapeño salsa, lettuce and woven vermicelli. Sit in booths, under the gable or in the tropical garden. Pictured on right is the crab lettuce cups, salmon sambal salad, tiger prawn summer rolls and yellow curry.😊😊😊 😊 → 20 Domain Rd, Pāpāmoa lantern.nz @lantern___papamoa 21

Artists, Creative Groups and Venues Join the Creative Directory!

Creative Director – Arpege Taratoa

Creative Bay of Plenty’s Creative Directory is live, and you are the star attraction! If you’re a creative person, creative group or have a creative space available in Tauranga or the Western Bay, sign up for your free listing today, and watch your network grow. Artists, creative organisations, event producers, educators, community groups, venues and creative people of all kinds are encouraged to submit a profile. We’re building the Creative Directory to represent our local arts and culture sector. Use it to find, learn about, and connect with artists, organisations, and venues. Add your listing and help us make the Creative Directory the go-to place for arts and culture in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty

Find out more at www.creativebop.org.nz

Haere Rā By Christopher Duffy

We’re bidding a farewell to Our Place Tauranga, so co-founder Chris Duffy reflects on his personal journey, from conceiving the bold idea of a CBD container village to the many challenges and achievements. 24

“We want to look back and say we carved a path of change for our city.”

If you look up a simple recipe for the breakdown in the vitality of a city centre, you’ll find there’s a few key components. Start with a big bowl of urban sprawl and growing satellite towns, mix in some underperforming public transport systems, add a splash of small-scale permanent residences, a pinch of under investment, and a sprinkle of waning vibrancy in shops and eateries, and you you’ve baked yourself a big loaf of community discontent that tastes a lot like lifelessness. Did I mention the car parking? Nevermind.

battlefield that is the New Zealand building code, which didn’t seem to acknowledge the requirements for a short-term, temporary project of this kind. This is worth knowing at the start of course, because once you’re already knee-deep in the project, it might just cost your life savings to work your way back out. If you’re thinking that as a consequence of this project that we’re bruised fruit, then you’d be almost right. However, fortuitously, we’ve both learned to value and foster our resilience. I repeated to myself, ‘be resilient’ when we had rent-owing tenants disappear into the night. I repeated it on the hour when we had to fundraise to continue operations and local media splashed our faces on the front page and baited its online following for a pile-on. I even murmured it under my breath when the toilets got blocked or the gardens didn’t get watered. We also know that Our Place Tauranga manifested itself as a legitimate alternative to the status quo. It made space in the CBD for fledgling artists, designers, creators and makers from vastly different backgrounds to perform, run workshops, sell products, promote wellbeing and generally engage with the people who showed up to support them. An attractive, healthy space, plenty of social activities to bring people together, a place for cultural exchanges, a place for fun... These are all key ingredients in that recipe for CBD vitality and I can see that’s what we’ve added to the mix. We’ve hosted charities, big gigs and small craft sessions, and pretty much everything in between — the social value of Our Place Tauranga was significant.

The Beginning In early 2017, my wife Rachelle and I were shoulder tapped to put our names to a new recipe, one that would still have most of the same ingredients, but give us opportunity to tweak it. The council administration building on 91 Willow St was to be demolished, and the vacant space to be used for a community-orientated project, while decisions were made on the site’s future. The activation was to be one of the jewels in the crown of the Heart of the City Programme, which was developed as part of the council’s City Centre Strategy for the CBD. We saw the project as a lens to visualise opportunities for change and provide a positive way forward. A change in culture that could invoke stewardship and help shift perspectives from why things weren’t working in the city right now, to how they might work better tomorrow. The shelf life of the project was initially only 12 months, so after evaluating all the risks known to us at that time, we focused on developing a meaningful project for the community. It seemed inconsequential that our business and self respect could be put in jeopardy, irrespective of having enough spreadsheets and Venn diagrams to sink a ship… full of containers. Nonetheless, we chose a 1250m2 Trojan horse as our vehicle for change — we decided Our Place Tauranga was to be mostly made from shipping containers. It seemed the most practical option: robust — it could withstand the elements, relatively easy to install, able to be relocated, and economical. One of the first points on our ‘things we wished we’d known’ list is how an innovative project of this scale would require us to fight our way through the

The Dip In early 2020, my quiet ‘be resilient’ self-affirmation had dramatically increased to an almost three-figure decibel reading. Our occupancy rate for retail spaces had deteriorated and, while there were various reasons why, I sincerely felt that I should have paid more attention to all those spreadsheets and diagrams. One night after an annual dinner for the homeless at Our Place Tauranga, we were approached by friends Jackie and John Paine, who co-created Good Neighbours. They probably didn’t need to refer to any of my schematics to know that we were in a whole world of hurt and invited us to discuss a project for Our Place Tauranga, called 25

Sunday Special

FLAVOURS OF PLENTY FESTIVAL MARKET

Come on dowankearn!d meet the m M O U N T

M A I N S T R E E T

URBAN MARKET pm!

to 12 Every Sunday 8am

SUNDAY 10th APRIL Te Papa o Nga Manu Porotakataka, 137 Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui

← Our Place Tauranga co-founders, Chris and Rachelle Duffy.

A Big Thank You

ReMaker. It was all about finding sustainable solutions for all kinds of waste. They proposed a creative, innovative and inspirational hub within Our Place Tauranga that encouraged practical repurposing and upcycling through workshops and workspaces. We shared their vision, laid it on the table for the council to determine our fate and Remaker was to be the petrol station that miraculously appears over the hill, just when the fuel gauge is deep in the red. Together with the Our Place collective, friends who have helped guide us through the project over the past four years, and of course the community who have supported it, we managed to stick a pin bang in the middle of the Venn diagram that was scribbled down during development. It’s three overlapping circles: desirability, viability and feasibility. At the time of launch I remember Rachelle saying, “We want to look back and say we carved a path of change for our city.” I think we can reflect on that now with an air of achievement.

→ Bayleys → BECA → Boffa Miskell → Community Projects Charitable Trust → Creative Tauranga → Downtown Tauranga → Element IMF → Financial Independance Ltd → Good Neighbour → Holland Beckett Law → Kai Aroha → KPMG → Lellman Wearne Limited → OPUS International → Pacific Toyota → Priority One → Remaker → Royal Wolf → Sharp Tudhope → Tauranga City Council → TECT → Te Tuhi Mareikura Trust → The Strand Commercial Properties → Toi-Ohomai → Trustpower → University of Waikato → Veros

The End? Sadly, the red light setting has halted any plans for an official closing party, but there’s every chance you might get an opportunity to say hello again to your old friend, maybe in another city. We’ll see... In the meantime, we want to thank the following organisations (especially some people within them that were key to our success) for supporting Our Place Tauranga and helping turn a space into a great community place. 27

When you buy local, it has a positive impact on the whole community. Check out these fantastic products from The Little Big Markets and see all the market dates on our events calendar.

Burnt Sand Pottery

Simple Studios

Burnt Sand Pottery is rustic, earthy, pottery made from clay — each piece lovingly hand built, glazed and fired to create its very own unique characteristics. burntsandpottery.co.nz @burnt_sand_pottery @burntsandpottery

Simple Studios is an online concept store that has handmade goods by Aotearoa New Zealand designers. Celebrate conscious living and empower creative women with items you’ll cherish. simplestudios.nz @simplestudios_

The Knife Boutique

Noxen

Duffle&Co

Handmade cutlery made with the plan it’ll be for the next generation. Talented artisans, friends and family all come together to make high-quality products that come with lovely leather sheaths. theknifeboutiquenz.com @theknifeboutiquenz

Based in Mount Maunganui, Noxen is a lifestyle brand with a focus on functionality, and the owners love surfing, sports and the community. Check out its surf apparel, caps, hooded poncho towels and more. noxen.co.nz @noxensurf

Adding a little luxury to your everyday, Duffle&Co bring you handcrafted bags that don’t compromise your values. The company is intending to be fully circular by 2025, meaning that nothing it creates will enter landfill. duffleandco.co.nz @duffleandco

Ruapuke

Food Point Restaurant

Enkindler Eyewear

Ruapuke’s gorgeous 100 percent Turkish cotton towels will ensure you are always set for anything this summer, from lazy picnics and beach hangs to drinks at sunset. They’re compact, lightweight and quick to dry. ruapuke.com @ruapuke_

Food Point is a family business serving authentic curry dishes. Try the dosa: a crisp savoury pancake made from a fermented batter of ground rice and lentils, served with tasty accompaniments. 21 Macdonald St, Mt Maunganui foodpointonline.co.nz

It’s time to up your shade game while the sun’s still blazing! Head to TLBM to try on some beautifully handcrafted eyewear made from natural woods, carbon fibre and stainless steel. enkindler.co.nz @enkindler.eyewear

Kando Dolls

The Houseplant Wife

Switch Stance

Designed to engage imagination and inspire creativity, Kando is a screen-free, New Zealand-made wooden dress up toy, brought to life with wonderful upcycled fabrics. Endless family fun! kandodolls.co.nz @kandodolls

The Houseplant Wife knows that plants bring joy. It’s a sustainable indoor plant shop that grows plants plastic free and sources earthfriendly pots, and other products, for you and your plants. @thehouseplantwife the houseplantwife.com

A locally owned surf and skate shop in Pāpāmoa, Switch Stance has all the surfing, skateboarding and scooter equipment you’ll need, plus New Zealand’s largest selection of surfskates! switchstance.co.nz @swtchstance

Thirty-Two Halloos

Country Cottage

Mr Weekender

Thirty-Two Halloos jewellery is one-of-a-kind, quirky, a little bit whimsy and a big bit fun. Whether you’re after a subtle piece or a bold statement, you’re sure to find something to halloo about. thirtytwohalloos.co.nz @thirtytwohalloos

The Cottage Gallery is a boutique craft business specialising in New Zealand pounamu (greenstone), which they carve into beautiful taonga — much loved, special pieces of jewellery. thecottagegallery.co.nz @thecottagegallerynz

This skincare is for the outdoorsy guy that wants to avoid premature ageing. It includes a face wash that easily cleans away sunscreen, a cleansing face pad and nourishing moisturiser; all in aluminium tins. @mr.weekender mrweekender.com

Brooke

The Little Big Markets

Mount Longboards

Brooke is a zero-waste brand, creating timeless beach bags and baskets from window blind off-cuts destined for landfill. There’re bags for every occasion, whether it’s a day on the beach, fun family adventures or long lunches! brooke.earth brooke_thelabel

Support little businesses and let everyone know about it! Get yourself one of these stylish TLBM tees or maybe grab a tote and fill it with the brilliant, creative products you pick up from locals at the markets. thelittlebigmarkets.co.nz/shop

Mount Longboards prints pay tribute to the 70s and 80s. Each tee is 100 percent cotton, classic cut and hand-crafted in New Zealand. Check out this summer’s must-have caps in vintage Hawaiian prints. mountlongboards.com mountlongboards

CHARCUTERIE + SMALL GOODS SPECIALTY NZ CHEESE SELECTION FRESH DAILY SOURDOUGH PASTRIES, SANDWICHES + COFFEE LOCAL SEASONAL FRUIT + VEGETABLES FRESH MILK + FLOWERS CHEESE BOARDS LOCAL + NZ MADE PRODUCTS CATERING AVAILABLE.

17B MINDEN ROAD, TE PUNA MONDAY—FRIDAY 8:30AM—5:00PM SATURDAY—SUNDAY 8:30AM—3:00PM 0211738609 tepunadeli@outlook.com

Story by Sue Hoffart Photography by Katie Cox

Made from Scratch

Attila and Sam are not ones for shortcuts. Whether making excellent Hungarian Artisan Co salami, or housemade sammies and delicate pastries for Te Puna Deli, everything is done to the highest standards. 33

fresh fruit and vegetables poking out of wicker baskets and paper bags. Two years ago, the small shop expanded into an adjacent room where customers perch at simple wooden tables to devour the generously-filled sandwiches and buttery pastries made on site. The latter are made according to Attila’s grandmother’s recipes, and he counts his Nagy Mama’s stained and ancient cookbook among his most prized possessions. “Growing up, my grandmother was always baking lots of pastries but when she died, her cookbook disappeared. It was really old, maybe a couple of hundred years, with her handwritten notes.” When Attila visited Hungary several years ago, his aunt found the book and gave it to her nephew. “I always say it’s my heritage. We are using her layered pastry dough — full of butter, soft and light — to make really good Hungarian-style pastries and cinnamon buns with caramelised apple. It takes more time, it’s more work but I think we are busy because people recognise the quality of it, and the effort and time we put into it.” The deli’s tucked-away location behind commercial buildings certainly hasn’t hurt trade, which now spans seven days. Two other chefs work in shifts to help meet demand, turning out the

Despite living 17,000km from his birthplace, chef Attila Kovacs experiences a taste of home every day. The man behind Te Puna’s Hungarian Artisan Co learned to make smallgoods while growing up in a rural area southeast of Budapest. Each year, his extended family would gather to process the pigs that would sustain them through a European winter. “You’d have 20 or 30 people and it was a social event,” he says, remembering the full day of salami and sausage making that inspired his Bay of Plenty business. “There would be a party at the end of the day, it was a big part of our whole life and culture. I missed it here, not just the feeling but also the product I grew up with.” Attila and English-born partner Sam Darragh also own and operate Te Puna Deli, which showcases fellow local food producers alongside house-made chorizo laced with the likes of paprika and chilli or truffle and porcini mushrooms. The shop is Sam’s domain. It is she who ensures deli shelves are lined with New Zealand-made specialty foods and products, as well as nut butters and chutneys, organic cake mixes and teas that are all sourced from the Tauranga area. Cut flowers are grown in Whakamārama, the sourdough bread hails from Mount Maunganui, crackers are made in Pāpāmoa, there’s cheese from Katikati and glossy 34

↑ Top to bottom: Attila with his precious family cookbook; sensational local raw milk cheese at the deli. ← Attila and Sam at the deli they’ve worked so hard to create. 35

“We make all our bakery products from scratch, including our Portuguese custard tarts and Dutch ginger shortcake, and I process the meat that goes into the sausage rolls, using my spice mix.”

↑ Made-from-scratch baking is a specialty at Te Puna Deli, especially the Hungarian-style pastry dough. ← A table brimming with fresh seasonal produce takes centre stage at the deli. content to stay put. They are now New Zealand residents. “We never planned to stay,” he says. “But it’s just so easy here. The lifestyle, the mentality of the people, the friendliness of the Kiwis.” They moved to Tauranga in 2010 so he could take up the head chef job at Mills Reef Winery. The sausage company began at home, with a handcranked sausage filler and appreciative friends who insisted Attila should sell his products. Tauranga Farmers Market customers were similarly enthusiastic about the products, all made without preservatives, using free-range animals. An artisan food contest win provided the entrepreneurs with mentoring from a business expert and some top New Zealand chefs, which in turn led to professional branding and national sales. These days, their label can be found in retail stores around New Zealand, including Farro Fresh, Huckleberry, Moore Wilson and some Fresh Choice supermarkets, as well as specialty stores, restaurants and in several Hawkes Bay wineries. For several years, Attila juggled full time chef work — sometimes overseeing functions for 600 people — with his growing business, while Sam worked full time for a power company and took charge of all the paperwork after hours. “There was not much sleeping,” he says. “It’s just like any other

deli’s trademark hearty sandwiches filled with Attila’s slow-cooked lamb or stuffed pork belly, brisket or pastrami. “We make all our bakery products from scratch, including our popular Portuguese custard tarts and Dutch ginger shortcake, and I process the meat that goes into the sausage rolls myself, using my spice mix.” The couple met in Ireland 15 years ago, while working in the same County Kerry pub; he in the kitchen, she front of house. They bonded over a shared love of food and travel before setting off for a six-month stint in southern India, where they lived in a church-cum-hostel, lounged beside the beach and prowled food markets. That was where they discovered a delicious Portuguese-style chorizo that has since inspired one of the Hungarian Artisan Co’s products. Attila’s version of the Goan delicacy uses southern Indian spices and coconut vinegar. With bank balances depleted by further travels in Southeast Asia, the young backpackers flew to New Zealand in search of fruit picking work. They expected to stay a few months, make some cash, then head off again. But their timing was off and picking work was scarce when they landed in late summer 2008. Once Attila found a cheffing job in Queenstown, the pair found themselves increasingly 37

Serving Salami The Hungarian Artisan Co salami is a perfect addition to cheese boards, as snacks or in packed lunches. You can also use them like a Spanish chorizo in cooking — on pizza, in pasta and rice dishes, or with eggs for breakfast.

The Hungarian Artisan Co salami range includes Porcini Mushroom and Truffle, Hot Goan, and Mild Hungarian Paprika (kolbász) — a traditional version made using an old family recipe. using New Zealand-grown free-farmed pork that’s wood smoked and naturally dry cured for up to six weeks, in much the same way his Hungarian forebears have done for generations. Attila’s newest offerings include a French-style pork salami, La Provence, which is studded with olives, sundried tomatoes and fresh herbs. The winter Hungarian is especially lean with hints of ginger, nutmeg and white peppercorn, while the chilli flake and white wine version packs a substantial kick. Looking ahead, the duo will continue to hunt out locally-produced goods for the shop. They already offer charcuterie platters using specialty cheeses and Atilla’s cured meats but have recently branched out into catering, too. “It’s hard work but we love what we do and it’s satisfying, too. We started off with just the two of us and now we have a team of eight staff including baristas, so we feel like we have really established ourselves. From here, we just want to continue operating at the same level of quality and service. This is definitely our passion.” Ⓟ

business, when you start off, you really have to put your energy into it. I really enjoyed it but it was hard. “Then we got to a point where we thought we can’t manage both, we have to decide. That was really, really hard. And we’d just bought our first home, so we had a mortgage.” The shop was an add-on. Attila was using a butcher’s premises to make his Hungarian Artisan Co goods when he heard the space next door was available for rent. “We thought, let’s open a sandwich shop, really small. But that was a different level again. It meant insurance, rent, staff. We had no budget. We did everything; painted and decorated ourselves, built the shelves. We had our own time and energy but we could put in no money. “We tried to build the business on the local community. Because of the market, we know lots of other little food producers and we thought it was a good idea to put them all in one shop. So we’re supporting other small businesses with a similar philosophy to us: small batch, no preservatives.” Tauranga Farmers Market is still a testing ground for Attila’s products, which have recently expanded from five to eight different salami flavours and two types of breakfast sausage. All are made

thehungarianartisan.co.nz @thehungarianartisan Te Puna Deli, 17b Minden Road, Te Puna @tepunadeli 38

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The Green House

Story by Sarah Nicholson Photography by Erin Cave 43

Lara Bui knows the power of plants — how their colours and shapes can lift a room, but also how they can lift spirits, whch is one of the key reasons she came to launch her business, Cool Plants.

Photograph: Katie Cox

Left: Looking over a section of Lara and Isaac’s garden towards the estuary, with the Australian Christmas tree on the right. Opposite page: Lara’s plants spill out of her studio into her adjacent home. She nurtures them before they’re sold on, to ensure they’re in top-notch condition. Opener: Lara in her home garden.

framed by white wisteria above and lomandra tanika grass out front. There are raised organic garden beds, a self-seeding wild flower patch, a pizza oven Isaac and his dad made, and their bathroom looks out on a small Japanese garden. Fruit trees are interspersed throughout, think Valencia orange, lemon, loquat, guava, peach and apple. “We have tonnes of produce so we share it around the neighbourhood,” says Lara. But it’s her indoor greenery that we’ve come to talk about today, namely her lush plant studio that’s the HQ for her company, Cool Plants. Lara’s path to launching the business was via the discovery of gardening as a therapeutic distraction. While dealing with rounds of unsuccessful IVF, she found the “active mindfulness” of gardening to be a type of therapy during a very tough time. She realised just how much she loved it and, fortuitously, had a knack for it. Lara subsequently took a free horticulture course in Tauranga, did some work at a Pyes Pa tree nursery “hanging out with trees and plants”, and some landscaping for friends soon followed.

Lara Bui’s diverse Matua garden has many distinct areas for plant lovers to investigate, but looking out from her deck in early summer, it’s the huge flowering Australian Christmas tree that demands your attention. Alive with monarch butterflies dipping in and out of its leaves, it’s covered in white flowers that’ll imminently turn pink. “It’s a wicked tree! The biodiversity is fantastic,” enthuses Lara. “It’s just full of bees, monarchs and hoverflies — everyone from the neighbourhood gets a feed. Tūīs nest in it, kingfishers use it as a toilet,” she laughs. (They find crabs dropped onto their table underneath the tree, as evidence of this last point!) The garden — which is showcased each year in the Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival trail — is testament to her green thumbs, vision and hard work, and all the more special given it doubles as a gallery for husband Isaac Weston’s copper artworks (see our story on Isaac at ourplacemagazine.co.nz). “We’ve kind of got ‘rooms’ in the garden, which we created as we had budget,” Lara explains. Areas include a tropical gazebo with bird of paradise, nikau, canna and calla lilies, and tractor seat plant, 44

Above: A healthy Peperomia argyreia (watermelon peperomia) — Lara holds a bigger version on the opposite page. In the background is a Sansevieria and Philodendron selloum (in the basket) — all easy-care plants. smoke when you forget to water your plant for a month. “Some people want something new and exciting, maybe like a Monstera Thai constellation, but if you’re new to plants, you want to build your confidence with easy-care options,” she says. The quality of the plants is another bonus about buying from Cool Plants. “I buy from reputable nurseries, then hold the stock where possible to allow them to grow bigger,” explains Lara. “That way, I’m sure they are perfectly healthy and happy, and bigger than you might get elsewhere for the same price.” The best personal touch of all is that Lara sends you away with a plant care document, which is updated every purchase — you’re even welcome to call Lara five years down the track to ask her about an issue with your Cool Plant (brown tips!, soggy roots!), and she’ll be happy to play agony aunt and offer her advice. “My biggest thing is educating people and getting them to feel good about their plants!”

“From there, it was natural progression to indoor plants,” she explains. “Indoor plants were on the cusp of becoming trendy and Cool Plants was literally a midnight decision — I jumped out of bed and wrote down the whole idea, including the name. And the next morning, everything just started happening for me…” You can visit Lara’s studio by appointment to peruse the selection of plants, planters, stands and accessories, or book a free-of-charge consultation to look at options for your home or workplace. You can bring photos of your space to discuss what would work, taking into account everything from time commitment to light. If you require more in-depth help with plant issues, Lara offers a paid consultation service where she can act as a plant doctor, so you can share any woes about the state of your current specimens. Plus, Lara’s a big fan of teaching people how to propagate their plants, so you’re able to share the love with friends. The plants Lara deals in are generally quite low maintenance — Cool Plants isn’t about highly expensive, rare varieties that’ll see $500 go up in

Visit coolplants.co.nz for more info as well as Lara’s useful plant care videos, created in partnership with Tui garden products. 46

Staying Alive Indoor plants offer texture, colour and a sense of calm, and also work to cleanse the air in our homes and workplaces. Here, Lara gives some handy tips to ensure your greenery lasts the distance.

Choosing the right plant for the right place is central to whether a plant lives or dies, limps along or thrives. Things to consider before you buy are light, watering, time commitment and placement... Watering Plants don’t operate on a “it’s Saturday, therefore

I get watered” regime. Before watering, check the moisture levels by using your finger to get down deep in the soil or even better, use a moisture meter. Don’t water if the soil is moist — overwatering kills plants 9 times out of 10, especially in the cooler months. Ensure your plant is never 47

left standing in a pool of water as this can result in root rot. There are lots of moisture meters on the market, some you keep in your plant, and others where you push the probe into the plant to test the moisture level before watering. (This assumes you know how to care for that

Above, from left to right: Lara gives all clients a personalised plant care document, which can include advice about watering, light conditions and repotting; watering some delicate trailing plants. plant — some plants like to be bone dry before watering, such as a ZZ or Sansevieria (aka motherin-law’s tounge or snake plant), others like to be kept a little moist. I always note this information in my plant care documents. Position/light Nothing erodes confidence in plant parenting like a sunburned plant, so be sure to choose the right plant for your light conditions. There are options for direct sun (succulents, crotons) through to low light (Sansevieria, ZZ), with most preferring bright indirect/filtered light. Feeding Most plants go into dormancy in winter and the key growing period is spring to summer. Feeding your plants promotes new growth and

replaces nutrients, making them stronger and resistant to pests. Use a liquid plant food or a granular option, like Tui Enrich Indoor Plant Fertiliser, and be sure to follow the instructions. Caring Take time to nurture your plants — remove dead or unhealthy leaves, and check for evidence of pests, or whether they need repotting, dusting or topping up with soil. Commitment Is watering your plants low on your to-do list? Plants like Sansieviera, ZZ and succulents are dry tolerant and less likely to curl up their toes from occasional neglect. For those starting their plant parent journey, some easy-care options are Sansieviera, ZZ, 48

Monstera deliciosa, Philodendron scandens, Spathiphyllum (peace lily) and Syngoniums. Also consider what you’re trying to achieve in your space. Plants can soften a room or create a stunning focal point. Their shape and colour are important when styling our spaces. Stunning large-leaved plants like Ficus lyrata, Streltizia (bird of paradise), Philodendron selloum and Monstera deliciosa offer a tropical appeal to interiors. Popular trailing options are Philodendron scandens, Aeschynanthus, Pothos (marble, golden, satin), and chain of hearts. Air cleansing stars include Dracaena, devil’s ivy, Spathiphyllum and Sansevieria. There’s a plant for all situations! Ⓟ

You be the judge

The Miles Art Awards 2022

Vote in the Bay of Plenty Times People’s Choice Award

Exhibition 4 Feb – 15 May 2022 Find out more at artgallery.org.nz

Image: Friedrich Nietzsche

Great Minds

It’s a new year, and although that doesn’t require a new you, a few uplifting and inspiring quotes from some big thinkers might kick something into action, even if it’s just a good day. 51

Eleanor Roosevelt 1884—1962

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Lao Tzu 6th century BC

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

Rachel Carson 1907—1964

“Love, rather than guilt, is the key to transforming humanity’s relationship to nature.”

Whakataukī (Māori proverb)

“Hurihia tō aroaro ki te rā tukuna tō ātārangi kia taka ki muri i a koe.” “Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.”

Friedrich Nietzsche 1844–1900

“One sticks to an opinion because he prides himself on having come to it on his own, and another because he has taken great pains to learn it and is proud to have grasped it: and so both do so out of vanity.” 56

What we did for you in 2021 Catfish removed from Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes

60,000*

Number of public transport trips taken

2.66M*

Water quality testing sites

270+

Spoke with

14,800* Natives planted for environmental protection

870,000

harbour and lake users to educate them and keep them safe Visitors to Regional Parks

120,000

Pollution hotline calls investigated

Inspections for pests

Environmental consent checks

4,725*

Support of volunteer groups

50+

Stopbanks for flood protection

380km

4,861*

Water level monitoring sites to protect against the impact of both flooding and droughts

680+

* Latest annual figures

To find out more about the work we do visit www.boprc.govt.nz

3,736*

A Pretty Pickle Story by Sarah Nicholson Photography by Tastefully Studios

What do you get when a local food personality pairs up with a brand and design expert? You get Pickled — a new product range, with a cheeky vibe, that tastes as good as it looks.

and forgetting to write down the exact recipe for the experimental pickles. “We’d open them up after two weeks and have no idea what went in the jar.” “I also lost the tips of both my thumbs on the mandoline,” Campbell recalls (rest assured, they won’t be found in any of the retail jars). The pair are kicking off with five base products, plus seasonal pickles. “We’ll try and work with local growers to see if they have an excess of something we’re interested in, then we can do limited-edition pickles, keeping it fun,” says Cherie. Pickled’s launch products are: Oiled Garlic (confit garlic — slowcooked and squishy), Cheesed Pickles (thinly sliced cucumber with a little chilli, dill and onion), Sizzled Onions (Mexican flavours with a spicy kick), Chopped Onions (with aromatic Chinese spices), and Yellow Trees (cauliflower with curry flavours). “We’re also doing this idea where we’re pickling all the off-cuts of the veges — it’s called 4am Pickles,” explains Cherie. As the packaging states: ‘The Last Call Bits’. “The products are so delicious and we reckon they’ll take any dish to the next level. And obviously the branding Campbell has created is really playful and will get people excited too,” says Cherie. “We know there’s definitely place in the market for creative, New Zealand-made pickles,” says Campbell. “So we’ll keep experimenting, pickling and bringing people new flavours, and of course have lots of fun at the same time.”

We’ve pickled pretty much everything you can think of!” laughs Cherie Metcalfe, co-founder of the new jarred pickle company, Pickled. Cherie, owner and all-round powerhouse behind the fantastically successful Pepper & Me, has now teamed up with Campbell Attwood, owner of Afternoon, a design and branding studio, to launch Pickled. We had many late nights drinking wine and making pickles,” says Cherie. “Campbell has wild ideas — he’s just, ‘Let’s pickle this!’ So we just gave anything a go.” “We had some wins — the pickled pineapple and the fennel were actually really good,” says Campbell. “But we pickled a bunch of fresh coriander with spices and onions, and that all kind of fizzed and went rank as,” he laughs. “We got quite pickled so that became the theme to everything,” says Cherie, pointing out the cheeky product names, such as ‘chopped’ and ‘oiled’. She describes the two as “mad scientists” during their early pickling sessions, often getting carried away

pickled.co.nz @heypickled Pickled will be available online in late February. 58

↑ Campbell Attwood and Cherie Metcalfe. ← Yellow Trees (cauliflower with a curry hit) is one of Pickled’s five launch products, all of which have Campbell’s fun branding.

“I thought I had invented this, but a quick Google proved me wrong. These ‘pacos’ are very hot at the moment. They’re usually filled with berries, yoghurt and sweet delights, but I’m a savoury gal! ”

Savoury Pancake Tacos Recipe by Cherie Metcalfe

SERVES 2 8 eggs 1/4 cup cream Seasoning of choice (I use Pepper & Me Man Grind) Knob of butter, plus extra to cook pancakes 1 avocado 1 tbs lime juice Pickled Sizzled Onions and Cheesed Pickles, to serve Pancake Batter 1 cup plain flour 1 tbs sugar 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt (I use Pepper & Me Man Grind) 1 egg 1 cup milk 1 tbs apple cider vinegar

For the pancake batter, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl, and make a well. Add 1 egg, milk and apple cider vinegar, then whisk the wet ingredients into the dry to form a smooth pancake batter. Cook pancakes in a teaspoon of butter in a small non-stick pan over medium heat — aim for 8 pancakes, about 15cm in diameter. When the pancakes are cooked, set them out ready for the toppings, and wipe out the non-stick pan, ready for the eggs. Whisk the 8 eggs with the cream and Man Grind, then scramble them in the pan with a knob of butter. Smash the avocado with the lime juice and Man Grind to taste. Spread the avocado across each of the pancakes, then top with the scrambled egg, onions and pickles.

Satay Chicken Hawker Roll Recipe by Cherie Metcalfe

SERVES 4 Olive oil, to fry 600g boneless chicken thighs, sliced into strips ⅓ cup wok sauce* 3 tbs peanut butter 8 roti* 1/4 cup mayo 1 tbs lemon juice 1 bag slaw ½ cup chopped roasted peanuts Pickled Chopped Onions, to serve Fresh coriander sprigs, to serve

Heat a fry pan over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and stir-fry the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes until cooked. In a small bowl, whisk together wok sauce and peanut butter, pour into the pan with the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pan-fry each roti in a dry pan over medium-high heat until golden on both sides. Combine the mayo and lemon juice in a bowl, then toss through the slaw. To build the hawker roll, pop some slaw down the middle of each roti, add the chicken and sauce, and top with the peanuts, onions and coriander sprigs. *Roti: I usually buy frozen roti from Asian supermarkets. Wok sauce: I use Pepper & Me Rock Out with Your Wok Out, but you can substitute with any soy/honey based stir-fry sauce. 62

JAHNA BARRACLOUGH BY M ARK LEEDOM

Summer

BLAKCHAOS 89 Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui 07-777 0089 | @BLAK T H E L A B E L | WWW. B L A K .CO. N Z

Photograph: Sheryl Nicholson

Beachside Idyll

Waihī Beach local Cindy Clare gives us her insider intel on the very best restaurants and cafes, shops and walks in and around her hometown. 67

After years living in New York state, Cindy Clare returned to her hometown of Waihī Beach with her husband and three daughters to settle back into beachside life. She rediscovered old favourites and experienced excellent new additions to the town. Here, Cindy gives us insider intel about all the best spots to check out. Whether you’re on a day trip from Tauranga or a lazy weekend escape, there’s more than enough cafes, smart retail and hardy hikes to keep you entertained.

On Your Plate You’re not even in the village before you hit a foodlovers favourite, the Surf Shack Eatery (123 Emerton Rd), run by enthusiastic locals Jo and Pippa. There’s lots on offer, from a range of “Cheeky Pancakes” to brekkie stalwarts, salads and to-die-for burgers (it was given the accolade of “Possibly NZ’s best burger” by Lonely Planet a few years back). For an unbeatable ocean outlook, head to the famous Flatwhite (21 Shaw Rd), where owner Andy and his trusty furry sidekick Benson (aka the unofficial mayor of Waihī Beach) will welcome you. Open breakfast to dinner, it’s the best spot to park yourself up to get your coffee fix and gaze at glorious Tuhua (Mayor Island). Waihī Beach village is home to an array of characterful cafes, including Café Strata (20 Wilson Rd), The Porch Kitchen & Bar (23 Wilson Rd), and The Secret Garden (17 Wilson Rd) that’s set in a lovely Balinese-inspired garden. If you’re a cheesecake devotee, head to Rabbit Moon (28 Wilson Rd) for its mini cheesecakes — locals have been known to consume them for breakfast. Good Sorts food truck (10 Wilson Rd) is another village gem. Jon is the master sandwich guru here and mixes up the menu daily (my pick is Thai beef), plus vege-packed salads and Holly’s popular cookies. Look out for burger nights as their smash burgers are superb. Finally, if you want to kick back with your toes in the sand, head to The Deck at the Surf Club (2 Beach Rd), open Labour Weekend to Easter. You can expect great coffee and breakfast, and it’s easy to while away the afternoon with the bar snacks and Good George bevvies.

family friendly meals, and will gladly ferry you in courtesy vans, so you can enjoy a few extra vinos on their decks. In the village, locals flock to La Vie en Rose bar (22 Wilson Rd), where owner Bryce provides drinks and good times. And finally, after years of wishful thinking, we can now head to The Secret Garden at night. Its Tiki Bar offers cocktails, Mexican street food and music, and has brought an awesome new energy to the village. It doesn’t get any better than this — lush, green surrounds, chilled sounds and delicious food and drink. My go-to order is the signature mojito, bursting with mint and summer vibes.

After Hours

Shopping Around

The Waihī Beach Hotel (60 Wilson Rd) is a local hub with a cool garden bar that often features live music or DJs, plus its Italian-influenced restaurant Mazzola’s has fantastic food. When we’re getting a large group together, we head to either the Waihī Beach RSA (99 Beach Rd) or Bowentown Boating & Sport Fishing Club (Pio Rd, Bowentown) — both have fantastic water views and

Steph Saxton’s The Salty Collective (10 Wilson Rd) is a lifestyle and clothing store with a philosophy centered around sustainable living. There are ethical products, including clothing, jewellery, skincare and gifts, and Steph also designs and produces two bespoke clothing brands — Saltysea and Slowly Golden. 68

Photograph: Sheryl Nicholson

↑ The colourful entrance to Flat White — once inside, you’re treated to unparalleled beach views. Opposite & opener: Coastal-inspired items are found at The Salty Collective. Sunday, another contemporary store in the village, has a beautiful collection of homeware and lifestyle products, from handmade New Zealand ceramics, to coffee table books, stationery, skincare and textiles. Ahu was opened 18 months ago by two locals, Katie and Gaylene. Their core focus is a range of skincare, body and aromatherapy products, inspired by Katie’s years of living in Rarotonga. They also offer a variety of wellbeing treatments, including a float pod experience, as well as bags, clothing, jewellery and homewares. Waihī Beach Gallery (21 Wilson Rd) showcases renowned national and international artists that work in a variety of mediums. Andrew Graham is the framer and barista, and Ana Couper is the in-house artist, curator and polymath. Tucked down an alleyway is Waihī Beach’s very own artisan chocolate shop, Chez Moi (29 Wilson Rd). Ines, a trained chocolatier and pastry chef from Switzerland, lovingly crafts chocolates and other

sweet treats on the premises. I can never leave without some of her moreish Russian fudge. Green thumbs should head to Inside Out (29 Wilson Rd) and Theo Spargo (8 Wilson Rd) for lush plants, pots and more. And for ethical, sustainable gifts, Village People (23b Wilson Rd) is stocked with handcrafted, Fair Trade products.

Extend Yourself The Nest (thenestwaihibeach.co.nz) is set amongst native bush and offers yoga and workshops throughout the year. Or, if you want to exercise your artistic skills, Ranger Studio (rangerstudio.co.nz) has workshops for all ages and levels, including Sip & Create sessions, where you enjoy a gin while creating art.

Walk It Off One of the main drawcards of Waihī Beach is the stunning beach and bush activities in close proximity. 69

Photographs: Barry Jesney

↑ ↓ Scenes from the spectacular Homunga Bay walk.

For shorter walks, head to Anzac Bay. Here, Shelly Bay is a quick stroll over to the west of the bay — it’s an idyllic spot for swimming and picnicking. For a more rugged experience, head east down the steps to Cave Bay (from the top carpark), where you can climb rocks and squeeze into a few of the caves near the water. If you prefer a bike to a hike, there are great cycling options at the beach as well. The Trig to Anzac Bay cycle trail takes you from the north end of the beach, all the way south to Bowentown. It’s a flat, relatively easy trail — unless you want to go that extra mile and bike to the top of Anzac Bay, where the views are spectacular. Lastly, don’t forget the remarkable Karanghake Gorge is a hop and skip away — you can bike the Hauraki Rail Trail, learn of the fascinating mining history and swim in refreshing river holes. Ⓟ

The Homunga Bay to Waihī Beach trail is a must-do. A rugged hike along the coastline will reward you with exceptional views and scenery. Start at farmland high above Homunga Bay, then head down to sea level and go through beautiful bush and along the coast. After about two hours, you’ll come across Orokawa Bay, a picturesque, remote beach only accessible by foot. From here, it’s another 45 minutes to Waihī Beach. I recommend doing it one way, ending in Waihī, so get dropped at the start of the walk on Ngatitangata Road. If you’re short on time, the return walk to Orokawa Bay makes for a great half-day adventure. We walked there early one morning and had the bay to ourselves for sunrise — it was out of this world! For magical views above Waihī Beach, and a top-notch workout, head to The Trig Walk near the north end of Waihī Beach. Be prepared for some serious stair climbing (235, but who’s counting?!), but the outlook is most definitely worth the effort.

For more info and maps, visit waihibeach.co.nz @Waihībeach @discover.waihibeach 71

Grow Together

The Birds & Bees Story by Home Farm Photography by ilk

Of course flowers look gorgeous and bring us colour, variety and lots of joy, but in growing them, you’re also playing an important part in protecting our pollinators, such as birds and bees.

↑ Above: Rocket flowers amongst the insect-attracting flowers of calendula (marigold) and cosmos. Left: A honeybee drinks borage nectar, while collecting and storing pollen on its back legs. After fertilisation, the flower dies off and a ‘fruit’ starts to grow in its place, which (when fully ripe) contains seeds and the potential to create more plants. Flowers are something of a beacon to attract the pollinators that seem to endlessly fly around our heads. Each plant species produces its own unique flower that attracts certain types of pollinators — a variety of colors and smells, different flavours of nectar and pollen, even the size and shape of a flower comes into play when attracting pollinators. The nectar and pollen actually feed pollinators, providing them with energy and nutrients to take back to their communities. So plants provide a meal and, in return, receive pollen for fertilisation from other flowers the pollinator has visited.

Bee’s buzzing, birds chirping, butterflies fluttering around, looking all pretty... It all kicks off at the first sign of a new day, and that’s after a night filled with moths, beetles and bats! So what are all these different flying creatures doing all day and night? Do they all have something in common? Well, why don’t we ask the plants… Once the seed of a plant germinates by sending out its first root, followed closely by its first leaves, it has already set out on the first stage of life — the vegetative growth stage. This is where a plant gets busy growing lots of roots, shoots and leaves, gathering what it needs to enter the next stage of growth — the reproductive stage. And it’s at this stage that a plant starts to grow something else as well — flowers. Many plant species need a helping hand at this reproductive stage of life, and flowering plants need the most help. Most the plants that we humans depend on for food need the assistance of a diverse range of winged creatures that we call ‘pollinators’ — they play a crucial part in the plant’s ability to reproduce. Reproduction in the plant kingdom mostly involves flowers being fertilised by the transfer of pollen grains, carried by pollinators from flower to flower.

Types of Pollinators There are more than 400,000 different species of plants around the world and more than 90 percent of those produce flowers. With each species of flowering plant attracting different pollinators, the more diversity of flowering plants you grow, the higher diversity of pollinators they’ll 73

← Jim checks in with a good looking lettuce that’s surrounded by a diverse range of beneficial flowers. Opposite page: Rocky the dog, pictured with Brandon (left) and Jim, is an honourary member of the Home Farm team.

4. Avoid spraying chemicals that’ll harm and kill pollinators. 5. Watch out for the pollinators like our bumble bees and native bee species that make their home in the ground. Digging up the soil can demolish whole communities of beneficial pollinators! 6. Install things like insect hotels that provide a home for pollinators.

attract. This diversity will help to manage pests and disease naturally within your plant communities and growing spaces. Some flowers are small and hidden, like the ones on fig trees that can only be pollinated by tiny wasps. Others, like feijoa, attract birds to aid in pollination by making the petals of their flowers taste so good that the birds can’t help but peck and nibble on them, which shakes the flowers and spreads pollen. Bees are the most common pollinator of all, each bee visiting 50–100 flowers on a single round trip back to its hive and making that trip 10–30 times a day!

Pollinators are out and about every single day looking for nourishment to sustain their communities. Plants create attractive flowers that provide that nourishment and, in return, the pollinators help the plants reproduce. It’s a beneficial and symbiotic relationship that we not just benefit from, but ultimately rely on because without pollinators, fresh fruit and vegetables just would not exist, leaving our diets radically less exciting. So let’s take a moment for those hard-working pollinators out there and ‘bee’ encouraged to take action to support them, so they can do the same for us. For more on this topic, check out the incredible vision and effort of For The Love Of Bees (fortheloveofbees.co.nz) to see how communities of people in urban areas are helping pollinators thrive. Ⓟ

How to support and encourage pollinators: 1. Plant a diverse range of flowering plants and trees — make sure you have something that’s in flower all year round. Planting perennial plants like rosemary, lavender, comfrey, thyme and oregano are great because they continue to grow and flower year after year, if they’re in the right location. 2. Grow flowers that attract pollinators in your edible growing spaces — many pollinators also feed on pests that plague your fruit and vegetables. Some birds that pollinate flowers will also eat pest insects like caterpillars and snails. Flowers like calendula (marigold), coriander, yarrow and cosmos, to name a few, can attract ladybugs that also eat aphids. 3. Allow some of your vegetable and herb plants to go to flower — this attracts and feeds pollinators and, in the process, allows them to help feed you as the pollinated plant can go on to create seeds that you can collect and grow!

Visit ourplacemagazine.co.nz to read our previous Home Farm columns, including how to prepare your soil, and plant fruit and vegetables. The Home Farm team transforms spaces of any size into edible landscapes. For more info: @homefarm.nz nzhomefarm@gmail.com 75

Profiles by Sarah Nicholson

Plenty to Celebrate

The inaugural Flavours of Plenty Festival (7–10 April) is a celebration of our area’s world-class food scene, with tours, pop-ups and special menus. Check out these key events, plus the full festival listings. 76

Local Wild Food Festival Weekend

↑ Enter the Local Wild Food Cooking Challenge and cook your most impressive dish (shot from last year). The Ōhope Local Wild Food Challenge is back in 2022 but this time it’s incorporated into the new weekend-long Local Wild Food Festival, 8–9 April. Events span cooking challenges for young and old to multi-course feasting.

Local Wild Food Festival Saturday, 9 April, 11am–5pm Come along to this festival that celebrates the abundance of amazing food on our doorstep, as well as taking a sustainable approach to our kai. There’s an action-packed programme for the day, including live demonstrations with food tastings, corporate mystery box challenge, smokey fire pit zone, live bands, craft beer gardens, food and market stalls and more! The Local Wild Food Cooking Challenge is a definite highlight of the festival. Consider entering the Cooking Challenge — it’s free and open to anyone, whether you’re just a keen home cook or a total pro. You’ll need to hunt, gather, forage, grow or fish for your ingredients, then create a dish or beverage to enter for judging on the day. There’ll be lots of different categories and prizes up for grabs. The kids cooking competition has two opportunities to win as the festival has partnered with Kiwi Kids Can Cook at this year’s festival.

Wild Food Feasting Friday, 8 April, 5.30–9.30pm First up is the new event Wild Food Feasting. This dinner celebrates some of the best kai the rohe has on offer. Stamp your card as you move around the five wild food stations, each showcasing wild food in imaginative ways. Of course there’ll be some of the freshest local kaimoana, wild pork and watercress, and venison and kawakawa sausages, and marinated mushroom and daikon vegan roll. It’ll also be your chance to try a sublime feijoa and kawakawa ice cream! There’ll be live entertainment on stage and cool craft beer or cider from Mata beer. Limited tickets available so don’t miss out.

Mahy Reserve, Ōhope. Adults $15, kids (under 17) free. For more info and to enter, whakatane.com/wildfood

Mahy Reserve, Ōhope. $90. For more info, whakatane.com/wildfood 77

Kitc hen Takeover Presents Hāngī with Kārena & Kasey

If you love food, dining out and a bit of adventure, you’ve no doubt heard about, if not experienced, Stacey Jones’ Kitchen Takeover pop-up events. The sell-out series of Tauranga dinners are staged at secret locations (you get a text an hour before), randomly seated and fully styled to theme, and the menus are creative as they are delicious. Past events have included Christmas in the Caribbean, the Arabic-themed East of the Middle, and Taiao: Food Of The Gods designed by Kārena and Kasey Bird, which celebrated the Māori deities of the natural world through an innovative degustation. For Flavours of Plenty, Kitchen Takeover has again joined forces with the food stars from Maketū, to present Hāngī with Kārena & Kasey. They’ve found a gem of a venue — Persimmon Lane, a characterful villa tucked away in Te Puna. The lovely grounds include rose gardens and fruit trees, but luckily they’re also happy for the girls to dig a 2x2m hole onsite for the hāngī, so guests will feel like they’re right in on the action. The sisters will heat the rocks for three hours, lay down the hāngī and cook the food for three hours, then once guests arrive at 3pm, it will be unearthed. “Even if you’ve been to hāngī before, it’s always exciting being there to see the food coming out,” says Kasey. “Especially to see what different things have been cooked.” “In a traditional hāngī, there’s always kūmara, potato, pumpkin, cabbage and two different types of meat,” explains Kārena. “We’ll be doing some of that but elevating it a bit.” The exact menu for the afternoon is still being mulled over, but one element that’s confirmed in the lineup is their take on the classic pairing of anchovy

and lamb. “We make this delicious mussel vinaigrette out of smoky mussel meat that’s been cooked in the hāngī,” says Kasey. “We’ll pair that with the deboned lamb shoulder.” The women say they learned about this method of adding seafood to a hangi when they were in Chile, where it’s known as curanto. “In Chile, they’ll use a whole bag of shellfish, and as they cook, they release juices that sizzle on the hot rocks, which creates the steam to cook the food,” says Kārena. They laugh about the fact that it raised a few eyebrows when they first tried it for the whānau, upon returning home. Inspired by the venue, they are also hoping that the persimmons growing on site will be ripe enough to add to the hāngī to create a smokey persimmon sauce to sit alongside the deboned pork belly. “If the persimmons aren’t ready, even apples would be great in the hāngī,” explains Kārena. “You could make an absolutely amazing puree.” The feast will be served whānau-style, so you can help yourself from platters of food, and the three courses will all have an element that’s been cooked in the hāngī. On the day, Kārena and Kasey will speak of their experience of hāngī overseas, in different cultures, and share news of their ever-evolving food journey and connection with te ao Māori (they’re currently working on a cookbook in te reo). Kitchen Takeover presents Hāngī with Kārena & Kasey will run 3–6pm, 8–10 April. Tickets will be sold in tables of 10 and go on sale 3 March. Register for tickets, kitchentakeover.co.nz/kk See page 19 for details of the latest Kitchen Takeover event, The Edible Exhibition. 78

↖ Kasey (on left) and Kārena Bird, with Stacey Jones, at their last Kitchen Takeover event. ↑ The sisters preparing the innvoative food for the pop-up event, Taiao: Food of the Gods. 79

Vegan Vibes

↑ Left to right: Amazing vegan food offerings is always a highlight, from tasty Vietnamese, to pastries, tarts and slices; wander the stalls to check out plant-based food products, as well as other ethical products. Come and be inspired and educated by the people behind some great vegan food products. Good Vibes Fungi will be sharing its passion for fungi and the amazing health and environmental benefits. Hear more about the organically grown mushies, mini mushroom farms and grow kits. Angel Cheese will showcase its dairy-free cheese alternatives. Founder Alice Shoplan (also a speaker on the day) says many people want to reduce dairy consumption but find cheese is a tricky food to give up, and their products make that transition easier. You can also chat to the teams from Uncle Dunkle’s wood-fired chilli sauces, Plant Projects and Otis Oat Milk. Aside from the delicious food offerings, there’ll be a range of like-minded brands there too, such as Ethically So with its homewares and body products. Bring an appetite and a big shopping bag, as well as your friends and whānau, and be ready for a fun filled day! Follow @veganvibesnz to hear when more speakers and vendors are announced.

Vegan Vibes has been an annual highlight for food lovers for many years now, and this year it’s part of the Flavours of Festival weekend. Looking for plant-based inspiration in the kitchen? Want to sit in the sun, listen to live music and graze on delicious vegan delights? Interested in hearing a range of experts speak about plant-based eating? Vegan Vibes has it all on offer, whether you’re vegan, flexitarian or just love eating good kai. This year’s festival is on 9 April in the Mount and the line-up is getting bigger as we write, but here are some of the superb things already confirmed... Two locals will be there in force: Rice Rice Baby will serve its faves, plus Real Rad Food will bring super-popular Rad Ball Mixes, Rad Protein and Rad Slices. Charlie Mia will have a range of allergy-friendly treats. Doughnut flavours will include a special of lemon meringue, along with classic versions, cakes and tarts, plus a new range of sweet and savoury gluten-free pastries, such as pain au chocolat, almond croissant, mushroom & tofu ‘sausage’ roll. Langos Fried Bread Puffs will have a new offering of cashew nut, fresh lime and beetroot with a tamari sprinkle — to add salty to the sweet, and sour; its usual favourites of watercress and walnut pesto, and something sweet, to boot.

10am–3pm, Saturday, 9 April, Soper Reserve, Mt Maunganui. Tickets, ticketfairy.com ($15 early bird, which are limited!), $20 pre-purchased GA or $25 on the gate, kids (under 12) free. 80

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Flavours of Plenty Festival Calendar serving up a special Flavours of Plenty menu, featuring local ingredients. 6–9.30pm, Mata Brewery, 17 Gateway Cres, Whakatāne

April 2O21 7.

Come Dine with Pepper & Me A fun-filled evening hosted by owner of Pepper & Me, Kit & Co and Cain & Abel Knives, Cherie Metcalfe. Enjoy a delicious menu based around her products, hear about her journey and do some shopping! 7–10.30pm, Elizabeth Cafe & Larder, 247 Cameron Rd, Tauranga

Dinner in the Domain All your favourite local street food in one place. Note: If still in red, this event will be takeaways only. 5.30–8.30pm, Pāpāmoa Pony Club, Pāpāmoa

Wild Food Feasting Dine at five wild food stations and enjoy live entertainment. For details, see page 77. 5.30–9.30pm, Mahy Reserve, 13 Pohutukawa Ave, Ōhope

Lumberjack Brewer’s Dinner An evening of great dishes and drinks, with a selection of Lumberjack Brewing beers paired with a five-course dinner created to showcase the region’s local produce. 6–9.30pm, Oscar Tapa Bar, 51 The Strand, Tauranga

8–10. Coastal Cruise & Brews Join Brewbus on a tasting adventure down the Pacific Highway from Tauranga. Enjoy a tasting at Pukehina’s Lumberjack Brewing, before heading to Mata Brewery in Whakatāne for a delicious lunch and more brews. 10am–5pm, Brewbus NZ will pick up all participants from a central Tauranga and Mount location.

The Art of Sourdough Learn about the art of sourdough in a masterclass with Mount Sourdough. From the history behind it, the health benefits, and how to create a starter and look after it, to baking the perfect loaf. 2–4pm, Location TBC 7–9.

A Taste of Plenty at C’Vue Restaurant Choose your share platters from our one-off menu and enjoy locally sourced produce in a fine dining setting. Choose accompanying wines from our tailored wine list, and combine it all with a view of Ōhope. 5.30pm & 8pm, C’Vue Restaurant, 7 Bluett Rd, Ōhope

Kitchen Takeover Presents Hāngī with Kārena and Kasey Experience a gourmet hāngī with the talented sisters from Maketū. For details, see page 78. 6pm, Persimmon Lane, 58 Te Puna Rd, Te Puna.

Mediterranean Escape Enjoy a tour and tasting at both Te Puke Truffle Farm and Mystery Valley Olive Oil, then take a seat at The Trading Post French bistro for an intimate 5-course degustation dinner, celebrating local ingredients. 2.30–8.30pm, The Trading Post, 1 Hall Rd, Paengaroa

Fife Lane + Flavours of Plenty Luncheon Enjoy a three-course menu that showcases the Bay’s best produce in creative ways. 12–3pm, 512 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui Local Wild Food Festival Celebrate the freshest local food, sustainability and the environment. For details, see page 77. 11am–5pm, Mahy Reserve, 13 Pohutukawa Ave, Ōhope Beach

Live Music & Special Festival Menu at Mata Brewery Enjoy an evening of entertainment, with live music from 6pm and the kitchen 82

The theme for the Flavours of Plenty Festival is ‘Plentiful Produce’ and events will span Waihī Beach, Te Puke, Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Ōhope and Whakatāne. Come to the events, meet the makers and growers that deliver deliciousness onto our plates, and celebrate the best the coastal Bay of Plenty has to offer.

Tauranga Farmers Market A highlight of the city, pick up the very best seasonal produce and artisan food. 9–11am, Tauranga Primary School, cnr 5th Ave & Cameron Road, Tauranga

an exciting sustainable fashion show and fresh flavours of the Bay. 2–5pm, Fisherman’s Wharf, Port Ōhope, 340 Harbour Rd, Ōhope 10.

Vegan Vibes A celebration of all things plant-based and ethical. For details, see page 80. 10am–3pm, Soper Reserve, Mt Maunganui

Mount Mainstreet Urban Farmers Market Delicious local food, from pastries and honey to herbs, oil and kombucha. 8am–12pm, Te Papa o Ngā Manu Porotakataka, 137 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui

9–10. Slab Brewing Tour Come down for a tour through this working brewery, where one of the brewers will walk you through their process, while you work your way through a tasty selection of Slab’s beers. Tours on the hour, 12pm–5pm, 1/20 Brook St, Parkvale, Tauranga 10.

The Mount Eliza Cheese Rolling Competition Your chance to chase a cheesewheel down a hill, as well as a tour and tasting. There’ll be a cheese toastie cooking demo featuring its famous raw milk cheese, Red Leicester. 2–6pm, Mount Eliza Cheese, 266 Hot Springs Rd, Katikati For more details and the festival programme, flavoursofplentyfestival.com For regular updates @flavoursofplenty

Bay to Plate at Clarence Bistro Enjoy a five-course tasting menu designed by chef Perrin Yates. The food is all inspired by local growers, plus drinks from Mills Reef Winery’s premium Elspeth range and the boutique Mata Manuka Ale. 12–4pm and 6–10pm, Clarence Bistro, 51 Willow St, Tauranga

Festival Produce Box

These eateries are taking part in the Flavours of Plenty Festival Produce Box Competition. They’ll recieve a box of the Bay’s best products and will create a menu item using some of the ingredients. The dish or cocktail will be judged, plus there’ll be a people’s choice award.

Brewery Tour & Tasting at Mata Brewery Hear the story of Whakatāne’s multi-award winning Mata Brewery from head brewer and founder Tammy Viitakangas, plus enjoy a tour and tasting tray. 2–9pm, Mata Brewery, 17 Gateway Cres, Whakatāne

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Plant-based Kings Feast Luncheon Enjoy a three-course plant-based menu celebrating the Bay’s local flavours, with snacks and Champagne on arrival. 11.30am–4pm, Sugo, 19 Wharf St, Tauranga The Good Fusion: An Afternoon of Food, Fashion & Music A fun family afternoon of fashion and local produce! Enjoy live local entertainment, 83

Good Sorts food truck, 10 Wilson Rd, Waihī Beach Surf Shack Eatery, 123 Emerton Rd, Waihī Beach Chrome Cafe, 3 Wharawhara Rd, Katikati Brew Co, 109 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui Hide Thirst & Hunger, 147b Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui Spongedrop Cakery, 10 Salisbury Ave, Mt Maunganui Mount Made, 262 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui Izakai Bar & Eatery, Bayfair Shopping Centre, Mt Maunganui The Trading Post, 1 Hall Rd, Paengaroa C’Vue Restaurant, 7 Bluett Rd, Ōhope The Comm, 45 The Strand, Whakatāne Javaman Café, 214 The Strand, Whakatāne Mata Brewery, 17 Gateway Cres Whakatāne The Comm, 45 The Strand, Whakatāne

KITCHEN TAKEOVER Presents

y, us histor o i c i l e d Z e a l a n d 's w e g feast N n i r n e i v d o c e s n i fi D x-course i s a h g u thro

19th February - 2nd April @ a secret Tauranga location - $149pp Six courses + welcome cocktail + styled secret venue Tickets at kitchentakeover.co.nz

Local wild

FOOD

festival ŌHOPE BEACH Celebrating food from our natural environment Wild Food F easting

Local Wild Food Festival

FRIDAY, 8 APRIL 5.30PM - 9.30PM

SATURDAY, 9 APRIL 11AM - 5PM

Enjoy and indulge in the best local kai at food stations showcasing wild food from across our rohe.

Food demonstrations with tastings Live bands • Craft beer garden • Food stalls Interactive mystery box challenge + more!

Includes a glass of Mata beer or cider. Limited tickets available $90.

Tickets only $15. Kids under 18 FREE.

G et involved The challenge element of the festival is to gather, forage, grow your own, hunt or fish for local wild food and create a unique dish or beverage to enter for judging on the day. Free to enter and be in to win great prizes! Tickets and more information

whakatane.com/wildfood Part of the Flavours of Plenty Festival flavoursofplentyfestival.com With thanks to Tourism Bay of Plenty, Bay Trust and Whakatāne District Council.

Sacred Springs Photography by ilk

The stories around Mauao’s puna wai tapu are being celebrated by He Pou Rarama, a new artwork by local artist Tiare Dickson, located outside the Mount Hot Pools. 86

← Each side of the pou has a description of the puna wai tapu it represents, along with different design work and colour.

A soak at Mount Hot Pools is renowned as one of the great activities that Mount Maunganui has on offer — loved by locals and visitors alike, but the cultural significance of the location is perhaps lesser known. If you’ve been in the vicinity of Mauao this summer, you might have clocked the new pou that’s been erected outside the pools. The artwork, He Pou Rarama, was designed by artist Tiare Dickson of Ngāi Tūkairangi Hapū and it tells the story of the four traditional puna wai tapu — sacred springs of Mauao. Tiare chose this story to signify Mount Hot Pools’ connection to these springs as Te Puna Waitapu, one of the four springs, is the original hot pool used in ancient times for bathing and healing. The Four Springs Puna Waitapu At the site of Mount Hot Pools, this was a thermal pool for bathing and healing (light green design on the pou). Waipatukākahu Located on the western side of Mauao, this was a spring that was used for washing (deep blue). Ruarapapari A cool water spring for drinking and bathing (light blue). Te Kawa Waipuna The most sacred of the springs, it led into two pools. One was for birthing children, and the other for the bathing and washing of the deceased (red). The tale of the springs is also widely relevant. “It is meaningful to all iwi and hapū and cultures who have a connection to Mauao, so everyone will feel involved in this work,” says Tiare. The pou was constructed by Sketch Group’s Cobus Fenwick from corten steel, rather than the more traditional wood, to ensure it withstands the harsh conditons of the sea air. The steel is intentionally designed to rust over time so it fits in with the natural surrounds. The pou’s design work was laser cut to reveal coloured acrylic that glows with the assistance of LED lighting, so if you’re down that way after dark, you’ll get a different perspective again. Ⓟ 87

KnowHow Property Promotion

Local KnowHow

Paul Dow and Erin Jefferies both love Tauranga and spending time with family. The two financial advisors have now banded together to form KnowHow Property, to help locals with property finance. 88

KnowHow Property Promotion

Qualified financial advisors Erin Jefferies and Paul Dow have 45 years’ combined experience in the do’s and don’ts of property finance. The Tauranga business partners have recently formed KnowHow Property on the back of her extensive banking system knowledge and all his years spent in the corporate and mortgage broking worlds. The duo, who met through their children’s school, also have a healthy respect for each other’s strengths.

How Banks Think “Erin’s been in banking for 25 years so she has this deep understanding of the way banks think and operate. That’s pretty useful information for clients who need us to help them secure a mortgage,” says Paul. “She also has that particular small-town New Zealand ability to relate to anyone.” While Erin grew up in the Central North Island town of Raetihi, Paul spent most of his formative years in Scotland. He arrived in New Zealand 26 years ago, armed with an honours degree and a yearning for travel and adventure. Within four years, he had a swag of passport stamps to his name, as well as a budding corporate career and his first home. In the years since, he has owned a dozen properties and worked in sales and management roles for major telecommunication and information technology companies, including Microsoft and Hewlett Packard. Before launching KnowHow Property with Erin, he worked with an independent local mortgage broker firm.

↑ Paul taking time out with his family on one of the area’s beautiful beaches. good to me,” he says. “Property has certainly been good to me. I realised pretty quickly that it could be a passive investment, a real opportunity for wealth creation. “Boy have I been educated along the way. I’ve made and lost money in property. I took a bath during the global financial crisis because I was overexposed and needed to sell. I learned from experience that the market has cycles and that managing rental properties can be tough. I’m very happy to share those kinds of personal lessons with clients so they don’t have to learn the hard way, like me.” Paul isn’t a fan of placing all financial eggs in one basket, suggesting anyone with several properties may like to have more than one lender in the mix. He’s adamant lending structure is as important as the interest rate and loves to see clients grasp the benefit of a well structured mortgage. Erin and Paul have all the professional contacts a first home buyer or property investor might need. They know lawyers, conveyancers, builders, home stagers, valuers, real estate agents and house movers, and they can also arrange or review any relevant insurance policies.

A Real Opportunity “Paul’s the one with the extensive real-life propertybuying and investing experience,” Erin says. “He’s pragmatic and he has that very useful, broad understanding of business, sales, marketing, property and contracts. We see our strengths as complementary.” Their family life is equally compatible; both are married, each with three similarly-aged children. Consequently, KnowHow Property team meetings often happen at home, frequently with a child or two in tow. It was family — and a dose of curiosity about the land down under — that brought Paul to New Zealand in his early 20s. His brother had already immigrated and his parents and sister were planning to follow. “I fell in love with New Zealand before I fell in love with a Kiwi, and this place has been very 89

KnowHow Property Promotion

↑ Erin spending time with family. She’s continued to move up the property ladder with her husband by investing widely, and can share her experience and advice.

Totally Do-able

The Beauty of Hindsight

Having worked in multiple roles, for several banks in different cities, Erin has seen property fortunes wax and wane with sky-high interest rates and financial crises. Erin and her husband have continued to move up the property ladder by utilising the sharemarket as well as rental property, orchard investment and small business. “Things have changed so much in the two and a half decades I’ve been involved in banking,” she says. “The personalised advice side of that business has really disappeared, to the point where you can now re-fix your mortgage online. That means no ability to compare rates or conditions, no discussion about your own personal and financial aspirations. That’s where we come in.” Paul and Erin work strictly for the client rather than any one institution, allowing them to find the best option among dozens of lending alternatives. “It’s also true that new regulations can mean it’s tough to qualify for a loan if you don’t know the ins and outs of the system. But we know it’s actually still totally do-able.”

Erin laughingly admits she fell into the banking industry at age 17, after her mother guided her towards being a teller because she was pining for an American boyfriend. “I’d come back from a year in Oregon on a student exchange and the job settled me right down.” While the former banker has no regrets about abandoning the teenage boyfriend, she wishes she had entered the property market at an earlier age. “If I’d bought a house in my early 20s, I could have rented it out while I was travelling on my OE. I was in a perfect position to buy, working in a bank and earning good money. So you can bet I’m encouraging any young person who has a good job to consider investing in property now.” Both Paul and Erin look forward to meeting you to discuss — and help achieve — your financial goals, aspirations and adventures. Get in touch to have a chat: paul@khproperty.co.nz erin@khproperty.co.nz or visit khproperty.co.nz 90

THE MOUNT’S BRAND NEW PHOTO STUDIO

: SOMEWHERE.NZ : WWW.WEARESOMEWHERE.CO.NZ

The Long View Story by Sarah Nicholson

At Rotorua Canopy Tours, you get to whizz around on ziplines with views of the most spectacular virgin forest, while at the same time supporting a remarkable restoration of the area’s flora and fauna. The chorus of birdsong, expansive ferns flourishing under towering trees, the cool air... A walk through pristine native forest is most definitely an uplifting experience. However, actually flying through the forest’s canopy with a bird’s eye view of the beauty affords you a whole new connection. Turns out, communing with nature is not necessarily a sedate and relaxing experience. At Rotorua Canopy Tours, you’ll learn about the forest and its inhabitants, and take in breathtaking aerial perspectives of the 1000-year-old forest, but your heart may well be racing while whizzing on ziplines, bobbing along swing bridges over deep gorges, and posing for the camera on a 50m-high cliff walk. There are two different tours on offer, both with a maximum of 10 people: The Original Canopy Tour (opened 2012), which involves ziplines up to 220m, swing bridges and schooling up about the forest (including feeding wild birds by hand). The Ultimate Canopy Tour (launched 2018) includes all that, but heads deeper into the forest, with highlights such as a spiral staircase that winds around an ancient tree, the aforementioned rocky cliff walk, a 400m tandem zipline, and a finale of a controlled decent from a treetop platform (hanging upside down is optional). Age restrictions are from 6 and 10 years respectively for the tours, so you might be too young, but you’re never too long in the tooth… The oldest guest has been an impressive 93. The ziplining may sound terror inducing to some, but the competent staff quickly make you feel at ease with their encouraging words and stringent safety processes (for example, you’re always clipped in as soon as you arrive at each treetop platform). As you whisk across wide open valleys and between the trees, there’s spectacular forest as far as the eye can see, with the most massive, glorious silver ferns splayed out below and birds darting above. It hasn’t always been this way. Founder James Fitzgerald conceived the idea for Canopy Tours, then started building the platforms in the Dansey Road Scenic Reserve with friend, engineer Andy Blackford. As they ferried building supplies through the forest on foot, they noted a silence where there should be a chorus of birdsong, and bare, sickly trees stripped of foliage by possums. The forest was bascially overrun by possums, rats and stoats that had killed the birds and decimated the surrounding eco-system.

↑ The sheer exhilaration of a zipline ride. Opener: There’s always a photo op while taking the 50m-high cliff walk on The Ultimate Canopy Tour and afterwards, you’re sent the shots for free.

Their commitment to returning the forest to its original state by eradicating pests has been a long and incredibly successful journey. It started with hand-set traps, laboriously reset daily (more than 800 rats, possums, stoats, mice and cats were caught in a 50ha area in the first week), and now there’s a partnership with the Department of Conservation and traps (including Goodnature gas-powered self-resetting versions) are set across more than 220ha. Rotorua Canopy Tours staff maintain the traps and trapping lines, and predator levels are very low (for example, possum numbers were at just 3 percent, when last monitored). The birdsong is well and truly back — guides have observed the heartening return of birds such as koekoeā/native long-tailed cuckoo, which join the other birdlife including tūī, toutouwai/North

Island robin, kererū and miromiro/tomtit. And the healthy ecosystem of course has a burgeoning native insect population too, with inhabitants like a rare striped skink, wētā, ngaokeoke/peripatus/ velvet worm, pūriri moth and huhu beetle. Two undescribed (unnamed) species were even recently discovered in the natural safe haven: a new kind of porrhothele (or tunnelweb) spider, and a variation of the pink entoloma mushroom. The conservation work is ongoing and the company has shown how a succcessful tourism operation can also have a positive effect on its natural surroundings and community. Now shrieks of excitement also resound through the forest, giving those happy birds some competition. canopytours.co.nz 95

To Love

& Be Loved

By Elric James Illustration by Christopher Duffy

Do you get the feeling that everything is connected to everything else? A while back I was estranged from my father. We didn’t talk for twelve or so years. I reached out to him when I turned 30. I think I was feeling a bit lost. He suggested meeting for breakfast at a McDonald’s restaurant on a stretch of road known as ‘Takeaway Mile’. It was a Thursday. I was regularly reminded of that fact. I’m not sure why he thought the golden arches were a suitable setting for a reunion. Maybe he was hanging on to a memory he had of me as a child? He was already there when I arrived. He’s nothing if not punctual. When I sat down he handed me a collection of Charles Bukowski’s poems called The Pleasures of the Damned. He told me he accidentally bought two and thought I might like a copy. I’d actually just got back into reading after a long spell of only watching movies. I worked out that I watched over 3000 of them in the span of five years. I should probably add that I was working in a video store at the time. It was a dream job. And the store was only a short walk away from the inner-city apartment where I lived. We had such a diverse customer base. One of our regulars was the president of the local chapter of the country’s most notorious gang. I was often surprised by the films he and his associates rented. Lots of festival films and documentaries. There were so many fascinating people that came through those doors. I learnt a lot about them from their viewing habits. One day on my way to work, I noticed a new piece of graffiti had popped up on the concrete retaining wall beneath my apartment. It was an empty heart with a neatly furled banner through the middle. It looked unfinished, like someone got spooked while painting it. It stayed that way for a long time. I kept hoping I’d wake to find it filled with a name. Why was no one seizing this opportunity to make a public declaration of love? Randomly this came up in conversation with a customer. She was studying to be a journalist, and as it happened the

retaining wall beneath my apartment stood tall above her campus carpark. We talked about a lot of things: love, loneliness and alienation. She said she’d just finished a novel written by a then 23-year-old woman named Carson McCullers, and I must read it. The following week I arrived at work to find a copy of the book waiting for me. It was called The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. She must’ve brought it in on my day off. I never got a chance to thank her. It’s an extraordinary novel. One of my all-time favourites. I was halfway through reading it when my father gave me the Bukowski book. I met some kind people through the video store. Generous people. It was a fun job, with plenty of perks, but we dealt with a lot too. During the time I worked there, the store was robbed at gunpoint, twice. Eventually I moved on. And a couple of years after I left, it went out of business. My father and I kept meeting up for a Big Breakfast every Thursday for a month or two after our reunion, until I moved back to Tauranga and it was no longer convenient. Years have passed and he still messages me every Thursday — and only on Thursdays. Sometimes I reply, sometimes I don’t. The other night I pulled The Pleasures of the Damned from the bookshelf and placed it on my bedside table. I’d never actually made it past page 81. I’m terrible with anthologies. But there it was, on the following page, just as it had been since the day I received it, a poem titled Carson McCullers. And in it, Bukowski wrote lyrically about McCuller’s tales of terrified loneliness and the cruelty of loveless love. And how, after her death, everything continued just as she’d written it...

THE PLEASURES OF THE DAMNED Author: Charles Bukowski First Published: 2007 (Ecco) THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER Author: Carson McCullers First Published: 1940 (Houghton Mifflin) 97

Studio Muse | Billie Scott studio.muse_nz

www.musevideography.com

billie.studiomuse@gmail.com

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Sweet Dreams Photography by Katie Cox

Sweet tooth Adele De’Arth has opened the Tauranga CBD restaurant But First Dessert, with imaginative desserts, Excelso Coffee, cocktails, Sunday high tea and more...

Above, left to right: The smart Solera dining room; lamb ribs with XO sauce, cucumber and feijoa. Opposite: Co-owner front of house manager Nick Potts (left) with head chef Neil Sapitula.

But First Dessert Promotion

↑ The tempting cabinet and bright and colourful interior of But First Dessert. ← Owner Adele De’Arth.

Adele says she has welcomed lots of couples on date nights, and it’s also been popular with families — the DIY ice cream sundae option is already the clear favourite for the kids. While the sundae gets constructed, the adults can sip cocktails. “We offer $12 espresso martinis made with freshly brewed Excelso Coffee [4–6pm, Wednesday to Sunday], which has a lot of younger fans,” says Adele. You’d best get booking for the fancy high tea on Sundays: “We’re already getting people booking a month in advance!” says Adele, who also notes that more special events and offers will soon be announced on social media, as plans are made with other local businesses. Keep your eyes peeled.

“Well for one, I have a huge sweet tooth!,” laughs Adele De’Arth, when asked about the inspiration behind opening her dessert restaurant, But First Dessert. “I’ve also found you can go somewhere amazing for dinner, but then find the dessert menu is quite limited… And not everyone can even afford an entire meal out — but you can come to us and treat yourself, without breaking the bank.” You definitely won’t be short of choice here, with a cabinet full of up to 15 desserts that change daily, from glossy pink hearts of strawberry mousse, and cheesecake layered with passionfruit and berries, to decadent chocolate mille feuille. On top of that, you can order from the seasonally changing menu — maybe berry and elderflower waffles, or tropical rum baba with barbecued pineapple, chardonnay passionfruit mousse and lime and mango chantilly. And for the indecisive, there’s always the dessert platter.

6/109 Devonport Rd (cnr Devonport & Elizabeth sts — opposite the new Elizabeth Towers), Tauranga. butfirstdessert.co.nz @butfirstdessertnz Hours: Wed to Sat, 3pm till late; Sunday 1–8pm. 95

Kiwifruit, Watermelon & Lychee Summer Jar Recipe by But First Dessert

MAKES 4 560g can lychees, liquid drained and set aside, lychees halved ½ watermelon, cut into small dice 40g cornflakes or granola Extra diced kiwifruit, to garnish (optional) Kiwifruit Compote 300ml water 50g light brown sugar 2 kiwifruit, diced 1 tsp lemon juice Lychee Mascarpone Cream 300ml cream 150g mascarpone 50g creme fraiche 2 tablespoons icing sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla essence 2 tablespoons lychee water (from lychee can)

For the kiwifruit compote, combine the water and brown sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, stir, and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the kiwifruit, then the lemon juice. Set aside to cool. For the lychee mascarpone cream, add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until a light and fluffy texture. To assemble, set out 4 small glasses. For the first layer, divide half the lychee mascarpone cream between the glasses, then top with lychee halves. Next layer is the kiwifruit compote, followed by the remaining lychee mascarpone cream. Top with watermelon cubes and cornflakes or granola. Enjoy!

Our Place Events Guide 10.

Social Karaoke Night 9pm, Mount Social Club, 305 Maunganui Rd, Mount Maunganui

12.

The Little Big Markets 9am–2pm, Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui

13.

Weaving your own kai kete 9am–5pm, 19 Waikite Way, Welcome Bay, Tauranga, eventbrite.co.nz

17.

Paintvine Paint and Wine Night: Roys Peak 7–8.30pm, Cornerstone Bar & Eatery, Tauranga, paintvine.co.nz

Mount Mainstreet Urban Farmers Market 8am–12pm, Te Papa o Ngā Manu Porotakataka, 137 Maunganui Rd, Mt Maunganui

20.

Generation Homes Women’s Triathlon 7–11am, Pilot Bay, Mt Maunganui, eventfinda.co.nz

Pāpāmoa Farmers Market 8.30am–12pm, ReDefined, 58 Ashley Pl, Pāpāmoa

24.

Bitchin’ Bingo 7.30pm, Tauriko Pub Co, 2 Taurikura Dr, Tauranga. Free.

Soak’n Sounds Sundays 7–8.30pm, until end of February. Mount Hot Pools, 9 Adams Ave, Mt Maunganui

25.

Trinity Wharf Dinner & Sunset Harbour Cruise with Bay Explorer 6.30–10.15pm, Trinity Wharf Tauranga eventbrite.co.nz

Thu

Dinner in the Domain 5.30–8.30pm, Pāpāmoa Pony Club

Sat

Improv Comedy with The Honest Liars 7.30–9pm, first Saturday of every month until November. 16th Avenue Theatre, 164 16th Ave, Tauranga, eventfinda.co.nz Tauranga Farmers' Market 7.45am–12pm, Tauranga Primary School, 5th Ave, Tauranga

Sun

Dinner in the Park 5.30–8.30pm, Matua Park, Matua

February 2O22 5.

Urzila Carlson 7–10pm, Baycourt Community and Arts Centre, Tauranga, ticketek.co.nz

Konnektive — Melodic House & Techno 10pm–3am, La Mexica, 109 The Strand, Tauranga, theticketfairy.com

26.

The Little Big Markets 9am–2pm, Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui 6/7.

Waitangi Day Waitangi Day is on Sunday, 6 February, with the public holiday on Monday 7 February.

Paintvine Paint and Wine Night: Winter Woods 6.30–8pm, The Freeport, Dine precinct, Bayfair Shopping Centre, Mt Maunganui, paintvine.co.nz

10.

The Little Big Markets 9am–2pm, Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui The Seafarer’s Playground: Hello Sailor, Anika Moa, Louis Baker, Georgia Lines & more 3.30–10pm, Tauranga Waterfront, The Strand, Tauranga, eventfinda.co.nz

March 2O22

Booze & Craic: A Night of Irish & Scottish Comedy 8–10pm, Totara St, Mt Maunganui, totarastreet.co.nz 1

Paintvine Watercolour and Wine Night: Lavender Pot 6.30–8.30pm, The Freeport Bar, 19 Girven Rd, Mount Maunganui, eventfinda.co.nz

Sub Focus & Special Guests 6–11.55pm, Soper Reserve, 95 Newton St, Mt Maunganui, waterbourne.co.nz

@ourplacemagazine

4–6.

Eves NZ Stand Up Paddle Boarding Nationals 2–6pm, Mt Maunganui Main Beach, Marine Parade, Mt Maunganui

19.

The Little Big Markets 9am–2pm, Pāpāmoa Pony Club, Pāpāmoa

4–18. ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 7 games at the Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui tickets.cricketworldcup.com 5.

5–6.

The Bay of Plenty Gin Festival – Gincredible 2–8pm, Wharepai Domain, 91 Cameron Rd, Tauranga, eventfinda.co.nz G.J. Gardner Homes Volleyball NZ Beach Tour: National Champs 9am–6pm, Mt Maunganui Beach, Marine Pde, Mt Maunganui

World Naked Bike Ride 10am–1pm, Bowentown Boating & Sport Fishing Club, 26 Pio Rd, Waihī Beach 20.

Foundation Clinic Mauao Half Marathon 7am, Mount Maunganui, entries.runriot.co.nz

24.

Bites of the Bay & Wine Tasting Tour 10am–2.30pm, Hinterland Tours, 117 Newton St, Mt Maunganui, hinterlandtours.co.nz

Waterbourne Wingfoil Weekend Mt Maunganui Beach, Marine Parade, Mt Maunganui, waterbourne.co.nz 10.

Social Karaoke Night 9pm, Mount Social Club, 305 Maunganui Rd, Mount Maunganui

11–13. Bay of Plenty Seascapes and Waterfalls Photography Workshop Weekend workshop, photographyworkshops.co.nz 12.

St Paddy’s Day Races 11am, Tauranga Race Course, Tauranga, racingtauranga.co.nz

Kokedama (moss ball) Workshop 6.30–8pm, The Incubator Creative Hub, Historic Village, Tauranga, eventspronto.co.nz 25.

BLACKCAPS v Netherlands 1st T20 7–10.30pm, Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui, tickets.nzc.nz

26.

The Little Big Markets 9am–2pm, Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui

Improv Comedy Workshop 10am–3pm, 16th Avenue Theatre, 164 16th Ave, Tauranga, eventfinda.co.nz

We Run The Night 7.30–10pm, Mount Maunganui, werunthenight.co.nz

The Little Big Markets 9am–2pm, Coronation Park, Mt Maunganui 13.

Marra Sprint Triathlon 7–11am, Pilot Bay, Mt Maunganui, triathlontauranga.org.nz

17.

Paint & Wine Night – Cherry Blossom 7–9pm, Cornerstone Bar & Eatery Tauranga, 107 The Strand, Tauranga, paintvine.co.nz

19.

Landslide: Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks Tribute Show 8.30–11.30pm, Totara St, Mt Maunganui, totarastreet.co.nz

This information was current at the time of print. Check online for the most up-to-date information, as some of these events will be cancelled or postponed if we’re still in the red light setting. 2

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