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for new plymouth
ISSUE # 104 february / march 2015 ° Free
THE summer ISSUE
wheels, waves, womad
3 big events close out
summer 2015 PG.8
2 NEW HOMES
Show and Tell PG.30
Family Haven at Oakura PG.70
WINE CLUB
What happens when Book Club meets
wine-swilling friends PG.28
HEALTH & WELLBEING FEATURE PG.41
EDUCATION FEATURE PG.62
LIVE editorial
Happy
New Year!
While the rest of the country
refuses to believe New
Plymouth could possibly be
one the country’s sunniest
spots, we’ve all continued to
bask in the glow of record
sunshine hours.
After a month of warm temperatures
and blue skies, we have most of
February to get some work done,
before Taranaki gets hit with weeks of
partying.
Fifteen years ago, we had no
summer events to speak of. Now
there’s WOMAD, AmeriCARna and
the New Zealand Surf Festival, filling
every weekend in March, except for
one - Taranaki Anniversary weekend.
These events are testimony to the
resourcefulness and hard work of
local people. Interestingly, they all
started off mostly with the passionate
efforts of a committed band of
volunteers. Though unpaid help is still
a big part of each event, the organisers
have managed to work out structures
to ensure they are sustainable.
Each one also returns dividends to
the region, ensuring New Plymouth,
and Taranaki, retains it new-found
place in the sun.
Live life,
Irena Brooks
EDITOR
The Fluoride
Debate
The New Plymouth City ward
by-election is underway with
voting due to close on 10th
March. It appears fluoridation
of our water supply has again
become an election issue, just
three years after council voted
unanimously to remove it.
No matter which side of the fluoride
fence you sit on, you may be interested
in reading about how the council
arrived at its decision after under-going
a quasi-judicial tribunal process that
gave both sides the opportunity to
present their arguments. We have posted the story that
featured in the LIVE Nov 2011 issue, on
our website - www.livemagazine.co.nz
On our home page, a button called
FLUORIDE FINISHES will take you
straight to the article.
FAREWELL DIY
TRAVEL GUY
Sorry to the many fans of Peter Mead,
DIY Travel Guy, but he is moving on
and not taking us with him! Apparently
ten years of writing columns for LIVE
is enough.
Pete - and Shelley - we wish you
both well and thanks again for sharing
your lives and insights with us. We’ll
miss you.
WELCOME TO
BROWNIE
Though most people believe politics
and sports should be kept separate,
Councillor, and sports enthusiast,
Gordon Brown will be sharing his new
sports column with readers. Called
SPORTS SHORTS, you’ll find the first
one on page 60 of this issue, with nary
a political football in sight.
LIVE FEEDBACK
Dear Ed,
Great article by Jim Tucker on what’s
really going on with the road north of
New Plymouth. I laughed when I read
that he made the trip to Auckland in
his Dad’s bread truck and it took him
14 hours, only to discover that Jim later
made the same trip in three-and-aquarter hours. That was quick but I
2 I LIVE MAGAZINE I SUMMER ISSUE 2015
have to point out that I recently made
the trip in 50 minutes. OK, it might
have been by plane, but hey, there were
still bumps.
Big Gills.
Dear Mr/Ms Gills, I bet you felt like a
fish out of water.
Dear Ed,
Beauden Barrett is becoming the new
Dan Carter in more than one way. Not
only is he playing great rugby, but he
does look the part modelling watches
as well. But then he was always ahead
of his time.
A Big Fan
Dear Mr/Ms Fan, he did look rather
good in Dalgleish’s page nine ad didn’t
he? We should point out that the Seiko
brand watch is no relation to top Kiwi
golfer Lydia Ko.
Dear Ed,
I agree with your Dad. Gift vouchers
are highly impersonal presents and
only lazy shoppers usually buy them.
As for them having expiry dates, Dad
is right. Why should they? And best
you don’t even mention the Visa Prezzy
Card which charges you interest to use
your own money. It’s not about him
being Dutch, it’s about him using the
abundant commonsense he clearly has.
Hamster Dan
Dear Hamster, you are right. I’ll be as
quiet as a mouse about that Visa card.
credits
Editor: Irena Brooks
Contributing Writers: Andy Bassett,
Richard Hobo, Shelley Landon-Lane
Jim Tucker.
Photographers: Rob Tucker, Roger
Richardson (www.nowsmile.co.nz)
Cover: WOMAD by Charlotte Curd (TDN)
Financial Controller: Tony Brooks
Design: littlerocket.co.nz
Printing: Astra/Wickliffe Print
The APR/MAY 2015 issue of LIVE will be
out the weekend of 11/12 Apr. The deadline
for booking advertising and submitting
editorial is Friday 20th March 2015.
Advertising:
Julie Rowe - 021 524 614,
julierowe.live@hotmail.com
Irena Brooks - 021 555 144,
irena@livemagazine.co.nz
Sandra Hawkins - 021 081 00964,
sandra@livemagazine.co.nz
Editorial: Irena Brooks - 021 555 144,
irena@livemagazine.co.nz
LIVE MAGAZINE I summer ISSUE 2015 I 3
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3. Philip Brewer and Caitlin Parr in
Charlotteville, Tobago, Barbados
4. Doreen and Rodger Miller, on their
balcony in the Ramblas Hotel in
Barcelona
5. At Paradise Garden Resort in Borocay,
Philippines: (from left) Betty & John
Dunne , Maddie & Jeremy Dunne, Jill &
Bryan Roebuck.
6. Graeme and Lhoma Hannam went to
Inari, Finnish Lapland where they saw
the Northern Lights. 7. Jude, Roi, Caitlyn, Sophie and Madison
Sewell-Monod on the Carnival Legend
cruise ship heading to New Caledonia,
November 2014.
8. At the historic Samadhi Statue (3rd
century AD) Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka;
considered to be one of the
best sculptures in the world of Lord
Buddha. Sam, Ganga, Savithi & Thisal
Gunasinghe.
9. Ben, Iain and Max McCallum enjoying
summer holidays in the snow in Niseko,
Japan.
10. The New Plymouth Friendship Force
on their recent trip to Kiel, Germany.
Standing on the steps of City Hall in
Kiel with The State Capital President
Hans-Werner, are New Plymouth
members Pam and Allan Davies,
Noeline Portway, Barb Waite, Bev Scott,
Richard Alder, Lyn Hart, Janet Goble,
Margaret Emo, Val Patten, Janice and
David Mossop, Shirley Scofield and Jude
Aitken, along with some of their hosts.
11. Lloyd, Tia and Rosanna Hawkins at the
Eiffel tower. Your questions answered
by Sally Howells –
Hooker Pacific’s Furniture
Sales Consultant
Storage
Q We’ve just bought a new house, but won’t be able to
move in to it straight away. Do you have any options for
short-term furniture storage?
A If you are moving temporarily, or will not be moving directly
From Taranaki
to Nepal.
Ten Taranaki people, led by Andrew and Gayle Rossiter
of Urenui, joined ninety other New Zealanders in
late November, to build thirty-six new homes for an
impoverished community of former ‘bonded labourers’ near
the Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Although few had had
any previous building experience, they helped to prepare
hundreds of bamboo stakes, which they then wove into a
basket-like construction, providing external and interior
walls of the thirty six houses. These were later plastered in
raw cement, giving each family of the destitute community,
a strong weather-proof home they could call their own.
In all, four hundred volunteers from around the world
participated in this project, together with local volunteers
and scout groups, all dedicated to bringing hope to a
community being evicted from their homes on state land.
Each participant funded their own travel and
accommodation and contributed generously to the funds
needed to build the houses. The Nepalese branch of Habitat
for Humanity set themselves a goal to build 100,000 homes
in ten years. However after only three years they have
already built 50,000 new houses, including the thirty-six
homes built in Nepal.
“While not every house was ready for occupation, we were
able to move the project forward so that occupation will be
within the year,” says Rodney Dunlop.
“While all worked extremely hard in hot and dusty
conditions, everyone left knowing that they had made a
valuable contribution to the present and future lives of this
community. We found working together with people from
different countries and cultures a positive life-changing
experience.”
Image 1: After a rest day in Kathmandu the group went for a
stroll around the Annapurna Circuit making it up to Thorong
La (5416m), with the temperature on the day -12 *C. “It froze
our water bottles,” says Gayle Rossiter. “Andrew Tidswell (who is
pictured with Gayle and Lakpa Sona Sherpa and Dendi Sherpa)
says I should have used the Live magazine as insulation!”
Image 2: Members of the Taranaki team working in Nepal
building houses for destitute families, with a January 2011 copy
of LIVE!!! From left to right: Judy Thompson , Bernice Southern,
Richard Thompson and Robin Southern (all of New Plymouth),
Nepalese scout, Jeff Clough (Dunedin), Judith Smyth (UK), Gayle
Rossiter (Urenui), Joy McLachlan (NP), Andrew Rossiter (Urenui),
Jean MacDonald (NP), Brian Belworthy (Wellington), Soryl
Rosenburg (Canada), Rodney Dunlop (NP).
into your new residence or office, Hooker Pacific offers short
and long-term storage, utilising specialised containers.
Our purpose-built warehouse provides clean, dry, verminproof storage, which ensures your possessions are safe in a
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We also have secure self-storage facilities of various sizes and
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FEATURE
AND
Three big events to end summer...
New Zealand Home Loans
Surf Festival
Photo Brody Dolan
AmeriCARna
Photo Rob Tucker
WOMAD
Photo Alec Kingham
With AmeriCARna rolling
through town the last weekend
of February, the tone is set for a
revving, ripping, rocking March.
There’s Taranaki Anniversary
weekend, followed by WOMAD
and then the New Zealand
Home Loans Surf Festival.
LIVE looks at what the three
events promise to bring
to the region – not only in
entertainment value, but also
economic benefit to Taranaki.
Phone 769 6080
7 Liardet Street, New Plymouth
Welcome to your Spark Business - Taranaki, created
especially for local businesses in Taranaki.
Main Image: Josh Farr by Brody Dolan
WOMAD
Photo Michael Flynn
THE BIGGEST YET
s
Photo Mel Parson
Photo Michael Flynn
Photo Dave Richards
te
Photo Charlot
14
A partnership to
sing and dance about
Thank you, Taranaki. With your support, TSB Bank continues to grow and evolve. And as we do, so does
our ability to give back. Which is why we’re again proud sponsors of WOMAD – 2015 sees us celebrate
a five year partnership with the festival. Supporting this diverse event is just one more way we can say
‘thanks’ for your role in our journey – and for helping to make this an even better place to live.
A Disclosure Statement is available from TSB Bank Ltd.
Photo Yousso
u N’Dour
Curd, TDN, 20
GADGET 8042 DATE 01/15
WOMAD
Now into its eleventh year, WOMAD keeps getting
better – and the punters know it. This year’s event
looks likely to be a sell-out, reckons Event Director,
Chris Herlihy, a month out from the start. Driving
sales is one of the strongest line-ups WOMAD has
ever seen, along with a new marketing focus and the
culmination of years forging strong relationships
within the entertainment industry. Words Irena Brooks
“We are thrilled to be delivering this
It’s hard to fathom that one event can
change the perception of a city so much. power packed programme for our
audience this year,” says WOMAD
But since WOMAD came to
Artistic Director, Emere Wano.
New Plymouth’s stunning Bowl
“For those folk who have been
of Brooklands, locals and visitors
meaning to come to the festival, but
recognise we have a world-class venue
not made it yet, we hope the addition
and event right in the heart of our city.
of these well-known artists will entice
In its lifetime, WOMAD has
them to make 2015 the year to be there.
contributed over $81 million to the local
We know, once they’ve been to WOMAD,
economy. This year’s event will swell
they’ll be hooked!”
those economic benefits further still,
As always with WOMAD, the full
and is tipped to be a record-breaker.
“This WOMAD is going to be amazing,” three day schedule is full of the very
best musicians from around the
says Chris. “They are all quality artists,
world with over 300 artists at WOMAD
whether people know them or not.”
representing 22 countries.
Seven of the artists will be
All up, there will be six stages
performing just once during the three
delivering 30 hours of entertainment
day festival, including one of the
over three days, bringing together
world’s greatest guitarists and folk
artists from all over the globe in this
legend Richard Thompson Electric Trio,
international festival.
who take the stage on the opening
“WOMAD is unlike any other festival
Friday night.
because of the wider experiences on
Rufus Wainwright will be performing
offer,” continues Emere.
his Best Of show on the main stage
The Global Village is home to a
on Saturday night, as does Irish super
world-wide range of international
group The Gloaming and Cuban legends
arts, craft and cuisine stalls. Kidzone
Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club who
offers a free creative and interactive
will make their first ever appearance
programme for festival-goers aged
exclusively at WOMAD NZ 2015.
12-years and under.
Boston based Lake Street Dive will
Free participatory workshops and
perform an un-missable set on Sunday
cooking demos by some of the artists
afternoon as well as the inimitable
are also popular highlights of the
Sinead O’Connor, who will punctuate
festival. The site decorations and
the final night.
Sinead O’Connor
Photo Donal Moloney
Photo Dominika Zielinska 2004
Proudly supporting our community for over 50 years
WOMAD is not just about music and dance. It also creates enthusiasm and aspiration,
bringing the community together. Todd Energy believes in the importance of sharing
enthusiasm and aspiration with our local community and is why we bring WOMAD music
and dance workshops to the local Primary Schools.
Puerto Flamenco
Photo Charlotte Curd, TDN, 2014
installations are the icing on what is a
truly slick and vibrant affair.
There is constant visual excitement
around the venue, starting with the
site itself, the magnificent Bowl of
Brooklands. Festooned with flags, lights
in the trees, and colourful WOMAD
outfits, there will also be an Anzac
commemoration display inspired by
the cascading poppies display at the
Tower of London. Over 18,000 poppies
have been ordered and Mike Mansvelt
and the team at Plantation are working
on the design and installation.
“As soon as people walk in, they will
see it,” says Emere. “They’ll be able to
buy a poppy and add to the installation.”
Proceeds will go to the RSA.
There will also be a 14 metre waka
on-site at the revamped Te Paepae area.
Osadia will be joining us again with
their amazing hair creations.
Chris puts the continuing success
of the event down to the systems
developed and relationships made, by
the Taranaki Arts Festival Trust, which
runs the event.
“After eleven years, we have forged
some strong relationships with
agents and artists. They know we will
look after them,” states Chris. “We
maintain the best possible standards
for the event, and preserve the levels
of excellence in presentation and
attention to detail to ensure a high
quality experience for the festivalgoers and the artists.”
The work put in by artistic director,
Emere Wano, is also a significant factor,
plus there is an element of luck.
“It’s a bit of a happy coincidence with
artists who are touring in the Oceania
region at the time too - that helps,”
Chris adds.
These days most of the WOMADders
are out-of-towners, with 66% of the
festival-goers in 2014 coming from
outside Taranaki.
This year gate sale prices will be
higher than online rates with gate sales
$6 - $11 a ticket higher than what they
can be purchased for online.
“It’s not just about the money,”
explains Chris. “When people buy
online we can collect their data and
market directly to them for future
events, saving hugely on marketing
costs. Also, online sales mean we can
process people much more quickly at
the gate, easing congestion.
“You can still buy online right up to
the day of the event,” he points out. In
fact, WOMAD-goers with smartphones
can do their online purchase as they
walk up Brooklands Drive if they wish.
The only snag may well be that if the
event is a sell-out, there won’t be any
gate sales available.
COMMUNITY
PROGRAMMES
WOMAD isn’t just about the three day event
either. A range of community programmes
with the four big WOMAD partners – New
Plymouth District Council, TSB Community
Trust, Shell and Todd Energy – have been
organised in the days leading up to the event.
TaikOz will take drumming workshops
for coastal schools to Parihaka, where they
will stay for two days, and have their first
experience of a marae stay. Staff from Shell,
will also take part, in a unique collaboration
of artists, community and sponsor.
Tikorangi & Huirangi School students
will get a visit from Puerto Flamenco, who
will give workshops and a performance of
flamenco dancing and music, thanks to
Todd Energy.
2011 New Zealand Masterchef runnerup Jax Hamilton, will judge at the TSB
Community Trust Cook-Off competition.
Teams of students from Taranaki secondary
schools, cook a dish from one of the top
ten cuisines from around the world. The
winning team gets to cook their dish on
site at WOMAD at Taste The World.
For the first time there will be a free
WOMAD taster event thanks to the support
of New Plymouth District Council, on
Thursday 12th March, Puerto Flamenco
and TaikOz will give a free performance at
Puke Ariki landing from 11.30am – 1.30pm.
Third Eye Investigations
Utilising a combined 69 years in the police force has equipped the three
partners of Third Eye Investigations with the skills and contacts needed
to help solve a wide variety of matters, including investigations that
could proceed either in the criminal or civil arena.
Former Detective Senior Sergeant Grant
Coward, has teamed up with former
Criminal Investigation Branch detectives
Patricia Clarke and Susan Ashton, to
offer an impressive range of skills.
Grant was a police officer for 28 years
and a detective for 25 of those years.
He was involved in over 80 homicide
investigations and in charge of 42, none
of which went unsolved.
Trish and Sue’s police duties covered
child abuse, sexual and physical assault,
fraud, arson, homicide, drugs, theft and
burglaries. Trish also has training and
experience forensic scene examination
and fraud while Sue spent sixteen years
attached to the police negotiating team.
The three started Third Eye
Investigations in August 2014 and have
already competed a raft investigations,
for members of the public, businesses,
sports organisations and in particular
the legal fraternity.
Corporate fraud, employment and
workplace investigations, theft, missing
persons, elder abuse, surveillance,
commercial and civil investigations,
mediation, domestic relationship
conflict, negotiations, debt recovery and
training, are all aspects of their new
business.
“We offer a free half hour consultation
and at the end of that 30 minutes, we
can give the client an estimate of the
time the job will take, where we can go
with it, and the cost,” says Sue.
“It’s not much different from police
work,” Grant comments. “Compared to
what we’ve done, nothing is too hard.”
All three are enjoying the independent
aspect of their new business. They are
not aligned to either the defense or the
prosecution, they simply work for their
client to obtain the truth.
“We’re not tied to anyone - it’s a nice
place to be,” reflects Grant.
That independence is a valuable
commodity and one the Taranaki Rugby
Football Union seized upon when they
contracted Grant to undertake their
annual performance audit in October
2013. The changes brought about by that
audit saw their flagship team win the
NPC title in 2014. They contracted Grant
again after last season.
As a New Plymouth District Councillor,
chairman of Taranaki Rugby League and
chairman of Life Education Trust, Grant is
well-positioned to understand the needs of
corporations and community organisations.
He, Trish and Sue know each other’s
strengths and value the teamwork they’ve
built up over their years with the police
together.
“It’s good to not see those skills go to
waste.”
69b Vivian Street,
New Plymouth 4310
Office Hours:
Mon – Fri, 8am – 5pm
Phone: 06 758 0074
Susan Ashton
Mobile: 027 519 6253
Email: sue@thirdeyeinvestigations.co.nz
Grant Coward
Mobile: 027 717 1751
Email: grant@thirdeyeinvestigations.co.nz
Patricia Clarke
Mobile: 027 675 7755
Email: trish@thirdeyeinvestigations.co.nz
The Dressing Room
The Dressing Room is a “once-loved clothing boutique” you’ll find
at 46 Liardet Street, just on the ‘mountain side’ of Devon Street.
Stocking women’s designer and
vintage clothing, shoes and
accessories, it’s a great place for guiltfree browsing. Most items are less
than $50 and there are some fantastic
bargains to be had, from designers
like Trelise Cooper, World, Ricochet,
Marilyn Seyb, Country Road and
Annah Stretton, to name just a few.
You’ll also find items for men in
store including shirts, jeans, hats and
the ever popular vintage waistcoats.
The Dressing Room opened in
February 2013, by young entrepreneur,
Shannon Blount. Her eye for fashion
has ensured the shop is constantly
full of styles to suit the seasons.
With the majority of clothing sold
on consignment, stock is always
changing.
“I saw the opportunity to open
a boutique shopping experience
where customers could buy and sell
some of the best New Zealand and
international designer labels and
unique vintage pieces,” says Shannon.
“Recycled clothing boutiques are
becoming popular as people realise
that the way forward is sustainability,
plus it makes room in the wardrobe,
and adds to the purse, if you consign
clothes you no longer want or wear.”
Customers can drop their quality
designer clothing and accessories
in, between 10am – 5pm Monday
to Friday and 10am - 3pm Saturday.
Arrangements can also be made
outside these hours.
To complete the recycling circle,
Shannon supports the community
by passing on unsold stock to local
charities.
OPEN Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 3pm
46 Liardet St, NP (by Devon St traffic lights). Phone: 06 929 3744
Check our latest stock at:
www.facebook.com/thedressingroomnp
Young
Taranaki
Talent
Reap Benefits
of Surf Festival
Words Irena Brooks
Photo Daniel Farr, by Brody Dolan
Two weeks of surfing will encompass five separate surfing contests during
the 2015 New Zealand Home Loans Surf Festival starting in late March.
One of those competitions is the Rip Curl GromSearch, staged at various
locations around the world to discover the planet’s up-and-coming young
surfers. Last year in the New Zealand competition, two Taranaki lads made
it to the final, fighting until the very last wave to see who would go on to
represent their country at the world title event in Indonesia.
THE LINE UP
RIP CURL
GROMSEARCH / 21-22 MARCH
SURF TO SNOW
EXPRESSION SESSION / 23 MARCH
NORTH BEACH PRO JUNIORS
MEN’S & WOMEN’S JQS1,000 / 24-27 MARCH
PORT TARANAKI PRO
WOMEN’S WORLD TOUR QS6,000 / 26-29 MARCH
FISHER & PAYKEL
TARANAKI EASTER MASTERS / 3-5 APRIL
POWERCO
HAVE A GO AT SURFING DAY / 6 APRIL
UPDATES / WEBCAST
SURFFEST.CO.NZ
Oakura Surfer, Paige Hareb will be
competing in the Port Taranaki Pro
Women’s World Tour QS6,000 event.
NZ Surf Festival organiser, Craig
Williamson remembers the
moment well.
Isaac Kettle, who was 15 at the
time, had led for much of the first 25
minutes of the final, before 14-yearold Daniel Farr hit back with a six
point ride with five minutes to go.
Kettle was not finished however,
completing a powerful forehand
closeout turn that put him back into
the lead. Then, with less than five
seconds remaining, both surfers took
off on the same wave hunting for
a final good score. Farr was forced
to exit the wave but had stood up
first meaning Kettle incurred an
interference pushing him back
into second.
“It really couldn’t have got any closer,”
recalls Craig. He felt badly for Kettle,
who had surfed well throughout the
competition, “but there could only be
one winner.”
Just a few hours later however, Kettle
gained a win of his own. Rip Curl
contacted him to see if he would like
to be sponsored by the worldwide
surf brand.
“I was really happy when I was
approached to become a part of the team,”
Kettle recalls. “It was my first
big sponsorship deal.”
As for Daniel Farr, he came
a creditable 5th equal in the
international GromSearch final, held
at Lakey Peak, Sumbawa, in May of
last year. He was knocked out of
the competition in the quarter-final
stages by the eventual winner Pat
Curren (17) of California. Pat is the
son of legendary surfer Tom Curren.
“It was so cool ... crazy!” says Daniel
of his week competing at
international level. “Jacob (Willcox of
Australia) and Curren are so awesome.
Even to be around them was so cool.
Their attitude is so good and they are
both just happy to go and surf. When
they are out there they put a hundred
percent into everything - they really
want to win.”
Surfing Lakey Peak was very
different to Daniel’s usual haunt of
Fitzroy Beach. “It’s a barrelling reef,
with nice two to three foot breaks and
offshore breezes every morning,” says
Daniel. “And super warm water.”
Both Daniel and Isaac will be back
in action again at this year’s New
Zealand Home Loans Surf Festival,
in the 2015 Rip Curl GromSearch
event. They’re each a year older and
have had successful surfing years in
2014, with Isaac claiming the Raglan
Secondary Schools title and Daniel
competing at the ISA World Games “like the junior Olympics of surfing,”
he comments, where he came 33rd
out of 118 entrants from 23 countries.
Neither one is into trash talking his
rival ahead of this year’s Rip Curl
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GromSearch competition. In fact, they each appreciate
the other.
“It’s good to have the Farrs and other local surfers pushing
each other with their surfing,” says Isaac.
“Though there’s quite a bit of rivalry in the water, on land
we’re mellow about it,” says Daniel. “It’s definitely good to
have someone so good locally. In the Taranaki age group
events, it’s usually us two in the final.”
But they won’t be the only local entries to keep an eye
out for in the Rip Curl GromSearch event this year. Other
Taranaki prospects in the U17 division are Reef Matthews,
Sonny Rapira-Martin and Joel Clegg.
Isaac and his surfing brother, Sean (19), will also be
competing in the WSL (formally ASP) Pro Juniors (U20),
as will Daniel and his older brother, Josh (16).
They. along with other Taranaki surfers, like Riccardo
Lucibella, will be competing against the best young surfers
in Australasia.
“Really, the level of surfing in this competition (the Pro
Juniors) is well worth coming to see,” says NZ Surf Festival
contest director, Jarrod Hancox. “It’s as close to the Men’s World
Qualifying Series as you can get, and the level of surfing on
display reflects that.”
The Waiwhakaiho break. Photo Rob Tucker
Josh Kettle at Back Beach. Photo Brody Dolan
New Zealand Home Loans
When you know you’ve saved someone over $200,000, it’s a
pretty good feeling, reckons Glenys Paterson, who recently
took over New Zealand Home Loans in New Plymouth.
“We can save people years off their
mortgage term,” explains Glenys, who
had 30 years in the banking industry
before starting with New Zealand Home
Loans (NZHL) in 2013.
“Many people simply don’t realise
there are other options when you need
a mortgage, besides going to banks. We
provide the tools for clients to manage
their money better and it is a service
that is really needed. So many people
are never taught how to manage their
money. I like being able to show how
easy it can be, and really enjoy helping
people discover they can save twenty
years off their mortgage.”
Glenys then demonstrates a case
Photo: Glenys Paterson (left) with Kim Fawcett
scenario of a couple with a $250,000
mortgage over 30 years, and how
NZHLcan help get the repayment period
down to just ten years, effectively
saving the couple $200,000 in interest.
“We have a different philosophy to a
normal trading bank - we want to work
for you and with you - and have the
skills and knowledge to help people
achieve long-term financial security.”
The first appointment takes about
60-90 minutes, where clients set out
their current income and expenditure.
The NZHL consultant then enters
the information into a financial
management programme they have
developed so clients can see the
cumulative effect of their earning and
spending on their mortgage.
“We can also show people how they
can factor in big ticket items that maybe
they have previously thought they can’t
afford, like travel, home renovations,
buying a rental property or a portfolio of
investment properties. They learn how to
track, monitor and review their financial
situation, and they can even access their
information from a smartphone”
says Glenys
As the principal sponsor of the New
Zealand Surf Festival and the winter surf
series, Glenys, who has lived most of
her life in Taranaki, is passionate about
supporting her community.
“Taranaki has an enviable lifestyle
and New Zealand Home Loans are all
about trying to free up people’s financial
commitments so they can make the most
of what this region has to offer. The New
Zealand Home Loans Surf Festival is a
great fit with that philosophy.”
If you would like to find out if New
Zealand Home Loans can save you years
off your mortgage and thousands of
dollars in interest, call Glenys on
759 6955, for a free consultation.
193 St Aubyn Street, New Plymouth
www.nzhomeloans.co.nz
Paying too
much for your
design?
If you’re in the market for smart and
effective design to complement your
brand or website, come and see
what we can do for you.
It doesn’t cost a thing to come in and have a chat.
Our highly qualified and experienced team can help you
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We value our clients and enjoy developing long and
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and at a price you can afford. Take a look at some of our
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Make it your New Year’s resolution to contact
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A selection of the valued clients we work with:
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P. 06 769 5111
Reef Mathews, Sam Single & Daniel Farr.
Photo Daisy Day.
LOOK OUT FOR...
THE SUPER
YOUNG GROMS...
Waitara surfer Zhana Hutchieson won her first
ever national final in the Under 14 Girls Division
last year, and though she is young enough to enter
the same competition this year, it is likely she will
contest the U17 division instead, as well as the
Pro-Juniors.
Other local youngsters who performed well last
year include Tom Butland of Oakura, who claimed
the Under 12 Boys Division, fellow Oakura surfer
Ariana Shewry, who came runner-up in the Under
12 Girls Division, and Kahana Ngaia of Waitara
who placed third.
All three will again be competing again this year,
in either the U12s or U14s. ••
Powerco is proud to support the local community. In the last year,
we sponsored 40 events and organisations in Taranaki including the
New Zealand Surf Festival. This year, we are proud to be supporting
the Have a Go at Surfing Day and the Surfing Taranaki High
Performance Academy.
STAYING SAFE IN THE COMMUNITY
Powerco’s transformers
have been transformed
into vivid pieces of artwork
highlighting important
safety messages.
Four electrical boxes in New Plymouth have
been painted with eye-catching images.
The artwork associates the hazards of
electricity with dangerous creatures – raging
bulls, wolves, spiders and jellyfish. Each
includes a safety message warning people
to keep clear of the transformers.
Powerco Group Health, Safety, Environment
and Quality Manager Fiona Ewing said
electricity networks had high levels of
electricity running through them.
People must stay away from all electrical
equipment such as transformers and
especially downed power lines at all times.
“We hope this novel approach
will help communicate our safety
messages to members of the public.”
Powerco was proud to support art in public
places and local artists, she said.
“We think the raging bull image
fits in particularly well with the
surrounding street art in the
Huatoki Plaza.”
Visit powerco.co.nz for more information.
AMERICARNA RIDES AGAIN
The American motoring and
culture extravaganza that is
AmeriCARna is hitting Taranaki
once again at the end of February
2015. Come February 26th – 28th,
our city streets and country roads
will rattle and hum to the rumble
and roar of around five hundred
American cars and their owners.
Words Richard Hobo
Yes, the folks from the good old US of
A certainly know how to have fun and
it is this aspect of America that is the
cornerstone of AmeriCARna. From overthe-top cars, to comfort food and the
unashamed desire to just have a good time.
Originally the brainchild of local businessman John Rae,
AmeriCARna is now run by TVET, (Taranaki Vehicle Events
Trust), headed by chairman Garry Malcolm, who along with
fellow trustees, Mike Ekdahl, Wayne McCurdy and Marilyn
Davies will be responsible for the community portion of
the event, leaving John free to concentrate on the vehicle
management side of things. While John admits that it is a
little hard taking a back seat in an event he created, he
admits that it is necessary.
“Really, we had to face reality that if I got run over by a
Mack truck tomorrow, the event would most likely die with
me,” says John, “so by handing things over to the trust, we
can ensure that the event has a life beyond me and has more
input from other people whom we hope will bring even more
to the event as it continues to grow.”
As well as the usual Inglewood, coastal and South Taranaki
cruises, one highlight will be the AmeirCARnival being held
in New Plymouth’s CBD on Saturday, February 28th, with cars
parked along Devon Street from Egmont Street to Gover Street.
However, the kids will probably be dragging you to Puke Ariki
Landing to check out the American-sized kids’ free-for-all.
Overseen by event co-ordinator Toni Fabish, the kid’s event
promises everything from face-painting to bungy tramps,
mechanical surfboard to a rock wall. All of which, thanks
to sponsorship and funding secured by the trust, is open to
everyone at no charge.
“It is completely and utterly free to everyone and
anyone,” says Toni. “There is no charge at all for any of the
attractions. Just come on down, bring the whole family
and have a good time.”
Then there are the informal events AmeriCARna has
spawned, like the Mangorei Road street party, which has
grown bigger and better every time. What started out as
a fairly impromptu gathering of neighbours to watch the
cars returning from South Taranaki on the Friday night, has
become a regular fixture for the residents.
As far as the cars that will be attending, the line-up is
always awesome and even slightly overwhelming. Organisers
are expecting “500 plus cars, easily” and there will be a few
oddballs and highlights amongst them, including a Dodge
ambulance, at least one police car and an International
school bus. I don’t know what it is about erstwhile municipal
vehicles, but they always draw an enthusiastic crowd. ••
L I M I TE D
JRI - INSURING WHAT YOU VALUE!
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Proudly in association with AmeriCARna
jri.co.nz
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john @jri.co.nz
PROUD SPONSORS OF
AMERICARNA 2015 IN
INGLEWOOD
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live drive
American Muscle
2015 Chrysler 300C SRT
Words + Photos Richard Hobo
It’s a hard time being a V8 lover lately. With fluctuating oil prices playing havoc
with the price of fuel and production of the two Australasian mainstays of bent
eights coming to an end in the next year, lovers of that characteristic low rumble
could well have been crying into their steaks and beers.
True, the top-end Europeans are
soldiering on with V8s, but if you don’t
have a spare farm or two to flog off to
facilitate your next vehicle purchase,
you could be coming up a little short.
Fortunately, there is an answer to this
problem and it is big, low-slung and
straight from the heart of America.
The Chrysler 300C SRT8, (to give
this beast it’s full name), is a car that
looks it would not be advisable to
mess with. Climb in, close the door
and you feel like you’ve just entered
a bank vault; a bank vault lined with
carbon fibre, black leather, suede
and carpet and when that door
shuts, the outside world is hushed to
such a degree that you could well be
mistaken for thinking that you’ve just
entered a dark and luxurious isolation
tank. You’re not completely isolated
however, as when you push the start
button and that 6.4 litre Hemi V8 fires
up, you can hear it as the proverbial
rumble of not-so-distant thunder. This
is a car you drive with the windows
rolled down, all the better to listen to
that great engine.
At first, the 300C feels heavy and
intimidating. The A-pillars are thick
and chunky and the black roof lining
and narrow side windows add to the
feeling of solidity. But, as you drive it,
the big Chrysler starts to feel lighter
and friendlier. The black leather seats
are big and comfortable and are also
heated front and rear and vented in
the front. Both the front seats are
electrically adjustable and the driver’s
seat has two memory settings. Oh and
the steering wheel is heated too.
But enough of all that; what does
it go like? I hear you wail. It goes like
absolute hell. If I was a 14 year old girl,
I would be texting to all two thousand
of my friends… SRT? OMG!! Under
the bonnet sits a 6.4 litre Hemi V8
chucking out power of 347kW@6,100
rpm and torque of 631Nm@4,150
rpm. That is a stonking amount of
torque available at pretty low revs, so
yes, this car can shift and the power
it produces is intense and addictive.
Sit in your driveway, rev the engine
and the whole car will rock. Get out
on the highway and mighty hills are
hammered flat, while the horizon
is lassoed and yanked towards you
until it smacks you in the face like
a big blue pillow. Wumphf!! Great!
I hear you say, what about fuel
consumption? Umm… 13.0 litres per
100 kilometres.
The transmission has five gears
which you can change manually with
the steering wheel-mounted shifters.
Bringing everything to a standstill are
four-cylinder Brembo brakes, with 14.2
inch ventilated discs up front and 13.8
inch discs at the rear. Those gigantic
wheels? 20 inches.
It really is a big bunch of fun
charging around in such a big car with
such a vast amount of power under
the bonnet and the red mist can easily
descend, which I suspect may go some
way to explaining why a lot of cars are
now coming out with cool blue dials,
in an attempt to keep the driver calm
and sane. However, the 300C’s dials
are cooler than most. There seems
to be some real art deco touch to the
lines of this car, I suspect echoing
some of the great Chrysler cars of the
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So next time your vehicle is
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STORE A PHOTO OF THIS AD ON YOUR PHONE FOR A MOBILE MECHANIC
email waiwakaihoautos@gmail.com
past and even New York’s Chrysler
Building itself.
So, it looks great, it’s comfortable
and it goes hard. What else is there?
Well, if you’re into driving and
technology and like to nerd out to
both after you’ve dropped the kids
off at their sleepovers and the wife
off at wine club, you’re going to
love this car. On the touchscreen
menu that controls, well pretty
much everything, there is a button
called SRT and More. Hit this button
and you’ll be able to adjust the
suspension and transmission from
normal to sport or track, (or Go Hard,
or Go Home modes, as I like to call
them), record acceleration times,
measure G-forces, steering angles
and so much more. You can also
have every dial imaginable come up,
from transmission temp to voltage.
Of course, it has satellite navigation,
(with an English accented woman,
weirdly) and a (count ‘em people)
19-speaker Harmon Kardon sound
85,990
Grand Cherokee Limited CRD WAS $
system that will change your mind
about all your old albums, because
you’ve never heard them like this
before. You know that bit on Pink
Floyd’s The Wall when the helicopter
comes over? Play that at a decent
volume with the windows down and
people on the street will be staring up
at the sky looking for the chopper. It’s
that awesome. ••
PRICE AS TESTED: $77,990
Cherokee Limited Petrol WAS $
61,990
NOW $ 79,990* NOW $56,990*
* Terms and Conditions Apply
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Lye Centre
Truly Ground-breaking
As the Len Lye Centre gets closer to completion, the art
museum is one of Taranaki’s most talked about facilities.
“We appreciate there are people in the
community who didn’t want the Len Lye
Centre. I struggle to recall any major
project in New Plymouth that was
not born in controversy, the sewerage
disposal debate, the TSB stadium, Puke
Ariki, and even the beloved Pukekura
Park back in the day,” says Len Lye
Centre Trust Chair Kinsley Sampson.
“We have been offered a gift here –
it’s happening now and there are a
huge number of people who have
got behind it.”
The building will set new records
and design standards, befitting really
for a gallery celebrating the works of
the world’s foremost kinetic artist.
With a cinema inside dedicated
to experimental film, and gallery
spaces exhibiting art at the forefront
of modern thinking and creativity
– even the building facade is groundbreaking with prototyping technology
never done before.
The combined contemporary art
museum will also be the first cultural
facility in New Zealand to be owned
by a council that has been built
without funding from its rate payers.
The $11.5 million price tag to
construct and fit-out the building is
being covered externally, with zero
council borrowing or contribution.
A staggering effort for a region
of just over 100,000 people.
The TSB Community Trust was
the starter, committing $1m to
the project in 2009. Two years later
the Ministry for Arts Culture and
Heritage Regional Museum Policy
Fund awarded $4m, with the
Minister Hon. Chris Finlayson
saying “New Plymouth is positioning
itself to become New Zealand’s capital
of culture.”
Also in 2011, $0.5m came from
the Lotteries’ Environment and
Heritage Fund and Todd Energy
committed the biggest funding
from the private sector to arts in
New Zealand’s history with $3m.
Last year the Lottery Grants Board
Significant Projects Fund gave
another $2.695m.
And so far, private donors have
collectively contributed more than
$400,000 towards the project.
The original fundraising target is
met, but the Len Lye Centre Trust,
which formed in 2013 to help with
construction costs, is still working
to find more sources of revenue –
ensuring New Plymouth has a great
art museum and an affordable one.
The trustees are Kinsley Sampson
(chairman and former New Plymouth
District Council Chief Executive),
Cathy Thurston (former NPDC
Community Services); Garry Anderson
(partner, Auld Brewer Mazengarb
and McEwen); Chris Lynch (director,
Staples Rodway) and Sandra Bell (vice
president, HSE, HR and Group Services
at Todd Corporation).
The Trust will soon be offering
naming rights to the 62 seats due to
be installed in the Len Lye Centre’s
state-of-the-art cinema. They’re
priced at $1000 each, including two
wheelchair accessible spaces, and
the front row seats will be double the
space for double the price.
On the outside of the building, 31
of the $10,000 Lasting Legacy panels
have already sold and there are just
nine panels left on which donors will
have their names of up to five words
engraved along the bottom.
The Trust recently launched an
online-donation facility on the GovettBrewster website, where donations
of $1 and more can be made. All
donations, big or small, will be
recognised within the new museum.
The Trust has received contributions
from $5 upwards, including an
Auckland couple who gave $100,000
and requested their donation
be anonymous.
At corporate levels there are
still naming rights for major
exhibition spaces.
Says Kinsley Sampson: “The trust
is working hard to make this art museum
an exciting addition to Taranaki’s tourism
and cultural offerings. It’s been a long time
in the making – we’re at the sharp end
of the pencil now - let’s get excited about
what will be a valuable community asset.
While financial support is helpful, it’s the
positivity, advocacy, and local backing
that is the powerful combination.
We are now looking forward to
opening mid this year.” ••
PET PIX
2
1
4
6
7
animals in the family
for 30 years
477 St aubyn st, new plymouth
phone: 06 7513000 (24 hours)
www.staubynvet.co.nz
PLANNING FOR
A FUN FUTURE
We love the summer holidays! It’s always great to spend quality time with family and friends,
doing some of the things we enjoy. And while most of us have reluctantly retreated back to
work, “one day” when we retire, we’ll be able to do all the things we love, all the time.
Or will we? Unfortunately for many
pensioners, the reality is that they’re
getting by on very little. Current research
shows that around 60% of retirees are
managing on New Zealand Super alone
(Source: Commission for Financial
Literacy and Retirement Income).
For a person living alone, that’s about
$1,830 a month, and $2,770 a month for
a married couple (before tax). Even if you
are mortgage free, after paying for the
basics like food, bills, rates, petrol etc.
there’s not a lot left in the pot for long
lunches or holidays. And if you’ve just
turned 65, the likelihood is that you’ll
have to live this way for another 20 to 25
years.
If you do one thing this year, we
recommend you put some time into
thinking about how much you’ll need
to support a happy and achievable
retirement and your new found freedom.
While it’s often hard to work out exactly
how much you’ll need, the best place to
start is with the fun stuff – your goals.
Will you travel? Will you take up a new
hobby? Whatever you decide, you need
to make sure you have enough in the
bank to fund it, and pay the bills.
Then you’ll also need to consider the
not so fun stuff, like ensuring you will
have sufficient to manage your day
to day expenses and bills which wont
magically reduce just because you have
retired.
There are a few tools out there now
like online calculators which can help
you work out a basic savings plan,
however they are unlikely to give you
the complete picture, as most don’t take
into account all the variables involved in
retirement planning.
At Foresight Financial Planning, we
specialise in retirement planning and
have the latest tools and software to
help you work out how much you’ll
need to save, all in a matter of minutes.
We can also help you put together a
personal retirement plan and offer a
range of savings options to suit different
budgets.
You would be amazed at how even
a small regular saving, especially if
combined with KiwiSaver, can make a
huge difference down the track to help
make retirement a happy and fulfilling
time in our lives.
So if you’d like to plan for a fun future,
then we can help. Give us a call for a free,
no-obligation chat.
At Foresight Financial Planning we offer free
advice and consultations. To get in touch
with us, please call (06) 751 4510 or email
mike@foresightfinancial.co.nz. A free
disclosure statement is available on request.
www.foresightfinancial.co.nz
3
Windows Windows Windows
5
1. Highland Cows, Honey &
Olive
2. Onyx guards Taranaki’s last
remaining patch of green grass
in January.
3. Albert the three legged
bearded dragon… apparently
his big sister bit off his other leg
in a fight when he was a baby.
4. Tilly Jull, a British blue,
proves females of all
persuasions can multi-task, as
she suns herself while looking
for mice.
5. Maisy’s not lazy, just sleepy!
6. While Indie practices her
perpetual “please feed me” gaze
7. Kaia and Mali practice
perching so they can blend in
better with the chooks.
weddings
Send your Pet Pix (1MB+) in to info@livemagazine.co.nz
When you look through your windows
what do you want to see?
Whatever it is, you want it to be framed by
window furnishings with a difference.
And in the evening when you require privacy transform that
window with beautiful Drapes or stunning Blinds.
So if your building new or simply desiring a change
from what you already have, call in and be pleasantly
surprised by the options our designers can offer you to
enhance your view, night and day.
310 Devon St. East
Ph 757 8098 ~ Open 7 Days ~ homeretail.co.nz
Matty and Ashlee James married on 3rd January 2015 at the
Bowl of Brooklands followed by a reception in the ballroom of the
Quality Hotel Plymouth International. Photo: Nicklin Visuals
WEDDING PHOTOS
Please send your recent wedding photos
to info@livemagazine. Images must be a tif
or jpeg file, at least 2MB in size thanks and
received before 15th March 2015.
BEING DAD
RICHARD HOBO
Wine Club
The first rule of wine club is that you simply must tell as many people about it as
possible. The second rule of wine club is that it is only open to women. The third rule
of wine club is that beer is not wine, but vodka and Bacardi are. The fourth rule of wine
club is that all attendees must arrive in a fit of hysterics, tottering about on high heels
and be in possession of a laugh that could machine-gun a penguin at a thousand paces.
Wine club evolved after Lorna
mentioned to her drinking buddies
that in some of her more sober
moments, she sometimes attends
a book club, to which one of them
replied, “Book club? Bugger that. Wine
club sounds heaps better.”
And so it began, with a seemingly
ever-growing cast of women rocking
up to our place, starting the night
out chatting and tittering like cute,
domesticated birds briefly let out
of their cages and ending the night
screaming and cackling like inebriated
pterodactyls.
To any casual observer, these
evenings start off innocently enough.
A gaggle of women with nice names
such as Becky, Rachel, Megan,
Hayley and even Shelley pull up to a
normal suburban house in a slew of
hatchbacks and SUVs. Unless they
happen to notice the surreptitious
bottle-shaped cargo in each woman’s
hand, no casual bystander could
possibly envision the wine-fuelled
depravity that was about to ensue
within.
On the night in question, I myself
had plans to do, well, pretty much
nothing, other than park myself on
the couch. I’d just finished work for
the year, I had a bunch of films I
wanted to catch up on and like any
sensible man, had the vegetable
drawer of the fridge full of beer. But
no, nothing usurps Wine Club. I
was banished to my room with only
my laptop and a couple of beers to
ameliorate my misery, (although Lorna
did bring me some dim sums and
spring rolls at one point).
Soon enough, I knew that our
cherished living room would soon be
turned into a den of cackling hyenas.
Too old for short skirts and alcopops;
too young for hormone replacement
therapy. I had terrifying visions of
the entire area being turned into
a thick sheen of spilled wine and
trampled cheese. I did note that all of
the women appeared to be wearing
ridiculously high heels, tall enough to
elevate them above whatever muck
they happened to create.
Our daughter Morgan knows
all about Wine Club. When Lorna
mentions it to her, she just rolls her
eyes and says, “Oh that’s just chatter,
chatter, chatter, and then hee, hee, hee,
chatter, chatter, chatter, hee, hee, hee!”
Sitting on the bed, mopping the
last of the sweet chilli sauce with the
last spring roll, I knew events had
taken a turn for the worse when I first
heard Meatloaf. Followed by Foreigner.
Followed by Belinda bloody Carlisle.
Suddenly, I wished I was deaf. Digital
music devices and smart phones
have a lot to answer for. One of the
wine clubbers had her phone with her
and had spotted Lorna’s cherished
speaker system that can take the
faintest squeak of a mouse and make
it sound like a helicopter and that was
it. She wanted to plug her phone into
it and then scream along to all of her
favourite tunes at the top of her lungs.
And because it was a muggy hot night,
the front door had been left open and
so all of the neighbours got to hear it
as well. Good God, someone had sold
booze to these creatures and sent
them around to my place. I wanted to
barricade myself in the bedroom, lest
one of them should come lumbering
and slathering down the hallway
leaving a trail of cheap merlot.
It was in the wee small hours when
Lorna finally managed to corral the
ladies out of the house and into taxis.
I’d snuck out of the bedroom to lurk
in the hallway until it was safe. One of
the women said to Lorna, “It’s a shame
we didn’t get to do the skinny dip in
your pool Lorna. That would’ve given
Richard something to write about.”
“Yeah, I wonder how long it’ll be
before we end up being the subject of
one of his columns!”
Not long ladies, not long.
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WNED
O
Y
L
L
A
LOC
Trade Hours: Mon-Thu 9am - 9pm; Fri & Sat 9am - 10pm; Sun 10am - 6pm
594 Devon Street East, Fitzroy. Phone: 757 2102
Email: manager.devonst@liquorland.co.nz
Megan Hale has been a foodie since a young age
and is passionate about bringing people together
with fresh, tasty and beautifully prepared meals.
There is something comforting and warming
about sharing a delicious meal with family and
friends, in the comfort of your own home.
Her business Dining at Home offers an
in-home catering service for special
occasions, dinner parties, birthdays,
anniversaries, as well as offering
gourmet food on or off site for the
corporate market.
Dining at Home has completed a
wide range of different events since
setting up in November 2013. Birthday
lunches for as many as 40 people,
intimate dinner parties for between
6-15 people, and corporate parties for
30 on site.
If you like entertaining and hosting
guests at home but hate being stuck in
the hot kitchen worrying about getting
all the food ready on time, then it’s
time you considered getting Dining
at Home for your next event, so you
can focus on enjoying yourself and
entertaining your guests!
HOW IT WORKS
After receiving an enquiry, Megan will
make prompt contact with you to
discuss your thoughts for the event
you are planning. She will come and
meet you face to face and look at the
facilities as well as discuss menu ideas
and thoughts. Megan will then go away
and put together personal menus for
you to choose from, emailed to you
along with costs, and once agreed, a
deposit is paid.
She does all the shopping, prep work
and cooking, so all you have to do, is
look after your guests and keep the
drinks flowing.
On the day of the event, Megan and
her staff will turn up at the agreed
time with all the equipment required.
She can even set the table and
organise flowers if need be.
“It’s all about making it the experience
you want it to be,” says Megan.
She offers sit-down dinners,
barbecues, buffet-style meals or tasty
canapé evenings. Dining at Home pride
themselves on being adaptable and
flexible, and will work in with what
you want so that you get the outcome
you desire on the day.
After the clearing and tidying is
complete, Megan and her team will
quietly slip away, leaving the kitchen
pristine.
“My ultimate goal is to use exciting
fresh food to bring people together
in the comfort of home. We make all
our delicious morsels from scratch
believing that when you know what
goes in your food, it tastes better and
is better for you,” says Megan.
Make your special occasions in
2015 ones to remember and host your
friends in the comfort of your own
home and leave the cooking to Dining
at Home!
TESTIMONIALS
“I recently celebrated my 60th birthday
with a summer lunch at home in our garden
for 30 people. Megan’s delicious food,
discreet, attentive service and sunny
personality was commented on by our
guests. 10/10 for Dining at Home.” Mary
“Megan was exceptionally professional
throughout and was a delight to work with.
She visited first to discuss and agree a
delicious menu, kept in touch throughout the
process and delivered exceptional results
on the night with a seamless dinner party.”
Rachel
MEGAN HALE “Your personal foodie” m. 0210757541 e. megan@diningathome.co.nz
9 /477a devon street east . new
plymouth e info@biancalorenne.co.nz
p + 64 6 758 1771 www. biancalorenne.co.nz
www.diningathome.co.nz
/ diningathome
show home
Show and Tell
A tried and true floorplan is the basis for GJ Gardner’s new Bell Block show home. The
design team at the New Plymouth franchise has then been let loose to create a home that
offers a distinctive designer look. Cheryl Hawke reveals the thinking and innovation
that has gone into the company’s latest venture. Words Irena Brooks Photos Roger Richardson
It must be the busiest show home in
New Plymouth.
Ever since the packed opening
before Christmas, people have been
visiting it daily, as not only is the
house itself attracting interest, but
also the furnishings and accessories.
Because the house at 77 Dillon
Drive is also a designer furniture and
homewares store.
In an innovative, yet logical business
move, GJ Gardner have collaborated
with new concept store, White Sugaa
& Co, to furnish their new show home.
Visitors to the show home can
purchase any of the furniture or
homeware on display, and White
Sugaa owner, Trudi Povey is always on
hand to provide assistance.
As furniture is bought and
replaced, the look of the show home
continuously changes and evolves.
“Visitors to the show home can also
see how different rooms can be
used in various ways, as Trudi will
introduce new concepts to each room,”
says Cheryl.
The house was destined to be a
deviation from the GJ Gardner mold,
ever since Cheryl gave free rein to her
design team.
“We settled on the floorplan from
our Riviera style, and made a few
modifications to suit the site,”
explains Cheryl.
With the floorplan and budget
decided, the team went to work.
Gone are some of the more
traditional features of previous GJ
Gardner show homes.
The house at 77 Dillon Drive is a
contemporary blend of linear looks in
monochromatic tones.
Lightweight aerated concrete panels
have been plastered, then painted
white, and contrasted with panels
of black aluminium Dualbord, for
the exterior cladding. The negative
detailing of the Dualbord means it
can be used to create horizontal lines,
or vertical. It is a brand new product,
brought out in response to the leaky
homes scandal, says Cheryl.
The aluminium joinery is also
black, and is capped black long run
coloursteel roofing
Capped with grey long-run
Colorsteel roofing, there is no colour
to distract the eye from the sleek lines,
and the surrounding landscaping is
accentuated against the black and
white tones.
You get a lot of space from the 264
sq.m. floorplan, with the living area
at one end of the house, and the
bedrooms at the other.
Proud to be
GJ Gardners preferred
quality roofing supplier
for over 5 years.
° Roofing Materials and Supplies
° We Cover It All - Big or Small
° New Roofing and Re-Roofing
° Commercial / Rural
° Continuous Spouting and Fascia
CALL US TODAY FOR A
FREE QUOTE
www.steelformers.co.nz
STEELFORMERS APPROVED ROOFING INSTALLER:
www.centralroofing.co.nz
P. 06 759 6909 or 0800 276 6348
LET US TAKE THE WORRY OUT OF ROOFING:
Taranaki Steelformers:
Mountain Rd, Stratford
P. 06
765 5191
New Plymouth Branch:
23 Katere Road, NP
P. 06
758 3831
“The roof over Taranaki’s head since ‘83”
There are three generous living spaces
in total, so there’s space for every
occasion and every weather variance.
“It’s really good value,” says Cheryl.
“You get a lot of bang for your buck.”
Without a doubt, the most
universally loved area of the home is
the alfresco entertaining area.
With an expansive view to the
nearby sea, this covered area is
practical and inviting, especially during
the long spell of hot weather we had
in January.
A built-in barbecue, rows of potted
herbs hanging from the wall, a long
dining table and stuffed outdoor
couches, all combine to create the
perfect spot for breakfast, lunch and
dinner, or just a coffee or wine while
luxuriating in a gentle sea breeze.
A raked ceiling aids the feeling
of expansiveness, and the exterior
cladding Dualbord has been used
horizontally on an extending wall
sheltering the area from prevailing
westerlies.
When the weather starts to get
cooler, it’s no problem as the area has
been fitted with two very effective
heating units.
Cheryl reveals they have already had
one customer ask them to replicate the
entire look in their new home.
Belinda Foreman took care of the
house’s interior design, right from the
initial planning phase of the house.
She selected the roof, cladding,
joinery, carpets, tiles, wall colours and
coverings, just like any GJ Gardner
client would. In fact, GJ Gardner
customers of their Express and Classic
ranges of homes, get three hours with
Belinda to help them select the looks
they want in their new house.
“We have samples of everything
on site,” says Belinda, “which makes
it really easy to see what will work
together and what won’t. I enjoy
personalising a home’s look to suit
the new owners, and prefer a timeless,
classic look, that will last people a
long time.”
The colours in the show home have
been deliberately kept very neutral
to accommodate the ever-changing
furnishings on display from White
Sugaa. Belinda designed the nursery
and the office with versatility in mind
too, as the feature wallpaper in the
office, could just as easily make a
funky nursery, child’s or teen’s room,
while the linen-look of the nursery
would also suit an office, or maybe a
guest room.
“It’s good to allow for that sort of
crossover when you do the interior
design of a house,” says Belinda.
The palm tree wallpaper in the
entranceway immediately evokes
a stylish beachy feel to the house,
emphasised by the view to the sea
from the living area.
The feature wall where the fireplace
sits, has an almost copper feel to it,
and works extremely well with the
live flames of the gas fire. The feature
wall is flanked by floor-to-ceiling
windows, providing more drama, whilst
accommodating light and views.
As a show home, Belinda has also
incorporated higher specced items, like
the mosaic-look tiles in the en suite,
and the beautiful fabrics throughout
the master bedroom.
“In the guest and children’s bedrooms,
we’ve used more affordable fabrics
that are still stunning. The idea is to
showcase different things to suit a
range of budgets.”
The concrete floors throughout
the living area have been chosen for
their durability and value. It’s the first
time GJ Gardner have used a polished
concrete floor in one of their show
homes.
“They are hard-wearing and easy to
clean,” says Paul Jury of Floorcoat. “Plus
they are extremely cost-effective.”
Acting as a natural heat sink on
sunny days, the floors have been
fitted with an in-slab hydronic
heating system to add more warmth
during the winter months. The Bosch
condensing boiler which provides the
heat, also supplies the hot water for
the household, making it incredibly
efficient. It’s all tucked away out of
sight, yet easy to get to, in a hallway
cupboard.
In fact, the overall design and fitout of the house, really takes the
notoriously fickle Taranaki weather
into account, so you can plan a
barbecue, and it doesn’t actually
matter that much what the weather
decides to do on the day.
A clever touch is the use of the
exterior cladding on the bottom part
of the island in the kitchen. “It just
accentuates that indoor-outdoor flow,”
says Belinda, “and helps give some
contrast to the white of the kitchen.”
A sun tunnel in the scullery is
another innovation that floods the area
with light, but not direct sun.
One has been used in the laundry area
too, which connects to the carpeted
double garage.
“People use their garages for more
than just their vehicles these days,”
points out Cheryl. “The carpet means it
is suitable as a games room or
home gym.
Though the cabinetry in the laundry
has been selected to match the joinery
in the kitchen, it has been teamed with
a laminate bench top, rather than the
engineered stone in the kitchen. This
is to demonstrate how various budgets
can be accommodated in a GJ Gardner
home, while still achieving a designer
look.
Similarly, the kitchen cupboards
feature acrylic-faced Laseredge doors,
while the scullery boasts glossy white
chunky shelves, so people can compare
the effects of both.
WE DO AMAZING FLOORS
° POLISHED CONCRETE
° TIMBER FLOORS ° GYMS
TARANAKI AND NZ WIDE
www.gregbrownmasterpainter.co.nz
06 757 5880
See what we can do on www.floorcoat.co.nz
p. 769 9925 m. 021 465 811
SHOWROOM NOW OPEN!
5 Parakau Rd (at end of Oropuriri Rd) - by appointment only
Beautifully Made Drapes & Blinds
Stunning Wallpaper
Exclusive Furniture, Rugs,
Mirrors, Lamps & Cushions
Quote this advert for 10%
discount on fabric and wallpaper
37 Eliot Street, New Plymouth
Phone 757 5793
www.creativecurtainstaranaki.co.nz
The kitchen features three ovens - a
conventional electric oven, steam oven
and microwave, complete with three
warming drawers, which have made a
massive comeback in recent years as
people realise just how practical they
are. This sort of cooking and heating
ability makes the kitchen perfect for
people who enjoy entertaining.
The interior doors also echo the
look of the exterior cladding with their
vertical negative detailing, and painted
in black. Black internal doors are a
trend Cheryl noted in her overseas
travels and as doors get a fair bit of use,
black is actually a very practical option.
Same with the light-switch face-plates.
Every little detail has been thought
out.
Belinda recalls working with the
tilers on the day before the opening, as
they decided which colour grouting to
use. “We just tried a couple of samples
in this corner, agreed that the lighter
grout was the way to go, and it was
done in time for the opening.”
There was a real sense of
camaraderie on the project, claims
Belinda. “The landscapers had their
extended family helping out to get
everything ready in time. In fact, the
whole team went the extra mile.”
WOULD YOU LIKE SOME
SUGAA WITH THAT?
Trudi Povey is a GJ Gardner client, who
was so impressed with the company,
she was keen to work with them on a
new business concept she had.
The idea to run her own retail store
from a GJ Gardner show home, was
first hatched with Cheryl a couple of
years ago. The show home needed to be
furnished and both women could see
the logic in Trudi providing that service
to clients, while giving Trudi a display
area for her designer products.
In just a few months, the idea has
already proved a winning recipe. The
constant turnover of stock sees people
visiting it like they would any retail
store. While admiring the products,
people also can’t help but appreciate
the home as well.
White Sugaa doesn’t provide just
designer furniture - there are baby
clothes, linen, artwork from local
artists, vases and candles too. “We are
your one-stop store!” says Trudi.
With brands like Forma, Kartell, Le
Forge, General Electric, Icotraders,
Kandle Co., Little Bambinos, Lilly
and George, there are plenty of
items to inspire.
Trudi and Cheryl are also planning
on using the show home for various
‘invite-only’ events each month,
like cooking demonstrations, and
corporate work functions.
“Motivational speakers, guest
chefs, product demonstrations, we’ll
have all sorts of things going on,”
promises Trudi.
GJ Gardner and White Sugaa want
to be a one-stop shop for clients,
with GJ Gardner designing and
building the home, while White
Sugaa can help with the furnishing
and the final touches needed,”
explains Trudi.
“We offer a design service that is
free of charge if buying product from
White Sugaa. This idea is proving
to be very popular and we see this
growing in the future.”
77 Dillon Drive
SHOW HOME HOURS:
Mon to Sat: 1 - 4pm
Sunday: 10am - 4pm
or phone Trudi for an
appointment on 021 435 231
Registered Electrical and Security Contractors
Visit the GJ Gardner showhome and
see how we can help you
LED Lighting + Security Systems + Home Theatre
Air Conditioning + TV + Data and Telephone
Tel. 757 9411 Mob. 027 441 2671
E. rimuelectrical@xtra.co.nz www.rimuelectrical.co.nz
55 Rimu Street, New Plymouth
7 YEARS & COUNTING
Preferred plasterer for GJ Gardner since 2008.
For a smooth expert finish, from people
who are good to deal with.
Cadwallader Industries Ltd ~ Taranaki Wide
E. info@plasteringplus.co.nz P. (06) 278 5748 M. 027 481 81 32
SmartStrand® is the revolutionary new
carpet that has taken the US, the world and
now New Zealand by storm because of its
breakthrough fibre innovation.
Proud to be associated
with GJ Gardner Homes
See us for a great
selection of tiles.
Showroom open by appointment.
8a Constance St, Waiwhakaiho
PHONE WARREN: 027 449 0369
This amazing carpet resists staining and fading, plus has
crush resistance and appearance retention features due to
its ‘spring-like’ molecular structure.
It’s a carpet for kicking off your shoes, walking in, and
rolling, tumbling and playing on.
SmartStrand®: unbelievably durable, yet soft and beautiful.
RAPLEYS CARPET COURT
47 Molesworth St, New Plymouth Tel: 06 758 6554
Store hours: Mon-Fri: 8.30am-5pm Sat: 10am-1pm
Email: rapleys@carpetcourt.co.nz
TURNING A HOLE
INTO A HOME
-The Land Company
Before GJ Gardner could
build their new show home,
they needed to find the
right section.
“It was actually pretty hard,” recalls
Cheryl.
Eventually she found the perfect
location, and with the collaboration of
The Land Company, the owners of the
new sub-division, they decided on a
site. It was near the sea, handy to New
Plymouth and in the right price-range,
but there was one very big problem.
It was a massive hole.
But holes are what earthmoving
companies are made for, and the
team at Graham Harris Ltd were the
guys who filled it, making the entire
new sub-division of Evergreen Estate
a gently sloping landscape with views
to Bell Block Beach. GJ Gardner’s new
show home is just one of the new
homes that have now been constructed
there.
Even better, it all happened at the
same time as New Plymouth District
Council made the extension to the
Coastal Walkway. The new sub-division
also made it viable to join up Tirimoana
Crescent, Glasgow Street and Dillon
Drive, so Bell Block residents now
have roads that actually meet, instead
of coming annoyingly to a dead-end.
Google Maps haven’t caught up yet, but
trust us, the roads now connect.
Best of all is that all of these
improvements have turned a waste
area into a valuable chunk of real
estate. The Land Company has been
well-named. ••
Belinda Foreman
Interior Designer
P 06 756 6633
M 027 499 1607
“I will create a timeless look for your home,
tailored to your needs, that you will love.”
“My focus is on delivering your vision, from
first contact, through the design phase to
the completed project. Let me take your
ideas from a dream to a stunning reality.”
- Tristan Cave BApplSc
No job too little, or too big.
TRISTAN CAVE
P. 752 0040 M. 027 461 1425
E. tristan@cavelandscapes.co.nz
BUSINESS EXPO
26 FEBRUARY 2015
Following on from last year’s successful Business Expo, BDO
is once again bringing together high profile speakers and a
range of exhibitors for an action packed day of expertise and
advice that is normally only offered in the larger centres.
The theme this year
is Collaboration.
Expect to hear from local and
national top rate speakers and
exhibitors about how collaboration
works in practice and how to apply
it to your business or organisation
to make it stand out from the
crowd. The day will start with an
energetic breakfast session with
speakers Laurie Kubiak (CEO of
the NZ Institute of Economic
research) and Debbie Mayo-Smith
(renowned international speaker
and author). Hour long seminars will
run throughout concluding with a
BDO hosted networking event from
5.30pm-7.00pm and special guest
speakers. There will be plenty of
time in between sessions for
meeting with other business
owners, colleagues and advisers
to start thinking on how you can
collaborate and/or introduce others.
Why not use the day as training
and development for your staff?
We have something for everyone,
no matter which hat you may be
wearing.
Register online at www.bdo.co.nz
– search word EXPO or by emailing
bizexpo@bdo.co.nz
Venue
The Quality Hotel, Plymouth
International on the corner of
Leach and Courtenay Streets
provides the perfect venue to
accommodate our busy programme,
and provides ample space for
networking and enjoying an
espresso coffee and light
refreshments provided by
BDO. Inside or by the pool –
it’s your choice!
Stand promotion
Come along and talk to our
Exhibitors! If you have queries
about accounting software, payroll
software, changes to health and
DON’T
IS
MISS TH ITY
N
OPPORTU
R
REGISTE
NOW
safety legislation, funding that may
be available to your business, how to
achieve business growth, innovative
ways to raise capital........and so
much more, it will cost you nothing
to come and pick their brains.
Pricing information
Economic breakfast $30pp
Seminars
$25pp
Seminar package (unlimited) $75pp
Exhibitors’ stands – free entry
8.30am – 5pm
Evening networking – free entry
to seminar attendees
We wish to acknowledge the
following sponsors for their support:
Elite Sponsor: ASB, TSB Bank
Premium sponsors: MYOB, Reckon
For further information, please
contact Leisa Kelsen or Erin
Christoffel at BDO on (06) 7599034.
BDO would like to thank everyone who supported the BDO Around the Mountain Cycle Challenge 2015.
Congratulations to the winners of the BDO Business house challenge – Bland & Jackson Surveyors Ltd.
We look forward to seeing you all again on 30 January 2016.
TARANAKI BUSINESS EXPO 2014
THURSDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2015
QUALITY HOTEL (Plymouth International)
7.00am
8.30am
ECONOMIC BREAKFAST Speakers: Laurie Kubiak, CEO of NZIER and Debbie Mayo-Smith, Queen of Productivity
8.30am
9.30am
RISK & ASSURANCE
Steve Waite, Principal and Joni Horton,
Audit Manager - BDO Taranaki
Steve and Joni will provide an overview
of the risk management process, working
through a practical framework to analyse
and measure risks, and develop systems
to manage them. This is a must-have for
business owners and those in Governance
roles as the regulations surrounding business
become more stringent.
RAISING CAPITAL - CROWDFUNDING
Anna Guenther, Co-founder – PledgeMe
Crowdfunding is a new way to get your
project or business funded - and engage
your crowd around what you do. Anna
Guenther, co-founder of one of the first
crowdfunding platforms PledgeMe, will
explain how crowdfunding works, how it’s
being used in New Zealand, and provide
some tips and tricks on how to make your
campaign successful with your crowd.
10.00am
11.00am
TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIC PLANNING
Black Sanz Technology
Technology costs out of control? You want
your business to work smarter not harder, to
make more money and be more competitive.
So...where is your technology strategic plan?
How can you adapt and collaborate smarter
if you don’t have a plan? Come along and
we will uncover why you need to develop
a strategy that will allow you to take
advantage of the latest technologies that
work for your business.
QUANTUM GROWTH
Debbie Humphrey, Owner – Spring
Come and hear from one of New Zealand’s
strategic thought leaders on how to create a
high growth business. Debbie Humphrey has
owned over 12 of her own businesses since
she was 19 years old and has advised many
of businesses on growth strategyincluding
Meridian Energy, Fonterra, BlueScope Steel
and The Warehouse. Her perspectives come
from her personal experiences ranging from
start-ups to corporate consulting.
COLLABORATIVE SUCCESSION
Greg Kirk – Goggles On
In this interactive session you will be
challenged to take a closer look at where
you are now, where you might be going,
who might fill your seat when you have left
the business, and who you might work with
to make it happen. Greg Kirk, Director of
Goggles On! Coaching Leaders will shine
a little light on this exciting part of your
career and business development.
11.30am
12.30pm
HEALTH & SAFETY
Alison Pitman – BeSafe Taranaki;
Jill Manaia – Worksafe NZ;
Teresa Gordon – NP Injury Safe
Health and Safety legislation is under
scrutiny and change with the Reform
Bill and associated regulations currently
predicted for enactment later in 2015. Meet
representatives from WorkSafe NZ, Be Safe
Taranaki and New Plymouth Injury Safe to
understand your business responsibilities
and objectives under the new rules.
FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR BUSINESSES
Zara Ryan and Rachael Berndt – Venture
Taranaki
Venture Taranaki is the development agency
for the province, offering a variety of
support services for local businesses. Join
business advisory experts Zara and Rachael
to learn more about what Venture Taranaki
does, funding options available for Taranaki
businesses, and some success stories from
others who have benefited from Venture
Taranaki’s grants and services.
SMARTER. FASTER. CHEAPER. BETTER
Debbie Mayo-Smith, Queen of Productivity
An inspiring session chock full of wonderful
technology tips and tricks that will make
you say ‘wow, I didn’t know that’ over and
over again. Debbie will show you little
tweaks to how you use your smartphones,
social media, software the internet and
your databases to make great gains in
time, income, customer service and
communication.
MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES
Laurie Sharp, Head of Coaching and
Development – ASB
Your staff are your biggest assets and your
best advocates so how do you ensure
you maximise their potential? As head of
Coaching & Development at ASB Laurie will
share his experience and tips to give you the
tools to motivate your staff.
QUANTUM GROWTH
Debbie Humphrey, Owner – Spring
Come and hear from one of New Zealand’s
strategic thought leaders on how to create a
high growth business. Debbie Humphrey has
owned over 12 of her own businesses since
she was 19 years old and has advised many
of businesses on growth strategy including
Meridian Energy, Fonterra, BlueScope Steel
and The Warehouse. Her perspectives come
from her personal experiences ranging from
start-ups to corporate consulting.
TAX RESIDENCY – KNOW YOUR TAX
OBLIGATIONS
Dianne Roberts and Donna Greenlees,
Principals – BDO Taranaki
Donna and Dianne both have vast
experience in non-resident tax issues and
will provide a general overview of some
of the tax consequences that need to be
considered if you are working offshore or
have non-residents working for you.
HR IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
Racquel Cleaver, Owner – Agripeople
Solutions Ltd
Racquel will look at employment issues in
the Agri space and provide some practical
solutions to challenges you may be facing as
an employer in this sector.
RAISING CAPITAL - CROWDFUNDING
Anna Guenther, Co-founder – PledgeMe
Crowdfunding is a new way to get your
project or business funded - and engage
your crowd around what you do. Anna
Guenther, co-founder of one of the first
crowdfunding platforms PledgeMe, will
explain how crowdfunding works, how it’s
being used in New Zealand, and provide
some tips and tricks on how to make your
campaign successful with your crowd.
WHAT ARE YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
TELLING YOU?
Leisa Kelsen, Associate and Karley Gillum
Chartered Accountants – BDO Taranaki
You can see the numbers but do you know
what they mean? Leisa and Karley will show
you how to unlock the secret messages in
your financial statements
NETWORKING – THE KEY TO BUSINESS
SUCCESS
Laurie Sharp, Head of Coaching and
Development – ASB
Networking is one of the most important
tools for successful business. Laurie will give
his views on the importance of building and
maintaining relationships and how to get the
most out of networking.
COLLABORATION IN THE COMMERCIAL
PROPERTY INVESTMENT MARKET
Bryce Barnett, Director – Augusta Capital
Bryce will speak on the power of
collaboration in the commercial property
investment market via syndication – a
business model that was developed under
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The new year is well underway so how are you doing with your health
& wellbeing New Year’s Resolutions?
LIVE presents you with 20 pages of articles and profiles to inform and
inspire you, with stories from calming irritable babies to the 10 Ways
We Sabotage Our Weight-loss. From pilates, dance and gyms to taking
care of your appearance, it’s all about looking good and feeling great.
To start the feature, LIVE looks at how safe New Plymouth’s beaches are,
after a year of increased drownings around New Zealand.
By the end of this year, a dozen people will have died on a surf
beach in New Zealand, perhaps one or more of them in Taranaki.
CHRISTINE WALSH and JIM TUCKER found out how well we’re
AVOIDING
THE R.I.P.
There are three little girls at the beach.
They’re togged up for a swim, one
wearing a stylish life jacket that
would appeal to any kid because it
doesn’t look like one.
None of them aged in double figures,
they stand tentatively at the rail above
Fitzroy Beach on this hot summer day
in early January, 2015, and consider
their options. They’re allowed in for a
swim if they want. There is no parent
to watch them, but before they left
home Mum said they could go in if the
lifeguards were on duty.
The girls are in luck - as any parent
42
42 I I LIVE
LIVEMAGAZINE
MAGAZINE I I SUMMER
SUMMERISSUE
ISSUE2015
2015
who reads the paper or looks on
the Council website will know, if it’s
between 11.30am and 7.30pm on a
weekday during the summer school
holidays, or 1pm to 5pm at weekends,
someone will be there at the beach to
watch over their kids.
At the edge of the surf, the sole visible
guard (another is up in the tower with
binoculars) is having a busy time. There
are about 100 swimmers in his narrow
swim zone and a dozen surfboard riders
circling at the breaker line beyond.
He’s moved the swimming zone flags
west towards the city a couple of dozen
metres because the tide is starting to
fall, and the undertow is beefing up its
eastward drag.
Children and less confident
swimmers are in danger of being
sucked towards the rip, a swift and
sometimes deadly current that has
been pulling water – and unlucky
swimmers – out to sea in roughly the
same place as long as anyone can recall.
The lifeguard now needs to move his
charges to the west where he has taken
the flagged zone. There’s a lot of waving
with his equipment. It’s a bit like
herding cats. Some ignore him.
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To complicate things, there’s a steady
stream of people coming down to the
beach from the motor camp and the
newly available carpark in front of it.
They’re a hundred metres or more from
the tower and the flags, and some just
head straight into the sea. They’re close
to the rip.
From time to time, the lifeguard gets
a call on his walkie talkie from the tower
– he needs to leave the zone to warn
those putting themselves at risk.
Most take his advice. Some don’t.
Along the beach towards the mouth
of the Waiwhakaiho River, a half dozen
people take their chances. They’re up
to a kilometre away from the watchful
tower. Most have arrived at the beach
from one of eight access-ways that
descend from the camp and the reserve
at the end of Richmond St.
There are no signs to warn them
about Fitzroy’s rip. The lifeguards have
a portable sign, but it’s close to the
flag zone.
The three girls decide not to add to the
lifeguards’ responsibilities. The water’s
too cold.
Just how much danger the three little
girls and others faced at Fitzroy Beach
that particular day is open to debate.
As it often can, the sea looked
deceptively harmless, with waves no
more than half a metre high.
The rip was active, but there was
no more than a gentle sea breeze, the
beach was crowded with a couple of
hundred people, and the lifeguards
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were doing their job.
One of the girls said she’d learned to
swim in the school pool and knew about
surf dangers after a school visit to the
beach last year.
Statistically speaking, her chances
of drowning at Fitzroy beach when
lifeguards are patrolling seem miniscule.
Taranaki sea drowning numbers are
low, with no fatalities recorded during
some years. The last time a child
drowned at a beach was in 2009. A man
drowned at Fitzroy Beach in 2012 and
another at the mouth of the Patea River
at the start of this year.
Nationally, drowning numbers have
dropped more than half since the worst
year in recent decades, 1985, when there
were 214 deaths.
The provisional total for 2014 is 90,
although going by past years, the final
toll may be much higher, since some
incidents await a coroner’s verdict. In
early January, 2014, for example, Water
Safety New Zealand prematurely
trumpeted a record low toll of 81
for 2013, only to revise it upwards
by a third to 107 after all the inquest
results were in.
Taranaki has had 21 drownings since
2008. Last year there were none; 2013
had two (one in a bath); 2012 had five
(three of them in the Topec tragedy and
one a death at Fitzroy beach); and 2011
had none.
In case anyone gets complacent, here
are a couple of recent scenarios from
Fitzroy Beach.
It’s Wednesday, February 26, 2014,
nearly a month after paid lifeguards
finished their weekday summer holiday
stints at North Taranaki’s main beaches.
Nine-year-old Nicholas Dunnet was
body-surfing baby waves at Fitzroy while
his mother, Jana Dunnet, kept an eye
on him. Former East End surf lifesaver
Mark Brough was close by, watching his
two children boogie board as the water
lapped below his knees.
In a heartbeat, Brough felt the friendly
water turn, and within seconds the
half-metre waves became two-metre
pounders. In the next heartbeat, both
adults realised Nicholas was in trouble.
Brough swam out and managed to get
the boy to shore, but it was close. He said
Nicholas was “pretty much gone” when
he got to him. It wasn’t his only rescue
that day. He’d already pulled another
boy from the sea after seeing him
waving for help.
And this.
Surfboard coach Daisy Day is about to
finish one of her teaching sessions in the
surf below the boardriders’ clubhouse at
Fitzroy when she sees something going
wrong with a family group of mum,
dad and four children.
They are in shallow water, but the
surf has suddenly changed. The kids
are falling over and they’re being
dragged away.
The parents don’t realise anything’s
amiss. When Day yells for them to help
her get the children out, their mother
says they’re fine, because they’ve all
got life jackets on. No, says Day, that
just means they float towards the rip
even more quickly.
What these stories tell you is that
while drowning statistics paint a
reassuring picture, that may be more a
matter of good luck than management.
Surf coach, Daisy day, with 8 year old TE Wai Howie from Rotorua. Photo Suzie Hurley
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OVER THE CENTURY
When the second pioneer ship,
the Amelia Thompson, arrived off the
coast of New Plymouth in the spring
of 1841, the sea was so rough the
passengers couldn’t land for five weeks.
Over the century and a half that
followed, Taranaki’s beach dangers bred
a long and proud history of volunteer
surf lifesaving that in the 1960s and
1970s could boast no-one had ever
drowned on a patrolled beach, here
or anywhere else in New Zealand.
Every baby-boomer child was taught
to swim. Every primary school had a
pool, and daily swimming lessons were
routine. Parents decreed that children
were never to go in the sea without
an adult swimmer on the beach to
watch them.
So what’s changed? For one thing,
there’s a growing number of children
who can’t swim.
Even though Sport and Recreation in
New Zealand surveys between 1997 to
2011 indicated swimming is the top sport
and leisure activity for young people,
figures from Water Safety NZ show 70
percent of 12-year-olds can’t swim 200
metres, 50 percent of 10-year-olds can’t
swim 25 metres, and 25 percent of them
can’t stay afloat.
Some blame the fundamental changes
brought by the Tomorrow’s Schools
policy introduced in the dying stages
of the Labour government in 1989.
“Around the country, derelict swimming
pools gather slime and broken furniture victims of Tomorrow’s Schools’ funding
devolution,” wrote Dominion-Post
journalist Nikki Macdonald in her
paper’s 2011 investigation into what
was going on.
“Learn-to-swim funding is insufficient
and piecemeal, and two critical swimming
education organisations are trading blows
over who should provide swimming
programmes, and how.
“Already, twice as many Kiwis as Brits and
Australians drown, and water-related deaths
and injuries cost the country almost $900
million a year.”
Taranaki hasn’t escaped the trend.
Now teachers are left to manage funds
for hiring community pools, transport,
swimming instructors, and juggle class
timetables to suit pool availability.
Many surviving pools are on borrowed
time, because most schools can’t afford
to maintain them to higher standards
demanded by “updated” building, health
and safety regulations.
School amalgamations and closures
have also had an impact on pool
availability. For example, Okato College,
Okato Primary School, Newall School
and Warea School merged to form the
composite Coastal Taranaki School
(CTS) on the old Okato College site.
But that was the only school of the
four not to have a pool.
Today, 300 year 1 to 13 CTS pupils
walk the few blocks to use the Okato
community pool. Meantime, the Okato
Primary School pool lays hidden
amongst overgrown trees, while cattle
graze where Newall and Warea Schools
once stood.
Mother of two and childcare centre
worker Gloria Hofmans remembers
learning to swim as a school girl in
Warea at the small country school.
“We swam almost every day at school over
summer, even on some of the rainy days.”
Before the time of stringent rules and
regulations, Hofmans says the kids had
free reign of the pool after school and in
the weekend, as well.
Drawn back to the coast by family and
lifestyle, she says her sons now attend
CTS. “It’s not like it used to be. They are only
swimming two days a week during school.”
At CTS, countless hours are spent
co-ordinating teachers with volunteer
parent help, budgeting for professional
swimming instructors and in-house
training, partnering with the various
external facilitators of water safety and
swim education, and above all ensuring
the kids get time in the pool.
It’s a hard ask, but principal Alan
Miles says it has to be done. “This is the
coast. We live in a watery environment.
Our beaches and rivers are part of our kid’s
everyday lives, so it’s crucial they’re taught
the right skills.”
Fitzroy Primary School deputy
principal Mike Pillette says his school
is one of the lucky ones. It has a large
aquatic facility with a senior and junior
pool and its 400-plus year one to six
pupils take part in a comprehensive
range of water-based learning
programmes.
A requirement of the health and
physical education curriculum is that
“all school students are given the opportunity
to learn fundamental aquatic skills by the
end of year six”.
But the operational grant the school
receives from state funding barely
covers the cost of the caretaker,
maintaining pool hygiene standards
and the pool chemicals.
Despite this, the school, school board,
parent-teacher association, and the
wider community work hard to lift
the budget in order to maintain and
improve what they have.
Pillette says most of the kids live close
to a beach, so the school places a strong
emphasis on ensuring they are armed
with the ability and confidence to be
safe in the water.
“The curriculum doesn’t require we offer all
of what we do, but because of our proximity
we feel obliged to.” From December to
March, the kids are in the pool every day.
Part of the gap is being filled by private
learn-to-swim facilities, whose services
are offered to those who can afford it.
Coastal Aquatics in Westown is one
such operation and it’s booked out, with
more than 750 children aged between
under six months and 12. It’s run and
owned by swim instructor Ayla DunlopBarrett, who was shocked to see just
how much the region needed it.
Dunlop-Barrett was involved in the
AWE water safety programme offered
free to year six children. “It was a real
eye opener. In the beginning, some of
the kids couldn’t float and some couldn’t
even put their head under the water.”
She believes that although schools
do what they can, the best option
is children having one-on-one with
an instructor and constant time in
the water.
“Swimming is not just a sport, it’s a life
skill, and when a child is taught any skill,
it’s never good to stop and start.”
Parents need to play their part, as well.
Anecdotal evidence says the incident
described above (three girls alone at the
beach) is not unusual in Taranaki.
parent on watch
On the morning of January 3, Ray
Hepworth (pictured below) was at the
Fitzroy surf club Kiosk café having a
coffee with daughter Lynne while they
kept a wary eye on the surf and his
grandchildren, who were swimming
with an older relative.
“Dad sees it a lot, kids down here without
their parents,” said Lynne, a teacher at
Oakura School.
Surfboard trainer Daisy Day – who has
been working at the beach every fine
day every summer for the past 15 years –
sees the same thing.
Their fears are supported by research:
a 2007 survey done by Auckland
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university and others showed a quarter
of all children on New Zealand beaches
are not adequately supervised.
In 2013, a bad year, six kids aged
between five and 14 drowned in New
Zealand.
Between 2012 and early 2015, 42 of the
60 people rescued at Oakura, Fitzroy, East
End, and Opunake beaches were aged
between 6 and 15.
Sometimes, even having a parent on
watch is no guarantee of a safe outcome.
Some years, a high proportion of those
who drown are people who tried to
rescue someone in trouble.
Even recognising trouble can be
problematic. This summer, the web
has revived accounts of a phenomenon
called “silent drowning”, during which
drowning people are unable to signal
distress because all their reflexes are
concentrated on getting the next breath.
Don Harvey is well known along the
coast south of New Plymouth. That’s
not just because the silver-haired senior
citizen is often out on the footpaths of
Oakura riding a souped-up American
chopper-style mobility scooter, or that he
has a long history of prominent work in
the dairy industry.
Harvey has a passion for surf
lifesaving, and an even stronger one
for equipping kids with a better chance
of survival. The former Opunake surf
lifesaver is a staunch supporter of the
New Plymouth Old Boys Surf Lifesaving
Club and a major driving force behind
encouraging young people into lifesaving.
He’s wise to the deceitful nature of
coastal beaches and wants as many
young people as possible out on the
beach and learning how to be safe. “It’s
not so much about teaching them to swim as
it is about teaching them to respect the sea.”
Harvey says children who are trained
to cope in difficult situations will be
confident enough to get themselves
out of trouble in the water and save
themselves from drowning.
He foots half the subscription bill for
any child from Okato, Omata and Oakura
who wants to join the surf lifesaving
club. In 2012, his pledge helped “nipper”
numbers swell to
more than a hundred.
Harvey notes there is also another
important facet to beach danger – the
infinite variety of surfing paraphernalia.
He is concerned too many are taking
to the waves with a board without
the skills to cope. “It’s a bit like they are
learning to run before they can walk, and
with some of the wetsuits today they are in
the water all year around.”
Water Safety NZ figures show that
from 2008 to 2012, 10 people drowned
while board-riding. National media
reports of young board riders being
rescued are not out of the norm over
summer. Last Boxing Day, for example,
Gym & Swim
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a young surfer lost his life at Kariotahi
Beach near Waiuku.
Oakura Boardriders’ Club president,
Mike Shewry, says surfing is growing in
popularity among kids and the club’s
numbers have almost tripled over the
past few years.
He hasn’t noticed kids trying to surf
before they can swim, but says some
parents do have an unrealistic idea of
their child’s water abilities.
The boardriders are big on educating
juniors to be safe in the sea and assess
all prospective members. “We don’t rely
on what level a parent thinks their child is
at, and we’ve had to place older kids in with
younger ones for their own safety.”
Adam Fraser, the Fitzroy Surf
Lifesaving Club captain, may have the
easy-going attitude and sun-bleached
hair seen on archetypical TV beach
shows, but the 34-year-old is a second
generation lifesaver and takes seriously
his role
of protecting and watching over
beach-goers.
He says the sea is constantly
changing and guards actively encourage
swimmers to stick between the flags.
His club is affiliated to Surf Life Saving
New Zealand (SLSNZ), which represents
74 clubs that over the current summer
will provide 4000 volunteer lifeguards.
They will spend more than 200,000
hours watching over 80 beaches when
their paid colleagues are absent (and
even when they’re not).
SLSNZ says during an average season,
more than 1200 people are rescued and
there are about 85,000 occasions when
lifesavers help people avoid trouble.
It’s a decade or more since surf
lifesaving moved on from being an
amateur pastime. These days, paid life
guards – part of the SLSNZ Regional
Life Guard Service – make up around a
quarter of surf lifesavers in Taranaki and
are funded by local Councils to patrol
over the summer school holidays.
New Plymouth District Council came
to the beach party this summer with a
grant of $70,000, up from $67,000 last
year, and it pledged to equal it for the
next three years.
Surf club volunteers patrol from
October to early April, and during the
busy holiday season, take over from the
paid lifeguards at weekends, officially
patrolling from 1pm to 5pm (unofficially,
there are usually off-duty club members
around during other hours).
New Plymouth Old Boys Surf
Lifesaving Club chairwoman Nicki
Spicer says her club is growing, but the
demands are growing with it.
“Patrolling the beach is an integral part
of being a volunteer surf lifesaver, but it’s
not the only thing we do. The surf sport
and competition side of things is also
an important part of what we offer and
FORMERLY REVOLUTION DANCE
Melody Close is a Dance and Barre
Pilates instructor from New York,
who has made her home in New
Plymouth. She recently celebrated
the one year anniversary of her
studio opening, where she offers
different forms of Dance and
Barre Pilates classes.
She specializes in offering classes
for adults wanting to explore their
creative side, lose weight, or for
doing something fun and different.
She also offers unique classes to
children wanting to dance without
pressure or expectations. Freedom
Dance is all about creating a fun,
nurturing environment to promote
the manpower that is needed for the
organising, training and the education
side of things is huge.”
Like other sports clubs today, it has
to be run like a business. In her
seventh year at the club, Spicer says
the administrative load, such as that
imposed by health and safety legislation,
is more labour-intensive than ever.
The club depends on sponsorship and
donations to keep afloat, and to organise
a fundraiser alone takes an immense
amount of time and effort.
Apart from funding, New Plymouth
District Council also contributes to
other water and beach safety initiatives,
including a water safety programme
offered in partnership with Australian
energy company AWE.
Mike Roberts, the Council’s manager
of aquatic recreation operations, says
the programme offers water safety
tuition to all year six students in New
Plymouth District – that’s 39 schools
and around 1000 kids a year.
THE COUNCIL
The Council’s acting manager for parks,
Steve McGill, says they strongly support
surf lifesaving. “In addition to annual
funding, we also provide concessional leases
to the clubs enabling them to operate on
reserve land at very reasonable rates.”
Many Taranaki companies help.
Photo credit Julie Dickens from Dream Shots
self confidence and creativity through
the art of movement. Family sessions
start as young as six months, offering
a musical play group called Kindy Rock
for boys and girls that is an interactive
learning class promoting cognitive,
physical and social skills while
instilling a love of music and rhythm.
“We teach core ballet principles
and promote grace, beauty and self
control but complement this with an
element of make-believe by having a
‘Fairy Closet’ where we keep streamers,
scarves, tutus, tiaras, hoops, balls,
a parachute and other dance props,”
Melody explains. “Our mission is to
create a studio space overflowing
with joy!”
With music, costume and dance
movements that are family friendly
and wholesome, Freedom Dance
offers adult classes too, like beginners
classical ballet, ballet for strength and
agility, Barre Pilates, and Pre/Post Natal
Pilates classes at Rumpus Room where
children are welcome to play while
Mum gets a work out. New classes this
term include Hip Hop Pop Star work
shops, Jazz Jitter Bugs, Zumba and
Zumba Toning with Ange, Barre Pilates
mixed with mat work and PiYo (the
combination of Pilates and Yoga high
intensity curriculum released from US
celebrity trainers at Beach Body), Lyrical
Jazz, and Kindy Rock Play Group.
For more information and class schedules contact Melody Close on www.freedomdance.co.nz or find us on facebook
An idea mentioned by Mark Brough after
his rescue of Nicholas Dunnett – that
lifesavers need a beach buggy so they
can extend their patrols all the way
between East End and Waiwhakaiho –
eventuated in late 2014 when several
firms donated one.
But some days in the height of the
holiday season, the new four-wheel
drive vehicle sat unused - while people
swam in various unpatrolled places all
along the beach between Fitzroy and
Waiwhakaiho River. Its use depends on
the availability of lifeguards.
Surf patrol availability is something
that worries Brough. He and Jana Dunnet
called for paid lifeguard patrols to be
extended well beyond the current limit
of January 30, with coverage at least on
afternoons when school has finished
(weekend volunteer patrols go through
to April).
An allied concern held by some is that
one of the region’s popular beaches, Back
Beach near Paritutu, has no patrols at all.
With New Plymouth District Council
grappling with proposed rates caps
and cutbacks that might yet close
community pools, the likelihood of
more patrol funding beyond the
current $70,000 seems slim.
SAFER BEACHES
Trying to make the beach safer involves
more than just a couple of trained
people sitting on a temporary tower
beside a safe swimming corridor
marked by flags.
When the lifeguards or volunteers
are on duty, they are advised by a third
watcher in a clubhouse tower, and
at Fitzroy there is also likely to be a
portable sign in the sand in front of
the rip. The word “rip” isn’t actually
mentioned, since visitors to the country
are unlikely to be familiar with it.
They may also be unfamiliar with
the flagged zone concept. In Bali, for
instance, the gap between flags is
precisely where people shouldn’t swim,
because they signal the presence of rips.
During patrolling hours, people who
enter the water outside the flags in New
Zealand are liable to hear a whistle from
a lifeguard drawing their attention to
the need to move. Sometimes, they
use a loudspeaker.
But anyone who has ventured into
Taranaki waters, where you are
constantly getting an earful of surf,
appreciates that sometimes it takes a
while to realise the lifeguards are
trying to get your attention.
Some of the people most at risk at
places like Fitzroy and Oakura are those
staying in the bordering motor camps,
whose access to the beach - provided by
Council steps and gaps in marram grass
conservation planting - is well away
from signs, flags and lifeguards.
At Fitzroy, for example, the dunes
separating the camp from the beach
have eight access-ways (pictured) in
addition to the main beach entrance
at the surf clubhouse and tower.
None has a warning sign, and those
entering the beach from any one of
those pathways are unlikely to see the
surf patrol’s solitary temporary warning
sign (if it’s there) if they’re not clued
up enough to head for the flagged
swimming zone.
Despite acknowledging rips are a
well-known risk, the Council’s Steve
McGill says they are not aware of a
specific request for more hazard signs
at Fitzroy Beach.
“Our general stance is to limit the amount
of signage on the coastline wherever
possible.” He may not have looked lately
at the main beach entrance, where the
clubhouse is festooned with sponsors’
signs and Taranaki Regional Council
has one telling people it monitors
beach water quality.
Daisy Day agrees that too many signs
would be undesirable, but believes there
should be some that set out procedures
people need to follow in an emergency.
She’s seen signs like that on beaches in
California.
Broad national issues have beset water
survival for many years.
Most serious have been the
absence of a definitive leader and a
unified approach by the water safety
bureaucracy.
The sector comprises government and
non-government agencies, volunteer
and community organisations, and clubs,
who share common goals, but whose
roles, services, ideals and forums are
broad, varied, overlapping and
even competing.
In 2005, the last Labour Government
tried to make up for the damage done
by its predecessor’s Tomorrow’s Schools
policy by producing Drowning Prevention
Strategy - Towards a Water Safe New
Zealand 2005-2015.
So far as swimming deaths were
concerned, its core aims were to get
all swimming pools fenced, all children
taught basic swimming skills, and
everyone swimming between the flags.
After National took power in 2008, it
established the Drowning Prevention
Council to drive implementation of
the 2005 strategy, with the Accident
Compensation Corporation charged
with leading its development.
But concerns over the sector’s
splintered nature lingered into 2012,
prompting Sport New Zealand, ACC
and the Drowning Prevention Council
to commission a new report, which
found the sector still beset by lack of
collaboration and strategic direction.
That spurred a Sport NZ study,
which criticised the sector for lack of
leadership and the government for
paucity of funding. It found potential
funders were holding back contributions.
The Drowning Prevention Council
was closed and Water Safety NZ took
over leadership last year. Sport New
Zealand is now the government agency
responsible for monitoring Water
Safety NZ.
Last year and this year, children aged
5 to 13 are one of three groups targeted
for the development of water safety and
survival skills.
Leaving aside the question of whether
the school curriculum should be revised
to include compulsory swimming and
surf survival education, for Water Safety
NZ to succeed in its comparatively
new leadership role it needs to attract
more funding, even help pay for a more
extensive beach patrol season.
That wouldn’t come soon enough for
over-worked schools, surf lifesavers and
local Councils feeling the pinch.
It needs to happen in conjunction with
parents taking greater responsibility for
their kids on hot summer days when
nothing could be more tempting than
a dip in a friendly-looking ocean.••
Caci New Plymouth, 11 Liardet Street.
Call 0800 458 458 or visit caci.co.nz
for your free laser hair removal consultation.
Ask us about our exclusive guarantee* and easy payment options.
*Conditions apply, see full terms and conditions in clinic. Offer ends February 28th 2015.
10 Ways
We Sabotage
Weight Loss
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beautifulskin.nz
Do you eat well most of the time,
but just can’t seem to achieve your
weight-loss goals? Maybe you’re
subconsciously sabotaging your
efforts? Read our check-list of
the top ten ways we sabotage our
efforts for a healthier body.
1 Not eating enough during the day
If you don’t eat, or eat very little, your body thinks it’s
starving, so it will slow down your calorie-burning capacity
in order to ‘survive’. If that’s not enough, you are also more
likely to binge later in the day. Your body will then hang on
to the food through the night in preparation for another day
of ‘starving’. This is typically why “fad” and “crash” diets do
not work in the long run. So eat early, and eat often (every
3-4 hours) - it will get your engine revving on high!
eating nourishing foods
2 Not
If your body is not getting the essential vitamins and
minerals it needs, it will constantly send you signals to eat
more food. But don’t go on a search and destroy mission for
chocolates and lollies - it may be what your taste buds think
is a good idea, but it’s not what your body wants. Load up on
vegetables - and maybe a couple of portions of fruit - each
day. And that 5+ a day message? That is the bare minimum.
Try and include vegetables at lunch and dinner - lettuce,
avocado and tomatoes on your sandwiches, and courgettes,
carrots, mushrooms, beans, broccoli and capsicum in your
stir-fry. The more variety, the better your body likes it.
And if you don’t already know it - vegetables generally
have very few calories, yet plenty of satisfying
chewing and crunch.
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Do you have any of these symptoms?
Inability to lose or gain weight Mood swings
Nausea and or bad breath Overweight
Intolerance to alcohol Intolerance to fatty food
Foggy brain Headaches Unstable blood sugar levels
Sugar cravings Poor digestion and bowel problems
Itchy skin and rashes Excessive body heat
Auto immune dysfunction Frequent fatigue
Slow metabolism Allergies
High cholesterol and or triglycerides
Your guide to healthy bowels
1 -2 indicates constipation
and we recommendan
increase in fibre, hydration
and magnesium.
3-4 indicates ideal stools
which are easier to pass.
5-7 shows loose stools,
indicative of an irritated
gastro intestinal tract.
We recommend digestive
enzymes, an increase in
fibre and avoiding wheat.
Come in and talk with us today about
how our famous poo brew can help
AVAILABLE FROM HARDYS
NEW PLYMOUTH
P. 06 758 7553 or poobrew@xtra.co.nz
or www.celticsalt.co.nz P. 06 751 5223
drinking enough fluids
3 Not
Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to help you lose
more weight. It boosts your metabolism, cleanses your body
of waste and acts as an appetite suppressant. Drinking
more water will also help your body stop retaining water,
leading you to drop those extra pounds of water weight. If
you are eating a perfect diet, but are dehydrated, you will
lose less weight. When your body is dehydrated it cannot
burn fat. So drink at least 8 glasses a day and as a bonus
your hair and skin will shine! Drink two glasses as soon
as you get up, take a glass before every meal, have water
instead of sodas, and for a change, drink it ice-cold with
a slice of lime or lemon.
How do you know if you’re getting enough water? Check
what’s coming out. You’ll know you’re well hydrated if your
urine is clear or very light yellow in color. The darker your
urine, the more water you need to drink, especially if weight
loss is your goal.
4 Unrealistic portion sizes
When you’re constantly offered more food, and a ‘meal’ is
marketed as a massive burger, fries and soda or milkshake,
it is hard to know how much you should be eating. Aim
for a palm size portion of protein (ie: no bigger or thicker
than your palm), a similar amount of low G.I (Glycaemic
Index) carbohydrates (kumara, pumpkin, brown rice, etc),
and as many vegetables (spinach, silverbeet, broccoli, etc)
as you like.
Google “low GI foods” for a comprehensive list.
5 Eating too much sugar
Often people will eat the right amount of calories for weight
loss, but are not losing weight. The culprit is usually sugar.
Sugars and refined carbs have the unique ability to stop
weight loss in its tracks. Think of this: Your body is burning
fat (from your hips, maybe?), and all of a sudden it gets an
influx of sugar. It will use the sugar as energy and promptly
stop burning the fat.
So cut the sugar.
Medium for Regular People
“You don’t have to be afraid,”
says Lisa Lister, a therapeutic
healer and medium.
emotional, physical and spiritual level,”
Lisa says.
“Its all about helping people remember
they have the responsibility and the
power to bring change to their lives.”
Lisa’s love of people has helped
her develop her skill as a facilitator
of healing and insists everyone has
the ‘gift’. “With passion, training and
practice we can all learn how to see and
connect into the spirit world.”
At the start of this year, Lisa moved
her business to the peaceful space above
the Sivananda Yoga Centre at 145a
Tukupa Street. Cool on a hot summer
day, surrounded by leafy trees, and with
plenty of natural light, it radiates calm
and serenity.
She is accepting bookings from new
clients, plus is offering people the
chance to learn some healing techniques
themselves with the following classes.
“You don’t have to have an illness or be
in pain. I’m here for people who want to
change something about their lives, who
don’t feel happy with how things are
going and don’t know why. Sometimes,
it’s just about listening to people.”
Lisa terms her work as Vibrational
Medicine” and has been working as a
healer for over twenty years, including
tarot, colour and Soul Voice® Sound
healing, Reiki, crystals, Medium ship and
ThetaHealing®. “I help people to clear the
blocks that get in the way of them truly
loving and accepting themselves.”
“ThetaHealing® has no religious
affiliation,” says Lisa. “It doesn’t matter
what your beliefs are as this healing
works with all beliefs whether Buddhist,
ThetaHealing® Basic and Advanced
Muslim, Christian or Nature as your
for Soul empowerment and Growth.
truth.”
Learn how to put to use your natural
Sessions are usually 60-90 minutes
intuition, and bring positive change
long and the first thing Lisa does is help
through the brain wave cycle of a
the client identify what they want from
“Theta” state.
the session.
Theta Healing DNA 1 - 20, 21 & 22 Feb
“I work with people on a mental,
Learn Theta Healing™ DNA2
Advanced - 10, 11 & 12 April 2015
Learn Manifesting - 8, & 9 May 2015
NEW COURSE - 20, 21 March 2015
(6pm – 9pm Fri and 9am – 4pm Sat)
Combining sound, colour, theta and
crystals. Register your interest now to
book your place (10 spaces available).
Course fee $90.
Lisa Lister
Working from Sivananda Centre 145a
Tukupa Street, New Plymouth
home: 06 751 2687
cell: 027 563 2828
email: lisalisternaturally@gmail.com
www.lisalister.co.nz
lisa lister theraputic energy
healer and medium
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46 Dawson Street, New Plymouth P. 758 1767
Email: bernadette.wallis@clear.net.nz
to sugar). Add in the side effect of the increased hunger you
might feel while imbibing, and you’ve set yourself up for
weight loss failure. So aim for no more than 3 beers or wines
per week if you are serious about losing weight. If you are
super-serious, go for just 1 or 2 glasses per week, or ditch
the drink altogether until you’re at maintenance level.
As for shots and cocktails, well, they aren’t ever going to
be part of any weight-loss plan. If you find you just can’t
limit the amount you drink, or you “don’t really want to”,
then you’re reading the wrong article. You could well have
a much bigger problem.
6 Not weight-training
So many people think the hours they spend on the treadmill
is the secret ingredient to burning more calories. Sure, you
burn more calories by walking on the treadmill than by
lying on the couch; however, without the proper amount
of weight-training, you will not increase your metabolism.
Your resting metabolism is directly affected by how much
muscle you have - so if you want your body to become a
fat-burning machine, you need to build muscle.
9 Skimping on protein
When you skimp on protein, your body has to burn its own
muscle for fuel, resulting in decreased lean muscle mass.
Less muscle means less calorie-burning action. Additionally,
without adequate protein you can’t build more muscle mass
(to burn calories). And lastly, diets that are low in protein
cause increased sugar cravings. Include protein for breakfast
- eggs, nuts (no more than 12), seeds, nut butters or a protein
shake, are all good options. For lunch and dinner, go for lean
meats, poultry, fish, eggs, yogurt or tofu.
7 What are you drinking?
If you’re eating well, but having
regular fruit juices, Powerades,
cokes, or milkshakes, you won’t be
losing weight. Fruit juices are full of
sugar - even if they are “all natural”
and organic (see point 5). So too are
Powerades and similar “replacement”
drinks. You only need to drink these
if you are doing seriously hard
training (ie: an Ironman event) over
several hours. Kids playing an hour
of rugby do not need Powerade.
Sodas like coke and lemonade also
contain a heap of sugar, and as for
those heavily caffeinated, sugary
“energy” drinks, just don’t go there.
If you want to look after your health, watch your weight,
and keep your teeth, drink water. If you fancy some fizz,
try plain soda water, chilled, with a slice of lime.
Oh, and the other great thing about water? It’s free!
8 Drinking too much alcohol
There is nothing wrong with a few beers or wines per week,
but too many will absolutely reduce your fat-burning
capability. Not only does alcohol provide a hefty dose of
calories, but it also stops fat burning in its tracks (similar
10 Don’t go low-fat
Fat supports and protects certain organs, provides a
concentrated reserve of food, provides essential fatty
acids necessary for normal growth and development, and
is a vehicle for natural fat-soluble vitamins found in foods.
Fats are an important constituent of cell structure, and in
conjunction with carbohydrates, they help conserve protein.
But fats are not equal in their effects on the body. Essential
fats - including linolenic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid
(LNA), and omega-3 fatty acids (found in abundance in fish
and nuts) - have a favorable effect on cholesterol levels and
play a significant role in protecting you from many diseases
and immune challenges.
A lack of omega-3 in your diet will show up in a variety
of sobering ways: a decrease in energy and metabolism,
emotional challenges including
depression, dry skin and hair;
and premature aging of your
skin, nails and hair.
So there you have it. Did you
recognise any of your
behaviours in our list?
The good thing about eating for nourishment, is many of
the recommended foods contain good protein and fats, are
low GI and/or low in calories. When you see the same foods
recommended repeatedly, it soon becomes apparent what
to include in your daily eating, and what to leave out.
The New Year is the perfect time to commit to healthy
living, so make sure you aren’t sabotaging all your good
efforts with bad habits, bad advice or a lifestyle that
won’t allow you to make the changes you want to. ••
When
Good Babies
GO BAD
At nine weeks old, Liam* was not the contented and happy child his exhausted parents
wished him to be. His piercing screams and continuous crying left them all sleep
deprived, irritable and wondering where to turn.
Like so many parents, Liam’s young
mum Karley wanted her baby’s pain
to stop.
“My baby took his witching hour
to a new level at 9 weeks old with
distressed screaming for up to three
hours in the evenings.
“After 7-nights, with my GP assuring
me he was perfectly healthy, I decided
to take friends’ advice and try an
osteopath. I was desperate to rid the
colic that had turned our chilled-out
baby into a writhing, screaming and
inconsolable wreck.”
Luckily for them, Larissa Morgan
had just started offering the free ‘Baby
Day’ at New Plymouth Osteopaths.
Set up to help with common issues
such as settling, wind, spilling, and
sleeping, Karley was one of those
lucky mothers who witnessed the
calm befall her young son when she
sought treatment at the clinic.
“Larissa gently held him in a few
areas and applied light pressure. For
the symptoms I described she focused
on holding his hips, cradling his head
and feeling his tummy, says Karley.
“He was smiling, cooing and seemed
to enjoy the session. It was like magic.
No colic that night. I was so pleased
with the outcome and how effective
it was.”
“We’ve been offering the Baby
Day almost monthly for over a
year and it’s a real pleasure to help
these babies and see the relief in
mum’s eyes”, says Larissa. As well
Sharon Shan Qu
as providing treatment for everyday
“grown-up” aches, pains and injuries
with associate osteopath Trent
Johnson and acupuncturist Sharon
Shan Qu, the 19 Northgate premises
now resembles a crèche at times,
says Ms Morgan. “Even our lovely
receptionists can often be found on
capsule-rocking duties while Mum
gets everything organised.
Larissa goes on to say that “Birth is
one of the most physically demanding
events of our lives, even the most
textbook delivery subjects baby to
enormous forces on their way out
into the world - never mind what
prolonged labour and interventions
can do.
“Babies have an amazing ability to
rebound from the stress of delivery,
and most cope extremely well and
are content and happy. But for others
it can be a different story which is
where osteopathy may be able to help.
“And it’s not only babies who can
benefit,” says Larissa. “Pregnancy can
have its share of aches and pains.
Physical changes are occurring rapidly
and Mum’s posture must adapt to
the growing womb. Osteopathy can
help reduce any discomfort during
pregnancy to help ladies through this
exciting and important time. Plus we
can help post-partum, as everyday
tasks such as nursing, lifting car
seats, bending over cots and carrying
baby can put additional strain on the
body. If these stresses are not treated
Larissa Morgan
Trent Johnson
then backache, headache, neck and
shoulder tension, and pelvic girdle
dysfunction can more easily develop.”
The next Baby Days at New
Plymouth Osteopaths are Tuesday
February 10th, and Wednesday 11th
March. Bookings are essential,
so for more information please ring
06 758 8477, or visit the website
www.newplymouthosteo.co.nz.
FACT BOX:
Osteopathy is a complementary
manual therapy that offers expert
hands-on treatment to correct
restrictions in the body.
Accidents, falls, poor posture,
strains, wear and tear, and
pregnancy are common causes
of tension, restricted movement,
poor circulation and more. This
can result in backache, neck pain,
headaches, shoulder and knee
problems, sciatica, and joint pain.
Osteopaths use a range of handson techniques to alleviate tension
and restriction and promote a
healthy well-functioning body.
Treatment is safe and effective for
all ages.
New Plymouth Osteopaths are
ACC registered health providers,
which means you don’t need a
doctor’s referral. They can accept
current claims or submit a new
claim to ACC if required.
ACC treatment provider
p. 06 758 8477 f. 06 758 8475
19 Northgate, New Plymouth
enquiry@newplymouthosteo.co.nz
www.newplymouthosteo.co.nz
*name changed to preserve anonymity.
4
2
1
5
6
Photos: Leith Robertson, Antony McCormick
1st overall male:
Graham O’Grady (Hamilton)
3:56:56
1st overall female:
Samantha Warriner (Taupo)
4:34:13
1st New Plymouth male:
2nd New Plymouth male:
3rd New Plymouth male:
Jed Eden
James Irvine
Steve Webber
4:27:44
4:36:32
5:16:02
2nd overall female:
3rd overall female:
Hannah Lawrence
Sarah Backler
4:43:26
4:49:45
Individual Winners, female:Samantha Warriner (left) and
male: Graham O’Grady (right).
Jed Eden from New Plymouth was winner of the men’s 35-39 division and
came 4th overall with a time of 4:29:53.
Sarah Backler from Tauranga was winner of the female 30-34
division and came 3rd overall with a time of 4:49:45.
Cyclist for the “Catwalk Flyers” who came 2nd in the mixed team division.
Hannah Lawrence from Auckland finished was winner of the female
35-39 section and 2nd overall for the female division with 4:43:26.
James Irvine from New Plymouth came 2nd in the men’s 20-25 division and
9th overall.
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95 Lemon Street, New Plymouth
Ph. 759 1053
www.totalorthodontics.co.nz
SPORTS
Sports
Shorts
Corey Peters
By the time you read this, the winners
of the Halberg awards will be known.
No doubt they will be worthy ones,
with the inevitable controversy. That’s
understandable. The exercise is a
subjective one and that’s a guaranteed
formula for dissension.
I think the judging panel got it
wrong when they named the finalists
in the team category. The Auckland
City football team finished third in the
world club championships and had to
be there. The unbeatable men’s rowing
pair, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray,
will hopefully win, as they were, well,
unbeatable. While the world champion
men’s team sprint cycling team and
the Men’s 49er Class sailors also
deserved to be there. My problem was
the inclusion of the New Zealand rugby
league team. The judging panel said
this about the Kiwis when announcing
the finalists: “The Kiwis won the
2014 Four Nations tournament, the
second most prestigious international
tournament in rugby league. They
finished the 2014 season with a season
record of four wins and a loss.’’
As far as it goes, that is correct. But
the sport is hardly international. The
first test of the year was the traditional
Anzac test and, as usual we lost, this
time by 30-18. Fast forward to the end
of the season and the aforementioned
four nations tournament, “the second
most prestigious international
tournament in rugby league” and
the reality is there are only two
international tournaments. It’s PR
fluff. Yes, we did tbeat the Aussies
twice, England and Samoa to emerge
as winners. Good stuff, but hang
on a second. The originally named
Australian squad had no fewer than 12
players withdraw.
The NRL stars don’t rate
international league. It comes way
Sport has always been an important
part of Taranaki. We have a proud
tradition at being rather good at it and
New Plymouth writer Gordon Brown
shares his thoughts on the good, the
bad, the past and the future.
NZ Men under-19 Basketball Team
Front row: #10 Dane Brooks and
#12 Beauden Giddy.
below State of Origin, or winning a
premiership, so the Kiwis effectively
ended up beating Australia B. A good
effort, but world beaters? Hardly.
Compare their record, of played 5, won
4 and lost one, compared with the All
Blacks (played 13, drew 1, lost 1). Even
cricket’s Black Caps won a record five
tests in 2014.
From a slightly parochial, but
nevertheless considered, perspective, I
just hope New Plymouth athlete Corey
Peters won the Disabled Sportsperson
of the Year award. I suspect he
wouldn’t have, because it’s hard to beat
the swimmers who can win truckloads
of medals with their myriad distances
and styles available to them in their
competitions. Their achievements
look impressive on paper, but anyone
who saw just what remarkable skill
and endurance Corey displayed in
winning the silver medal in the Giant
Slalom, Men’s Sitting Class, at the 2014
Paralympic Winter Games, would not
begrudge him any accolade that comes
his way.
It was great to see the finals of the
50-over one-day cricket competition
being played at Pukekura Park, the
best cricket ground in the country, but
what a shame it was ruled out for the
twenty20 matches. That’s the ultimate
family-friendly form of cricket, what
with it being over in four hours and
plenty of thrills, but it seems cricket
is now being run by Sky TV. It wanted
(substitute demanded) all 20-20
matches to be played over a weekend
at one easy-to-film venue to cut their
costs. That meant we missed out.
What a shame, given its proximity to
the duck pond, Pukekura Park remains
one of the very few cricket grounds in
the world where you can hit a six and
still get a duck.
NZ Women under-19 Basketball Team
Back row: left Kayla Manurirangi,
& second fromt right: Connie Poletti.
One thing that never ceases to
surprise me is just how much raw
sporting talent we have in Taranaki.
For some years I was a judge on the
Sports Awards and the most difficult
category was the junior sections, both
male and female. Anyone casting
their eye over the young sporting
talent that exists today in the region
would be in no doubt that nothing
has changed. In fact, it could be better
than ever!
Did you know, for example that
Taranaki boasted four young
basketballers out of the twenty who
went to the Oceania U19 champs
held in Fiji during December?
Connie Poletti and Kayla
Manurirangi made the New Zealand
under-19 basketball team and won
all of their games up until the final
where they faced Australia. Both girls
were also in the record-setting New
Plymouth Girls’ High School team,
which won the national 3x3 title and
secondary school national champs,
for the first time ever!
NPBHS students Dane Brooks and
Beauden Giddy made the Junior
Tall Blacks (NZ U19s) and the two
outstanding guards played in the
final against Australia at the Oceania
Champs. The JTBs came agonisingly
close to becoming the first New
Zealand U19 team to beat Australia
and qualify for the U19 world
championships. With just 3.7 seconds
left on the clock the West Islanders
fluked a buzzer beater to take the win.
The lads have now finished school
and may well continue playing in the
National Basketball League, which
tips off locally on Thursday evening,
2nd April, with the Mountainairs
playing last year’s champions, the
Wellington Saints at TSB Stadium. ••
4 GYMS to choose from
Rampage gyms are locally owned and operated with a
variety of health and fitness solutions on offer. Open 24/7.
Our gyms are the only ones in Taranaki offering
more than 40 Les Mills and Freelance classes per
week. Check out our online timetables for each
facility at www.rampagefitness.co.nz
For your on-site convenience we have childcare
facilities, café, qualified physiotherapists, sport
massage therapist, hair stylist, beautician,
nutritionist and training advice from our
qualified personal trainers.
Rampage Fitness City Gym
163 - 167 Gill Street
New Plymouth
p. 06 757 8628
e. city@rampagefitness.co.nz
www.rampagefitness.co.nz
Rampage Fitness North
13 Swans Road
Bell Block
p. 06 755 3234
e. north@rampagefitness.co.nz
LOCAL GYMS
SPONSORING
LOCAL TEAMS
° FC Western Football
° Manukorihi Golf Club
° NPOB, Tukapa & Spotswood United Rugby
° East End, Fitzroy & NPOB SLSC
° NPGHS Football Academy
° Rampage Tysons Netball
° High Performance Sport NZ athletes
Rampage Fitness West
8 Sunley Street
Westown
p. 06 753 9393
e. west@rampagefitness.co.nz
Latitude 39
6 Sunley Street
Westown
p. 027 283 0400
e. josh@lat39crossfit.com
www.lat39crossfit.com
education
The new school year is underway at schools
and tertiary institutions around Taranaki.
Education
2015
In this feature LIVE looks at the success of the
New Plymouth District Council’s travel plans
for schools, tertiary options for students other
than university, and we present the Head
Boys and Girls at the New Plymouth district
high schools for 2015.
Lastly, in an era where schools are having
to do increasing amounts of fund-raising,
read about Lepperton School’s unique new
fundraiser.
Fitzroy students crossing on Barriball
Street with the newly installed islands
that have helped to slow traffic.
Let’s Go
Takes Off
When people first hear the term ‘travel planning’, they think plane tickets and trips away, but there
are no exotic holidays on the cards for thousands of school children whose schools are onboard
with New Plymouth District Council’s Let’s Go’s school travel planning.
“At its simplest, a travel plan is a bunch
of ideas for how to get more people
choosing active transport over car trips,”
says Let’s Go Travel Planner, Liz Beck.
The goal is to get Taranaki children,
walking, biking and scootering to school
and back, rather than parents dropping
them off in the car at the front gate.
It’s all about keeping the children
active, making them more independent
and responsible, and reducing traffic
congestion on our roads.
“From the start, schools and children
have totally got the active travel
message and have embraced travel
planning to the extent that we have 25
schools onboard and we’ve worked with
8,500 children so far,” says Liz.
Students at Fitzroy Primary School
have been travel planning since May
2012 and the school is reaping the
benefits.
Says Fitzroy Teacher and Let’s Go
Representative Siobhan Groot: “Over the
time we have been involved I have seen
a huge increase in the kids’ eagerness
to participate and in parental support,
as well as how much more aware the
kids have become about safe places
to cross around the school, wearing
clothing so they can be seen and
monitoring each other.”
Survey results show Fitzroy School
has an overall increase in active travel
of 75 per cent, with 70 per cent of its
students choosing to travel actively
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(against the national average of 33
per cent).
“Fitzroy School is not alone with
this high participation rate – our New
Plymouth primary schools have an
average of 69 per cent of children who
choose active, sustainable travel,”
says Liz.
The Let’s Go Team works with each
school to identify what’s preventing
people from choosing active ways to get
to school and comes up with ideas to
encourage safe and sustainable ways
to get their school community walking,
cycling and scootering more often.
“Every school is unique and has
different barriers, so we have a range
of resources up our sleeves – from
maps and letterbox stickers through to
event ideas like car-free day pancake
breakfasts – that can be adapted to suit
each school to help educate, support
and reward participants,” says Liz.
Adds Siobhan: “The resources are
fantastic and really encourage
the kids to change their ways. The
neighbourhood flyers and letterbox
stickers also involve the entire
community, which is very important.”
Often infrastructure concerns become
apparent through the travel planning
process.
“As we work with a school community
issues like safe crossing points, driver
speeds and behaviour come up and we
are often able to work with our Roading
Team to make infrastructure changes to
improve safety,” says Liz.
“In the past year we have worked with
Let’s Go, the school community and
residents to upgrade Barriball Street.
It is now very clear that as a driver
you are entering a school zone and to
reduce your speed,” says Siobhan.
“It is all about making it safer for kids
outside the school gates.” ••
Never underestimate
the confidence and
independence that
walking, riding and
scootering to or
partway to school will
give your children.
Here are some tips to
get you started.
lan your safe route to school, check
°P
your school route map for ideas.
° Have practise runs in the weekends
to your neighbours and ask
° Chat
them to watch out for your kids
in bright clothes and
° Dress
appropriate shoes
° Work through some ‘what if’ scenarios
Do you want to read, write
and do maths better?
If reading, writing or maths is holding
you back at work or at home, we can
help you. No ifs. No buts.
Our services are provided:
° Locally ° Confidentially
° At no cost to the student
New classes starting February 2014
Call now to enrol!
Phone: 06 759 4650
° Financial Literacy
° Workplace Literacy
° Learner Licence
° Reading
° Writing
° Spelling
° Study Skills
TARANAKI ADULT LITERACY
Corner Lemon and Liardet Streets New Plymouth P. 06 759 4650
SCHOOL’S OVER NOW WHAT?
THE TARANAKI EDUCARE STAFF
Back row, from left: Talia Coghlan (Administrator), Donna Ertel (General Manager
and Kindergarten Module Supervisor), Janet Moselen (Youth Mentor and Training
for Work tutor). Front row: Bronwyn Hanrahan (Assistant to General Manager
and Teacher Aide module Supervisor), Jaimie Webb (Disability Support Module
Supervisor and PR and Pathway Coordinator) and Sue Hobby (Childcare Module
Supervisor and head teacher of early childhood units).
With around 40 students at any one time, dress-up days are embraced by staff
and students.
It can be hard for young people to know what they want to do once they leave school. Only 30% go to university,
and of those, just 37% leave with a qualification. But for those who think they may like to work with children or
adults in the field of education and care, there is a year-long course available in Taranaki that offers students
hands-on experience while gaining the qualifications they need to work in a broad range of people-related
industries. AND IT’S FREE!
Many of us are familiar with the building nicknamed The Yellow
Castle, perched next to the Devonport Apartments on Dawson
Street. But few would realise this little building houses one of
the country’s most successful training providers.
Taranaki Educare Training Trust is classed as a Category One
provider, which means it is in the top 24% of New Zealand training
providers in terms of teaching, policy, procedures and pathwaying
systems. On average their students have some of the best pass
rates and 80 - 85% of them go on to further training at WITT, Open
Polytechnic or university, or straight in to employment.
Sit with General Manager Donna Ertel and her team for a few
minutes and you soon find out why. These people love what they
do, and they really get a buzz out of helping young people (and
some not so young) discover what they are good at doing.
“We offer a real life programme,” says Donna. “It’s not just sitting
in a classroom all day every day.” Teaching days are generally on a
Wednesday and Thursday, then on Fri, Mon and Tue, the students
are out in workplace training, practicing the skills they have just
learnt. Each week they learn new skills, then go straight out and
practice them.
The four terms of the year are focused on Childcare,
Kindergarten, Disability support and Teacher Aide/support.
“It means the students can see which area they like the most. The
qualifications they get from the course will support them in employment
or further study in any one of those four fields,” says Donna.
Taranaki Educare isn’t just about qualifications.
They focus on getting people ‘job-ready’ too.
“We build self-esteem and we’re big on respect, commitment, unity,
honesty and creativity. There’s no mucking around - our students work
hard, but we’re an upbeat place and there’s heaps of laughter,” says
Donna. “We aim to instill life skills too by embracing values like ‘The
FISH Philosophy’ which is all about making your work place a positive
environment to be in. We do this by helping and encouraging others,
bringing a positive attitude and being present in the moment (ie: turn
their mobile phones off).”
The tutor to student ratio is 1:10, so students get the kind
of support they may not get at bigger institutions. “We work
out their strengths and what they are good at.”
Students range in age from 16 - 60, and some of Taranaki
Educare’s past trainees are now mentors at the various
workplaces providing trainee placements.
Taranaki Educare has four intakes during the year, with
new students starting each term.
They have an Open Day scheduled for Tuesday 10th March
at 3.30pm, where people interested in the programme, and
their parents, can come along and see what it’s all about.
Please phone the team on 758 4115 or text 027 660 8058
to book your spot.
Qualifications gained in 40 weeks: Certificate in Education
Support Level 3, National Certificate in Early Childhood & Care
Level 3 and NCEA 1 (& levels 2 & 3 if applicable).
ARE YOU KEEN TO GAIN EMPLOYMENT?
For those of you who are on benefits and would like to support
people in the community, we do a 13 week programme to help
you gain employment. Give us a call!
PHONE: (06) 758 4115 | TEXT: 027 660 8058
facebook.com/TaranakiEducareTrainingTrust
www.taranakieducare.ac.nz | taranakieducare@xtra.co.nz
2015 Head Boys & Girls
Inglewood High School
Social Work, perhaps even overseas.
Jake Jarman
An extremely
able student and
sportsman, Jake
achieved an Excellence
Endorsement in Level
2 NCEA in 2014. Jake
is an active citizen both inside the
school and out. He plays rugby and
cricket and enjoys being challenged.
He intends to go to university to study
towards a degree in either Meteorology
or Agricultural Science. Jake is widely
liked and respected by the entire school
community and has already made a
significant impact as Inglewood High
School’s Head Boy for 2015.
New Plymouth Boys’
High School
Grace Fowler
A talented and witty
public speaker, Grace,
like her counterpart,
has already made a
positive impact on our
school culture. Grace is
actively interested in the contemporary
world; she plays netball and is passionate
about food. Travelling to the United
States in 2014 has given her a taste for
travel. In 2014 Grace achieved a Merit
Endorsement in Level 2 NCEA and next
year Grace plans to study either Law or
Theo Betteridge
Born and bred in
Taranaki, Theo has
been involved a wide
range of activities,
including being a proud
member of the 1st XV
rugby team, the 1st Volleyball team and
the 1st Touch team. He is also a member
of the school’s Christian fellowship group
and has a passion for Maori language
and culture. Gaining his Level 2 with
excellence he wishes to pursue a Tertiary
education. He is respected as a hard
working young man with integrity.
New Plymouth Girls’
High School
Amy Benton
Amy is a polite,
respectful and totally
reliable young woman
who is held in high
regard by both her
peers and her teachers.
Last year, Amy gained Level 3 NCEA with
Excellence and University Entrance as a
Year 12 student (having already achieved
NCEA Levels 1 and 2 with Excellence).
This year Amy is taking another five
Level 3 subjects and sitting several NZ
Scholarships. She is also involved in
Students Against Driving Dangerously,
the Ball Committee, Stage Challenge,
Global Young Leaders (USA), Student
Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting (Wellington), Spirit of Adventure,
Netball and Deputy Tutor Group
Representative.
Sacred Heart
Girls’ College
Eliza Parker
The Head Girl of Sacred
Heart Girls’ College
for 2015 embraces the
gospel values of the
College and the ideal
of servant leadership.
Eliza is involved in a number of areas of
the College; she was the Board of Trustee
Representative, she is a Student Council
member and a boarder at Elizabeth
House Hostel. She is a top scholar who
finds the time to be a talented pianist,
keen footballer and she is involved in her
local parish, St Joseph’s in Hawera. Eliza
was chosen as Head Girl because she is
a great communicator, a role model and
generally lives our school motto “whatever
you do, do to the best of your ability.”
NEW HORSE COURSE
Taranaki horse lovers who want
to expand their knowledge on
all things equine now have the
chance to attend a new NZQAapproved learning programme.
Onsite Education is a private
training provider that has focused
on agricultural and horticultural
programmes over the past 20 years, and
has now added the National Certificate
in Equine (Care and Handling) Level 3 to
their syllabus.
The 30-week programme
incorporates theory and practical
training on the general care of horses,
paddock maintenance, anatomy and
conformation, farriery skills and
nutrition. Work experience options
mean that students can experience a
broad range of potential jobs, including
racing stables, farriery, agistment
centres and riding schools.
Onsite general manager, Joanna
Means, says the programme is designed
for anyone aged over 16 with a desire
to own or work with horses, from
complete learners onwards, and would
even be perfect for non-horsey parents
of pony-mad children!
Being situated on 14.5 acres in
Tikorangi, there is transport available
& learners have views of Mt Taranaki
to the sea, while working with and
learning about the horses that are
of varying age, height, breed and
experience.
“Graduates from this programme
will be armed with the skills and
knowledge to move into an equine
role in the industry, such as working
in a breeding or racing yard, livery or
agistment centre, or simply to look after
their own horse.”
In addition to the new Equine
programme, Onsite provides NZQA
approved and accredited Agriculture
and Horticulture qualification at Levels
3 and 4. Students come from varied
backgrounds and ages including the
more mature student with no formal
qualifications or those looking at
changing careers.
“Our flexible mixed mode delivery
of programmes includes day and
evening classes, with unique delivery
techniques so where there may
be learning difficulties no one is
disadvantaged,” says Joanna.
“Practical work experience out in
the industry is a key opportunity
to meet and work with potential
employers.
ONSITE EDUCATION To find out more call 06 758 1150 or 027 474 3922 or email office@ilp.ac.nz
She is also Deputy Head Girl at Elizabeth
House. Eliza is the daughter of Juliette
and Crichton Parker of Hawera.
Francis Douglas
Memorial College
Louis Poole
Louis is a boarder from
Kapuni. His family
have a dairy farm
and it’s farming that
interests Louis as a
future career. He will
pursue an Agricultural Science degree at
Massey next year. This year he is studying
Agriculture, Statistics, Chemistry, Biology
and Business Management. Louis plays
rugby and is hoping to make it into
the 1st XV. He is very widely travelled
over the last year having been part of a
Japan study group, attending the Global
Young Leaders in Washington DC and
being a member of the Future Problem
Solving team which participated in the
world finals in Iowa. He has recently
undertaken some Lasallian Leadership
Training in Sydney.
Spotswood College
Luke Abbott
Luke is 17 years old,
and is the Spotswood
College Head Boy for
2015. Luke loves school
and the diversity of
the students. He was
born and bred in Taranaki. He enjoys
challenges and pushing himself to
the brink of his abilities and learning
capacity. A perfect example of this
includes learning complex piano skills
from watching YouTube. He is looking
forward to the challenges that leadership
provides. Next year he is hoping to attend
Otago University where he intends
studying for a science degree.
Kiara Quirante
Kiara is 17 years old,
and is the Spotswood
College Head Girl for
2015. Kiara was born in
Davao, Philippines and
moved to New Zealand
when she was 8 years old. The subject’s
that Kiara is most interested in is English
and the Sciences. In her spare time she
loves to read books and go outdoors
getting active.
Next year Kiara is hoping to study
medicine at the University of Auckland,
and she says, “This aspiration is a
challenging one but my passion lies in
helping people who are in need.” Kiara is
humbled to have been given the role
as Head Girl and she wants to give her
support and service to the students of
Spotswood College.
Waitara High School
Tara Miller
Known in the Waitara
community as a real
people person, Tara
(17) has wanted to
be Head Girl since
she was a Year 9
student. She is her school House
Leader and is involved in a Sports in
Education initiative in which students
themselves plan and present interval
and lunchtime activities to encourage
other students to be more physically
active in their free time. In 2014 Tara
attended the Rotary Youth Programme
of Enrichment (RYPEN) in Taihape.
She has also successfully participated
in a number of food technology and
hospitality/cookery competitions.
Dougal HannamWilliams
Dougal’s goal for
the year is to be a
positive role model
for all students and
to further develop
his heavy metal
band, Pedal to the Metal.
As well as entering Taranaki
RockQuest for a second year, the band
has lined up a visit to Australia in the
Term 2 holidays.
A member of the Waitara High
School 1st XI hockey team, Dougal
(17) is also the school’s Academic
Leader for 2015. His interests
include computer programming and
miniature war gaming. In 2013 Dougal
was one of 50 secondary students
from throughout New Zealand to
participate in the Christchurch Urban
Expedition as part of the Sir Peter
Blake Youth Enviro Leaders’ Forum.
••
Our vision, to develop educated, confident young
women of outstanding character, is timeless.
Our core values are positive relationships,
respect and responsibility.
Private Bag 2049, New Plymouth Central, New Plymouth 4342
PHONE (06) 757 3899 FAX (06) 757 3882
EMAIL admin@npghs.school.nz www.npghs.school.nz
the
LAWNMOWER MEN
Ever since man invented grass, he has been looking for ways to cut it,
hack it and pound it into quarter-acre submission. And ever since the
invention of the ride-on lawnmower, he has wanted to race his humble,
urban machine against his fellow man. Words Richard Hobo
Yes, lawnmower racing is a real thing and what started out
as a fundraiser for Lepperton School three years ago has
turned into an obsession for a group of men who have now
done the only sensible thing to do when discovering they
share a mutual obsession – they have formed a club called
Taranaki Outlaws Racing.
Club convenor Brian Mulder explains that organised
lawnmower racing first came to Taranaki after clubs from
Bay of Plenty and Feilding descended upon our green and
luscious province to help out with the Lepperton School’s
inaugural lawnmower racing day three years ago. That
meeting was a huge success and the day has become
Lepperton School’s primary source of fundraising for
the year.
Brian was caught by the lawnmower racing bug at that
very first event in 2012.
“My kids go to Lepperton School and so we naturally went
along to watch. I thought it looked like a blast and when I
found out one of the racing mowers was for sale, I bought it
on the day and that was the beginning of the end really. I’ve
been obsessed with drifting on my mower ever since.”
He now has three of them.
“The mowers we use are front-engined, so most of the
weight is over the front axle, making it really easy to get
some awesome drift action out of them,” explains Brian, as
we gather with a few other club members in a Lepperton
orchard.
He then hops onto one of his three steeds, fires it up and
roars off to drift around the fruit trees, then comes roaring
back to perform a few victory donuts. Grass is sent flying
and the sound from the Briggs and Stratton V-twin through
the stubby exhaust is like a very angry trail bike. The speed
is nothing short of astounding from a lawnmower. A huge
bonus for the club has been the recent securing of a couple
of acres of land in the industrial estate near Bell Block.
“That’s going to be so great for us to all hoon round on,”
says Brian.
There are a number of rules and regulations when it
comes to racing your lawnmower. First and foremost, the
cutting deck must be removed and it must at least resemble
a lawn mower rather than a go-kart. Anyone who has driven
a ride-on lawnmower knows that due to the gearing, they
are not the quickest machines on the planet, so the gearbox
is replaced, with right-angle boxes being the most popular.
A quick nose under the body panels of these mowers reveals
some pretty serious engineering to transfer the power from
the engine to the wheels.
“A lot of work goes into these things, a lot of hours spent
in the shed,” says Brian. “We’ve heard of guys saying they’ll
have a mower going within a couple of weeks, but we always
say to them, ‘No way, once you get into it, it’ll be more like a
year.’”
Judging by the smiling faces of club members, I’m sure not
too many of those shed-bound hours are spent begrudgingly.
“It’s a lot of fun and we have great camaraderie in the club.
We’re always sharing ideas and helping each other out with
parts and knowledge and whatever.
“Lawnmower racing is ideal for anyone who finds trail
bikes or go-karts too expensive or too serious. You can
build yourself a competitive mower for around $2,000.
Lawnmower racing is tight, it’s fast and above all it’s a
whole lot of fun.”
LEPPERTON SCHOOL
LAWNMOWER RACING DAY
Date: 21st March 2015
Venue: Lepperton School,
540 Richmond Road, Lepperton
Start: 10am
Organiser: Kat McNab, 752 0881 / 027 352 0881 / www.lepperton.school.co.nz.
For anyone interested in getting involved with
the Taranaki Outlaws Racing Club, contact Brian
Mulder on 06 754 4460 or 027 368 3690 or check
them out on Facebook.
feature home
Family Haven
Words Shelley Landon-Lane Photos Roger Richardson
at Oakura
Where do a family that have lived on Oakura’s Pitcairn Street for 15 years move
to? Across the road of course! Shelley Landon-Lane visited their newly-built
home, a clever collaboration of expertise resulting in a spectacularly practical
home perfect for Craig and Melissa and their three children aged 14, 12 and 10.
Another quality home from:
Quality new home builds
PHONE 027 474 3035 www.lahomes.co.nz
We would like to thank LA Homes and
the Waites for choosing Nulook to supply
their aluminium joinery
10 Cygnet Drive Bell Block
p 755 4176 f 755 4179 www.nulook.co.nz
Kitchen Supplied by
Oakura. One of the many coastal
gems in Taranaki’s Surf Highway
crown offers a village lifestyle settled
between a north-facing beach and
farmland through to ranges and the
mountain. Naturally these views are
a vital inclusion in the design and
outlook of this two-storey home.
Craig and Melissa had been looking
for land for a while in the area and it
happened by chance that the Pitcairn
site they eventually purchased
was just across the road from their
existing house, but a bit closer to the
beach. Kurt Lines of LA Homes was
approached about the build and from
there the project roared into life.
New Zealand CDS Kitchen Designer of the Year 2010
Phone (06) 759 0940 www.glenjohns.co.nz
CLEGG’S
Proud to have supplied and installed the floor coverings for LA HOMES.
The team at Carpet Court invite you to call in and discuss
all your flooring requirements at the home of the Rhino.
CLEGG’S CARPET COURT
181 DEVON ST EAST NEW PLYMOUTH PHONE 759 8308
CONGRATULATIONS TO CRAIG & MELISSA,
& LA HOMES, ON YOUR BEAUTIFUL NEW HOME.
BRAD NAGLE 0274798499
PROUD TO SUPPLY
Pool Fence External balustrade
Internal stair balustrade Handrails Splashbacks
Office & Showroom 38 Grey Street, Waitara
Tollfree NZ-wide 0508 367 466
Office 06 754 3252 Mobile 0274 428 630
Enter Paul “Rusty” Rust, architectural designer and owner
of 4SITE Design. For over a decade Rusty has been involved
in many projects with Kurt and his business partner, Rob
Aim. Together they forged the backbone of the project. The
design vision and quality workmanship from all the subbies
is outstanding.
“We’ve been working with our subbies for a very long time
now and we know each other very well. They turn up when
we need them and nothing’s a problem,” says Kurt.
Melissa highlights how good the LA Homes crew were to
work with.
“There weren’t many changes along the way but they
were always open to this, and along with being able to
visit the guys on site regularly it all added to the excellent
experience this project was. A lot of people find building
stressful but this was just really enjoyable.”
Rusty agrees, “The great part about this project is the
process and the great combination of people working 100%
for the client. We know each so well and get on. The whole
thing went smoothly.”
Craig and Melissa are practical, down-to-earth people and
their brief was simple: a family home with an environment
where their children want to be. They had a picture of a twostorey house cut from a magazine as a guide.
The classic quarter-acre site previously housed a humble
1940s dwelling built close to the roadside. Craig and Melissa
were not interested in sub-dividing much to the previous
owners’ delight and their 400m2 home sits proudly in the
middle with the 15 metre pool to the rear.
Rusty spent time onsite, cuppa in hand, determining the
best use of the flat 1000m2 of earth in conjunction with his
client’s needs. He considered a separate living area for the
teenagers including their bedrooms, a bathroom, laundry,
rumpus and entertainment room on the ground floor. This
MINI EXCAVATORS
“We’ve got it covered”
Ken Maharey m. 027 213 6626
e. ken.maharey@metalcraftroofing.co.nz
Freephone. 0508 589 145
Phone. 755 2113
PROUD TO WORK WITH
MELISSA, CRAIG, & L A HOMES.
216a DeHavilland Drive
Mathias Wharehoka m. 027 291 8251 Bell Block.
e. mathias.wharehoka@metalcraftroofing.co.nz www.metalcraftroofing.co.nz
O8OODIRTWORKS
Paul Rust – Architectural Designer
Phone: 06 769 5524 Email: paul@4sitedesign.co.nz
opening hours monday - friday, 9am - 5pm and saturday, 9:30am - 1pm
unit 9/477a devon street east, strandon, new plymouth
(in the complex down beside the mitchell cycles building)
phone 06 758 1771 www.biancalorenne.co.nz
designer bed linen, table linen, rugs, furniture, fabrics
has proved a winner with the children having their friends
over to swim and hang out in their own space.
Adjacent is the double garage internally accessed and
3.4m high, big enough to house cars, bicycles, boards, golf
clubs and other paraphernalia associated with family life.
Upstairs he allowed for generous living spaces and
outdoor decks, a choice of two, northern and western
depending on the wind. The master bedroom is upstairs also
for the views which replicates the previous view they had
sweeping over Matekai Park and out to sea.
The frontage is commanding yet modest, boasting bold
lines among its easy simplicity and not giving much away.
The life of the home is shielded. A single Chatham Island
Nikau Palm stands tall by the drive and is joined by Jelly
Palms and Dragon trees. These are bedded with smooth
rocks the size of fists. Impressive about this dream home is
the scale – large!
A bespoke chimney breast built by stonemason, Andrew
Benton, delivers architectural ‘bling’ with a bang and stands
at just under 8m. Offset crisply by the exterior materials
of’ Specialised’ plaster in ‘Wan White’ combined with
Cedar stained dark in ‘Treehouse’. Heavy duty aluminium
joinery, colour appropriately named, Iron Ore, frames the
glazing including a glass floor to ceiling wall at the western
end to take in beach and ocean views as well as Oakura’s
epic sunsets.
Old sleepers and concrete combine in steps along both
sides of the house which gives a rustic homely touch. One
side leads past the chimney and outdoor shower to the back
garden showcasing the gloriously blue pool fringed with
palms. The other side brings you to the dramatically black
front door.
Megan Ekdahl, interior designer played an integral part
in the overall scheme. While Craig and Melissa wanted a
LA Homes, quality homes
Experts in renovations
and extensions
Experienced
commercial builders
Quality new
home builds
Our designers are experienced at
creating a consistent look between
the existing and the new structures.
We can extend or improve your
current home with minimal
disruption to your family.
The LA Homes team have extensive
experience in light commercial
building, having built Westbar in
Westown, Fitzroy Service Station
and Cowleys Refridgeration’s
Offices.
From a bach to a two storey family
home, to an executive beach house,
we can build it.
PHONE 027 474 3035
www.lahomes.co.nz
For Straightforward Deals
Straightforward Fees
• Residential purchase (incl Mortgage)
$650.00
• Residential Sale
$550.00
• Residential Sale & Purchase
$1,100.00
• Trust Formation
$550.00
• Enduring Power of Attorney
$250.00
• Residential Refinancing
$500.00
• Wills for Clients
Free
CHRIS USSHER
No fees for deals that do not proceed
Local,
just like you
Your one point of contact for everything Spark
Welcome to your Spark Store. Our job is to understand your
communications requirements and how we can tailor the right
telecommunication tools to keep you connected.
Our advice to you is FREE and our services include:
• One-to-one conversations every time you visit our store.
• Choosing the right landline, mobile and online data
backup solutions.
• Keeping you on track when your contract has
expired or better solutions for you become
available; to make sure you are always
on the right plan.
Call in to our store at
281 Devon Street East, New Plymouth
Monday-Friday 8.30 am to 5.00 pm
Saturday 9.00am to 12pm
colour accent for their front door, Megan suggested they
would eventually get sick of it. It was this type of advice and
recommendation that helped guide the couple “into the now”
without getting caught up in passing trends and focussing
instead on a timeless décor.
“They were fantastic to work with and willing to take on
board suggestions. We wanted to create a modern, clean,
easy beachy feel and yet classic at the same time and to
make it as easy as possible so they could enjoy the build,”
says Megan.
In the entranceway of polished concrete flooring a deep
charcoal feature wall in ‘Foundry’ backdrops the chunky
American Oak treads. These form the floating staircase
leading to the upper level where the views captivate
instantly. The raked ceiling rises from 2.4m on the
mountain side up to three metres towards the Tasman Sea
to maximise the environment. Door heights are 2.2m in
keeping with the overall dimensions.
REAL ESTATE
New Year off
to Flying Start
Central to this level is the galley-style kitchen, designed
by Glen Johns, also in context with the proportions of
the house. The 4.6m island is made from ‘Jasmine White’
Corian and contrasts beautifully with the black tiled splash
back. The tiles add a textural element to the smooth
surfaces. The scullery is made that bit more special with a
window view that captures the mountain.
The washed Oak laminate flooring provides another
textural-layer to the overall story, while ‘Intelligent Style’
Smartstrand carpet in a colour called Elephant, anchors
the floor in the lounge and dining areas and master
bedroom. The couple’s bedroom has great views of the
ranges as well as the beach. Even the walk-in wardrobe has
a mountain view.
The white bathroom is paired with denim-coloured tiles,
floor to ceiling, in the shower bay. The effect is stunning
and is akin to the blue of the ocean.
This family home is an obvious
success for the occupants, summed
up in a call to Megan once it was
completed - “Oh my god, we have
moved in and we love it! ••
Maybe it’s the nice weather – but our
agents are running at present, all busy
with inquiries and new listings. There is a
confidence in the market we haven’t seen
in a couple of years. Maybe it’s just the
tail of the Christmas holiday rush. Maybe
we have finally decided that real estate
in New Plymouth is in fact alive and
well, which it is. Wherever the sentiment
comes from, it’s most welcome.
We have very low and stable interest rates.
Property values are steady and have been for a
year or so. Employment remains high. Given a
bit of good news on the dairy payout, real estate
should continue to operate at good strong levels in
New Plymouth this year. That is our expectation.
We do have concerns on the Dairy payout front, but
the world is still short of protein and any downturn
will wane in due course. Plus, Fonterra are a smart
outfit and will work out the very best outcome
for our farmers we know. We also see a slowdown
in energy related businesses due to the dramatic
fall in oil prices. That may take a bit more time to
resolve being entrenched in global politics.
A LOCALLY OWNED TILE DESIGN STORE
OFFERING PROFESSIONAL TILE LAYING
SERVICES THROUGHOUT TARANAKI
All in all, I am confident the local real estate market
will continue to show good volumes of sales at
very steady prices on the back of low and steady
interest rates, and local high employment. Just one
more comment about 2015 remains. The Auckland
and Christchurch markets are going quite mad
for different reasons. Fortunately neither of those
reasons affects us here, and the madness should
stay on the other side of the Bombay Hills and
Cook Strait.
PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH LA HOMES
John Christiansen
VISIT OUR SHOWROOM
231 Devon St East, New Plymouth. Phone: 758 0855
office@companyoftilesltd.co.nz www.companyoftilesltd.co.nz
0800 WESELL
taranakiharcourts.co.nz
live drive
2015 HYUNDAI SONATA
ELITE LIMITED 2.0 TURBO
Come in i45, your time is up.
Words + Photos Richard Hobo
The job of naming cars is a battlefield fraught with endless opportunities for failure. Not only does the name
of your sleek new model have to be evocative enough to make people want to buy it, it cannot be offensive or
rude in any language… in the world. This is no mean feat and could go some way to explain why the world’s
car makers, with all the different languages they have to deal with, usually opt for numbers. Not that this road
is completely hassle-free however, as in the world of numerical vehicle nomenclature, there have been more
than a few double-ups, not to mention the odd threatening letter between car companies.
All of this and more was running
through my head as I drove Hyundai’s
new Sonata, which is what the
outgoing model Hyundai i45 used
to be called. Apparently, Hyundai
asked the people and the people
told Hyundai that they wanted sexy,
romantic names for their cars, not
fiddly, forgettable numbers. And so, the
company’s medium-sized sedan will
revert back to its previous moniker of
Sonata.
Right, now that’s all out of the way,
time to drive the new Sonata. The
base model (simply called Sonata)
and the Sonata Elite are both fitted
with a 2.4 litre four cylinder engine
producing 138kW@6,000rpm and
torque of 241Nm@4,000rpm, while the
top of the range Sonata Elite Limited
that I drove comes with a two litre
turbo four, chucking out 180kW@6,000
rpm and more importantly, torque
of 350Nm@1,400 – 4,000rpm. It’s not
often that the top of the range car
has the smallest engine, but thanks
to the beauty of turbocharging, there
is plenty of go under the bonnet of
this Elite Limited model. All that go is
mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed
automatic tiptronic gearbox, complete
with Normal, Eco and Sport modes. I
drove around in Eco mode for a while
and found the performance more than
adequate, but a switch to sport mode
really got things moving. The power of
this car is amazing for an otherwise
outwardly normal four door sedan.
Put your foot down and shift through
the gears manually and you’ll have
to keep an eye on the speedo to keep
your licence intact. Try as I might, I
couldn’t find a 0-100 time for the turbo,
but fuel economy is 9.2 litres per 100
kilometres.
The domain of the four door sedan is
usually that of ferrying businesspeople
around the countryside. Climbing
inside the Sonata, I instantly noticed
the staid, squared-off and simple
interior design, markedly different
from the i45. In fact, design-wise inside
and out, this car really is all about
business, like a sharp suit. The next
thing I noticed was that the driver’s
seat rose up towards the steering
wheel as I pushed the start button and
then fell back again once I’d completed
my journey and opened the door to
get out. I suspect this is to better
accommodate businesspeople who
have enjoyed one too many company
lunches, although pregnant women
will find it great as well.
It took me a while to notice the
full sliding sunroof, mainly because
I actually had plenty of headroom.
Sunroofs normally intrude horribly
upon headroom, but not the new
Sonata. Even in the back, a full-size
adult can sit quite comfortably. There’s
plenty of legroom back there as well.
In the interests of professionalism
and dedication, I tried out the heated
seats on what had to have been one
of the hottest days of the summer, but
no worries, as I then was able to cool
my sweaty back with the seat cooler. It
works a treat! The back seats are also
heated, as is the steering wheel.
At night, the dashboard lights up a
mixture of white and cool blue and
all interior lighting is by white LEDs,
which not only looks great, but has a
lower power draw, meaning you’ll be
able to sit in a rest area at night and
write a report without fear of running
the battery down. There are two power
outlets, (what we used to call cigarette
lighters), in the front of the car, and
one in the back, meaning that on
the way to the meeting everyone can
charge their phones. On the weekends,
the kids will be happy about the USB
and iPod jacks.
Lift the bonnet and you won’t need
to hunt around for a rod to hold it up,
as it holds itself up on hydraulic struts,
which is a bit of a rare treat. The good
news continues in the boot as well, as
there is a full-size alloy spare wheel,
a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher and
even a Hyundai hi-visibility vest.
A fast, roomy, smart-looking
executive express with plenty of toys.••
PRICE AS TESTED $55,990
Lease tHe aLL-New
FRom
$599
+Gst peR moNtH*
6 speed automatic
ReveRsiNG cameRa
17” aLLoy wHeeLs
automatic dusk
seNsiNG HeadLiGHts
GLove box cooLiNG
The all-new Hyundai Sonata sets a benchmark in driveability on any kind of road,
anywhere in New Zealand. This stunning mid-sized sedan with its sculpted, fluidic
design gives you unsurpassed levels of comfort and performance.
ST
T ST
ELIO
GILL
Energy City Hyundai
Cnr Gill & Eliot Street, New Plymouth
(06) 759 8070 www.energyhyundai.co.nz
Limited Lease stock
avaiLabLe so caLL us today!
0800 HyuNdai (498 632)
*Lease rate based on a Non-maintained Operating Lease for 60,000km over 45 months. Normal Hyundai Lease financial criteria applies. Offer applies to Hyundai Sonata 2.4 A6. Other models and lease terms available on request. Offer available until 28
February 2015. See Enery City Hyundai for more details.
snap shots
1
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Freedom Dance’s Christmas
production of Frozen. Images 1-3.
At the opening of Third Eye
Investigations
4. Max Pennington (Max Pennington
Motors Ltd), Robin Brockie (Staples
Rodway)
5. Samantha Hunt and Belinda Hunt
(Lushington Jackets)
6. Karen Drysdale and Detective
Sergeant Debbie Gower, NP Police.
7. Catherine Quinn (Quinn Law), Chester
Burrows (National MP), Trish Clarke
(Third Eye Investigations)
8. Brittany Bourgoise (Flamingo
Boutique), Malcolm, Callum and
Brooklyn Bourgoise
2
10
11
12
13
9. Karen Venables (Legal Solutions) and
Bridie Sweetman (C&M Legal)
Wells Half
Supporters were out in force at the
Wells Half Ironman event on
Waitangi weekend
10. The first three place-getters from the
men’s Wells Half event (winner Graham
O’Grady, 2nd - Clark Ellice and 3rd Hamish Hammond), with the men who
make it happen - event sponsor Graeme
Wells (left) and event director Selwyn
Brown (right)
11. Peg Smythe and Amanda Bowcott,
with kids, Madison, Kennedy and
Jackson Bowcott, who were all
supporting their dad Blair in the half
14
marathon, as well as Core Group in the
half ironman, plus the odd ‘random
stranger’. Core Group won the men’s team
half ironman event in 4:08:39
12. Nathan Wilkins (left) claimed
an impressive 1:24 time in the half
marathon, with a strong support crew
of Teiba Wilkins, Niki Hart, Cam Wilson,
Sean O’Donnell (Canada) and Nick Wilson.
13. Kat Robinson, Leana Urlich, Emma
Whiteford, Andrew Campbell Whiteford
and Scott Carley, who achieved first in
his age group (30-35) in the men’s sprint
triathlon event.
14. Taylor Haskell runs out for the
Paralytic Pirates, who came 7th in the
men’s team half ironman.
ANDY BASSETT
THE DAY OF THE TRIFFID
I’ve never been what you would call a gardener. While I do make the occasional futile attempt to
keep my garden under control, I often don’t notice things growing there until they start to block
my way or scratch the car. And if I do notice something, chances are I won’t be able to tell you
what it’s called. Which was the case with the agave americana.
I had no idea it was an agave americana
while it was there. It had sat quietly
at the front of the garden for at least
ten years, pretending to be a mediumsized shrub. It may have been there
several years longer, as it was already
established when we moved in. One
day, when I should have been outside
weeding, I was inside, reading. At some
point, I glanced up and saw something
impinging upon the viewshaft between
my front window and the world at large.
I got up and crossed the room to see
what it was. It was the agave americana.
The damn thing had sprouted a
metre-high trunk. I know I’m not the
most observant person on the block
but how on Earth had I missed that?
Over the next week or two it seemed to
grow exponentially and, before I knew it,
towered more than four metres high.
It became a conversation piece for a
while. How big would it grow? How long
would it last? What would it do next?
Having been an avid John Wyndham
reader in my youth, by this point I
would not have been surprised if it
pulled up roots and started walking.
Then, one Sunday afternoon, about
half an hour before I was due to go out
and present my radio show, I looked out
the front window and noticed the house
across the road. I could see it. Without
a four-metre monster in the way. Surely
it hadn’t… I mean, that book was just
science fiction, right?
I ran down the driveway, only to find
it blocked. The damn thing had toppled,
roots and all, across the front garden.
It was only when I tried lifting it that
I realised how much weight it carried.
Talk about “heavy plant crossing.” I
retreated to the garage and picked out
my strongest saw.
I had to cut the trunk into three parts.
Each one felt like a dead body in full
rigor mortis, as I dragged it up the drive.
Well, how I assume a dead body in full
rigor mortis would feel, anyway. I mean,
I’ve never had occasion to move one.
Yet. But if I did, I imagine this is how
it might feel. Hypothetically speaking.
Very heavy, stiff and unyielding, like
one-third of an agave americana. Which
is a plant, not a dead body. Which would
have been easier as I could have got
a grip under its armpits. But it wasn’t
a dead body and I’ve never lifted one
before. Did I mention that already?
Of the three, the final section, with
the roots, was heaviest of all. If you
think of the three parts as Crosby, Stills
and Nash, this was Crosby. It was hard
work hauling him up the driveway but I
got him out of the way in time to make
it to the radio station.
Upon my return there were three
bodies lined up in my back yard. The
next morning I piled them into the
back of the car, along with other garden
refuse, and took them to the dump.
“Act natural,” I told myself as I
rolled them into the pit.
But why did I feel so guilty?
Beauden Barrett
“One step ahead of the rest”
7 DEVON ST WEST - NEW PLYMOUTH - PHONE 06 759 8019
www.dalgleishjeweller.co.nz
CALENDAR feb/mar
february 2015
Every Sunday morning
Farmers’ Market Taranaki
Time: 9am - noon Location: Currie Street,
NP. Join us at the Farmers Market every
Sunday morning from 9am til noon for
your fresh local produce and products
including, fresh fish, bacon, dips and
sauces, sourdough bread, jams and
preservers, macadamia nuts and products,
free range eggs, sauces, fresh seasonal
fruit and vegetables, lavender products,
plants, seedlings, herbs, healing products,
soil conditioner and more...we also have
live music for your entertainment and
great coffee.
Sat 21 Feb 2015
The Northern Coastal Pipeline Trek
Guided Walk
Time: 8am to 4pm Location: Footpath
outside 125A Brooklands Road, New
Plymouth at 8am, or meet at the start of
the walk at 8.45, New Plymouth
Join the New Plymouth Tramping Club
for a walk that heads uphill through
farmland to a ridge, following the Maui
pipeline and overlooking 1,867ha of
amazing coastal forest owned by Ngati
Tama. Grade: hard - six hours walking.
Other: you’ll need comfortable walking
shoes or boots, some warm clothes
and a raincoat in your backpack. Bring
water, some lunch and snack food, your
sunscreen and a hat, a camera and any
personal medical requirements.
Sun 22 Feb 2015
Methanex Family Fun Ride
and Mayoral Challenge
Time: 9.00am Location: Ngamotu Beach,
NP. Bring your family and friends and join
the Mayor on his bike for a fun morning
of cycling and prize giveaways. Parents
please accompany the little ‘uns. Don’t
forget your helmets!
Sun 22 Feb 2015
Joe Gibbs Family Fun Day Guided Walk
Time: 11am to 2pm Location: Joe Gibbs
Reserve, end of Moa Street, Inglewood
Come and explore this beautiful reserve
in Inglewood, where you will have the
opportunity to learn more about this
hidden gem. Bring your family for a picnic
lunch and fun activities in the sun. Grade:
easy. Other: bring a picnic lunch and a
drink. Dogs are welcome, don’t forget a
doggy-doo bag and lead.
Sun 22 Feb 2015
E-book Troubleshooting
Time: 2.00pm - 3.00pm Location: Level
1, Puke Ariki Library, NP. Learn how to
download free eBooks from the library
collection.
Tue 24 Feb 2015
NPDC Council Meeting
Time: 4.30 Location: Council Chamber,
Liardet St, NP.
Tue 24 Feb 2015
Migrant Women Meet:
82 I LIVE MAGAZINE I HOLIDAY ISSUE 2014 / 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THESE EVENTS, PLEASE GO TO
www.newplymouth.co.nz/events
Friends Uniting Nations
Time: 11.00am - 12.30pm Location:
Community Lounge, Level 1, Puke Ariki
Library, New Plymouth. This regular event
invites migrant women in the Taranaki
community who find themselves far from
home to connect over a cup of tea.
Tue 24 Feb 2015
Te Henui’s Reflection on
our Past Guided Walk
Time: 6pm to 8pm Location: Main gate,
Te Henui Cemetery, Lemon Street, New
Plymouth. A walk in this beautiful and
historic cemetery provides a fascinating
insight into the links to our past.
Wed 25 Feb 2015
Where Is Autism? Book Talk
Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm Location: Discover
it! Puke Ariki Library, NP. New Plymouth
author Rowena Monds helps explain
what autism is in a fun and beautifully
illustrated way. Bookings are essential ph 06 759 6060.
Thu 26 Feb 2015
BDO Business Expo
Time: 7.00am - 7.00pm Location: Quality
Hotel Plymouth International, Corner of
Courtenay and Leach Streets, NP.
Thu 26 Feb 2015
Monica Brewster Evening - Martha
Kirszenbaum: Fetish and Figure
Time: 6pm - 8pm Location: New
Plymouth Little Theatre, 29 Aubrey St, NP.
Los Angeles based curator and
writer Martha Kirszenbaum presents
Fetish and Figure – a film programme that
brings together film and video by artists
and filmmakers that address both the
fetishisation of objects and the exclusive
relation between the representation of
objects and the body. FREE entry.
MARCH 2015
Sun 01 Mar 2015
International Children’s Day Celebration
Time: 10am to 3pm Location: Hollard
Gardens, 1686 Upper Manaia Road, Kaponga,
Stratford. Celebrate International Children’s
Day at Hollard Gardens. A magical place for
kids and families to have fun. Bring a picnic
and enjoy the games and entertainment.
Rover’s Run and Horsey Fun at Barrett
Domain Guided Walk
Time: 10am to 12.30pm Location: Alba
Street entrance, Barrett Domain, NP.
Join New Plymouth District Council for a
walk around Barrett Domain with your dog
and enjoy a beautiful wetland area with
indigenous vegetation and an abundance of
birdlife. You will also have the opportunity
to meet the Riding for the Disabled
Association and get up close and personal
with the horses. Learn some husbandry
techniques, including a horse shoeing
demonstration by a Master Farrier, visit the
stables and explore the associated working
farm. Grade: medium. Other: bring a doggydoo bag and a lead.
Mon 02 Mar 2015
Kaitake Community Board Meeting
Time: 4.30pm Location: Oakura Surf Club,
Oakura
Tue 03 Mar 2015
Inglewood Community Board Meeting
Time: 1.30pm Location: Inglewood Library
and Service Centre, Inglewood
Fri 06 Mar 2015 - Mon 09 Mar 2015
Okato 150 Celebrations
Events over the 3 days include a night
market, parade, community picnic,
formal dinner, cocktail party, live music,
performance, bus tours to local historic
sites (including Puniho Pa), historic displays,
an amazing race, plus so much more. Visit
www.okato150.co.nz for more details.
Sat 28 Feb 2015
Whitecliffs Guided Walk
Time: Bus leaves at 9am Location: Bus
Centre, Ariki Street, New Plymouth
Board the bus in New Plymouth for a walk
along part of the Whitecliffs track with
DOC. We’ll head across farmland first and
we walk back along the beach to the bus,
by about 2pm. Book early to get a seat this is always a popular walk. Grade:
medium/hard - 5.7km of walking. Other:
Bring your lunch and water, comfortable
walking shoes and a warm jersey in
your backpack. Remember your camera
and any personal medical requirements. Bookings essential - Phone 06-759 6060
Fri 06 Mar 2015 - Mon 09 Mar 2015
NZ Cycle Festival
The festival kicks off with a Guinness Book
of Record attempt - worlds longest bike bus,
Friday 6 March at 1.00pm on the Coastal
Walkway then travelling to the Cycle Park.
There’s also the 100km Surf Highway 45
Flyer from Hawera to New Plymouth, the
30km Mangamahoe Munter MTB race, a
criterium and velodrome track racing, a
bike trade expo, a ‘frocks on bikes’ ride and
schools bike bus and extravaganza! Full
details see: www.nzcyclefest.co.nz
Sat 28 Feb 2015
Sol3 Mio
Time: 8.00pm Location: TSB Bowl of
Brooklands, NP. Three powerful and
moving operatic voices, with more than a
dash of uncontainable Samoan humour.
Their onstage brotherly bonhomie, off
the cuff banter and impeccable comedic
timing is no act, simply an extension of
their natural selves, and the culmination
of a lifetime’s worth of singing,
performing and entertaining.
Sat 07 Mar 2015
Bayleys Mountain to Surf Marathon
Starts from the gates of Egmont National
Park - walkers at 6.30am; runners at
7am - and finishes at Marine Park, Waitara.
Medals for all marathon finishers. Or do the
2 Person Marathon Relay (2 person team –
change over at half way at Inglewood). RMY
Legal 4 Person Marathon Relay – 1st leg
9km, 2nd leg 10.4km, 3rd leg 10.6km and
4th leg 12.2km.
Half Marathon – from Inglewood to Marine
Photo Brody Dolan
Park, Waitara. Registration is at The
Auto Lodge, 393 Devon Street East, New
Plymouth on Friday 6 March between
4pm-8pm.
Sun 08 Mar 2015
Vintage, Classic and Modern Car Show
and Swap Meet
Time: 10 am - 4 pm Location: Stratford
Showgrounds, Stratford. Featuring vintage,
classic and modern cars, bikes, vintage
machinery and swap meet from 8am.
Thu 12 Mar 2015
Taranaki Masters Games
Time: Various times Location: TET Multi
Sports Centre, Stratford. For the 20yrs +
enter any of the 24 Masters Games sports
on offer from 12-15 March 2015. The
games are mainly centred in Stratford
with some sports scattered around the
region. Entries now open. Check out our
website for the games timetable. Enter online or download an entry form at www.
taranakielectricitytrust.co.nz
Fri 13 Mar 2015
Govett-Brewster Seniors
Time: Meet for coffee at the Daily News
Cafe in Puke Ariki at 9.30am, ready for
a 10.00am start. Join Govett-Brewster
staff for a conversation about the GovettBrewster/Len Lye Centre and the art on
display at Puke Ariki.
Fri 13 Mar 2015 - Sun 15 Mar 2015
WOMAD
Time: Friday 6pm - 11.30pm, Saturday
noon - 11.30pm, Sunday noon - 11.30pm
Location: TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New
Plymouth. See story page 8
Tue 17 Mar 2015|
NPDC Monitoring Committee Meeting
Time: 4.30pm Location: Council Chamber,
Liardet St, New Plymouth
Sat 21 Mar 2015
Old Cocks Motorcycle Club 2nd Annual
Poker Run
Time: 9.30 am registration starts, Run
starts at 10.30 am. Location: Starts at
Waitara BP service station, Waitara
Come join us for a fun day out exploring
the beautiful and picturesque Taranaki
back blocks. We are a no attitude club
that welcomes all types of motorcycles,
wonderful prizes.
Sat 21 Mar 2015
Relay for Life
Time: Midday Saturday to midday Sunday
Location: Pukekura Function Centre, at
Pukekura Raceway. Book your tent site
to Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back
against cancer.
Sun 22 Mar 2015
Pukeiti Puffer Fun Run
Time: 10.30am to 2.00pm Location:
Pukeiti 2290 Carrington Road, NP.
A range of easy to very challenging
fun runs through the beauitful Pukeiti
Rainforest tracks. Suitable courses for all
ages. Fundraising for the Cameron Clow
Trust and TET Athletics. Great prizes to
be won. Free entry for competitors. Phone
0800 736 222 to register.
Closes Sun 22 Mar 2015
Dinosaur Footprints:
A Story of Discovery
Location: Lane Gallery, Puke Ariki, NP.
There was a time when dinosaurs walked
New Zealand and at Puke Ariki we have
the footprints to prove it! The dinosaur
footprints at the centre of the exhibition
are thought to be 70 million-years-old.
They were discovered in sandstone
cliffs in the north-west Nelson region by
geologist Greg Browne in 2009. Sun 22 Mar 2015
Chamber Music New Zealand - Brodsky
Quartet: Live at Six
Time: 5.00pm Location: Theatre Royal TSB Showplace, New Plymouth
Tue 24 Mar 2015
NPDC Policy Committee Meeting
Fri 27 Mar 2015 - Sun 29 Mar 2015
Taranaki Home & Lifestyle Expo 2015
Time: Fri, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm
Location: TSB Stadium, New Plymouth
Sat 28 Mar 2015
Taranaki 6 Hour Adventure Race
Time: 8am start. Back for its second year,
the Taranaki 6 Hour Adventure Race
involves teams of two or four navigating
their way around a course with the
disciplines of mountain biking, running/
trekking, paddling and other mystery
activities. The course remains secret until
the day, but will be somewhere within one
hours drive from New Plymouth. For more
details, visit: www.taranaki6hour.co.nz
Closes Sun 29 Mar 2015
Arcade: Homegrown Video Games
Location: Puke Ariki, New Plymouth
From Cletus Clay to Dungeon King, from
hack and slash to butterfly play, the
exhibition Arcade: Homegrown Video
Games showcases the work of some of
New Zealand’s most visionary gaming
designers. Drive, New Plymouth, at 9am, travelling
along Breakwater Road, St Aubyn Street,
Molesworth Street, Hobson and Devon
Street, down Nobs Line to East End Reserve
where the trucks will be on display for the
public to view. Trucks will depart at 4pm.
Prize giving approximately 3 pm.
Tue 07 Apr 2015
NPDC Council Meeting
Tue 07 Apr 2015 - Sun 19 Apr 2015
THE GAME’S AFOOT or
HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Time: 7:30 pm Tues - Sat, 2pm Sun.
Location: TET Cue Theatre, Matai Street,
Inglewood. “An inspired whodunit…a
snappy, clever drawing-room mystery”.
Tickets available at Inglewood Book Centre $22 per person
Until 31 Dec 2015
Our Morbidly Fascinating Macabre Trail
Location: Puke Ariki, New Plymouth
Take a fresh look at our long term galleries
with our macabre trail. Explore some
spooky heritage objects and the stories
behind them... Pick up a trail from the host
desk in the Puke Ariki Foyer.
Weekend 11/12 April
NEXT ISSUE OF LIVE
The April/May issue of LIVE is due out the
weekend of 11/12 April.
See www.livemagazine.co.nz for complete
list of stockists
Booking deadline for advertisements:
5pm, Fri 20th March
Sun 29 Mar 2015
Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story
Time: 4.00pm & 8.00pm Location: TSB
Showplace, New Plymouth
Mon 30 Mar 2015
Brooke Fraser - Brutal Romantic NZ Tour
Time: 8.00pm Location: TSB Showplace,
New Plymouth
Thu 02 Apr 2015
NBL Basketball: Augusta Mountainairs v
Wellington Saints
Time: 7:00pm Location: TSB Stadium, NP.
Adults $15; Children $10; Family $40
Thu 02 Apr 2015 - Sun 05 Apr 2015
Fisher & Paykel Easter Masters
Time: 7.30 m to late Location: Various
arenas around Surf highway 45. Base at
clubrooms at Fitzroy Beach Reserve, NP.
The Easter Masters Surfing Competition
will be held for the 24th year by the New
Plymouth Surf Riders’ Club. Open to
all surfers aged from 30 years up who
compete in age-group division of 5 years.
e.g 30 -34, 35- 39 up to the “Immortals”
division for those aged 75 plus.
Sat 04 Apr 2015
Taranaki Truck Show
Time: 10am - 4pm Location: East End
Reserve, Nobs Line, New Plymouth
A convoy will start from Centennial
• Building / Carpentry / Maintenance
(Commercial & Residential)
including insurance quotes
• Electrical & Plumbing
• Joinery & Cabinet Making
• Painting & Decorating
• Carpet & Vinyl Laying
• Engineering
• Tiling, Blocklaying & Plastering
• Glazing & Aluminium Joinery
• Outdoor Fireplaces
• Narellan Pools NZ
Call Gary Watt and the team at TCM to discuss
your project, no matter how big or small.
Your one stop Construction & Maintenance Shop.
[P] 753 4862 [M] 027 315 1234
[E] office@tcmltd.co.nz www.tcmltd.co.nz
LOCAL AGENTS FOR:
www.narellanpools.co.nz

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