Bursts of flavour
Summer is coming and Chelsea Winter is bringing her signature flair to your table with some zesty dishes that are bound to become faves.
Summer is coming and Chelsea Winter is bringing her signature flair to your table with some zesty dishes that are bound to become faves.
Roasted Beetroot Salad
There’s an air of sophistication to this salad. It celebrates the sweet, earthy beauty of the beetroot, which remains very much the star – but the lovely orangey vinaigrette enhances what’s there and livens it all up with citrus tang.
PREP 20 minutes
COOK 1 hour 30 minutes
SERVES 4–5 as a side
INGREDIENTS
6 beetroot (1.5kg), trimmed
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
8–10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tsp liquid smoke (optional but delicious)
½ cup crumbled feta (plant-based if preferred)
chopped fresh mint or coriander
pinch chilli flakes (optional)
Vinaigrette
zest of 1 orange
¼ cup orange juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice or red wine vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp dijon mustard
½ tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
½ tsp salt cracked pepper
Nuts
¾ cup macadamia nuts
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
METHOD
To roast the beets, preheat the oven to 200°C regular bake and line a
casserole dish or deep roasting dish with baking paper.
Place the beets in the prepared dish, massage in the oil, then toss in the thyme. Season with salt and pepper all over. Drizzle with the liquid smoke (if using).
Lay a second sheet of baking paper over the dish (this helps stop steam escaping) and cover with the lid or a tight layer of foil. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the beets are easily pierced with a sharp knife. Remove from the oven.
To make the orange vinaigrette, whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skins (the flavour will have penetrated through to the beets). Cut the beets into thin round slices. Put them in a large bowl with half the vinaigrette. Toss gently to combine and set aside.
To make the candied nuts, put the macadamias in a small pan with the oil and fry over a medium-low heat, shaking the pan often, until golden all over.
Add the maple syrup and cook for a couple of minutes until it’s all sticky and caramelised and turning golden brown. Season with a little salt and pepper and transfer to a plate to cool down (the caramel will harden). Chop roughly before serving.
To assemble, arrange the beetroot slices slightly overlapping in a large shallow bowl or a platter. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette then scatter with the candied nuts, feta and herbs. Finish with a crack of black pepper, a small sprinkle of salt and a pinch of chilli flakes if you like.
Tabbouleh
This classic, stunningly fresh and flavoursome salad is hugely popular for good reason. It’s stunning served next to a protein as a simple meal, or proudly proffered as a bring-along for a potluck dinner or part of a summery barbecue spread.
PREP 40 minutes
COOK 15 minutes
SERVES 6 as a side
INGREDIENTS
400g pearl couscous
1 tbsp vegetable stock powder
½ cup roughly chopped pistachios or pumpkin or sunflower seeds
3 tomatoes, cut into 1cm dice
1 small cucumber (170g), cut into 1cm dice
1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced on an angle
2 cups loosely-packed finely-chopped fresh parsley
1 cup loosely-packed finely-chopped fresh mint
2 tsp sumac (optional)
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fine black pepper
Vinaigrette
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
METHOD
Cook the couscous according to the packet directions, adding the stock powder to the water. Drain, toss with a little olive oil and set aside. Allow to cool fully before making the salad.
Preheat the oven to 180°C regular bake. Place the nuts or seeds on a small tray and roast for about 6 minutes, until slightly golden and fragrant. Give them a stir partway through if you like.
Toss the tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl with 1 tsp salt and leave to sit for at least 10 minutes. Drain off and discard the liquid.
To make the vinaigrette, place the ingredients in a bowl or jug and whisk to combine.
To assemble the salad, place the cooled couscous in a large serving bowl. Add the drained tomato and cucumber, spring onions, herbs, sumac (if using), lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add the vinaigrette and toss to combine.
If you like, the tabbouleh can be served immediately — but it gets tastier if you let it rest for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to come together.
Serve sprinkled with the chopped nuts or seeds and topped with your choice of the pomegranate seeds, preserved lemon and/or extra sumac.
Tips & swaps
For another gluten-free option in place of the couscous, you could pulse half a medium cauliflower in a food processor to make ‘rice’. No need to cook it.
You can use halved cherry tomatoes instead of the regular tomatoes if you have them.
Zingy Potato Salad
This feels like a ‘grown-up’ potato salad – it may not be slathered in creamy mayo, but it’s still satisfyingly luscious to eat. That mouthwatering, mustardy, garlicky vinaigrette is popping, and those are all the flavours that tasty little steamed potatoes just luuurve to wallow in.
PREP 20 minutes
COOK 15 minutes
SERVES 4–5 as a side
INGREDIENTS
1–1.25kg baby new potatoes
4 gherkins, very finely sliced
fresh dill sprigs, for garnish
Dressing
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped (about 1⁄2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped capers (optional but yum)
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp dried dill or 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tsp salt
½ tsp fine white pepper
METHOD
To make the dressing, combine the ingredients in a jug or shake in a glass jar. Leave to sit for at least half an hour to infuse.
To make the salad, boil or steam the potatoes in salted water until just tender, but not mushy. Keep checking the progress, and when they are done, drain well and return to the saucepan. While they’re hot, add the dressing and toss to combine. Don’t worry if a few potatoes break up a bit – that’s nice.
Leave to cool to room temperature, then stir in the gherkins. Check the flavours and season to taste with salt and pepper if you think it needs it. It’s fine covered and left out for a few hours, and can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple of days.
Serve at room temperature, topped with extra dill.
Tips & swaps
If you don’t have baby new potatoes, you can use larger waxy potatoes and cut them in half.
Use floury potatoes if you don’t mind it all going a bit mushy.
Lemon Cream Pie
If you’re a lemon fan (and honestly, who isn’t?), you’re gonna want to try this because I have not held back on the zesty citrus injection. It’s such a refreshingly easy recipe to make – I especially love the crust part because there’s no precarious rolling, flipping or transferring of pastry and no faffing with baking beads or sagging during cooking. Just smoodge the base evenly into the tin, bake naked (the tart, not you), cool, then add the cooked lemon filling (also a cinch to make).
PREP 40 minutes, plus 6+ hours setting time
COOK 15 minutes
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
Base
½ cup ground almonds
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup buckwheat flour
2 tbsp tapioca flour, arrowroot flour or cornflour
⅓ cup coconut sugar
2 tsp psyllium husk
½ cup coconut oil, melted but not hot
2 tbsp just-boiled water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Filling
2 cups full-fat coconut cream
½ cup + 1 tbsp agave syrup or maple syrup
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp plant-based butter
3 tbsp lemon zest
½ cup lemon juice
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup cornflour mixed with
¼ cup plant-based milk to make a slurry
To serve (optional)
fresh berries, such as raspberries, blueberries or sliced strawberries
edible flowers
whipped cream (plant-based if preferred)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C regular bake and have a 23cm round pie tin, tart tin or springform cake tin ready.
To make the base, combine the ground almonds, flours, sugar, psyllium husk and a pinch of salt in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the coconut oil, hot water and vanilla. Stir until the mixture just comes together.
While it’s still warm, crumble two-thirds of the mixture around the edges of the tin (the sides of the crust will be a little thicker than the base) and press it 3-4cm up the sides of the tin (you can use the back of a dessert spoon for this). You want the edges to be an even thickness.
Crumble the remaining dough over the base and press it down into an even, smooth layer (you can use the back of the spoon or the base of a metal measuring cup for this). It should end up about 5mm (¼ in) thick. Take care that it’s not too thick where the base meets the sides, or it ends up like a massive wedge. Lightly press down any jagged ridges on the sides with a finger. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling.
To make the filling, place the coconut cream, agave or maple syrup, oil, butter, lemon zest and juice, turmeric and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in the cornflour slurry. Place over a medium heat and stir constantly with a whisk until thickened – it might take a while, then suddenly start thickening, so don’t leave it alone. It should start to bubble a bit and be
the consistency of thick, shiny custard.
Remove from the heat, transfer to a mixing bowl and to allow to cool – don’t refrigerate it. If you like, you can lay a piece of clingfilm on the surface to stop a skin forming.
When the filling is lukewarm, whisk it quickly to smooth out any lumps, then scrape it into the baked crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set properly – leave it overnight if you can.
When ready to serve, scatter the top with berries and edible flowers (if using).
Serve with whipped cream on the side if desired. Leftovers can be stored
in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two.
Tips & swaps
Dairy-free whipping cream is now available at all good supermarkets.
Extracted from Tasty by Chelsea Winter. Photography © Tamara West. RRP$55. Published by Allen & Unwin NZ.
Art for our sakes
UNO catches up with Deborah McCormick, the newly appointed chair of Tauranga’s Public Art Panel, to find out how our city is about to change for the better.
UNO catches up with Deborah McCormick, the newly appointed chair of Tauranga’s Public Art Panel, to find out how our city is about to change for the better.
WORDS Karl Puschmann
Deborah McCormick.
When you look at Tauranga you see the sparkling glint of the Pacific Ocean, the potential of a city centre revitalising itself, and the excitement afforded by our great outdoors that offers ample activities of escape and recreation to indulge in.
When UNO asks Deborah McCormick what she sees, her answer is simple: “A blank canvas”.
As the recently appointed chair of Tauranga City Council’s new Public Art Panel, hers is an invigorating view. After all, a blank canvas offers only possibility and promise.
So what are we talking about when we say public art? Deborah says the council has developed a “sophisticated” framework that expertly defines
the parameters but, after some light prodding, gives her own explanation.
Fanfare by Neil Dawson.
“My definition is that it’s art in a public space developed with a community. It’s often sculpture or installations, it can be mural or performance,” she explains, noting that public art comes in two flavours, permanent and temporary. Even though the medium and duration can be vastly different, there is a shared commonality.
“All public art comes with a different idea and all start with an artist responding to a site, responding to a brief, and responding to the current issues of the time,” she says. “That’s the exciting part of it.”
Deborah’s worked in the public art space a long time, 25 years by her reckoning. In 1998, aged 23, she co-founded Scape Public Art in Ōtautahi Christchurch after finishing art school. In that time Scape has commissioned over 250 temporary public artworks and 15 permanent artworks, indelibly enhancing the Garden City.
Te Aika by Rachael Rakena and Simon Kaan.
“I want to bring that experience to this role,” she says of her new position as chair. “I want to learn about the local connections and stories and show how a shared vision can be produced when a group of civic people come together with artists to take art out to the public realm.”
These qualities are what the newly appointed panel of six will be looking
for during their three-year tenure as they start envisioning how best to
fill our shared blank canvas.
“It’s one of the first – if not the first – opportunity where a city in New Zealand is wholeheartedly placing art and public art at the centre of a lot of very important civic projects,” Deborah enthuses. “This idea of ‘a per cent for art’ model is brilliant in terms of bringing sustainable funding. It’s a model that’s been implemented to great success overseas, most notably in Australia and in America.”
Two years ago the council realised they needed to rethink how public art was working – or rather not working – in Tauranga. The solution was the Public Art Framework, which includes a ‘Per Cent for Art’ funding model. As the name suggests, this model allocates one per cent of the budget for any above-ground council-led capital project, to a dedicated public art fund. The independent Public Art Panel provides advice to Council on which projects should receive funding. The Council is staging the implementation, starting at 0.25 percent this financial year, and growing to one percent over the next four years.
Stay by Antony Gormley.
“This sits alongside council and development regulations and creates
a whole industry for the arts that sustains itself with jobs, fabricators, consultants and design experts,” Deborah explains. “There’s a wonderful opportunity to build all of that alongside this ‘Per Cent for Art’ model and for Tauranga to become a hub for public art and creativity.”
“People come to cities to see things. That’s why public art is so important.
If we want to build cities that are livable and that people want to explore, spend time and linger in then we need to get that human connection back and provide really exciting public space,” she continues. “With good architecture, good landscape design and public art as the jewel in the crown, Tauranga will become a place that people will want to visit as a destination and come back to. Public art needs to be a layer we build the aspirations and plans of the city upon. Part of my role will be to understand how the public art vision of the group aligns with where the city is going.”
It’s hard not to get caught up in her enthusiasm. It’s fair to call her a passionate evangelist. But that’s exactly the qualities you want in someone who is going to play a key part in steering the look, feel and vibe of our city moving forward.
“There are many purposes to public art, including well-being and connection,” she says. “Public art brings people together. It stimulates learning and thought and connects people to art concepts. It’s about creativity and creates opportunities to push boundaries and challenge perceptions.”
Since being appointed a month back the panel has already met and begun work. While it’s too early for Deborah to share any details or timeframes, she’s itching to get works underway.
Watch this space.
Deborah is joined on the panel by Darcell Apelu, Shea O’Neill, Kereama Taepa, Alice Tyler and Arohanoa Mathews, who represents Te Rangapū Mana Whenua o Tauranga Moana.
Ōmokoroa’s taste of Italy
Marko Velickovic transforms fresh local ingredients into authentic Italian dishes at the beachside ‘trattoria’ Alma.
Marko Velickovic transforms fresh local ingredients into authentic Italian dishes at the beachside ‘trattoria’ Alma.
WORDS Hayley Barnett
Marko Velickovic comes from a long line of chefs. His family’s restaurant in Serbia has been in business for more than 50 years. And after spending 10 years cutting his teeth at some of Europe’s best Michelin star restaurants, it comes as no surprise that he only accepts the absolute best ingredients for his own eatery here in the Bay.
Ōmokoroa’s Alma offers an Italian-inspired menu specialising in hand-stretched Roman-style pizza and homemade fresh pasta using local ingredients, as well as premium imported products from Italy.
The Serbian with a passion for Italian cuisine made the move to the Bay from Croatia six years ago. “It’s a funny story actually,” Marko smiles. “A friend called me from New Zealand and said, ‘you need to move here. No one knows how to cook!”
On arrival, he was snapped up by Alpino in the Mount and stayed as head chef for two and half years. But he yearned for more life outside the kitchen. "I quit and set out to buy a boat. Then another friend called and said, ‘I’ve found this place that’s perfect for you.’” Back then, the Ōmokoroa site was in dire need of a revamp but, being right on the water, Marko recognised its potential. Together with his business partner, Ewelina Large, they dove straight in.
Suddenly his dream of a work/life balance went up in smoke and he found himself working seven days a week and throwing all his money into the set up. “I’m not sure why I thought that was better than spending my days on a boat,” he jokes. However the worst was yet to come. On opening day the country went into its first Covid lockdown. “It was terrible. But we worked hard on the place during lockdown and then the day we opened again was the day of the tsunami warning.”
Despite the cruel setbacks, Alma eventually opened its doors, drawing attention from Cuisine, who listed them in the Good Food Guide and awarded them the title of Favourite Destination. The restaurant has since won a Judges’ Choice Award in the 2023 Plates of Plenty for its Fagottini con fungi e tartufo. Today Alma is widely known to be one of the best Italian eateries in the region. All Marko’s hard work is paying off. “Foodies recognise the difference when you go the extra mile,” he says.
Heading into summer, Alma is definitely a destination spot to put on the foodie wish-list.
Windows to history
The CBD is getting a much-needed glow up, courtesy of acclaimed artist Sara Hughes, the council and over 250 local children.
The CBD is getting a much-needed glow up, courtesy of acclaimed artist Sara Hughes, the council and over 250 local children.
WORDS Karl Puschmann | PHOTOS Katie Cox
Anyone who’s ever watched a home renovation show knows that a well-chosen artwork hung on an otherwise plain wall will elevate an entire room. Extrapolate that arty truth to encompass the drab vacant storefronts in Tauranga’s city centre and you start to see the genius of the new public art initiative, Reimagine Tauranga.
Envisioned by renowned artist Sara Hughes and created in partnership with the Tauranga City Council, the exhibition has taken over the windows of eight prominent shops in the CBD. These otherwise standard storefronts, transformed by creativity, imagination and generous dollops of Sara’s unique style of vivid colours and embrace of bold patterns, tell the story of Tauranga’s rich history.
“That’s a really important aspect of this project,” Sara says. “I’m fascinated with the history of a place, so I really wanted to bring that in.”
Banish any thoughts of dusty old black and white history lessons. Hughes also reimagined how to bring the past into the present while keeping true to her acclaimed style and the project’s vision of light, colour and creativity. With assistance from Tauranga Museum’s curator Fiona Kean, Sara worked her way through the Tauranga Museum collection, a vast archive of treasured items from our collective past that includes everything from beach balls to surfboards to newspapers.
“It’s a way to celebrate some of the lesser-known objects, but things that particularly relate to the important beach culture of Tauranga,” Sara explains. “Things like beach balls and parasols or a particular swimming tog pattern. It’s to celebrate and draw attention to these special things that are held within the Tauranga Museum collection.”
The idea was to use the patterns and colours of these everyday objects as inspiration. They may be of historical value and from a museum’s curated collection but these artworks encourage you to look at common items in a new way, to find the artistic hidden in things people don’t usually look at twice, to reimagine the every day. Like, for example, the window given over to celebrating the patterns on beach parasols.
Sara also reimagined what this project could be on a fundamental level. She didn’t want it to be all about her, and her take on Tauranga’s history. Instead, she wanted to bring in the community, particularly children, and have them contribute in a tangible and very real way.
After viewing the museum collection with Fiona and selecting the items she then ran a series of art workshops at Tauranga Art Gallery and ran classes in different schools all over Tauranga. Around 250 children of different ages, schools and backgrounds all took part and now find themselves contributors to a major public art project.
“They’ve all come together through art, which was also an important part of this for me. Reimagine Tauranga is less about me – it’s not so much my artworks in the eight windows – instead the children created either the objects or the imagery that will be in the windows,” she explains. “I am running it, and the concept of this project is mine, but it’s not my artwork as such.”
She sees herself more as the curator and exhibitor. In fact, when UNO calls she was getting ready to spend a week in the different window locations, installing, hanging and displaying the eight works. All of which will have a plaque detailing the inspiring piece or item and its historic relevance to the city.
A neat twist is that the art will look different depending on when you see it, with Sara calling on famed lighting designer Richard Bracebridge to illuminate the different works.
“The night aspect of it is very important,” she says. “Because light has such a strong effect in how a city centre looks when it’s lit at nighttime.”
There is one question that’s been niggling; how on earth did they persuade eight shops to give up their window space for an entire year? The short answer is, they didn’t.
“They’re being put into shop fronts that are currently for lease,” she explains. “It’s been great to have the support of the shop owners who believe it’s a good idea to have public art and artworks created by children in the city centre.”
She’s excited about the public finally seeing the project she’s worked on for the past few years. It’s been a massive undertaking, but one that more than lives up to its ambitious title.
“Hopefully it will be something people will be excited to come and see,” Sara says. “I want people to be really intrigued and curious.”
Then she smiles and says, “I think they'll come away feeling joy and excitement, and that will really positively impact their day or evening.”
Still evolving
Judy Bailey reflects on purposeful ageing, what brings her joy, and her feelings of imposter syndrome ahead of her Tauranga literary festival debut.
Judy Bailey reflects on purposeful ageing, what brings her joy, and her feelings of imposter syndrome ahead of her Tauranga literary festival debut.
WORDS Monique Balvert-Connor
A serendipitous call from Harper Collins publishers sparked a new chapter in Judy Bailey’s illustrious career.
New Zealand’s beloved former broadcaster, once affectionately dubbed “Mother of the Nation”, has penned a book that’s now whizzing off bookshop shelves.
This exciting opportunity came after Judy had been contemplating the ageing journey and its challenges. “When the chance to write about it arose, I embraced it wholeheartedly – just as I’ve approached life’s adventures throughout my years.” Her book, Evolving, is set to be a focal point at Tauranga’s literary festival, Escape, where Judy will be speaking later this month. Between engagements, she might even squeeze in a visit with her former TV news anchor colleague, Richard Long, now based in Tauranga.
As for the title, Judy laughingly confesses she “stole” it when tennis great Serena Williams served it up in a quote. “People were constantly asking her how retirement was. She said, ‘I am not retired; I am evolving.’ That’s how I feel about it.”
Retirement is such a hideous word. Look in the dictionary. It means things like ‘to go to bed’. “Evolving is what we are doing – from one stage to another – and that can be equally rewarding and fulfilling, as we still have a contribution to make,” says Judy, who will turn 72 the day she presents at Escape’s morning tea event on October 18.
In a sense, the book has enabled her to champion the cause of the elderly, whom she feels often get “a really bad rap”. “Older people are sometimes dismissed; considered past their use-by date. They shouldn’t be lumped into a universal aged category. The over-60s age group is enormously diverse, and this age group has an enormous amount to offer still. Many remain vibrant and intelligent, contributing members of society with a lot to offer. We need to think proactively about our ageing and not just let it happen to us. It’s not all downhill to the zimmer frame.”
Judy says writing Evolving has been an exploration of her journey and a discovery of how she can live her best life after 65. There’s much that many people will relate to, with learnings aplenty. Personal experiences and science are melded with the subjects tackled including taking care of your body and mind, navigating health scares, dealing with dementia, grieving loved ones, Botox, organising finances, wills, power of attorney, end-of-life care and enjoying the finer things.
Readers are enjoying simple messages and a few surprises in this ‘dip in, dip out’ book, she says. “There are things we instinctively know to do to take care of ourselves – common sense things involving sleep, fresh air and good diet. But there are some helpful tricks along the way. For example, foregoing the sunnies on the morning walk so we can get some UV rays on our eyes. Things like the importance of going to bed and getting up at the same time, even on weekends, to maintain our circadian rhythm. “What I have discovered along the way, really, is the people who should be reading this book are those in their 40s and 50s, as what you are doing then has a huge bearing on how you age.”
One ‘big, big thing’ of concern is alcohol consumption in New Zealand and the fact that it’s increasing among the older population. Many drink as a stress release, but alcohol actually increases stress and is really bad for the heart and brain, Judy informs. Far from sanctimonious, Judy says she’s the first person to enjoy a glass of something. While she keeps herself fit and healthy and eats reasonable food, she does have “a big hankering” for blue cheese and chocolate. Life’s too short to not enjoy those things, she smiles.
In writing Evolving, Judy has referenced Harvard University longitudinal studies and spoken to geriatricians and gerontologists and other academics. It’s reassuring, she says, that they are saying similar things, so the research is robust. She’s heartened by the fact there’s “amazing” research being conducted in New Zealand around ageing and that we have a professor of ageing.
Judy’s own evolving continues to involve some paid work. Since reading her final TV news bulletin in 2005 she’s enjoyed other broadcasting stints, some promotional work and she continues to write about inspirational women and travel. She loves Africa, “with a passion.” Botswana (the Okavango Delta) is one of her favourite places. Paris and Italy also get a mention. A wonderful amount of time is also spent with family – she and her husband Chris have three children and eight grandchildren who all live near their Auckland home. Judy and Chris also
enjoy being at their Flaxmill Bay property.
Anywhere with a good book is also a very happy place, Judy says, citing Where the Crawdads Sing, Lessons in Chemistry, and The Axeman’s Carnival as much-enjoyed reads. Escape will be Judy’s first time presenting at a literary festival. With that comes a massive sense of impostor syndrome, she confesses. She’s not sure she’s sufficiently “literary”. Neither, she says, is she totally comfortable with being called Mother of the Nation. “So many other people would wear that title so
much better than me. I’ve been called it for decades and always feel embarrassed by it.” As for Judy’s own longitudinal, constantly evolving journey, she says she hopes to have “a couple of decades of useful life” left in her.
Judy’s visit to Escape has been sponsored by Craigs Investment Partners.
Members only
The Tauranga Club may be one of the Bay’s oldest institutions, but it’s got a refreshingly modern outlook. Join UNO as we’re invited inside the famous private members club.
The Tauranga Club may be one of the Bay’s oldest institutions, but it’s got a refreshingly modern outlook. Join UNO as we’re invited inside the famous private members club.
WORDS Karl Puschmann | PHOTOS Bryony Alexander
Intrigue and mystique swirl around private member’s clubs. It seems everybody has a different, although no less fanciful, idea of what might be going on behind their closed-to-the-general-public doors.
Some might picture wood-panelled cigar dens where men in suits gather to wheel and deal over whiskey. Others believe them to be the clubrooms of the rich and famous thanks to decades of being the backdrop for celebrity interviews and late-night paparazzi shots snapped outside their doors. The more imaginative conjure up wild scenes of secret handshakes, hooded cloaks and arcane rituals acted out to the menace of foreboding orchestral music.
In fact, there are only two things that people tend to agree on when it comes to private member’s clubs; 1) they’re fancy and 2) they’d love to go themselves.
And so it was for this writer when an invitation was extended to snoop around the prestigious Tauranga Club. It wasn’t worded so colloquially, but that’s what I took from the invite, which I hurriedly accepted.
Disappointingly, I was not given a secret password or for that matter a burgundy velvet cloak. Instead, only simple directions to the Devonport Towers in the heart of Tauranga’s CBD, and the instruction that I’d be buzzed up to the fifth floor.
On this particular Thursday, the Club is a hive of activity. Not of members, conversing in the lounge, enjoying a drink at the bar, reading in the nook, engaging in private discussion in one of the soundproofed meeting rooms or enjoying a meal while luxuriating in the wide-open panoramic views of the sparkling harbour that takes in Welcome Bay right round to the Mount. That will all come.
Instead, builders and craftspeople diligently add the finishing touches to the modern, stylish remodel that saw the Club close its doors for the better part of two years. At the time of UNO’s visit, the grand re-opening is just over a week away.
“Everything’s coming together,” smiles new executive chef, Ian Harrison, who local foodies will instantly recognise as the award-winning chef behind the delectable Sugo Restaurant. As opening day creeps closer, Ian’s busy finalising the fine details on the new menu he’s created for the club − which, in a first, also now includes breakfast.
Right now, however, there’s one critical component on his mind.
“The cocktails I haven’t got to yet,” he smiles. “It’s crucial.”
He describes the new menu as, “unique, but not trying to be clever,” which translated from chef-speak means diners will be presented with a modern, seasonal menu with classic dishes made with as many locally-sourced products as possible.
“With this view, I’ve tried to keep as much seafood on there as possible,” he says, gesturing at the majestic harbour. “It’s not a seafood restaurant, but there’s seafood and Kiwi classics on the menu. The food that everyone wants to eat,” he says, before adding, “but with a high spin on them.”
That phrase also works as a handy summation of The Tauranga Club itself; a Kiwi classic with a high spin on it. As Phil Green says when he greets me at the new brass-plated doors, “The Tauranga Club is 130 years and some months old.”
Phil is the Club’s vice president and the architect behind the ambitious renovation, which was born out of less-than-ideal circumstances. Last
year’s horrifically rainy summer saw water seeping into the building.
“That whole summer it just didn't stop raining,” Club president Tracey Gudsell explains. “It was basically raining through the ceiling, which led to black mould getting into the building. We just had issue after issue after issue.”
They immediately closed down for the safety of staff and members. But rather than be disheartened by the closure and the year of remedial work the building needed, Tracey and Phil instead saw the silver lining of that wet rain cloud.
“It was our opportunity to come back refreshed whilst we were closed sorting those issues,” Tracey says, with Phil adding, “It gave us a chance to reset.”
Their plan was to modernise the Club, not just for 2024 but beyond. This meant a complete reimagining and revamp of the space. Walls were knocked down, rooms added, new furnishings bought in, artwork hung, and splashes of colour tastefully added, new carpets, ceilings, lighting – the list goes on. All in aid of creating an inviting and welcoming space for people to enjoy and want to spend time in. “A modern sanctuary,” as Tracey calls it.
The main area is now a versatile space that can be easily divided to create different-sized spaces, meaning the Club can accommodate conferences, seminars or meetings while still accommodating diners and the recreational needs of its members. But it can also be opened right up to allow for bigger functions like weddings, anniversaries or even, in one instance, a 21st.
“We also have a dance floor we can put down,” Phil grins.
As well as modernising, a big focus of the redesign was to highlight and reinforce the social aspect of belonging to a club. They wanted a place where people could feel comfortable whether working, entertaining or mingling.
“Members get to know members, and you can walk up and say ‘Hello,’ and it’s not weird,” Tracey says. “I don't find it easy to go out on my own, but at the Club I do. I come here and there’s old friendly faces or someone that I can walk up to and say ‘Hi,’ and feel comfortable because I’m in a club environment where you’re all part of that community. You can be as visible or as private as you like.”
Fittingly, The Tauranga Club was started over drinks, most likely a few whiskeys, by a chap named Lieutenant Colonel Roberts. His first name is unknown but the club he masterminded on the night of March 31, 1894, is incredibly well known.
“There was a meeting in the back bar of the Star Hotel, where he decided to get a group of people together, basically a gentleman's club,” longtime member and unofficial Club historian Jock McIntyre says.
“It grew to around 100 members relatively quickly, but it wasn't until about 1912-1914, that a guy named Sharp came on board. He had a couple of shillings in his pocket and bought this piece of land and donated it to the Club.”
He laughs softly and says, “It was a fairly decent thing to do.”
With Sharp’s involvement and a new location, the Club began attracting the professionals that he interacted with every day as a founder of the well-known law firm Sharp Tudhope.
“There were lawyers, accountants, doctors and so on,” Jock says. “Sharp got all the professional people of Tauranga together and got this thing going properly.”
The times may have changed but The Tauranga Club is still the place for like-minded professionals to gather, even 130 years on. Interestingly, it was never officially labelled a “gentleman’s club”, even if that was its original intention, and today Tracey and Phil estimate the gender balance to be evenly split. The member base includes the expected movers and shakers of Tauranga but also young professionals looking for
a place to work, network and relax, right through to older members who have been with the Club for decades.
The pair are rightfully enthused about The Tauranga Club and as they talk I begin to greatly appreciate its appeal. It’s an office away from the office, a place to take potential clients you want to impress and somewhere to make invaluable contacts. But it’s also a place to chill out and not talk shop. Somewhere to meet people for a sophisticated drink or take a special someone for a romantic harbour-lit meal.It really can be whatever you need or want it to be.
“We’ve always maintained we’re the best-kept secret in Tauranga,” Tracey smiles. “We’ve got views no one else does. We have the ambience and the personal service,” Tracey says, her passion obvious. “For members, it’s their space, their lounge, their dining room. A lot of members see it as an extension of their home. You can bring your family and your friends here and it feels quite different to turning up at a restaurant. There’s a real personal touch here. We get to know the members and what they like, and we cater for that.”
Of course, you do have to be a member − or with a member − to enjoy it,
although Phil does point out honourary memberships for one-off visits, like hotel guests enjoying breakfast or people attending an event are allowed.
This leads directly to the big question I’ve been saving up; how exactly does one become a member of one of Tauranga’s oldest and most prestigious institutions?
“That’s a secret,” Phil jokes, before spilling the beans. “No, there’s not
a secret handshake or anything like that. You apply to be a member, that's no problem at all, two committee members review that, and then you’re nominated in. If you’re not known to us, we’ll meet, have a coffee and then nominate you. It's a reasonably easy process.”
With the renovation nearing completion, they’re excited for members to once again enjoy full use of their club. Whether that’s business, pleasure or a bit of both − The Tauranga Club has the versatility to accommodate. It truly is a sanctuary.
“It’s somewhere different, and with a bit of a wow factor,” Phil smiles.
Sitting here, enjoying the comfort, ambience and, of course, those priceless views, it’s impossible to disagree with him.
Plenty under twenty
Craving a night out without breaking the bank? Here’s part one
of Stacey Jones’ guide to the Bay’s tastiest budget bites.
Craving a night out without breaking the bank? Here’s part one
of Stacey Jones’ guide to the Bay’s tastiest budget bites.
WORDS Stacey Jones
Miss Gee's
In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the thrill of finding a cheap meal for under $20 has never been greater. While supermarket prices soar – $6 for a cucumber, $20 for a block of cheese (the world has clearly gone bananas), this only heightens the joy of discovering a tasty ‘cheap eat’.
Restaurants are able to buy in bulk, support local producers, and, best of all, save you the hassle of washing up.
I took to the local Facebook notice boards for our locals’ top spots and
was met with hundreds of suggestions. Clearly, we’re all feeling the pinch and on the hunt for the same thing… So this month, we are diving into the best budget-friendly meals available in the Bay of Plenty for under $20.
Let’s kick things off with a standout deal at Astrolab on Tuesdays. For just $12, you can enjoy a delicious burger paired with a beer or a soft drink. Yes, you read that right – $12! The burger is well-seasoned, the salad is fresh, and it’s a steal. Just remember, the more beers you drink, the less sweet the deal becomes. Arrive early to secure a spot, as it gets busy. For more burger deals, check out Palace on Mondays for $10 cheeseburgers, or Central Coast Takeaway with their burger, fries, and soda combo for $17. They have a small amount of seating too so you can eat in or take out.
Miss Gee's
Next up, Hello Bahn Mi offers Vietnamese yumminess for $14.50. Choose from tofu, pork, or chicken, or indulge in their other favourites like pho and summer rolls. For Thai cuisine, Leks Go Thai in Pāpāmoa serves mains under $20, perfect for sharing. This leaves some change for a bottle of wine! Meanwhile, Hawker House in the Mount offers Asian-inspired dishes for just $15 from Monday to Friday, 12-3pm. The beef rendang roti is top of my list.
Bobby's
Crossing the bridge to Matua, Café Istanbul tempts with Turkish flavours. A chicken or lamb iskender is just $17, offering a fresh, healthy meal. Over at Café Istanbul in the Mount, similar dishes, as well as a not very Turkish lasagna, are priced right at $20 and under. LoLo’s offers a Turkish wrap that's more stuffed than the Harbour Bridge at rush hour for $14, making it a true budget buster.
No article on Kiwi budget meals would be complete without mentioning fish and chips. Although prices have risen with the cost of fish, it remains a worthwhile option. Bobby’s in Greerton and Tauranga CBD serves a piece of fish for $6. Just watch out for the seagulls! Bay Fish Packers also promise value, along with Matua Fish and Chips.
For a budget-friendly lunch, head to Miss Gee’s Bar & Eatery with their $15 menu featuring ramen, burgers, hawker rolls, and a green curry salad. Or visit The Barrel Room from 12-4pm for a $15 lunch with salads, burgers, bowls, and pizzas. Speaking of pizza, Basilico got a lot of local votes. The margarita squeaks in at $19.90 and is generously sized – perfect for sharing if you’re not feeling too greedy. For even tighter budgets, Pizza Library offers $10, 10-inch pizzas every Monday.
Next month, we’ll explore Japanese, fried chicken, sandwiches, Indian, and dumplings. In the meantime, visit these budget-friendly spots, support local businesses, and savour every bite.
Bird’s-eye view
Julian Godfery’s unique interpretation of the world is captured in his intricate artworks.
Julian Godfery’s unique interpretation of the world is captured in his intricate artworks.
Artist Julian Godfery happily admits his biggest source of artistic inspiration is his mum.
He has been making art since he was five years old and actually inspired her to begin painting again 20 years after she graduated from art school. His mum is well-known artist Jane Galloway, whose work can be found on greeting cards, paintings and prints in galleries around New Zealand. Her full-time artistic career began 25 years ago after she was inspired by art Julian made for a kindergarten fundraiser. Now their work is displayed together in the same Waikato galleries.
Here, UNO talks to Julian about his passion for art.
UNO: What drew you to your particular style of art?
I like doing detailed drawings in pen and ink. I have been inspired by watching mum do realistic watercolours, which she used to paint on paper stretched over the dining table. She would cover the work with blankets and a plastic sheet whenever we wanted to have a meal. I got to see what she was making up close. I always carry a sketchbook and pens with me when I go to my day base at Enrich Plus in Hamilton.
What’s it like to grow up in an artistic household?
From when I first started school, my parents always worked on a daily diary with me and I got to illustrate the stories of what happened each day. I was obsessed with the Home Alone movie series for a long time, so a lot of my drawings were about designing traps to catch the robbers. I still have most of the diaries 30 years later.
Who or what are your greatest inspirations?
My mum did a series of paintings called “There Is No Planet B”, which showed New Zealand birds flying over motorways and cities. They inspired me to do drawings of towns and birds too. I have done a lot of owl paintings and some of chickens because I like drawing the feathers. My mum’s favourite is called “Midnight Morepork”.
What has been your favourite piece to make and why?
Because I love owls I think “Night Owls” is one I still really like. Also, over the Christmas holiday, I spent weeks drawing a big piece on watercolour paper. It was called “Invisible Magic” and was what you can see in water when you use a microscope. Mum is always getting me to look for new subjects for drawings on my tablet. I entered it in the IHC Art Awards a few years ago and it won the People’s Choice Award. Then I sold it at the auction, which was really exciting.
How long have you been living in the Waikato and what do you love about it?
I lived in Raglan until I was 21. Mum’s house is next to the estuary and harbour so I get to see herons, tui, spoonbills and fantails flying very close by all the time. I moved into supported living in Hamilton but I still come home regularly and I always bring my sketchbook to show mum what I’m working on (and to watch the All Blacks games).
What are your future plans in terms of your art?
I would like to have another exhibition at my Mum’s gallery in Raglan. It’s called Artists at Work and sometimes I go there to draw while she works
in the gallery. At Labour Weekend in October I always take part in the Raglan Arts Weekend where I show my latest drawings. We used to have an open studio at home and heaps of people would come to look at our work but now we can have it at the gallery. I look forward to it every year because I get to talk to people about my art. I’m working on a playlist of music for the weekend but mum says she wants to ok it first.
Where can we find your artwork?
Come and visit me over the Raglan Arts Weekend to see my latest
artworks at the Artists at Work Gallery. My work can also be seen in The Little Gallery, Tairua and Whangamata; Soul Gallery, Hamilton; Heritage Gallery, Cambridge; Artists at Work Studio and Gallery, Raglan.
Raglan Arts Weekend is a self-guided tour of artists’ studios being held from October 26-28, 10am to 5pm daily.
Find prints of Julian’s work at palmprints.co.nz
Pure and simple
Sometimes a wine can taste great in the moment, with a stunning setting and cool tunes playing. But what happens when you strip all that back? UNO wine columnist
Jess Easton finds out.
Sometimes a wine can taste great in the moment, with a stunning setting and cool tunes playing. But what happens when you strip all that back? UNO wine columnist
Jess Easton finds out.
PHOTO Jamie Troughton/
Dscribe Media
It’s the ultimate test of a wine maker’s prowess – to see if your best vintage still sings while being sipped from a coffee mug, sitting on the floor.
Thanks to Matt Connell’s easy-going Otago charm and remarkable ability to produce wines that transcend the vessels they’re served in, he passed that particular test with flying colours.
That day remains one of my most memorable wine tastings, short on ceremony but long on delight. Matt’s distributor, Provenance NZ’s Rachel Baillie, called me one Tuesday afternoon to say they were in town, had a spare half an hour, and could they drop in?
The only problem was that I was in the middle of moving; in fact, the last boxes were lined up outside the door.
Did I mention it was also my birthday? There was a lot going on. I was possibly in trackies and in the middle of a final deep clean.
Rachel and Matt breezed in, we scrambled some coffee mugs from a box, raised a toast to spontaneity and then I truly celebrated my birthday in style.
Matt’s Rendition Pinot Noir is a hand-crafted, site-specific, boutique wine at its finest. He’s cleverly brought the fruit forward and then hidden it behind a silky subtle structure. It is incredibly well balanced, whether sipped from finest crystal or cheap porcelain.
And his Chardonnay is Chablis-style, crisp and interesting. He showcases the very soul of Central Otago, built on quartz reefs, gold nuggets, crisp winters and balmy summers.
Matt and his wife Beth have been involved in the wine industry for nearly a quarter of a century, combining hospitality experience, horticulture management and a passion for viticulture.
Each vintage they produce is unique – a tribute to the site it’s harvested from. On Matt’s most recent visit to Tauranga, we swapped moving house-vibes for a late-afternoon salt-infused beach, and he introduced us to his Area 45 Dry Muscat.
It’s a rare variety and needs to be treated carefully, so the heavy floral bouquets and whiff of lollies don’t overwhelm – instead, Matt’s trademark structure and dry finish takes you by delightful surprise.
Nothing is more surprising, mind you, than sampling something truly delicious in unexpected circumstances. I can definitely recommend it.
Jess Easton is a director and owner of Kitchen Takeover and St Amand, complementing her career as a Tauranga-based lawyer.
Savour the Bay
The BOP’s Plates of Plenty Challenge saw chefs from all over the region competing for the best dish. Here, some of the competitors – including the winners – share their divine recipes.
The BOP’s Plates of Plenty Challenge saw chefs from all over the region competing for the best dish. Here, some of the competitors – including the winners – share their divine recipes. Enjoy!
Cadera’s Blue Cheese Jalapeño Poppers
Mount Eliza Blue Cheese Popper in a Mount Brewing Co. High Line Hazy Pale Ale batter with Nana Dunn + Co curried onion chutney.
Makes 25 pieces
INGREDIENTS
Whole marinated jalapenos – we use La Morena
350g cream cheese
150g Mount Eliza Blue Monkey cheese
1 can Mount Brewing Co.
Hazy Pale Ale beer
1½ cups self-raising flour
Nana Dunn + Co’s Curried Onion Chutney to serve
METHOD
Slice the jalapenos lengthways making sure not to cut the whole way through. Remove all the seeds.
Combine cream cheese and blue cheese.
Using a piping bag, fill the poppers with the cheese mixture being careful not to overfill
- about three-quarters full.Mix beer and flour until smooth in texture.
Dip the stuffed jalapeno into the batter to fully coat it and transfer straight into the deep fryer or oil at ideally 180°C.
Cook until golden brown.
Serve with the curried onion chutney.
Pearl Kitchen’s Pie & Beer
Smoked fish pie with blue cheese potato, curried onion chutney and smoked fish gravy, served with a beer.
Makes 10-12 pies.
INGREDIENTS
Blue cheese sauce
25g butter
1 tbsp plain flour
150ml milk
50g Mount Eliza Blue Monkey cheese, chopped or crumbled
Fish pie mix
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 carrot, chopped/diced small
250ml cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
100ml of Mount Brewing Co. low carb ale
Olive oil for frying
1 small handful of flat-leafed parsley, finely chopped
500g-650g smoked kahawai, cut into biggish chunks
Pastry + egg wash
750g frozen puff pastry
2 egg yolks
15ml milk
Charred pearl onions
100g pickling onions
50ml sherry vinegar
METHOD
Blue cheese sauce
Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat, then stir in the flour and let cook for 1 min or so. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth and all the milk has been added.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir in the cheese. Cook until the cheese has melted, and the sauce has thickened slightly, then season to taste.
Fish pie mix
In a pan, fry the onion, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes in the olive oil then add the ale, cream and bring to a boil. Add the spinach leaves and Dijon and stir to wilt.
Add your chunks of smoked kahawai to the mix at the end as it's already been smoked.
Pastry + egg wash
Cut your puff pastry into small circles or desired shape. Brush egg wash onto the bottom and add your fish pie mixture into the centre of the pastry leaving enough room at the sides so you can add another layer of pastry on top and can seal the sides. I used a fork on the edges to make sure the pastry was pushed down and sealed properly.
Before baking, egg wash the top of the pastry. Bake at 175°C for 15 minutes.
Charred pearl onions
Boil onions with skin on in vegetable stock or water until onions become soft.
Let them cool down completely and cut them in half.
Get a smoking-hot pan with a little olive oil and place the onions cut side down for about 30 seconds. The onion should start to char and go black — this is when you can add the sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan and the onions will soak up all that flavour.
When the onions have cooled down, you can take out the middle heart of the onion (we will use this in the chutney) and start to take out the onions’ petals. They should be charred on the outside.
The Trading Post’s Agnolotti del Plin
A handmade pasta in a typical Piemontese shape, filled with Mount Eliza Blue Monkey cheese in a Noble & Sunday Earl Grey-infused butter sauce with Mama Kali's Farm microgreens.
Serves 5
INGREDIENTS
Pasta
350g flour
150g semolina
200g eggs
100g egg yolk
8g cocoa powder
Filling
300g Mount Eliza
Blue Monkey cheese
150g cream
1 egg white
Pinch of salt
Sauce
50g butter
Pinch of Noble & Sunday
Earl Grey tea
Fresh Mama Kali’s Farm microgreens
METHOD
Pasta
In a bowl or on the table, place the dry ingredients, then in the centre place the eggs and yolk and knead to a smooth dough texture. Set aside in the fridge for 1 hour.
Filling
Blitz in a food processor the cheese and cream quickly then add egg white until smooth and thin but not whipped. Place in a piping bag and refrigerate until use.
Pasta continued
With the help of a pasta machine or rolling pin, laminate the pasta dough close to 1mm thickness and cut in long strips.
Then pipe a small amount of filling along the longer side on the pasta strip (you want the filling to be one finger apart from one another).
Proceed to fold the pasta over itself and pinch the pasta with your index and thumb between the filling – squeezing a touch towards the centre of the filling.
With the use of a zig-zag cutter, cut between the pinched pasta and the “plin” will look like little lollies. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes.
Remove and toss in a pan with butter and a pinch of Earl Grey to emulsify the sauce.
Add cooking water a little bit at a time and continue tossing to avoid the pasta getting stuck to the pan. This also gives a velvety look to the sauce.
Plate and garnish with microgreens and add grated cheese as per your liking.
But First Dessert’s Biscoff Cheesecake
If you haven't tried Biscoff yet – this is your sign to run to your nearest supermarket, grab some Biscoff and whip up this delicious cheesecake.
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
Base
240g Biscoff biscuits
80g butter
Cheesecake
450g cream cheese
200g Biscoff spread
250g cream
Topping
200g white chocolate
50g Biscoff spread
100g cream
METHOD
Line a 20cm x 20cm cake tin (or individual cake rings like we use) with baking paper.
Crush 240g Biscoff biscuits in a bowl, pour melted butter in and mix together well.
Press into the bottom of the cake tin, place in the freezer to set and begin to prepare the cheesecake mix.
Add cream cheese, cream, and Biscoff spread into a bowl. Whisk until nice and thick. Spoon this on top of the biscuit base and use a spatula/spoon to make sure it's nice and smooth for the ganache topping.
Pop the cheesecake into the fridge for at least 3 hours to set before adding the ganache topping.
Put the white chocolate and Biscoff in a bowl and set aside. Heat cream in a pot, stirring frequently to ensure it doesn't burn. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and Biscoff. Whisk until nice and smooth. Gently spread the ganache over the cheesecake.
If you have any remaining cream or crushed biscuits, whip the cream and pipe swirls on top of the cheesecake (if you have piping bags/nozzles) or sprinkle over the crushed biscuits.
Pop the cheesecake into the fridge for at least another hour or two before slicing.
Surf’s up!
One of Tauranga Museum’s first exhibitions will celebrate the region’s pivotal role in Aotearoa’s surfing culture.
One of Tauranga Museum’s first exhibitions will celebrate the region’s pivotal role in Aotearoa’s surfing culture.
words Karl Puschmann
boards Dusty Waddell Collection
Mount Maunganui is world-famous in New Zealand for its rolling surf and golden sands. Each summer people flock to the beaches to hang ten or catch rays. But, outside the surfing community, not a lot of folks know about the region’s rich history and contribution to Aotearoa’s surfing culture.
That’s all about to change. The Tauranga Museum team is hard at work putting together one of the first exhibitions to go on display when the long-awaited new museum opens its doors in 2028.
“The exhibition on surf and beach culture will be one of our earlier exhibitions on display when we open,” museum curator Fiona Kean enthuses.
It will certainly be hard to miss. Following the museum’s acquisition of local surfing icon Dusty Waddell’s legendary surfboard collection, the museum is already preparing 120 surfboards for display. These all hold national significance and physically chart the evolution of surfing in New Zealand.
“There’s shortboards and longboards, and in addition to those there’s boogie boards, belly boards, skim boards… there's probably another 50 of those,” Kean says. “We’ve even got 40 skateboards. We've had to create a special space at our storage facility for it all.”
Through the various shapes and sizes of the surfboards, you’ll see trends come and go as you progress through the years. It will also highlight beach culture with displays of fabulous local swimwear, wetsuits and ephemera like surf posters. We have an amazing hollow board that is over four metres long. It was made at the Mount in 1952 by Ron White and Jock Carson using the famous Tom Blake design. Kean is also in discussions with a local shaper who makes surfboards from – of all things – wool.
“It’s an exciting idea because most surfers are really interested in their environment and in cleaning up and preserving the water they swim in,” Kean says. “Surfboards in the past have been made of foam and more toxic materials, so innovations like that look at how surfing can be more environmentally friendly.”
While we all recognise the region for its good surfing, its epic contributions to the sport aren’t as well known. Surfing and surfboard manufacturing in Tauranga goes all the way back to the early 20th century. Through her research, Kean discovered there were, in fact, two surfboard makers here in the 1930s making, selling and hiring their boards out to summer beachgoers in that era.
Once established here, surfing never left. In the 1940s and ‘50s more shapers arrived and the era of plywood boards began.
“Plywood is an important story for Tauranga,” Kean says. “That takes you down a whole other rabbit warren of the people making hollow surfboards out of plywood. And then you have the leap into foam-core or surfboards made with foam blanks. You've got probably one of the biggest names in surfboard making, a man called Bob Davies, who comes to Tauranga and sets up a factory here, and at the same time another local guy, Ted Davidson, owns a sports shop on Cameron Road and he starts making surfboards out of that shop.
From there, it’s honestly like a wave of shapers and makers around the country flowing in and out of each other’s lives and businesses and the Mount and Tauranga were an important part of that scene.”
It’s fascinating to hear her talk about how huge Tauranga’s impact on New Zealand surfing actually was. It will be even more fascinating to see it. Surfboards are big items, especially the older longboards, which on average stand at a towering 12 feet tall. The scale of the exhibition is going to be awesome.
Kean is excited about the project and can’t wait to share everything being discovered about Tauranga’s rich surfing history when the museum opens.
“We want people to have a greater understanding of surf and beach culture and its significance to where they live. We’re a really important piece of that overall surf culture puzzle. For example, the first surfing nationals were held at Mount Maunganui in 1963,” she says. “The museum hopes to give people a sense of belonging to this place. I’d love for locals to feel pride in our role in the surf industry and to come away with a sense of enjoyment. It will be a fun exhibition but one that does have moments for reflection and moments where you’ll feel challenged.”
For those who simply can’t wait until 2028 to see what’s barreling down the pipeline, Kean reveals how you can get a sneak peek at the surfboards and, essentially, the Bay’s surfing history on Tauranga Museum’s website.
Kean says the exhibition will appeal to non-surfers just as much as those who like to hit the waves, as the experience the museum team is curating showcases not just surfing but wider beach culture.
With a few more years of prep work, research and collaboration with the community before it opens, Kean has a very simple objective for the exhibition in mind.
“We want it to blow people away,” she laughs.
Gin-gin!
Hayley Barnett toasts to a deliciously novel local experience.
Hayley Barnett toasts to a deliciously novel local experience.
photos Erin Cave
Who doesn’t enjoy a good gin? Floral, spicy, citrusy, nutty, sweet – there’s one to suit everyone these days, but making your own brings the appreciation to a whole new level.
Matahui Distillery in Aongatete offers gin lovers the experience of creating and bottling their own unique gin – from choosing your own botanicals, through to naming and labelling your creation. Before heading there to experience it for myself, I’d imagined making gin would be a time-consuming process and I’d have absolutely no idea what I was doing when it came to choosing which flavours go with what. I can barely cook. It turns out you can’t really go wrong. Not at Matahui anyway.
Gin enthusiast Shelley Broadbent leads our group of intrigued soon-to-be-mixologists and first educates us on the complexities – and simplicities – of the making process. Each station is set up with beakers and various measuring apparatuses, reminiscent of high school science class, only a lot more fun. Though the teenage trauma still lingers for me, Shelley assures us it’s a straightforward process – and it is.
Taste-testing the botanicals.
Pick your botanicals, mix your alcohol and water, then add everything to your distiller. You do get some guidance, of course. When it comes to choosing botanicals, it’s important to know that juniper berries usually make up around 80 percent of a gin profile, although these days it’s common for gin to include less juniper, to make way for other fanciful flavours. Then it’s wise to use coriander seeds, orris root and angelica root to get a well-rounded flavour profile. Some distillers use crushed and roasted coriander seeds, but we’re using them whole. After that, it’s a free-for-all to do as you please. Citrus is highly recommended but not essential. We play it safe and go for fresh lime peel. Next, we add bold, daring horopito, macadamia and liquorice, feeling as though we’re living on the edge.
During the distillation process, we walk around placing our fingers under other distillers (invited of course), to taste and see if we can recognise where the flavours come in. It’s fascinating to see how each taste combines with the others before it.
Angela takes us on a tour through the gardens.
One of the best things about Matahui is that they grow their own herbs, fruit and vegetables, offering up the very real experience of farm to plate. While our gin is distilling, we take a walk around the garden as Angela Howard, co-owner with husband Paul Horak, gives us a rundown on various flavours and where they come from.
Back in the lab, Shelley gets us started on the bottling process. Although she doesn’t own the place, it’s her we have to thank for our foray into gin distilling. She’s the one who twisted Angela and Paul’s arms to set up the distillery. Angela made a hobby out of turning alcohol into liqueur and Paul enjoyed experimenting with home distilling. They often talked about growing their own botanicals and turning their hobbies into a commercial business, but it took Shelley’s infectious positivity and persuasion to convince them to turn their dreams into reality.
Paul, Angela and Shelley.
A year ago, they invested in a state-of-the-art still to help them produce the highest-quality gin possible, and came up with their own brand, Adventurers Gin. Today, all three welcome groups onto their farm to try their hand at distilling and sample the various liquors on offer. Sharing their passion with locals and visitors is a dream come true for the trio, but they say they’ve only just started their adventure.
Beyond the waves
He’s signed to pop star Benee’s record label and counts Elton John as a fan. Now Raglan musician Muroki has released his third EP, the emotion-filled Timezones, and made a major move.
He’s signed to pop star Benee’s record label and counts Elton John as a fan. Now Raglan musician Muroki has released his third EP, the emotion-filled Timezones, and made a major move.
words Karl Puschmann
UNO’s first question to Muroki leaves him stumped. He scratches his dreadlocked hair, which is pulled back behind his studio-grade headphones, and says, “Um…”.
Thinking for a moment, the singer-songwriter sensation from Raglan eventually says, “Good question,” then looks around his room and wonders aloud, “What am I doing here?”
He’s stayed up late for our interview – it’s approaching midnight when he Zooms in. Just nine days ago, he flew out of Auckland, where he’d been living, to set up shop in Berlin.
“I didn’t really have a huge plan. I just kind of came over here,” he says in answer to the question of what he’s doing in Germany. “I wanted to switch it up, in life and with music, and expand my horizons. I was getting over what I was doing in Auckland. I enjoyed my time there but felt I needed to move on and do something else for a bit.” Then he grins and says, “I’ve never lived in another country before, so I’m just giving it a go.”
He’s certainly jumped right into the deep end. He has few contacts in the city and doesn’t speak the langauge. Aside from his German partner, the person he’s spoken to the most so far is an old Turkish fellow who lives in the same building.
“This old dude’s always outside,” he says. “He doesn't speak very good German and doesn't speak a word of English. I don't think he knows that I don’t speak German! We have these weird interactions every single morning. It's pretty funny.”
By chance, we’ve caught Muroki on the cusp of beginning a new life chapter, one in which the future is uncertain. “I’ve been battling with it a little bit,” he admits. “It’s kind of weird not knowing exactly what’s happening next. It’s a strange period. I think it’s really good, but sometimes you’re like, ‘Is this the right decision?’” He pauses for a second, then says, “I think it is.”
The move has been on Muroki’s mind for a while, with his plane tickets purchased nine months ago. The shift also helps decode and add extra depth to Timezones, his newest EP that has just been released and is the reason for our chat.
The seven-track EP pushes him into deeper emotional territory than previously and expands his genre-hopping sound while losing none of its characteristic smooth flavour, synth-funk grooves and feel-good vibes. Fans of his platinum-selling single, Wavy, will find a lot to love here.
Timezones’ seven songs were recorded quickly, with Muroki writing, recording and laying down the tracks in a blisteringly fast 11 days. “It happened swiftly,” he says. “I’m really happy with how it all came out, and in the process of making it, I learned a lot in terms of how I want to go about creating things in the future.”
He says the sudden success of his 2020 debut, Dawn, led to feeling intense pressure while creating his 2022 follow-up, Heading East. He burdened himself with expectations and on reflection says he didn’t particularly enjoy the process. The fast turnaround of Timezones was a successful attempt to rediscover the joy.
“I didn’t let it consume me,” he says. “I’m really happy with how the third one’s come out.”
He’s described the EP as “an emotional awakening”. This, it turns out, was another benefit of working quickly. He didn’t have time to second-guess or edit himself.
“I tapped deeper, man,” he says. “I was trying to be more authentic with how I was feeling and the experiences I was having. It came out by not overthinking. I didn't go into the record thinking, ‘I’m going to open up.” I just let it happen and let it all come out naturally.”
Muroki may be new to Berlin, but the similarities with his hometown of Raglan are already apparent. Size discrepancies aside, it’s the city’s huge support for the arts and music scenes that reminds him of home.
“I love Raglan. It’s cool, man. There’s a nice sense of community – everybody knows everybody and everybody's supportive of each other. Everyone was really supportive of what I was doing from a pretty young age. It’s got an artsy scene there. Some good stuff comes out of it. But it’s the sense of community that makes it. A lot of people there support and come to the shows.
“When I started out, everyone would come down to the gig,” he continues. “I’d have a sold-out gig and I hadn't even released a single yet! There’s a confidence boost.”
Then he smiles and says, “I don’t think I’d be where I am without the people from Raglan.”
Muoki’s new EP Timezones is out now.
Blonde ambition
This cool, charming, casual-but-classy diner in the Mount offers an all-American experience that fits right in.
This cool, charming, casual-but-classy diner in the Mount offers an all-American experience that fits right in.
words Hayley Barnett
They were always going to do it again, one way or another.
Palace Tavern’s sister eatery, Blondie, has opened its doors on Maunganui Road – a 1950s-style diner offering a daytime menu that doesn’t include your average eggs benny.
“We don’t really like cafés,” admits co-owner Brad Dellar. “We like to create something unique and different, but also know we need to stay in our lane.”
Their “lane” is traditional all-American fare – hot dogs, chicken waffles, reuben sandwiches, cherry pie – similar to their southern American-style eatery and bar around the corner at Palace Tavern.
“We’ve stuck to our usual style, which is risky because it’s the Mount,” says Brad. “It’s where fit people hang out. With Palace, we didn’t know if it would work. We didn’t think it was vegan enough for them. But I think people get sick of that sh*t because, well, meat’s great.”
Brad and his business partner, Sam King, had been scoping out a joint for a new bar when the former Gusto Café owner offered up the perfect location.
They had just five weeks to fit the place out. Impressively, they did most of the work themselves, calling in a couple of friends to help out with some of the more challenging tasks.
“We’ve fit out all our own restaurants and cafés, since the beginning,” says Brad. “Everything from custom tables, tiling and painting, to kitchen fit outs.”
Though they had the vision and the practical skills to pull it off, they still needed a name.
“Blondie just had a good ring to it,” says Brad.
The walls are adorned with famous blondes, including the likes of Debbie Harry, Twiggy, Marilyn Monroe and Kate Moss. The mostly black and white photos work perfectly with the diner scene.
While it might seem ambitious to open in the Mount’s most quiet months of the year, Brad’s confident the locals will be on board.
“It’s that inside kind of soul food,” he says. “It’s what you want to eat when you’re nestling in for the winter. We’ll touch wood, but so far, so good.”
Blondie Diner
200 Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui
Off the beaten path
In the back blocks of Hawke’s Bay, surrounded by native plants and sculptures, Tony Prichard of de la terre is turning winemaking into an art form.
In the back blocks of Hawke’s Bay, surrounded by native plants and sculptures, Tony Prichard of de la terre is turning winemaking into an art form.
words Jess Easton | photos Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
Tony nurtures every part of the winemaking process with passion and patience, infusing each vintage that de la terre produces with a unique story.
You won't find Tony Prichard's wines on a supermarket shelf. You won't find his wines before judging panels either, hunting medals or looking for accolades.
Some of his wines, you won't even find on the list at his cellar door at de la terre, the Hawke's Bay winery he runs with wife Kaye and self-appointed winery dog and welcoming committee Gracie.
What you will find, however, when you finally track down one of his wines, is utter deliciousness.
With nearly 40 years in the winemaking business, including stints at Montana and Church Road, he's so adept and confident in crafting intricate and mouth-watering flavours out of grapes that he's more than happy to let his wines do the talking.
And talk they do. His Viognier will verbalise, the Aneis with enunciate and he’ll get his Chardonnays whispering in tongues of flint and zest. Tony’s Tannat, meanwhile, will sit you down by the fireplace, all gravel and gravitas, and patiently explain why there's more than one great red varietal grown in New Zealand.
It's almost like Tony decided a long time ago that making mediocre Merlots and perfumed Pinot Gris, like so many of his contemporaries, just wasn't that much of a challenge and he was going to test his mettle on exotic wines outside the box. Even more mainstream wines – like his mind-blowing EVB Chardonnay – are so finely crafted and deliberate that they couldn't possibly be confused for anything else but a de la terre.
Sampling the hand-labelled, hand-numbered wines at the cellar door.
Passionate and humble, a patient and engaged teacher, Tony likes to challenge established norms and turn popular opinion on its head. While others chase sales or even perfection, he's after emotion. He encourages each vintage he makes to tell a story about the soil it grew in, the sun that warmed it and the hands that formed it. And each vintage he strives for refinement at every stage of the winemaking process.
This is winemaking as an art form. Hand-picked and handmade, Tony and Kaye even hand-label and number every bottle that comes out of their winery. “It shows that someone cares,” he explains.
Elsewhere on the premises, Kaye has turned her long food technology background into a thriving café. She laments, with a laugh, that Tony’s other passion – bending and welding steel into wild and spectacular sculptures of swooping eagles and giant dragonflies – is turning the place into a theme park.
If the theme is interestingly delicious, however – it seems like the couple have got it nailed.
Jess Easton is a Tauranga-based lawyer and director and owner of St Amand events venue and Kitchen Takeover.
Taste of tradition
One word sums up this Tauranga restaurant: Classic. A classic setting, classic cuisine, and classic vibes make it a local favourite for a reason.
One word sums up this Tauranga restaurant: Classic. A classic setting, classic cuisine, and classic vibes make it a local favourite for a reason.
words Hayley Barnett
Mention Harbourside to a Bay local and you’ll hear nothing but good things. As the pinnacle of traditional fine dining here, it offers everything you need from a waterfront eatery – stunning views, great food, friendly service, and a refined yet unpretentious vibe.
Having bought the restaurant back in 2011, husband and wife team Peter and Anita Ward know how lucky they are to own such a perfect spot on the Tauranga Harbour. There’s nothing else quite like it.
Peter had been managing Harbourside for four years when they jumped at the offer to purchase the restaurant. In that time he’d learned exactly what their clientele expected, mainly because they’d tell him.
“Consistency is key,” says Peter. “Even now, if you take something off the menu we’re nearly run out of town.”
The menu is full of classic dishes with a blend of Kiwiana and South Pacific tastes, as well as time-honoured European fare. Only slight variations are made during the change of menu each season.
“Many people here have traditional values and tastes and they simply want consistent quality,” explains Peter. “We provide that quality and consistency without throwing anything out there that’s too left field. It’s important to meet your market.”
Known for its simple fish and chips, these days other favourites consist of agresto crusted lamb backstrap and the popular Harbourside Seafood Chowder. This isn’t the place to come for an experimental, risky food adventure. Here you know what you’re getting every time.
It's all in the family for Harbourside, with Peter, Anita, Nicole and Cameron running the show.
And most of the staff stay consistent too. These days, it’s a family affair with Peter and Anita’s son, Cameron, running the kitchen as head chef, Cameron’s wife, Nicole, as maître d', and their son, 18-year-old Taylor, running the bar. Mixing family and business aligns with their ethos of providing a warm, welcoming atmosphere, where they treat their guests like family. It’s a formula that works and owner Peter isn’t about to do anything silly like change it.
“For us when we first arrived in Tauranga, Harbourside became our staple,” says Peter. “We’d get a table outside, order a wine and fish and chips. It was our favourite spot to be.”
That’s exactly what they want to continue offering to diners: a perfect experience in a tranquil setting, where you’re comfortable enough to order the fish and chips.
Year-round faves
Taupō local Vanya Insull, aka VJ Cooks, shows busy families how easy it is to throw together classic Kiwi recipes that taste as good as they look.
Taupō local Vanya Insull, aka VJ Cooks, shows busy families how easy it is
to throw together classic Kiwi recipes that taste as good as they look.
Sticky pineapple chicken bowls
These bowls are so fresh and delicious. The combination of the sticky chicken and rice with avocado, radish, and edamame beans is a family favourite.
Ready in 30 minutes | Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tsp sesame oil
600g boneless chicken thighs, diced
400g can pineapple pieces
3 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp crushed ginger
To serve
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup edamame beans, cooked
2 radishes, finely sliced
flesh of 1 avocado, sliced
1 spring onion, finely sliced
1 tsp sesame seeds
METHOD
Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Drain the can of pineapple pieces, reserving the juice.
Add 1 cup of pineapple pieces to the frying pan with the chicken and cook for 3 minutes, until the pineapple starts to brown.
To make the sauce, measure 100ml of the reserved pineapple juice into a bowl or jug. Whisk in the soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, cornflour, garlic and ginger.
Make a gap in the centre of the frying pan, add the sauce and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens up and the chicken is cooked through.
To serve, divide the cooked rice between 4 serving bowls, then top with the sticky chicken and pineapple. Add some edamame beans and some sliced radish, avocado and spring onion to each bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Tips and tricks
Diced pork would also be amazing in this dish.
I like to give the leftover pineapple pieces to my kids as a snack or save them to use on a pizza.
Seed and nut bars
If you’ve ever eaten a sesame snap, you’ll have an idea of how these bars taste. Chewy and crunchy with a subtle honey flavour, they’re a great alternative to muesli bars in school lunchboxes.
Ready in 20 minutes + setting time Makes 16 pieces
Ingredients
½ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 cup desiccated coconut
½ cup rice bubbles
½ cup coarsely chopped roasted cashews
½ cup coarsely chopped roasted almonds
100g butter
⅔ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
METHOD
Line a 27 x 17cm slice tin with baking paper.
Place the sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over a gentle heat and toast for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure they don’t burn.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the coconut, rice bubbles, cashews, and almonds. Set aside.
Place the butter, sugar and honey in a small pot on a low heat, until melted and bubbling. Continue to bubble for a further 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour over the dry ingredients and quickly mix to combine.
Transfer to the prepared tin and spread out to the edges, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon.
Chill until set, then cut into 16 bars. Store in an airtight container in the pantry.
Meatball subs
The beauty of these subs is that you can either make them from scratch with the meatball recipe below or, if you’re short on time, you can use pre-made meatballs from the supermarket.
Ready in 30 minutes | Serves 4
Ingredients
500g lean beef mince
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 small onion, grated
1 egg
2 tbsp barbecue sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp oil, for frying
325g tomato pasta sauce
To serve
4 long rolls
1 cup grated cheese
fresh Italian parsley, chopped
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan grill. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
To make the meatballs, place the mince in a large bowl with the breadcrumbs, onion, egg, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, garlic powder, and salt.
Mix together with your hands or a wooden spoon.
Shape into 12 large meatballs or 16 smaller meatballs.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the meatballs until nicely browned and cooked through.
Add the pasta sauce and cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until heated through.
Cut the rolls in half and place them on the prepared tray. Divide the meatballs and sauce between the rolls.
Scatter with the cheese, then place under the grill for 10 minutes until
the cheese is golden and bubbling.
Scatter with parsley and serve immediately.
Tips and tricks
You can eat these as they are or add your favourite toppings, such as sour cream, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, or fresh salad ingredients.
Chocolate whip cheesecake cups with berries
These deconstructed cheesecake cups have it all − a crumbly cookie base,
a creamy chocolate cheesecake centre, and a tart berry sauce. They can be prepared the day before and topped with fresh berries just before serving.
Ready in 30 minutes + chilling time Serves 4-6
Ingredients
150g plain biscuits
80g butter, melted
2 cups frozen mixed berries
2 tbsp caster sugar
100g milk chocolate
225g cream cheese, softened
½ cup icing sugar
1 cup cream
sliced fresh strawberries, to serve
METHOD
To make the cookie crumbs, place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Add the butter and blitz again until combined.
To make the berry coulis, combine the berries and sugar in a pot and simmer over
a gentle heat until the berries have broken down. Mash any large berries if need be.
Set aside to cool, then chill until needed.
To make the chocolate whip, break the chocolate into a microwave-proof bowl and microwave in bursts until melted. Allow to cool slightly.
Place the cream cheese and icing sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until smooth. With the mixer still running, slowly pour in half the cream. Once combined,
add the remainder of the cream and continue to whip until soft peaks form.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gently pour in the cooled melted chocolate, carefully folding it through to create chocolate swirls. Do not combine completely.
To assemble, divide half the cookie crumbs between 4-6 glass tumblers. Add half the chocolate whip and then half the berry coulis. Repeat with the remaining cookie crumbs, chocolate whip and berry coulis.
Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight, before serving topped with the strawberries.
Tips and tricks
You can use super wine biscuits or arrowroot biscuits in this recipe.
Images and recipes from Summer Favourites by Vanya Insull, photography by Melanie Jenkins (Flash Studios), published by Allen & Unwin, RRP $39.99.
A perfect fit
Owner of an iconic Tauranga store, Wendy Simister of Wendys Boutique, celebrates 40 years in fashion.
Owner of an iconic Tauranga store, Wendy Simister of Wendys Boutique, celebrates 40 years in fashion.
words Nicky Adams | photos Jahl Marshall
Preconceptions are tricky to shake, so when meeting Wendy Simister, with her beaming smile and gentle manner, it’s hard to believe that she’s a businesswoman celebrating 40 years of running her own fashion store, Wendys Boutique. If proof was needed that it’s possible to possess business acumen and the kindest of natures, look no further than Wendy.
The second of four daughters, at just 18 years old Wendy began working in Maison Monique, a local premium ladies' store. With a core value of hard work drilled into her by her parents, it wasn’t long before Wendy thought about owning her own premises. Although young, she had been taught, “With drive and determination you can do anything.” By 21, Wendy had opened her own fashion boutique. With 17-year-old sister Sandy by her side, the doors were opened to the same premises on Eleventh Avenue that Wendys Boutique still operates from today. “We laughed our way through the day, but I remember wondering if we would actually sell anything,” Wendy recalls.
Forty years ago, this area was considered the outskirts of town: “It was all I could afford, but I always thought if people wanted to come shopping they would travel. It was about the experience.” Wendy was clear on her direction and had always appreciated beautifully made clothes; “I wanted things that were different, but that aligned with what I liked as well,” she explains. Trawling Auckland for stock, paid for upfront and brought back in the boot of her car, she says, “I tried to get things that weren’t readily available in Tauranga.”
From the get-go Wendy had her finger on the pulse, even down to having the foresight it took to build up a database from the very start. “I used to handwrite newsletters to my customers – you just didn’t have the technology. I’ve always tried to personalise everything. Of course, fashion and the business side of things are very important, but above all it’s the people – the customers, the staff, the ones you surround yourself with. Because they’re your network of support and there’s always a seesaw where you need help, or you give help.
Wendy’s strengths undoubtedly lie in inspiring loyalty and continuity in her team. When sister Sandy left to travel 12 years after the launch of the business, her other sister Sally came to work in the back office, and stayed as a sounding board, buying buddy, and PA until her passing last year. Wendy remembers the time her now adult children (Matt and Hannah) were young, being busy business ones. “We very quickly grew to quite a big team. At one point it was all-consuming. There were a couple of times I was asked to franchise but I couldn’t see how I could do that. The biggest component is the people factor, and you can’t just duplicate that.”
Wendy’s strong bond extends to suppliers and designers; among too many to mention, Loobie’s Story and Trelise Cooper are labels with whom Wendy shares a long history, that has crossed into friendship with owners/designers Laurinda and Trelise. Wendy is emphatic: “Both have just done so much for New Zealand fashion.” Laurinda, she says, has amazing vision when she creates her collections, and Trelise “is so incredibly creative, I hold her in such high regard.” Loyalty and support characterise these relationships – “it’s very much a two-way business with suppliers – and a mutual respect for what the other is trying to achieve. When suppliers went online they were effectively in competition, but you could either take it the wrong way or see it as the way of the future.”
With the advent of the internet came the explosion of online shopping and access to global fashion. Wendy is quick to identify changemakers and will adopt new strategies at lightning speed. Always trying to be ahead of the curve has been a deliberate methodology. I wonder if she’s a risk-taker, which she ponders
for a moment – “Probably, but not too intensely. At the end of each season, I evaluate everything. I take notice of others, but I always want to do something original. I’m already thinking about what hasn’t been done before – which sounds crazy now with the internet. I’m forever grateful I knew instinctively that setting up the online store was the right thing to do. And I’m not scared of change.”
One aspect of Wendy's longevity has been accommodating her loyal clientele and their trend-led needs, while simultaneously embracing a new demographic. Her solution was to open Tilda on Mount Main Street in 2015. I wonder why she didn’t just trade on her already successful name and open a second Wendys, but she says, “I thought that it was a good opportunity to bring in new brands and a younger feel.”
I wonder if she would consider whether she has made many mistakes over
the years. “I’ve made so many! But experience is knowledge. You don’t
learn if you don’t make mistakes. Things might not go as well as you’d hoped, and you must always be prepared for a rainy day. But the great thing about fashion
is that you get the chance to start again each season.” While Wendy may give the impression of having sailed along, buoyed by her naturally sunny personality, it’s clear that her keen mind and intelligence, along with a never-ending thirst for knowledge, have been trusty tools in her toolbox. Far from jaded, she seems as passionate as she would have been 40 years ago, with her joy for the industry as undimmed as her smile. As she says with total conviction: “I love people and I love fashion.”
Peak performance
A 12-year-old from Tauranga is scaling new heights on the big screen, starring in local dramedy The Mountain.
A 12-year-old from Tauranga is scaling new heights on the big screen,
starring in local dramedy The Mountain.
interview Hayley Barnett
Playing the role of Bronco in the new Kiwi film The Mountain, 12-year-old Terence Daniel (Ngāti Kahungunu, Raukawa ki Wharepūhunga, Kuki Airani – Aitutaki) never imagined he’d end up on the big screen. But he’s fully embracing his newfound talent.
The Tauranga local and pupil at Te Pūwhāriki-Maungatapu School is hoping this will be his stepping stone to swapping the school stage for the bright lights of Hollywood. The Mountain is Kiwi actress Rachel House’s directorial debut. Released in March 2024, the film is a heartfelt dramedy about three children on a mission to find healing under the watchful eye of Taranaki Maunga, and discover friendship in the spirit of adventure. Here UNO asks Terence a few questions about his foray into film.
UNO: How did you get into acting?
Terence: This is my first acting role! My nan found it on Facebook and she told my mum. My mum asked me, and I said, ‘Sure, I’ll give it a go!’ After my first audition, I got a call back from Rachel (House) who rang me on Zoom and told me I’d got the part. I was stunned. It didn’t really sink in until I saw my mum was really happy. Then I ran to tell my neighbours and my nan. My nan was proud as. I had always thought I wanted to play rugby or be a mechanic, but now I think I could actually do acting as a job.
UNO: What was it like to act in such a large production?
Terence: It was so much different to what I thought it would be like. I do Kapa Haka as part of Te Pūwhariki but that’s in front of a live audience. This had heaps more people. We had a great crew helping us, including the awesome Carrie Green, our acting coach. They all really supported us kids.
UNO: What was the highlight?
Terence: Being a part of the whole crew and production. That, and getting to be up on the maunga and waking up to the incredible view.
UNO: What do you love about acting?
Terence: It’s really easy, but also really hard at the same time. Performing on camera
is heaps different to Kapa Haka, but I’m used to acting on stage so that definitely helped.
UNO: What and/or who inspires you?
Terence: Our Māori chiefs and our ancestors really inspire me. We have so many amazing stories and I love hearing them.
UNO: What is your favourite movie and why?
Terence: This movie. And why? Because I’m in it!
The Mountain, rated PG, was released in cinemas nationwide on March 28.
Art of change
Tauranga Art Gallery’s planned renovation has begun; in the meantime, opportunities for art continue throughout the local community.
Tauranga Art Gallery’s planned renovation has begun; in the meantime, opportunities for art continue throughout the local community.
words Monique Balvert-O’Connor
Although the iconic Tauranga Art Gallery has temporarily shut its doors, there’s more than a silver lining to the closure. What will follow is pure gold, explains excited gallery director Sonya Korohina.
The gallery’s main building is closed for renovations, reopening next summer as a more inclusive and connected facility. Gallery visitors can expect some “wonderful” new inclusions, such as a creativity centre for all ages, a gallery space especially for tamariki, a dedicated retail space for destination shoppers featuring a high proportion of works by Tauranga Moana artists and designers; and a café offering a curated food experience by day, plus a bookable hospitality space by night. Adding immediate wow will be a grand new entrance allowing a “lovely interplay” with Masonic Park, and a view into the gallery.
The gallery’s closure coincides with work beginning on the redevelopment of Masonic Park. The art gallery’s entrance will relocate from Wharf Street to the opposite side of the building, to be part of the new Te Manawataki o Te Papa vibrant community space. The art gallery will open up into this new cultural precinct, kept company by the likes of Baycourt and the new museum and library. The licensed café will be to the side of the gallery entrance.
“The café will enhance the gallery as a social space, offering people a place to gather before or after their gallery experience. A great espresso is a good way to attract new visitors – ones who have been at the café and then decide to venture beyond into the exhibitions,” Sonya explains.
The gallery’s revamp will involve working within the building’s footprint, except for extending to the parameters of the gallery’s land to accommodate the new entrance. Internal spaces will essentially remain the same, except for the relocation of the foyer, and a reimagining of space in the children’s area. The creativity centre will move to what’s currently the entrance/foyer on Wharf Street, and above (in what’s now a super-high ceiling void) will be a children’s gallery.
“We have to always be looking to the future and creating a world that the next generation can live in and be uplifted by,” Sonya says. The gallery project will fit the bill.
Art opportunities continue during the main building’s closure. Check out the TAG POP UP Gallery and learning space on Devonport Road, opposite the library. POP UP Exhibitions include Tauranga Moana Waterscapes: 1800s – Present and Wunderboxes (involving a map and a quest to find captivating, interactive art installations hidden throughout central Tauranga Moana).