Surviving or thriving

The Parenting Place’s Holly-Jean Brooker gives tips for getting through the
busy-ness of the school year.

After any school holidays, shifting head space from pyjama days to lunchboxes, homework, and after-school activities can be quite the brain reset, and it’s easy to throw ourselves neck-deep in after-school commitments and unintentionally overload everyone.

I always have good intentions about slowing down the pace and committing to less, but I’m not always the best at implementation. And when I’m over-stretched, I’m not thriving, I’m surviving. I get tired and grumpy. Basically, the less attractive side of my personality blossoms (cringey flashback to me storming outside to the car one morning while shouting, “Whether you lot are ready or not, I’m not going to be late to work again, so I’m leaving right now!” with said young “lot” screaming for fear of being left behind. Deep breath). I’m really hoping I’m not alone in this regard.

After a relaxing summer break, this is the perfect time to reflect on the family schedule and be a little bit strategic about the busy-ness. Scaling back gives more breathing space, and a better chance to connect with our kids.

Easier said than done? Here are a few thoughts around how this might work.

Practise saying no: Saying “I’ll think about that and get back to you” is a great approach when you’re requested to sign up, volunteer, join a club, or take on the netball team treasurer role. This gives you time to truly reflect on whether the opportunity is the right fit for your schedule and something you really want to give up your spare time for.

Less is more: Be realistic about how many extra-curricular activities your kids can do. Maybe just one extra thing per child, per term is the reasonable (and manageable!) way forward for your family. Our kids can be involved in the decision-making process around what activities or sports to do, so they can practise weighing up options, making wise choices, and following through on commitments. Lifelong learnings right there!

Stay local, stay together: Look at ways to streamline activities – choosing the local option to reduce travel time or getting your kids to try the same activity at once (I’ve got both my kids at the same surf school programme and signed them up for soccer on the same day, which knocks it out in the same session! Winning!).

Put up some fences: Put some boundaries in place to protect family and home time. Unscheduled time at home to simply hang out as a family unit is gold, so consider how much of this you would ideally like to have as the norm for your family this year, and block it out on the calendar. (It will probably be an ideal goal, and not always achievable depending on circumstances, but something to aim for nonetheless!)

Talk about the plan: If busy-ness has been part of your typical family style for some time, talking about expectations will help prevent disappointment. Talk to your whānau about your new plan, so the kids know they’re not going to be out every day after school, that only one playdate
a week (or month!) will be happening, and that sleepovers are a special treat and not a regular fixture, for example.

Enlist the team: Depending on age and stage, think about what extra household chores your kids can take on this year to help take the load off yourself while also upskilling them and training them to play their part in the family unit and feel good about their contribution. Slowly introduce age-appropriate chores, and you’ll need to lend a hand while they develop the skill. So far my 8- and 12-year-old’s lists include things like unpacking the dishwasher, putting pyjamas away and making beds (very badly), helping fold washing (getting better), making lunches and vacuuming (pretty good). My older child is keen to cook and while I’ll admit it’s a LOT easier and faster when I do it myself, I realise that if I don’t give him the opportunity, how will he learn? So far he’s mastered spaghetti bolognese and homemade pizza, so we’ll work to expand the menu this year. Short-term pain, long-term gain, I keep telling myself. (If you can’t already tell, patience isn’t my top virtue.) 

parentingplace.nz

Mindful about money

Fontein Coaching’s Cassandra Hogan teaches us to navigate mental wellbeing amid the cost-of-living crisis.

In the current landscape of economic uncertainty and the relentless rise in the cost of living, financial stress has become an unwelcome companion for many New Zealanders. It's essential to acknowledge that if you find yourself grappling with financial worries, you’re not alone.

The burden of money-related stress is pervasive, triggering emotions such as embarrassment, shame, anger and frustration.

This financial insecurity isn't confined to impacting our wallets alone; it seeps into our physical and mental wellbeing, disrupting essential aspects of our lives. Sleep patterns are interrupted, exercise routines are abandoned, and eating habits are compromised. The toll on mental health is profound, making it crucial to address these challenges with empathy and resilience.

To navigate through this difficult terrain, it's vital to recognise that there are resources available to support you.

One of the first steps towards managing financial stress is to open up to someone you trust, whether it's a friend, partner or a financial advisor. Sharing your concerns can alleviate the weight on your shoulders and provide a fresh perspective on potential solutions.

Taking control of your finances, even in the face of economic uncertainty, can be empowering. Implementing a household budget or a financial plan allows you to regain a sense of control.

If this seems overwhelming, online tools like sorted.org.nz/budgeting-tool can guide you step by step, helping you save as you go. Seeking professional advice from a financial advisor or debt consolidator can provide tailored solutions to your specific situation.

Simplifying and decluttering your life is another powerful strategy. Being mindful of where your money goes and making conscious choices can contribute to a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. Additionally, exploring opportunities to sell unused items online not only helps you declutter but also provides an extra source of income. You may also consider exploring additional income streams through freelance work or leveraging your skills, such as photography, to supplement your earnings.

Community support is invaluable during challenging times. Connect with your local community to share resources, organise swaps of services for goods, or coordinate work and school commutes to reduce travel costs.

Above all, prioritise your mental health. Physical activity is a potent antidote to stress. In the scenic beauty of New Zealand, taking a walk or engaging in outdoor activities can be a quick pick-me-up and refreshing break.

If you're struggling, consult with your doctor or GP for advice, or call 1737 anytime to connect with a trained counsellor. Remember, in the face of the cost-of-living crisis, there are avenues for support and strategies to enhance your mental wellbeing.

You are not alone on this journey.

Fonteincoaching.co.nz

Chocolate revolution

Weave Cacao is moving mountains across the Pacific one chocolate drop at a time.

words Hayley Barnett

The Weave founding team – Simone, Oonagh, Mike, Tesh and Donna.

Oonagh Browne is passionate about two things: Chocolate and change.

After 18 years in the chocolate industry, she’s come to realise that although good things take time, change in her world is now somehow more stagnant than ever.

For the past four years, Oonagh has been working on the ground with farming communities across the Pacific, to help improve the lives of cacao farmers in the region. What she found is 2.5 million lifelong farmers still living in poverty, even with many providing “fairtrade” cacao beans. Some communities have been harvesting beans for more than 100 years without ever trying their own cacao.

“Many farmers in the Pacific have no idea what they're actually growing,” says Oonagh. “They drink Milo – a real treat – without even realising their contribution to it.”

So Oonagh decided to take matters into her own hands by creating Weave Cacao, a business designed to create a paradigm shift in chocolate production that’s centred on empowering these communities.

“We want to show what's possible all the way through, from planting to manufacturing, in providing a volume, ethical chocolate out into the market,” she explains. “For hundreds of years farmers were taught how to grow the beans and how to put the beans in a sack to be shipped, but when a farmer takes their beans down to the wharf to sell, they get a different price depending on the Stock Exchange that day. They are the people who make the least money and we want to change that, not to handhold, but to give them fair pricing and a connection to their crops.”

Right now, New Zealand has a budding craft chocolate industry, but even as it grows most chocolate makers are only using 10 to 15 sacks of beans per year, not nearly enough to sustain the Pacific’s farming communities.

“I knew that we had to do something very different to be able to make true volume impact, while staying completely authentic in our ethos,” explains Oonagh.

Her vision of creating couverture chocolate – a chocolate that contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than most chocolate on the market – was starting to come together, but the challenge was in providing the stability, pricing and education needed to uplift the quality required for production.

Lucky for Oonagh, the right people miraculously came together and Weave Cacao took off within a year. “We've moved mountains,” she says.

At the Pacific Cacao and Chocolate Show in Auckland in 2022, Oonagh presented the grim realities of the chocolate industry to the many companies who attended and pushed the need for change. Within just a few days, Mike and Simone of Raglan Chocolate called her and asked what they could do to help. Together the three created a vision for a couverture chocolate they knew would make a real impact.

Then Oonagh asked her friend Donna, a fellow Edmund Hillary Fellowship member, to guide them in forming the company. Donna fell in love with the idea and soon became the fourth member and shareholder of the team.

Oonagh and Karina, general manager of production partner Paradise Foods, in Port Moresby.

The problem now was raising enough money to purchase the equipment required to make couverture chocolate from the whole cacao bean. On one of her working trips to Papua New Guinea, Oonagh rang the team and said, “How about we produce here in Port Moresby [the capital] at the Paradise Foods chocolate factory? The equipment is old, but I know with our skills, we can do it.” Everyone agreed, and so Mike and Oonagh got to work on the recipe development.

The end result was fluid, flavourful and ready for market. There was just one more step to get through – the branding.

On a visit to Raglan for a team meeting, Donna invited another Edmund Hillary fellow to join them for lunch: Tesh Randall, founder of Raglan Food Co and The Values Trust. Amazingly, Tesh had a dream of being part of a purpose-led chocolate company, and when the conversation turned to branding, sales and marketing – Tesh’s specialty – she jumped at the chance to be involved. And so the fifth member and shareholder was in place, completing the talented team. They now had a chocolate brand with a difference.

Oonagh and Mike with the cacao farmers in Papua New Guinea.

“There wasn’t a premium quality couverture chocolate in the baking aisles at home, so we wanted to really encourage bakers, chefs and cafés to buy more volume quality chocolate,” says Oonagh. “In New Zealand we don't have the tradition of using quality chocolate at home or within the food industry.”

But, though they had a quality product, they needed to make sure their main aim of helping the farmers came to fruition. The team set up a charitable trust called Ū Cacao Trust, which currently owns 26 percent of the social enterprise and aims to take over the business in the coming years. They set this up as a way to ensure profits will always go back into the pockets of the farming communities.

Says Tesh: “The goal is for the trust to buy us out. Over time, the founders will essentially transfer ownership to the farmers, which I think is very unique and really beautiful – the thought of all the profits ending up in their hands. Then we just become an advisory board, helping them to keep it growing.”

It’s a big dream, but the team truly believe they have the power to do it, by inspiring others to do the same.

“We do believe we can change the chocolate industry,” says Oonagh. “Fairtrade is not enough. Our branding is about uplifting and inspiring the consumer. Not to point fingers, but a lot of people don’t realise that some of these big, apparently ‘fairtrade’ companies have been sold off to large corporations.

“With transparency all the way through, we will make a real change for farming communities and show everyone what is truly possible.”

Right now the focus is on Papua New Guinea, with an eye on the rest of the Pacific in the coming years.

“We've been working in the Solomon Islands and just kicked off Vanuatu, so while it’s only Papua New Guinea beans for now, we will be growing,” says Oonagh.

Lasting change, she says, is just around the corner. “Our main aim is to lift cacao farmers out of poverty all over the Pacific.”

weavecacao.com

On brand

A good brand doesn’t just look pretty; it’s an HR asset, a reputation and a must, says brand expert Jamie Bell of Paulownia Design Studio.

Good branding gives businesses an unfair advantage to really make their mark in their industry. It's not just about having a visually appealing logo or an eye-catching website; branding is about crafting an identity that resonates with your audience, sets you apart in a sea of sameness, and ultimately drives business opportunity.  

At its core, branding is about creating an emotional connection with your people. It's about conveying who you are, what you stand for, and why you matter. In the overwhelm of the 21st Century, a strong brand gives businesses the upper hand – it's the secret sauce that propels them to outperform their competition and make them undeniable to those they want to connect with.

But what exactly does good branding entail? It's about crafting a cohesive identity that permeates every aspect of your business. It's about the visual elements – the colours, fonts, and imagery – that make up your brand's aesthetic. But it's also about the intangible aspects – the personality of your brand, the tone of voice you use, the key messages you communicate, and the impact statement that defines your higher purpose.

Take, for example, brands like Kowtow. Beyond just selling clothes, Kowtow has embraced activism as a core tenet of its brand. They exist not just to push profits but to make the world a better place. By aligning their brand with a higher purpose, they've cultivated a loyal following of customers who share their values and want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

But branding isn't just for the big players. Whether you're a solopreneur or a multinational corporation, the principles of branding remain the same. It's about authenticity, consistency, and connecting with the right people. 

It's about telling your story in a way that makes your business unforgettable. The power of branding lies in transcending trends (not just following them) and delivering a potent, simple message that ignites connection.

As the economy faces uncertainty, rebranding can offer incredible leverage to transform your business and drive your measure of success. So if your branding needs an up level, now is the time. Because having a good brand isn't just an advantage – it's an absolute game-changer. 

paulownia.org.nz

Pioneering pathways

A Tauranga businesswoman and leadership coach has undergone a transformative journey from teenage mum to commercial lawyer and now an award-winning speaker.

words Karen Clarkson

When Stacey Mareroa-Roberts (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Awa, Whakatohea, and Te Rarawa) reflects on her journey from a young law student to globally revered inspirational speaker and workshop leader, she stops to acknowledge the character and grit it took to overcome the barriers she faced. “I wasn’t thinking about failure, or what happens if I don’t. I had this clear awareness of what the world could look like if things were different. I was also a teenage mother studying full-time and working part-time trying to make ends meet, so it was needs must,” she recalls.

Her unwavering determination coupled with an inquiring mind was highlighted at age 14, when Stacey was taught a version of local history at school that wasn’t resonating. She reached out to her marae historian at Whakamarama, Te Puna, who shared some unique family treasures and local records.

“I was like a kid in a candy store, poring over court transcripts, archives, and records, interviewing our kaumatua about the treasures I explored. We wrote our own version of local history that reflected stories of our people and our community,” explains Stacey.

From there, the seed was planted to forge a path to create and share a more inclusive history and stories, she says. The ambitious 18-year old moved to Hamilton to start a double degree in law and social science – the first person from her family to attend university. Halfway through that year, she discovered she was pregnant, expecting a baby boy.

“I wanted to come home to raise my son, so I completed my first year of study and moved back to Tauranga.” At the time, there was no law degree offered in Tauranga, so Stacey pioneered one.

“The University of Waikato said they needed a dozen people to join the course to justify a programme here. So I went door-knocking,” she laughs. “And found enough people to study with me.”

From there, Stacey embarked on a challenging journey as a young mother and student, juggling night classes, assessments and work to support herself. She soon realised the lack of support for Māori women like her striving for change. Graduating as the only woman among her peers with a double degree, both achieving international honours, she also received the Top Scholar Prize for History and financial aid of scholarships, acknowledging the crucial role of community and family support.

“As I walked up to receive my degrees, my nan proudly represented my entire family, who were standing close by. It truly takes a village,” she explains.

Stacey with her son at her graduation from The University of Waikato.

After achieving a Master of Laws with top honours in Māori governance, Stacey quicky emerged as a local icon, a dynamic wāhine Māori lawyer driven by purpose in the Bay of Plenty. Specialising in post-treaty settlement business and leadership structuring, she provided invaluable advice to various Māori organisations ranging from informal groups seeking incorporation to multi-level joint ventures balancing commercial goals with their vital role in managing people and stewardship of land resources for the future.

It was during this time that her foray into professional public speaking quickly gained momentum. Within a few years, a passionate side hustle evolved into a part-time career as an inspirational speaker and workshop leader traveling abroad and hosting online workshops. “While sharing my knowledge and experiences at business conferences, universities and professional development events, I realised that, as I was going through my own transformation, I had the opportunity to inspire others to embrace their gifts and leadership too,” she reflects.

Stacey has now empowered more than 15,000 people through speaking engagements, business development workshops and leadership courses.

Last year, Stacey was named in the Top 100 Global Transformational Coaches Dominating 2023. Her most recent accolade was her selection from nearly 100 applicants across Aotearoa to join the Coralus 2024 Venture cohort – the first recipient from the Bay of Plenty in the organisation’s history. Launched in Canada in 2015, Coralus (formerly SheEO) is a global community of women dedicated to ticking off the world’s to-do list. As a collective, they contribute to a fund that provides vital support and interest-free loans to women-led businesses, like Stacey’s, striving to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“Our mahi has always been centred on inclusive leadership and high-value enterprise education for social and economic prosperity,” Stacey says. “This alignment with Coralus enables us to champion representation of indigenous people even further and create a sustainable pathway for Māori, especially women, to step into their leadership.”

The 2022 Wāhine Summit and Celebration in Tauranga.

While Stacey has rubbed shoulders with motivational coaches and speakers including Eric Thomas, Lisa Nichols, and Trent Shelton and worked with clients like Dr Michelle Dickinson (Nanogirl) and Alexia Hibertidou (GirlBoss), she says her heart lies in the roots of her community, developing business leaders at home.

“I reflected ‘Where could I have the most impact?’. And it’s here, supporting women, who are already doing incredible work, to step into their leadership and be given the tools and confidence to ignite their passion and talent.”

Stacey believes we have a real opportunity with initiatives like Coralus to shift the needle permanently. “One day I hope we won’t have strategies to promote and retain women in power, or say we are talking about wāhine leadership, we will just say leadership. There’s room for everybody and I want to help create a pathway for women to prosper in leadership roles and our rangatahi to see themselves within those leaders; exactly what I was missing as that wide-eyed teenager from Te Puna, hoping to change the world.”

onetwentylegacy.com

Disruptive design

An outside-the-box creative uses recycled plastic to 3D print aesthetic objects for home.

Words Casey Vassallo

Founder Matt Watkins.

Based in Tauranga, Special Studio is a design and production studio that fashions intriguing objects from recycled plastics using 3D printers. Located on Durham Street, the space acts as both the workshop and showroom, where each piece comes to life.

It kicked off with the Lulu bin in 2021, named after friend and designer Lulu Jackson (of Lulu Jackson Bridal), who suggested adding a twist to the prototype, literally. “The idea was to make a rubbish bin out of rubbish,” says founder Matt Watkins.

The first sale came through Instagram, and Mount Maunganui’s beloved Paper Plane became their first retailer. The business has since snowballed, and today, it can’t keep up with demand despite making around 100 pieces a week.

The distinct and popular Lulu form has gone on to become a display bowl, funky planter and stool, which remains their bestseller and takes up to 14 hours to print. More recently, they’ve added a bulbous Bubble side table to the repertoire, a stone-looking Monolithic side table, and a collection of mini Lulu stools for the little ones. There’s also a new rock collection, where no two objects turn out the same, and a range of lighting is in production.

Other designs have been born from collaboration, like the Twist side table by designers Daniel Vi Le (who works for the likes of Cult Gaia) and Tanil Raif (ex-Yeezy design architect), and can be found in the Orange County Museum of Art’s Please Do Not Enter concept store as Special Studio’s first international stockist. Matt has also worked with Warren and Mahoney Architects to engineer an e-waste recycling bin for One NZ’s stores nationwide, featuring the Noise design’s rippled texture and embossed with “recycled devices”.

Matt puts Special Studio’s success down to the unison between the designs and materials, similar to Tesla’s recipe. “Our products could look this great, but if they weren’t made from recycled plastic, they wouldn’t sell as well,” he explains. “If they were all made from recycled plastic, but they didn’t look this good, we wouldn’t sell them.”

Back when Matt bought his first 3D printer in 2018, it didn’t start with what to make, but how. More specifically, mass production’s unsustainable nature spurred him to create his own circularity model.

“The goal for starting the company was to figure out the best way to make stuff, period,” Matt says. “You need to make on demand, and that’s what led to get into additive manufacturing and 3D printing.” That is, 100 machines making 100 objects are more reliable and adaptable than one machine making 100 objects.

Running close to 24/7, Special Studio has a host of small Delta 3D printers and a few custom-made large-format printers of their creation. “We make what we sell, which is incredibly rare,” Matt says.

“And because we make the machines that make the products, we have total control over the production process.”

It’s also Matt’s way of looking at a global issue – plastic waste – and how he can spin it into a solution. “The problem with plastic is behavioural. We have to stop using plastics for single-use applications, but we shouldn't demonise plastic,” he says. “It’s easier to recycle, easier to process, you can mould plastic, and it requires low energy.”

In its raw form, recycled plastic filament looks like fishing wire. Matt sources the colourful matte material from Netherlands company Reflow, and KiwiFil supply the clear, white, black and amber materials. Computer-operated, the 3D printer draws each design in fine layers using the filament. “The best way to explain it is a hot glue gun on the end of a robot,” Matt says. Close up, you can see the moulded lines that give each piece a textural look.

This isn’t Matt’s first successful venture, either. Off the back of DJing around town, he co-founded SoundSwitch in 2011, a software and hardware system used to synchronise lighting and music performances. He built the business from zero, raised capital, and learned the manufacturing game before selling to American enterprise inMusic in 2018.

Special Studio is soon looking to scale and set up 3D printers overseas (like the US and Australia) to make objects closer to their destination, but the Bay of Plenty will remain home. “If we had a machine in every major market, we could send the print files, and overnight it could be released globally,” Matt says.

Matt has always had a bigger picture in mind, though. “The long-term goal, whether that’s with Special Studio or a secondary company, is to move into functional architecture components,” he says of staircases, boats and homes. “For me it’s about design – being able to create something totally unique and new. That’s the exciting part.”

Boost your business success

Roz Irwin explains how to unlock the full potential of your business with Tauranga Business Chamber's resources and support.

Photo Salina Galvan

There are many support resources available for businesses, but they’re spread across government agencies and non-government organisations. Plus, they keep changing; it’s hard to keep up.

It would be great if there was a local hub where people could understand where all the resources and support for businesses are available. 

Great news, there is!

Tauranga Business Chamber has a dedicated, independent contracts team whose job is to know what resources and support channels are available for businesses and get them connected to the services that best suit their needs. 

Whether you’re well-established and looking to innovate or train your leaders, or you have a business idea and are unsure where to start, the Tauranga Business Chamber is the hub of business resources and support that can help all stages of business.

Each year, we help hundreds of business leaders and entrepreneurs start their business, access free resources, gain Government support, and connect with local experts. 

No matter the stage in the economic cycle, there are always opportunities for business owners to offer new solutions to customers’ obstacles and challenges. 

Our services range from a free one-hour session with a business advisor, support to boost your capability, or resources to leverage your innovation and R&D. 

Our advisors are independent and impartial. They are driven to help businesses succeed and reach their potential. 

Anyone can access our business support services; you don’t need to be a member of the Tauranga Business Chamber. 

Times are tough right now, but as another saying goes: “We’re all in this together.” If you’re seeking some extra support, reach out to our team and see how we can help. It’s free, it’s independent, and it’s impartial.  

tauranga.org.nz

Flatmate from hell

Lauren Mabbett’s new roommate is too good to be true – but at least the rent’s being paid.

Delilah Nunin. When I search her on Facebook, the name doesn't come up. Weird. No Instagram, either. I guess she doesn't like social media.

In early 2020, I move into a cute two-bedroom home in Auckland, and go on the hunt to find a new flatmate. Delilah, or “Del”, sends a lovely message: She's 42, American, a luxury travel agent, clean and tidy. Perfect.

I tell her that rent is $300 a week plus bills, and she gives a “pfft, is that all” type of response. It's an interesting response considering when I ask her to pay bond before she moves in, she refuses, because she has no money until move-in day. 

I notice tiny things that seem slightly off, but let them go, like the fact her three children are growing up in America but she's in New Zealand just because she “liked New Zealand more”. I ask her if she’s on social media, but she tells me she goes under different names as she “doesn't want her mum getting all up in her business”. Maybe don't add your mum on Facebook? But okay.

Level 4 lockdown hits. This makes me slightly nervous, as Del is a “luxury travel agent”, and every travel agent I'm hearing about is getting made redundant. Despite this, she convinces me she's the busiest she's ever been, working longer hours to accommodate all the trips being booked. She tells a lot of long-winded stories that don’t quite add up.

Then one day, Del suddenly tells me she needs to find a new place as her parents are coming over and she needs to live with them (this must be the mum she didn’t want all up in her business). Within three days, she's not only found a house, but has been accepted, and is moving this coming weekend. Since we are still on really good terms, she agrees to cover rent for both places until I can replace her (despite her new place being $750 a week).

In the meantime, she's buying a brand-new leather lounge suite. Brand-new dining table. Brand-new TV. Brand-new iPad… For someone who couldn't pay bond right away, I can’t help but think this is a bit suspicious – but as long as she pays rent, whatever.

Over the next few days, Del comes and goes to get a few bits. Her room is still basically full minus her bed, and we keep in touch. I even go to her new house with a pot plant. Two more weeks pass… And then the rent bounces.

I message her asking what happened, and get no reply. I try twice more, then change the locks.

A whole week goes by without hearing from Del. This is SUPER weird, as we talked nearly every day and there'd been no fights or anything. Just as I'm expecting the rent to bounce again, her rent pops in. This is even weirder. If you're going to ghost me, why are you still paying rent?

The rent keeps coming. Week after week.

I reach out on Del’s birthday despite having not heard from her, and notice most people on her Facebook page are calling her Wendy. Don't they know that's her fake name? Suddenly, another week of rent is skipped. But the next week goes in. What the hell is going on? I go away on a girls’ weekend and fill my friends in on the situation. We decide to Google her.

Oh. My. God.

The first article I see is a formal complaint to the Better Business Bureau in the USA regarding a fraudulent travel agent named Delilah Nunin. She ripped a group off of roughly $30,000, and when they tried to get their money back, she gave the special Del brand of long, confusing, complicated answers, then vanished. Several other articles popped up about her different aliases, pyramid schemes, multiple birth dates… The list went on.

About four weeks go by, and I send Del a final message to cover myself, basically saying that if she doesn't pay rent this week I'll be removing her property from the house. No reply.

Right! Time to pour a wine, invite a friend over, and have a field day going through what she left behind. And oh, boy. Do we ever.

We start sorting through piles of documents, handbags, folders, diaries, boxes. Pretty much everything minus her bed was left there. (Let me just reiterate I'd made multiple attempts by this point to reach her, and also consulted a lawyer to protect my terrified wee backside.)

Straight away I find her passport; it's under the name Delilah Nunin - and it seems real. Why the heck would you leave that behind? I find a wallet with multiple credit cards, eftpos cards, and other cards (all current) inside. Letters requesting to change her IRD number, multiple name tags with different names on them, it doesn't stop. I then find several letters from debt collectors demanding payments of upwards of $20,000. I can only imagine this may have played a part in Del’s sudden move.

My face is starting to look like Tim Curry in Home Alone 2 when he discovers Kevin's credit card is stolen.

I find an iPad – sweet. Maybe I can sell this to make up for that $600 in Del’s rent I'm now paying. A voucher for a night away in a deluxe room with breakfast included? Strange but okay.

I then Google her “luxury travel agency” and find it's been raided and shut down for fraud.

The next thing I find makes me physically shake; she'd been advertising her room in my flat for rent, and replying to comments of interest. Replies that were sent three days ago, when we hadn't spoken in weeks, and she's had no access to the house. I can only imagine this is some
ploy to take people’s bond and scarper.

We then turn to Del’s wardrobe and discover it's literally jammed full of clothes, at a guess around 300 pieces, which are all brand-new, expensive, labelled, and in significantly different sizes.

Well, I did what any burned roommate would do, and went shopping in there. I now own a few pieces from The Del Collection *flicks hair and looks at camera*, and the Sallies and Recycle Boutique got the rest.

To this day, I still have not heard from the mysterious Delilah Nunin again. I can confirm her parents are not here and never were. I have passed on her new address to the debt collectors.

All that aside, I am looking forward to my night away in a deluxe room with breakfast included. Thanks, mate. 

Listen to Lauren weekdays 9am to 3pm on The Hits 95.0FM. 

thehits.co.nz

Athlete’s paradise

Pro triathlete Hannah Berry has had a whirlwind year on the world stage. She’s back in the Bay for summer, and loving the lifestyle of her home base.

Words Scott Yeoman | Photos Scott Yeoman + supplied

You can be a full-time professional athlete training and competing on the world stage – jetting off to Australia, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, France, Mexico and Hawaii in the space of six months – and still call this place home.

You can chase your sporting dreams and still spend hot summer afternoons on your favourite Mount Maunganui beach. Swim laps at your local pool, go for picturesque runs around Mauao, and work out in a high-performance gym alongside familiar – and famous – faces.

You can recover from an injury and smash your training goals, and still celebrate at the end of the week by having a glass of wine with your husband at home.

Hannah Berry is proof of all that. She is proof that Mount Maunganui is an athlete’s paradise.

The 33-year-old pro triathlete has had a whirlwind year; from a podium finish at the Ironman Taupō event in March, to a season-stopping stress reaction injury in her femur, to bouncing back and winning gold in Mexico in September, and then a personal best at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in October.

Hannah's home for the summer and has a lot of training ahead of her; the 2024 Ironman Pro Series is firmly in her sights.

So, what does a normal day in the Mount look like for a professional triathlete who wants to be able to swim 3.8km, cycle 180km, and run 42.2km in less than eight hours, 53 minutes, and 45 seconds? Hannah starts her day by swimming laps at Baywave (about five or six kilometres worth). She does that five days a week, starting at 5.50am. She might then head home and do three or four hours on the indoor trainer bike in her garage. She also runs three times a week; her favourite route takes her around Mauao.

Then there’s strength and conditioning and gym work at the University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance. Hannah trains there at least a couple of times a week. This state-of-the-art facility is situated on the outskirts of Blake Park and has become a one-stop shop for individual athletes and teams preparing for competition at the highest level. The Netherlands women’s football team trained at the Adams Centre during the FIFA World Cup earlier this year, and other recent visitors include the All Blacks, Wallabies, New Zealand Warriors, and the English cricket team.

The centre is also home to both New Zealand rugby sevens teams, the
Bay of Plenty Steamers and Bay of Plenty Volcanix, as well as North Island-based Black Caps, the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, and the Adams Academy – a development programme with around 100 aspiring and established athletes across 27 sporting codes and counting.

Hannah has been a member of the Adams Academy since its inception and recently won Athlete of the Year at its annual awards. “Being surrounded by other high performance athletes is quite unique,” she says. “And it's really cool to see other athletes here training – there’s motivation everywhere.”

The Adams Centre has a team of strength and conditioning coaches onsite, a dietitian and sports psychologist, and a sports science laboratory with a full array of testing equipment, including an environmental chamber (one of only two in the country) which helps athletes like Hannah prepare for international competitions in varying climates and altitudes.

Hannah will be back competing in Ironman pro events all over the world next year. It’s a remarkable achievement, considering she only started long-distance endurance triathlons about 10 years ago. In fact, that’s when she started competing in any kind of triathlon for the first time.

Hannah believes her late entry into the competitive world of triathlon might actually be an advantage. A lot of the top triathletes have been pouring hours into this individual pursuit since they were teenagers, or even younger. Hannah only played team sports like netball, volleyball, and hockey while growing up in Te Puke. Then she went off to university and studied her way towards a PhD in biotech engineering. She is now Dr Hannah Berry. She only decided to pause that career and chase her triathlon dreams full-time in 2019. 

Her 11th-place finish at the iconic World Championship event in Kona in October was her fourth full-length Ironman. She’s just getting started. “It's a very demanding, time-consuming sport, so I think the fact that I picked it up later in life is quite good,” Hannah says. “I haven't just been this sort of one-dimensional person my entire life and that means, at the moment, it still feels really fresh and exciting. And I'm seeing improvements all the time. So that I think is good and it keeps me going.”

It keeps her swimming, cycling and running, chasing her sporting dreams all over the globe, 226km at a time, with Mount Maunganui as her home base. 

uowadamshpc.co.nz

Split decision

Rachael from Rotherham Law knows about divorce, from the legalities to the emotional impact it can have. Here she tells you what you need to do if you’re thinking about saying ‘I don’t’.

For some, separation comes as a shock, and for others it’s a slow burn. It can often be comparable to a partner passing away. You can go through similar stages of grief, fluctuating between shock, denial, anger, depression, bargaining, testing and acceptance. 

Family lawyers can assist with legalities, as well as personal matters, that range from contracting out (prenups), separation, childcare, spousal maintenance, child support, family violence, adoption and surrogacy. At the other end of life, they help with enduring Powers of Attorney, Wills and capacity matters like helping family members get orders to make decisions for elderly relatives when they have lost capacity. 

Here's a rundown of what to expect in divorce proceedings and advice on how to make it easier for everyone.

Pick your battles

It is possible to separate with dignity, compassion and understanding. It doesn’t have to be The War of the Roses. Most people who hire a lawyer do not go near a courtroom and many choose a collaborative approach. Court is there when you need it, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The starting point is dividing property after all the debts are repaid 50/50. But not always, as sometimes there are circumstances that lead one party to be entitled to more based on their situation. When you come to an agreement without the Court’s intervention it is called a Separation Agreement. It needs to be in writing to be legally binding, and the parties must have had independent legal advice from a lawyer who explained the effects and implications of it.

Know your audience

Make sure when you get legal advice that you are comfortable with the lawyer you are instructing. You need to be able to talk to them and feel listened to. But you also need to feel comfortable and trust them when they tell you something you don’t necessarily want to hear. They are always acting for your interests but what you are entitled to may not necessarily marry up to your expectation (pun intended). You know when you walk into a room and start talking to someone in that first minute if they are the right fit. Go with your gut instinct. We all have the same qualifications but different lawyers have different approaches, so it needs to feel right to you.

Get organised

Go to your meetings prepared so that you make the most of your time. Make a list of what you want to talk about. If you are instructing on a separation, have a list ready of what assets and debts you have so when you get asked this question you have that information. As difficult as it might be, try to remove the emotion so you’re making the most of your time with your lawyer, and they can gather all the necessary details needed the first time. 

Don’t sweat the small stuff

As with any breakup, emotions are high and it can be hard to separate yourself from those feelings. But try to think about what is most important, like having somewhere to live and paying the bills, or the children’s care arrangements and what is best for them. I have been that lawyer who wrote a letter about returning the Cirque du Soleil umbrella that held emotional attachment, but was it worth the cost of my time to do it? That’s an individual decision, but my advice is to focus on the big picture. Your emotional wellbeing and moving forward are more important. 

A qualified mediator and collaborative family lawyer, Rachael Rotherham spent the majority of her working life in Auckland at a large commercial firm before deciding to move her family out of the city and here to the Bay. Now, Rachael has created a boutique law firm specialising in family law and separations.

Rotherhamlaw.co.nz

Made in the Mount

Meet the women paving the way for a new tech scene in Mount Maunganui.

Words Lucy Bleakley | Photos Katie Charlotte

What do a chemical engineer, graphic designer and teacher have in common? Apart from above-average smarts and creativity, they are part of a burgeoning, female-founded tech scene coming to life from kitchen tables across Mount Maunganui. 

Bonnet, Kept and euulo are three locally made apps developed by women who’ve created beautifully designed, “Why didn’t I think of that?” tech. All from home and with small children in tow. 

Each app is impressively thoughtful, and perhaps unsurprisingly, they all have one more thing in common – easing the mental load for their users. 

Deftly solving specific consumer problems to make everyday life, and in euulo’s case, life’s harder moments easier.  

Bonnet, founded by Steph Kennard, houses vehicle admin in one place when over 50 percent of Kiwis are driving on our roads without a WOF or rego. Kept, created by Nic Winslade and Katie Hunter, is a new marketplace for cleaners, allowing users to book a trusted, peer reviewed cleaner and giving cleaners greater independence in an industry rife with unfair wages and hours. 

And Kerriden Edmondson, Renaya Lloyd and Sheree van den Broek have developed euulo, a SaaS product for the funeral industry. euulo is image-gathering technology designed to replace the clunky process of curating funeral photo tributes. 

“With backgrounds in fashion, design and engineering, the looks on people’s faces when we explain our technology is not lost on us,” muses Renaya Lloyd, co-founder of euulo. 

“But, if you’ve been in the difficult position of organising a photo tribute, you will understand the arduous process and we know we can make a real difference. We’ve spent a lot of time speaking to funeral directors and validating our solution to ensure our technology is easing the burden from all sides,” explains Renaya.

Nic Winslade’s career has been all about bringing ideas to life for clients and Kept was an opportunity to explore an idea sparked from managing the mental load of family life. 

“The Mount was the perfect place to launch Kept, with so many busy, self-employed households wanting flexibility. And the focus on quality of life here is also the breeding ground for our innovation. Making life easier, better, and more rewarding for independent cleaning professionals as well as busy local homes,” says Nic.  

Like euulo and Kept founders, Steph saw an obvious gap in the market and a way to ease life’s admin overload.

“I’ve worked in the car industry and seen time and time again the barriers to keeping up with car admin for families, heavy vehicle operators and fleet managers – many are still using spreadsheets to manage hundreds of car regos and WOFs. There had to be a better way, and after years of development, Bonnet was launched earlier this year,” says Steph.

Steph says it’s amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it from the Mount.

“Research, development and design have all been done from our home office. With remote working taking off, a Zoom with a web developer or writing pitch decks from home with a walk up the Mount in between is completely doable,” says Steph. 

The gumption to do something different has paid off for these tech founders. Bonnet launched as the number one app on Google and in just a few months, over 50,000 cars are being monitored by the app. Kept has launched here in Tauranga, and in new markets across Auckland, Waikato, Wellington and Christchurch, with thousands of cleans booked and several independent cleaning businesses thriving thanks to Kept’s marketplace model.

euulo, the baby of the three start-ups, has recently launched to a waiting list of funeral directors representing almost a third of New Zealand funeral homes, and already have plans to launch in Australia and the UK.

Mount Maunganui has always been a creative haven, but these founders are driving a new type of tech scene forward. One built on empathy, flexibility and bloody hard work. 

Steph Kennard, Bonnet 

Steph is a digital native through and through, developing Bonnet after working in the car industry with the likes of Jeep and Volkswagen. 

Bonnet houses all vehicle management in one place and gives reminders for regos, warrant of fitness, and diesel RUC, using Waka Kotahi data to create seamless reminders. Less than half of New Zealanders remember to do their WOF and registration in time, creating potentially unsafe cars on our roads, and Bonnet aims to change this with a brilliantly simple solution. 

bonnet.co.nz  |   bonnet_app

---

Nic Winslade and Katie Hunter, Kept

A housekeeping app that helps local customers find cleaners they trust with an instant booking system. 

Cleaners can create their own free online booking platform through Kept, setting their own hourly rates and availability, in a safe, supportive space.
It also changes the game when finding a cleaner for your home. The app enables you to book for your specific needs and offers exit cleans, one-off cleans or regular cleaning. You can also specify which rooms you want cleaned. The booking and payment are completed through the app, so cleaners are guaranteed payment, and peer reviews help regulate the marketplace, encouraging a high-quality service. 

kept.nz  |    kept.together

---

Renaya Lloyd, Sheree van den Broek and Kerriden Edmondson, euulo 

euulo is a SaaS solution developed to alleviate some of the pressure associated with creating a photo tribute for grieving families and funeral directors. The app features in-built scanning, social media integration, and image editing, giving families the opportunity to gather their photos in their own time and space. For funeral directors, the software gives visibility over the process and specific tools to create beautiful photo tributes with ease.

Technology for the funeral industry is not something any of the euulo team could have foreseen in their future, but here they are, passionately designing a thoughtful way to ease the load for grieving families.  

euulo.com  |    euulophototribute 

Golden touch

This multi-purpose complex has created an amazing community packed full of dining, entertainment, health and retail options for Pāpāmoa East

The ever-growing area that is Golden Sands, in Pāpāmoa East, has fast become a destination for visitors and locals looking for quality stores and services. This is thanks mainly to the Excelsa Centre, the community hub offering a wide range of dining, entertainment, health and retail options.

Situated on the corner of Golden Sands Drive and Pāpāmoa Beach Road, the main area houses everything from a luxury cinema, to a reformer pilates studio and the now-famous contemporary restaurant and bar,
Papa Mo’s. Across the road sits the famous Henry and Ted Café, catering to all ages but especially to families and their extended furry friends.

Read on to discover just what eachone has to offer. 

Reform Pilates

Recognised throughout New Zealand as synonymous with high-quality studios, incredible trainers and killer reformer pilates classes, the Reform brand’s mission is to turn traditional pilates on its head. Creating a more upbeat, dynamic and results-driven experience, this studio strives to provide an exciting, unique exercise programme that delivers fast results in a safe and carefully controlled environment. Classes are challenging with options offered to suit all fitness levels and abilities.

reformfitness.co.nz/studios/papamoa

Papa Mo’s

Serving up quality food and drink with a focus on local produce, Papa Mo’s has become the place to be in Golden Sands. With live music every Friday and Sunday, along with the Tuesday pub quiz and Happy Hour from 4pm to 6pm seven days a week, it’s the perfect locale to meet up with friends and family. Special meal and drinks deals happen on the daily and the menu covers something for everyone.

Papamos.co.nz

Henry and Ted Cafe

The suburban eatery that prides itself on catering for everyone just keeps getting better. With a brand new menu, brunch is tastier than ever. Dishes like Sourdough Crumpets with honey-roasted pear, thyme, and housemade lemon ricotta, are impressing foodie diners, while others, such as the Philly Cheese Steak Sammy, are providing comfort food year round. For caffeine addicts, the Nitro Cold Brew is back on tap and events are always being planned. Keep an eye on their social pages for tickets.   

henryandted

Luxe Cinemas

This luxurious, upmarket cinema is not your average picture theatre. Housing three cinemas showcasing a wide selection of films, the family-run business caters to a range of people, from families to seniors. It's the perfect place for a quiet catch up, and you don’t even have to watch a movie. They offer coffee, wine and snacks and the space is also available to rent for functions, fundraisers and birthday parties. Luxe Cinemas Pāpāmoa is open seven days a week.

Luxecinemas.nz

Surfing for the soul

Bay farmers are learning to take the beach back to the paddock.

Words Hayley Barnett

It’s fair to say the past few years haven’t been kind to our farming and horticulture community. Economic conditions and labour shortages have really taken their toll on a once-thriving industry. But a small group of people have been working hard to bring a little bit of sunshine back into the lives of the people holding together our country’s backbone, with an initiative called Surfing for Farmers.

The idea is self-explanatory – getting more farmers and orchard workers out onto the beach and into the waves. The free programme runs over the whole of summer and offers surf lessons and an evening out for the whole family to enjoy.

“The theme this year is to take the beach back to the paddock,” says BOP board member Sarah Hickey. “We want to encourage anyone working on a farm or in the horticulture industry to get out there into the surf then take that experience back to work, talk about it with their colleagues, or just feel better in their day-to-day life. We want that ripple effect to happen once you’re off the beach, to spread that good feeling.”

This will be the fourth season that Surfing for Farmers has run in Mount Maunganui, but the programme itself has been running since 2018. The founder, Stephen Thomson, who worked in the farming industry himself, started the project after watching a documentary on returned soldiers using surfing as PTSD therapy. 

“Something just clicked and he was like, ‘I could do that here for farmers’,” explains Sarah. 

A year later, Sarah was sitting with a friend, who had been teaching her how to surf, when they came across a newspaper article about Stephen. 

“That’s when I realised that, hey, we could do something here in the Mount,” she says. “It kind of snowballed from there and now we’re running in 28 locations around New Zealand.”

Each region operates slightly differently, but the main aim is the same. In the Bay, friends and family of the team, who surf themselves, volunteer their time to coach, and the boards and wetsuits are borrowed from local surf schools.

“It’s about sharing knowledge and getting everyone out here,” says Sarah. “It’s really fun. We always have a barbecue afterwards, so it turns into quite a community event.”

The feedback, says Sarah, has been overwhelmingly positive. “We’ve definitely had some amazing stories. We've had one guy who was a farmer his whole life but had stopped working. He came along for one session and got hooked on surfing. And that became his way to still be connected to the industry. Now, he's retired and this has become a hobby that himself and his son do together.

“It’s about connections and people. They come along, and then suddenly, three weeks in, they've got this new surfboard and wetsuit and they're grabbing their neighbours and inviting them to come down. Or they're discussing things on the farm and giving each other tips and tricks because it's a real mixture of young and old. We like to get the children involved too.”

And that ripple effect Sarah was talking about earlier comes into play throughout not just the farming community, but the wider community as well.

“Farmers’ families often tell us that their dads have come home much happier,” says Sarah. “We had a daycare sponsor give us some money and we were like, ‘What's a daycare doing sponsoring Surfing for Farmers?’ And they said it was because they notice that the kids are happier. When the dads have been out for a surf, the kids are happier at the daycare. So it's a win-win for everyone.”

But it’s not just the men getting amongst the waves. “It is mainly men but we do get quite a few women. One night we had females outnumber the males, which was a really cool night.”

So far, around 4000 to 5000 farmers are taking part every year, and Sarah says they’d like to increase that number substantially. “Our goal for 2026 is that by the end of summer 2026, we will have moved the needle for 25,000 people.”

To participate, all you need to do is turn up at any session and register. Session times are posted on the website for each region. “Just show up. That's all you need to do. We cover the rest.” 

surfingforfarmers.com

Blended family

Together Mackenzie Elvin and Tompkins Wake signify people, places and professionalism.

Words Nicky Adams  |  Photos Salina Galvan

If it feels as though Tauranga already has access to some of the best legal representation in the country, then the recent merging of Mackenzie Elvin law firm, a family founded Tauranga-based practice, and Tompkins Wake, one of the largest national New Zealand law firms, has certainly upped the ante. 

For Fiona Mackenzie, one of the founding partners of Mackenzie Elvin, the merger was part of a progression plan. Growth was inevitably on the cards, and Tompkins Wake presented at the perfect time. “We are a multi-generational firm and, in considering our future strategy, there were a number of options including continuing to grow as a mid-tier firm with all the pressures and complexities of modern legal practice, or we could look at developing alignments with practices that we respected and who operated according to values that mirrored ours. Tompkins Wake stood out,” says Fiona. 

“It’s been an interesting year, an exciting year – we remain in our lovely iconic villa, which is part of our brand, but we are now Tompkins Wake. I view it a little bit like a marriage where you may change your name, but you don’t lose your identity; instead, you become something more than you were before.”

Jon Calder, Tompkins Wake chief executive, agrees that the synergy between the two companies is serendipitous. “We’ve had a presence in Tauranga since 2018 and have always been looking for opportunities to grow – the right, rather than any, opportunity – it became clear very quickly that the two firms had a strong alignment in terms of values,” Jon says. 

There was more to the attraction than just culture – within Mackenzie Elvin, Jon identified “Ambition. The company was definitely ambitious to grow and offer a broader range of services to their clients. With the size and scale of Tompkins Wake, that’s something that we’re able to do.” 

Indeed, the capacity of the united law firm is now enormous. Together Tompkins Wake is one of the top 10 law firms within New Zealand in terms of size and reputation. Across the board there are 35 partners, 125 lawyers and over 200 staff, with offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua and Tauranga. 

The Family Law team is one close to the hearts of both firms. Fiona considers the practice intrinsic to the identity of the firm, and with the merger Fiona is confident at the breadth offered by the partners that include herself, Stephanie Ambler, Zandra Wackenier and Kate Sullivan. Each of them has not just extensive knowledge and experience, but also offers particular areas of expertise. As Fiona reflects, “Law is always developing and the practitioners I’m now working with are at the cutting edge.” 

Fiona Mackenzie

The merger allows Fiona to move into her own space of mediation. “I take difficult relationship property situations, difficult blended family estate situations, and work with them in a mediation setting to explore resolution in a less adversarial but perhaps more enduring way.” With the addition of the other Family Law partners, “that now frees me up to develop mediation as a brand offering for the firm,” Fiona explains. 

Stephanie Ambler

Stephanie, who operates from the Hamilton office, is head of Tompkins Wake’s family practice and was part of the inception of Family Law within Tompkins Wake. When Stephanie joined Tompkins Wake it was a different landscape. “I was the first family lawyer at Tompkins Wake. Ten years ago they didn’t have a family law practice when I joined, so it’s pretty phenomenal to see the growth of the family law team and it being embraced by a commercial firm.” 

The opportunity to work alongside Fiona and her team is an exciting one, says Stephanie. “I first had dealings with Fiona Mackenzie about 20 years ago when she was on the other side of a file of mine when I was working in Auckland, and she was an impressive woman, so I was quite in awe and intimidated!” 

Relationship property, Stephanie says, has been a huge growth area, so from her perspective the opportunity to expand Tompkins Wake’s presence in the Bay of Plenty with the acquisition of Mackenzie Elvin was golden. “It’s been a great fit for us – there was an existing team headed by Fiona, who has a fabulous reputation, and our values and cultures align very closely.”

Zandra Wackenier

Zandra, who is based in the Auckland office, acknowledges the footprint in Tauranga is advantageous. “To have people on the ground with a longstanding history and connection to the area is incredible,” she says. “From a family law perspective, it has grown our team and given us more highly experienced lawyers. It’s great having those different skills and personalities in the team.” 

All striving to be experts in the field, the two firms are absolutely on the same page. With an additional unique area of expertise in reproductive law, Zandra gives access to a particularly niche and specialised aspect of family law. Indeed Fiona, Steph and Zandra are all recommended lawyers by the Doyle’s Guide, so referrals come through this way as well as word-of-mouth. However, Zandra explains that there is always careful consideration as to where a client is best suited, dependent on availability, complexity of the case, and capacity – because of the breadth of skill available, from junior solicitors to partners, there’s the ability to allocate clients appropriately.

Kate Sullivan

Kate, who works from Rotorua, echoes both Zandra and Stephanie when she notes that the local, client and market insight that comes from Mackenzie Elvin is essential, and the depth of this and strength of relationships with the community is invaluable. “The clients we have in Tauranga we now have a greater ability to look after because we’ve got the expertise and the local knowledge of Mackenzie Elvin people,” she says. “The partners really know their clients, they have a broad client base, and they know the market so well.” 

Under the “family” umbrella there is a separate sub team, which is the estate and litigation team (rather than relationship property and family law), which Kate heads up and is expanding, particularly in the Bay of Plenty region. Kate sees this as a huge growth area across New Zealand: “There are lots of exciting changes happening in that space in the higher courts, lots of interesting decisions coming out, so it’s a great arena to work in and it’s changing, so it’s quite exciting.” 

The scale of what is offered by the acquisition is impressive. As Jon Calder reflects, “We’ve got a deep expertise across all areas of practice, meaning we step up to another level. With the size of the firm, and the specialisations our people have, we rarely encounter a situation or a complex problem for a client that we haven’t seen before.” Crucially, “there’s an opportunity to bridge the gap for clients who are seeking expertise they perceive is not provided in the city, so rather than having to leave town it can be dealt with here in Tauranga.” 

Moreover, the mechanics in place in terms of systems and technology are also reflective of a business of size – benefits that have not gone unnoticed by Fiona Mackenzie. “The ‘backroom heft’, as I call it, is extraordinary and offers huge benefits to our local community in terms of the quality and capacity of the legal services now available locally.” 

Tompkinswake.com

Community and commerce collide

Tauranga Crossing has become known as a real retail oasis.
But Catherine Sylvester discovers it’s more than just a mall.

It would be fair to assume that most Bay of Plenty residents would, if asked, say that Tauriko is a traditional te reo Māori placename. The truth, however, is not so straight forward and there’s a little bit more to the story. Long before this suburb was identified predominantly with the region’s newest shopping centre, Tauranga Crossing, it was well-known for the family-owned sawmill that prospered in the area. Not sporting the catchiest of monikers, the Tauranga Rimu Timber Company was shortened to the more euphonic sounding Taurico. And with one small tweak, the word became compatible with the local language, and the rest, as they say, is history.

History holds great significance for the owners of The Crossing, as it’s affectionately known. Throughout the centre you’ll find more than a perfunctory nod to the past. Woven throughout the fibre of its ethos is the pioneering spirit of its predecessors, as the centre’s mission to be “the heart of the community” informs everything they do. From the architecture and design of the centre to the special moments and initiatives offered, Tauranga Crossing aims to stand out from the average mall. In all they do, they aspire to be the place where every part of a guests’ life intersects.

The Millyard dining precinct and the Millwalk opened in late 2016. Strolling through this outdoor area amongst shops and eateries, you’ll discover numerous timber bollards with the history of the suburb etched onto them. Throughout the indoor centre, opened in 2019, the salute to the past continues in the artwork depicted on the walls.

“The owners constantly ensure we’re reminded of our history and why we’re here,” says centre manager, Janet Vincent. “Everything has been curated with such care.”

A deeper offering

Driving past the centre heading towards the Kaimai Ranges, you cannot fail to notice the bright coral kinetic tree sculptures. Nestled amongst a cosy play area for children, the artwork named 'The Fernery' is designed by artist Phil Price. An indoor play park for those rainy days means littlies are entertained while caregivers can take a pause amid exploring the offerings of over 100 stores. A beautiful parent’s room with private feeding areas, TV, toddlers play area and bottle warmers provides a small oasis from the hustle and bustle of the day.

“We always think about how people feel when they shop with us,” explains marketing manager, Lana Stretton. “We want everyone to have an enjoyable experience, and we actively find ways to surprise and delight them throughout the year.”

During Matariki, management arranged to drop small star cutouts from the top level of the centre. Attached to each star was a gift card.

The centre ensures a Justice of the Peace is available, free of charge to offer advice and services for customers once a week, and the generous Local Legends initiative, that was born out of covid when people were struggling continues with the gifting of $5000 four times yearly to a worthy cause that is voted on by the public.

Even the centre security guards receive positive feedback on their welcoming presence, and in addition to keeping the site safe, function almost as ambassadors for the centre.

Both Janet and Lana feel lucky to work for New Zealand owners who care deeply for their staff, their centre, and their customers. “It’s so important to them that we are connecting with the community and they’re incredibly good to our retailers, too,” says Janet.

With Christmas on our doorstep, thoughts turn to Santa and presents and fun. Tauranga Crossing curates a beautiful space for photos and chats with the man in red himself.

“During the Christmas season, we like to lurk in the stores then pop up when a customer is about to pay for their goods,” smiles Janet. “It’s always amazing to see their reactions when we offer to cover the costs for them.”

With activities for the kids, like cookie decorating classes, kaleidoscope making and scavenger hunts, and everything you’d ever need for the festive season in one place, Tauranga Crossing may just well be at the top of your “nice” list this December and for the entire summer holidays. 

taurangacrossing.co.nz

Coach Cory

Former world surf lifesaving Ironman champion Cory Hutchings is back in the Bay mentoring youngsters at Omanu Surf Club.

Words Karl Puschmann 

When UNO arrives at the Omanu Surf Club to interview Cory Hutchings, the former world surf lifesaving Ironman champion is out on the water. It’s a glorious day, with the sun shining brightly on the gentle surf. Out paddling alongside Cory is a handful of kids, all learning the lifesaving ropes from one of New Zealand’s very best.

I wander down to the beach with the club’s general manager Scott Bartlett, to wait for Cory to come ashore at the end of his class. He’s going to sneak in a quick chat before he takes the next class of kids out into the water.

“He's looking after our Ocean Athletes programme, which is for kids under 14. Then he runs our seniors and helps with our masters,” Scott tells me. “As lead sports coordinator, Cory’s job is to coordinate the athletes and the lifeguards going forward. He makes sure they're fit and healthy and keeps them tracking towards any goals they wish to achieve. Whether it be becoming fitter lifeguards, or going down the pathway of competition.”

Having started surf lifesaving at age five and now with a long list of championships under his belt, including multiple wins in the World Surf Lifesaving Ironman Competition and the New Zealand Ironman Competition, you couldn’t hope for a better trainer than Cory. He joined the club in September and has quickly settled in.

“We were really excited because we knew how beneficial his skill set would be for the community,” Scott says. “He's going great. The kids love him. He's a big kid himself. From a technical point of view, he's doing a lot with our lifeguard space as well. So they're going to be fitter and faster on the beach this year. I would say Cory is probably one of the best in New Zealand at doing it.”

Just then there’s a rush of motion as the kids run past us and head towards the clubrooms, all carrying their surf or paddle boards. The lesson’s over and Cory walks over with a big grin. The lesson went well and he’s loving spending the morning in the water.

“The ocean’s my glue. I get anxious if I'm not on the water for an hour a day,” he explains. “It's a big part of my life and has been since I was born. As long as I can remember, I've been at the beach. It’s not even to do with racing. It’s just in my DNA.”

While the club were able to lure him up from his hometown of Gisborne, it’s more of a return for Cory than an initiation. 

“I lived in the Mount back in the early 2000s for about three or four years so I know the place,” he says. “I raced here a lot over my career. So I have a lot of friends here and it's familiar to me.”

As the club’s core business is lifeguarding, that’s the main part of his focus. He’s been coaching for 15 years and is passionate about teaching kids ocean skills and giving them the right training to become better lifeguards. He describes himself as “a hands-on coach”, getting down on the beach and into the water with the kids during his sessions. 

Of course, being a former world champion he’s also keeping an eye out for any competitive promise he spots amongst his students. 

“If there's a kid that really wants to go on and succeed, train hard and reach some pretty big goals, then our club has a pathway for that child. I think that's important because we do get caught up sometimes on pure participation. It's nice that we can provide both, and that there is an elite pathway as well. It's the balance between the two.”

He encourages parents to bring their kids down to the club to try out a class, saying learning lifeguarding builds confidence and gets them fit and healthy.

“Once they start to get the hang of it you see their confidence grow. They change in front of your eyes,” he smiles. “They start making new friends, connect with different groups, and make those connections around the ocean.”

Which is the other big thing for him. He wants kids to get that same buzz from the ocean that he does. 

“You can escape into the ocean. It’s like a spiritual place. There are moments that you have in the ocean that are pretty special. Nothing to do with sport, but just sitting out there. It's a pretty awesome place to be.”

He gestures out to the blue sea that’s lapping up at the sand and says, “Especially in this environment. It's no secret how beautiful this place is. The vibe of this place stimulates me. That's what was exciting about coming here.” 

Omanubeach.co.nz

Happily ever after

Wedded bliss starts well before the walk down the aisle. Get ready for your big day with these stress-saving wedding planning tips

The best day of your life shouldn’t also be the most stressful. But that’s often the case when couples find themselves out of their depth and out of pocket before the event has even taken place.

Here are some top tips for putting together a memorable wedding that everyone can enjoy, especially the bride and groom.

Start planning early

While some couples can plan a wedding in just a few weeks, it’s highly recommended you allow yourself plenty of time. There can be a lot more to do than first anticipated. Research your ceremony and reception locations early, as these can get booked out months, even years, in advance. Also look at booking a photographer, florist, cake, band, and hair and makeup artists.  Invites can be sent just a few months prior to the wedding, but sending “save the date” cards will help guests get themselves sorted with accommodation and travel arrangements. There are also websites like withjoy.com which you can use to send “save the date” emails – a great way to save money on printing.

Set a budget and stick to it

In New Zealand, the average cost of a wedding is said to be around $35,000 these days, but can often cost far more. It’s important to decide what your budget is before doing your research, to avoid any disappointment or overspending.

While you’re researching, work out what you’d prefer to splurge on and what you’re okay cutting back. Remember, a wedding doesn’t need to be expensive to be perfect for you. 

A backyard bash can save tonnes of money on venue hireage, or consider a cocktails-and-cake ceremony and reception rather than a sit-down meal.

Renting anything over purchasing can also be a good way to save dollars. Wedding rentals are big business, with couples renting everything from bridal gowns to signage. 

A destination wedding can be a good economical option, too, with many island resorts offering cheap packages – and it doubles as the honeymoon!

Don’t be afraid to delegate

The bridal party might end up doing most of the extra work, but that doesn’t mean you only have a small group to rely on. 

If you’re sticking to a set budget, enlist the help of friends and family who might have specific talents. For example, take note of an ace cake maker, a creative type to do the flowers or design invitations, or a keen sewer to help make the bridesmaid dresses.

In cases where the budget allows, consider a wedding planner, who will help coordinate everything and everyone in the lead-up, and who can also stay for the wedding day to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Stay organised

Create a timetable for the day, as well as a spreadsheet that includes all the vendors and their contact details. Give these to everyone involved in the running of the day. It can be handy for each vendor to know who they’re working alongside and they can contact each other if need be, in your absence. It’s also a good way for the bridal party to pick up anything that needs doing in the lead-up or on the day. 

Get to know some of the best in the business that Tauranga has to offer.

---

Classic charm

These retro and rustic caravans will take your event to a whole new level.

It was in the midst of planning their own wedding that Nadia and Marcel Stannard came across a cute little caravan named Miss Tea. With their combined creative flair and passion for service, transforming Miss Tea into a mobile bar has been a dream come true for the pair. Since then they’ve gone on to refurbish their second caravan, the 1959 Gipsy.

Fast-forward to today and Mount Vintage Bar is a full-time gig, with the aim to provide everything you need in a wedding bar, without worrying about the set-up or pack-down.

Offering bespoke packages to suit any size, budget and event, they offer a fully-equipped caravan bar with industry-standard beer fridges inclusive of bar staff and glassware.

The BYO service is set up to save you money by buying your choice of drinks direct, then Mount Vintage Bar does the rest. 

There are two options to choose from. Miss Tea is a rustic caravan bar catering to 80-120 people, while Gipsy is a 1959 retro caravan catering for larger events.

They supply all power connections to plug into the household supply
or, should you need to host remotely, can plug into a generator.  

Each package is designed to suit different occasions and they only require a 10 percent deposit upon booking.

Mountvintagebar.co.nz

---

Desiree Osterman Makeup

Having trained under the guidance of makeup artist Bobbi Brown and Mr Uemura (Shu Uemura Cosmetics) in London, Desiree provides
professional makeup, producing beauty that's your own, only skilfully enhanced using current up-to-the-minute makeup products and techniques. Also a freelance hair stylist, Desiree offers a complete
package for both hair and makeup for the entire bridal party, including a team for larger wedding parties. 

In New Zealand, Desiree’s freelance work has included fashion shows for Karen Walker, Kate Sylvester, Trelise Cooper and magazine editorial work
for Oyster, Next, UNO Magazine, Women's Weekly and Woman’s Day, Glassons, Coke and Levis.

Desiree travels throughout New Zealand and afar.

Makeupartistdesireeosterman.com  

---

White Silk Bridal

White Silk Bridal Couture specialises in creating luxurious custom bridal gowns from design through to the final fitting, ensuring a beautiful journey that brides will have to treasure for a lifetime.

Using the finest fabrics and techniques, each gown is carefully handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail, to bring visions to life. With more than 15 years of experience creating for local and international brides, White Silk Bridal commits to turning dream gowns into realities.

White Silk Bridal will alter gowns purchased elsewhere to ensure every bride is confident and aisle ready.

whitesilkbridal.com

---

Hand-Picked Flowers

Florist Kelly Scawin believes that her business is about the beauty of nature, a sense of home and the sharing of her love of flowers with others. She works closely with couples to advise and guide you while you navigate your way through your wedding journey.

From bouquets and buttonholes to ceremony and reception displays, her goal is to create floral designs and installations to enhance your space and create an atmosphere that represents couples and impacts guests.

Kelly works closely with an amazing selection of local growers and wholesalers throughout New Zealand and prides herself on sourcing unique flowers and foliage. She’s experienced, passionate and focused on making your wedding day your best day.

Hand-picked.co.nz

---

Meredith Lord Photography

Recently featured in British Vogue, Meredith Lord creates images that are stunningly editorial, with an aesthetic that is modern, fresh and fun. 

Her friendly and relaxed approach to photography (clients can expect to have plenty of laughs when she is around) has an uncanny ability to make her couples feel at ease. This enables her to capture the magic in the little moments – the ones where no one is watching, but that evoke the emotion of the experience – and weave together the story of her couple's day in an incredibly beautiful and elevated way. Meredith loves to work closely with couples who like to have a bit of fun, creating captivating and unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime. 

She works throughout New Zealand, as well as in Europe and the United Kingdom, capturing timeless love stories for modern romantics.  

meredithlord.com

Your true north

If you could work out what really drives you as a person,
what change could you make in the world? We meet Catie Noble
from Upward, who does exactly that for her clients.

Words Jenny Rudd  |  Photos Jeremy Bright – Grabb

Imagine you’re giving a speech to announce the closing down of your business because you’ve achieved everything you set out to do. Catie Noble, owner of Upward, would sound something like this.

“Thanks to our mahi, everyone now knows what impact they’d like to have on the world, and they have a plan to make it happen. Our world is getting better, because every person is doing what they care about, and they are doing it well.”

Based in Taupō but with clients in Tauranga and further afield, this is one of the many tools Catie uses in her workshops, regular coaching and activity sessions to help businesses and ambitious individuals do better.

There’s some noise in the background during our interview, so I ask where she is. Wellington airport, en route to Climate Action Marlborough. Over this week, Catie has: Problem-solved a global go-to-market strategy for a New Zealand beauty startup, brought together teams in a large corporate to help them uncover the “stinky fish” that was creating a business-limiting culture (and gave them tools to resolve it), and met with one of her regular clients, a high-end interior designer. And that’s all before immersing herself into climate solutions in the South Island.

“I’ve spent the last 20 years listening to people and extracting the core issues holding them back. I take their stories and experiences, distil what’s happening for them, and help them get clear and take action. And like any business owner, I’ve made a bunch of mistakes, faced tough challenges and had to come up with novel ways to solve them, and brought my team along for the ride.” Clearly she’s good at it.

It’s a modest description of the last two decades. Catie has built and sold successful health businesses, and was awarded the Supreme Business of the Year and Excellence in Business Leadership at the BNZ Taupō Business Awards. As president and chairperson of Taupō’s Business Chamber she led them through a huge transformation, then sat on the board of the region’s economic development agency. Recently Catie was an advisor on Electrify, an accelerator for female-founded startups, and the business she mentored, Vince, completed a successful capital raise during that time.

Not one to sit still, she’s a voracious learner. COVID-19 lockdowns provided the opportunity to do a post-grad certificate in leading Change
for Good, designed by education visionary Francis Valentine, CEO of Mind Lab.

Catie says that the business owners, senior executive teams or high performers that she works with often come to her knowing there’s a problem, but can’t articulate what it is. It’s when the task ahead seems messy and woolly that Catie really adds value.

“People who want to push themselves are well-suited to working with me. They know they can do more but in our overloaded world they might struggle with decisions or get overwhelmed with what needs to be done. I straighten out their thinking and get them cranking. I've worked with tech startups, founders, heavy industry, tradies, national utilities in New Zealand (Catie’s a geothermal enthusiast), and everything in between. I want to work with interesting people on interesting problems. If you want to make the effort, then I'm ready to jump in.” 

Upward.nz

Superpowered seaweed

Humble and ubiquitous, seaweed has been around since before the dinosaurs, and an enterprising Paeroa family has harnessed its natural benefits for the agricultural industry and beyond.

Words Catherine Sylvester

Paeroa, nestled at the base of the Coromandel Peninsula towards the northeast of the Waikato; unofficial antiques capital of the country, geographical originator of the quintessentially Kiwi soft drink L&P, and home to the whānau-founded, owned and operated Agrisea, which specialises in the manufacture and innovation of high-nutrition seaweed products. 

If you’ve found yourself traversing north on State Highway 2, emerging from the Karangahake Gorge, you may have spied their factory to the left and wondered exactly what one does with seaweed aside from wrapping sushi rolls with it. The answer, it turns out, is quite a lot.

Tane and Clare Bradley are second generation kaitiaki, or caretakers, of the family business. It was Tane’s parents, Jill and Keith, who saw the potential the marine algae has to make a positive impact on the nutritional and environmental aspects of the food we grow and eat. Almost 30 years ago, a summer spent working on organic farms saw the couple witness firsthand the benefits seaweed nutrients could have on land and crops. Having complete confidence in their discovery, they packed up their family and moved from Tāmaki Makaurau to the more affordable Paeroa to realise their dream of creating organic products to support the home gardener.

“All us kids thought it was just a hobby till they called a family meeting, sold the house, and off we went,” laughs Tane. “We thought they were nuts!”

From humble beginnings selling Ocean Organics seaweed products from the store they rented and lived behind, the business flourished and in 2004 rebranded to become Agrisea, with an expanded focus to include the horticultural and farming climate of the industries the company found itself on the doorstep of.

Clare explains that the Agrisea products are biostimulants, rather than fertilisers.

“Fertilisers work by supplying nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which in overuse have a negative effect on the farm system and environment,” says the company’s CEO. “Biostimulants stimulate natural processes within the plant and soil to enhance growth, efficiency and health.  It’s the plant equivalent of the difference between running a well-serviced car, rather than just putting more oil and gas in it.”

The couple met 18 years ago when Clare was forced to return to New Zealand due to a flesh-eating disease she’d picked up while living and volunteering in the Amazon rainforest. They laugh when retelling this story, which is typical of the pair’s positive view on life.

“Tane makes friends wherever he goes,” Clare explains. “That’s how we’ve started some of our latest collaborations.”

Innovation and forward-thinking are keys to the company’s success. As well as three core agricultural products, they’ve found exciting and interesting ways to incorporate seaweed into new offerings as diverse as alcoholic beverages, kombucha and bee nutrition.

“We’ve partnered with Dominion Salt to make New Zealand seaweed and salt blocks for animals, and Roa Kombucha to make a delicious new drink,” elaborates Tane. “We’ve partnered with others to make a seaweed stout, vodka and gin!”

Apiarists and bees alike have fallen in love with the company’s Bee Nutrition that provides the essential amino acids, trace elements and minerals bees need to grow and reproduce, and the company has gone global with the product.

The apple hasn’t fallen far from the proverbial tree with the Bradleys, as they’ve inherited Jill and Keith’s original care and concern for others and the environment.

“Mum always used to say, ‘We’re not here to buy baches, boats and BMWs’,” Tane says. “'We’re here to make a difference.'”

This care comes in the form of research into the potential seaweed has to remove toxins from our coastal waters. Their pilot programme has seen great success with the next step being to figure out how to replicate this on a larger scale.

They’ve also partnered with Our Land and Water to research ways the mana and mauri of soil can be respected, and how a combination of matauranga Māori farming practices and science can create positive change.

So next time you find yourself in Paeroa and spot the Agrisea hub, take a moment to marvel at the wonder and potential of this humble gift from the sea, and all the superpowers seaweed has to offer. 

Agrisea.co.nz

Share to care

Do you really need a car? The answer may surprise you. GoTo Car Share’s founder Steven Vincent explains the environmental and financial benefits of only using a car when you need to.

Words Karl Puschmann

Car sharing is a concept that’s popular in many major metropolitan cities across the globe, but one that has been slow to arrive in Tauranga.
Until now.

GoTo Car Share is the first such service to zoom across the starting line here in the Bay. And because the company was started by locals it’s been created with a mission to be as environmentally friendly as possible to help not only ease traffic congestion in and around the CBD but also sustain the natural beauty of our renowned beaches and environment. 

“Having electric vehicles (EVs) only was part of the plan all along,” Steven Vincent, GoTo’s founder, explains. “It’s about sharing resources and having an environmentally conscious solution for business and people.”

Starting GoTo Car Share happened organically. Steven and some business partners had already formed the office-sharing company Basestation in Durham Street where freelancers and small business owners could rent a desk, meeting room or office for anywhere between an hour to a more lengthy commitment. His team had a fleet of four cars and he began to see the waste in having to park, insure and pay for cars that spent most of their time idle.

“We started thinking about whether we needed the cars at all as they only got used 10 percent of the time,” Steven says. “So we talked about how we could share those cars with other people and get more use out of them. It wasn’t just the car, it was also the fact of them taking up valuable car park space as well.”

As they were already sharing meeting rooms and office spaces the concept of sharing was at the forefront of his mind. Looking around he realised that Basestation had a great central location with a potential customer base of around 50 businesses already in the building. And so Steven started GoTo Car Share from the same space. He got rid of the petrol cars and began building a small fleet of EVs, believing the environmental benefits and user accessibility were key. 

“We wanted to make a public service where anyone can use it,” Steven says. 

Of course, Kiwis love their cars. A byproduct of decades worth of woefully underfunded public transport. Steven too loves cars, just
not owning them.

“If you look at the service of car sharing it comes down to the concept of flexibility. It’s about usership, not ownership.”

With a current fleet of five EVs available 24/7 and plans coming along to expand to other locations, including Mount Maunganui, customers will never be caught short without access to a vehicle when they need one. The convenience and financial freedom of not running a car could even make ownership a thing of the past.

The concept is initially a bit different but Steven says change is in the air, as evidenced by the variety of people using the service. Including those you’d least expect.

“The person who took a car just before I talked to you, even he admits it would be very difficult to get out of his petrol car,” Steven says. “However, this week, he made a commitment and he hasn't used his car all week. He's used the bus service for the first time in his life, and electric scooters. And now he's trying the car sharing. So if that's an indication of what people are doing there's a sea change underway.”

“People are definitely embracing it. And they're definitely wanting to change,” he continues. 

“People are wanting to get out of their cars and use other forms of transport. Where we fit into that puzzle is, if you need a car just for an hour, come and use one. You don't necessarily need to own one.” 

Goto.nz