BETWEEN THE LINES

Make a well-deserved date with one of the latest page-turners to hit our shelves.

THE NOWHERE BOY

Anne Cleary, Allen & Unwin

Winner of the 2025 Allen & Unwin Aotearoa NZ Fiction Prize, Anne Cleary’s debut novel explores the razor-thin line between love and obsession. When three-year-old Oliver vanishes from a remote beach carpark, suspicion and desperation ripple through everyone left behind. As the search for Oliver intensifies, another woman clings to the impossible belief she’s been handed a second chance at motherhood. Tense and impossible to put down, The Nowhere Boy is a haunting must-read for fans of psychological drama.

FAMESICK

Lena Dunham, HarperCollins

Part memoir, part reckoning, Famesick sees Lena Dunham reflecting on the dizzying highs and brutal fallout of fame. Charting the years after TV show Girls turned her into a cultural lightning rod, Lena writes candidly about chronic illness, addiction, ambition and the cost of living publicly while privately falling apart. The book peels back the glossy veneer of celebrity to reveal a woman trying to reclaim herself beyond fame.

YESTERYEAR

Caro Claire Burke, 4th Estate

This unsettling and addictive debut novel takes a sharp swipe at influencer culture. Natalie Heller Mills has built an empire selling the fantasy of wholesome pioneer living to millions online, with polished sourdough loaves, a cowboy husband, perfect children and all. Then she wakes to find herself trapped in the brutal realities of the 1800s she’s been romanticising. Darkly funny, Caro Claire Burke peels back the performance of modern femininity and asks what’s left underneath.

ORGAN SPEAK

Giulia Enders, Harper Collins

More than a decade after Gut, Giulia Enders is back with a wider look at the body’s inner workings. Organ Speak explores what our organs can teach us about stress, healing, safety and connection. Enders has a knack for making science feel surprisingly intimate, by swapping dry medical jargon for sharp storytelling and everyday insight. This is the kind of book that makes you pay closer attention to yourself.

WHY WE GARDEN

Hannah Moloney, Simon & Schuster

In Why We Garden, Australian gardening guru and Gardening Australia presenter Hannah Moloney digs beneath the soil to uncover what really draws us to growing things. Page by page, she weaves together stories from gardeners, artists, activists and everyday people to reveal how gardening nourishes far more than our backyards. Hannah makes a compelling case for gardening as an act of hope and care in an increasingly disconnected world.

RULE OF LIES

Jamison R Firestone, HarperCollins

This political thriller plunges readers into the chaos of post- Soviet Russia through the eyes of an American lawyer caught in the middle of corruption and rising authoritarianism. From mafia threats to exposing state corruption alongside Sergei Magnitsky and Alexei Navalny, Firestone’s real-life story unfolds with the pace of a spy novel. Rule of Lies is an eye-opening account of power and survival under Putin’s Russia.

FOR THE LOVE OF IT

One-time cleaner now award-winning writer Anne Cleary’s lifetime of storytelling is finally paying off.

WORDS HAYLEY BARNETT
PHOTOS GISELLE BROSNAHAN

Anne Cleary didn’t set out to become a prize-winning novelist. Always a hobby, and a way to take the edge off life, writing has simply been slotted between jobs and family life.

“I’ve always just been a recreational writer,” she says. “People often ask why I didn’t pursue it as a career, but I’ve never wanted writing to become a job.”

Her pastime has now culminated in a major literary win. At the beginning of the year, her novel The Nowhere Boy won the Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand 2025 Fiction Prize, but the path to publication was far from easy.

Anne has worked a string of jobs, from cleaner and Salvation Army store worker, to caregiver and photo lab assistant, alongside raising her children.

“You just grab the time when you’ve got it, and ideas come when you’re not sitting there forcing them,” she explains.

A mentorship that began through a library writing group stretched over years and shaped her understanding of the craft, pushing her work toward publication standard. Anne credits that long-term support with helping her find her footing as a novelist.

It wasn’t until later in life, after her children were grown and she moved from West Auckland to Tauranga, that writing became something she felt she could seriously develop.

The Tauranga Writers’ group proved pivotal by offering feedback and, more importantly, belief.

“There’s a real focus there on getting people published,” she says. “That made a huge difference.”

Though the award may have brought recognition, and a nice monetary prize, it has also highlighted the industry’s unpredictable nature.

“It’s important not to think about money,” Anne advises novice writers. “There’s not a lot in it. You do it because you love it. If you’re writing for the market, you lose something essential.”

The Nowhere Boy began with some real-life inspiration passed to Anne through a friend, who told her about a memory of child who briefly went missing in the US in the 1960s. From that seed, Anne built a novel that's driven by character rather than plot, and explores the emotional fallout from the disappearance.

“I just wrote a short story from what she told me, then it kept expanding,” she explains.

Winning the prize came at an unexpectedly emotional time. Anne had been caring for her father in his final months, and he died just weeks before the announcement. The phone call from Allen & Unwin arrived the day before she left New Zealand on a long-planned overseas trip.

“I just sat there thinking, ‘What? I’ve won?’" she says. “And then I was just sad that he wouldn’t know.”

The loss, and the win, only provide more motivation to keep writing.

“I have more in the works,” hints Anne, “something I’ve been working on for a long time.”

While more prizes might be on the horizon, for the meantime, she'll continue writing for fun, between everything else.

EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

Diners might have traditionally come for the food and drinks, says new UNO columnist Rae Baker, but more so than ever, we’re staying for all the feels.

Somethin’ Somethin’.

There was a time when dining out was simple. You chose a place, ordered a meal, and if the food was good, you’d come back. These days, something else is at play. We’re not just going out to eat, we’re going out to feel something.

I’ve spent much of my career working in events and experience design, and what’s happening in our food scene feels like a natural evolution. We’re living in what’s often called the ‘experience economy’, in which people place value not just on what we buy, but also on how it makes us feel.

In hospitality, that means the lighting, the music, the story behind the dish, the welcome at the door and the company around the table matter just as much as what’s on the plate.

For operators, this creates both opportunity and pressure in an already demanding environment. It’s no longer enough to simply serve great food – the expectation now is a complete experience. Diners want atmosphere, personality, connection and something that feels memorable enough to justify both their time and their money.

It’s exciting to see how this is taking shape in the Bay of Plenty. Pop-ups and collaborations are creating space for creativity to thrive without the commitment of a permanent venue, while established operators are reimagining their spaces through one-off takeovers and themed experiences.

There’s a growing willingness to experiment and invite people to be part of something a little different. In doing so, communities are forming around food.

Leopard Boy Pizza.

Take Leopard Boy Pizza, for example. Owner Andy Bowker started out working at Sal’s as a teenager, honed his craft and began exploring how making pizza could become not just a skill, but also a business. By leaning into the Bay’s grassroots hospitality scene and collaborating with the likes of Special Mention, Blondie, Benny and Brew, and most recently Best Behaviour Rum, Leopard Boy has built a pop-up model that feels distinctly local.

Pizza is only the beginning – it’s about that unmistakable feeling of connection that defines genuine hospitality. That same thinking is showing up in different ways across the region.

Wine bar Solera recently wrapped a month long Spanish takeover, complete with Spanish wines by the glass, regionally inspired dishes woven through the menu, and lively Saturday pintxo afternoons built around sharing food and conversation.

Solera.

Somethin’ Somethin’ has cultivated a Honey Club following by using the loyalty club to engage customers beyond their daily coffee ritual and fill seats across a growing calendar of themed events. Over the coming months, they’ll be hosting Latin-inspired evenings, Ragtag collaborations and a Beaujolais Nouveau celebration, all designed to turn casual customers into an engaged community.

We’re keener than ever to invest in experiences that feel thoughtful, immersive and worth talking about long after the table’s been cleared. Perhaps that’s the real change. Forget simply consuming meals, we’re collecting moments. In a region rich with creativity, produce and passionate people, it’s a shift in thinking that opens up a world of possibility.

SOUND BITES

UNO editor Hayley Barnett drops in on Med Lounge and Garden, where live beats and culinary genius are stealing the Village spotlight.

PHOTOS CHAD FERNANDO

If experiences are the latest craze in the epicurean world, then Med Lounge and Garden is right on trend.

Sitting in the middle of the Historic Village, the restaurant, bar and event space has become one of Tauranga’s most interesting hospitality hybrids. It’s partly a neighbourhood eatery and partly a live-events hub. But make no mistake – it’s very serious about food.

For co-owner Jose Lavin, the vision was to create a place where the food feels fun and fresh, and the vibe social. That’s easily achieved when you combine two of the best events guys in the biz.

Med is the brainchild of co-owner Mitch Lowe from Audiology Touring, one of New Zealand’s leading DJ touring businesses. Knowing Jose’s extensive background in hospitality and events, Mitch brought him on to manage things. Jose runs Euphoria, another festival business, and now Med, where he shaped its recent menu revamp.

“I think everything has a little bit of personality,” Jose says of the menu. “A lot of colours, fresh, healthy.”

Co-owner Mitch Lowe.

That philosophy shines through when the dishes arrive. Halloumi salad, falafel and house-made pita bread have already become favourites on the lunch menu. The bread is baked fresh each morning through a collaboration with the team behind Tauranga’s well-known Falafel Metro, whose Middle Eastern roots helped inspire Med’s original direction.

Since taking over the food offering earlier this year, Chilean-born Jose has recently designed the new dinner menu to become something broader and more exploratory, mixing Mediterranean influences with Spanish, Italian and South American touches.

“We’re trying to create a menu that gives an experience,” he says. That means retaining signature elements for the new dinner menu, such as hummus, labneh and romesco, while introducing shareable plates, like cheese and prosciutto cigars, octopus toast and Basque lamb.

Jose says the goal is to give regular diners a reason to return. “If you like a place, you want to go and probably have something new that isn’t on every other menu in town.”

Their approach suits Med’s setting, hidden among galleries, boutique businesses and heritage buildings. The Historic Village is one of Tauranga’s more eclectic precincts, and Med’s audience is largely creators and art lovers who love good food.

The sense of discovery is what drew both Mitch and Jose to set up this business hybrid. Their music backgrounds and impressive contacts have helped put Med on the map as an intimate live-music venue. Together, they’ve already hosted sold out shows there, including gigs from international DJs such as Carl Cox.

“To add value to a city, you need to give it something that it doesn’t already have,” says Mitch. “That’s our goal at Med, to create a unique social atmosphere with food to match.”

Med’s point of difference in the Bay’s dining scene is an important one, and highlights the lack of smaller venues in the city. But so too is the need for quality food.

As Med cements its place on Tauranga's foodie map, the Historic Village gem has become a destination eatery that feels genuinely unique and new.

MEDLOUNGE.CO.NZ

OUTWARD BOUND

Through their new online series, Kids Unplugged, a local family of filmmakers is encouraging young ones to turn away from their screens.

WORDS KARL PUSCHMANN

The question of how much screentime is too much screentime is one many parents wrestle with. Thanks to the rise of streaming services and devices like iPads and smartphones, kids could have access to virtually any TV show or movie they want, whenever they want.

It’s a problem previous generations of parents haven’t had to face, so it’s no wonder that when it comes to screen time, many parents feel the genie has escaped its bottle.

It was while reading social psychologist Jonathan Hyatt's book, The Anxious Generation, that producer Kylie Dellabarca Steel realised something needed to be done to encourage kids to unplug.

“There are a lot of devastating statistics in that book,” she sighs. “The addictions, anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation… all that negative stuff that comes with too much screen time. No parent wants their kids to resemble the statistics in that book. It’s sad and depressing reading.”

Kylie gave the book to her husband, director Anton Steel, who felt the same. They began thinking about how they could “use the tools in our hands” to make a positive change.

The eureka moment came, as these things often do, unexpectedly. “It just popped into my head when I was in the shower,” laughs Kylie.

The idea was Kids Unplugged, an online series of 10-minute episodes that show children how much fun there is to be had when they unplug, and profiles inspiring locals who’ve found joy, fulfilment, health, purpose and human connection after switching off their screens.

At Otanewainuku waterfall, clockwise from left: Kylie, Anton, Malachi, Judah and Ezra.

The clever part is that the show isn’t doom and gloom, nor does it try to scare kids off their screens. Instead, the couple’s three children, Malachi (15), Judah (12) and Ezra (7), present it, making it hugely relatable to its intended audience and ensuring it stays light and fun, and doesn’t become preachy. The goal was to make kids want to unplug, rather than being told to.

“In mountain biking, there’s a saying, ‘Where you look is where you hit’,” says Anton. “What that means is if you look at the trees, you’ll hit the trees, but if you look at the trail, you’ll focus on that and go where you want to go. If we just talked about all the negatives of screen time, we’d actually lean towards them, but if we tell the story of the positives of unplugging, all the health and wellbeing benefits, that’s where people will go.”

Having crowd-funded several other independent productions, the filmmakers followed the same steps to fund Kids Unplugged. It was a topic that resonated, and people were quick to support the project.

The six-episode series heads off on outdoorsy adventures like hiking, snorkelling, horseriding and skiing, while showing the unplugging journey other kids have made. For example, it features a 15-year-old former videogame addict who gave up screens and found a new calling as a political activist, cycling to Wellington to present a case for the continuation of Māori wards in his hometown of Whakatāne.

“Jack's a good example of someone who was overweight, sleep-deprived and addicted,” says Anton.

“He had played 3000 hours in the video game Runescape,” Kylie says, almost in disbelief. “He went from a complete screen addict to a child who’s full of life. He’s thriving, happy and healthy, and gives so much to his community.”

“He really turned his life around,” says Anton.

All up, the show took a year to make, from idea to funding, filming to production, to now streaming for free on RNZ’s website and YouTube. It’s been quite a journey, but the family’s keen to get to work on season two.

“We filmed the series in the Bay of Plenty for budget reasons, and because it’s the fantastic place we live in, but we’d love to take it nationwide,” says Kylie.

Anton nods: “The dream would be a family road trip to find amazing kids all around New Zealand.”

As for Judah, he was initially a little wary of the project, having grown up watching the amount of work mum and dad put into their productions.

“I knew it would be a lot of time and effort,” he says, “but it was quite fun. I enjoyed making it because I got to meet other people who live unplugged and I got to do fun activities with them.”

3 TOP TIPS FOR UNPLUGGING

1. “It can be as simple as making a cushion hut in the lounge or going for a walk. Instead of hopping straight onto screens straight after school, just get yourself outside. Start with small steps like that.”

– Judah

2. “Don’t be too hard on yourself to begin with. Ease into it. It’s tricky for parents, but be intentional and recognise that you're your kids’ role model. There’s no point preaching unplugging to them if you don't practice it yourself. We try to be those role models and not use screens recreationally ourselves.”

– Kylie

3. “Aim for balance. We want to eat healthy, we want to exercise for healthy bodies, and we want to think healthy too, so try to encourage balance in your kids’ lives. If they’re going to spend some time on a screen, then think about what they can do to balance that time.”

– Anton

THECOMMONUNITYLENS.COM/ KIDS-UNPLUGGED-FAMILY-TOOLKIT

MEET YOUR GROCER

Ian Harrison’s rapt to have opened a restaurant all his own, and everyone’s invited. Just don’t call it fine dining though, okay?

WORDS HAYLEY BARNETT / PHOTOS ERIN CAVE

As I enter The Grocer through the kitchen, the first thing Ian Harrison does is apologise for swearing. The second thing he does is swear again.

He’s standing in the middle of his new restaurant's kitchen on Tauranga’s Strand, talking about duck fat and why he hates the term ‘fine dining’. He’s also prepping plates of confit duck, mushroom gnocchi and crispy chicken, all updated versions of dishes from his revamped menu.

“This isn’t fine dining,” he says, gesturing toward a duck salad layered with beetroot, orange and walnuts. “If it was fine dining, the orange would be a jelly, there’d be micro herbs everywhere and the sauce would be some over-reduced, complicated bullshit.”

He looks at me, warily.

“I just want to cook really good food.”

For people in Tauranga, Ian Harrison hardly needs an introduction. Over the past decade, he’s become one of the city’s defining hospitality figures. He’s helped shape restaurants including Sugo, Clarence, Alpino and Florence. Ask around local food circles and his name comes up quickly, usually alongside words like ‘perfectionist’, ‘obsessive’ and ‘brilliant’

– sometimes all three.

The Grocer is different because, for the first time, it’s entirely his. After years spent building other people’s visions, this is the place where he finally gets to cook exactly what he wants.

It’s only a few months old, yet Ian has already reworked the menu, tweaking dishes, refining portions and adjusting it based on what people have responded to. Winter is pushing things further toward hearty British gastropub territory, with slow braises, rich sauces, duck fat potatoes, steak and Sunday roasts. Summer, he says, will pull everything back toward lighter seafood and vegetables.

“It’s probably more Pommie than anything,” he laughs. “But then there’s Asian influence, Kiwi influence, Māori influence. If I feel like putting a curry on later in the year, I’ll put a curry on.”

Ian talks about food the way some people talk about architecture or music. He doesn’t like trends, but he does like details.

“If we do eggs benedict here, I want it to be the best eggs benedict someone’s had,” he says. “Not because we’re trying to be fancy – just because we’ve thought about it more.”

Ian’s mentality was moulded long before he arrived in Tauranga. He grew up in England and spent years cooking his way through Europe. He worked in Michelin-starred kitchens where precision ruled everything. He cooked at three Australian Grand Prix without seeing much more than the inside of a kitchen. Eventually, exhausted by the intensity of hospitality, he decided he wanted out altogether.

He planned an enormous trip from Papua New Guinea to London, using boats and buses, working and diving along the way, but after arriving in Auckland in 2011, he stayed.

“I remember thinking, ‘I’m not doing those chef hours anymore’,” he says, “so I went front-of-house instead – because I’m good with people, I can talk.”

His talent earned him hospitality awards and briefly pulled him away from the kitchen entirely. Then he met Krystal, now his wife, and eventually followed life south to Tauranga. Now they have two daughters, Hine Ao Manawanui and Māia, who have become the centre of everything.

“I probably would have left hospitality completely if this place didn’t happen,” he admits. “It was kind of now or never.”

The Grocer occupies a historic building on The Strand that once housed a grocer’s store, among other things, and Ian liked the idea immediately. He wanted to recreate a neighbourhood place filled with essentials, like preserves, sauces, wine, good bread, conversation. He’s already begun bottling house-made condiments to sell, including tomato ketchup, duck fat and preserves made from ingredients used in the kitchen.

“I like the idea that people can take a little bit of the place home with them,” he says.

The restaurant itself feels warm. There are candles at night, heavy plates, proper portions and staff encouraged to read tables rather than recite scripts.

Ian talks as passionately about service as he does food.

“I wanted adults,” he says of his team. “People with personality. People who can actually read the room.”

He speaks openly about the realities of hospitality too, especially in Tauranga, where rising costs and cautious spending have made survival increasingly difficult for restaurants. He jokes about seeing himself less as a restaurateur and more as a “drug dealer”, trying to get customers hooked on the experience before they drift elsewhere. But behind the humour is very real pressure.

“This winter’s going to be rough for a lot of places,” he says. “You’ll see casualties.”

Ian remains optimistic, partly because he believes Tauranga’s dining culture is changing. He intentionally chose this location before major developments around the waterfront are completed, because he still believes people want genuine hospitality.

That’s also why he’s resisting labels like ‘fine dining’, despite his background. He says he doesn’t want hats or awards. “I don’t care about being a celebrity chef – I really don’t.”

Ironically, Tauranga already treats him like one. Customers regularly stop to talk to him. Diners specifically ask whether he’s cooking that night. His social media videos pull strong engagement, despite the fact he openly admits he hates spending time on his phone.

“I’d rather be home with my wife and kids, having a wine, than sitting on Instagram.”

That said, he understands modern hospitality requires visibility, and so he appears in videos; talks to media, like me; and promotes the restaurant, even if reluctantly.

“No one sells the place better than I do,” he says with a shrug.

Really, all The Grocer’s aiming for is good food, generous hospitality and enough warmth to make people want to stay awhile. And while Tauranga’s still figuring out exactly what its dining culture can become, that might be exactly the right recipe.

THEGROCERTGA.CO.NZ

TASTE OF HOME

These dishes from Home Foods by Elizabeth Hewson prove great cooking doesn’t need to be complicated. A few honest ingredients and you’re away.

CRISPY SAUSAGE, TOMATOES AND GARLIC GREENS ON POLENTA

This is a very ‘me’ bowl of food: garlic, chilli, lemon, greens, sweet, blistered cherry tomatoes and gnarly, crispy pork sausages, all piled onto a bed of buttery, cheesy polenta. I know purists may baulk at the idea of instant polenta, but for a midweek meal, cooked with plenty of butter and cheese, I’m all for it. If polenta isn’t your thing, toss this through pasta or stir in a can of drained beans when you add the greens.

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

4 good-quality Italian pork and fennel sausages 200g cherry tomatoes

1 tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup chicken stock

80g kale, leaves stripped and roughly chopped

1 lemon

Quick polenta

1 cup full-cream milk

450ml chicken stock or water (or a combination of both)

100g instant polenta

1 tbsp butter

½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve

METHOD

Heat a deep, heavy-based frying pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Once hot, pour in the olive oil.

Cut the ends off the sausages and squeeze out nuggets of meat into the pan. Fry for 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat into small nuggets, until they're golden and crisp.

Throw in the tomatoes and leave to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, to get some colour on the tomatoes.

Add the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, rosemary and garlic, and give everything a good toss.

Cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all that sticky goodness off the base of the pan. Let the wine simmer for 2 minutes, then pour in the chicken stock and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 5 minutes for the flavours to mingle.

Meanwhile, to prepare your polenta, bring the milk, stock and water to a simmer. Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking as you go. Continue to whisk the polenta for 3–5 minutes, until thickened. Once it’s thick and oozy, stir in the butter and cheese. Season.

Now, back to your sausage. Add the chopped greens to the pan, toss through, then put on the lid. Give it a minute or two to wilt, then toss and turn off the heat.

Zest the lemon over the top and add a squeeze of juice to brighten everything up. Spoon the sausage mixture over the creamy polenta with extra Parmigiano Reggiano showered over the top, and a little kiss of olive oil.

Leftovers: This will keep for 3 days, but it’s best to keep the polenta and sausage mixture separate.

FISH PUTTANESCA WITH
GARLIC AND CHIVE BREAD

This is a one-pot fish dish with all the punchy, briny flavours of a puttanesca – anchovies, olives, capers, chilli and a good hit of garlic – only here, they’re wrapped around fillets of fish instead of pasta. Like puttanesca, which was famously thrown together from pantry staples, this comes together with little effort but delivers big on flavour. A side of garlic bread to mop up the sauce is non-negotiable for me.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 anchovy fillets

Pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional), plus extra to serve

⅓ cup dry white wine

1 × 400g can cherry tomatoes

200g whole cherry tomatoes

½ cup Italian black or green olives, pitted

2 tbsp capers in vinegar, drained

½ cup basil leaves, plus extra to serve

½ tsp caster sugar

4 × centre-cut fillets of firm white or pink-fleshed (trout or salmon) fish

1 lemon, for zesting

Garlic and chive bread

60g salted butter, at room temperature

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tbsp chives, finely chopped

1 small loaf ciabatta or baguette

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350˚F) fan-forced. In a large frying pan with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies and chilli flakes, if using. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to help the anchovies melt into the oil. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble, simmering for about 2 minutes until it starts to reduce. Add the canned cherry tomatoes, then rinse out the can with about ¼ cup water and pour that in too. Stir in the whole cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, half the basil, and the sugar. Taste, and add a pinch of salt if needed. Cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.

Meanwhile, for the garlic and chive bread, mash the butter, garlic and chives together in a bowl. Slice into the baguette at 1 cm intervals, stopping just before the base so it stays intact. Using a teaspoon, smear the garlic butter between the slices. Wrap the bread in foil and bake for 15 minutes, until the butter has melted. Open up the foil slightly so the top of the bread is exposed and cook for a further 5 minutes, until golden and toasted.

Once the sauce has had its 10 minutes, nestle in the fish. Season each piece with salt, pepper and a lick of the remaining olive oil, then lay the remaining basil leaves over the top. Reduce the heat to low, put the lid back on, and poach the fish gently for 6–8 minutes, until it’s opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

When the fish is ready, zest some lemon over the top and serve, spooning the sauce over the fish. Scatter with basil leaves, a pinch of dried chilli and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with the warm garlic and chive bread to mop up every bit.

Leftovers: This will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

INSTANT CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE CREAMS

Although I mostly prefer to serve dessert in the centre of the table to allow guests to help themselves, I will admit there’s a certain elegance about individual servings. These billowy creams look beautiful in little glasses, but don’t let your eyes get the better of you – they’re rich, so a little goes a long way. They do need to be made in the moment and served straight away, but considering the effortlessness of them, this shouldn’t be cause for concern. Berries make the perfect partner, especially big, fat strawberries that can be dipped and twirled in the chocolate cream.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

120g dark chocolate (70%), roughly chopped

1 egg

250g mascarpone

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

¼ cup full-cream milk

To serve

Salt flakes

Fruit of your choice, such as berries or cherries

METHOD

Fill a medium-sized saucepan with roughly 4cm water. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Suspend a heatproof bowl on top of the pan, ensuring it fits snugly but doesn’t touch the water. Reduce the heat if needed to maintain the gentle simmer, then add the chocolate and slowly let it melt, giving it a stir to encourage it. Once melted, take it off the heat and immediately whisk in the egg. The mixture will become very thick and shiny. Add the mascarpone and vanilla and continue to whisk until combined. Pour in the milk to loosen things up. You should have lovely, billowy cream. Spoon into small glasses or bowls and sprinkle with salt flakes, then serve immediately with the fruit.

OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH LEMON AND THYME GLAZE

This olive oil cake is hard to beat. Irresistibly moist with a golden crust, it’s rich, flavourful and achingly simple. In fact, it’s about as straightforward as a cake gets. It suits any occasion, equally happy served for morning tea or rolled out for dessert (with the help of a little cream). It’s a cake that takes me through the seasons, as I serve it with the best fruit of the moment. Sometimes I’ll poach the fruit, other times I’ll serve it fresh – always with a dollop of crème fraîche or thick Greek yoghurt.

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

2 cups plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1½ cups caster sugar

½ tsp salt flakes

3 eggs, whisked

1 cup full-cream milk

1 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup lemon juice

Lemon and thyme glaze

45ml lemon juice

115g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

To serve

Sliced peaches (or your favourite fruit)

Crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt (optional)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170˚C fan-forced. Oil a 20cm round cake tin with high sides, then line the base and sides with baking paper. I like to have a 5-10cm overhang of baking paper to encourage the cake to rise evenly. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, olive oil, vanilla paste, and lemon zest and juice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.

Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is a beautiful golden colour and a skewer comes out clean. The cake sides will also be coming away from the tin. Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn it out onto a cooling rack.

While the cake is cooling in the tin, mix the glaze together by combining all of the ingredients. Once you’ve turned the cake out, flip it right-side up onto a cooling rack and drizzle the glaze over the top.

Leave to cool completely (for at least 1 hour) before slicing.

Serve with fruit and crème fraîche or thick Greek yoghurt, drizzled with olive oil. Leftovers: This cake will keep quite happily for 3 days in a sealed container at room temperature.

CULTURAL COUP

Claire Regnault is bringing big ambition and fresh energy to Tauranga Museum.

WORDS JO-MARIE BAKER | PHOTO YOAN JOLLY, TE PAPA

For a city that has waited decades for a museum, the appointment of Claire Regnault is a major coup.

A highly respected curator with more than 30 years’ experience, including 15 years as senior curator New Zealand Histories and Cultures at Te Papa, she will now shape one of the most visible parts of Tauranga’s new museum: its temporary exhibitions and public programmes.

She wasn’t actively looking for a new job, but one look at Tauranga Museum’s plans was all it took to lure her north.

“It was exciting to see something that was ambitious and obviously had momentum. The buildings aren’t just pragmatic, they’re beautiful buildings designed with care and thought.”

For Regnault, it was that sense of pride and forward thinking that stood out. Public infrastructure projects can often feel constrained in New Zealand, -but Tauranga’s willingness to invest in something culturally bold was compelling.

Beyond her curatorial work, Regnault is also one of New Zealand’s leading voices in fashion history. Her book Dressed: Fashionable Dress in Aotearoa New Zealand 1840 to 1910 won the illustrated non-fiction category at the 2022 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. She plans to quietly work away on a new book while focusing on building an engaging museum programme that will appeal to visitors of all ages.

“The team have their dream list of projects that they would love to do – things from the collection, or ideas that they’ve been sitting on relating to Tauranga. So it’ll be a mix of exhibitions that we develop ourselves, plus exhibitions from the national touring circuit. There’s aspirations to also bring in international shows. We really want the museum to hum.”

That ambition extends beyond exhibitions themselves. Programming will be designed to activate the building and create a sense of energy and connection. “It could be anything from an in-gallery hands-on learning activity to a lecture series, floor talks or film nights.”

At its core, Regnault sees the new museum as a place for enjoyment, reflection, and social connection – a warm, welcoming space where there’s always something on offer, and where visitors can keep returning and engaging in different ways.

“You want some levity and fun, but it will be balanced with opportunities for serious reflection and exhibitions that might be a bit challenging to prompt people to think and create empathy.”

Outside of work, Claire’s already settling into Tauranga, describing the city as gentle and beautiful. Much of her time is spent exploring local parks and walkways with her greyhound, Devo, and connecting with the region’s greyhound community. She’s also looking forward to joining the Tauranga Film Society.

At the museum, work is already well underway on what will be a dynamic programme of exhibitions and experiences. While the doors won’t open until 2028, some exhibitions can take up to two years to develop.

“Our job is to make sure the exhibitions are as spectacular as the building itself, and people feel like they belong, take ownership, and are really stimulated and excited by what’s inside.” LETSTALK.TAURANGA.GOVT.NZ/PROJECTS/TAURANGA-MUSEUM

WILD ABOUT FLAVOUR

A vibrant and varied hospitality scene is one of the keys to a great city, argues UNO wine columnist Jess Easton, and every one of us can play a part in lifting Tauranga Moana’s.

PHOTOS ILK PHOTOGRAPHY

Hospitality, in case you haven’t heard, is doing it tough right now. Every now and then, though, something comes along that restores faith and lightens the gloom.

Five Go Wild With Food, my team at Kitchen Takeover’s offering at this year’s Flavours of Plenty festival held in April/May, hit that mark perfectly and left me reflecting on why I enjoy this festival, and the hospitality industry, so much.

Proudly sponsored by Pyramid Valley Vineyards, the Five Go Wild With Food event featured five courses created by an international array of talent – Samoan/Māori chef Nancye Pirini (Te Kaahu), Japanese/Korean couple Rika Inagaki and Brian Kim (RikaRika), British whiz Ian Harrison (The Grocer), Italian Stefano Raimondi (Autentico) and Kiwi Dan Lockhart (Kitchen Takeover).

Although Nancye, a remarkable wahine, hails from the East Coast and is now based in Tāmaki Makaurau, the rest of the chefs are right here in Tauranga Moana.

They’re far from alone. We have some amazingly creative chefs and restaurants in this city; I was also lucky enough to enjoy a couple of extraordinary, envelope-pushing meals at Mount Maunganui’s Solera during Flavours of Plenty, for example.

What I absolutely love is the collaboration and sense of community in this town. Most owners are incredibly generous and helpful towards each other, chefs support one another, and talent is nurtured and shared.

I’m really excited for one of our young chefs, Christian Schurink Gardner, who got to work with all the incredible talent at Five Go Wild and will hopefully pick up some gigs with them in future.

A quick word on Pyramid Valley, too. I spent an incredible afternoon with winemaker Huw Kinch at the North Canterbury vineyard a couple of years ago and came away dazzled by what they’re producing.

Huw is a craftsman extraordinaire and some of the single vintages – Lion’s Tooth Chardonnay and Snake’s Tongue Pinot Noir spring to mind – are mind-blowingly good.

We were thrilled to be able to showcase Pyramid Valley’s Sauvignon+ at Five Goes Wild, and really appreciated their support.

Hospitality, when all boiled down, is all about heart. It's about those all-too-rare connections between people and palate. Times are really tough at the moment, but we can take a leaf out of hospitality’s book and pull together by supporting our local eateries and venues as much as possible – because a city is only as vibrant as the people and places we each choose to support.

Jess Easton is a director and owner of Kitchen Takeover, a venture that complements her career as a Tauranga-based lawyer.

CHASING THE LIGHT

For Tauranga artist Tracy Stamatakos, the Bay of Plenty is a constant source of inspiration. Her photography transforms local land and seascapes into atmospheric works that invite viewers to pause and look again.

PHOTOS DEBORAH DE GRAAF

UNO: For people who might be seeing your work for the first time, how do you describe what you do?

Tracy: Sometimes there’s confusion at first glance. What is it – a drawing or a painting? It’s photography, but not in the literal sense. I use single-capture long-exposure techniques to record light, colour and shape, moving the camera while the shutter is open to achieve the desired result. I also create new lines and shapes by recording the movement of objects or specular highlights. I believe art can act as a transfer of energy from the unseen into the physical world. My images are imprinted with my energy, the energy of movement and the grounded energy of a place. My hope is that the viewer feels this too. You talk about “painting with light”.

What does that actually look like when you're out shooting?

I’m sure it looks really odd! Sometimes it’s fluid movements, other times it’s following shapes. It feels meditative to photograph this way. I love remote locations where I can be fully present and recharge at the same time. In contrast, trains can be fun to shoot from – scenes approaching and disappearing just as fast. I can spend six to eight hours in an outside carriage, and love the challenge of having to react quickly with no way to refine the scene. The funniest response I’ve had was on the Northern Explorer. A woman who had watched me for hours finally said to her husband, “I don’t know what she’s doing, but her photos aren’t going to be sharp.” I just smiled.

What is it about the Bay of Plenty that inspires you?

There’s beauty everywhere, but I tend to find it between the sun and the rain, where the pressure builds and the light breaks through. We’re blessed to have the ocean, rivers, hills and mountains on our doorstep, changing minute by minute. It’s a spectacular show.

Do you tend to head out with a clear idea of the image you want, or is it more about responding to the moment?

“Responding to the moment” is a perfect description. Most of the time, I leave it up to the universe to present me with options. Sometimes there are certain images that make my heart race, or I can see the opportunity to develop an idea. In that case, I’ll make a clear plan to capture a series. That might include returning to a certain location, choosing another one with more potential, planning to shoot at the optimum time of day, or waiting for the weather gods to sprinkle some magic. I’ve learnt that booking 10 days in the South Island in the middle of winter doesn’t guarantee moody weather. Full sun is not my friend, but I’ve accepted the challenge on many occasions. I guess that’s how you move forward.

You've been working in photography for decades now. What’s changed the most in how you see things?

This industry is all I’ve ever known. My first job was with Bob Tulloch at No 1 The Strand in the early ’90s. I hadn’t set out to be a wedding photographer. I fell into that quite by accident, but quickly realised it’s some of the best training you could ever have. Twenty years of constant pivoting, catching curveballs, working under time restraints, learning to breathe under extreme pressure… but somewhere in all the madness, you create magic and you keep going. Photography was a love, and then it became a job. It’s also highly technical, with lots of components to control and briefs to stick to, especially commercially, so it began to feel clinical and suffocating. I found the love again by shooting for myself, by throwing out all those rules in 2006 and creating emotionally charged imagery, which is dark, moody, soft and serene. With age, I think you become more aware of self. There’s also an element of knowing we’re all on borrowed time – although I’m putting it out there that I’ve only reached the halfway mark and am keen for another 50 years. You start wearing your heart on your sleeve and caring less about what other people think, not worrying so much about mistakes because you understand that’s how growth happens. Making art connections outside the photographic industry was also key for me. Being able to bounce ideas around with people working in different mediums was refreshing.

What’s it like being based in Tauranga and running your own gallery space?

I took over the 9th Ave space 11 years ago, when my business switched to focusing on commercial work. The signage on the window has always read “studio + gallery”, but it’s only been in the past 18 months that the gallery has had regular hours. I have to thank my talented ceramic artist friend Lynn Ross for backing me and sharing the gallery hours to make this possible. We’ve always had an appreciation for each other’s work and visitors enjoy the way it intersects. It’s delighted us recently to have people waiting for the doors to open. That sure makes up for the quiet days, but that’s the nature of retail.

When someone stands in front of one of your pieces, what do you hope they feel?

A moment of pause, and space for their own memories and interpretations to surface. It’s also a direct transfer of energy. For example, I have one image that has been purchased four times as a remembrance piece, and it was photographed in that spirit. That makes me smile, to know my visual communication is working. I think it’s very important to connect emotionally with a piece for longevity. Will it still mean something to me when my surroundings change? Art can create future memories too. An image you live with becomes a backdrop to everyday life.

TRACYSTAMATAKOS.CO.NZ

GOOD VIBRATIONS

Armed with only buckets and drumsticks, a group of five local teens has become a global sensation. We caught up with the Beat Street Drummers to learn the secret of their success.

WORDS KARL PUSCHMANN / PHOTO ALAN GIBSON

The beat thunders through the Historic Village, its rhythmic pulse grooving and full of joy. Then, as suddenly as it started, it stops – a one-minute blat of head-nodding bounce and skilled exuberance.

The drums were booming out from the village’s iconic live venue, The Jam Factory, but when I enter, there’s not a drum kit, conga, bongo or percussion instrument to be seen. Instead, carefully positioned in two rows, are five bright-orange Mitre 10 buckets.

These humble buckets are the instruments of choice for Elliot (14), Tristan (15), Daniel (17), Lucas (18) and Noah (18), better known as the Beat Street Drummers.

“The buckets are a way for us all to play together at the same time,” explains Elliot.

“And they’re unique,” adds Tristan.

“People like that,” says Lucas. “Once we set up our social media page, it grew real quick.”

It certainly did. The group, who all met through school and drum courses, have been jamming together for just over four years, but only got more serious with the Beat Street name and Instagram page last year.

“We originally started at one of our houses, just jamming and playing along,” recalls Daniel. “Then we created the Beat Street social media accounts on TikTok and Instagram, and people just loved it.”

The young group quickly became a viral sensation thanks to their fun and impressive choreography – lots of stick twirls and big arm raises – their infectious,cacophonous rhythms played at mind-boggling speed, and their decision to play covers of popular chart hits, like 2014’s Changing by Sigma and Paloma Faith.

That video alone clocked up more than 1.4 million views, but it’s far from their only viral hit. Collectively, they have 22 million-plus views and a loyal fan base of more than 700,000 followers.

“It was our improvs that went viral at first,” says Lucas. “People liked the buckets, but it was the small things that caught their attention – the angles, location.”

“We did a video in a shed on a barnyard and there was a tractor in the background,” says Daniel. “It was quite Kiwi New Zealand.”

“Yeah, people just kept commenting things like, ‘I love that backdrop!’,” laughs Noah. “It’s the little things that make it.”

The secret, they reckon, behind their viral success is that they’re just having fun. The videos aren’t big, over- thought affairs or calculated for maximum engagement.

instead, “something that shocked a lot of people was that our biggest video took us about 20 minutes to choreograph and film,” says Daniel. “Filming our videos is quite quick. I think that comes with the chemistry and the length of time we’ve been together. We have similar thought processes and ideas.”

Beat Street Drummers’ online success has now transferred into the real world, with the group starting to travel the country to perform at music festivals in front of thousands of fans. They’d wanted to play live since the beginning, but weren’t quite sure how to go about it.

“It was hard to think how we were going to get to play at bars or club nights or anything because we’re just drums,” says Daniel. “It seemed like a tough sell.”

Now, however, festivals are coming to them, asking them to play. It’s a dream result. When the quintet gets going, it’s a thoroughly unique experience, with the lads knocking out complex polyrhythms and beats at speed in perfect unison. It does beg the question, how many plastic buckets do they go through?

“We haven't broken any yet!” says Elliot. “We've had these since we started.”

“Yeah,” nods Noah. “It’s the sticks, though. They break a lot.”

Having played together for so long, they’re now relaxed and comfortable when they perform.

“Initially, we had to focus on what we were doing, but then as time went on, it was less about that focus and more like having fun,” says Lucas. “Naturally, we got better and better as we played, so it’s just turned into a fun thing that we look forward to doing.”

Noah grins and says, “We don't really put in as much practice and effort as we did in the beginning, because that work’s already been done.”

The group is enjoying the overnight success that has come after five years of work together, and is excited about what the future holds.

“We all love music,” says Daniel. “We’ve grown up in houses with music, and we play music. It’s our passion. And we're really tight friends as well.”

Then, he inadvertently reveals the true secret of their success.

“Lots of bands are just bands,” he says. “We’re friends and family first – then we’re a bandafter that.”

BEATSTREETDRUMMERS

STAYING POWER

Downtown Tauranga had a rough few years, but even in the lean times, these three businesses didn’t leave. Now, as the city’s renaissance gathers pace, their belief is paying off. Turns out, that was the right call.

PHOTOS SALINA GALVAN

Noel Cimadom at Clarence Bistro.

It’s no secret that Tauranga’s city centre has seen some challenging times. Shops closed and stayed empty, foot traffic dwindled, and many stores retreated to the malls. But despite it all, a group of true believers stayed put. They believed in the city centre and their businesses, knowing that what they offered was good enough to draw people into the city.

Walk downtown today, and people are returning to work, live and play. It’s getting closer to what Noel Cimadom saw when he looked at downtown Tauranga for the first time after arriving from Europe.

"I was always joking in the beginning, saying this can be Miami,” he laughs. “It just showed so much potential.”

With a background in hospitality in Munich, Noel and his wife, Kim Smythe, took the keys to The Old Tauranga Post Office heritage building on Willow Street in 2017, opened Clarence Bistro and Hotel in November 2018, then watched as the city centre grew very quiet indeed.

Instead of retreating, the pair doubled down, opening the acclaimed restaurants Picnika and Stassano in quick succession, built on their faith in the city's bones and Noel’s Miami dream.

“I am a believer," he admits. “There aren’t many cities on the oceanfront that can do what Tauranga could potentially become. I see it as the next future city. There’s no doubt about it. There’s a lot of opportunity here to become something very, very outstanding if we all pull together. I’ve got big hopes for it, for sure.”

They’ve seen and felt the recent change. The vibe is there, the tables are booked, and people are stopping in for after-work drinks, something that hasn’t happened for a long while. “It’s still early days,” he says, “but it’s coming.”

Julie Hammon of Hammon Diamond Jewellery.

Down the road, Julie Hammon is preparing to celebrate 40 years of business on the same city centre site. Hammon Diamond Jewellery arrived on Grey Street in 1986, and has remained ever since. The family jewellery business is also now approaching its 80th birthday.

“It’s amazing,” she smiles. “It's been such a fabulous journey.”

That journey has not been without turbulence. The stock market crash of 1987 hit just a year after she and her late husband opened. Later, the malls began luring customers away, and then the pandemic kept them away.

Through it all, Julie stayed put, even when shopping centre operators dangled attractive offers in front of her to relocate. She sent them on their way.

“I’ve always loved the city centre," she says, "and for us, being in the city is the right place to be."

“We’re a family business, people know where to find us, and they trust us,” she says. “These relationships have gone on for years and years and years. They’re intergenerational. We now have younger members of the same families coming in to use our services. It’s quite incredible.”

Her read on the city’s future is optimistic. “I’m very hopeful that we’re on that incline up,” she says. “For any city to be healthy and vibrant and have a fantastic future, you need a city centre that reflects that. The waterfront has been magnificently enhanced, there are events on downtown, and there are the new apartment blocks. The city centre is a very attractive and exciting place to be.”

Bond & Co’s Jason Dovey.

Up the street, on the main drag of Devonport Road, Jason Dovey has been dressing Tauranga’s stylishly inclined men for more than 30 years. Bond & Co, his boutique menswear store, is a destination in the truest sense. People drive in specifically because there’s nowhere else quite like it.

“I’ve definitely seen the city centre at its lowest, as low as you can go,” he sighs. “But with the rebuild of buildings and facilities and more people living and working back in the city I reckon we’re on the other side, and going up continually."

Even at the city’s quietest point, Jason didn’t think about leaving.

“I never want to go to a suburb and would definitely never go to a mall. We’re a boutique business. The city’s where we want to be. We don't want to be in suburbia.”

Jason says that even within the last year, the change has been notable.

“It’s sort of like the old days,” he says, saying that now, along with the destination shoppers, the increase in foot traffic has people popping in as they walk by.

He agrees that the city centre’s much-needed developments have made a huge difference to business. He’s seeing people bringing their kids or grandkids to the new playground, then stopping for lunch at a café, before dropping in to see him at the store.

“It’s not about going to a cupboard shopping mall. It’s about the other attractions and things to do in the city centre. When the museum, the new library and those other facilities are all open, along with the cafés, restaurants and hospitality, it will be inviting for people to come back to the city centre.”

“There’s an atmosphere,” he smiles, then adds, “and that’ll only get stronger.”

DOWNTOWNTAURANGA.CO.NZ

LEFTOVER LEGENDS

Waste warrior Kate Fenwick explains how leftovers are the foods we waste most, and what we can do about it.

When you peek in the bin, it’s rarely a dramatic scene. It’s not half a roast lamb, it’s the small, slightly neglected things like the bread crust, a container of rice you meant to eat, the last bit of roast chicken, a bag of saggy spinach, or three bananas that ripened overnight. These everyday foods are the casualties of busy lives and optimistic weekly grocery shops.

Bread is hopeful. We buy it imagining neatly packed sandwiches and weekend toast. By Thursday, it’s firm around the edges. But stale isn’t spoiled. Blitz it into breadcrumbs and freeze them. Cube it, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for crunchy salad toppers. Or dip it in egg and milk for French toast. Suddenly, it’s not “old bread.” It’s brunch.

Rice is slightly high-maintenance. Cool it quickly, store it in the fridge, and eat within 24 hours (ignore this at your peril). Once respected, rice is a superstar. Try it fried with leftover veg and protein for a five-minute fakeaway, or stirred with milk, cinnamon and sugar for a comforting dessert.

Roast chicken deserves more than the back of the fridge. Shred it into wraps, toss it through salads, stir it into pasta, or simmer the bones with veggie scraps for stock. Stretching cooked meat into another meal reduces waste and stretches your grocery budget. That’s a win in any economy.

Vegetables are the most misunderstood leftovers. Things like broccoli stalks, carrot tops and wilted greens are often wasted because they “look past it.” They’re not off; they’re ready for a new role. Roast random veg together for sandwiches or grain bowls. Blend greens into pesto. Stir wilting veg into soups or omelettes. No one notices the slight change in texture and the flavour stays intact.

Bananas are fruit with a short shelf life. Overripe bananas are baking gold: make banana bread, pancakes, smoothies or blitz frozen for instant “nice cream.” Suddenly, browning fruit feels like culinary genius.

In our house, an “Eat Me First” shelf keeps soon-to-expire items front and centre. We label leftovers with the date, freeze portions before we tire of them, and, most importantly, transform rather than reheat. A roast becomes wraps. Rice becomes fried rice. Veggies become soup. Bread becomes brunch. Leftovers don’t need to look like leftovers, they just need a remix.

Waste less food, save money, and feel triumphant every time you turn what would have been rubbish into a meal. That’s forkin’ good. WASTEDKATE.CO.NZ

UNCORKING NEW RULES

Alice Rule has been defying expectations since she was a schoolgirl growing up in Northland. That determination shines through in her wines, but also makes her an inspiration to be around, as UNO wine columnist Jess Easton writes.

PHOTOS RYAN MCCAULEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Told she didn’t have the smarts to study wine, there’s no small irony that Alice Rule now owns her own international wine business.

‘Encouraged’ to leave school early by sceptical teachers, she now boasts a degree and a Masters’, the latter completed after a dyslexia diagnosis as an adult, just to show she could.

Now, having barely breached her 30s, the founder of boutique Marlborough-based wine label 3Sixty2 holds down a separate fulltime job, is the mother of ridiculously cute toddling twins, takes a mean photo and spends her spare time dreaming of biodiversity and nature-based solutions.

I first met Alice through mutual buddies in 2022 and we’ve since become firm friends — as our wine adventures on page 124 of this edition can attest.

She’s funny and grounded, smart and driven. She also makes delicious wine, using sustainably-sourced grapes and taking a deep, respectful bow to nature in everything she produces.

Her wines exude confidence — they know what they want to be. I really rate her Sauvignon Blanc, which stays true to the Marlborough region but brings in a balanced acidity and structure. Her Chardonnay has soul and her Pinot Noir is made with the passion and precision that only a small-scale producer can attain.

But like any great wine, it’s always the backstory which makes the vintage that much more spectacular.

That undiagnosed dyslexia, in hindsight, was like a giant brake on Alice’s schooling, and it took some time to find the tools to help her shine.

Leaving school at 17, she worked in a café before heading to Hawke’s Bay to study winemaking at CIT. Even then, those first few years were near impossible, but a supportive dean encouraged her to keep trying and she was eventually awarded Esk Valley top viticulture student.

Her first years in local vineyards were also a struggle, as a young female battling to be taken seriously. So, she figured she would go to work for the one person who truly believed in what she was doing — herself — and launched 3Sixty2 in 2016.

In the meantime, she completed the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, investigating glass recycling in New Zealand, and introduced a range of sustainable measures into her business, like becoming the first New Zealand producer to have a complete climatepositive wine portfolio, certified with CarbonClick.

I asked Alice, ‘where to next?’ and she laughed heartily. Doors which used to slam shut keep springing open, and her next phase is picking which one to venture through.

You get the feeling, as the song goes, she’s only just begun.

Jess Easton is a director and owner of Kitchen Takeover and Saint wine bar, complementing her career as a Tauranga-based lawyer.

CROWD PLEASERS

The Bay of Plenty is rapidly becoming a hotspot for events. Karl Puschmann talks to the key people behind some of the Bay’s biggest events to get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring these events to life, their cultural and economic impact, and discover if this is just the beginning. PHOTOS ROBBIE HUNTER | HAIR + MAKE-UP DESIREE OSTERMAN

Toby Burrows and Mitch Lowe

I’m standing in the heart of Mount Maunganui’s industrial area, in front of a large warehouse, wondering if I’m in the right place. This unlikely, unglamorous spot is where some of the Bay of Plenty’s biggest events are dreamed up, organised and, if all goes to plan, brought to life. I’ve come to talk to Mitch Lowe and Toby Burrows, the two chaps behind the summer’s history-making Fisher concert at the Bay Oval, about the resurgence of events in the Bay of Plenty, what goes into staging them, and the impact, both economically and culturally, that they have on our region.

But first, I need to find the front door.

I walk down the long driveway, and past the side of the building, whose sliding doors have been pulled open on this bright, hot day, affording me a view of the welders inside who are hard at work behind a shower of bright sparks. It’s a far cry from the triumphant firework display that lit up the sky to bring the Fisher concert to a close.

Near the end of the building, there’s a door. I poke my head inside and see a wall covered in framed concert posters, and a top-of-the-range Pioneer DJ set-up in a booth to my left. This is more like what I was expecting. What I don’t see is people.

“Hello?” I offer, walking inside and knocking on the wood of the DJ booth. Toby bounds down the stairs to greet me.

“Hey mate,” he says, shaking my hand. “Can I get you a Red Bull?”

Energy drinks in hand, he leads me up the stairs and into a boardroom, which is also decorated with framed posters, and where Mitch is sitting in front of a laptop, which he closes as we walk in. It’s here, from this office, tacked onto the back of an industrial factory, that the pair plan out over 150 events a year around Aotearoa.

“The Bay’s always been a priority for us,” Mitch says. “Because we’re local, we’re going to push as much as we can into the Bay. It's a really exciting time.”

“The summer’s been pretty busy,” Toby adds.

That feels like something of an understatement. After a barren few years following the COVID pandemic, there’s been an unignorable resurgence of events happening here in the Bay recently. Coupled with the freshly rejuvenated city centre, the upswing in trendy cafés, bars and restaurants popping up and the ongoing suburban growth down the Pāpāmoa coastline, it’s beginning to feel like the region is shedding its old, and somewhat unfair, reputation as a haven for oldies and gaining a name for itself as a spot where there’s always something happening.

“When I moved to Tauranga a decade ago, people used to go, ‘Oh, it’s a retirement village,’” Mitch laughs. “That used to be the general feeling before we started doing big events here and trying to bring a bit of life to it. Now, I know tons of people who have moved here. They think of Tauranga as one of the event capitals of New Zealand. It’s cool to be a part of that.”

The pair have spent decades working in the events industry — Toby for 23 years and Mitch for 16. Before joining forces, Toby was heavily involved in Gisborne’s New Year’s Eve festival, Rhythm & Vines, while Mitch built his career touring DJs and electronic acts and running club nights. Around a decade ago, Mitch moved to the Bay to launch the single-day music festival Bay Dreams, which debuted in 2016 and ran each summer until it was officially placed on hiatus last year.

The pair knew each other from the industry, and decided to work together on the legacy rocker Bryan Adams’ 2019 Aotearoa tour, which took in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson and Christchurch. This was a significant success, leading the partnership to continue and become more formalised, with Toby moving from his home in “Gizzee” to come to the Mount a year or so later.

“I did a lot of humming and hah-ing about it, but committed to the decision. Now I look back and wonder what I was humming and hah-ing about,” Toby laughs. “It has the beaches and the lifestyle, and geographically it’s sort of in the middle of everywhere. It ticked all the boxes.”

“We love it,” Mitch says. “We’re both raising our families here, which is a good indication of our passion for the place.”

The success of Bryan Adams had shown them there was a gap in the market for legacy artists, so the pair naturally doubled down, bringing over legendary acts like Toto, The Jackson 5 and Snoop Dogg, while also creating one-day festivals targeted at different music genres and audiences, like Rock the Bowl, Le Currents and, of course, Bay Dreams. Most did well. But, the pair admit, not all.

“The funniest one was when I asked my dad’ s opinion on a legacy act,” Mitch recalls. He said, ‘Oh, that’s a guaranteed sell. Absolutely. No question’. We booked it, promoted it, went on sale… and it flopped.” Jokingly, he says, “Dad doesn’t get free tickets anymore.”

But that’s the nature of the events biz, he says. Every show is a gamble that could literally see you losing your house. Something, the pair say, has almost happened more than once over the years.

But that was when they were younger, more naive and excited. But there were some growing pains, and Mitch says they had to learn how to run their business properly.

“We’re not taking stupid risks anymore,” Mitch says. “We’ve learnt how to take calculated risks. Now, when we go into things, I’m confident that we’re either going to win or we’re going to lose an amount that we can handle.”

“We manage risk in a way that doesn’t feel too risky,” Toby says, noting that while their gut feeling still plays a role, they also have a stringent process of running the numbers and looking at specific artist metrics that have to add up before they decide to go ahead with an event. “We’re not risking everything if it doesn’t work anymore. Initially, I was brazen and not afraid to lose everything I had, because I had nothing. As I’ve gotten older, you know, I don’t want to lose everything. We say ‘No’ to a lot of things that come to our desk.

It’s got to fit within certain metrics to make sense.”

Which brings us to Fisher. If there was a single moment that announced the Bay’s arrival on the national stage, it was that summer concert at Bay Oval — the first-ever music event held at the iconic stadium. In hindsight, it seems like a guaranteed success. But at the time, it was a bold gamble. And while their homes weren’t literally on the line, a flop would have set their business back years.

They’d invested half a decade securing Bay Oval and were determined to headline the first show with a global name. Still, having toured Fisher the previous year, they worried it might be too soon to bring him back.

“We thought if we brought him to the Mount in the middle of summer, put him on at Bay Oval with the right line-up around him, and marketed it properly, it would work,” Toby says. “We’re entrepreneurs at heart. We’ve lived with risk for so long that we’ve learned to thrive under that pressure.”

Adds Mitch: “We’ve done massive things here in the past, like Bay Dreams, but to promise one of the biggest acts in the world that they could come to this little region and still do the same numbers that they do in Auckland or Christchurch was pretty ballsy. It paid off.

“We were doubting ourselves right up until that moment we went on sale,” Mitch grins. “Within five minutes, we were like, ‘Okay, we’re good.”

“Fisher was a proof of concept. We wanted to show what was possible,” Toby says. “The goal was to prove that the Bay could deliver numbers and production values comparable to the big cities.”

It certainly did. Over 20,000 punters packed into the Oval for the show. But it wasn’t all locals. More than 82 percent of the punters who attended were from out of town, truly making the Mount the hottest place to be in the whole country that weekend.

Tauranga mayor Mahe Drysdale describes the Fisher concert as an “amazing success for our city”.

“It worked really well,” he tells me. “The feedback we’ve had is that it was an awesome venue, and there’s an opportunity there to grow. Bay Oval is a real jewel in our crown. We’ve had some really great cricket events over the summer, which is what it’s set up for, but we’ve said to Bay Oval, we really want to see more music acts and other events there.”

The one-two punch of Fisher, followed a week later by the UB40 with Ali Campbell concert, has proved the Oval works as a “legitimate venue”. Mahe says promoters can now have confidence that the Bay can successfully pull off these sorts of big events.

“Once one person’s done it, it opens up a whole lot more opportunities in the future,” he says. “We’ve identified events as being one of our priorities and one of our strategies to make this a better place. We want events here because of what they do for our region, for the accommodation providers, the local businesses, the hospo businesses, and for the sense of vibrancy that they attract. We can see the economic benefits of what events do for our city.”

He says the council is actively going out and finding ways to accomplish this strategy, pointing to the upcoming World Triathlon Series as an example.

“We’ve got three years of world-class athletes coming to our city to compete,” he says. “There are so many events out there that we can attract. We’re really excited.”

But what is it that’s attracting these events to the region? Why are organisers increasingly choosing to put on events here?

“The Bay is blessed with natural beauty. That’s certainly a big part of why it’s attractive,” he says. “A lot of people want to come here, so when events are on, people jump at the opportunity to come and enjoy the region. It’s a win-win,” he smiles.

“We can share our beautiful city, but also they help drive our economy. They have a significant economic and social benefit.”

One of the best examples of this economic and cultural coming together is the annual AIMS Games. The week-long multi-sport tournament brings together thousands of Year 7 and 8 students from across New Zealand and the Pacific to compete in 27 different sporting codes, generating a tangible excitement as well as some serious cash for the region.

“Last year we had just over 14,000 athletes from 431 schools,” Kelly Schischka, the AIMS Games tournament director, tells UNO. “They compete in sport, make new memories and new friends in f it-for-purpose sports venues across the region. That, for us, is what makes it work so well.”

Add in coaches, managers, officials and supporters, and that number jumps to 29,558, with a whopping 23,425 of those coming in from out of town. This one event alone generated a huge $9,751,958 of tourism expenditure in Tauranga.

“Economically, the AIMS Games makes a big contribution, but more so, it really builds that pride of being hosts. That’s incredibly important,” Kelly says. “You can’t stage an event without the support of the community, and we absolutely have that with the AIMS Games. We’re incredibly lucky.”

The event started here in 2004 and has steadily grown in popularity ever since. The week-long event now takes over 29 different venues around Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.

“The AIMS Games have really helped shape Tauranga’s identity as an event city. There’s nothing quite like being in town when they’re on,” Kelly smiles. “There are 14,000 kids here for a week-long sleepover with their friends. The energy levels are incredibly high. It’s hard not to get caught up in that. It’s a really special thing to be a part of.”

Along with the AIMS Games, Kelly says there are many events that are now synonymous with Tauranga, making it a vibrant place to live, and encouraging people to visit. There’s the Tauranga Marathon, the Jazz Festival, the Arts Festival, the Flavours of Plenty food festival and the Mount Festival of Multisport, one of the country’s longest-running and most iconic triathlons, to name just a few.

“These are part of the fabric of Tauranga,” Kelly says. “We’ve proven ourselves to be able to host international sporting events and fantastic music events incredibly well. It’s great for those of us who live here to be a part of that, and it’s fantastic to be able to showcase our city to different types of visitors who are here for different types of events.”

Things may feel big now, but it really is just the beginning, as national and international events are increasingly attracted by the region’s stunning backdrop, infrastructure and proven ability to be welcoming hosts for major events.

“It’s an exciting time,” Toby enthuses. “We have agents and artists from all over the world wanting to come down and work with us. There’s a lot of exciting projects in the pipeline right across the country, including here in the Bay.”

“I agree,” Mitch nods. “I have the feeling now that I had when we launched Bay Dreams back in the day. It feels like the start of something big. We literally have the biggest acts in the world asking us to do cool things.”

After the triumph of Fisher, the pair are already working on next summer's show. They know Fisher's a tough act to follow. I cheekily ask who's on their radar and they both grin and say there's some exciting options on the table. Just before I leave, I mention that it's a great time to be living in the Bay.

"It's exciting," Mitch agrees. "And this is just the start."

LIFTING THE VEIL ON THE VALE

Adelaide’s abundance of grape-growing greatness is well known, as is the South Australian city’s jewel in the crown, Barossa Valley. If you’re chasing something a little more fresh and a lot more enticing, however, make tracks for McLaren Vale. You won’t regret it.

WORDS + PHOTOS JAMIE TROUGHTON

Hot tip: if you’re going in cold to a new wine region, it really does pay to take a professional with you.

Luckily, the crew we’d assembled for UNO wine columnist Jess Easton’s significant birthday included talented Kiwi winemaker Alice Rule, who arrived in Adelaide armed with the local lowdown and plenty of insider insight.

Forget Barossa, she confirmed. Bypass Adelaide Hills and skip Clare Valley. She’d been hearing great things about a few places in McLaren Vale. We need to go there.

And so, mellowed and content after a long weekend of birthday celebrations, music festivals and a decent crack at Adelaide’s multi-ethnic, over-delivering restaurant scene, we boarded a minibus and hit the highway.

The power of proximity

For such a vast and untamed state, South Australia’s viticultural heritage is packed into a remarkably small area Adelaide Hills, for example, is just 20 minutes out of the city centre. On the way, nestled in the foothills, is the grand old lady of Australian wineries, Penfolds Magill Estate. We’d earlier stopped in for an hour-long tour and ended up enjoying a half-day pilgrimage. The depth of history resonating through the high stone walls and deep cellars is unforgettable.

The history and elegance of Penfolds.

Up into the Hills, you start getting cool-climate wines, like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The Barossa Valley, meanwhile, is one of Australia’s oldest and most famous regions, boasting more than 150 wineries, renowned for its German heritage as much as for its Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Even the name ‘Barossaʼ has heft — a weighty, punchy moniker matching perfectly to some of the big, bold wines it produces.

Two hours north of the city is Clare Valley, celebrated for premium Riesling and more than 50 cellar doors, featuring charming villages and the Riesling Trail. Kangaroo Island, Eden Valley and Langhorne Creek are other well-known areas for wine lovers to explore.

Our attention, however, turned towards the coast, a short 40-minute trip south to McLaren Vale, possibly the oldest continuously producing wine-growing region in Australia, first planted in 1838.

Long before European colonisation, the area was the traditional home of the Kaurna people, who enjoyed the regionʼs Mediterranean climate for thousands of years. The cooling sea breezes take the sting out of the hottest of South Australian scorchers, with an array of diverse ancient soils helping grow varieties like Fiano, Sangiovese, Vermentino, Barbera, Montepulciano, Nero d’Avola and Tempranillo.

McLaren Vale is also the most environmentally sustainable wine grape growing region in Australia, which immediately attracted the attention of our illustrious tour guide Alice.

Kiwi wine guru Alice Rule (left) in her natural habitat.

Hostess with the most-ess

As one of the youngest wine producers in New Zealand, Alice established her boutique wine venture, 3sixty2, in 2018 at just 25. She was the first New Zealand wine producer to introduce carbon offsetting at checkout and her focus on environmental stewardship and sustainability is helping set the gold standard in the industry.

Some of the superb Yangarra Estate line up.

And our first stop, Yangarra Estate, featured biodynamic vineyards surrounding a stunning cellar door, vibrant with Grenache, Shiraz and a treasure trove of alternative varietals.

“I loved their philosophy around biodiversity and loved how interesting their new young wines were, like the unconventional Piquepoul,” Alice said, fresh from a perfectly curated wine tasting experience; textural pottery, Plumm wine glasses, expensive cheese and hand-shaved prosciutto.

“Piquepoul is an ancient French varietal and the name literally means ̔stings the lipsʼ — a reference to the wineʼs characteristically high acidity — but Yangarra wouldn’t do that to you. It was the Jo Malone of white wine, fragrant, delicate and crisp — a unique treasure probably not found very easily.”

Next stop was Dandelion Vineyards, another biodynamic exemplar, where the tasty, innovative wines were elevated to another level by the winemakerʼs mum and her culinary prowess.

Dandelion's Field of Wonders Chardonnay and Lemon Myrtle Spritzer.

Dandelionʼs Elena Brooks grew up in Bulgaria, set amidst the demise of the Soviet Union, as an influx of western winemakers began visiting the region. Her mum Dani Golakova worked for the Soviets as an MiG mechanic, before venturing into marketing at the large and historic winery Vinprom Lyaskovets in their small hometown. As the only one able to speak English, Elena started helping translate for visiting viticulturalists after school. By the age of 12, she was interpreting barrel tastings with the winemakers. By the age of 15, she had the wine knowledge and vocabulary of a veteran, and by 16 she was making her first batches of Chardonnay.

Fast forward a couple of decades and sheʼs now married and settled in McLaren Vale, like Alice, a rising winemaking star, and with mum whipping up sensational plates of Kashkaval Pane, Kyopolou and Baked White Cheese with Honey and Walnuts for her dazzled guests.

Bekker beckons

If the day had a tactical error, it was right there. Did we expect to feast like Bulgarian royalty just before lunch? Nope. Did that stop us hitting the Salopian Inn and ordering up large? Again, nope. To be fair, after our Dandelion feast, we had every intention of a light snack, but the Salopian Innʼs fare was too good to skimp on.

Some of us lighterweights perhaps had visions of a quick snooze, as we wound down the tour at Bekkers Wine, our last winemaker stop. But there’s something about being greeted by the winemaker himself and being welcomed into a makeshift tasting room — amid renovations — that captures attention, not to mention the curious sight of Grenache grapes growing upright as bush vines — not on wire or trellis.

Winemaker Toby Bekkers.

Toby Bekkers is quietly understated, friendly, and someone you instinctively lean in to as you listen. He and his French wife Emmanuelle spend large parts of the year in each otherʼs countries, and their unique styles converge in the glass.

Aliceʼs old Lincoln University mate, Charlie, worked with Emmanuelle during a stint in the state and said Bekkers was a must-visit. After a few sips of a signature Grenache, and a magnificent Syrah, it was easy to see why.

“I’m always really excited when the viticulturist is hosting the tasting because thatʼs where my heart has always been,” Alice said. “And when Toby told us he was going to skip past the sensory descriptions and instead talk about the importance of texture, it really struck a chord. The wines, like Yangarra, are textural, interesting, and though he never mentioned ̔Old Worldʼ, itʼs clear they were made that way, while at the same time respecting the land they grow on, which is inherently New World. Itʼs a careful balance theyʼve gotten right — and I loved how they called their wine Syrah instead of Shiraz. Having a French winemaker wife probably had something to do with this decision, which is a big tick from me!”

And so, we depart, loaded to the gunnels with McLaren Vale vintages. Itʼs been a big tick from all of us.

TUFT LOVE

Irish-born textile artist Leah Creaven explores landscape through richly textured rug-tufted works made with New Zealand wool.

Rug tufting might be having a moment, but for textile artist Leah Creaven it’s a deeply personal way of translating landscape and feeling into form. Here, she talks process, inspiration and why working with wool feels like painting with fibre.

UNO: What first drew you to this medium, and what continues to captivate you about it? Leah: I was drawn to rug tufting a few years after finishing my degree in Textiles and Surface Design in Dublin. I started creating small art with a punch needle and wanted to work on a larger scale, so I guess I started rug tufting out of a desire to explore scale and impact. I’m continuously captivated by the freedom that rug tufting gives you. In my eyes it’s like painting with wool, but with the outcome being both beautiful and tactile. The repetitive rhythm of tufting is also meditative and helps me to shut out the noise (while music blares in my earpods!).

Your pieces often blend influences from both Irish landscapes and the land around you in Aotearoa New Zealand. How do these environments shape the stories you tell through your art? Ireland shapes the inner landscape of the pieces with memory and emotion. It’s less about depicting Ireland directly and more about carrying its emotional weight — a way of feeling land as archive and as something storied and tender. Visually, however, my response is grounded in New Zealand where I now live. The land here informs the physical language of the work. In that sense, my work kind of exists between inheritance and observation, emotionally anchored in Ireland and visually shaped by Aotearoa which allows them to hold both memory and presence at the same time.

Can you talk about your creative process, from initial concept to finished piece, and how you decide on colour palettes and forms? My process usually begins with an idea or a feeling that I hash out with my husband or my dad. I’m a big communicator and voicing these ideas helps me make sense of them before they become visual. They’re normally responses to landscape or a memory or a shift in light. I’ll sketch loosely on my iPad, mostly abstract shapes that suggest contour or horizon, but I leave space for the work to evolve once I begin tufting. Colour is often the first concrete decision (and the most exciting one!). I build a palette guided by emotional tone or seasonal shifts. Then I’ll test combinations by tufting colour samples to see which complement or compete with each other. Then it is time to bring my drawing to woolen-life on my canvas.

You consciously choose New Zealand wool for your art. What significance does this material have for you beyond its physical qualities? Choosing New Zealand wool is a conscious way of grounding my work in the place where it is grown. Beyond its durability, wool carries a sense of locality. Using it allows the work to hold a direct relationship to its environment and embeds the landscape quite literally into the surface. Wool also holds warmth. It has clothed, sheltered and comforted people for generations. In my work, it reinforces the themes of grounding and belonging.

Your ‘Land Girl’ exhibition and pieces like ‘Rapa Rising’ have received critical acclaim. Has public response influenced the direction of your work or your confidence as an artist? While the public continues to be supportive and affirming, what I feel matters most is the sense that the work resonates. That the viewers recognise something of their own relationship to land, memory or belonging in it. That particular connection reinforces my belief that textile-based practices can hold conceptual and emotional weight. Public engagement hasn’t really shifted the conceptual foundation of my work but it has deepened my sense of authenticity and to honour the materials and stories I’m working with.

What role do workshops and teaching (like your rug tufting classes) play in your practice? Does interacting with other creatives change the way you think about your own art? Teaching rug tufting workshops is such an important extension of my practice. Rug tufting can at times feel solitary so the workshops help top up my social meter, but also provide a space for creative exchange. I learn so much from the participants! There’s something exciting about watching people encounter a medium for the first time. Participants bring different stories and aesthetics into the space and that diversity expands the conversation around what tufting can be and encourages me to remain open and curious within my own work.

Looking forward, are there new themes, techniques or collaborations you’re excited to explore in your upcoming work? I’m experimenting a lot with layering and texture, which is very exciting to witness and learn from. I just moved to the Bay of Plenty so I’m feeling inspired conceptually and am looking forward to including some local walks and feelings of rejuvenation in my work. I’m really loving my new studio and being amongst the artistic activity at the Historic Village. It has been a wonderful boost in energy, but also in my confidence. It feels like being back at university, where bouncing ideas and learning of art events is an everyday occurrence.

How long have you lived in the Bay and what do you love about it? I moved to Otumoetai in November so we’re pretty fresh but are absolutely loving it. I’m passionate about the outdoors. Being close to the ocean and surrounded by beautiful walks is everything we could have asked for. I also love an evening scene so it’s been great to experience the fantastic restaurants and live music that are available to us too.

LEAHCREAVENTEXTILES.COM

MAKING FRIENDS

As the collection grows, Tauranga locals are already stepping inside the story of their new museum.

WORDS PIP CROMBIE

Museum Collection Tour

Steadily rising, the Tauranga Museum project, part of the Te Manawataki o Te Papa city centre redevelopment, is well underway and set to open in July 2028. Its steel frame is already complete, with mass timber components to follow, and the roof and external cladding will soon reveal the distinctive shape of Tauranga’s first central city museum. But while the building itself is taking form, the museum is already coming to life, and there are plenty of ways for the community to be part of it now.

Working from the Mount Maunganui Museum warehouses, museum director Greg McManus and his team are full steam ahead expanding staff, planning for the grand opening, securing loans of local taonga from around the world, and coordinating the two major exhibitions that will launch in the galleries. For McManus, the museum is already becoming an active part of Tauranga’s cultural landscape.

Museum Collection Tour

“We hold regular activities that engage the local community in what we already have on offer,” he says. “History walking tours, public art tours, educational programmes and collection tours that provide a snapshot of the more than 35,000 pieces of history in our care.”

Individuals and groups can sign up for these tours, with one proviso, that you must join the free Friends of Tauranga Museum membership to take part in the events. Once you subscribe, you’ll be joining a growing community of more than 1,420 members. And who couldn’t use a few more friends?

Art and History Tour

Membership also brings a quarterly newsletter to your inbox, featuring upcoming events, snippets of local and international museum news and trends, insights into artefacts that will eventually feature in the museum, and other information reserved for Friends. It’s not an exclusive club. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The aim is to build a diverse community of museum supporters well before the doors officially open in 2028.

Paul Cuming’s photo competition entry

In September 2025, the museum launched the inaugural Tauranga in the Spring photography competition. Judged by award-winning local photographers Michal Pinkerton and Bob Tulloch, the competition attracted 48 entries in the under-18 category and 54 in the over-18 category.

“The quality of the entries was simply outstanding. We were so impressed,” says marketing and communications manager Nineke Metz. “We’ll be running the competition again this year with a new theme to be announced.”

Excellent prizes will be on offer, and the winning images will be shared publicly. If you’re over 16, sign up as a Friend of Tauranga Museum to be among the first to hear the competition details, and to gain a whole new perspective on what promises to be a rich cultural journey for Tauranga. LETSTALK.TAURANGA.GOVT.NZ/ PROJECTS/TAURANGA-MUSEUM

FRESH FOCUS

UNO editor Hayley Barnett discovers Cherrywood’s sweet spot, Fikâ.

Around 18 months ago, Shawn and Tracy Kenny took one look at a small Cherrywood neighbourhood bar and decided this must be the place.

Tracy had taken over the day-to-day running of their branding agency business and Shawn was returning to his roots in hospitality, where he first cut his teeth in his family’s Wellington venues.

They set about transforming Fikâ from what was once called Neighbourhood, giving it a fresh, more modern feel, and added a café. A year and a half on, the tidy yet unpretentious space is managing to retain its loyal customer base while drawing in a whole new, younger crowd.

“We’d recently bought an ice cream truck, named Fikâ, named by the former Swedish owner,” explains Shawn. “Fikâ is a Swedish word meaning to take time out and appreciate the good things in life. When I found out what it meant, it just made sense to use it for this space.”

Alongside being a haven for slowing down, Fikâ centres on supporting local and producing good food from quality New Zealand ingredients. Fresh fish arrives daily from East Rock in Gisborne, milk comes straight from the Volcanic Creamery in traditional pails, and the chef grows her own blueberries at Blueberry Hill Farm in Whakamārama. Local bakers Just Breads supply loaves that rival any classic sourdough, while all other baking is made in-house each day.

Shawn lights up when he talks about the craft behind every product that passes across his counter. If he can support small operators, he will, and if the team can make it in-house, they do.

“People really notice when it’s local,” Shawn says. “And they care.”

His team is another big part of what makes Fikâ stand out. Kylie Overton, who previously cooked for a high-end chef in the Lake District in England, returned to the kitchen after raising children. Shawn encouraged her to experiment, and she’s been shaping the flavours ever since. Rebecca Hunt joined shortly after, bringing her own creativity to the in-house baking. Between them, they fill the cabinet with a mix of traditional favourites and new flavours.

Under the new ownership, large-plate dinners have been replaced with shareable options that encourage guests to try a range of dishes without breaking the bank. Classic breakfast items come in small and large sizes; the Smashed Avo and Feta is a standout, and even the smaller serving is generous. The Chicken Bao Buns and Greek Salad with fresh fish are UNO favourites, and few can resist Fikâ’s famous savoury scroll when walking past.

“That’s a crowd favourite,” laughs Shawn.

Evenings bring approachable dishes, drinks, live music on Sundays, quiz nights, and themed events, keeping that neighbourhood energy alive.

Shawn’s simple intention of feeding people well, knowing them by name, and keeping everything as close to home as possible has paid off. The trick, he says, is to keep the focus steady.

“It’s important to be genuine and keep the doors open to everyone in the community,” he says. “That’s what it’s all about.”

FIKA.NZ

PLATES A PLENTY

In its most ambitious festival yet, Flavours of Plenty continues to champion the freshest and finest of the Bay. From daring flavour pairings to blind cocktail tastings, this year is shaping up to be a standout. WORDS SUE HOFFART

Coastal Bay of Plenty chefs are pushing culinary boundaries with such gusto, they have ensured the biggest Flavours of Plenty Festival yet. Festival director Rae Baker says this year’s eating extravaganza will bring almost 60 food events to the region, beginning in mid-April and running over 18 days. “It’s almost quadrupled in size since we started f ive years ago,” Rae says. “That’s partly because we have all these stunning food products and growers and producers here of course, but it’s our restaurants and cafes and chefs who have really driven the numbers up. So many of them have stepped aside from their everyday offerings and conjured all these exciting new ways to feed us.” Rae says festival events will include contests and workshops, food tours and market days. Some will happen in intriguing venues like a cinema or an art gallery, a community garden, a sculpture park or a marae. However, more than half will unfold inside established eateries and hospitality venues between Ōhope and Waihī Beach. “We just couldn’t do this without our heroic hospo people. Plenty of them have been through tough times in recent years and yet here they are with all this energy and enthusiasm, making edible magic for us.” She says restaurateurs have taken this year’s ‘pushing the palate’ theme to heart and devised experiences that challenge or thrill. Like the Sip Tease offering that invites diners on a blindfolded cocktail adventure in Tauriko. Or the Wings of Fire contest that teams spicy chicken wings with music and a tattoo artist who will create fiery designs.

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GNAM (YUM) CHA AT THE TRADING POST, PAENGAROA

An eight-dish yum cha-style lunch will carry diners from Taiwan to Tuscany.

Italian owner-chef Simone and his international kitchen crew have devised a menu that melds European flavours from his home country with Taiwanese and Singaporean flavours. If Eastern dumplings and Western ravioli had a love affair, it would taste like this, Simone says. He is also promising salads that flirt with spice and an experience that is “deliciously messy in the best way”.

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FINE DINING, DONE DIRTY AT SALTWATER, MOUNT MAUNGANUI

Oysters with attitude and cocktails with character are on the menu during this determinedly unpretentious seven-course lunch. High end food and top-shelf Eurovintage drops will be teamed with a “deliciously unfancy fine-dining vibe”. Palate-pushing? Yes. But also cheeky and playful; indulgence without the ego.

Saltwater restaurant will also host the festival’s madly popular Battle of the Snack competition, where hotshot chefs are paired with rising talent to create imaginative canapés. This one always sells out quickly.

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POLARISING PLATES WITH NEIL SAPITULA AT SOLERA, MOUNT MAUNGANUI

The restaurant’s award-winning former head chef Neil Sapitula is asking diners to be brave when he returns to Solera for one night only. Neil’s daring five-course dinner is built around his favourite polarising ingredients and techniques. No menu will be revealed until the end, and no dishes will be explained, encouraging diners to approach each plate without bias or expectation. Embrace the unexpected, he advises guests. Optional wine matches feature natural and minimal-intervention wines, equally bold in character. Solera is hosting two other events. A second five-course dinner, Melting Point, stars savoury ice cream in every dish. Shaken by the Sea, Stirred by the Land pairs cocktails with seafood.

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PLANTISSIMO AT GRATITUDE EATERY, MOUNT MAUNGANUI

Beloved for its delicious whole food menu and diverse dietary offerings, Gratitude is inviting guests to rethink the classic Italian feast. The usual kitchen team is handing over to Lombardy-born Stefano Raimondi, from Autentico, to offer a six-course vegan experience that will prove “flavour doesn’t need meat, cheese or wine to shine”. The plant-based, alcoholfree dinner will include handmade pasta though, and plenty of Italian-style warmth, generosity and soul. “It will make you rethink what’s truly essential for a happy table,” Stefano says.

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FIVE GO WILD WITH FOOD AT ST AMAND, DOWNTOWN TAURANGA

Five fabulous chefs will each take charge of a course to showcase both their signature style and the region’s best produce. The degustation dinner will also star items chosen from the festival’s Plates of Plenty Challenge box, which challenges eateries to utilise a selection of locally-made artisan products or produce. Naturally, each course will be matched with a small-batch New Zealand wine.

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FIVE BY FIFE AT FIFE LANE KITCHEN AND BAR, MOUNT MAUNGANUI

Five courses, each focussed on a single hero ingredient. Fife Lane will of course utilise the f ire-driven style that fills its tables every week but this event is especially intent on delivering bold flavour combinations, elegant presentation, and a dining experience that celebrates craftsmanship at every level. Seating is communal, creativity is a given.

The restaurant will also host guest speakers at a Fuelling Our Future lunch to fundraise for the Kura Kai charity that feeds families in need.

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NOSE TO TAIL BBQ FEAST AT THE SMOKIN' GOOSE, AWAKERI

A sociable long-table banquet featuring both premium and adventurous cuts of beef, from ox tongue and beef cheeks to osso buco and bone marrow. Expect bold BBQ flavours, nibbles on arrival, a three-course feast and a surprise dessert to push your palate. The rustic Western vibe spills over into live music and guests are invited to dust off their boots and dress to impress.

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SMOKE ON THE WATER AT FISHERMAN’S WHARF, ŌHOPE Gregarious chef Paul Patterson will start his event early, cranking up custom-made wood-fired barbecues from 8am. He will utilise local fruit trees and native wood to cook and smoke a selection of beef, venison and pork in front of his harbourside restaurant. Ticketholders will be able to watch the process during the day, then return in the evening for a four-course meal featuring big flavours, bourbon and blues music. Each course will be paired with either small batch bourbon or red wine. FLAVOURSOFPLENTYFESTIVAL.COM