I recently resigned from my job to look after my mental health. Just a few hours later I found myself sitting next to Sarah from Gizzy Local and somehow, in a brief kōrero, we shared honesty and understanding around mental health. After I left my job I thought life was going to get better, and then even better. But that’s not always how the story goes. I remember lying in bed, feeling physically incapable of getting up. I wondered how much water I needed, to replace the stuff streaming from my eyes. I felt groggy drunk with shame and inadequacy. The work I’d left was not easy by anyone's standards, but the incredible people around me were sticking it out, with far busier lives and way more on their plate than me, so why couldn’t I? I slid a prescription across the pharmacy counter and felt like I’d failed. Having spent the last 10 years managing my mental health without medication — through exercise, meditation, creativity and mindset education — here I was. Antidepressants can take up to 4 weeks to work. Yikes. It sounded like a very long time. Back in bed, popping my first pill, I read through the long list of potential side-effects like it was the menu at a really bad restaurant. Insomnia was the special of the day, with a side of nausea and dizziness. Slamming the door shut to the one place I could escape to, I spent 4 nights owl-eyed in bed while venlafaxine tried to rally the sad and sluggish neurotransmitters in my brain. Telling my flatmates (puffy eyed and wearing a dressing gown) that ‘I’ll return as a butterfly!’, I drove non-stop to Wellington to cocoon away with whānau and be looked after while adjusting to the medication. I manifested a transformation. It took longer than expected and I kept thinking “next week I’ll find work and get myself back together.” It didn’t feel true even as I said it. My body and mind demanded stillness and patience while wings formed beneath my skin. It was a few weeks before I noticed they were there and longer still for them to unfurl. Now I’m a full-time artist pumping things out on social media as I take on an art challenge for the last 100 days of my twenties. It all looks very “go-get-it-girl!” and it’s nice to feel and share the excitement. It also feels important to share my humanness and be authentic. The project was born from a vulnerable and challenging place. I’ve bounced back with a resiliency owed to mental health education, financial security, family support and no dependants. When I think of those among us who live with depression while managing things like poverty, family violence, drug or alcohol abuse and the responsibility of looking after kids or the elderly, I recognise the incredible strength in our community and how many unsung courageous individuals we have here. One day, I’d like to be as comfortable telling my boss I need a day off for my mental health, as I would telling them that I have a cold. One of the top 5 leading causes of death In Aotearoa is people taking their own lives and yet we are still not in a place where taking “mental health days” is encouraged, normalised or fully accepted. Are we okay with that? Sharing our stories and strategies helps reduce shame and shows how common but complicated mental illness is. Checking in on each other, normalising kōrero about mental illness and encouraging healthy social catch-ups (e.g. a hīkoi up Titirangi instead of a beer) are all ways that we can make a change. It’s no fun being swallowed up, but when the black dog spits you out, you might just catch the wave of your life. Words & Moving Images by Stephanie Barnett. Photograph X Ellen Taylor Find more of Steph’s work on Instagram @ stephmarybarnett / www.facebook.com/steph.barnett.77 Photograph @ellenmarytaylor

Now that we’ve all got a few early nights under our belts, it feels like a good time to reflect on the second year of Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival. Each edition has been deeply influenced by the circumstances of the year in which they were held. Last year the inaugural Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival coincided with Tuia 250 and as Tama Waipara noted, “everybody was exhausted. Iwi were getting up every morning to stand up kaupapa across the district” and emotion was high. The Festival was brand new, the tickets were cheap, and between Tuia 250 and the Festival there was a lot going on. This year Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival coincided delightfully with a return to Level 1 - a turn of phrase that wouldn’t have meant a thing to anyone a year ago. In this year so utterly defined by the Covid-19 Pandemic, TTAF 2020 in Level 1 offered the perfect excuse for us all to re-emerge and reconnect. Tama reflected on the “presence of uplift” as people came out and “reclaimed space after a period of anxiety, fear and worry with lockdown”. * * * You will not find an arts festival like Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival anywhere else in the country, as it is by its very definition ‘of this place’. Firmly rooted in Tangatawhenuatanga, it is place-based and comes from the knowledge that we are all culturally located. It is a space that has been claimed for our stories, in our voices, for our people. I have enjoyed the aspects of continuity from 2019 to 2020. Just as the Festival itself has settled into its own bones, so too has Te Ara I Whiti grown into itself, this year bringing the riverbank alive with barefoot kids in pyjamas and parents jogging to keep up. It was cool to be able to wander amongst the light installations and sculptures and be able to guess at the artists behind the works, knowing that through this platform and over time, the expressions of our artists become a recognisable and familiar part of our story. It has been awesome to see in ourselves a community which can and does engage with the arts, which shows up to theatres and other venues in droves, steps up and interacts as active participant when asked to do so; a community that floods our eateries and bars before and after events, who can and do bring our CBD to life when the goods are there on offer. It has been heartening to both observe and experience the flow-on effect of inspiration - the inspiration derived from bearing witness to, or experiencing the creative expression of another, especially when that creative expression comes from someone who looks or sounds like you, who lives in the same part of town as you, or who you might recognise from the farmer’s market. I look forward to seeing who is compelled to add their voice to the Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival stable in the future after experiencing what they have in this year’s offerings. Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will be a potent force for many many years to come, in helping our community find its voice; its many voices, offering us the opportunity to understand ourselves and each other better. Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival also offers an important platform for our creatives, laying down the challenge, ‘What is your expression of this place, your place and your people, in these times? What will you add to this story?’ Words Sarah Cleave Photographs X Tom Teutenberg

Last year the production ‘All Roads lead to Ngatapa’ by the Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust played to packed houses around the East Coast in the inaugural Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival, and I imagine their follow-up production Tūranga: The Land of Milk and Honey will do the same. ‘Tūranga: The Land of Milk and Honey’ might be described as a contemporised version of ‘All Roads lead to Ngatapa’ with a new chapter and some slam poetry, audio visual components, puppetry, dance, mixed media and youth voices all added into the mix. It carries the weighty description as a piece of theatre aiming to propel our society into an equitable future. “Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival - here’s a platform, we’re all artists, we’ve all got stories to tell, let’s learn about each other” Teina Moetara When the team first got together in August last year, there were no preconceptions as to what they were setting out to create. What they did know was the Tuia250 commemorations that were about to take place all around the country, had presented them with a task. The task, producer Francis Hare says, was to present another side to the dominant narrative of this country’s history. The story of the Rongowhakaata Iwi is not well known, except perhaps for certain bits that involve their ancestor, Te Kooti. Moreover, or perhaps because of that, as Director Teina Moetara puts it “we’re an iwi that often comes out as a bit contentious or with a bit of punch” so the group knew that in presenting their side of the story they would need to create something a little bit different, and approach it in a different way. Teina describes the contradicting, conflicting narratives that besiege every so-called history as both “the power and the beauty of it all”, which seems to me an incredibly gracious starting point for this task they had faced themselves with. Nevertheless the paramount consideration for all who were to be involved in this sharing of Rongowhakaata’s story was that “people would walk out from the experience with their mana intact”, including themselves. “It was a chance for us to share our story from our perspective. History has been told to us from another perspective and some things have been left out. They are heavy stories, but they’re beautiful stories as well” Marcia Akroyd While the Arts are intricately woven into the whakapapa of Rongowhakaata, the group’s quest to find a different way to tell their story led them to the very ‘English’ medium of theatre. Within this new medium however, the group utilised the ‘devised process’ - a process as old as Theatre itself, which describes a way of working, which is collaborative and improvisatory, and which Teina describes as aligning very closely to “the way we work on the Marae.” “As artists with our whakapapa in the arts, it’s all about the process - not just the content” Teina Moetara. In talking to all of the different members of the crew, it becomes clear that this approach to creating the works has been huge, providing both the starting point - the space from which different members of the group can speak their own truth - as well as the end point - allowing the resulting production to come together in a way that “people will walk out inspired and empowered, rather than belittled and scared by the history that we have learnt before now” The cast describe the process as enabling them to find greater meaning in what they create, because “so much more of ourselves has gone into the making process”. Actor Rahera Taukamo-Bidois describes having to prepare herself each morning to find the growth or learning in whatever will occur that day. She describes the process as “a Māori way of making”, where everything is done as a group, through wānanga, co-creating and making. “Whatever we make, whether it lands or not, may have triggered something in someone else - everything is a stepping stone. You have to be brave and build your confidence in yourself, even if you think something is dumb, you still offer it up, because it might draw something out of someone else” Marcia Akroyd Raiha Te Ata Hapara Moetara, another member of the cast, talks about the “intense moments” but mostly about returning to the room after those intense moments, “the work is juicy” she says, “it’s mean to watch, it tests and challenges you so much”. The upshot of using this kind process Rahera reckons, is that everyone has that “much more connection to the piece, and are able to perform it in a much more impactful way”. It is the constantly evolving nature of this way of working which has seen more rangatahi brought into the cast this year. Raiha talks about how important it is for her to be showing the next generation that ‘we’re not in that stage anymore, we’re moving through it. Our young people can be proud of our history and not scared of it anymore’. “This is about healing intergenerational trauma from the past. It’s important to heal that part of ourselves to be able to move forward in a stronger way” Marcia Akroyd Everyone involved in ‘Tūranga: The Land of Milk and Honey’ hopes that their work will encourage and inspire other Iwi to tell their own histories. “We are giving this as a koha to our community and if we can be an example to other Iwi, that would be massive” said Marcia. All of the cast also spoke passionately about the impacts of being involved in something like this in their own lives “through this process, we learn things we can apply in our daily lives, in terms of being resilient, vulnerable and standing up when something doesn’t align with our values”, as well as of knowing now what it feels like to be excited for a day’s work, and to leave at the end of the day fulfilled, “this is how I want to spend the rest of my life” says Rahera. “I think we are definitely changing the world doing this kind of mahi” said Raiha and I wholeheartedly agree. Make sure you check out ‘Tūranga: The Land of Milk and Honey’ on October 9, 2pm & 7pm at Lawson Field Theatre, the Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust bringing their stories into the light as a part of Te Tairawhiti Arts Festival 2020. Story & photos by Sarah Cleave.

This weekend just past, something a little bit unexpected took place inside a dimly-lit back entrance on Lowe Street. Until this Saturday night just past, this particular building had been sitting dormant for nine or so years.. cold and crumbling, silent and sleeping. On Saturday night, Steven King literally rattled the old girl awake from her slumber with his new Carrier show, ‘Patterns’. The old girl probably hadn’t ever really paid much attention to her floor before Saturday night, when it was shuddered alive by many pairs of feet, themselves awakened by what went on that evening, rendering the humble, stained and ripped carpet floor a dance floor for one exciting, atmospheric and rather energetic night. ‘Patterns’ was conceived by Steve during Lockdown in collaboration with his three machines; his Roland TR8 Drum Machine, Yamaha QY100 Sequencer and Roland SH 01a mono synth. Steve recognised the time was ripe for creating and, experiencing a certain kind of symbiosis between him and his machinery, he formed his initial concept for the piece within a day. When I first started talking to Steve about putting on a live performance here in Gisborne, he spoke of his desire to bring together an exploration of minimal composition, repetitive beats and spaciousness with a contemplative visual backdrop to create an experience that went beyond entertainment [1] and encouraged the immersion of the audience into the experience. For Steve, this first outing of ‘Patterns’ provided the opportunity to test drive his concept. It also gave him the chance to curate an entire experience in which every aspect was carefully considered and entirely intentional, from Campbell Ngata’s opening DJ set, whose choice of tunes lent a gentle familiarity and therefore some sense of normalcy to the sparce unknown space, to the choice of the space itself.. Steve talks of growing up partying in spaces like the Lowe Street one. But he also refers to the space as an acknowledgment of the origins of the music he makes, an homage if you like, to the grimy groundbreaking beginnings of electronic music; the reclamation of those disused spaces so closely intertwined with the sense of freedom expressed by the new, interesting and exciting forms of music coming alive inside them at the time. Using a vacant building was also important to Steve because “there are so many of these empty decaying buildings in Gisborne right now - we need to take back some that real estate and give it life, make it vibrant and do interesting things that stimulate people and get them excited”. For those of us lucky enough to experience this first outing of ‘Patterns’, the atmospheric location certainly added another layer to the visual package delivered alongside the audio, with its themes of decay and patterns; namely the particular pattern that we as humanity have been running the past hundred years or so, which is revealing itself to have been not such a great one. The visual compilation which was played in reverse, delivered a strong message of the need for us to undo what we have done. For an audience who has become well-used to their electronic music experiences involving a DJ and a laptop, getting to dance to a guy who’s making the music in real time just a few metres away, (and pulling in wonderful additions such as the cassette tape loop technique he’s recently been playing around with), it was no wonder that Saturday night’s audience showed their appreciation for the Carrier show in a big way. So while Steve had his own ideas about how this piece that he’s been plugging away from the safety of his headphones these past few months might be received, he wasn’t at all prepared the the outcome, which he describes as “a crazy thing”. He suggests that it was some kind of perfect storm in which the heightened excitement of a group of people brought together in a new space to experience something largely unknown, in combination with his material translated through an incredible sound system, created a lot more energy than he’d expected. “Art is designed to evoke a response, but you cannot control what that response is” Steve soliloquised, “and in this case the response was overwhelmingly crazy”. The last 20 plus years has seen Steven King move through many aspects of the electronic music scene. He has worked alongside many NZ artists including Pitch Black and the Nomad, audio genius Chris Chetland from Kog, and has shared compilations with household names like Trinity Roots and Fat Freddy’s Drop. King has released music in the U.S, Europe and the U.K and his music continues to be selected by DJs on European sound systems. He has been the opening act for international artists like Mad Professor and David Harrow - The James Hardway Quartet and has played to huge audiences like those that attended the One Love Festival’s and the Cuba St and Newtown Carnival’s in Wellington [2]. We are lucky to have Steven King and his musical talents in our midst, and we hope to see him sharing them with us again one day.. eh Steve! Story by Sarah Cleave. Photographs X Scott Austin [1] & [2] Excerpts from the Patterns event description written by Jo Pepuere.

For many Whataupoko dwellers, Ballance Street Village lingerers, and lovers of fine secondhand goods alike, this view of Ro Darrall and Doris in graceful repose out on the porch, will be a familiar sight. Waving out to passersby, receiving visitors and customers, taking in the gentle bustle of the Ballance Street Village on a good day.. Ro Darrall’s porch provides the shop frontage to her beloved shop Retro, a veritable treasure trove of retro and vintage goods from household objects to furniture, jewellery and clothing. The roots of Ro’s shop might be traced back to Ro’s childhood in Morrinsville and the many hours whiled away waiting and looking around the local Auction House as her mother, an avid collector of antiques, scoured the sprawling premises for elegant pieces to grace their home. When Ro left school and headed to Auckland, it was probably her grandmother’s influence that saw her entering the fashion business. Her grandmother liked to attend fashion shows, bought a new wardrobe for every season and put on a fresh outfit at 5pm each day, ready to face the evening ahead in style. Ro did her training in the Fashion Department at Milne and Choice, did a bit of modelling, was a Mary Quant cosmetic consultant for a while, and began collecting herself, “The op shops were fantastic back then.” Even then Ro would mostly go for objects from the 1940’s and 50’s eras because of “the design and the way things were made, they were made to last”. After a while Ro set off travelling, off to experience the ‘Shipboard Life’ for a while. The ship Ro boarded ended up in Italy, which was where Ro got off. Some few years later later, she came to Gisborne to hang out at the beach for a summer, and “that was it really.” During the 80’s and 90’s photography and music provided a colourful backdrop to Ro’s new life in Gisborne. For these she had her father to thank. Her dad had loved to make movies during her own childhood, and had bought Ro her first Box Brownie as a child. He had a couple of speakers permanently set up in the cowshed, presumably to woo the cows with Dean Martin and the likes, and was “always buying new 45s”. So in amongst raising two beautiful children Ro also used to DJ at the Gladstone Road bar No9, “up in the rafters” and brought in House DJ’s from the cities during the late 80s and, as I’m sure anyone who was there at the time will also attest, “the place went off”. Ro was also doing family portraiture, wedding and commercial photography and has also put together her fair share of shows on Radio 2ZG, The Switch and Tūranga FM over the years, sticking with her two favourite genres House and Jazz. It was after returning to Europe to watch her daughter Darnelle race at the World Rowing Championships in Eton, that Ro began collecting again in earnest with the idea of opening up a shop; a shop as it turned out, called Retro. Ro loves all the people she gets to meet and the stories she gets told about the treasures that end up in Retro - stories she then gets to pass on to the people who buy them. There’s a bit of sadness too though, which is the nature of the job when all of the items in her shop come from people cleaning out their parent’s homes or people who are down-sizing from the family home to a unit or residential care. More often than not, that passing of items from one set of hands to another represents the end of an era. To off-set that sadness though, Ro has plenty of local regulars as well as people visiting her shop from all over the country. Since Covid she says “it’s just like Christmas, it’s been so busy”. Busy with lots of people who just love this place, this place that Ro so clearly adores too. Story and Photo by Sarah Cleave

It was 4pm on a Sunday. The late afternoon sun was glowing gold, the sound of kids having a ball drifts over from the playground across the road, and from an unassuming garage came some sweet Sunday-sounding tunes from a stereo. Peeking inside, I spied a couple of what looked like bar leaners.. small tables waiting for a few Sunday arvo drinks perhaps? A couple of guys enter the garage and assume positions on either side of one of the tables. But instead of grabbing a drink they dip one hand in the chalk smattered over the table and grip the small handle at each end of the table with their other. The two men join their chalked hands in a loose grip and then proceed to roll their wrists around around in what I learn is arm wrestling warm up 101. John went to his first comp in 2014 and started the club in 2015. The club has been growing ever since, with about thirteen members consistently training at the moment, as many of them prepare for the upcoming Nationals. The tables inside start squeaking and I notice the six members, four men and two women, training inside ending up at some fairly extreme angles to the floor, table and each other. Heading inside I notice legs wrap around or push against the table legs, the other leg planted firmly on the ground. Sweat is beginning to bead on foreheads, the laughter and banter rise to match the volume of the music. Everyone’s got their favourite grip and technique; their best arm. It’s a whole body experience, I’m told. But mostly in the hand, wrist and forearm, not really the bicep. And it’s all about that initial grip. Sometimes you will know you’ve lost just by the feel of that first clasp, reckons Nuks, my trainer for the day. While arm wrestling is not for everyone and it’s not so well-known here, the New Zealand arm-wrestling scene is described as one big family. A sport that most often takes place in pubs, the competitions are unsurprisingly followed up by a good dose of socialising, and of course enough arm wrestling matches to ensure pretty tired arms by the end of the night. The Lock N Drop Club meets Sunday afternoons, and during the week the members do their own personal training. As I can attest after just one session with these guys, the club is all about teaching people how to arm wrestle as safely as possible. And as far as I could see this particular music and laughter-filled Sunday afternoon, it’s also about friendships, getting physical, a bit of banter and some good times. Thanks Darlene and John for having me and Nuks for all the tips! I’ll definitely be pulling them out next time I find myself at a table.. If you’d like to try your hand at arm wrestling, you can find Lock N Drop on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/Lock-N-Drop-Armwrestling-Club-1181556288580022 Story and photographs by Sarah Cleave

Amanda May first started making jewellery when she was about 6 years old. Along with her parents and three sisters, she made jewellery to sell at the Flea Market (now known as the Early Bird Market) to supplement the family income. The four girls would sit at their stall, threading up, beading, make sizing adjustments for their customers and keeping up with whatever jewellery trends were happening at the time..love beads, wire jewellery, feather earrings and stamped leather cuffs all had their time in the limelight.. Amanda has been the only one of her sisters to return to jewellery after those formative beginnings, but not before a few creative diversions along the way.. After finishing up her 4 year diploma in Interior Design at Carrington Polytech Design School, (now Unitec), Amanda was an architectural draftsperson for a couple of years before moving to Brighton in the UK where she worked as an Interior Designer with a firm specialising in hospitality fit-outs, designing bars and cafes around Europe. Returning to New Zealand some years later she continued with Interior Design for a firm specialising in healthcare and hotel interiors until 1999, when she decided the time had come for something new. Signing up for the Winemaking Course at the Tairāwhiti Polytech, Amanda found herself back in her hometown. In close succession came not just a family and a new home, but a lavender farm! In seeking to find an outlet for all the lavender she suddenly had on her hands, Amanda took another new turn, taking over the gift store on Gladstone Road called Bex, and it was this which saw her return to making jewellery. The label Bird of Prey was born to showcase Amanda’s creative endeavours, including her bold and gutsy jewellery collections. But while Bird of Prey is these days solely focused on jewellery, the vibe has remained the same, speaking to the values of freedom, strength and courage. After three months of gathering inspiration and motivation in Europe in 2019, Bird of Prey Jewellery has gone online. Whilst one might describe Bird of Prey jewellery as quirky and different to the mass-produced stuff, it’s ‘not so crazy that you can’t wear it’. Most recently Amanda has moved her jewellery-making out of the house and into a custom-built studio in her garden. The Bird of Prey Studio is where all the dreaming and making happens, and the beauty of having it at home is that she can keep her prices reasonable and the hours can flex to suit customers’ needs and local markets as they arise. Amanda is also always happy to carry out jewellery repairs, so if your favourite piece is languishing in some forgotten treasure box somewhere, take it along to the Bird of Prey Studio for Amanda to bring it back to life! The Bird of Prey Studio is open on Friday afternoons, or by appointment. Or you can find Bird of Prey online anytime at www.birdofprey.co.nz / @birdofpreyjewellery on Instagram / www.facebook.com/BirdofPreyJewellery

“I’m lucky, the kids are cool. Every year I think, this is it, I’m hanging up the boots, I’m off somewhere else. But then I see the kids again, and I’m back in. It’s humbling and neat”. Talking with Pura Kerekere Tangira, the conversation always comes back to the kids that he teaches, and this underlying theme of ‘belonging’. Which is perhaps why, no matter how tired Pura feels by the end of each year, he’s always back in the kura carpark at the beginning of the next year, guitar slung over his shoulder, and one or two of his nieces at his side ready to share te reo Māori, waiata, the stories of this place and a sense of belonging with our Gizzy kids.. Like many other parents and kids in this town, I have only ever known Pura Kerekere Tangira as Papa Pura. To some kids, he’s just Papa. Back in the day when the kids ran up to him in the kindy carpark, he’d notice their parents looking a little unsettled to see them hurtling towards ‘this dreadlocked, moko’ed up guy’. But these days he reckons it’s different, “Everyone’s used to me now...I’m a long way now from feeling like I am just ticking a box”. Pura has been teaching te reo Māori, Haka and Tikanga Māori on and off, but mostly on, since he was 18 years old. But while that seems completely natural now in retrospect, it was completely surprising to him and his whanau when it first started heading in that direction. Pura grew up with his Grandfather, Bill Kerekere, the renowned composer and broadcaster. Bill and his family moved from Gisborne to Wellington in the early 60’s to work in the newly-established New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation’s Māori Programmes section, and all of his moko including Pura, were born in Wellington. As Bill attended Māori hui of significance around the country, recording mihi, waiata and proceedings to be sent out on the radio waves, Pura was often there with him: “Every moment we weren’t at kura, we were next to him doing his thing. I had to carry his bags and sit at his feet, and so his reo was and still is, my reo”. Bill also ran a few Kapa Haka teams so haka was also a big part of Pura’s younger days. But it while it was in his blood and in his bones he didn’t actually “know what it was that I knew”.. Pura was sent by his grandparents to Christ’s College in Christchurch as he puts it ‘to get away from people who look like me’. He had never seen anything like it, “A castle! All the teachers had black cloaks on, like Dracula. I was crying to my grandmother, you can’t leave me here, look at them - they’re going to kill me!” There were a total of three kids who looked Māori in the whole school, “It was the first time I found out I was black.” Pura recalls doing the “most terrible haka with the most passion” and remembers not knowing what the words were. Some of his peers at the school were 4th, 5th generation Pākehā, their ancestors had come on the first Pākehā boats and had slept in those same school beds. For Pura it was a real eye opener, “But I got to do things I wouldn’t have got to do, met people I wouldn’t have met”. When Pura’s Grandfather retired and moved back up to Tūranganui-a-kiwa, Pura thought he would never have to do haka again. Now, ironically, it’s what he does, “And I love it”. So how did he get from there to here? At the age of 18, Pura was attending a hui in the Waikato. When a kaumatua asked for the song that Bill Kerekere had written for the Māori King to be sung, Pura couldn’t remember it and thought to himself ‘This can’t happen ever again’. The Monday following, one of his mates said he was off to do some haka, “Come on then” said Pura, and off he went. The next day he started a reo Māori course and two weeks later he was teaching. The songs started coming back to him and soon he was teaching Haka too. His grandfather Bill told him to go and get a ‘real job’ - that kind of thing was for doing after work he said. But Pura assured him he was getting paid more to do that than he had been for labouring, and so it began.. Starting out in Wellington, Pura taught in colleges, kindergartens and some of the first Kohanga Reo. He worked with the New Zealand School of Dance, the New Zealand Ballet, “Oh this is different” he thought. Bill was happy. Pura ended up working as a tour guide for a while, “I think I was good on the mike” and held the contract to teach te reo Māori in Parliament, counting Helen Clarke amongst his students. “I was even worse dressed then” he reckons, “there weren’t even any shoes involved in those days”. He started working at te Wananga o Aotearoa when he moved to the Waikato. Then they asked him to fly the flag for them in the prison, running te reo Māori programmes. It ended up going nationwide with locals running the programmes, which eventually included painting, raranga, carving and haka. For Pura it was all about his students being able to “fill their kete before they left”. He talks of some of his students wanting to stay put - in prison - so that they’d be able to take part in the kapa haka competition. Pura also ran a Tikanga Marae course at Waihirere for people who were on their way to or from prison for 13 years. But in the end he didn’t want to be an ambulance anymore, wanting to go at it from the other end, see if he could make more progress that way. So what exactly does that progress look like? Pura Kerekere Tangira describes it as our kids learning through waiata, the stories of this place and its people, of our kids being able to stand up and introduce themselves, giving them their own experience of the customs, beliefs and tikanga of Tangata Whenua. “At the least they’re learning another language” he says, “and at the most, they might want to take it further.” Pura talks about hearing kids telling their parents off for the way they pronounce Makaraka or Te Karaka, which he describes as “huge” because of course when he grew up, he said it the same way. As one of the parents of two of Pura’s students, and therefore by extension one of his students myself, the overwhelming lesson that I have taken home from Pura and the way he shares te reo and Tikanga Māori in our kura is that of Manaakitanga and his intention and ability to instil a sense of belonging in everyone that he sings alongside. “I love that - that belonging” he says, “It’s only us that walk like us and talk like us, and play like us”. Pura ends each of his school sessions with “Ka kite, Adios Amigos, Au Revoir, Nanu nanu, Coast with the Most!” and he gets that a lot, walking down the street, from kids he’s sung with, past and present “Coast with the Most Papa!” “It’s an honour” he says. And so it is. Thank you Pura. We are indeed honoured. Story by Sarah Cleave Photographs by Tom Teutenberg

Two years ago with her partner at her side Amy Moore embarked on the scariest thing she’d ever done... going on reality (not really reality) TV for 3 months. She knew that it would either make her or break her, and as it so happened, it did both. Amy talks about how it broke her physically and even more so mentally, getting inside her head and breeding fear. She began to fear other peoples’ opinions, public gatherings, social media.. she didn’t leave her own home for about 6 weeks after getting back, her ‘own personal lockdown’. After time though and with a little help from her friends, she made her way back to a place where she found enough belief in herself to do something different with her life; something meaningful that brought her enjoyment. Being creative has always been a part of Amy’s life and finding a physical space in which to do that was, as she describes it, her ‘saving grace’. Claiming the front of a commercial property occupied by her partner Stu and her Dad, a few walls were removed, a splash of colour added - mustard of course - and The WorkShop was born. Although it was pretty much ready to roll earlier this year, lockdown proved in some ways a blessing, giving Amy time to psych herself into actually physically opening the doors to the public. Since opening those doors a few months ago now, the Workshop has blossomed and morphed as any truly creative space does. The beautiful little shop with its hint of tasteful Indonesian tattoo parlour, filled with stylish crafts, good smells and vintage finds, was turned into a workshop space over the school holidays, where participating kids turned their hands to weaving. Next on the shapeshifting agenda is an indoor winter market for local artisans in the adjoining shed, which is taking place this Saturday 25 July, from 11am - 4pm. Amy is clear that the WorkShop is not only a creative space for herself, but for others as well. A place to pick up a handmade gift or vintage treasure, a place to sit and flick through books to derive a little inspiration for your home or a place to just pop in for a cuppa and to soak up a little inspiration for you too to do more of the things that you love. Don’t miss the opportunity to tap into a whole lot of local craftiness and some much-needed mid-winter colour and inspiration - The Workshop, 73 Carnarvon Street, next to Bollywood.

We spoke to Trish Tangaroa about what she would like to see for our community and our country as we re-emerge into Level One; new ways of doing things that would help whanau as well as Mother Nature: “During lockdown, I walked and walked. I reckon I probably walked more during lock down than I had in the last three years. I would walk, and I would notice all of the colours, the totally different look of the place; the āhua and the wairua of the place with no one around. It was so incredibly peaceful. I felt free and exhilarated, and despite the lockdown I felt happy. And despite (or perhaps because of) the lack of humans, I felt the same exhilaration all around me; Tangaroa laughed, Papatuanuku slept and Ranginui, bless his heart, just shone because thats his job. I had time to breathe, and enjoy a new world. “And I thought about how I love walking and how I love having no cars around. The Pacific Islands have carless Sundays. I spent 8 years in the Islands, between Rarotonga and Noumea with VSA (Volunteers Services Abroad). On Sundays the world stops except for the crescendo of harmony that reverberates from the spires of the churches. Life stops for that one day, then the cacophony reconfigures on the Monday. I wish for one day a week, life as we know it would stop. And we would inhale and exhale and so would Nature and Time and God. One day a week without cars. “I’ve kept the walking up after lock down but not as much because I’ve got to go to work. I’m waiting for Ardern to say we’re having four day working weeks now. I’m a teacher. Many at school can see sense in that. You probably get more out of people packing it into four days than you do now. Honestly. I think that the kids know that if they pack all that work into four days then they’ll get a three day weekend. They’ll be fine with it and they’ll pump..I’ll pump! “Covid provided us with an alternative reality. Our world is a walking time bomb that is difficult to navigate and which if we are not careful, we will destroy. Just as Covid 19 has destroyed much of mankind. This year I can retire and I know that I cannot continue for much longer with the stress of the life that teaching brings. The opportunity to do something for myself, such as finish my Masters in Te Reo, beckons. “I think we had so much opportunity to reevaluate our lives during lockdown, hard out”.

It’s no secret our city centre needs some tender tough-love and care - Buildings hang about like vacant-eyed drop kicks making trouble. Last week I sat down with Mayor Rehette Stoltz to hear from a person with power why this place is feeling like a ghost town. And reassuringly, in a comforting sort of way, she shared her fears of empty shop fronts looking like ‘someone who's lost some teeth.’ And, as you would expect, she said the council has an answer. But first, let me set the record straight - There’s a lot I have in common with the past American President George Bush Snr and there is a lot I do not. We both gained a Bachelor of Arts degree and flirted with the newspaper industry. However, I can tell you I am not a Republican, nor was I a member of the Yale Cheerleading Squad. But nine words of his in 1989 put me and Bush in the same proverbial box: "Buildings should not stand empty while people lack shelter." Yes, our homeless are housed for this moment of pandemic, but will it last? We have empty buildings and a chronic need for housing. We have a city that rattles when the wind blows and our unfortunates once slept on the streets after they were evicted from long-empty buildings. Is that what we consider fair? And the kick that hurt came from behind, after I fell on an article dated 2015 in The Gisborne Herald ‘Mayor Foon calls for low-cost apartments for Gisborne.’ The title had me tickled, was inner-city development on the way? I picked up the phone and got a hold of ex-mayor Meng Foon, now New Zealand’s Race Relations Commissioner. “Five years ago I said the CBD was declining. I suggested that we should make it as easy as possible to have residential buildings in the city and to turn some of the different commercial buildings into apartments to create vibrancy. I thought it was a good idea.” However, my phone call with the commissioner and Foon’s pitch both had equally patchy reception. “There were snide remarks,” Foon recalled, they said, “‘our city will turn into a slum’ - which is not true, many cities around the world have inner-city residential properties and they’re vibrant places.” And now, Foon is gone. Is this council any different? Having had a moment in the leading role, I spoke to Mayor Rehette Stoltz to hear what she wanted for the heart of the city. “Empty buildings are not unique to Gisborne, the way we shop and the way we do business has changed significantly over the last 20 years,” Stoltz said over a coffee at the Tairāwhiti Museum. “A lot of our CBD buildings are Historic Places that cost an arm and a leg to do it up and earthquake strengthen, I know millions of dollars have been spent in the CBD, and if you're lucky enough to be able to afford to do that - fabulous. But unfortunately not everyone is in that position to quickly whip out a few million bucks to earthquake strengthen - and that's why some of our buildings are standing empty.” And here a comment about the council from my conversation with Foon comes to mind. “Council is a philosopher, it’s not in the ‘doing’. Its role is creating the environment and the rules that enable people to do things as easy as possible,” Foon said. And in a similar, yet more practical sort of vein Stoltz seemed to agree. Because Council is not in the business of getting involved in our business - it does that enough. Stoltz repeatedly said, “We do not want to interfere in private business, we want to enable it.” So if the council will not earthquake strengthen our buildings, who will? Trust Tairāwhiti perhaps? Meekly, I pushed forward asking about my inner-city dreams of development. Is the council going to develop our empty downtown? “Yes,” Stoltz said, “there is definitely a push for us to start looking at what we can do with those spaces. “Our new spatial plan is an integral part of us growing and changing the whole feel of the CBD, there's a whole chapter on the development of the CBD.” But Stoltz argues the council needs to create downtown energy to attract inner-city life before putting up apartments willy-nilly. “You can't just say ‘let's make a few apartments.’ You need to make people want to live there, you need to make spaces that they can hang out in, have their lunch in the sun and cycleways to connect it up. So one of the discussions we have had going forward is that we might have to look at compacting the city.” But the thing that perked up my ears, nose and eyes was Stoltz suggested a town square may be on the cards. A place for a few benches, a patch of grass for people to congregate and catch up with a coffee. May I suggest paving over Peel Street? And I think she is right, ‘Build it and they will come.’ The boardwalk along Waikanae beach is constantly peppered with people every hour of the day. You need delicious and desirable ingredients for punters to make the move and live the city centre life. But as Stoltz said, our habits have changed and the city centre is no longer the shopping destination it once was. The city needs to provide for the twenty-first century shopper. “A lot of our planning is archaic and needs to be addressed, and it's a fair comment that we need to tidy up our district planning requirements around developments not only in the CBD, because it's not always fit for purpose.” She says our district plan may not give us the best outcomes. “Our zoning is not prohibitive as such, but it's not encouraging it either.” Stoltz gave the example of a laboratory requesting consent just outside of Gisborne which was required to have seven parking spaces under the current district Council plans when the only visitors they had was a courier driver. She says the council staff do not have the discretion just to say ‘Oh that is silly, let’s just go ahead,’ because they are required to follow the plans. “So then we tie people up with the red tape, because then they need to get a planner involved, ring the mayor's office, and in the end, they can do it. But if our plans were permissive and our plans were modern - our plans would make sense.” “I believe the most important thing we as a Council can do is to get our plans modernised and address the needs that have evolved over the past 20 years.” “But in the past five or six years, so much already in the town has happened that lifted the overall feeling, like the new council building, the new library, the new theatre, new cycleways, so even though it's not targeted directly at the CBD, we shouldn't forget about the things that connect at all up.” And as much as locals love to moan, the revitalization is visible. The beach boardwalk, cycleway to Wainui, Fox Street mountain bike tracks, the port beautification and a new Gladstone Road bridge. There is change and we can follow the right track if we choose it. There’s no reason we cannot be like Porto, Barcelona and the seaside cities along the Mediterranian that tout cosy apartments dressed with balconies perfect for peering down at life below. Cities where you can stumble to a drinking hole one minute and fall in the door of a dinky restaurant outside your apartment the next. The same is possible here. We have the port, the cityscape, sunshine and a lively bunch of locals. Combined, Trust Tairāwhiti , Gisborne Holdings Limited and the council have over a billion dollars in assets - It may be time they put some of that to downtown use, and maybe, we can buy this city a new set of teeth. Words by Jack Marshall Photographs by Tom Teutenberg

March 21, 2020 When we talked to Tessa Stephens at Flagship Eatery today she was fresh from listening to Jacinda's address to the nation in which she announced that New Zealand has moved up to Covid-19 alert level 2. She was understandably feeling pretty shaky. "Today's probably been the quietest day we've seen. Until today people have still been coming and are super supportive. We had the last Burger Night last night and it was busy and had a fun party vibe. ”But I think after today's announcement everything will change. ”The beauty of it is we're all suffering together, it makes it a little easier knowing that." March 22, 2020 This is Emily Walpole. She's been wondering whether there are any local groups organising support for people at risk from Covid 19. She also has a Covid 19 support idea of her own: Shared Shopping. “Everyone's going to need to continue to go food shopping and we've been asked to shop as normal (chocolate and wine for me!) I've seen people posting on facebook offering to collect groceries for our at risk community, and we can also group shop with our friends and neighbours to help reduce the number of people out and about. There’s a great app to help you do this called Out of Milk https://www.outofmilk.com/ ”It’s a free app for Android and IOS, which allows you to create shopping lists that you can share with others, via the app, email, or text... simple”. March 23, 2020 This is Rob Pokoati & Marama Pepe, sitting outside their place after a bike ride and soaking it all up. We’re talking to different Gizzy locals about how things are for them in these times, about how we can best support each other as this rapidly changing situation unfolds: “I think everyone should be getting in touch with their friends and just really seeing how they’re going. Instead of messaging everybody, ring them and talk to them, we’re all in the same boat you know. ”There might be some people who are almost paralysed with fear because things are really uncertain, especially with work and stuff. ”But I suppose in a positive light, the world is saying, sit down and reflect on what you are doing, and change, change your ways. ”That’s what we’re doing out here, we just got back from a bike ride and now we’re just soaking it all up. We see these two kingfishers flying over and I was just saying then, ‘Far out I’ve never seen those here before’. It’s almost like the earth is saying to us, sit here and listen, and reflect. ”Yesterday when we rode our bikes out to Wainui there were so many people out riding their bikes, which is awesome. I suppose times like this would be good times to do book exchanges too, when you’ve got so much time on your hands”. March 23, 2020 Jo McKay was down at Midway watching her kids in the surf over the weekend. We’re talking to different Gizzy locals about how things are for them in these times; about how we can best support each other as this rapidly changing situation unfolds: “How am I finding these times? Fast. It’s all happening very quickly. And as much as I am concerned, I am also in equal measures really interested and excited to see the positives and the changes we need in our society, to come out. "Me personally, I just want to make sure that I have social contact with friends. Its my main thing actually. And in terms of supporting each other, my hope is that as neighbourhoods we will all reach out to each other and find out who are the people living close by that need support and how we can look after each other, share resources, be generous, be kind. “Tomorrow I am hosting a neighbourhood gathering with distance, where we may or may not drink tea together. Just to check in, to make sure we all know each other, make sure that the people who need supplies have people to get supplies for them, find out who has access to different resources ,if that’s needed. Mostly make sure we know how to contact each other and that we feel comfortable doing so.” March 24, 2020 Meet Dylan, Charlotte and baby Jameson. These guys were at the neighbourhood gathering called by Jo McKay in the weekend. Jo asked them how they were going: "We're feeling a little annoyed everything is getting bought out. Panic buying is inconvenient. That's the only issue for us really. "We don't need any support yet but want to make sure that all people do their bit to keep everyone safe. It only takes one person to drop the ball. "Silver linings are the drop in pollution, which is cool. And the gardening. People are looking to the land instead of the supermarket". March 25, 2020 This is Shanon O'Connor’s bookcase. She’s feeling optimistic about the community supporting each other through COVID19. “People are stressed and reading is powerful for helping readers escape their reality. Social media is dominated right now with minute-by-minute updates and while its good to stay informed, it’s also important to unplug”. On Friday, because of COVID19, the Gisborne public library closed. In the weekend Shanon shared photos and videos of her bookshelves #bookshelftour and the next day she was delivering books to mailboxes across Turanganui-a-Kiwa. In the spirit of kindness, many readers returned the offer and now Shanon is looking forward to the stack of books she brought home with her. This gesture has been mirrored across the community with some gyms lending out equipment, some gardeners sharing seedlings, some businesses lending out tech and the list goes on. March 26, 2020 Lil and Shane Aupouri. Shane: “I think our hierarchy made a good call, instead of saying ‘when should we do it?’ - Just doing it. We are in a good spot. And hopefully we learn from this and we do makes changes in our lives and how we get on with each other.” Lil: “There’s a rainbow in this..there are lots of them. You just need to look for them. If you even just look at the groceries at the supermarket, there’s bags of flour now, which is what I grew up with, big bags. I saw big pottles of dripping, like for fry bread. And I thought, woah, it’s really taking us back to how we were raised. You’ve got to cook all your kai now, you can’t just ring up and order takeaways. We’ve got to look at what we’ve got and think, how can I stretch that, how can I feed my whanau - you do the carrots and I’ll do the spuds, and you knead nan’s rewana. Nan will show you how to fry it. That’s how we were raised, and now we’ve got the time to do that because no one’s going to work. ”So there’s a rainbow there. That’s how I see it. "As a teacher, I know that there are people hurting, But we’ll all adapt, work things out. There’s so much that we can do ourselves that we’ve lost - we’ve become a convenience society”. March 31, 2020 While the weather was playing ball last week, getting out on the bikes with her kids was essential for Rural Plunket Nurse and Mum Vanessa Robertson. For the less inspiring forecast this week, she's kept a bunch of 'inside ideas' in her back pocket, including some keep her and the kids active - check out the YMCA Gisborne Fitnesspage for a bunch of challenges & ideas. “I’m at home by myself with the kids and I think that’s a blessing. My kids are adjusting to their new normal. This is giving them an opportunity to realise how connected they are and how this is going to water their connection with each other, rather than being distracted by friends and the goings on of our world. “I’ve slowed down, put my feet on the ground. What’s the hurry, it’s heavenly. In the mornings, there are no lunch boxes, no rushing. I can stop and have breakfast instead of drinking a smoothie in the shower. "Our work are doing home consults. My clients are used to being isolated so this is just another day for them. They’re like, ‘everybody welcome to our world. Every day we make our bread, and we don’t let the kids guzzle two litres of milk every day’. But they [my clients] are really grateful of the phone calls. My work are being great; we’re told to do what we can and to take care of ourselves. It’s bringing out the best in loads of people eh… “My 12 year old daughter is really embracing learning from home. She's set up this amazing workspace in her room. She’s got a diffuser going, she’s got flowers, it’s just gorgeous. She’s motivated to do her school work online, but I’m finding it tough seeing them on their screens more than usual. So I’m adjusting. I’m like, ‘can’t we read a book for a bit?’” April 1, 2020 Aimee: ”I'm enjoying the rahui in a lot of ways. I love spending more time with my partner and son. As a nurse and mum I'm tapping into my natural urge to nuture. I'm feeding them good nutritious food and keeping the house hospital grade clean! It's been a long time since I've baked bread from scratch and I intend to use the fruit trees, (which are laden) to preserve, something I never have time to do. ”I feel very fortunate that as a nurse I am able to work from home. My role is in needs assessment for the elderly so I manage most of that coordination from home. (Lucky I have an IT guy in the house!) As you can imagine it has been complicated by COVID19 but not as much as my nursing colleagues on the frontline who i truly admire. I'm so proud of them and our chosen profession. As a community I have been heartened by the kindness I've seen toward the vulnerable members of our community. People allowing elderly to the front of supermarket queues, helping them with shopping, checking on the homeless to make sure they are ok, standing at checkpoints to protect the nannies and papas up the coast. I feel pretty blessed to be part of this community right now. ”To pass some time and bring a little happy to the situation we thought we'd share a ukelele song on FB. We had a lot of positive comments that it was 'uplifting' and made people smile. So we made another one and challenged other local musicians to do the same. There is a lot of diversity in the music scene here so I really hope others take up the challenge. What better time to showcase local talent? Captive audience! ”I’m finding it hard trying to limit teenager gaming...and to get him to eat the fruit before the biscuits. Food rationing not going so well lol! OWEN (on the right): ”Working from home has been good. Being in IT there has been very little change in my daily work, except a greater focus on helping others get setup to work from home. As a family we have started a daily fitness routine, and daily challenges. I've struggled with focusing 100% on work when in a home enviroment, especially with school holidays and normal home distractions.” FINN (on the left) ”Pros: more game time, more family time, sleeping in, staying up late Cons: not being able to see mates, schooling (it's harder to ask questions to the teacher), sports are off. No fast food!” April 2, 2020 This is Monica Donnelly and the other members of her bubble, her kids and fellow bear hunters: "I won’t lie, I struggled at the beginning of the lockdown, all the changes and disrupted routines were extremely stressful. Plus “trying” to work from home and help the kids adjust to our new lifestyle...had a big fat cry to let it all out and we’ve been prioritising fun each day since. "Yesterday we went on a bear hunt around our neighbourhood yesterday. After 40 minutes of walking we found 74 bears! "Big shout out to the lady who hid behind her unicorn on the window sill and made it wave back to the kids, they were jumping with excitement. "My neighbours' daughter and mine have been writing letters to each other to arrange times to turn their walkie talkies on for a chat. "There’s been a lot of fort building, tree climbing and cake baking, I’m pretty excited to see what the next few weeks brings" April 3, 2020 "We went from a fabulous whanau weekend at the WOMAD festival in Taranaki, to doing work and school from home, all within a week. Initially it was very strange as it happened so quickly. It took a few days to accept that we were going to be home-based for a few weeks, and I'd have little panic moments throughout the day when I thought about it, but we are now settling into a rhythm and it's good. "It can be hard to stay on task when working from home. My husband is working from the shed and I'm working from our bedroom. There are 4 kids in the house, 2 of whom are teenagers. They're missing their friends, school and sport, but we're lucky we like hanging out together. I worry for people in bubbles who may not get on very well. "I try to focus on the positives of our day and the things I'm grateful for, like our health, our home and our jobs. We are trying to create things to look forward to in our days, things like dress up dinners and exercise sessions. I've been quite inspired seeing what others are doing to keep positive, and I get ideas that I put to the family over dinner. So far, they have been keen to play along! "I believe this rahui is going to be very hard for so many people, but also positive in so many ways. We all have a chance to reset, rethink how things are done, and spend quality time with people we love. Technology is great for connecting, and we've been using it more to have video conference calls with whanau". April 5, 2020 This is local artist & mum, Phoebe Gander, who’s at home with her three kids and husband who is working 4 days a week: “I can’t really create much art right now, so I’ve focused on running a 30 day online art challenge #aprilforartists2020. “The aim is for artists to share about themselves and their art practice by responding to daily prompts. I ran the same challenge last year - it was a great way to meet other artists and for them to gain confidence and followers too. “I had the idea because when I first started sharing my art on social media it was really daunting - I had a lot of self doubt. This challenge helps artists to overcome those fears - they get a set list of content, the accountability encourages them to see the challenge through and they become part of a community. “Last week I ran an art competition for children to create a ‘friendly face’ portrait on the Wainui Community Facebook page. My sons and I picked winners from four age groups, who won a small prize. I shared all the entries on the Facebook page and encouraged the children to display them in their windows so people can see their ‘friendly faces’ when they are out for a walk around the community. It was so lovely to see the amazing artworks and I had such positive feedback that I’ll be running another one this week!” I find creating art so therapeutic but with only having a few minutes each day I was getting frustrated in my attempts to carry on with my larger artworks. So I’ve adapted my practice to more achievable small works. It’s also a perfect time to experiment with materials and colours that I’d never normally feel like using and to set up art activities with my children - we’ve had a few co-creating sessions which have been (mostly) a fun experience!” April 7, 2020 Many of you will recognise this as the face of Smash Palace. Darryl Monteith and partner Kerry Donovan had just departed for their 5 week dream European holiday when they had to turn around & come home again because of Covid-19: “We managed to get back to Aotearoa, have our tests done (surely the most surreal performance to ever take place on the War Memorial Theatre stage) and are negative - so that’s a huge relief. Our daughter Maia is back from Waikato Uni, our son Jackson will rejoin us now we’re clear. Our other daughter Jasmine has been our saviour with grocery shopping and cooking for our friend Moses. The hardest thing has been not cuddling our almost 2 year old moko Isla, but we’ve caught up with her now and she was too busy to cuddle much anyway. “Kerry is working from home and Maia’s study is all online so I’m the one who’s at a loose end but have managed to write and record a song demo most days and am preparing to record a Kings of Kaiaua album later in the year. A friend of mine is running Logic Pro (recording software) workshops online via Patreon - which is a cool way to support artists - so I’ve been honing my music production skills. “Having numerous strong-willed adults under one roof is trying at times - but self-medication seems to help. I’m trying to touch base regularly with friends and whanau who are in lockdown alone, while keeping the wheels of Smash Palace turning thanks to the wage subsidy. “I think there will be a lot of people who won’t feel like things are back to “normal” until they can walk through those doors and breathe in the 30 years of accumulated love and creativity that makes @smashpalacebar feel like our collective home. At least I hope so anyway. It’s going to be a long slow comeback, but who knows - we may look back on this and see it as a much needed reset that reminded us all to slow down a bit”. April 11, 2020 "We are immensely grateful to be at Tatapouri Bay during lock-down. However reuniting with Flagship’s Eggs beni and a Massage from Ora Day spa are going to be glorious days! "Our challenge moving forward is the unknown future of tourism. We spend/support local whenever possible and operate out of an optimistic mindset rather than fear based… Not to say there won’t be tough decisions and road bumps ahead but we don’t want to sit in a pool of fear. We see ourselves as one of the more fortunate businesses, so our duty is to support those who need our Aroha. "The silver-lining in this is that we have more time to focus on our creative endeavours and our people that remain on the grounds. We are working on a new digital platform and are using this time to design and extend our waterfront hospitality space, which will house food and drinks along with live music, events, workshops, yoga etc. So with all this time, we hope to have something really great come Summer 2020. "Making Tatapouri Bay a destination for locals and internationals is the Dream and we welcome any ideas, collaboration & positive vibes into the process. "We are sharing a daily sunrise clip on Instagram until lockdown ends… But as it seems to brighten up people's days we may have to continue the tradition! "We want to give thanks for all the local love and support" April 15, 2020 This is film maker, Michelle Fraser. “As we entered the second week of lockdown here in Gizzy, I had something of a moment of clarity: these are completely unprecedented times for our species. Not unique, of course - pandemics have come and gone - but the lockdown scenario played out across the majority of the planet is certainly new territory for the human race. “As a film-maker then, surely if I am ever going to document anything in my life, it should be this? We are all making the same journey, but on such different paths - in Gisborne, we’ve had three cases of Covid to date, and we look out to the rest of the world in mounting horror and trepidation about what is perhaps to come; others are experiencing the full impact of the outbreak right now. Some have had Covid and recovered. Some contemplate Covid parties to get it ‘out of the way’, while others with underlying health conditions live in constant fear knowing that it is very much a life or death situation for them. “I am one of those who think we will come out the other side of this a changed people in many ways, living in a changed world, and I think it is very much worthwhile documenting what we are going through individually. Isolation means we can’t really understand what others in different situations and locations around the world are really going through. “I have decided to make a documentary during the lockdown period and am looking for people who are happy to be honest and spend 2 minutes every other day talking to camera about how it is for them in lockdown”. Anyone who is willing to video themselves talking to their phone for a couple of minutes every other day about what they’re feeling, can get in touch with Michelle at lockdowngizzy@gmail.com. April 16, 2020 This is Ros Faulkner from the Gisborne Volunteer Centre. After being away on sick leave for a while she is happy to be back and hearing of all the work everyone is doing to support each other. Over the past few weeks she has been in contact with community groups to see how they're all going: “Things are pretty quiet on the volunteering front. We’ve found that organisations have been quietly and efficiently responding to community need and in some cases even anticipating it before it becomes apparent. “Unlike many other regions where Civil Defence has called upon the community to come forward and volunteer to meet the demand, the response in Gizzy has been an organic and responsive process. Iwi groups and health providers have made up and distributed packs to those most vulnerable to Covid-19. “Our homeless whanau have been provided for and people are spontaneously making masks and baking up a storm for those unable to shop. “We’ve referred a number of people to Age Concern for shopping and companionship and people have been knitting bed socks for Cancer patients and other things they can do within their bubbles. “We are trying to identify ways to support single parents with shopping and pregnant Mum's and Mum's of newborns to lighten the load on midwives - this is still developing. “Communication has been quite slow as people adjust to working from home and others are just busy doing the mahi rather than answering emails. It seems neighbors are helping neighbors, families are helping family and there is less need for formal volunteering than in other communities. A sign of a healthy and connected community I think”. April 17, 2020 Megan Hansen-Knarhoi is isolating at home with 3-year-old Niwhai and as they were unwell before official lockdown started, they had already been self-isolating for almost two weeks before that: “Yesterday I had nothing. Just nothing. I stood in the sun. I sat in the sun. I lay in the sun. I've been having accidents because I'm so fatigued. I have a compromised immune system, so I’m completely reliant on others to help us. “I’m struggling to work two hours a day, Niwhai watches movies during that time. I feel a bit guilty about it but I don’t know what else to do without being constantly interrupted. As it is, a running commentary of what's happening is the norm! Actually, I think what I’m finding hardest is the constant chatter. I’m quite sound sensitive and listening to and interpreting constant chatter is exhausting. I’m noticing I’m not understanding or hearing Niwhai as I usually do, again I think it’s fatigue. “We’ve been squashing small invasive sucker type bug creatures on the plants whilst gardening, which Niwhai has named the Corona virus bug. It’s Niwhai’s interpretation of me trying to explain in simple terms that the virus is tiny bugs that we can't see floating around, that we’re all trying to avoid by staying home. Niwhai desperately wants to go visiting and keeps asking if the bugs are gone and if we’re well. It’s very confusing. “My sanity is going for a daily walk. I’m loving the new friendly neighbourhood, where most people are super happy to chat. And that there are more people on the streets than cars on the roads. I love it. Not having any time pressure is wonderful, taking all the time in the world to go for a walk and watch Niwhai explore is fabulous. “Niwhai opened my eyes up to the Walnut trees lining one of the streets in our neighbourhood, so we spent a couple of days walnut collecting. Another day it was watching the “leaf traffic” (leaves blowing along the footpath and road) and another watching Niwhai give “loveness” to trees and Praying Mantes (kisses and cuddles), yet another the hilarity of Niwhai calling out to a couple of random people “hello you silly buggers”, and to someone else “you need to put your mask on” (we haven’t worn them once the blimmin hypocrite!). We also found a skip bin full of perfectly good stuff on one of our walks. We salvaged a couple of toys and DVDs. Absolute treasure. “I’m video calling adults, but it's not the same as being in the company of an actual adult person, which is what I need, as well as some alone time. And then there’s intimacy. Oh gosh do I crave that! “I’ve been thinking about other sole parents, and what would help reduce their workload slightly. I’m worried about people having enough wood for heating for the winter and getting it stacked; having the lawns mowed; receiving a prepared meal - a meal I haven’t had to cook would be AMAZING! April 20, 2020 This is the Dibble-Halley whānau. Today Harley Dibble, (Tairāwhiti Economic Action Plan Programme Manager for Trust Tairāwhiti) let's us in on how he's been going for him over lock down: "Pretty good! My bubble includes my wife Bess, and our two sons Ralph (4) and Louis (2) – I’ve loved the extra time with the family and my appreciation for Bess and what she does with the kids has been reinforced. "Working from home has been good – once I got my workspace properly set up – and I realised that my brain sometimes needs a bit of time to adjust / jump between work stuff and ‘being present’ with my family. The commute time between the sleepout and the house is short! "I‘ve missed a bit of the banter at work but connecting with the team via zoom has been mostly productive and fun. I’ve liked being able to turn off my face in meetings/webinars etc – which is harder to do around a table. "There has been increased family time for walks, bike rides, reading books, baking, gardening, hide and seek, playing with matches etc.. which has been great. But I know the kids have also struggled with the social distancing from friends and in particular their Aunties and Grandparents. "We also had some trouble in the bubble last week when Ralph slipped off the tramp and needed a trip to A&E. I stayed in hospital overnight with Ralph because he needed surgery to wire his broken elbow back together. He was back to full throttle the following day. Jacinda’s not mentioned anything about trampolines… "I’ve been loving the discussions online about the opportunity for a reset and the ‘new normals’ we should to be working towards. Especially the increasing recognition that to bounce back from COVID-19 in a just and sustainable way, means also responding to the global ecological and climate crisis. "The lockdown has helped me realise that I want to work from home more often and spend more time with family and friends. I also want to be doing more to improve biodiversity outcomes in the region and to support an inclusive, low emissions and circular based economic recovery in Tairāwhiti". To keep up with ideas around moving forward in a sustainable and just manner especially as they relate to the Tairāwhiti, check out and follow this page: Towards Tairāwhiti Bioregion and the Circular Economy https://www.facebook.com/groups/bioregion/permalink/2671716332938154/?notif_id=1587285441134673¬if_t=page_group_post April 22, 2020 This is Lena Bevan and her bubble. Lena works for Sport Gisborne-Tairāwhiti and the Chamber of Commerce. One of the things she has been thinking a lot about during these times of isolation is Play: “As a whanau unit, we are trying to keep a balance with work and family life: my partner is an essential worker, and we have our two children at home. We are all very accessible online so work feels even busier, it’s hard to keep up at times. “We understand that people are in different situations facing different challenges. As a whanau we encourage mindful appreciation of where we are as a community and a nation, often reflecting on how others may be coping. It’s important to us to maintain positive engagement with our neighbours with a friendly wave, happy smile, check-in conversations and a bit of banter. “All in all, we are really enjoying this quiet, low-fuss time together. Our children are particularly loving lockdown bubble life. In my earlier career I was a teacher and value holistic learning. To keep a balance we have a rather sporadic routine which includes some form of outdoor physical activity, a school-based task, and lots of play. “In fact play is incorporated in all that we do, it also means we hide the devices when the ‘I’m just checking something’ goes beyond a joke. “We love our family bike rides, we let each child take turns to lead, helping out around the house is enjoyed with music and dance, cooking and baking in the kitchen is steered by the kids with a lot of playful experimentation. Play should be fun and child-led with limited or no adult involvement!” In last week's Weekly Roundabout, we asked our subscribers how they were going and got this thoughtful response back from Janine Hamilton-Kells: "I swing between having a million to-do projects I want to get started on, to finding it hard to settle on anything. I find myself stretching out simple routines, drinking my daily coffee while sitting on the deck and throwing the tennis ball for my dog - I think she may be wearing a groove in the path. "Online learning with my son has been really cool, some days we are really into it, but I'm wary of setting a pace we can't maintain. While I enjoy the community of sharing around the learning I'm mindful of unwittingly entering into some kind of competition of the 'cool things' we are doing and putting pressure on teachers and other parents. Some days we don’t achieve anything. My teenage son for example has a complete absence of any circadian rhythms. "I am doing lots of writing. I am also not doing as much writing as I thought I would. Working and parenting and the added time everything takes are a juggle. My phone tells me my social media use has increased, even though people seem to be trying to make me to do math on there, which is a kind of Facebook aversion therapy for me —still the social snacking is addictive. "My overall emotion in the first couple of weeks was of feeling so very privileged to be isolating in a home, community and country where I feel safe and have all of my needs met. I get teary when Jacinda talks of being a team of five million. Since the talk of moving to Level Three I feel a yearning for more freedom, social gatherings, pub choir, Zumba, walking with a friend and not queuing. If only I had some IT skills I could make a youthful neck filter for Zoom meetings and make millions for charity. "Most of all I miss my daughter and granddaughter that are not in my bubble. A month is seven years in Nan years!" April 23, 2020 This Sally Shanks, the owner of our beloved Dome Bar and Cinema , one of the shining jewels in Gisborne’s cultural crown. These are deeply difficult days for the Dome, named a few years ago “one of the best dine-in cinemas in the world”. Sally talked to us about how she’s going: “I’ve got [daughter] Lily home thank god and she has been amazing. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t had her here. We’re just trying to keep busy. We go for a walk every day and we’re getting through a list of things around the house that I’ve been meaning to do forever. We usually have bubbles around 2pm and we’re making some amazing food. We haven’t watched any TV at all. “[Son] Jack is at his place with his flatmates so we’ve thrown a few things over his fence to him, like an avocado tree, and we hung an Easter bunny from a bit of wire on a stick and made it dance along the fence. We’ve been doing things like that, just trying to be good people, you know.. “As for the Dome, well, I really don’t know - we can’t go for too much longer like this. I just don’t really know what to do, even when we get back on our feet I’m not sure people will be going out much. “I have got a few ideas. I’ve been onto my favourite out-of-town bands about being ready to come when we open again so that we can kick off with some great live music from both local and out-of-town bands. I’ve also been thinking about weekly record evenings in the bar and limiting our dining to 25 people or so. We’ve also been in touch with the distributors to ask them for some light-hearted movies when we return! “I get the feeling that people’s hearts are in their mouth about the Dome [surviving this]. I think it’s one of the worst thing that could happen for Gisborne to lose this cute, quirky, independent, Sweet As venue and cinema of ours, because it does feel like all of ours”. April 27, 2020 Christine and Thomas Boyce: On the day when Gizzy Local puts out a list of the local eateries opening for Level 3, we say ‘Hi’ to the Boyces - the family behind one of our favourite restaurants, USSCo - which isn’t going to be opening just yet. Christine, also on the Comms team at the GDC, talks us through that decision and reflects on their lockdown times together: “We’re doing all good in the lockdown! Our kids are happy and loving their time together and with us. They’ve insisted on all sleeping in the same room since lockdown started - it’s been about 65/35 bliss and carnage. I'm also working from home, and we're homeschooling so it’s a juggle, but the schooling aspect has been really good to bring back some structure and routine. “This is the most time Tom has ever had off from the restaurant and without a lockdown it probably wouldn’t have ever happened. We’ve been thinking about what we need to be happy and it turns out it’s not a lot. We also spent probably too much time coming up with ways we could viably open in some small capacity in level 3 but decided against it. “So much of what USSCo is valued for comes down to our team, our space and the whole experience. It’s so good to go out, get looked after and not have to cook or clean up! “The uncertainty of the world is scary, as is not knowing how business will be for restaurants after this waiting room period is over. Business is always a running battle but this will be the biggest challenge yet, for all of us. “We will be incredibly grateful to reopen the restaurant when it’s safe for our staff and our customers. “It will be a bit different to before, but in a good way. We’re excited for some change and have a plan. We really, really hope that when we reopen people will come out! There are lots of amazing, locally-owned hospitality businesses in Gisborne and we’ll need all the support we can get”. April 28, 2020 This is Whyte Trashe, who managed to fit a little art and activism into lockdown before heading back out to work today: How do I feel about the lockdown? I’d say that’s too long an answer for a post on social media so let’s just say, Lucky. Lucky for the timing, lucky for my lifestyle and lucky to be where we are in the world. As a beekeeper, I was considered an essential worker. However, due to the honey harvest being complete, the decision was made by the team to put work on hold. I was relieved by this decision as I felt staying at home was best for the community until the spread of the virus was more contained. During the lockdown, I took the opportunity to participate in ‘HOME’, the first stay-at-home mural festival for the planet. Organised by Pangeaseed in association with Seawalls, Whanganui Walls and Alternative Arts Initiative. They are responsible for some of the murals around Tairāwhiti last year. My piece aims to reference the inability to laybuy a future (a stable economy won’t fix extinction). It was awesome to get back into focusing on art, without too many external distractions. I also feel lucky that my wife had started her virtual administration business last year. It has allowed her to work from home, and thankfully, she had clients that were able to keep her on during this unsettled time. Level three sees me out preparing the bees for winter. The saddest part of leaving lockdown is having less time to paint. Although I have kind of run out of walls in our tiny house anyway! April 29, 2020 This is Morgan Ngata, he's been at home with his wife, their 15-year old daughter, 16-year old son and kuri Mojo: "Ko Hikurangi te maunga, Ko Waiapu te awa, Ko Horouta te waka, Ko Ngati Porou te iwi, Ko Ngata te whānau, Ko Morgan toku ingoa. "We’ve been really trying to stay true to life at level 4. We’ve been using the term rāhui when we talk about the lockdown or isolation. According to the Māori dictionary a Rāhui is: a temporary ritual prohibition, closed season, ban, reserve - traditionally a rāhui was placed on an area, resource or stretch of water as a conservation measure or as a means of social and political control for a variety of reasons, which can be grouped into three main categories: pollution by tapu, conservation and politics. After an agreed lapse of time, the rāhui is lifted". "Personally I think this was an important decision to make because it helped to frame my understanding of what we are trying to achieve during this strange time. This is about protecting our whanau, our communities, our taonga. "This rāhui has forced us to connect with interests that have been lost in busy modern day living. Clearing up the shed to get back into a regular exercise routine, get our neglected garden weeded, turned over and planted up. Cooking up Feijoa chutney and Feijoa skin jam. This time has been more about reconnecting than isolation. Reconnection of values, ideas, skills and dreams I had put to the side. "For the first time in a long while, I began to feel that our whare was a foundation of sorts. Not just a place that we used between work and play but a place of safety and providence. It gave me a sense of control. I had no idea what was happening day by day out in the wider world but we knew what was happening in our whare. "The mental challenges are real and they are different for all of us. Personally, I have been down for a while because of work and life pressures. As a result, I had stopped my regular exercise routines at the gym. At first, I didn’t see the online fitness programs being something I’d use. But by the first week, I was into it every day and after 4 weeks I’m beginning to really feel more positive physically and mentally. Challenging my mental state by going a bit further and a bit harder in my exercises seems to do the trick. It’s the best way to realise that I am always much more capable than what I give myself credit for. I’ve just started the 25 push-ups for 25 days challenge to raise awareness for mental health, PTSD, depression and anxiety. "If you're feeling low in lockdown take a walk, call a friend or family member, meditate, exercise, or do something that brings you joy. I’m on day 7 and are beginning to see mates of mine picking up the challenge as well. Friends reconnecting in new ways. "This was about reconnection to move forward into a positive future. Kia kaha… we got this". April 30, 2020 This is Tim Marshall, who has insights to share from both his own bubble as well as other whānau he has remained connected to during these times, through his mahi with Tauawhi Men's Centre: "I’m going pretty well thanks. I have a lot of things to be thankful for, particularly with my whānau bubble that includes my partner, our two daughters, my son-in-law and one of our mokos. That has been a real bonus for us and also the fact that our other moko and his mum and dad stay just around the corner. I am also grateful that I have also been able to continue to work from home and maintained a positive connection with my work teams and others. "I think the lockdown or rāhui period has seen both challenges and opportunities, apart from the whānau connection and ability to do some jobs around the house. The obvious challenges for many of us are around the impact on employment and finances for many people whose work has been directly or indirectly affected. For some whānau we also know that holding things together when we are around each other more than usual, brings with it some challenge. "One activity we have been involved with from Tauawhi, in partnership with the Gisborne Herald offering tips to stay safe, with members of our team sharing ideas on maintaining whānau wellbeing and staying safe. We have also been trialling some of our services online, including our weekly men’s group and we've discussed how we might continue this in some way to increase access, particularly to those who may have travel and transport barriers. "I have been hugely impressed with how the Iwi-led response has mobilised to connect and support whānau, in particular pakeke and those most vulnerable. Also our essential workforce, in particular our Supermarket teams, who have kept things running for us all, despite the risk to themselves at times. I know that kai and food parcels have been the most regular response and with such things as Gizzy School lunches and other support usually provided to education facilities, this has no doubt increased pressure on whānau, who have needed to provide this from their own resources. "We have been blessed with beautiful weather during this time and seeing whānau out and about making the most of it has been pretty cool. I think this time has also allowed us to consider what is important and how much of our experience we can learn from and continue to maintain, particularly around the messages of being kind and staying connected". May 1, 2020 This is Tessa Beattie, the force behind Dancefit Studios Limited: "We have loved the forced rest in lockdown - but now our timeline has come to an end it's time to pick up our feet again. Dancefit has chosen to temporarily project lessons online - this has proved to be time consuming, physically exhausting and internet draining! "We have joked I've become the "Suzy Cato of Dance" - the delivery of this feels so unnatural and as teachers we are feeling vulnerable. However we know the kids will love to see us again in the virtual world and be eager for new routines and choreography. "We have experienced significant financial loss - and will continue to for months on end. We have been extremely humbled by the messages and support of those who have committed to see it through with us. It’s simply a small speed bump in our calendar. For lots, Dancefit Studios is their happy place, their sport and their space to create. They feel a sense of belonging. Our drive is to continue to embrace our local community and keep their love of dance and musicality alive. "Creating parent facebook groups has kept everyone connected - some families send in their TikTok videos for a laugh and everyone shares their child's dance practice to keep momentum. We've even seen a few of the dad's moves appear! "We are itching to reconnect in our busy, loud, fun environment as soon as we can. The camaraderie is huge". May 2, 2020 Lock down was and still is a mixed blessing for me. When it became clear that travel restrictions would come into place I was in Wellington for work. The country started to panic and I decided to head for home and my family. For some reason Gizzy feels safe even when things are tumbling down around us. To get home meant a long drive. I had booked an Air B'n'B who cancelled on me at 8pm at night leaving me stranded on the side of the road with no accommodation. There was no other vacancies I could find but luckily I keep a hammock and sleeping bag in the truck so pitched this in a highway picnic area and had a relatively good nights sleep. The service stations were taking peoples wallets as collateral while we filled up with gas, there was no stock on shelves at the supermarkets and people had a panicked look in their eyes. It really felt like the apocalypse was coming at that stage. The worst part of humanity was coming out in our communities. As I travelled up the country however people were becoming more and more relaxed and finally, as I pulled into little old Gizzy, it was almost like things were fine again. I managed to score a deer on the mates’ farm, family gave us flour, we were trading fruit and veg over the fence with the neighbours and we even managed to buy some extra chickens from a friendly local. Preparing for the apocalypse definitely had a friendlier face in Gizzy. Lock down itself has been pretty good for our little family. My work hours and salary have been cut down to 80% which means I get Fridays off and with nothing open we aren't spending as much money. I also can't travel for work which is awesome, we have been spending lots of great family time in the garden and foraging for mushrooms on our daily exercise walks. All my coping mechanisms for stress were thrown out the window so the first few weeks were pretty intense, no surfing, no hunting, no fishing and for someone who is used to travelling for work a slower pace was definitely hard to get used to. With uncertainty surrounding work and the very real possibility that I would become unemployed the first few weeks were hard. It was like being cooped up with nowhere to escape to, nowhere to relax. But after a time we became used to a smaller existence. We found different ways to escape and relax. There were definitely times where we broke level 4 rules. I would often drive to different beaches or reserves to take the dog and my son for a walk. At the time it was key to our mental health to get a change of scene. We all needed it and we really craved nature, the bush, the birds and the ocean. It was shocking to realise that we don’t have an abundance of nature in our neighbourhoods and as a bushman it’s incredibly scary to be told by the Government that we cannot access our wild places. I absolutely support the decisions made by the Government to make the restrictions they did but at times for me it wasn't possible to adhere to them. Moving into level 3 I’ve been excited we can surf, hunt and fish again. My work situation is stable. We don't look like coming off 80% employment any time soon but that’s actually amazing, I love three-day weekends. Hopefully we can take the positives from this as a country. We have new coping mechanisms, we are used to a slower pace of life and our communities are stronger for Level 4. It’s been an awesome opportunity to come together as a community and as families and have the time to do things together again, to garden, do craft and DIY projects and cook good food. May 6, 2020 This is Wade Brunt who talked to us about what he did and didn't change as everything changed around us at the end of March 2020: “Before lock down I’d been very busy with my new job with Safetree in a new 12-month pilot role Toroawhi to engage and support Forestry workers to get more involved in health and safety decision making. We were training for our annual Jogging for Logging relay run to Tolaga bay and were setting up the wellness centre. It was a big high for us to get our run to Tolaga bay in the week before lock down. "I’d had mates lose jobs in February. So by lockdown they were very stressed and bored. "I could see a lot of our guys were shy and didn’t interact much on the public pages already set up, so I set up private groups and group messenger so we could check in on each other there. "Safetree made a video series with Pio Tirei called ‘stay well while you stay home’ to support forestry workers. The first one was around making a plan in your bubble and creating safe zones within your bubble for everyone in it. He talked about families who might not have been home together like that ever - forestry workers are usually out the door at 4am and back at 5pm - the dynamics all change. "Every second day I’d post an exercise video that could be done using stuff from around home - one day it was with the lawnmower and tackling the weeds, another day going for a bike ride with the kids. We also used videos from Dr Tom Mulholland who does a lot of stuff around mental health - healthy thinking, the importance of exercise to stimulate endorphins, which make you feel good. That kind of thing. "After posting a few of the exercise videos some of the guys said they’d like to work out together online, so we started messenger group work outs, one at 7am and another at 5:30pm. I’d talk them through a 15-minute workout - not long, just enough to create a routine and then we’d have a chat. "I’m the first one to share about any topic, which helps to normalise things. "My children’s mother and I were set for a child custody hearing the day after we went into lock down but this virus is bigger than all of us and whatever is going on between us has to be put aside to put the children first and protect our bubbles. So that was nice to be working together, that’s the silver lining for me, coming to resolution. "It was great that we could keep our 50/50 custody through lock down and when the kids were with me we kept our usual morning routine up, out the door in the mornings, for a walk or a bike ride, lots of fresh air and now we just add in a bit of school work. Having a good routine has really helped in our bubble. "Its a big relief coming to Level 3, the majority of the guys i work with are back at work and very happy about it. And I'm looking forward to getting back out there supporting them when we come down to Level 2". To check out the resources Wade talks about here check out his Jogging for Logging Facebook group. May 9, 2020 This is Flo Bub. Through his role in the Gisborne Boardriders Flo demonstrated super positive and proactive leadership in encouraging our surfing community to stay out of the water during lock down, but managing all the while to keep the good vibes flowing. Well done Flo. "I have been doing well, thanks. Can’t imagine a better place to live during these challenging times. We are lucky to have everything we need and to call this beautiful place our home. Although the challenges are real, the opportunities are endless too. It all depends on your perspective. At least for the ones of us who are lucky to have got all their basic needs covered. It’s awesome to see how the whole community helps together. "I guess we're all facing challenges during these times. I have seen it as a character-building exercise instead of looking at what we currently can’t do or what might be annoying me. I was given time to reflect, plan, learn plenty of new things, to really discover online-learning and exercise, and spend time with my loved ones and reconnect with old friends. Also focusing on the little things and learning what’s important for me. Also, great to see all the people supporting one another and standing together as a community for the most part. "Every crisis has its opportunity. It’s always a matter of what we make of our time. I learned that I need less than I thought to be happy. I also learned that it’s important to have empathy for another as we never know the other person’s situation. "The online experience has been amazing and works so well. We - Gisborne Boardriders - have just created a new Podcast Show called “The Longboard House” talking all things longboarding with our best surfers. I am looking forward to that kicking off this Friday 6pm. I am also enjoying every minute in the water even more after not surfing for a while". "Stay safe and positive whanau. Yeeew". May 11, 2020 Kirsten Barrett: "Lockdown has been a special time to bond with my family and has enabled quality time to be spent. Lockdown has also made my girls and I truly appreciate my Mum and dad and how much they do for us. I am living with my parents while our house is being built so I was a little worried about invading my parent’s privacy. However, this time has been lovely. We’ve watched movies together, gone on long walks and shared lots of laughs. "My daughters, Maeve and Keira have reconnected. With Maeve at university, their relationship wasn’t as strong as it used to be. During lockdown, it has been neat to see them getting along and laughing together. "This time has provided me with motivation to begin walking and cooking again. I’ve been learning a few delicious recipes from Nadia Lim and my mum is an impressive cook and has inspired me to be more adventurous. "It’s been lovely to see others enjoying exercise too and everyone is so friendly, I’ve found myself even more proud to live in Gizzy. Our community has all come together and been respectful of keeping safe to save lives. There is definitely a sense of connectedness. It has also been eye-opening to see changes for the better in our environment. "In the beginning of lockdown I was a little anxious about Covid 19 and worried for my mum and dad as they are in their 70s. Going to the supermarket was interesting and a little nerve-wracking to begin with. I found it surreal and scary seeing people wearing masks and things.. "At first, my motivation levels were down and there was this small feeling of doom and gloom. I’ve missed being able to sit in the same room and spend quality time with my sister and her family, and my partner, Scott. I’m really missing my class, Room 19, at Mangapapa School - our face to face contact and learning together. However, I am so proud of how our Mangapapa whanau have taken up the challenge and are thriving. "I must admit, it was so exciting to see how many cafes and workplaces were opening up again on Gizzy Local. It made me feel like there was some light at the end of the tunnel. I no longer feel so anxious and gloomy about the future. "Going forward, I will make a more conscious effort to spend quality time with family and friends and make the most of the new walkways and attractions in Tairawhiti that I haven’t utilised before. I will also stop and appreciate the wonders of nature all around us more than I did before. The sound of birds singing in the trees during lockdown has been so calming".