Environment Hubs Aotearoa is conducting research alongside Massey University into community responses to last year’s Cyclone Gabrielle, and it's got to be said that the aims of this research are dear to our heart here at Gizzy Local! What we witnessed here in the Tairāwhiti was an incredible rallying by our community in the aftermath of the cyclone. In many locations and aspects of the wider response, it was our Marae, our community organisations, and individuals who were able to act quickly and effectively and made a huge difference to affected peoples’ experiences. Environment Hubs Aotearoa wants the importance of that mahi carried out by individuals and citizen-led community organisations to be recognised, and to understand both HOW and WHY they filled the gaps in the official response. The results of their research will inform Central and Local Government, and Civil Defence on how to better support community responders, and how to build more resilient and empowered communities for the future events we know are coming. Environment Hubs Aotearoa is a national network that supports community and environmental resilience. Many of their hubs acted as emergency response centres during the Auckland Anniversary Weekend Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle last year. They recognise that affected communities have already been inundated by researchers but know that their independence from government means they can take a critical look at the official response, and ensure the voice of the locally-led community sector is heard. They will involve communities in co-designing the recommendations from the findings, and will use these findings in their ongoing advocacy work, pushing for positive change in our communities. This research begins with a survey, and they want to hear from those impacted or who helped with response efforts. You can find the survey here, and if you have any other questions, these FAQs might be helpful.

It's that time of year when the Gizzy Local team start to look at different horizons and imagine new, slightly more connected and happily active versions of ourselves and the women and girls in our lives. That's because in late Feb, we start noticing events popping up under the banner of ‘Well Wāhine Week’… We start to think, could I do Parkour? What is going on with my hormones? Are the waters of Turanga calling me for a swim or a paddle? Somehow the answers to all these questions are the same: "I'd like to find out." This year we have a conveniently well-placed staff member to remind us about the Well Wāhine Week good stuff. And by she, I mean me, Sarah P. Yes, full-disclosure, I also work on the awesome Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti team putting together Well Wāhine Week, which is about to kick off for its 4th year, bright and early on Friday morning. In these times, and of course I mean the "Covid Times" and the "Weather Event Isolation Times," it's a treasure having a thing to do that feels like a diversion from the everyday. Interestingly, in the first 3 years of Well Wāhine Week's young life, these "times" are all she's ever known. The first two cautious but exciting years of Well Wāhine Week occurred under the cloud of Covid. And both times, SGT reached out to providers and community members and found that yes, people wanted the opportunity to get out and do something a little different. Similarly, post-Cyclone Gabrielle, where it was possible, wāhine wanted a break, a chance – ever so briefly -- to put their wellbeing and fun physical activity back into their day. But why had we lost that? Why was it missing in the first place? There's a trove of evidence that points to disengagement from sports and other physical activities, often from around the age of 14 years old. There might be expectations to prioritise helping the family out with childcare, or we may no longer have time for such things as school performance and work responsibilities begin to loom large. Often puberty feels like it brings with it a less athletic body, what with curves and periods. Some champions of our gender charge out into the world of sport or other physical pastimes, strong and undeterred. For many though, the prospect of being active – in front of anyone - just isn't fun anymore. Back in 2019, Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti pulled together local champions of sport (coaches, fitness providers, teachers, and of course participants, both young and young at heart) to address some of the barriers that face women and girls. Having seen the success of the recent women's-only surf festival, Salty Sirens, that blended fun and competitive surfing with other platforms to connect, like yoga and music, the champions were inspired to try something holistic. Well Wāhine Week was an idea borne of those conversations. So SGT called out to providers with this idea. If we could make it easy and cost-effective for you to offer something for wāhine and kōhine, for free, would you? And the answer was yes! Over the last four years, our SGT team have learned a lot about what the barriers are and what wellbeing looks like for girls and women. And so you'll see the Well Wāhine Week calendar full of events that fit in the colourful garden of "Wellness." There are have-a-go sports of all sorts, there are meditative practices, there are informative sessions that teach about our bodies, sessions that keep alive indigenous practices, and many more. There are sessions delivered in settings built and natural all over Tairāwhiti, including a calendar specific to the East Coast. One of the most beautiful things I've seen from turning up to dozens of Well Wāhine Weeks over the years is how quickly women and girls who are strangers, warm up and become fast, if just brief, friends. Many women turn up solo to these sessions (they're that inviting!). Within the first few minutes, strangers are laughing together and on a little journey of discovery and fun. Participants find the all-women environments safe, judgement-free and empowering. If you get the formula right, the magic happens quickly and on repeat. What's the formula? Well Wāhine Week takes the cost, pressure, and intimidation out of the equation. Some activities are proactively, some might even say aggressively, child-friendly so mums can bring their little ones to be looked after while they get down to the business of improving their own wellbeing. It’s exciting to see providers using this week to try new things and learn about what works for the wāhine of our varied communities. To quote the OG Gizzy Local Sarah (Cleave), "These events are all about awakening dormant parts of ourselves, connecting with fellow wāhine, and having some laughs along the way." The beauty of Well Wāhine Week is that you can just find out. Girls, women and non-binary people of our community, go try something just for kicks.  And then look on the calendar for another thing to try. Flick through the photos to see a snapshot of week's. And there's even a calendar for rangatahi. To learn more about the kaupapa, view the full calendar of events and to register, visit sportgisborne.org.nz/well-wahine. Sarah Holliday Pocock

Crop swapping is a celebration of abundance and sharing.  Crop swapping encourages the growth (pun intended) of sustainable communities through connection, knowledge sharing and friendship. Crop Swapping is about mindfulness and presence. It's about nourishing goodness and it is kindness in action. Gardening has been a steady part of my world for 60 plus years. As expected, life happens and things change: jobs, homes, situations, income, people, stability, relationships, health, geography, arrivals and departures. This is not a comprehensive list, by a long shot and as we know changes are generally good for growth - although sometimes it's hard to see it at the time. A constant has been the fact that wherever you are you can find some soil, plant a seed or a seedling and with a bit of love, something will grow that will sustain you. Has gardening kept me sane? Yes! I am retired now and as I spend more time growing, there is always something to share and new things to learn. I first learnt about local crop swaps while visiting a friend in Matamata. The kaupapa just made complete sense. I looked for a Gisborne crop swap group, but didn’t have any luck so decided to start one. Crop Swap Gisborne is now going from strength to strength via a Facebook page and word of mouth. We meet to share what we have with others. Everyone is welcome; friends, seasoned crop swappers, visitors, first timers and old timers. We meet on the first Sunday of each month at Makaraka School car park and start our swap meeting at 2pm. Makaraka school has generously allowed us to meet there. We usually set up in the shade of the tree and are mindful of leaving the space the same way we found it. How it works: - Arrive before 2pm and set up your bringings for others to see and have access to. This can be on the tarp provided, or you are welcome to bring a fold up table or anything else that works for you. - Chat, mingle and view. - At 2pm there is a welcome and introduction. This is also a space for anyone who wishes to talk about what they have brought along. - After the welcome we mindfully take a bit of this or a bit of that. It is not a direct swap, just redistribution of gardening related goodness.  We fill our basket, share knowledge and stories. No money is exchanged. Contacts are made and new friends are found. - At around 3pm we have a brief group kōrero, clean up, and head home with any of our leftovers, new stuff to plant, eat or use, and most importantly a happy heart. Some ideas of what we swap: Fruit and vegetables, plants, seedlings, seeds, eggs, egg cartons, garden pots, herbs, fresh bread, garden shed cleanouts,  seedling trays,, honey, preserves, chutney, pickles, books and magazines, flowers, cuttings, succulents, baking, house plants, tools, trees, worm wee, animal manure. Hopefully we’ll see some of you there this Sunday! Story by Jeanie McCallum Images supplied

Merle Walker is the superhuman behind many of our big community events here in Turanganui-a-Kiwa. Town Clock parties, Walter Findlays Fire in the Sky, last year’s Kiwiana Christmas Wonderland events to name just a few of them. This week we all get to enjoy another of Merle’s efforts in the form of Tū Whitia | Stand and Shine - a community event being held to commemorate Cyclone Gabrielle and the resilience of the communities and Iwi of Te Tairāwhiti. This Saturday you’re all invited to the Soundshell for what sounds like a heap of fun! Merle has done a great job lining up some fantastic entertainment to cater to a very diverse range of tastes. The local lineup includes the winners of last year’s Smokefree Rockquest ‘Dad’s Garage’, who will play alongside another rangatahi band Eleventh Hour, local favourites the Volt Thieves, Oceanspace, Rob and Alley Matete, DJ Murdarah and the Gisborne Brass Band.  Scribe and Tami Neilson are heading to Turanga to headline the day, both generously waiving some of their fees to support the kaupapa and show their aroha for our community. There will be heaps to keep the kids happy with face painting, bouncy castles, water slides and treasure hunts. Pukus will be catered to by food vendors and a free sausage sizzle, and for the frothy and active amongst us, Primal Fitness have a treat in store! Merle says that when she was wondering about what kind of fun she could add into the mix, she immediately thought of ‘Top Town’, the iconic travelling game show that screened on local television from 1976 to 1990. While health and safety wouldn’t allow for half of the physical challenges that the teams from across rural New Zealand engaged in for that series, Brian Horwell at Primal Fitness has put together a super fun Top Town event that will prove entertaining for participants and spectators alike! If you’d like to enter a Top Team team, register at the event by 3:30pm. Tū Whitia | Stand and Shine runs from 3 - 8pm, at the Gisborne Soundshell. It’s for the whole family, so don’t forget the sunscreen, your warmies, and leave your smokes, vapes and alcohol at home. Free buses will be running from Tokomaru and Tolaga Bays: Departing Tokomaru Four Square at 2pm, returning 8:45pm. Departing Tolaga Fire Station at 2:45pm, returning 8:45pm. See you there whānau!

Te Wero ia Wenerei - the Wednesday Challenge is back for 2024, and because we’re early adopters of things that make us feel great, Gizzy Local has signed up as a business team. If you haven’t heard about it yet, the idea is a simple one.. Instead of driving yourself to work on Wednesdays, walk, ride, run, scooter, skate or carpool instead, you might even be tempted to see whether you can bus! You can then log your journey, earn points for your team, track your achievements and compete against the rest of the Tairāwhiti business community (including the fiercely competitive Gizzy Local team) on the Challenge leaderboards. The reasons for choosing alternative means of transport to cars are two-fold right? Better for us, (both our physical and mental health) and better for our environment. When I walk or ride to work, my day is unquestionably better, my head is clearer, and I’ll often problem solve away something that’s been troubling me. The same goes for the way home, providing me with a positive way to transition back into homelife at the end of a hectic day. It also means I have done my ‘cardio’ - tick! and don’t have to fit it elsewhere into my day. Winning. We can always find plenty of reasons why it’s easier to just jump in the car, but if lots of us sign up to the Challenge, some of those excuses may start to lose their potency... Imagine if we notice less congestion on our roads on Wednesdays, and the roads feel safer for us cyclists?! And with more people rocking helmet hair, can we make it the next big thing?! However you look at it, this is a great way for businesses and organisations in our community to lead by example, have some fun and do some good. We hope you’ll join us! To find out more go to: https://www.wednesdaychallenge.co.nz/tairawhiti and if you’re keen to set up a business team contact Te Wero ia Wenerei Project Manager Harley Dibble at harley@rtrotairawhiti.nz Te Wero ia Wenerei is funded by Trust Tairāwhiti and run by the Tairāwhiti Environment Centre - Thanks guys!

NOise VACANCY is a conceptual sound art project executed by Tairāwhiti artists and musicians. The project recognises the growing number of vacant and neglected spaces in our city centre and the social impact of this. It gives a voice to the whakapapa of these spaces and invites the community to engage in a sensory experience that examines the relationship between sound, art, space and people. NOise VACANCY 2024 moves outside the walls of an individual building to inhabit the open spaces, vacant spots or hidden corners in our CBD. BRIEF: Artists will create site-specific sound art that is responsive to vacant or neglected city space, at a location within the designated area. The artist’s chosen site will inform the creative process, the method of sound delivery, the sonic outcome, and how it is presented/performed for audiences on the night. The artists will attune to the site and use the history, stories, and acoustic or architectural character to develop ideas. NOise VACANCY 2024 will take place across our CBD in public city spaces. See the highlighted area on map (anything within the boundaries of Grey Street - Childers Road - Reads Quay - Cycleway - Palmerston Road). Click on this link to find artist proposal process details and fill out the form to apply to be a part of Gizzy's most exciting underground arts event of the year!

The 'doof' 'doof' sound that emanates when someone is constantly bouncing a basketball can sound strangely melodic or it can drive you insane! And when dozens of tamariki are bouncing basketballs en masse as they weave their way around obstacle courses every Saturday morning as part of Gisborne Basketball Association's Rising Stars programme, you'd assume the cacophony of noise would see blood pressure levels go through the roof for those observing. Strangely that's not the case. Instead, those watching are captivated by the sight of all of those young people having great fun, connecting with one another, and developing lifelong skills. The Rising Stars programme is just one of the dozens of activities that will benefit from an indoor centre here in Tairāwhiti. This Thursday 15 February, a rally is being held at the YMCA from 5:30pm. The purpose of the rally is to display the breadth of community support for the building of such a facility. Why a rally now? Well for over 30 years (perhaps longer), attempts have been made by various community champions to do just that - build an indoor centre that consists of a few indoor courts and amenities that can be used for multiple purposes. Ultimately, through no fault of those driving the kaupapa, these attempts have all failed. It's time to say loudly as a community that we can no longer wait! When I think of civic facilities that every large town or city should have, I think of a library, swimming pool, museum/gallery, theatre and indoor centre. That's the perfect combination! Safe spaces where people can come together, have fun, feel a sense of community, build social cohesion, be inspired and boost their well-being. Our region has done well on the theatre front in recent years, the library was redeveloped, and the newly opened Kiwa pools are a sight to behold and a place to be proud of. Yet an indoor centre still eludes us. We know that as a region we struggle economically and money is hard to come by. Yet small communities such as Wairoa and Te Kuiti, with less than a quarter of our population, have managed to build great indoor facilities that are highly utilised. There are further examples all over the country. We have one publicly-accessible indoor court run by the YMCA. This is the worst ratio in the country. The YMCA has done an awesome job ensuring their court can be hired by so many community groups, but if it wasn't also for schools hiring out their spaces, many of our sporting leagues would have fallen over ages ago. Schools can have trouble maintaining their sites though, there can be difficulties with access, and most of their facilities aren't fully specced for the sports that use them. Following the cyclone our region has some massive critical infrastructure challenges. The members of the Tairāwhiti Indoor Centre Advocacy Group who are organising the rally understand that. The scale of investment and support required for roading, flood protection schemes, township and marae relocation planning can feel overwhelming. However, we can't keep putting the wellbeing of our communities into the 'nice-to-have' category. We saw after Covid lockdowns and the cyclone just how important it was for so many people in our community to re-connect through doing the activities that they love. It was absolute necessary. So somehow, we need to find a way to prioritise the development of an indoor centre alongside those critical infrastructure needs, and push for them both to receive support from Central and Local Government, national philanthropists, and regional funders. Not having an indoor centre is already hurting our community. Sporting and recreation leagues have had to turn away teams, growth has been curtailed, and new opportunities can't be explored. Having kids from Te Waiu school in Ruatorea being turned away from basketball last year when they were willing to travel two-hours one way in order to play, is a heart- breaking example of that. All this as indoor sport participation is booming across the rest of the country! Volleyball, basketball, indoor football/futsal, pickleball - to name but a few. An indoor centre would also allow greater opportunities for kapa haka, dance, ethnic festivals, youth and senior citizen programmes etc. If we had an indoor centre, it would create an opportunity for conferences and tournaments to be held, which are much-used ways of injecting a much-needed financial boost into regional economies via accommodation and hospitality spending by visitors. We also know there are many whānau who struggle to support their tamariki and rangatahi to travel out of the region for tournaments. How nice would it be to alleviate some of that financial hardship by hosting inter-regional tournaments here in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa for a change? At the moment, the Gisborne District Council is overseeing a feasibility study into the development of an indoor centre, in conjunction with partners such as Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti and Sport NZ. That will help determine the need for such a centre, how it could be configured and where it should be located. I have deliberately avoided talking about the possible site locations, as often we can get hung up on that, but as a community we've reached the stage where we can make the indoor centre a success regardless of whether it's at Waikirikiri Park, the old Olympic Pool site or somewhere else. And it needs to be acknowledged that the relationship and input from mana whenua will be critical in that. We know the cost is likely to be $20 million plus to build, which is why we need to target funders far and wide for support. At the rally we'll have film crews and media capturing the crowds and speeches from various community groups that would benefit from an indoor centre. We need to send a powerful message to those we need support from. So if you feel passionate about the cause, please come on down and join us at the YMCA this Thursday from 5.30pm. It's going to be informative and fun, and you won't have to worry about the weather conditions outside - just another benefit of an indoor centre for our region! Story by Stefan Pishief Images supplied

Te Weu Tairāwhiti is a collective of local researchers and actionists here in Te Tairāwhiti. Since 2021 the charitable trust has been encouraging residents and communities to look at the risks posed by extreme weather events to our region. Since then they’ve produced resources to assist local conversations about climate change and land use, supported residents to initiate changes in land use policy and plans, and have been involved in a number of climate resilience research projects, the lessons from which will be presented at the Tairāwhiti Resilience Research Symposium being held at the new Midway Community Hub in Gisborne next week. The Symposium will be an opportunity for locals, policy makers and researchers to engage with the evidence and stories that have been collected through various research projects. One of the researchers that will be presenting is Professor Holly Thorpe, who notes the importance of these lessons being used and shared locally and, “not just by central government”. Over the course of two days we’ll hear from researchers who conducted in-depth interviews that focused on what happened during and after the series of extreme weather events in early 2023 and the impacts on the health and wellbeing of individuals, whānau and communities in the region. The initial findings from the study will be shared alongside a similar set of interviews in Hawkes Bay and an analysis of official health records and data from the two regions. We’ll also hear from Haukapuanui Vercoe, a post-graduate researcher from the University of Auckland who will be presenting his research that looks at the natural hazard resilience of marae, as well as Ministry of Health officials, MPs for the region, and representatives from GDC, Manaaki Tairāwhiti, Manaaki Matakaoa, CCS Disability Action, Muriwai Haumaru Rōpū, Tautua Village, Tairāwhiti Technology Trust and others. As Renee Raroa, a Te Weu Tairāwhiti trustee says, “we don’t know how long it will be before the next extreme weather event so it is important to reflect on what happened, what we need more of and what can be done differently in the future”. This symposium is a really important step in our ongoing recovery, providing a space for the conversation about how we build more local research capability and capacity going forward into the future. The Tairāwhiti Resilience & Research Symposium is being held at the Midway Community Hub on Thursday 15 February, 8:30 am - 4:30pm and Friday, 16 February 8:30am - 4:30 pm. Attendance is free but numbers are limited. You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ka-mua-ka-muri-tairawhiti-resilience-research-symposium-tickets-805970959837

We don’t imagine many Tairāwhiti locals are taking this summer we’re having for granted. We’ve all probably had at least one, if not many, conversations about the summer we didn’t get to have last year, “the non-summer of 2023”. As we approach the one-year anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle our memories of that time, and the days and weeks that followed, will undoubtedly resurface. And while it is an important part of the process to remember, and commemorate, it is even more useful to look at what has emerged and grown in its wake, and how we’re continuing to evolve for our future. Aimed at doing all of those things, Te Weu, a charitable trust focused on sustainable land use and climate change in Tairāwhiti, has organised a series of events aimed at reflecting on the past, understanding the present, and envisioning a resilient future, running from Friday 9 - Friday 16 February. ‘Ka Mua, Ka Muri’ will include a two day research symposium, a series of community hui showcasing local research undertaken over the past year, and a creative collaboration and exhibition for regional climate and community initiatives. This weekend an eclectic group of creative minds are arriving in our region to lend their expertise and passion to local climate resilience projects, with the aim of elevating extreme weather preparedness discussions and supporting local groups that are actively engaged in sustainable land use and adaptation planning. The initiative is in partnership with Toi Aria, the centre for social impact design at Massey University and will look like a fusion of art, design, music, and storytelling. The visiting creatives include design researcher, educator, and founder of Toi Āria, Professor Anna Brown, cartoonist and social commentator Toby Morris, jazz singer and graphic designer Wallace Gollan, journalist Michelle Duff, writer Ingrid Horrocks, designer and illustrator Hanna Breurkes, visual communication designer Kirsten Browne, digital producer Emma Bossley, designer and illustrator Jean Donaldson, writer and art collaborator Tim Corballis, photographers Johanna Mechen and David Cook, and photographic artist Jonathan Kay. They will be grouped with local artists and community initiatives, Slash For Cash, Radice Soil Solutions, Ngahere Network, Exchange Cafe, Tāiki E! Next Gen Escapes, East Coast Exchange, Te Kautuku, Circular Economy Mission, Tairāwhiti Bioeconomy Project, Tōtaranui Nama Ono Trust and a wāhine water focussed collaboration out of Uawa. Visiting and local creatives will work with their respective community groups over the course of the weekend, workshopping ideas and creating works, culminating in an exhibition and performance event at 6pm, Sunday 11 February at Midway Community Hub. Public are invited to attend this free event. Stay tuned to learn more about The Tairāwhiti & Extreme Weather Research Symposium, which will also at the new Midway Community Hub on February 15 and 16. It will be free to attend but has limited numbers - registrations can be sent to info@teweu.nz or phone/txt: 0274202957 For more details about all of these events head to www.kamuakamuri.nz and to find out more about Te Weu charitable trust, and access some of the excellent resources they have compiled around land use, check out teweu.nz.

As incredible displays of unity, of kotahitanga, continue to take place around the country, here in Tūranga, Gisborne, we’ve got an opportunity to deepen our own understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi this Waitangi Day, at Waitangi Day at The Pa. This Wananga Waitangi is an awesome response to the growing realisation that we need to better understand the history of how our nation was formed. All are welcome to come along for a day of learning and discussion about Te Tiriti o Waitangi with local presenters, Dr Wayne Ngata, Tauira Takurua and Morehu Pewhairangi. Shaan Te Kani will open the hui with a kōrero about her tipuna Rawiri Te Eke tu o te rangi who was a signatory of Te Tiriti, and in whose wharenui this gathering will take place. Dr Wayne Ngata will share his perspective of Te Tiriti, aiming to encourage discussion and exchange amongst those gathered. Tauira Takurua will share his interpretation of the tipuna Tuini Ngawai and the waiata that she composed about Te Tiriti. Morehu Pewhairangi and a rangatahi group will also be running a Rangatahi/taiohi discussion about te Tiriti at the same time in the Wharekai. If you are a young person wanting to join a collective of Taiohi/ Rangatahi here in Te Tairāwhiti creating events and workshops based on current events, head to the Toitū Tairāwhiti TAIOHI Facebook page, and fill in the survey on that page to stay in the loop! This Waitangi Day hui is open for all.  If you are bringing little ones, please bring toys and things to keep them amused. At Te Poho-o-Rawiri, Tuesday February 6, 9am - 2pm. Kai will be provided and a koha would be appreciated. We’ll see you there!

Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival is back in February with its Whiti Season, running from February 2-11. Seth Haapu, the brilliant Māori and Tahitian musician who is making waves with his sound of “Pacific Soul” will open the season with his Tairāwhiti debut and exclusive summer performance. Haapu is a prolific songwriter and producer who has worked behind the scenes, both creating songs and producing for artists such as Sons of Zion, Stan Walker, Maisey Rika, and Teeks. His work extends into film and television, with a catalogue that has surpassed 40 million streams on Spotify alone. In 2018, Haapu received the ‘Kaitito Waiata Māori Autaia’ (Best Māori Songwriter) award at the 11th annual Waiata Māori Music Awards. His collaboration with Maisey Rika earned him the 2021 APRA Maioha Award. He has shared the bill with Crowded House and supported John Legend, played WOMAD Aotearoa and Chile in 2018 and took part in the Finest of Aotearoa tours in Hawaii, Las Vegas and his ancestral home of Tahiti. In 2023, ‘Rongoā’ from his latest album 'Whai Ora' earned him Te Tohu Manu Tioriori Tāne Autaia (Best Māori Male Solo Artist) at the Waiata Māori Music Awards and it is this album that Seth Haapu will perform at Lawson Field Theatre on February 2. Described as a sonic journey of healing, reconnection and aroha, blending taonga pūoro with digital magic, audiences are invited to immerse themselves in a coastal cruise, where liquid velvet meets R&B rhythms. Find Seth Haapu’s music on YouTube or Spotify, gather a crew and some tickets for a night of oranga and connection. Tickets can be found here: https://tetairawhitiartsfestival.nz/events/seth-haapu/

I'd like to wax sentimental about a little community who make an unlikely and yet wonderful thing happen: most Friday mornings, I meet a motley group of runners and walkers at the wee hour of 5:55 am in the lower car park of Titirangi to climb stairs. It’s a little bit punishing and a lot rewarding and I love that it exists, making Gizzy a little more of a heartthrob each week. (Me mihi ka tika ki te Mana Whenua Ngāti Oneone, te kaitiaki o Titirangi Maunga.) Let me step back a bit so you don’t discount this as being “for serious runners only.” Yes, I’m a runner in that it’s my preferred method of fitness and wellness. But I’ve never done a serious thing in my life, running included and even I do Friday Stairs! I’m the chatty runner near the back of almost any pack. I often “just want to finish” a run. Lots of my body jiggles when I run. I don’t have time goals for races; instead, I want to “be the happiest one out there.” And that’s a challenge for sure, because like anything physically demanding, sometimes I find myself falling into a blackhole somewhere in my brain or heart, along with every ounce of energy or motivation I’ve ever had or will ever have in the future. Sucked into that cosmic vacuum goes the desire to run whatever stupid race I’m stupidly registered to run later in the year. Suddenly I don’t even want to run to the next driveway. And surely you’ll be able to substitute your challenging thing in here, but running with people – even people faster than me, and there’s no shortage of those – has a power much stronger than the blackhole. The Friday Stairs smiles greet me and suddenly I’m as weightless as a bobbing pool toy, ready to blow away by even a suggestion of a breeze. I am alarmingly out of breath when I arrive at the lower carpark from shuffling up the hill, but the Friday Stairs peeps would never call attention to that. We might talk about the near miss with the alarm clock, still yawning with the sleep we haven’t quite shaken. With about a minute to go, we greet the new-comers (there’s always a fresh face), and we give everyone the lowdown about what’s about to happen. We also might have some news, like “Hey good luck to the people who are doing [insert thing] this weekend!” or “there are a group of us who are going to do a walk/run/whatever out at [insert place] so if you want to tag along…” The wonderful thing about Friday Stairs is it’s a gateway drug to the cool kids who know what’s up and where to go for free outdoorsy adventures. And there’s always room for one more. Now it’s 6:01 and we head off to the first set of stairs. And while we’re all doing this together, it’s easy for walkers and runners of all speeds and fitness to join in because we all do our own thing. Think you’re too slow. Guess what? Nope. It’s less about keeping up with anyone and all about letting them be your buoys, even if it’s a “well done, Sarah” as they fly past. The speedsters might get 5 climbs in while the walkers might get 2. You know who’s counting? No one! After about 10-12 minutes, we regroup at the lookout, whoops going out to each of us as we drag ourselves up those last two flights. Once everyone is together, we start off again, this time to the very top, either by trail or along the road. Are you pushing yourself this morning? Off you go, then. Feel like giving yourself a little break? Guess who’s judging you? You get it – no one. We do that top staircase for another 10 or so minutes and then it’s time for our 6-7 minutes of core exercises. Again, everything is scaled so we do what we can, grunting and hanging on. I can practically hear the others saying, “Don’t you go in that blackhole!” Maybe they’re talking to me? Maybe to themselves. We’re all in it together and we’ll get out of it together, too. Just another twenty seconds… And then comes my favourite part of the week, the effortless victory run (jog) down the hill. Man, I never feel so gazelle-like as at 6:45 on Friday morning and Stairs are done. Nowhere do I feel more accepted as a “runner,” as heroic as Roger Bannister, despite being ridiculously underqualified and lacking all required heroism or toughness as when I’m flying (plodding) down that hill. It simply doesn’t matter that my friend, a literal gazelle, and I, a literal penguin, ran a significantly different amount of stairs this morning. We both got up and got here and did our literal best. The glorious Gizzy morning sky is shining down on both of us in the same way. We fought off the blackhole and are laughing about something, Friday Stairs done for another week, a whole week away until next Friday. We ride that runners high all the way to Raglan Roast and with the tail ends of those endorphins mixed with caffeine coursing through our veins, we head into our separate mornings all over Gisborne, as light as pool toys being carried away on the wind. So that’s my love letter to Friday Stairs. And like objects of a love letter, you love them because they make you feel deserving and heroic and seen. I hope you’ll pop by and get to know the Friday Stairs, and the weekly sunrise that greets us on the maunga. And as beautiful as the sky’s pastel colours are, or the wintertime shimmer-bright constellations, so are the happy faces. We’re happy because you’re there. Friday Stairs are free and open to walkers and runners of all speeds. We meet at 5:55 am at the lower car park every Friday, rain, hail or shine (barring dangerous weather). Photos by Mike and Harry Roe.