This past winter, if you drove the bend in the road as Oneroa turns into Wairere at the right time, you might’ve seen tog-clad people jogging between Stockroute beach access and the Zephyr Cafe parking lot, looking simultaneously hot and flushed but also definitely cold from the bracing temperatures of the sea and air. You wouldn’t be wrong to wonder “what on earth?” I’m here to pull back the curtain on the exhilarating experience that is The Sauna Project Tairāwhiti, and to beckon you over. Simon White, a Gizzy lad from Tiniroto way, is the entrepreneur who about 18 months ago found himself with a little seed of an idea surprisingly taking root. A couple years ago, he was on a hike with friends. These friends, who were builders by trade, had taken the leap and built a sauna on a trailer. They’d seen a market for a mobile sauna that offered people the sauna wellness experience at the edge of the sea. (The sauna was built with a fog-proof window that gives the sauna-goers something beautiful to look at.) They asked Simon if he’d be keen on getting into this enterprise with them; they could build a second one that he could lease to own. He was just about to head off on an OE to Hawaii. Little did he know that this ember of an idea would stoke while he was away. By the time he returned, he had a fire going, not unlike the roaring little woodburner that would heat his own Gizzy-based mobile sauna. Let’s back up a sec, because this was one of Simon’s biggest learnings. A lot of people conflate the ideas of “sauna” and “spa” and “spa pool”. They’re surprised by what they find at The Sauna Project. So let’s do a little explainer. A sauna is a little room that’s heated to a piping-hot, bracing, but tolerable temperature that when you expose your body to it, produces wellness magic. You might’ve seen these little rooms with bleacher-style bench seating in a hotel or a gym. That’s a sauna you saw. Saunas and “heat bathing” are found the world over and from ancient cultures into the present. They can be made from a variety of materials and attain their high temps in a variety of ways. But The Sauna Project, currently parked up in the carpark of Zephyr Cafe out at Wainui Beach, is a wood-fired sauna. That means that it contains a small woodburner inside. The fire gets the sauna to around 75-90’C. There are lemon-sized rocks that sit on top of the wood burner within a bespoke cage that keeps them in place. Water, infused with essential oils, is poured onto the hot rocks, which causes a temporary intense but again, tolerable, spike in the perceived temperature inside the sauna. So what’s a Sauna Project experience like? You book your slot on the website and then arrive in your togs, with a towel and drink bottle, ready to sweat. You find a spot inside the sauna (the upper bench seats are hotter than the lower ones) and you brace yourself for the next 15 minutes of a wild and yet motionless journey. Simon welcomes everyone and starts the first of three sessions with essential oil-infused water poured on the rocks. This creates a wonderful, aromatic, and yet audaciously hot, steam. Then with a small towel, Simon wafts the air around the interior of the sauna, creating a current of hot air. By now, after just a minute or two of being in the sauna, beads of sweat will be blooming all over you, as your body reacts to the heat. Why does something so, well, hot result in better sleep, a sense of euphoria, a sense of connection to the earth, to the cosmic web of people, both those sitting in the sauna and humanity in general and other wellbeing benefits? Well there are several reasons, say the founders of The Sauna Project and regular users. Firstly, the exposure to heat closes the loop on our stress cycle. In our modern lives, things stress us out. But rarely (and maybe, thankfully) our modern existence doesn’t give us the events that expel the stress symptoms from our bodies. (Imagine: our hunter-gatherer ancestors and their stress about the next meal, but the act of the hunt would expel the stress hormones from their bodies.) Sauna-goers find that sitting in a sauna for 15-minutes pushes our bodies and our minds to the brink of what we think we can cope with. We pant. Our heart rate increases. Our body pumps out sweat at a surprising rate. And The Sauna Project peeps believe that our daily stress symptoms leave the body with all that sweat. While visitors to the Sauna Project are welcome to do what they want and need to do, a common practice is to sit in the sauna for 15 minutes before emerging for the first time. The air is cool – even a 25’ summer’s day will feel invigorating after the 80-ish degrees of the sauna. The fresh air shakes you from the heat-weariness in the most welcome way. You slip on your jandals and dash down to the beach. Even if you’re not a regular cold-water plunger, you’ll find yourself joyfully running into the sea. And this is another way the experience improves our wellness: the duality of the hot and the cold, the fire and the water, works its magic on us. Regular sauna-goer, and doctor, Amanda Roe, says “the average sauna user will lose about one pint of sweat during a 30-minute session. Once your body heats up, your cells get to work. Your blood vessels dilate and this allows your muscles to relax. When you hit the cool air and water, the blood vessels constrict, pushing the blood back toward your internal organs. This pumping effect promotes our detox pathways (good thing for all that sweat coming out!) Sauna provides health benefits across the board: increased mood, decreased stress, better injury healing, improved glucose regulation, lowered blood pressure to name a few.” But if you pull the camera up to a birds-eye view, you can see more than this powerful duality. The sauna + sea exercise gets microscopic and cosmic all at once. The Sauna Project bundles for you all the elements that make up every organism in our infinite universe: fire, water, sky, air, and earth. Your heart is happily thumping, this time from the shock of the cold water and after a second, you’ll be surprised how you’re craving the heat of the sauna again! So, off you go, back up to the sauna. You step on to the timber floor of the sauna and the cosmic element connection continues. Simon gives the crew another essential oil treatment to the air you breathe and you sit with your thoughts for another 15 minutes before another cool sea dip, or just a little cooling shower from a watering can. The light, meditative music will take your mind places. And sometimes, by the second or third session of the hour, you’re getting to know your sauna mates, laughing and watching as the last minutes just fly by. When the hour is up, you might feel reluctant to leave, a surprising turn of events compared to the first part of the session. When Simon isn’t surfing, playing bass in his band Oceanspace, or studying mahinga kai (Māori food production and gardening) at EIT, he enjoys catering each sauna session to the cosmic and human energy levels to determine the temperature of the sauna and the essential oils that he uses. And he prides himself on the safe space that his sauna creates and the substance-free euphoria that the saunees experiences. He watches people connect to one-another (he’s seen a few people find employment), he enjoys the meditative and cleansing experience he provides, and adding a business that perpetuates more wellness for people in our community. Interested in what a cleansing sauna can do for you? Book your session with the Sauna Project Tairāwhiti on their website. They’ll be shifting out of their current pozzy at Zephyr cafe for the summer months, so stay tuned for the next location for our wonderful, local, mobile sauna. Or even better, if you know of a great, water-adjacent location, sing out to Simon at on Instagram @thesaunaproject_tairawhiti or 022 326 5885. Story by Sarah Holliday-Pocock Photographs by Ellen Mary Taylor

Who, What and Why? Conversations about our people, our environment and our livelihoods in the context of climate change take place all around our region every day. Ideas, solutions, place-specific scenarios are given voice to and debated, and then what? The Exchange Cafe understands that important conversations don’t just happen around the tables where decisions get made; that local knowledge and experiences, and a weaving together of all of the different threads of knowledge is crucial in finding solutions to the unique challenges our region faces as the climate changes. Renee Raroa (East Coast Exchange), Harley Dibble (Rau Tipu Rau Ora) and Shannon Dowsing (Rāngai Studios) also realise that a lot of these conversations DO happen around decision making tables, and they are keen to make these exchanges more transparent. The Exchange Cafe recognises that all of these conversations are a resource and they have created an online library to bring them together in one place, making them both visible and accessible. If you are holding an event or a conversation about climate change that our wider community could benefit from, get in touch with the Exchange Cafe. They can arrange for the event to be livestreamed, recorded and edited, and held in their resource bank for others to watch. We urgently need solutions for whenua and whānau that represent the vision and values of our communities. The Exchange Cafe is all about enabling the sharing of information so that we can explore solutions and take action towards a sustainable and resilient future, together. Now is a great time to check out The Exchange Cafe and its resource bank, there are Meet the candidate interviews focused on Climate Change and the wider environment and other recent uploads such as an interview with transport expert, James Llewellyn about delivering healthier, cheaper and less polluting travel options in Te Tairawhiti. Find it here: https://www.exchangecafe.co.nz/

You may have seen it popping up on your social media feed, or perhaps you’ve heard about it through your child’s school.. Te Wero ia Wenerei - The Wednesday Challenge is about replacing your normal school drop off and pick up routine with an alternative like biking, walking, skating, scootering, traveling by bus or carpooling with others in your neighbourhood on Wednesdays throughout September, October and November 2023. The idea is to help reduce road congestion, make our roads safer, our environment cleaner and your health and wellbeing better. Jess Buske decided to sign up to the Challenge with her daughter Kohe after seeing information about it on a friend’s Facebook page. She says she’s always looking for motivating ways to keep fit within the daily grind, and is all too familiar with battling the traffic along with all the other parents and caregivers when she drops Kohe off at Central School each morning. “My daughter Kohe is at Gisborne Central School, and we battle the traffic every morning, along with all the parents and caregivers. They had a cool bike ride to school through Whataupoko on the first day of their challenge, "Kohe spotted more than ten Tui having their breakfast in a tree, and then got to cuddle a newborn lamb who was hanging out with people who were gardening near the roadside. Epic start to the challenge! Biking together means we get to start our day connecting through exercise and discovery, without the distraction of calls or messages, and without the stress that comes with finding a car park”. There are heaps of prizes to be won, including $$ for schools. Parents, friends and whānau of students at a participating Tairāwhiti school, can also sign up to join their School’s team, and when you travel differently on a Wednesday your points will also go to your nominated school. You can find all the details here: https://www.wednesdaychallenge.co.nz/location/tairawhiti

As you may have heard, the Government has offered a $204m support package to Te Tairāwhiti for cyclone recovery. This offer includes: - $125m for roading and bridge repairs - $64m for flood protection - $15m for the 50/50 cost sharing for the purchase of properties that have been deemed too dangerous to live in, due to flood or land instability risk caused by the severe weather earlier this year. The Gisborne District Council has also negotiated a $30m interest free loan for 10 years. When these negotiations began, Council was facing a total repair cost of $1.1 billion, which was mainly made up of roading costs. The negotiations aimed to secure the best support package from the Government to help repair our infrastructure and to enable communities to be safe and connected, while keeping the impacts on rates as low as possible. This is an important decision for the community as it impacts us all. It’s an all or nothing offer, and the Council are putting it to the community to have our say. If we accept the Government’s support package of $204m and an interest-free loan of $30m over 10 years this will provide those most affected by the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle with some certainty to move forward, and provide financial certainty for recovery priorities like roading and stopbanks. It will enable us to move forward as quickly as possible. If we don’t accept this Government funding we will still need to fix our roads and bridges. Funding will be less certain and timeframes would likely be extended. More properties will move into Category 3 because we can't afford the millions of dollars needed to reduce flood risks. And, we'd need to decide what recovery activities we can afford to fund using Rates and roading subsidies. It’s unlikely we could afford to undertake the same scale or range of recovery and resilience work, or purchase Category 3 properties if the offer is not accepted. Next week there are a bunch of opportunities to speak to Councillors about this topic, so get along and be a part of the decision-making process! You can also give your feedback online. Head here for all the details: https://participate.gdc.govt.nz/cyclone-support-package-offer Feedback opens Monday 9 and closes 5pm Monday 16 October.

Tōnui Collab For 7 - 13 year olds At Lawson Field Theatre Cost $50 per child per workshop Monday October 2 - Virtual Reality Tuesday October 3 - Game Development Wednesday October 4 - Animation More information and to book head to https://www.tonuicollab.com/holiday-workshops Bit-of-Fun School Holiday Drama Classes Develop your drama skills these school holiday classes with director / actor / writer Bel Campbell. Sessions include improvisations, games and creating story. Great for those new to drama, as well as those that already love it! For ages 5 through to teens At Musical Theatre Gisborne Clubrooms, 101 Innes Street $12 per session ($10 for MTG Members) Ages 5 -8 at 10am, Monday 25 September & Wednesday 27 September Ages 9 - 12 at 11.00 Monday 25 September & Wednesday 27 September Teens at 11am - 12pm, Monday 25 September & Wednesday 27 September More advanced and personalised drama tutoring is also available. All bookings can be made here: www.belcampbell.com/workshops Tairāwhiti Museum School Holiday Art Workshops Awesome art workshops in the first week of the school holidays! For ages 5 - 12 year olds Daily Monday September 25 - Friday September 29, 10am - 12pm, 1 - 3pm. $10 for Clay Workshop, other workshops $5 per child. Monday September 25 - Sculpture Tuesday September 26 - Clay Wednesday September 27 - Mixed Media Thursday September 28 - Clay Friday September 29 - Printmaking Spaces are limited. To register pop in to the museum and pay for your class in advance. All children need to be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the workshop. Fancy Draws at Gizzy Local Fancy Draws brings together dress ups and drawing. A relaxedly structured life drawing session for 7 - 11 year olds where kids can take turns dressing up and modelling and drawing. For 7 - 12 year olds At Gizzy Local, 64 Lowe St $15 per person Tuesday October 3, 1 - 2:30pm Book here: https://www.gizzylocal.com/event-details/fancy-draws-school-holiday-edition Gisborne Gymnastics Club Holiday Programme A holiday programme with structured gymnastics lessons in the morning and free play in the afternoons. For ages 5 - 14 years At Gisborne Gymnastics Club, Electrinet Sports Centre, 537 Aberdeen Road Monday September 25 - Friday October 6 $30 per session (9am -12pm or 12pm - 3pm) or $55 for the day For daily break down of activities and booking details: https://gisbornegymnastics.com/holiday-program Comet Swimming Club Holiday Programme Comet Swimming Club Holiday Boost Programme - boost your child’s swimming before summer For 3.5 year olds + Learn to Swim At Elgin School Pool At Kiwa Pools (Monday to Thursday both weeks) Age and ability dependant Cost: $60 for 5 x 30 minute lessons Monday September 25 to Friday September 29 Monday October 2 to Friday October 6. AND Comet Swimming Club Open Week Free sessions for people who have not tried Comet Learn to Swim lessons before. Spaces are limited, bookings essential. Monday September 25 - Friday September 29 afternoons To book email cometswimming@gmail.com More information www.cometswimmingclub.com or find Comet on Facebook or Instagram Arty Farty School Holiday Programme Nurture children’s self-expression through art, music, dance and drama. For primary aged children, 5 to 10 year-olds. At Te Hapara School Hall, 31 Mill Rd. $30 half day or $50 full day bookings. Book via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kidscreationstationz More more information email kidscreationstationz@gmail.com or 021 045 8113 East Coast Museum of Technology A nostalgic diamond in disguise, the East Coast Museum of Technology is the perfectly, imperfect museum run by volunteers, here in Gisborne. ECMOT brings stories from past to present to life and provides a really great experience for kids and adults alike! For All Ages At 67 Main Road, Makaraka Saturday and Sundays, 10am – 4pm Costs $2 - $10 Events 4 All For 5 to 14 year olds At Awapuni School Monday September 28 to Friday October 6, 7.30am - 5.30pm Cost: $60 To book: https://enrolmy.com/events-4-all/book-now/199-Events-4-All-September-October-2023-Holiday-progamme- H.B. Williams Memorial Library At HB Williams Memorial Library, 34 Bright Street All activities are free! Tuesday September 26, 10.30am He Kākano | Little Seeds Fun sing-along and read for under twos. Thursday September 28, 10:30am Te Pihinga | Little Sprouts Fun sing-along and read for 2-5 year olds September 29 Friday, 3.30pm Te Aka Rangatahi | The Teen Vine - King of the Board For 14-18 year olds. Teen games club. Test your skills and challenge others to see who will become “King of the Board” Light refreshments supplied. Saturday September 23 to Sunday October 8 Ready, Set, Read Reading Challenge Read for two hours in ten minute time slots and go in the draw to win one of four mystery prizes. Monday September 25 – Friday October 6 Daily Quiz Checkout the daily quiz in the children’s area, pop your answer in the box and go in the draw to win a prize. Monday September 25 – October 6 Courtyard games This holidays the library courtyard will be set up with giant classic games for families to enjoy. Weather permitting. Monday September 25, 9.30 – 11.30am Spring Carnival Heaps of games and prizes to be won. Bring the whanau down for a morning of fun. Tuesday 26, Wednesday 27, Thursday 28 and Friday 29 September Ed Hillary’s Antarctic Hut Virtual Reality Experience lets you explore Sir Edmund Hillary’s Antarctic hut. Drop in for one of the 15 minute sessions that will be running throughout the day. 10am – 4pm Thursday September 28, 10.30am Dress up storytime Come dressed as your favourite book character and join the CYA team for story time Friday September 29 & Friday October 6, 10.30 - 11.30am Tōnui Collab Workshop Fun STEMM workshop with the awesome team from Tōnui Collab. For ages 7+, adult supervision required. 20 spots only. Phone 8676709 to book your spot from September 18. Friday September 29 & Friday October 6, 10am – 12pm Flawless Photography Club for teens Join Liam for sneak preview of the new photography club for teens that will be starting up soon. Bring along your phone or device and learn some new tricks to take your photos to the next level. Monday October 2, 9.30 - 11.30am Mask making cardboard fun We’ve got a stack of cardboard for you to create your favourite character mask. The cardboard creation stations will be set up all morning. Wednesday October 4, 10 – 11.30am and 1.30 – 3pm Grab Life By The Bricks Jonathan is back and bringing lego fun to the library. Registration required. We will be taking registrations from September 18, phone 8676709 Thursday October 5, 10am – 3pm Click Happy Visual Poetry Jam For ages 13+ Want to learn how to become a better photographer? To create images that stop people scrolling past? We have 30 spaces available to help you learn to up your photography game. Learn from master photographer Mandi Lynn how to use a cell phone like a DSLR camera. Phone 8676709 to register Pinehollow Riding School School holiday programme, treks, pony rides and lessons. We are excited to see you all! Lessons in holidays by arrangement $65 for the day. Monday 25 - Friday 29 September - Holiday program, treks and rides Wednesday 27th - Fully booked Sunday October 1 - Treks/pony rides/ lessons depending on numbers. Monday 2 - Friday 6 October - Holiday program, treks and rides Saturday 7 October - Treks/ pony rides depending on numbers. Sunday 8 October - Treks/ pony rides/lessons depending on numbers. Minivan transport is available. For the minivan morning pick up will be 9am and drop off 4pm, by the Tav. If you bring your children out Drop off is at Pine Hollow 9am pick up 3.30pm Please make sure your child has spare clothes, covered shoes, lunch and water bottle. Bank details: ANZ Pine Hollow - 06 0637 0264724 00 Cancellations must be made 24 hours beforehand or payment must be paid in full if late. Contact Jacquie 0277491629 or Facebook or email pinehollowridingschool@gmail.com YMCA OSCAR Holiday Programme OSCAR House, 153 Disraeli Street September 25th to October 4th 5-13 years For more info send an email to oscar@ymcagisborne.nz or call us on 06 867 9259

Stories are how we learn about the world, how we keep our history alive, how we entertain our people, how we connect to things that are important. We say "tell me a story" when we're young. But we don't outgrow a need for stories. We say, "Tell me about that time when..." We say, "You've gotta hear this." And in our content-saturated now, we say, "Have you seen that show?" We need stories like we need fresh air. Lucky for us that as part of Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival, the much anticipated UPU, arrives on the shores of Turanga to breathe life into us with some of Oceania's most moving stories. UPU, which means "word," is a theatrical production that weaves together almost 40 Oceanic texts from 29 poets, curated by award-winning poet Grace Iwashita-Taylor and directed by Fasitua Amosa. For two nights, the War Memorial Theatre will become the waters and islands of the Pacific, interconnecting stories about colonisation, family, love, religion, and the impact of climate change on the people of the moana. As Tama Waipara, TTAF's chief executive and artistic director says, "UPU is a synthesis of some of our age’s greatest thinkers, provocateurs and navigators of word. It is sophisticated, ancient, cutting and dripping with sass. It’s like bathing in all the splendour of Te Moana-Nui-ā-Kiwa without having to go anywhere. UPU reminds us of the vastness of our ocean and the richness of our shared cultural contexts.” Ana Corbett, one of the original cast members, has been involved with UPU from the very beginning and since 2020 has been producing with Amosa and Iwashita-Taylor. “UPU is a unique offering,” says Corbett. “There is no other show that places the vastness and depth of Pacific poetry and writers on a stage in this way. It is an absolute joy to be able to do work like this.” Corbett has a connection to Te Tairāwhiti and looks forward to bringing this powerful performance to our region. She first came as a student of Toi Whakaari with tutor Teina Moetara of Rongowhakaata. “Part of building our Toi Whakaari community was an annual bus trip from Te Whanganui-a-Tara to spend a week at Manutuke Marae." Says Corbett, “The ocean and coastline here create something beautifully magical. There is a special energy about this place. Perhaps the remoteness of it adds to its wonder - it's hard to put into words but I know I always love coming back.” UPU gives voice to many of Oceania’s most powerful poets, writers like Maualaivao Albert Wendt, Selina Tusitala Marsh, Briar Grace-Smith, Karlo Mila, Hone Tuwhare, Sia Figiel, and Ben Brown. In addition to Ana Corbett, the cast of accomplished Tagata Moana actors include Maiava Nathaniel Lees, Mia Blake, Shadon Meredith, James Maeva, Nicola Kāwana and Nora Aati. Corbett reflects on her experience as a performer of UPU. “As an actor you always want to work with great text that explores interesting and challenging ideas. The special thing about poetry is that it has a way of weaving these ideas into your soul. Audiences are constantly surprised at how they were moved and affected by it.” Don't miss the chance to breathe in the fresh air of these masterfully told stories. UPU will be performed at the War Memorial Theatre, 6 & 7 October at 7pm. Find more information on TTAF website. Purchase tickets here.

Moana Grant did not envision herself as the owner of a wine bar in little old Gizzy. Just a few months ago, she was on the verge of moving to Melbourne. She had sold everything she owned, and had planned a short stay back here to spend time with friends before she headed off. But life is full of surprises, and today she finds herself pouring new energy into Siduri, a beloved spot quickly evolving into the place to be for intimate music and arts events. Moana grew up between Gisborne and the coast, splitting time between her mum’s place here and her dad’s in Waihau Bay. But she was keen to explore, and vowed to leave as soon as she could, relocating to Wellington to go to university. “I had this feeling that if I didn’t go, I might get stuck.” She spent the next several years studying and diving into the music scene, both in Wellington and Auckland, earning a Bachelors in Māori and Political Studies, and later studying law in Dunedin. But she was always drawn to the arts, which led to a career as a tattoo artist. She also sought out work at music events and festivals where she looked after artists, and eventually put on some events of her own. That led to connections and friendships with several artists that she still treasures today. While in Auckland in her mid-20s, Moana created Ology, a program for art and creative development. Her vision was a bit like Tāiki ē here in Tūranganui-A-Kiwa, a creative hub where mentors could assist youth with their projects and empower them with the tools to make their dreams a reality. “I put it on the back burner, but I always wanted to do something with it.” It was Siduri that inspired her to re-focus. After frequent visits to the wine bar with friends, she couldn’t help thinking about its potential as a music venue and arts space. Sam Millton, Siduri’s original owner, welcomed her ideas but he was on the verge of moving to Wellington. One night after a chat, Sam encouraged her to buy the business and a big couple of months later, here she is…doing it! Siduri is wāhine owned and Moana is stoked to bring Te Ao Māori into the space. The walls are now ablaze with bright, bold pieces by artist Dayna Chaffey, and Moana finds new faces in the space all the time, coming by to check out the scene. “People tell me the range of people in here is more diverse now, and that makes me happy.” But fans of the original Siduri can rest assured: this is still an excellent wine bar that punches well above its small-city stature. Moana has a deep appreciation for what Sam created. “I came here all the time and loved that it felt like something out of New York or Melbourne.” Just as Sam was, Moana is very conscious of the importance of the lighting, music, and wine selection that sets Siduri apart. Sam curated a truly special wine list not readily available elsewhere in the area, and she has no plans to change that. “Sam has been absolutely key in the transition, introducing me to his suppliers, and they’ve been wonderful and so helpful with suggestions.” That’s not to say it’s been an easy adjustment, particularly as a Māori woman in an industry that has received its fair share of criticism for elitism and chauvinism. When attending wine tasting events with potential suppliers, she notices how easily she is dismissed. “Then they’re surprised to hear I own the bar, and realize they shouldn’t have ignored me.” She admits she has a lot to learn about wine, but she’s confident in her instincts and determined to maintain Siduri’s reputation as a superb wine bar. Moana’s guiding principle is “what I would want on the other side of the bar?” That includes an expanded menu and she’s testing more substantial offerings, like sliders, which are proving to be a hit, and adding to the drinks options with beer and mocktails. For the wine lovers, Moana is creating a wine club that will offer members special bottles and exclusive access to events. Live music will be a dominant feature overall, but she also plans to host Poetry Slam and open mic nights. The art exhibitions will change regularly, and with each new exhibit, there will be a Meet the Artist event. At the moment, every Friday there’s a DJ, and Saturday is usually an acoustics night. In line with her long-held Ology vision, Moana is also inviting visiting artists to a series of “Legend Sessions,” which are ticketed events that eventually will include a component of mentorship for young local artists and opportunities for local acts to perform alongside musicians of legendary status. The first of these kicks off this Saturday 23 September with R&B legend Chong Nee. He’ll be supported by Sienna Rose, who as well as being a solo performer in her own right, performed with him in the reggae band Foundation. Only 25 tickets will be sold, making this a rare and exclusive opportunity to hear these artists. As if she’s not busy enough, Moana is also developing a podcast called the “Wine Down,” which will feature interviews with artists after their performance (over a glass of wine, of course). “I want it to be as raw as possible, drinking and chatting and whatever comes out, comes out.” Acknowledging the scope of her ambitions, Moana notes she’s always been “a bit full on.” The enthusiasm is flowing freely, but she acknowledges the danger of burnout. Siduri is actively hiring more staff, especially going into summer, so sing out if you are interested in a Duty Manager or Bar Staff role. For someone who didn’t see herself living in Gizzy, Moana has already contributed massively to the community, leveling up our nightlife, and more importantly, sharing the power of possibility. In the absence of big city amenities, it’s easy to lament what we lack. But Moana shows us there’s another way: instead of complaining about what we’re missing, we can get busy creating it. Siduri is now open Wednesday to Sunday from 1 pm. To stay in the know about upcoming events and wine features, follow Siduri on social media: Facebook Siduri Wine Bar & Deli Instagram https://www.instagram.com/siduribar/ Story by Victoria Williams Photographs by Tom Teutenberg

Josh is an articulate 26 year old who works part-time as admin at a logistics company. Like your average 26 year old he enjoys a workout at the gym, a few drinks with his mates in the weekend, and gets into a bit of gaming in his spare time. But Josh isn’t average, in fact, he’s pretty extraordinary. After falling ill two years ago Josh lost the use of his body from his chest down and now uses a wheelchair. It has been an intense process for Josh to accept how different his life is now, and like anyone would, he struggled at first with having to rely on other people to get through his day. It has been a big adjustment for his whole family who are incredibly supportive. However, his family can’t do it all, and that’s where the team from Your Way | Kia Roha come in. Previously called Life Unlimited, they support people with disabilities by helping to plan, and connect individuals to the relevant resources, support, information, and people that could help to live life more easefully. Your Way | Kia Roha’s friendly facilitators Jessie Clare and Christine Hills say that anyone can self-refer, or refer on behalf of someone else, “Self referral is a way to reduce barriers for people seeking support. You don’t need to go through a GP, although you do have to have a diagnosed disability.” Whether a person refers themselves or is referred by someone else it doesn’t matter, they will be given a needs assessment and if eligible, Your Way | Kia Roha coordinates the funding support and connects them to services for resources like equipment, home help, or respite care. As an able bodied person, Josh says he would set his alarm for 15 minutes before he started work. He’d jump up and have a shower, then drive to his job - something we tend to take for granted as able-bodied people. Nowadays Josh sets his alarm two hours before work. His carer helps him to the shower using a hoist and a sliding board. They provide personal cares and assist Josh to get dressed. Then they help him with his breakfast and Josh is driven to work as he doesn’t have a modified vehicle yet. This is one of his goals to becoming more independent. He wants the freedom to drive himself wherever and whenever he wants. Just getting to work is exhausting, and as a tetraplegic, Josh’s core muscles are weak to non-existent. Sitting in a wheelchair all day he has to work to hold himself upright, using his right hand balanced on his thigh to prevent himself falling forward. He gets pain and fatigue, particularly in his back and shoulder blades. After work he is driven home and needs the relief of a positional change, so his carer helps him to lie on his bed and they move his legs in various exercises to reduce fluid retention and get the circulation going. Then it’s lunch and back into the wheelchair. A couple of times a week, Steve, a health and wellbeing coach from Pinnacle Health takes Josh to the gym for an upper body workout, other days Josh just relaxes in front of the TV or a plays a game of Call of Duty. His carer comes again in the evening and helps with dinner, personal cares and gets Josh back into bed. “It’s not until you have a disability that you notice other people with disabilities” says Josh. “There’s a lot of people who are not able-bodied in our community, including those with ‘invisible’ disabilities.” Some of us have autoimmune, or long term conditions which limit our ability to get around. “And that can be isolating” Josh tells me. Since being in a wheelchair he’s noticed things most of us don’t. The accessibility in our CBD is far from ideal. Our roads and footpaths are uneven, tiles can be skew whiff, and it can be hard to manoeuvre wheelchairs. Parking spaces for people with disabilities could be better. Josh offloads/onloads from the back of his van which means he’s offloading into oncoming traffic. A lot of doorways are too narrow in the CBD so people in wheelchairs can’t actually enter many local businesses. Josh shops at accessible businesses like The Little Hair Shop, which has a wide, sliding door entry, where he can get his hair cut with ease. In talking to Josh I wondered what the barriers are to having a fully accessible CBD. While the width of shop doorways is up to individual business owners and landlords, I contacted the Gisborne District Council to find out how they support accessibility around here. Gisborne District Council say they adhere to universal design principles when building anything for our community. For example, all new community facility builds (like Kiwa Pools) or new crossings (like the Peel Street roundabout) have modern elevated platforms, universal access appropriate ramp gradients as well as blind/low vision aids. They do recognise that footpaths in our CBD are an issue however and say there will be a focus before Christmas to fix safety issues on our footpaths and tidy up the CBD before the summer season. Chief Executive Nadine Thatcher Swann says Council wants to hear from people having problems with any public areas, or accessing our community’s facilities. You can do this by calling 0800 653 800, emailing service@gdc.govt.nz or or via the eFix service on Council’s website. Council also has a disability strategy that is up for review, so if you or anyone you knows is having accessibility issues or perspectives on how people with disabilities may be better supported here in Te Tairāwhiti, please make sure you get in touch with Council to see how you can feed into this process. 'It's only paradise if everyone can afford (access) it'. Story by Aimee Milne Photograph Tom Teutenberg

Snooker, Mah-jong, Scrabble, Bowls. All common activities in a retirement villages right? Composting? Now that is different. At Beetham Village every Monday and Wednesday morning you will find a unique group of active relaxers. Ernie, Graeme, Grant, Stu, Basil, Peter and Tony, all over 75 years, are volunteering their combined energy and banter to make and donate high-quality compost back to the Beetham community. Ernie is the mastermind of the scheme, impressive in energy and agility at 87 years old. Besides a lifetime of practical skills and green fingers, seven years back he attended a short course in Commercial Composting run by EIT. Two years ago, that knowledge was put into action after a resident’s discussion about kitchen scraps going to waste. You see Beetham, like many others in Gisborne, was paying to dump all their food and green waste. Seven trailer loads per week to the tune of $2000+ per month. And then, like many others, they were paying again to buy compost for use in the residents’ and communal gardens. All the ingredients were there, Ernie’s firecracker attitude and training, space just next to the Village workshop, the obvious financial benefits to the organisation and a willing group of regular volunteers. Local businesses contributed with key materials such as bins, buckets, wood chip and liners. They bought a chipper, paper shredder, a hammermill or grinder to offer a fine compost option to residents, and get occasional help from a mechanical ‘mulcher’. The rest is easily accessible and simple technology, supported by just two hours of group energy each week before leaving nature to do the rest. The system and the group are well-oiled after two years of trial and problem solving and it’s a slick operation to witness…a masterclass in coordination! The ‘compost lasagne’ includes lawn clippings, wood chip, coffee grinds, lime, shredded paper, food scraps and moisture, which after one year at optimal temperatures produces rich, fluffy and nutritious soil. I’m pretty sure the brassicas winked at me. Beetham Village gardening team rave about the quality of the compost and the high number of worms. They use most of it in the village flower and raised-vegetable gardens. Residents can order buckets for a small donation (or a packet of biscuits for the long and joyful smoko sessions of the composting team). These recent hints of spring weather and the upcoming Spud in a Bucket campaign for Alzheimer’s have seen an increase in orders. Everything is intentionally designed to be easy on aged bodies and minds, so the worm and seaweed tea are distributed to residents in 2 litre milk bottles with handles that residents have saved and passed on to the team. The light and fluffy compost is divided into 20L buckets with handles and holes in the bottom to allow for draining. Sacks are used instead of fadges. The trailers are low and the compost is made in pallet frames without bottoms. Quite simply, this system is easily replicable for young and old. Ernie and his team (special mention to Sue and Helen who collect the full buckets each week) have pretty much closed the loop for the Village organic waste, 95% of which is now managed onsite through the composting and worm farms. He calculated 1700 kgs of food waste through their system last year and they have plans to grow. Did you see the recent waste figures released by Gisborne District Council? In town, we send an estimated 37 tonnes of food waste (all the way to Tirohia in the Waikato) to landfill each week. An average of 50% of what we dispose of in household black bags is organic. There are plans for a wheelie bin collection system that will include food waste. Councils across the country are mandated to divert food waste in order to reduce methane emissions from landfills. Auckland’s food waste now travels 260kms to Ego-Gas in Reporoa. Tauranga City send theirs to commercial composting in Hampton Downs . The trend is large volumes travelling to large and costly infrastructure. Here's where Ernie and his team have a lot to teach us. Food waste is a valuable resource, a treasure that with a little investment, motivated caretakers, and the right ingredients, is a key component in growing soil, healthy food and, equally important, creating connection within communities. Imagine if every city neighbourhood and rural area had a community compost? Check out the Aotearoa Composters Network for examples of diverse projects already happening in other regions. Some even have e-bike with trailer collections. The benefits of the Beetham model are so clear that it feels positively infectious, like I drank the compost tea myself. The whole group are active and upbeat. The organisation has not only reduced costs but has a fabulous on-site resource. The residents’ produce and gardens are healthy and life-giving. It is win-win and can easily be replicated. Imagine a variety of organic waste, organic resource, solutions in our region, supporting home, community and commercial options. Let’s keep that resource as local as possible, so that the community receives maximum benefits. The day after the Cyclone Gabrielle, Ernie and his team were out building composts again. Now that is resilience. Story by Jo McKay Photographs by Tom Teutenberg

A dawn light spills through the window. Someone dances in that spotlight sunbeam. The collective groove builds until the DJ drops the beat and all the bare feet in the room bounce on the surging bass, suddenly urgent. No, this isn’t a wee-hours after-party. It’s a Wednesday and these people are at a full-moon, morning rave before work. Wait, what? I know. Raving in the morning, sober, sounds foreign, maybe counter-intuitive, possibly unnecessary. But let me tell you, it happens and it’s necessary. People love it. I’m one of those people. I spoke to some other morning ravers like myself to pinpoint what it is about this unique, and uniquely Gizzy, event that has us coming back. Firstly, it’s welcoming! Gizzy Local’s Sarah and the other early-arrivers are happy to see us, however and why-ever we turn up. Some people are still sleepy, while some dress up, like myself and friend Isaac who once donned a sequined top that was like wardrobe caffeine. Some wear flowy clothes that could be work-ready, while others use the session as self-directed, musical yoga, and are in stretchy leggings and a singlet. The how and why couldn’t matter less. The magic is that we’re here together. When the music starts, the ways in which people approach the music is as unique as the fashion. Most of the time, my eyes are closed, because I’ve dialled into my own dance frequency. But sometimes my eyes open and I’m greeted by a party mix of dance styles. Somebody’s bouncing, another person is deep into a robot, someone has found their way to the floor and is using this groove to stretch things out, and another person is on the couch, subtly dancing from the waist up, drinking a coffee and tapping their toes. As my friend Isaac says, “I like how inclusive it is. It’s welcoming, especially to people who don’t think they can dance. At a regular party, there’s pressure to dance. So in order to do that, you need to drink more. But with this, you just turn up and do what you want.” And that’s how I feel too. There’s a level of performance at a regular dance party: get out there and be a sexy cocktail of hipness and grace. But don’t look like you’re trying. At a regular dance party, I question myself. Do I look cool enough? Am I too sweaty? Are these moves outdated, lame? The inner critic is loud. However, at Gizzy Local, for this short hour, there’s no expectation to be or do anything else. What you’re bringing to the party is the exact right thing. Leave your inner critic at the door. A morning rave isn’t that different from things that already exist in my life. I sometimes exercise in the mornings in various ways, and a morning rave ticks a lot of those same boxes for heart rate, calories burned, and steps. I know, because once, out of curiosity, I tracked my stats on my fitness watch. But as my friend, Amanda (and fellow morning raver) points out, “dancing in the morning lacks any type of suffering that often comes with fitness classes. Don’t get me wrong,” she says. “There are times when that suffering is a metaphor for things I want to build in myself, like resilience or the power to push through when things are hard.” She’s nailed it; for all the little beads of sweat that I make during a dance party, I suffer for none of them. And it’s not just about what it lacks. There’s what it’s got, like happy energy in spades. Amanda puts it like this: “It’s so rare that we join an environment where people are so unified in a common happiness.” She’s exactly right. It’s not complicated here. During this hour, we arrive ready to be happy, in the same way that you might arrive at the yoga class ready to decompress or at the gym ready to sweat. It’s the same kind of intention, but one focussed on bliss. Amanda adds, “And when we leave, we take our individual orbits of bliss out into the world, making the world a little bit happier with each person we interact with.” Another thing it’s got: great music! The dancers don’t get to this happy place on their own. The highly-skilled, local DJs take us on a 60 minute vibe journey. The DJs are key to what make this event uniquely Gizzy. Raves seem to be having a little moment here in Gizzy, thanks to a growing community of DJs with party-ready sound systems and eclectic libraries of tunes. Isaac again, “I like supporting these local artists. They’re really good! And they’re tuned-in to us. They don’t expect us to get right into it. There are warm-up tunes that match the energy. ” But soon, the DJ shifts through the gears, layering samples on top of electrifying beats, jet-setting us via world music that at once sounds exotic but perfectly at home in this moment, tightening the tension and then blissfully dropping the beat. There’s a box that the dance party ticks that regular things don’t: I like to be a little crazy at times. I’m not a stranger to a winter ocean dip or a run under a bright, full moon. Life’s too short not to sprinkle in thrill and the delight of what feels like a little rule-breaking. And as Amanda notes, “Getting up at 6 am to rave with happy people before work breaks all the rules.” In my younger days, (and currently, if I’m being honest), the easy way to generate thrill is with alcohol. I could (and do) lose all my inhibitions and become the life of the party by the second beer. I’ve spent a stupid amount of time and energy on this planet reaching for a sense of cool that feels always out of my grasp. Second-Beer Sarah always feels cool. So I let her take the lead. But in recent years, I’ve reckoned with a tough question: is Second-Beer Sarah the one that everyone likes? Can I be that jubilant version without 2 beers? Can I make thrilling moments by arriving in the moment with the intent to be thrilled? Can I find euphoria on a Wednesday before work? I recently heard a podcaster talking about an ultra-cool 90s rock star as having “zero ambition to be anything other than what she was, and people couldn’t get enough of her.” And that’s what the morning raves do for me. I turn up with zero ambition to be anything but thrilled by this hour of infectious, dynamic music. I add dancing in the morning before work as another set of rules I get to break. As Amanda says, a smile in her voice, “I’m not gonna lie. The coffee is a nice draw, too.” By Sarah Holliday Pocock Gizzy Local's next morning rave, "I Woke Up Like This" is on Thursday August 31, at 6:30am. $10 on the door, Far East coffee flowing & beats by A.M. Graham. See you there!

Nobody knows who I am or why I'm here but when I walk into the warmth of Tauawhi Men's Centre I'm greeted with smiles and offered a cup of tea and a biscuit. There are a variety of people in the spacious lounge-like space and I can tell it's the kind of place that invites you to tell your story, to people who are ready to hear it, with no judgment. I'm here to speak with Dee Kahukoti about the new safe house for men. Te Whare Ahuru at 78 Huxley Rd has been refurbished after fire damage and is now a safe house for men to take themselves if they feel like they're going to be violent, or, after a family harm incident for support. Rather than removing the women and children from the home, which inevitably causes more trauma, Te Whare Ahuru flips the script and allows the perpetrator to take himself to a safe space to cool down and take time out with support. It is respite care for the perpetrator rather than the victim. There are only a few other houses of its kind in Aotearoa so it's a reasonably new concept, and it makes absolute sense. There is stigma attached to perpetrators of violence against women, so the men's safe house and Tauawhi Men's Centre are there to reduce barriers for men seeking help. "Men from all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds have popped into Tauawhi when they're going through stuff." Dee tells me. "There are mainly male staff, so it's men helping men." She says success is different for everyone. For men with unspoken trauma, sometimes just engagement is success. The concept of a safe house for men in Tairawhiti has existed for many years but with limited funding and constrained contracts, it wasn’t possible to act on the idea. Project manager Kim Torres was integral in working with Kainga Ora and other agencies to get it over the line. And it works. I'm given an example of a man who had been arrested for at least 10 family harm incidents the previous year. When provided with a safe house he got through his first year without being arrested, increasing his mana and ability to cope, with flow on effects to his family to reduce their overall trauma. The OG and heart of Tauawhi, Tim Marshall, says staff numbers have doubled in the last couple of years. He remembers being the one and only staff member 13 years ago when Tauawhi first opened, and now there are seventeen. The dedicated team at Tauawhi's main offices 71-73 Peel St are there for anyone to pop in during working hours, and Te Whare Ahuru at 78 Huxley Rd will have a full time kaitiaki tāne (caretaker) living at the premises, but they won't be accepting referrals until August. To start with they are only taking referrals from existing clients, with the intention to open it up to everyone in future. In the meantime, men who want to connect with other men can drop in to the Mana Tāne support group at 73 Peel St, every Wednesday from 6pm to 8pm. Dee says the group numbers grow and decline depending on how things are in the community. With extra pressures during tough times it's easy to feel alone, so it's important for men to know there are other men feeling the same, whether it's addictions, trauma or general life stresses. Tauawhi isn’t the only place to access mental health support for men in Tairawhiti, says Tim, but if we haven’t got what you’re looking for, we can at least point you in the right direction. "We might not be everyone's cup of tea, but we've got a cup of tea for everyone." Story by Aimee Milne Photograph by Tom Teutenberg

Standing in front of a charming house on Clifford Street, you might not guess at the treasure trove within: an expert dressmaker, fabric shop, and legendary sewing pattern collection. Helen May, who is quite likely Gisborne’s most experienced Creative behind a sewing machine, was born and raised in this very house. Now in her 80’s, she’s been sewing since she was 16 years old. Her sewing room was formerly the drawing room, a formal space with beautiful carpet and a china cabinet where “you weren’t allowed unless there were visitors.” Looking around, she laughs, “Now look at it!” It’s a room buzzing with industriousness, with long work tables, multiple sewing machines, and numerous works in progress. Weaving among it all are boxes and boxes of sewing patterns, a very special collection developed over a lifetime. On one wall hangs a “Paulette” pattern of an elegant dress, and this is where it all started for Helen. Certain from an early age that school was not for her, she told her mother on her 15th birthday that she planned to leave school and be a hairdresser. Her mum was not happy with that plan, and instead got her a job at Paulette Patterns, a factory at the bottom of Gladstone Road. Paulette made sewing patterns, which as Helen explains, “is like a recipe for a dress.” At the age of 16 she made her first dress for a friend, and a life-long passion was born, although it was some time before it became her full-time occupation. As a young woman she had various jobs in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, working in the cosmetics department at chemist shops, and running a labeling machine for Wattie’s. She met Seymour, her husband of over 50 years, at Club 44, where she was selling coffees and he was on the door taking money. In those days there was dancing at the Club, which she loved. Helen still loves to dance and emphatically credits it with keeping her young. Seymour was a dairy farmer and they spent the next several decades in the country, raising four daughters. And she kept on sewing, making garments for friends, which led to a steadily growing business. The teaching side started with her daughters, whom she taught to sew. “They went to school in the dresses they made and all their mates wanted to learn how to sew too.” A children’s sewing class soon started around her kitchen table, and eventually she taught all ages, including adults at the Bernina shop. When the couple were ready to transition from the farm back to town, Helen didn’t expect to return to the family home, but no other options appealed and her mum was ready to downsize. “So we bought this and moved back!” It’s also home to Seymour’s pottery shop featuring his Mayfire pottery, a kiln, and a space where he teaches as well. “It’s never dull here! We call it ‘Mays Mad House.’” For our local sewing community, Helen’s pattern collection, or “library” as she calls it, is a considerable resource. The total number of patterns is unknown, but it has to be in the thousands. The collection is “organised loosely” in that she has a vague idea of what she has. There are groupings of particular garments, and she has her favorites at the ready. Often at night if she’s not sewing, she’ll take a box and look through them, just for the pleasure and curiosity of reviewing what’s there. For those who want to hire patterns, she charges the hefty sum of a dollar a week, and encourages people to take 2-3 boxes at a time to go through at home. Helen recognizes the collection as the treasure it is. “I just love patterns. It’s such fun, you never get bored.” She points at a skirt pattern, remembering fondly, “you won’t believe it but I made this in blue silk chiffon, and with a top I used it as a ball gown!” That’s the beauty of patterns, the potential for endless adaptation. She is still working 8-12 hours a day, 6 days a week, including a lot of hand sewing and altering done in front of the TV at night. She continues to make a bit of everything, but she stopped making wedding dresses and ball gowns. “There are not enough hours in the day for that! I’m a one man band.” Helen also cleans, oils, and maintains all her own machines, which she learned to do at Bernina. For a time she went up the Coast to help fix machines, but now she’s simply too busy. “I’ve got more work than I can handle. But I’d far rather be in here than anywhere else.” She adds confidently, “I’ll keep going another 25 years at least.” Every Tuesday a “wonderful neighbour” comes over and helps Helen with “computer work.” They post a photo to Facebook of a recent creation dubbed “dress of the week,” which often leads to more orders. A couple years ago, Helen realized she had an abundance of fabric left over from her made-to-order work. Once she gathered it all together, there was enough to sell, and the fabric shop was born in a room at the front of the house. She’s ordered from many sources and countries over the years, building up a highly varied stock including woollens, cord velvets, linens, cottons and stretch knits. “It’s of a quality you don’t get today.” Brought up in the days “when you didn’t waste,” she hates the idea of discarding what could be useful. She no longer orders new fabric given how much she already has. And that’s why the pattern library is so valuable. Style is cyclical, and Helen reckons each pattern will have its moment again at some point. Helen’s unbridled enthusiasm for working with patterns is contagious. In an age where we tend toward YouTube, it’s refreshing to turn back to paper and the art of teaching oneself. “Spread out a pattern and it’s so detailed and good, you can teach yourself. You learn to follow a process and it shows you just what to do, step by step. And then you’ll think ‘ooh I made this!’ and it just makes you want to do more.” And if you get stuck, Helen is here to help. She is happy to consult when makers who are struggling with a project come to her for advice. Indeed, she considers it her “community service.” Whether she’s sewing, advising, or helping a customer find the perfect fabric, she’s grateful to have found her element and still be enjoying it so thoroughly. “When I get out of bed I can’t wait to start work, even after 60+ years of doing the same thing. What more can you want?” To hire a pattern, shop fabric, or consult with Helen, check the hours in the Individual Dressmaker's listing on the Gizzy Local Business Directory. Story by Victoria Williams Photos Tom Teutenberg