Stories

After 10 years learning his craft on the international opera scene, Kiwi baritone Julien Van Mellaerts is home for the role of Guglielmo in New Zealand Opera's Cosi fan Tutte. He tells Cityscape he’s having a ball in rehearsals and also reacquainting himself with steak and cheese pies. With your growing international success, how often do you get to perform at home these days? Sadly not as much as I would like. Luckily I was back last September and October for the At the World's Edge Festival in Central Otago, now for a couple of months with New Zealand Opera and again later this year for Wozzeck with Orchestra Wellington, but that is out of the ordinary, haha. I hadn’t been home for 3½ years before last September, and in 10 years abroad now I think I’ve only been back several times. But I am hoping to change that! Take us...

Not everyone made sourdough during the lockdown. Some of us explored the glorious world of slow cooking and revelled in discovering the deep, rich flavours of often overlooked cuts of meat made tender by time. We’re converts now, looking forward to the cooler months when we can get the tools out. It helps that there’s such a wonderful range of options, from high-tech standalone slow cookers to heritage cast-iron Dutch ovens guaranteed for three generations. Then there’s the Le Creuset range, coveted by cooks since ages ago for their quality and also their good looks. Hearts and pumpkins have joined the range of classic round casseroles. So let’s get started! Here’s a delicious slow-cook recipe to warm up your winter. Bon appétit! The Middle East meets the Canterbury Plains in this mouth-watering Le Creuset recipe. Serves 4 - 6. Ingredients olive oil4 small lamb shanks, trimmedsalt and pepper20g store-bought Moroccan or...

Nathan Anthony fell back in love with slow cooking during the lockdown. He even set up a food blog, Bored of Lunch, to spread the word about the joys of the Dutch oven. Out of that came Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Slow Cooker Book, packed with dishes from pastas and risottos to curries and family favourites. How did you fall in love with slow cooking? My mum always had one growing up and the food always tasted great – delicious stews and curries. When I went to university I started using my slow cooker because it was easy. It allowed me to put my dinner on to cook in the morning, go to lectures and complete my university work without fighting with my housemates to use the hob. Plus it’s healthier and tasty, no need for oil. Sounds like convenience played a big part? Definitely. Even after finishing university working...

From public to private, large to intimate, Ōtautahi Christchurch  is well served by its selection of art galleries. Take a tour with us around 10 of the best. 01 - CHRISTCHURCH ART GALLERY TE PUNA O WAIWHETŪ // Start with the city’s public gallery, an impressive glass-fronted building in Montreal Street where you’ll find everything from the classics to contemporary works. christchurchartgallery.org.nz 02 - FIKSATE // The bridge between the streets and the galleries, Fiksate is an urban art hub unlike anything else in the country. It’s gritty, it’s on the edge, and it’s just a real cool space to be in. fiksate.com 03 - WINDSOR GALLERY // Having been in the business for over 100 years, Windsor Gallery has kept up with the times and sports an excellent collection of contemporary original works from over 30 artists, including Joel Hart, Andris Apse, Anneke Bester and Svetlana Orinko. windsorgallery.co.nz 04 -...

If anyone can be called a ‘Christchurch writer’, it’s Carl Nixon. He’s never felt the need to look elsewhere than Ōtautahi and the South Island for either setting or characters. He talks to Cityscape about his new novel, The Waters, which traces 40 years in the life of a Christchurch family. You do like the adage ‘Write what you know’, don’t you? I think writing what you know allows me to get all the details right, which makes the writing feel authentic. Also in order to sustain a long-term writing project you need to feel passionate about it. Writing about places and people that you're familiar with is, for me anyway, more motivating than a completely imagined world. Having said that, my third novel, The Virgin and the Whale, was a historical story set in 1920, which involved a lot of research. How long has this story been bubbling away? What...

Is it just us or is central Christchurch looking more and more like Paris, London or Milan? Seeing a dog in your local café or restaurant is becoming commonplace. We have so many dog-friendly businesses now, it would be easier to list the unfriendly ones. But what’s the view like from the other side of the counter? And what do the dogs think? A new Food Act in 2014 removed prohibitions on animals being allowed in food premises. Businesses can now choose to let dogs into customer dining areas as long as they manage any risks to food safety. In Christchurch the council has also got on board. A new dog control policy and bylaw in 2016 replaced a mishmash of regulations with one easy-to-understand rule for the entire central city – dogs on a leash are good to go. The change allows leashed dogs in Cathedral Square, Victoria Square, New...

Theatre director Justin Lewis happily admits to sometimes making life difficult for himself. And for his creative partner of 25 years, Jacob Rajan. Why else write a play featuring a choir that changes every night and whose members don’t know the plot? It’s not a theatrical conceit designed to show how clever the Indian Ink collaborators are. That’s beyond doubt anyway. No, for Justin, the concept is central to how their new play works. The audience gets to see how the chorus members respond in real time to what’s going on around them, remembering that they have not seen the play before. The play in question is Dirty Work: An Ode to Joy, No.11 to come out of the Indian Ink partnership, which started with a roar 25 years ago with Krishnan’s Dairy. That play is still our most successful independent show. It has toured nationally and internationally, several times to...

Breakout indie musician Jazmine Mary is bringing songs of hope in an often cruel world to Christchurch after releasing a second album, Dog. Jazmine Mary is one persona of Jazmine Rose Phillips, a complex artist who defies categorisation and says simply ‘It’s all me’. You seem to keenly reject explaining yourself or your art. Why is that? Explanations are for people on trial. I make music and art as myself. All I know is how to do and be that. The reason I make music and art is to connect in a space outside of words and all the fake little things we build around us. It is a knowing and a need. I don't explain it because I cannot and I wouldn't dare. Where does ‘Dog’ fit in your development as a musician? Big departure or continuation? It is all one big continuation. Hard to depart from something that is...

More and more research is pointing to time in nature being good for us. Why is that? Not sure, but Catherine Knight has some really interesting theories. Like many of us these days, Catherine Knight often works from home. When she does and she feels like a break, it’s a short walk to a riverside track through replanted native bush and a remnant stand of kohekohe. Birdsong filters through the silence. “Everyone should have a place nearby like that,” she says. The observation is both personal and professional. Dr Catherine Knight is a Senior Associate at the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, and Honorary Research Associate at the School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University. In her book Nature and Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand: Exploring the connection, Catherine argues for the restoration of “neighbourhood nature” – places that all New Zealanders can freely access,...

Maisey Rika is bringing her Matariki-inspired songs to Ōtautahi as part of the city’s celestial celebrations. A pioneer in what has become an explosion in Te Reo music-making, Maisey reflects on a career guided by her love of waiata. Your photo is very striking. Can you tell us about the shoot? Thank you very much. I think it’s the setting. I grew up with Abe Mora, who took the photo. The red korowai is from Toi Māori. The black and white dress is from Rotorua designer Adrienne Whitewood. The hei tiki was carved by Rikki Peters. That was the first photoshoot since receiving my moko kauae. The photo is taken by one of our waahi tapu (sacred places) here in Whakataane, Te Ana o Muriwai (Muriwai’s Cave). I love the exposed roots of the old pōhutukawa tree and the green kawakawa plants that surround this site. The red, black and white...

Muso, writer and food entrepreneur Flip Grater talks inspo, crosswords, Paris noodles and learning to temper the truth with tact. What’s one thing people probably don’t know about you? My birth name is Clare, my Muslim name is Mariam and my actual nickname is Flipper, although most people call me Flip. You probably first popped up on many people's radar as a musician. Tell us about that part of your life? Yeah I worked in the music industry for many years, touring and recording. It was a great lifestyle and creative outlet. But after my daughter Anais was born I just felt like I needed to do more for the planet than singing sad songs! Do you still find time for performing? I haven't played in public for a while but Anais and I play and sing around the house and I still love making music. I will always write and...

From being world famous in New Zealand, comedian Melanie Bracewell jumped the ditch and landed a spot on Australian television. She’s famous over there now too. Still happy to pop home and share a laugh with us though. So are you an Australian now? Stone the flamin’ crows, absolutely bloody not, ya drongo! Genuinely though, I’m a very proud kiwi. How is it going for you over there? It’s been really good! I didn’t intend to move here permanently, I was going to travel back and forth back in 2021 when the ‘bubble’ was open. Unfortunately, the bubble closed about three days after I arrived, so I got trapped here forever. As much as we slag off Australia, it is a quite nice place to live. And Australians quite like me! I hope. What question do Australians keep asking you? Are you related to the Bracewell cricketers? And the answer is...

As Aotearoa gears up for its second Matariki holiday, plans are well under way at Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre for nearly three weeks of celebration from 3 – 20 July. Top billing goes to Maisey Rika, the award-winning singer-songwriter and Arts Foundation Laureate from Te Moana-a-Toi Bay of Plenty. Maisey rarely tours south of Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington and The Arts Centre is bringing her to Ōtautahi for one performance in the majestic setting of the Great Hall. For those unfamiliar with Maisey, her voice is sometimes compared to Tracey Chapman or Sade, although accompanied by taonga pūoru as well as western instruments. From local musicians, there’s a new show called Ka Noho, Ka Mate, created with the kaupapa of Matariki in mind. The performers are Lyttelton music legend Delaney Davidson; university lecturer, reo teacher and hip hopper Kommi Tamiti-Elliffe; theatre and orchestra veteran Heather Webb; singer-songwriter and producer...

Food delivery service DoorDash has been in New Zealand for one year and to celebrate they are sharing the love with $0 burgers in Wellington and Christchurch.  Until Sunday 4 June 2023, DoorDash users across Wellington and Christchurch can get their hands on a $0 burger from some of the country’s most popular burger eateries when they spend $25. Scrumptious burgers on offer in Christchurch throughout the weekend include selections from Fush, Empire Chicken and Burger Station. There’s no denying that Kiwis love a burger, with burgers coming out on top for DoorDash deliveries over the last year – closely followed by Chinese, Middle Eastern, Italian and Indian. DoorDash data over the last year has burgers as the top menu item ordered on the app alongside fried chicken, with pizza, butter chicken, meat on chips and noodles taking runners-up. To access the exclusive burger promotion and celebrate DoorDash’s first Kiwi birthday,...

The boys from Buzz Club have been busy coming up with fresh ways to serve their mead to the modern drinker. Edward Eaton​ and Wilbur Morrison​ founded Buzz Club in 2021. The mead they make is a far cry from the version that was supped in the Middle Ages. Then and now, the base is fermented honey but rather than the sweet and syrupy drink of old, Buzz Club mead is crisp and light, with an alcohol content of 5.5 percent, about the same as a craft beer. The drink is turning sceptics into converts at first sip. The challenge has been getting people to have a try. So following their super thirst-quenching summer offerings of Buzz Mojito, Buzz Collins and The Bee-Sting (Buzz Mead and gin), Edward and Wilbur have gone back to the lab to concoct some winter warmers. Here’s a first taste – the Buzz Club Dark and...

One of the great joys of a film festival is uncovering a hidden gem among the big hitters on the programme, a film you had never heard of before the festival and can’t stop talking about after. We asked festival director Fergus Grady for his list of under-the-radar gems at this year’s French Film Festival Aotearoa. The list is a mix – comedy, cabaret, family feel-good, conflagration and coming-of-age. Something for everyone. The French Film Festival Aotearoa features 23 of the best films to come out of France in the past year. The festival opens in Christchurch and runs till Sunday 11 June before visiting 16 other centres around the motu, from Kerikeri to Dunedin. The Auckland season runs from 31 May to 21 June; the Wellington season from 7 to 28 June. DIRECTOR’S CUT Jack Mimoun & The Secrets of Val Verde Indiana Jones meets Monty Python in this hilarious...

The countdown is on to the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. The tournament kicks off in Auckland on 20 July and supporters, fans and family can now secure their seats through the official hospitality programme. Whether you are a long-time team supporter, a corporate client looking to host special guests, a new fan or you just want to experience the thrill of a tournament like this in your home town, the programme lets you build your ideal schedule at the hospitality level you want.   Packages range from MATCH Place, which offers a simple, convenient means to secure your seats and enjoy the benefits of hospitality; to MATCH Club, for passionate fans wanting a casual family-friendly environment; to MATCH Private Suite, delivering exclusivity and an exceptional viewing experience.   According to FIFA, women’s football is the single biggest growth opportunity in the sport today. The consistent growth and...

For Mitchell Coll and Amy Douglas, what started as a simple shed project on Banks Peninsula has ended up the toast of award judges here and in Australia, with the latest win at the Dulux Colour Awards in Melbourne. Mitchell and Amy, partners in life and in architecture firm Fabric, designed and built Nightlight, as the project is called, over 2½ years of holidays and weekends. The plan had been to slap it up quickly. “But I find it hard to do anything half-arsed,” says Mitchell. “The more we got into it, the more we wanted to take the time to finish it off properly.” The result is a polycarbonate structure enveloped in timber lattice. By day it is a basecamp, packed with useful things such as a kitchen, bathroom and workshop. By night it’s a sculptural lantern bringing light to a very dark site. Attention to detail is what caught...