One Small Hill

Little River, Banks Peninsula. Sept.2008. Ajr

I loved the contrast between the delicate blue sky and this hefty little forest-covered hill in Little River, not far from Christchurch.

Fun Form Function

Quite by accident

I came upon a new design store on the weekend.

FUN FORM FUNCTION

with an interesting range of FUN products from F3 design.

Both companies are the brainchild of the Wright-Stow family

Well known for their creation of the funky Little River Gallery just outside Christchurch.

www.funformfunction.co.nz

Meet the People - 6

Another in the series Meet the People - Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders doing Interesting Things - Valmai Becker’s Phytofarm is a long way from the paper shuffling that dominated her many years as joint owner of the Canterbury College of Natural Medicine. Now Valmai spends her days on a dreamy 30-acre farm in the pretty, secluded Okuti Valley, near Little River, forty minutes east of Christchurch, where she’s established a large medicinal herb garden - a restful, revitalising place where she shares the extensive knowledge she has gained over her last thirty years as a practising naturopath and professional member of the NZ Association of Medical Herbalists. Valmai runs a series of seasonal herbal medicine workshops based around her own large herb garden, making everything from herbal teas and medicinal oils to shampoos, soaps and scented hand creams. Now that autumn has arrived she’s busy filling her drying shed ready for the Autumn Workshops, which will be held on April 8,10,19,23,28 and 30. www.phytofarm.co.nz