Meet the People - 48

Another in the Series Meet the People - Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things - Penny How knows all about the benefits of life in the country. She and her husband, Bert, set up and run Peel Forest Lodge on the edge of Peel Forest, in South Canterbury. It's the sort of peaceful, unhurried setting that city-dwellers would pay millions for - not that the How's lifestyle is 'unhurried' exactly, because in addition to running the lodge, they also farm deer and run a horse-trekking business from their home-property, just down the road from the lodge.

Peel Forest Lodge is the ultimate 'secret hideaway' - a large, beautifully-made, 3-bedroomed log cabin (with sleep-out), completely surrounded by a thick stand of native bush that guarantees privacy. No one would ever know you were there. Giant totara and kahikatea tres dot the front lawn and lodge views encompass grazing deer herds and the bush-clad mountains beyond.

Bert built the lodge himself, from giant Douglas fir trees milled on the neighbouring property; and inside he's paid particular attention to creating a comfortable, restful mood that encourages guests to forget about their 'real lives.' The lodge is there for anyone - from large wedding parties to holidaying New Zealanders looking for time out - but Bert and Penny's main business is international hunting parties.

From March through July in fact, it's Hunters Only.

"We pick them up from Christchurch Airport, provide them with a hunting guide and they head off into the Southern Alps," says Penny. Penny prepares all meals for guests in the lodge's smart timber kitchen (unless they opt for self-catering) and wet, weary hunters come home from the bush to find home-cooked salmon, venison and rack of lamb dinners. For those not interested in hunting, the lodge is the perfect 'secret' base for a South Canterbury holiday (August through February), and it's close to white-water rafting, kayaking, horse-riding and plenty of great walks and picnic spots - and to Geraldine. It is in fact, just another 'unsung hero' in the rural New Zealand hospitality stakes. www.peelforestlodge.co.nz

Meet the People - 47

Another in the Series Meet the People - Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things - Keith Tyler-Smith and Jane McKenzie have turned their backs on national trends and have exchanged the rush of the city (Christchurch) for a quiet, unhurried lifestyle in the tiny village of Woodbury, near the equally unhurried town of Geraldine, in South Canterbury. It's a return home for Jane. She was born there, christened there, married there; and it's her passion for the region that has sparked the couple's latest venture, South Canterbury Tours.

St Thomas's, Woodbury It's taken five years of intensive research and planning for Keith and Jane to come up with their final tour concept - broadly speaking a two-pronged approach that includes Heritage & Culture and Food & Wine, though both can be specifically tailored to individual visitor needs. It goes without saying that Jane has a love for and a pride in the region she grew up in and she and Keith are great believers in local and regional tourism - showing off the best of the often-forgotten corners of New Zealand that reveal the true heart of the country.

Jane with local organic food producers

Old lime kilns at Kakahu, South Canterbury And like most of rural New Zealand, South Canterbury harbours a wealth of interest - innovative food and wine producers, quaint, historic, rural churches, landmark buildings, old limestone kilns, working farms, salmon farming, Maori rock art - and the soon-to-be-opened Ngai Tahu Maori Rock Art Trust Centre in Timaru. South Canterbury tours are small, local and focussed. They tell it like it is and they make sure visitors go away with an in-depth impression of small-town New Zealand and the ordinary, hospitable people who inhabit it.

Maori Rock Art Drawings, South Canterbury At the same time, this enterprising couple maintain assorted aspects of their previous careers. Keith, brought up in the UK, Zambia and Canada, is an educator, former film and television director/producer and is currently involved in developing e-Learning courses for a group of New Zealand polytechnics. Jane, a former journalist, university journalism tutor and editor, is also a qualified ESOL teacher, and another arm of their new tourism business - EnglishPlusAoraki - is aimed at attracting young, international travellers for combined language and adventure experiences. In short, it's all happening in Woodbury, as Keith and Jane, fresh from building their own new home, carve out an exciting, rural-based lifestyle for themselves. Proof that the best of New Zealand isn't always found in the cities. www.southcanterburytours.co.nz

Meet the People - 46

Another in the Series Meet the People - Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things - Brian Christey of Oxford, in North Canterbury, is a man with a passion for collecting and recycling. He gathers up old steel, mechanical bits and pieces, old vehicles and timber, with all the enthusiasm of a man on the hunt for lost treasure.

The two-and-a-half acres Brian ("with an 'i' not a 'y'") owns on the outskirts of Oxford village are a testament to his magpie inclinations. Every square inch is home to his gatherings. Old vehicles are stacked up on one side of the property; old machinery in another; and at the centre of it all, is the timber milling operation he runs. But not for Brian the high-tech specifications of modern milling equipment. He's happy with his monster four-sider planing machine circa 1928 (pictured above). It sits on a carpet of sweet-smelling sawdust and happily spews out beautifully-planed lengths of timber the way it always has done. 1957 Morris Oxford It's fair to say that in the 20 years Brian has lived on the property, he's surrounded himself with a veritable 'warehouse' of parts and pieces. He's a self-confessed jack of all trades - part mechanic, engineer, saw-miller, tree-planter, maker of things and solver of problems - and if there's a problem no one else can fix, he reckons he can make a pretty good go of it by adapting something from his jam-packed yard. And as chaotic as it looks to the 'untrained eye,' Brian seems to know exactly where every last, archaic metal relic is.

Bedford D truck

Brian's sawmilling truck

He lives in close proximity too - in an adapted shipping container on site, complete with watch dog. "I don't know why people are complaining about the possibility of prisoners living in these things. With insulation and some easy modifications, they make a great little home," says Brian. With a bedroom at one end, a decent-sized bathroom at the other and a comfortable living room in the centre opening out onto a shady courtyard complete with outdoor furniture made from giant macrocarpa logs, you quickly get the feeling there's no place else Brian would rather be. You also get the feeling he probably has plenty more recycled surprises hoarded away in some other corner we haven't yet seen.

Meet the People - 45 [Showtime -23]

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Christchurch author and gourmet cook, Shirley Bradstock has been passionate about food all her life. She’s run a small catering business; she’s made cakes for Auckland delis, she’s run her own family kitchen; and in between baking and parenting she produced the first of her 14 cookbooks. I caught up with Shirley at the Royal New Zealand Show, where she was demonstrating some of the latest gourmet products in her Shirley’s Kitchen range.

Shirley started producing her small batch gourmet products – panforte, marzipan fruits, spiced figs and plums and the like – in 2001 and she’s since worked hard to include other topline delicacies like chocolate and walnut fudge, Kirsch marmalade, fig and walnut log and a new apricot and almond version. I’m a firm believer in making my products in small batches so I can keep the flavours real and the quality high. I’m involved in everything I make, so I can inspect every jar of spiced figs, every fig and walnut log. That’s important to me,” says Shirley. Initially the products were made in a rented commercial kitchen but in 2002, Shirley made the decision to refit her home kitchen to HAACP standards. After many months of construction, paperwork and testing, she was one of the first individuals in New Zealand to have a Food Safety Programme operating from a home kitchen. She is an active member of the Canterbury Branch of the NZ Chefs’ Association and a member of the NZ Food Writer’s Guild – and as if that wasn’t enough, Shirley also works as a culinary consultant in teaching, recipe development and judging. “ I love trying different recipes, creating my own variations and generally experimenting with food and making good things to eat. I get a little twitchy if I am away from the kitchen for more than a few days,” she says. Her products are now available throughout New Zealand in delicatessans and retail outlets and they’re also used by all major airlines flying through New Zealand. www.shirleyskitchen.co.nz www.theshow.co.nz

Meet the People - 44 [Showtime - 10 ]

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Paul Goodwin is General Manager of Catering and Facilities at Christchurch’s Addington Events Centre and from today on, he’ll be working crazy hours in the lead-up to the New Zealand Trotting Cup on Tuesday, November 10th. NZ Cup Day is the pinnacle of harness racing in New Zealand and it attracts around 25,000 people, all of whom require food and drink. It’s Paul’s job to oversee the large team making that happen. Luckily Paul trained as a chef and he’s spent over thirty years in hotel and hospitality management. Combine that with the fact that this is his 11th Cup event and you get the feeling everything is under control.

The fashion marquee is already erected in the car park for instance and Paul has a firm idea of just what’s required to feed the crowds. “We start preparing for the November event in February,” says Paul. “It’s important to make sure we have the marquees booked, plus all the extra catering equipment that we’ll require. The corporate menus have to be organised and by the time we hit August, everything is ramped up and we’re looking at how many staff we’ll require on the day, the security numbers (140 this year), health and safety issues – all the basic groundwork that needs to be done to meet our obligations…. all this, while we still cater to the many other public events that happen at the Events Centre. From today on it’s total madness.” On top of getting ready for the Cup on the 10th, Paul is also overseeing preparations for two other horse racing meetings, two greyhound race meetings and up to fifteen other functions.”

Paul in front of the two huge containers that will hold extra food outside the kitchens on Cup Day Up to six large marquees are raised for the Cup Day and in addition to that, there are twelve main function rooms, seven corporate suites, 25 bars, 12-14 food outlets within the buildings and another eight outside. The centre’s kitchens will be cooking over 2 tonne of hot chips and over 2,000 pies. Over 80 kilograms of whitebait will be consumed along with 30 large salmon, 40 legs of lamb, 100 kilograms of crayfish and over 5,000 chocolate-dipped strawberries. Corporate menus will include everything from chargrilled king prawns and Moroccan spiced chicken to hot smoked salmon fillets and prime roast sirloin; and the public will be able to enjoy everything from a $2 hotdog to a $50 seafood buffet. Food preparation will start on the Saturday before Cup Day with 25 kitchen staff working 12 hour days. Then on Cup Day, 55 chefs will be on duty to keep the food rolling out. Paul may have been doing this for eleven years but he says it doesn’t get any easier. “You do understand the process better though and I’m not as daunted by the enormity of the task as I used to be. But you’ve always got to be one step ahead and I’m lucky to have a terrific core of staff working with me,” he says. “You do get the odd problem but we aim to cover every contingency. By the time we get to the end of the day – and that’s usually a 17-hour day for the management team – there’s always relief in knowing we have another one under the belt.” “And even though we’re surrounded by all this food, I hardly eat anything on Cup Day. I normally only have a sandwich at around 8pm. We run on adrenalin for much of the day.” And of course it doesn’t end there – just three days later, Paul and his team are doing the same thing all over again for the smaller Show Day race meeting on Friday, November 13th – running on adrenalin and keeping the crowds ‘fed and watered.’ I can’t wait to experience it all for myself. www.addington.co.nz http://www.nzcupandshow.co.nz/

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Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Author and poet Fiona Farrell is just back from France and brimming over with new creative ideas. Well known as one of New Zealand’s leading, award-winning writers, publishing in a variety of genres, Fiona attended the Mansfield Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Laureate Fellowship in Menton – a residency she held in 1995 – and while she was in France, she opened a New Zealand bookshop in Paris. Back home and straight into New Zealand Book Month events, Fiona has been taking part in panel discussions with other writers. “I enjoy talking to people who read and when you get a good chair who has read your book and you can feel the audience warmth, it’s a nice place to be. I always enjoy conversations about reading and writing,” she says. Fiona is a frequent guest at New Zealand festivals and she has also appeared at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Vancouver International Writers’ Festival.

Always humble about her own achievements, it should nevertheless be noted that Fiona has won almost every major literary award available in New Zealand, including the Prime Minister’s Award for Fiction in 2007. She was also the inaugural winner of the 2006 Rathcoola Residency in Ireland and during her six months there, she crafted her most recent novel, “Limestone,” which was published in 2009. To date she has published six novels, two collections of short stories and three poetry volumes. Fiona started writing in 1987 and while she is passionate about her craft, she is equally passionate about the outdoors – making the most of the grand landscapes that surround the ‘remote’ Banks Peninsular home she shares with her partner, who is involved in running the highly successful Banks Peninsular Track. Together they frequently enjoy long hiking expeditions – most recently, the Chemin Stevenson in France, the 250 kilometre route that Robert Louis Stevenson took in the 19th century with his donkey Modestine. “I love the simplicity of that sort of adventure,” says Fiona. “Being away from the phone and the computer, thinking only about your sore feet and where you’re going to find the next coffee and pastry. I had no thoughts of writing at all during the 13 days it took us to walk the route. I like to leave myself open. It’s all about going back to basics and being purely physical.” Now that she’s home of course, Fiona does in fact intend to “write around that experience.” Watch this space. In the meantime, you can read more about Fiona’s published works on her website www.fionafarrell.com

Meet the People - 42 [Showtime - 5]

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Craig Douglas freely admits that he “didn’t know one end of a bull or a horse from the other” before he started Christchurch’s International Rodeo. But he does know excitement and drama. He does know how to put on a show. He does know how to think big and make dreams realities. Craig, 38, is the man behind Douglas Webber Group, the event management team who created what is now New Zealand’s biggest indoor rodeo, which will run for its third year in November, in conjunction with New Zealand Cup and Show Week. Craig came to rodeo after a spontaneous visit to the Waimate Rodeo. Until then he had been staging major motocross events. He had been racing in motocross events himself from the age of 12 and when he saw freestyle motocross on television in USA, he decided he had to bring it to New Zealand. The rest, as they say, is history. The Crusty Demons of Dirt arrived in 2003 and since then Craig’s event management career has “taken off in all directions.”

“Anything I’ve ever done has been at the absolute edge of possibility,” he says. “I thrive on a challenge and dumping 45,000 tonnes of dirt inside Christchurch’s $40-million Westpac Stadium was just the sort of challenge I love. I could see instantly that an indoor rodeo would be the perfect finale to the biggest agricultural event in the New Zealand.” And finale it is – with all the elements of an 8-hour outdoor rodeo condensed into two action-packed indoor hours featuring speed, big screen television, LPG-propelled fire jets and flame throwers, 144 head of stock, 32 daredevil cowboys from four countries and a whole ton of pre-show organisation. “We build a satellite city for 144 animals, a whole arena and everything that goes with it between 6am Friday and opening time 6pm Saturday. It’s fast-paced action from start to finish,” says Craig. Photo Courtesy Christchurch City Council, NZ Cup and Show Week The rodeo features four disciplines – saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc, barrel racing (female only) and bullriding. And it’s a terrifying thrill a minute when you pitch a 70kg man against a 1,000kg bucking bull. The crowd loves it and the 8,000 tickets sell fast. For Craig, the whole rodeo business has been a huge learning curve but he’s proud of the fact that his event is endorsed by the RSPCA and that people just keep coming. He also enjoys the people he works with. “The first thing I noticed about the cowboys was how well-presented and how down-to-earth and honest they are. They’re all incredibly professional. They’re people of the land and a great bunch to work with.” www.rodeogp.co.nz www.nzcupandshow.co.nz

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Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Bristol-born chef, Ben Batterbury had always wanted “to come downunder,” so when he got the chance he grabbed it. Ben, 31, is head chef at the brand new Rees Hotel and Luxury Apartments on Queenstown’s Frankton Road and just months into his New Zealand position, he’s enjoying coming to terms with new ingredients and Queenstown’s remarkable scenery. Ben began his cheffing career fifteen years ago, studying at Brunel College in Bristol and working in a hotel at the same time. Since then he’s worked in a number of high-end country hotels around England, including Charlton House, Studley Priory and Homewood Park. There was also a stint at Casa Velha do Palheiro in Madiera and another at Cameron House in Scotland.

And so to his passion: “Food seems to have become just another chore for many people but I still believe that if you have to eat, why not enjoy it? The challenge of creating something everyday is what drives me,” he says. Ben also believes in ‘the theatre’ of food – that it should it should look good, that it should entice diners; and that fresh, seasonal produce sourced locally is at the heart of exquisite tastes. He carries that through in his interest in food photography. “It’s great getting up close to food and seeing all the colours and textures in a dish. I do a lot of food photography. In find it inspirational – and of course it’s good for the personal scrapbook.” (All of the photographs featured here are Ben’s work).

Ben pinpoints three highlights in his career thus far: achieving three rosettes in his first head chef’s job; being lucky enough to have worked in several different countries and seeing younger members of his kitchen team win national competitions; and cooking for Heston Blumenthal and the King of Jordan. Beyond the kitchen in Queenstown, Ben is getting out and about cycling and snowboarding “enjoying as much of the unmissable surroundings as possible;” and “as much as my wallet will allow, I’m also eating out.” And yes, he does cook at home on his days off. “It’s a great chance to try new ingredients and flavours without the pressure of customers. It’s also nice to cook ‘normal food.’ His favourite food? “Anything with cheese in. I’m a big mouse, although I enjoy anything that is fresh and well-cooked.” www.therees.co.nz

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Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Wellington Journalist, Jane Tolerton is leading a double life. By day she works as a researcher and writer at Te Ara for the Ministry of Culture and Heritage; by night she swaps roles and becomes the hostess at Wellington’s Booklovers B&B, which she established in her gorgeous 1895 home in Mount Victoria in 2001. She was working as a producer on Nine-to-Noon on National Radio back in 1999 when she bought the big double bay villa but that didn’t slow her down. She spent two years ‘doing the house up’ and, with every room stacked full of interesting books, she then opened the doors to welcome national and international guests. Writing is her chief passion and she has five books to her credit – the best known perhaps, her biography on Ettie Rout, which won a New Zealand Book Award in 1993. “Having an idea and seeing it through, seeing it ‘reach’ someone, is very powerful,” says Jane. “I particularly like writing oral history – letting people express themselves and capturing the essence of their lives.

All Photos Ajr April 2009 It’s all about communicating. That’s what drives me. I get those same connections and that same buzz here at the B&B breakfast table when people from all over the world come together.” Jane, who has a double degree in History and American Studies and a Diploma of Journalism, started her career as a proof reader, reporter and sub-editor for the Waikato Times in 1980. Then came her books, a stint of teaching a polytech journalism course and she still manages to fit in a little corporate speech writing. And favourite authors? “Of course, Anthony Trollope, Jane Austen and John Le Carre to name just three.” http://www.booklovers.co.nz/

Meet the People - 39

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – When Wellington architect, Alan Blundell opted for a career change, he decided to design, build and run a hotel. The fact that he had never designed a hotel before was no impediment and, inspired by the ‘design’ hotels of Manhattan that he visited in 2000, he set to work to create a chic, urban hotel that would stand out from the rest. Alan, who has had his own architectural design business in Wellington since 1988, applied his knowledge of space planning (acquired in the design of inner city apartments) to the hotel concept and set to work on a 158 square metre site on Wellington’s prestigious Oriental Parade. The end result is Ohtel, a cleverly-planned and beautifully executed gathering of 10 hotel rooms that maximize both views and space. Images Courtesy Ohtel, Wellington And to ensure that Ohtel has a totally unique character, Alan has furnished it with a fabulous collection of Mid-Century Modern furniture and ceramics, which he spent two years hunting for in Melbourne and on the Internet. Each room is totally individual and each has a jaw-droppingly gorgeous bathroom – all glass and beautiful New Zealand graphics. Opened in 2008, Ohtel has been a dramatic change for Alan but he’s finding the tourism industry “upbeat and friendly compared to construction” and he’s enjoyed creating a new property and watching guests enjoy it and contribute to the idea. “Everyone has been positive and supportive and as a born and bred Wellingtonian, it’s been a pleasure and a privilege to introduce guests to the capitals best features. Wellington has evolved into a wonderful urban space filled with diverse New Zealanders and I love sharing that,” he says. www.ohtel.com www.rab.co.nz

Taste Treats

More Macaroons

From Amanda McBeath's scrumptious

J'aime les macarons

I wrote about Amanda in Meet the People 38

Click on Meet the People below

Image: March 2009 Ajr

Meet the People - 38

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Amanda McBeath freely confesses to being obsessed with macaroons and after numerous disasters she’s finally gotten the hang of making these tricky little bites of edible heaven – to the point where she’s started her own business, J’aime les macarons (I love macaroons). Christchurch-based Amanda, 33 has a Food Science and a Food Marketing degree from Otago University and after travelling overseas for several years – which included a stint “living in Paris and eating macaroons” – she returned to New Zealand and spent several years as head chef for White Tie Catering in Christchurch.

All images March 2009. Ajr

“I spent an obscene amount of time and money on ground almonds trying to learn how to make them to perfection,” she says. “The perfect macaroon depends on so many things,” says Amanda – “the humidity, oven temperature, sugar temperature, the accuracy of ingredient weights, how much you stir the mixture – and because I’m obsessive about them, I won’t sell any that aren’t perfect.” She’s currently making around 300 a week and selling them singly, or in half-dozen boxed sets at Canterbury Farmers’ Market at Riccarton House, at the Sunday French Market in SOL Square and at Blax Deli in Christchurch. She also enjoys the challenge of creating themed macaroons for birthdays, weddings, corporate functions, dinner parties, baby showers and other special occasions. That’s the beauty of them she says – apart from their inherent deliciousness of course – they have limitless creative potential and every week she experiments with a new flavour.

Meet the People - 37

Image Supplied by Kiwi Dundee Adventures.

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Doug Johansen and Jan Poole of Whangamata on the Coromandel are regarded by many as two of New Zealand’s foremost guides and tourism identities. As the owners of Kiwi Dundee Adventures, they have given thousands of international visitors the time of their lives on nature walks and tours that take in the very best of the Coromandel’s spectacular natural scenery. Both have independently received Queen’s medals for their contributions to conservation, New Zealand tourism and education; and Doug, who won a nation-wide competition to find New Zealand’s equivalent to Australia’s Crocodile Dundee (hence the company name), also won New Zealand’s inaugural Eco-Tourism Award in 1992. The pair formed their new company together in 1994 (although Doug has been involved in eco-tourism since 1975) and they’ve never tired of sharing their love of New Zealand. They’ve also kept their company small, employing just three other guides, so they can always give people a unique, personalised experience. www.kiwidundee.co.nz

Roses in a Bottle

Loved this window display

@

Julia Walker's Bridal Boutique

TULLE

on Tuam Street, Christchurch.

Roses in old milk and cream bottles

www.tulle.co.nz

Arrowtown Autumn

Arrowtown House. Image supplied by Arrowtown House.

I'm jumping the gun a bit here because it's not quite autumn in Arrowtown yet; but this is what it looks like when it is - a shower of red, russet, green, yellow, brown and orange. That's Arrowtown House in foreground. I wrote about them recently. Just enter either Arrowtown House or Meet the People into the blog search box (above left) [or click on the titles in the label line below] and you'll be able to see inside this gorgeous new accommodation. www.arrowtownhouse.com

Meet the People - 36

Photograph by Stephen Goodenough

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Make-up artist, Kristen Stewart has just opened KSSM, Kristen Stewart School of Make-up in central Christchurch. Operating from sleek new premises “completely different to anything else out there,” Kristen is fulfilling her long-held passion for make-up, fashion and photography. It was when she was training as a photographer in fact, that she first became interested in make-up as a career option. A stint in the modelling agency, Exposure highlighted her interest, so she taught herself the basics and then set off to London to study at the Glauca Rossi School of Make-up. “I’ve always loved working on fashion shoots and fashion shows,” she says. While abroad she worked on the prestigious London Fashion Week and since she’s been back in New Zealand there have been numerous photographic stints plus work for almost every major magazine in the country, film work and every New Zealand Fashion Week to date.

Photographs by Stephen Goodenough Opening her own make-up school is the culmination of all her passions and she’s confident her students will get a solid grounding in all the key principles of make-up design, enabling them to embark on their own successful careers in the industry. “I love my new premises – they’re beautiful – very boutique-like yet still with a school feel. I want women to come in here and love where they are and enjoy getting taught what they want to know. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time and it’s exceeded my expectations," she says. www.kristenstewart.co.nz

Meet the People - 35

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Julia Walker has switched from flying the skies as an Air New Zealand flight attendant to tempting brides with a gorgeous array of bridal gowns. She’s just opened Tulle, a small, intimate bridal boutique overflowing with lavish lace, organzas, silks and satins, vintage jewellery and beaded bags on Lichfield Street beside Christchurch’s Poplar Lane. It all started when she was flying between New Zealand and the United States. “I was looking for my own wedding dress then and I discovered so much more choice in the States. There was nowhere in Christchurch that offered the personal boutique experience with gowns at an affordable price, so I opened Tulle,” she says. Julia says being engaged and looking for the right bridal gown is “a rite of passage, a ceremonial occasion” and she wanted to create a small, intimate boutique and a level of service that would match the significance of the occasion. She imports gowns from USA, Spain, Europe, Canada and Australia – all exquisitely detailed with elaborate beading and lace – and there’s no try-on fee. www.tulle.co.nz

Meet the People - 34

Image Suppliedby Arrowtown House.

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Steve and Jeanette Brough were ‘born to work in tourism’ and as their very successful history in hospitality and accommodation shows, they know how to give visitors a memorable New Zealand experience. Now based in picturesque Arrowtown, near Queenstown, Steve and Jeanette have just opened the very stylish boutique hotel, Arrowtown House. The couple have a track record for picking new hot-spots. In 1995 they opened Queenstown’s first small luxury lodge, Remarkables Lodge, which won several NZ Tourism awards and was winner of Travel & Leisure’s ‘World’s Best Award;’ and then in 2000, they opened Shotover Lodge at Arthur’s Point, which they sold in 2007. Before all that they’d spent twenty years in hospitality in Australia managing resort properties, ski resorts and their own café in Bowral, NSW. Away from attending to their guests’ needs, they’ve travelled extensively themselves – especially in Asia, the Greek Islands and Mexico - where Steve always enjoys indulging his passion for black and white photography. Jeanette meanwhile finds travel stimulates her passion for food – curries in India’s Thar Desert; boat noodles in Thailand; crab-sellers in Hanoi - which all inspire the first class cuisine she presents at Arrowtown House. And now there’s cycling to fit in! Jeanette belongs to the recreational club, Queenstown Peddlers, while Steve has launched himself both mountain bike and road racing in the weekends. There’s no such thing as wasting a minute of time for this pair. www.arrowtownhouse.com