Stories

Part of a Cityscape series presenting the opinions of real people who live in Christchurch's central city: Roz Paddy. Which central city neighbourhood do you live in? Cambridge Terrace near Margaret Mahy Park. How would you describe the vibe there? Busy, vibrant, lots happening all the time. Your neighbours are… The ducks and swans on the Avon, and a few other houses in our street. Read more of Cityscape's central city living coverage here Why do you choose to live in the four aves? I can walk to most things, great for walking around the parks, close to restaurants, bars and entertainment. The stadium will be close, when built. Biggest drawcard? The great small complex we live in. It’s good quality, close to amenities, and the location is great for public transport. Biggest drawback? The lack of parking for everyone near the park, and it gets very busy with traffic just going around...

Part of a Cityscape series presenting the opinions of real people who live in Christchurch's central city: Simone Rewa Pearson. Which central city neighbourhood do you live in? The Chester East community. How would you describe the vibe there? Beautiful tree lined neighbourhood, friendly. Your neighbours are… I consider anyone living in the four ave’s my neighbour. We’ve lived in central city for about 18 years, 15 years in our current home with our two kids. We’ve had a strong connection with many of the people in the neighbourhood for many years that was fostered when we got to know one another after the earthquakes. Plus there are many new friendly faces with all the new apartments being built. Read more of Cityscape's central city living coverage here Why do you choose to live in the four aves? It’s never boring. Always life and activity close by, with easy access to...

We round up three great films, reads, shows to bingewatch, new albums to treat your ears to and a couple of decent podcasts to enlighten. Watching Cityscape reviews some of the best from the current crop of cinema releases. Black Widow Finally, what Marvel fans have been waiting years for has finally arrived – a film all about everyone’s favourite ex-KGB-operative-turned-badass-superheroine, Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow. The film picks up after the events of Captain America: Civil War and sees Black Widow pursued by a force hell-bent on taking her down. As she’s faced with a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past, Natasha must confront her history as a spy, as well as the broken relationships she left behind. Miss In France, 2004, 9-year-old boy Alex dreams of one day entering the Miss France beauty pageant and winning the crown. 15 years later, after the loss of his parents and...

Make the transition from spectator to participant in these shows that revolve around input (and sometimes performance!) from the audience. Open Mic @ Good Times Comedy Club A great chance to catch some fresh comedic talent so you can say you saw them before they were famous. Or, give it a go yourself so people can say they saw YOU before you were famous. Scared Scriptless @ The Court Theatre This improv institution has been a Friday night staple on Christchurch’s chuckle scene for many moons. Go along, toss out your craziest suggestions to the Jesters on stage and watch as heaps of totally unrehearsed hilarity ensues. The Last Martini @ Riccarton House You’re attending a fancy 1920s dinner party in July when one of the family members is murdered. This isn’t a case of watching the mystery unfold – you get to help unravel it, picking up clues to identify...

A lot has happened to the Christchurch theatre scene over the last ten years. Cityscape takes a look back. 2010/11 The Christchurch earthquakes forced The Court Theatre out of its 30-year home in The Arts Centre. In December 2011, it found a new home in Addington, affectionately known as The Shed. The Repertory Theatre on Kilmore Street was damaged beyond repair, but The Canterbury Repertory Theatre company is still going strong, putting on shows in venues around the city. Riccarton Players were also ousted from The Mill Theatre, and are now based in Sydenham. Isaac Theatre Royal also sustained significant damage, with the auditorium and foyer considered unrepairable in their original states. 2014 Isaac Theatre Royal was rebuilt thanks to a three-year restoration project with help from fundraising by the likes of Sir Ian McKellen. The iconic theatre reopened on November 17. 2016 The Loons in Lyttelton was a popular venue...

It’s an all-singing, all-dancing, all-laughing, all-drama extravaganza here in Christchurch over winter and into spring, and we’re parking ourselves in front row seats for it all. Christchurch has literally unlimited performance offerings. Every time we think we’ve seen it all, we discover a new venue, a new crew, a new show or even a whole new genre. From underground theatre to professional productions to national touring performances and international acts, from original writing to Shakespeare to improv, you can find everything in our fair city. Ōtautahi has undoubtedly become one of New Zealand’s hottest hubs of on-stage skill, so get out there and explore what’s coming up this season. Comedy In July, A Big Figging Comedy Show will tickle you raw at Good Times Comedy Club with some of the South Island’s biggest comedy acts banging out Kiwi humour. Nestled in the riverside district with a great view over The Terrace,...

Your next big weekend away needn’t be a big drive away. Cityscape heads inwards for a central city escape. For a deluxe getaway in the heart of Ōtautahi, booking yourself some sweet ‘me time’ at Rydges Latimer is a pretty damn good option. It’s four-and-a-half stars of goodness overlooking Latimer Square, providing all you need as the base for a central Christchurch adventure. The rooms are stylish, spacious and comfortable with the essential touch of 24/7 room service so you can get those champers on hand while you’re still in your bath robe, or a late night nibble once the fun’s all done. There are 175 rooms, ranging from chic to extraordinary. The pièce de résistance is the penthouse suite, with city views, plush décor and plenty of space for entertaining. For those on an inner-city exploration staycation, it’s literally a straight line to the core of town, with the short...

Cityscape joins Heritage Expeditions on an unforgettable island-hopping expedition cruise through the South Pacific paradise of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The tiny hawksbill turtle hatchlings clamber over each other in a flurry of sandy flippers towards the ocean, serenaded by Arnavon Community Marine Park project coordinator Henry Kaniki who is strumming his trusty ukulele and beaming like a proud father. I’m grinning inanely, dumbfounded by the baby turtle effect. The turtles’ almost mechanical, stop-start movement makes them look like super-convincing wind-up toys. It takes just minutes for the last of the 119 turtles to reach the water off Kerehikapa Island, one of the world’s most important rookeries in the Western Pacific for the critically endangered turtles, in the Arnavon Islands, Solomon Islands. Henry’s strumming and smile hide a horrifying statistic: “Only one in 1000 is expected to reach adulthood,” he says. “Those that make it will return in...

No.4 Bar & Restaurant's Chef Jayden Mitchell creates food that feels like home, with a modern twist and local produce.  “I started out washing dishes at Plato in Dunedin 11 years ago and saw the fun, creativity and fast pace of a working kitchen. I spent four and a half years there before moving to Christchurch to take on a sous chef role at Casa Publica. I then joined the Maestro Hospitality group where I was sous chef at Fiddlesticks for three years before they offered me the head chef job at No.4 just recently." What’s your pro tip for really good food? Take your time, taste everything and enjoy the ride. Making the perfect dish can be as fun as eating it. It’s all part of the journey. RECIPE: Learn to make Chef Jayden's sticky date pudding with ginger caramel sauce I can’t leave the house without… My motorbike. If you...

This pudding with creamy caramel sauce is perfect for a mid-winter get-together. Serves: 10 | Prep. time: 25 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Dish deets: Vegetarian Ingredients Pudding 2 cups pitted dates, chopped1 banana, mashed1 cup water1 tsp baking soda70g butter2 eggs½ cup sugar1 pinch salt1 tsp vanilla extract1 ½ cups plain flour2 tsp baking powder Sauce 2 cups caster sugar½ cup water30g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped1 cup cream20g butter Making it happen Pudding 1. Pre-heat oven to 170 °C. Grease an oven-proof dish (approximately 20cm square). 2. Place dates in a pot with the banana and water, and heat on medium until soft. 3. Remove from heat and stir through baking soda and butter. Set aside for 10 minutes. 4. Whisk eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. 5. Mix egg mixture in gently with the dates and banana. 6. Sift in flour and baking powder –...

Bloody Mary's Chef Christopher Walker describes his cuisine as ingredient-focused food. He loves to highlight great Kiwi and local produce as well as using the freshest possible ingredients he can get his hands on. “My career began as an apprentice at the Hermitage Hotel, Mt Cook where I quickly established a passion for great New Zealand-focused cuisine and the camaraderieof the kitchen. “After earning my chef qualifications, I then took my trade abroad to work in Italy, adding to my experience in a five star hotel where the food was extremely traditional but laced with passion and skill. “I returned to New Zealand to work for a former colleague and mentor, Ken O’Connell, who had just successfully opened his own restaurant in Dunedin. Following this, I moved to Banks Peninsula to join the Roots Restaurant team and after a year, I earned my first head chef role. “My next move was...

This chocolatey treat is decadence at its best, and it looks amazing on a plate. Serves: 8 | Prep. time: 30 minutes | Cook time: Overnight | Dish deets: Gluten free, vegetarian Ingredients Chocolate crèmeux 250g cream250g milk100g egg yolks (approx. 5-6 yolks)240g dark chocolate Chocolate soil 220g sugar150g water150g dark chocolate Honey toffee 270g sugar40g glucose50g honey60g water15g baking soda Milk crisp 250g whole milk75g glucose To serve Fresh raspberriesMelted chocolate, for dipping Making it happen Chocolate crèmeux 1. Combine milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil. 2. Place your egg yolks in a bain marie and slowly whisk in the hot cream. 3. Cook the mix to 84 °C. 4. Add the mix to the dark chocolate and mix until completely melted and emulsified. 5. Pour into a mould and place into the fridge. Leave to set for 4 hours. Chocolate soil 1. Combine water...

Love teriyaki and ready to give it a go at home from scratch? Tomi Japanese Restaurant Chef Joe Chan tells us it’s surprisingly simple – and tasty. Chef Joe says there is no comparison to making your teriyaki sauce from scratch. It’s an incredibly easy recipe, and the result has a better flavour and texture than anything you’ll get in a bottle. “The cuisine I create is nothing complex. I use seasonal, fresh ingredients. People don’t come to Tomi and expect something too fancy – the food is based on skilful preparation, not exotic ingredients,” he says. Joe started his hospitality journey in his home city of Hong Kong, working in restaurants from the age of 14. He moved to Japan and learned the arts of Japanese cuisine in hotels, cafés, bars and restaurants before getting married and moving to Christchurch. He started Tomi Japanese Restaurant here nearly 10 years ago...

Somewhere between the practicality of breakfast and the midday break of lunch lies the decadent experience of brunch. Cityscape takes you on a tour of some of Christchurch’s best bruncheries and, more importantly, their superb dishes. Cinnamon Porridge with Berry Compote Why: This warming, subtly spiced porridge topped with rhubarb berry compote, house made granola, banana, local honey and runny cream is the definition of comfort food. Goes well with a cup of delicious Allpress coffee. Where: Grain Coffee and Eatery. Come for the food, stay for the sleek, modern surrounds with an industrial flavour, and some bonus free Wi-Fi. Eggs Benedict with Bacon Why: The house-made rosti and hollandaise make this brunch classic an absolute winner. The menu here also caters to all dietary requirements. Where: The Old Vicarage. Come for the food, stay for the beautiful garden surrounds, cosy, atmospheric interior and range of private rooms. Hash Benny Why:...

KM Surgical’s Dr Ken MacDonald draws back the curtain on fat transfer, a life-changing cosmetic surgical process. Cityscape finds out more. So what is fat transfer? We use a person’s own fat to improve the appearance of parts of the body that may have lost tissue volume due to aging, trauma, surgery, birth defects or other causes. Where does the fat come from? Usually the thighs or abdomen. And what kind of places do you usually transfer it to? It depends on the patient and their needs, but often the backs of hands, face, breasts, buttocks or hips. Does it hurt? It’s not too bad. Before the procedure, we inject an anaesthetic to the area to minimise bruising and discomfort, and there’s also an option for sedation. We use a very narrow surgical instrument called a cannula to remove the fat using a liposuction technique. Then what happens to the fat?...

In a busy life, the little things can mean so much. Cityscape takes a moment to think about the rituals that can make life that little bit better, and where in Christchurch you can get help performing them. It can be challenging to make time for me-time in between all the things to do and people to see, but here’s a hot take: when we say ‘make time’, what we really mean is ‘take time’. We choose what gets prioritised and what doesn’t. So let’s be more mindful in the choices we make every day, and choose something that gives back to number one every now and then. Appreciate your morning ritual The morning can be yours. This is the time for setting your intentions, taking a moment for gratitude, or starting your day with reflective meditation. If you can become an early riser, you’ll be rewarded by a calm space...

Veronica King of Grassroots Yoga & Health talks breath work, and how you can take the simple first steps to mindfulness. The breath is the most important resource we have for living in a mindful way and staying present in the moment. When we feel our breath – truly take notice of it – then slow our breath, we slow our thoughts. And when we slow our thoughts we gain clarity, perspective and peace. The breath is the secret ingredient of a good yoga class. It's a powerful portal to relaxation and the key to self-regulation. We are physiologically wired to change the breath in response to external situations, and the breath can be used to change our internal state. It's powerful, it's free and the capacity is within all of us to harness the power of breath. Having said that, it can be hard at the start, and that's where...

A huge range of Kiwi companies now deliver their wares to your door, on repeat. Are there any limits to subscription services? Cityscape finds out. It’s waiting for you on your doorstep in the morning: a selection of local craft beers. Next comes your week’s worth of fresh vegan meals. A regular delivery of treats for your dog. 48 rolls of organic, tree-free toilet paper. A fresh toothbrush – great, yours was nearly done. The rise in subscription services has opened up new ways to automate our lives. Subscribe once, and these essentials are delivered on schedule. Say goodbye to the mishmash of errands taking up your Saturday and the hassle of keeping the pantry stocked through your busy week. Subscriptions also allow you to consciously choose ethical, local producers, rather than being funnelled into whatever’s available at your local supermarket. THE ESSENTIALS Anyone learn about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs at...