Stories

Black Origin has brought two centuries of closely-guarded Japanese beef-raising tradition to Aotearoa, with the first grain-fed Wagyu beef raised in New Zealand’s pristine conditions. On the Black Origin farm south of the Rakaia River, carers play soothing music for the specially-bred Wagyu cattle and give them daily massages. A vet regularly checks in on the animals, which live in loafing barns with metre-deep sawdust bedding and oodles of room to move around and go outside. It all started with Arato Tsujino, from Kobe, the home of Wagyu in Japan. He spent his late teens in New Zealand and puzzled over why the country, with its pasture and cattle-breeding success, did not have true Wagyu herds. Back in Japan, Arato met former All Black halfback Andy Ellis – then playing for Kobe’s rugby team, the Kobelco Steelers. The two would go on to become partners in New Zealand’s Wagyu operation. Their...

Cityscape visits Untouched World Kitchen, the health-and-sustainability-conscious café born out of fashion brand Untouched World. The Hippie Bowl with Karaage Chicken is a work of art for the eyes and the taste buds, a round canvas of colour and shapes. We start with the chicken on top and work our way down. The chicken coating is delightfully light and crunchy, the fried tofu has a blissful composition with flavour right through, and the rice and quinoa mix with nuts and seeds is a texture and taste sensation that we can’t stop going back to. Everything from the fresh hummus to the secret-spice dressing on the crunchy charred broccoli is impeccable. We’re fascinated by the pickled pumpkin and its fruity tangy flavour. The red smear of beetroot miso around the outside of the bowl is a fine flourish that brings umami goodness to the mix. We’re making our way through a couple...

With passports gathering dust, Cityscape heads to the Subantarctic Islands to scratch that international travel itch. Your much needed vacay to remote, unexplored and exotic locations needn’t be off the cards this summer. Expand the ‘travel local’ mantra slightly further afield to open up an otherworldly adventure exploring the furthest reaches of New Zealand’s backyard. Remote, rugged and UNESCO World Heritage listed, the Subantarctic Islands are internationally-renowned wildlife havens and just an expedition cruise away. Nesting albatross, sea lion pups and affectionate weaners(!), thousands of penguins and supersized alien flowers combine to offer an experience straight out of a David Attenborough doco, and an escape so complete you’ll feel like you’re not only in another country, but often on another planet. What’s more, they’re all part of New Zealand (mostly). AUCKLAND ISLANDS Once all but destroyed by livestock, Enderby Island, a (not-surprisingly) failed cattle farm, has been successfully reclaimed by nature...

Cityscape ticks off a bucket-list adventure on a 30-day expedition cruise to Antarctica with Christchurch's own Heritage Expeditions. There’s a blinding flash behind my eyelids immediately followed by an all over burning sensation as I hit the -1°C water. In the couple of strokes it takes to reach the ship and our thermally-insulated Expedition Leader Samuel Blanc, who’s waiting knee-deep in the Ross Sea at Cape Adare, the burning sensation gives way to a blanket coldness racing inwards and I’m grateful to see his industrial-gloved hand ready to help haul me out. Alighting the stairs in a jacked up blur of adrenaline and deafening whoops, I’m wrapped in a fluffy towel when I reach the top, and high five my way along the ship’s deck to watch our chef’s impressive leaps (backwards flip and commando) from the top of the gangway. Neurons crackling and bristling with energy I can’t recall feeling...

Heather Straka’s art series Dissected Parlour is not in a gallery, but rather on the walls at Mod’s Hair in Merivale. Cityscape talks to the artist about the works, her previous exhibition Bloodlust, and powerful women. You’re a deft hand with a paintbrush or sculpture, and you’re very experienced in directing as well as photography. What’s your favourite medium to create in? Ooh that’s a hard one, isn’t it? Most of the time I’m a painter but I suppose I quite like to photograph because I get to work with people. And I get to make sets and pick models and dress them up. I like the collaboration. How do you choose your models? It’s generally quite reliant on what the idea is. The Bloodlust boys all had to look sort of Germanic, looking to go with that theme, a bit communist, and they’re all sort of typecast. With these girls...

Christchurch locals Adam Hattaway and the Haunters – comprised of Adam Hattaway, Elmore Jones, Liam Quinn and Ryan Fisherman – are launching their nationwide Wasting Our Time tour. Cityscape picks a tune with frontman Adam. We’re looking forward to seeing you kick the tour off at Blue Smoke in Christchurch. What are you most looking forward to? I’m looking forward to being on the road in general. Even at our level, it feels like I have some sort of purpose in my life and I live for it! What are the best and worst things about touring? The overall feeling of being on tour is great. Obviously playing, and some shows go better than others. Also, feeling like a couple of mates who are in it together is really important. I enjoy driving and listening to music. But I don’t like getting up early and as every touring musician knows, you’re...

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori language week might look a little different this year, with Level 2 restrictions preventing the usual parades and in-person celebrations, but Kiwis aren’t letting that stop us. On Māori Language Day, Monday September 14, over 1 million Kiwis shared a Māori language moment – the largest in New Zealand’s history. On Sunday, The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Te Tira Pūoro o Aotearoa is joining the fun with a special whānau-friendly reimagining of an award-winning children’s story in Te Reo Māori. Tio Tiamu, written by Kurahau and illustrated by Laya Mutton-Rogers, tells the story of a kind-hearted giant Tio Tiamu (Toe Jam) as he overcomes many challenges. The story won the Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award for Te Reo Māori in this year’s New Zealand Book Awards. The NZSO has commissioned composer Tane Upjohn-Beatson to create a musical accompaniment to this enchanting...

Biketober, the city’s month-long cycling festival, is back this October with more than 40 events, including group rides, workshops, social sessions and public talks. Now in its fourth year, the annual cycling extravaganza features is for anyone who rides a bike or wants to give it a go. Step into the saddle, feel the joy of biking and come explore Christchurch with us on two wheels. During the month, you're encouraged to explore Christchurch by bike and take part in the Biketober passport challenge, cycling to destinations around the city and using your smartphone to check in using a code unique to each participating business or site. There are more than 40 destinations listed on the Biketober website. The more people visit, the greater their chance of winning a prize! Biketober and Action Bicycle Club owner Charlotte Bebbhington is thrilled to be able to run this event in Chirstchurch, where we...

Planning a do? Cityscape has your guide to where to go for everything from small groups to a crowd of 500 plus. DEDICATED VENUES When a grand affair is required, it’s important to find a venue properly set up to deliver. These dedicated providers have the space to accommodate a throng of your guests and also the essential facilities, expertise and versatility to help you create a sensational event. Lacebark Function Centre Nestled in the North Canterbury rural idyll of Ohoka, Lacebark Function Centre offers a unique wedding and events venue. The well-developed gardens, manicured lawns and modern reception building provide the perfect backdrop for any function or celebration. Lacebark is well equipped with a reception room that provides seating for up to 120 guests, a separate dance room, full commercial kitchen and a landscaped courtyard area. You will find onsite parking, an in-house sound system, luxury accommodation and gorgeous photo-ops....

It's fun, fabulous and the highlight of New Zealand's fashion calendar: New Zealand Fashion Week will return in 2021. The biggest fashion event of the year will be broadcast digitally all over the country from August 30 to September 5. New Zealand Fashion Week organisers are planning a four-day celebration of homegrown, world-class fashion for trade and media, culminating in the much-anticipated public Fashion Weekend. New Zealand Fashion Week had recently undergone a resurgence with a revamped location and promotional plan, and 2020 was shaping up to be the most exciting year yet – with incredible plans underway to celebrate 20 years of the event. Organisers have made the difficult decision to indefinitely postpone the eventto protect the health and welfare of everyone involved. Dame Pieter Stewart, founder and managing director of New Zealand Fashion Week, says “The primary objective of New Zealand Fashion Week has always been to support the...

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week has been celebrated in New Zealand since 1975. It aims to promote and encourage the use of te reo Māori, revitalising the language as a unique cultural treasure for all New Zealanders. This year’s theme is Kia Kaha te Reo Māori – let’s make the Māori language strong. Māori Language Day is September 14, which marks the day in 1972 when a petition signed by 30,000 New Zealanders was presented to parliament, asking for active recognition of te reo Māori. Three years later, Māori Language Day became Māori Language Week. We may not be able to participate in Māori language parades this year, but despite mate korona (coronavirus), there are still plenty of opportunities to bring te reo Māori into our lives. Try the Te Reo Māori Activity Trail to explore Ōtautahi (Christchurch) and improve your te reo Māori. Activity brochures available from...

Get out with the family and enjoy a day cuddling some adorable animals. This Canterbury Anniversary Day, the New Zealand Agricultural Show is bringing a little of the rural to the city. The annual A&P show is cancelled for the first time since World War II, so the organisers are running this special City Farmyard event at Gloucester Green on Friday, November 13. The City Farmyard is a great opportunity for kids and adults to get up close to lambs, calves, bunnies, ducklings, chickens, and more. With live music, tasty food trucks, sweet treats, and a low and slow BBQ pop-up from The Smokin’ Que crew, this event promises to be an enjoyable afternoon for the whole family. Tickets to the City Farmyard must be pre-purchased online to make sure the animals have a good time and don't get too crowded. There will also be pony rides, a merry-go-round and other...

Christchurch-based artist Michal Bush has been connecting with her audience online way before ‘lockdown’ was a thing, with backup dancers, support acts and a growing fanbase all aged under five. Michal Bush's new album Can You Make Music? is set for release on September 18. The album features both silly and meaningful tracks, with titles like 'Dinosaur Zoo', 'Brave', 'I Love Chocolate' and 'Peace'. All were written during the Covid-19 lockdown with the wellbeing of children and families in mind. “Music is so good for mental health and to find respite in a world that can feel very heavy on the shoulders of parents,” she says. “My hope for this album is that it creates moments of lightness and comfort for children, showing them that the world can be a beautiful and creative place.” Michal has long been passionate about creating music that supports the wellbeing of children and the adults...

Super-sleek Christchurch salon True Grit is welcoming new style director Jessica Mapleson, fresh from five years in Queenstown, where she styled for high-end weddings, events and fashion shows. With ten years of hairdressing experience behind her, Jessica has developed a huge passion for colour, and loves creating seamless blondes and balayage. When she was in Queenstown, she had the pleasure of styling for local fashion shows, and events like Kathryn Wilson Cliquot in the Snow and the Wild Hearts Wedding Fare. Jessica's a big believer in staying up with the latest improvements in hairdressing, and finding areas to upskill by attending courses. Recently, she attended the Sydney Salon Hair and Harlow's workshop tour, the Ulyana Aster bridal masterclass and the huge Hair Expo Australia. For Jessica, her client's confidence is the most important thing. "Helping clients look and feel beautiful is what I strive for," she says. She's already up and...

Ooh that sun is nice, isn't it? The jerseys are coming off and all of a sudden we're looking for some outside space to spend time in. Cityscape's got you covered with our pick of eight sunkissed courtyards perfect for soaking it up with a coffee, meal or cheeky bevvy. 1. Cellar Door Not just any courtyard, Cellar Door sits on the edge of the quad in The Arts Centre so you can have a glass – or a specially-selected 'wine flight' – surrounded by a bit of beautiful Christchurch history. cellardoor.nz 2. Aikmans bar & eatery With a retractable roof, Aikmans' outdoor seating is perfect for any weather. It's especially good to gather around the leaners with a cold pint on a warm day. aikmans.nz 3. Dux Dine Grass! Shrubberies! Delicious seafood with a glass of white wine! Dux Dine's back yard has it all. Try the delicious pale ale...

New Zealand books, stories and writers will get their time in the sun this spring, with WORD Christchurch returning on October 28 for a celebration of all things literary. The festival will showcase many of New Zealand’s best known and best loved fiction and non-fiction writers, poets and historians including Elizabeth Knox, Behrouz Boochani, Witi Ihimaera, Vincent O’Sullivan, Becky Manawatu, Dr Siouxsie Wiles, Laura Jean McKay, Annabel Langbein, Carl Nixon, Pip Adam, Bill Manhire, Tom Scott, Farid Ahmed and many more. With 65 events across the four-day festival and more than 100 of Aotearoa’s finest writers, thinkers and entertainers on the programme, the WORD Christchurch Spring Festival promises to be any logophile’s dream. Writer, poet, and comedian Ray Shipley is on the books as a guest programmer, providing a welcome spot of relief from a turbulent year with Bedtime Stories for Anxious Adults, Stand Up Poetry: A Quiz Show and a...

Headlining the music acts this year are old-skool Christchurch rock icons Zed. Formed in 1996 when they were still students at Cashmere High School, Zed's debut album Silencer debuted at number one on release and went on to sell double platinum. Their iconic hits include Glorafilia, Renegade Fighter, and Hard to Find Her. The 2020 lineup also includes reggae jammers Sons of Zion, American-born folk sing-songwriter Holly Arrowsmith, eclectic Christchurch artist Mousey and funk-soul belter Tami Neilson. As we head into December with its summer vibes and holiday feels, the South Island Wine & Food Festival is coming to help us all take advantage of that celebratory mood. We'll see 40 of the South Island's premiere winemakers along with some of the region's biggest names in food converge on Hagley Park for an afternoon enjoying all the best parts of summer: warm weather, beautiful places, and of course, eating and drinking....

First it's just a series of noises, then repetitive phrases, then DOUBLE draws you in. DOUBLE is the creation of innovative UK company Darkfield Radio, a virtual reality experience that only requires a smart device and heaphones to enjoy. The critically-acclaimed, chilling, and immersive encounter can be done at home at your kitchen table with a friend or family member. It's the first ever audio-only experience to be part of the official selection for the Venice International Film Festival, and it's clear why. Cityscape tried it out and found it thoroughly immersive and spine-tingling. First you download the Darkfield app and book a session – you can't just do it at any old time. Then at the scheduled time, you set yourself up at the table with a friend, your app, and a glass of water. The voice-driven story is punctuated with small sounds, just enough to set the scene while...