South Island
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The greatest roadshow
The Arts on Tour van brings laughter, birdsong and tasteful sex to rural New Zealand. ACCORDING TO POET, PERFORMER AND COMIC PENNY ASHTON, THE REGIONS ARE HUNGRY FOR SEX. SHE WOULD KNOW, TOO, HAVING TOURED AOTEAROA MULTIPLE TIMES WITH HER ON E-WOMAN SHOW, HOT PINK BITS. IT’S THIS SHOW, WHICH EXPLORES THE HISTORY OF THE…
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Run, rabbits, run
Nothing says “Christ rising from the grave” quite like blasting away several thousand little furballs. Nathan discovers the annual Easter ritual that is the Central Otago Bunny Hunt. DESPITE TEN YEARS OF SUNDAY SCHOOL IN THE BIBLE BELT OF THE SOUTHEAST OF THE UNITED STATES, I’VE ALWAYS FOUND EASTER CELEBRATIONS SLIGHTLY CONFUSING. THE CROSS, THE…
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Electrifying driftwood
Walking the thin line of sanity in Papatowai at The Lost Gypsy Curios & Coffee. IT’S THE SMALL PLACES THAT HIDE THE UNEXPECTED. YOU DRIVE THROUGH AND WONDER, WHAT HAPPENS HERE? THE TRIP FROM INVERCARGILL TO PAPATOWAI TAKES ALMOST TWO HOURS, AND AS YOU HEAD THROUGH THE CATLINS TO THE SMALL COASTAL SETTLEMENT (FULL TIME…
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Derby girls
Kingston-based photographer Philippa O’Brien has been capturing Aotearoa’s high rollers for her latest project. THE JAMMER SPINS. WITH A TWIST, SHE EVADES THE BLOCKERS INTENT ON KNOCKING HER OFF THE TRACK. THE CROWD GOES BALLISTIC. THESE SKATERS ARE SPEEDY AND STRONG, WILY AND UNCOMPROMISING. THEY HAVE TO BE. THEY’RE COMPETING IN A SPORT ONE ATHLETE…
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Hot schist
All that glitters is not gold. IT WAS GOLD THAT FIRST BROUGHT THE HOARDS TO OTAGO. PROSPECTOR GABRIEL READ FOUND SO MUCH OF IT IN THE LAWRENCE AREA IN 1861, HE SAID IT SHINED “LIKE THE STARS IN ORION ON A DARK FROSTY NIGHT”. WORD GOT OUT AND, BY CHRISTMAS OF THAT YEAR, 14,000 HOPEFULS…
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Where the poets hide
The writing is on the wall for the tiny town of Oturehua. Oturehua is a charming speck of a township. Like in many of the small communities of Aotearoa, there’s not much beyond a pub, a general store and a single main road. It’s a one-horse kind of place. You might stop for a snack…
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Second hand news
The 1964 guide to the top op shops of the south. WALK IN WARDROBE – QUEENSTOWN One of the very few upsides to living in a region where people move away all of the time is that those people often leave great clothes behind. Queenstown’s Walk in Wardrobe is like rummaging through your mate’s closet…
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Prisoners on the Milford
That one time the “finest walk in the world” was a short-lived experiment in Australian-style convict labour. THE MILFORD TRACK IS PROBABLY THE SHINIEST JEWEL IN NEW ZEALAND’S VERY BEJEWELLED TOURISM CROWN. FAMOUSLY CALLED THE “FINEST WALK IN THE WORLD” IN A 1902 ARTICLE BY THE ENGLISH-BORN POET AND ALPINIST BLANCHE BAUGHAN, IT’S WALKED BY…
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No pets, no people, no politicians
Stuffing it up with Arrowtown taxidermist David Jacobs. David Jacobs, fourth-generation taxidermist, has one firm rule: no pets, no people, no politicians. As far as David’s concerned, politicians are stuffed anyway, and if your pet dies, you probably need a psychiatrist, not a taxidermist. It’s not a new craft, but there’s currently a growing fascination…