Every day, the same endless white canvas engulfs the science district. The mundane environment reminds me of the similar monotony that has leached its way into the minds of all its occupants. The once vibrant and creative district destined to lead the world to a brighter future has instead fallen away, spiralling into the lifeless, passionless glumness that it is today. 
All the hope that had once fuelled the accomplishments of this district has resulted in unimaginable failure.

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The sunlight peers through the palm fronds and lays itself gently all over Belle. Her hair lights up like a firebrand in some places, but sleeps quiet and moody in others. It is evening sun – that wonderful golden glow you sometimes get that blankets everything in a surreal light. The French refer to it as ‘L’heure entre chien et loup’ or ‘the hour between the dog and the wolf’. Sometimes known as the twilight hour, it is also referred to as dusk, or simply put … sunset. She’s napping and unaware of her splendour and radiance. I breathe quietly. My name is Sylus, and I live with Belle.

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I have a photo of myself as a 3-year-old standing beside a dozen large rainbow trout, which of course couldn’t have been caught by one so young, but it was the beginning of my conditioning to become a future catcher of our finny friends. At a slightly older age, I remember my dad waking me at 5 am with a cup of tea and a marmite sandwich to sustain me for the next three hours of trolling trout lures around Lake Rotoiti. 

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We all have different responses to the conflicts and challenges we face. Some people fly through them unscathed; others get bogged down, avoidant, frustrated, tearful or just wish it would all go away.

This model, based on Stephen Karpman’s ‘Transactional Analysis’, might help you see your typical response to conflict.

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As a proud Māmā to three boisterous reo rua/bilingual māori boys, Waitangi was a given for our rātaka/calendar this year. With the life we choose to live as tangata whenua reclaiming our identity, it was right up there amongst attending the Rangiriri activation/peaceful protest to protect our Mana Motuhake/sovereignty, learning our maramataka (māori lunar calendar) and kōrero māori ia rā, ia rā! (Speaking māori every single day.)

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When was the last time you gained some legit life advice from someone 20 years younger than you?
I’ve always thought that we (and by we, I mean we middle-aged folks!) have been quick to write off the younger generation. I mean, what do they know, right? They’ve yet to reach ‘adulthood’ and still have all that ‘life experience’ to rack up. But here’s the thing. We have plenty to learn from our rangatahi, especially this current generation. I had one such aha moment with one of Mercury Bay’s brightest young stars, Francie Lidgard. 

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Proud to be Local is our inspirational feature, highlighting homegrown Coromandel Peninsula folks doing wonderful things out in the world.

In this edition: Stevie Macfarlane

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My mum has always said that I had no choice but to learn to swim and compete. Swimming is something handed down to me by my dad and to him from my grandad, whose whole family swim and compete.

My dad competed in swimming from a young age (in England and New Zealand) and so did grandad and they both went on to coach, teach and even run a swimming school when I was a baby.

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After a lot of thought and planning, Vessel opened its doors in October 2021. Initially Eben was running exhibitions through the shop in Pollen Street, but due to the lockdowns business was slow. The idea of creating a Co-op as a place to sell art seemed an excellent solution.

It was their intention that Vessel would be more than a shop or gallery and that it needed to be a place of support and connection for artists as well as the community. 

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There are more reasons than ever to think about ethical and environmentally conscious shopping as the impacts of climate change give us pause to think about the food we buy. Under capitalism, every dollar spent is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in so it’s good to think long and hard about who those votes are supporting. With this reasoning, it becomes preferable to put your money into the small businesses owned and run by people in your community.

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