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Bloomin' Lou by Louise Jolliffe

Bloomin' Lou is the product of an escape from Wellington, a love of whimsical flowers and objects --- and definitely procrastinating.  You won't find any Gerberas or succulents in my bunches but you will find natural scents, texture and occasionally the unexpected.  They're probably a pretty good reflection of how I've come to live in Marty and (slightly alarmingly) the personality of Bloomin' Lou! ...

Nidito, Spanish for "Little Nest"

Carolina Vargas-Gonzalez of Nidito tell us all about her new venture...Nidito, spanish for “little nest” is the name of my brand and that’s what I’m all about, everything I make is handcrafted with love in small batches and often one-of-a-kind pieces to make someone else’s little nest (home) cosy, warm, pretty…...

Palliser Ridge - Best kept secret...

Palliser Ridge Farm in Pirinoa, twenty minutes South of Martinborough isn’t your run of the mill Sheep and Beef Farm. The core farming business is run by Manager Kurt Portas, but recent developments have seen the Palliser Ridge brand extend to much more....

Martinborough’s Cave of Bones

Fossilised bird grave sites are common in New Zealand, but one particular cave in Martinborough has revealed thousands of bones of flightless birds who plunged to their deaths. Curator of vertebrates Alan Tennyson describes how over thousands of years rare and extinct birds such kakapo, kiwi, North Island takahe, and moa fell through the concealed entrance. Alan says “It might not look like a spectacular cave but this site has become the richest site in the whole of New Zealand for some specie...

'17blonde' The New Kid in Town

17blonde is the newest local fashion label in town, with a linen feel we love! This uber cool brand has been created by two friends with a passion for comfy but stylish linen clothing, both ladies wanting to support a New Zealand made range. For Lianne it was a natural extension to her Martinborough home-wares store ‘Scarlet’ for Debbie it was about potentially having a change of direction from her busy corporate life in Wellington and facing the sometimes tedious commute over the Rimut...

SWEET AS!

Do you remember It’s Quite Cool on the corner near the Fire Station back in 2010? What about meeting us when we had our little Gelato shoppe on Kitchener Street ? Or maybe you’ve seen us parked at Te Kairanga for their Farmers Market or the many years we were there for Toast Martinborough?  No doubt you’ve seen us lurking among the trees near the corners of the Square? Anybody come to that shipping container we tried last year near the Martinborough Brewery? I can just imagine people ...

A BALLOONING BLOG, IN 3 PUFFS

The year was nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and not being a ‘popular’ teenager I spent many an anxious afternoon considering how to occupy oneself during the upcoming and infinite period of the school holiday. My well-soiled Duran Duran LP was becoming a ghost of fantasies past, and I was starting to feel that there could in fact, be more to the world than my Wild Boys. Behold, the planets aligned, and struck by an epiphany of future callings, I decided to travel far from the air-horns of ...

Robert Brown Fire Fighter

Martinborough Fire Fighter Rob Brown is about to leave town and head to Rotorua to embark on a 12 week training course at the National Training Centre for Fire and Emergency, in order to become a permanent Fire Fighter. The career recruit course begins on the 25th of September 2017 and will give him the opportunity to do what he loves, on a daily basis. Rob joined the Martinborough Fire Brigade as a volunteer when he moved to town two years ago. His reason for joining? - "from a sense of curiosi...

VENTANA MURAL WALK FOR KOKOMAI

It’s hard to believe that just over one year ago Ventana opened its doors to the Wairarapa and began a story about creativity in the community.  It’s been wonderful to learn about our region and all of the incredible talents living in our midst.  We are very gratified to see that there are others who share an appreciation of high quality art that is both unique and made by dedicated small business-owning artists.   We’ve received really great feedback so far, which has ...

In the Neighbourhood, Dudley's story

I grew up in a culture where asking directly for the things you want in life or in general was considered rude. However, I soon learnt that the problem with waiting for someone to notice you, meant that you could be waiting a long time, perhaps It was best to put myself out there, be assertive and maybe asking was not such a bad thing. The key point I discovered was that we all have wants and needs in life and that life is a blank canvas, anything is possible and sometimes in order to achieve, w...

Facing Giants Crossfit

You've heard of CrossFit - but what is it?   'A high-intensity fitness programme incorporating elements from several sports and types of exercise' -  Matt and Lydia Guild have their own boutique CrossFit box/gym "Facing Giants" situated on White Rock Road, Martinborough which they established 4 years ago. You will find these extremely talented athletes training and teaching every day. Matt & Lydia have competed in numerous CrossFit competitions, and continue to train to the highest lev...

Spring is in the air, and so is Jazz!

"Spring is in the air - and so is jazz! Just like the buds on our apple trees that are almost ready to burst, our 7th annual festival of Jazz In Martinborough will blossom into view on 31 August and bring joy to all those who are lucky enough to be there. I love listening to jazz. I read recently that evidence suggests our brains bind us to the music we heard as teenagers more tightly than anything we hear as an adult, and that this link doesn’t weaken as we age. Consider me as 'Exhi...

Jasmine Griffith, The Promise Of A Brighter Future

Life does not always work out the way we plan, having Breast Cancer at the age of 33 with three young children to look after was not part of where I saw my life heading. But this was my reality in 2015 and for the following 18 months’ hospital visits became a huge part of my weekly routine. It was like having a crappy job that I had to turn up to every week but never got paid for. Going through the struggle of endless rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgeries I stumbled across somethi...

Rebecca Fisher Micropigmentation

"I don't just give people a tattoo, I help give them back their self esteem."  Passionate about her work - Paramedical and Cosmetic Tattoo artist Rebecca operates from her private clinic on a beautiful lifestyle property based just south of Masterton . Her story is life changing....having faced a sudden diagnosis of breast cancer in early 2015, she has been through a huge personal journey which led her to her training as a micropigmentation specialist. Rebecca wanted to use her own experie...

Boom, Boom, Boomerang!

"The goal is one bag for every person in Martinborough, that's a target of 600 bags", Carolyn Irwin, one of the founders of this eco-initiative doesn't think small. Neither does co-founder Amanda Ra, these women mean business in the war against plastic pollution, the ultimate goal to see Martinborough plastic bag free. The first batch of 150 bags has been released & can be found at Kitchener's, Pain & Kershaw, Wine Merchants & Neighbourhood coffee. "People are embracing the i...

WINNERS! MARTINBOROUGH VILLAGE SUMMER PIX COMPETITION 2017

"This is a stunning image that summarises evenings/summer at the lake, with the skyline making it distinctly Wairarapa. Thousands of people visit lake ferry every year and this image reflects this with a warm, peaceful tranquility. Beautiful composition - and the treatment gives an added art quality, reminiscent of etching. This is unique, creative and emotive". Rebecca is the lucky winner of: Two nights for two in a lakeside cottage at Peppers Parehua with buffet breakfasts for two adults and...

Esther Bunning Portrait Artist, Her Story

More than straight shooting photography, Esther Bunning takes you on a spectacular journey with her portraiture and conceptual photographic art. Ethereal, magical, timeless....Esther's portfolio captures the imagination, telling tales of people, families and moments to be treasured. One of New Zealand's leading portrait artists, winner of multiple awards, Grand Master NZIPP and Nikon ambassador for New Zealand, Esther thrives on the challenge of creating, "I love working with colours and text...

LADY OF THE RINGS

Creating exquisite jewellery is Mary Wall's passion and her work is exceptional. "I love working with people, all my artistic flair has gone into creating these pieces. Getting to know a client, what suits them, finding a piece that reflects their character in a meaningful way, accentuating their individuality - that's so important to me." Mary's designs are more than just a fashion item to buy off the shelf, they are cleverly sculpted small pieces of art. Something to wear every day but so be...

THE STORY OF HALL

Like blood coursing through the veins, fabric, design and a passion for both is deeply woven into Lorraine Halls story. From an early age she developed a love for the rag trade, with her Mother a dressmaker and parents who owned Masterton store Halls fabrics - "it runs in the blood, we're a creative family!" she tells me. Lorraine grew up totally immersed in fashion and took to design with obvious flair, starting to sew her own garments from age 11 - " out of frustration, I could never find p...

WINTER IN OUR PERFECT REGION

Discover the brilliant escape of South Wairarapa, just a short drive from Wellington City you'll find our beautiful region of wine, olive oil, artisan producers, artistic talent, boutique shopping (forget the big malls!), wide open spaces relaxing events and venues. Take time to chill out, walk, bike around the wineries and olive groves, go tramping, head out to the coast to witness first hand the brilliance of Cape Palliser (on a fine day you can see the South Island!) or just spend the weeke...

LA PETITE MANOUCHE AT THE VILLAGE CAFE MARTINBOROUGH

Inspiring and uplifting - La Petite Manouche delivered a flawless performance to a packed out enthusiastic crowd at the Village Cafe last Friday night. Joined by Luke Smillie on percussion, Gypsy Jazz guitar duo Burke Goffe and Robbie Averill enticed and entertained with a mix of Gypsy Jazz standards interspersed with their own clever compositions. This Christchurch based duo - touted as one of New Zealand's hottest Gypsy Jazz acts confirmed this reputation with a powerful performance - i...

Booktown NZ

Featherston is definitely the Wairarapa's rising star - and Booktown the jewel in its crown. The 2nd annual Booktown event was held in Featherston this May and we went along to enjoy, literate, participate and totally immerse in this incredible cultural event - the ONLY one of its kind in NZ and part of an international organisation of Booktowns Nestled at the base of the Rimutakas, (only an hours drive from Wellington) you'll find the town of Featherston - home of Booktown and first stop in...

Country Cooking School with Mary Biggs

On a beautiful Autumn Sunday in May, we visited the Country Cooking School of Mary Biggs at Te Puhi in Featherston, Wairarapa. Just 50 minutes from Wellington New Zealand lies this idyllic country food farm with a historic colonial homestead - set on 35 acres of established gardens and mature trees. Mary Biggs has a passionate connection to food, having trained in 1983 as a Cordon Bleu chef she has also enjoyed cooking for her family and friends over the years as well as developing Lavender's ...

Mother's Day in Martinborough

We love this time of year, celebrating Mum's is akin to celebrating life and we have some amazing offers for you to share with your special lady....

Winners! Martinborough Summer Pix 2016

Summer is nothing without people enjoying it, and for that reason, this scoops the judge's top award. Whilst colour is so often a part of our summer landscape, the choice here of black and white adds enormously to the whole: beautiful textures to the bath, fence, blurred landscape beyond - and bringing clarity and focus to the pure enjoyment captured in this summer time image. Delightfully real, fun, and a simply lovely representation of summer in our region. Michelle is the lucky winner of a ...