August #15
Kia ora nerds! Boy, did you love our little guest spot from Poppies bookstore. Well, August is Hamilton Book Month, so have at it. Otherwise, this month we’re talking about a local maniac who’s fled to the desert, Roundabout News seems to have been replaced with a monthly hot item in Parking-Gone-Wild news, a gripping one-woman stage show depicting a tumultuous legal career hits the stage, and the Mr-Pickles-Pasta-Place is coming soon…
As always, send us your hot tips, unprintable gossip, and rare bird sightings to hello@thewaikatodraft.com or slide into our Insty DMs.
Scuttlebutt
Robyn Gallagher asks, who exactly are these Aucklanders with Hamilton holiday homes? Look, we love this city, but c’mon.
Voter turnout in the Hamilton Kirikiriroa Māori Ward by-election has been dire, with less than 6% of eligible voters casting their ballots so far. Postal voting has now closed, but physical polling places are open until Wednesday 7 August, so get after it!
Have you kept up with that local maniac and loudmoth, Nicholas Down? The Hamilton EV owner was previously very critical of the Covid response (“woke dribble”), whose Facebook ads featuring dog whistle antivaxxer slogans were enough to get him in hot water with the Advertising Standards Authority. In January, the “EV Evangelist'' was caught on CCTV and fined for dumping a trailer-load (!) of rubbish after being denied his request of free entry to the Lincoln Street tip. But the real schadenfreude came the following month, when he filed for liquidation in February, at a time when EV sales around the country plummeted after the incoming government scrapped clean car subsidies (which is sad - they went from one in every four car sales to one in 26). Well, now his liquidators have hired a PI to track him down. Is he in Dubai? Is he driving around Frankton? Is he squating somewhere in the jungle, a Colonel Kurtz figure? Is he ruining the vibe in some nutcase anti-vax Discord server? Who knows! Also full credit to Mike Mathers for his continued reporting, and to the sub editors, for the opening line “He’s Nicholas Down, but is he out?”
In more parking news - an elderly woman is safe after reversing her car into one of Waikato University’s lakes. Reddit user Atlas_XXVIII, who dove in along with campus security to come to the driver’s aid, commented that he’s aware it was the least disgusting of all the lakes on campus, having looked at it during a first year environmental science paper.
Photo via Reddit user garfieldsfatass.
Lord of the Fries went into receivership including its recently opened Hamilton East branch, after an unsuccessful bid to push falafel out of the deep fried vegan treats market. Place your bets on what will go into the spot. In our family we like to play fantasy football with these things, so we’re spending a lot of time imagining tacos or a tiki bar.
Rumour has it that the Italian joint run by the good folks behind Mr Pickles will start setting up shop in their space at Made next week. We have no other confirmed details, but it’s certainly opening some time soon.
Tirau is a little outside our parish (although we do always enjoy grabbing a pie from The Baker if we’re passing through on our way to Over the Moon) but the region’s premier roadside comfort stop is currently divided over plans to open a Burger King and drivethrough Starbucks.
Also, we had a tip about when the Peacocke Road Bridge is opening, but apparently it’s often kept secret because you all go bananas for it, and it leads to crashes. But we’re told it’s looking like late August. The very end of August.
And we’ll leave you with the spotting of this rare white tūī. Thanks for sharing, Maciej Kisiel!
IRL
It’s Hamilton Book Month! Highlight include the fiction panel (August 2) with Emily Perkins, and the Memoir Panel, which includes friend of the pod Emma Wehipeihana (August 9), and a poetry workshop with New Zealand Poet Laureate Chris Tse (August 17).
Irish stand-up comic and panel show bulwark Ed Byrne plays Claudelands on Saturday August 10.
Annyeong! Waikato Institute of Education is launching a Korean language course.
Waikato Museum is now closed for renovations, scheduled to reopen with a fresh new look in December - the ever delightful to kids of all ages Excite remains open throughout.
Don’t call it a Lego show, it’s the Hamilton Brickshow™ 2024! August 10-11.
Last month we also went to the Hamilton Inline Hockey Club (on Wairere Drive) for their Friday night public skate sesh - open to all ages and abilities. It’s good clean fun - with lots of parents and kids, while young people striking out on their own making eyes at each other. Plus it’s cheap - $8 entry and $2 for skate or rollerblade hire (sizing runs out early).
Gigs
Adam Fulton, our music guy extraordinaire, is taking a break this month. We’re aware many of you read purely for his picks but don’t worry, he’ll be back next month! Our relatively uninformed reckons: Makeshift Parachutes are playing at Last Place August 16 (tickets). If you’ve got an infinite well of darkness, August 10 is Goth Night Hamilton at Last Place with Wellington post punk duo Breaches as well as DJ sets from Passion Crypt, Gravedigger, and Black Wax.
Movies
By Jason Marshall
M. Night Shyamalan seems completely impervious to box office failures (it’s probably somewhat helpful as a commercial artist if one of your parents is a billionaire), and he’s back yet again with another intriguing premise that he likely won’t stick the landing on - what if a daddy-daughter pop concert night is a entirely a law enforcement sting to catch a serial killer? And daddy is the serial killer? Trap sees another outing from once upon a time heartthrob Josh Hartnett, who’s been having a bit of a moment lately after killer appearances in Oppenheimer and Black Mirror. Trailer. Releases 1 August.
It’s once again time for Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival, kicking off at the Lido on August 21. Our picks for the festival:
Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara. Profiling Te Reo heavy metal pioneers Alien Weaponry, this documentary follows them on the road at home and abroad. August 24. Tickets.
Paris, Texas. The 1984 Wim Wenders classic neo-Western existential crisis road trip, family alienation, amnesia saga has had a 4K restoration. August 28 and September 1. Trailer. Tickets.
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. Sensitive boys inherently love dangerous women. Described as “Amelie for goth girls,” this quirky romantic comedy is already becoming a cult favourite. August 30 and September 3. Trailer. Tickets.
Studio Ghibli heads rejoice! A slew of Hayao Miyazaki classics are seeing a theatrical re-release this month, with My Neighbour Totoro, Ponyo, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and The Wind Rises set to screen at The Regent on the weekend of August 24 and 25. Tickets.
Theatre
By Louise Drummond
Prima Facie, Meteor Theatre, 1-3 August, 8pm. I've seen this fabulous play performed at the Hamilton Gardens Festival earlier this year and raved about it, and I'm looking forward to catching this iteration. It's a powerful piece of solo theatre and I've heard nothing but good things about Cassandra Woodhouse's interpretation of it. Recommended for ages 15+, content warnings.
Hunchback of Notre Dame, Clarence St Theatre. 1 - 10 August, times vary. As plugged last month, the Hunchback is still happening in August. It's getting fabulous reviews and it sounds like Hamilton Operatic have outdone themselves again. I can't wait to see it next week.
The Coven on Grey Street, Riverlea Theatre. 22-23 August, 7.30pm. Carving in Ice Theatre is presenting a staged reading of James Cain's play, loosely inspired by the witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth. It's a smart and funny script set right here in Hamilton, and the Carving in Ice actors will no doubt do a fabulous job bringing this to life. Rehearsed readings differ from full performances because the actors still have the scripts, but by about 5 minutes in you don't even notice. Carving in Ice have a long history of bringing really interesting pieces to Hamilton as rehearsed readings, so it's lovely to see them perform something from a homegrown Kirikiriroa playwright.
Be More Chill, Meteor Theatre. 23-31 August, times vary. Bold Theatre strikes again with another smart musical, this one is a sci-fi tale set in high school that focuses on one lonely outcast and his tiny AI supercomputer. Bold Theatre always produces high quality shows and this one should be sharp as heck - and funny too.
What We Put In Our Mouths This Month (WWPIOMTM)
God, we hope we’re using Neat right - we’ve now been there much much more as a retail destination than as a bar. We always seem to be always blustering past sophisticated drinkers on my way to the fridge, in my work clothes with an ugly tote bag. Most recently we’ve had the Liberty Divine Wind lager (a Japanese style lager), a dry crisp drop that paired excellently with fried fish. It’s also worth noting their wine selection covers a range of price points (starting around $20), and as always we’re very devoted to Le Tribute olive lemonade.
Merci beaucoup to Amphora who brought a continental offering to the Made food court with some excellent raclette for Bastille Day.
And while we’re talking Made eateries - everyone talks about pretzels when it comes to Mr Twist, but their breakfast sandwich absolutely bangs. The sausage patty, egg, and cheese combination will defeat a mild to moderate hangover.
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After having watched too many episodes of The Bear last month, we made beef short ribs from Expleo. We’re also big fans of the Tamarind Chilli & Lime spatchcock chicken, $23 this month.
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And then one half of your editorial team (40F), who’s always been very good at eating but never enjoyed cooking much, has been obsessed with Nara Smith. I think if you realise it’s just as much not real as much as anything else on social media, it clears the path to enjoy her Tiktok as the cooking channel it essentially is, with her dulcet tones and incredible styling. Like, did you even know you could make your own Fanta? And so I found myself, inspired, once a week or so, making that chicken stock with carcasses I’ve had in the freezer for 6 months, and then making the risotto of my dreams the following night. Or turning the office citrus pile into zesty spicy cordial. I know that striving for completely “pure” unprocessed food becomes the restriction, but I do enjoy that her content never, ever, mentions any caloric limitation whatsoever - fats, carbs, whatever. None of the building blocks of food are ever vilified. I love that so much.
And if anyone can help me find a local version with the vibes of the Gustaf Westman plates, I will love you forever.
