October #06 đ»
Weâve made the deliberate choice not to run any election content this month, but we will always interested in how and why Hamiltonâs a so-called bellwether*, and what that says about us, really? Paradoxically, the greater Waikato (Te Pahu in fact, if you want to get even more granular) has produced both Helen Clark and the subject of our nostalgic feature this month, the McGillicuddy Serious Party. We knocked on leader Graeme âLairdâ Cairnsâ door for a chat, only to find other journalists had been there recently too. In search of the light relief this election, we ask him and former Times satirical columnist Joshua Drummond whether conspiracy theory parties have stolen all their would-be material.
We also took a tour around the soon-to-open MADE development, complete with high vis vests, and we tell you our picks and the bits weâre most excited about. Plus ahead of Halloween we visit the specialist American candy store you didnât know you needed, let you know where you can catch The Exorcist on the silver screen, and all the details on the Festival of the Weirdâs Zombie Walk.
And as always - haere mai to our new follows. This has also been coming for a while⊠despite our attempts to keep everything short and snappy, our emails are getting long (thanks in part to our excellent and growing contributors). We remain first and foremost aggregators, but for our features/featurettes, we will be linking to the full story hosted under the features tab on our website. Which will also give you another way to browse (and share) our longer and original bits of content.
As always, we love to hear from you, hello@thewaikatodraft.com. Show us your tips, etcâŠ
And weâll see you on the other side of October.
- Sylvia
*The Bellwether was one of the early, alternate names floated for this newsletter.
Scuttlebutt
Thereâs a new bus service: the Meteor, will along run on the East-West axis of the city - starting in Rotokauri, through Frankton and the CBD, then out to Ruakura via the University. It drives past, but doesnât stop at, its namesake theatre. It replaces the 2 Silverdale and 8 Frankton, and joins the Comet and the Orbiter as the other celestial bodies around town, with âThe Rocketâ planned for Rototuna. Maybe itâs just us, but the similar space-themed names get a bit confusing - however, we are advocating for a rebrand of the Night Rider as the Moonraker.
While on transport, in-lane bus stops and associated pedestrian and cycling infrastructure are planned for Horsham Downs Road, for which 90% (yes, you read that correctly) is to be paid for by Waka Kotahi (via the emissions trading scheme). This came under threat this month at a council Infrastructure and Transport committee meeting. In a rare move, East Ward councillor Mark Donavan tabled a revocation motion, to scrap the lot. It failed, and you can read about how everyone voted here.
Good George tried to beat the Warriors to trademarking the fan-phrase âUp the Wahsâ and did so by about a week. Then, they quietly removed their application and bowed out of making their Up-the-Wahs beer, which went viral last year and close-to sold out. We hope all beer companies are as gracious about intellectual property as our local brewing friends.
And lastly, the annual favourite kidsâ Duck Island Flavour Creators contest winners were announced last month. The winners were Ezra Page-Clarke, age 7, of Mt Cook School who won with her entry French Breakfast, and Simone Kelly, age 10, of Wadestown school, with Grannies Breakfast. (Donât @ us about apostrophes - sheâs 10.)
Our own daughter, age 3, entered an apple and playdough entry, which did not place.
âJim Bolger was never going to retaliate. We made a mockery of Winston Peters... we were merciless! But he never retaliated. And he never sent goons around to beat us upâ
Feature: Why so serious?
This month, with a decidedly unfunny election still dragging on, we look at the Waikato-grown McGillicuddy Serious Party and talk to its founder Graeme âLairdâ Cairns.
We also ask Josh Drummond where satire is meant to go, exactly, when conspiracy theories are spouting falsehoods stranger than the truth, that then wind up in the mainstream?
Whatâs on
Grab your dirndls and lederhosen, and get ready for the oompa band, Good George celebrate Oktoberfest 2023 on October 7th. Tickets $45, inclusive of your first drink.
Alternatively, enjoy some outdoor cinema with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, playing at Garden Place on the same night, weather permitting.
The One NZ cybersecurity roadshow will be holding a session on October 11th. Hosted by Seven Days alum Jeremy Elwood, the roadshow aims to communicate cybersecurity best practice to small and medium enterprises. (Perhaps our hospital might like to attend?)
The University of Waikato hosts a panel discussion with the Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand, Harinder Sidhu, to discuss climate change, the Pacific, and regional security on October 11th at 12 pm.
Michelle AâCourt hosts Sheâll Be Right, a showcase of women comedians, at Nivara Lounge on Thursday October 12th.
Love melted cheese? Alliance Française hosts a raclette party on October 14th. Tickets.
Itâs the second MX Mooloo Drag Pageant, with special guest judge Yuri Guaii (RuPaulâs Drag Race Down Under, season two) at the Meteor on October 14th. Tickets.
Kirikiriroa Poetry Slam, supported by the City Library, Saturday October 21, from 7pm.
Head out for the Raglan Oyster Festival, Sunday October 22, with live music and signature Raglan chill vibes. Also on offer fresh flounder and white bait fritters.
The Yamaha Rollos Marine Bridge 2 Bridge Waterski Classic runs from October 27th to October 29th with competitors racing from Grantham Street boat ramp all the way out to Ngaruawahia and Taupiri. Itâs a waterski race? Weâre not sure we entirely get it, but the footage of last yearâs running looks pretty badass. Our pick for a viewing point is the Flagstaff foot bridge.
Running a community group or project but need funding? The Waikato Community Funding Expo takes place on November 1st, from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm. (We donât typically feature events in the next month but our November issue isnât out until the following day.)
The Festival of the Weird, October 27 to November 5, encompasses a range of art and theatre events. Our picks are the zombie walk starting in Garden Place on October 27th, and then the cyclopedia guided tour of fun and weird facts about Hamilton on November 5th.
Made
Just this week the news finally broke - Made has gone from opening soonish, to locking in November 4. We were lucky enough to take a tour around the premises last week. Everything looks great but weâre most excited about:
First and foremost, Melbourne sommelier Keiran Clarkin (and writer! He has both been featured and written for Melbourneâs Broadsheet, and contributed to the Pantograph Punch), is opening wine bar Amphora, offering sustainable tap and glass pours focusing on organic and handmade wine. Clarkinâs CV has a number of strings to its bow: wine educator, restaurant manager, and sommelier roles at a number of hatted Melbourne restaurants.
HÄpi, serving a selection of craft beers and cocktails, importantly is also offering a karaoke room and a golf simulator - which sounds like a great start to any Friday night.
Crack Chicken, by David Lee of Parnellâs Simon and Lee (as well as Little King, Dear Jervois, Major Sprout and The Candy Shop in Newmarket - you can read this profile, by Eat Lit Foodâs Albert Cho, here). Essentially, heâs one of the big innovators in Auckland over the last few years. Weâre told he was one of the first to sign up for Made, which is exciting for Hamilton.
The Green, as readers may know, has been up and running for some time. Chef Karl Martin-Boulton has a set, evolving, seasonal six course degustation menu, for up to eight diners at a time. You must book - on Saturdays, even weeks to months in advance.
For new readers, weâre longtime fans of Expleo butchery and excited to see them in Made - weâve written about them before, here.
Nicola Farquhar, Envoy, 2023, Oil and acrylic on linen with acrylic on canvas attachment. 300mm H x 300mm W + attachment. Image courtesy of the artist.
Art
The Laree Payne Gallery (who just returned from representing Sarah Smuts-Kennedy at Sydney Contemporary) is showing POLYPODY this month. Catch the object based work of Jack Hadley, alongside the paintings of Nicola Farquhar, until October 21.
Theatre
by Louise Drummond
Improv Combat, by Allsorts Theatre. Meteor Theatre, Sunday nights 7pm, October 1, 8, 15, 22. Everyone always describes improv as like Whose Line Is It Anyway â because honestly, it's basically impossible to describe improv comedy to people who haven't seen it before, because every performance is different. The teams at Allsorts are consistently hilarious, and perfect for those new to the genre.
The Little Mermaid Jr., by National Youth Theatre. Clarence St Theatre, 6-8th October, 11am & 2pm performances. In case you're wondering â this is the Disney version (as opposed to the Hans Christian Anderson original), with all those gorgeous songs. Performed by over 50 young actors from across the Waikato, this will be full of some great talent. Perfect holiday fare.
Popcorn, by Hamilton Playbox. Riverlea Theatre, 7-21 October, mostly 7.30pm, plus a couple of matinees. A satirical thriller, be prepared for plenty of murderous moments and adult themes. The author, Ben Elton, was a writer on Blackadder, so you know itâs good. Think Quentin Tarantino or Natural Born Killers and you'll get the vibe.
Hospital Revue - Virus Ridiculus, by Te Whatu Ora Waikato (Health New Zealand) Clarence St Theatre, 19-20 October, 7pm. For the first time in ten years, Waikato Hospital is back with a fantastic skit show full of songs and parodies. Everything is performed by health professionals, who are taking the leap onto the stage to raise money for True Colours, a non-profit that supports children with a serious health condition. Should be a great night for a greater cause.
Ladies' Night, Clarence St Theatre, 22 October, 4pm & 8pm. Ladies' Night is about five Kiwi blokes down on their luck and needing cash, who turn to stripping. Described as "Magic Mike with a double shot of Kiwi humour", I think you'll know immediately if you're in the target audience for this one, *ahem*. Rated 16+.
Triple-T Bro-case, Meteor Theatre. 21 October, 7pm. A double feature, both written by local talent Benny Marama - and the pick of the month. The first, a short play called Chair Bro, and the second, an excerpt of a longer piece in development called 'akakino. Following these pieces, Marama will be joined by Antony Aiono, another local shining star, to perform songs from their show Spot The Difference. This show is definitely my pick of the month. Benny's stuff is always outstanding.
Music
by Adam Fulton
Cootie Cuties, Mikaela & Static. Yot Club Raglan. October 6. TÄmaki Makaurau pop-punk group Cootie Cuties play Raglan as part of their Splash the Fash tour.
Strung Out (USA). Last Place. October 7. Classic Californian punk rock, celebrating 30 years of banding.
Unrestful Movements/Dead Simple. Nivara Lounge. October 7. Unrestful Movements' Glen Wilson with his newest band Dead Simple, playing the hits of Unrestful Movements. Early 80s Wellington post-punk.
Dick Move (above). Last Place. October 13. Album release show for TÄmaki Makaurau punk band Dick Move. Joined by the Recently Deceived and Edible.
Jenny Don't & The Spurs (USA). Last Place. October 31. Country rock'n'roll from Portland, Oregon featuring members of Pierced Arrows and Wipers.
Film
by Jason Marshall
Unlike last month, there are actually releases to talk about in October.
Although weâre a bit sceptical of Hollywoodâs recent attempts to reanimate old horror franchises, we were very freaked out by the trailer for The Exorcist: Believer. At time of writing there is a review embargo in place, so itâs hard to know whether itâll deliver in the end, but Halloween is the time to take a chance on a horror movie. Trailer. Releasing Thursday 5 October.
Prefer the original? Need a young priest and an old priest? Te Awamutuâs Regent Theatre are doing a one-off screening of the 4K remaster of the film that started it all, The Exorcist - Directorâs Cut. Trailer. 7:30 pm, Friday 6 October. Tickets.
A favourite of this yearâs NZIFF and the winner of the Palm dâOr at Cannes, Anatomy of a Fall is a bracing psychothriller and courtroom drama. When her husband dies under suspicious circumstances at their secluded home, and with the only witness their blind 11 year old son, writer Sandra (played by the haunting Sandra HĂŒller) prepares to prove her innocence. Or not. Trailer. Releasing Thursday 12 October.
Did you emerge bloodied and defeated from the online riot over Taylor Swift tickets earlier this year? Us too. Fear not, the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film depicts three performances at Inglewoodâs SoFi stadium. Trailer. Releasing Friday 13 October.
The film weâre most excited about this month, Killers of the Flower Moon marks the return of American auteur Martin Scorsese. In a spellbinding true crime thriller set in 1920s Oklahoma, the once impoverished Osage tribe find themselves unexpectedly wealthy after the discovery of oil on their land, and are suddenly the targets of a campaign of horrific violence that came to be known as the reign of terror. Xan Brooks of The Observer calls it, âsinuous and old-school, an instant American classic; almost Steinbeckian in its attention to detail and its banked, righteous rage.â Trailer. Releasing Thursday 19 October.
What we put in our mouths this month
On the way into the CBD one can spot, in particular, men in aran knit jumpers walking home with loaves of bread wrapped in brown paper from RĂŒdi's. We have now sampled the pain au ham and cheese, the babka, the almond croissant, and the softie. Itâs all excellent. Next on our hit list is the Kranksy Dog Log.
We will return to the Beerescourt precinct in another issue, but we had been meaning to try the empanadas at La Rosa Latin Pastries for yonks and did so this month - they did not disappoint. We especially loved the chorizo empanada. Parking is a bit of a nightmare, but donât let that stop you.
At home, weâve been cooking a lot of fish in parchment paper recently, which is perfect with so much citrus around at the moment, a bit of cheap plonk, and anything else you have lying around (capers, olives, shallots, etc). With asparagus and baby potatoes coming into season, thatâs like 30% of your dinners for the next bit sorted. Hereâs a fish en papillote recipe we liked.
Itâs a hidden gem that homesick American expats already know, but new to us - International Foods offers a range of American and Mexican treats in Te Rapa. With Halloween looming, what better excuse than load up on some novelty sweets? We tried a range of candies with names like Sour Smog Balls, Lilâ Worms Warheads, and a Reeseâs Nutrageous bar which we can only describe as being like some kind of weaponised Snickers. But our pick of the bunch was a nameless and unbranded tamarind and caramel lollipop, which had a salty and spicy kick on top of that sweetness.
We stopped into Ernest for a whiskey sour and a negroni. More about cocktails next month.
And in last monthâs Best of Hamilton spesh, we were taken for task for not having a best pie section. Actually, we just needed to do more sampling before putting our name to it. We continue to munch our way around the pies of Hamilton and will report backâŠ
