March #21

Our March issues sort of write themselves: it's the kind of autumnal content that our city is extremely good at. The balloons and both the Boon Street Art festival and the Festival of the Weird are all annual staples, and they all happen in March. There’s also a heap of sporty things, as the heat eases, like the half marathon and the five-bridges swim.

We also caught up with councillor (and Shakespeare nerd) Louise Hutt, as she tells us the highlights of the Hamilton Arts Festival. 

And a reminder that you have until the end of March to do our reader survey and go into the draw for a $100 Amphora voucher. On account of launching it right before we went on summer hiatus, you currently have pretty good odds at winning this, and it will help us a) bring you a better newsletter, and b) maybe even get a little sponsorship going. We are also very grateful for everyone who writes to tell us they’ve recommended us to people, or who write to us after an issue - and we put you all in the draw too. 

Letters to the Assistant Sub Editor

Forced to sing for their supper, last month we poked some gentle fun at this new commercialised Hamilton Gardens, and their Valentine’s Day event where eleven couples were treated to a picnic, exclusive access to one of the enclosed gardens, and one 375ml bottle of bubbles, for $220 a head.

Reader Bron wrote to us to say: “I was just lounging about reading your latest email when my partner waltzes in carrying a 6-pack of chilli-margs (!?!) apparently we are pre-loading before our ‘exclusive’ gourmet in the garden experience tonight... I mean, your meme is bang on, a tiny bottle of bubbles, why even bother?! Maybe we can buy more…”. Shucks. 

But she continues, “I just want to say that I'm actually ok with the high price of admission if just for the novelty factor… Ultimately I'm proud of the gardens for doing something like this, if it works well I hope it paves the way for more cool little events in the tron. I'm so here for it!”

We wholeheartedly agree with that. We tease because we care.

Scuttlebutt

Well, this must’ve been absolutely terrifying. A 90 year old is recovering from injuries after being charged by a steer which escaped from the Frankton stockyards, before generally running amok around the lakefront, as bystanders and armed cops tried to corral it. The animal was euthanised.

Rocket Coffee came in at number 62 of the Top 100 Coffee Shops on the globally compiled list and is the only NZ cafe to do so (which also seems weird that there weren’t more, but we’re proud to have some a local institution as first cab off the rank)

David Seymour has introduced legislation to extend parliamentary terms from three to four years. When the Waikato Times did a ring-around, there was broad support for the same at a local governance level. 

Councilor Mark Donavan, last year in October, took another job (like, a really proper one as the New Zealand Sales Manager for Tetrapak) on top of his Hamilton East ward seat, his role as chairperson of the regulatory and hearings committee and deputy chairperson of the economic development committee. By January, he was making noises about resigning. He did so the morning before we went to press. 

Incumbent mayor Paula Southgate is not standing for re-election, and talk of who will and won’t run has begun.

Honorary Hamiltonian Steven Braunius attended the new HamLit festival arm of the Hamilton Arts Festival apparatus. He was half impressed, anyway, in that true Braunius style. 

Get to know your hosts Lisa and Brent Quarrie of Hayes Common a little better, in this profile.

Caffe Centrale is almost two decades old, owner and head chef Marco Scarpa took the Times through some of their dishes.

And we have some company in the Hamilton e-newsletter place - if you’re looking for a weekly list of what’s on, without the snark and our collective neuroses, head over to the Hello Hamilton substack, which comes out on Thursdays. 

What’s on

IRL

The Boon Street Art festival, from 13 - 16 March, always leaves the city a little better than when it started. The associated sculpture trail is already lining the streets, and running until March 31. 

If you’re a morning person, Hayes Common doing a silent disco, $10. Rudi’s will be there. 

Pats in the Paddock, Sunday March 9, ten till noon in Hayes Paddock, where you can meet the foster dogs! Don’t forget that you need a BYO container for takeaway coffee at Hayes Common these days. The council is also running reduced price dog registrations through March. 

If you have ever wandered around the gardens, unaware that the Medieval Faire was on that day, you’ll know its attendees are committed to the cause, or you thought you’d suddenly woken up in the 1400s and you were terrified you’d never make friends with any of these people once they realised you don’t know the first thing about blacksmithing or alchemy. It offers food, music, games, maypole, dancing and archery. March 9 - gold coin entry.

March 10 is the Big Bike Film Night - brings together a bunch of short films, all involving all sorts of bikes. 

Perhaps you can think of the Kirikiriroa Festival of the Weird as the anti-matter to the Arts Festival just gone. Think street performances, art installations, retro gaming in Garden Place. Or perhaps a polymer sculpting class is more your think, or a pop-up tattooist in Frankton? The programme is here.

Plus, March also brings the balloon festival. If you’re a Hamiltonian already, you don’t need us to tell you, but if you’re new in town, you’re in for a treat. If you’re in the flight path, it’s a good week to hold a champagne breakfast. Also you’re one of the many people who own a Canon DSLR and don’t know how to work the bloody thing because you only bought one to seem more interesting to an attractive stranger, Photo Warehouse are hosting a Balloons over Waikato photography walk. Nikon users, you’re on your own.

Sport 

Run the Runway, March 9, does what it says on the tin - offering 5 km course around the Hamilton airport is a local favourite, especially for people who absolutely refuse to run uphill. Proceeds are going to a “yet to be decided” charity. There’s an Arrested Development gag about that.

March 9th also sees the 86th running of the 5 Bridges River Swim, where swimmers will navigate a 7.1 km course that takes them under the Cobham, ANZAC Parade, Claudelands, Whitiora, and Fairfield Bridges.

The Hamilton Half Marathon (and also offers 5km and 10km courses) returns March 16; it starts and ends at the Hamilton Gardens and snakes along the river. 

The Middle-earth Halfling Marathon™ is on March 22, at Hobbiton. The off-road trail course includes entry to the movie set, which isn’t really our jam but must be pretty cool if you’re a fan.

Can’t get away to Thailand for the White Lotus meets Ong Bak holiday of your dreams? Coaches from Tiger Muay Thai, the Phuket outfit known for training prominent MMA fighters in the art of striking, come to town for fight camp seminars throughout the weekend of 22-23 March. Tickets.

The annual Turangawaewae Regatta returns on March 22 and is not kidding around with a 12 kilometer course. Naturally, it comes with kai and entertainment. Peter Gordon will be there this year with hangi inspired cuisine.

The Arts

Image credit: Hannah Ireland, Sunday Morning Beneath A Feathered Sky (installation image), 2024, Laree Payne Gallery

Laree Payne Gallery hosts Hannah Ireland’s solo exhibition Sunday Morning Beneath a Feathered Sky, from 5 March to 29 March. The opening will be on 8 March, 11 am - 1pm. 

Music

By Adam Fulton

7th March - Seamouse, Hans Blix, Stone Clones | Last Place (tickets)

Highly polished, borderline psyche-rock from Wellington's Seamouse, weirdo freak-folk somewhat reminiscent of Vic Chesnutt and Jeff Mangum in 'Hans Blix' (I like this a lot) and some knee-slapping rock music from Stone Clones

15th March - Dartz, Shaun's B'day, Pink Plates | Last Place (tickets)

Last Place stalwarts Dartz return to the most ideologically aligned venue in the country. Joined by Shaun's B'day (un-googleable but hoping for the best) and Pink Plates.

15th March - Matthew Bannister album launch | Nivara Lounge (tickets)

Long time Kirkiriroa resident and Flying Nun old boy Matthew Bannister is releasing a new album, backed by his band the Changing Same. Supported by Halcyon Birds.

27th March - Onanizer (CZ) | Last Place (tickets)

Czech grindcore band Onanizer make their way to Kirikiriroa for possibly the first time in almost 30 years. They are joined by west auckland knuckle dragging metal outfits Soul Stroke and Cesura.

28th March - Womb album release | Te Rore Community Hall (tickets)

Dream-pop heavyweights and siblings Womb bless the rural setting of Te Pahu/Ngāhinapōuri in one of Waipa's most idyllic community halls. They will be joined by hypnotic drone folk duo Big Sigh. Guaranteed to be very nice time.

29th March - Faceless Burial (AU) | Last Place (tickets)

Titans of Australian death metal Faceless Burial come to town, alongside probably the best heavy band out of Aotearoa in many years Distant Fear, newcomer hardcore freaks Noxo and first outing for Kirikiriroa's faux-black metal band Scablaw.

What we put in our mouths this month (WWPIOMTM)

We’ve been big fans of Amphora’s bar snack menu of late. Now they’ve offer toasties (and a wine match), which change each day.  When we went, it was a three cheese toastie with truffle oil. I don’t know what subsequent tariffs will mean for this in the future, but we also enjoyed a very good Californian Syrah from The Ojai Vineyard on Valentine’s Day, which rotated off shortly afterwards.

Inspired by leftover chicken liver pate and pork belly, we made an attempt at banh mi recently. Banh mi is a delicate balance between the richness of roasted meat, duck liver pate, and mayo, offset by the crunch and freshness of daikon, carrot and coriander, and touched by the heat of fresh chili - and, if we’re being honest, we don’t think our fair city’s banh mi have really been nailing it.

As we’ve mentioned before, inspired by Stanley Tucci we’ve been marking freezer-door martinis. One of us fell down a warren of tik tok concerned with very, very dirty martinis - we’re talking about adding blue cheese, pickled onions, anchovies. All of these are sensational pairings for a martini, but we’re talking all at once in the same glass. Do these kids realise you can serve your martini with a fucking platter next to it?

We had mixed success with our first attempt growing tomatoes, but our basil (which we originally planted as a companion plant) has gone off without us lifting a finger. So we have been obsessed with caprese salads, with a basil oil of our own making (in addition to fresh leaves). We prefer it without balsamic vinegar - just the fresh stuff, olive oil and salt and pepper. We’re sad not to see it on the menu in more places at this time of year, but I guess we have the price of cheese to thank for that. 

Our relationship with Kenji Lopez Alt was starting to fray, even before started very publicly working through some stuff on social media. But his Thai beef salad marinade is excellent.

What I saw - the Hamilton Arts Festival Toi Ora Ki Kirikiriroa with Louise Hutt

Tell us about your approach to the festival - how do you read the programme? How do you pick what you're going to go to? Tell us more. 

As a city councillor, we're a major sponsor, so getting the calendar invite for the festival programme launch is one of the things I most look forward in the year. I'm basically taking notes at the launch event, and this year I had probably three times the amount of shows that I wanted to go to than I had the time to go to - which is such a wonderful dilemma to have. 

I think about it from a FOMO perspective, if they were on in Auckland or another city, would I have been jealous, or, would have gone to the effort to travel to see them? There's also a little bit of being an internet geek, and following a lot of interesting New Zealanders across Twitter (RIP) and getting to see so many cool people in one place, in my city, is so nice. 

What I saw:

Foraging with a Side of Feijoas (HamLit) - I've been a big fan of Kate Evans for a long time and she's a great interviewer. 

Slings & Arrows (HamLit) - I love hearing my dear friend essa may ranapiri speak about their work, but also Scott Bainbridge is a whanuanga of mine. 

A Past That Lives and Breaths (HamLit) - I've followed Vincent O'Malley online for ages, and his work such important historical context for us locally, and especially imo, for Paakeha and Paakeha politicians

Twelfth Night - I'm a big Shakespeare nerd (I was both Juliet and Helena in my high school productions ), and I enjoy any opportunity to make a She's The Man joke.

Left Brain Leadership (University of Waikato alumni event) - I knew four of the five panelists and was interested to hear them talk about creativity, their lives and careers, and what being a leader means to them. 

Plus I think I should get half points for Sunset Symphony, which was on at the same time as Twelfth Night and provided an additional soundtrack!

Things I did have FOMO for not seeing:

I wanted to go to Carmina Burana but I had a Council invitation to another event on the same night (extremely privileged problem to have!). 

I'm also an alumni of the Auckland Theatre Company's Summer School 2009 - which Andrew Paterson (who directed Antonio) and Chye-Ling Huang (Sweets to the Sweet) also attended and I would have loved to have seen both. 

I was extremely jealous if Couture in the Gardens - both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor posted photos and afterwards I was kicking myself for not going. 

I honestly enjoyed everything I saw, I thought it was a diverse programme with heaps of choice across performance, literature, and music. I read Steve Braunias' review with a bit of a sigh and cringe - a lukewarm at best take. "Omg I expected Hamilton to be a bit shit, but actually it's kinda cool and also wow did you know women are interesting" made me think we need better reviewers for the major newspapers. 

You're known for being a big cyclist around the city, and an advocate for public transport.  How did you get to shows? If you cycled, how bike-friendly was it? Somewhere to leave your wheels securely? Did you see  lots of other cyclists?

Some days I biked, some days I carpooled. The Gardens is 11km away from my house so it depends on how hot it was and what else I had on that day. You can't enjoy the events if you get heat stroke, dehydrated or sunburnt!

I locked up my bike (and even charged it) at the new bike shelters - there's one by the cafe, and another over by the bridge to the Rhododendron Lawn. This was super easy and there were heaps of other bikes locked up too. 

I did see some pedestrians running across Cobham Drive by Grey Street and I wanted to shout at them that there's an UNDERPASS only a few meters away but one of the things you shouldn't do as a city councillor is shout out unsolicited advice from moving cars (one downsides of the job, really). So instead I want us to have a look at whether we've got adequate signage there - because the whole point of the underpass is so people don't run across an 60km/hr road. 

If we emptied out your bag on an average event, what have you packed to ensure a good day at the gardens?

Big hat (seems obvious but there were some people who arrived too late to get a seat in the shade for an 11.30am event with no sunhat!)

Sunblock.

I bought a Kmart handheld fan but it was too noisy! So I often ended up using a programme booklet to help with the heat (I have now bought an actual fan when I was at Daiso on the weekend).

My 5 year old Frank Green drink bottle, half filled with ice and half with water.

Hand sanitiser (public health still matters and helps get sunscreen off your palms).

Two Kmart camp chairs and two cushions for events with BYO seating - they have handles so you can sling them over your shoulders, which really helps for trekking to the car and back.

My knitting - and another gentleman had also brought his for Foraging with a Side of Feijoas! 

$$$ for buying books you definitely don't have to buy but want to so you can get the authors to sign

Where would you go afterward for a post show drink? Dinner?

We had one hour between Slings & Arrows and Twelfth Night so we had pies from the food trucks, which had no wait time, immediate hot pie delivery, and were incredible (I got Thai Beef). My partner went and got waffles during the Twefth Night intermission, which was also a very good choice. The Dosa truck was also there, which I've had before and their potato and cheese doas is incredible. 

If you've been hot and sweaty at shows all day like I was, you probably want to pick up a takeaway on the way home - but if you're planning a nice evening out, going beforehand to somewhere like Reggie's, Thyme Square, or Sage for dinner, then popping over to the Gardens would be a pretty sweet evening.

february #20

Good afternoon, dear readers - and thank you for your patience with our newsletter this month. Late, because our household has suffered from its very first Covid infection - which culturally felt very irrelevant now. Who, now, will be interested in our obligatory positive RAT test shot? No one. Not a single person. And we didn’t even do anything cool like make our own limoncello.

February is all about the Arts Festival, and we are in time to be your discerning guide: our theatre editor Louise Drummond (herself a staple on the Kirikiriroa theatre scene for many years) puts together her picks for what is likely to be very good.

This year, the festival also welcomes HamLit, a literary “festival within a festival”. Co-curator Elisabeth Easther, who grew up in Hamilton (incidentally, one of first people our newsletter ever got fan mail from) has put together a great lineup, and has kindly given us a double pass to Sweets to the Sweets and Slings and Arrows. Details below.

A few responses our reader survey so far 

Thank you to all that have participated in our reader survey - where one reader told us they’d like more local motorsport coverage. And honestly, we wish there was more to report on, but, look, we’ll keep an eye out for stuff that takes our fancy at Hampton Downs this year and if that doesn’t bear out, we’ll crash an office Christmas go karts event and give you exceptionally detailed coverage of it. If you want to invite us along to your office Christmas go karts event drop us an email on hello@thewaikatodraft.com.

Another told us they’d like shorter WWPIOMTMs - but we did giggle that they used the acronym to tell us this. And it’s always been our dream our ridiculous acronym would catch on.

Another asked: Hamilton, Kirikiriroa, or Kirikiriroa Hamilton? So, what is the house style? Good question. We prefer Kirikiriroa, but sometimes it gets too repetitive within a single paragraph, section or newsletter, or a business or association name gets in the way of it, so we’re flexible.

Respond to our reader survey before the end of March and you go in to win a $100 Amphora voucher. If you refer someone to our mailing list and drop us a line we’ll pop you in the draw as well.

Scuttlebutt

Buckle up fuckleheads, it’s local election year. Not until October (the 11th, to be exact) and, god help us, will include a binding poll in relation to the Kirikiriroa Maaori Ward, so show up. If you’re thinking of running yourself (encouraged!), nominations open July 4, which then close August 1 at 12pm. Voting will then open September 9 - but we will be banging on about these dates all year, and when the time comes. Also, thank you to the reader who wrote to point out that in our Scuttlebutt Wrapped 2024, we incorrectly stated that there was a byelection last year: there were two, because quite correction we should have included the Kirikiriroa Maaori ward. We welcome readers pointing out such “biases” (read: systemic racism).

Councillor and someday Mayoral hopeful and really impressive grown up boy Tim Macindoe has been hired as a cheerleader for the proposed Waikato Medical School, removing Macindoe’s ability to vote on anything related to it. What has also got less coverage, but is also both interesting and important for the many of us in this town that work in healthcare (which is quite a significant market for this newsletter), is that it is launching a Masters of Pharmacy Practice, and Midwifery: both desperately needed professions here at Waikato that don’t get as much coverage as the doctor shortage. Both had intakes this month.

Go easy on your water - Hamilton is now at water Alert Level 1. We struggle constantly with alert level numbering and things like power settings on fans and cake mixers - is 1 the highest or the lowest of the scale? We don’t know. Why don’t you make 10 louder and make that be the top number? But it’s an alert - perhaps you could ask a colleague or flatmate to shower with you to save water.

And our new, reopened Waikato Museum and Gallery has opened and celebrated earlier this month its first Waitangi Day festival. There’s never been a better year to honor Te Tiriti and we love to feel its resonance - the Museum welcomed 3500 visitors on the day, well over doubling the 1200 it had on Waitangi Day 2024, to enjoy the exhibits, performers and of course, the kai. More of this, please.

The Heaphy Terrace-Boundary Road crossing is now finally, actually approved.

The government’s Three Waters replacement is causing problems for our council, including that it says nothing of Hamilton’s commitment to looking after the Waikato River - an important clause of the treaty settlement with Waikato-Tainui. Cr Louise Hutt called them the evil penguin from Wallace and Gromit, leaving the council trying to lay track immediately before the train.

What’s On 

IRL

Celebrate Chinese New Zealand with The Chinese Lantern Festival in Garden Place, Sunday February 22, 6pm to 9pm. It’s free with pleeenty of food stalls. 

Valentines Days at the Gardens: We’ve all had a snog at the Gardens, presumably. But this Valentine’s Day you can be sure that only 20 other people (attendance is strictly limited to 11 couples) are snogging in a bush at the same time, along with a three course menu and (tiny) bottle of bubbles provided, for $440 per couple. We’ve since learned that this event has sold out, but we include it as it caused rigorous debate amongst your editorial team, which we will summarise with this meme.

The Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery are hosting a public talk with Mike White, where he shares his experience photographing the Aurora Australis, with after-hours entrance to the Astronomy Photographer of the Year. 

Salmonella Dub will be playing at - Meatstock! Forgive us, but we’d think that salmonella would be the last thing we’d want to associate with an outdoor barbecuing event, but here we are. Shapeshifter, Devilskin, and Ladyhawke (amongst others) also perform alongside all the barbecue related fun. February 14-15. Tickets.

The Paparakohe Park in Cambridge is opening Saturday February 15, from 12.30 to 14.30. It’s the kind of big nutty playground where the smallest members of your family can tear around for a few hours. There’s a double flying fox, whatever that means!

February 22 marks the Waikato Malaysian Food and Cultural Day, promising a showcase of Malaysian food and cultural displays through the day on Saturday 22 February at Claudelands Events Centre. Free entry!

Fancied trying your hand at juggling? How about spinning plates? Black Sheep Circus Entertainment will be hosting Circus in the Centre, Saturdays from noon to 2:30 between January 25th and April 4th in Garden Place, and promise they’ll walk kids of all ages through a wide range of circus skills.

Sport

The Warriors play Melbourne Storm in a preseason clash on Saturday 15 February at FMG Stadium. There’ll also be a free shuttle service running from Hood St out to the stadium and back again.

The first home game of the Chiefs season takes place on February 21, with the Crusaders coming to town.

While we’re talking Super Rugby, the Rugby and Rhythms festival is taking place on March 1st, with a double header of Chiefs Manawa vs Matatuu and Chiefs vs Brumbies alongside live music from Ladi6, Hollie Smith, DJ sets and more plus a festival zone with food trucks and bars. Tickets.

Theatre

By Louise Drummond

As mentioned, it's Hamilton Arts Festival Toi Ora Ki Kirikiriroa time again. Running from February 21 to March 2, it's a fabulous mix of music, theatre, dance, comedy, writing and film. As always, there's both local and out-of-town groups, with a bunch of free and family-friendly events sprinkled in amongst the offerings. Make sure you bring sunblock during the day and bug spray if you're going to a garden that has water (as I learned this that hard way a couple of years ago). For more information on the dozens of events happening and to get some great deals when booking multiple shows, check out their website.

Carmina Burana, Fri 21 February, 8pm. Rhododendron Lawn, Hamilton Gardens. Tickets. 
Who doesn't know and love O Fortuna? The attention-grabbing classic is being performed by the Hamilton City Brass & The Festival Chorus and it'll be an incredible opener to the festival. BYO seats or blanket (but don't bring booze, as it's a licensed event).

Songs In The Key of Luke. Fri 21 & Sat 22 February, Sun 2 March, times vary. Various gardens, Hamilton Gardens. Tickets. 
Bold Theatre are so good I'd watch them doing the laundry, although thankfully this show looks a lot more interesting than that. Luke Di Somma, composer of That Bloody Woman, has created a show that looks at love, life and self-discovery from his perspective, and it sounds like an absolute gem. The show is at a different garden each night, so check the website for details.

Twelfth Night. Sat 22 and Sun 23 February, 6pm, and Sun 2 March 5am. Governor's Green, Hamilton Gardens. Koha, BYO seating. 
Shakespeare's classic tale of gender identity and sexual ambiguity hits the Gardens this year. The Shakespeare is always one of my personal favourites of the festival - its tradition at the Gardens is longer than that of the festival itself. It's also one of the consistently affordable and family-friendly events, along with the Sunset Symphony. So bring a rug or a seat, bring some snacks, and have a very silly yet highbrow time.

We Have Boys At Home. Thurs 27 February & Sat 1 March, 6.00pm. English Flower Garden, Hamilton Gardens. 
Local playwright Conor Maxwell has a great piece here, telling the story of two besties on a road trip from Hamilton to Napier who then stage a play about it. It's sharp and funny (and the title absolutely tickles me).

Tangihanga. Fri 28 February & Sat 1 March, 7pm. Te Parapara Garden, Hamilton Gardens. 
This award-winning one-woman show has Kristyl Neho bringing over 30 characters to life, telling the story of family dynamics after her father's passing. I'm always in awe of those able to tell a cohesive story with defined characters in a solo show, and this sounds like a brilliant example.

Gigs

By Adam Fulton

Simon Joyner (USA). 15th February, Last Place (tickets)
Influential Omaha singer-songwriter Simon Joyner stops by Last Place. Best known for a couple of his lo-fi Americana releases in the early to mid 90s, Simon Joyner is a prolific songwriter and man about music. Joined by our own Brandon De La Cruz.

King Brothers (JPN). 16th February, Harbourview Hotel, Raglan (Tickets)
An afternoon of rock n roll (seriously, this show starts at 3pm). King Brothers and Alka Silka, both from Japan alongside Tamaki's CINDY.

Stenn Francis Deare, Rewind. 21st February, Last Place (Tickets)
Multi-instrumentalist and former Hamiltonian Stenn Francis Deare brings his band to town to perform a slew of songs from his forthcoming album, none of which I was easily able to find online, but Stenn's father is adamant that they are very good!

Deathro (Japan), 28th February. Mesoverse (Tickets)
Possibly more performance art than a conventional rock set, Deathro seems to be a sort of rock'n'roll karaoke grandmaster. Joined by Whanganui's most excellent Displeasure, new Tāmaki outfit Chemchain, and local youngins Hoon.

Ringlets, Jazmine Mary, Louise Nicklin. 1st March. Last Place (Tickets)
A joint production between Last Place and the Hamilton Arts Festival. Croony post-punks Ringlets, austere and quite wonderful folk songwriter Jazmine Mary and Louisa Nicklin make their way to Hamilton to prove to the cynics that Tāmaki Makaurau is not the barren cultural wasteland it sometimes seems.

Movies

By Jason Marshall

It’s a quiet month on the film front, with most of the new releases leaving us feeling pretty uninspired. But there are a bunch of special screenings that we’re looking forward to.

Sunset Cinema returned to Seddon Park last night with Top Gun: Maverick, drawing an enthusiastic crowd spread across the field. The film played on the big digital scoreboard, with better than I expected image quality and a very sensibly balanced sound mix, which are things that even dedicated cinemas aren’t always able to offer. A few food trucks were on-site, including the good folks of Banh Mi Caphe, and a selection of Boundary Road Brewery beers. The whole experience was such a good time and unique experience that I can’t help but be left feeling it’s a shame they only hold four of these a year—this feels like the kind of event that should run every week of the summer alongside the cricket season, one that should become a regular and recurring Kirikiriroa summer institution like Gourmet in the Gardens. Bring a cushion or low profile camping chair, or arrive early enough to snag one of the provided bean bags. Next on the calendar are a Valentine's Day screening of The Notebook, Inside Out 2, and Footloose. February 13-16. Tickets.

The Regent routinely crush it with their classic screenings, and continue this month with everyone’s favourite murder, pottery and afterlife romantic mashup, Ghost. February 28 and March 4. Tickets.

HamLit

Hamilton alumni Elizabeth Easther has curated a punchy literary circuit that will sit under the umbrella – and within the rolling gardens – of the wider arts festival, with an incredible range across nine events. (If you book for three or more shows in a single transaction and receive a 15% discount.

A Past that Lives and Breathes, February 23, 11am, in the Medici Court. Tickets. 
Hosted by Jennifer Te Atamira Ward-Lealand, a session with Waikato historian (by which we mean, possibly the authority on the subject) about his new book The Invasion of Waikato / Te Riri ki Tainui, along with historian and Ockham NZ Book Award short-listee Dr Monty Soutar ONZM, with his latest book Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment.

Be Not Afraid of Greatness, February 23, 2.30pm. Medici Court. Tickets. 
Combining the account of Serviceman J: The Untold Story of an NZSAS Soldier by panelist Jamie Pennell, with Matt Heath’s A Life Less Punishing - a work that explores the much neglected topic of men’s mental health. Hosted by the positive masculinity architype himself, Te Radar.

Intrigue and Intelligence, February 23, 1pm the Medici Court. Tickets. 
Karen Hay is national treasure Karen Hay. Jude Dobson, who has written The Last Secret Agent about WWII undercover agent Pippa Latour who later settled in New Zealand. And former Listener editor TV critic Diana Wichtel with her latest memoir.

Giveaway!

We have double passes to give away for Slings and Arrows (February 22, 4pm, at the Mansfield Garden), an assortment of six diverse and exceptional writers talking about their creative process which looks to inspire both writers and readers alike. Featuring Scott Bainbridge (The Heist), Claire Baylis (Dice), Charity Norman (Home Truths), essa may ranapiri (Echidna), Tina Shaw (A House Built on Sand) and Tracey Slaughter (The Girls in the Red House Are Singing).

And Sweets to the Sweets (February 23, 4pm, also at the Mansfield Garden), a medley of six talents writers following a true-stories-told-live format. Featuring Andrew Fagan (Swirly World: Lost at Sea), Chye-Ling Huang (Camp Be Better), Isla Huia (Talia), Jacob Rajan (Indian Ink Theatre Company), and Marama Salsano (To Feel the Earth as One's Skin: An Anthology of Indigenous Visual Poetry).

To enter the draw, drop us an email with your best ten word story before midday on Thursday the 20th. Funniest, most dramatic, or most intriguing will take away the double passes and be featured in next month’s newsletter.

WWPIOMTM

The recipe of the summer was given to us by none other than ChatGPT: We asked it for an “Asian-inspired crudo” - best made with fish from Seafood Bazaar. We find it a pretty useful tool for figuring out meal ideas since you can say to it that you’ve got x ingredients and you want to prepare them y way. See? AI isn’t just for fake but plausible celebrity nudes and plagerised homework, it’ll also tell you how to dress raw fish.

We made a lot of tarte tartin - both apple and, once they were in season, peach versions. Best paired with the Duck Island vanilla ice cream. It’s dead simple but looks really chic.

We have tomatoes coming into season - our inaugural crop, bought from 9 year old vendor Pop Up Seedlings on Facebook, who we’ve mentioned before. Let’s just say… we learnt some lessons about blight this year, but we got some that are better than supermarket tomatoes.

As we mentioned in our last issue, we’ve been dabbling with freezer door cocktails, and have generally traded in a go-to whiskey sour for any kind of dead-cold stirred cocktail. The Scapegrace x Prophets Rock White Vermouth, and the Reid + Reid bitter aperitivos as a campari substitute (both from Neat) both did a lot of heavy lifting in the liquor cabinet over Christmas. 

The Green: yes, Chef

At this point, Hamilton’s set is divided into two groups: those who have been to The Green – the 8-seater chef’s table on the river-side of Made – and those who haven’t. With limited spaces and reservations filling up as soon as spots open up, at the time we dined in mid-December, they were fully booked until June this year. We will resist the temptation, but you could possibly write a profile on chef Karl Martin-Boulton based solely on an evening in his company - such is the mix of fine, intimate dining with personally generous, elegant conversation from the rosette-winning host.

One imagines it takes a certain kind of chef to pull off this increasingly popular chef’s table format - the first of its kind in Kirikiriroa. Martin-Boulton’s CV most recent entry is executive chef at Huka Lodge, and time spent working at the Old Downton Lodge Restaurant in Ludlow England that under his leadership achieved four AA Rosettes, and a place in the 2017 - 2020 Michelin guides. But the format also comes with the social dance of a dinner party - Karl is assembling his dishes as part of the performance while entertaining his guests; guiding the room with good conversation when it needs it, knowing when to leave people to their own devices, and when to gently interrupt to introduce the next dish. An analogy for fans of the smash hit The Bear: Carm, the troubled introverted protagonist could never do it. Sydney, his better, overlooked, socially intuative protégé could. 

On the night in question our party is three couples: one, a Kiwi-British couple on their second marriage who are also dining there for the second time - they mention both liberally over the strawberry negroni served on arrival. Another couple who moved to Hamilton for their teenage scholarship-seeking rugby hopeful’s prospects, who also is a very good sport about trying everything (it’s so nice to see children and young people in a restaurant environment); the Dad has never been to a fine dining restaurant, either, but this is exactly up his alley as he runs a business taking small groups out hunting and fishing. And then, the most interesting person in the room, someone who works in festival-adjacent voluntary drug testing, who had no qualms about attending alone when the only seat left for December was a single. And then us, hopefully not-to-obnoxious elder millennials (who run a blog disguised as a newsletter) in the midst of a four-week season in our household which holds all our birthdays and an anniversary - each year marked by a period of celebratory decadence more elaborate than the last. 

This restaurant is not just a relationship between Karl and his guests, but at times different combinations of guests, with occasional interjections. Not just a different menu every night, but a completely different room dynamic, one imagines. On his very first opening night, he had bought something special and bubbly, only to find the entire party was teetotal. The point is, it looks like a lot of work, but in prep and social attention. Most nights of the year. He won't divulge whether he’s had a proposal there just yet, but it’s only a matter of time. 

Everything is sourced within 70 km of the restaurant. On the day we dined in December, we had trevali caught that morning in Raglan, only several hours ago. (Interestingly, Karl has a fish allergy, and constructs his seafood dishes from his memory palate.) While Martin-Boulton is certainly thriving with this wero, he makes no secret of his dislike of some of the red tape that prohibits him using, say, locally hunted venison or locally caught trout. It often extends to trimming, with tableware from and steak knives from Inner Wild. He talks of Duck Blue Station as a core inspiration for the spot - and speaks of the handsome chef UK chest Jack Cashmore on horseback. He went through inspecting or considering 11 leases before finding the right fit at Made - riverside, next to Grey Street Roasting. A warm bubble that adds to the intimate dining experience. And it’s been booked solid for the 18 months since opening, with a waiting list of about 300. 

All this and no mention of food yet. While there is something to be said for every man and his dog getting on social media to share what it is they eat around town (as obviously we do), as elder millennials we are old enough to remember and respect the expertise of actual food critics. And we are not that. There is also something very gauche about saying “everything was excellent” - only it was. Our menu included duck pie, asparagus salad with onion weed mayonnaise and oxalis, cured trevally, beef short rib with a black bean sauce. Say yes to the cheese and cherry, say yes to the fudge. Say yes to wine pairings. Say yes to everything - that is what an immersive experience like this is for. 

Chef Martin-Boulton brings back some important biodiversity to the Hamilton fine dining scene - which felt like it was in a little bit of a lull since the relative decline of Chim Choo Ree and Palate. The Green offers someplace you could confidently take your fancy Auckland or overseas guests, where you know it’ll knock there socks (or pants) off.