For 18 years, the couple were tied to a 100 acre deer farm on South Eyre Rd and home was a four bedroom, two bathroom house. They never went on holiday because of their farming commitments. Robin worked for PGG Wrightson for many years; weekends and evenings were devoted to the farm. Four years ago he gave up his day job to work full-time on the farm. Lesley worked as a cook and cleaner at Oxford Hospital, before retiring from that position. 

“But on the up side, we’ve just finished a ten day Winnebago safari down south that started at Tekapo and ended up at Roxburgh. The people we met were fabulous – we had a great time,” says Lesley, noting that some of those they met on the road included people displaced by the Canterbury quakes who now prefer mobility to a permanent home. 

The couple say the Winnebago is very manoeuvrable; Robin rates it as easier than driving a car. (Incidentally, the home is equipped with a towing trailer so they can also take their car with them on the road). 

At this stage, they plan to live in the mobile home for at least two years. Says Lesley: “Who knows, if we eventually find a cottage somewhere, something nice, then we might buy it as a base – but we’d still keep travelling too.”

Mention Facebook to some people and you’re greeted with a look of horror.  They either think it’s a frivolous waste of time or an evil, global conspiracy to get all our personal information.  But the reality is that Facebook is phenomenally popular.  It’s a fantastic tool for getting online and communicating and small businesses that refuse to use it are missing out.

Let’s look at some numbers.  According to recent figures, 1 in every 13 people on the planet has a Facebook page.  Here in New Zealand there are approximately 2 million Facebook users.  Of those around 50% admit to checking their profile everyday.  That’s a lot of people. 

It was this spread of Facebook that spurred Sally and Jess Telfer from Cocoon Beauty and Day Spa in Rangiora to set up a page.  They both had personal pages on Facebook and were connected on there to small businesses that they used themselves.  It seemed logical to put their own business out there.  As Sally says “It almost gets to the point where if you’re not on it you’re losing exposure”.

Their page went up late last year and is building up a small following.  They regularly update it with news of their latest offers and treatments.  Customers have responded well and “like getting information first hand” says Sally. 

Robe in Rangiora is also using Facebook to good effect.  Owner Rachel Hobson first decided to set up a Facebook profile for the clothes shop back in 2010.  “We had a customer mailing list that took a lot of time, effort and money…I thought there must be a better way…and I felt Facebook was another tool” she says. 

A friend set up the Robe profile for her and it now carries information about their sales, what’s in the shop, photos of new ranges and other things of interest to customers.   With over 400 friends on Facebook their news is clearly reaching people and Rachel feels it has had a positive effect on the business.  She says they regularly get customers saying “I saw this on Facebook”. 

Technology wise you don’t need to be a computer whizz.  Setting up a page for your business on Facebook is simple.  “They make it as easy as they can.  And it’s quite clear” says Sally. 

To get started go to www.facebook.com and click on ‘create a page’ at the bottom of the screen.  You are then guided through the process and it takes just a matter of minutes.  Make sure you fill in important details like your opening hours, address and telephone number for visitors to your page.  You can add photos and logos and make the page reflect your business.

Once the page is live you should keep it current.   “It’s got to be updated, people want to see something new when they look at your page” advises Hobson.  The online world moves fast and if Facebook users see a page was last updated six months ago, they probably won’t bother looking again.

However, regular updates shouldn’t take a lot of time.  Updates are usually “just small snippets  – very easy to do” says Sally.   She also advises that timing and being topical can make a difference – they found that an update about their Christmas specials in December went really well.

 What you do with Facebook depends on your business. A restaurant could post their new menu, photos of a delicious new dish or even recipes.  A hair salon could use it to introduce their new stylist or give tips on how to get the perfect home blow dry.  Sometimes you might just want to share something fun. 

Here at Essence magazine we regularly post our ‘Out and About’ photos on our Facebook page as well as letting people know when the new edition is out.  The page was set up last year and we’re slowly gaining a steady following.  

Annette Pendergast, Marketing Manager of local catering firm Continental, ran a giveaway on Facebook last year.  People were asked to ‘like’ the Continental Facebook page to be entered into a draw for a $150 morning tea to be delivered to the winner’s workplace.  The draw was a great success.  Continental gained more followers online and there were some very happy local office workers when the winner was declared.

The great thing about Facebook is that the more creative you are the better the results.  It levels the playing field for businesses, it’s no longer just those with huge online marketing budgets that can get recognition.  It’s those with the best ideas and those don’t need to cost a lot of money.

Of course your business Facebook page isn’t just for you to post on.  It’s also for your customers to ask questions and make comments.  Respond to these and engage with them – it’s a great way to find out what your customers are thinking and what they like. 

Get it right on Facebook and your customers will appreciate it.  A survey carried out in the US recently showed those that engage with businesses via social media are likely to be more loyal to that business.  They also tend to spend between 20% to 40% more when they do buy.

Facebook is free, easy to use and a powerful tool for small businesses.  It can even be fun.  So why not give it a go?

As Sally says “It doesn’t cost anything and it’s such a wide reaching media form you have to be on it.”

Every Restaurant seems to have a version of these on their menu now.  They are basically a baked chocolate mousse with just enough flour in it to set.  I like them hot and runny on the inside contrasted with a cold and slightly tart ice cream or sorbet.

Liam Summers head chef from Bordeaux shares with us his Belgium choc fondant with broken meringue and black current sorbet.  Bordeaux will be opening on Tues the 14Feb for Valentine’s day. 

With bookings essential, don’t miss out on this romantic experience.

 Belgium Chocolate Fondant

 (6-8 individual fondants)

4 eggs

4 egg yolks

80g sugar

250g chocolate ( a dark chocolate works well but get a chocolate you like! Good chocolate is never cheap!)

159g butter

40g flour

10g cocoa powder

Combine eggs, yolks and sugar in an electric mixer and beat for about 5 minutes on high, this air you incorporate here will give the fondants lightness.  Meanwhile sift and measure out flour and cocoa and set aside.  Combine butter and chocolate together in a metal bowl and place over a pot half filled with water on a medium low heat, stir the chocolate and butter until completely melted.

Reduce the speed of your mixer and slowly add melted chocolate and butter (make sure it’s not too hot) and then add flour and cocoa, just mix to combine with this taking less than a minute.  Pour mix into small oven proof moulds (coffee tulips or dariole moulds work well) allow at least 30 mins to set, then bake at 210C for about 10 minutes.  There should still be a slight wobble in the middle.

Black Current Sorbet

100g caster sugar

100 ml water

50g glucose

400ml black current juice

Combine sugar and water and bring to the boil to dissolve sugar.  Allow to cool completely and combine all other ingredients. 

Churn in an ice cream machine and freeze or freeze in shallow container until firm.  Remove from freezer 5 minutes before serving to allow sorbet to soften.

While Cheviot may be better known for its rural enterprises, beautiful beaches, galleries and award winning butchery, those in the know would beg to differ. For 69 children, from four to 13 years old, Cheviot is the dance capital of Canterbury.

For two nights in December, the local hall is stage to 32 dance performances. The stage and lighting are professional, the costumes outstanding and the dancers, unbeatable.  From four year olds in tutus and a flock of tapping penguins to funky fast jazz and beautiful lyrical ballet which this year included senior students on points. The show is a “must see” for Cheviot locals, whether they have family involved or not.

The end of year extravaganza is the icing on the cake for Carol Knox, dance teacher extraordinaire, and director of Cheviot Dance Academy.  It is a chance for her students, from Kaikoura to Greta Valley, to step into the bright lights and shine.  

Students are learning urban jazz, ballet, lyrical ballet, tap and performance jazz, with many children learning two or more disciplines – some involved in all five, making a grand total of 157 students.

It’s a rigorous undertaking to say the least. Carol teaches several classes every afternoon including Saturday mornings, but the work has paid off. This year one of her grade one ballet students gained 100% in the British Ballet Organisation (BDO) exams, a result that is usually awarded to only one New Zealand student a year.

It isn’t a surprise that the student is Carol’s six year old granddaughter who has been dancing since she could walk and like her siblings, is dedicated to dance.

“It’s in our DNA”, exclaims Carol. “The examiner had no idea Janika was my granddaughter. She has been around ballet all her life but her marks are a reflection of her dedication and practise. We’re all immensely proud of her.”

From the 69 students, 120 exams were sat – and passed. The majority of Carol’s senior urban jazz students were awarded gold and silver medals for their exam performances, and 15 out of 25 ballet students gained honours – two remarkable achievements.

“ An examiner once told me that every time they examine a student, they are really examining the teacher, so I must be doing something right,” she laughs.

Carol established her first dancing school at 17 years old, the year after passing her BDO teachers exam. Her own tuition had started ten years earlier under the guidance of well-known Christchurch teacher, Mavis Perfect.

“There were only two BDO dancing teachers in Christchurch, Mavis Perfect and Dorothy Murphy,” she recalls. “ I never thought about how young I was to start a school. I put notices up around Sumner, people knew me and pupils came. I was also working as a pharmacist technician at the time and only stopped teaching when I was 25, and my son, Mathew, was born.”

After a stint in Golden Bay and two more children on the ground, Carol returned to Christchurch and teachers college, to train in Early Childhood. Carol proceeded to open the Avenue Nursery School in Linwood and the James Street Preschool in Sumner.  

“I adored my preschools and getting to know the children and their families.  I love meeting my early students now that they are young adults and I am still in contact with many of my original families,” she says.

Having shelved dancing for teaching early childhood, Carol happened to bump into an old girlfriend marching in a Santa Parade in 1995, and on the spot decided that marching was her next step forward.

“It has all the elements of dance, along with great comradeship and team work. It was a lot of fun and I marched with the Skellerup Masters Marching Team for ten years. I even got to blow the whistle! I still march across the drive to my workshop!” she laughs.

A move to Cheviot put an end to marching but plans for a quieter life didn’t quite pan out for Carol and her husband Peter. When word was out that she once taught ballet, the pressure was on from mothers’ with young children who had been were looking at car pooling to a dance teacher in Kaikoura. Within a few months the Cheviot Dance Academy was up and running.

“I only taught ballet for the first two years and there were no exams. I had heard about Urban Dance so flew up to Tauranga for three days of lessons with Debbie Cooch. I was then able to teach a pre-exam class (Assessment 3), and Urban Dance Grade 1, 2 and 3.  It was hugely popular so I went back the next year to learn Grade 4,” says Carol.

The following year Debbie came to Christchurch to teach Performance Jazz which is available to students who excel in their Urban Dance exams. “This is a really demanding dance as the students are telling a story. They have to do three solos in three different disciplines, and this year, five out of seven students were awarded gold medals for their exams!”

Three years ago Carol decided to add Tap Dance to her repertoire and with her eldest grandchild, Asha, they attended classes with Jan Ruardy. Carol sat, and passed, her Grade One exam. She is now teaching tap to level five.

Ballet has changed little since she started as a seven year old although the names have been simplified from French to a numbered system.

“I still use the French terms, they are more beautiful,” she laughs. “This year my senior students were introduced to points after a rigorous eight week foot strengthening programme. They worked amazingly hard. I couldn’t even watch them practise their points dance for the end of year show without crying.”

Back to the show! A community effort with fathers’ helping erect the stage, professional lighting by Cheviot’s Gary Prebble of Hang-Up Productions, and sound by local school teacher, Ed Stott.

The costumes were designed and made by Carol (in the workshop that she resolutely marches to most mornings) and Cheviot seamstress, Bell Tairi-Whatuira. While many costumes are reused, there is always a host of new costumes to accommodate new performances.

This year the show included a performance piece from Alice in Wonderland with a gorgeous slinky caterpillar suit, magical geometric Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum outfits, and an appropriately crazy, mad hatter ensemble. Lyrical ballet, a discipline introduced last year, saw three different age groups dressed in beautiful soft flowing dresses, and with a strong boys group, funky MC Hammer pants are now part of the wardrobe, hanging up beside that flock of penguins!

Fresh input to the choreography of several jazz pieces from Carol’s daughter, Ebonie Knox, and her 12 year old granddaughter, Lexie McNab, added a new dimension to the show, as did a musical theatre piece produced and directed by Lexie and Harriet Bush.

By encouraging her students into choreography and leadership, Carol is harnessing their passion for dance while satisfying her own. “Dance really is my life, it’s in me. It is not just something to do, I believe in it and I think that’s why the students can do it. They get my feelings.”

Welcome back to the first issue of essence magazine for 2012. I hope you found time to relax over the Christmas break. We kick off the year with some great stories from our new contributors.

Writer Ange Davidson catches up with dance teacher extraordinaire and director of Cheviot Dance Academy, Carol Knox. Pattie Pegler and Lynn Mortimer find their feet with several interesting business profiles including the stunning new look Fashion on Main, Continental’s new baker, Wayne Rewi, and the latest place to dine in Woodend.

Pattie also investigates how small businesses can use Facebook to good effect whilst prior to Christmas, Kim Newth chatted with Robin and Lesley Miller who recently swapped their rural North Canterbury deer farm for a life on the road.

If you are looking for a fun day out – check out the details for the Hurunui Races on page four. We took an essence group to the last race day at Hurunui. We still talk about how much fun we had. It is definitely a great day out. Don’t forget the suncream and shade umbrella – it was a scorching hot day last time.

With Valentines day just around the corner we have featured a fabulous dessert from chef Liam of Bordeaux restaurant and wine bar. If it is too complex for you to attempt – I’m sure your ‘significant other’ would enjoy a great dining experience at Bordeaux with Liam preparing the perfect dinner.

Have a great month

Dorothy

I wasn’t counting on it being 100 degrees in the car! I’m not brave enough to tell Kim they now look like little moon craters! Bubble wrap, heat and fizz balls definately don’t mix as you can see from this photograph! I did manage to reshape two for the photoshoot. 

We planned to bring you a very tried and true recipe for basting a ham from my sis-in-law Judy. I did get the photos but it’s quite a social thing basting a ham. Somehow I came away without the recipe! We will publish that in January along with the fabulous frozen lemon dessert that I thought would go well with your Christmas dinner! 

As for that Debbie – who knows – her craft idea should 

be ready for Christmas 2012! 

Well, that’s another year done and dusted for us! Have a great time over the Christmas break and remember that great quote from Miss Piggy, “never eat more than you can lift”!   

We will see you back with more exciting promotion of 

North Canterbury in the New Year! 

Best wishes from Dorothy, Debbie, Caroline & Kim

A slower paced way of life can be glimpsed at ‘Blair Logie’, a Waikuku homestead built originally for Waikuku flax mill owner James Pratt Andrews.

Roses creep up veranda posts and chickens peck and cluck in the yard of this peaceful old home. It looks settled and unchanging, but looks can be somewhat deceiving. Owners Sarah Lodge Whitham and her husband Stuart Whitham have carried out substantial renovations so the house is now very different to the one they first moved into six years ago. These renovations have been carefully and sensitively done to restore authentic features and enhance the period charm of this old property.

Sarah, Stuart and their two young daughters had been living in London prior to finding Blair Logie. Stuart had carved out a successful career in the banking sector, but Sarah knew the hectic and crowded London lifestyle was far from ideal for their growing family and yearned for a better life in New Zealand.

“So I convinced him to move! We rented a place in Christchurch and then started house hunting. My husband had his heart set on an old house with a river or stream and established trees. I was visiting my parents in Amberley one day when I saw a sign saying ‘grace and grandeur’ and it had a picture of the front of the house and lawn. It was like ‘wow, this is what we want’,” says Sarah.

“It took about six months, but eventually our offer was accepted.”

After being squeezed into a two bedroom apartment in London’s Docklands area, the family happily embraced this new chapter in their lives.

Externally, Sarah and Stuart have enhanced the home’s traditional good looks by adding a long veranda along one side, finished with wrought iron fretwork. In front of this they have established an extensive brick paved outdoor dining area, with a dovecote standing to one side.

Exterior paint from Resene was selected to echo the country garden: Aths Special (mushroom), Karaka (green) and Bianca (white).

The homestead garden has all the elements of an Alfred Buxton design: mature trees of weeping elms, a copper beech and a Wellingtonia, along with a circular driveway. Sarah has added new formal elements, such as long rectangular beds edged with Buxus hedging and filled with iris, rhododendron, azalea and lavender. She is also developing an orchard of fruit trees. Keeping up with the garden is juggled around family commitments and Sarah’s work with Injury Prevention Waimakariri.

On crossing the threshold of this home there is a real feeling of arrival: the formal entranceway, hung with a tasteful chandelier, was re-established by Sarah and Stuart and they had the stained glass for the front door made locally in Sefton.

Floors were stripped and ornate covings reinstalled where these were absent.

A large country kitchen forms the home’s centre, off which a new hallway has been added connecting through to the bathroom/laundry and a bedroom wing. This wing used to house an office, an old laundry and a wood/coal storage space. These rooms have been transformed into bedrooms for the couple’s three children, Holly, 10, Freya, 7 and Finn, 5.

The kitchen, which was built by the same Oxford joiner used by chef Jo Seagar for Seagars at Oxford, also opens into a roomy family library with a lovely open fireplace, finished with an over-mantel.

Nestled on a 10 acre block, this property has plenty of room for the family’s menagerie of four ponies, two cows, three sheep, 27 chickens, three ducks and two dogs, Quake and Pickle. “Quake is a ‘Maltipoo’ or Maltese-Poodle and we bought him when I was needing something to cuddle after the quakes,” smiles Sarah, adding that Pickle is a ‘Retradoodle’ or Golden Retriever-Poodle and rather too big for cuddles!

What really appeals to Sarah about their home is its history. Its first owner, James Pratt Andrews, was the son of John Clark Andrews who bought a flax mill in Waikuku soon after arriving in New Zealand in 1881; the mill principally made binder twine used for sheaf-tying. He named his homestead Blair Logie after the castle of that name in Scotland.

After the death of J.P. Andrews in 1913, Blair Logie became the home of his brother-in-law Ronald Macdonald and his family. The two had been in business together and Ronald Macdonald managed the Andrews’ Mill until 1943. Ronald’s father, Thomas Macdonald, ran a wool scouring works in the area. In those days, the wool was washed in the Waikuku Stream before being spread to dry in the sun.

The homestead remained in the Macdonald family until 1971 when Jim and Patricia Smyth bought the property.

Sarah has welcomed visits from descendents who still know and cherish the home. Some have even wanted to scatter ashes there. She loves to hear their stories of the old days, when tennis was played on the front lawn and the tea trolley would be wheeled through for a formal afternoon tea. Ronald Macdonald used to hold regular ‘penny scrambles’ for the local children.

There is a respect for the past in this homestead. Sarah’s children are learning to play piano on an upright that used to belong to Sarah’s grandmother. Treasures collected by Sarah include a big old dolls house and a Hardee Toys wooden rocking horse. A bargain hunter by nature, Sarah has picked up many gorgeous pieces from Trade Me.

First and foremost, this is a family home: it is being lived in and appreciated just as it would have been 100 or more years ago.

Ever since Kerre Woodham ran the Auckland Marathon in 2006, she has inspired women across the country to pull on a pair of trainers and follow her example. She went on to run the London and New York Marathon and her book about it all – Short Fat Chick to Marathon Runner – was a best seller. She followed it up with Short Fat Chick in Paris. A media star, Kerre’s career has spanned television presenting, writing for newspapers and radio broadcasting.

We recently caught up with Kerre at a CRT’s Ladies Night, where she was ‘the fluffer’ for award winning chef Al Brown.

Kerre Woodham has never been afraid to have a laugh at her own expense. How else can you explain how she came up with ‘short fat chick’ to describe herself? Humour, wit, the quick one-liners – they are a huge part of what makes Kerre so appealing to the public.

An infusion of fun is just what quake-affected Canterbury was ready for when Kerre hit the region recently on a CRT Ladies Nights tour with one of the country’s leading chefs Al Brown. The tour included nine stops, starting at Ashburton in late October and finishing at Ohoka on November 23.

We caught up with Kerre in the lead up to the tour’s final night. With so many hours spent cooped up in a car, she preferred to spend the interview standing and stretching. “But we’ve had an absolute ball,” she said. “Al and I worked together years ago at a Wellington’s Café Pardiso where I was the maitre d’ and he was a chef. He’s good company, very easy. We’ve had a lovely time. It’s just as well we get on really because we’ve been sharing a rental car and we’re both very forgetful!”

The tour saw the pair entertaining at halls and hotels, in front of several hundred people, every Wednesday and Thursday night for five weeks. Kerre steps into the role of cheeky blond with consummate skill; she makes it look easy but admits it takes focus and preparation. “I’ve got to have a blow wave before I go on stage so I’ve had one done in every town! Seriously, I need to feel like I’m looking nice otherwise I couldn’t do it. I have to have a pretty frock on and I prefer to have my make up done too. It’s like my uniform – the one I wear when I take some risks.”

November was firmly declared No-vember by Kerre, meaning no alcohol. Much as she felt tempted to join the women having a glass or two at the end of the night, she knew better than to give in.

“When you need to get up at 7am the next day and you’re traveling, you can’t afford to be hitting the booze.

I’ve had twenty speaking engagements alone this month – I find it hard to say no. The things I get asked to do are so cool so a night on the couch just doesn’t seem like a valid option.”

She’s been dry for four months this year, giving up prior to the Paris Marathon in April and in the six weeks leading up to her daughter Kate’s wedding.

She got her start in public speaking at the tender age of 19, having fallen in as ‘the young ingénue’ with an influential comedy crowd including Jim Hopkins, A.K. Grant, David McPhail and Jon Gadsby. Looking back, she’s grateful at how they took her under their collective wing and led by example with their brilliance in front of an audience.

Within two years, she had been snapped up for

However, it was her first book about her marathon running experiences -

“I’ve had 800 letters and emails since that book came out. It’s still selling. There would not be a public function where at least two or three women haven’t come up to me to say ‘thank you’. They’ll tell me about their half marathon or how it’s made them get up and get active. I’m really proud that my silly burblings and pathetic attempts at running a marathon have inspired women.

“They all say I’m their role model. The sub text is ‘if that fat old booze hag can achieve it, then there’s absolutely no excuse for me!’”

She rates her first marathon in Auckland in 2006 the easiest one because she was scared of it, respected it and trained hard for it. “Then I inadvertently found myself running another four marathons – it’s really hard if you haven’t trained. My times reflect that; all slower than that first one.”

Not that it’s about times for Kerre. She loved the Paris Marathon this year because along the way there were opportunities to eat almond cake, drink wine, meet Parisians and savour the whole atmosphere and experience. “I didn’t have a target time.”

It’s still possible she’ll take on another one but first there’s an ocean swim series to do in 2012 with training planned to get underway this month. She laughs when recalling how she first thought a 4km swim was equivalent to 800 laps of a swimming pool – “Al said ‘no, more like 80 laps’ and so it now seems much more achievable!”

Christmas for Kerre is usually a chaotic, happy time spent with a large gathering of friends and family. This year she plans to spend it with her brother’s family in Paraparaumu.

After so much touring and public speaking this year, she’s also looking forward to spending some time at home in Auckland with her partner, Tom. “I’ve had three overseas trips this year. They’ve been great and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of it, but when I think where I most want to be – and bearing in mind that it has been a long day and a long month – I want to be home.”

Fair Go and ended up doing five seasons on the show. She left the show to take up a breakfast radio and continues to enjoy a successful radio career as a host on NewstalkZB. “It’s amazing how many women I’ve met who are radio listeners, rural women listening to NewstalkZB. I’ve been hugged to so many bosoms around Canterbury. I love that they feel they know me and I feel I know them.” Short Fat Chick to Marathon Runner – that really made an impact on the New Zealand public, encouraging women up and down the country ‘to give it a go’.

Stoked

Italian rural street food was the inspiration for chef Al Brown’s signature dish for the CRT’s Ladies Nights, Porchetta with Grilled Carrot and Fennel Seed Salad.

The experience of traveling through Italy years ago and coming across roadside porchetta for the first time left a lasting impression. Al’s version is like a mini porchetta of pork belly, flavoured with fresh and dried herbs, garlic and toasted fennel seeds.

As he demonstrated how to prepare it, Al also talked about his latest book

Al is a forthright advocate for using the fresh food and flavours of New Zealand and also taking time to prepare and cook food properly.

“I find that food is really a vehicle for getting people around the table. It’s about people and place. The harvesting and preparation of food also gives me a lot of pleasure, rather than how it looks on the plate.

“Everything is so fast and so quick now – I believe that slowing down is a good thing. That’s what lighting a fire is all about or lighting charcoal and cooking that way. It takes time and that’s time you’re spending with friends and family.”

Stoked, his restaurants (Logan Brown in Wellington and Depot in Auckland) and his passion for cooking over wood fires.

Al’s tips

• It doesn’t pay to be too precious about our recipes – they are best shared.

• Use a cast iron skillet – it will last a lifetime.

• Better eating doesn’t mean having to buy better cuts. “I find it rewarding to cook products that are not expensive but taste better than expensive prime cuts.”

• Use good quality New Zealand olive oil and don’t just drizzle it.

Great photo – he looks like he is enjoying reading Essence –we didn’t force him!  Well, not too much anyway hehe!

In this issue we investigate the new website Lovebook, Kim Newth stops in for coffee at the home of Aikido Black Belt  recipient Jo Vanderlaan, we catch up with Bob Blair, who answers our questions on how summer is shaping up at Monteiths and we venture into the Rangiora Community Midwifery Service issue page 12

 With gardens now in full swing, we know our readers will enjoy an extract from “A New Zealand Guide to Growing Year Round” – we have 5 books to giveaway.

 Do you want to work for a locally owned publication that listens to your ideas and supports your initiative – details on page 26

 Also on page 26 we introduce the new look Gulliver & Tyler Short Story Competition for 2012

We are pleased to announce some exciting changes to the 2012 Gulliver & Tyler Short Story Competition.

There are two new categories this year. For the first time ever, the competition provides for a poetry prize of $100 for the poem that best captures life in North Canterbury.

Another innovation is that readers will be able to vote for their favourite from our shortlisted entries on our website, www.essencemagazine.co.nz The People’s Choice prizewinner will be awarded $100. All short story and poetry entries will be published online at our website.

So … this summer, get cracking with your creative ideas. Craft us your best short story or poem to be in the running to win the top Gulliver & Tyler Short Story prize, or the new poetry prize.

The best short story will win a cash prize of $500 from Gulliver & Tyler, while the second prize is $200 and the third prize is $100.

Gulliver & Tyler Funeral Directors are the generous sponsors of this competition, now in its sixth year. “We’re proud to be showing support for our gifted poets this year, as well as this region’s pool of talented story writers,” says Phillip Seal, director of Gulliver & Tyler.

Essence reserves the right to publish prize-winning entries.

 Gulliver & Tyler short story competition:

Conditions of entry: The competition is open to North Canterbury residents only, aged 18 and over. Entries must be entirely the work of the entrant and must be original and unpublished. Stories can be on any subject and in any style, but must be no more than 1200 words in length. Poems must be no more than 300 words. Please email your entries to Dorothy@essencemagazine.co.nz and attach a separate cover sheet with the title of the work, your name, address and contact details. This will be kept aside during the judging process. As a condition of entry, winners must agree to their stories or poems being published in essence magazine. Entries will be accepted until 29th February 2012.