Media Stories

Business turns to custard - back to top To many New Zealanders, the custard square rates right up there with the pavlova as a classic Kiwi icon. This gooey bakery treat featuring a thick layer of custard sandwiched between two layers of flaky pastry and then topped with vanilla icing has been a traditional favourite for generations. But South Islanders (and a few North Islanders too now) know that the best custard squares anywhere originate in Pleasant Point, South Canterbury. From a modest production run of about 100 custard squares a day, Denheath House in Point is now operating a business that turns out more than a thousand custard masterpieces a day, some being sent as far north as Auckland. Not surprisingly the recipe is a closely guarded secret but there are plenty more tantalising facts to uncover about Denheath’s operation. For example, they could well be the first bakery in the world to produce a chocolate custard square . . . The whole town is proud of Denheath’s fame and there’s even been a suggestion that the centre of town be named Custard Square . . . Denheath’s headquarters and cafe is a beautifully restored former post office building.

Rock On - back to top A giant eagle spreads its wings above the lush hill country of inland South Canterbury. Beneath her a moa stalks regally and nearby a flightless goose forages for food. Has the Lost World been found in South Canterbury - not quite - but nearly. These long extinct birds do live on here but not in the flesh - they are among the subjects of some of New Zealand’s most significant examples of prehistoric rock art. In fact the limestone bluffs and caves of this region are the natural art galleries to 90 per cent of the New Zealand’s remaining rock art. And it’s all within a radius of 70km of Timaru. There are at least 300 rock art sites in South Canterbury and more are being discovered all the time - and there’s a huge amount of work going on right now in preserving these sites and providing access and information for the growing number of New Zealanders and overseas visitors keen to have this unique glimpse into New Zealand’s past. For, drawn on the smooth limestone that is a feature of the region are figures representing the Maori hunters and gatherers who, while sheltering here, recreated the world they saw around them - they drew their dogs, moas, New Zealand’s massive extinct eagle and creatures straight from Maori mythology.

Rosy Future - back to top Driving into Timaru you don’t have to be a horticultural expert to realise that this is a city that loves its roses - and equally it seems, the roses love Timaru. Roadside plantings are blooming full of roses, the central business district is liberally studded with them and most recently the city has opened New Zealand’s largest and one of its most special rose gardens. The Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden on Caroline Bay was opened last year and has already attracted accolades from some of New Zealand’s top gardeners. It’s a special tribute to the region’s premier rose-grower - internationally renowned Trevor Griffiths. The garden - a huge undertaking involving volunteers and the Timaru District Council - was three years in the making and features about 1500 roses. Many of them are from Trevor’s unique collection of old roses which are recognised by rose-growers the world over as one of the best anywhere.

Wrap your tongue around this one . . . - back to top It’s the South Island’s third largest public art museum, is home to an impressive collection of works by leading New Zealand painters - and it’s probably got the most tongue-twisting name of any gallery in the country. Aigantighe (pronounced egg and tie if you are not up with Scottish Gaelic) means At Home. And at home in the gallery are works by some of New Zealand’s most prestigious painters including CF Goldie, Frances Hodgkins and Colin McCahon, along with a host of others works. The gallery has recently been presented with a new Colin McCahon to add to its collection, courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the work Red and Black is now part of the Aigantighe’s permanent collection. The works are housed in a historic homestead that was built in 1908 but the works of art are not confined to the building. Outside, in the park-like grounds is a collection of sculpture created by sculptors from New Zealand and overseas. It’s no surprise then that the museum has been called a "a benchmark for other New Zealand museums" with its emphasis on creating a family friendly environment and programme of exhibitions designed to appeal to as wide a selection of the population as possible. Aigantighe Art Gallery 49 Wai-iti Road Timaru Phone 64 3 688 4424, Email gallery@timdc.govt.nz, Website: www.timaru.govt.nz/artgallery.html

Something's brewing in Timaru - back to top One of the smallest and one the largest - they might be different in scale but what links these two Timaru breweries is they’re both award-winners. Mainland Brewery’s massive plant in Timaru’s booming industrial suburb of Washdyke turns out most of the South Island’s DB draught beer - making its visitors’ centre something of a pilgrimage site for many a South Islander. But it’s not just a matter of volume here - competing at a brewer’s equivalent of an Olympics amber liquid from this plant has won lager and ale gold medals. But they don’t have the awards’ podium all to themselves - working out of premises that might be considered the equivalent of the DB broom cupboard is New Zealand’s newest brewery - Robsons of Timaru (as distinct from Washdyke, the owners say!). And after just three months in operation Robsons Cutter Pale Ale won its first award - a bronze medal in the New Zealand Hop Marketing Board International Beer Awards.

Passion forged in metal - back to top It’s a craft that intertwined with the development of civilisations, and interwoven with myth and mystery - blacksmithing, one of the best exponents of the arts lives and works Timaru. Gareth James is both modern businessman and passionate artist. Articulate about his art and the district he calls home, he also knows when to let the metal, and the age-old tools used to shape it, do the talking. Gareth doesn’t work behind closed doors - visitors are welcome to watch him forging iron and what they will see is ageless, Gareth is dedicated to preserving ancient techniques - he avoids the temptation to use more modern technology for the actual blacksmithing work. An hour in his forge is to be transported into a world of searing heat, glowing metal, deep shadows, the clang of iron and the hiss of scalding water. Web: www.iron.co.nz

Glass Art in the Countryside - back to top A new building has been catching the eye of visitors who take the short detour off the Geraldine-Fairlie highway to visit the studio of glass artist Denise Belanger-Taylor. Denise is a specialist in blown glass and husband Stephen is an architectural stained glass designer, and both love their home and studio in the rolling countryside behind Geraldine. But space was at a premium. But not for much longer – after about seven months in the construction and years on the drawing board they now have a new studio-workspace. This is not just a functional working and exhibition area. The design reflects not only the Belanger-Taylors’ creativity but also has echoes of their origins in Canada. The new building, according to Stephen, presented an interesting challenge to the Timaru builders, who had never before struck the Canadian-style dormers with their neo-Georgian influence. Working with Oregon timber and appropriately, plenty of glass, they have created a light-filled space, with ample room for Denise to explore new creative directions. This is very much a working studio – although Denise does not emphasis glass –blowing demonstrations, should visitors arrive when she happens to be blowing, they are welcome to watch her work. But mainly there is no shortage of visitors who come to purchase her work which include paperweights, vases, scent bottles and sculptural pieces. Some of the perfume bottles have found their way into high places; while still in Canada, Denise’s work was chosen by the City of Toronto to present to the wives of leaders attending a G7 economic summit. The special attraction for visitors will be the new, large and bright gallery space which will showcase to advantage the entire range of Denise’s imagination, from her cherished classic glass designs to her most recent creations, plus painting and mosaic works. To find out more about Denise work, and the striking new building, contact her on 03 693 9041.

A metallic twist to a Geraldine fibre success story - back to top Always wanted to see the Bayeux Tapestry but not likely ever to get to France? Don’t worry, you can always admire it in Geraldine, South Canterbury, instead. Of course, there’s an interesting twist to this local version of the famous tapestry. It’s a mosaic consisting of spring steel, weighs 220kg and takes up a 37.8m length of wall. And it took Michael Linton of Geraldine 20 years to create. This intricate work of art is not Michael’s only claim to fame however. He and Gillian his wife also operate Geraldine’s handcrafted knitwear shop, which is home to the world’s largest jersey. The Giant Jersey is officially recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999 as the biggest woolly jumper on the globe - weighing in at 5.5kg and measuring 16-foot from wrist to wrist, this is not a jersey to trifle with. The jersey and the medieval mosaic are star attractions in the aptly named Giant Jersey shop in Geraldine, which also stocks over 1000 jerseys at any one time including knitwear crafted in merino and mohair fibres. To find out more about The Giant Jersey and Michael’s medieval masterpieces (and rumour has it, he is planning a unique addition to the mosaic) contact 03 6939820 or jersey@ihug.co.nz

Temptation comes to Geraldine - back to top When the heroine of the bestselling book Chocolat arrived in town the locals were deeply suspicious. When the owners of Geraldine’s artisan chocolate business arrived in town, the locals were ecstatic. And meanwhile, in the towns in the North Island where Rene and Corina Fellman had previously operated their businesses from, some of the locals had been in tears when they left. Chocolate certainly has the ability to stir up the emotions – certainly the kind of the quality produced by the Fellmans. Rene Fellman grew up in central Switzerland and is a qualified patissier confiseur/chocolatier and only the finest ingredients including imported gourmet coverture and not compounds are used. The results are so good customers from the North Island regularly send in mail orders for items from Chocolate Fellman’s every-changing range, which includes chocolates, pralines, gateaux, even chocolate mice and the Kiwi classic, chocolate fish. At present the Fellmans’ attention is firmly fixed on Easter and the shop is beginning to fill up with eggs and their special Easter Bunnies – everything from the $2 models to the 50cm high 2.5kg masterpieces. And yes, the Fellmans love chocolate too. “Good chocolate is a treat,” says Corina, “So we always eat a piece every day – like everything it is good for you in moderation.”

Vintage moments in Geraldine - back to top They’re burning the midnight oil at the Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Museum as dedicated volunteers get their contribution ready for an attempt to make the next edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. The museum, which is regarded as having one of the best collections of vintage tractors in the southern hemisphere, is also home to some precious items of agricultural machinery, including a threshing mill which will soon be off to the Richard Pearse Centenary of Flight Air Pageant in Timaru later this month. It’s hoped to have 16 of the threshing mills operational at once and that’s where the pressure comes on – making sure Geraldine’s mill is up to the challenge. Although the mill might be getting all the attention at present, there are plenty of other stars in the museum’s collection, including 90 vintage tractors, a Spartan biplane, a 1907 Dion motor vehicle that’s still in going order. One of the strangest items is a grain meter, that’s highly accurate and constructed largely of horse hair! Every year up to 6000 people visit the museum, including a surprising number of overseas tourists who delight in a trip back down memory lane. The museum has been in operation since 1966 and is a true community effort. Although there is a membership of about 130, there are just about 30 key stalwarts who regularly work on new restoration projects. So, to keep the museum open seven days a week during the summer season (and at weekends during the rest of the year) they need a helping hand, which comes in perhaps the unlikely form of the local spinners and weavers club and the local scrabble players. In return for use of the museum’s hall these groups provide volunteers to be on duty during opening hours.

Curtain-raiser in Geraldine - back to top It’s something of a well-kept secret in South Canterbury – the much loved Geraldine cinema. Forget featureless multiplexes where patrons are wheeled in and out like a well-oiled machine. At Geraldine proprietor Barry McLauchlan most often or not is standing on the front steps to welcome movie-goers, (that’s when he’s not selling the tickets or the jaffas) and he likes to farewell everyone as well (hence one of his nicknames, the Reverend Barry). And that’s not all – there’s the visitors book (full of comments from tourists singing the cinema’s praise and clearly astonished to find such a treasure), the Nibble Nook which operates at intervals (Barry likes to keep up this tradition) and in the theatre itself the cinema icon – the disco ball that spins just as the lights dim and the curtains part (yes, the cinema has real curtains, another thing Barry insists on). But wait, there’s more – the Geraldine Cinema is where old comfy sofas come to spend their retirement – providing the ultimate in viewing comfort. There are rows of them, some even with their own throws and cushions – and they are heavily in demand. You can even have a back row sofa! Booking a sofa at the pictures is a local tradition. So too are the wine and cheese intervals on selected art house film screening nights. At interval everyone heads down to the stalls for a glass of something, a nibble of cheese and biscuits and a natter. Barry usually has to make good use of the buzzer to get everyone back to their seats for the second half!

4-Wheel Drive Tours - back to top Awe-struck Mexicans, scientists, wedding parties, Lord of the Rings devotees _ Les Cain of Geraldine has watched them all being blown away by their first encounter with the wilderness areas of the central South Island. After years shepherding, managing properties and running a fertiliser business in the South Island high country, Les knows he’d almost started to take his “office’’ for granted – the tremendous views across the alps and plains, the encounters with native birds, the solitude. But after four years running his 4x4 alpine and scenic tours he’s been seeing home territory through the eyes of some seriously impressed tourists and Kiwis. New Zealanders are an important part of the clientele because they’ve discovered that his itineraries will take them to places that are inaccessible unless you are the fittest of tramping types. Using everything from a Mercedes Unimog 4.x 4 to an eight-wheel-drive amphibious vehicle, Les drives visitors into the heart of the South Island high country. And to make things even more interesting he and partner Lynlee Smith have just added a four-person hovercraft to their transport stable. His Lord of the Rings tour of locations in the Rangitata valley, used in Peter Jackson’s blockbuster movies, is one of his most requested trips. So too is one heading deep into the Rakaia Valley to Mt Algidus Station, scene of a classic of New Zealand high country literature: A River Rules My Life by Mona Anderson. It’s less a case of Blazing Saddles here as Blazing Cameras, says Les, who reckons he would have done well to have some shares in Kodak. Visitors from around the globe have been transported into the wilderness with Les but he says one of the most special moments for him is when elderly musterers are aboard – making that last pilgrimage into the high country. “That brings a lump into your throat”. To find out more about 4x4 New Zealand and their journeys in the great outdoors of the central South Island contact Les Cain 03 69 38847 or info@4x4newzealand.co.nz

Opihi Vineyard - back to top Vineyard lunches on long summer days are back on the menu for South Canterbury with the relaunching of one of the region’s most popular dining spots – the Opihi Vineyard. The vineyard, a relative newcomer to the wine scene, has already made a name for itself with some award-winning wines but it had also become a focal point for eating out. However, the restaurant had been out of action for some time, but not any more. Now owned by Alan Lambie and Stella Doubleday, the Opihi Vineyard café-restaurant is back in style. They’ve already fallen in love with the superb rural setting, with expansive lawns stretching out from the verandah of the “fantastic’ limestone house (built in 1882) merging into a verdant valley. They have complemented the view with an all day lunch menu that ranges from the ever-popular Opihi Vineyard platter to roast vegetable frittata and Thai green curry. And it’s definitely a child-friendly café – staff will even supply younger guests (although they’re not the only ones who ask!) with sports equipment to make use of the lawn. The Opihi Vineyard is open for lunch Tues-Sun 10.30pm-5.30pm and for dinner Thurs-Sat 6-9.30pm and is a picturesque 25-minute drive from Timaru via Pleasant Point.