Due to their natural athleticism and willingness to learn, retired racehorses have been used as sport horses for some time. The thoroughbred’s ability to adapt to varying disciplines has signified a long-standing reputation as becoming the ideal equine athlete.

New Zealand’s first organised sport, horse racing dates back to  the thoroughbred’s first arrival to our shores in the 1830s. Now, almost 200 years later the racing industry continues to thrive, with just fewer than 5000 horses racing during the 2017-18 season. Anatomically, the thoroughbred is built for speed and stamina, traits which are often sought after within the sport horse world, particularly eventing.

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This, and their willingness to learn, helps make the thoroughbred one of the most agile, intelligent, and trainable breeds. New Zealand’s equestrian scene is filled with retired racehorses who have become highly successful sport horses at a number of different disciplines, some up to Olympic level. In recent years, this includes World Cup winning show jumper ‘Kappatack’, former Auckland Cup winner turned two-star eventing horse ‘Showcause’ and 18-year-old ‘Untouchable’, who has won multiple New Zealand show hunter and working titles. And then there is equestrian legend Blyth Tait’s thoroughbred ‘Reddy Teddy’, which represented New Zealand in three Olympic Games during the late 90s and early 2000s.

It’s results such as these which prove thoroughbreds as highly versatile and capable of success in various  disciplines. In recent years, it is events such as Dunstan Ex-Factor which has taken the thoroughbred’s success  to the next level.

Established by Gina Schick and Nicky Wallace, Dunstan Ex-Factor is a competition which helps to showcase the versatility and trainability of retired racehorses once their racing career is over. Held each year at Equidays in the Waikato’s Mystery Creek Event Centre, the highly competitive event sees a number of hand selected equestrians and their ex-racehorses as they battle it out for the Dunstan Ex-Factor title.

Competitors range from professional full-time riders to amateur hobbyists, the youngest competitor being only 12-years-old. The catch is, every single horse competing in Dunstan Ex Factor has only been retired for 12 months or less from racing.

Over the course of three days, each rider competes in varying  disciplines, showcasing the versatility and trainability of the thoroughbred. These events, which alternate each year, have included dressage, show hunter, cowboy challenge, and even a 3- minute freestyle routine.

The one compulsory class for each competitor is  the best presented and conditioned, where each horse must pass a trot up in front of judges and a vet in order to compete.

Held at Equidays, the event sees large crowds and a busy atmosphere compared to ordinary equestrian competitions, so the horses must be in top shape and form. The rider then has the option to select another three events to compete in out of a possible six, the total of which are accumulated to determine the winner.

This year’s Ex-Factor winner was Miranda Horton on her 8 year old gelding ‘Cuzzie Charlie’ who is by Thewayyouare.

Now in its fifth consecutive year, Dunstan Ex-Factor’s creators Schick and Wallace have been heavily involved in both the racing and sport horse worlds for a number of years. Together, they found New Zealand has a significant lack of competitions or opportunities which showcased ex-racehorses and their versatility as a breed. This inspired them to establish Beyond The Barriers, a non-profit organisation which helps to promote the thoroughbred’s capability as successful sport horses due to their natural athleticism and willingness to learn.

Schick has emphasised  any thoroughbred, no matter their performance on the track, has the ability to become a successful sport horse.

“This competition was designed to show people what they [thoroughbreds] can do within a short period of time, and to help increase the demand for them.”

Over the years, the Dunstan Ex-Factor competition has seen a wide range of horses, some of which had prolific racing careers to those who never even made it to the races. Some of these more prolific competitors include New Zealand Derby winning horse Military Move and Group 1 winning horses Fritzy Boy and Sacred Star. There have even been past competitors who have still been racing while also competing in the event at the same time.

One of this year’s returning competitors Kelly Stevens discussed how Beyond The Barriers and their Ex-Factor competition helps to showcase thoroughbreds as an amazing breed.

New Zealand Throughbred Racing (NZTR) are great supporters of initiatives such as Beyond The Barriers and their Ex-Factor competition. The organisation understands how important it is to help promote the breed as sport horses once their racing career is over. Often, we associate the term ‘retired’ with elderly, but often retired racehorses can be as young as three.

NZTR wants to ensure that when these horses are rehomed and retired, they go on to the best possible life. In 2014, alongside Equestrian Sports New Zealand, NZTR created the ‘Thoroughbreds In Equestrian Sports’ intuitive, which aims to increase opportunities for thoroughbreds competing in equestrian sports. As well as Dunstan Ex-Factor, NZTR’s sister company LoveRacing NZ also sponsors and supports a number of other thoroughbred competitions held throughout the country.

NZTR’s general manager of welfare Martin Burns discussed at a public seminar held at this year’s Equidays what is being done within the racing industry to ensure thoroughbreds are getting the best possible treatment during and after their racing career.

Burns explained how peak performance and welfare are closely connected, and the industry works closely with equine professionals to ensure a high standard of welfare is maintained. Using scientific and veterinary research and assistance, NZTR can ensure treatments are ethical, legal and medically justifiable.This research is based upon the five domains of equine welfare and, by adopting this model, NZTR aims to reduce negative experiences and ensures thoroughbreds are well-treated.

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In terms of welfare once their career is over, NZTR is introducing improved popularity traceability of thoroughbreds from birth to death. While thoroughbreds can be easily traced through their brands and microchips which are enlisted within the New Zealand studbook, these do not determine their fate once they have been rehomed. With improved traceability,  an appointed person of each retired thoroughbred must provide retirement details to ensure they are being rehomed appropriately to knowledgeable and responsible homes.

As well as establishing the initiative that is Dunstan Ex-Factor, Beyond The Barriers creator Gina Schick also established EventStars, a business which retrains and rehomes retired racehorses.

Based in the Waikato, EventStars was established to assist with the overflow of retired racehorses urgently seeking homes, and they have sold thousands of horses. There are many trainers within New Zealand who greatly support the initiative of rehoming their racehorses, and many continue to follow their progress as sport horses.

In some instances, the process of rehoming can be a grueling decision as they are often vital members of the family, but witnessing them go on to pursue a new career can be greatly rewarding. Cambridge trainer Andrew Campbell has rehomed a number of his retired racehorses over the years to pursue careers as sport horses, including through EventStars. One of these horses he rehomed known as Cossastock even competed in this year’s Dunstan Ex-Factor competition. Campbell ensures that he aims to re home all his retired racehorses in the future as he has done in the past.

Thoroughbreds have proven for many decades that they are a truly versatile breed with the ability to adapt to many different disciplines throughout the sport horse world. Although they are built and breed to race, these same anatomical traits often makes them hard to beat as sport horses and the results prove this.

It is events such as Dunstan Ex-Factor which give riders the opportunity to showcase the versatility and trainability of the thoroughbred. With support from the racing community, New Zealand thoroughbreds are able to gain a second chance at a new career once their racing days are over. This ensures that these thoroughbreds, no matter how little or well they performed on the track, are given a second chance at life after racing.

We are living in dark dark times with trolls and cat-fishers battling over the playing fields of social media and keyboard warriors hiding behind their screens. We are sharing the horrors of the digitally unknown but what are the consequences and what can we do about it?

It is a known issue we are a cause and effect society, creating new advancements every day without contemplating the consequences. The effects of the constant rise in digital technology can be frightening which is why we must prepare our young people to lead us into the future. Digital technology is erratic and we now see an irony in teaching as our newest generation coaches  boomers and millennials on digital tech. It goes to show whether it is business, education, or something as simple as a family vacation, digital technology has affected aspects of our everyday life.

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Tablets, smartphones, and TV are the new modern babysitters – they’re cheap, simple, and reliable. You’d be lying if you didn’t bribe your child, younger sibling, niece or nephew to behave in exchange to play on magical devices. Preschoolers can be exposed to digital technology from the age of two, with screen time increasing when they reach the age of three. By the time our toddlers are teens they have social media platforms and while going through this pubescence time, they can be exposed to unwanted digital communication.

While all these figures are alarming, it’s hard to admit that the internet has enhanced our style of living, with communication, user-friendly apps, and the encouragement of innovation and creativity. We now see improved entertainment, a more luxurious lifestyle, and eSports scholarships.

For those who don’t understand the ‘lingo’ eSports is an electronic sports profession that consists of competitive electronic gaming. As a new  career opportunity,  eSports is just under 40 years old. Because gaming pleads guilty to screen device time could it be an alternative way to understand and teach the advancements of technology?

DNA is a charitable trust that aims to “inspire the next generation of digital leaders”. Based in Rotorua, DNA not only provides digital pathways for like-minded people, but welcomes  as Whånau those that feel out of place in this world. DNA founders and  Rotorua locals Potaua and Nikolasa, have  surrounded themselves with a team that values creativity, digital well-being, and Tikanga.

Sasha Rotherham, was an animation student who has  since fallen in love with the entire animation concept. She is now the general manager and programme coordinator for DNA working within the company to help develop the minds of our blooming rangatahi. 

The studio is based on a Te Ao Māori belief, incorporating kaupapa Māori as well as a mātau mana programme delivery. This explains the warm homely presence you feel as you walk in. But through coding, eSports, and animation – their three core ideals – DNA channels digital pathways that suit each rangatahi and coaches them in the right skills to pursue their chosen avenue.

These next few words are aimed at all our ‘fire-eating’ gamers and online users. We are all guilty of aggressive gaming, trolling and taking hostile actions, especially through the world wide web. Although it seems easier to throw your phone to the ground, post a nasty status, or yell through your headset at home, a healthy digital mindset is a key to success. Karaz Mikaere is DNA Esports coordinator and manages workshops for kids and a separate class for 18+, as part of their well-being programme.

Throughout this workshop, Karaz goes through the fundamentals of gaming, how to control one’s temper, how to identify those who are ill-tempered, and how “teamwork makes the dream work”. Although it seems basic, we need to be reminded of these essential concepts even as adults. Too often we find ourselves scoffing at others over social media, yelling through our headsets, and ignoring these simple things in life.

As a new innovation, DNA is always on the look out for like-minded people. They are partnered with the Spark Foundation to help develop the minds of our young rangatahi. They welcome more members who strive for success. We can all agree that technology is advancing, so let’s learn how to adapt to this change. Rather than allowing devices to babysit for us – how easy it may be – let’s teach our rangatahi values we need to help shape a healthy future.

Digital Natives Academy is about whānau, connecting one another by using Tikanga to develop our digital minds. Let them be an example for how we should approach digital technology.

When chef Hong immigrated to Hamilton from GuangDong Province in Southern China, he faced two challenges – adapting to a slower pace of life and cooking for a Western palate.

At first, Hong found Hamilton life dull and monotonous compared with the rich life in his hometown of Guangdong

It took him about three years to adapt and slowly get used to life here. Hong prefers seafood and mutton when eating because the tastes of the two dishes remind him of home.

At the same time, he came up with the idea of opening a restaurant in Hamilton.

However, when the store was opened, it was not easy to run because Hamilton was a small place with a small crowd.

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Hong found Hamiltonians very health conscious and not driven by taste as much as they are nutrition. To him, a lot of local food seemed to taste flat.

When he started his restaurant, he tried to cook colorful, fragrant and tasty dishes. He enjoys the process of cooking, paying close attention to both the taste and the quality. For him, he feels he likes to cook from the heart.

My dream is to combine Chinese food culture with New Zealand food culture, and I keep working hard at it.

However, his first menu was different from the local concept of food and beverages. That’s why when the restaurant started, the business was very quiet and most of the customers Chinese.

Hong spent some years experimenting in order to make his dishes more local. He sometimes adds honey to his dishes, as well as his own “special sauce” – a secret he will not share with anyone.

Hong has three specialties in his restaurant: Crispy milky flavor curd,  salt and garlic pork rib, and ShanYuan style Deep fried chicken.

He perfected these three dishes after years of experimentation – and says they contain his rich experience and the essence of Chinese Cantonese cuisine. The three dishes are nutritionally rich and tasty and popular with both Kiwis and Chinese customers.

Hong finds local New Zealanders prefer to eat fried rice in the restaurant, while Koreans prefer a meat dumpling and chili chicken. As for his Chinese customers, many tell him eating his dishes is like returning to China.

Over the years he has attracted a steady following of customers who have grown to like his style of Cantonese-based cuisine.

For Hong, the success of his dishes lies with the guest’s evaluation.

When I finish a dish, I care about the guest’s evaluation of it so as to facilitate my improvement. I feel particularly happy when the guest offers a sincere compliment about the dishes I have cooked. The guest is happy, so am I.

When he first started. Hong named his restaurant Shanyuan Hall, but he wanted more local people to come and he wanted his restaurant to play a role in the connection between Chinese and Western culture. So, he changed the name to Silver Spoon Hall, and the two names add up to Shanyuan Silver Spoon Hall.

Hong has come a long way from his beginnings as a 16-year-old trainee pasta chef straight out of junior high school back in his hometown in 1988.

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He found he loved cooking and being involved in the industry. Although he started studying pasta making at a young age, he changed direction after he met a Cantonese cook while on his way to deliver pasta.

Chef Hong is cooking with Chef Shen

In the conversation with the Cantonese chef, Hong found himself a little more interested in Cantonese cuisine, so he gave up his deep-seated pasta study and went on to study in Cantonese cuisine.

His decision has benefited all Hamiltonians as his popular restaurant demonstrates.

Their website: https://www.sscr.co.nz/

It’s every kiwi kid’s dream to put on the black jersey and line up for the haka, even more so to be able to do it at a World Cup.

This distant dream became a reality for Luke Jacobson, 22, who was selected in this year’s All Black squad to head to Japan but was later ruled out due to a delayed onset of concussion.

Luke is one of three brothers that all play in the loose forward position and grew up in Cambridge, a small town southeast of Hamilton. Jacobson’s been touted as a revelation for the Chiefs and has established himself as a long-term All Black prospect after having been on the national radar for several years.

Jacobson played for the Cambridge High School First XV with brother Mitch, later playing with his oldest brother Kane for North Harbour, both his brothers creating their own  mark in New Zealand rugby.

You would think that having all three brothers playing in the back row would cause problems, but the trio’s versatility meant  each brother could play anywhere across the back row if required which reduced arguments over positions. “The fighting was more off the field when we all lived together at home with mum and dad, it had nothing to do with rugby,” Luke jests.

Growing up there are many idols Luke looked at as inspiration but none more so than former All Black and Chiefs player Liam Messam. “The presence he brings onto the field and in his attacking game he’s pretty razzle-dazzle so he can break a defensive line.” When asked why he was drawn to Messam, Luke said, “He’s top-notch, the things he does off the field, how selfless he is and how much time he’s got for everyone. I look up to him big time”

Luke’s driven attitude and leadership qualities were essential elements that helped him stand out during his two seasons in the Cambridge High School First XV. His consistent high standards led to a New Zealand Schools team call up in 2014 where he played alongside fellow All Black Rieko Ioane.

In 2016 he captained Waikato in the Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under-19s Tournament, where he scored the sole try of the final and was named Player of the Tournament, launching him into the New Zealand Under 20 team. Dominant performances saw him awarded the captaincy of the 2017 New Zealand Under 20 side the following year in Georgia which he guided the team to victory in the final.

Luke made his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs in March 2018 through an unexpected last-minute injury call up against the Blues. “I was the twenty-fourth man so I wasn’t really expecting to play but one of our backs went down and I was like I had better switch on here I’m in with a shot.” Jacobson went on and played 13 matches in his rookie season and followed up with 8 more games this season.

His outstanding form in 2019 as both a punishing defender and robust back-rower caught the attention of the All Blacks coaching staff and Luke Jacobson was named on the bench to face Argentina in Buenos Aires. Jacobson was sat at home in Cambridge watching TV with his mates when he first learned of his All Blacks call-up. Incredibly the 22-year-old is Waikato’s first born-and-bred player to earn their first All Blacks call-up in more than a decade.

He had obviously impressed All Blacks coach Steve Hansen who gave him a glowing wrap.

Based on performances alone it wasn’t surprising that Hansen followed through and included Luke in the Rugby World Cup squad. However, his year-long battle with concussion symptoms and a recent flair up after the warm-up game against Tonga would cut his World Cup dream incredibly short.

Jacobson has battled through three different concussions over the last 12 months, the first being in 2018 where he went down in a heavy tackle against the Hurricanes. “I’d never been concussed before so I didn’t really think too much of it even though it was a hefty whack. I sort of thought I’d be back in a couple of weeks or the following weekend, but it dragged on.”

He returned to rugby in March having spent eight months on the sideline and missing all of Waikato’s Mitre 10 Cup campaign. Luke said that he had headaches for “four or five months” over that period. His second head knock ruled him out of the Chiefs’ last five games leaving the All Blacks warm-up game against Tonga as his last preparation for the World Cup.

He had not presented any signs of a concussion after the Tonga game but developed symptoms after the first training session. Both Luke and the coaching staff were quick to come to the conclusion that he couldn’t participate in the World Cup.

Luke was understandably gutted, “It’s been the pinnacle of what I’ve been striving for, for a long time so it was an upsetting night,” Jacobson said.

Having three concussions in such a short period of time is concerning for any player and it begs the question, are concussion rates increasing or are the safety measures in place allowing medical staff to pick out and act on players’ issues more effectively?

This infographic shares some key stat comparisons between the concussion rates in the Rugby World Cup 2019 compared to Rugby World Cup 2015.

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This information shows there has been a reduced rate of concussions between both World Cups as safety measures such as the high tackle sanctions have been put in place. Luke, although disappointed, stressed the fact. “There can be effects later down the track and that’s something I don’t want so we took the right precautionary steps and the decision was made with my health and best interests at heart.”

Looking ahead Luke Jacobson hopes to avoid another head knock and instead turn his focus on the upcoming Super Rugby season, “I just want to keep locking down a starting spot at the Chiefs and hopefully keep going out there and performing.”

The Hamilton businessman turned his hobby into the popular Classics Museum in 2012 and it is now a popular attraction with tourists, locals, and retirement groups.

For Andrews, it all started with a model of a red-and-white 1957 Corvette that sat next to his bed. Years later, he was able to fulfill his childhood dream of owning the car, now one of his favourites in the collection.

The museum, managed by daughter Emily L’Huillier displays about 60 of Tom’s growing collection of more than 100 classic cars, each one of which has its own story. 

His passion for collecting and restoring classic cars driving forward the desired to continue collecting not only cars but the many signs that are dotted around the museum. 

With no intention of stopping he began to run out of space for his collection. 

Originally intended as a private storage shed the museum has evolved into much more. Tom moved his office into the building, added a conference room providing car clubs with somewhere to hold their meetings, and then a 1950s-themed diner.

With so many cars in the collection, there are many stories waiting to be told. 

For example, in the collection is a 1934 Ford 40B V8 Coupe originally owned by Myrtle Davidson, and now owned by her grand-daughter Diane Andrews. The Ford has been restored to a near-new condition and put on display.

The 1958 Pontiac Bonneville, a 50th anniversary model for the Pontiac company, also sits amongst the collection. Andrews bought it to take his grandchildren out for drives.

“It’s got the big bench seats so he can fit the kids in it, they love to go out in it,” L’Huillier said. 

A favourite amongst kids is the red-and-white BMW Isseta, a microcar that has, at a previous exhibition, been filled with lollies to show just how small the vehicle is.  

Another favourite is the pink-and-white 1958 Nash Metropolitan, the first American car to be marketed specifically to women. 

There are many favourites amongst visitors but once completed. It is thought the crowds will flock to two Bugattis  Andrews recently bought in Europe. 

With just over 700 originally produced, the Type 57 Bugatti is an exceedingly rare car. So when a 1937 model was discovered in a barn in France, car enthusiasts around the world jumped at the chance to buy it. 

After coming off the production line chassis 57579 was paired with engine 417 and driven to Colmar, France where the original Gangloff body was fitted. It was sold on March 24, 1938, then resold a number of times until 1955. 

The car was last registered to Pierre Proust, owner of a Bugatti specialist garage in Montrouge (41 rue Racine). 

At some point, Henri Novo, who had worked at Pierre Proust’s garage for a number of years, rented a nearby yard from the father of French rally driver René Metge, with the intention of storing Bugattis for himself and his boss. Over time the yard became a graveyard for cars, including the Gangloff 57579. 

As well, sometime during the 60s, Novo also acquired Ventoux coach cassis 57659, adding it to the yard of Bugattis.

With the engine and wheels set aside, it provided the perfect body for chassis 57579. Having few previous owners, the car was in good condition despite having competed in the 1955 Rallye des Routes du Nordin which it was one of 60 cars unable to finish.

On  August 28, 1964, Jacques Ballion purchased the car, storing it in a barn on his property for 50 years until his death, when the family discovered the barn and the 60 cars within, all in various stages of disrepair. 

Many of the cars (including the Bugatti) then went to auction with the Artcurial auction house in France. On February 6. 2015 the cars went to auction and Andrews bought the Type 57 for $460,000. 

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After being abandoned in a shed for 50 years no one expected to be able to salvage many parts, so they began scouring the world for bits and pieces, over time collecting many of the parts they would need. 

Upon closer inspection of the car, they realised most of the parts would salvageable and could be restored, leaving a collection of components and parts that would go unused. This led to the decision to build a 1937 Bugatti Atlantic alongside the Type 57 Ventoux, rather than sell the extra parts. 

Andrews saw an opportunity after he was approached by the Cancer Society, who wanted Greg Murphy to host a small fundraising event in the conference room for about 100 people.

Andrews offered to move the event to the museum would hold three times as many people, meaning more tickets could be sold. The event also provided an opportunity to showcase the two Bugattis and the progress in their build. 

Already four years into the project they hope to have the Bugatti duo finished ready for display in 2020. 

On offer are stalls packed with in-season produce  such as avocados, lettuce, potatoes, and strawberries, as well as others hawking year-round treats such as coffee, meat, and doughnuts.

The market is more than its produce and stallholders, it is the environment that is created.

A lot of what customers see on these stalls is fresh produce picked that morning of the markets or, at the most, the day before.

Many of the market stallholders come from a corporate background and have changed their lifestyles so they can work for themselves, which has given them a lot of freedom.

But they also have full accountability for their product – so they know it well and are open to discussing its merits when a customer asks them a question. Often, the discussion revolves around the use of chemical sprays.

Market manager Susie Martinson has been in the role for five months now and is keen to educate customers on the delights of eating within the seasons.

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Susie says by purchasing fruit and veggies at a farmers’ market customers support their community and sustainable economy.

By-and-large farmers’ market stallholders share this view that a weekly community gathering helps keep money from going off-shore.

This coming summer season the Cambridge Farmers’ Market will double in size, going from the 20 winter stalwarts to more than 40 stalls to cater for all the fresh produce.

Susie mentioned the market speeds up in the summer months as stallholders get busier in the better weather.

Susie really likes the vibe that the markets create with the opportunity of having it outdoors, with the kid’s activities and the live performances from the band.

Chris Gubb, owner of Sunset Orchard, runs an avocado orchard that sells its produce  at the Cambridge Farmers’ Markets.

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Chris and his wife Karen go to the Cambridge and Hamilton markets every weekend usually between July and the end of January/February to sell their fruit.

The markets allow producers to increase profit as they allow them to cut out the middleman,  making sure their hard work pays off.

Chris found the markets by doing research. He had a look around and saw what was available, thinking that if he is going to do all this work with the avocados, he may as well gain more of a profit.

Chris thinks that the markets are a good environment because people are getting a fresher product from growers who are passionate.

The Cambridge Market is a great place to come to get cheaper, fresher produce with a known origin along with producer tips such as recipes.

Chris didn’t originally plan on growing and selling avocados. He originally planned on buying another farm as he was a farmer for 21 years prior to buying the land where the avocados were grown.

Chris originally had a beef manager job offered to him but the guy who had given him the opportunity had left him out on a limb. He then later had a job as a farm manager for a year and a half, before the land was sold. After that he decided to concentrate on growing  avocados.

Chris originally couldn’t come up with a name for the orchard. The name originally came when he had dinner one night with his wife Karen and saw the sun setting behind the neighbouring mountains. They looked at one another knowing that would be the name.

This coming season will be Chris’ 5th year growing avocados. He still considers himself new to the industry as he is still learning things every day, and is looking at ways to improve.

Not wanting a farm, the avocado lifestyle block allows him to be self-employed.

In regards to Chris’ crops, his fruit has increased in size and flavor. This is because he changed the fertilizer and the nutrition of the trees, as his avocados weren’t as sweet and creamy as he wanted them to be. This led to a bigger impact on the trees by size and taste.

Chris usually picks his avocados 3-4 days before the markets depending on how ripe they are,  so he can put them in the classes of fruit, from small to big, and he takes out ones that look damaged or don’t look good.

There are many challenges that Chris faces when growing avocados – the major one being the weather. A lot of wind can have an effect on the avocados such as loss of fruit at various times of the year. Bugs are another challenge as they do come in and mark the fruit.

It isn’t always about the dollars. It is a huge joy to Chris when customers have smiles on their faces when they purchase their avocados.

Chris went on to say when having a business like this, you must be on your game on to spot problems and get on it quickly because if not, the avocados are not saleable.

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Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 Kiwi women, this article is going to focus on three everyday women living with the effects of endometriosis. Each are in different stages of life, and are all coping with their endometriosis differently.

Hannah is 19, she is a student, and due focal migraines that are triggered by changes in hormones she is unable to use hormone altering treatments. Such treatments include;

• Contraceptive pills.
• Non-hormonal (copper) IUD
• Hormonal IUD
• Birth Control implants
• Hormonal Injections (Depo Provera)

This limits Hannah’s option to pain management, this has been trying for her. 

Charlotte (Lottie) is 22, she was diagnosed with endometriosis at 16 when she had laparoscopic surgery.  During the laparoscopy endometriosis tissue was removed and had a mirena IUD inserted. Since then Lottie has continued to use the mirena to cope with her endometriosis with mostly success.

Jackie had always been struggling with hormone imbalances and pain for a few years, she eventually tried natural hormone treatments that worked well for her. This was until one night two months ago where she awoke in the night with excruciating pain. After an appointment with her gynaecologist Jackie had a hysterectomy booked in three weeks later to remove what her specialist described as widespread and severe endometriosis. 

I sat down with each of these three women to discuss their journeys with endometriosis; from symptoms to diagnosis, coping mechanisms and the lack of education on endometriosis. During this time I also surveyed 60 women who suffer from endometriosis, gathering information such as –  their thoughts on their diagnosis and struggles they have faced living with a chronic disease.   

Hannah has had focal migraines triggered by changes in hormones since she began intermediate school. They have seriously affected her life. When she was finally seen by a doctor about her incessant menstrual cramps Hannah was prescribed the pill. She knew immediately she couldn’t take it and told her doctor this. He offered her the rod, this also alters your hormones she repeated. Hannah left the doctor’s office with a prescription for pain medication and a feeling of desperation. 

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For years she had been denied access to proper care for her infurreable pain, she was told she couldn’t have PCOS or endometriosis multiple times. Hannah had an MRI on her hip for an unrelated condition and the image the radiographer saw frightened him, he told Hannah there was something seriously wrong. When he returned he nonchalantly informed her she was fine, she just had masses of ovarian cysts blocking a clear view of her hip.

Nothing else was done about this, the cysts weren’t even noted in her medical records. Studying nursing at Wintec Hannah notices a huge oversight in her care, “I was let down by the health system,  I was constantly forgotten.” 

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Still Hannah has not been officially diagnosed, and after having blood work done for an unrelated illness it was discovered she had hormone levels equivalent to a premenstrual teen or post menopausal women. These results indicate something deeper yet have not been investigated. Hannah works as a healthcare assistant and receptionist at an elderly care home. The work, on top of her nursing studies are incredibly demanding, and are often interrupted by unbearable cramping. She soldiers on though, with no other options Hannah said “I just have to get on with it.” 

The price of living this endo is mental, physical and monetary, the cost of seeing a specialist is eye watering and the waiting lists for public healthcare are huge. Until a month ago the cost of an IUD (without insertion) was upwards of $1000, depending on which brand you pick. Women, like Hannah who can’t stop, control or predict their periods spend huge amounts yearly on sanitary products. Living with PCOS or endometriosis is an uphill battle, and living on a tight budget makes it even more difficult to manage. This is just one of the many reasons more funding and education is needed to help overcome these struggles. 

At thirteen years old Charlotte (Lottie) like many other girls started her period. The difference was though, that Lottie had developed endometriosis and began to suffer severe symptoms, such as vomiting and fainting due to such unbearable cramps. At this point, Lottie didn’t know she had Endo; she didn’t even know it existed. 

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The struggle to get diagnosed was many painful years long. Lottie went to her G.P dozens of times each year; but doctor’s visit always ended with a different painkiller prescription, or a different pill. These treatments never worked for her. The contraceptive pills she was prescribed affected many aspects of Lottie’s life. Her weight fluctuated, parts of her appearance changed, she suffered mood swings and she was still in unbearable pain. Lottie has also been a lifetime sufferer of chronic intractable migraines  “Because of my migraines taking the pill increased my chances of having a stroke by 50%.” Finally, at 16 she was referred to a specialist clinic. Lottie was immediately booked in for laparoscopic surgery and a mirena insertion. 

Thankfully the surgeons were able to remove the invading endometriosis.  ‘The merina worked well my periods used to be two weeks long, but now after the mirena they’ve halved. They’re still 7 or 8 days but it’s better than it was” – Lottie.  Although Lottie has had some success with a mirena it isn’t clear skies ahead, endometriosis is a lifelong issue, and could flair at any moment. Living with a feeling of impending doom is incredibly taxing, and the support is woeful.

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Endometriosis has affected Jackie in many ways, her eldest daughter was diagnosed with the condition in 2013 and suffered terribly because of it. Jackie has suffered Low progesterone and low adrenal support hormones that caused her severe bouts of anxiety and sleepless nights. After talking to a close friend in 2016 Jackie was referred to Patients Advocate and began natural hormone therapy that alleviated most of her symptoms. Having had minimal problems with menstruation despite hormone imbalances the possibility of having endometriosis never bothered her.  This was until her youngest daughter was diagnosed with endo three years later. This brought Jackie back to reality, with both of her children having the disease, realistically, bring a carrier of endo was undeniable. Though still not having issues it wasn’t as important as looking after her kids who were suffering. 

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Already having two adult children, Jackie didn’t want any more kids – so knowing she may have endo never worried her. This was until the middle of 2018, when her periods began to change, becoming heavier, more prolonged and significantly more painful. Jackie also started suffering from anxiety again and was experiencing irregular, painful bowels- all symptoms of endometriosis. In October of 2019 Jackie awoke suddenly in the night with excruciating stomach cramps.  “It felt like felt like I was going to die, the pain was so sudden and intense – and as soon as it came, it went.” Soon after the episode she decided to see her G.P, who referred her straight to a specialist Gynaecologist.

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Three weeks after the specialist visit Jackie was being wheeled back down a hospital corridor. Jackie had just had her uterus, cervix and tubes removed as well as a significant number of deep extensive endometriosis lesions which were climbing up parts of Jackie’s organs. Surgeons also found extensive cysts and that her uterus was swollen due to Adenomyosis. Less than a month after seeing a specialist for the first time she had had a hysterectomy. “The urgency worried me, how quickly it all happened, but having everything taken out doesn’t bother me. I already have two kids, my uterus was just causing more and more pain.”  

Jackie is three weeks into recovery now – she said it had been very difficult for her.  Jackie has always been very active, and being physically unable to do anything is dreadful. Having the inability to do anything yet being constantly exhausted has been “very hard mentally.” Being so soon in to recovery it is hard to tell how she feels about the whole situation but says she has had amazing support, and is looking forward to being fully recovered.

I surveyed 60 women suffering endometriosis to find out how living this endometriosis affects them. The response was overwhelming, unfortunately the majority of women described year long struggles to be taken seriously.

It is disappointing yet unsurprising that many people struggle to get proper support with most aspects of endometriosis, from pain relief to financial support for expensive specialist visits and surgeries. Endometriosis affects people in ways you wouldn’t imagine, for example, 95% of women surveyed suffer from chronic fatigue, 85% expriance pain druing intecourse and/or uncomforable bowels and bowel movements. 

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Many women said they suffer unbearable back pains that become debilitating during menstruation and cramping. It is heartbreaking that women living from a common condition are having to fight to be taken seriously,  the lack of recognition makes people ignorant, and puts in uncomfortable positions with people who are misinformed. 

“I’ve also had relationships with guys were my endo has gotten in the way because intercourse hurts. You feel trapped in a faulty body and a faulty health system that really doesn’t give a sh–t.  Even when you went into hospital there was nothing that they could do other than dose you up on so much pain meds you’d be vomiting for days.” -Morgan, 21.

It is important that we advocate for the 178 million women worldwide enduring endometriosis, despite being such a huge number of people we are not being heard. I encourage everyone to share their stores, create a conversation about living with endometriosis. If more people educated on what endo is and how it affects those who have it, more people have the voice to inform those who may be suffering with no answers. We need to do our bit to empower a movement, a movement for change, for more effective treatments, and hopefully, one day – cures.

Do you or someone you know have Endometriosis, or suspect you may have the condition? Find advice and help here –

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stuff that works.

New Zealand is made up of more than 213 cultures and ethnicities that live together and give great multicultural value to the small country.

Many of these ethnic groups either originate in the country or in Europe following colonisation in the 19th Century (70.2 percent identify as European, 16.5 percent as Māori). But there are also ethnic groups from different backgrounds that have immigrated in recent decades (15.1 percent as Asian, 8.1 percent as Pacific people, and 1.2 percent as Middle-Eastern, Latin American, and African).

The Latin Americans and Hispanics have never represented a significant part of the NZ population. However, in the Waikato  region, there is a big community that has been growing for the last few years as many of them have found comfort in the quiet city of Hamilton. 

Despite this, For Kiwis the Latin American cultures  still seem far away  as these people come from territories on the other side of the Pacific. For this reason, there are still many doubts around the Hispanic and Latin American representations.  Many Kiwis  believe everyone from central and south America is part of the same community when in reality, it is a little more complicated.

Can Latinos be Hispanic? Can Hispanic be Latinos? First of all, what is the difference? 

Latin America comprises 33 countries and all of them speak romance languages that come from Latin such as Spanish, Portuguese, and French. The majority of the countries speak Spanish but there are also countries such as Brazil (Portuguese) and Guyana (French).  

Hispanic is the term that refers only to Spanish speakers whose countries were colonised and influenced by Spain which is also considered as a Hispanic country. 

However, even when the definitions are different, culturally speaking, Latinos and Hispanics identify as one. People with colourful personalities, passionate about music, dance, and respect for traditions that are born from their ancestors. They come to New Zealand to get good opportunities, start again, and hopefully get to share a little bit of their culture.

Emigrating to an unknown country has never been an easy task. Many people who are looking for a better life have to face many difficulties before they pave their way to settle in a new country.

The Settlement Centre Waikato in Hamilton has been helping newcomers (immigrants and refugees) including Latinos and Hispanics since 2005, providing them with services such as legal advice, getting a driving licence, translating, employment solutions, police advisories, English language education, and a lot of other services, some free of charge.

This place is considered as a multicultural house where Latin Americans  feel the warmth of the community and  inclusion in times of unknown experiences. Everyone is welcome and all the staff are willing to help with any problem.

We talked to the operation manager of the centre, Ellie Wilkinson, who told us a little bit of the usual and the most difficult struggles immigrants face in Hamilton, and how they get the help of the centre to succeed in their goals. She said two of the biggest hurdles were the language barrier, and finding a job.

Ellie also talked about her experience working  with Latino and Hispanic immigrants. She said she found these culture very different from her own Kiwi culture.

The way Ellie has known many Latinos and Hispanics working in the centre is due to the different cultural groups they collaborate with. These groups have been created along the years while the community has been growing.

The “Grupo Hispano Latino” is one of the groups that works with the centre and it is a fusion between the Latin American and Hispanic communities, basically, Spaniards and Latinos together in order to share their culture and support.

The Grupo Hispano Latino was legally recognized by the city council in 2005 and the community has been growing since then, creating important events such as the  annual Spring Festival in Hamilton Gardens where people can enjoy watching dance performances from South American and Spain, live flamenco guitarists, Andina music, traditional food stalls and many more activities for the whole family.

Credits: Grupo Hispano Latino

Pepa Torre is a spanish photographer and traveller who came to New Zealand  in the middle of the economic crisis in her country many years ago.

Pepa explains that she kind of wanted to run away from the Spanish culture as she was looking for something different. But she never thought it would take six months until she could hear someone else speaking Spanish to her, something that she found surprisingly great and made her realise how important it  is to feel close to her own culture.

After that experience, Pepa started to meet more and more people that were either Latinos or Hispanics, and this lead her to become part of the Grupo Hispano Latino, which she explains as an organization with the purpose of the cultural maintenance of immigrants for Latin Americans and Hispanics here in Waikato 

After settling in Cambridge, she formed a beautiful family with her husband and her two lovely daughters. She has been trying to introduce the Spanish culture to her daughters to remind them to never forget where they come from.

Pepa being such a creative and energetic person, decided to dedicate her heart and passion to Flamenco dance. Flamenco is a musical genre with gypsy influences that was born in Spain and is characterized by having a strong rhythm and many movements with the hands almost like performance.

She teaches free Flamenco classes to anyone who is interested, no matter the age or where they are from, everyone is welcome. She persuades her students to feel the music and perform whatever comes from the heart. 

Pepa is fully committed with the community and she recognizes the massive growth in the number of people nowadays compared to when she just arrived in NZ. For this reason, Latinos and Hispanics have had more notice and it gives the chance to break with stereotypes that in the past were very strong.

The diversity of a country like New Zealand is always a good thing to show, and for Hispanic Latinos getting together and share the traditions to other cultures is a great honor. 

Spirituality is defined as a broad concept, leaving room for many different notions. It includes a sense of connection to something bigger than one’s self, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. Allowing the connection from something greater than us to enter our lives and guide us along our path.

What initially drew me to the Divine Spirituality, was the people. The kindness in their heart and eyes, the morals that matched with mine, and their mission of helping others, hardly ever putting themselves first.

Having a spiritual mother, I was graced with the introduction to many amazing people with unbelievable gifts, my mother being one. Healers, mediums, readers and so forth, these people enticed me at  a young age to continue researching about their practices, to incorporate them into my daily life.

However, society is a cruel mistress. I was forced in Intermediate, through embarrassment and bullying, to keep my beliefs to myself. It was so bad that I shoved everything to the back of my mind. I let go of what gave me direction, of what made me feel like myself. All because some nasty 12-year-olds made me believe that I was weird because I didn’t go with social norms, because I didn’t believe in what everyone else was raised or conditioned to believe. I was tricked into thinking being different was a horrible thing.

After growing up, leaving school and heading into the real world, I started to find my way back to my old beliefs. Now I want to project the happiness that I have found, the lessons that I have learnt, and introduce the pathway that I believe many others are destined to walk. Many may not read this, but if I have learnt anything, everything happens for a reason and it will happen if it is meant to.

This type of spirituality is based on the belief that there is no death, there is just the transition from a physical being to spiritual being. It consists of  practices  to contact spiritual beings. The people who can make contact typically are readers, mediums, clairvoyants, and healers among others.

A reader is someone who collects information about a person’s past, present and future, through the use of heightened perceptive abilities. They do this by reading the person’s energy field, connecting with their own or the persons’ spiritual guides, or higher self. They can also connect with a universal source, such as Tarot or Oracle cards, Pendulums, or Runes. Reader’s offer guidance, inspiration, a fresh perspective or strategies on dealing with challenges you may end up facing.

A medium, however, connects with the person’s loved ones in spirit and in order for you to recognise who that is, they give off detailed explanations about how they look, who they are as a person, or a memory that you had shared with them. This is information being sent from the loved ones themselves. Mediumship doesn’t predict anything or analyse peoples lives much as readings do.

Instead, it lets the person know that the people who have transitioned to their spiritual beings are still connected to you. It is often used for closure and bereavement support, as they often receive messages of love, support, healing and specific information that only the person understands. This is my favourite spiritual ability. I have experienced some for myself and seen others re-connect with their loved ones. You can only truly believe it if you experience it for yourself. It is unfathomable, and amazing all in one.

A Clairvoyant is very similar to a medium, however, ‘Clairs’ are a lot more sensitive, and receive stronger messages overall. They are a lot less common, as I have noticed through my research.

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Spiritual healers are those who perform the practice of restoring, balancing and harmonizing our spirit or soul.  In summary, there are five main forms of spiritual healing: mental healing (of the mind), emotional healing (of the heart), physical healing (of the body), soul healing, and holistic healing (of the mind, heart, body and soul). There are different ways of performing these healings too. In most places, you will find Reiki healing, Theta healing, Ionic Detox Footbath, Chakra Rebalancing, Sound Balancing and more.

These practices and beliefs are not to be confused with religion, there are next to no similarities, yet so many people put them in the same category. In spirituality the questions are often “where do I personally find meaning, connection, and value?”, in comparison to the questions within religion such as, “what is true and right?”

Spirituality is your connection with your soul and your creator, higher power, or whatever you name your ‘Holy’. Religion is a personal or institutionalized system grounded in the belief in and reverence for a supernatural power regarded as creator or creators of the universe. Although they are often put within the same category or seen as the same thing, there are very little similarities between the two. For a very long time, religious people saw the practices of spirituality as signs of witchcraft, and to this day most are still not accepting of it.

However, due to modern media and the world being more accepting than it ever has been, there are more people tuning into spritual  practices and beliefs. When interviewing Barry Bartlett from Infinity Spiritual Centre he mentioned that back in 1987 “you didn’t know who to talk to, they’d think you were a nutcase”.

When thinking of what to write for this assignment, Infinity, Hamilton Spiritual Centre kept popping up in my head. Almost like my body was trying to drag me to their doorstep, for whatever reason. Maybe it was so that I could inform people of what it really meant to believe in the Divine Spirituality, or maybe it was so that I could reconnect with the beliefs I once had. Whatever the purpose was, I met some simply amazing people. One is the owner and founder of the safe haven, Barry Bartlett. 

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Barry believes that his mission in life is to help others find their spiritual path. This all started when he attended weekly classes held by the Master Teacher, Abraham in 1987, formerly known as the Great I AM. Abraham taught him, and others, the answers to the biggest questions everyone asks. “ What happens when you die”, “How was the earth populated”, “Do we reincarnate?”  He projected his learnings first, through a radio station, “The Voice Within”. He talks with gurus, scientists, famous authors, mediums, channels, musicians, astrologers, and so forth from around the world. When I asked him how many listeners he has, he said that doesn’t matter. People will listen if they choose to. If life so bends them in his direction, and that was a message that was always seemed to come across when I was talking to the rest of the team.

Now Barry and his team at Infinity, have created “a safe haven for those who are seeking, worried, or plain scared of things they don’t know about or understand”.  Within his walls, he sells crystals, jewellery, dreamcatchers, singing bowls, books, tarot cards. He also has a team that holds classes, readings, and healings.

It is a stress-free zone that some people sometimes stumble upon, not knowing why they were drawn to his doorstep.

When interviewing Barry, he mentioned that he has come into contact with many gifted people who have stumbled upon his doorstep, not knowing why they were pulled there. Some, gifted, others seeking guidance, clarity. He spoke of a woman who came from a very religious background. She was born with the gifts of channeling. Barry took her under his wing and guided her along with her destined path. She grew in confidence, travelled to England to learn further, and is now holding classes of her own, and communicating to her students what she has learnt over the years.

Barry also mentioned people that weren’t as lucky. They were scared of their gifts and wanted to turn them off. Some turned to alcohol and drugs, whatever it took to get rid of the voices in their heads. He is saddened by these memories.

The quote above is taken out of the book called “The Teaching Mission”, edited by Jim Cleveland. It takes you further into the lessons of celestial teachers, reflections, historical notes and commentaries by their students, like Barry Bartlett. Reading it has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be spiritual.

Spirituality is a very broad concept. It can be unfathomable, yet eye-opening  if  people are curious and want to delve deeper. Every month, on the third Saturday, Infinity holds a Spirit Fest. It is a day where healers, readers and so forth, come together and perform their services for half price. It is a great way to see for yourself what it is really like.

They’re great right?! Cheap, portable, tasty – and the only dining requirements are boiled water and a utensil of some description – hands optional. 

But is this convenient morsel of quick satisfaction doing more harm to our brains and bodies than any good? And what if every time we ate these golden warm hugs, we were increasing our risk of deadly diseases such as colon cancer, as well as kidney stones, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and more? Essentially, signing our own death warrant one noodle-y forkful at a time.

Noodles aren’t the only culprit, everything we put in our mouths has both a short and long-term impact.

The average student diet consists mainly of highly processed packaged foods (noodles) refined carbohydrates (also noodles) and sugar sugar sugar – all the stuff that tastes good. But these foods aren’t as yummy as they seem, we’ve just fooled our brains into thinking they’re delicious by firing the reward centre of our brain and causing inflammation every time we chow down.

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Each snack, meal or feast triggers a kick of dopamine that may appear to help concentration in the short term but if sustained will desensitise the brain’s ability to focus and make it that much harder to study, even at a normal level, as you end up perpetually chasing an ever-heightening level of dopamine requirement. Just like a drug addict.

Addiction isn’t something one wants to question when it’s 11pm, you’re 3000 words into an essay that’s due at 8am and you’re staring directly at the impending onslaught of in-text citation. You want something fast and filling that’s going to keep you functioning, so you reach for the noodles, drown it in a can of Monster, back it up with some lollies, and rinse and repeat till hand-in.

Studying is hard enough anyway, but this kind of unconsidered eating is making it that much harder by negatively affecting our concentration and causing future damage to our health and well-being.

Great.

Enter dietician, nutritionist and all-round mana wahine, Celeste Keesing.

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Celeste not only has a Masters in Dietetics from Otago University (notorious for its extreme student lifestyle), but she’s Waikato born and bred with a life-time of homegrown holistic knowledge straight from the farm. Having been a student herself for the many competitive years it takes to even be considered for dietetics, the student diet is something she is all too familiar with. 

Something she very quickly found was not the case. 

Celeste explains that micro-nutrients are vital for us to live and if we don’t get enough of these our body and our mind can’t function properly. But where do we find all these micro-nutrients? Wholefoods – not in a shake, not in a pill, definitely not in a pot of instant noodles – it’s simply by eating wholefoods. 

Missing out on these vital nutrient containing wholefoods causes a noticeable negative effect on our mental well-being, something Celeste took note of in her first year of study.

Armed with the extensive knowledge she has now, she compares this to a feeling of illness

“Think about when you’re sick, how hard it is to concentrate, and how unhappy you feel. That’s because of inflammation. You could be walking around feeling like you’re slightly sick but you didn’t realise it, maybe because you’re used to feeling that way. But reducing that inflammation you will feel clear-headed again, just like when you get better after sickness.” 

Nutrition and poor diet is now the leading cause of death in the world, not smoking – diet. This refined, sweet, salty and convenient westernised diet is not just impacting our study, it’s killing us.

And it all begins with what we are eating now, so what can we do? 

First things first, you need to find a motivator which Celeste describes as something you really care about that is connected to nutrition. 

Do you want to feel better, look better, think better? Improve your grades? Find the ability to get to class on time and not fall asleep while you’re there? Each problem is connected to diet and could be vastly improved simply by incorporating an array of whole foods, whole grains, omega 3s and antioxidants into each meal and making an effort to give the body the best it needs to operate. 

Dark leafy greens

Antioxidants are powerful anti-inflammatories that are found in richly coloured fruit and vegetables such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, beetroot, red cabbage, dark leafy greens and even coffee. There are over 10,000 varieties of antioxidant that have been proven to protect the brain, improve its function and increase healthy levels of dopamine and serotonin.

It’s as easy as a cup of blueberries at breakfast and a generous handful of spinach at dinner, by incorporating antioxidants into our diet, not only are we significantly reducing our risk of depression and anxiety, we are decreasing inflammation, elevating our mood and allowing our brain the healthy space to think clearly and concentrate on our studies. 

An excuse often invoked by junk food enthusiasts is healthy eating is more expensive, which Celeste finds hilarious,

Healthy eating is available to even the strictest of student budgets, take, for example, fruit. Fruit is one of nature’s wholefoods and they come in a pre-made package ready for you to just pick up and go. Good for your body and great for the environment.

Nuts and seeds are an awesome source of protein and you can carry them in a bag and have them with you all the time. They’re full of good fats with walnuts, in particular, containing high levels of omega 3s which are really important for our brain health.

The lack of individual knowledge around these foods and limited access to time and skills may be the true roadblock here. But the answer could lie in the purchase of a slow cooker.

A little bit of preparation goes a long way and just as we can reset our taste buds to taste food again by cutting out sugar or salt for three weeks, so can we alter our deeply ingrained toxic eating habits. 

Celeste speaks on these affordable and do-able changes and more at her community-based workshops in Gisborne. Each workshop focuses on different benefits of healthy eating, whether it be for general or seasonal wellness, gut or mental health. 

Moving back to the Waikato this December, Celeste brings all her juicy tips, tricks and know-how in tow and plans to set up these accessible workshops for the Waikato community early next year. She’s even considering one focused solely on student well-being. Now how about them noodles.

So, fellow students, I implore you to step away from the noodles and salty packaged goods, swap out your energy drink for a cup of coffee or even, dare I say, a glass of water. Make better choices to feel better. 

You are what you eat, so don’t be an instant noodle. 

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