#kauri was very very expensive
Note
I would love to see Jake in therapy! Especially as a victim of abuse himself, being hurt by people who this time genuinely don't know better or don't mean to hurt him must be very triggering. He can't react with anger and he won't let himself feel it because he prioritises them.
CW: Discussion of childhood abuse, domestic violence, brief religious talk and a VERY extended wildfire metaphor, I'm so sorry
Takes place after The Same Bed Arc
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"You know what I hate the most about my job?"
The question pops out of him seemingly without his consent. Jake finds himself confused as he hears his own voice, feels his own mouth moving to form the words. But once he starts, he can't quite stop.
Dr. Berger's eyebrows raise, slightly, looking up from the calendar she's carefully making coded notations in. They've been scheduling out the next three months of clandestine appointments for the runaways, fitting them in here or there around her schedule, when she can find her way to safe places where no one will be tracked. "Jake?"
He rakes a hand back through his hair, stubbornly refusing to refer to it as his good hand, because then he'd have to admit that he still hasn't got the grip strength he used to have on the other one. How long can he hide the tingling nerves, the way sometimes his fingers feel numb? How long can he disguise having to shift to using one arm instead of both?
How long can he keep-
"The goddamn lying. That's what I hate the most."
Dr. Berger doesn't visibly react, really. Her gaze shifts briefly to one side, checking that the door to her office is closed, then back to his face. "It is an unfortunate necessity in what we do," She says, voice low, warm and empathetic. "But I can see how it would be exhausting, even when you're experienced in this line of work.”
"It’s not even because of work, that's what I fucking hate." Jake sits back, running his hand over his face. He's so tired. He's staying awake too much, watching Kauri sleep, the bruises around his neck finally fading. He's clingy, Kauri, holding onto Jake all night and waking up the second he gets out of bed for a drink or to visit the bathroom. And if he's not holding onto Jake, he's clinging to Antoni instead. Antoni, who only shakes his head when Jake asks if he needs some space, and refuses to be separated from Kauri whatsoever, even when it's clearly costing him. He just keeps staying there, watching and waiting for another attack that they know isn't coming - the one who wants to hurt Kauri is gone, as gone as you can get - but neither of them can stop waiting for it, anyway.
Kauri is back to his old way of saying I know it's stupid, but can you tell me you love me? with a brittle, false sparkling brilliance that will shatter like glass if anyone hesitates a second too long before they respond.
It's too familiar. It hurts too much.
“I hate that I started lying when I was four and I’ve never stopped.” There. The words are out, and there’s a relief alongside the tightness in his throat, that eternal drumbeat of shame that he’s never been able to shake. All the audiobooks he’s played in his car, the well-meaning therapy shit on the internet, none of it ever made him able to shake the shame. Not all the way. Not completely.
“You’ve mentioned your difficulties as a child before.”
He looks at her, blinking. She’s sitting back, too, hands folded in her lap. The perfect representation of calm professionalism, even in her weekend sweats and short ponytail, meeting him after an hour at her hot yoga class. Which she claims is miserable but ‘exhilarating’, which to Jake mostly just seems like ‘miserable, but too expensive not to pretend to like’.
“You’re treating me like a patient,” He says, and there’s humor in his voice that he doesn’t really feel. It’s not a statement, honestly, it’s more of a question, if one he already knows the answer to.
She nods, mostly just tipping her chin slightly down, head to the side. “You seem like you need someone to talk to, lately,” She says, and there’s no hint of annoyance or irritation in voice or face. Only her empathy, which he’s seen turned on so many of the runaways over the years, now aimed right at him. “But I’ve been thinking that you seem like you need someone to talk to lately more or less since you were twenty-three years old.”
“Christ, has it been that long?” He groans. “God, it has. I’m getting old.”
“You’re not even thirty-five, Jake.” She smiles wide enough for him to catch the dimple on one side. “But I know the feeling. I felt old at your age, too. And then somehow I kept getting older without actually feeling any wiser."
“Funny how that happens. I’m all right, Andrea, I really am, but I just… you know, it never stops. And that’s what I wanted, I knew from the first month I worked for Nat I didn’t want to do anything else with my life, but with… with what happened to Kauri… I’m wondering if I’m even strong enough to do this forever.”
“Very few people are,” Dr. Berger says gently. “That’s nothing to feel upset or ashamed of.”
“Nat never stopped.”
“Nat’s quite the exception to the rule.” Dr. Berger exhales without quite opening her mouth all the way, looking towards the window in her office, the tree outside. Her fingers tap idly along the top of one thigh. “But even she is only taking on one person right now-”
“Two, if you count Vince.”
Dr. Berger’s lip twitches in another slight smile. “Fine. Two. But my point is that Nat is a very driven person, yes, but even she needed to step back for a while. It’s not a problem to become worn down by the work you do. And lying is difficult, even lying for survival. Our minds dislike dishonesty, even our own. You can’t make a baseline of success based on someone else’s career path, because you are not Natalie Yoder.”
“God, no. I’m sure not. I wouldn’t ever have worked for WRU, for one thing.”
Dr. Berger is quiet for a beat, and then asks softly, “Do you resent her?”
“I did, for a while after I found out. After I found out she’d lied to us for so long, when I had-... when I hadn’t lied to her, you know-... but she had lied to us. And then they showed me that photo of her… Yeah, I was angry for a while.”
“Because of the lying?”
“Because of the lying to me.” He shakes his head. Somehow it’s found its way into his hands, palms pressed to his temples over his eyebrows. The office is a little over-warm - she keeps the thermostat higher on the weekends so the air won’t run as hard. The wildfires have finally come under control, but the smoke travels and the sun outside seems weaker, a little orange, even in the middle of the day. But still, the smell in the air keeps Jake on edge.
Like he can’t quite shake the way the air smelled when he was racing his car towards Vince’s house, following Keira’s directions and praying he wouldn’t be too late.
And he almost was.
Staring at Kauri in Antoni’s arms, the weeping and the tears. The blood, only realizing once he had them both in his own arms that the blood wasn't Kauri's, but Owen's.
Realizing only when Vince and Nat were headed for the bathroom that Vince had been the one to wield the knife.
He'd already been thinking about the lies they would tell to explain Owen’s death, even before he could bring back home the person he loves most on earth. It’s always been about the lies they’ll use to save themselves, it’s always been about the lies he’ll tell to protect his family.
“Is it-... Jake, this is a delicate question, but is it because it reminds you of your-”
“Dad?” He cuts her off. Somehow it feels safer to be the one to say it out loud. He looks up to see her throat move as she swallows, to take in the plain, worn blue of her sweatshirt. She has little wrinkles around her eyes like Nat does, and did she have any of them when he first met her, or has that just come with the time, the years that have passed while they worked to help frightened, hurting people heal?
She nods.
“Yeah.” He laughs, airy and bitter and humorless. “It does remind me of him, definitely. Of telling people at church that I fell out of a tree instead of that my dad grabbed me hard enough to dislocate my shoulder, and then sitting through a stupid fucking Sunday School lecture about the ‘importance of honesty’ and God knowing when we lie. Of my mother laughing with my grandparents about being so dang clumsy when every single person at the Thanksgiving table giving thanks for our good fortune knew he’d punched her. Of telling myself that I wasn’t angry she didn’t leave even though I was punching the wall until my hands bled when I thought about having to keep living in that house with him. Seven year old kids shouldn’t be angry enough to do that!“
She doesn’t say anything, but at least she doesn’t have her notebook out. It feels less like real therapy if she doesn’t have her notebook, if she’s just listening. It makes it easier to keep talking, knowing that the words simply dissolve into the air after he says them, and there’s no one keeping a record of his confessions.
“I feel like I’m always angrier than the people hurt worse than I was,” Jake whispers. His eyes burn, and he’s surprised to feel tears welling when he blinks, even more shocked when one rolls, warm and and then suddenly cold, down his face. His heart twists, chilled and burning inside his chest. “I was always angrier than my mom, I’m angrier about Owen Grant than Kauri is. I’m always fighting off my anger while they’re coming up with reasons it happened, and they’re not even reasons, they’re-... they’re… God, I don’t know what. No, I do, I do. They’re excuses. Justifications. Even Kauri, even Kauri sometimes talks about how Owen Grant was lonely, like it fucking matters. They get hurt anyway, those assholes hurt them, Owen tried to kill them, and I’m supposed to, what, just… make it better, but not admit what was wrong in the first place?"
He groans, a sound that seems like it wells up against his will, comes pouring out of somewhere deep inside him that has been coiled and tense and twisted for his entire life. Water rushing through a canyon after the bursting of a dam.
“I just feel like… like I can’t get away from lying. I wanted to help people but I’m doing the same shit I’ve always done. And I can’t ever seem to stop it before it happens. Just... pick up the pieces."
“You feel like you are drawn to people who have been subjected to intense abuse because of your early years, and that it’s become a cycle of telling lies to protect them while perhaps not feeling like you are fully succeeding.” She rephrases it so succinctly, so perfectly, and, well… there’s a reason she’s the therapist and he’s just some guy who keeps the door open for hurting people to come in out of the cold.
“Yeah.”
“Do you think you’ve been having a resurgence of this anger because of what happened with Kauri? It’s very understandable-”
“Not just him. I mean, yeah, that didn’t help, but…” He rubs at his left hand with his right. His fingertips spark and tingle, like his hands gone to sleep, only sometimes it doesn’t stop for hours at a time. He can’t really feel the pressure of his right hand through the nerves in his left, and like always, a part of him is cold with fear at what that means. “Ever since… ever since I was stabbed, really.”
“Since Jameson stabbed you.” She says it without blame or recrimination towards Jameson, simply names the events for what they are.
It helps.
God, it helps to hear someone else say it.
“Yeah, since, since then. Since Jameson stabbed me. Mostly because… there’s some kind of thing wrong with my arm, my hand, ever since. And I’m… I’m not telling them about it.”
“You’re lying to them about your injuries that came as a result of someone else’s loss of control over their actions, and this feels like your childhood with your father?”
“... it’s not-... my dad could have controlled it. My dad knew what he was doing, he wanted to hurt me, to hurt my mom. It’s not really the same. Jameson didn’t even know who I was. He has these flashbacks, worse than anyone else I’ve ever worked with, where he can be-... violent. Nat says it’s mostly under control, now, with his medication. He still has them occasionally, but now that he’s not in the house with someone who reminds him of the guy who hurt him, or one of them. Which… apparently I do. Remind him of one of those bastards, which, doesn't that feel great to hear."
Another bitter laugh.
“I mean, people always told me I was just like my dad-... that I looked just like him, I mean. Shit. Well, that’s a goddamn Freudian slip, huh?”
She pauses. “It does seem to suggest you have a certain amount of concern over repeating the cycle of abuse within your own relationships, yes. We can talk about that, but I want to stay with the worry you came in here carrying. It’s a heavy weight, Jake. A lifetime of practicing deception would be difficult for anyone, no matter their inner strength. Let me say that I do wonder if there isn’t an element of this injury weighing even more heavily on you because you are lying to the people you are usually lying for.”
That hits.
That hits hard.
He rubs at the skin between thumb and forefinger, pinching it as hard as he can. He barely feels it. “... probably. That’s probably true. But everyone is hurting, and they need me to be the strong one, you know?”
She pauses. Considers his words. “Do they, Jake?”
He’s so tired.
Jake wonders, idly, how many times he thinks about how tired he is, each and every day. How much of his life has been spent thinking those exact words, if you added together every single second?
“I think they do. I have to be in control, I have to be the one who doesn’t get torn apart, because they already have been. They need someone to always be the, the rock, you know? ‘The wise man builds his house upon the rock’, you ever heard that song?”
“Can’t say I have.”
“Oh. It’s a church song, for kids. ‘The wise man builds his house upon the rock,’” Jake manages a slight tuneless singing, then lets it fade, an embarrassed flush marking his cheeks. “I have to be the rock.”
A bird sings outside the window, chirping happily, and Jake turns to look. Through the slits of the oversized wooden blinds, he can see it sitting at a bird feeder, happily dipping its beak to pick up seeds while a jealous squirrel chitters from a tree branch nearby.
“I would perhaps note that there are other places to build a house than on a solid, unmoving rock.” Dr. Berger doesn’t sound mocking, or like she’s being humorous or even lightly making fun of his thoughts. She follows him down the confusing trail of his conversation, and leads him back to the main path, the larger one where he can sort of see the next marker telling him where to turn. “Rock subjected to water will eventually crumble and wear away. It can shatter under pressure, you know. And it can be hard work to build a long-lasting foundation when you have to break into the stone to do it.”
“They built skyscrapers in New York by drilling into the bedrock,” Jake counters.
Dr. Berger smiles. “But skyscrapers must be built with flexibility, Jake. They sway, they shift, they move with the wind and the ground beneath them. Otherwise… well. Otherwise, they would just fall with the pressure caused by ordinary wind. The foundation is important, but so are the components used to create the structure itself.”
“I… can’t think of any other building metaphors to argue with,” Jake admits after a pause, and she laughs, warmly, and then he does, too. Some of the tightly coiled anxiety inside of him relents, just a little, and the anger goes with it. “In any case, the idea of the song is from a Bible verse. Uh, ‘everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.’”
“I have seen houses pulled off the rock they were built on into flooded rivers,” Dr. Berger says softly, “And pulled apart by the water, left as just some wood and nails, Jake. I've seen videos of tornadoes picking a house up and turning it to puzzle pieces in seconds, no matter what it was built on. And anyone who had built a house on a rock without a basement would have been lifted up with it."
“Well, the idea isn’t exactly-... Jesus didn’t get to watch youtube videos. And I doubt He had much experience with tornadoes."
“No, He didn’t. When did you last read the Bible, Jake?”
“I don’t know. Long time ago. Don’t even own one any longer. Nat does, I think.” He rubs a hand over his face again. Maybe when he goes home he’ll lay down and ask if Kauri wants to nap with him.
“But you still had that bit about the rock, what, memorized?”
“Yeah. Turns out when you win the stupid Bible memorization quiz competition four years in a row, that shit sticks with you.”
“I can see that.” She hesitates, and then picks up the pen she’d been using to make the appointments for the runaways. She taps it lightly on her desk, over the oversized calendar she uses, that takes up most of the space in front of her. “Jake, you have spent a lot of years letting anger build up inside of you because you are afraid to express it. You’ve said as much, that you fear your resemblance to your father becoming more than simply physical. And mentioning this incident with Jameson, I think… to return to our incredibly tortured metaphor, I think… I think that that incident has been like increased wind, or pressure, and you are not able to shift or sway to hold yourself together, not forever. And Owen Grant’s attack on Kauri and Vince has increased that wind speed even more. You can’t keep going like this forever.”
“Probably not. But I can't stop, either. Who else can keep going, if I can’t? You know? If I don’t take care of everything, who’s going to?”
“They are. Kauri, Antoni, Chris. Everyone in your house. They adore you, Jake, and they are capable and probably more than happy to help you. But you have to be able to ask for and receive help in order for them to provide it.”
“Right. And how do I do that, exactly, when Kauri still looks like the attempted murder victim he is, Antoni won’t leave his side, and Chris has been calling himself names again since he saw them written on the wall at Laken’s? I mean, how do I ask for help from people who need help way more than I do?”
“It’s not a competition-”
“Sometimes it feels like it is.”
“I understand. Jake, I think you should start coming to see me. There’s a lot inside of you that you’ve been pushing down to help people. Providing that help is admirable, but if you keep going without slowing down or taking a breath, you’re going to collapse. I want you to have someone to talk to.”
“You?”
“Yes.” Dr. Berger smiles. “Me. I don’t mind. I’m actually easing out of taking regular patients, it’ll be time to retire for me soon, anyway. I have an opening on Thursday mornings. Would you like to start coming in at, say 9:30 in the morning? Each Thursday?”
Jake swallows, nods, then stops himself. “What do I tell the others I’m doing?”
“Jake.” Dr. Berger sighs, but her smile is still there. “You tell them exactly the truth. You’re going to therapy, too. Just like they do. You don’t lie to them about this, and we’re going to talk about how to stop lying about other things, too. Your deception has been self-protective, and protective of others, for so long that it’s become a survival mechanism. But you don’t need to protect yourself that way, not from your loved ones, not any longer.”
“It feels like it. It feels like I do.”
“Which is why I want to see you next Thursday, at 9:30 in the morning, coffee in hand.” She smiles. “Deal?”
He breathes out. His phone buzzes, and he glances down at it to see a message from Kauri. Three pizza emojis, question mark. If Kauri’s using emojis, today isn’t going well.
If Antoni is happy with Kauri asking him to order pizzas instead of offering to cook, today is really not going well.
Jesus, he’s so goddamn exhausted. He takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders.
“Deal,” He says, a little heavily. “Thursday, 9:30. Coffee in hand. Until then…”
“Until then, remind yourself that you’re allowed your anger. And they’re allowed to know about it, so that you can have fully honest expressions of your feelings with each other. Communication is key to a relationship, and I guarantee-... Jake, I guarantee that Antoni and Kauri are angry, too, about what’s happened. And that both of them are probably as frightened of expressing it as you are, if for different reasons. You have to talk to each other, and that means you, too.”
“... shit.”
Her smile widens slightly, wryly. “What? Hit the nail on the head?”
“Maybe a little bit. I guess there’s a reason you’re the therapist and not me.”
“I’m the therapist because what you and Nat do takes an amount of dedication and emotional strength that I don’t believe I am capable of. I admire the two of you immensely, Jake. You’ve no idea how much. But you both still need someone to help you, and I would love to be that person."
He feels his face burn hotter and looks away, huffing a little. “Right.”
“I’m quite serious. But just… think about what I said, okay? And we’ll start meeting professionally next week.”
“Got it. I think I need… I’m going to head home.” He pushes himself to his feet, and they say their goodbyes with Jake thinking it over, preoccupied as he walks out, hears the click of the door’s automatic lock behind him as he steps into the yellowish light. The scent of wildfire smoke sets his shoulders a little higher towards his chin, tenses his muscles.
The edge of the horizon, on one side, is still a little bit dark and orange.
The wildfires are under control, the news anchors say, but they’re still burning. The tragedy has already happened, there’s no prevention any longer, only recovery. Only trying to head it off before it gets any worse.
The trees are already stumps and ash, the wild animals have turned to blackened bone or escaped the inferno. Cars have wound their way down mountain roads burning on either side, vehicles packed to their roofs with whatever the people could take with them in the ten or twenty minutes they were given before they had to run, everything else left to be lost.
The bruises are already dark around Kauri’s throat and over his hips, his movements are already hesitant, his lips tremble when he wakes up, checking to be sure he isn't alone.
Jake has already been a little boy in the emergency room listening to his mother say his concussion is from falling on the pavement when it had been his father throwing him down, he’s already felt himself boil alive with rage he can’t let out.
He's already been a teenager with a black eye on a bus in the middle of the night, told that it was a mistake that he was ever born by one of the two people who should have loved him unconditionally.
In what used to be the forests, dark charcoal marks are already cut so deeply into the earth that they’ll be visible for a long, long time. The smoke is already visible, in some spots, from space.
The damage is already done.
They can’t undo the fires.
They can only work, now, to encourage the green things to grow back up over the scars.
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@burtlederp @finder-of-rings @endless-whump @astrobly @thefancydoughnut @newandfiguringitout @doveotions @pretty-face-breaker @gonna-feel-that-tomorrow @boxboysandotherwhump @oops-its-whump @cubeswhump @whump-tr0pes @downriver914 @whumptywhumpdump @whumpiary @orchidscript @nonsensical-whump @outofangband @eatyourdamnpears @hackles-up @grizzlie70 @mylifeisonthebookshelf @keeper-of-all-the-random-things
#emotional whump#jake the shelter guy#dr. andrea berger#therapy whump#therapy#trauma recovery whump#trauma recovery#domestic violence tw#emotional abuse tw#whump#writing#original writing#bbu#box boy universe#caretaker as whumpee#caretaker turned whumpee#grumpy caretaker#angry caretaker#angry whumpee#recovering whumpee#religion tw#brief but still#referenced child abuse
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Sustainability
Choice of materials and sourcing
We could use recycled timber, which is more environmentally conscious than buying new timber, but our budget may not allow it as it’s hard to gauge whether recycled timber would be more or less expensive.
Using new timber, we would likely be able to get a deal through Zain so it would be more cost-effective, but not as sustainable.
Since we plan on painting it, the colour of the wood won’t matter too much. The things to consider in wood type would be locally sourced, its durability outside and its ability to be reused after this project. Assuming that we aren’t going to be using engineered timber, these are some options:
Douglas Fir, Kahikatea, Kauri (from Fiji), Larch, Lawson Cypress, Macrocarpa, Radiata, Saligna and Vitex (from Solomon Islands).
Consideration of waste during construction
(Can we reduce waste and then dispose of it sustainably)
As we are planning to make our panels out of slats of timber instead of cutting them from sheets, there will be less waste.
In theory, there would be very little waste during the construction of all of the timber-related parts of the design.
The concrete could be a different story. As we have to pour foundations and the base of the ponds, there could easily be waste concrete in the process. Apparently the easiest and most economic method of getting concrete to the site is with a mixer truck, so estimating how much we need as accurately as possible will avoid there being too much excess.
Deconstruction and what will happen to the materials
Can they be reused or recycled after dismantling?
To do that, no glues that will make the wood unusable. Instead we’ll stick our panels together with removable screws around the edge. These panels could remain as such and be reused as coffee tabletops, potentially making money back for the project after its deconstruction. Otherwise, the panels can be deconstructed and the slats that are left over could be donated to the UoA school of architecture to provide students with modelling materials.
Dismantling the concrete is a less reusable resource, though perhaps we could find a place that would take it to make aggregate for new concrete, or else it could remain on site, if Brick Bay was happy to keep the ponds as a permanent feature (unlikely).
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Recommended tours in New Zealand
In total I was only allowed to explore New Zealand for 22 days, of which I spent 8 days on the North Island and 14 days on the South Island. The route was roughly planned in advance, but the individual stages came up spontaneously, depending on the route and the plan of what we wanted to experience. Also the South Island is known for its unique beautiful nature, which you can partly only experience on a guided tour. The Doubtful Sound can only be reached on a guided tour. Be sure to allow enough time for the trip. This is not far from Opponi and is home to New Zealand's oldest and largest Kauri Tree. If you continue to use the website, we will assume your permission. If I hitchhike and/or use the bus, will 3-4 weeks be enough? The landscape is vast and you can watch seals and penguins. A very famous photo motif along The Catlins is Nugget Point. At the Fox and Franz Josef Glacier we did without the expensive ice climbs and instead used the free hiking trails, which are all recommendable. We can highly recommend the one-hour round trip around Lake Matheson, which reflects Mount Cook when the weather is good. In the winter months you also have the opportunity to work in the large ski areas in the catering trade, as a receptionist, parking attendant, lift attendant and many other areas. The job offers are often combined with accommodation and free lift tickets. In New Zealand there are many more job opportunities. Here it is important to keep your eyes and ears open at all times. The Working Holiday Visa gives you an insight into numerous jobs and different industries in New Zealand. Napier is like a journey back to the 20s. The entire route and the duration of your trip is of course up to you. You don't have to travel it exactly the same way as in this example.
Go to the foodie heaven or give you pure culture in the very popular Te Papa Museum.
1.500€ on four weeks, which is about a budget per day of 50€ per nose.
Sation 1: Auckland
Read more about campervan hire New Zealand here.
3rd day: Paihia - Auckland
When do I need a visa for New Zealand?
New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world where there are no terrestrial snakes (but there are three types of sea snakes in the surrounding sea). In 1907 three pairs of chamois came to New Zealand as a gift from the Austrian Emperor at the request of New Zealand's Prime Minister Seddon.
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neuseeland palmen (7)
Intercultural communication: interpreting facial expressions, gestures and body language correctly
Kahurangi National Park is the home of the Great Spotted Kiwi, which, like all Kiwis, goes out at night in search of food. It is very unlikely to see one of these flightless curiosities, but you can hear them when you lie in your hut at night. In the sub-alpine areas, daisies glow on the grassy hills, in the forest soft moss cushions sit in rippling streams and tiny orchids grow under trees. On the coast, flax bushes and Nikau palms create a tropical atmosphere and on every ascent or descent you notice how the forest changes. Sometimes the Heaphy Track is also called 'flora walk' because of the variety of plant species. "This is especially impressive with the palm trees in the Seychelles, for example. They often form layers of one and a half to two metres thick on the ground," says the botanist. The trail is located in Kahurangi National Park, the second largest national park in the country. Isolated from the world for 50,000 years, but still as young as on day one, thanks to conservation. These are now being dug up again and turned into very expensive and exclusive pieces of furniture. The yellow, beautiful blossoms of the Kowhai tree are counted among the most beautiful experiences on the North Island. From Auckland you travel on to the subtropical bays and huge Kauri trees of the Bay of Islands. In the heart of the North Island lies a typical Hobbit landscape with gentle, deep green hills. Visit a New Zealand winery in Napier and discover spitting geysers and bubbling mud holes around Rotorua.
The humid Pacific climate brings lots of strong sunshine, but also lots of rain, both ideal for vegetation.walk leisurely along the sandbanks of the river, surrounded by a rainforest of Kowhai, Cabbage Trees and Nikau Palms. The families who speak Maori at home, however, in the company of Kiwis of European descent, tend to stick to English. If an Alamy account is associated with an Alamy, you will receive an email with instructions on how to reset your password. Enter the email address associated with your login. We will then send you a link to reset your password. We may request cookies that are set on your device.
Read more about campervan hire New Zealand here.
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Bog Oak is a wood which is more rare than diamond. If you ask 1 000 people: „What is Bog Oak?”, only 1 or 2 persons will know it. It is the most expensive wood on earth, only kauri can rival with it. In times of reiging of Tsar Peter I, having Bog Oak floor or furniture was punished with death. We are working with Bog Oak for over five years. Searching it and mining from rivers, lakes, swamps and gravel pits is a very complicated and expensive process, could be compared to looking for treasures. In this wood there is nothing which could feed the borer. In about 1 000 years it will look the same like today. Maybe it will have more cracks, but it will be suitable for further processing. Bog Oak gives back energy it acumulated over the centuries. In opinion of one of bioenergotherapeutists it has healing properties. Having it at home helps keep the well-being and maintain good condition. Popularity of Bog Oak increased in last few years. #bogoak #bogoakart #natureart
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Week 3: Monday
An update on some drawings and ideas, and notes from class today.
I’ve been struggling drawing the plans and generating ideas but am trying to keep persisting to hopefully spark something and develop my skills. I did a couple of test spaces to get a feeling for how I might use the interior, but I need to check the measurements now to actually understand how much space we are working with.
I think I also have more of an idea about where I am heading with my theme. I found a snippet of information today that said the Rotorua Bath House actually had some Turkish influence, which I think may actually be reflective in the deep bath I had been focusing on. This I think has pushed me more to focus on Rotorua’s stories, as I know and am inspired mostly by these and played a huge role in New Zealand’s tourism industry. I would not only like to design with the actual Bath House in mind, but also the Pink and White Terraces, the entire region being volcanic, and the fact that the city itself is in the crater of a volcano (become lake). There are so many elements in Rotorua connecting the volcanic nature to water, and the way humans interacted with these.
I still would love to design a Turkish bath house but I am hesitant due to the concern I may appropriate culture, get something wrong and cause offence. I will focus instead of the Turkish elements existing in the Rotorua Bath House and how I can translate that somehow into my design.
We also started to look at materials we may like to work with. I began by researching what the original Rotorua Bath House was constructed with.
Pumice concrete was mostly used for economical reasons, but in looking into this material more I have learned that it is an incredible source used even in some Roman structures that still stand today. It is highly resilient and lightweight making it an ideal material to work with structurally.
The Bath House also used native New Zealand timber from Kauri, Tōtara, Matai and Pūriri. I think I may like to incorporate Tōtara and Matai. Tōtara is a soft wood, so not suitable structurally so much, but is durable and often used for door and window framing, and outdoor furniture. Matai is also very durable and suitable for flooring and joinery. I don’t yet know how these would work with water, so is something I need to look into more. Kauri is an amazing wood, however is very expensive, while Pūriri is difficult to work with and is prone to damage from the pūriri moth.
Considering there is so much volcanic influence in my idea, I would like to use volcanic rock of some sort. I am thinking of having some kind of flame sculpture or art and thought this would suit an andesite stone. If I am able to replicate the Pink and White Terraces in some way, rhyolite would probably be very suitable. It would be amazing to use actual silica, but I haven’t researched this much as a material yet.
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‘Life and Limb’: Foresters on the front line of climate change in Vanuatu
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‘Life and Limb’: Foresters on the front line of climate change in Vanuatu
The documentary follows Vanuatu's foresters
Foresters in Vanuatu. Source: Facebook page of Vanuatu Department of Forest.
One of the films being screened at the ongoing 2020 Eugene Environmental Film Festival is ‘Life and Limb’ which features the work of foresters in Vanuatu. The Eugene Environmental Film Festival highlights initiatives around the world that share “a deep connection and responsibility to protect the environment and work in solidarity with others in the struggle toward environmental justice.” This year the festival is free and all films are screened online. Vanuatu is a South Pacific nation of 80 islands. It is extremely vulnerable to climate change, in particular the threat posed by rising sea levels to coastal communities. One of the environmental protection initiatives that the Vanuatu government has recently launched aims to make an inventory of forest lands on 12 major islands. This was last done 30 years ago. Ginny Stein, a veteran Australian journalist and filmmaker, documented this work. Stein has been helping Vanuatu’s Department of Forestry as a volunteer and consultant. Global Voices emailed Stein and asked what inspired her to document the work of the foresters:
After a long career as a foreign correspondent and film maker, I moved to Vanuatu to work as a volunteer in communications at the Department of Forestry. The National Forest Inventory kicked off while I was there. I thought it was a great chance to teach foresters about the power of media in raising public awareness about what they do. I was fortunate to get a chance to work with them, to talk about filming using phones and tablets, before they departed for the field.
She added how her team decided to make a documentary:
They started sending me short video clips which I would turn into social media videos and post on the forestry Facebook page. At the same time, I had the chance to meet up with them in the field, on a number of islands where I would film with them. Over the course of six months, I realised we had enough material to make a documentary, which is how ‘Life and Limb’ came together.
The documentary follows a team of foresters who are part of the government project to make an inventory of the forest lands and offers a glimpse into their battle against climate change. It also shows the importance of the forest in Vanuatu culture and how logging for several decades has gravely affected the ecological balance in the country’s small islands. It also narrated the impact of the rise in cash-crop demand on Vanuatu’s agricultural and forest lands.
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For the past year I have worked with the Forestry Department of Vanuatu to help protect one of this South Pacific Island's most unique and valuable resources….its forests. Foresters became camera operators as they began the first stocktake of the island's forests in more than 30 years. The proof of everyone's efforts…a documentary "Life and Limb" will be launched next week at the Australian High Commission in Port Vila. For the past few weeks, we have all watched from here in horror as Australia's forests have burned. Vanuatu, a small pacific island on the front lines of climate change, is one of a number of island countries that has chipped in to help Australian firefighters. This documentary is about Vanuatu's forests, but it highlights the value of forests to people's lives the world over. Tankio tumas olgeta blong Vanuatu and all who helped make it. #forestartist #forestmapping #forests #conservation #lifeandlimb #climateemergency #wildlife #wildseas #kauri #nabunga #forestry #climatechange #climate #sustainability #theworld #camera #documentary
A post shared by VanuatuForestryDepartment (@vanuatuforestrydepartment) on Jan 6, 2020 at 7:49pm PST
//www.instagram.com/embed.js Stein explained some of the challenges faced by the foresters:
For the teams, the biggest challenge was getting to where they had to go, by boat, truck, or foot. And the weather. They were reliant on the support of communities. For me, connecting with them was the greatest challenge. And data is really expensive in Vanuatu.
The film was screened in Vanuatu in January 2020. Stein shared the feedback of the audience:
Showing the film the first time and watching the reaction of foresters was priceless. There was lots of joy and pride in what they had done. And a thrill of seeing themselves on the big screen. Taking it into communities was very rewarding. At Hog Harbour in Santo, people watched it at an outdoor screening. There was laughter and joy at seeing ni-Vanuatu working for their country. People really loved the music as well. I was lucky that Vanuatu's Cultural Centre gave me access to some of their archived music and that the Soul Harvest Choir also allowed me to use some music I recorded with them.
Finally, Stein’s message to the international community:
My message is please watch “Life and Limb”, and please support those on the frontlines of climate change who are working hard knowing there are great challenges coming their way. You can do that by taking action yourself, wherever you are. By learning more about climate change, and calling on your representatives to start taking action now.
The whole film can be watched by visiting the website of the Eugene Environmental Film Festival. Watch the film’s trailer here: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uStAv6cGflE?start=8&feature=oembed&w=650&h=366]
Written by Mong Palatino
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Presentation Script
Slide 1:
Introduction
Slide 2
The largest waste stream of New Zealand is not single use plastic but instead Construction Demolition waste. It accounts for 50% of New Zealand’s total waste and has a forecasted growth of 3% per annum. It’s a consequence of several macroenvironmental pressures on the C&D industry – including the pressure to deliver 100,000 kiwi build homes.
Slide 3
38% of the C&D waste stream is timber. In areas experiencing regentrification such as Glen Innes and Point England, Post-WW2 homes made from Rimu, Kauri and Matai are being demolished. These houses were built to house the returning soldiers and their families. I had the opportunity to go onto two Union Demolition sites, and found that only 15% of this timber which is now rare native species is recycled and sent to salvage sheds.
Slide 4
My initial HMW statement was ‘How might we reimagine and challenge the conventional thinking of timber waste produced by the construction and demolition industry?’
Slide 5
To understand the C&D industry’s attitude towards timber waste, I spent two days on the Fletchers NZICC project. The first day I spent the whole day with two other carpenters, taking down a plywood wall because the wall specifications for the plyboard changed. We threw all this ply into the skip. On the second day I shadowed a Quantity Surveyor and what I learnt:
· It’s easier to throw-away old timber rather than remove nails.
· Time taken to remove nails is time lost and results in less productive work and output
· Management prioritise labour efficiency, over materials as they can factor waste into their charge out price. The same cannot be done for labour.
· Government regulation or intervention would be needed to change the behaviour. The building code and act are vague and focuses on H&S of waste management.
Slide 6
I completed 8 interviews with a range of people working within the C&D industry including a project working on a Green Star certification project and a lecturer that specialises in sustainability in Construction. After completing the interviews, I synthesised the information and generated three insights.
The first insight is ‘Industry priorities create a barrier towards timber waste minimisation. The priorities whilst working on a project are time to cash, managing stakeholder relations, health & safety, scheduling labour and labour efficiency.
· 0/8 participants recorded waste minimisation as a priority
· “You’re more likely to lose money on labour than on materials.”
The second is ‘The Construction & Demolition industry are under immense pressure to deliver rapid results and initiatives like Green Star encourage the use of sustainable products as opposed to waste reduction. The industry wide mentality results in a large volume of both high and low value timber ending in the landfill. 5 of the 8 participants were concerned that the native timber being thrown away, was a loss of New Zealand’s culture and heritage, and that it needed to be preserved.
· “We get some really nice timber, it’s a shame to see it go to waste but we have a deadline to meet.”
· “You’re throwing away the culture and heritage of New Zealand.”
The third insight is ‘Irrespective of whether the timber is high or low value, recycled timber is perceived as being cheap because it’s previously been used. It’s difficult to on-sell because the timber is damaged, warped and can no longer be used in structural framing. Additionally, new materials like Pine and Douglas Fir are low cost and easy to work with. 5 of the 8 individuals believe that the timber needs to be recycled into something of value.
· “We find it quite hard to move salvage material, even new building products aren’t that expensive. Plus you can’t use Rimu, kauri or matai because they’re prone to bora damage.”
· “Nobody wants a recycled weatherboard because it’s a weatherboard, what are you going to do with it? It needs to be made into something that gives it value otherwise it’s just another piece of wood to your average Joe.”
Slide 7
After generating my insights I refined my scoped to focus on the waste output and introducing value to the old timber. My HMW shifted to “How might we commercialise untreated timber and reintroduce the value of rare native timber from the C&D industry?
Slide 8
I completed my ideation with 3 individuals I interviewed earlier on. We had a massive brain dump session where we wrote down as many ideas or related themes to our challenge statement. We then discussed everyone’s ideas and began to group them and visualise potential solutions.
A key idea that came up repeatedly was imbedding value through woodworking and craftsmanship. The participants talked about traditional from the past, compared to cheap mass production work. We completed a dot voting exercise to decide on the idea to continue to develop.
Slide 9
The idea we settled on was an armchair and the supply chain/manufacturing behind the production of the chair.
Key questions that came up during this session were:
How do you preserve the culture and history of the area through the chair design? The group believed that the issue was not only the timber waste produced, but also the lost history of an area.
Another question was, how do you ensure that the upcycled armchair does not have the negative connotations of recycled furniture?
Slide 10
The final idea is to create armchairs made from both high and low value untreated timber. We’ll source materials from salvage sheds, construction and demolition sites, by providing a free waste removal service. We’re aiming for pieces less than 1.4m – which is throw away piece in the industry.
We’ll then categorise the wood before restoring it to a workable state. We’ll trim and assemble the chair, and we’ll save offcuts to be saved for use as reinforcement blocks in framing.
The final output will be two collections:
· The lost ones– timber retrieved from salvage sheds and construction sites
· Gone with the wind - timber retrieved from demolition sites
Each chair will come with a pamphlet and key. Information included in the pamphlet will be the type of wood, timber finishes, craftsmanship, who made the chair and the process. For chairs from the ‘’ collection they will also have information on the history of the area. They key is a play on the signifier of ownership associated with homeownership and for chairs from a location we’ll have the co-ordinates of that location. Lastly, user’s will be able to inset the key into a part of the timber chair which is to be decided.
Slide 11
The end user group are affluential professionals from high socioeconomic backgrounds. They are against mass production and prefer sustainable products and authentic and real experiences. These users sit within the top tier of Maslow’s hierarchy and needs and make decisions based of ‘Self-actualisation’.
Slide 12
For my first round of user testing, I focused on the customer journey of purchasing a chair, understanding what makes a chair valuable from the user’s perspective and testing whether the content in the pamphlet and on the website was relevant. Techniques I used during this session was card sorting, perceptual mapping, customer-journey mapping, task-based activities and an in-store replicated scenario.
Slide 13
From the user testing I learnt four things:
The first is that the brand story resonates with the users. All 4 of the participants started that this was something that differentiated ‘Untold’ from other competitors. They perceived the problem as being cultural and material preservation. All of the participants reported mixed emotions of disappoint and sadness about the timber being thrown away, but were relieved and enamoured that it was being revived.
“It was endearing and I kind of felt like I bonded with the chair. This is going to sound weird, but it was like I was getting to know a person. Actually, it’s like a puppy at the SPCA and I have this obligation and desire to take it home with me.” Nessa
Secondly quality craftsmanship, timber finishes and upholstery were components that all participants believed added value. A popular style of chair was the 1960’s Nordic Scandinavian chairs.
All participants viewed the pamphlet and were intrigued by the content. It was suggested that more imagery should be used as the content was very text heavy. 2 of the participants suggested concealing some of the information for the owner only.
Participants perceived existing examples of recycled furniture as being low value due to its’ chunkiness’.
“To be perfectly honest I think it all looks a bit shit. It looks like someone’s bad wood working school project gone wrong. There’s just no craftsmanship, it looks like nobody cared when they put it together or like there was no QA done on it. Hayden
Slide 14
This is the an update on the prototype that I’ve been working on. I’ve focused on the refining the content of the pamphlet, and have started to consider the function of it. And that’s an arm prototype that I made.
Slide 15
Sweet. Any questions.
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Haere mai, statistical computing folks.
Later this year, Auckland is hosting the Asian regional meeting of the International Association for Statistical Computing. For the benefit of conference-goers, here’s a brief introduction to the locale.
Nomenclature:
The Owen G. Glenn Building (OGGB, or building 260, in university abbreviations) is named after Owen G. Glenn. He’s a New Zealand businessman and philanthropist.
Auckland is named after George Eden. The subantarctic Auckland Islands were not named after George but after his father William Eden.
New Zealand is named after the Dutch province of Zeeland; the lack of resemblance is quite striking.
Formally,(Actually It’s more complicated) the country is Aotearoa New Zealand, with Māori and English names of equal status. The city has a Māori name, Tāmaki Makaurau, but its primary name is the English one.
The Māori language (te reo Māori) is fairly easy to pronounce roughly right. The consonants are the same as in Western European languages (or pinyin), except that ‘wh’ is pronounced /f/. The vowels are pure, as in Spanish or German or Italian. The bars above vowels mean they are about twice as long. There isn’t strong stress on any syllable.
People over 30 who grew up in a place with a Māori name may well use an older, anglicised pronounciation for it, but there’s been a trend away from that. In particular, weather forecasts and airport announcements will typically use something relatively close to the Māori pronounciation.
Mountains
Auckland is full of little pointy hills that look like baby volcanoes. They are baby volcanoes. One of them, Maungawhau/Mt Eden is data(volcano) in R. Every few thousand years, a new one pops up at some unpredictable location in the Auckland area, erupts briefly, and then stops. There’s only a few of these volcano fields around the world — another is the (extinct) Boring Volcano Field in Portland, Oregon. The Auckland one is still active and so is less boring.
The most recent and largest volcano, Rangitoto, is just outside the Waitemata Harbour. There are ferry rides a few times a day, and it’s a nice walk to the top. Parts of Rangitoto are still bare rock, parts are pohutukawa forest, and there’s some areas on the south side that have developed proper soil and a variety of plants.
Auckland Domain, just across the motorway from the conference, is the crater of the closest volcano; Mt Eden is a short bus ride away.
Peoples
New Zealand was the last worthwhile land mass to be settled — about 800 years ago, by Polynesians in big ocean-going canoes. You occasionally see people raising alt-theories of earlier settlement by, eg, Celts, but there’s scientific consensus and fairly wide social endorsement for the view that these people are probably racist whackjobs.
The British arrived in increasing numbers in the early nineteenth century, with the usual consequences — though the Treaty of Waitangi was somewhat more successful than most attempts to negotiate with the British. Recently, the NZ government has settled treaty claims with many iwi (tribes, clans).
At the start of the twentieth century, about one in four residents of New Zealand was an immigrant. The proportion decreased to a minimum of about one in six in the 1940s and has been slowly increasing again. What’s different this time is where the immigrants are from: many are from the Pacific Islands and from Asia. Auckland, in particular, has about 40% immigrant proportion, similar to New York and London. The increase in diversity has gone reasonably well by international standards, but there are certainly some people who aren’t happy with things being different from fifty years ago.
Plants
The trees with dense, gray-green leaves are pohutukawa. Some of them might be flowering by the time of the conference. Stylised versions of the red spiky puffs of flowers are starting to displace winter-based symbols for Christmas in Auckland. You’ll probably hear people worrying about myrtle rust, a South American fungus that has recently arrived; no-one knows how much damage it will do.
Many of the conifers you see are native: rīmu, tōtara, kauri, kahikatea (native plants are typically known by their Māori names). The things like enormous fake Christmas trees are Araucarias; not native but regional — A. heterophylla, ‘Norfolk Pine’ from Norfolk Island and A. columnaris, ‘Cook Pine’, from New Caledonia. There are also two conifers from the Monterey area of California: “radiata” (Pinus radiata) and “macrocarpa” (Cupressus macrocarpa). They grow much more vigorously here.
The Dr Seuss trees looking like bunches of grass on top of tall trunks are Cabbage Trees (Cordyline australis). The name comes from the edibility of the new stem and the roots, rather than their appearance.
Tree ferns are native; the Waitakere hills to the west of Auckland are packed full of them. They’re culturally important: the major women’s professional sports teams are named after them, and the unfolding fern frond (the ‘koru’) is a widely-used symbol of growth.
Kauri are massively huge living-fossil conifers that used to be common in Auckland and points north. Sadly, a lot of the nearby ones were turned into houses, and they grow slowly. Some of the ones on the west side of Northland (day-trip distance) are almost as big as redwoods (Sequoiadendron).
New Zealand Flax is known and loved and/or hated by gardeners around the warm temperate world. It was a traditional fibre source, and the nectar was used as a sweetener. It’s not related to the `true’ flax of the northern hemisphere; it’s a lily.
Birds
New Zealand is famous for its weird native birds. The ones you see around you in Auckland mostly aren’t them. You can easily see a lot of stupidly-introduced English birds: sparrow, starling, pigeon, blackbird, thrush, chaffinch, goldfinch. The cute urban parrots are Australian, as are the magpies and the tiny green silvereyes. The leggy blue and black pūkeko are ‘courtesy natives’ — they arrived before Europeans but after Māori — but they are the same species as the ones all over Europe and Asia. The large black gulls actually are a native species, but the differences would only matter to another gull.
You might, in the parks near the University, see the kererū, the big native pigeon. It’s about twice the size of the feral pigeons, and colored purple, green, and white. There’s a few fantails (pīwakawaka) around, which are very cute.
There’s one common, distinctive, native bird. If you walk past a tree that sounds as if it’s full of old 28k dial-up modems, you have met the tūī. They’re about the size of a blackbird, with a puff of white feathers at the throat, and they’re boisterous, musical, and give the impression of being slightly drunk.
If you want to see more native birds, the day trip to Tiritiri Maitangi Island is highly recommended. You still won’t see kiwi (they are brown, shy, and nocturnal, so are essentially unobservable) but you will likely see saddlebacks and kākāriki and black robins and hihi and bellbirds and kēreru and maybe kōkako and takahē.
Death Rays from Space (update)
Auckland has a relatively mild climate, since it’s surrounded by water, but we’re the same distance from the equator as Las Vegas or the Greek islands. There’s also less continental dust in the atmosphere here than a lot of places. It is surprisingly easy to get badly sunburned.
Foods
The best-value inexpensive food in central Auckland is in Asian restaurants, and particularly in Asian food courts. Non-foodcourt examples especially worth mentioning are Selera (Malaysian, in Newmarket) and Chom Na (Thai, downtown). Another inexpensive option is fish and chips, which is as good here as anywhere in the world: it’s worth paying extra for snapper if it’s fresh. A lot of pubs also have reasonable food.
The best Indian food is in Sandringham, about 6km south, but there are some good places at the top of the hill, along K Rd (Satya, in particular)
Mexican food is not recommended: it tends to be either bad or expensive. Pizza mostly isn’t great (with a few exceptions). Otherwise, any restaurant that can survive in Auckland is unlikely to be terrible.
At the higher priced end of the market, there are a number of good restaurants on Fort St. Ima does family-style Israeli food very well. Indochine Kitchen is Vietnamese, a bit noisy but good flavours. Beirut is posh Lebanese. Cassia is modern Indian food and was the Restaurant of the Year last year. There are lots of well-regarded places in Ponsonby that I don’t know much about.
At the top: for high-end French-style food, The Grove is really excellent; I’ve heard good things about The French Café, but have never been there; Grand Harbour does Hong Kong-style seafood and is by acclaim the best Chinese restaurant in the country, but I’m not really qualified to judge whether it’s worth it. The revolving restaurant on the SkyTower is expensive because it revolves; unlike some revolving restaurants it does actually have good food.
Finally, Giapo, on Fort St, does absolutely over-the-top decorated locavore gelato. You have never seen anything like it.
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Connoisseur highlights: 5 tantalising experiences to try in New Zealand
Whereas New Zealand supplies many a visitor an impressive vacation, it additionally supplies lovers of luxurious, connoisseurs of distinction and people of impeccable style an beautiful alternative to mix the finer issues in life. From wonderful eating, helicopter cruises, fly-fishing and impressed buying to attractive blue oceans, sea-food cruises and scrumptious wines, you are able to do all of it in New Zealand.
No matter your age, gender or desire for luxurious, there may be an incredible array of experiences that may be created and loved in New Zealand that vary from the adrenalin-fuelled to the mellow and dreamy.
Couture
For an expensive style hit, the most well liked new couturier and bespoke label, Dadelszen, has reached a sensational excessive notice inside the couture corridors of New Zealand’s style world. The extremely curated area for women and men to view premium labels has created a much-anticipated degree of design that’s testomony to personalisation and customisation. The appointment solely periods with the Dadelszen workforce attest to the truth that each element of your buying expertise is taken care of in refined type.
Dadelszen provide a variety of informal to extra formal fabrications, all sensible but elegant and easy. Superbly lower trousers, slacks and skirts create the proper associate to cashmere. Whereas flowing silk and cotton clothes hug the physique in luxurious type. From the valet parking as you arrive, to the welcome you obtain while you enter the beautiful area, this expertise is designed to entice your senses. Each need is certain to be met within the lavish area crammed with the best materials from all over the world.
Whisky
Assume whisky and also you have a tendency to consider Celtic mists swirling throughout the Scottish Highlands, or previous barrels sitting on peat flooring on the outskirts of Dublin. But, New Zealand has a thriving whisky commerce, with excursions and tastings to swimsuit essentially the most discerning palette.
There’s an attention-grabbing historical past to whisky, or water-of-life because it was referred to in days passed by. The commonest story is that the Irish monks introduced distilling perfumes again to Eire from their journeys to Mediterranean international locations and used these to distil a wonderful golden liquid, aromatic and fragrant.
Regardless of the reality, whisky has change into a foreign money of wonderful ingesting all over the world. And lest we under-estimate the event of whisky in New Zealand, a 1988 bottle of whisky made in Willowbank was lately awarded “southern hemisphere whisky of the 12 months” within the Whisky Bible.
The custom in New Zealand began means again within the 1830’s with the arrival of the Scottish settlers and has gone on to nice heights. Whisky excursions to the likes of the Cardrona Distillery with its wonderful custom of whisky craftsmanship is about to enlighten even the well-informed connoisseur. A tour that’s designed to supply insights into their water supply and the way the malt is milled, mashed, fermented, distilled and naturally, matured into the wonderful tasting spirits they’ve change into well-known for is a extremely rated expertise.
The Cardrona Distillery additionally presents a restricted variety of casks to a couple personal consumers to create a private buy of their very own mix. The cask is stuffed and left to mature; the style of a barrel is customized made with a touch of vanilla, floral or dried fruit flavours. The distinctive mix develops into an expression of the person; a take a look at of time and flavour for the whisky connoisseur.
Fishing the seas and the rivers
If fishing is your factor, then a heli-fishing expertise is certain to set your spirit hovering. Think about flying over the Hauraki Gulf and the encircling islands, watching whales and dolphins gliding by the ocean. Observe the sting rays of their marine habitat, all from the consolation of your chartered helicopter. Depart from Auckland and head out to one of many idyllic fishing spots alongside the Hauraki Gulf and the encircling islands. Among the greatest fishing on the earth might be discovered alongside the sub-tidal reefs of the North-East shoreline.
A visit out with Heletranz, the pioneers of heli-fishing who’ve a repute for making fishermen very completely satisfied, is certain to get anybody excited. And with all of your gear wants taken care of together with rods, reels, deal with and bait you don’t have anything to fret about besides catching the massive one.
In case your go to takes you to the South Island then a fly-fishing expertise on the Lindis shall be a triumph. The Lindis is completely located for fly-fishing on one of many biggest stretches of water for fly-fishing on the earth, the Ahuriri River. This river is internationally famend, and has been rated high 5 on the earth.
The river runs straight in entrance of the Lindis lodge so friends can stroll right down to the water’s edge to see the trout, glistening as they go speeding by the clear waters. What might be higher than a day spent within the quiet panorama swishing a silken line out over the river?
Not solely does the Lindis provide a spectacular vary of actions however it is usually one among New Zealand’s latest luxurious lodges, created with modern structure that flows into the panorama, mixing superbly into the terrain. Every of the suites presents an uninterrupted view of the encircling Ahuriri Valley, and is designed for luxurious and luxury. With personal sitting space, each inside and outside, this lodge lends itself to indulgent rest in chic type.
Hand in hand with the luxurious suites is refined delicacies that pays its deepest respects to native produce. The top chef and his workforce put together seasonally contemporary substances in a uniquely New Zealand type, all paired with the best wines, for a eating expertise that’s designed to be savoured.
Luxurious seafood cruise
One other nice method to dine in type is to go on a privately chartered seafood cruise, the place being served the freshest seafood is only one a part of the general fine-dining expertise. Beautiful contemporary platters containing King salmon, Cloudy Bay clams, and scrumptious Greenshell mussels are simply a number of the delights to be tasted. The ocean-food is accompanied by well-paired wines to create an indulgent and unforgettable luncheon out at sea
If like most, you might be involved concerning the dietary high quality and sustainability of the salmon, then relaxation assured, Marlborough Sound King salmon is raised in one of many cleanest environments on the earth. The ocean farms begin on the Springs close to Takaka, and prolong all the best way right down to the cool deep waters of the Sounds. And that’s why a declare to one of the best salmon on the earth hails from the Marlborough Sounds of New Zealand is one made in confidence.
Actions to unwind
There are golf packages that embody journeys to {the golfing} capital, Queenstown, within the South Island at signature programs like Jacks Level, Millbrook and The Hills. A visit to the Bay of Islands on New Zealand’s North Island may embody a spherical on the magnificent Kauri cliffs, a world-class golf-club that has been ranked 18th greatest within the World by Golf Journal’s world high 100. These journeys are all dealt with by consultants and all of the transport, journey and logistics might be outsourced for a very stress-free vacation.
Understandably although, golf is just not for everybody. If adrenalin-sport is in your agenda, a day spent racing round a purpose-built racetrack at Highlands motorsport could be higher suited. Steering a 4-cylinder Radical SR3, just like the Le Mans autos, with aerodynamic bodywork for elevated downforce, lowered drag and slick tires for exhilarating corners is nice enjoyable.
Or take the slopes for a ski with Southern Lakes Heliski, who provide an incredible 17 mountain ranges and over 800 runs to select from. That ought to positively energise you as you intend among the best days of your life out on the slopes. There are quite a few packages to select from, relying in your temper and talent. The guides and pilots are extremely skilled and adept at offering world-class experiences for each skiers and snowboarders. You simply have to pitch up, head out with the workforce onto one of many pristine ranges and have enjoyable. Lunch is served on a snow desk amidst the breath-taking surroundings, and after just a few extra journeys you’ll be taken again to base.
Magnificence is within the eyes of the beholder, luxurious is totally different for everybody, and a connoisseur’s style is made up from a end result of experiences. Discover your magnificence, your private selection of defining luxurious and change into the connoisseur of your greatest life. Take your subsequent journey to New Zealand to fly, fish, ski, sleep, dive, eat and construct your individual foundation for judging the finer issues.
Veronika Vermeulen is Director of Aroha New Zealand Excursions Ltd. Aroha New Zealand Excursions Ltd. has been providing 100% tailor-made journeys and personal guided luxurious experiences in New Zealand since 2000.
If you want to be a visitor blogger on A Luxurious Journey Weblog in an effort to elevate your profile, please contact us.
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I'm just curious, but about how much is each Box Boy sold for? And does it change depending on if they're a Romantic, Platonic, etc?
The original pricing ideas were all really based around the notion of car pricing - with luxury, expensive Box Boys with custom orders being a million USD or more, while less exclusive brands or 'off the lot' non-custom selling cheaper takes for low five figures or even less.
There's some disagreement on that, and every writer really uses their own ideas on pricing. Mine are all WRU and so higher pricing is definitely standard, since my WRU more or less posits itself as the 'ethical' company where you pay more for better quality.
Romantics definitely cost most, followed by Combinations, followed by Platonics, followed by Domestics.
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04/10/19 Lava bombs on Rangitoto
We’ve arrived in New Zealand! Attacking the jetlag hard by exploring a volcano.
Our last morning in Rio we packed up and dragged our luggage to Campo de Santana, a nice city park crawling with agoutis, massive ducks and a peacock. We relaxed on a bench in the shade until it was time to catch an Uber to the airport. We had a handful of Reais to use up, so bought some Milka Daim (found it at last!) and some cheesy Brazilian Pao breads.
We flew 4 hours or so to Santiago on a very pleasant Latam flight, then had a burger meal in the airport where they tried to give Joey a beef burger and then got grumpy when we didn’t leave a tip. Then on to the big flight, 12 hours across the Pacific to Auckland, skipping October 3rd entirely. Not too bad a flight, we are now Latam fans.
Landed at just after 4am and killed a bit of time going through the biosecurity customs checks. We had to lose our supply of spices (though not, thankfully, the chocolate) and our tent got taken away for questioning. Eventually got through, killed some time, got a shuttle to our hire car place, got our car and headed for Auckland. It feels very nice to have the car, we have decanted ski gear, tent etc so our normal life backpacks are a bit more manageable.
Parked in an expensive car park in Auckland and wandered down to the ferry terminal to catch the 9:15am Fullers Ferry to Rangitoto Island. We had to scrub our boots to prevent the spread of Kauri dieback disease, which is apparently a fungus doing its best to spread throughout NZ, and they asked us to check our bags for rats.
Rangitoto is one big volcano and is completely brilliant. It’s covered in lava bombs in big wide black fields, interspersed with pioneer plant species and a multitude of noisy birds. We saw a cool bird someone told us was a tui, and since then have seen them everywhere. They are mockingbirds and one we met sounded exactly like R2D2. We explored some excellent lava caves, had our lunch on the crate rim, and tried to work out how old the information sign was from how much more vegetation there is compared to what it described.
After lunch we looped down a long trail past a secret black sand beach and Joey had a small paddle. There was quite a long stretch back to the pier and we started flagging quite a lot, realising we had not been in a bed for 48 hours. We made it back in time, passing old bachs (beach houses) and reading the stories of who lived in them.
Back in Auckland, we checked in to the biggest hostel in the world, where they play super loud dance music on reception all day long, and popped out for a cheeky bit of pizza. We made ourselves slightly more human, played a little bit of ping pong, and then drove out to meet Stuart and Michelle who will be our hosts for the next few days.
On the way to their house we stopped for a wander round Cox’s Bay Reserve, a park in a smart neighbourhood, where we laughed openly at a girl being enthusiastically humped by her dog.
Stuart and Michelle were super lovely, feeding us delicious noodles and discussing our plans. We were a bit zombified and probably not the best house guests, but will hopefully be a bit more fun once we have had some sleep. They have a mad cat who has sudden and obvious mood swings.
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An Unforgettable Tour Of Victoria’s Government House
An Unforgettable Tour Of Victoria’s Government House
Interiors
by Elle Murrell
Victoria’s Government House, built in 1876, in the Italianate style. The tower, with the arcaded lookout and decorated cornice, is 44-metre high, excluding the flagpole which is 13.7-metres. The grounds today span 11 hectares, with 18 hectares having been transferred to Domain Park (now Kings Domain). Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
‘We are fortunate that the House was built in the 1870s, following the Gold Rush,’ says the Governor. ‘Victoria is the beneficiary of a purpose-built Government House, the largest in the Commonwealth still to this day, of which the State Apartments form the most significant wing, including the Ballroom.’ Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
The Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau AC and her husband Anthony Howard QC in The Conservatory. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
The Conservatory is an extension of the State Drawing Room and features views of the west lawn and the city skyline. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
Small award ceremonies, musical recitals, international welcomes and community receptions are held in the State Drawing Room. The portrait is of novelist Mrs Campbell McInnes (later Angela Thirkell) (1912) by John Collier. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
Most of the furniture was custom-made for this room in 1876 and the large casement windows to the left open out to the Fountain Court. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
The State Chair is the focal point of the Ballroom. The arched back rail features a crown and has ‘Advance Victoria’ carved underneath. It includes lions’ heads carved on the arms, the cross of St George (England and Wales), the cross of St Andrew (Scotland) on the legs, and the floral emblem of Ireland, the shamrock, on the skirt of the seat. it is only ever used by the Monarch or the Monarch’s representative. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
Three original crystal chandeliers, by Oslers of Birmingham who supplied Buckingham Palace, are striking features of the Ballroom. Converted from gas to electricity, the chandeliers each have more than 1,000 pieces of crystal. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
Under the current Governor, the ballroom has been utilised for a trailblazing IDAHOBIT reception, Red Cross blood drive, Circus Oz workshop, yoga class for International Yoga Day, rock concert for teenagers who need support, and reception for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their visit last year, to name but a few events. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
The ballroom and adjoining Minstrels’ Gallery access room were originally white, redecorated in their current striking ‘Hopetoun blue’ colour scheme in 1889 for the arrival of Lord and Lady Hopetoun, the former was the first Governor-General of Australia. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
At 42-metres long and 16.7-metres wide, the Ballroom is bigger than the ballroom at Buckingham Palace. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
The majority of the artwork is loaned from and rotated by the National Gallery of Victoria, with the Governor seeking to showcase a diversity of artists including women, indigenous and younger artists. To the left is an artwork, ‘Painting at Kalkutjara’ by Pantjiti Mary McLean, woven into a tapestry (1998) by Irene Creedon. To the right, is Sally Smart‘s ‘Diary (Joey and I)’ (1991). Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
The Ballroom was restored in the 1960s – 700 books of gold leaf were used to decorate the ceiling alone! Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
‘I think everyone remembers how it feels to walk into Government House and to experience first-hand, the scale and the beauty of this heritage building,’ tells the Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau AC.
For Victoria’s first Lieutenant-Governor, Charles La Trobe, things looked considerably different, but still made an impact. In 1841, the site was parkland and had been an important meeting place and camping ground for local Aboriginal people. La Trobe saw great potential, as its highest point could provide one of the few vistas visible to Melburnians looking south of the Yarra River. And so, he set it aside for a future Government House.
It wasn’t until over a decade later that the Colonial Government called for design submissions, but the winning entry (an Elizabethan-style building J. G Knight and Kemp) was considered too costly. Another decade later, competition 2.0 saw a French Baronial-style building by Reed and Barnes chosen, however, estimated at £45,000, it was also deemed too expensive.
Cue the economic boom of the Gold Rush… In 1871, Inspector General of the Public Works Department William Wardell (of Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral and Gothic Bank fame) was commissioned to create a purpose-built Government House for Victoria. John James ‘JJ’ Clark, who designed the Old Treasury Building, and Peter Kerr, who designed the Victorian Parliament House, worked under Wardell to draw the designs, which were ‘of Italian architecture’. Constructed by Martin and Peacock between 1872 and 1876, the building cost the colony £200,000, including furnishings.
ALL THE DESIGN DETAILS
Not everyone was initially impressed, with the papers commenting on the ‘plain’ exterior, ‘labyrinth’ plan, and ‘vastness’, but then, on the other hand, praising ‘the ornate and tasteful decoration of the interiors’, particularly the ironwork and glass. Subjectivity aside, the Victorian Heritage Register honours it as ‘one of the largest and most beautiful mansion houses in Australia’ and one of ‘the finest examples of 19th-century residential architecture’. It remains the largest Government House in all of The Commonwealth.
The main building is approximately 3,035-square-metres, with its ornamental tower 44-metres high. Including outbuildings, the entire complex spans 240 rooms. The wow-factor State Apartments include the State Hall with cathedral-esque cross-vaulted ceilings, State Drawing Room with stunning adjoining Conservatory, and the Billiard Room featuring a portrait of every past Governor and spouse. There is also the State Dining Room and the unforgettable State Ballroom, which is larger than that of Buckingham Palace and can accommodate up to 800 people! Complementing its warm New Zealand Kauri pine floor, this Ballroom was redecorated in a current striking ‘Hopetoun blue’ colour scheme in 1889 and then restored again (using 700 books of gold leaf for the ceiling alone) in the 1960s.
Much of the State Apartments furniture was custom made for Government House in 1876, though the most iconic inclusion, The State Chair, was crafted c.1859. The Drawing Room includes a 19th century Steinway grand piano once played by Dame Nellie Melba and still in use today, while the Dining Room features a telescopic table in Spanish mahogany and Australian red cedar by James McEwan and Co. Seating 54 people, this design is almost the length of a cricket pitch! Several other furniture pieces and décor items are on loan from the Johnston Collection.
Walls are adorned with captivating portraits, including of the Royal Family and other dignitaries. Several works have been gifted into the Houses’ collection, although the majority of the artwork is loaned from and rotated by the National Gallery of Victoria. ‘When it comes to the art, much of the selection is guided by what is available at the time, but always with an eye to showcasing Victoria’s rich artistic talent across the decades, and the diversity of artists including women, indigenous, and younger artists,’ tells the Governor. ‘The building makes me feel very proud to be a Victorian as well as the Governor of Victoria. But it is the work that takes place within its walls that matters most.’
The State Dining Room features a telescopic table, seating 54 people, it’s almost the length of a cricket pitch. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
Brian Dunlop‘s ‘Sesquicentenary portrait of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II’ (1984) in the State Hall. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
State Dining Room details, including the portrait ‘A Lady in Grey (Portrait of Mrs. McCubbin)’ (1900), by Frederick McCubbin. ‘I am always proud when I see local and international guests studying and appreciating the broad range of Victorian art on display,’ tells the Governor. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
When the House was completed The Argus newspaper reported: ‘The shell may be a trifle rough, but the kernel is a sweet one. To the stranger the interior of Government House is one series of surprises’, praising the ‘superb’ entrance hall, staircases ‘rich in the wealth of the ironworker’s art’, and windows of ‘exquisitely frosted glass’. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.
A VENUE FOR VICTORIA
From Federation 1901 to 1931 the House went national, as it became the official residence of Australia’s first Governor-General… and the State Governor was sent off to Stonington Mansion in Malvern. From 1934 until today, the complex continues to be: the residence of the Governor; the primary venue for the Governor’s constitutional, ceremonial, community and international engagement activities; and the workplace of the Office of the Governor.
‘For nearly 150 years, Government House Victoria has been the backdrop of important constitutional ceremonies and occasions, where significant charities have been founded or fostered, where the War effort has been advanced (via Red Cross packing stations in the Ballroom), where schoolgirls (from Mac Rob High) were educated during the Depression, and where many, many thousands of good Victorians have been thanked, congratulated and awarded,’ details the Governor.
‘The State Apartments have long been opened up to the community and it is important that we are providing opportunities to broaden the reach and diversify our engagement – whether by welcoming people who have never visited before, through tours and receptions, or by working with different community organisations to showcase Victoria’s vast array of artistic talent and intellect with free performances and lectures,’ she continues.
Since 2015, The Governor and Mr Howard have hosted a number of ‘firsts’, from overnight school camp-outs to mark VicHealth’s 30th anniversary, a trailblazing International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia reception in 2017, to a youth iftar dinner during Ramadan, and more. ‘Tony and I do find it particularly gratifying when we see the magnificent Ballroom being used for events that many years ago, never would have been contemplated, such as a blood bank with the Red Cross, or a circus workshop for newly arrived children with Circus Oz, a yoga class for International Yoga Day, or a rock concert for teenagers who need support,’ highlights the Governor.
This was my very first visit to Government House, and from the high-tech bollards at the entrance to the perfectly-racked gravel that I reluctantly drove on and the countless palatial velvet furnishings I was dying to stroke, it was hands-down (*and behind my back) an unforgettable visit. The morning was a visual-feast/crash-course on our State’s rich history, and, most excitingly, the more recent projects that continue to keep us on the map, embarking on a progressive path into the future.
Victoria’s Government House and Grounds will also be open to the public as part of Open House Melbourne on July 27th, 2019, as well as on January 26th each year.
Tours of the Government House Gardens are held on the third Thursday of each month, find more information here.
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New Zealand Luxury Accommodation – Where Are the Best Places to Stay? InnLinkr
Few destinations in the world are able to match the absolute beauty that New Zealand offers travelers who visit her shores. Lesser known is the remarkable collection of stunning luxury lodges and boutique hotels that are located throughout New Zealand.
What makes New Zealand so different? The unique feature of the New Zealand luxury accommodation sector compared to most international destinations is that almost all the guests are on vacation, as opposed to being on business trips. As a consequence, the mood in these establishments is far more relaxed and comfortable than most guest are expecting.
Where many international destinations offer historic hotels or internationally successful luxury hotel brands such as Four Seasons, the success of the New Zealand luxury travel sector has been as much for the scenery and tranquility, as it has been for the unique blend of small independent and extremely well appointed properties that travelers can retire to after a day of exploring. Properties such as the internationally renamed Huka Lodge, which recently celebrated its twenty-fifth year, have been the catalyst and the model that many other successful properties have been based on.
Featuring a very limited number of luxuriously appointed suites, the lodges are each located in stunning environments with spectacular views. Whether it be Kauri Cliffs in semi tropical Northland, with vistas over the Bay of Islands, Wharekauhau Country Estate in the Wairarapa with wonderful coastal and rural outlooks, or the splendid Eichardt's Private Hotel in Queenstown, centrally located with windows that frame scenic views across Lake Wakatipu to the alps of this mountainous region.
With small numbers of rooms available, the focus is on outstanding service, extremely comfortable and relaxed decor and on mouth-watering cuisine. No expense has been spared ensuring that the entire properties, including the grounds, are kept in impossible condition and a warm and welcoming environment for guests to enjoy.
Many luxury New Zealand travel specialists believe that unique level of warm service delivered in a friendly and authentic New Zealand manner, helps to keep guests relaxed and enjoying their vacation. "Clients are used to traveling through North America and Europe and staying at some of the world's great hotels. In New Zealand they find an extremely welcoming and supremely luxurious collection of boutique properties where the focus is on people and not volume, but never sacrificed is the commitment to travel ".
The other aspect to the success of the New Zealand luxury accommodation category is the quality of cuisine that is presented from their award winning kitchens. Catering to small numbers of guests, the chef is able to demonstrate their utmost skill using the freshest local New Zealand meat, seafood and produce.
One of the key factors to booking a successful New Zealand vacation is using a specialist New Zealand agent. They will make…
Source by Sara Leadbetter
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Bog Oak is a wood which is more rare than diamond. If you ask 1 000 people: „What is Bog Oak?”, only 1 or 2 persons will know it. It is the most expensive wood on earth, only kauri can rival with it. In times of reiging of Tsar Peter I, having Bog Oak floor or furniture was punished with death. We are working with Bog Oak for over five years. Searching it and mining from rivers, lakes, swamps and gravel pits is a very complicated and expensive process, could be compared to looking for treasures. In this wood there is nothing which could feed the borer. In about 1 000 years it will look the same like today. Maybe it will have more cracks, but it will be suitable for further processing. Bog Oak gives back energy it acumulated over the centuries. In opinion of one of bioenergotherapeutists it has healing properties. Having it at home helps keep the well-being and maintain good condition. Popularity of Bog Oak increased in last few years. #bogoak #bogoakart #natureart
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Buyer’s Guide: Best Beginner Ukulele Review in 2017
The Ukulele is an instrument that has been gaining popularity, and since it is such a small instrument, many younger students and children have been picking up the Ukulele. Finding a beginner ukulele that is perfect for your child to learn on can be difficult, so I have created this guide to help you find the perfect ukulele. The instrument can make some amazing sounds, but before you start looking at specific ukuleles, it is important to know a little more about the instrument.
What Makes a Ukulele Different from a Guitar?
A ukulele may look like a small guitar, but they are actually very different instruments. The proportions are very similar; however, the ukulele is actually a much smaller instrument. In fact, a traditional ukulele is merely half the height of a standard guitar. The biggest difference that you will notice is that the ukulele actually only has four strings, whereas a guitar has six.
Quick Navigation
What Makes a Ukulele Different from a Guitar?
The Perfect Instrument for Small Hands
Ukulele Sizes
Tenor
Type of Wood
Five Best Beginner Ukulele
Conclusion
The Perfect Instrument for Small Hands
A beginner ukulele is perfect for a child to learn because it is the right size for their small hands and fingers to reach the chords. Since the instrument is small, it can easily fit into a backpack; making it easy to carry. The strings of the ukulele are made from nylon, so they are not as rough on the fingers of a beginner ukulele player. In fact, if they practice enough, there will be no irritation at all. The strings are also easier to press because the tension on them is much less than with a guitar.
Most ukuleles come in child-friendly themes that are interesting to a child, so if your youngster likes certain characters or themes, their new instrument can accommodate their style. The biggest bonus of a ukulele is that they are not that expensive to purchase, so even if your student decides that playing the ukulele is not for them, you have not invested a lot of money.
Ukulele Sizes
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfdPwTu7Gzc)
When it comes to a ukulele, there are four different sizes that you should consider. Some models would be a great beginner ukulele for children, while others are designed for students who have a longer finger span. The four sizes are:
Soprano
The soprano ukulele is only about 21 inches long, which gives it a smaller neck that only has 12 to 15 frets. It is a great beginner ukulele, especially for younger individuals. The small size can also make it difficult for those with larger hands to move across the frets, so if you are getting this instrument for your child, make sure that they can fret the strings with ease.
Concert (Alto)
This size is only slightly larger than the soprano ukulele, which means that it is the next size that you should consider for a beginning ukulele if your student needs a larger instrument. Most concert ukuleles have 15 frets, so a wider range of notes can be played on the instrument. In addition, the neck also tends to be a bit on the wider side, but the tuning and the intonation remain the same.
Tenor
The tenor ukulele is preferred by musicians that have a bit of experience. They can work as a beginner ukulele, especially for students who already know how to play guitar. The body of this ukulele is about 26 inches long, which gives the instrument a warmer, more resonant sound.
Baritone
The baritone variation of the ukulele creates a much bassier sound than the other ukulele sizes that we have discussed. The strings on this instrument are tuned differently than the other ukuleles; in fact, they are tuned like the bottom four strings of a guitar. If you have a child who wants to learn guitar but is a bit too small to hold the instrument comfortably, a baritone ukulele can be a great place to start because it is only 30 inches long.
Type of Wood
Ukuleles can be made from either solid wood or laminated wood, but regardless of the way the body is constructed, the tonewood that is used will affect the sound that is produced. Here are some of the most common tonewoods used to craft a beginner ukulele:
Koa
This is the traditional wood choice for the ukulele. It is a tropical wood that is found in Hawaii that is known for its beautiful wood grain and the breathtaking tones that it produces.
Spruce
Spruce is a light colored wood that produces bright tones that are perfect for a ukulele.
Mahogany
Mahogany is a darker wood that offers warmer tones.
Cedar
Cedar is a type of wood that brings out the low intonation of tenor and baritone instruments.
Redwood
Redwood produces a warm resonant sound, but it is more expensive to purchase because of the rarity of the wood.
Rosewood
Rosewood is a type of wood that gives a ukulele a rich color. This is often used for the fretboard.
Five Best Beginner Ukulele
Kala Mahogany KALA Soprano Ukulele (Spruce)
The first ukulele that is perfect for a student who is just learning the art of playing the ukulele is the Kala KA- 15S-S. It is a lovely soprano ukulele that is part of the company's Satin Mahogany series that was introduced in the year 2005. The body and the neck of the ukulele are made from mahogany, and the back and the sides are complete with a satin finish that gives it a classic finish.
The top of the ukulele has a spruce top, and the fingerboard is made from rosewood. There are 12 frets on this ukulele, dot inlays mark the fifth, seventh, and the tenth frets so that your child can easily find their fingerings.
I have found that this instrument is very good at keeping its tuning, which I find extremely useful as a parent of a student who is just learning to play the ukulele. It can slip when you are tuning it, but as long as you stretch the strings a bit before tuning them, they will stay in place. In addition, the nut of the instrument is cut very well, which means that there will be no chance of the string catching when you are tuning the instrument.
Pros
The fret work on the instrument is well finished; the edges of the frets are smooth.
The grain running through the mahogany body is breathtaking.
The tonewood of this instrument creates a very resonant sound.
Cons
It does not come with the best strings attached to the ukulele.
Though the instrument seems to be constructed well, the body seems to be very thin.
The frets markers seem to wear with time.
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Kala MK-SD/PW Makala Dolphin Bridge Soprano - Pearl White
If you are looking for a great beginner ukulele, then the Makala Dolphin Soprano Ukulele is a great place to start. The instrument has a classic ukulele look that is available in a number of colors, so no matter what your child's favorite color is, you can find one that matches their personality.
The ukulele is designed with a composite back that is durable enough to last for several years of daily use. It comes with a rosewood fingerboard, a mahogany neck, and a kauri top, and when they all come together, the sound of this soprano ukulele is amazing. One of the features of this specific ukulele that really caught the attention of my daughter was the bridge of the instrument because it is shaped like a dolphin.
I found that this ukulele is a bit heavy for a soprano model, but it is still light enough to travel with ease and play without your arms becoming tired. The sound that this instrument creates is quite good, but the strings that come with the instrument do not produce a clean sound. I'd advise changing the strings to a higher quality option to create a smoother tone.
Pros
The dolphin-shaped bridge gives this ukulele a unique look that is stunning.
Once the strings are settled in, the sound that this instrument creates is amazing.
There are several different color options that make it great for a younger student.
Cons
The strings that are on the ukulele are not that high quality.
The ukulele tends to lose its tuning easily unless you stretch the strings before tuning.
The finish on the ukulele is not as high quality as it could be.
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Lanikai LU-21 Soprano Ukulele
The next ukulele that I feel would be a great beginning ukulele for younger individuals is the Lanikai LU-21. It is a gorgeous soprano sized instrument that is crafted from durable materials that are designed to withstand the wear and tear of being played every day. It is a full 21 inches in length and 12 frets can be found on the fingerboard.
It is designed with a classic figure eight shape, and the deep color of the wood is simply amazing. In fact, you can see the red woodgrain throughout the body, which gives the ukulele a uniqueness that is not present on many string instruments.
The body of the instrument is made from a durable mahogany wood that will not split or crack over time. This wood gives the ukulele a beautiful resonating sound that carries in a room. The fingerboard is made from rosewood, which is another beautiful dark wood that compliments the body of the instrument.
There are no fret marks on the side of the fingerboard, but there are dot inlays on the fifth, seventh, and tenth fret to make it easier for your child to find their fingerings.
Pros
It has a very nice woody sound that is very pleasing to listen to.
This ukulele is a great value; it comes with a tuner as well as a case.
The strings are comfortable to play, even for a long period of time.
Cons
The strings need a bit of time to adjust before they keep their tuning.
The bindings are made out of plastic, though they are durable, they could be made better.
The nato wood that the body is comprised of is a bit on the thin side.
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Cordoba 15CM Concert Ukulele
The Cordoba 15CM is a concert ukulele that is great for beginners and experts alike. It is 23 inches long and the 18 frets on the fingerboard have dot inlays on the fifth, seventh, tenth, and 12th fret so that you can quickly find your fingerings.
The body and the neck of the instrument are crafted from mahogany, which is a delightful looking dark wood that stands out even more with the satin finish. The figure eight design of the ukulele makes it easy to hold while you are sitting down, so as a parent, your child can sit anywhere to practice their fingerings.
The tuning pegs on this ukulele are made from high-quality material, so you can be comfortable knowing that the strings will not slip out of their tuned positions easily. The pegs are actually made from chrome, instead of plastic like some of the other ukuleles in this price range.
The bridge is made from elegant rosewood, which helps to create a beautiful, consistent sound that is deep and resonating. The fretboard is also made from the same rosewood material. Even though all of this quality wood is used on this instrument, you can expect a lightweight ukulele that is very portable.
Pros
It is a durable instrument that is still lightweight and very portable.
The sound that the instrument creates is quite brilliant; it is a little bit deeper than a soprano ukulele.
The chrome tuning pegs and the rosette add a stylish touch to the ukulele.
Cons
The corners of the frets are a bit rough, but a bit of sanding can remedy that.
The strings will need to adjust to new tunings.
A gig bag, which is needed for travel, is not included with this instrument.
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Luna Mahogany Series Tattoo Concert Ukulele
The final beginner ukulele review that will be on this list is a unique instrument that is part of the Luna Mahogany Series. It is a concert scale instrument, but the most notable thing about this ukulele is the tattoo art that is carved into the body of the instrument. These markings symbolize longevity and endurance, which is what you want in a good ukulele.
The body and the neck of this instrument are crafted from mahogany, while the top is a beautiful solid spruce that has been stained to perfection. The fretboard is made from rosewood, and the third, fifth, seventh, tenth, and 12th fret are marked with a triangular inlay. These inlays are actually created out of sharks teeth.
The head of the instrument displays the Luna logo, which looks rather attractive between the tuning pegs. Overall, the intonation is quite good. If you experience a muddy sound, try replacing the strings to get a cleaner tone.
Pros
The engraved wood makes the ukulele look like a very high-end instrument.
The ukulele has a very durable construction that will last for years.
The warm, semi-deep sound of the concert ukulele is very pleasing to the ear.
Cons
The strings may need to be adjusted a few times before they keep their tuning.
The tuning pegs are not made as well as the rest of the instrument.
The frets will need to be sanded down.
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Conclusion
If you have a child who is interested in stringed instruments, then a ukulele is going to be the perfect option for you. It is small enough for a little one to hold with ease, and there are fewer strings on a ukulele than a guitar, so it is easier for a youngster to learn to play. If you are looking for my opinion on the best of the bunch, I would go with the Kala MK-SD/PW Makala Dolphin Bridge Soprano - Pearl White for a younger individual. It gives them a lot of color options for personality, and it is not a huge investment that you will regret if your child decides that it is not the instrument for them.
If you are looking for a ukulele for an older student, then the Luna Mahogany Series Tattoo Concert Ukulele is perfect. It has a great sound, and the wood of the instrument is carved into a beautiful design that allows your beginning ukulele player a chance to express themselves.
The post Buyer’s Guide: Best Beginner Ukulele Review in 2017 appeared first on Music Advisor.
source https://musicadvisor.com/2017/03/18/best-beginner-ukulele/
from Music Advisor http://musicadvisorcom.blogspot.com/2017/03/buyers-guide-best-beginner-ukulele.html
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