Paper Jets

Current Mayor, Andrew Judd is about to step down from his one and only term, after recognising his support for a Maori ward was not a popular option for the New Plymouth District Council’s constituents. Describing himself as a “recovering racist” Judd’s inadequacies with New Zealand’s indigenous culture is something many Pakeha can identify with. But what about Maori people from a similar era? How are they coping with a society searching for the best way to achieve multi-cultural nirvana? New Live writer Michelle Robinson speaks with her father-in-law Steve Robinson about finding his identity as a modern day Maori in New Plymouth. He speaks about wanting to reconnect with his culture after finding success following the Pakeha way of life, and how he reckons both cultures need to be embraced in equal measure for society to move forward. From sleeping on the dirt floors of his family marae to owning several properties, New Plymouth man Steve Robinson is a man of two worlds.

Having spent months building cyclone-resistant homes in the Pacific has given Selah Homes’ managing director Mark Berryman an eye for the natural. Selah Homes’ Gold Award-winning House of the Year property was created with the natural environment and culture of beautiful Riverhead in Auckland’s northwest, in mind. “It was influenced by the black cedar from other homes in the area,” Berryman says. But that’s where any similarities end. The chocolate cedar with white trim creates a point of difference outside, while the copper accents create further interest inside this stunning three-bedroom, two-storey home. While the build was created with the woody surrounds of Riverhead in mind, Berryman says his work is also inspired by his time spent building houses in the Pacific. He recently spent two months in Samoa overseeing the build of 39 cyclone-proof fales, along with seven of his staff. “You’d think it would be different, building a fale with no walls. They don’t want walls bec