Coromind

Remember the days in Aotearoa when a coffee purchased away from home involved a ceramic cup, a saucer, a tablecloth and possibly a custard square on the side?  When we enjoyed the whole ambience of a quaint coffee lounge, a friendly chat, the delicious smells and the people who seated us, served us and cleaned our dishes in a sink of hot water. (Well, if you are Gen Z or younger you may not rememb...

For me, Matariki 2024 is about living by the words that Kīng Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Tūheitia Paki spoke at a national hui, held at Tūrangawaewae Marae on January 20th this year.  “Just be Māori … build kotahitanga (unity with others) … build our future … We are all in this together … the way forward needs to bring peace and unity for everybody. These issues (around the strategic erosion of Mana Tir...

When I first met Bernadette (Bernie) Ross while working at Creative Coromandel, I was immediately drawn to her deep passion for the arts, her friendly warmth and her sharp wit! It wasn’t until I visited her in Whangamatā in 2021, where she was exhibiting local artists’ work alongside her own, that I really started to understand the depths of her talent as a kairaranga – weaving artist. Three years...

My name is Zoe Winter, I’m 16 years old and I live in Tairua. I’m currently in year 12 at Hauraki Plains College and I am a lifeguard at Tairua Beach. My beach safety journey began when I joined our three-week summer junior surf program at around 10 years old, encouraged by my parents. The program challenged me physically and mentally, leading me to start rookie lifeguard training at 13. I then ea...

I have just returned from Japan after visiting my partner’s family. On arrival at Narita Airport at 9pm, we were met by Hiroshi, my partner’s brother, who said “We go to onsen (Japanese hot baths).” After flying for 12 hours, this was indeed a welcome treat and we basked in 40 degree pools of different depths, some shallow with stone pillows to gaze up at the planes taking off every few minutes fr...

Sporadic road cone displays have always been a part of the package of visiting and travelling around the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula. The breathtaking State Highway 25 and 25A take in both coastal shores and forest wonderlands, frequently peppered with segments of those delightful reflective beacons of joy – Road Cones. www.coromind.nz

My grandfather Paul was an artist. I began painting in his studio with some of his oil colours, many of which were home-made – by grinding raw materials and mixing with linseed oil. However, most of my early work was in watercolours, learnt by experimenting and reading books. No art school for me, although I did attend a night class run by Colin McCahon while at Auckland University. I still have t...

Coromind Editorial - Issue 18, 2024 www.coromind.nz

Coromind Magazine Issue 18 Full Audio Version www.coromind.nz

The paradox of probability Many of us are all too familiar with the game of tossing a coin to decide a choice, question or stake. To the Romans, it was known as ‘ Ship or Head’ – a game of choosing between a ship on one side of the coin or the head of the emperor on the other. In German, it’s ‘ Kopf oder Zahl’, and the most common in English is ‘Heads or Tails’. One side of the coin usually depict...

Becoming a parent is like going through a second puberty. You can know all the theories, but nothing can prepare you for the lived experience. It can unveil things about you that you weren’t aware of. It can test your relationships. And while each overall journey is different to the next, there are many shared moments and feelings between all parents. It can feel like you’ve joined a secret club –...

Creating art has always been a part of my life; my earliest memories were of drawing. The other constant throughout my life has been the Coromandel. On my first visit to Hahei, I was bathed in a bucket at the camp; until Dad died, we had a family bach there. Thirteen years ago, my partner Lance and I moved to Whenuakite to be closer to him. www.coromind.nz

Coromind Editorial - Issue 17, 2024 www.coromind.nz

Coromind Magazine Issue 17 Full Audio Version www.coromind.nz

I am eleven years old and have been riding since I was five. My first pony was Possum. He is a grey (white) bush pony who loves the mud. I now ride Knight and I am starting to ride Lacie. These were my big sisters' ponies. I have had many fun adventures on my ponies – jumping, swimming, doing tricks, trekking, beach rides, dress-ups, pony club and making friends. www.coromind.nz

Proud to be Local is our inspirational feature, highlighting homegrown Coromandel Peninsula folks doing wonderful things out in the world. In this edition: Jacob Skeen www.coromind.nz

In 2017, at the age of 43, I arrived in Hamilton, NZ, with the goal of pursuing a doctoral degree in Law at the University of Waikato. This decision came after accumulating 25 years of professional history in Brazil and abroad. Throughout this journey, I have been fortunate to receive unwavering support from my wife and three boys, making it a delightful and highly rewarding academic expedition. T...

T he first time I saw Flaxxies playing live, I was impressed by their musicianship, enthusiasm and stage presence. After that show, we ended up at a cool party and bonded pretty quickly. I’m at least 10 years older than drummer Neo Lee, Eric Goodger lead guitar, Nick Tait rhythm guitar, Chris Manning bass/trumpet, and lead singer Benji Humphries, but they’re old souls with a great sense of humour,...

Back in February 2022, if you had told the ALTBAYS Table Talk podcast team that within two years, they would have live-streamed over 260 episodes, hosting guests from all over Aotearoa NZ for engaging conversations in their studio in Whitianga, they might not have been surprised. However, if you had mentioned that they would be building a new studio for the third time, you would certainly have gen...

How much of your thinking is about the past? Where you were, how good things were, or how bad they were … Most of us do this at some time or other. We remember. And rightly so. Our sense of self is partly defined by what we’ve experienced and how we felt about it. The challenge comes when we get locked... www.coromind.nz

When I was growing up, I remember that in our house we had a Japanese katana (samurai sword) hanging on one wall and a small Japanese wooden pagoda on a cabinet in the lounge. My mother also had a beautiful kimono with birds and flowers flowing down the sleeves which she used to put on sometimes. These were relics for which my father had traded food and cigarettes when he… www.coromind.nz

Millions of years ago, this story began with the emergence of early hominins in Africa, the cradle of humanity. These were not yet modern humans, but their bipedal movement marked the dawn of a new era. In this primitive world, survival was the daily script, and adaptation was the key player. The landscape was a rough canvas, slowly being painted with the first strokes of human activity… www.corom...

Namaste; the soul in me greets the soul in you. My name is Verna Carr, I live in Whitianga, and I am a Conscious Energy Healer, Tarot Card Reader, Author of Metamorphosis Wisdom for a Changing Consciousness, Workshop Facilitator and mentor for people wanting to explore their own spirituality. www.coromind.nz

C ommon Ground is a space dedicated to expression. In this edition: Love With Love by Waimā De Souza, The sad limitations of love by Helen Oliver , and drawings by Eli Thomas “ET” Tahatika www.coromind.nz

Educating the younger generation about conservation is crucial for the future of our planet. By creating a love for nature and wildlife, we allow them to become future conservationists who actively care for our environment. As someone who has looked after wild birds for many many years, I always felt it was an important part of my role. www.coromind.nz