Stories

Incoming: Gin! After leaving its storied Victoria Street digs in July, gin gin. is opening its doors this summer in New Regent Street with a bigger, bolder bar that’s both uplifting, vibrant, and seriously cosy. It now has its own dedicated kitchen, as well as more shelf space for even more sensational gins, and room for events and live music. Speaking of the kitchen, Ryan Henley, former chef at Pescatore, has created the new menu, so make sure you come with an appetite. The team has also created a bunch of fun and exciting new drinks that will get your taste buds excited for all things gintastic. Among the bar’s immense collection, gin gin. stocks amazing Kiwi gins as well as a few from right here in Ōtautahi, so if you want to move up from the bottom shelf, this is the place to broaden your gin horizons. gingin.co.nz

The Spirits Workshop was started by four friends who thought that, with access to some of the world’s best barley grown right here in Canterbury and some of the world’s best water straight out of the tap, Christchurch should be making the world’s best single malt whisky. Grown, malted, mashed, fermented, distilled in copper pot stills, and aged right here in Christchurch. There are two expressions currently available. The signature product is aged in small new French oak barrels for three and a half years. It has rich dark toffee and milk chocolate, vanilla, oak and soft floral undertones on the nose. Oak, dark caramel, dark cocoa, new leather, creamy tannin, floral and anise on the palate, with a slightly drying, long oak tannin finish. The second expression, Port and Sherry Double Cask was aged in tiny 20-litre barrels made from oak, previously used for many years to age South Australian...

There's nothing like a drink with a view, and Christchurch is perfectly situated for rooftop bars. With massive vistas of the Port Hills, the Canterbury Plains, the Southern Alps and Pegasus Bay all the way up to Kaikoura, all we've been waiting for is a place to soak it in. Luckily for us, not one but two new sky-high establishents have opened up in the city, just in time for a long summer of sunsets and swanky evenings with craft beer, fine wine and killer cocktails. The first is Pink Lady Rooftop, on the top floor of The Muse. It's an intimate space seemingly tailor-made for Instagram: flirty cocktails, swishy palm trees, perfectly plated dishes, and of course, views of the city. It's the brainchild of Tom Newfield, the restaurateur who also brought Christchurch Welles Street pub, Earl bistro, Welder Events and Bottle + Stone. If the opening weekend is anything...

Fitness pro Kyla at Studio Six Private Training believes a few easy wins can keep you in top shape through the summer. Drink up. The sun’s out, you’re moving more – time to make sure you’re getting that 1.5 litres of the good stuff. When you’re dehydrated, your body starts to think you’re hungry, when really you just need a big old glass of H2O. Stay organised. Make sure you’ve got healthy food options prepped. When we’re hungry, we usually rush to convenience food, which tends to be unhealthy. Stick to healthy snacks. There are some super-tasty healthy options. Kyla recommends Sweet Chilli Philly or hummus with carrot sticks and rice crackers. How about half a palmful of nuts and seeds, or some popcorn? Try to add protein into your snacks, as it means you can eat fewer calories and feel fuller. Allocate certain days to exercise. Monday: gym. Thursday: swim....

We’re polishing up our dance moves and sharpening up our taste buds in preparation for an outrageous summer of festival fun. Check out our best of the fests. Electric Avenue If, like us, you’re absolutely amped for all the bangin’ Kiwi artists marooned at home this summer, Electric Avenue is the festival it’s not ok to miss. Benee, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Kora, L.A.B, Shapeshifter and way more are all coming to dish out a tasty mix of old-skool tunes, fresh drops from new albums, and beats that’ll have you raving into the night. For one day only, Hagley Park will be packed with food trucks, carnival rides and interactive experiences all set to a non-stop 12-hour soundtrack of tunes across multiple stages, with over 30 bands pedalling their best funk, house, hip hop, drum and bass, and rock bangers. With New Zealand music legends, homegrown Ōtautahi heroes and new kids on the...

Hot tips on a couple of delightful Christchurch neighbourhoods that are selling really well (and that I love for their incredible character). Strowan — This fabulous family suburb has beautiful renovated and newly built homes, in such a quiet location. This suburb is very established and in my opinion a hidden gem. It is very close to Elmwood Park, has wide streets, and the big bonus is it’s just full of family homes rather than lots of units and townhouses – so no high-density living. Strowan is very appealing to me personally because I lived in Hartley Avenue for many years and my children went to the local Waimairi School. It has excellent school zones including Christchurch Boys’ High School, Christchurch Girls’ High School, and of course St Andrew’s College which is right in the heart of Strowan. Lyttelton Harbour — From Lyttelton right round to Diamond Harbour, the small bayside...

Tom Newfield is the brains behind some of Christchurch’s best hospo haunts: Welles Street pub, Earl bistro, Welder Events and Bottle + Stone. He’s currently working on a views-for-days new rooftop bar called The Pink Lady, and if his track record is anything to go by, it’s set to be our favourite new summer drinking spot. Out of your many establishments and venues, do you have a favourite? Aww, that’s like asking who your favourite child is. I set out to create diverse venues, each with their own distinct voice, personality, and place within the city’s hospitality landscape, and each are very special to me and have features that contribute to the vibrant culture we are trying to create. You’ve got an enviable track record – are you lucky or is it all about hard work? I am lucky in that I have an incredible team and together we all work...

As if Riverside Market wasn’t already irresistible, Curiosity Gin has set up an awesome little cocktail bar inside its tastebud-tingling hall. Try the gin flight – five mini G&Ts with garnishes to suit each flavour. Whisky lovers can go for a whisky flight with the fabulous Divergence Single Malt, and if you prefer your cocktails full-sized and one at a time, the crew will whip you up a delicious creation. There’s even a great little shop where you can pick up gift packs and bottles to stock your home cabinet. thespiritsworkshop.co.nz

From High Street, to destruction, to Re:START and back, Infinite Definite is a classic story of CBD business, earthquakes and recovery. Fashion designer and retailer Jono Moran talks the journey over with Cityscape. Infinite Definite’s origin story began back in 2008 as a menswear label which I designed and had manufactured right here in Christchurch. We were looking for stockists for Infinite Definite and the opportunity came along to rent a space on High Street in the old ANZ Bank Chambers building. So we decided to open our own store to sell Infinite Definite in Christchurch. There were plenty of other talented emerging designers that weren't being stocked here at that time, so we broadened our offering to encompass a range of New Zealand brands as well as some international ones we thought would resonate with our customers. It was also an exciting opportunity for me to design and build our...

Christchurch’s new rooftop bar is giving us an opportunity to escape life’s street-level madness and feel the wind in our hair. On the roof of The Muse Hotel, and named for the hotel’s pink sunset glow, The Pink Lady Rooftop is an intimate space that’s all about the views. Created by the team behind Welles Street functions, Earl, and Bottle + Stone among others, Pink Lady is giving us that ‘stepping off the plane in a foreign city’ vibe. The drinks list features fabulous wines, crafties from Fortune Favours, and cocktails that are fun, flirty and made for the ‘Gram. The bar has a chic mid-century vibe, and for nibbles, you’ll be able to choose from a breezy Baja-inspired menu with a selection of bar snacks designed to share with your friends as you gaze out across the city skyline. Let’s face it, watching the sun set over the hills on...

Taking a single exercise class or hitting the gym once a year won’t make much of a dent in your fitness goals, and the same logic can be applied to achieving great skin. Just like getting into shape, skin results are achieved through consistent in-clinic professional treatments and a prescribed homecare routine. Memberships are trending, and they work. Sun damage, signs of ageing and breakouts can all be reduced dramatically with regular skin treatments. A skin membership from Nicola Quinn Beauty & Day Spa is not only cost-effective, but is a regular ‘me time’ appointment to add into your diary. The skin therapists at Nicola Quinn believe that facial treatments are a necessity, not a luxury, and that glowing skin should be achievable for everyone. Starting with a consultation, your skin therapist discusses your skin goals and designs a bespoke treatment and homecare plan. All memberships include a year-long discount on...

For Vikki George at Roccabella, jewellery is about stories and memories. She tells Cityscape about some of the most special jewellery in the store. Hearts On Fire “If you’re looking to buy a round brilliant cut, the diamond I would recommend to my family and best friends is Hearts On Fire,” Vikki says. “It is simply the best cut diamond for sparkle, it’s not just a brand name, it’s a reassurance of the quality.”  Hearts On Fire started in Boston in the 1990s and set about perfecting the cut of round brilliant diamonds using heart and arrow facets. It soon earned a reputation for selling the world's most perfectly cut diamond. Roccabella partnered with Hearts On Fire in 2006, and as one of the top sellers in the world, Vikki travelled to Boston to meet the designers. “I know Hearts On Fire intimately,” she says. “They’re cut with such precision, which...

For a relaxed, low-maintenance garden on the Canterbury coast, you want to be thinking stone, wood, seaside natives and colourful exotic plants. Paul Roper-Gee from Canopy Landscape Architects explains. It’s easy to forget that Christchurch is a city that hugs the coastline. For those of us living on the flat in the central or western parts of the city, our collective relationship to the coast only becomes evident as you approach the shoreline. The littoral suburbs including New Brighton, Redcliffs, Sumner and Lyttelton have unique microclimates and soils that offer distinct opportunities and challenges when it comes to designing a garden. Moody seascapes provide a natural focal point or backdrop to your coastal garden. Spaces and views can be created within the garden to celebrate and make the most of this natural beauty. At Canopy we like to think gardens near the coast are relaxed, informal spaces, designed with low maintenance...

A decade ago ‘wellness’ was only just entering our national lexicon. Now, we’ve traded stress for stretching, sitting for stand-up desks and boozing for barre. Here’s what to expect in the next decade of wellness. Flexitarianism becomes the norm Vegans and vegetarians are dining at cafés and restaurants in droves, and chefs are answering the call with gusto. Many menus have gone from one or two token veggie meals to myriad mouth-watering dishes. Even those of us who aren’t 100% plant-based are drooling over avocado-laden Buddha bowls and burgers with mac ‘n’ cheese hash brown patties. With options galore, a lot of us will rein in our meat consumption – good for our bodies, good for the planet. Open mental health discussions Mental health is moving out of the doctor’s office and into conversations with friends, family and colleagues. It’s on our phones, through apps like Headspace and Calm, and it’s...

Trickling down from boutique London skincare specialist Dr David Jack and celebrity hypnotherapist and life coach Malminder Gill, hypnosis facials are set to mesmerise the world. This mindful treatment packs two punches; cleansing and detoxifying the skin and deeply relaxing the mind, removing emotional burdens and anxieties. Hypnotherapy keeps clients in the present and maximises the opportunity to absorb positive suggestions to improve emotional wellbeing. The Dr David Jack version will set you back £500 for an hour’s treatment – we’re hoping that cost might head south as the treatment makes its way here too.

Videos of US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris disembarking from planes have gone viral because everyone’s chirping in on her shoes. It’s usually Converse (which trended on Twitter the first time the internet noticed) or, for a visit to California to asses wildfire damage, some Timberland boots (THOSE TIMBS THO, cried the millennials). Defying the usual conventions of businesswear, Harris tried to wear Chucks into the congressional chamber last year, and was told she had to enter through the cloakroom. Style, maybe, but there’s a certain practicality needed by women in office, and in offices. Texas senator Wendy Davis wore pink Mizuno running shoes for an 11-hour filibuster of an abortion bill, and Jacinda Ardern’s sported Allbirds in a meeting with the Australian Foreign Minister. It could prompt a wave of women turning from heels to something niftier – try it out and let us know if workplace security diverts you hastily...

We’ve got chills and they’re multiplying – as BMW adds more and more electrified vehicles to its range, some sweet new electric and plug-in hybrid wheels will join the current impressive lineup.  With its mission to make over 7 million electrified vehicles by 2030, BMW is bringing some astounding and exciting new tech. And while not all of its concepts are ‘real-world’ yet, we’re buzzing to see what’s on the way. With an increasing focus on hybrid and electric technology, BMW is pushing electrified vehicles to the limits and delivering drive quality, efficiency and performance better than anything that came before. New electrified BMWs come with the latest in high-voltage battery technology, charging capacity and intelligent system control. BMW’s plug-in hybrid models can run in all-electric mode – meaning you might never use a drop of petrol on your commute – and of course the hybrid petrol (or diesel) and electric...

Nik at Mojo Beauty is here to help you get your mojo back. Nik Henshaw is in the empowerment business. She runs Mojo Beauty in Fendalton, and while the beauty industry seems focused on looks, she knows that skin, brows, lashes – all the things a beauty salon tends to – can spark inner confidence. After extensive travel through her 20s, Nik did a social work degree, practicing for over ten years in that sometimes difficult but mostly rewarding industry in both New Zealand and London. She returned home, and six years ago she started Mojo, her own beauty and massage studio. This wasn’t in an effort to leave her past career behind. Nik’s aim is to boost confidence and self-esteem, and one of the keys to that is making people proud of the skin they’re in, so they don’t feel the need to hide behind layers of makeup. It’s a...