Business developments
Organic deodorants available
Since arriving in the Bay five years ago, Michel (Rose) von Dreger has earned a name for herself as a freelance poet, tutoring workshops at GBHS, the Arts Council and for Community Education.
Recently she co-created a poetry course called Warm Word Salad: Four Local Divas of Wordcraft with three other local poets, which was enthusiastically received and will continue next year.
Rose spent three years working in the Organic Shop, which heightened her interest in organic products. She has set herself up as Healed Earth and become the representative for the Australian-manufactured MiEssence organic deodorants.
“I feel passionate about empowering people to make educated decisions about what they’re putting not only on their body, but on the earth,” she says. “I think if people really knew about the crazy amount of toxins that are in over-the-counter deodorants, like the neurotoxin aluminium and oestrogen-disturbing parabens, they would switch to a safer choice.”
According to the sales pitch, MiEssence deodorants use bicarbonate of soda and antibacterial ingredients like aloe vera, so they do not block pores or disrupt hormones. The cold-pressing process used to extract the plant essences and oils means these ingredients retain all their vitamins, minerals and other bioactive nutrients that literally feed your skin. MiEssence is the first skin-care range to meet USDA requirements for organic food products. According to one review, it uses no synthetic processes, no animal testing or irradiation, but includes a list of ingredients you can understand “and almost eat, right down to the preservatives and antioxidants.”
To find out more, contact Rose on healedearth@gmail.com or phone 525 9540.
Gerard Hindmarsh
New farm bike repairer
If you want to take the drama out of your farm bike breaking down, then Mark Fowler is the man to call.
He recently set himself up as Golden Bay ATV Repairs Ltd, and his aim is to provide friendly and “bend-over-backwards service” to owners of four and two-wheel motorbikes. That means coming out to fix your bike at your place or taking it on his truck to his well-equipped workshop in Glenview Road.
“A lot of the calls I get are basically ‘Please can you make my bike go again?’. It might be something small that I can do on the spot, or it could be a full engine rebuild on a seized bike or a chassis repair. A lot of people think once a bike chassis is ruined or rusted through, that’s the end of their bike, but it needn’t be like that. Most things are quite repairable.”
Mark learned his skills during four years at Kevin Hebberd Motorcycles and Mechanical, where many will remember him for his front-of-shop work. Before that he did a year with Mark Nicholls’ Mobile Mechanical, doing mostly WOFs and repairs. Mark Fowler’s office secretary is his partner Tiffany Price, who is well known in the Bay as an AI technician with Livestock Improvement Corp.
Mark’s bike-fixing patch is anywhere between the bottom of the Takaka Hill to Puponga and Turimawiwi. “I’d go anywhere to fix a bike,” he says.
Got a sick bike? Ring Mark on 525 8520 or 027 547 8313.
Gerard Hindmarsh
Store owners love the country
Susan and Devlin Jaques, the new owners of Takaka’s School Store, say they’re happy to be new residents in the Bay and that it will be “business as usual” at the store.
The couple used to live in Manurewa, where Susan was an accounts officer and Devlin was a storeman. They say that they considered going into business together for some time.
“We were interested in moving to a country town where you can get to know your neighbours and feel safe,” says Susan.
“We didn’t know too much about the Bay before we came to have a look at the business,” says Devlin. “Except that it was somewhere near Farewell Spit and the other end of the Heaphy Track.”
Susan and Devlin say that the previous owners Sue and Phil Berry have been very helpful in the handover process, as have their existing staff members.
“We’d have been lost without Colleen and Rita,” says Susan. “They know the way things work and they just get stuck in. They’ve been training us.”
The couple say they are enjoying learning what you need to do to run a dairy – like rolling ice-creams and making cappuccino coffees. Their main innovation has been the installation of the real fruit ice-cream machine formerly operated by Shirley Ford.
“Things have been going very smoothly,” says Devlin. “Our customers have been really patient. You can tell they’re not city-slickers because they’ve got time to chat.”
Neil Wilson
Gingko House’s open day
Six new health business are opening in Gingko House in Takaka’s Commercial Street and the health practitioners are celebrating their venture with an open day this weekend.
Spokesperson Tania Marsden says that the practitioners are looking forward to offering their wide range of therapies in the premises formerly known as 127.
“We’re changing our name and image to ‘Gingko House’ to acknowledge the gorgeous big tree outside the house and its beneficial properties. The most commonly known property of ginkgo is its positive effect on improving memory but it’s an object of veneration in the East as well as a symbol of the unity of opposites. It has so many other qualities associated with it that it has come to be identified with longevity.”
The practitioners are: John Massey (Integrative Massage, Holistic Pulsing), Kristie Laurantus (Naturopathy), Lynne Cooper (Japanese Style Acupuncture), Annie Turner (Therapeutic Massage),Vicki Lawson (BodyTalk, Neurolink/Neurological Integration System, Electro-magnetic Field Therapy Balancing Technique, Indian Head Massage, Reiki) and Tania Marsden (BodyTalk, Neurolink/NIS, Hot Stone Massage, Reiki Master, WellSpring Essences, Ear Candling).
Neil Wilson
