"ลtautahi locals - This newsletter will RUIN your free time... in the best way" ๐ฅ
*NEW FREE LOCAL NEWSLETTER* โก๏ธ Fresh workshops & events, weird hobbies & advice, creative deals & career possibilities, and meeting local legends doing cool sh*t along the way. ๐ก Plan your weekend, accidentally reinvent your life. ๐ Inspiration drops every Wednesday at noon.
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From Renaissance Swordplay ๐คบ to Ancestral Drumming ๐ฅ - Explore Your Heritage ๐
Published about 1 month agoย โขย 7 min read
Hola Dabblers!
Holy moley, we kept finding cool things happening around town this week! Thurs-Sun...these were but a snippet of things found, so (just for these days) formatting is a quick title and link, to keep things a bit shorter/easier to skim and click through. If you love or hate the format, tell us (or don't, up to you) ๐
As promised, you'll also find out what went down at the mosaics class, and how to dabble like a 16th-century aristocrat with time to kill (literally). โEn garde!
C.x โจ
THIS WEEK'S EXCUSES TO PUT ON PANTS
Wednesday 15th October
๐คธ Capoeira Angola Classes โ Itโs part dance, part fight, part โwhat on earth are they doing?โ - and somehow, it all works. Go give Capoeira a go and discover muscles (and moves) you didnโt know you had (no exp nec, just bring stretchy pants). โWhere: St Albans Community Centre โWhen: 7pm-8:30pm (1.5hrs) โEntry: $8 p/sesh or $50 for 8 classes โInfo:https://www.facebook.com/events/802285722180379/802285738847044
๐ Cherish Book Clubโ An actual book club! Feel free to share what you've been reading, gather recs from others, or quietly appreciate other bookworms. โWhere: Cherish Hearts. Minds. Body & Soul (52 Bealey Ave) โWhen: 7pm-8:30pm (1.5hrs) โEntry: FREE (koha appreciated, tea and snacks provided) โInfo:https://www.facebook.com/events/1744278609772333/1744278626438998
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Tuesday 21st October
๐งฎ MathsJamโ If you wrote "meet a self-confessed Maths enthusiast" on your bingo card, we've got good news, and a not-so-secret tip-off of where they'll be hanging out on Tuesday night... โWhere: The Craft Embassy (126 Oxford Terrace) โWhen: 7pm-9pm (2hrs) โEntry: FREE โInfo:https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/mathsjam/christchurch
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OTHER STUFF COMING UP SOON THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA BOOK ASAP:
๐ Paddleboarding Have a Go (8th Nov)โ Ever looked at people standing on boards like majestic water lizards and thought, โyeah, I could do thatโ? Nowโs your chance to prove it (or fall in with style)... โจOnly a handful of tix left for the afternoon sessions (1:30pm already sold out), so if you wanna try it, don't snooze on this one! โWhere: Selwyn Aquatic Centre (Rolleston) โWhen: Sat 8th Nov, 1:30pm-4:30pm (multiple sessions) โEntry: $10 (includes pool admission) โTickets:https://events.humanitix.com/paddleboarding-have-a-go-november-2025
ROADIE?! (I'll bring those pea crisps that taste like burger rings)
๐บ Take the Wheel โ Womenโs 4WD Skills Dayโ If you also have aspirations of buying a Suzuki Jimny and joining the Jimny Club, this would probably be pretty good practice for when that time comes ๐ โWhere: Kowai River Gravel area, Springfield โWhen: Sun 19th Oct, 9am-3pm (6hrs) โEntry: $50 (for driver, $20 spectator, morning tea and lunch included!) โTickets:https://events.humanitix.com/take-the-wheel-women-s-4wd-skills-day
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WE DON'T NEED A CAPTION FOR THIS
Word Jumble: (hint: related to the events above)
AAMMHJST
NAMATRAPAL
RAEICAOP
(Answers at the bottom of the newsletter)
POV: You're organising an event, what's the theme?
CELEBRATING RAD PEOPLE DOING RAD THINGS (that's you)
ISO: Aspiring Authors! If you or a mate has a neat concept for a kid's picture book story (the text bit, not illustration), here's your shot at getting it published (plus a $1500 cash prize) - who knows, it could even lead to global re-prints in multiple languages (like Kyle Mewburn's "Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck!", translated into Korean)!
โจJoy Cowleyโจ's publisher, Storylines inspired Scholastic to collab (way back in 2002) and recognise Joy's literary contributions (honestly, one of NZ's fave storytellers since ages ago) and encourage future authors to carry the baton-pen and inspire our future mini-readers ๐ฅน Entries close 31st Oct, so get a wriggle on!
After seeing the event listed last week, and thinking about it aaallll the next day, I knew I needed to book (follow the nudges, yo). Surprisingly, only two of us participants showed, so we got premium tutorage and (undiagnosed-but-pretty-sure-ADHD-5-conversations-rolling-around-at-once) chit-chat with the lovely โจTanyaโจ - a lifelong artist (originally from South Africa, and moved here a few years ago. Fun fact, she moved house 30+ times growing up, as her parents loved a good reno project! ๐ฒ - but I'm hoping to get her to introduce herself soon, so I'll hush for now!), who teaches a wide variety of arts, crafts, and mediums, out of her recently-relocated studio (from New Brighton to Rangiora).
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(Clockwise from left: One of Tanya's past creations showing different textures/heights, 1 of 2 tables set up with tiles/glass/ceramic bits, grout demo, Kenneth's Rubik's cube)
Highly recommend if you like strategically breaking things, and piecing things together. We learned about how to use colour and texture, and different materials, layouts/compositions and tools. My thoughts are there's a lot of opportunity to make not-naff-looking stuff (mosaics can give strong 90s flashbacks, right?!). Or, if mosaics aren't quite your cuppa, but you want to try another medium, peep Tanya's site, Blooms & Brushes Art Studio to see what's coming up. She's a great teacher, and it's worth the trip out to Rangiora, I promise!
๐ Dabble-O-Meter: 6/7 - I went too detailed, too fast, and ran out of time (even with 2.5hrs) ๐ Also haven't grouted yet, so I'm hoping I don't lose the detail, and the gaps in the yellow aren't too small and the gaps in the blue aren't too big... Also found it tricky to focus and try to listen to tips/tricks at the same time- a handout/email follow up would be great. In saying that, as a craft/hobby, it was right up my alley and I will definitely be doing it again myself *adds all the tools and tiles to cart*. โ
You gotta squint your eyes a lil, but, I was drawn to the blue to match my new 'Ultramarine' paint colour (see last week's edish) - also feeling very 'Starry Night'. Not terrible for a first attempt!
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ลTAUTAHI'S OG DABBLERS
This might be our oldest dabbling yet (technically not from here, but shhh) - The โจCanterbury Historical Fencing Clubโจ holds weekly Fencing sessions (unsurprisingly)...with loooongswords...and based on teachings from 1570 (Joachim Meyer's 1570 'The Art of Combat'). They've been around since 2019, which isn't really historical, but it's still a decent amount of time to have been sword-slingin'. If you're keen for a beginner session, the first one's on them, and then it's $10 p/sesh thereafter- you don't even have to BYO sword... pretty good value, right? Peep the deets here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1294359865518423/1294359882185088
(Cue Beastie Boys misheard lyrics: "you gotta fight...like a knight...and paarrrtaaay")โ โ NB: The library doesn't seem to have The Art of Combat, but does have Renaissance Combat (1522-1523!), if you wanted to read up on your new obsession?!
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Oops, forgot to mention earlier, the CHC Heritage Festival is currently happening (11-27th Oct)! As well as a bunch of events (incl some above), thereโs also an option for you to be part of the cityโs heritage by digitising and submitting your photos (and thereโs prizes like Riverside vouchers ๐) โ
โ Hit 'reply' and tell us what you've got your heart set on being terrible at this week! We'll heartily cheer you on, put you in touch with someone in the know (if need be), and refrain from heartfelt unsolicited advice (only empty threats over here) โค๏ธโ๐ฅ
โ โHere are your quick links:โ Got a community event/fun thing to share? That's this one[free]โ Classifieds, paid events or newsletter sponsorship? Intro offers active[paid]โ โโGot a vacancy to share or need a volunteer? Chuck it here, too[free]โ Keen to share your deepest hobby-love? Brag away here[free]โ โ
Now go read some picture books (so you can write your own ๐).
C.xโ โPublisher, The Dabblingโ โลtautahiโs Unofficial Hobby-Hypewoman
"ลtautahi locals - This newsletter will RUIN your free time... in the best way" ๐ฅ
Your weekly nudge to be a delightfully terrible beginner at something new ๐คธ
*NEW FREE LOCAL NEWSLETTER* โก๏ธ Fresh workshops & events, weird hobbies & advice, creative deals & career possibilities, and meeting local legends doing cool sh*t along the way. ๐ก Plan your weekend, accidentally reinvent your life. ๐ Inspiration drops every Wednesday at noon.
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