Aloha Dabblers,
​A bit of a quieter week, particularly event-wise, this week (a fair bit of slower paced stuff)...howeverrrr, we are working on an events calendar (a mixture of regular and once-off/limited time events, still all hobby/interest related), so you can forward plan, refer back to, share, and click the direct links to book/get more info, without getting lost in the weeds. LOOK OUT FOR IT NEXT WEEK!
​(It will be a paid feature in future, but you'll get to enjoy it for free for a while (or ever?) as a thanks for being here from the beginning 💛)

Shall we?

Wednesday 23rd July

🀄️ Mahjong​
Friendly games hosted every Wed, and a friend on hand to help beginners 💛
​Where: Halswell Community Hub
​When: Wed 23rd July, 12:30pm-2:30pm (2hrs)
​Entry: $2
​Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1311172736679128/1311172893345779​

🌄 Port Hills at Night (walk)​
Grab fresh batteries for your head torch and trek (7.5km) over the Port Hills
​Where: Meet at cnr Mt. Pleasant Road & Summit Road
​When: Wed 23rd July, 5:30pm
​Entry: Contact gym to confirm
​Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/9980553492043321/​

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Thursday 24th July

🦁 Leo New Moon Intention Workshop​
"Reconnect with yourself and reset emotionally - and explore why now is the perfect time to set intentions rooted in courage, playfulness, and genuine self‑expression"
​Where: Wildcrafted Apothecary
​When: Thu 24th July, 6-8pm (2hrs)
​Entry: $20 (limited spaces)​
​Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/449160711625678​

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Friday 25th July

🧘 Beginner Holistic Yoga (9 weeks)​
Connect your body, spirit and mind through 30+ beginner, slow and gentle poses, and learn The 8 Limbs of Yoga across a 9 week practice.
​Where: MPCC, 3 McCormacks Bay Road
​When: Fri 25th July, 6:30-8:30pm (2hrs)
​Entry: $360 (max 8 people)​
​Tickets: https://www.yogaintuition.nz/christchurch-yoga-classes/yoga-for-beginners-christchurch/​

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Saturday 26th July

🌞 Sol Gatherings - Health, Wellness & Connection​
Crystals, balms and calming charms — meet the makers and healers sharing their lovingly made goods and grounded magic.
​Where: The Bridge Hub, South Brighton
​When: Sat 26th July, 10am-1pm (3hrs)
​Entry: FREE (bring cash to book and buy stuff)​
​Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/sol-gatherings-health-wellness-and-connection-christchurch-tickets-1445367776929​

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Sunday 27th July

👄 Kink Workshops - Club Erotique Weekender ​
Double header? Back-to-back (no innuendos intendeded 👀) workshops - wax/fire/electro in the morning, and rope/impact in the afty. Come to one or both!
​Where: Milton St Substation
​When: Sun 27th July, from 10am
​Entry: $40 pp, per session
​Tickets: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/kink-workshops-club-erotique-weekender/christchurch​

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Monday 28th July

⛷ Anna Keeling: Ski hīkoi from Aoraki to the Paringa river​
"Come and share the yarn with an ageing (self described) mountain athlete. We’ll talk about risk and reward, body and soul and what it’s like to drop into previously unseen 45 degree plus ski runs with a trans-alpine pack"
​Where: Further Faster, Buchan Street
​When: Mon 28th July, 6:30-9pm
​Entry: $25 (sold out online, door sales may be available)​
​Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/anna-keeling-ski-hikoi-from-aoraki-to-the-paringa-river​

♻️ EcoPirates Plastic Drop​
Bring your plastic bits to get chipped (to make plant pots!), eat burgs, play video games and chat about plastic, conservation and outdoor adventures with the Eco Pirates
​Where: Galaxy Arcade, 206 Barbadoes Street
​When: Mon 28th July, 5-8pm
​Entry: $10 to support the cause and offload your plastic
​Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1147719644060282/1147719670726946​

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Tuesday 29th July

🤾 Ladies - Try Catchball​
Like volleyball, but easier! I mean, it does what it says on the tin...
​Where: Avon Hub Sports Centre, Richmond
​When: Tue 29th July, 10:30am-12pm
​Entry: FREE first session
​Tickets: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/ladies-try-catchball/christchurch​

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OTHER STUFF COMING UP SOON THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA BOOK ASAP:

🌿 Go Green Expo​
Don't come at me for this not being a "hobby", in fact, there are multiple. Plus, all of the vendors are doing something they love (well, I sure hope so, otherwise what's the point?!). And there's prizes. And food. And workshops. And Yoga. And food.
​Where: Wolfbrook Arena
​When: Sat 9th & Sun 10th Aug, 10am-4pm
​Entry: FREE (if you pre-book, otherwise $5 at the door)​
​Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/christchurch-go-green-expo-2025-tickets-1002585709847​

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Fire through your upcoming events here!

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Complete wrong time of year, I know, but I found a flower press for sale (see below Deals section), and it reminded me of the mini thesaurus I held on to for YEEEARS, because it had a 4 and a 5-leaf clover in, that I found in the orchard at my primary school (why didn't it occur to me that I could transfer them to another book/location? 😅). When I donated it only a couple of years ago, I left them in there for someone else to find.​
So, in honour of daydreaming about delicate pressed blooms... here are 10 tips you didn’t ask for (but are actually helpful, plus a no-fuss checklist) to kickstart your petal-squashing era.

1. Pick them when they’re dry - Morning dew = mouldy regrets. Late morning on a dry day is your sweet spot.
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2. Pre-flatten bulky flowers - Thick or curled petals? Gently open them with your fingers or trim them in half so they don’t wrinkle weirdly.
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3. Use absorbent, smooth paper - Blotting paper, baking paper, or even coffee filters work. Avoid paper with texture or ink (newspaper smudges? No thanks).
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4. Cardboard is your friend - Stack your layers between two bits of cardboard for even pressure, especially in DIY book presses.
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5. Change your paper if it gets damp - Swap out damp blotting layers every few days to avoid brown or mouldy spots.
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6. Group by thickness - Press similar flowers together so the pressure’s even — no one likes a squashed daisy next to a bulky camellia.
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7. Leave space between blooms - Don’t let your petals overlap unless you want a floral blob. Give each one room to breathe.
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8. Weight matters - If you’re using books, stack a few. A single novel won’t cut it — go full Encyclopaedia Britannica if you can.
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9. Let them dry completely- 2–3 weeks minimum. Don’t rush it — they’ll crumble if you peek too soon.
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10. Store with care - Once pressed, keep flowers in a dry, dark place, between paper, or sealed in wax paper until you’re ready to use them.
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    ✅ Fresh (dry as poss) flowers or leaves
    ✅ Scissors or snips, tweezers (optional)
    ✅ Flat cardboard or wooden boards
    ✅ A press or heavy books
    ✅ Absorbent paper (+ spare for swaps)
    ✅ Labels or sticky notes (write down the flower name, date, or location (great for memory-keeping or herbal nerdery))
    ✅ A timer or calendar reminder
    ✅ Somewhere dry and dark
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Side quest: Here's some stunning (and therapeutic to watch) IG inspo
​(If anyone is doing this is here, pleeease let us know 🤩)

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Word jumble:

ARCKDHIHVART CSEPUNNTC REHU

(Answer for jumble at the bottom of the newsletter)

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I tootled off to Birdling’s Flat on Saturday with one goal: infiltrate the allegedly-for-sale 👀 gemstone museum, uncover its secrets, and convince you to abandon your current life and become a coastal rock sorcerer.

Instead? I rocked up at 1:30pm to find the gate bolted like it owed someone money. No crystals. No wisdom. No cursed fossils. Just me and my unrealised geology career.

BUT. The side quests delivered: befriended a stranger (plus their scruffly companion), got aggressively waterboarded by beach rain (seriously, how is my coat still dripping?), and car-aoke'd Paramore on the drive home, like the emotionally complex icon I am.

5/7 chaotic pilgrimage. Would still recommend...on a drier day.

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🏍 Can you ride like a legend and talk like one too? Ultimate Adventure Moto NZ is hunting for a moto maniac who can wrangle tour groups and raise hell on socials Peep the job listing here (not sponsored or affiliated, just thought it was cool)

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🐴 This incredible (and slightly creepy?) hand-carved Don Quijote and Rocinante horse marionette puppet (RRP $2200, apparently)

🌸 Re-kindle your childhood pastime of flower pressing. Or was that just me?

🎄 It's not too early to prep for Christmas, right? You didn't know you needed this snow-capped miniature railway town (with lights!), but now you do (you're welcome).

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🏹 The Christchurch Archery Club started in 1948, and it took 30 years for Princess Anne to notice...

🏹 The next Intro to Hunger Ga...uhh, Archery course starts on Saturday (26th July, for 4 consecutive weeks), if you're keen to shoot your shot as tribute. They supply the gear, just bring a snack!

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This week's roast is from Sam - "✨ Laura ✨ dragged me geocaching near the Port Hills. 45 minutes of battling gorse and making me dig through someone’s compost bin... No cache. Just cabbage stalks. And she still logged it as a “successful find”. 😒 Definitely roast her."

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Here are your quick links:​
Got a community event/fun thing to share? That's this one [free]​
Classifieds, paid events or newsletter sponsorship? Intro offers active [paid]​
​Got a vacancy to share or need a volunteer? Chuck it here, too [free]​
Keen to share your deepest hobby-love? Brag away here [free]

👀 I know you know someone who needs a gentle nudge (or a loving shove) toward something new... tell 'em I sent you [forward it so they can subscribe, free, obvs]

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Now go outside and dilly-dally.

C.x​
​Publisher, The Dabbling​
​Ōtautahi’s Unofficial Hobby-Hypewoman

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Fun answer:

🚵 CHRISTCHURCH ADVENTURE PARK