Kalle
"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."
"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’
I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.
I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.
I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.
I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.
We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.
I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.
I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."
- Kalle
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
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Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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5% Second half of November
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44.6% 1st December
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16.7% A week before Christmas
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32.5% Whenever you wish
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1.3% Other - I'll share below
Viewing platform proposed for Canterbury estuary
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A proposed viewing platform for the Ashley Rakahuri River estuary is ‘‘a wonderful gift’’, says a local community leader.
The Woodend-Sefton Community Board has recommended the Waimakariri District Council accept the offer from the Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group to build a viewing platform overlooking the estuary.
‘‘It is a wonderful gift. It is absolutely amazing and it is the perfect location,’’ board chairperson Shona Powell said.
‘‘I can see everyone enjoying it, from bird watchers, photographers, locals and visitors.
‘‘The estuary is a really precious place and the more people we can get along there to look at it and enjoy it and learn about the world-renowned bird life the better.’’
The Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group received a $20,000 bequest from the Annie Currie Legacy Fund and wishes to use the funds to build a viewing platform in the estuary.
Group spokesperson Nick Ledgard said the bequest was a welcomed surprise.
He said the bequest came with a stipulation for the money to be used for a tangible asset associated with volunteers.
‘‘We put before our group the idea of building a viewing platform and it was agreed.’’
The rivercare group has worked with council staff on a design for the viewing platform and will provide volunteer labour to build and install it.
The viewing platform has a simple design and will be wheelchair accessible, Ledgard said.
Once complete the group plans to gift the viewing platform to the community.
If approved at the next council meeting, the council will cover the costs of the consent, the upgrade of an access path and ongoing maintenance costs.
Ledgard said he hoped the project would be completed by the end of this summer.
It would be erected on the south side of the Ashley Rakahuri River, about 10 metres from the estuary car park at Waikuku Beach.
The estuary is recognised by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as a wetland of international significance and is a breeding ground for a number of threatened and critically endangered bird species.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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