Profile
Great Barrier Island Calendar Girls
A composite answer from the gorgeous Great Barrier Island Calendar girls.
In one or two sentences introduce yourselves...
We are a group of Mothers and Grandmothers who live on Great Barrier Island in New Zealand who took up the challenge to become the first Great Barrier Island calendar girls, to raise money to upgrade and save the local Playcentre.
What’s your biggest project going on now?
Helping sell the calendars! $20 each through www.thebarrier.co.nz. .We need to raise $50,000 in total so please buy one!
What do you spend your days doing?
Amongst us all there are those who work, those who fight to save the environment, Local Board members, those who surf/fish/hunt and gather, yoga lovers, movie buffs, and those who participate in all of the above!
Where’s your favourite place in NZ?
Beautiful Great Barrier Island, it’s a privilege to wake up in paradise
What’s your favourite tipple?
While we don’t shy away from spirits, nothing beats a chilled glass of one’s favourite white wine and not necessarily with dinner!
Who inspired/or continues to inspire you most in your life?
Mother – be it one’s own mother or Mother Nature herself
What’s the latest thing downloaded to your iPod?
If there was a Great Barrier Island compilation it would have a strong female artist theme running throughout – from Dusty Springfield to Florence and the Machine...
What are you reading?
...and our Great Barrier Island reading list would be just as ecletic covering Janet Evanovich, Tim Winton, Justin Cronin to the Reflexology Bible and a rock star autorbiography or two thrown in for good measure.
What’s your biggest weakness?
Chocolate – women are the same the world over.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Friends and family, fun and laughter, music and dancing, meal and drinks, all against a beautiful Great Barrier Island sunset backdrop
If you weren’t doing what you are doing now you’d...
...be mad! Right here, right now with the gift of life is all that matters
Twelve Great Barrier Island women, all 45plus, are redefining the natural assets and raw beauty the island is renowned for. They are taking off their clothes to become the island’s very own calendar girls in a major initiative to aid the local Playcentre upgrade its facility and meet compliance requirements for an early childhood centre.
“We badly need more space to function and when the estimate to do this properly came in at $50,000, we knew the usual sausage sizzle approach wasn’t going to cut it.” said Great Barrier Playcentre Coordinator Karin Thurig. So, to raise the stakes, she called out to the backbone of the community – feisty and resourceful Great Barrier women. Enlisting the help of top fashion photographer Jackie Meiring, whom is a Great Barrier Island holiday home owner, the calendar boasts twelve memorable images of the women that celebrate both the spirit and beauty of the island.
Recently elected to the Great Barrier Island District Board, Sue Daley poses mermaid like with strategically placed scallop shells to become the calendar’s Miss March. “While the island has a disproportionately large number of pre-school children, options for early childhood education are severely limited over here. Most of the calendar girls are ex-Playcentre mums or grandmothers who know Playcentre is a vital link in our small and geographically spread community” commented Ms Daley, herself a mother of five.
The project began to take on a momentum of its own when word spread amongst other holiday home owners and visitors. “At every turn another offer of top professional help materialised which kept production values high and the costs to an absolute minimum. Not only did we have Jackie taking the shots but we had professional hair and make-up artists with connections to the island join the team. And to top it off another bach owner is the Creative Director of ad agency Colenso BBDO Ltd, so the graphic design is just beautiful” enthused Thurig.
The photo shoot took two days and the backdrop for each scene was selected for its significance to each of the women. While it took a few minutes during each shot for nerves to settle, the experience has been described by one of the Calendar girls as “a privilege”.
Launch date for the calendar is set for Saturday 23rd October with calendars on sale at selected outlets and online at www.thebarrier.co.nz. Selling at $20 each, the goal is to sell 2,000 calendars to help meet the $50,000 challenge.
For more information please contact Karin Thurig 09 4290 656 Karin@offshorehomes.co.nz
PO Box 37, Claris, Great Barrier Island
Or Sandy Burgham 021 871 699 sandy@max.co.nz