STAY TUNED FOR 7 SHARP TIME NOW FOR SEVEN SHARP WITH HILARY AND JEREMY. SMALL BUSINESSES ARE A BIG PART OF OUR ECONOMY ` A STAGGERING 97% PERCENT OF ALL KIWI FIRMS. BUT ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT FROM XERO, THEY'RE STRUGGLING. WHETHER IT'S THE MECHANIC YOU USED TO FIX YOUR CAR OR THE WORKERS DOWN AT YOUR LOCAL NAIL SALON, THESE KIWI BUSINESSES MIGHT BE SMALL, BUT THEY'RE ALSO JUST AS MIGHTY. THIS ONE SENDS THAT PERSON TO COME AND FIX YOUR DUNNY. ANOTHER ONE BAKES YOUR FAVOURITE SAUSAGE ROLL. COLLECTIVELY, THESE ENTREPRENEURS EMPLOY NEARLY 30% OF US. THEY ALSO PRODUCE A QUARTER OF ALL THE GOODS AND SERVICES WE MAKE. BUT THE PAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN TOUGH FOR SMALL BUSINESS. HARDEST-HIT TARANAKI ` DOWN A DAUNTING 10%. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HILARY'S PAYING. AND RETAIL SALES ARE TAKING A TUMBLE TOO. CHEERS. OH! SO HOW CAN THESE BATTLERS GET BACK IN THE BLACK? SORRY. I'LL BUY YOU ANOTHER ONE. AND FOR MORE ON THIS, WE'RE JOINED BY BRIDGET SNELLING FROM XERO. GREAT TO TALK TO YOU, BRIDGET. HOW IMPORTANT ARE SMALL BUSINESSES TO NEW ZEALAND? WELL, JEREMY, THEY'RE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. SMALL BUSINESSES MAKE UP 97% OF OUR ECONOMY. I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE 545,000 SMALL BUSINESSES IN AOTEAROA, SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. YOU'VE CONDUCTED SOME RESEARCH ON SMALL BUSINESSES IN NEW ZEALAND. WHAT DID YOU FIND? SO WE HAVE OUR XERO SMALL BUSINESS INSIGHTS, WHICH WE PUT OUT QUARTERLY. AND WHAT THIS DATA TELLS US IS THAT THINGS ARE STILL PRETTY TOUGH FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR COUNTRY, UNFORTUNATELY. WE'VE SEEN THAT SALES ARE DOWN FOR THE DECEMBER QUARTER, AND THEY HAVE BEEN DOWN REALLY FOR THE PAST 12 TO 14 MONTHS, SO NOT A GREAT PICTURE FOR SMALL BUSINESS SALES, UNFORTUNATELY. BRIDGET, WERE THERE ANY SILVER LININGS IN THE RESEARCH? WELL, WHAT WE DID SEE IS THAT JOBS GROWTH IS ACTUALLY UP 6.8% YEAR ON YEAR. SO WHILE SALES ARE FALLING, SMALL BUSINESSES ARE STILL EMPLOYING PEOPLE. THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO ACQUIRE TALENT. SO THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE SURPRISING. BUT I THINK WHAT WE KNOW IS FROM THE PANDEMIC, WHEN THINGS OPENED UP, SMALL BUSINESSES REALLY STRUGGLED TO ATTRACT TALENT AND RETAIN TALENT, AND SO THEY'RE PROBABLY RETICENT TO LET GO OF GOOD PEOPLE AND TO KEEP ACQUIRING PEOPLE WHILE THEY STILL CAN. BUT IF SALES CONTINUE TO FALL, YOU KNOW, WE MAY SEE THAT THINGS CHANGE ON THAT FRONT. WE KNOW SPENDING IS DOWN BECAUSE PEOPLE CURRENTLY HAVE LESS MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS. WHAT COULD THE GOVERNMENT DO TO HELP? LOOK, I THINK THE GOVERNMENT HAS A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE NEW ZEALAND BE A MORE PRODUCTIVE ECONOMY. PRODUCTIVITY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, AND TO DRIVE PRODUCTIVITY, A KEY WAY TO DO THAT IS TO ADOPT DIGITAL TOOLS AND TO LOOK AT DIGITALISATION. SO THE GOVERNMENT COULD DO THINGS LIKE PROVIDE TAX GRANTS TO INCENTIVISE INVESTMENT IN ICT. PROVIDING A SMALL BUSINESS SUBSIDY TO ADOPT DIGITAL TOOLS WOULD ALSO BE REALLY USEFUL. SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WE'VE PUT TO GOVERNMENT AND THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE ACTIONED. BRIDGET, HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES EVEN IN TIMES WHEN THE ECONOMY IS STRONG? LOOK, IT'S NEVER THAT EASY TO START A SMALL BUSINESS, BUT IT'S SO IMPORTANT. WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE ENTREPRENEURS IN OUR COUNTRY, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. SO I THINK THAT'S THE KEY THING. WORK WITH ADVISERS. ADOPT DIGITAL TOOLS TO BE REALLY EFFICIENT WITH YOUR BUSINESS. MONITOR YOUR CASH FLOW. IF YOU` IF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS DO ALL THESE THINGS, THEN ACTUALLY RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS IS AN INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC WAY TO EARN A LIVING, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF TOOLS AVAILABLE. SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT ADOPTING DIGITAL TOOLS, WORKING WITH AN ADVISOR, MONITORING CASH FLOW, KEEPING ON TOP OF THINGS, KNOWING YOUR NUMBERS, MAKING SURE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE REALLY LEVERAGING ALL THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE. THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. THANKS, BRIDGET ` APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANKS, BOTH. THANKS. CAPTIONS BY SAM BAKER, TOM CLARKE AND OTO SEQUEIRA. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024 MOST OF US KNOW THE BASICS OF WHAT A CHEF DOES, BUT IN WELLINGTON, THERE'S A GROUP WHO ARE COOKING UP THINGS YOU WON'T FIND AT MOST RESTAURANTS. THEY'RE CALLED DEVELOPMENT CHEFS, AND THEY'RE MIXING SCIENCE WITH FLAVOUR TO CREATE FOOD THAT MAY SEEM SHOCKING. HERE'S LUCAS DE JONG. ('HITCHCOCK' BY THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION) IT'S A SPOT SO HOT YOU'LL NEVER GET A TABLE. HEY, HOW YOU GOING? AM I IN THE RIGHT PLACE? YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. (CHUCKLES) OK. IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A KITCHEN. THERE'S NO OPENING TIMES AND NO DINERS, JUST A COUPLE OF MAD SCIENTIST CHEFS PUSHING THE LIMITS OF KIWI INGREDIENTS. CREATING SOMETHING THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT YOU NORMALLY THINK WOULD BE POSSIBLE. WE'LL WORK WITH COMPANIES TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN DEVELOP THEIR FOOD. IT'S THE DEVELOPMENT KITCHEN, A PLACE THAT SITS BETWEEN PRIMARY PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS AND ONE THAT USES SCIENCE TO ELEVATE TASTE. NEW ZEALAND'S PROBABLY GOT SOME OF THE BEST PRODUCE IN THE WORLD. IT'S JUST NOT UNDERSTOOD AT ALL. SO WE GO INTO THE MOLECULAR LEVEL OF FOOD. LET'S START SIMPLE. USING SCIENCE, DALE AND SHEP FIGURED OUT HOW TO PERFECTLY COOK A STEAK. FOR GRASS-FED ANGUS BEEF, INTERMUSCULAR FAT STARTS TO MELT AT 46 DEGREES. KIND OF AIM FOR FULL FAT MELT AT 49 DEGREES. 49? YEP. SO WE HAD 47.2 AT THE MOMENT. AND AT 54 DEGREES WE SEE THE CELL WALLS START TO BREAK, WHERE IT STARTS TO LEACH OUT. SO THEY SEAR IT FOR 30 SECONDS ON EACH SIDE. BOTH OF THESE, YEP. 30 SECONDS! (LAUGHS) THIS IS STRESSFUL. THE PERFECT STEAK! AND WE'RE THERE. WE'RE THERE! BEST WAY TO COOK STEAK? SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN. MMM. (CHUCKLES) BUT THEY DIDN'T STOP THERE. USING BEEF BLOOD, THEY MADE A HAEMOGLOBIN SAUCE. AND WHILE WE'RE MAKING THE SAUCE, WE CAPTURED THE STEAM THAT'S COMING OFF, WHICH IS CALLED VOLATILES. SO THESE TWO HERE WILL INCREASE THE FLAVOUR BY ABOUT 50 TO 80 DIFFERENT FLAVOURS. YUM. OH MY GOSH, THAT'S AMAZING! MMM. I'M GONNA TRY SOME OF THIS BY ITSELF. WHOA! THEY'VE MADE SEAWEED MEAT REPLACEMENTS. THIS IS A SEAWEED MEATBALL WHICH YOU CAN EAT, WHICH WILL GIVE YOU ENOUGH PROTEIN IN A SERVE AS A MEATBALL WILL GIVE YOU. AND ALTERNATIVES TO YOUR PANTRY STAPLES, A BEEF FISH SAUCE? A BEEF TO... (LAUGHS) A BEEF FISH SAUCE. FISH SAUCE, YEAH, YEAH. AND THIS IS ACTUALLY TAKING PRODUCTS THAT WOULD NORMALLY GO INTO OUR WASTE STREAM. BUT FOR EVERY SUCCESS, THEY'VE COOKED UP HUNDREDS OF FAILURES. AND WE HAVE A SAYING IN THE DEVELOPMENT KITCHEN ` IF YOU'RE NOT (BLEEP) UP, YOU'RE NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH. SO THIS IS, UM, POTENTIALLY TOO MUCH SEAWEED ` A LITTLE BIT BITTER. AND, UM, THE TEXTURES ARE... QUITE OCEANY. ...A LITTLE BIT SLIMY. (CHUCKLES) YEAH. SO IT DOESN'T QUITE WORK YET. BUT WHEN THEY WHIP UP A WINNER, THEY SEND IT TO THE SENSORY EVALUATION ROOM. THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. IT'S A CONTROLLED SPACE WHERE THE TEAM CAN STUDY DIFFERENT REACTIONS TO THEIR FOOD'S FLAVOUR. WHAT'S IN NUMBER TWO? NUMBER TWO IS AN OFFAL ICE CREAM. OFFAL LIKE ANIMAL OFFAL? LIKE ORGANS AND THINGS? A LITTLE BIT OF SWEETBREADS THAT'S BEEN POACHED IN SOME MILK AND CREAM AND A LITTLE BIT OF MISO. WHAT DOES OFFAL LOOK LIKE IN A DESSERT? OR WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN A DRINK? OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH IT? HOW CAN WE USE THIS PRODUCT? AND ESPECIALLY WITH ANYTHING THAT'S KIND OF NOT GIVEN MUCH VALUE AT THE MOMENT OR WASTED. ALL RIGHT, ALL DONE? OH, UH, YEAH, I'M GONNA KEEP THIS ONE. OH, THAT'S SO GOOD. THEIR LATEST DEVELOPMENT... MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE BERRY THAT ONE NEXT TIME. ...A HEALTHY CHOCOLATE THAT THEY'VE BEEN DEVELOPING WITH SEAWEED PIONEERS AGRISEA AND SUPERMODEL ENTREPRENEUR KYLIE BAX. I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO ASK, ARE THERE ANY, LIKE, PIG GROINS IN THIS OR...? (LAUGHS) ANY CRAZY THINGS YOU PUT IN THERE? NO? THIS ONE'S NICE AND SAFE. SO IN THERE, WE'VE GOT COLLAGEN, UH, GORSE POWDER. THERE IS SOME FERMENTED SEAWEED JUICE AND A LITTLE BIT OF HONEY POWDER. OK, WELL, I SAID, WHAT'S WEIRD IN HERE? AND YOU SAID, 'NAH, NAH, WE'RE PRETTY SAFE.' BUT ALL THEIR BIGGEST WINS ARE TOP SECRET. SO, UH, WE DO A NUMBER OF PROJECTS WE HAVE IN DIFFERENT FACILITIES. A LOT OF THEM ARE COVERED BY NDAs, SO WE CAN'T TALK A LOT ABOUT THEM. NDAs ` NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS? NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS. IS THIS SOME SORT OF SECRET THING YOU'RE GONNA TAKE ME TO SHOW ME? YOU CAN SEE HOW SORT OF INTENSE WE GET. BUT YOU CAN'T COME. (LAUGHS) SORRY. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MOST OF THESE THINGS ARE. UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN'T TELL YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT. THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL ` HELP BUILD A KIWI CUISINE, ONE THAT ADDS VALUE TO THE WORK OUR FOOD PRODUCERS ARE DOING, AND ONE THAT PUTS US ON A WORLD STAGE. PRODUCT IS JUST SO AMAZING, BUT WE JUST SORT OF USE IT IN ITS MOST BASIC FORM, AND WE FALL SHORT BECAUSE WE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY APPLY THAT PRODUCT AND MAKE IT WORK SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY, INTERNATIONALLY, PUT IT OUT THERE. DO YOU EVER ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA COME UP WITH? ABSOLUTELY NOT, SO... (LAUGHS) ABSOLUTELY NOT. SO FOR US, THE NEXT BIG IDEA IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE DO BY ACCIDENT. I THINK ALL THE MASSIVE INVENTIONS IN FOOD HAVE COME FROM SOMEBODY MAKING A BIG ENOUGH MISTAKE. AND SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN ONE OF THESE DAYS IN THIS LAB THAT I BELIEVE THAT WILL THEN DIFFERENTIATE US FROM ANYWHERE ELSE. YEAH. THE BIGGEST (BEEP) UP OF ALL. THERE WE GO. (LAUGHS) SO A QUICK RECAP ON HOW THEY'RE DOING... MMM. YUM. THAT ONE'S YUM! YUM, YUM, YUM! OOOH! WE DO NEED TO START EATING OTHER THINGS. FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THE RAT? I WOULD PUT IT ON A SKEWER. LIKE A YAKITORI STYLE THIS IS FROM COUNTDOWN DUNEDIN SOUTH. WE HAVE HAD IT STUFFED. IT IS VERY CUTE. WE WILL PUT IT ON THE SHELF SO THE KIDS CAN SEE IT EVERY NIGHT. THE MANU, OR BOMB, IS A UNIQUELY KIWI DIVING STYLE THAT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING THE BIGGEST SPLASH. AT THE MANU WORLD CHAMPS THIS WEEKEND, THEY'LL BE CROWING THE COUNTRY'S BEST. BUT HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE PERFECT MANU? TE RAUHIRINGA BROWN WENT TO FIND OUT. THIS IS GONNA BE BIG! ('CONQUER' BY SWIDT) THE ART OF POPPING MANUS, OR DIVE BOMBS... POP AND AWAY! ...A CAREFULLY CRAFTED TECHNIQUE MASTERED BY SPLASH ENTHUSIASTS ACROSS AOTEAROA. YOU CAN FORGET DIVING. YOU CAN FORGET ALL THAT. THIS IS WAY MORE FUN. THE UNIQUELY KIWI PASTIME OF JUMPING OFF WHARVES... (SPLASH! CHEERING) ...JETTIES... (SPLASH!) ...CLIFFS, BRIDGES AND DIVE PLATFORMS IS ABOUT TO GET COMPETITIVE. YEAH! WHOO-HOO-HOO-HOO! WE'VE GOT KIDS 10 TO 12, WE'VE GOT YOUTH 13 TO 17, AND WE'VE GOT ADULTS 18 AND OVER, BOTH MALE AND FEMALE. AND WITH THE HELP OF SPECIAL MANU-TECH SOFTWARE, IDENTIFYING THE FINEST PROPONENTS OF THE ARTFORM HAS NEVER BEEN FASTER. SO I'M A PROFESSOR AT AUT AND A PROFESSOR OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE. SO THAT MEANS THAT I USE TECHNOLOGY TO UNDERSTAND HOW ATHLETES MOVE FROM RECREATIONAL ATHLETES TO ELITE ATHLETES. TO EXPLAIN THE COMPLEXITY OF THE MANU-TECH SYSTEM, WE CAN COMPARE THE BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS THAT I DID FOR JORDIE BARRETT WHEN HE GOT A RED CARD EVENT WHERE HE WAS GOING TO CATCH A HIGH BALL. SO WE USE VIDEO FROM MULTIPLE TV CAMERAS TO ANALYSE HIS MOTION TO SHOW THAT HE DIDN'T DELIBERATELY KICK SOMEONE'S FACE. SO WE'VE APPLIED THAT TECHNOLOGY TO THE MANU. NOW, JORDIE'S ANALYSIS WAS REALLY EASY COMPARED TO A MANU SPLASH, BECAUSE JORDIE'S BODY DOESN'T SPLIT INTO A THOUSAND PIECES IN THE AIR. SO WHAT'S THE CRITERIA? WHAT IS THE MANU-TECH MEASURING AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME? SO THE MANU-TECH SYSTEM ENABLES US TO MEASURE THE HEIGHT OF THE SPLASH AND THE WIDTH OF THE SPLASH, AND WE CAN CALCULATE THE VOLUME. AND THAT ENABLES US TO DETERMINE THE SCORE. WHAT IS THE RESPONSE TIME OF THIS TECHNOLOGY DURING THE COMPETITION? IT'S 15 SECONDS ` WITHIN 15 SECONDS TO GET THAT SCORE UP ON THE SCREEN. SO THAT'S GREAT FOR THE ATHLETES, COS THEY GET SOME REAL-TIME FEEDBACK BEFORE THEY DO THEIR SECOND AND THIRD TRIAL, SO THEY CAN IMPROVE THEIR TECHNIQUE. HAVE WE SEEN TECHNOLOGY LIKE THIS ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD? SO OUR COLLABORATION WITH SCOTT AND DEVELOPING MANU-TECH IS REALLY EXCITING. IT'S CHALLENGING, BUT IT'S REALLY WORLD-LEADING. WHAT WAS YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE ART OF THE MANU BEFORE CREATING OR DEVISING THIS TECHNOLOGY? SO REALLY IT WAS WATCHING, YOU KNOW, WHANAU BEING ABLE TO JUMP OFF THE WHARF AND ARGUE ABOUT WHO HAD THE BIGGEST MANU. (BRIGHT MUSIC) FROM WELLINGTON TO HAMILTON, CHRISTCHURCH AND AUCKLAND, QUALIFYING REGIONALS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. NOW AUCKLAND PREPARES TO MAKE A SPLASH THIS SUNDAY FOR THE GRAND FINAL. THERE'S 70 SPOTS THAT WE SELECT FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND THEN Z ENERGY, OUR GREAT PARTNER ` THEY'VE PUT A BIT OF A WILDCARD OUT THERE ON SOCIAL, AND WE'VE GOT ANOTHER FIVE OR SIX THAT'LL JOIN THEM AT THE GRAND FINAL. SO ABOUT 75, 76 PEOPLE ARE THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY THAT WILL COME TOGETHER ACROSS KIDS, YOUTH AND ADULTS DIVISION, BOTH MALE AND FEMALE. HOW DOES IT ALL COME TOGETHER? WELL, AT OUR FINAL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR MANU-TECH, WHICH WILL BE MEASURING THE SPLASH HEIGHT AND VOLUME OF THE SPLASH. AND THEN WE'VE GOT THREE JUDGES THAT WILL BE JUDGING FOR STYLE. SO, UM` AND THEY'RE YET TO BE RELEASED, THOSE JUDGES. BUT THEY'RE FULL OF EXPERIENCE, AND THEY'RE CHARACTERS, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE WATCHING WHAT PEOPLE DO BETWEEN WHEN THEY LEAVE THE PLATFORM AND THE WATER, AND THERE'LL BE A FEW POINTS FOR THAT TOO. SO WE'LL BE SCORING THEM ON THAT, AND THAT ALL CULMINATES INTO A TOTAL SCORE. THEY ALL DO THREE ATTEMPTS. WE'VE GOT A SEMI-FINAL IN THE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON AND THEN FINALS LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. SO WE'RE GONNA WHITTLE IT DOWN TO THE BEST OF THE BEST, AND THEY'LL HAVE THREE ATTEMPTS TOO, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE THEIR BEST ONE. I THINK THE KEY THING IS THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY ENABLES PRECISION OF MEASUREMENT, AND IT ENABLES EVENTUALLY TECHNIQUE IMPROVEMENT, BECAUSE THESE ARE ELITE ATHLETES. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FINALISTS, IT'S VERY SKILFUL. SO TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM TO PERFORM IS JUST FABULOUS. THREE, TWO, ONE... THOSE GUYS REALLY ARE ELITE ATHLETES, AND THEY? I RECKON LA 2028. THE DANGEROUS PART OF THAT, THOUGH, WAS GETTING INTO AUCKLAND HARBOR. I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT. E WHAI AKE NEI, COMING UP ON SEVEN SHARP ` ONE DAY EDEN PARK PLAYS HOST TO INTERNATIONAL CRICKET, THE NEXT IT'S A ROCK CONCERT. WE GO BEHIND THE SCENES TO REVEAL JUST HOW ITS HALLOWED TURF IS SAVED FROM DESTRUCTION. THE DETAILS IN JUST A MOMENT. NAU MAI, HOKI MAI. WELCOME BACK, NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH US. TO FANS OF THE GAME, THE CRICKET PITCH IS AKIN TO AN ALTAR, WHICH MAKES EDEN PARK TURF MANAGER BLAIR CHRISTIANSEN SOMEWHAT OF A HIGH PRIEST. AND IT WAS A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE WHEN I GOT TO VISIT THE HALLOWED TURF AND WITNESS WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS 'THE MIRACLE OF THE PITCH-SHIFT'. (SERENE PIANO MUSIC) I'M STILL NOT SURE IF THIS WAS REAL OR IF I DREAMT IT, BUT I DO KNOW IT WAS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE. WHAT SORT OF SOIL ARE YOU RUNNING HERE? I MEAN, I'M SORT OF... YEAH. I FEEL LIKE THAT'S PATUMAHOE. IT IS, EXACTLY. IS IT? IT IS. YOU'VE SEEN IT BEFORE. I CAN SORT OF` THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT... YEAH. IT JUST FEELS A CERTAIN WAY UNDERFOOT. IT MIGHT BE THE TEMPERATURE. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH, NAH THAT'S PATUMAHOE FROM, UH, DOWN PUKEKOHE WAY. WE'VE BEEN USING THAT HERE FOR OVER 25 YEARS, AND FOR US, IT WORKS PERFECTLY, GREAT FOR OUR CLIMATE. WE CAN BRING UP SOME PRETTY` PRETTY NICE, UH, SHORT-FORMAT WICKETS, AND WHEN WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH, WE'LL HAVE A TEST MATCH HERE AND THERE AS WELL. OH YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S HARD. OH, IT'S LIKE CONCRETE. YEAH. YOU WOULDN'T WANNA` NO, IF YOU FALL ON THAT... YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO FALL OVER ON IT, NO. WHERE DOES THIS PIECE OF PITCH` THIS PIECE OF GROUND AND GRASS... YEAH. ...WHERE DOES THIS SIT IN TERMS OF PACE AND BOUNCE IN THE WORLD? (LAUGHS) WHERE DO YOU RECKON? I'LL ALWAYS HAVE A BIAS, BUT IT'S UP THERE. I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE GET FROM THE PLAYERS AND EVEN` YOU KNOW, WE HAD AUSTRALIA HERE MOST RECENTLY, AND THOSE GUYS, THEY'VE SEEN SOME GREAT WICKETS, YOU KNOW, BACK AT HOME, AND THEY SAY THIS IS UP THERE WITH ANY OF THEM. FAST, BOUNCY WICKETS IN AUSTRALIA, AND, YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS IN AMONGST THAT SORT OF CONVERSATION, I'D BE PRETTY PROUD OF THAT. YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE FACING MITCHELL STARC OR EVEN SPENCER JOHNSON AT THE MOMENT, IT'S... IT'S A FAIR CHALLENGE. HE'S GOT HIM! FIRST BALL AFTER THE BREAK! AND WILL THIS PITCH WILL THIS GRASS BE GREEN BACK UP AGAIN? THIS WILL BE REJUVENATED THROUGH THE WINTER, AND WE'LL BE PLAYING INTERNATIONAL CRICKET ON THIS, UH, EARLY NOVEMBER NEXT YEAR. THE SAME PIECE OF SOIL? THE SAME PITCH. THIS HAS NOW HAD PROBABLY 25 INTERNATIONALS ON THIS PITCH, THE ONE OUT THE BACK'S HAD 30, AND SOME OF THESE IN THE OTHER OVAL HAVE HAD 50. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BLOCK. YOU'VE GOT THIS WICKET HERE THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR SOME TIME. YOU'VE GOT THIS WICKET YOU PROBABLY USE NEXT AND THEN THIS WICKET AND THIS WICKET. THIS IS JUST` WHAT A SENSATIONAL BLOCK YOU'VE CREATED. WELL, WE'VE BEEN A PORTABLE PITCH FOR 20 YEARS, MATE. SO I'LL TELL YOU WHAT ` THIS PITCH HAS BEEN IN HERE FOR ONLY 20 DAYS AND DID ALL THE WORK OUT IN THE NURSERY FOR THE LAST NINE MONTHS, AND SHE'LL BE COMING OUT TOMORROW. WHAT, THIS PITCH IS`? HOW DO YOU MEAN 'PORTABLE'? SO THE BEAUTY OF THIS IS WE CAN JUST LIFT THIS CLEAN OUT OF THE GROUND. IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO LIFT THIS PITCH OUT OF THE GROUND. (CHUCKLES) YEAH, SHE'S 20 TON, SO IT'S NOT LIGHT, BUT WE'VE GOT A TRANSPORTER THAT ACTUALLY CAN DO IT IN ONE SHOT. ('THUNDERBIRDS' THEME MUSIC) NEXT MORNING, A CRACK OF SPARROW'S FART, BLAIR IS ON THE TURF WITH THE ULTIMATE BIG BOY'S TOY. IT'S CALLED PORTABLE PITCH TECHNOLOGY, AND IT MEANS THAT EDEN PARK CAN TRANSFORM FROM THIS TO THIS IN A MATTER OF HOURS. I THINK LAST YEAR, WE ENDED UP WITH A SIX60 CONCERT. FOUR DAYS LATER, WE HAD AN ODI AGAINST INDIA, YOU KNOW, ALL THROUGH THE USE OF PORTABLE PITCH TECHNOLOGY. OTHER TIMES, WE'VE HAD ` I REMEMBER DOING A SOUTH AFRICA-BLACK CAPS ODI THAT FINISHED AT ABOUT 11. WE DID A PITCH MOVE OVERNIGHT, AND THEN WE HAD THREE NRL GAMES STARTING AT 11 THE NEXT MORNING. SO WE'RE SORT OF DOING THAT CHANGEOVER OF NOT JUST A CRICKET PITCH, BUT ACTUALLY THE REST OF THE GROUND AS WELL. SO WITHOUT THIS, YOU JUST CAN'T DO THAT. (EPIC ORCHESTRAL MUSIC) (CHORAL VOCALISING) JUST MAKES IT SMOOTHER WHEN WE'VE GOT THAT WEIGHT ON SIDE-SHIFTING. (CHORAL VOCALISING) (EPIC MUSIC SWELLS) ONCE THE 20 TONS OF PITCH IS ON THE TRANSPORTER, IT'S OFF TO SPEND WINTER IN THE NURSERY AT THE BACK OF THE STADIUM... (EPIC MUSIC CONTINUES) ...WAITING FOR THE RUGBY PLAYERS AND THE PINK AND COLDPLAY FANS TO HAVE THEIR FUN ON THE HALLOWED TURF. ANYWAY, BACK TO MY DREAM. THERE I WAS AT EDEN PARK WITH BLAIR TALKING GRASS. AHHH. WHAT GRASS ARE WE`? WHAT IS THIS? I'M THINKING THAT'S SOME KIND OF FESCUE. NO, THIS IS A` THIS IS A BLEND OF RYE GRASSES. SO THIS IS A COMBINATION OF A MIXTURE OF CULTIVARS. SO WE'VE GOT TWO CULTIVARS THAT WE RUN HERE. ONE'S CALLED SPARTACUS, AND ONE'S CALLED COLOSSEUM. THE SPARTACUS WORKS REALLY WELL IN THE SUMMER ` HIGH DISEASE RESISTANCE, LOW WATER, SORT OF, STRESSES, AND THEN THE COLOSSEUM WORKS REALLY WELL IN THE WINTER BECAUSE IT HAS WINTER ACTIVITY, SO WE WHEN HAVE A RUGBY... (SERENE PIANO MUSIC) NO, THIS IS` THIS IS ABSOLUTELY` YOU JUST DREAM OF HAVING A` WHAT'S YOUR`? WHAT'S YOUR LAW LIKE AT HOME? OH, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE OLD BUILDER THAT'S NEVER FINISHED HIS PLACE. I HAVE THE BEST INTENTIONS, BUT MOST OF MY DAYS AND HOURS ARE SPENT HERE. WHAT, YOU GOT KIKUYU IN YOUR LAWN? OH, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CARPET GRASS, KIKUYU, YEAH. IS THERE? YEAH. A LITTLE BIT OF RYEGRASS, A LITTLE BIT OF, UH... WHAT ELSE HAVE WE GOT? SOME CREEPING BENTGRASS. WE GOT` OH, IT'S ALL HAPPENING. (LAUGHS) YEAH, IT'S ON. WE TALKED GRASS FOR HOURS. YOU LOVED IT, DIDN'T YOU? HIS NIGHTMARE AS HE TURNS UP AT WORK AND EDEN PARK IS A MEADOW. IT HASN'T BEEN MOWN, AND THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM IS READY. WE'LL BE BACK IN JUST A MOMENT. (ENGINE REVS) Oh. OK, turn off the car. (PHONE RINGS) GIRL: Dad! Hey, man. Long time no talk. Yeah, just... I'm teaching Samara how to drive. (BRIGHT MUSIC) Hi! Could you do something for me? SONG: # Oh, baby, you... # Thanks. # You've got what I need # You got everything I need # You're like medicine to me... # VOICEOVER: Wonderful stories enter our stores every day. Find your wonderful. New World. ON THE SHOW TOMORROW, THE JEWELLER WORKING WITH A PRODUCT MORE PRECIOUS THAN ANY GEM SO FAMILY MEMORIES ARE KEPT FOREVER. THOSE WERE OUR PEOPLE TODAY; THAT WAS SEVEN SHARP TONIGHT. 'PLANET EARTH III' IS UP NEXT. WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW.. PO MARIE. CHEERIO. CAPTIONS BY SAM BAKER, TOM CLARKE AND OTO SEQUEIRA. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024